Zencare Podcast

Dec 11

“They will not ask me why I wasn't Moses. They will ask, ‘why weren't you Zosia? Why weren't you more yourself?’” On the 82nd day of our recent Commit to Sit , Koshin Paley Ellison delivered this dharma talk on the Buddha's final teaching about useless and frivolous discussion. Drawing from Dogen's commentaries and the Buddha's last instructions, Koshin asks how much of our day we spend entertaining confusion versus actually practicing presence. Through humor and honesty, this talk illuminates how our tight grip on wanting things to be different than they are creates suffering and loneliness. Koshin shares the story of Rabbi Zosia and Suzuki Roshi's teaching on “ becoming yourself ,” clarifying that this doesn't mean reinforcing our opinions, but becoming more ourselves with everyone. A call to soften wherever we're holding too tight, discriminate what's truly wise, and practice the beautiful way together. MUSIC Heart Sutra by Kanho Yakushiji – Buddhist priest and musician of the Rinzai sect and Imaji temple in Imabari, Japan. In 2003, he formed “KISSAQUO”, a songwriting duo based in Kyoto. ‍ NYZC PUBLICATIONS Untangled here: https://bit.ly/untangled-book Wholehearted: Slow Down, Help Out, Wake Up here: https://amzn.to/2JTKF1t Awake At The Bedside here: https://amzn.to/3aijXdL ‍ ‍ CONNECT WITH US — Instagram — Facebook — Donate

Dec 3

“The truth had never been expounded before because the time to do so had not yet come. Now is the time to drop the story about what should have happened.” What if your practice wasn’t about self-improvement, but about opening the door of Buddha wisdom for all beings? Drawing on Chapter Two of the Lotus Sutra, Koshin Sensei speaks about skillful means, our wildly different capacities, and the confusion we create when we cling to comfort or try to please everyone. He introduces the fierce energy of Fudō Myō-o, the immovable one who protects the Dharma in the midst of fire, and asks how we might welcome all our aspects, whether rage, tenderness, confusion, and clarity, into the assembly of our lives. With humor and tenderness, he points us toward a life guided by vow rather than habit. MUSIC Heart Sutra by Kanho Yakushiji – Buddhist priest and musician of the Rinzai sect and Imaji temple in Imabari, Japan. In 2003, he formed “KISSAQUO”, a songwriting duo based in Kyoto. ‍ NYZC PUBLICATIONS Untangled here: https://bit.ly/untangled-book Wholehearted: Slow Down, Help Out, Wake Up here: https://amzn.to/2JTKF1t Awake At The Bedside here: https://amzn.to/3aijXdL ‍ ‍ CONNECT WITH US — Instagram — Facebook — Donate

Dec 3

“There is no enemy except our delusion, and even that, when bound to the path, becomes a place of support.” In this talk, Koshin Sensei reflects on the ancient figure of Fudo Myo-o, the “Immovable Wisdom King”, and the role of the abbot as one who stands on the stone mountain in the midst of fire. Drawing on the Lotus Sutra’s parable of the burning house, he invites us to bind everything to the path: our fears, our demons, our need to control the future, even our suffering storylines. Rather than making enemies of our difficulties, we learn to let them become protectors and Dharma gates, burning away what no longer serves and revealing an unwavering vow at the heart of our lives. MUSIC Heart Sutra by Kanho Yakushiji – Buddhist priest and musician of the Rinzai sect and Imaji temple in Imabari, Japan. In 2003, he formed “KISSAQUO”, a songwriting duo based in Kyoto. ‍ NYZC PUBLICATIONS Untangled here: https://bit.ly/untangled-book Wholehearted: Slow Down, Help Out, Wake Up here: https://amzn.to/2JTKF1t Awake At The Bedside here: https://amzn.to/3aijXdL ‍ ‍ CONNECT WITH US — Instagram — Facebook — Donate

Nov 18

“A good teacher will take the mask off your face.” In this recent drama talk, Koshin Sensei reflects on the first two chapters of the Lotus Sutra. There is a crowd gathering to hear the Buddha teach, millions of beings of all kinds. One of the Buddha's disciples is repeatedly imploring the Buddha to speak and the Buddha finally agrees. Just as he is about to address the crowd, five thousand monks stand up, bow, and leave. Koshin reflects on why these monks left and what we can learn from mutinous groups among and within us. How are we practicing with the dissenters? Are we really listening, carefully pondering or are we convinced we already know? The practice humbles our arrogance and sangha is often a 'messy middle' where everything is not so clear but all are welcome. Together we can learn and practice and start again. ‍ MUSIC Heart Sutra by Kanho Yakushiji – Buddhist priest and musician of the Rinzai sect and Imaji temple in Imabari, Japan. In 2003, he formed “KISSAQUO”, a songwriting duo based in Kyoto. ‍ NYZC PUBLICATIONS Untangled here: https://bit.ly/untangled-book Wholehearted: Slow Down, Help Out, Wake Up here: https://amzn.to/2JTKF1t Awake At The Bedside here: https://amzn.to/3aijXdL ‍ ‍ CONNECT WITH US — Instagram — Facebook — Donate

