Shows
San Francisco Zen CenterWhat Do You Call the World?Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center. Central Abbot Tenzen David Zimmerman takes up Case 12 from the Book of Serenity, titled ‘Dizang Planting the Fields’, which touches upon a number of key practice questions that can be beneficial to consider as we encounter and navigate the distressing state of the world.2025-05-2947 min
San Francisco Zen Center Dharma TalksWhat Do You Call the World?Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center. Central Abbot Tenzen David Zimmerman takes up Case 12 from the Book of Serenity, titled ‘Dizang Planting the Fields’, which touches upon a number of key practice questions that can be beneficial to consider as we encounter and navigate the distressing state of the world.2025-05-1047 minSan Francisco Zen CenterThe Path of Priest Ordination02/16/2025, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm.
Abbot Tenzen David Zimmerman explores the nature of the commitment that a priest makes, shares his own journey to ordination, and describes the responsibility that comes with the archetypal role.2025-03-1342 minSan Francisco Zen Center Dharma TalksThe Path of Priest Ordination02/16/2025, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm.
Abbot Tenzen David Zimmerman explores the nature of the commitment that a priest makes, shares his own journey to ordination, and describes the responsibility that comes with the archetypal role.2025-02-1642 minSan Francisco Zen CenterSolstice: In the Darkness There is Light12/21/2024, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center.
On the occasion of the Winter Solstice, Central Abbot Tenzen David Zimmerman delves into the themes of stillness, rest, liminality, and balance.2025-01-1249 minSan Francisco Zen Center Dharma TalksSolstice: In the Darkness There is Light12/21/2024, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center.
On the occasion of the Winter Solstice, Central Abbot Tenzen David Zimmerman delves into the themes of stillness, rest, liminality, and balance.2024-12-2149 minSan Francisco Zen CenterWe Are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For10/12/2024, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center.
This dharma talk was given at Beginner’s Mind Temple by Central Abbot Tenzen David Zimmerman. In Case 36 of the ‘Gateless Gate’ (Mumonkan), Zen teacher Wuzu poses a question to his students: “Meeting a person of the Way, not using words or silence, how will you greet them?” Abbot David explores this koan, weaving throughout an account of his recent travels to meet various ‘persons of the Way’ as well as reflections on intimacy in Zen and the value of honoring our past, present, and future ancestors. He concludes by sharing a wisdom prophec...2024-11-0747 minSan Francisco Zen CenterThe Bodhisattva’s Four Embracing Actions07/20/2024, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center.
This talk was given at one of Beginner's Mind Temple’s pop-up events at Unity Church, by Central Abbot Tenzen David Zimmerman. Dogen Zenji’s beautiful and inspiring essay “Bodaisatta Shishobo” addresses four central practices of a bodhisattva ─ giving, loving speech, beneficial action, and identity action. Abbot David provides an overview of these four “embracing actions” which can heal our sense of separateness, deepen our connection with others, and foster social harmony and communal well-being. By actively taking up these practices together, we can ultimately transform the world.2024-09-0751 minSan Francisco Zen CenterOn Keizan and his ‘Notes on What to Be Aware of in Zazen’06/01/2024, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center.
In this talk, given at Beginner's Mind Temple’s monthly one-day sitting, (this time held at Haight Street Art Center) Abbot David shares highlights of his recent trip to Japan to participate in a memorial ceremony and tour in honor of Keizan Jokin, considered the second of Soto Zen’s two founders (along with Dogen Zenji). After providing some historical background on Keizan, he then introduces the opening sections of Keizan’s ‘Zazen Yojinki’ or ‘Notes on What to Be Aware of in Zazen’, which describes zazen as a way to “clarify the mind-ground...2024-07-3055 minSan Francisco Zen CenterSave Me, Save Us: ‘Salvation’ in ZenThe first of the four Great Bodhisattva Vows is to “save all beings,” but what exactly does this mean and how might I engage in such an impossible endeavor? In this talk, given at Beginner's Mind Temple, central abbot Tenzen David Zimmerman explores the concept of “salvation” from a Zen perspective, using as a springboard an amusing koan in which Zen master Nanquan saves his disciple Zhaozhou from falling into a well.2024-03-2243 minSan Francisco Zen CenterSave Me, Save Us: ‘Salvation’ in Zen02/25/2024, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. The first of the four Great Bodhisattva Vows is to “save all beings”, but what exactly does this mean and how might I engage in such an impossible endeavor? Abbot David explores the concept of “salvation” from a Zen perspective, using as a springboard an amusing koan in which Zen master Nanquan saves his disciple Zhaozhou from falling into a well.2024-03-0743 minSan Francisco Zen CenterThe Treasure of Sangha10/14/2023, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center. In this talk from Beginner's Mind Temple, on the occasion of SFZC’s Members and Volunteers Appreciation Day, central abbot Tenzen David Zimmerman speaks to the value and place of Sangha in our practice, highlighting some of the benefits as well as the challenges. If we want to create a harmonious and vibrant community that supports our personal and collective liberation, then we need to make the time and effort to invest in Sangha. Sangha deepens practice and practice deepens sangha.2023-11-0848 minSan Francisco Zen CenterRecover Your Presence Of Mind07/12/2023, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center.
