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Endless Path Zendo | Roshi Rafe Martin

Roshi Rafe Martin

Endless Path Zendo, is a lay Zen Buddhist community. Intimate and non-institutional in atmosphere, we are dedicated to realizing the Buddha Way in the midst of our own ordinary lives, finding our center of gravity in the creativity of Zen, and the Way of the Bodhisattva.Zen teacher (roshi) Rafe Jnan Martin began traditional Zen practice in 1970, becoming a personal disciple of Roshi Philip Kapleau, author of The Three Pillars of Zen. After Kapleau Roshi’s retirement, he practiced with Robert Aitken

religion & spirituality buddhism

All Episodes

34:47

Finding Your Buddha Smile - Part 6, Te-shan Carries...

Endless Path Zendo | Roshi Rafe Martin ·

2026/02/21

Recorded February 21, 2026 When you realize the first word You understand the last word; The first word or the last word— “It” is not a word. If it’s not a word, what is it? If it is a word, how might you say it? Sequenced in their proper chronological order, the three Te-shan koans give us a nutshell view of Zen as a journey from brash immaturity to subtle maturity. But what is maturity? And what is this wise...

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56:47

The Buddha’s Parinirvana: Teisho by Roshi Rafe Martin

Endless Path Zendo | Roshi Rafe Martin ·

2026/02/14

Recorded February 14, 2026. William Blake once signed a guest book with a drawing of a human figure stretched reclining — or flying. Surrounding it were the words, “William Blake who is very much delighted in being in good company. Born 28 Nov. 1757 in London and has died several times since.” Zen Master Hakuin, in Japan in 1749, wrote as a way honoring a student who had recently died: “Turning my head a soaring Mount Fuji capped with snow,/ Its lower half flushed in the crimson glow of the r...

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37:31

Finding Your Buddha Smile - Part 5

Endless Path Zendo | Roshi Rafe Martin ·

2026/02/07

Recorded February 7, 2025. Te-shan, a noted scholar of the Diamond Sutra, set out to wipe out those nasty “Zen devils” in the South. But, falling into Master Lung-t’an’s Dragon Pond, he found his Face before his parents were born and out at last beyond the pages of his beloved notes and commentaries on the diamonds Sutra, he awoke to the real diamond. Filled with joy, he burned his precious writings and set off, confident as ever, into a bright and shining new world. But is it really so simpl...

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45:12

Finding Your Buddha Smile - Part 4

Endless Path Zendo | Roshi Rafe Martin ·

2026/01/24

Recorded January 24, 2026. In this teisho, we move on from the Buddha himself, to see how Zen tradition views the ordinary person’s journey from ignorance to maturity. To show this, Roshi Martin arranges three koans, each drawn from the life of the Chinese Zen master, Te-shan (J. Tokusan, 780–865), in their chronological order—which is not how we find them in our actual koan curriculum. In actual practice we face these koans totally out of sequence. His purpose with this chronological reorgan...

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32:46

Finding Your Buddha Smile - Part 3

Endless Path Zendo | Roshi Rafe Martin ·

2026/01/17

Recorded January 17, 2026. In this teisho Roshi Martin reads and comments on Chapter 2 of his latest book, “Finding Your Buddha Smile: Coming Home (To What Zen is Really All About).” The legendary-mythic jataka tales, reveal the Buddha’s past life efforts, challenges, triumphs, and mistakes. Let’s look at him now as the fully “Awakened One,” the finished product of that many lifetime effort, and see how he taught others to realize the Ancient Way of fulfillment he himself had fully found. T...

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51:23

Finding Your Buddha Smile Part 2

Endless Path Zendo | Roshi Rafe Martin ·

2026/01/10

Recorded January 10, 2026. This teisho opens with a brief talk on the terrible dangers of our present time and the challenging, profoundly helpful path that Zen offers — not of philosophizing, but of tending an ox. Roshi Martin then resumes reading and commenting from his latest book —“Finding Your Buddha Smile: Coming Home (To What Zen is Really All About).” In this next chapter, we look at the Buddha, not as the smiling, perfectly realized finished product, poised and at ease in full-lotus...

