Shasta Abbey
Teachings about Buddhist practice in the Serene Reflection Meditation (Soto Zen) tradition from the monks at Shasta Abbey Buddhist Monastery.Learn more at: shastaabbey.orgVideo recordings of talks are uploaded to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/ShastaAbbeyDharmaTalksfind us on twitter: @shastaabbeyfacebook & instagram
Episodes
253 episodes
The Scripture of the Buddha’s Last Teachings Retreat, Talk 2 on the Precepts
Rev. Ando Mueller leads a retreat during the week of August 16, 2026 on the Scripture of the Buddha's Last Teaching. As the Buddha lay upon his death bed, he gave one final sermon to encourage his disciples, both monastic and lay, to persevere ...
Introduction to the Scripture of the Buddha’s Last Teachings Retreat, Talk 1
Rev. Ando Mueller leads a retreat during the week of August 16, 2026 on the Scripture of the Buddha's Last Teaching. As the Buddha lay upon his death bed, he gave one final sermon to encourage his disciples, both monastic and lay, to persevere ...
Stillness in Daily Life
Rev. Master Meian Elbert, Abbess of Shasta Abbey, talks about how we get caught on the treadmill of busyness, distractions, and endless lists. She explores why we feel compelled to constantly fill our lives with activity—from social media to ov...
Non Action–Non Seeking
Rev. Sanshin Alexander is a visiting monk from the community of Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey in Northumberland UK, and a disciple of Rev. Master Daishin Morgan. In this talk he explores Dogen's phrase 'This is the merit of non-action and non se...
Interview with Rev. Master Oswin Hollenbeck
Rev. Allard interviews Rev. Master Oswin, asking questions about monastic life and his advice for training. This interview took place on July 8, 2026. YouTube: N/ATwitter/X: @shastaabbey
How to Cultivate Trust in the Buddha’s Teaching: Part 2
Rev. Enya Sapp continues with the theme of cultivating faith and trust in the Buddha's teaching. The Practice frees us from the obstacles of our suffering, but we must have the trust to be willing to put the teachings into practice. This talk w...
Podcast Programming Update
Rev. Allard introduces a new programming idea for the Shasta Abbey Podcast. New podcast email: podcast@shastaabbey.org
Vigor–Joyful effort
Rev. Daishin Yalon talks about the Buddhist virtue of joyful effort or Virya in Sanskrit. He encourages us to cultivate a stillness within the activity of our every day lives that is bright and energetic. This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on ...
Law of Karma Retreat: Talk 7, Relative and Absolute Truth in Relation to Karma
Rev. Amanda Robertson led a week long retreat at Shasta Abbey, June 21-28 2026, looking at the Buddha's teaching of Karma. Her talks guide us toward how we can work with Karma in our own practice, and understand it for ourselves.YouTube:...
Law of Karma Retreat: Talk 6, Karma and Past Lives
Rev. Amanda Robertson led a week long retreat at Shasta Abbey, June 21-28 2026, looking at the Buddha's teaching of Karma. Her talks guide us toward how we can work with Karma in our own practice, and understand it for ourselves.YouTube:...
Law of Karma Retreat: Talk 5, Rebirth and Karma
Rev. Amanda Robertson led a week long retreat at Shasta Abbey, June 21-28 2026, looking at the Buddha's teaching of Karma. Her talks guide us toward how we can work with Karma in our own practice, and understand it for ourselves.YouTube:...
Law of Karma Retreat: Talk 4, Cleansing Karma
Rev. Amanda Robertson led a week long retreat at Shasta Abbey, June 21-28 2026, looking at the Buddha's teaching of Karma. Her talks guide us toward how we can work with Karma in our own practice, and understand it for ourselves.YouTube:...
Law of Karma Retreat: Talk 3, Precepts and Karma
Rev. Amanda Robertson led a week long retreat at Shasta Abbey, June 21-28 2026, looking at the Buddha's teaching of Karma. Her talks guide us toward how we can work with Karma in our own practice, and understand it for ourselves.YouTube:...
Law of Karma Retreat: Talk 2, Overview of the Law of Karma
Rev. Amanda Robertson led a week long retreat at Shasta Abbey, June 21-28 2026, looking at the Buddha's teaching of Karma. Her talks guide us toward how we can work with Karma in our own practice, and understand it for ourselves.YouTube:...
Law of Karma Retreat: Talk 1, Introduction to Retreat
Rev. Amanda Robertson led a week long retreat at Shasta Abbey, June 21-28 2026, looking at the Buddha's teaching of Karma. Her talks guide us toward how we can work with Karma in our own practice, and understand it for ourselves.YouTube:...
Buddha Nature
Rev. Sanshin Alexander is a visiting monk from the community of Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey in Northumberland UK, and a disciple of Rev. Master Daishin Morgan. In this talk he explores the term 'Buddha Nature', using the ideas and teachings of...
Faith & Compassion
Rev. Allard Kieres explores the vital relationship between faith, doubt, and compassion within Zen practice, contrasting rigid "absolute faith" with the open, flexible "perfect faith" described by Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett. He redef...
Prajnaparamita And Great Wisdom–Part 3: 8,000 Lines–Divine Mother
Rev. Oswin Hollenbeck explores Prajnaparamita as the "Perfection of Wisdom", specifically focusing on the 8,000-Line Prajnaparamita Sutra and her personification as the "Great Mother." Rev. Oswin discusses how this foundational Mahayan...
The Kindness of the Buddha!
Rev. Master Meian Elbert, Abbess of Shasta Abbey, gives a talk after the annual celebration of Wesak which celebrates the Buddha's life and teaching. She emphasizes that above all else, for her, it is the Buddha's kindness that shines forth as ...
The Honest Question
Rev. Valeria Allison explores the aspect of practice in which we must be willing to ask of our teachers and ourselves, 'The Honest Question', and how we find this for ourselves. This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday May 10, 2026....
Certainty
Rev. Margaret Clyde gives a talk about faith. She addresses the idea of having 'certainty' in our practice and faith of the Triple Treasure (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha) and what that word means to her and how we might approach it. This talk was giv...
Great Master Keizan’s Encouragement to Pure Meditation
Rev. Ando Mueller talks about Great Master Keizan Jokin after his annual festival memorial. Master Keizan is considered the 'mother' of Soto Zen in Japan and is the monk after Master Dogen who is credited with making the practice accessible to ...
Walking the Path
Rev. Astor Douglas addresses 'changing conditions' and how we approach this dynamic, often chaotic, reality of life. This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday April 12, 2026.YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmmHGPp-w50...