Paths of Practice: Conversations on Journeys into Buddhism (Vincent Moore)

Dave Cuomo is an ordained Zen priest, who serves as the Head of Practice at the Angel City Zen Center in Los Angeles, CA.

We discuss playing "Rainbow Connection" on breaks while training in a monastery, how punk and Buddhism relate to one another, institutional issues within Sotoshu, and the importance of community as practice.

Rev. Myō Denis Lahey is the Abbot of Hartford Street Zen Center Issan-ji in San Francisco and serves as a Guiding Teacher at Valley Streams Zen Sangha in Sacramento.

We discuss Rev. Myō's Catholic upbringing, Zen teachers, the importance of developing an openness towards various faith traditions, the history and significance of the Hartford Street Zen Center, Western esotericism, and ceremonial magic.

Sangen Salo is an ordained Zen Buddhist priest and teacher that serves as abbot of Sanneji based in Karjaa, Finland. Sangen sensei is also Sante Poromaa Roshi’s first Dharma heir in the lineage of Roshi Philip Kapleau and teaches at the Helsinki Zen Center as well as other zendos in the Sanneji network.

We talk about the connections between Zen practice and playing the shakuhachi, learning from Sante Poromaa Roshi and the deep sense of understanding and connection between teacher and student, participating in takuhatsu (alms-gathering) in Japan with a lightly sprained ankle, and practicing not just for your self but for other people.

Rev. CJ Sokugan Dunford (they/them/theirs) is a Jōdo Shinshū minister serving as minister's assistant at the Berkeley Buddhist Temple and Tokudo minister at the Buddhist Temple of Marin. Rev. CJ recently completed a Doctorate of Ministry degree at the Pacific School of Religion and teaches at the Institute of Buddhist Studies. Rev. CJ works towards establishing practical Jodo Shinshu frameworks of spiritual care for LGBTQ+ folks that can be utilized by both leadership and laypersons in various sangha settings ranging from traditional temple structures, to smaller LGBTQ+ focused healing & support groups and organizes the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance at the Berkeley Buddhist Temple.

We discussed finding community and a framework for liberation in Jōdo Shinshū, viewing hope as a discipline, exploring "gender as empty," the joy and magic found in building queer family in Japan, and the importance of knowing that you're loved.

Rev. Myozan Ian Kilroy is a Soto Zen Buddhist priest and a Dharma heir of Taigu Turlur Roshi, in the lineage of Nishijima Roshi and Rempo Niwa Zenji. Rev. Myozan serves the Zen Buddhism Ireland sangha, where he is the founding teacher and abbot at Dublin Zen Centre. Rev. Myozan is the founding president of the Irish Buddhist Union and represents Buddhism on the Dublin City Interfaith Forum. In early 2025, Rev. Myozan's book "Do Not Try to Become a Buddha: Practicing Zen Right Where You Are" will be available via Wisdom Publications. (https://wisdomexperience.org/product/do-not-try-to-become-a-buddha/).

We talk about the history and development of Zen Buddhism in Ireland and Europe, using skillful means to discuss Buddhism and Buddhist teachings with Irish Catholic audiences, the importance of NOT recognizing a connection between zazen and creativity, and embracing 'great doubt' and feeling the cloth before you make a stitch.

Scott Mitchell, PhD, is the Dean of Students and Faculty Affairs at the Institute of Buddhist Studies, where he also serves as the Rev. Yoshitaka Tamai Professor of Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Studies. He is soon assuming the role of President of Academic Affairs at IBS.

We talk about the undifferentiated nature of Jodo Shinshu practice and everyday life, music, novel writing, and Buddhist tattoo art.

Wendy Dainin Lau, MD, is an Emergency Medicine and Addiction Medicine physician and an ordained Zen priest that serves the Upaya Zen Center sangha in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Dainin is also the author of Inner Practice of Medicine, which compiles the lessons that she has been gathering throughout her time as a doctor and teacher of doctors. For more information about Dainin and the Upaya Zen Center, please see the following link: https://www.upaya.org/

We discuss Shuso Hossen-Shiki ceremonies, the learning and healing exchange occurring while treating Roshi Joan Halifax's recent injury, Upaya’s Nomads Clinic and the experience of pilgrimage in Nepal, humbling yourself to meet people where they are in their spiritual journeys, treating physician burnout, literally chopping wood and carrying water, and how her rescue dog highlights the liberating qualities of nature.

