Sitting in the Mystery - Hogen, Roshi

n this talk, Hogen continues the series “Turning Problems into Wisdom,” exploring how challenges in everyday life can become opportunities for clarity and insight. Through a vivid story about a major septic system failure at the retreat center, he reflects on how calm attention, community cooperation, and practical action reveal the wisdom hidden within crisis. At the heart of the teaching is the Zen practice of “not knowing”—approaching life with curiosity, openness, and humility rather than fixed assumptions—allowing us to meet problems with creativity, equanimity, and a sense of wonder. ★ Support this podcast ★

In this talk, Jomon reflects on the first of Frank Ostaseski’s Five Invitations—“Don’t Wait”—and explores what death can teach us about living fully. Drawing on the Zen teaching Identity of Relative and Absolute (Sandokai), a traditional koan, and a meditation on the elements, the talk invites listeners to consider the constantly changing nature of body, mind, and world. Through contemplation of earth, water, fire, air, and space, we are reminded that we are not separate, solid selves but expressions of a larger unfolding reality—at once here and disappearing. ★ Support this podcast ★

In this Rohatsu talk, Kisei shares the story of the Buddha’s awakening and the journey that led to it. Beginning with the Buddha’s birth and the prophetic dream of his mother, the talk traces his sheltered life in the palace, the transformative encounter with the four sights, and his years of searching through meditation and austerities. Through mythic imagery and traditional teachings—including Mara’s temptations, the rediscovery of simple presence, and the moment of awakening beneath the Bodhi tree—this story invites listeners to reflect on their own spiritual path and the possibility of awakening within everyday life. ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode, Jogen continues exploring how Zen practice moves beyond the meditation cushion and into daily life. Focusing on the Bodhisattva path, he reflects on generosity as the first and essential practice—expressed through simple acts like appreciation, attentiveness, sharing resources, and imagining the inner lives of others. Rather than striving to be “good,” he invites listeners to cultivate a generous heart that naturally flows from clarity and awareness, transforming ordinary moments into opportunities to bring a little more care, beauty, and ease into the world. ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode, Jogen explores how Zen practice extends beyond the meditation cushion into the challenges of everyday life. From observing habitual thought patterns and interrupting unhelpful mental habits to cultivating pockets of quiet mind in daily tasks, he emphasizes continual practice as a path to clarity, awareness, and grace. Listeners are invited to engage with their own minds, relationships, and routines as living opportunities for mindfulness, reflection, and transformation. ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode, Jomon reflects on death, impermanence, and how mindfulness can deepen our appreciation of life. Drawing from experiences with wildland firefighters, Zen retreats, and the teachings of Frank Ostasewski, she explores how turning toward mortality and grief can cultivate presence, compassion, and wholehearted living. Listeners are guided through practices to recognize impermanence, connect more deeply with others, and fully inhabit the precious moments we often take for granted. ★ Support this podcast ★

In this talk, Hogen explores how to bring spiritual practice to life in the face of life’s inevitable endings. From confronting illness and loss to observing the fleeting nature of thought and time, he offers practical guidance on calming the mind, grounding in the present moment, and discovering wisdom and compassion in even the most difficult situations. Listeners are invited to cultivate micro-awareness and find stability, clarity, and meaning right here, right now. ★ Support this podcast ★

Responding to a question about fame, influence, and “sacrificing one’s life to a cause,” Jogen explores the Buddhist teaching of the Eight Worldly Concerns: pleasure and displeasure, loss and gain, praise and blame, fame and infamy. He examines the deep human desire to be known, respected, and powerful, and the spiritual dangers hidden within recognition and status. Drawing on stories from Zen tradition and his own experience, he reflects on how practice invites us to stop being buffeted by these worldly winds and to act from integrity rather than optics. What would it mean to contribute fully, perhaps even to change history, without needing to be known for it? ★ Support this podcast ★

In this talk, Kisei continues exploring the Faith in Mind poem, reflecting on the invitation to “cut off all useless thoughts” and return to the root of awareness itself. Drawing on the koan of Mu, the teachings of Mumon and Dahui, and her own experience of practice, she reframes “cutting off” as seeing through the thinking mind rather than fighting it. By investigating the nature of thought—its texture, duration, and source—practitioners begin to recognize the spacious awareness in which thoughts arise and dissolve. This talk points to the freedom of the unhindered mind and closes with a poem from Joy Harjo, reminding us that true clarity opens from the heart. ★ Support this podcast ★

Jogen explores the question of motivation for practice, reflecting on why spiritual practice matters in a disturbing and impermanent world and why it can still be difficult to sustain. He examines sources of motivation—from habit and benefit to suffering, wisdom, and mysterious calling—and introduces the traditional “Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind” as contemplations on suffering, impermanence, karma, and death. Through personal stories and practical reflection, this talk invites listeners to consider what truly motivates their practice and how deep contemplation can unbottle a more wholehearted commitment to the Dharma. ★ Support this podcast ★