by Domyo | Apr 27, 2017 | Buddhist History
In this second episode on the Buddha’s life, I tell the story of his spiritual struggle and search, and the circumstances around his enlightenment. Then I summarize his teaching career, and tell the story of his passing, in order to give you a sense of the arc of his entire life. In Episode 9: Shakyamuni Buddha’s Enlightenment: What Did He Realize? I go into more detail about the content of the Buddha’s enlightenment, and in Episode 17: Life of Shakyamuni Buddha Part 3: Buddha’s First Sermons and Students, and the Early Sangha I return to the subject of the Buddha’s teaching career, which requires 1-2 episodes on its own.
by Domyo | Apr 20, 2017 | Buddhist History
Buddhism began when Siddhartha Gautama experienced a spiritual awakening over 2,500 years ago in India, and became an “awakened one,” or Buddha. In this first episode on his life, I first explain in detail the sources of biographical information we have on the Buddha – their historicity and significance. Then I tell the story of the Buddha’s life from just before his birth until he decides to leave home as a spiritual mendicant.
by Domyo | Apr 13, 2017 | Buddhist Practice
If you’ve spent any time in a Zen community, or reading Zen books, you will have encountered the term “practice” countless times. Buddhist teachers throughout the centuries have told us to “practice” diligently. Students of Zen are called “practitioners” and we talk to one another about our “practice.” What Is “Zen Practice,” anyway? In this episode I present three important meanings of “practice,” and how you can define practice in a traditional sense (Zen teachings, methods, conventions, etc.) or an experiential sense (how you face your life right here, right now).
by Domyo | Apr 6, 2017 | Buddhist History, Buddhist Teachings
According to tradition, Buddhism began with the Buddha’s enlightenment. This was the spiritual awakening of one man, Siddhartha Gautama, somewhere between 528 and 445 BCE, who afterwards was called the “Buddha,” or “awakened one.” He then taught others what he realized, along with the methods he used to achieve that realization, and those teachings have been passed down to the present day. What exactly did Siddhartha comprehend in his enlightenment?
by Domyo | Mar 30, 2017 | Zen Teachings
Zen Buddhism is a non-theistic religious tradition. However, it’s not entirely correct to say that there is no God in Zen. While we don’t conceive of, or worship, an omnipotent personification of the Divine, at the heart of our tradition is the teaching that reality itself is luminous, precious, and infused with compassion. We don’t ascribe an agenda, personality, or gender to That-Which-Is-Greater, but we long to live in harmony with It, and personally experience intimacy with It. These longings infuse our spiritual practice with meaning.
by Domyo | Mar 23, 2017 | Buddhist Practice
In this episode I present an alternative to mindfulness practice. I do this because I believe the concept of mindfulness – at least the way it is typically understood – may limit our spiritual development. It can become a dualistic trap that causes us to reject much of what we are as human beings. I call this alternative, “The Radical Practice of Undivided Presence.”
by Domyo | Mar 15, 2017 | Buddhist History
At the time of the Buddha around 500 BCE, social and economic changes had paved the way for new schools of religious thought and practice. In this episode, I talk about these new religious movements, including Buddhism – particularly, their major spiritual questions and how they answered them. This gives you a sense of how Buddhism compared to the other new religions of its time, and how the Buddha’s approach differed from those of his contemporary spiritual teachers.
by Domyo | Mar 9, 2017 | Buddhist History
The first episode in my “Buddhist History and Seminal Texts” series, about the historical and religious context for the beginnings of Buddhism in India around 500 BCE. I give you a brief overview of the history of civilization in India, and a sense of the dominant religious traditions of northern India from around 2000 BCE through the time of the Buddha. Then I describe the period of social and economic changes starting around 800 BCE that apparently paved the way for new schools of religious thought and practice, including Buddhism.
by Domyo | Mar 2, 2017 | Meditation
If you’ve tried zazen (or any other kind of meditation), you’ll know that even if you really want to meditate, and you fully intend to be present without agenda for the whole period of meditation, you’re still liable to get caught up in thinking – usually many, many times over the course of a meditation period. What can you do about it? In this episode, I cover how to deal with stimulus-independent thinking during meditation, how to stay engaged and energetic while doing a practice that’s essentially doing nothing, and how to maintain a zazen practice over time.
by Domyo | Feb 24, 2017 | Spanish Translations
Category: Meditación ~ Translator: Claudio Sabogal Click here for audio + English version of Episode 3 Zazen, la meditación sentada, es la práctica central de la escuela Zen del Budismo. Este episodio trata sobre qué es zazen y por...
by Domyo | Feb 23, 2017 | Meditation
Zazen, seated meditation, is the central practice of the Zen school of Buddhism. This episode is about what zazen is and why we do it. I also give you instructions for how to do zazen, including physical posture and what to “do” with your mind. After listening, you’ll have everything you need to give zazen a try.
by Domyo | Feb 20, 2017 | Buddhist Teachings
For over 2,500 years, in every form of Buddhism, you formally become a Buddhist by stating, “I take in the Three Treasures of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.” What are the Three Treasures, and what does it mean to take refuge in them?
by Domyo | Feb 14, 2017 | Zen Teachings
Zen is a type of Buddhism, which is a 2,500-year-old tradition. When and how did Zen arise, and what is unique about it?
