Best The Zen Studies Society Podcasts (2025)

1
303 - Supporting the Zen Practice of People with Physical Challenges (1 of 2) 27:08

7d ago27:08

27:08

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 demands of silent meditation retreats (sesshin) can be prohibitive. However, an important part of Zen practice - es…

1
302 – Q&A: Standing Up for What’s Right, and Zazen Versus Dissociation and Trance 35:17

15d ago35:17

35:17

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 pathological states of detachment from reality called "dissociation?" How would you describe the desirable level of over…

1
Awakening to Forms, See the Mind 42:53

20d ago42:53

42:53

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 5/11/25 - The connection between the creative process and the Dharma is an important entranceway to deepening our Zen practice. Engaging creative expression as a practice helps us leap free of the constraints of intellect, experiencing a resonance with the world beyond what we think of as “myself.” Our senses t…

1
Being One With: Fusatsu 21:04

22d ago21:04

21:04

Bear Gokan Bonebakker, Osho - ZMM - 5/9/25 - What is it we wish to cultivate in our lives, to give energy to? Fusatsu is a chance to bring our intentions alive—especially where we have done harm—by taking responsibility for our actions. Being at one with our transgressions as well as our aspirations are at the heart of this ancient practice of aton…

1
Jacob Marques-Rollison / The Two Sides of Jacques Ellul’s Work 1:02:57

25d ago1:02:57

1:02:57

Jacob Marques-Rollison is currently co-president of the International Jacques Ellul Society (IJES). Among his publications on the life and work of Jacques Ellul are A New Reading of Jacques Ellul: Presence and Communication in the Postmodern World (2020) and an English translation of Ellul's two-volume ethical treatise To Will & To Do. He and his w…

1
The Language of Buddhist Study 46:31

27d ago46:31

46:31

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 5/4/25 - How we take up the Dharma includes how we study, using words to go beyond words and concepts. How we see words being used in the world should give us an understanding of how we might get tangled in our own objectification of things. Freedom emerges hand in hand with how we learn to be free of grasping,…

1
Right Imagination 42:30

27d ago42:30

42:30

Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - ZCNYC - 5/4/25 - To truly engage the many skillful means to awakening, we must imagine the possibility of moving beyond reactive patterns and socially imposed norms—to free the clinging mind from suffering. Hojin Sensei explores imagination as an essential part of the dharmic path, through which we begin to recognize, as…

1
Jessica Lanyadoo: On Navigating Through the Astrology of These Times 58:28

1M ago58:28

58:28

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description.*In challenging times, it can be important to access a multitude of healing pathways, and we can use astrology as a supportive tool to understand both the current moment and access our personal and collective agen…

1
301 – Teisho: You Have to See Your Nature 28:14

1M ago28:14

28:14

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 not meant to be educational. I’m curious as to how it will come off if you listen to it while walking or driving …

1
Dharma Encounter: Teacher-Student Relationship 1:15:51

1M ago1:15:51

1:15:51

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 4/27/25 - How do we work skillfully with the teacher-student relationship in Zen training? What do we create with it in our minds? Working with a teacher, how can we learn to show up authentically, to meet ourselves? To work out the difficult moments we find ourselves in, and allow our vulnerable hearts to shin…

1
In Darkness It Is Most Bright 24:53

1M ago24:53

24:53

Suzanne Taikyo Gilman, Senior Monastic - ZCNYC - 4/27/25 - Can we use our direct experience to express what words cannot adequately convey? Using a teaching from zen master Hongzhi, monastic Taikyo takes up this question of how to explore the vast universe within ourselves and share our dark fears, our vulnerability, and our joys, in traveling this…

1
Is It Mine, Or Yours? 46:19

1M ago46:19

46:19

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 4/26/25 - All beings have buddha nature and the capacity to fully realize ourselves; this is a fundamental teaching of the Dharma. Shugen Roshi explores the realization of Vasumitra, an early successor to the Buddha, in an encounter with his own transmission teacher. How is it to be fully met in the dharma, and…

1
Fusatsu: Skillful Means In the Forms of Practice 35:08

1M ago35:08

35:08

Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - ZMM - 4/25/25 - Skillful means, “Upaya,” are forms that the teachings take throughout our practice. How do we take up everything, including the edges that appear, rather than fight against them? How do we use our practice to explore and expand our capacity to be alive, fulfilled, and responsive to the world? - Dharma Tal…

1
Practicing With Intention 42:35

1M ago42:35

42:35

Ron Hogen Green, Sensei - ZMM - 4/24/25 - Honesty is essential to serious spiritual practice. We need to become honest with ourselves about the nature of our suffering, our habitual reactivity and our fear, so that we can acknowledge them before being able to release them. This level of integrity is needed for the entrance to a loving and compassio…

1
Dean Spade: On Liberating Our Relationships for a Better World 1:02:12

1M ago1:02:12

1:02:12

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description.*Lifelong activist and educator Dean Spade dares us to decide that our interpersonal actions are not separate from our politics of liberation and resistance. Many activist projects and resistance groups fall apart…

