<![CDATA[Talks by Sensei Richard von Sturmer]]>27dbd682-ad22-5c45-9788-cc7d7d902f32Tue, 10 Feb 2026 21:11:18 +0000Captivate.fmSensei Richard von Sturmerhttps://artwork.captivate.fm/7a3acef1-ae00-4c9b-9b1a-fbe5a5ec1ac6/GZkoypDYJ9nEb7ICGCGe7kWc.jpgTalks by Sensei Richard von SturmerSensei Richard von SturmerSensei Richard von SturmerSensei Richard von Sturmer has a long history in Zen: from 1993 to 2003 he lived and worked at the Rochester Zen Center, a Buddhist community in upstate New York, then in 2004, back in New Zealand, he co-founded the Auckland Zen Centre along with Roshi Amala Wrightson. In 2024 he was sanctioned as a Zen teacher. He has given many talks at the Centre, and some of them are collected here. Richard-sensei is also a writer and poet. Seven collections of his writing have been published including: A Network of Dissolving Threads (1991), Suchness: Zen Poetry and Prose (2005), Book of Equanimity Verses (2013), This Explains Everything (2016), Postcard Stories (2019), Resonating Distances (2022) and Walking With Rocks, Dreaming With Rivers : My Year In The Waikato (2023).https://www.aucklandzen.org.nz/falseepisodichttps://feeds.captivate.fm/talks-richard-von-sturmer/nopodcast2026-02-10 Nature Koans 3: Wu-tsu's Buffalo Passes Through the Window2026-02-10 Nature Koans 3: Wu-tsu's Buffalo Passes Through the WindowThis is the third in a series of koans centred on the natural world. The koan is Case 38 in the Mumonkan

Books used in the teisho:

Zen's Chinese Heritage by Andy Ferguson and The Gateless Barrier by Robert Aitken.

]]>This is the third in a series of koans centred on the natural world. The koan is Case 38 in the Mumonkan

Books used in the teisho:

Zen's Chinese Heritage by Andy Ferguson and The Gateless Barrier by Robert Aitken.

]]>39d258ff-6f57-4daa-ac15-071f9817ebfcWed, 11 Feb 2026 10:05:00 +130036:34falsefull2025-11-04 Nature Koans 2: The Cypress Tree in the Courtyard2025-11-04 Nature Koans 2: The Cypress Tree in the CourtyardThis is the second in a series of koans centred on the natural world. The koan is Case 37 in the Mumonkan, Zhaozhou's Cypress Tree in the Courtyard.

Sources: Pilgrim at Tinker's Creek by Annie Dillard and Two Zen Classics by Katsuki Sekida.

]]>This is the second in a series of koans centred on the natural world. The koan is Case 37 in the Mumonkan, Zhaozhou's Cypress Tree in the Courtyard.

Sources: Pilgrim at Tinker's Creek by Annie Dillard and Two Zen Classics by Katsuki Sekida.

]]>001225e0-1f3c-4dd1-a4ef-c12fd0191df9Tue, 10 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +130042:36falsefull2025-08-05 Nature Koans 1: Jingqing's Sound of the Raindrops2025-08-05 Nature Koans 1: Jingqing's Sound of the RaindropsThis is the first in a series of koans centred on the natural world. The koan is Case 46 in the Blue Cliff Record.

Sources: Zen's Chinese Heritage by Andy Ferguson and A Step Away from Paradise by Thomas Shor.

]]>This is the first in a series of koans centred on the natural world. The koan is Case 46 in the Blue Cliff Record.

Sources: Zen's Chinese Heritage by Andy Ferguson and A Step Away from Paradise by Thomas Shor.

]]>1db9c8d6-f2b2-4e2b-adef-ec9235acb3d5Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:30:00 +130042:31falsefull2025-02-25 Ahimsa and Insects2025-02-25 Ahimsa and InsectsMain references:

Nine Lives by William Dalrymple

The Secret Life of Flies by Erica McAlister

Ichi Tantei: talks by Tangen Roshi.

]]>Main references:

Nine Lives by William Dalrymple

The Secret Life of Flies by Erica McAlister

Ichi Tantei: talks by Tangen Roshi.

