85 Best Zen Podcasts to Listen to (2026)

Learn about traditional Zen and Buddhist teachings, practices, and history through episodes recorded specifically for podcast listeners. Host Domyo Burk is a Soto Zen priest and teacher. more

The Mountains and Rivers Order (MRO) is a Western Zen Buddhist lineage established by the late John Daido Loori Roshi and dedicated to sharing the dharma as it has been passed down, generation to generation, since the time of Shakyamuni Buddha. Zen Mountain Monastery, the main house of the Mountains and Rivers Order, is one of the West's most respected Zen Buddhist monasteries and training centers. Nestled in New York's beautiful Catskill Mountains, the Monastery draws its strength from the ancient tradition of Buddhist monasticism. Since 1980, the Monastery has offered spiritual practitioners traditional and innovative ways to engage the dharma through a wide range of retreats and residential programs that unfold within the context of authentic, full-time Zen monastic training. The Zen Center of New York City: Fire Lotus Temple is the city branch of Zen Mountain Monastery. Supporting home practitioners in the metropolitan area, ZCNYC offers varied practice opportunities within the Eight Gates training matrix. more

The Upaya Dharma Podcast features Wednesday evening Dharma Talks and recordings from Upaya's diverse array of programs. Our podcasts exemplify Upaya's focus on socially engaged Buddhism, including prison work, end-of-life care, serving the homeless, training in socially engaged practices, peace & nonviolence, compassionate care training, and delivering healthcare in the Himalayas. more

This podcast series is aimed at helping us to transcend our fear and anger so that we can be more engaged in the world in a way that develops love and compassion.Thich Nhat Hanh's calligraphy 'The Way Out Is In' highlights that the way out of any difficulty is to look deeply within, gain insights and then put them into practice. 'The Way Out is In' is co-hosted by Brother Phap Huu, Thich Nhat Hanh's personal attendant for 17 years and the abbot of Plum Village's Upper Hamlet, and Jo Confino, who works at the intersection of personal transformation and systems change.The podcast is co-produced by the Plum Village App and Global Optimism, with support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation. more

Dharma Talks given at San Francisco Zen Center

Dharma Talks from the Everyday Zen Foundation

Spontaneous Zen talks given in the Rinzai tradition by Ven. Eshu Martin, abbot of the Victoria Zen Centre in Victoria, BC, Canada. www.zenwest.caIf you enjoy this podcast, rate it,review it, and share it with your friends on Twitter, Facebook and face to face.www.zenwest.caCheck out the Living Zen Podcast app on the iTunes app store! more

Zenki Christian Dillo Roshi is the Guiding Teacher at the Boulder Zen Center in Colorado, USA. This podcast shares the regular dharma talks given at the Center. Zenki Roshi approaches Zen practice as a craft of transformation, liberation, wisdom, and compassionate action. His interest is to bring Buddhism alive within Western cultural horizons while staying committed to the traditional emphasis on embodied practice. more

This podcast presents weekly updates from the Great Heartland Buddhist Temple of Toledo including talks from Sunday service, sesshin, and other events. more

Weekly public talks recorded live at the Angel City Zen Center

Zen teacher/author Brad Warner, author of Hardcore Zen, The Other Side of Nothing, Don't Be a Jerk, Sit Down and Shut Up, and many more books about Zen, shares his thoughts about Zen and other stuff. more

Dharma talks by senior teachers, including Sensei John Pulleyn, Sensei Donna Kowal, and Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede. The Rochester Zen Center was founded in 1966 by Roshi Philip Kapleau, author of 20th century Zen classic, The Three Pillars of Zen. more

Dharma from Deer Park Monastery, a meditation practice center in the tradition of the Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. At Deer Park, the resident monks, nuns and lay sangha practice engaged Buddhism and mindfulness in everyday life for the nourishment and development of our spiritual and mental health. Each week, we post a selection of activities of the Deer Park Sangha so that others may share in the realization of awareness and freedom. Deer Park is located in the mountains near Escondido, California and hosts regular Days of Mindfulness open to the public on Sundays beginning at 8:30 a.m. To learn more, visit www.deerparkmonastery.org more

