VIDEO TEISHOS

Warrior Spirit and Trust in Mind

Cultivating the warrior spirit and trusting in “mind” are fundamental aspects of everyday practice.

In Roshi’s recorded Teisho, he focuses on the deep magic of trusting” mind”.

In Ryuen Sense’s talk, given during the same week as Roshi’s Teisho, she points to the four enemies/barriers that confront the warrior’s mind and block the way to liberation.  Fear, ignorance, clarity, and old age are the worthy adversaries we train to overcome in order to realize our original spirit and the magic of everyday life.

We hope these two talks that harmonize so well to each other are a useful aid to your practice.

Huang Po

Huang Po (died 850 C.E.), the teacher in the koan “Huang Po’s Goblers of Dregs”, lived during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) in Fujian Province of southern China. The Tang period is called a “golden age” of Chinese culture, characterized by stable government (despite intermittent rebellions and regime changes), economic expansion and successful diplomatic relationships fostering the spread of Chinese culture and Buddhist practice throughout Asia.

After traveling and studying with several teachers including Nan Ch’uan (Japanese – Nansen), Huang Po received transmission from Pai Chang, the teacher who first formulated a simple, rigorous rule for Zenmonasteries which stressed the importance of manual labor in a monk’s life. When they first met, Pai Chang said: “Magnificent!

Imposing! Where have you come from?”   Huang Po replied: “Magnificent! Imposing! I have come from the mountains.” Pai Chang asked: “What have you come for?” Huang Po replied: “Not for anything else.” (1)Huang Po was reportedly 7 feet tall with a large protruding forehead.

Huang Po’s teaching style was direct, with simple words and physical blows. He often cautioned monks against reliance on written texts. While teaching, he made a fist of his hand and said: “All the teachers under heaven are right here. If I let out a string of words about it, it will just confuse you. If I don’t say asingle phrase, you’ll never get rid of it.” A monk asked: “What happens if you let out a string of words?”                                                        Huang Po said: “Confusion.”         The monk said: “If you don’t let out a single phrase and it can’t be gotten rid of, then what?”      Huang Po said: “Everywhere.” (2)

The most famous of Huang Po’s 13 successors was Lin Chi (Japanese – Rinzai).

Source:

• The Blue Cliff Record, translated by Thomas Cleary and C. Cleary, Shambhala Publications, Inc., 1977
• Zen’s Chinese Heritage; The Masters and Their Teachings, Andy Ferguson, Wisdom Publications, 2011

Layman Pang

Layman Pang (740 – 809 C.E.) is the best known lay Zen practitioner in Chinese Zen history. A successfulmerchant, he, his wife, daughter and son were serious students of the Buddhist sutras. In midlife, he chose to load all of their their possessions in a boat and sink it in a river. He spent the remainder of his life as a full-time Zen practitioner traveling with his wife and daughter, visiting other Zen practitioners and studying in monasteries.

He studied with Shitou and had a first opening experience. Later he also studied with Ma Tsu, deepening his kensho. These teachers originated the 2 lineages of Chinese Zen which became the Soto and Rinzai schools of Japanese Zen.

Layman Pang once attended a reading of the Diamond Sutra. When the speaker said: “No self. No other.”, Layman Pang called: “Speaker! If there is no self and no other, then who is lecturing and who is listening to it?” The speaker was unable to answer.

Layman Pang said: “I’m just a common person, but I’ll offer you my crude understanding.”

“No self, no other,

Then how could there be intimate and estranged? I advise you to cease all your lectures.

They can’t compare with directly seeking truth. The Diamond Wisdom nature

Erases even a speck of dust.

“Thus I have heard,” and “Thus I believe,” Are but so many words.” (3)

 Source:

• Zen’s Chinese Heritage; The Masters and Their Teachings, Andy Ferguson, Wisdom Publications, 2011

Teisho given on September 18, 2022:

Doen Roshi describes the path of freedom that manifests as our life. He illustrates the path with case 52 from Book of Equanimity, “When you realize that the well sees the donkey, there is no one who knows.”

NEW – Teisho given by Daniel Doen Silberberg, Roshi October 10, 2020 during “The Indestructible Dharma” retreat. This retreat was held remotely via the internet and was attended by members of the Lost Coin Clan from San Francisco, CA, Salt Lake City, UT, and Düsseldorf, Germany.

NEW – Teisho given by Daniel Doen Silberberg, Roshi October 9, 2020 during “The Indestructible Dharma” retreat. This retreat was held remotely via the internet and was attended by members of the Lost Coin Clan from San Francisco, CA, Salt Lake City, UT, and Düsseldorf, Germany.

Day 2 teisho given by Daniel Doen Silberberg, Roshi on October 8, 2020 during “The Indestructible Dharma” retreat. This retreat was held remotely via the internet and was attended by members of the Lost Coin Clan from San Francisco, CA, Salt Lake City, UT, and Düsseldorf, Germany.

NEW – Day 1 teisho given by Daniel Doen Silberberg, Roshi October 7, 2020 during “The Indestructible Dharma” retreat. This retreat was held remotely via the internet and was attended by members of the Lost Coin Clan from San Francisco, CA, Salt Lake City, UT, and Düsseldorf, Germany.

 Class teisho given by Daniel Doen Silberberg Roshi, May 18th, 2020 in San Francisco, California.

Class teisho given by Daniel Doen Silberberg Roshi, May 11th, 2020 in San Francisco, California.

Class teisho given by Daniel Doen Silberberg Roshi, April 21st, 2020 from San Francisco, California to the group in Salt Lake City.

Class teisho given by Daniel Doen Silberberg Roshi, April 13th, 2020 in San Francisco, California.

Class teisho given by Daniel Doen Silberberg Roshi, March 31st, 2020 from San Francisco, to the group in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“Dropping Off Body and Mind” retreat: Day 2 afternoon teisho given by Daniel Doen Silberberg Roshi, April 25, 2020 from San Francisco, California.

“Liberation” retreat: Day 3 morning talk given by Daniel Doen Silberberg Roshi, October 10, 2019 in San Rafael, California.

“Liberation” retreat: Day 2 morning talk given by Daniel Doen Silberberg Roshi, October 10, 2019 in San Rafael, California.

“Liberation” retreat: Day 1 teisho given by Daniel Doen Silberberg Roshi, October 9, 2019 in San Rafael, California.

Nowhere Else But Here – Talk #2
San Rafael – Nowhere Else But Here Retreat

Choosing the White Light
Salt Lake City – No Mind No Buddha Workshop 2016 – Talk #2

Koan Practice – Part 1
Cavallo Point – Teachers’ Training Workshop 2016

Go Whole Hog
Salt Lake City – Fragments of an Unknown Teaching Workshop 2015 – Talk #1

The Magic Theatre
Salt Lake City – River of Dreams Retreat 2015 – Talk #1

Seeing the Moon
Salt Lake City – River of Dreams Retreat 2015 – Talk #3

The Golden Wind
San Rafael Flowers Fall Retreat 2014 – Talk #2

Searching for the Bull
Salt Lake City Stages of Practice Workshop 2014 – Talk #1

Learning to Be
Salt Lake City Stages of Practice Workshop 2014 – Talk #3

Letting Go of Beliefs
Salt Lake City Excellence Workshop 2014 – Talk #2