PODCAST

Young Urban Zen SF

Young Urban Zen is a group under the auspices of the San Francisco Zen Center, with a particular focus on those between 20 and 40. It meets on Tuesday evenings for meditation and discussion about Zen practice. People of all experience levels are welcome.

religion & spirituality buddhism

All Episodes

Taking What Is Not Given

Young Urban Zen SF ·

2025/08/13

Michael McCord discusses "Taking what is not given", essentially the precept around stealing. However, just like all the precepts, this one goes quite deep in regards to relationships and our expectations/demands for how we want others to show up for us and the capacities we expect. And like all the precepts, the antidote is what we focus on most of the time. For not stealing the antidote is generosity and not acting from a stance of scarcity. Michael looks at behaviors that support this way of

en-US

On Becoming Yourself

Young Urban Zen SF ·

2025/08/06

Hiro Ikushima explores Becoming Yourself, a newly published book of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi’s talks. He reads and reflects on a few selections that center on themes such as zazen, self and no-self, and how Zen meets everyday life. These timeless teachings offer both clarity and encouragement for practice in the midst of our busy modern lives.

en-US

No More Words

Young Urban Zen SF ·

2025/07/30

Zach discusses the long-standing debate about the utility of the written and spoken Dharma in the context of a practice that claims to go beyond words and concepts. People have literally been arguing about this for millennia and we’ll take it up as well.

en-US

Virya

Young Urban Zen SF ·

2025/07/23

It sometimesseems like the world is falling apart and we can feel overwhelmed and isolated and sapped of energy. In this talk, Tim discusses strategies for building energy, Virya in Sanskrit, and how to work with it as one of the central elements in our Zen practice.

en-US

No One to Be, Nowhere to Go

Young Urban Zen SF ·

2025/07/16

What if there’s nothing to fix, improve, or figure out? What if this moment, just as it is, is enough? In the preceeding session, Hiro explored the conceptual foundation of self and no-self—how our sense of “I” is formed and sustained. Building on that understanding, we shift into direct, experiential practice, allowing presence to reveal itself through shikantaza and mindfulness-based meditation. This talk about living with presence is centered more around guided and silent meditation,with less

en-US

Awakening from the Dream of Self

Young Urban Zen SF ·

2025/07/09

Hiro speaks about the notion of awakening from the dream of self. Much of our suffering arises from clinging to a fixed sense of self—a mental construct shaped by memory, identity, and striving. When we begin to see through this illusion, we may discover a quiet, open presence that has always been here.

en-US

Self, One Self, Not-Self

Young Urban Zen SF ·

2025/07/01

Dear YUZ,I'm delighted to write to you again after six months away.We will meet tomorrow (Tuesday) night at 7:15 PM in the Buddha Hall at 300 Page St. You're more than welcome to come a few minutes early to help set up. We will sit Zazen and discuss this:Self, One Self, Not-SelfIt sure seems like I have a self--an agent of action, one who makes choices, does work, gives gifts, harms others, apologizes... So what do we make of this teaching of No Self of not-self? If Zen says I don't have a self, how

en-US

The Somatics of Meditation Practice Can Help Us In...

Young Urban Zen SF ·

2025/06/17

We will have our usual Tuesday 7:15pmYUZgatheringtomorrow in the Buddha Hall, entrance300 Page Street.Tonight we’ll have a new speaker, Rev. Shosan Victor Austin, a senior priest at City Center who will be speaking about how the somatics of meditation practice can help us in our stressful busy lives.We hope to see you all tonight and note you’re welcome for dinner which will be served at 6:30pm.Please come earlyif you can to help set up and settle in.Warm regards,Kōgetsu

en-US

Note to Self

Young Urban Zen SF ·

2025/06/11

On this anniversary of when I first came to practice, I’ll share some of the choices I’m glad I made—and a few things I wish I had paid closer attention to. Think of it as a reflection for my younger self, and maybe for anyone else finding their way into practice.Warm bow,Eli

en-US

The Intersection of Leadership and Zen Principles

Young Urban Zen SF ·

2025/06/03

The meeting will start at 715pm in the Buddha Hall and the subject tonight is discussing the intersection of leadership and Zen principles. Whether you have a formal leadership role at home (parent), school (resident assistant; teachers assistant) or work (managing, mentoring) we all impact each other and also take on many undefined roles where others look to us directly or indirectly. What we find in looking at this is that relationships are the core of our existence and how we hold our trauma,

