Zen Talks from Windhorse Zen Community
A dharma talk given at the Windhorse Zen Community by Sunya Kjolhede Sensei. Sunya Sensei was sanctioned to teach by Roshi Philip Kapleau, founder of the Rochester Zen Center. These talks are straight to the heart of zen. For more information, see our website, www.windhorsezen.org
Episodes
In this teisho from November 2024, Roshi Sunya Kjolhede discusses the life and teachings of Suzuki Shōsan (1579-1655). Originally a samurai warrior, Shōsan studied Zen and became a teacher. One of the practices he advocated was to keep awareness of your eventual death in the forefront at all times. To donate or learn more about Sunya-roshi and Windhorse's Dharma work in Western North Carolina (and beyond), please go to windhorsezen...
Here, Roshi Sunya Kjolhede concludes her series on the life and teachings of Master Dahui (his Japanized name is Daie Zenji) from the October 2024 7-Day Sesshin. He is one of the greatest Zen Masters of Song Dynasty China. To donate or learn more about Sunya-roshi and Windhorse's Dharma work in Western North Carolina (and beyond), please go to windhorsezen.org.
Roshi Sunya Kjolhede continues her series on the life and teachings of Master Dahui (his Japanized name is Daie Zenji). He is one of the greatest Zen Masters of Song Dynasty China. To donate or learn more about Sunya-roshi and Windhorse's Dharma work in Western North Carolina (and beyond), please go to windhorsezen.org.
Roshi Sunya Kjolhede continues her series on the life and teachings of Master Dahui (his Japanized name is Daie Zenji). He is one of the greatest Zen Masters of Song Dynasty China. To donate or learn more about Sunya-roshi and Windhorse's Dharma work in Western North Carolina (and beyond), please go to windhorsezen.org.
From this first teisho of the Fall 2024 sesshin, Roshi Sunya Kjolhede begins her series on the life and teachings of Master Dahui (his Japanized name is Daie Zenji). As she discussed in the previous podcast on his "Vow for Enlightenment" chant that we use at Windhorse, he is one of the greatest Zen Masters of the Song Dynasty in China. But, she begins the teisho with some admonishments on how we should take care in how we treat eac...
In this teisho, Roshi Sunya Kjolhede unpacks "Master Dahui's Vow For Enlightenment," a chant often used at Windhorse. Dahui (Japanized: Daie Zenji) was a well-known Zen Master from the Song dynasty. This chant reflects his intense desire for awakening and he inspires us to follow suit "however long the road ahead appears to be." To donate or learn more about Sunya-roshi and Windhorse's Dharma work in Western North Carolina (and bey...
In this teisho, Roshi Sunya Kjolhede discusses the miscellaneous koan (localized for our Appalachian mountains): "On top of Mount Mitchell, a cloud is cooking rice." To donate or learn more about Sunya-roshi and Windhorse's Dharma work in Western North Carolina (and beyond), please go to windhorsezen.org
In this teisho from June of '24, Sunya-roshi discusses Tangen's verse to the Emperor in Case #18 "The National Teacher's Seamless Monument" of the Hekiganroku (Blue Cliff Record). She talks about the importance of practice while travelling. To donate or learn more about Sunya-roshi and Windhorse's Dharma work in Western North Carolina, please go to windhorsezen.org
In this deep dive into the teisho vault, Sunya-roshi (here just Sunya-sensei) gives a special talk from May 2005 on the immediacy of practice. Please be aware the the audio does take a few seconds to start. To donate or learn more about Sunya-roshi and Windhorse's Dharma work in Western North Carolina, please go to windhorsezen.org
In this final teisho from the Summer '24 7-Day Sesshin, Roshi Sunya Kjolhede discusses Case #31 of The Gateless Gate (Mumonkan), "Joshu Sees Through The Old Woman." She ends with the Flowers Poem, anonymous verses written by a Zen monk often used at funerals and memorial services. To donate or learn more about Sunya-roshi and Windhorse's Dharma work in Western North Carolina, please go to windhosezen.org
In this teisho offered on the fourth day of our 2024 Summer Sesshin, Sunya-roshi talks about waking up and giving ourselves fully to the practice. She tells the story of one of the Buddha’s disciples who, while not very smart, awakened to his original nature by sweeping. And she speaks of Shitou Xiqian (Sekitō Kisen) and his first meeting with his teacher. To donate or learn more about Sunya-roshi and Windhorse's Dharm...
In this teisho from the second day of the Summer 2024 sesshin, Sunya-roshi talks about how we ultimately cannot talk about Zen. Zen Practice needs to be embodied. To donate or learn more about Sunya-roshi and the dharma work here in Western North Carolina, please go to windhorsezen.org
In this teisho from June of 2024, Roshi Sunya Kjolhede discusses the Vimalakirti Sutra. She talks about how we work with suffering, illness and death. To donate or learn more about Sunya-roshi and Windhorse's Dharma work in Western North Carolina, please go to windhosezen.org
In all the mystical traditions of various religions, love is oft discussed, but it is seldom mentioned in Zen Buddhism. In this recent teisho from early March of 2025, Roshi Sunya Kjolhede discusses how love can be a tricky word to define or experience—but also how wholehearted Zen practice helps dig up the concrete of views and judgements to rediscover the "living greeness" of our own depths right here. To donate or learn more abo...
In this recent and timely dharma talk from the end of February 2025, Roshi Sunya Kjolhede discusses the anxieties of our time and how despair is not an option. It's only through deep practice with a radical love that we can open to the chaos and tumult around us.
In this Dharma talk from May 2024, Roshi Sunya Kjolhede uses the Eight Worldly Winds teaching of the Buddha to show that Zen practice is a radical departure from the whirlwind of our buy/sell society. She also discusses Case #26 of the Mumonkan, Two Monks Roll Up The Blinds. To donate or learn more about Sunya-roshi and Windhorse's Dharma work in Western North Carolina, please go to windhorsezen.org
In this talk given on April 28, 2024 at the Windhorse Zen Community outside of Asheville, NC, Roshi Sunya Kjolhede discusses tips on how to take Zen home. She focuses on body practices such as the use of the eyes, centering your attention on your hara (lower belly), and chanting—among many others. To donate or learn more about Sunya-roshi and the dharma work here in Western North Carolina, please go to windhorsezen.org
Using Case #84 of the Blue Cliff Record (Hekiganroku), Roshi Sunya Kjolhede discusses the power and necessity of silence in our lives. This talk was given on January 14th, 2024 at Windhorse Zen Community near Asheville, NC. To donate or learn more about us and our dharma work, visit windhorsezen.org
Case #84: Vimalakirti's Gate of Non-Duality
Vimalakirti asked Manjusri, "What is the Bodhisattva's Dharma gate of non-duality?"
Manjus...
This talk was given by Roshi Sunya Kjolhede at Windhorse Zen Community near Asheville, NC on Sunday, November 26, 2023. To donate or learn more about us and our dharma work, visit windhorsezen.org
This teisho was given by Roshi Sunya Kjolhede at Windhorse Zen Community in 2016. For more information visit windhorsezen.org, and consider donating to sustain our dharma work while you're there.
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.