Failure, Zombies & the Grasping Mind | Koshin Paley Ellison
“The true way is not something bestowed by others... it is found in the depths of your own heart-mind.”On the 68th day of our recent Commit to Sit, Koshin Sensei reflects on teachings from Shakyamuni Buddha, Dogen Zenji, and Uchiyama Roshi, reminding us that practice never ends—not even for the great teachers.Through stories both profound and playful (including an unexpected giant Labubu doll appearing in the zendo), he challenges us to see failure not as weakness but as the essence of practice.How can we stop outsourcing our meaning to external forces, and to notice how often we grasp, like zombies, for validation instead of simply living?This talk invites us back to the simplicity of wholehearted practice, to embrace life as it is, and to rediscover freedom in letting go of the endless search for more.
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23:47
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23:47
Finding Freedom in Discipline | Koshin Paley Ellison
“The discipline of zazen is the refusal to be manipulated by your own mind.”In this talk, Koshin Sensei reflects on the liberating power of discipline, the courage to make effort, and the serenity that comes not from outer conditions but from the clarity of mind itself. Drawing on the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, Dōgen Zenji, and Uchiyama Roshi, he explores how daily reverence for concentration allows the Dharma (wisdom) to flourish in our lives. From the story of Dōgen meeting the tenzo (head cook at a monastery) who walked 20 miles for mushrooms to the simple mirror-like nature of zazen, this talk invites us to return again and again to the freshness of the present moment.
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28:20
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28:20
The Unmoored Mind | Koshin Paley Ellison
"A boat without a rudder drifts with the current, sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly, but always away from the true shore."In this recent dharma talk, Koshin Sensei invites us to reflect deeply on what it means to “not lose sight of true dharma.” Drawing from Shakyamuni Buddha’s final teachings and Dogen Zenji’s commentary, Koshin reminds us that vigilance and effort are not punishments but the armor and encampment that protect us from distraction, defensiveness, and the pull of the senses. With humor and tenderness, he shows us how forgetting is simply the natural drift of an unmoored mind, and how remembering, again and again, brings us back to clarity, presence, and freedom.
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25:02
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25:02
When the Bottom Falls Out: Stories of Awakening | Chodo Robert Campbell
“The challenge is not sustaining the silence (on retreat), but bringing the silence with you when you leave.”In this dharma talk from the final day of our recent summer silent retreat, Chodo sensei explores what it means to practice without seeking reward.Through the powerful story of 13th-century nun Mugai Nyodai, whose awakening came when the bottom fell out of her water bucket, and a poem by Marie Howe about a dog transfixed by moonlight, this talk explores mushotoku: the art of gaining nothing.Throughout the talk, Chodo weaves together intimate stories of caregiving, the challenges of spiritual ego, and the paradox of diligent effort (“shojin”) that aims to attain nothing. From cleaning a dying friend to a hospital chaplain learning to practice without robes, discover how true shojin means showing up fully present—not to become something, but to be with what is without clinging.
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38:15
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38:15
Quietude in the Midst of the Storm | Koshin Paley Ellison
“Sangha (community) is not a retreat from suffering but a mirror to it.”In this lively and direct dharma talk, Koshin Sensei invites us to explore what it truly means to cultivate serenity and quietude; not as an escape from life’s messiness, but as a way of meeting it fully. Drawing on a Jataka (lives of the historical Buddha) tale of a hollow tree, teachings from our Zen ancestors, Dogen Zenji and Uchiyama Roshi, and reflections on the challenges and beauty of Sangha life, Koshin reminds us that impermanence is the very nature of awakening. True quietude, he says, is “settling down in the deepest meaning of your own life,” even when the winds are strong and the mud is thick. Rather than clinging to what appears sturdy or avoiding discomfort, we are invited to stay, to be changed by continuous practice (like robes slowly moistened by the mist) and to discover serenity right in the heart of our lives, together.
South Africa