Recommended Episodes on Zazen
Here again with recommended episodes for you to listen to while I'm on my August sabbatical from Zen teaching and writing. Your chosen form of meditation may be what I call "Directed Effort" meditatio...
25 Aug 20232min
Announcement and Recommendation
I take a sabbatical from my Zen teaching one month a year, and this year it's in August. In this announcement I explain (and thank you for your patience), and recommend one of my 236 past episodes to ...
17 Aug 20232min
246 - Sangha Challenges: How and Why to Open Up to the Treasure of Sangha – Part 2
In Part 2 of my "Sangha Challenges" discussion, I talk about various reasons you may resist joining a Buddhist community or find it challenging to maintain your relationship with one over time. I pres...
31 Juli 202325min
245 - Sangha Challenges: How and Why to Open Up to the Treasure of Sangha – Part 1
Should you join a Sangha? Sangha, or community, is one of the "Three Treasures" of Buddhism, but is it really necessary? How important is it? There are many "Sangha Challenges" - reasons you might fee...
27 Juli 202323min
244 - Zazen as a Religious Act
Seated Zen meditation – zazen – is less like the meditative practices of many other spiritual traditions, and more like prayer in theistic traditions. This is not because we believe in God (although w...
17 Juli 202330min
243 - The Buddha's Life Story as Archetype and Teaching
Understanding the teachings of Buddhism starts with becoming familiar with the Buddha's life story. This isn't because he is believed to have been divine, or even a prophet. Instead, his story is impo...
30 Juni 202338min
242 - Reflections on Sansuikyo, Dogen's Mountains and Waters Sutra
One of Zen master Dogen's most beloved writings is a relatively short essay called "Sansuikyo," or the Mountains and Waters Sutra. In this episode, I reflect on two aspects this work: The statement th...
23 Juni 202327min
241 - What Does It Mean to Waste Time?
Buddhist and Zen masters through the ages have begged us not to "waste time." What does this really mean? How do we know if we're wasting time, and does it really matter?
16 Juni 202338min
