Explore every episode of the podcast Shasta Abbey
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Coil of Rope | 18 Oct 2026 | 00:32:28 | |
Rev. Allard Kieres uses an ancient Indian story of a coil of rope being mistaken for a poisonous snake and compares this to our experience of the self. This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday August 30, 2026. YouTube: https://youtu.be/7NHvwUxDfmU Twitter/X: @shastaabbey Contact: podcast@shastaabbey.org | |||
| INTERVIEW: Rev. Sanshin Alexander | 14 Oct 2026 | 00:43:55 | |
Rev. Sanshin Alexander is a monk from the monastic community of Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey in Northumberland, UK. He visited Shasta Abbey for five months during 2026. This interview took place in July 2026. YouTube: n/a Twitter/X: @shastaabbey Contact: podcast@shastaabbey.org | |||
| Prajnaparamita Great Wisdom, Part 4: Rev Master Jiyu and Women’s Training | 11 Oct 2026 | 01:09:18 | |
Rev. Oswin Hollenbeck concludes his series on Prajnaparamita by talking about Rev. Master Jiyu and women in Buddhist practice. This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on August 16, 2026. YouTube: https://youtu.be/X6RwE5rdqVw Twitter/X: @shastaabbey Contact: podcast@shastaabbey.org | |||
| Royal Ease | 04 Oct 2026 | 00:11:14 | |
Rev. Valeria Allison shares some thoughts about Kanzeon Bodhisattva. This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday August 9, 2026. YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZzBtPX4hI-M Twitter/X: @shastaabbey Contact: podcast@shastaabbey.org | |||
| The Purpose of Our Practice | 27 Sep 2026 | 00:19:06 | |
Rev. Master Meian Elbert, Abbess of Shasta Abbey, examines 'why do we do our practice?' This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday August 2, 2026. YouTube: https://youtu.be/f7J9AgNxo14 Twitter/X: @shastaabbey Contact: podcast@shastaabbey.org | |||
| A Bigger View | 20 Sep 2026 | 00:22:34 | |
Rev. Astor Douglas uses the image of an aperture to encourage us to 'open our eyes' and 'broaden our view' to the conditions of our lives. This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday July 26, 2026. YouTube: https://youtu.be/_uz78gdhxuo Twitter/X: @shastaabbey Contact: podcast@shastaabbey.org
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| Kindness | 13 Sep 2026 | 00:27:10 | |
Rev. Margaret Clyde talks about Kshitigarbha, known as Jizo in Japanese Buddhism, on the yearly festival in honor of him. She talks about his vows and virtues and how he exemplifies the kindness that we all aspire to. This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday July 19, 2026. YouTube: https://youtu.be/5ft0Ohk9wFI Twitter/X: @shastaabbey contact: podcast@shastaabbey.org | |||
| The Scripture of the Buddha’s Last Teachings, Talk 7: Theories and Opinions, The Four Noble Truths and The Dharma-Body of the Tathagata | 09 Sep 2026 | 00:24:33 | |
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 in their training and find the Truth for themselves. His very final words, "quickly seek your liberation, be a lamp unto yourself, always seek to get back on the path," remains a rallying cry to this day. YouTube: https://youtu.be/cpvJnCLonM4?list=PLefIv_SMkaxM7znyIQ1Rl2W6HfwL8d2YE Twitter/X: @shastaabbey contact: podcast@shastaabbey.org | |||
| The Scripture of the Buddha’s Last Teachings Retreat, Talk 6: Mindfulness, Meditation and Discriminate Wisdom | 06 Sep 2026 | 00:29:51 | |
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 in their training and find the Truth for themselves. His very final words, "quickly seek your liberation, be a lamp unto yourself, always seek to get back on the path," remains a rallying cry to this day. YouTube: https://youtu.be/PwNq8G2kXXU?list=PLefIv_SMkaxM7znyIQ1Rl2W6HfwL8d2YE Twitter/X: @shastaabbey contact: podcast@shastaabbey.org | |||
| The Scripture of the Buddha’s Last Teachings Retreat, Talk 5: Contentment & Devotion to Progress | 02 Sep 2026 | 00:27:01 | |
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 in their training and find the Truth for themselves. His very final words, "quickly seek your liberation, be a lamp unto yourself, always seek to get back on the path," remains a rallying cry to this day. YouTube: https://youtu.be/_NJkl-a_IQc?list=PLefIv_SMkaxM7znyIQ1Rl2W6HfwL8d2YE Twitter/X: @shastaabbey contact: podcast@shastaabbey.org | |||
| The Scripture of the Buddha’s Last Teachings Retreat, Talk 4: Impermanence, Modesty & Anger | 30 Aug 2026 | 00:25:05 | |