en-US

Mistakes

Young Urban Zen SF ·

2025/05/28

Kōgetsu talks about the koan of our lives as we meet impossiblesituations, difficult conversations, the mountains of uncertainty, and challengingtimes.How can Zen practice help train us to meet these moments with better self-awareness, skillful action, grace, and integrity?Can we be kind to ourselves in the process, forgive the mistakes of others and ourselves, and see that the mess is beautiful and wholly included in practice?

en-US

Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional

Young Urban Zen SF ·

2025/05/21

Michael references a quote by the legendary Japanese writer Haruki Murakami: "Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional."This is very much in alignment with the basic noble truths of Zen and yet can be so elusive in the moments we inhabit.How do we live into a future where we hold the discomforts, annoyances, turmoil and pain of our existence in altogether different way? What can I do today or tomorrow?Audio Block

en-US

Way Seeking Mind Talk

Young Urban Zen SF ·

2025/05/14

Tim Wicks, the City Center Head of Practice, gives a brief way seeking mind talk telling the story of how he came to practice Zen. He also speaks about three basic tenets of Buddhism and how they are practiced in community.

en-US

Kindness

Young Urban Zen SF ·

2025/05/07

Kōgetsu discusses Suzuki Roshi's "Not Always So"—Be Kind with Yourself.Our practice has an emphasis on warm heart and warm zazen. This kind of practice shows us how to take care of ourselves, our lives and others. When we're kind with our breathing, true practice can emerge as we learn to manage our impulses and busy lives.

en-US

Pausing

Young Urban Zen SF ·

2025/04/30

Hiro speaks on the theme of pausing.In a world that moves swiftly and often without mercy, the simple act of pausing can feel revolutionary. A single breath, a quiet moment of stopping, can open a doorway back to our own hearts. We explore how pausing allows us to meet life with greater tenderness, clarity, and courage — how it invites us to respond rather than react and move through the world with more spaciousness and care.

en-US

Case 5 of the Blue Cliff Record

Young Urban Zen SF ·

2025/04/23

Zach addresses Earth Day in the form of Case 5 of the Blue Cliff Record in whichXuěfēng seems to be claiming that the Great Earth is no bigger than a millet seed.

en-US

Painting

Young Urban Zen SF ·

2025/04/16

Eli offers a talk titled The Art of Just This.Inspired by art and this quote from Suzuki Roshi, Eli talks about the importance of being with the process and not just focused on outcomes and results.“A wonderful painting is the result of the feeling in your fingers. If you have the feeling of the thickness of the ink in your in your brush, the painting is already there before you paint.”

en-US

Stopping Burnout

Young Urban Zen SF ·

2025/04/09

Michael discusses how one might stop the momentum of burn out.The Buddha lived a life of extremeluxury and then dove head-long into asceticism for many years, only to come to the realization that a balanced life was where harmony could be found.His story is a road map for modern life full of pursuit, accomplishment and acquisition. Even when a person buys-in to the concept of equanimous living, it doesn't mean that the momentum of a life will change that much. Since we live in our bodies and minds

en-US

The 5 Remembrances

Young Urban Zen SF ·

2025/04/02

Kōgetsu talks about the 5 Remembrances, a very powerful Buddhist teaching on impermanenceand on owning our karma and actions.

en-US

Resentment

Young Urban Zen SF ·

2025/03/26

Resentment often lingers quietly, heavy, unspoken, and rooted in pain. But it can be your teacher, showing you where you are still holding on. In this talk, Hiro explores how Zen practice invites us to meet resentment with tenderness and curiosity. By turning toward it, we may uncover the hurt beneath and open the way to healing, compassion, and freedom. Even our hardest emotions can become gateways on the path of practice.

en-US

191 results

Young Urban Zen SF

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

Jeff Haygood, Pastor

PodPoint

PASTOR ALVARO VALENCIA

Pastor Alvaro Valencia

Grace Life Church CT.

Joseph Levesque

Pleasant View Church

Ted Nance

Christian Heritage Church"s Podcast

PodPoint