A. Jesse Jiryu Davis's dharma talks

Certain topics seem off-limits in Zen, like: What’s the goal of meditation? How do I get better at it? What is everyone else experiencing when they sit? I spoke at the New Paltz Zen Center [https://npzc.org/] about getting stuck at a plateau in meditation skill, and about Zen communities’ reluctance to discuss peak experiences, progress, and goals. Here's a written version: https://emptysqua.re/blog/speak-up-if-youre-stuck-in-a-zazen-rut/ [https://emptysqua.re/blog/speak-up-if-youre-stuck-in-a-zazen-rut/]

I look in the Bhagavad Gita and the life of radical abolitionist Benjamin Lay for examples: how do we live in stressful times, and how do we act when there are no good options?

Which animals are sentient, and how can we liberate them from suffering? I review the philosopher Jonathan Birch's book "The Edge of Sentience" and shares good news about humanity's moral progress regarding animal welfare.

This is a dharma talk I gave at the Village Zendo December 12, 2024, about my mother’s brain surgery and end-of-life decisions. Here’s the video and a transcript [https://emptysqua.re/blog/is-an-enlightened-person-afraid/].

You can find yourself in a critical situation without warning. Is Zen practice preparing you? Here’s a dharma talk I gave to the Village Zendo [https://villagezendo.org/] on September 5, 2024, about the classic koan, “Nansen kills the cat.” Video and transcript here [https://emptysqua.re/blog/are-you-prepared-to-save-a-life/].