Fr. Gregory Mayers, C.Ss.R., a Redemptorist priest and Zen Roshi, explores the intersection and tension between Christian and Zen traditions in talks given at Mercy Center Burlingame. Click the links in the right-hand column to listen. You may download these talks for personal use, but please do not repost.
The Composed Self What Jesus meant by the Kingdom of God, and what the Heart Sutra teaches, is that we can liberate ourselves from the unreality of the Composed Self. |
Composed Self |
| |
|
Parable of the Fig Tree How did the followers of Jesus understand the parable of the fig tree? Is that lesson still relevant today? |
The Fig Tree |
| |
|
| |
The Default God |
| December 2012 Retreat |
Why I Know Nothing |
| |
Illuminated by the Trinity |
|
|
| |
|
Fall 2012 Retreat A series of talks investigating the deeper meaning of the resurrected life. |
Day 1 Part 1
Part 2
Day 2 Part 1
Part 2
Day 3 Part 1
Part 2
Day 4 Part 1
Part 2
|
| |
|
New Light on Impermanence If awareness is "knowing that we know", how should we respond to the chaos that awareness reveals? |
A New Light |
| |
|
Why Jesus Died for Us Reflections from a Zen perspective on the death and Resurrection. |
Why Jesus Died |
| |
|
Summer 2012 Zen Sesshin Fr. Greg explores the paths and obstacles Zen practitioners confront. |
1 The Mu Koan
2 Impermanence
3 For Others |
| |
|
Three Degrees of Separation We are separated from reality by words, mental models and expectations. |
Part 1 Part 2 |
| |
|
Resurrection and the 21st Century Mind How does the 21st century mind understand the bodily Resurrection of Jesus? |
Res21stCent |
| |
|
Who Am I? Am I just a bag of bones controlled by chemicals? How does Zen differ from science in approaching this question? |
Who Am I |
| |
|
The Showing Experiencing the Resurrection as a 'showing' can lead to a deeper understanding of selflessness. |
The Showing |
| |
|
Forgiveness Practice Forgiveness is the marriage of love and justice. Learning to forgive is lifelong spiritual practice. |
Forgiveness |
| |
|
Ash Wednesday Who is responsible for our suffering? How do we overcome the instinct to blame the Other? |
Ash Wednesday |
| |
|
Paul's Gospel The writings of Paul reveal a perspective that emerged after his experience of the Resurrection. |
Paul's Gospel |
| |
|
Envy In the moment of Envy, we are blind to our sense of insufficiency. How can we overcome the sin of envying God?
|
Envy |
| |
|
Your Primal Face Allowing false identies to drop away, we encounter our the Self-less self. A discussion of Koan Case 23.
|
Part 1 Part 2 |
| |
|
Mimetic Theory One
Contemporary Christian philosopher René Girard on the emergence of self-conscious beings. |
Part 1 Part 2 |
| |
|
Mimetic Theory Two René Girard's theory in relation to the development of Christianity.
|
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 |
| |
|
Mimetic Theory Three René Girard on understanding the Crucifixion and Resurrection as a path to forgiveness.
|
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 |
| |
|
God is a Hole
Staring into the depths of abandonment, we confront the incomprehensibility of God.
|
Part 1 Part 2 |
| |
|
Arcanum The Trinity can be compared to an arcanum, a densely coded symbol. How are we called to decode this symbol?
|
Part 1 Part 2 |
| |
|
The Space Between What is the space between thoughts? Fr. Greg shares reflections on Self, happiness, and mortality.
|
The Space Between |
| |
|
Living in Imagination
When reality collides with imagination, we glimpse ourselves—and others—as we actually are.
|
Living in Imagination |
| |
|
After the Honeymoon
The experience of a spiritual high can feel like a honeymoon. What do we do when the honeymoon is over? |
After the Honeymoon |
| |
|
Unprofitable Servants The parable of the Unprofitable Servant offers insights into isolation, and restoring our connection to God.
|
Part 1 Part 2 |
| |
|
Bottoming Out on the Self Before we can fill the hole at the center of our being, we must end our addiction to the Self.
|
Bottoming Out |
| |
|
Non-Duality and the Christ When something important is "not there", can that intimation lead to a deeper experience of reality?
|
Part 1 Part 2 |
| |
|
The Resurrection How can we understand the Resurrection, a story told in the 1st century, with our 21st century minds?
|
Part 1 Part 2
|
| |
|
A Lump of Sin Understanding the true meaning of sin allows us to experience the boundlessness of unconditional love.
|
A Lump of Sin |
| |
|
The Fall Christians label themselves as Fallen. Meditation is a path of restoration from that broken, fragmented state.
|
The Fall |
| |
|
The Face of Another What do we see when we look into the face of another? Is it the same as our own reflection?
|
The Face of Another |
| |
|
| |
Defining the TriUne |
| From Non-Dual to TriUne |
One Essence or Two? |
| A series about the TriUne (Trinity). |
A Dynamic Reality |
| |
Buddhism & Christianity |
|
|
| |
|
What is Kensho? Drawing on Zen, psychology, physics and cognitive science, Fr. Greg demystifies kensho.
|
Pt1 Pt2 Pt3 Pt4 |
| |
|
The Six Rules
How do we address our personal failings once we have gained a clear perspective on them?
|
Part 1 Part 2 |
| |
|
Praying for the Other
Praying for the Other can help us to a deeper awareness of ultimate reality.
|
Praying for the Other |
| |
|
The Greatest Treason We can overcome moral self-righteousness through Christian and Buddhist insights.
|
Part 1 Part 2 |
| |
|
Angels and Aquinas In the Summa Theologica, a startling glimpse into ultimate reality.
|
Part 1 Part 2 |
| |
|
Enlightenment and Self-Less Love Fr. Greg reflects on his own struggle to express Self-less love.
|
Part 1 Part 2 |
| |
|
Emptiness and Love Exploring the Buddhist model of suffering and emptiness, and the Christian paradox of love and otherness.
|
Part 1 Part 2 |