1
Understanding Selfless Wisdom 46:21

1M ago46:21

46:21

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 4/23/25 - The Perfection of Wisdom Sutra shows us there is no intrinsic right and wrong when we understand the nature of emptiness. Selflessness is a key aspect of this wisdom, and developing a clear understanding is essential. The self-less wisdom is what we can rely on to guide us within a world of dualities:…

1
Philip John Paul Gonzales / Responses to Jean-Louis Chrétien 58:48

1M ago58:48

58:48

Philip John Paul Gonzales is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at St. Mary’s Seminary & University, Baltimore. He is author of Reimagining the Analogia Entis: The Future of Erich Przywara’s Christian Vision and editor of Exorcising Philosophical Modernity: Cyril O’Regan and Christian Discourse after Modernity, and co-editor of Finitude's Wounded…

1
300 - One Reality, Many Descriptions Part 6: Trikaya, the Three Bodies of Buddha 34:06

1M ago34:06

34:06

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 palpable presence of the Ineffable despite its ungraspable nature, and the relationship of all phenomena to the I…

1
The Sacred Activity of Work 43:02

1M ago43:02

43:02

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 4/20/25 - How can we transform our everyday actions into expressions of spiritual awakening and joy? Shugen Roshi explores the concept of "Work" as not just physical or mental effort, but as a profound, joyful manifestation of our inherent spiritual abilities. (See Master Dogen's Shobogenzo Fascicle #24 - On th…

1
A Question of Practice 28:16

1M ago28:16

28:16

Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - ZCNYC - 4/19/25 - Being a practitioner of the Buddha dharma, how do you know practice works? Without commenting or evaluating; without looking for progress, look at how it operates -- how you operate -- right here and now.By Zen Mountain Monastery

1
Aida Mariam Davis: On Kindred Creation and Black Futures 1:02:31

1M ago1:02:31

1:02:31

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description.*In her work, author, organizer, and designer Aida Mariam Davis explores the historical and ongoing impacts of settler colonialism, making explicit the ways that extraction, oppression, and enslavement serve the g…

1
Paul R. Hinlicky / Lutheran Theology 1:01:17

2M ago1:01:17

1:01:17

Paul R. Hinlicky is Tise Professor emeritus at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia. He is author of numerous articles and books, including the Cascade Companion on Lutheran Theology (2020), Luther for Evangelicals (2018), Luther and the Beloved Community (2010), and a systematic theology, Beloved Community (2015). He is Distinguished Professor on th…

1
Mountain Light: On Zen Study 48:45

2M ago48:45

48:45

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZCNYC - 4/13/25 - The second of the Eight Gates of Zen Training is "Mountain Light: Zen Study". Don't confuse it with "Academic Study" which is the third gate. Zen Study refers to the many facets of studying with a teacher. Shugen Roshi explains what that kind of study means and emphasizes the importance of holding i…

1
Practice Instructions 33:15

2M ago33:15

33:15

Bear Gokan Bonebakker, Osho - ZMM - 4/13/25 - Gokan Osho takes us through Master Hongzhi's Practice instructions, reminding us to appreciate whatever's arising without grasping.By Zen Mountain Monastery

1
299 – Q&A: Revisiting Veganism and Moral Choices, and Questions about Shikantaza 32:39

2M ago32:39

32:39

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 the practice of shikantaza, or just sitting.By Domyo Burk

1
Planting the Fields 48:22

2M ago48:22

48:22

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 4/6/25 - Planting, cultivating—how do we affect our troubled world for the better—on a spiritual path? How does this function? Shugen Roshi explores how the reasoning mind can be of service, but the essential ingredient is one’s own intention and commitment, beyond the surface of our thinking minds, to the real…

1
Fusatsu: The Three Pure Precepts 36:29

2M ago36:29

36:29

Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - ZCNYC - 4/6/25 - Hojin Sensei explores the heart of the three pure precepts; the simple path of clarity, kindness and love; this perennial wisdom that flows through all of us. (We apologise for the audio/mic glitches in some parts of the recording.)By Zen Mountain Monastery

1
Nicole Russell-Wharton: On Breaking Generational Silence 1:00:49

2M ago1:00:49

1:00:49

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description.*Generational silence is a term applied to families who have experienced suppressed thoughts or repressed emotions for at least two generations. Generational silence addresses both the cycle and impact of issues l…

1
Richard Tarnas: On Depth Psychology, Spirituality, and the Human Journey 1:28:13

2M ago1:28:13

1:28:13

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description.*This special episode features CIIS Professor Emeritus and cultural historian Richard Tarnas sharing illuminating insights into the nature of human consciousness and the cosmos. In this talk, Richard explores one …

1
298 – Framing Your Dharma Practice in a Helpful Way 22:44

2M ago22:44

22:44

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 what is supposedly being transformed by that practice. When you're centered in the moment, you can practice witho…

1
Hogen Sensei: Dharma Encounter on Non-Deception 1:16:33

2M ago1:16:33

1:16:33

Ron Hogen Green, Sensei - ZMM - 3/30/25 - To not deceive oneself is the fundamental ground of all moral and ethical action, and to do that we need to go deep into the roots of our greed, aggression and ignorance. How do we work with this? How has our zazen practice helped us become more skillful and to take responsibility even when we resist that? …

