The Zen Studies Podcast
Religion & Spirituality
About
Learn about traditional Zen and Buddhist teachings, practices, and history through episodes recorded specifically for podcast listeners. Host Domyo Burk is a Soto Zen priest and teacher.
Episodes
- 331 - When Confronted with Great Difficulties: Zhaozhou's "Just Right"
How can we practice without ignoring the world, but also without being overwhelmed by it? We can learn something from a koan involving the 9th century Chan master Zhaozhou (Joshu): A monk asked, "When a great difficulties come, how should…
- 330 – Teisho: Awakening Bodhicitta, Seeking Your Heart's Inmost Desire
This is a teisho – like a cross between a Dharma Talk and guided meditation. Teisho are sometimes called "encouragement talks," and they are meant to help listeners connect with the Dharma in the spaciousness and silence of zazen. Teisho a…
- 329 - No Buddhist Bible: A Brief Overview of 2500 Years' Worth of Buddhist Texts (2 of 2)
In Part 2 of this episode, I continue giving my "2,500 years' worth of Buddhist texts in a nutshell," an overview of texts in my Zen lineage. In Part 1 I explained what makes a Buddhist text considered legitimate enough to be passed down t…
- 328 – A Place Where Everybody Knows Your Name: Sangha as Community (2 of 2)
In Buddhism, we have three treasures: Buddha, teachers or our own awakened nature; Dharma, the teachings or the truth itself, and Sangha, the community of people who practice and maintain the tradition together. From the beginning of Buddh…
- 327 – A Place Where Everybody Knows Your Name: Sangha as Community (1 of 2)
In Buddhism, we have three treasures: Buddha, teachers or our own awakened nature; Dharma, the teachings or the truth itself, and Sangha, the community of people who practice and maintain the tradition together. From the beginning of Buddh…
- 326 - No Buddhist Bible: A Brief Overview of 2500 Years' Worth of Buddhist Texts (1 of 2)
You may have discovered there are lots of Buddhist teachings and texts. Jews have their Torah, Christians their Bible, Muslims their Quran, and Hindus their Vedas, but Buddhists have no divinely-inspired central text, or even collection of…
- 325 – Imagine Yourself as a Buddha and Unblock Your Natural Generosity
In Buddhism, we are guided by the ideal of a Buddha, or awakened being. One of the characteristics of a Buddha is unconditional and selfless generosity, and when your generosity is blocked, you can be sure that some part of you still needs…
- 324 - Yunmen's "Every Day Is a Good Day"
In koan #6 from the Blue Cliff Record, Yunmen says, "Every day is a good day." I explore this koan, including the way we sometimes imagine our real life is going to happen after something, and the various ways we can experience "good."
- 323 – Zazen As Defiant Self-Care
Since the term arose in 1950's, "self-care" has referred to a number of different things. If we consider self-care to be things you do to remain physically and mentally healthy, then Zazen – simple, goalless, Zen meditation – can be seen a…
- 322 – Q&A: Relationships, Cultural "Zen," No-Self, and Confession
This a Q&A episode based on questions I've received from listeners: Does Zen have anything to say about human relationships? Can we learn anything from the cultural popularization of the term "Zen"? If we have no independent self-nature, w…
- 321 - How Buddhist is Zen? The Buddha's Teachings Compared to Radical Nondualism
Viewed historically, Zen is a form of Mahayana Buddhism that evolved from the original forms Buddhism that were established in India after the Buddha's death around 2,500 BC. Many aspects of original Buddhism are retained in Zen, including…
- 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 very different entry gates, but when we examine self-power and other-power more closely,…
- 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 zenstudiespodcast.com. I discuss: What does Kosho Uchiyama mean in his book Opening the Hand…
- 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 unconditionally – including, of course, our enemies. In this time of growing divisiveness…
- 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 a flower and blinks. Keizan says, "No one knew his intention, and they were silent." The…
- 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 (local communities, towns, cities, states, nations), are Sanghas really be free from politi…
- 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 called a "method of no method," in which we let go of any striving whatsoever – even to con…
- 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 into emptiness? This is one of my unscripted Q&A episodes, where I answer questions submitte…