Nov 4

“The wisdom of the Buddhas is infinitely profound and immeasurable... and that door is difficult to understand and difficult to enter when we believe our stories.” In this recent dharma talk, Koshin Sensei reflects on becoming an “assistant gardener” whose job is to sit zazen with the plants, learning to practice not just for ourselves, but with all beings. Drawing from the opening chapters of the Lotus Sutra, Koshin explores what it means to sit in the middle of life without excluding anything or anybody, even in the face of terminal illness, fear, and uncertainty. Through tender stories, including a friend facing death with curiosity and wonder, this talk illuminates how the wisdom of the Buddhas is “infinitely profound and immeasurable,” not something to understand intellectually but to embody. Koshin offers practical guidance on working with fear, releasing our stories, and practicing “soft belly” awareness rather than overthinking. ‍ MUSIC Heart Sutra by Kanho Yakushiji – Buddhist priest and musician of the Rinzai sect and Imaji temple in Imabari, Japan. In 2003, he formed “KISSAQUO”, a songwriting duo based in Kyoto. ‍ NYZC PUBLICATIONS Untangled here: https://bit.ly/untangled-book Wholehearted: Slow Down, Help Out, Wake Up here: https://amzn.to/2JTKF1t Awake At The Bedside here: https://amzn.to/3aijXdL ‍ ‍ CONNECT WITH US — Instagram — Facebook — Donate

Oct 21

“When I forget who I am, I return to the Buddha. When I’m lost in confusion, I return to the Dharma. When I feel alone, I return to the Sangha.” In this tender and luminous talk, Chodo Sensei reflects on the Three Refuges of Buddhism—Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha—through the lens of impermanence, community, and compassion. With stories of accompanying his dear friend Rande in her final days, and reflections on awakening amid global unrest, Chodo reminds us that refuge is not found in escape, but in presence. To take refuge, he says, is to return, again and again, to what is real: the Buddha within each of us, the Dharma revealed in every moment, and the Sangha that holds us when life unravels. This talk invites us to wake up to grief, to change, to each other, and to remember that the path of practice is nothing less than the ongoing act of returning home. ‍ MUSIC Heart Sutra by Kanho Yakushiji – Buddhist priest and musician of the Rinzai sect and Imaji temple in Imabari, Japan. In 2003, he formed “KISSAQUO”, a songwriting duo based in Kyoto. ‍ NYZC PUBLICATIONS Untangled here: https://bit.ly/untangled-book Wholehearted: Slow Down, Help Out, Wake Up here: https://amzn.to/2JTKF1t Awake At The Bedside here: https://amzn.to/3aijXdL ‍ ‍ CONNECT WITH US — Instagram — Facebook — Donate

Oct 7

“I love birthdays because they remind us: I was born, and I’m going to die. This is my one shot.” In this talk from his birthday this past Sunday, Koshin Sensei reflects on the gift of being alive and the simplicity of a nourishing life. Drawing on the teachings of Bodhidharma (who, legend has it, share's Koshin Sensei's birthday), he explores the four all-inclusive practices: suffering injustice, adapting to conditions, seeking nothing, and practicing the Dharma. Through humor, tenderness, and vivid stories—childhood friends reuniting in the zendo, watching the sunrise, creating our own suffering by dragging favorite stories out of the cupboard—Koshin reminds us that awakening begins in the ordinariness of our lives. What happens when we stop laying on the horn of our feelings and trust our actual experience rather than our preferences? Discover why feeling unimportant is liberating, and how to give your time and attention without needing recognition for it.

Sep 30

“The true way is not something bestowed by others... it is found in the depths of your own heart-mind.” On the 68th day of our recent Commit to Sit, Koshin Sensei reflects on teachings from Shakyamuni Buddha, Dogen Zenji, and Uchiyama Roshi, reminding us that practice never ends—not even for the great teachers. Through stories both profound and playful (including an unexpected giant Labubu doll appearing in the zendo), he challenges us to see failure not as weakness but as the essence of practice. How can we stop outsourcing our meaning to external forces, and to notice how often we grasp, like zombies, for validation instead of simply living? This talk invites us back to the simplicity of wholehearted practice, to embrace life as it is, and to rediscover freedom in letting go of the endless search for more.