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Talks by Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee: Daily Summaries Delivered
by I & A Publishing
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.
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- 1 weeks ago50 min
The ten stages for attaining awakening. Delivered May 21, 1984
Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, explores the true measure of human existence.She contrasts superficial attachments to time and material accumulation with the eternal, timeless reality of spiritual awakening. Drawing from Zen Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity and ancient philosophical traditions, Lola challenges listeners to move beyond conventional definitions of life defined merely by passing days or sensory indulgence. The story of three monks who are asked by the Buddha how one should measure a man's life. The first two superficial answers, measuring by calendar days or by the duration of a meal. The third monk answers, "by the breath." Breath is not merely a biological function, but a vital bridge between the temporal world of form and the eternal realm of the formless.Lola shares the metaphor of a stick appearing crooked when placed in water. It’s the same way consciousness becomes distorted upon entering time. Referencing Taoist and Biblical passages regarding how "the crooked shall be made straight," Lola emphasizes that spiritual alignment does not wait for the afterlife. Freedom from self-display, self-assertion, and ego striving must be practiced immediately in the present moment. Lola describes humanity's tendency to seek artificial security and identity through rigid ideologies, social clubs, and routine busyness, marking days like the tallying of a gasoline pump. That is unconscious living.True life wells up from invisible inner roots during silent meditation, where the practitioner transcends chronological aging and connects directly with the divine light.Lola explores the ten grounds, bhumi, or progressive stages taught by the Buddha for attaining spiritual awakening. These transformative stages: 1. Pramuditā (joyous, motiveless delight in living).2. Vimala (innocent acceptance of one's ignorance and moral discipline).3. Prabhākarī (maintaining the steady, patient, luminous flame of consciousness).4. Samadhi (or Arciṣmatī - vitality, diligent energy, aliveness free from dull righteousness).5. Sudurjayā (courageous welcome of life's adventures and challenges, meditative concentration).6. Abhimukhī (immediate, unrehearsed engagement with reality).7. Dūraṅgamā (the far-going willingness to step into the unknown and die consciously, skillful means).8. Achala (immovable, unwavering grounding amidst the fluctuations of praise and blame).9. Sadhumati (the synthesis of reason and heart intelligence, good thoughts).10. Dharmamegha (the showering of grace where the teachings become one's lived reality, awakened awareness).Lola quotes the timeless adage on how sown thoughts ripen into acts, habits, character, and ultimately destiny. Delivered May 21, 1984
- 3 weeks ago44 min
The meaning of the Kena and Isha Upanishads. Delivered May 15, 1984
Zen Roshi Lola McDowell Lee explores metaphysical truths through teachings rooted in the Kena and Isha Upanishads.The fundamental inquiry of the Upanishads: "At whose behest does the mind operate, the body live, and the senses perceive?"Moving beyond the limitations of sensory perception and conceptual thought, Lola establishes that the ultimate reality, Brahman or the true Atman, cannot be grasped by the eye, expressed by the tongue, or comprehended by the ordinary mind. It is distinct from both the known and the unknown, existing as the silent, self-revealing source behind all human experience.Lola examines the distinction between the phenomenal world (our everyday reality of static objects perceived through the senses) and the noumenal world (the invisible, real dimension).Citing Kant, she challenges the habit of placing these realms in opposition, noting that in higher spiritual realization, samsara and nirvana are ultimately one.She uses the metaphor of a wheel to describe human psychological life, with the ego self spinning at the center. Through meditative focus, one discovers that this ego center is empty, pointing toward the unconditioned, all-pervading soul (Atman).Lola uses the analogy of a lamp in a dark room: just as a lamp illuminates furniture, etc, the inner subject (consciousness) knows all objects without itself becoming an object of sensory capture.Saguna Brahman is the divine reality with qualities and attributes, such as anthropomorphic projections of God.Nirguna Brahman is the unmanifest, quality-less, color-less reality.These culminate in Parabrahman - the absolute non-being and mystery.Lola contrasts ordinary phenomenal knowledge which relies on a three-part structure of knower, known, and knowledge, with mystical experience, where one sees all three merge into an undivided unity.She explains that while the ultimate reality cannot be directly taught or grasped as an object, spiritual methods like Zen, Yoga, and prayer can create the necessary inner conditions for an individual to awaken to self-realization.Lola emphasizes that true wisdom involves relinquishing the inflated ego, recognizing that spiritual truth is eternal rather than a personal invention.The parable of the prodigal son illustrates how spiritual seekers wander in search of home only to realize they have carried it within themselves all along.Delivered May 15, 1984
