In January 2025 Jampa and his family lost their home and all their belongings to the Eaton fires. As a show of love and support for Jampa, members of the LBM community came together to gift him a bell. How does one be...

If myriad things return to one, where does the one return to? The realization of Zen lies in deeply embodying the understanding of two key principles: sameness and difference, or alternatively, oneness and diversity. In ...

Our practice is our life, and our life is our practice. We will take a look at how we do this by looking into an old teaching poem: "When walking, standing, sitting, lying down, speaking, being silent, moving, being...

How does one transcend all limiting beliefs? Let’s follow the Hero of the 20th Chapter of the Lotus Sutra to find out!

Inspired by 'Groundhog Day,' we'll explore Buddhist teachings that help us recognize and disenchant habitual patterns that get in our way. By understanding their impermanent, non-predetermined nature and through cult...

“Remember me as Awake.” In the Dona Sutta, a newly Awakened Buddha attempts to communicate his experience and what he has become. Franz explores this sutta and what it means for us....

From the morning bell chant, " Great Love, Great Sadness Our original Teacher, the golden "just like this" Buddha, Amitabha, the Buddha of Infinite Time/Infinite Space." We start off a new year looking into this t...

How does one begin their journey on the path to awakening? We can begin with four contemplations. The Four Thoughts, or Four Reminders, are foundational teachings that invite us to reflect on the preciousness of our huma...

Our daily activities can seem to be never-ending. From our work environment, to balancing this with a home life, family, and friends. With a little examination, we might discover that the underlying motive is not really ...

Tanha (literally “thirst”) is a Pali word the Buddha used to express clinging and aversion. Here are skillful ways to integrate a healthy relationship to desire in our life and practice....

Step by step examples of traditional cross-legged ways to sit for meditation, demonstrated by Jokai Blackwell Roshi. Find a meditation position that works for you. We offer you these easy to understand tools to learn the...

A simple guided meditation practice using mindfulness of breathing-“Kayanupassana”. You can easily memorize this practice script to use not only during seated meditation but everywhere and anywhere you may find yours...

A demonstration of common and traditional positions for meditation and ways to adjust for comfort. We offer you these easy to understand tools to learn the art of meditation and mindful awareness....

An introduction to Koan practice in Chan/Zen. The Koan can be thought of as an essential question that we contemplate and examine in our heart/mind as a path and vehicle for awakening. For example, “What is the meaning...

Meditation practice is a journey of coming back to our unbounded mind, or our true nature. Coming back again and again in every part of our lives, including the present, we embody this complete awakening....

In the Zen tradition it is customary to meditate in silence. Prior to this 30 minute silent meditation Jokai Roshi provides guidance, emphasizing the importance of being still in a present way. Inviting the body to settl...

A 15 minute guided meditation focusing on the cultivation of equanimity. Can you develop the ability to be still and present for conditions and experiences as they proceed through natural transitions?...

Brad leads this guided meditation with an emphasis on fostering joy within oneself and in relation with others. Cultivating gratitude in our practice can cause many of the hindrances to fall away for a period; anxiety, s...

Beginning with attention to posture and groundedness with the earth, Jampa opens this guided meditation encouraging a gentle and spacious approach to one’s practice.

The beginning of a new year is a particularly fitting time to revisit the fundamentals of meditation, body, breath, and mind. Let’s refresh our meditation practice with sound practices involved in living a grounded, pr...

"The Buddha's teaching is like a raft. We use it to cross the ocean of suffering and arrive at the ‘other shore.’" We ride it through fog and storm, keeping to our practice, gradually the other shore comes into view....

Tim explains the techniques commonly used in Zen meditation beginning with intention, body position, breath and mind, followed by a silent meditation.

Brad offers a visualization practice to apply to difficult situations. The reading given, Temple of Healing is an excerpt from the book, “A Lamp in the Darkness” by Jack Kornfield....

One of the roadblocks to progress on the path is our habit of comparison and our discomfort with the success of others. This jealousy is the cause of great suffering. We become clouded with irritation and dejection. But ...

We live in deeply polarized times. As dharma practitioners, we can transcend separation by realizing non-dual awareness. When our natural awareness is illumined, subject and object disappear, and the original, inclusive ...

