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Don't Miss Your Life
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Connecting with the Heart Sutra
- Mazu's Heart Sutra
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Narrated by: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 51 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 48
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 30
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 30
The Heart Sutra is one of the most important teachings in all Buddhist schools, including Zen. In this challenging talk, Roshi discusses The Heart Sutra and explains the Buddhist concept of emptiness. Emptiness doesn't mean that the world is empty, nor does it mean that we are supposed to walk around like emotionless zombies. Realizing emptiness is essentially realizing that we are not separate from the world around us.
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Between a Rock and a Hard Place
- Kyogen's Person Up a Tree
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Narrated by: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 45 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 15
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 9
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 9
Everyone has experienced life's classic dilemmas: Should I do this, or should I do that? Should I buy this, or should I buy that? Should I be here, or should I be there? We tend to resolve these questions by analysis and rationality, but when we look carefully we see that our choices usually aren't rational; more often they are a decision of the heart.
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3 out of 5 stars
-
Not about Aron Ralston's survival story.
- By Jack on 01-21-12
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Suffering and Empowerment
- Suffering Cannot Reach It
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Narrated by: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 49 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 20
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 11
Sooner or later, we all confront situations with no easy way out. For human beings, sickness, old age, and death, either our own or someone else's, seem like insurmountable barriers. We all struggle to avoid these things, and the media encourages our pursuit, offering plastic surgery, exercise routines, and all manner of pills to achieve eternal youth. But sooner or later, we need to realize that old age and suffering are not going to magically dissolve.
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Finding the Right Teacher
- Bodhidharma's Skin, Flesh, Bones, and Marrow
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Narrated by: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 1 hr
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 20
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 13
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 13
American Buddhism is a new phenomena, and teachers range from self-appointed gurus to highly qualified masters. With so many teachers and religious centers to choose from, how can you find someone you really trust? The real issue, according to Daido Roshi, is understanding the meaning of spiritual authority. Transmission from a teacher should be based on our own realization as well as the teacher's.
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Nothing Special
- Nanquan's Nothing Special
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Narrated by: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 41 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 10
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 7
In the modern world, we are encouraged to be special, to be different and stand out from everyone else. Zen Buddhism has a different approach, encouraging us instead to be "nothing special". Daido Roshi declares that our lives are fine exactly the way they are; Zen is not about adding anything to our lives, it's about seeing the inherent perfection we already possess.
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Who's Punishing You?
- The Diamond Scripture's Revilement
- By: John Daido Loori, Roshi
- Length: 51 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 10
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 6
Zen Buddhism emphasizes meditation as the means to study ourselves and understand who we truly are. Dharma talks are an essential aspect of Zen training, and the talks offered here were given at both the Zen Mountain Monastery and the Zen Center of New York City.
-
Connecting with the Heart Sutra
- Mazu's Heart Sutra
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Narrated by: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 51 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 48
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 30
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 30
The Heart Sutra is one of the most important teachings in all Buddhist schools, including Zen. In this challenging talk, Roshi discusses The Heart Sutra and explains the Buddhist concept of emptiness. Emptiness doesn't mean that the world is empty, nor does it mean that we are supposed to walk around like emotionless zombies. Realizing emptiness is essentially realizing that we are not separate from the world around us.
-
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
- Kyogen's Person Up a Tree
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Narrated by: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 45 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 15
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 9
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 9
Everyone has experienced life's classic dilemmas: Should I do this, or should I do that? Should I buy this, or should I buy that? Should I be here, or should I be there? We tend to resolve these questions by analysis and rationality, but when we look carefully we see that our choices usually aren't rational; more often they are a decision of the heart.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Not about Aron Ralston's survival story.
- By Jack on 01-21-12
-
Suffering and Empowerment
- Suffering Cannot Reach It
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Narrated by: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 49 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 20
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 11
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 11
Sooner or later, we all confront situations with no easy way out. For human beings, sickness, old age, and death, either our own or someone else's, seem like insurmountable barriers. We all struggle to avoid these things, and the media encourages our pursuit, offering plastic surgery, exercise routines, and all manner of pills to achieve eternal youth. But sooner or later, we need to realize that old age and suffering are not going to magically dissolve.