- Oct 6, 202652 min
Comparing the Isha Upanishad with other esoteric traditions. Delivered May 10, 1987
Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, explores foundational metaphysical concepts of the Isha Upanishad, comparing Eastern philosophy with other esoteric traditions. She begins by examining the imagery of the "golden lid" that conceals ultimate truth from ordinary perception. The divine Purusha is omnipresent and identical to the true self. Shakti is the Great Mother and primeval energy behind all manifested forms. Lola traces historical threads from ancient Aryan migrations and Dravidian Brahmanism to global archetypes of the Divine Feminine like Isis and Mary.Lola explains how material nature functions as the manifestation of divine creativity. She contrasts this with Samkhya Yoga. Disciplined internal observation allows human consciousness to awaken from objective illusions.Lola describes consciousness as a continuous spectrum of energy, ranging from fine spiritual frequencies down to massed physical matter, which she characterizes as crystallized light. Humanity occupies a unique middle ground of objective self-consciousness, bridging our physical dependency on the maternal realm with the vertical aspiration toward the paternal spirit. The complementary forces of Surya (the supreme truth of gnosis and seeing) and Agni (the divine will that purifies action).True spiritual realization is validated not merely through intellectual exercises, but through direct inner experience and transformation. We must move beyond conceptual delusions and mental chatter and ground ourselves in the joyous realization of Sat-chit-ananda — pure existence, awareness, and divine delight.Delivered May 10, 1987
- Sep 27, 202650 min
The path from warrior to king. Delivered Nov 23, 1986
Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, contrasts two fundamental inner orientations: the path of the warrior and the path of the king. Lola shares Tilopa's poem to Naropa about transcending dualities, dissolving distractions, and abiding effortlessly in the natural state. She notes that while spiritual traditions are numerous, every individual ultimately carves out a unique path based on their own inner focus. Lola categorizes human approaches into two basic stances: the aggressive, conflict-driven warrior and the dispassionate, observing king.The history and philosophy of Gnosticism. The warrior mindset. How early Egyptian monotheism blended with Greek and Jewish traditions, eventually producing a gloomy worldview dominated by dualistic conflict between an unknown, otherworldly God and a flawed material creator known as the Demi-urge. This duality manifested in early Christian history through two extreme reactions: asceticism, which viewed the physical body and matter as inherently evil and forbade procreation, and libertinism, which attempted to exhaust sensual appetites through indulgence. The concept of the "Stranger God" -- a framework where humans are trapped between eternal forces of light and dark. Lola critiques this constant battle, arguing that we perpetually judge nature and itself through a rigid, fault-finding framework without recognizing the underlying unity of existence.It is the mentality of a soldier versus the mentality of a monarch. A soldier is perpetually in the trenches, fighting enemies, obeying orders, and engaging in internal conflict to eradicate perceived flaws. Conversely, a king does not battle; a king sits above the fray, observing calmly and overseeing the entire domain. To illustrate this transition from warrior to king, Lola recounts the famous Zen encounter between Bodhidharma and an anxious Chinese emperor. When the emperor asked Bodhidharma to cure his mental disturbances, the master tells him to bring his anxieties to him at their next meeting so they could be healed. Upon sitting in deep meditation to locate and confront his troubled thoughts, the emperor realizes that the anxieties had no independent substance—they existed only because he was not truly present as a witness.Lola applies this insight directly to modern meditation practice, emphasizing the crucial importance of unshakeable attention and bare awareness. When distracting thoughts arise during meditation, practitioners typically make the mistake of either clinging to them, fighting them, or projecting blame outward. The ego tends to disown negative thoughts while inflating the ego around positive thoughts. True spiritual practice requires dropping this emotional reactivity and simply remaining the impartial witness. By observing thoughts as they come and go without attachment or aversion, the practitioner steps onto the royal road. Ultimately, this leads to the realization of the non-attainable—resting in the silent, luminous space of the true, otherworldly self beyond all conceptual dualities.Delivered Nov 23, 1986
- Sep 12, 202636 min
The importance of mastering attention. Delivered Nov 2, 1986
Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, discusses the importance of mastering attention—to uncover the silent inner ground of being. Lola recounts a tale about Master Shoju, who calmly sat in a graveyard amidst howling wolves without fear. He had an unshakeable state of mind, invulnerable to the external turmoil of life and death. Most people operate through the thinking mind, engaged in chores, conversations, with their attention scattered across "ten thousand things." People also talk to themselves endlessly about weather, politics, and trivialities—out of touch with their inner core.When individuals first approach meditation in search of self-knowledge, they frequently bring the same habits of "doing" to their practice. They treat meditation as another technique to master, constantly evaluating their performance, worrying whether they are doing it right, or trying out various mental methods and mantras. True meditation has nothing to do with mental gymnastics. Meditation is a state of penetration into the deepest ground of one's being. The mind cannot find stillness through surface thinking and methods. True meditation requires letting go of mental effort, ignoring passing thoughts, allowing attention to rest in the subtle gaps and intervals between thoughts.Lola addresses common misconceptions about meditation. Many mistakenly believe that sitting quietly in a physical posture is sufficient, or that meditation requires a gloomy, pious demeanor. The divine is reflected in the vibrant beauty of nature—sparkling oceans, green grass, and blooming flowers—and that true spiritual practice should awaken greater intelligence, aliveness, and joyful zest for living. The thinking mind is cunning. It rationalizes physical paralysis as spiritual depth, mental dullness as transcendence, and emotional deadness as renunciation. Citing Thomas Merton and D.T. Suzuki, Lola explains that Zen does not seek to explain reality through complex verbal formulas or emotional excitement. It requires pure, unshakeable attention.Lola examines the pitfalls of self-deception and the scattered energy that plagues human life. We easily fool ourselves through egotism, greed, and what Saint Paul termed the "law of my parts"—conflicting internal drives that push us hither and thither without our conscious consent. Without self-observation and disciplined attention, people remain utterly blind to the inner energies driving them. “Not even God himself can help a man who pays no attention." Without inner attention, a person is like someone fighting blindfolded in a dark room against unseen enemies.Lola traces the practice of mindfulness and self-observation to ancient traditions. She discusses practical exercise used with her students—asking them to visualize the color blue and notice how quickly the mind wanders, revealing how undisciplined human attention truly is. When individuals learn to direct their attention inward, moving past surface desires and mental chatter, they tap into the infinite silence and emptiness that they possessed at birth before collecting the noises of the world. Ultimately, Lola frames the journey of meditation as the ultimate monastery of the mind, accessible anywhere and at any time. One can transform ordinary movements such as the Tai Chi or the watchful waiting of the psalmist into acts of deep prayer and self-inquiry, bridging the gap between ego and no-mind. Delivered Nov 2, 1986
- Sep 2, 202636 min
The Wisdom of Ikkyu. Delivered Sep 28, 1986
Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, reflects on the universal reality of death and the transition of consciousness, illustrated by the historical encounter between the legendary Zen master Ikkyu and his dying disciple Ninagawa.When Ninagawa attempts to take comfort in traditional phrases about coming and going alone, Ikkyu challenges him, pointing to the path of no coming and no going. Lola explains that at death, the physical senses and brain cortex are left behind, halting new sensory input into the psyche. Without fresh input, the mind loops over existing psychological contents.True preparation through meditation allows a seeker to bypass unconsciousness and recognize that life and consciousness are an eternal continuum, whereas the ego remains the true source of bondage and illusion. Lola delves deeply into the life and character of Ikkyu, describing him as a revolutionary, nonconformist Roshi, the illegitimate son of the emperor, disowned due to political friction between northern and southern Japanese factions. Despite early struggles with depression and an attempted suicide, Ikkyu transformed into a wandering monk who carried a seven-note flute, championing humaneness over the deceitful obligations of the feudal elite. The father of wabi aesthetics, Ikkyu taught the beauty of poverty, simplicity, and spiritual independence. Lola contrasts Hinayana strictness, which demands the absolute destruction of desires and avoidance of women, with Mahayana and Zen perspectives. Zen views passions and Bodhi (wisdom) as identical. Ikkyu embodied this through his "Red Thread Zen," famously declaring that human existence is inextricably linked to women through a red thread, viewing them as the flowers of humanity. Lola recounts several colorful anecdotes illustrating Ikkyu's radical iconoclasm—such as burning wooden Buddha statues in a freezing temple to warm the living Buddha within, and later worshipping a common stone with flowers. Outward forms and scriptures are merely symbols, while true spiritual alignment depends entirely on the inner state of consciousness rather than adherence to dogma.Lola examines Ikkyu's profound enlightenment experience at age 26, triggered simply by hearing the piercing cry of a crow in the evening silence. In that instant, the illusion of the separate individual dissolved completely, merging his innermost being with non-being and the heartbeat of nature. For Ikkyu, the void became plenitude, and life and death merged into a single joyous continuum. Delivered Sep 28, 1986
