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Bright Way Zen: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Rev. Domyo Burk
Bright Way Zen is a Zen community in Portland OR, USA, and worldwide via our "Cloud Zendo" (Zoom). This podcast includes talks and classes by our teacher, Rev. Domyo Burk, Sangha members, and others.
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- Yesterday36 min
2026-09-29 - Class Discussions - Tyler - The Trail Markers On Our Personal Zen Path
In this Tuesday talk, Sangha member Tyler leads a Sangha discussion around our personal Zen path and our relationship to it over time. Using prompts from Dogen's Uji, as well as his experience reflecting on his Zen path while hiking a familiar trail in the woods, we examine our personal path and the path of our lineage and what "trail markers" we use and have developed to guide our understanding of this path.
- 5 days ago55 min
What Does Zen Mean By Not Picking and Choosing? - Domyo
The Zen Buddhist instructions to let go of ideas of right and wrong, true or false, good and evil, love and hate, and deluded or enlightened, might sound familiar to you - if you've read through everything in our chant book! But what is this not "picking and choosing" that the Zen masters recommend? Are we aiming toward becoming a Zen zombie? At a more subtle level, we can still be fully engaged in living our external lives while letting go of our internal commentaries, attachments, preferences, and judgements. A thoughtful discussion follows.
- 1 weeks ago59 min
Our Bright Way Zen Lineage - Week 4
In this episode Domyo talks about the establishment of Westside Zen Circle in 2009, incorporation as Bright Way Zen, the evolution and mission of our Sangha. This talk includes pictures, as well as words from BWZ members who date back to the early days.
- 1 weeks ago54 min
Appropriate Longing For Buddhists - Domyo
The Buddha's basic teaching is that life is marked by Dukkha, often translated as "suffering", and the cause of that is Tanha, sometimes translated as "craving" or "thirst". However, in order to practice and maintain our bodhicitta, or way-seeking mind, we actually need to thoughtfully cultivate some desire. Using the five wisdom energies from Vajrayana teachings as a lens, Domyo describes the five kinds of appropriate longing that can give us insight into our personality type and what we need to nurture in ourselves: red (intimacy), yellow (enjoyment), blue (knowing), green (effectiveness), and white (transcendence).
- 2 weeks ago54 min
Our Bright Way Zen Lineage - Week 3 - Domyo's Training
In this episode, using journal enteries and poetry from her early life, Domyo guides the Sangha through her path of Soto Zen
- 2 weeks ago51 min
The Koan of Effort in Practice - Domyo
Why are we intensifying our practice during Ango? In Zen, the question of effort vs. non-effort in practice is, in itself, a Koan. Should we aim for vow, intention, motivation, with the urgency of "putting out a fire on your head"? Or, would we be better off settling into equanimity and radical acceptance, just "resting in the Samadhi of all the Buddhas"? Domyo takes input from Sangha on the positives and negatives of each approach, and further discussion follows.
- 2 weeks ago29 min
Fall Ango Opening Ceremony
Bright Way Zen's Sangha opens a new season of practice with acknowledging all who have practice roles, chanting the Heart Sutra, and singing "Shantideva's Way of the Bodhisattva."
- 3 weeks ago49 min
Our Bright Way Zen Lineage - Week 2
In the second week of our study series on our Bright Way Zen Linieage we look at the Dharma Cloud lineage including Sanghas established by Kyogen and Gyokuko Carlson and their students. We begin with Roshi Kennett and talk about the Carlson's training, their move to Oregon, the establishment and evolution of Dharma Rain Zen Center, and end with some audio of one of Kyogen's talks.
About Bright Way Zen
Bright Way Zen is a Zen community in Portland OR, USA, and worldwide via our "Cloud Zendo" (Zoom). This podcast includes talks and classes by our teacher, Rev. Domyo Burk, Sangha members, and others.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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