Any kind of training can be challenging. The repetitiveness, receptiveness, and the recognition. All three can be difficult because they all point back to us, to our deeply ingrained self-cherishing. What about me? How d...

Contemplating Lovingkindness (Metta) as unconditional love and acceptance. Metta is the ninth of the ten paramis.

We examine and discuss Verse #47 The Present Moment: "The present moment contains past and future. The secret of transformation is in the way we handle this very moment."

Omen trium perfectum,” Latin for “everything that comes in threes is perfect.”

A thoughtful examination of Asalha Puja, also known as Dharma Day, commemorating the Buddha's first sermon to the five companions in Sarnath at the deer park at Isipatana. He teaches them the Middle Way between self-mort...

Zen seated meditation practice or “Shikantaza” is often translated to English as “just sitting”. This process reflects both our innate wakefulness and total spacious presence within our precious human life....

In this audio-only dharma talk, recorded at the 2022 Long Beach Meditation Yokoji weekend retreat, Franz Manfredi reflects on the role of wonder and beauty in the dharma practice.

In this Dharma talk from the 2022 Long Beach Meditation Yokoji weekend retreat, Jampa Kalsang talks about how an attitude of lightness helps on the path.

In this Dharma talk from the 2020 Long Beach Meditation Yokoji weekend retreat, Rosamaría Segura helps demonstrate how having compassion for ourselves gives rise to compassion for others....

In this Dharma talk at the 2020 Long Beach Meditation Yokoji weekend retreat, Jampa Kalsang advises us to lighten up.

In this talk, from the 2022 Long Beach Meditation Yokoji retreat, Brad Gibson walks us through the five hindrances and how to work with them. He concludes with a 10 minute guided meditation....

Calling into question the dualistic “thinking mind” that usually is driving the ship of our life. “Good and Evil have no self nature. Holy and Unholy are empty names. Outside of the door is the land of stillnes...

“I, all beings, the great Earth, are the wisdom and virtue of the Awakened Ones.” Thus proclaimed the newly Awakened Buddha. Awaken to the profound mystery of your life, just as you are....

On the first and third Thursdays of the month, study the principles of meditation in a warm and encouraging community. New members are always welcome!

Full length recording of Come As You Are with Franz Manfredi featuring guided meditations, tips for your meditation practice, and concluding with a loving kindness practice.

Ancient Buddhist similes for mindfulness are rich with meaning and offer profound teachings. We’ll explore examples where mindfulness is described as images rather than defined by explanations, and how these timeless m...

How "don't know" can work with the Eightfold Path and how the Eightfold Path can work with "don't know.”

In this dharma talk, Franz Manfredi explores ways Dharma practice can be hijacked by our habitual ways of seeing and being, and how to foil the hijackers.

How declaring a unilateral peace with reality unlocks our original freedom.

We discuss the role of truthfulness (sacca), the seventh of the ten paramis. Truthfulness with the intention of attaining enlightenment includes three aspects: not telling lies, speaking the truth for the benefit of ones...

Rosamaría Segura leads a 30 minute guided and silent mindful awareness meditation. Beginning with a soft strike of the meditation bell, gentle instruction is given on bringing attention to the body, sitting or lying dow...

Enjoy this guided meditation focusing on noting and harmonizing with our experience.

Teacher Rosamaría Segura provides guidance on meditating comfortably and intentionally. This meditation begins with 10 minutes of guided instruction followed by 10 minutes of silent meditation. We offer you these easy t...

This is Part 1 of a 5 part class series, appropriate for beginners as well as experienced meditators who want to refresh the fundamentals of their practice. We offer you these easy to understand tools to learn the art of...

The last three (of 6) insights of the Mahayana Buddhist view: 4. Insight into the true aspect of all phenomena. 5. Insight into the mutual interpenetration of all phenomena. 6. Insight that sees that phenomena themsel...

Storytelling is an art that transmits wisdom, fantasy, entertainment, news, fact, and fiction, all of which can teach, guide, amuse, and sometimes mislead us. Stories originate from countless sources and can be expressed...

