Crooked River Zen Dharma Talks

Sensei Dean Williams dharma talk on how we we can get attached to Buddhism itself. While early Buddhist teachings viewed cause and effect as flowing in a single direction (from ignorance to old age and death), the Mahayana tradition and the philosopher Nagarjuna expanded this into a multi-directional concept of total interdependence or "interbeing". This continues the exploration of the central Zen text of the Heart Sutra. The source text the group is working with is Shohaku Okumura's Living by Vow Chapter 6 in the section "Emptiness in Practice". Shared at a Crooked River Zen regular sitting in Cleveland, Ohio. The Section of the Heart Sutra: "No ignorance and also no extinction of it, and so forth until no old age and death and also no extinction of them; No suffering, no origination, no stopping, no path."

Sangha member John Wilhelm shares a talk on emptiness. What the section about "having no form, no feelings, no perceptions, no impulses, no consciousness, no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind..." is pointing us toward. This continues the exploration of the central Zen text of the Heart Sutra. The source text the group is working with is Shohaku Okumura's Living by Vow Chapter 6 in the section "Emptiness in Practice". Shared at the Crooked River Zen regular sitting in Cleveland, Ohio on 9/3/26.

Sensei Dean Williams dharma talk on 'Naturalness' in Buddhism. Dean discusses how True Naturalness, which is an activity based on nothingness and independence from conditioned responses. This is discussing the section "Naturalness', beginning on pg 96 of Shunryu Suzuki's classic Zen Text Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen meditation & Practice Shared at the Crooked River Zen regular sitting in Cleveland, Ohio on 8/29/26.

Sensei Dean Williams dharma talk on how we practically work with the core concept of Emptiness in Buddhism. Dean discusses relying on mental formations and thought constructions which leads to meaningless arguments because it is so subjective and involves picking and choosing - which is a necessary activity in society but not reality. This continues the exploration of the central Zen text of the Heart Sutra. The source text the group is working with is Shohaku Okumura's Living by Vow Chapter 6 in the section "Emptiness in Practice". Shared at the Crooked River Zen regular sitting in Cleveland, Ohio on 8/27/26. The Section of the Heart Sutra: O, Shariputra, all dharmas are marked with emptiness; they do not appear nor disappear, are not tainted nor pure, do not increase nor decrease.

Sensei Dean Williams dharma talk on humility in Buddhism. Dean describes "humility" as an appropriate term to characterize the wisdom teaching of the emptiness of all things, and is an essential aspect of seeing one's true nature. Shared at the Crooked River Zen regular sitting in Cleveland, Ohio on 8/22/26.

Sensei Dean Williams dharma talk on the core concept of Emptiness in Buddhism. Bowing in Buddhism is Emptiness bowing to Emptiness. Emptiness does not mean that nothing is real but rather it means that nothing possesses a substantial, independent existence. Everything exists because of its interconnectedness and interdependence with all other beings. This continues the exploration of the central Zen text of the Heart Sutra. The source text the group is working with is Shohaku Okumura's Living by Vow Chapter 6 in the section "Emptiness in Theory" & "Emptiness in Practice". Shared at the Crooked River Zen regular sitting in Cleveland, Ohio on 8/20/26. The Section of the Heart Sutra: O, Shariputra, all dharmas are marked with emptiness; they do not appear nor disappear, are not tainted nor pure, do not increase nor decrease.

Sensei Dean Williams dharma talk on reconciling the Two Truths in Buddhism - the Relative & the Absolute. Dean explains that form represents the conventional realm, while emptiness represents the absolute. These two realms are interdependent and inseparable; you cannot have one without the other. This continues the exploration of the central Zen text of the Heart Sutra. The source text the group is working with is Shohaku Okumura's Living by Vow Chapter 6 in the section "Emptiness in Theory". Shared at the Crooked River Zen regular sitting in Cleveland, Ohio on 8/13/26. The Section of the Heart Sutra: O, Shariputra, all dharmas are marked with emptiness; they do not appear nor disappear, are not tainted nor pure, do not increase nor decrease.

Sensei Dean Williams hosts the regular Open Q&A for the group. Sangha members raised questions for Dean on the idea taking the boat to the other shore; the mechanics of letting go; prajna paramita (wisdom); the koan Mu; and more. Shared at the Crooked River Zen regular sitting in Cleveland, Ohio on 8/8/26.

Sangha member John Wilhelm shares a talk on Chapter 8 of The Way of the Bodhisattva by Shantideva, focusing primarily on the juxtaposition of solitude and meditation, vs having community and relationships.

Sensei Dean Williams dharma talk on the Emptiness of All Things continues the exploration of the central Zen text of the Heart Sutra. The source text the group is working with is Shohaku Okumura's Living by Vow Chapter 6 in the section "Both Sides". Shared at the Crooked River Zen regular sitting in Cleveland, Ohio on 8/6/26. The Section of the Heart Sutra: Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, When practicing deeply prajña paramita, Perceived that all five skandhas are empty and was saved from all suffering & distress.

Sensei Dean Williams dharma talk on the "Mu" (neither yes or no) Koan - Case 1 in the Gateless Barrier koan collection. Shared at the Crooked River Zen regular sitting in Cleveland, Ohio on 8/15/26. The Koan: A monk asked Joshu, “Does a dog have the Buddha nature?” Joshu said, “Mu.” In the 18th century, Hakuin established Mu as one of the introductory Zen koans. Mu is the first of 49 koans in the Gateless Gate or Gateless Barrier (Mumankan), which was compiled by Muman. Muman himself spent six years working on Mu to achieve his awakening.

delving into Conditioned vs Unconditioned Love, Dean explores the distinction between "conditioned" actions—those based on specific causes, social circumstances, or personal relationships—and the "unconditioned" aspect of reality.

On this first day of Crooked River Zen's Rohatsu celebration weekend, Dean talks about the commemoration of the enlightenment of Gautama Buddha, focussing his talk on the time after the Buddha's enlightenment took place. Dean discusses the place for tradition in the ongoingness of Buddhism, and the emptiness around the distinctions between the different Buddhist sects.

Dean delves further into Ben Connelly's book the Flower Garland Sutra and begins with an interesting story of a dog and a crow, after the dog saved the crow from peril.

Ben is a Soto Zen teacher based at the Minnesota Zen Center, and was recently a guest at the Crooked River Zen Center here in Cleveland Heights OH. Ben talks about Huayan Buddhism which is rooted in the Flower Garland Sutra which is the subject of his latest book. Ben is as usual energetic, interesting, knowledgable, and very personable with all the stories he shares about the book, Buddhist philosophy, and his own travels along the path. Enjoy!

Tonight Dean covers Chapter 4, Only Knowing, of Ben Connelly's "Flower Garland Sutra". Dean starts his talk about Knowing by tieing in a present day book on science about connection, consciousness, and being, making plain the interconnectedness of science and Buddhism.

Thursday Evening practice at the zendo, John leading the discussion