The Zen Studies Podcast
Dharma Talks (a bit more personal take on Dharma topics)
137 – Sustainable Bodhisattva Practice when the World is (Literally) on Fire
Many American cities are on fire - literally - as tensions over systemic racism erupt. How do we enact our bodhisattva vows in the face of all of this suffering - caused by racism, the global pandemic, the breakdown of earth's natural life support systems, and global heating? Our vow is to "save all beings" but - at least in terms of an individual's goal - is impossible. How do we honor our bodhisattva vow in a vital and authentic way, as opposed to it being a largely irrelevant ideal?
read more136 – El Duelo en el Budismo 2: Algunas Prácticas Budistas Útiles para Enfrentar e Integrar el Duelo
Translator: Claudio Sabogal Click here for audio + English version of Episode 136 Encabezados: ¿Cuál es el Objetivo? ¿Qué Significa “Procesar” Nuestro Duelo ? Atención plena al duelo...
read more136 – Grief in Buddhism 2: Some Buddhist Practices Helpful for Facing and Integrating Grief
Grief is love in the face of loss; do you want to stop loving in order to stop feeling grief? Of course not. But we also don't want to be controlled or overwhelmed by it. There are a number of Buddhist practices that can help us as we practice with grief – trying to face it, and making sure we don’t impede our own grief process. What I’ll share in this episode isn’t by any means a developed or exhaustive process of grief work, it’s just a short list of Buddhist practices that can be beneficial.
read moreMini Episode – A Four “S” Approach to Shikantaza: Sit Upright, Still, Silent, Simply Be
Shikantaza, or the practice of "just sitting," can be challenging. We're asked not to try to control our meditative experience, but are we just supposed to sit there like a sack of potatoes and let habit energy have its way? I present a simple approach to returning to your intention whenever you have a moment of awareness in your sitting, and making that intention very simple and free from expectation of results. We simply intend four "S's": To sit upright, still, silent, and simply be.
read more135 – El Duelo en el Budismo 1: Enseñanzas Budistas sobre el Duelo y el Peligro del Bypass Espiritual
Categories: Práctica Budista ~ Translator: Claudio Sabogal Click here for audio + English version of Episode 135 Este episodio y el siguiente tratan sobre el duelo en el Budismo: ¿Cuáles son las...
read more135 – Grief in Buddhism 1: Buddhist Teachings on Grief and the Danger of Spiritual Bypassing
Grief in Buddhism: What are the teachings about it, and how are we supposed to practice with it? It's often easy to suppress or bypass our grief. This may leave us stuck in one of the early stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, or depression), or unable to face reality or live with a fully open heart. Unfortunately, some Buddhist teachings may seem to suggest it's better if we don't feel grief. I explore the question of grief and how we can practice with it in Buddhism in a fruitful and beneficial way.
read more134 – Sutra del Loto 1: ¿Qué es la Devoción y Cómo Realiza el Camino de Buda?
Category: Buddhist Texts ~ Translator: Claudio Sabogal Click here for audio + English version of Episode 134 ¿Qué es la devoción y cómo cumple el Camino de Buda? El Sutra del Loto es uno de los...
read more134 – Lotus Sutra 1: What Is Devotion, and How Does It Fulfill the Buddha Way?
The Lotus Sutra is one of the oldest and most central sutras in Mahayana Buddhism. The sutra states repeatedly that people who perform small acts of devotion, such as making an offering at memorial to the Buddha, “have fulfilled the Buddha Way.” What does this mean? I think the Lotus Sutra, and Mahayana Buddhism more generally, is saying that we can transform the universe in an instant, that the smallest of our actions matters, and that the key to all of it is the state of our own mind and heart.
read more133 – Restaurando la maravilla: el hito de iluminación silenciosa de Hongzhi – Parte 2
Translator: Claudio Sabogal Click here for audio + English version of Episode 133 Encabezados: La luz y la oscuridad son interdependientes (y por qué es importante) Medicina y veneno Silencio...
read more133 – Restoring Wonder: Hongzhi’s Guidepost of Silent Illumination – Part 2
I continue in a second episode with my reflections on Chan master Hongzhi's "Guidepost of Silent Illumination. I discuss the interdependence of absolute and relative and why that matters in real life; how skillful bodhisattva action arises out of zazen; how silence is the supreme mode of communication, and how serenity and illumination - calm and insight - are both contained in zazen.