-
Finding the Right Teacher
- Bodhidharma's Skin, Flesh, Bones, and Marrow
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Narrated by: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 1 hr
- Original Recording
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 20
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 13
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 13
American Buddhism is a new phenomena, and teachers range from self-appointed gurus to highly qualified masters. With so many teachers and religious centers to choose from, how can you find someone you really trust? The real issue, according to Daido Roshi, is understanding the meaning of spiritual authority. Transmission from a teacher should be based on our own realization as well as the teacher's.
-
Nothing Special
- Nanquan's Nothing Special
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Narrated by: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 41 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 10
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 7
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 7
In the modern world, we are encouraged to be special, to be different and stand out from everyone else. Zen Buddhism has a different approach, encouraging us instead to be "nothing special". Daido Roshi declares that our lives are fine exactly the way they are; Zen is not about adding anything to our lives, it's about seeing the inherent perfection we already possess.
-
Who's Punishing You?
- The Diamond Scripture's Revilement
- By: John Daido Loori, Roshi
- Length: 51 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 10
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 6
Zen Buddhism emphasizes meditation as the means to study ourselves and understand who we truly are. Dharma talks are an essential aspect of Zen training, and the talks offered here were given at both the Zen Mountain Monastery and the Zen Center of New York City.
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Where Are You Running?
- Baizhang's Wild Geese
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 43 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 13
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 6
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 7
Many of us are haunted by the past. We try to make painful memories go away by numbing ourselves with food, alcohol, and entertainment, but the past is still there and it's still eating away at us. Ironically, our obsessive thoughts about the past occur because we haven't fully processed it yet.
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Spirited and Splendid Nature
- Wumen's Who Is the Other?
- By: John Daido Loori, Roshi
- Length: 40 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2
Zen Buddhism emphasizes meditation as the means to study ourselves and understand who we truly are. Dharma talks are an essential aspect of Zen training, and the talks offered here were given at both the Zen Mountain Monastery and the Zen Center of New York City.
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Don’t Believe What You Think
- Yaoshan's Zen
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 43 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 15
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 14
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Story4 out of 5 stars 14
It is a constant practice to not get stuck in the language or forms of Zen training. The precepts, wisdom, higher states of meditation - these are all concepts that need to be let go of. Don’t turn your Zen practice into a nest, a workshop, a medicine cabinet or a make-up kit. True realization is traceless. It has nothing to do with your ideas about it. Even at the top of a hundred-foot pole, there’s nowhere else to go but forward.
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How to Make the Right Choice
- Guishan Cuts a Snake
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Narrated by: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 57 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 12
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 8
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 8
Every day we are faced with moral decisions, and it's often difficult to know how to act. If there's a snake in our garden, do we kill it? If our co-worker is stealing from the company, is it our obligation to speak up? What if we tell our children not to lie, then the phone rings and we ask them to say we're not home? In this compelling talk, Daido Roshi explores the role of morality and ethics in our lives.
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Free from Craving
- Tozi's Harmonizing the 10 Bodies
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 42 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 18
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 10
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 10
Shopping and spending money is a major part of our culture, and few of us are immune to the seductions of consumerism. Big business knows this, and they count on the fact that we are all conditioned to crave what we do not have. It is possible, however, for us to stop living out of our conditioning and realize that nothing is really missing.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Of great Importance for all to listen!
- By Sharon April on 12-28-17
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Dying of Thirst
- Seppo's Dying of Thirst
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Narrated by: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 59 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 12
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 9
Many of us yearn for a deeper spiritual connection, but few of us know how to manifest spirituality in our daily lives. We buy into conditioning from the media and our schools, and as a result we experience life as limited and painful. Daido Roshi says that this dilemma is like someone sitting by a river and dying of thirst.
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5 out of 5 stars
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John, John, you've outdone yourself!