This is a podcast for anyone going through something hard. No quick fixes. No everything happens for a reason. No advice from a man who has never had a bad week. I am Steven Webb. In 1991, aged 18, I dived into a swimming pool in Truro and broke my neck. I have been paralysed from the chest down ever since. That is not the hard part of the story. It took another twenty two years, a bankruptcy, a spell homeless and a dark night at forty before I found anything that actually helped. What helped was Zen. Not the serene kind with the robes and the incense. The kind you do at three in the morning when your head will not shut up and there is nobody to ring. Every week I sit down and talk honestly about one thing. Anger, grief, pain, the mind that will not be quiet, the exhausting business of pretending you are fine. Sometimes there is an answer. Often there is just company, which turns out to be most of what people needed anyway. Around sixteen minutes an episode. Nothing to sign up for. Steven Webb is a meditation teacher, a Cornwall councillor and the former Mayor of Truro. He teaches from the mess, not from the mountaintop. more

Welcome to the Mountain Cloud Zen Center 'in the Cloud' podcast. Here, we'll be sharing our weekly Teisho's exploring classical Zen Koans, offered by Mountain Cloud teachers, and some guest teachers. Additionally, we have a conversation series, titled Path(less), which explores the 'pathless path' of practice and life. Please consider supporting Mountain Cloud Zen Center through donation and membership, both of which allow us to offer these and other programs. Visit mountaincloud.org for our daily meditation schedule, weekly talks, upcoming retreats, and more. Reach out to ****@mountaincloud.org with any comments/suggestions. more

Rinzai Zen Dharma Talks given at the Seattle Zen Temple Dai Bai Zan Cho Bo Zen Ji or other locations associated with Chobo-Ji. more

Monthly Dharma talks by Tenshin Fletcher Roshi at Yokoji-Zen Mountain Center. Yokoji is a year-round Zen Buddhist Training Center in the Southern Californian mountains. more

New podcasts every Tues, Thurs and Sat. Here you can find talks from various teachers involved with the Zen Community of Oregon. We share talks from our retreats, as well as our different weekly offerings between Great Vow Zen Monastery and Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple.Zen Community of Oregon's purpose is to express and make accessible the wisdom and compassion of the Buddha's teachings, as transmitted through an authentic, historical lineage. To support and maintain Zen Buddhist practice in order to realize and actualize our Buddha nature in everyday life. For more information, please visit zendust.org. more

Dharma talks on Zen Buddhism from the Village Zendo in New York City.

Dharma talks on Zen meditation and practice by Taigen Dan Leighton and other members of Ancient Dragon Zen Gate. more

Sunday Talk Archive

Dharma talks by Koun Franz at Thousand Harbours Zen in Halifax, NS. If you find these talks beneficial, please consider joining Thousand Harbours Zen or making a donation at https://thousandharbourszen.com/support. Your support makes the practice and teachings available to others. Thank you. more

The Ordinary Mind Zen School Sydney podcast consists of Dharma talks given by Geoff Dawson.

Welcome to 'Intro to Zen Online,' a podcast that distributes audio recordings of the Williamstown Zen Group's weekly sittings. For more info about the Williamstown Zen Group (including how to attend these sittings online or in person) visit: https://williamstownzengroup.org/about more

Lectures, talks, and classes on Zen Buddhism from Shogakuji Temple, Berkeley Zen Center, in Berkeley, California, USA. more

Rinzan Osho is a priest and teacher at No-Rank Zendo, a Rinzai Zen Buddhist Community in Portland, Oregon. His Dharma talks explore various aspects of Rinzai Zen Buddhist practice, spirituality and religion. He emphases practice as a means to develop and cultivate a tender open-heartedness that allows a deep engagement with a troubled world. http://www.norankzendo.org more

A dharma talk given at the Windhorse Zen Community by Sunya Kjolhede Sensei. Sunya Sensei was sanctioned to teach by Roshi Philip Kapleau, founder of the Rochester Zen Center.These talks are straight to the heart of zen. For more information, see our website, www.windhorsezen.org more

A Sōtō Zen Buddhist Temple. Visit: SokukoJi.org If you would like these talks to continue PLEASE VISIT OUR DONATE PAGE at www.sokukoji.org/donate more

Dharma Talks from Boundless Way Temple in Worcester MA

Recorded Dharma Talks at the Zen Center.