Rev. Liên Shutt is an ordained Soto Zen priest and Dharma teacher in the tradition of Shunryū Suzuki Roshi. Born to a Buddhist family in Vietnam, Rev. Liên trained in the Insight and Zen traditions in the U.S., Thailand, Japan, and Vietnam. Rev. Liên co-founded Buddhists of Color in 1998 and currently is the founder and guiding teacher of Access to Zen, an anti-racist, inclusive sangha and non-profit in the San Francisco Bay Area (AccessToZen.org). Rev. Liên is also the co-host of the podcast, Opening Dharma Access, and the author of Home Is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path. We talk about the experience of training in both the Insight Meditation and Soto Zen traditions, takeaways from practicing in Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan, Buddhists of Color and the importance of resources like affinity groups, and the value of exploring the precepts and being supported by them along the path.

Rev. Jikai Tyler Dehn serves the Tendai Buddhist Sangha of Australia at Enmitsuji Temple in the Hawkesbury Region of New South Wales, Australia.

We discuss walking practice in Blue Mountains National Park, the Lotus Sutra, living in Japan, his experiences participating in Gyoin, and following intuition.

Gillian Coote, Roshi, is a social documentary filmmaker, writer, grandmother and bush regenerator, and serves the Sydney Zen Centre sangha as a senior resident teacher.

We talk about camping out during sesshins amongst iguanas and noisy koalas, weeding and removing invasive species as part of Buddhist practice, synchronicities and meeting Robert Aitken Roshi, how she's weaved architecture and house building projects into her life, and the rewards of following your curiosity.

Bonbu Stories is an Asian American arts collaborative dedicated to using music as a medium for raw storytelling and building connections. Featured on the podcast are Sydney Shiroyama, Miharu Okamura, and Miko Shudo. For more information about the group, please see the following link:

https://bonbustories.art/

Please also see the following link for "Lantern Song" by Bonbu Stories:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZMJ39gNHU0

We talked about the process of writing and choreographing Lantern Song, finding “home” and connection with different Jodo Shinshu Buddhist sanghas while on tour, the experience of performing at the 55th Annual Manzanar Pilgrimage, and how Bonbu Stories approaches projects and creativity as an arts collective.

We discuss Sejal's experiences as a first generation Indian American, the spiritual influence she's received from her father, Buddhism and law, and how Buddhist practice feels like "home."

Jade Sasser, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Gender & Sexuality Studies Department at University of California, Riverside. Sasser is the author of Climate Anxiety and the Kid Question: Deciding Whether to Have Children in an Uncertain Future and host of the podcast, Climate Anxiety and the Kid Question.

We discuss how mindfulness practices may benefit climate anxiety, how writing Climate Anxiety and the Kid Question deepened her Buddhist practice, the role of chanting in daily life, and Soka Gakkai International's work towards nuclear disarmament.

Catherine Raynor Brown is a sangha member of the Karma Kagyu Thigsum Chokhorling (or Karma Choeling Buddhist Monastery), a study, practice and retreat centre in the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism based in Waitoki, New Zealand. https://kagyu.org.nz/

We discuss the recent passing of the monastery's founding teacher and observing 49 days of prayer, traditional Tibetan healthcare and medicine, best practices for stupa renovations, a buddha statue's eye opening ceremony with blessings from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, and remembering that "it's okay."

Rev. Chimyo Atkinson is a Soto Zen priest that serves the Great Tree Zen Women’s Temple in Alexander, NC, as well as sanghas and centers throughout the United States and internationally. Rev. Chimyo was ordained by Rev. Teijo Munnich in 2007 and received Dharma Transmission in 2015. She received monastic training at Great Tree Temple and completed two Sotoshu International training periods (angos) in Japan in 2010 and 2011, two additional angos at Aichi Senmon Nisodo in Nagoya in 2012 and one ango at Ryumonji Monastery in Iowa in 2014. Chimyo served as Head of Practice at Great Tree Zen Women’s Temple and volunteered with the sangha at Avery-Mitchell Correctional Institute until 2020.

We talked about encountering isolation, judgement and loneliness while practicing Buddhism in Southern states, the challenges of coordinating Jukai for inmates of a correctional facility, zazen and 'just stopping' to connect with your full self, monastic practice in America and Japan, Dogen and love, and the importance of taking care of each other and approaching everything in life like your “ringing that bell.”

