Keep the Dharma Wheel Rolling
A. Jesse Jiryu Davis's dharma talks
A dharma talk I gave during the New Palz Zen Center's June retreat, a few days before our sangha member Monshin gave her first talk. I was just back from a trip to Nepal and India, and I described how the rituals, symbols, and language we use today go back at least 5000 years in India and Europe. We have a duty today to preserve our ancestors' tradition and to innovate, even though someday Buddhism will be forgotten and the whole universe destroyed.
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The Kid Is Not My Son
A. Jesse Jiryu Davis's dharma talks
My father’s dishonesty was frustrating and disappointing to many people, but I think he got the worst of it. Here’s a dharma talk I gave to New Paltz Zen Center and Village Zendo on May 10, 2026. https://emptysqua.re/blog/the-kid-is-not-my-son/
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Speak Up If You're Stuck in a Zazen Rut
A. Jesse Jiryu Davis's dharma talks
Certain topics seem off-limits in Zen, like: What’s the goal of meditation? How do I get better at it? What is everyone else experiencing when they sit? I spoke at the about getting stuck at a plateau in meditation skill, and about Zen communities’ reluctance to discuss peak experiences, progress, and goals. Here's a written version:
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Which Beings Are Sentient?
A. Jesse Jiryu Davis's dharma talks
Which animals are sentient, and how can we liberate them from suffering? I review the philosopher Jonathan Birch's book "The Edge of Sentience" and shares good news about humanity's moral progress regarding animal welfare.
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Is an Enlightened Person Afraid of Illness and Death?
A. Jesse Jiryu Davis's dharma talks
This is a dharma talk I gave at the Village Zendo December 12, 2024, about my mother’s brain surgery and end-of-life decisions. .
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Are You Prepared To Save A Life?
A. Jesse Jiryu Davis's dharma talks
You can find yourself in a critical situation without warning. Is Zen practice preparing you? Here’s a dharma talk I gave to the on September 5, 2024, about the classic koan, “Nansen kills the cat.” .
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Bodhisattvas Always Smile
A. Jesse Jiryu Davis's dharma talks
Bodhisattvas smile, though they hear the suffering cries of the world. You should smile too! A Zen talk I gave against doomerism.
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Give Something Away to a Stranger
A. Jesse Jiryu Davis's dharma talks
Rich countries and drug firms act selfishly the COVID pandemic. Selfishness is natural, but we can strengthen our universal goodwill through training.
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These Unreliable United States
A. Jesse Jiryu Davis's dharma talks
The United States as we know it will someday come to an end. It's shocking to see how vulnerable our democracy is, but as Buddhists we aren't surprised: Buddha told us that nothing lasts, and we can't rely on anything except the truth revealed by our own practice. A talk at the Village Zendo, November 8, 2020.
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American Religion in America's Time of Crisis
A. Jesse Jiryu Davis's dharma talks
Buddhists must respond to the current political crisis, just as abolitionists like Frederick Douglass did in the 19th Century. A talk at the Village Zendo, September 3, 2020.
info_outlineWhich animals are sentient, and how can we liberate them from suffering? I review the philosopher Jonathan Birch's book "The Edge of Sentience" and shares good news about humanity's moral progress regarding animal welfare.