Dharma talks (teisho) from Eiryu-ji Zen Center in Wyckoff, New Jersey

So many are saying Where is God when I need him? Especially today. Many feel deserted and alone. But it is only that we have been looking in the wrong direction, searching everywhere but at home.  The surprising answer to the question tells us instead, that all we need is right here with us in our everyday life. In fact it is right at the kitchen table.  It is only that we have been looking elsewhere, searching all around. These episodes offer specific ways in which we can encounter God, fulfillment, enlightenment right here in our daily lives, wherever we go.   more

Meeting the Inconceivable is a podcast exploring Zen koans, dreams, and the creative life produced by Pacific Zen Institute (PZI). PZI is a lively Rinzai Zen community and mystery school made up of artists, innovators, and seekers of all kinds. Our talks weave traditional Zen and koan practice with poetry, art, Buddhism, Jungian and archetypal psychology, and Eastern and Western myth. Our deep dive in-person retreats are held primarily in Northern California, but our members and gatherings extend worldwide through our online temple. Our mission is to create a culture of transformation through meditation, spirituality, koans, the arts, and conversations about the deepest matters. Join the koan revolution. more

A podcast of original teachings and music by Zenkai Taiun Michael Elliston Roshi, guiding teacher of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center and abbot of the Silent Thunder Order. more

Come into the tea-room & with Zen monks Hwalson, and his student Myungju, at the Detroit Zen Center, as they read spiritual folk-tales, and share conversations about them. more

Cuke Audio Podcast is an offering from Cuke Archives, 'Preserving the legacy of Shunryu Suzuki and those whose paths crossed his,' plus a variety of related and unrelated material. more

Teachings about Buddhist practice in the Serene Reflection Meditation (Soto Zen) tradition from the monks at Shasta Abbey Buddhist Monastery.Learn more at: shastaabbey.orgVideo recordings of talks are uploaded to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/ShastaAbbeyDharmaTalksfind us on twitter: @shastaabbeyfacebook & instagram more

Zen Center in Mountain View California

We all desire happiness - what is good, pleasant right, permanent, joyful, satisfying, and easy. But life often brings frustration, dissatisfaction, incompleteness, and sorrow.This podcast channel offers talks and question-response-sessions from Zen Buddhist Monk, Vietnam Veteran, Author, and Peace Activist Claude AnShin Thomas. This is for everyone who yearns for understanding and for embodying the difference we want to see in the world. Let's embark together on a path of ending all wars and truly living peace. https://www.zaltho.org, ****@zaltho.org more

Dharma talks by Jundo Cohen Roshi & priests from Treeleaf Zendo

Audio book of Tea Words, an archived edition of Master Sheng Yen's early teachings in the West. It contains 50 selected articles published in two volumes. It speaks of the attitude one should have to practice Chan correctly. more

A podcast produced by the Zen Center of Los Angeles, containing Dharma Talks and other recordings from the teachers and students of ZCLA. Our podcast focuses on the study and practice of Zen Buddhism. more

Dharma talks exploring Zen practice, awakening, and how to bring clarity and compassion into daily life.

StoneWater Zen Talks is a series of dharma talks by David Keizan Scott Roshi of the StoneWater Zen Sangha in Liverpool, UK. Rev Dr David Keizan Shoji Scott is the founder and leader of the StoneWater Zen Sangha. He is an ordained Buddhist priest and lineage holder in the Soto Zen school, having received Shiho (Dharma transmission) from Tenshin Fletcher Roshi in October 2009 and Inka (final seal of approval) in 2019. Keizan Roshi is also a widely published writer on Japan, Zen Buddhism, comparative religion and cookery. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.StoneWater Zen is a Zen Buddhist organisation in the lineage of Taizan Maezumi Roshi. StoneWater Zen Sangha has a traditional, authentic lineage and has been established in Liverpool for over fifteen years. Please visit our website: http://www.stonewaterzen.org/Visit our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/stonewaterze...Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/stonewaterzen more

A Podcast About Zen, Buddhism and Mindfulness. Episodes of this podcast will focus on Zen practitioner interviews, Buddhist and Zen history and investigations of the intersection between Zen and science. Podcast website: https://simplicityzen.com/ more

Welcome to Zen Bites, a series of discussions on Zen Buddhism, mindfulness, comparative spirituality and psychology. Zen Bites features Zen Buddhist teacher Martin Goodson and mindfulness-based psychotherapist Jamie Shavdia. more

A collection of dharma talks by Vanessa Zuisei Goddard, Guiding Teacher at Ocean Mind Sangha.

