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The Zen Studies Podcast

Mar 30, 2017

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...


Mar 23, 2017

This episode is a Dharma Talk, where I present my own take on traditional Zen and Buddhist teachings & practices.

In this talk I present an alternative to mindfulness practice, because I believe the concept of mindfulness – at least the way it is typically understood – may limit our spiritual development. It can...


Mar 16, 2017

This episode is a continuation of episode 5, which focused on the historical and religious context in India before the Buddha, and how social, economic, and political changes inspired new, alternative religious movements around the time of the Buddha (500-400s BCE). I continue that story by talking about the new...


Mar 9, 2017

This is the first episode in my “Buddhist History and Seminal Texts” series. I discuss the historical and religious context for the beginnings of Buddhism in India in the 500s 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...


Mar 2, 2017

If you haven’t already done so, you may want to listen to Zazen (Seated Meditation) Part One: What Zazen Is and How to Do It before this episode.

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...