What is the “Diamond Sutra” and why is it so precious? The “Diamond-Cutter Perfection of Wisdom Sutra” (Sanskrit: Vajracchedika-prajnaparamita Sutra), known in English as the “Diamond Sutra,” is one of the...

When it comes to Dharma practice, many of us view it as doing our spiritual thing at a certain time or on certain days and tend to forget about it the rest of the time. We divide our time into the spiritual and the ordin...

The first three (of 6) insights of the Mahayana Buddhist view: Insight into the existence and non-existence of the Dharma Insight into the fact that there are no external tangible characteristics and that all is emptin...

Words and speech are useful tools of communication. When it comes to the Dharma, however, Zen ancestor Bodhidharma cautioned us that true understanding is not founded on words and letters, but by pointing directly to one...

Inspired by the summer solstice, we will explore how practice helps us align with the natural rhythms of the seasons and embrace change and renewal. By cultivating five faculties: Confidence, Persistence, Mindfulness, Co...

Like a mirror reflects our image, we can contemplate our deeds—whether of body, speech, or mind—before, during, or after taking action. This intentional reflection allows us to identify patterns, recognize habits, an...

As human beings, we are constantly being conditioned by our experiences. At the heart of meditation, direct observation of the nature of one's thinking is the straight path to freedom from the conditioned....

In this Dharma Talk, Brad Gibson shares the story of the Buddha’s encounter with Mara. This is followed by a 20 minute guided meditation with an emphasis on body scan, breath, and noting techniques. Brad kindly guest h...

Rosamaría Segura shares some insights on gratitude, the great outdoors, and when to let someone carry your bags. Rosamaría kindly guest hosted this Come As You Are meditation class....

How can making a resolution make us a prisoner? And how can making an intention set us free? Tim Colohan explains in this dharma talk.

When our View, Practice, and Conduct are in alignment, our whole life can be a dance of awakening. We will look at different Views (ways of conceptualizing Dharma) in order to discern what is or isn't in harmony with our...

We examine a teaching on non-dual meditation given by the Great Kalu Rinpoche: "The practice of Mahamudra can be condensed into three brief instructions: not to be distracted, not to meditate and not to contrive anyth...

How do we cultivate a life of signlessness, nonattachment, and correct function for all beings? Reflecting on Father's Day we will look at three points of view; 1. Father's Day 2. "Everyday mind is the true way" 3. "A...

Among the Buddhist treasures discovered in the Dunhuang Caves in China was a manuscript attributed to Bodhidharma, the semi-legendary founder of Ch'an (Zen). In this manuscript, Bodhidharma describes the two paths to Enl...

The Buddha was a realist. Though born into a life of wealth and status his spiritual journey began with the recognition that all people are subject to old age, sickness, and death. The demands of our fast-paced society m...

Only awareness is the true refuge.

“Thoughts when followed and clung to, agitate the heart. Not understanding this, we run here and there. One who is ardent and mindful calms their reactivity to them. One who is awakened, lets them go without a trace...

Join Jampa Kalsang as he gives basic instruction on taking purifying breaths in order to clear out stale air in the lungs. We offer you these easy to understand tools to learn the arts of meditation and mindful awareness...

Brad guides you through noting, in which you label your passing thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations as they occur. The point isn't to pass judgment or analyze what's happening, but rather to note how your mind an...

Brad leads this short guided meditation utilizing the body scan technique. This mindfulness meditation practice involves scanning your body for pain, tension, or anything out of the ordinary. It can help you feel more co...

Moved to bring the heart of realization into the hustle and bustle of everyday life, Long Beach Meditation's Guiding Teacher, Jokai Roshi emphasizes the direct experience of awakening using contemporary language and time...

Tim is a Senior Dharma Teacher of the Kwan Um School of Zen. He started training in Los Angeles in 1985 and has traveled to Korea for many silent retreats. Tim is Long Beach Meditations longest serving teacher, sharing t...

Amazed and inspired by the incredible depth and diversity in every tradition of Buddhism, Franz endeavors to share the harmony he sees between them all. Rooted in his ongoing studies of the Suttas, Mahayana, and Dzogchen...

Rosamaría is passionate about sharing mindfulness practices in communities with limited exposure to meditation and wellness modalities. She teaches in both Spanish and English in non-profit organizations, public schools...