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27:56

Finding Your Buddha Smile Part 1

Endless Path Zendo | Roshi Rafe Martin ·

2026/01/03

Recorded January 3, 2026. Roshi Martin reads the Opening, Thanks, and Introduction of his new book -- "Finding Your Buddha Smile: Coming Home (to What Zen is Really All About)." From the Intro: There are lots of ways to be happy, some selfish, some naive, some fleeting, some more lasting. The kind I have in mind is of the more lasting sort, the kind that can only come after troubles, after experiencing and suffering the fundamental difficulties of an ordinary human life. . . . What, leads to...

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52:12

On the Precepts (in preparation for New Year's Eve...

Endless Path Zendo | Roshi Rafe Martin ·

2025/12/20

Recorded 12/20/2025. Roshi Martin reads Chapter 10 of Aitken Roshi's "Taking the Path of Zen" -- "The Ten Grave Precepts" and comments in preparation for Jukai. Jukai is a way of taking our practice seriously, of saying — of vowing that “It’s not simply what I do in the zendo or dokusan room that matters – it’s what I do in and how I live my actual daily life.” We take Jukai many times. Each time we find greater understanding and a deepening life path. With each Jukai we take another step for...

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47:25

The Buddha's Great Enlightenment

Endless Path Zendo | Roshi Rafe Martin ·

2025/12/06

Recorded December 6, 2025. December 8th is the traditional date on the Mahayana (Zen Buddhist) calendar of the Buddha's profound Enlightenment. Sitting beneath the Bodhi Tree after a long night of zazen that capped 6 years of ferocious effort, the previously sheltered ex-prince, Siddhartha Gautama, so deeply troubled by his head-on collision with impermanence, the sheer injustice of it -- finally got to the bottom of it all. After touching the Earth, he glanced up at the Morning Star and full...

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39:54

Old Ghosts and Living a Life of Grace -- teisho on...

Endless Path Zendo | Roshi Rafe Martin ·

2025/10/25

Recorded October 25, 2025. Thoughts, actions, understandings, perceptions, realizations that had once seemed good enough, may in time, no longer be sufficient. We outgrow them. Then ghostlike, they can return and haunt us. But maybe they return, not to block our way, but to give us another chance. If so, their appearance may not be reason for disappointment, but our opportunity to mature further. So let’s look again at “Master Pai-Chang and the Fox," koan case 2 of The Gatelesss Barrier. Seen...

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44:46

No Kings, Vows -- Zen and the U.S.A. -- and the...

Endless Path Zendo | Roshi Rafe Martin ·

2025/10/18

Recorded October 18, 2025 Roshi Martin opens with comments on No Kings and its relationship to our vows. Then, in this 9th and final teisho on the life of Ming Dynasty Zen Teacher Hanshan, Roshi Martin resumes reading and commenting on Hanshan's autobiography which takes us to Hanshan's death in 1623. Referenced: The Autobiography and Maxims of Master Han Shan, translated by Upasaka Richard Cheung Books by Roshi Rafe Martin Talks on YouTube More information at endlesspathzen.org ...

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33:30

2025 Jataka Sesshin: The Monkey King

Endless Path Zendo | Roshi Rafe Martin ·

2025/10/15

Recorded October 14, 2025. This teisho was given by Roshi Martin on the fourth day of the 15th annual Jataka Sesshin held at the Vermont Zen Center. ______________________________ The Monkey King jataka is also explored in Endless Path: Awakening Within the Buddhist Imagination: Jataka Tales, Zen Practice, and DailyLife by Rafe Martin Books by Roshi Rafe Martin Talks on YouTube More information at endlesspathzen.org

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33:11

2025 Jataka Sesshin: The Tigress

Endless Path Zendo | Roshi Rafe Martin ·

2025/10/14

Recorded October 13, 2025. This teisho was given by Roshi Martin on the third day of the 15th annual Jataka Sesshin held at the Vermont Zen Center. _______ The Tigress jataka is also explored in Endless Path: Awakening Within the Buddhist Imagination: Jataka Tales, Zen Practice, and DailyLife by Rafe Martin. Additionally, it appears in The Hungry Tigress: Buddhist Myths, Legends and Jataka Tales (Completely Revised and Expanded Edition) by Rafe Martin. Books by Roshi Rafe Martin Talk...

