Talks by Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee

Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, discusses various texts about the notion of God — from the biblical book of Genesis to Mystica Theologica to the sutras of Patanjali.

Dionysus was a disciple of St. Paul …

Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, (who is also an ordained Christian minister) explores issues that are common to both Christian and Eastern thought to illustrate the difference between theology/philosop…

Note: Unfortunately these talks about the Bauls were posted out of order. But the sound quality is much better on this one, which is also the most detailed in its explanation of who the Bauls were. A…

Note: this talk has some sound issues, but I found it valuable enough to include the bulk of it anyway. It’s about 8 minutes shorter because the cassette player apparently started warbling and slowin…

Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, gives a talk themed on Easter. (While Lola was primarily a Zen teacher, she was also an ordained Christian minister).

Lola reads from the Gospels exploring the meaning o…

Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, explores the meaning of Verse 15 of the Isha Upanishad:

"The face of Truth is covered with a brilliant golden lid; that do thou remove, O Fosterer, for the law of the Tru…

Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, gives a detailed discussion of the philosophical and historical backgrounds of religious traditions as they developed in India—Vedas, Brahmanism and Hinduism.

Lola explai…

(Note: original recording audio is not ideal, but Lola's message is great)

Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, gives an ind-depth explanation of the practice of sitting, as this talk is during a sesshin at …

Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, discusses the meaning of the Zen saying, “Joy in the morning. Sleep at night. What else?”

When we “do not know,” then we don’t concern ourselves with obsessions about ou…

Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, discusses Chapter 10 from the Tao Te Ching (Paul Carus translation)

"What can be done?

"Who by unending discipline of the senses embraces unity cannot be disintegrated. By…

Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, explores the notion of patience in practice. And time.

For nearly twenty years, Hon, a layman, studied under Master Egon. Several of the students went out to the edge of …

Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, further explores the Mystica Theoligica.

NOTE: LOLA HAS A BAD COLD TODAY AND A PERSISTENT COUGH. If that bothers you, please skip. But the content of the talk is worth th…

Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, explores the meaning of the opening of the Mystica Theoligica.

“Thou Trinity beyond Being, direct us to the heights of mystical revelation, sublime beyond all thought and…

Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, recounts the tale of the Persian teacher who asked a disciple to place a bag of gold in the middle of a bridge. He is to find a poor man to cross the bridge. The man suc…

Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, shares the tale of a student who asked his teacher why, after he had fasted and prayed for 30 years that he had still not found God. The teacher’s response: “You could s…

Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, continues her examination of Lao Tsu’s Tao Te Ching, now in Chapter 17.

"The great rulers - the people do not notice their existence;

The lesser ones - they attach to and …

Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, goes into considerable detail early and late in the talk about meditation to help prepare students for a sesshin.

Lola talks about how the subject and object become one. …

Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, continues a discussion of Lao Tsu’s Tao Te Ching. Today, Chapter 16 (Suzuki translation)

By attaining the height of abstraction we gain fulness of rest.

All the …

Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, continues her exploration of the Tao Te Ching. Today, Chapter 15:

The ancient masters were subtle, mysterious, profound, responsive.

The depth of their knowledge…

Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, provides a detailed exploration of Chapter 14 of Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching, “Praising The Mysterious.” In it Lao Tzu calls Reason the form of the formless. Reason’s clue.

Bu…