In this dharma talk from Beginner's Mind Temple, Central Abbot Tenzen David Zimmerman shares the heartbreaking yet ultimately inspiring story of Patacara, one of Buddhism's first female ancestors, to illustrate how we might maintain our compassion, resilience, and presence of mind as we navigate times of great loss and suffering.2023-07-1942 minSan Francisco Zen CenterBodhidharma’s Four Inclusive Practices02/04/2023, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center.
In commemorating Zen’s first Chinese Ancestor, Abbot David provides an overview of Bodhidharma’s seminal work, the “Outline of Practice”, which posits that there are essentially two ways to enter the path of Zen ─ by ‘Principle’ and by ‘Practice’. He describes the four all-inclusive habits that Bodhidharma says lead to awakening, with particular focus on that of “accepting adversity”.2023-03-1851 min
The Buddhist CentrePast, Present, Future In American Buddhism: Live From GenX (Buddhist Centre Podcast, Episode 436)What do you get when you invite a set of experienced American Dharma teachers and friends from different Buddhist traditions to gather together post-Covid and share their practice and experience of American Buddhism? Well, something like this! The bright joy and sense of common tradition is palpable. Hear four Gen-X Triratna Order members with deep connections to our community, both in the UK and US, in a round-table conversation with other Dharma farers from Vajrayana, Vipassana, and Zen traditions.
We explore kaleidoscopic difference and beautiful sameness in our various approaches to Dharma practice – and are united in grappling with being th...2023-02-0343 min
The Buddhist CentrePast, Present, and Future in American Buddhism - Live from GenX 2023What do you get when you invite a set of experienced American Dharma teachers and friends from different Buddhist traditions to gather together post-Covid and share their practice and experience of American Buddhism? Well, something like this! The bright joy and sense of common tradition is palpable. Hear four Gen-X Triratna Order members with deep connections to our community, both in the UK and US, in a round-table conversation with other Dharma farers from Vajrayana, Vipassana, and Zen traditions.
We explore kaleidoscopic difference and beautiful sameness in our various approaches to Dharma practice – and are united in grappling wi...2023-02-0343 minSan Francisco Zen CenterTransforming Life’s Unjust Blows11/09/2022, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center. As part of the exploration of koans from the Blue Cliff Record, Abbot David unpacks Case 75, “Wu Chiu's Unjust Beating.” He considers what is it to receive the unjust “blows” of life and not make them personal, to not harbor anger and resentment, and to not make a self out of them. How might we learn to transform unfair experiences in such a way that they can become opportunities for liberating insight?2022-11-1742 minSan Francisco Zen CenterEntering The Blue Dragon’s Cave10/26/2022, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center. As part of the exploration of koans from the Blue Cliff Record, Abbot David unpacks Case 3, “Master Ma is Unwell”. In the midst of life’s vicissitudes ─ whether we're encountering health or sickness, joy or sorrow, birth or death ─ how might we find stability and composure? Using the incredible story of the rescue of 13 Thai boys trapped in a cave, he also invites us to consider the bodhisattvic effort and fearlessness required to enter the dark cave of our karmic consciousness.2022-11-0247 minSan Francisco Zen CenterGutei’s One-Finger Zen10/08/2022, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center.