The Game of Zen explores the often-overlooked ways in which professional, personal and spiritual growth are interrelated. We dive deep into the life teachings of the Buddha and the mindfulness practices of Zen, revealing how they can help us dramatically expand our possibilities for whole-hearted work, life and play. Play the game of life with wisdom, humor and skill for better businesses and happier lives. more

Dharma talks on Zen Buddhism from students of the Village Zendo in New York City.

Teisho (zen talks) by Sangen Salo sensei at Sanneji Zen Temple in Karjaa, Finland.More information: sanneji.zazen.fi more

Appamada is a contemporary center for Zen practice, inquiry, and community, located in Austin, Texas. If you appreciate these offerings, please consider making a contribution to support Appamada with the link below. more

Presented by the Mountain Rain Zen Community based in Vancouver, BC. Featuring talks by our guiding teachers Myoshin Kate McCandless and Shinmon Michael Newton, and other guest speakers.  To learn more about our community,  explore our extensive teaching archive, and offer your support, visit http://mountainrainzen.org. more

From the OzZen Australian Ordinary Mind Zen school founded by Dr Andrew Tootell.

In this podcast you can find almost all the talks given at the Auckland Zen Centre, back to 2016. Most talks are by Roshi Amala Wrightson, but there are also talks from Sensei Richard von Sturmer and senior students too. more

'The Way of Don't Know' is an engaging podcast series from Kwan Um Zen Online that explores how Zen practice can support our modern, everyday lives. Join our hosts as they engage in inspiring conversations with Zen teachers, answering questions and sharing insights that can be directly experienced in our lives. Each episode offers a unique blend of practical wisdom, personal anecdotes, and profound teachings, all rooted in the Kwan Um Zen School's teaching of 'don't know' — opening our hearts and minds to a practice before any concepts and ideas. more

given at the Zen Buddhist Temples of the Buddhist Society for Compassionate Wisdom (BSCW). The BSCW is a North American Buddhist order founded by Ven. Samu Sunim, a Korean Zen master. The Society's Dharma work promotes the non-dual gate of awakening in everyday life. For more information, visit www.ZenBuddhistTemple.org. more

Listen To Our Weekly Dharma Talk

Zen Buddhist teachings point to a profound view of reality--one of deep interconnection and non-separation. Awakening is a word used to describe the freedom, creativity and love of our original nature. This podcast explores the profound liberating teachings of Zen Buddhism at the intersection of dreamwork and the soul. The intention is to offer a view of awakening that explores our deep interconnection with the living world and the cosmos as well as to invite a re-imagining of what human life and culture could be if we lived our awakened nature. Amy Kisei is a Zen Buddhist Teacher, Somatic IFS Spiritual Counselor, Astrologer and Artist. She practices and teaches at the confluence of spirituality, psychology and somatics--affirming a wholistic path of awakening. You can learn more about Amy Kisei's upcoming retreats and/or 1:1 work on her website: https://www.amykisei.org/ amykisei.substack.com more

Dharma Talks at the Ordinary Zen Sangha, a Zen Meditation Practice Center located in Sarasota, Florida. Please help us if you can. Our programs and events are only made possible by donations from our supporting members. Donations Link... Thank you for listening, Will (Hae An) Rauschenberger, Abbot more

This is a podcast of dharma talks given at O-An Zendo near State College, PA, a Soto Zen Buddhist Meditation Center. more

Daily Zen has been a contemplative haven for online visitors since 1998 offering a unique blend of Eastern quotes for each day of the year, Zen-inspired e-cards, and a meditation room where at any moment a visitor may be meditating with any one of our companion Wayfarers each day. The Journal, called On the Way, is published once a month and this podcast has been created to turn those Journals into an auditory experience allowing listeners to contemplate its ideas in another way. more

