Foundational Teachings

An Introduction to Zen and sitting practice
The Challenges of Getting Started with Zen Practice
Progressing on the Path and Types of Zen Practice
Talks given during the 'Introduction to Zen' Course, Aug/Sept 2020

The Four Vows (Audio: MP3)
Bodhin Kjolhede Roshi, Rochester Zen Center

An Overview of the Precepts (Audio: MP3)
A teisho by Bodhin Kjolhede Roshi, November 2013

Working with Koans
An edited transcription of a teisho given by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede during the 1992 October sesshin.

Mumonkan No 1: The koan Mu – Working on a first Koan Pt.1
Mumonkan No 1: The koan Mu – Working on a first Koan Pt.2
Two talks discussing the process of working on a first koan

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2024

Day 1 Working with a Teacher in Dokusan
Day 2 Dream Conversations: On Buddhism and Zen by Muso Kokushi
Day 3 Dream Conversations: On Buddhism and Zen by Muso Kokushi
Day 4 Dream Conversations: On Buddhism and Zen by Muso Kokushi
Day 5 Mumonkan no 25: Kyozan’s Dream Talk
Teishos given during the residential October sesshin

Mumonkan no: 14 ‘Nansen cuts the cat in two’
A teisho given on Sunday 25th August

Day 1 Throw Yourself into the House of Buddha: The Life and Zen Teachings of Tangen Harada Roshi
Day 2 Throw Yourself into the House of Buddha: The Life and Zen Teachings of Tangen Harada Roshi
Day 3 Throw Yourself into the House of Buddha: The Life and Zen Teachings of Tangen Harada Roshi
Day 4 Throw Yourself into the House of Buddha: The Life and Zen Teachings of Tangen Harada Roshi
Day 5 Mumonkan no 13: Ummon says, ‘You have missed it!’
Teishos given during the residential June sesshin

Vesak and Jukai – taking the Precepts
A teisho given on Saturday 18th May

Throw Yourself into the House of Buddha – Harada Tangen Roshi
A teisho given on Sunday May 12th

Day 1 Unborn: The Life and Teaching of Zen Master Bankei (Norman Waddell)
Day 2 Unborn: The Life and Teaching of Zen Master Bankei (Norman Waddell)
Day 3 Unborn: The Life and Teaching of Zen Master Bankei (Norman Waddell)
Day 4 Bankei Zen (Peter Haskel)
Day 5 Mumonkan no 13: ‘Tokusan carries his bowls’
Teishos given during the residential April sesshin

Five Reasons to Meditation: Pema Chodron
A teisho given on Sunday 3rd March

Day 1 ‘Zen Essence’ The teachings of Zen Master Linji
Day 2 ‘Zen Essence’ The teachings of Zen Master Linji
Day 3 Book of Serenity No 38: Linji’s ‘Person of no rank’
Teishos given during the February sesshin

Term Intensive Podcast Week 1
Term Intensive Podcast Week 2
Term Intensive Podcast Week 3
Talks given during the Term Intensive Jan/Feb 2023

Finding a way to sit every day
A teisho given on Sunday 20th January

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2023

Day 1 Zen Essence: The science of freedom
Day 2 Zen Essence: The science of freedom
Teishos given during the December sesshin

How to work with emotions
Teisho given during 12th November Zazenkai

Day 1 Sesshin Practice ‘Awakening to Zen’ by Roshi Philip Kapleau
Day 2 Sesshin Practice ‘Awakening to Zen’ by Roshi Philip Kapleau
Day 3 Sesshin Practice ‘Awakening to Zen’ by Roshi Philip Kapleau
Day 4 Sesshin Practice ‘Awakening to Zen’ by Roshi Philip Kapleau
Day 5 Mumonkan 17: ‘The National Teacher Calls Three Times’
Teishos given during the residential October sesshin

Day 1 ‘Swampland Flowers’ The letters and lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui
Day 2 ‘Swampland Flowers’ The letters and lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui
Day 3 ‘Swampland Flowers’ The letters and lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui
Day 4 ‘Swampland Flowers’ The letters and lectures of Zen Master Ta Hui
Day 5 Mumonkan no 21: Yunmen’s ‘Dried Shit stick’
Teishos given during the residential June sesshin

Jukai and Buddhist Identity
A talk given during Vesak, May 2023

Day 1 ‘Ten Zen Questions’ Susan Blackmore
Day 2 ‘Ten Zen Questions’ Susan Blackmore
Day 3 Blue Cliff Record No 80: Joshu’s ‘A new born baby’
Teishos given during the April sesshin

Zen practice: Progress, change and no change
A teisho given on Thursday 23rd March

Day 1 ‘Not always so’ Shunryu Suzuki Roshi
Day 2 ‘Not always so’ Shunryu Suzuki Roshi
Day 3 Mumonkan No 7: Joshu says ‘Wash your bowls’
Teishos given during the February sesshin

Term Intensive Podcast Week 1
Term Intensive Podcast Week 2
Term Intensive Podcast Week 3
Talks given during the Term Intensive Jan/Feb 2023