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 in their training and find the Truth for themselves. His very final words, "quickly seek your liberation, be a lamp unto yourself, always seek to get back on the path," remains a rallying cry to this day. YouTube: https://youtu.be/zy9hb-IeHJk?list=PLefIv_SMkaxM7znyIQ1Rl2W6HfwL8d2YE Twitter/X: @shastaabbey contact: podcast@shastaabbey.org | |||
| The Scripture of the Buddha’s Last Teachings Retreat, Talk 3, Governing our minds well | 27 Aug 2026 | 00:20:43 | |
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 in their training and find the Truth for themselves. His very final words, "quickly seek your liberation, be a lamp unto yourself, always seek to get back on the path," remains a rallying cry to this day. YouTube: https://youtu.be/4ICIs42UR5k?list=PLefIv_SMkaxM7znyIQ1Rl2W6HfwL8d2YE Twitter/X: @shastaabbey contact: podcast@shastaabbey.org | |||
| The Scripture of the Buddha’s Last Teachings Retreat, Talk 2 on the Precepts | 23 Aug 2026 | 00:19:45 | |
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 in their training and find the Truth for themselves. His very final words, "quickly seek your liberation, be a lamp unto yourself, always seek to get back on the path," remains a rallying cry to this day. YouTube: https://youtu.be/ACLLHdhKcI0 Twitter/X: @shastaabbey contact: podcast@shastaabbey.org | |||
| Introduction to the Scripture of the Buddha’s Last Teachings Retreat, Talk 1 | 19 Aug 2026 | 00:21:39 | |
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 in their training and find the Truth for themselves. His very final words, "quickly seek your liberation, be a lamp unto yourself, always seek to get back on the path," remains a rallying cry to this day. YouTube: N/A Twitter/X: @shastaabbey contact: podcast@shastaabbey.org | |||
| Stillness in Daily Life | 16 Aug 2026 | 00:21:06 | |
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 overworking—and how it quietly drives our stress and suffering (dukkha). This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday July 12, 2026. YouTube: https://youtu.be/8srPUrFP_FU Twitter/X: @shastaabbey contact: podcast@shastaabbey.org | |||
| Non Action–Non Seeking | 09 Aug 2026 | 00:17:16 | |
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 seeking. The awakening to True Wisdom." and how this applies to us in our daily practice. This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday July 5, 2026. YouTube: https://youtu.be/e9vdbBchqTI Twitter/X: @shastaabbey email: podcast@shastaabbey.org | |||
| Interview with Rev. Master Oswin Hollenbeck | 05 Aug 2026 | 00:19:08 | |
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/A Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| How to Cultivate Trust in the Buddha’s Teaching: Part 2 | 02 Aug 2026 | 00:34:09 | |
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 was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday June 21, 2026. YouTube: https://youtu.be/Iubb5gX4zUk Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| Podcast Programming Update | 29 Jul 2026 | 00:02:30 | |
Rev. Allard introduces a new programming idea for the Shasta Abbey Podcast. New podcast email: podcast@shastaabbey.org | |||
| Vigor–Joyful effort | 26 Jul 2026 | 00:20:44 | |
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 Sunday, June 14, 2026. YouTube: https://youtu.be/W_lQt1OdkLI Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| Law of Karma Retreat: Talk 7, Relative and Absolute Truth in Relation to Karma | 22 Jul 2026 | 00:24:56 | |
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: https://youtu.be/8KE_eHi62Uc Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| Law of Karma Retreat: Talk 6, Karma and Past Lives | 19 Jul 2026 | 00:31:36 | |
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: https://youtu.be/muTgIGzuczU Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| Law of Karma Retreat: Talk 5, Rebirth and Karma | 15 Jul 2026 | 00:29:12 | |
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: https://youtu.be/S4ey4fSCt0A Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| Law of Karma Retreat: Talk 4, Cleansing Karma | 12 Jul 2026 | 00:28:46 | |
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: https://youtu.be/0dsoPX6Ol9A Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| Law of Karma Retreat: Talk 3, Precepts and Karma | 08 Jul 2026 | 00:26:56 | |
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: https://youtu.be/sQ0B43rUg6A Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| Law of Karma Retreat: Talk 2, Overview of the Law of Karma | 05 Jul 2026 | 00:35:01 | |
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: https://youtu.be/fwn37lVcBFc Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| Law of Karma Retreat: Talk 1, Introduction to Retreat | 01 Jul 2026 | 00:26:08 | |
