Dharma Talks

Anything that’s gray-blue — usually italicized — is a link to related materials. Enjoy!

Find more of Reverend Liên’s talks, and her guests, on her YouTube channel. @lienshutt


Rev’s most recent talks:

On 12/6/2024. Thanks to host Vincent Moore

On 11/9/2024. Thanks to Vista Buddhist Temple for the invitation to be part of such an amazing event! May it support us all at these turbulent times!

Rev. LIên Shutt guest teaches at Gay Buddhist Fellowship, 6-23-2024. Weekend before San Francisco Pride!

Crooked Cucumber: Introductions & Chapter 1, Childhood. Rev. Liên Shutt at Access to Zen Sangha, 6-3-2024. Beginning on "Grounded in Lineage" reading & sharing series. More info HERE. Join for full or as drop-in.

From Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, A2Z/Access to Zen Meditation Group, 5-6-2024

Rev. Liên makes the case that Ezra Furman’s song "Tethered” could be a way to describe not just the Bodhisattva’s Way but also our condition, vow, & joy! Song and lyrics: Source: Musixmatch. Songwriters: Ezra Furman Tether lyrics © Ice Chest Musick, Maisie Anthems. Access To Zen, 4-15-24

& Access to Zen's 10th Year Anniversary also!

At Access to Zen Meditation Group, 3-25-24

Part 1 of 2 at Access to Zen, 3-18-24

At Monday night’s Access to Zen Meditation Group, 3-11-24

Talk on Suzuki Roshi's "Mind Waves" from Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind. A2Z Meditation Group 3-4-24

At Access to Zen (A2Z) 2-19-24

 

Guests, Book Tour talks, and more!

Mushim Patricia Ikeda joins Access to Zen Sangha for her first public reading of these poems published in Cascadian Zen, Volume 1. Find more on this at Tricycle. 12-4-23

Belonging: Beyond “In” & “Out” — Livestreamed Dharma talk at Beginner's Mind Temple, sharing how her new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path, can uplift Transgender and South Asian voices in Dharma settings. For all who seek healing from hurt & harm.

To start out AAPI Heritage Month, Access to Zen, hosts Chenxing Han to read & discussion with us from her new book, one long listening: a memoir of grief, friendship, and spiritual care. (Questions from the audience in the room are not included due to poor quality. Chenxing does repeat them before answering.)

Guest Teacher Dawn Haney as part of A2Z’s Transcending: Uplifting Trans Buddhist Voices Series. Unfortunately, we recorded in gallery view so have decided on this audio-format. Q&A has some edits due to sound issues as we’re still trying to figure out these hybrid issues!

Jessy Zapanta & Rev. Liên Shutt teaches at EBMC's Alphabet Sangha, 4-11-2023

A2Z Transcending: Uplifting Trans Buddhists’ Voices series begins. Rev. Liên sets the series’ practice container and then read from and reflected on themes related to the two Prefaces by La Sarmiento & Caitriona Reed and the Introductions from editors Kevin Manders & Elizabeth Marston. (A sangha member read Lev White’s Blessing as our dedication but due to bad sound quality, it is not included).

Class 1 of Experiencing the 5 Skandhas with Lama Karma Yeshe Chodron and Lama Karma Zopa Jigme of Prajna Fire. Hosted by A2Z: 8-1-22

As 2022 starts, a Dharma talk on the Kosambiya Sutta on how to be a person of cordiality; someone living & supported by Right View. Copy of Sutta

Forgot to record the Dharma Seal of Non-Self last week. This week is the Mahayanist’ 3rd: Nirvana. Not in a song but in a glass of water. Check it out! — Home practice is to practice experiencing nirvana in your everyday life; especially via letting go of concepts. Enjoy!

March 22, 2021: While the AAPI Deep Listening Circle of sharing was not recorded, this meditation before aims to connect us to knowing both internal & external sense of well-being & support that can sustain us in times of such tragedy.

“Delusions are inexhaustible, I vow to end them.” At Stone Creek Zen Center, 1-17-21.

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SFZC City Center talk on Halloween, 10-31-20. — WARNING: Werewolves, Bodhisattvas and Otherworldlies discussed. And for the “treat” part, cookies. Listen at your own risk. :)

Talk given after Mother’s Day. The 5 Precepts/Values — How they were taught and what do they mean to me/us now?

A Way to start 2020. Used in talk, Transiency from Suzuki Roshi, ZMBM

Chinh Nguyen guest teaches at A2Z, 12/16

Facebook livestream video of talk at Mission Dharma: “Habitual Mind” (includes 40 minutes of meditation & break so talk begins around 52 minutes in; reading from Not Always So by Suzuki Roshi, chapter: Everyday Life is Like a Movie). Thank you, Howie Cohn, for the invite! (Once you’ve hit the start button, seems like you have to manually turn on the audio/sound icon at bottom!)

Thank you, Rev. Dojin Sarah Emerson for continuing A2Z’s new tradition on Indigenous People’s Day with this talk. 10/14/2019

at Gay Buddhist Fellowship (38 minutes talk; great Q&A/discussion after)

Talk at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, 8/3/19 (mostly white audience)

Guest Teacher bruni davila at A2Z

Dharma & Racism —- talk at SFZC’s City Center, June 1 (Yes, share this far & wide!)

“Inner Eden” poem at end of talk; by Rosemerry Trommer

Hartford Street Zen Center, May 25

Guest Teacher Ven. Dhammadipa on April 29

Guest Teacher Rev. Dana Takagi on April 1

Guest teachings from Rev. Daigan Gaither on 10-8-2018. Resources from talk:

Guest Teacher, Kim Allen. Thought another take on the topic would be useful --- & also from the Insight tradition. 7/9/18

Ni Su Thuan Tue's Dharma talk at SFZC Tassajara. 6/16/18

"Best Effort in Each Moment Forever"

Dharma talk at SFZC City Center to end the 3-day sesshin to end the CC Spring 2018 Practice Period. 6/9/18

Guest Teachers Lama Karma Yeshe Chodron & Lama Karma Zopa Jigme share how practices from their 3-year cloister retreat can be brought into everyday life. 5/12/18

"Wise Effort is the Wholehearted Way"

Dharma talk at SFZC City Center at 1-day of the Spring 2018 Practice Period on Wise Effort. 5/5/18 (aka “Tales of Wholehearted Effort”)

"A Bird Sings A Song" -- Dharma Talk At SFZC City Center on 11/25/17, Thanksgiving weekend. ---Commentary on "Branching Streams Flow on in the Dark" -- How we've been conditioned on what is "valuable" suffering to pay attention to vs. all beings' sufferings. For instance, around the mythology of "Thanksgiving" and on women's roles. #MeToo. (Yup, this is MY/the original title [as it relates to the Dharma passage].)

Dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm, 2017

"The Boat of 'Me'"

--- Click on title above for video of Dharma talk at SFZC's City Center on April 22, 2017, Earth Day

"I Now Fully Avow" (or "'It's the Snow that Makes the Mountain'") --- Last of the "Wind of the Family House" series. A2Z Dharma talk on December 19, 2016