- By NotAThing on 03-26-16
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Dancing with Impermanence
- Yunyan's This Is It
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 35 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 5
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 5
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Story4 out of 5 stars 5
Dogen said: Suchness is the real form of truth. Our life is constantly changing, our minds are constantly changing. This can make us feel helpless and lead us to ask: On what can we rely? Or, this flux can be used to practice and deepen our awareness. To ask what is suchness is to ask how all things exist. Through this question we can become truly intimate, but we have to trust the question, trust the process, and trust ourselves.
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The Zen Joke
- Puhua's Bell Song
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 56 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 26
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 8
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 7
People think of Zen as a humorless religion, but like Christianity, Judaism, and other faiths, Zen has a long tradition of clowns and pranksters. In this enjoyable and thought-provoking talk, Zen master John Daido Loori Roshi tells anecdotes about various ancient and modern Zen teachers who were known for playing the fool.
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True Intimacy
- Yunmen's Seeing and Hearing
- By: John Daido Loori, Roshi
- Length: 44 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 6
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 6
Zen Buddhism emphasizes meditation as the means to study ourselves and understand who we truly are. Dharma talks are an essential aspect of Zen training, and the talks offered here were given at both the Zen Mountain Monastery and the Zen Center of New York City.
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Spiritual Power
- Exploring Spiritual Powers
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Narrated by: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 57 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 13
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 2
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 2
When we think of spiritual powers, we usually imagine walking on water or performing some kind of miracle. However, Roshi points out that true mystical power resides within the simple actions of our everyday lives, whether we are cooking a meal, washing the dishes, or driving a car. These activities seem ordinary, but they have an extraordinary aspect as well.
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Overcoming Arrogance
- Linji Sees Huangbo Reading a Sutra
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Narrated by: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 56 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 13
-
Performance3 out of 5 stars 6
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 7
Feeling superior to others is a common problem for most of us. We cut off other people and dismiss them based on how they look, their gender, or even their age. This arrogance is a barrier to progression in our spiritual life and indeed in all of our life.
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2 out of 5 stars
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can't hear it
- By David on 08-03-19
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The Power of Thought
- Changquing's Seeing Form, Seeing Sound
- By: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Narrated by: John Daido Loori Roshi
- Length: 34 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 39
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 12
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 13
All societies have laws to prevent physical and verbal violence, but what about the violence we create with our thoughts? Daido Roshi states that our minds are incredibly powerful, and they create a force that shapes the reality around us. We can only bring peace and healing to ourselves and others if we first have peace in our minds. But we can't quiet the mind until we see how much time we spend talking to ourselves, and until we let go of our almost constant inner chatter.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant
- By Marty on 12-27-07
Publisher's Summary
The world is teaching us all the time. Teachings come from rivers, rocks, and mountains, and teachings come from pollution, AIDS, and starvation. But how much of these teachings do we actually hear? Daido Roshi says that we can't possibly experience the world around us if our senses are dulled. Zen practice shows us that it is possible to experience life in a new way, a way that allows us to hear with the whole body and mind. The key is understanding our conditioning and seeing how we define ourselves in a way that narrows and limits our experience. We can learn instead to view the world in a bigger way, without separation. By realizing our unity with everything around us, we embrace the wonderful opportunities constantly unfolding before us.
Zen Buddhism emphasizes zazen, or seated meditation, as the means to study the self and understand who we truly are. Dharma talks are an essential aspect of Zen training and take place in the context of zazen. Said to be "dark to the mind and radiant to the heart", a dharma talk is one of the ways in which a teacher points directly to the heart of the teachings of the Buddha. In our meditation practice, it is easy to get lost in self-doubt, fantasy, numbness, and emotional agitation. Dharma talks help to ground our practice, providing inspiration and an essential recognition of exactly where we find ourselves, so that we can learn to face difficulties and obstacles with a free and flexible mind. This talk was given at Zen Mountain Monastery or the Zen Center of New York City of the Mountains and Rivers Order of Zen Buddhism, founded in 1980 by the late American Zen Master John Daido Loori, Roshi (1931-2009).
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