179 – Inadequacy to Abundance: Rewriting Our Self-Narrative
As human beings we have a self-narrative, and for most – if not all – of us, this narrative includes a sense of inadequacy. When we conceive of ourselves as a “small self against the world” we will always feel inadequate, and consequently our generosity is inhibited. Fortunately, we can rewrite our self-narrative to include our buddha-nature, because the “boundless self with the world” is a conduit for abundance. The world needs and wants what you have to offer.
178 – Declarar una Guerra Climática y Qué Significa Ello para un Budista
Category: Budismo Hoy ~ Translator: Claudio Sabogal Click here for audio + English version of Episode 178 ¿Declarar una “guerra climática”? Puede parecer extraño que un Budista sugiera que le declaremos la guerra a cualquier cosa; pero...
178 – Declaring a Climate War and What That Means to a Buddhist
It may seem strange for a Buddhist to suggest we declare war on anything, but I think it is the most natural and constructive way for us to shift into the mindset we need. In Buddhism, we wage war on the three poisons of greed, hate, and delusion, not on people. We wage war out of love for all beings. In wartime we come together for the common good. We sacrifice with dignity, and help one another summon all the strength and hope we can. We all contribute to the war effort, whether it is by serving on the frontlines, darning socks for those on the frontlines, or broadcasting messages to keep up morale.
177 – Fuerza y Gratitud Incondicionales: la Medicina de la Talidad (Talidad= Tal Como Es)
Categories: Enseñanzas Budistas, Enseñanzas Zen ~ Translator: Claudio Sabogal Click here for audio + English version of Episode 177 La medicina de la talidad salva vidas, porque incluso la vida humana más feliz y afortunada contiene...
177 – Unconditional Strength and Gratitude: The Medicine of Suchness
The medicine of suchness is life-saving, because even the happiest and most fortunate human life inevitably contains suffering. And sometimes – in our personal lives or in the wider world – we face terrible things that arouse anxiety, depression, fear, despair, or rage. Our climate and ecological emergency is one such terrible thing, bringing us face to face with loss on a scale never before contemplated by human beings. Our Zen practice offers us suchness as a medicine that can alleviate our despair and help us access strength and gratitude.
176 – Una Historia de mi Viaje Espiritual Parte 3: Un Fénix se Levanta de las Cenizas de la Desesperación
Categories: Práctica budista ~ Translator: Claudio Sabogal Click here for audio + English version of Episode 176 Esta es la tercera entrega de una historia sobre mi viaje espiritual personal, que cubre mi camino hacia la ordenación como monja Zen y los...
176 – A Story of My Spiritual Journey Part 3: A Phoenix Rises from the Ashes of Despair
This is the third installment of a story about my personal spiritual journey, covering my path to ordination as Zen monk and the next several years of junior training, including a time I call my “dark night of the soul” and my experience of a life-affirming phoenix rising from the ashes of my despair. Check out episodes 174 and 175 for the first and second parts of the story, which took me up to the point I left home to move into a Zen center. I’ll need a fourth episode to tell you about the remainder of my junior training, up to my transmission as a Zen priest and my decision to start my own Zen center.
175 – Una historia de mi viaje espiritual Parte 2: Por qué creo que el Budismo es maravilloso
Categories: Práctica budista ~ Translator: Claudio Sabogal Click here for audio + English version of Episode 175 Estoy en un período sabático el mes de julio, pero todavía quería lanzar tres episodios este mes, así que, como...
175 – A Story of My Spiritual Journey Part 2: Why I Think Buddhism Is Awesome
I’m on sabbatical the month of July but still wanted to release three episodes this month, so as a change-up I’m telling you a story of my spiritual journey (thus far!). In the last episode, 174, I talked about my early childhood up through my encounter...
174 – Una historia de mi viaje espiritual Parte 1: Cinta transportadora hacia la muerte
Categories: Práctica budista ~ Translator: Claudio Sabogal Click here for audio + English version of Episode 174 Es julio de 2021, y aunque me estoy tomando un período sabático tanto de mi centro Zen como de mi activismo climático,...