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: https://youtu.be/Q1pn_yntRDc Twitter/X: @shastaabbey
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| Buddha Nature | 28 Jun 2026 | 00:23:00 | |
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 Great Master Dogen and his work the Shobogenzo, to help us understand it and how we can know it for ourselves. This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday June 7, 2026. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv-KlxzVBAg Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| Faith & Compassion | 21 Jun 2026 | 00:34:09 | |
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 redefines doubt not as the enemy of faith, but as a tool that sharpens it, describing faith as the willingness to take the next step in the dark even when the path is obscured by delusion or pain. Through personal stories—including a transformative encounter with a statue of Maitreya in college and a profound, comforting experience of Avalokiteshwara (Kanzeon) during a period of intense lay training—Rev. Allard illustrates how the universe compassionately waits for us without judgment or agenda. Ultimately, he argues that the conditions of daily life are not obstacles but friends meant for our spiritual good, and that the simple, quiet act of sitting in Zazen (meditation) is itself a profound expression of "great faith" that allows practitioners to harmonize with reality exactly as it is. This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday May 31, 2026. YouTube: https://youtu.be/MpkT91OY0b8 Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| Prajnaparamita And Great Wisdom–Part 3: 8,000 Lines–Divine Mother | 14 Jun 2026 | 00:42:10 | |
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 Mahayana Buddhist teaching emphasizes transcendent wisdom, emptiness, and the nurturing, compassionate nature of enlightenment. Ultimately, the lecture serves as a guide on how practitioners can understand and embody this profound wisdom in their daily spiritual practice. This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday May 24, 2026. YouTube: https://youtu.be/woR7EWel1Gk Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| The Kindness of the Buddha! | 07 Jun 2026 | 00:28:47 | |
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 supreme example of his life. This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday May 17, 2026. YouTube: https://youtu.be/Pt908DbVCwQ Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| The Honest Question | 31 May 2026 | 00:18:35 | |
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. YouTube: https://youtu.be/dtILL-GtoPA Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| Certainty | 24 May 2026 | 00:21:36 | |
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 given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday May 3, 2026. YouTube: https://youtu.be/uwrQUsFD3d8 Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| Great Master Keizan’s Encouragement to Pure Meditation | 17 May 2026 | 00:32:14 | |
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 the people. This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday April 19, 2026. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvV3D6ZfNZs Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| Walking the Path | 10 May 2026 | 00:23:29 | |
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 Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| Simplicity | 03 May 2026 | 00:18:02 | |
Rev. Master Meian Elbert, Abbess of Shasta Abbey, encourages us with a teaching on 'simplicity' in a world that seems like it is getting more and more complicated. This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on April 5, 2026. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPxC97Exf9I Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| Meditation and Soto Zen #9 | 26 Apr 2026 | 01:31:03 | |
Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett gives and explanation of the Denkoroku and how to study this particular text. This includes a look at what the traditional 'Transmission' is about. This talk is part of a lecture series given in 1979. | |||
| True Training | 19 Apr 2026 | 00:26:43 | |
Rev. Master Koten Benson, Prior of Lions Gate Buddhist Priory in B.C., Canada, and Head of the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives, talks about the fundamentals of Buddhist practice. This talk was given at Lions Gate Buddhist Priory on October 17, 2025. YouTube: N/A | |||
| Meditation and Soto Zen #8 | 12 Apr 2026 | 01:30:49 | |
Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett continues with study and commentary of the Shushogi, picking up where the previous lecture left off. She then enters into a detailed explanation of the daily scriptures. There are questions and answers at the end. This talk is part of a lecture series given in 1979. | |||
| Founder’s Day | 05 Apr 2026 | 00:35:56 | |
The late Rev. Chosei Swann gives a talk on Founder's Day and talks about how Shasta Abbey's found is not actually Rev. Master Jiyu, but actually her teacher Keido Chisan, and also other important points of teaching. | |||
| What’s Important Now | 29 Mar 2026 | 00:34:15 | |
Rev. Scholastica Hicks shares some reflections from her life as a monk and specifically as an elderly woman. We never know how much time we have left in this world. This brings up the important question, "what's important now"? This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday March 22nd, 2026. YouTube: https://youtu.be/CeufxBpaSAY?si=XkEf0HLcuiacbhYg Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| Trusting with Wisdom | 22 Mar 2026 | 00:32:09 | |
Rev. Daishin Yalon talks about trust in Buddhist practice. How do we as Buddhists approach and practice trust? What is it not? And what did the Buddha have to say on the matter? This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday December 29, 2019. YouTube: N/A Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| Prajnaparamita & Great Wisdom Part 3C Iconography: Manjusri | 15 Mar 2026 | 00:47:47 | |
Rev. Oswin Hollenbeck continues his lecture series on iconography. In this talk he focuses on how the gender switched from Compassion as male in India to female in China. And how Wisdom switched from female in India to male in China. This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday March 15, 2026. YouTube: N/A Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| Goodwill | 08 Mar 2026 | 00:20:48 | |
Rev. Daishin Yalon encourages us to practice Metta (goodwill) towards others during this difficult time of war and violence in the world. This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday March 8, 2026. YouTube: https://youtu.be/Na3qC5AbenM Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| Boundless Merit | 01 Mar 2026 | 00:14:40 | |
Rev. Master Meian Elbert, Abbess of Shasta Abbey, talks after a Transfer of Merit Ceremony about how being still and offering our love and well wishes to the world is an important and helpful part of our practice. This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday March 1, 2026. YouTube: https://youtu.be/yi24vgWwFwY Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| Ever Present Light of Buddha | 22 Feb 2026 | 00:26:07 | |
Rev. Ando Mueller gives a detailed look at the Festival of the Buddha's Parinirvana, describing the details and symbolism of the ceremony. Parinirvana is the festival of the Buddha's death. This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday February 22, 2026. YouTube: https://youtu.be/Cv8ceOA5NgU Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| Reflection on the Three Refuges | 15 Feb 2026 | 00:25:02 | |
Rev. Amanda Robertson discusses what the Three Refuges are and what they mean to us in our daily practice. This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday February 15, 2026. YouTube: N/A Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| Avatamsaka: The Great Scripture | 08 Feb 2026 | 00:19:56 | |
Rev. Master Meian Elbert, Abbess of Shasta Abbey, gives a talk on the annual Avatamsaka festival day. She talks about what the scripture is and why we hold it in such high regard. This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday February 8, 2026. YouTube: https://youtu.be/n8AA1VsdFww Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||
| Understanding the Source of Our Delusion | 01 Feb 2026 | 00:37:06 | |
The late Rev. Jisho Perry talks about the Shurungama Sutra and its core teaching. This fundamental teaching is what we in our practice hear over and over again—we are not trying to 'get' something, we are trying to let go of something. The heart of the scripture, as Rev. Jisho discusses, is how to convert our ignorance into understanding. This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on Sunday December 24, 2017. YouTube: N/A Twitter: @shastaabbey | |||
| Maitreya | 18 Jan 2026 | 00:16:13 | |
Rev. Master Meian Elbert, Abbess of Shasta Abbey, teaches about who Maitreya Bodhisattva is on his annual festival day. This talk was given at Shasta Abbey on January 1, 2026. YouTube: https://youtu.be/cIv3RhjCIgg Twitter/X: @shastaabbey | |||