- Aug 23, 202644 min
The positive and the negative paths to enlightenment. Delivered Sep 21, 1986
Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee, contrasts the "positive" and "negative" paths to enlightenment. Drawing upon ancient Chinese Taoist, Li Tzu, she begins by questioning the value of emptiness. Because emptiness cannot be quantified, traded, or manufactured—unlike the walls of a house or the clay of a cup—it possesses an absolute value that transcends human commerce. To abide in this emptiness one must embrace stillness and let go of the transactional nature of human existence.She characterizes the positive path, often associated with asceticism and orthodox religious traditions, as one of accumulation. It involves specific techniques, incremental progress, and explainable methodologies. While this path is valid, its primary danger is the subtle inflation of the ego, wherein a practitioner might proudly claim, "I am That," mistaking hallucination for realization. In contrast, the negative path (via negativa) is the path of the mystic. It is sudden, unexplainable, and requires surrendering the ego-life. It involves taking a leap into the unknown without the comfort of gradual steps. However, this path also has its pitfalls, most notably the temptation of lethargy.Lola distinguishes between "aloneness" and "loneliness." She describes aloneness as a majestic, essential state of being—a direct confrontation with oneself and the ultimate reality. Loneliness, on the other hand, is an accidental, worldly state born of seeking oneself in others. By embracing true aloneness, the practitioner sheds ceaseless stream of thoughts and touches the core of one’s being. Lola describes how different traditions map onto these paths: Islam, Judaism, and Christianity largely follow the affirmative route of prayer and contemplation, while Buddhism and Taoism follow the negative route of silent meditation.Lola discusses the human tendency toward spiritual bargaining. Using a lighthearted allegory of an inventor who creates a "psychoscope" (a mind mirror), she shows how desperately people cling to their idealizations and self-projections. We prefer rose-tinted versions of ourselves to the unvarnished reality. To enter emptiness, one must drop all masks, both the beautiful delusions and the hidden guilts. True discipline, she argues, is not imposed by teachers or rules, but arises from within as a sense of deep responsibility and a joie de vivre. The ultimate realization is not a reward for a bargain struck with the universe, but a free gift accepted in the profound, cloudless silence of meditation. Delivered Sep 21, 1986
- Aug 14, 202647 min
The Silent Night, the Holy Night Within. Delivered December, 1986
Zen Roshi and Christian minister, Lola McDowell Lee, illustrates the many harmonies between Eastern spiritual practices and Western mystical traditions.Lola looks at the traditional nativity story and Christian parables and urges us to look beyond literal interpretations to uncover deeply transformative inner meanings within scripture.She introduces the concept of the "subsistence of existence," the invisible ground or foundation of all being. While humans live outwardly, navigating the world through the cortex of the brain and accumulated societal roles, there remains a deeper, unspoken root consciousness. Maturing spiritually requires shifting our point of view, evolving beyond the literal, childlike understanding of parables to form an internal realization of the divine power that operates through us.We are like a seed that must break open and undergo a death in order to truly grow into what it is destined to be. She draws on the teachings of Meister Eckhart and St. Paul. To be "born of the Father," one must cultivate a spiritual hunger, embarking on a difficult journey of letting go of past conditioning, attachments, and sensory distractions.Lola explores the notion of Bethlehem as not just an historical town but as a symbol of the boundless kingdom of God within each of us. In this metaphor, the manger is the resting place of our animal instincts. It is within this internal, sacred space that a divine procreative force gives birth to the newborn king within us. She likens the three wise men bringing gifts to the unfolding of wisdom, understanding, and bliss that accompanies this internal spiritual awakening.Lola suggests a practice of meditation and via negativa—the negative way or neti neti. Because human consciousness is habitually fragmented across the five senses, we need to purposefully silence the memory, and arrive at a state of pure unknowing, making room for the divine light. St. Augustine warned against the tragic irony of searching endlessly in the external world for a truth that only exists within.Lola distinguishes between seeing, which is an outward action, and true listening, which draws us inward into profound stillness. Like the carol "Silent Night," true spiritual birth happens only in this reverent inner silence, where the unencumbered soul can finally hear the secret, transformative word of the divine. Delivered December 1986
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About Talks by Zen Roshi, Lola McDowell Lee
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.
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