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2022-10-25 Zen and Nature Part Two (Richard von Sturmer)

"Zazen is not sensory deprivation — anything but. Birds and geckos and bullfrogs guide us. Be open to these natural teachers, wherever you may be practicing." -Aitken Roshi

This is the second of three Dharma Talks on 'Zen and Nature' given at the Auckland Zen Centre by Richard von Sturmer.

Texts used:

Poetry and Zen: Letters and Uncollected Writings of R. H. Blyth by Norman Waddell

Passing Through the Gateless Barrier by Guo Gu

The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon translated by Ivan Morris.

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About the Podcast

Talks by Sensei Richard von Sturmer

Sensei Richard co-founded the Auckland Zen Centre along with Roshi Amala Wrightson. He has given many Dharma talks at the Centre, and some of them are collected here. Richard is also a writer and poet.

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Roshi Amala Wrightson

Roshi Amala Wrightson is the full-time teacher at the Auckland Zen Centre. Amala-roshi began her Zen training at the Rochester Zen Center in 1989, shortly after completing an M.A. in Italian at Auckland University, and was ordained as a priest there in 1999. In late 2003, upon completion of formal koan training under Roshi Kjolhede, Amala-roshi returned to resettle in New Zealand. She and her husband, Sensei Richard von Sturmer, co-founded the Auckland Zen Centre in 2004. The Centre offers regular sittings, talks, zen meditation workshops, retreats (sesshin) and opportunities to engage in compassionate action. All Roshi's talks are shared in our "AZC Weekly Talks" podcast.