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2022

Day 1 ‘The Trauma of Everyday Life’ Mark Epstein
Day 2 ‘The Trauma of Everyday Life’ Mark Epstein
Day 3 Blue Cliff Record no 3: Baso’s ‘Sun-faced Buddha, Moon-faced Buddha’
Teishos given during the November sesshin

Day 1 ‘Subtle Sound’ The Zen teachings of Maurine Stuart
Day 2 ‘Subtle Sound’ The Zen teachings of Maurine Stuart
Day 3 ‘Subtle Sound’ The Zen teachings of Maurine Stuart
Day 4 ‘Subtle Sound’ The Zen teachings of Maurine Stuart
Day 5 Blue Cliff Record no 76: Yunmen’s ‘Everyone has their own light’
Teishos given during the residential October sesshin

Day 1 Sesshin practice
Day 2 ‘Not always so’ Shunryu Suzuki Roshi
Day 3 ‘Not always so’ Shunryu Suzuki Roshi
Day 4 ‘Not always so’ Shunryu Suzuki Roshi
Day 5 Mumonkan No 5: Kyogen’s ‘Man up a tree’
Teishos given during the residential June sesshin

Day 1 ‘When you greet me, I bow’ Norman Fischer
Day 2 ‘When you greet me, I bow’ Norman Fischer
Day 3 ‘When you greet me, I bow’ Norman Fischer
Day 4 ‘When you greet me, I bow’ Norman Fischer
Teishos given during April Sesshin by Karl Sensei

Day 1 ‘Zen Letters’ The Teachings of Zen Master Yuan Wu
Day 2 ‘Zen Letters’ The Teachings of Zen Master Yuan Wu
Day 3 Blue Cliff Record No 49: Sansho’s ‘Golden Carp out of the Net’
Teishos given during the February 2022 Sesshin

Term Intensive Week 1 Podcast
Term Intensive Week 2 Podcast
Term Intensive Week 3 Podcast
Talks given during the Term Intensive Jan/Feb 2022

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2021

Day 1 ‘Mindfulness in Plain English’ by Bhante Gunaratana
Day 2 ‘Mindfulness in Plain English’ by Bhante Gunaratana
Day 3 Book of Serenity No: 4 ‘The World Honoured One Points to the Ground’
Teishos given during December Sesshin by Karl Sensei

Day 1 ‘Mindfulness in Plain English’ by Bhante Gunaratana
Day 2 ‘Mindfulness in Plain English’ by Bhante Gunaratana
Day 3 ‘Mindfulness in Plain English’ by Bhante Gunaratana
Day 4 ‘Mindfulness in Plain English’ by Bhante Gunaratana
Day 5 Mumonkan No: 45 ‘Who is that Other?’
Teishos given during residential October Sesshin by Karl Sensei

Encouraging Words (Robert Aitken Roshi): Guidance and advice for lay Buddhist practice Pt.1
Encouraging Words (Robert Aitken Roshi): Guidance and advice for lay Buddhist practice Pt.2
Teishos given during July Sesshin by Karl Sensei

Zen and the Eightfold Noble Path: Right Speech
The first of a series of talks on Zen and the Eightfold Noble Path from April

Day 1 Opening the hand of Thought
Day 2 Opening the hand of Thought
Day 3 Opening the hand of Thought
Day 4 Mumonkan No: 12 Zuigan Calls ‘Master’
Teishos given during April Sesshin by Karl Sensei

Mumonkan No: 24 Abandon Words and Silence
A teisho given on 1st April by Karl Sensei

Affirming Faith in Mind
Mumonkan no 9: Daitsu Chisho Buddha
Teishos given during February Sesshin by Karl Sensei

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Miscellaneous

The Zen Buddhist Rakasu - A short talk
A talk given for Interfaith Glasgow as part of 'Relgious Dress in the Flesh'

Words from the Zendo
A compilation of encouragement talks by Sensei Karl Kaliski

Lay Practice (Part One)
Lay Practice (Part Two)
An edited transcript of two Dharma talks given at Zengarden by Karl Sensei, May 2014

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2020

Online Sesshin Practice and Jukai
The Three Refuges
Jukai and the Precepts
Teishos given during Rohatsu Sesshin by Karl Sensei, Dec 2020

Connecting Practice and Daily Life: Ordinary Mind is the Way
Bringing the Mind of Practice into your Environment: Joshu says “Wash your Bowls”
Practice and action: The Hands and Eyes of the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion
Talks from the "Bringing Practice to Life” Course, Nov 2020

Working with the conditions of daily life
Dealing with, and responding to, change
Responding to uncertainty and making decisions
Talks given during the ‘Zen and Everyday Life‘ course, Sept/Oct 2020

Dogen: Instructions for the Cook (Part1)
Dogen: Instructions for the Cook (Part2)
Teishos given during the August 2020 Sesshin

Mumonkan No 32: A non-Buddhist questions the Buddha
Teisho given for Vesak May 2020

Book of Serenity No 37: Guishan’s Karmic Consciousness
Book of Serenity No 94: Dongshan is Sick
Teishos from the Shoyuroku Koan Collection May 2020

Mumonkan No 19: Ordinary Mind is the Way
Blue Cliff Record No 1: Bodhidharma’s “I don’t know”
Talks given as part of the 'Zen Koans for Challenging Times' course, May 2020

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