Rev. Brandon Chikyō Paris serves the Koyasan Beikoku Betsuin of Los Angeles, CA. We talk about Rev. Paris beginning a Master of Divinity program at Naropa University with a focus in Pastoral Care, exploring different Buddhist traditions growing up before finding Shingon, the process of receiving Gonkyoshi certification, learning the art of ikebana, and the experience of having an international network of spies consisting of friends, family, and teachers that look out for you.

Rev. Kodai Haga (Sen) leads the Rinzai Zen Mission, which is based in Paia, Maui.

We talk about surfing as a way of becoming one with nature, visiting other temples and traditions within the Hawaiian Buddhist temple network, growing up in a temple family and reconnecting with Buddhism after college, monastic training at Enkaku-ji and koan study, "moonbows" and pig feet stew, and the question of how to teach Japanese Buddhism in an American context.

Dr. Mari Rhydwen Roshi teaches at The Zen Group of Western Australia, a lay-Buddhist community associated with the Diamond Sangha. Mari Roshi also worked as a linguist with a focus in Aboriginal languages, specializing in language maintenance and revival.

We talk about integrating koans into your bones like family stories, dokusan with Yamada Roshi, training within the Diamond Sangha with Robert Aitken Roshi, doing zazen under the stars while living on a sailboat in the Indian Ocean, and how concepts found in Zen like 'interconnectedness' reflect elements of Aboriginal beliefs.

Rev. Melissa Opel serves as the Head/Resident Minister of the Buddhist Church of San Francisco.

We talk about Rev. Opel's journey with and eventual break from evangelical Christianity, struggles with faith and identity, the process of becoming a minister, and understanding Jodo Shinshu as a tradition that invites you to come as you are.

Josan Janis Cooke Newman is the author of the memoir, The Russian Word for Snow, and two novels: Mary; Mrs. A. Lincoln and A Master Plan for Rescue. Janis also teaches creative writing, offering courses like Writing and Mindfulness: Cultivating a Daily Practice through the San Francisco Zen Center, and founded Lit Camp, a writer's conference that takes place at the Esalen Institute. Janis also founded Creative Caffeine Daily, an online writing community.

We talk about memoir writing and Zen, being a ‘baby Buddhist,’ the joyful experience of sewing a rakusu, the impact of taking lay ordination precepts, viewing mornings as a creative, liminal space, and approaching haikus as a Zen writing practice.

Rev. Johnny Eijun Vuong serves the Koyasan Beikoku Betsuin of Los Angeles, CA.

We discuss Rev. Vuong's initial experiences with Chinese Buddhism, faith begetting faith, joining the Koyasan Shingon sangha, finding Kobo Daishi in everyone and everywhere, and viewing compassion not just as a concept but as an action you take as a participant in the world.

Rev. Harry Gyokyo Bridge is the Resident Minister of the Buddhist Church of Oakland.

We talk about Rev. Harry's experiences as a minister in the Bay Area, how to develop awareness as a driver on the road, and the impact of music on his Jodo Shinshu path.

Rev. Ryuei Michael McCormick serves the Nichiren Buddhist Sangha of the San Francisco Bay Area Shingan-ji.

We talk about chanting and self-consciousness, the punk/hardcore music scene of Philadelphia during the 80s, ordination, and the three-dimensional experience of the gohonzon.

Anthony “T” Maes teaches at the East Bay Meditation Center, Insight Meditation Society, Inward Bound Mindfulness, Freedom Together, Spirit Rock Meditation Center, and Dharma Homies.

Find out more about Anthony and his work through his website: https://www.anthonymaes.com/

In this episode, we discuss the importance of relationality in mindfulness practice, how facilitating retreats for teenagers informs leading retreats for adults, the jungle experience of practicing in the Thai Forest lineage of Theravada Buddhism, the "faculty lounge" of dharma elders and teachers, and the joy of playing an indigenous flute.

Rev. Dr. Carmela Javellana Hirano serves the Salt Lake Buddhist Temple as a minister and is an integrative psychiatrist and founder of Sanctuary for Healing and Integration (SHIN). We talk about 'dharma food fights,' the pinball-like trajectory of life, growing up Catholic in the Philippines, the differences between psychiatric medical training and Jodo Shinshu minister training, discussing your own foolishness in dharma talks, and identifying compassion in moments of crisis.