]]>00f5a859-92a8-429f-9432-cb76f67cc10aTue, 10 Feb 2026 17:00:00 +130043:55falsefull2024-11-26 The Nature of Mara2024-11-26 The Nature of MaraTexts used in the teisho:

Karen Armstrong, Buddha

Stephen Batchelor, Living with the Devil

Nyanaponika Thera and Hellmuth Hecker, Great Disciples of the Buddha

]]>Texts used in the teisho:

Karen Armstrong, Buddha

Stephen Batchelor, Living with the Devil

Nyanaponika Thera and Hellmuth Hecker, Great Disciples of the Buddha

]]>e87c9471-3c30-4fbe-90a4-7fccff800a2aWed, 27 Nov 2024 17:00:00 +130041:24falsefull2024-10-15 Zen and Character Part One (Sensei Richard von Sturmer)2024-10-15 Zen and Character Part One (Sensei Richard von Sturmer)Book quoted from:  The Soul's Code: In Search of Character and Calling by James Hillman.

]]>Book quoted from:  The Soul's Code: In Search of Character and Calling by James Hillman.

]]>239488f3-41a3-484c-b0e2-339b0ec66072Tue, 19 Nov 2024 17:00:00 +130042:12falsefull2024-10-27 Zen and Character Part Two (Sensei Richard von Sturmer)2024-10-27 Zen and Character Part Two (Sensei Richard von Sturmer)Book quoted from:  The Force of Character by James Hillman.

]]>Book quoted from:  The Force of Character by James Hillman.

]]>cf4972f7-eeb2-4d9c-9ad9-d82cf19a96d4Tue, 29 Oct 2024 17:00:00 +130046:30falsefull2024-09-09 Teachings of Nagarjuna 2 (Sensei Richard von Sturmer)2024-09-09 Teachings of Nagarjuna 2 (Sensei Richard von Sturmer)Nagarjuna's Verses from the Centre Part Two. In this teisho we concentrate on the verses themselves.

Sources: Verses from the Centre translated by Stephen Batchelor

The Unborn: Life and Teachings of Zen Master Bankei by Norman Waddell

]]>Nagarjuna's Verses from the Centre Part Two. In this teisho we concentrate on the verses themselves.

Sources: Verses from the Centre translated by Stephen Batchelor

The Unborn: Life and Teachings of Zen Master Bankei by Norman Waddell

]]>4c226554-a2e1-4404-b21b-fe00d93e6c71Thu, 10 Oct 2024 17:10:00 +130049:29falsefull2024-09-08 Teachings of Nagarjuna 1 (Sensei Richard von Sturmer)2024-09-08 Teachings of Nagarjuna 1 (Sensei Richard von Sturmer)Readings from Stephen Batchelor's Introduction to his translation of Nagarjuna's Verses from the Centre. Nargajuna was an important Indian teacher and our 14th Zen Ancestor. Batchelor calls him "the poet of emptiness".

]]>Readings from Stephen Batchelor's Introduction to his translation of Nagarjuna's Verses from the Centre. Nargajuna was an important Indian teacher and our 14th Zen Ancestor. Batchelor calls him "the poet of emptiness".

]]>29cd3d6b-c5d2-4fac-81b8-2ba5137359c4Thu, 10 Oct 2024 17:00:00 +130045:35falsefull2024-09-03 Dharma Ancestors: Daiun Sogaku Harada Roshi (Sensei Richard von Sturmer)2024-09-03 Dharma Ancestors: Daiun Sogaku Harada Roshi (Sensei Richard von Sturmer)Teisho by Sensei Richard von Sturmer

Readings from the autobiography of Daiun Sogaku Harada-roshi, Roshi Kapleau's first teacher.

]]>Teisho by Sensei Richard von Sturmer

Readings from the autobiography of Daiun Sogaku Harada-roshi, Roshi Kapleau's first teacher.

]]>96750e46-1dc2-487f-ade8-8d1b9a9416e0Thu, 03 Oct 2024 17:20:00 +130045:29falsefull2024-07-09 Questions of King Milinda (Sensei Richard von Sturmer)2024-07-09 Questions of King Milinda (Sensei Richard von Sturmer)Teisho by Sensei Richard von Sturmer.

The Milindapañha (lit. 'Questions of Milinda') is a Buddhist text which dates from sometime between 100 BC and 200 AD. It is a dialogue between the Indian Buddhist sage Nāgasena, and the 2nd century BC Indo-Greek king Menander I (Pali: Milinda).

]]>Teisho by Sensei Richard von Sturmer.

The Milindapañha (lit. 'Questions of Milinda') is a Buddhist text which dates from sometime between 100 BC and 200 AD. It is a dialogue between the Indian Buddhist sage Nāgasena, and the 2nd century BC Indo-Greek king Menander I (Pali: Milinda).

