The Baker Roshi Audio Archive

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Showing 3307 talks

Title	Speaker	Date
Zen Beyond Boundaries Serial: RB-03826 Door-Step-Zen The talk explores the idea of inclusion and exclusion in Zen practice, questioning the necessity of institutional affiliations for spiritual experiences. It challenges the notion of religiousness in Zen activities, framing them... *Time, Religion, Practice*	Richard Baker	Jun 2019 Johanneshof
Journey to Zen: Founding a Path Serial: RB-02266 Seminar_Oral_History The transcript reflects a detailed narrative about the founding of the Zen Center, primarily driven by the desire to find a Chinese Zen teacher and influenced by encounters with literary and philosophical figures such as Ezra... *Suzuki Roshi, Time, Tassajara*	Richard Baker	Jun 2019
Doorstep Zen: Embracing Open Interconnectedness Serial: RB-03829 Door-Step-Zen The main thesis of the talk revolves around the concept of "Doorstep Zen," a practice emphasizing openness and adaptability in Zen teachings, without predefined themes or scripts, and highlighting living practice through personal... *Practice, Buddhism, Pain*	Richard Baker	Jun 2019 Johanneshof
Transcending Time Through Present Awareness Serial: RB-03828 Door-Step-Zen The talk examines the concept of "durative time" and how perception of time changes across different states of consciousness, such as childhood and yogic practice. The discussion highlights the notion that life is a series of... *Time, Sangha, Breath*	Richard Baker	Jun 2019 Johanneshof
Compassionate Wisdom for Every Direction Serial: RB-03830 Door-Step-Zen The talk explores the concept of fundamental compassion as a transformative force for individuals and society, advocating for its application beyond traditional Buddhist practice. It suggests that personal and fundamental... *Compassion, Practice, Buddha*	Richard Baker	Jun 2019 Johanneshof
Zen Beyond Thought: Embodied Practice Serial: RB-03825 Door-Step-Zen The talk in June 2019 titled "Door-Step-Zen" explores the nuanced practice of Zen and its adaptation in Western culture. The discourse examines the concept of "interiority" and emphasizes the differences between practicing Zen in... *Practice, Buddhism, Time*	Richard Baker	Jun 2019 Johanneshof
Zen Silence: Gateway to Transformation Serial: RB-03831 Door-Step-Zen This talk discusses the notion of silence as a powerful form of communal and personal practice, drawing connections with Zen principles and various philosophical and spiritual texts. It delves into the concept of a "hyper-object... *Time, Practice, Koan*	Richard Baker	Jun 2019 Johanneshof
Building Zen Communities in California Serial: RB-02267 Seminar_Oral_History The talk primarily addresses the establishment and evolution of Zen practice sites in California, including Green Gulch Farm, Tassajara, and the developing of Greens Restaurant as centers of lay practice and community engagement... *Practice, Time, Tassajara*	Richard Baker	Jun 2019
Blurring Lines of Inner and Outer Serial: RB-03835 Door-Step-Zen The talk explores the interconnectedness of interior and exterior experiences through personal anecdotes, emphasizing the dissolution of these boundaries in effective practice. The discussion relates to how mindfulness practice... *Time, japanese, Japan*	Richard Baker	Jun 2019 Johanneshof
Reflecting Awareness in Zen Practice Serial: RB-03834 Door-Step-Zen The talk delves into the concept of sensory experience and perception within Zen practice, emphasizing the shift from identifying with sensory content to recognizing sensory processes. The discussion explores the metaphor of a... *Japan, Practice, japanese*	Richard Baker	Jun 2019 Johanneshof
Zen on the Doorstep Serial: RB-03832 Door-Step-Zen The talk primarily centers on the concept of "Doorstep Zen," focusing on how Zen practice can be adopted and continued in individual and collective settings. It addresses the practical use of Zen practice spaces, the potential... *Practice, Work, Time*	Richard Baker	Jun 2019 Johanneshof
Perceiving Wholes Beyond Cognitive Boundaries Serial: RB-03833 Door-Step-Zen The talk delves into Zen philosophy, focusing on the interplay between wholes and parts, the function of the senses, and the concept of hyperobjects. It contrasts two Buddhist philosophies: one holding that the whole is greater... *Time, Consciousness, Practice*	Richard Baker	Jun 2019 Johanneshof