Rev. Dr. Duncan Ryūken Williams is a Soto Zen priest and the Professor of Religion and East Asian Languages & Cultures as well as the Director of the USC Shinso Ito Center for Japanese Religions and Culture. Dr. Williams is the author of American Sutra: A Story of Faith and Freedom in the Second World War, The Other Side of Zen: A Social History of Soto Zen Buddhism in Tokugawa Japan, and the editor of seven volumes including Hapa Japan, Issei Buddhism in the Americas, American Buddhism, and Buddhism and Ecology. He has also translated four books from Japanese into English including Putting Buddhism to Work: A New Theory of Economics and Business Management. For more information about Dr. Williams, please see the following link: https://www.duncanryukenwilliams.com/

We discussed Dr. Williams's recent experience serving as temporary abbot of Eiheiji and Sojiji, chaplaincy at Harvard University, learning a softer approach to Zen directly from Thich Nhat Hanh, American Sutra and activism with Tsuru for Solidarity, the future of American Buddhism, and trusting your gut. For more information about the Irei: National Monument for the WWII Japanese American Incarceration project, please see the following link: https://ireizo.org/

David Roylance teaches at Daily Wisdom - Walking The Path with The Buddha, an organization based in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

We discuss leading retreats with visits to elephant sanctuaries, the experience of practicing Buddhism in a Buddhist country, translating the Pali Canon, practicing Buddhism in tandem with Traditional Thai Healing Arts, developing equanimity, and the importance of finding a teacher along the path.

Rev. James W. Farwell, PhD, is a Professor of Theology and Liturgy as well as the Director of Anglican Studies at the Virginia Theological Seminary. Rev. Farwell is also the H. Boone Porter Professor of Liturgics and the Acting Vice President for Academic Affairs at the General Theological Seminary. We talk about the privilege of attending to the Holy, approaching dual practice as a member of the Episcopal Church and a Soto Zen Buddhist, receiving encouragement from his maternal grandmother to find spiritual truth wherever it can be found, visiting sacred places, and walking with two hearts along the dual path.

Ayya Santacitta Bhikkhuni co-founded Aloka Vihara in 2009, a monastic residence for a small group of nuns that had moved to America from England, and received Bhikkhuni Ordination in 2011. Santacitta Bhikkhuni is committed to Gaia as a living being and resides at Aloka Earth Room, a contemporary temple-space located in San Rafael, California.

For more information about the Aloka Earth Room, events, and Ayya Santacitta's programs, please see the following links:

https://alokavihara.org/aloka-earth-room/ https://alokavihara.org/earth-room-events/

https://alokavihara.org/aloka-earth-room-events/

In the podcast, we discussed weaving art, ecology, and Buddhism together in the Aloka Earth Room, how to develop the courage to be with the unknown, dharma as meaning "to support" and "to be supported," actively being a part of the Earth's immune system to meet the illness of the climate crisis, and the experience of living in monasteries and monastic communities around the world within the Thai Forest Tradition.

If you're interested in some book recommendations around the topics we discuss and Ayya Santacitta's work, Ayya Santacitta suggests picking up the following:

David Abram, Becoming Animal: An Earthly Cosmology, 2011

David Abram, The Spell of the Sensous, 1997

Vanessa Machado de Oliviera, Hospicing Modernity: Facing Humanity’s Wrongs and the Implications for Social Activism, 2021

Charlie is a Zen Priest and Dharma Teacher at Brooklyn Zen Center.

We talk about maintenance and repairs at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Waldorf education, music, and exploring the differences between problems and mysteries.

Venerable Thubten Dekyi is a community member and monastic resident of Sravasti Abbey in Newport, WA. We talk about nature and dharma practice, being moved by a statue of Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī, construction of the new Buddha Hall at Sravasti Abbey, bhikshuni ordination at Fo En Si Temple in Taiwan, what it might be like to go to space, and following your heart.

Harrison Saito serves the Koyasan Seizanji Temple in Sydney, Australia, as Rev. Washo Saito's administrative assistant and son. Saito is also a Karate and HSC English coach. Please see the following Linktree for more info: https://linktr.ee/harrison.saito

We talk about perceiving life as a matching game, the connections between martial arts and Koyasan Shingon Buddhism, the experience of being a student at being a student, connecting with his father (Rev. Washo Saito) through training, "mastery" as including both skill and curiosity, the meaning of "embracing the suck," and not giving up.