1
Gently Working With Distraction 44:23

2M ago44:23

44:23

Bear Gokan Bonebakker, Osho - ZCNYC - 3/30/25 - Gokan talks about the ways of distraction. Whether blatant or very subtle, they are us, they are mind, and it's so important to be gentle as we work with them.By Zen Mountain Monastery

1
500 Blessed Lives, Part II 39:10

2M ago39:10

39:10

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - 3/29/25 - Every concerned person has to consider the realities of cause and effect, or karma. In fact, it’s causes and conditions that bring this moment to our awareness. We are affected by everything, and every thought and action of ours has an impact. This truth, that our actions matter, is of great benefit to heal…

1
Fusatsu: Wholesome and Unwholesome Actions 39:16

2M ago39:16

39:16

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 3/28/25 - Perfecting our actions is how we cultivate the qualities of a bodhisattva, and this is what is practiced in the moral and ethical teachings of Zen Buddhism. In this realm of existence, we can have a positive effect even on difficult circumstances. This talk by Shugen Roshi explores what is of benefit …

1
Sincerity in Practice 44:03

2M ago44:03

44:03

Danica Shoan Ankele, Osho - ZMM - 3/27/25 - Master Hongzhou says, "Contact phenomena with total sincerity - not a single atom of dust outside yourself." How we connect with the world of beings and things can be seen as caring, and within zazen the energy of steady presence and attention is what we offer those we love. It is a potent mix of awarenes…

1
500 Blessed Lives 40:42

2M ago40:42

40:42

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - 3/26/25 - The Zen koan "Baizhang’s Fox" explores the nature of cause and effect (karma) and enlightenment and is taken up in this talk. Shugen Roshi explores how freedom is not about escaping cause and effect but understanding its nature, and seeing that we have an enormous effect through our thoughts, words and acti…

1
Dr. Debashish Banerji and Dr. Sara Granovetter: A Jungian and Zen Approach to the Untamed Self in the Ten Oxherding Pictures 1:06:57

2M ago1:06:57

1:06:57

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description.*The Ten Oxherding Pictures is an image series that visualizes the Buddhist training path to enlightenment. The Ten Oxherding Pictures have served as a spiritual teaching tool for centuries, guiding seekers throug…

1
Laurie M. Johnson / A Longer View on Our Culture Wars 1:08:03

2M ago1:08:03

1:08:03

Laurie M. Johnson is professor of political science at Kansas State University and president of The Maurin Academy (https://pmaurin.org). Most of her work has involved developing an understanding and critique of classical liberal theory and includes works on Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Tocqueville. Her recent book, Ideological Possession and the R…

1
Realization of Body-and-Mind 40:57

2M ago40:57

40:57

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - ZMM - 3/23/25 - “Shedding body and mind” is now a classic Zen phrase, and so what can it teach us about practice? Shugen Roshi explores how a novel translation of the character for “dust” as “body-and-mind” gave birth to a new perspective on zazen practice through the teachings of Dogen, the 9th century Zen master wh…

1
Opening to Liturgy 44:35

2M ago44:35

44:35

Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - ZCNYC - 3/23/25 - What's Liturgy? What's not Liturgy? Hojin Sensei talks about it's place, not just as a function in the Zendo, but as a down to earth, profound opening, right now, in our life.By Zen Mountain Monastery

1
2025.03.02 – Not All Egos Are Created Equal, By Giun Sensei, NYZ 23:24

2M ago23:24

23:24

For more information, or to make a donation, please visit:https://zenstudies.org/donateSee more teachings and videos on on youtube:https://link.zenstudies.org/yt-subscribeBy Zen Studies Society

1
Rōshi Norma Wong: An Indigenous & Zen Perspective on Living Into a World Beyond Crisis 1:04:50

2M ago1:04:50

1:04:50

Some podcast apps may not display links from our show notes properly, so we have included a list of links at the end of this description.*In this episode, 86th generation Zen master and Indigenous Hawaiian leader Rōshi Norma Wong is joined by CIIS Associate Professor Sonya Shah for an illuminating conversation exploring spiritual activism and how t…

1
The Transformation of Karma 39:49

3M ago39:49

39:49

Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi - 3/16/25 - The Diamond Sutra’s teachings convey an understanding of karma at the fundamental level of dharma practice. How we get at the roots of karmic formations happens through cultivating awareness—within zazen and within a vow—where those energies can be transformed into something different. Karma is not determin…

1
Cooking Our Supreme Meal 49:57

3M ago49:57

49:57

Jody Hojin Kimmel, Sensei - 3/16/25 - What do we create out of the karma that we have now? How do we "actualize good for others"? Hojin Sensei takes us through Dogen's Fascicle "Tenzo Kyokun" (Instructions for the Zen Cook), which is an instruction assigned to all successive cooks at ZMM, and is a deep teaching for all of us, to use all of our life…

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