Choosing Aliveness: Zen's Relational Path Serial: RB-02032 Sesshin The November 2018 talk explores the intricate nature of Zen practice, focusing on the foundational idea of making a conscious decision to embrace life and how this decision underpins spiritual practice. The discussion emphasizes... *Practice, Buddhism, Stillness*	Richard Baker	Nov 2018 Johanneshof
Awakening Through Attentional Zen Practices Serial: RB-02033 Sesshin The talk explores the significance of attention in Zen practice, contrasting the perception of the world as an "in-here-ness" that emphasizes attention, with its perception as an "out-there-ness" that emphasizes thinking. The... *Practice, Breath, Culture*	Richard Baker	Nov 2018 Johanneshof
Zen in Motion: Bridging Mind and Body Serial: RB-02030 Sesshin The talk centers on the integration and disjunction of Eastern and Western cultural practices within Zen teachings, emphasizing the interplay between body and mind as well as sensation and awareness. It critiques the assumption... *Practice, Culture, Posture*	Richard Baker	Nov 2018 Johanneshof
Zen in a Connected World Serial: RB-02031 Sesshin The talk explores the practice of Zen, emphasizing the adaptation of East Asian Buddhist teachings to Western contexts. It highlights the challenge of translating these teachings due to cultural and linguistic differences,... *Practice, Breath, Zazen*	Richard Baker	Nov 2018 Johanneshof
Zen Aliveness Beyond Being Serial: RB-02029 Sesshin The talk explores the intricate relationship between Zen practice and Western worldviews, emphasizing the experiential and transformative nature of Zen. It contrasts the conception of "being" against "aliveness," suggesting that... *Practice, Buddhism, Mindfulness*	Richard Baker	Nov 2018 Johanneshof
Finding Here-ness in Zen Practice Serial: RB-02028 Sesshin The talk explores the significance of language in Zen practice, emphasizing the role of words as not just elements of communication, but as pointers to lived experience and spiritual immediacy. The discussion focuses on the... *Time, Practice, Monastic Practice*	Richard Baker	Nov 2018 Johanneshof
Creating Time Through Presence Serial: RB-03449 Seminar The talk explores the concept of time from a Zen and yogic perspective, challenging the traditional Newtonian view of time as a universal constant. It emphasizes that time is not a pre-existing entity but is created through... *Time, Practice, Dogen*	Richard Baker	Oct 2018 Hannover
Transcending Time in Zen Meditation Serial: RB-03451 Seminar The talk explores concepts of time and perception in Zen meditation, particularly the limitations of sequential and cumulative time and the introduction of paratactic time. This form of time perception allows for the acceptance... *Time, Practice, Buddhism*	Richard Baker	Oct 2018 Hannover
Reimagining Time Beyond Clocks Serial: RB-03450 Seminar The seminar titled "Beyond the Tick Tock: Living Time" explores the conceptual understanding of time both in everyday life and within the context of contemporary physics and yogic practices. The discussion focuses on the... *Time, Practice*	Richard Baker	Oct 2018 Hannover
The Timeless Dance of Zen Serial: RB-03452 Seminar The talk delves into the perception and experience of time in Zen practice, contrasting concepts of cumulative, sequential, paratactic, and immediacy time. It highlights how experiential time, where the self and world emerge, can... *Time, Practice, Buddha*	Richard Baker	Oct 2018 Hannover
Zen Now: Embrace the Buzz Serial: RB-03453 Seminar The talk delves into the exploration of Zen philosophy through the lens of experiential practice. It emphasizes the theme of 'here and now,' using the metaphor of a buzzing fly to illustrate mindfulness and immediate awareness.... *Time, Consciousness, Practice*	Richard Baker	Oct 2018 Hannover
Embracing Zen's Foundational Impermanence Serial: RB-03916 Seminar The seminar delves into Zen practices, focusing on the first three dharmas and their foundational nature to the human condition, touching on their interplay with wisdom practices. It explores the concept of discrimination in... *Name, Time, Practice*	Richard Baker	Oct 01 2018 Johanneshof
Relational Time: Zen and Consciousness Serial: RB-03455 Seminar The talk focuses on the intricate relationship between time, consciousness, and realization within Zen philosophy, with particular focus on Koan 55 from "The Blue Cliff Records". By examining the concept of "secure and intimate... *Time, japanese, Work*	Richard Baker	Oct 2018 Hannover