]]>7f9e9a09-3d26-46ca-b70a-cd6126b4836fThu, 03 Oct 2024 17:15:00 +130041:46falsefull2024-04-24 Life and Teachings of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi (Sensei Richard von Sturmer)2024-04-24 Life and Teachings of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi (Sensei Richard von Sturmer)A Dharma talk by Sensei Richard von Sturmer.

Texts used: Crooked Cucumber: The Life and Zen Teachings of Shunryu Suzuki by David Chadwick; To Shine One Corner of the World by David Chadwick.

]]>A Dharma talk by Sensei Richard von Sturmer.

Texts used: Crooked Cucumber: The Life and Zen Teachings of Shunryu Suzuki by David Chadwick; To Shine One Corner of the World by David Chadwick.

]]>fd56de94-5beb-4130-8fdf-c088b4c02c26Thu, 03 Oct 2024 17:10:00 +130044:10falsefull2023-11-19 After the Final No There Comes a Yes (Sensei Richard von Sturmer)2023-11-19 After the Final No There Comes a Yes (Sensei Richard von Sturmer)Reflections on the situation in Gaza and readings from Carlo Rovelli's book, White Holes.

A Dharma talk by Richard von Sturmer.

]]>Reflections on the situation in Gaza and readings from Carlo Rovelli's book, White Holes.

A Dharma talk by Richard von Sturmer.

]]>ce6f687e-a83c-4837-850a-95e309095b77Thu, 03 Oct 2024 17:05:00 +130039:55falsefull2023-10-22 Encouragement and Praise (Sensei Richard von Sturmer)2023-10-22 Encouragement and Praise (Sensei Richard von Sturmer)Main text used: 'Encouraging Words' by Robert Aitken"

Dharma talk by Sensei Richard von Sturmer.

]]>Main text used: 'Encouraging Words' by Robert Aitken"

Dharma talk by Sensei Richard von Sturmer.

]]>2a7c9911-3ffe-4053-b845-8187541c6b24Thu, 03 Oct 2024 17:00:00 +130045:11falsefull2022-11-08 Zen and Nature Part Three (Richard von Sturmer)2022-11-08 Zen and Nature Part Three (Richard von Sturmer)The third in a series of three dharma talks by Richard von Sturmer. In this talk Richard takes up Dōgen’s writings on nature as well as exploring the wilderness poetry of Tang Dynasty China.

Texts used:

Our National Parks by John Muir

Dogen's 'Mountains and Waters Sutra' from Moon in a Dewdrop: Writings of Zen Master Dogen

Classic Chinese Poetry translated and edited by David Hinton

]]>The third in a series of three dharma talks by Richard von Sturmer. In this talk Richard takes up Dōgen’s writings on nature as well as exploring the wilderness poetry of Tang Dynasty China.

Texts used:

Our National Parks by John Muir

Dogen's 'Mountains and Waters Sutra' from Moon in a Dewdrop: Writings of Zen Master Dogen

Classic Chinese Poetry translated and edited by David Hinton

]]>https://kargetsi.hipcast.com/deluge/kargetsi-20221108204844-6437.mp3Thu, 17 Nov 2022 01:58:00 +130045:17falsefull2022-10-25 Zen and Nature Part Two (Richard von Sturmer)2022-10-25 Zen and Nature Part Two (Richard von Sturmer)"Zazen is not sensory deprivation — anything but. Birds and geckos and bullfrogs guide us. Be open to these natural teachers, wherever you may be practicing." -Aitken Roshi

This is the second of three Dharma Talks on 'Zen and Nature' given at the Auckland Zen Centre by Richard von Sturmer.

Texts used:

Poetry and Zen: Letters and Uncollected Writings of R. H. Blyth by Norman Waddell

Passing Through the Gateless Barrier by Guo Gu

The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon translated by Ivan Morris.

]]>"Zazen is not sensory deprivation — anything but. Birds and geckos and bullfrogs guide us. Be open to these natural teachers, wherever you may be practicing." -Aitken Roshi

This is the second of three Dharma Talks on 'Zen and Nature' given at the Auckland Zen Centre by Richard von Sturmer.

Texts used:

Poetry and Zen: Letters and Uncollected Writings of R. H. Blyth by Norman Waddell

Passing Through the Gateless Barrier by Guo Gu

The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon translated by Ivan Morris.