Brad has been studying Vipassana meditation since 1980, and studied many years in the Tibetan Mahamudra tradition. He is a retired school teacher and spends his time pursuing Buddhist studies, community gardening, and de...

Jampa has been studying and practicing Dharma since 1994. Taking refuge in 2005 he began formal training in the Karma Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. Following the advice and example of his teachers, he balances his st...

Robert loves teaching the ancient wisdom and modern science of mindfulness with playful and compassionate curiosity. He is an artist, educator and dedicated meditation and yoga practitioner....

Join us for a beautiful meditative and relaxing experience using sound to invite gentle yet powerful therapeutic and restorative processes to nurture your mind and body. Teacher Rosamaría Segura skillfully leads you on ...

Participate in an evening retreat of traditional Zen meditation followed by optional one on one interviews, and a concluding Dharma Talk.

The Buddha instructed his students to observe the Full Moon, traditionally known as the Uposatha, by gathering together and practicing meditation in community.

How are things working out (and not working out) with our Dharma practice? Let's talk about it!

This Wednesday meditation session is a time to connect with others while finding stability and support in one’s practice.

Each Friday explore the art of just being present during an accessible 30 minute session of meditation practice.

Every Monday night join this friendly, lively, and welcoming group perfect for everyone of any or no meditation experience.

On Sunday afternoons Long Beach Meditation offers meditation practice and a Dharma Talk by one of our established teachers and on special occasions invited guests. All instructors provide teachings drawn from various maj...

Are you waiting for something to happen? Are you waiting for something to stop happening? Are you awake to what's happening right now? Join teacher Franz in the exploration of these three questions....

Teacher Robert Lurye guides you through a simple meditation technique for identifying how stress is being held in the body and ways to bring your attention and care to it. We offer you these easy to understand tools to l...

Mind training is not easy. Reprogramming or undoing our habitual way of going through life on the well-worn path of self-cherishing will take some time. Once we’ve decided to undertake the path of awakening we’ll exp...

What is "mind?" Join teacher Tim in looking through a Zen lens into the Hua-yen Sutra (aka Avatamsaka Sutra): "If you wish to thoroughly understand, All the Buddhas of the past, present, and future, Then you should vi...

Teacher Brad Gibson explains the myriad benefits that come from attending meditation retreats, including an increased sense of equanimity.

How do we become her/him every moment?

The Buddha taught that genuine renunciation (nekhamma), the third of the ten paramis, requires understanding how we make ourselves unhappy and letting go of whatever binds us to suffering and ignorance. This sounds simpl...

"If you want to understand the realm of Buddha, keep a mind which is clear like space. So, let all thinking and external desires fall far away. Let your mind go anyplace, with no hindrance. Then what is keeping a min...

If we sincerely examine how we normally function throughout the day we’ll find that for the most part we’re looking for what’s best for us. And what’s wrong with that, we might say. But in the process of always...

We live in an impatient society, expecting everything to be done quickly and to see fast outcomes. When results are not quick enough, we often lose interest or become impatient, failing to pause to be in relationship wit...

"Concerning the Way, there will be no difficulty, if only you dislike being picky." So begins the Xinxin Ming, a Tang Dynasty classic of the Golden Age of Ch'an (original Zen). Translated as either "Faith in Mind" or "Tr...

Our Dharma practice can be a great help in interrupting our habitual way of thinking and reacting. We can cultivate awareness and build the capacity to step back and take a pause before responding with what is beneficial...

An explanation of how clear seeing enables us to function more smoothly both in meditation and in our daily life.

An outline of the difference between enchantment and disenchantment, and how cultivating enchantment can enable us to live fuller, more wholesome lives.

Generosity (dāna) is beyond giving tangible offerings. It’s the foundation of the Buddhist path to liberate us from feelings of separateness and alienation, and is the first of the ten paramis. During times of difficu...

A contemplation on a quote from the Meghiya Sutta. “Thoughts when followed in clung to agitate the heart. Not understanding this we run here and there in anxiety, but one who is ardent and mindful refrain from reactivi...

A short dharma talk on a Zen koan entitled "Nangaku Polishes a Tile."