read more132 – Recuperando lo maravilloso: referencia de la iluminación silenciosa de Hongzhi – Parte 1
Translator: Claudio Sabogal Click here for audio + English version of Episode 132 Encabezados: Poesía y enseñanzas Zen Hito de iluminación silenciosa Espiritualmente solitario y lleno de...
read more132 – Restoring Wonder: Hongzhi’s Guidepost of Silent Illumination – Part 1
In this episode and the next, I’m going to riff off of 12th-century Chan master Hongzhi’s short text, “Guidepost of Silent Illumination,” one of the most positive and encouraging Zen teachings a know. By “riff” I mean I’ll play off of, and spontaneously elaborate on, Hongzhi’s words, as opposed to explaining or analyzing them in an exhaustive or comprehensive way. I take this approach because it’s more fun, but also because “Guidepost of Silent Illumination,” like most Chan and Zen writings, is essentially poetry.
read more131 – ¿Enfrentando la impermanencia? Afortunadamente, el Budismo tiene que ver con la vida y la muerte
El punto central del Budismo no es otra cosa que la impermanencia, o el “Gran asunto de la vida o la muerte”. Nuestra práctica va mucho más allá de las trivialidades o creencias destinadas a hacerte sentir mejor con respecto a todo el asunto. En cambio, nuestra práctica se trata de una exploración directa y personal de la experiencia y las implicancias de estar vivo en un mundo donde no hay absolutamente nada a lo que aferrarnos. Excepto, por supuesto, a ese mismo hecho, y el hecho de que estar completamente vivo significa que no nos aferramos a nada en absoluto.
read more131 – Facing Impermanence? Fortunately, Buddhism Is All About Life and Death
Buddhism’s central point is nothing other than impermanence, or the "Great Matter of Life-and-Death." Our practice goes far beyond platitudes or beliefs meant to make you feel better about the whole affair. Instead, the essence of our practice is a direct and personal exploration of the experience and implications of being alive in a world where there is absolutely nothing unchanging for us to hold on to. Except, of course, that very fact, and the fact that being fully alive means we don’t hold on to anything at all.
read more130 – Practicando con miedo en el Budismo
Categories: Práctica Budista, Budismo Hoy ~ Translator: Claudio Sabogal Click here for audio + English version of Episode 130 ¿Qué dice el Budismo sobre la práctica con miedo? El miedo es una...
read more130 – Practicing with Fear in Buddhism
Fear is a natural response that helps us protect ourselves and our loved ones, but it can also be inappropriate and debilitating. Buddhist practice offers many ways to help us manage our fear. We start with mindfulness of fear in and of itself, and then become mindful of what feeds it versus what decreases it. We then act in ways that increase our equanimity. We also let go of expectations, assumptions, and narratives in order to decrease suffering and ground ourselves in the absolute aspect of reality.
read more129 – ¿Por qué es esencial la autoestima cuando el yo está vacío?
Categories: Práctica budista ~ Translator: Claudio Sabogal Click here for audio + English version of Episode 129 La autoestima es absolutamente esencial en la práctica Budista, pero puede parecer...
read more129 – Why Is Self-Esteem Essential When the Self is Empty?
Self-esteem is absolutely essential in Buddhist practice, but it may seem like self-esteem has no place in Buddhism. The Buddha taught us to stop identifying anything as I, me, or mine, because doing so leads to suffering. In Mahayana Buddhism we say the self is empty of any inherently-existing, enduring, independent self-nature. What exactly is it we’re supposed to hold in esteem, or have confidence in? If the main point is to transcend self-concern, isn’t self-esteem the opposite of what we’re going for?
read more128 – Actuar: Salir de Casa y Ayudar a los Demás (Budismo de Crisis, parte 3)
Categories: Budismo Actual, Práctica Budista ~ Translator: Claudio Sabogal Click here for audio + English version of Episode 128 Actuar es la segunda área de práctica en el Budismo de crisis....
read more128 – Taking Action: Getting Out of the House and Helping Others (Crisis Buddhism Part 3)
Taking Action is the second area of practice in Crisis Buddhism. It means working to help alleviate or prevent the suffering we witness in the world by leaving our homes, interacting with others, and engaging in bodhisattva activity in an active, tangible way. In this episode I begin addressing three reasons we resist Taking Action: We don't think it's "our thing," we don't have the time or energy, or we don't see anything we do that's also worth doing.
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