]]>https://kargetsi.hipcast.com/deluge/kargetsi-20221025210446-9923.mp3Thu, 27 Oct 2022 00:28:00 +130042:02falsefull2022-04-12 Sun Face Buddha, Moon Face Buddha (Richard von Sturmer)2022-04-12 Sun Face Buddha, Moon Face Buddha (Richard von Sturmer)In this Dharma talk given at the Auckland Zen Centre, Richard von Sturmer explores how Zen masters approach death and how their dying can act as their final teaching. Richard's title refers to the famous exchange between Master Mazu and his attendant, recorded in the Blue Cliff Record:

Blue Cliff Record, Case 3

Great Master Ma was unwell. The temple superintendent asked him, “Teacher, how has your venerable health been in recent days?”

The Great Master said, “Sun Face Buddha, Moon Face Buddha.”

Automated transcript

https://otter.ai/u/dLq33lJrz09DGO_OCI6BP4KCCWc

]]>In this Dharma talk given at the Auckland Zen Centre, Richard von Sturmer explores how Zen masters approach death and how their dying can act as their final teaching. Richard's title refers to the famous exchange between Master Mazu and his attendant, recorded in the Blue Cliff Record:

Blue Cliff Record, Case 3

Great Master Ma was unwell. The temple superintendent asked him, “Teacher, how has your venerable health been in recent days?”

The Great Master said, “Sun Face Buddha, Moon Face Buddha.”

Automated transcript

https://otter.ai/u/dLq33lJrz09DGO_OCI6BP4KCCWc

]]>https://kargetsi.hipcast.com/deluge/kargetsi-20220412172234-9906.mp3Wed, 19 Oct 2022 22:32:00 +130040:43falsefull2022-10-11 Zen and Nature Part One (Richard von Sturmer)2022-10-11 Zen and Nature Part One (Richard von Sturmer)In this talk Richard explores interconnection on both vast and intimate scales. This is the first of three talks on 'Zen and Nature' given by Richard at the Auckland Zen Centre.

Texts used: A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth by Henry Gee

Earth: An Intimate History by Richard Fortey

Pilgrim at Tinker's Creek by Annie Dillard

]]>In this talk Richard explores interconnection on both vast and intimate scales. This is the first of three talks on 'Zen and Nature' given by Richard at the Auckland Zen Centre.

Texts used: A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth by Henry Gee

Earth: An Intimate History by Richard Fortey

Pilgrim at Tinker's Creek by Annie Dillard

]]>https://kargetsi.hipcast.com/deluge/kargetsi-20221011142814-5524.mp3Wed, 19 Oct 2022 22:21:00 +130039:31falsefull2021-03-30 Grass and Weeds (Richard von Sturmer)2021-03-30 Grass and Weeds (Richard von Sturmer)A dharma talk by Richard von Sturmer, exploring the teaching and poetry of grass and weeds, from Zen to Walt Whitman.

]]>A dharma talk by Richard von Sturmer, exploring the teaching and poetry of grass and weeds, from Zen to Walt Whitman.

]]>https://kargetsi.hipcast.com/deluge/kargetsi-20210604175223-5114.mp3Fri, 25 Jun 2021 13:24:00 +130032:50falsefull2006-07-02 Three Turning Words (Richard von Sturmer)2006-07-02 Three Turning Words (Richard von Sturmer)https://kargetsi.hipcast.com/deluge/kargetsi-20170411184857-4758.mp3Fri, 25 Jun 2021 13:20:51 +130048:12falsefull2012-09-0 Tsu Tong Po and his Poetry (Richard von Sturmer)2012-09-0 Tsu Tong Po and his Poetry (Richard von Sturmer)https://kargetsi.hipcast.com/deluge/kargetsi-20210625034453-4349.mp3Fri, 25 Jun 2021 08:45:34 +130036:52falsefull2018-04-24 Time in Zen (Richard von Sturmer)2018-04-24 Time in Zen (Richard von Sturmer)https://kargetsi.hipcast.com/deluge/kargetsi-20210625033332-5595.mp3Fri, 25 Jun 2021 08:34:14 +130036:42falsefull2019-10-08 Entangling Vines (Richard von Sturmer)2019-10-08 Entangling Vines (Richard von Sturmer)https://kargetsi.hipcast.com/deluge/kargetsi-20191022151723-6279.mp3Fri, 25 Jun 2021 08:22:28 +130038:11falsefull