In Zen practice, reality is often examined through the principles of Absolute and Relative, or stated differently, Sameness and Difference. These principles represent complementary perspectives. Understanding what is abs...

How can we generate compassion for all beings — using something as everyday as the in and out breath? We can learn how to develop bodhicitta (an awake heart-mind) for the benefit of all beings, including ourselves. ...

The Buddha considered patience to be a spiritual practice and an expression of an awakened heart. He recognized that inherent discontent and wanting life to be different are universal traits that cause suffering. He als...

How we can use our practice to become free of the experience of transference and countertransference when it is inflamed in our interactions with others?

Is there something you're clinging to? In this talk, let's explore how letting go of clinging can bring release from suffering.

Beginning with a scan of the senses, Franz gently guides us through a meditation practice grounded in the present moment and anchored by loving kindness. Notice what is already there. Can one meet what is arising and the...

A discussion of the qualities of four wholesome heart states or Brahma viiharas, followed with a short guided meditation practice utilizing these states. We offer you these easy to understand tools to learn the arts of m...

Franz Manfredi begins with the meaning of Metta Karuna, and asks the question, “What would it feel like to hold myself in Loving Kindness ("metta" in Pali), and Compassion ("karuna" in Pali) or well wishing and meeting...

Our spiritual practice can help us discover our innate clarity, stability, and strength. But without our sincere and genuine attention and application, it can also be used to aggrandize our ego and ignore the habits and ...

We can learn to attend to mental experiences without aversion or clinging in meditation and in life with clear awareness, wisdom, and kindness.

In this guided meditation, teacher Franz Manfredi talks through the pros and cons of focusing on technique. Is it possible to emphasize our attitude more than our results? A 15 minute guided meditation follows. We offer ...

The equinox is a time of harmony and transition. It’s an invitation to appreciate the balance of light and dark, to reflect on our own inner balance and our alignment with the natural world. Let's reflect together....

How do you cultivate concentration? Franz discusses this and gives multiple examples and techniques. This discussion concludes with a 5 minute guided meditation during which Franz offers an emphasis on concentration (Sam...

What is the truth of love? Can we improve or enhance our daily experience of this intense and sometimes uncontrollable feeling in a way that is most beneficial and enduring? We can learn to expand our love to as many bei...

How do we unpack this teaching? Furthermore, how do we keep a mind that is not pulled around by the opposites of good and bad with which we are confronted everyday?

The Zen Circle is a teaching and learning tool developed by Zen Master Seung Sahn and it serves as a mnemonic for understanding the various aspects of the Four Worlds.

The measure of having trained our minds to subdue self-clinging can be revealed by the transformation of our impulsive reactivity to calm, gentle, and measured responses. We investigate the Lojong, Mind Training teach...

We explore, “Mu Mun Kwan, Case #2, Baek Jang's Fox” also known as Pai Chang's Fox. This koan begs the question: Does an enlightened person fall into cause and effect?

The steady practice of sitting meditation is the foundation of our dharma practice. Present awareness in the midst of everyday activity is the expression of meditation in action. How do we manifest a truly seamless pract...

Mother Earth is a model of how patience and equanimity can transform anything that occurs. Let’s celebrate Mother’s Day by connecting with the mother of all beings. When we look into our own bodily formation, we...

Explore the first four of the eightfold noble path: Right View, Right Thinking, Right Mindfulness, and Right Speech. How do they relate to "Don't Know Mind"?

Examining the difference between Sati (mindful awareness) and Samatha (calm abiding) in the practice of meditation.

Being alive and aware is a great mystery. How can we sustain the sense of wonder and be grateful for our lives? Brad concludes with a 10 minute guided meditation. We offer you these easy to understand tools to learn the...

How do the Five Aggregates affect our "everyday mind?” Let’s look deeply into the five rivers of ourselves and develop the practice not grasping them.

Can we truly be sustained by a constantly happy mind? Even when confronted with obstacles? Are we able to maintain our composure in the moment of a negative thought or disturbance and apply the methods we have learned? ...

Dogen Zenji spoke of "taking the backward step that turns your light inward and illumines the self." How can we access this subtle approach in our meditation practice? Let's practice the essential shift that invites real...