Timelessness Through Meditative Immediacy Serial: RB-03454 Seminar The seminar explores the concept of immediacy in the experience of time, highlighting four dimensions: sequential, cumulative, paratactic, and durative immediacy. An anecdote about a meditative experience in the Himalayas... *Time, Practice, Stillness*	Richard Baker	Oct 2018 Hannover
Circummediacy: Embracing Time's Texture Serial: RB-03456 Seminar The talk addresses the concept of "immediacy" and its experiential dimensions, presenting "traction" in the context of spatiality, patiality, and indeterminacy. The discussion explores immediacy as a textural experience,... *Time, Practice, Consciousness*	Richard Baker	Oct 2018 Hannover
Navigating Zen: Breath and Awareness Serial: RB-03457 Seminar The talk delves into various metaphors and images related to Zen practice, discussing the exploration of "Dharma land" and the importance of personal inquiry and awareness in navigating one's spiritual journey. Emphasis is placed... *Time, Work, Sixth Patriarch*	Richard Baker	Oct 2018 Hannover
Gates to Zen Consciousness Serial: RB-03459 Seminar The talk delves into the exploration of Zen Buddhist concepts, emphasizing the importance of understanding and practicing the "four marks" and the "five dharmas" to cultivate a finer attention to appearances and consciousness.... *Time, Consciousness, Practice*	Richard Baker	Oct 2018 Hannover
Zen Transformation Through Mindful Awareness Serial: RB-03458 Seminar This talk explores the integration of Zen practice and its transformative potential through examining one's experience, emphasizing the mental posture integral to Zazen practice. The discussion introduces the "four pillars of... *Time, Consciousness, Practice*	Richard Baker	Oct 2018 Hannover
Interdependence Through Zen Time Serial: RB-02230 Practice-Period_Talks The talk explores Zen philosophy focusing on the concept of interdependence and relationality, drawing insights from the Buddha's enlightenment and the Lankavatara Sutra. It emphasizes the practice of understanding and... *Time, Practice, Buddha*	Richard Baker	Sep 2018 Johanneshof
Redefining Reality Through Zen Practice Serial: RB-02231 Practice-Period_Talks This talk explores the practice of Zen, emphasizing the idea of redefining consciousness through the lens of Buddhist ritual and teachings like the "five skandhas." The discussion highlights how engaging in practices, such as... *Practice, Practice Period, Consciousness*	Richard Baker	Sep 2018 Johanneshof
Embodied Zen: The Craft of Practice Serial: RB-02237 Practice-Period_Talks The talk explores the concept of "the craft of practice" in Zen, emphasizing the importance of practice itself over purely intellectual understanding. It discusses how the craft of practice allows practitioners to engage at a... *Practice, Practice Period, Time*	Richard Baker	Sep 2018 Johanneshof
Steady Intimacy With Present Being Serial: RB-02236 Practice-Period_Talks The talk explores the idea of "processive evolution" as opposed to "progressive evolution," suggesting that Zen practice focuses on continuous engagement with the present moment rather than deification or linear progress. It... *Practice, Dogen, Time*	Richard Baker	Sep 2018 Johanneshof
Embracing Moments: Zen Consciousness Serial: RB-02238 Practice-Period_Talks The talk examines the practice of attentional appearances, contrasting Western notions of a "stream of consciousness" with East Asian traditions that perceive consciousness as a series of distinct moments or appearances. The... *Buddha, Practice, Culture*	Richard Baker	Sep 2018 Johanneshof
Experiencing Suchness Through Attention Serial: RB-02235 Practice-Period_Talks The talk examines the concept of "suchness" in Zen Buddhism, emphasizing the shift from experiential information to experiential understanding and awareness. It discusses Haruki Murakami's approach to storytelling as a parallel... *Time, Practice, japanese*	Richard Baker	Sep 2018 Johanneshof
Direct Experience: Beyond Zen Narratives Serial: RB-02234 Practice-Period_Talks The talk explores the distinction between processive and descriptive approaches to Zen practice, emphasizing the shift from merely following instructions descriptively to engaging deeply with their prescriptive nature. It... *Practice, Time, Stillness*	Richard Baker	Sep 2018 Johanneshof
Zen Altar: Where Practice Meets Presence Serial: RB-02232 Practice-Period_Talks The talk provides a reflection on Zen practice, focusing on the symbolic and practical elements of building and using a Zendo altar, contrasting Western and Eastern religious perspectives, and emphasizing the experiential aspects... *Practice, Time, Japan*	Richard Baker	Sep 2018 Johanneshof