Rev. Shingaku Jenny Henderson leads the Winding Path Sangha, a Tendai Buddhist community based in Springfield, MA. We discuss locating areas for bodhisattva and buddha venerations on pilgrimage walks, the journey of finding a permanent space for the sangha, the efforts to sustain an inclusive and welcoming space for beginners, navigating how to both honor the Tendai lineage while also being mindful of cultural appropriation, temple cats, and “lighting up your corner.”

Aaron Proffitt, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Japanese Studies at the University at Albany, SUNY, and a Certified Minister's Assistant at the New York Buddhist Church and co-founder of the Albany Buddhist Sangha.

We discuss living and researching in Japan, how different Buddhist traditions influence and weave into each other, his eclectic home altar and approach towards Jōdo Shinshū, and the importance of sangha.

Rev. Dr. Enrique Galvan-Alvarez is a professor of Humanities and Digital Society at the Universidad Internacional de La Rioja-UNIR and a Jōdo Shinshū priest that serves Jinen-Kō, an online community of Portuguese and Spanish speaking folk who are interested in learning and practicing the Dharma, or teachings, of Pure Land Buddhism. For more information about Jinen-Kō and the European Shin Conference 2025, please see the following link: https://jodoshinshu.org/

We talked about the ever-changing nature of the past, initially taking refuge within the Vajrayāna tradition, finding a “livable” practice in Jōdo Shinshū, how rituals within Jōdo Shinshū can vary in different sanghas, and how contemplating impermanence can at times be distressing but can also offer hope.

Zenzele Isoke, PhD, is a black feminist theorist, urban ethnographer, and political storyteller and serves as an Associate Professor in The Harriet Tubman Department of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Maryland in College Park. Dr. Isoke practices meditation in the Insight and Zen traditions, with experience practicing at the Clouds and Water Zen Center and Common Ground Meditation Center.

We talk about the heart-opening qualities of Christianity and Buddhism, deepening an understanding of form and emptiness while chanting at George Floyd’s funeral, incorporating breath and mindfulness techniques into university courses about racial trauma, creating a relaxed environment and body for writing, and the importance of sangha.

Rev. Kaitlyn Mascher-Mace is a Jōdo Shinshū priest and host of the BuddhistPriestPlays channel on Twitch.

We talk about developing digital Buddhist communities, military and hospital chaplaincy, working as an emergency paramedic, and how everyone is special and welcome under the tent of Jōdo Shinshū.

We talk about food and yogi chores at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, Nonviolent Communication, listening to intuition, and creative writing and performance.

Ralph H. Craig III, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Religion at Whitman College and the author of Dancing in My Dreams: A Spiritual Biography of Tina Turner.

We discuss finding Soka Gakkai in a phone book, understanding practice as the art of looking again, Ashtanga vinyasa yoga, and the dharmic teachings of Tina Turner.

Shosan Victoria Austin is an international Soto Zen priest that serves the San Francisco Zen Center sangha as a Dharma teacher, previously fulfilling the roles of Work Leader, Tenzo, Tanto, and President. Victoria is also a certified Senior Intermediate teacher within the Iyengar Yoga tradition.

We talk about participating in abbot stepping up and down ceremonies, the differences between guilt and responsibility, Iyengar Yoga, developing and providing accessible zazen postures for all bodies, viewing the body as organized by committee, and acting on what you feel is true and needed.

Angela Lintz Small, PhD, is a Historical & Cultural Studies of Religion PhD Student and Student Trustee at the Graduate Theological Union.

We talk about Angela's experience as a student at the Graduate Theological Union, PTSD and ADHD, eco feminism, finding sangha at the National Black Buddhist Meeting, reading Lama Rod Owens' Love and Rage, and practicing Insight Meditation at the East Bay Meditation Center.

Rev. Koshi Kurotaki leads the Soto Mission of San Francisco - Sokoji.

We talk about dharma combat, monk training at Eihei-ji, differences between Zen in Japan and America, and the meaning of the Heart Sutra.

Myokei Caine-Barrett, Shonin, serves as the resident priest and principal teacher of Myoken-ji Temple in Houston, TX. Myokei Shonin also serves as bishop for the Nichiren Shu Buddhist Order of North America, the first woman of African-Japanese descent and the first American to do so.