We are advised and encouraged to always have a good attitude especially when faced with difficulties or challenges. But this attitude is usually rooted in thinking of ourselves first. We force ourselves to think positive...

The Mantra of the Heart Sutra ends with the lines, “Gone from suffering to the liberation of suffering. Gone from forgetfulness to mindfulness. Gone from duality to non duality. Everyone's gone over to the other shore!...

Toxic and healthy shame as well as self-judgment can block us from experiencing presence with life and can feel like being at war with ourselves. Awakening our deepest values can help make our hearts and minds free from ...

What is this mindfulness stuff all about? How does it relate to Buddhism? Our discussion includes an exploration of the history of vipassana practice and the many techniques that are used in various countries around the ...

No matter how long we’ve been practicing, we will find that on occasion we will stray from the path. It’s good to remember that one’s spiritual path is an ongoing process requiring our commitment, steadiness, and p...

The Tao Te Ching notes these qualities as our greatest treasures. Returning to the source of being, we accord with the way things are. Looking inside ourselves, we find strength in the way....

Zen has nothing to do with the level of anyone's intelligence, knowledge of books or cleverness. Zen meditation points directly to our minds so that we attain our true nature. Does this mean that Zen is anti-intellectual...

The four elements and the natural world can be our teachers, both in meditation and daily life, to help us transform suffering and live more easily and joyfully. Learning to take refuge in the natural world and practicin...

In our human experience, the thinking mind creates the felt separation of subject and object. Not thinking is simply the suppression of the natural flow of thought. Dogen Zenji, the 13th-century Zen Master wrote that "Th...

Summer solstice is a perfect time to reflect on the power of light in our lives. It reveals what is hidden, guides us in the dark, and inspires us with beauty. We will explore how shining the light of awareness on our th...

We explore tendencies to be hard on ourselves during mediation practice or in daily life, and cultivate heart practices that guide us to be kinder to ourselves.

Look into all "story" and "narrative" to see how they cannot possibly reflect the truth, regardless of our desire to want, make or hold on to them. Using our "don't know" mind to let all stories go, we can thus liberate ...

Zen means: "Just do it!" But, what do we do? What do we say? What is the Zen of our Ancestors?

Join Guiding Teacher Jokai Blackwell Roshi for intention setting seated meditation and a breath awareness practice. We offer you these easy to understand resources to learn the art of meditation and mindfulness....

A short dharma talk on the luminous nature of awareness followed by a 15 minute guided meditation on the Buddhist practice of Metta (loving-kindness) and Karuna (compassion). We offer you these easy to understand tools t...

The Eight Awarenesses of Enlightenment are a teaching given by the Buddha, shortly before his passing. Dogen Zenji, the 13th century Zen Master commented on this teaching in the final chapter of his great work Shobogenzo...

We might think of enlightenment and ignorance as two separate things. But as the great Tibetan sage Milarepa pointed to in one of his songs of realization, “Happy is the one who knows there is no two.” There is no tr...

Can we face the appearance of the “demons” of craving, aversion, and ignorance with wisdom and compassion? Mara is a character who frequently appeared throughout the Buddha’s life. Often appearing so as to taunt an...

By staying present and open to life we can transform Greed, Hatred, and Ignorance from poison to nectar.

Experience the basics of Zen meditation methods and techniques as presented by Tim. We offer you these easy to understand tools to learn the art of meditation and mindful awareness....

Tim introduces and examines 5 ancient and traditional ways of Awakening: vowing, doubting, bowing, chanting, and meditating.

All divisions, binaries, and opposites are products of our habitually dualistic thinking mind. Zen practice is a direct way to integrate and harmonize all divisions, binaries, and opposites. “What is this?”, Tim asks...

Explore the deep and rich field of practice that is known as taking refuge. Remembering that we are always taking refuge in something, here is an invitation to take refuge in your own Awakening....

Meditation practice as waking up on the spot at the intersection of Here and Now. This dharma talk marks Jampa Kalsang’s first teaching appearance with Long Beach Meditation.

The Four Brahmaviharas, or Divine Abodes, of Buddhism are qualities of heart and mind that give us a framework to cultivate positive behaviors and minimize harmful ones. LovingKindness (mettā) Compassion (karuṇā)...