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Zazen Pamphlet: Essential (and Brief) Instructions for the Practice of Zazen
Episode 96
I challenged myself to write instructions for the practice of zazen that would fit on a letter-sized, tri-fold brochure – 8 ½ by 11 inches, two sided…
7 years, 4 months ago
Lineage in Buddhism: The Intersection Between the Individual and the Collective Tradition
Episode 95
In many forms of Buddhism, particularly in Zen, we have the concept of "lineage:" the essential aspects of our collective religious tradition have be…
7 years, 4 months ago
Buddha's Teachings 13 - The Five Hindrances - Part 3
Episode 94
The Buddha taught that there are five main "hindrances" we encounter in our spiritual practice: 1) Worldly desire; 2) ill-will; 3) sloth-and-torpor; …
7 years, 4 months ago
Buddha's Teachings 12: The Five Hindrances – Part 2
Episode 93
The Buddha taught that there are five main "hindrances" we encounter in our spiritual practice. In this 2nd episode of 3, I start going into detail a…
7 years, 4 months ago
2019-03-15 Off-Week Book Review: Why Buddhism Is True
I review Robert Wright's Why Buddhism Is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment. While it's not necessary to know the "why"…
7 years, 5 months ago
Buddha's Teachings 11: The Five Hindrances – Part 1
Episode 92
Meditation and other aspects of Buddhist practice can be difficult. According to the Buddha, it's useful to pay attention to exactly what's going on …
7 years, 5 months ago
Unethical Buddhist Teachers: Were They Ever Really Enlightened?
Episode 91
The list of supposedly-highly-realized Buddhist teachers who have abused their power and acted in harmful ways – particularly in the realm of sex – i…
7 years, 5 months ago
Buddhist History 11: Early Indian Buddhism - Stupas and Devotional Practice - Part 2
Episode 90
In Part 1 (Episode 82), I defined Devotional Practice as extending beyond demonstrations of respect, gratitude, and reverence to practices believed t…
7 years, 5 months ago
Buddhist Practice as a Lifelong Path of Growth and Transformation
Episode 89
Traditionally, Buddhist practice has been more than something you do to make everyday life more pleasant; it's a path of training and study aimed at …
7 years, 6 months ago
Nyoho: Making Even Our Smallest, Mundane Actions Accord with the Dharma – Part 2
Episode 88
Nyoho practice is looking for opportunities to act in accord with the Dharma in the midst of our daily lives, in very practical, physical ways. We vi…
7 years, 6 months ago