We discuss finding community with the Center for Spiritual Living, going through Nichiren Shu ordination as a woman, the experience of hardships revealing an unshakeable core, the challenges and positive impacts of interfaith work within the American prison system, how to develop self-love, and Japanese hot springs.

Fresh “Lev” White is a love and compassion activist. He offers mindfulness, mediation, and diversity trainings as tools for shifting towards more authentic, conscious, and passionate living. He teaches and writes about how unconditional love and self-compassion are the ultimate gateways to honoring and understanding others; thus, healing our communities and our planet. For more information about Lev, please see the following link: https://affirmativeacts.org/ Please also see below for links to some of the organizations Lev mentions as resources: Dark and Tender | Official Trailer | The Chronically UnderTouched (CUT) Project https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u24WVJLqe7A Dhamma Dena Meditation Center https://www.dhammadena.org/home Jews On Ohlone Land https://www.jewsonohloneland.org/ Transgender Law Center https://transgenderlawcenter.org/ East Bay Meditation Center https://eastbaymeditation.org/ Tzedek Lab https://www.tzedeklab.net/ We discussed Lev's experience at a retreat focused on platonic touch and healing, grief and grief in community, practice as "from commitment to home," resources for living in 2025, approaching religion as love and faith as compassion, and spontaneous practice.

Rev. Kanse Capon Shonin, a Nichiren Shu priest, serves the Nichiren Shu Buddhist Temple of UK located in Dagenham, Essex.

We discuss celebrating Oeshiki and hosting members of the European Nichiren Shu sangha network, the closer-than-family relationship between master and disciple, embarking on a more than 300 mile pilgrimage from Penzance to Dagenham, the legacy of Captain John M. James, and cultivating a faith that's "like water."

Jinzu Minna Jain (they/them) is an artist, writer, and racial & systemic equity educator. They identify as BIPOC, disabled, queer and trans/nonbinary. Jinzu has been practicing Sōtō Zen Buddhism for over twenty years and is a novice priest at Clouds in Water Zen Center. They are also the Director of Learning & Development with Real Transformation Today, a racial equity education and consulting group. Jinzu is mostly curious about how Zen practice can help us be human well, meet ourselves and one another complexly, and enjoy our little lives a little more. They wish to break down barriers to access caused by systems of oppression and provide gateways into Sōtō Zen for anyone who wishes to experience it. More info at minnajain.com

We talk about the Clouds in Water Zen Center sangha holding space for (and nurturing!) a dying maple tree on their property, the Way of the Mississippi River, the comfort of wrapping yourself in the Buddha’s teachings, cyanotype and impermanence, and how getting comfortable with doubt can allow you to be your full self.

Ben Connelly is a Soto Zen teacher and Dharma heir in the Katagiri lineage. He also teaches mindfulness in a wide variety of secular contexts including police training and addiction recovery groups. He works with multifaith groups focused on race and climate justice. Ben serves the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center, travels to teach across the United States, has written for Tricycle and Lion’s Roar magazines, and is author of Inside the Grass Hut, Inside Vasubandhu's Yogacara, Vasubandhu's "Three Natures," and Mindfulness and Intimacy.

We talk about learning from other faith traditions through the Minnesota Multifaith Network (MnMN), engaging with Buddhist texts and sutras as a writer, playing music at Soto Zen conferences, chanting as a way of grounding yourself in the Buddha’s teachings and lineage, and the uniqueness of your life in this moment.

Mushim Patricia Ikeda is a secular mindfulness and Buddhist teacher working primarily with justice activists and BIPOC meditation practitioners as well as with people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. Mushim is a core teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, California, and has been published in Lion's Roar, Tricycle, Buddhadharma and various anthologies. Mushim's training and practice have roots in Korean Zen (Seon or Sŏn Buddhism) and Vipassanā, among others. For more information, please visit www.mushimikeda.com. We discussed 'prefigurative activism,' transitioning from a monastic Korean Zen practice to Insight/Vipassanā, mindfulness practices for caretakers, expressing emotions and social justice initiatives through “write action,” and the importance of approaching spiritual practice as an adventurer.

Jaune Evans is a Soto Zen priest and senior teacher at the Everyday Zen Foundation. Jaune also serves as guiding teacher of the Heart of Compassion Zen Sangha in Point Reyes, California.