- 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 self" in Zen, and what "self" we're talking about if – according to the teachings – 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 "self" we're talking about if the self is empty of any inherent nature! Now I move on to…
- 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 becoming intimately familiar with your self - your mind and your body. A lifetime path of pract…
- 310 - Three Paths: The Value of Monastics, Clergy, and Lay Practitioners in Western Zen
Since the Buddha's time, certain practitioners have chosen to leave the household life to dedicate themselves completely to formal Buddhist training. Undergoing a ceremony of ordination in which they took monastic vows, these monks and nun…
- 309 - Dana, the Paramita of Generosity: Buddhist Teachings on Giving (2 of 4)
I discuss the oldest source of Buddhist teachings on Dana as a bodhisattva perfection – the Jataka tales, or stories about Shakyamuni Buddha's remarkable actions during previous lifetimes. Such stories inspired people to follow the bodhisa…
- 308 – Q&A: Sharing the Dharma with Children, Mindfulness, and a Posture Mistake
In this episode I answer listener questions: How do you address the dharma and practice with young kids? If I'm trying to be mindful on work breaks, should I just go cold turkey and not look at my phone at all or maybe try a more moderate…
- 307 - Dana, the Paramita of Generosity: Buddhist Teachings on Giving (1 of 3)
Dana, generosity or giving, is the first Mahayana Buddhist paramita. Generosity is where the journey to self-transcendence begins. In this first episode on Dana, I give an overview of the Buddha's teachings on the virtue of giving. These t…
- 306 – Teisho: Ordinary Mind Is the Way, Never Apart from This Very Place
This is a teisho - kind of like a cross between a Dharma Talk and guided meditation. I hope my words will point you toward how the Great Matter - that which we seek to awaken to and manifest - is never apart from this very place. Ordinary…
- 305 - Dharma Foundations: Truths to Rely on No Matter What
Religions and spiritual paths are meant to give you strength and help you find meaning. Many people derive strength and meaning through faith in an all-powerful God who works in mysterious ways but ultimately has your best interests in min…
- 304 - Supporting the Zen Practice of People with Physical Challenges (2 of 2)
In this episode I make the case for accommodations for people with physical challenges, even in sesshin, and then describe a number of tried and tested ways Sanghas can do this. I finish by talking about how to negotiate with a Sangha if y…
- 303 - Supporting the Zen Practice of People with Physical Challenges (1 of 2)
People with extra physical challenges - disabilities, chronic illnesses, or advanced age - often find it impossible to participate fully in Zen practice without special accommodations. Seated meditation (zazen) can be painful, and the dema…
- 302 – Q&A: Standing Up for What's Right, and Zazen Versus Dissociation and Trance
In this extemporaneous Q&A episode, I address these questions: What is the responsibility of Buddhists to stand for what is right? What is the difference between the Buddhist goal of "detaching from clinging and aversion" and the pathologi…
- 301 – Teisho: You Have to See Your Nature
This episode is a Teisho, an encouragement talk that's meant to be listened to while you are sitting quietly. Zen teachers give Teisho during sesshin , and this amounts to a more formal kind of Dharma talk, almost like a meditation. It's n…
- 300 - One Reality, Many Descriptions Part 6: Trikaya, the Three Bodies of Buddha
The teaching of the Trikaya, or Three Bodies of Buddha, is challenging. It may seem to be metaphysical speculation or surprisingly theistic for Buddhism. However, it offers a unique and valuable framing for the mystery of awakening, the pa…
- 299 – Q&A: Revisiting Veganism and Moral Choices, and Questions about Shikantaza
In this extemporaneous question-and-answer episode I address a listener's comment on my answer in a recent Q&A episode about the relationship between Buddhism and eating a plant-based diet. Then I respond to two different questions about t…
- 298 – Framing Your Dharma Practice in a Helpful Way
Chances are, whether you're aware of it or not, you have a certain way of framing your Dharma practice. That is, you function using a conceptual framework that defines your relationship to your practice, the intent of that practice, and wh…
- 297 – Investigating the Wandering Mind
Almost everyone who practices meditation or mindfulness encounters the phenomenon of the wandering mind – when, despite your conscious intention, your mind is filled with thoughts that have nothing to do with your current experience. You c…