174 – A Story of My Spiritual Journey Part 1: Conveyor Belt to Death
It’s July 2021, and although I’m taking a sabbatical from both my Zen center and my climate activism, I decided to release three episodes this month anyway. A change is sometimes as good as a break, so I figured I would change things up a little and share a story of my spiritual journey (thus far). I hope you enjoy!
173 – True Satisfaction: Dogen’s Everyday Activity (Kajo) – Part 2
The nature of true satisfaction is something explored by Zen master Dogen in his essay “Kajo,” or “Everyday Activity.” Using the imagery of having had rice, taking a leisurely nap, and living contentedly in a grass hut, Dogen emphasizes how true satisfaction is unconditional, and that we are nourished by the universe whether we are able to appreciate that fact or not.
172 – The Profound and Difficult Practice of Putting Everything Down
Putting everything down is what we do in meditation and when we’re practicing mindfulness in daily life. Caught up in things like worry, excitement, or anger, we often find it nearly impossible to put things down, but it is essential we create time and space to do so. It can help to remember that Zen practice is about getting comfortable repeatedly putting things down, picking them back up, putting them down, and picking them up.
171 – Five Requirements for Effective Practice with Any Issue
I propose that effective practice with any issue we face requires five things: Recognition of the issue that is causing stress or suffering; Faith that change is possible though practice; Willingness to do what it takes to bring about change; Practice in the sense of actually doing something we think might help bring about that change, and Patience in the sense of the perfection (paramita), or a determination to keep walking the path of practice even if it takes longer than we’d like, or the results aren’t exactly what we’d hoped for.
170 – Looking to Buddhism to Support Values and Beliefs We Already Hold – Part 2
Continuing with the case study of social action, I follow the discussion of Donald S. Lopez’s article on whether Buddhism – in particular, the bodhisattva ideal – has much to offer in the domain of social action. Then I discuss why it matters to some of us that our faith tradition – whatever it is – encourages and supports the values we already hold, and what we might do about it when that isn’t the case.
169 – Looking to Buddhism to Support Values and Beliefs We Already Hold – Part 1
As modern, mostly lay Buddhists – particularly those of us who are western, adult converts to the religion – we may seek encouragement and guidance from within the tradition for values we already hold. How much support does Buddhism actually give for things like social action, the importance of justice, honoring our connection to nature, enjoying our family and our daily lives, and learning to love ourselves? If we don’t find support within Buddhism for our values, do we simply look elsewhere, or do we expand Buddhism? In this episode I focus specifically on social action/activism, but the discussion is relevant for any deeply held concern or value you bring to Buddhism.
168 – Is This IT? Dogen’s Everyday Activity (Kajo) – Part 1
In Zen we say practice is nothing other than your everyday activity. As long as you view the Dharma as something special – a particular activity you view treat as more sacred, or a state you hope to attain that will be of an entirely different nature than the mundane existence you currently endure – you’re missing the point. At the same time, if we think practice is nothing other than just continuing our half-awake, habitual way of living, we’re also missing the point! What is the nature of our life and practice? Zen Master Dogen explores this koan in his essay “Kajo,” or “Everyday Activity.”
167 – If You’re Not Making Mistakes, You’re Not Practicing
How can practice with mistakes – so we make fewer mistakes, but also so we aren’t paralyzed by fear of mistakes, stressed out trying to avoid them, or stuck in regret or self-recrimination once we’ve made them? It helps to understand how mistakes are viewed in Zen. They’re a sign you’re actually practicing, and there’s a sense in which this is no such thing as a mistake.
166 – The Wesak Ceremony: Celebrating and Expressing Gratitude for Our Teachers
The annual Buddhist festival of Wesak celebrates the birth of Shakyamuni Buddha. The ceremony takes inspiration from the Buddha’s mythological birth story, and I describe a version of the ceremony and share some chanting from it. Then I discuss the way Wesak helps awaken our gratitude for the Dharma, for teachers, and for all of those beings who have made our lives possible.
Spanish Translations