We talk about exploring light and air as photography subjects, early experiences with the White Plum Asanga, developing a connection with the Everyday Zen Foundation and teacher Zoketsu Norman Fischer, Issan Dorsey's beautiful heart, and how her work during the AIDS epidemic and her work with indigenous American communities has impacted her practice.

Rev. Jon Turner is a minister at the Orange County Buddhist Church (OCBC) and is an instructor at Everyday Buddhist, an online Buddhist education organization. For more information about Rev. Turner and Everyday Buddhist, please check out the following link: everydaybuddhist.org

We discuss the task of developing a curated curriculum for Everyday Buddhist, transitioning away from Protestant Christianity and into a Jodo Shinshu sangha, weaving practice into your life as if it were a habit, gaining insight into causes and conditions from being a fan of The Beatles, the role of imagination in the Pure Land sutras, and celebrating the 125th anniversary of the Buddhist Churches of America.

Rev. Monshin Paul Naamon is the abbot and co-founder of the Tendai Buddhist Institute (Jiunzan Tendaiji), an officially recognized branch temple of Enryakuji Temple on Mt. Hiei located in East Chatham, NY.

We discuss the feng shui and geographical history of the Tendai Buddhist Institute’s location, finding what was missing in Zen in America within Tendai in Japan, converting a horse barn into a Hondo, ritual and meditation as informing each other, and the importance of finding and connecting with the bodhisattva 'superheroes' living among us.

So-on Eli Brown-Stevenson is a resident priest at the San Francisco Zen Center and serves as the Director of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging for the City Center, Green Gulch Farm, and Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. Eli also teaches mindfulness to BIPOC grade school children and regularly instructs at SFZC's Young Urban Zen.

We discuss learning more about what it is to be human through a deep cleaning of the kitchen at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, the importance of finding a teacher that resonates with you, jukai and embodying the precepts, the heart-mind of children, male identity and emotional health, and letting curiosity be your guide.

Rev. Robert Ryugen Doshin Yamada is a Soto Zen priest and founder of the Animal Liberation Temple (Dōbutsu Kaihōji), a Soto Zen Buddhist temple and animal sanctuary based in Martinez, CA.

We discuss how the Animal Liberation Temple approaches caring for non-human animal residents, Rev. Yamada's journey into Buddhism, the guidance Rev. Yamada finds in the bodhisattva, Jizo, when addressing suffering, and non-human animal rescue efforts and rehabilitation.

Shodhin Geiman, PhD, serves as abbot of the Chicago Zen Center and as Senior Research Professor at Valparaiso University. Shodhin is the author of Alone in a World of Wounds: A Dharmic Response to the Ills of Sentient Beings as well as Obstacles to Stillness: Thoughts, Hindrances, and Self-Surrender in Evagrius and the Buddha.

We discuss 'Midwestern Zen,' Chicago Zen Center’s 50th anniversary, the fundamental role of dokusan in Zen practice, and viewing the bodhisattva vows from a place of egolessness.

Amy Shoemaker is a hospital chaplain.

We talk about studying abroad in Bodh Gaya, participating in the Jewish Studio Project and healing through art therapy, practicing Insight Meditation with Will Kabat-Zinn's Sunday Sangha, developing personal rituals and weaving mindfulness “inefficiencies” into hospital chaplaincy, and the impact of listening.

Fusatsu received Jukai in the Soto Zen lineage in 2018.

We discussed Fusatsu’s experience assisting with preparations for a recent abbot transition at the Sanshin Zen Community, the Everyday Zen Foundation, pet sanghas, making virtual dharma connections, the impact of nature practice, and being comfortable outside of your comfort zone.

Kogen Austin Keith is a Soto Zen priest and Army chaplain.

We talk about camaraderie and pranks at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, developing a Zen practice in New Orleans, bringing along a copy of the Shōbōgenzō Zuimonki while fighting wildfires, fielding the varied concerns of soldiers as an Army chaplain, the challenges of serving as a police officer, and the importance of supporting your local Buddhist sangha.