- 296 – Q&A: Paramis, Mindfulness, Karma, and Enjoyment
This is an extemporaneous question-and-answer episode. Do you know the difference between a parami and a paramita? Do I still like to think of mindfulness as "undivided presence?" What about when Buddhists use the idea of karma as an excus…
- 295 - The Power of Equanimity
Equanimity is a powerful state of being that not only reduces our stress and suffering but also enables us to respond effectively. However, in our efforts to achieve some measure of equanimity, we may end up stuck in the tentative calm of…
- 294 - Ten Fields of Zen, Field 10 - Connecting with the Ineffable, or What Is Most True
The tenth Field of Zen is Connecting with the Ineffable. Zen is not based on a belief in God in a theistic sense. However, at its core there is a strong emphasis on a much more profound, inspiring, significant, and hopeful Reality than the…
- 293 – Q&A: Veganism, Letting Thoughts Go, and Motivation for Action
In this episode I extemporaneously answer questions listeners have submitted by email, including: Why aren't Buddhist vegan if the first moral precept is "do not kill?" What does it really mean to "let go" of a thought? And: Isn't taking a…
- 292 - Ten Fields of Zen, Field 9 – Bodhisattva Activity: Enacting Vows to Benefit All Beings
Bodhisattva Activity is enacting vows to free all beings as well as yourself. This is an acknowledgment that you are interdependent with all beings and things, and such an aspiration can give a sense of purpose and direction to your whole…
- 291 - Keizan's Denkoroku Lead Chapter: Shakyamuni's "I and All Beings"
In Episode 272 , I discussed the third chapter of Zen Master Keizan's book The Denkoroku , or the Record of the Transmission of Illumination . In the interest of thoroughness, I figured I'd start back at chapter one, with Shakyamuni Buddha…
- 290 - Ten Fields of Zen, Field 7 – Realization: Direct Experience of Reality-with-a-Capital-R
The eighth Field of Zen Practice is Realization, gaining a direct, personal experience of the truth. Realization helps you respond appropriately, allowing you to live by choice instead of by karma. Even more importantly, it gives you a lar…
- 289 - Ten Fields of Zen, Field 6 – Opening Your Heart: Self-Acceptance and Non-Separation (2 of 2)
This episode is the second half of the seventh chapter of my book-in-progress, The Ten Fields of Zen: A Primer for Practitioners . Listen to/read the previous episode (288) first, where I talk about the importance of Opening Your Heart and…
- 288 - 10 Fields of Zen, Field 7 – Opening Your Heart: Self-Acceptance and Non-Separation (1 of 2)
The seventh Field of Zen Practice is Opening Your Heart. Working explicitly to open your heart not only benefits other living beings, it puts you in accord with the Dharma and supports all other aspects of your practice. You work on radica…
- 287 - A Few Useful Teachings for Tumultuous Times
In a time of political divisiveness, many of us look to the three treasures of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha for solace, strength, and guidance. I offer a few Dharma teachings I have found useful for practicing in tumultuous times.
- 286 – Ending Dukkha: Taking Care of this Precious Life (2 of 2)
In the last episode, I offered seven points about the role of Dukkha in our life and practice and discussed the first five points. In this episode I'll finish the discussion with point #6: Buddhism offers a holistic approach to alleviating…
- 285 – Ending Dukkha: Taking Care of this Precious Life (1 of 2)
While physical and emotional pain, discomfort, and longing are an inevitable part of human life, Dukkha is existential angst we add to such experiences, ranging from subtle uneasiness to acute anguish. It drives our unhealthy or harmful be…
- 284 - Reflections on Continuous Practice and Dogen's "Gyoji" (2 of 2)
It's challenging to make our Dharma practice continuous – maintaining awareness and appropriate conduct each moment of our lives. In his essay Gyoji, or "Continuous Practice," Zen Master Dogen doesn't offer practical tips for mindfulness a…
- 283 - Reflections on Continuous Practice and Dogen's "Gyoji" (1 of 2)
Our goal in practice is to live in accord with the truth, or the Dharma - not only while sitting in meditation or studying Buddhism, but every moment of our lives. In other words, we strive to make our practice continuous . It can be extre…
- 282 – Cutting Moral Corners: Is Buddhism Compatible with 21st-Century Life? (2 of 2)
This is part two of my discussion "Cutting Moral Corners: Is Buddhism Compatible with 21st-Century Life?" In Part 1 I talked about the moral stress that arises from living a modern life, where almost every decision we make becomes a moral…