Endless Interconnectedness: Zen's Subtle Dance Serial: RB-02233 Practice-Period_Talks The talk explores the concept of "suchness" as a fundamental experience in Zen practice, emphasizing the perception of experiences as mere information without divisions of inside or outside. The discussion references various... *Buddha, Zendo, Consciousness*	Richard Baker	Sep 2018 Johanneshof
Aliveness in Every New Beginning Serial: RB-02224 Practice-Period_Talks This talk focuses on the themes of lineage, language in spiritual practice, and the nature of transformative practice. It emphasizes the use of traditional Japanese chanting to honor lineage while discussing the transformative... *Practice, Practice Period, Time*	Richard Baker	Sep 2018 Johanneshof
Embracing the Aliveness of Now Serial: RB-02225 Practice-Period_Talks This talk explores the intersection of personal practice experiences and the teachings of Dharma ancestors, emphasizing the concept of "transferal" rather than "transmission" of teachings. The speaker elaborates on concepts like... *Practice, Time, Stillness*	Richard Baker	Sep 2018 Johanneshof
Embodied Attention in Zen Practice Serial: RB-02223 Practice-Period_Talks The talk explores the concept of "physiological attention" as pivotal within Zen practice, emphasizing the importance of engaging the body and mind through experiential, rather than intellectual, means. Japanese culture's focus... *Ceremony, Culture, Practice*	Richard Baker	Sep 2018 Johanneshof
Beyond Beginnings: Embracing Alwaysness Serial: RB-02222 Practice-Period_Talks This talk explores the interplay between Zen and Western philosophical traditions, emphasizing the concept of "affectivity" over "activity," suggesting a shift from seeing life events as beginnings to understanding them as part... *Consciousness, Buddha, Time*	Richard Baker	Sep 2018 Johanneshof
Evolving Perception in Zen Practice Serial: RB-02226 Practice-Period_Talks This talk explores the intersection of phenomenology and Zen practice, emphasizing the dynamic and evolving nature of perception within a field of potentialities. It delves into how observation and the construction of teaching... *Buddhism, Study, Posture*	Richard Baker	Sep 2018 Johanneshof
Experiencing Zen Through Language Harmony Serial: RB-02227 Practice-Period_Talks The talk explores the themes of language, perception, and Zen practice, emphasizing the importance of experiencing over conceptual understanding. It discusses the concept of "synonymy" as living in harmony with one's environment... *Practice, Ceremony, Time*	Richard Baker	Sep 2018 Johanneshof
Experiential Truth in Zen Practice Serial: RB-02229 Practice-Period_Talks This talk examines the nature of experiential reality in Zen practice, focusing on the concept of time as depicted in the sutras and the yogic perspective on potentiality and experience. The discussion posits that the Buddha's... *Time, Zazen, Suzuki Roshi*	Richard Baker	Sep 2018 Johanneshof
Awakening Breath: Language and Zen Serial: RB-02228 Practice-Period_Talks The talk explores the distinction between object-referencing and event-referencing languages, using linguistic examples from Japanese and Western cultures. It delves into the Zen practice of mindfulness of breath, emphasizing the... *japanese, Practice, Japan*	Richard Baker	Sep 2018 Johanneshof
Embodying Aliveness Through Zen Practice Serial: RB-02887 Seminar_Koan The talk delves into Zen practice, highlighting the significance of presence and the cultivation of 'aliveness.' It underscores the idea that spiritual teachings—the Dharmakaya, or the body of teachings—hold more value than... *Posture, Time, Zazen*	Richard Baker	Aug 2018 Johanneshof
Trusting the Path to Perception Serial: RB-02888 Seminar_Koan The talk focuses on the nature of enlightenment and the practice of Zen, using Koans as a means to illustrate the complexities of perception and trust within the Zen tradition. The discussion highlights the cultural differences... *Koan, Intention, Practice*	Richard Baker	Aug 2018 Johanneshof
Beyond Binary: Engaging Koan Realization Serial: RB-02886 Seminar_Koan The talk discusses the nature of realization through the exploration of a koan involving Yuan hitting a coffin and questioning "alive or dead". It emphasizes the role of perception, language, and cultural narratives in... *Koan, Enlightenment, Culture*	Richard Baker	Aug 2018 Johanneshof

The Baker Roshi Audio Archive

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