320 – Two Ends of the Spiritual Practice Tunnel: Self-Power Versus Other-Power
Zen Buddhism exemplifies practice based in self-power, or jiriki. Pure Land Buddhism exemplifies practice based in other-power, or tariki. These are v...
319 – Q&A: Universal Life, the Bodhisattva Vow and Monasticism, and Other Traditions
This is one of my unscripted Q&A episodes, where I answer questions submitted by listeners. If you have a question, go ahead and send it to me at zens...
318 – Loving Your Enemies: Extending Metta Does Not Mean Capitulation
Unlike Jesus, the Buddha didn't explicitly instruct us to "love our enemies." However, he did instruct us to extend goodwill, or Metta, to all beings ...
317 – Keizan's Denkoroku Chapter 1: Mahakashyapa's Smile
In this episode I read and reflect on Chapter One of Keizan's Denkoroku: Record of the Transmission of Illumination. In it, Shakyamuni Buddha holds up...
316 – Buddhist Communities and Public Political Stands: A Moral Quandary
When should Buddhist communities take public stands on issues that could be seen as political? If politics is about how we make decisions in groups (l...
315 - Bad Zazen: Not Just an Oxymoron
The form of meditation we do in Zen, unless we're working on a koan, is called shikantaza – nothing but sitting – or silent illumination. It's been ca...
314 – Q&A: Comfort in the Precepts, Anger at Injustice, and Accidental Kensho
How do you find comfort in the precepts? What is the relationship between anger, forgiveness and justice? What about anxiety due to abrupt insight int...
313 – Ten Fields of Zen, Field 7 – Learning the Self: This Very Body Is Buddha (3 of 3)
This is the third part of three of my episodes on "Learning the Self," one of my Ten Fields of Zen. In the first episode I discussed why we "study the...
312 – Ten Fields of Zen, Field 7 – Learning the Self: This Very Body Is Buddha (2 of 3)
Part two of three of my series on "Learning the Self," one of my Ten Fields of Zen. Last episode I discussed why we "study the self" in Zen, and what ...
311 – Ten Fields of Zen, Field 7 – Learning the Self: This Very Body Is Buddha (1 of 3)
Ultimately, if you want to experience Realization and have it transform your life, you need to commit yourself to Learning the Self. This means becomi...