Young Urban Zen is a group under the auspices of the San Francisco Zen Center, with a particular focus on those between 20 and 40. It meets on Tuesday evenings for meditation and discussion about Zen practice. People of all experience levels are welcome. more

You're listening to Dharma talks recorded at Muddy Water Zen Temple in Royal Oak, Michigan; a part of the Korean Taego Buddhist Order. more

The Zen Group of Western Australia was founded in 1983 and is affiliated with the Diamond Sangha. Talks by our Zen teachers and Sangha-members can be found here.If you are curious about the Zen Group be sure to visit our home page in the first link below. If you find the podcast useful and would like to help support the recording of these talks please consider making a donation by following the second link and filling out the form. more

PMZC offers Sunday morning Dharma talks by our own teachers and sangha members. In addition, we are privileged to have wonderful Soto Zen guest speakers from around the country. If you enjoy listening to our online dharma talks, please consider making a donation to Prairie Mountain Zen Center at https://www.prairiemountain.org/donate . more

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 Roshi, founder of the Diamond Sangha, then from 2002-2016 worked intensively with Danan Henry Roshi, founding teacher of the Zen Center of Denver and a Kapleau Roshi Dharma Heir as well as a Diamond Sangha Dharma Master. Rafe received full lay ordination in 2009, and in 2012 received inka—recognition of his successful completion of the Diamond Sangha/ Harada-Yasutani koan curriculum, along with authorization to begin teaching. In 2016 he received full Dharma Transmission as an independent Zen teacher. An award-winning author and storyteller whose work has been cited in Time , Newsweek , The NY Times , and USA Today, Rafe has a master's degree in English literature and literary criticism and is a recipient of both national and state awards, including the Empire State Award for the body of his work. His writing has appeared in Tricycle , Lion's Roar , Parabola , The Sun , and Inquiring Mind , among other journals of religion and myth. He has given talks at Zen and Dharma Centers around the US and Canada, as well as such venues as the American Museum of Natural History, Zuni Pueblo, and The Joseph Campbell Festival of Myth and Story. His most recent books are A Zen Life of Buddha (Sumeru 2022) , The Brave Little Parrot (Wisdom Publications, 2023) and A Zen Life of Bodhisattvas (Sumeru, 2023) . more

Collection of Dharma Talks given by Teshin Sweger at the North Carolina Zen ****@nczencenter.org

Bright Way Zen is a Zen community in Portland OR, USA, and worldwide via our 'Cloud Zendo' (Zoom). This podcast includes talks and classes by our teacher, Rev. Domyo Burk, Sangha members, and others. More about us: https://brightwayzen.org/ more

This is a series of newly digitized talks by spiritual teacher, Lola McDowell Lee, spanning two decades—from the early Seventies through the Nineties.Lola was a Zen Roshi whose Rinzai lineage included Doctor Henry Platov and renowned Zen master, Shigetsu Sasaki. Lola was a religious scholar as well as an ordained Christian minister.While the talks are focused mainly on Zen and Buddhism, Lola drew on many spiritual traditions—including those of Jesus, Plato, Lao-Tzu, the Hindu Vedas, Meister Eckhart and Gurdjieff.If you find Lola's talks valuable, more will be posted in days to come. RSSVERIFY more

Talks on Zen from a senior student at the Village Zendo. Frequent delusion and swearing.

Welcome to the Clouds in Water Zen Center Dharma Talks podcast! We post our Sunday dharma talks from various speakers, including talks from 202o to the present. Clouds in Water is a vibrant and inclusive community in the Soto Zen Buddhist tradition, with a mission to awaken the heart of great wisdom and compassion. Founded in 1994, we regularly offer meditation, classes, and retreats. We are located in the historic Rondo neighborhood of St. Paul, and everywhere via Zoom. We welcome people of all backgrounds and faiths. If you enjoy listening and would like to make a donation, please visit our website. more

A selection of emerging dharma talks from Kynan Sutherland Roshi and Castlemaine Zen

Teachings, Dharma talks, Zen studies, and reflections from the Jizo-an Zen Community.