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51:41

2025 Jataka Sesshin: Give It All You've Got

Endless Path Zendo | Roshi Rafe Martin ·

2025/10/12

Recorded October 12, 2025. This teisho was given by Roshi Martin on the second day of the 15th annual Jataka Sesshin held at the Vermont Zen Center. __________________________ The jataka, Give It All You've Got, is also explored in Endless Path: Awakening Within the Buddhist Imagination: Jataka Tales, Zen Practice, and DailyLife by Rafe Martin. Books by Roshi Rafe Martin Talks on YouTube More information at endlesspathzen.org

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55:54

2025 Jataka Sesshin: The Black Hound Jataka

Endless Path Zendo | Roshi Rafe Martin ·

2025/10/11

Recorded October 11, 2025 This teisho was given by Roshi Martin on the first day of the 15th annual Jataka Sesshin held at the Vermont Zen Center. _______ The Black Hound jataka is also explored in Endless Path: Awakening Within the Buddhist Imagination: Jataka Tales, Zen Practice, and DailyLife by Rafe Martin Books by Roshi Rafe Martin Talks on YouTube More information at endlesspathzen.org

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38:14

Bodhidharma Day and The Oak Tree in the Front Garden

Endless Path Zendo | Roshi Rafe Martin ·

2025/10/04

Recorded October 4, 2025. In honor of Bodhidharma, the founder of what we now call Zen Buddhism, Roshi Martin comments on the koan of the "Oak Tree in the Front Garden" and talks about a conversation with Robert Aitken Roshi and the relationship of Zen practice to actual happiness. Referenced: Zen Master Dogen -- Shobogenzo: Treasury of the True Dharma Eye - Translated by Kazuaki TanahashiWilliam Blake -- Songs of Experience and The Marriage of Heaven and Hell.John Daido Loori -- The True Dha...

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50:33

Part 8 - The Autobiography of Zen Master Hanshan -...

Endless Path Zendo | Roshi Rafe Martin ·

2025/09/27

Recorded September 27, 2025. In this 8th teisho on the life of Ming Dynasty Zen Teacher Hanshan, Roshi Martin opens with a brief talk on the essence of Zen practice and the mystery at the core of our own lives. He then takes up reading and commenting on Hanshan's autobiography as it unfolds into his 70th year. Referenced: The Autobiography and Maxims of Master Han Shan, translated by Upasaka Richard CheungThe Woman at Otwoi Crossing by Frank Waters Books by Roshi Rafe Martin Talks on Yo...

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44:43

Part 7 - The Autobiography of Zen Master Hanshan

Endless Path Zendo | Roshi Rafe Martin ·

2025/09/06

Recorded Saturday, September 6, 2025. Roshi Martin reads and comments on the extraordinary (lively, funny and moving) autobiography of Hanshan Te-Ching, ( Crazy Mountain, Virtuous Clarity", c. 1546–1623), the noted Ming Dynasty Zen teacher (not to be confused with Han-shan — Cold Mountain — noted Zen poet/eccentric of the T’ang era.) Known as one of the four great masters of the Wanli Era Ming Dynasty, Hanshan has remained an influential figure in Chinese Chan Buddhism down to the twent...

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47:06

Part 6 - The Autobiography of Zen Master Hanshan

Endless Path Zendo | Roshi Rafe Martin ·

2025/07/26

Recorded Sunday July 26, 2025 Roshi Martin reads and comments on the extraordinary (lively, funny and moving) autobiography of Hanshan Te-Ching, ( Crazy Mountain, Virtuous Clarity", c. 1546–1623), the noted Ming Dynasty Zen teacher (not to be confused with Han-shan — Cold Mountain — noted Zen poet/eccentric of the T’ang era.) Known as one of the four great masters of the Wanli Era Ming Dynasty, Hanshan has remained an influential figure in Chinese Chan Buddhism down to the twentieth cen...

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46:21

Part 2 - The Autobiography of Zen Master Han-shan

Endless Path Zendo | Roshi Rafe Martin ·

2025/07/13

Recorded July 13, 2025. Roshi Martin reads and comments on the extraordinary (and quite lively and funny and also truly moving!!) autobiography of Han-shan Te-Ching, a great Ming Dynasty teacher (not to be confused with Han-shan (Cold Mountain) poet of the T’ang era. Some snippet’s from Wikipedia on Han-shan: Hanshan Deqing (Han-shan Te-Ch’ing, "Crazy Mountain, Virtuous Clarity", c. 1546–1623), was a leading Buddhist monk and poet of the late Ming dynasty China. (Posthumously named Hongjue Ch...

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121 results

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