Welcome to the

Zen Studies Podcast!

Study Buddhism Online for Free

New episodes weekly!
Listen to episodes in order in specific categories:

Buddhism Today
Buddhist History
Buddhist Practice
Buddhist Teachings
Buddhist Texts
Dharma Talks
Meditation
Zen Teachings

Start at the beginning: Listen to all the episodes in order – or read the content instead!
Subscribe via email to be notified of new weekly episodes (see sidebar to sign up)
Subscribe via a podcatcher (like iTunes) to have the audio delivered to your podcast app (see sidebar)
Browse and see what interests you! See Categories, Recent Posts, Series, look through the Glossary, or type a topic of interest in the search box.

How Can the Podcast Be Free?

I offer most of the content on the Zen Studies Podcast for free, because I want the Dharma (Buddhist teachings) to be available to everyone. Plus, I enjoy creating episodes – audio and text – about this ancient, incredibly rich spiritual tradition.

However, we all need to make a living, and I currently spend 15-20 hours a week on the podcast. Members support the podcast with a small monthly pledge. If you want to help me keep generating great content, consider becoming a member!

Recent Episodes

82 – Buddhist History 10: Early Indian Buddhism – Stupas and Devotional Practice – Part 1

by Domyo | Dec 1, 2018

It’s pretty typical to hear only one side of Buddhist history – that is, the side that focuses on what the Buddha taught, or the Dharma, and on the people who studied and practiced that Dharma. There’s a whole other side to Buddhism, present since the beginning: Devotional Practice. In this episode (Part 1 of 2) I introduce what it is, and talk about its origins in the Buddha’s own teachings – which included instructions for the creation of the first Buddhist stupas, or sacred burial mounds.

81 – Five Steps for Positive Change without Waging War on the Self

by Domyo | Nov 24, 2018

It’s natural and healthy to aspire to things like having more equanimity, being more generous, and overcoming negative habits – and, in fact, such aspiration is part of the Buddhist path. However, when we encounter aspects of ourselves that are difficult to change, we may be tempted to wage war on ourselves. This is not only counterproductive, it’s incompatible with our own aspirations. I’ll outline five steps to working on positive changes in your thoughts and behavior while ending the war with self.

80 – Four Foundations of Mindfulness Practice and Similarities in Zen

by Domyo | Nov 17, 2018

In the last episode, I introduced the Four Foundations of Mindfulness as the Buddha taught them. Mindfulness means to remember something, or keep something in mind. The Four Foundations are the four categories of things you keep in mind if you want to walk the path to spiritual liberation. In this episode I talk about how the Four Foundations of Mindfulness are actually practiced, and then about how this teaching relates to Zen.