Recent Dharma talks given at Seattle Soto Zenhttps://seattlesotozen.orgSuggested donation: $5

Listen to dharma talks by our teacher Tenney Nathanson Roshi and other teachers in our tradition. Desert Rain Zen is part of Cloud Gate Zen, a branch of the Pacific Zen School founded by Joan Sutherland Roshi. Our practice centers on an innovative approach to koans and includes group koan conversations as well as individual koan work with Tenney. Desert Rain Zen podcasts are free. If you'd like to support our podcasting and other activities, you can make a tax-deductible donation on our website at https://www.desertrainzen.org/donate.html Most of Desert Rain Zen's activities take place on Zoom. For more information you can: email us at ****@gmail.com find us at https://www.desertrainzen.org/ and on Facebook. You can also find more teachings by Tenney at https://tenneynathanson.com/ . Other Cloud Gate Zen groups include Springs Mountain Sangha in Colorado Springs, led by Sarah Bender Roshi, and Crimson Gate Meditation Community in Oakland, CA, led by Megan Rundel Sensei. Desert Rain Zen podcasts will include talks by Sarah and Megan, including (but not limited to) when they are part of shared Cloud Gate Zen retreats and other activities. more

Zen & Buddhist teachings explained in regular talks shared at Crooked River Zen Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Crooked River meets Thurs evenings at 7pm & Sat mornings at 9:30am @ 1813 Wilton Rd. - Cleveland Heights, OH 44118. Talks primarily given by CRZC guiding teacher Dean Williams. CRZC is based in the Soto Zen tradition. For more info see our website. more

Awakening Streams features Dharma talks and Zen reflections from Sensei Michael Brunner of One River Zen Center in Ottawa, Illinois. Each episode explores the living practice of Zen Buddhism through classic Zen koans, teachings from the Shōyōroku and Mumonkan, and direct encounters with everyday life. Discover how awakening flows through every obstacle, every act of compassion, and every moment of wonder. 🌐 Learn more: https://www.oneriverzen.org more

I am the former abbot of the Japanese Zen monastery Antaiji. I live in Osaka since 2020, where I lead a Zen group, give lectures and upload videos to YouTube and Spotify. more

Curious about Zen/Buddhism? Seeking some inspiration and guidance (and humor!)? Then this podcast is for you! Join me for lively conversations with inspiring teachers, authors, activists, and practitioners. sparkzen.substack.com more

Public lectures offered by AZC teachers and visiting teachers at The Austin Zen Center in Austin, Texas since 2018.If you benefit from these talks, please consider making an offering of generosity to help support our center temple and teachers. Visit our website at: https://www.austinzencenter.org more

Soto Zen Meditation in Sacramento

Providing audio access to dharma talks, chanting and other elements from services at Belmont Zen Center in St. Clairsville, Ohio.BZC is part of the American-European Parish of the Korean Buddhist Taego Order, part of the Seon (Zen) tradition.It is an extension of Muddy Water Zen Temple in Royal Oak, Michigan (Ven. Hae Doh Sunim, abbot).BZC serves the Upper Ohio Valley (Belmont County, Ohio, and the Wheeling, WV area). more

Bringing together the best from the many diverse forms of Zen, Theravada, Mahamudra, Developmental Psychology and Integral Theory, Cosmopolitan Zen offers a broad inclusive vision of 21st Century Zen Buddhism. Hosted By Ekai Joel Kreisberg. more

Kritee Kanko, Ph.D., is a climate scientist, educator-activist, grief-ritual leader, and a Buddhist Zen priest who lives in Colorado (United States) and Rajasthan (India). This podcast offers her teishoes/talks that were given during residential retreats as well as half-day sits. She addresses how we can prepare ourselves spiritually and psychologically to confront the societal challenges of our times, how do contemplative practices need to change to be able to offer a 'non-dual' response to our socio-ecological predicament and what will it take to create a spiritually rooted movement. more

Zen Buddhism Ireland is a Soto Zen Buddhist Sangha in Dublin Ireland, led by Rev. Myozan Kodo Kilroy.