Abbot David unpacks Case 19 of the Blue Cliff Record, including the circumstances leading up to Gutei's teaching of "one-finger Zen", the practice of cutting off complications, and the poignant image of blind turtles seeking sunlight in dark waters.2022-10-2047 minSan Francisco Zen CenterAn Appropriate Response: Encountering the Blue Cliff Record10/05/2022, Rinso Ed Sattizahn and Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center.
In the first dharma talk of the Fall practice period, Abbots Ed and David provide an introduction to 'encounter dialogues' and the venerable koan collection of The Blue Cliff Record, including the enlightenment stories of its primary authors, Xuedou and Yuanwu.2022-10-2042 minSan Francisco Zen CenterSitting Buddha, Polishing Buddha08/13/2022, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center.
Abbot David unpacks the Zen story "Nanyue Polishes a Tile", touching upon several of the koan's key meditation and practice instructions, including the understanding that zazen is the practice of being a buddha without seeking to become a buddha.2022-08-2750 minSan Francisco Zen CenterThe Future of American Zen: Questions and Concerns07/10/2022, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm.
Abbot David considers various questions, concerns, challenges, and visions related to the future of American Buddhism and Zen.2022-08-0348 minSan Francisco Zen CenterReflections on the Future of American Buddhism06/18/2022, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center.
Abbot David speaks to various themes, concerns, challenges, and visions related to the future of American Buddhism stemming from his participation in a recent conference on the topic.2022-07-1048 minSan Francisco Zen CenterWorking With, And Ending, Karma03/30/2022, Tenzen David Zimmerman, sesshin dharma talk at Tassajara.2022-06-3051 minSan Francisco Zen CenterKarma - Choice and Free Will03/27/2022, Tenzen David Zimmerman, sesshin dharma talk at Tassajara.2022-06-3048 minSan Francisco Zen CenterEntering the Karmic Body of Sesshin03/24/2022, Tenzen David Zimmerman, sesshin dharma talk at Tassajara.2022-06-301h 02San Francisco Zen CenterSetting the Course of FreedomA talk on Shakyamuni's Buddha's karmic journey. 04/12/2021, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center.2021-12-1448 minSan Francisco Zen CenterClarifying and Shaping our WorldAn exploration of our collective karma. Where our shared mindsets and behaviors intersect and ultimately affect the entire world, including our collective well-being and inevitably our shared liberation.
11/17/2021, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center.2021-11-2947 minSan Francisco Zen CenterKarmic Consciousness And Buddha NatureHow it is that our fundamental human affliction ─ our everyday messy karmic consciousness ─ is none other than the unchanging, ever-present clear, and luminous knowledge of Buddhas? Abbot David explores this inquiry through an exploration of Case 37 of the Book of Serenity, "Guishan's Karmic Consciousness".
11/06/2021, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center.2021-11-1847 minSan Francisco Zen CenterTransforming Our Karma Through VowThe Avatamsaka Sutra tells us that “Ordinary beings live according to their karma, being their karmic habitual tendencies, while a bodhisattva lives according to vow.” How might we understand this teaching? How can we learn to transform our karma ─ and our lives ─ through the power of vow?
11/03/2021, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center.2021-11-1847 minSan Francisco Zen CenterKarma, Choice, and Free WillAbbot David shares some approaches for how we might view karma in relation to the concepts of choice, free will, and determinism from a Buddhist orientation.
10/20/2021, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center.2021-11-0543 minSan Francisco Zen CenterMind Streams and EddiesAn exploration of clinging, attachment, selfing, karma and liberation through the metaphor of eddies.
10/06/2021, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center.2021-10-0848 minSan Francisco Zen CenterKarma and ZazenThe study of karma, and the importance of practicing zazen and non-doing for the study of self/the study of karma.
10/02/2021, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center.2021-10-0850 minSan Francisco Zen CenterKarma - An OverviewA talk by Abbot Tenzen David Zimmerman to open the practice period, which will focus on karma. 09/29/2021, Tenzen David Zimmerman, dharma talk at City Center.2021-10-0841 min
Brooklyn Zen CenterYour Mind Moves, by David Zimmerman (07/18/2015)Tenzen David Zimmerman serves as the City Center Abiding Abbot of San Francisco Zen Center. He was ordained as a priest in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi by Teah Strozer in 2006 and received dharma transmission from her in 2018.
Our audio dharma talks are offered free of charge and made possible by the donations we receive. If you would like to support Brooklyn Zen Center, please visit the “Giving” section of our website.1970-01-0100 min