Roshi June Ryushin Tanoue is a Zen Buddhist priest and the co-founder of Zen Life & Meditation Center based in Chicago, IL. June Roshi is also a Kumu Hula (Master Teacher of Hula) and the founder of Halau I Ka Pono, the Hula School of Chicago. For more information about June Roshi and the Zen Life & Meditation Center, please see the following links:

https://www.zlmc.org/

https://www.lionsroar.com/the-hula-sutra/

We talk about the connections between hula and Zen practice, maternal family histories and the sacred feminine, recognizing Kaiona (the Hawaiian goddess of the lost) as a Buddhist bodhisattva, islands of coherence, the honesty and beauty of Pele’s destructive anger, and following your bliss.

Rev. Cyndi Jikaku Yasaki is a Jōdo Shinshū minister that serves the White River Buddhist Temple based in Auburn, WA. Rev. Cyndi completed her Certificate in Shin Buddhism from the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Spring 2019 and received the first level of ordination, Tokudo, in Kyoto, Japan in Summer 2019. She married her husband, Rev. Tadao Koyama, in 2020 and moved with him to Tacoma, WA upon his ministerial assignment as the Resident Minister of the Tacoma Buddhist Temple. Rev. Cyndi received her Masters in Arts in Buddhist Studies from IBS and her second level of ordination, Kyoshi, in 2022.

*Note: This episode briefly mentions suicide/self-harm.

We talked about the unique qualities of different Jōdo Shinshū sanghas within Washington state, what it's like being married to a minister while being a minister herself, gratitude and it's role in deepening Rev. Cyndi’s commitment towards ministry, anxiety and connecting with things outside of yourself as a form of healing, and the importance of knowing who you are in order to find the right medicine for you.

Som Pourfarzaneh, PhD, is the Associate Professor of Islamic and Digital Media Studies and Director of the Center for Multi-Religious Studies at Starr King School for the Ministry.

We talk about the dietary and spiritual impact of adopting a dog, identifying as a Muslim and a Buddhist, developing a connection to the Dharma Drum tradition and the Tallahassee Chan Center, spiritual wrestling, and how martial arts serves and also differs from Buddhist approaches to meditation.

Rev. JP deGuzman, PhD, is a lecturer in the Asian American Studies Department at UCLA and a Minister's Assistant at the San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple.

We discuss improv comedy and Buddhism, lessons given and learned while teaching high school students during the pandemic, the impact of a vitamin C gummy during tokudo, interweaving oneself within the history and architecture of temples through chanting, and allowing gratitude to ripen when it ripens.

Yoni Ackerman received lay ordination from the Berkeley Zen Center in 2022.

We talk about Yoni’s journey into becoming a physical therapist, growing up in a Reform Jewish household, just being yourself in zazen, the stink of zen, and looking locally to find your sangha.

If you're curious and wish to learn more about practice at the Berkeley Zen Center, feel free to reach out to Yoni through his email: jonathan dot d dot ackerman at gmail dot com.

Richard Payne, PhD, is a Professor Emeritus at the Institute of Buddhist Studies.

We discuss Tai chi, Buddhist practice and capitalism, interfaith dialogue, white Christian nationalism, and the upcoming print publication of The Oxford Encyclopedia of Buddhism.

Natalie Fisk Quli, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Theravada Buddhist Studies at the Institute of Buddhist Studies. Dr. Quli also serves as Senior Editor of Pacific World: Journal of the Institute of Buddhist Studies and is a member of its Editorial Committee. Dr. Quli is also Assistant Editor for the International Association of Shin Buddhist Studies's journal, The Pure Land: Journal of Pure Land Buddhism.

We discuss bipolar II disorder's impact on research and scholarship, identifying as "Buddh-ish," the major influence of power and power dynamics in the shaping of Buddhist sanghas in America, the complexity of new age spiritual movements and their inclusions/appropriations of Buddhism, and the differences between male and female Buddhist convert paths towards monasticism within American Theravada communities.

Rev. Gyokei Yokoyama is a Soto Zen priest that currently serves as Kokusai Fukyoshi (International Missionary) of Sozenji Buddhist Temple in Montebello, California. Gyokei also serves as the Secretary of Soto Zen Buddhism North America and as a board member of the Association of Soto Zen Buddhists (ASZB) and Soto Zen Buddhist North America (SZBA).Gyokei is the former minister of the Long Beach Buddhist Church, a non-denominational Japanese American Buddhist Church, and the former abbot of Iwoji temple, Shinshiro, Aichi Pref., Japan. Additionally, Gyokei has been a supporting teacher at Angel City Zen Center in Los Angeles and leads Rocky Mountain Zen, a lay sangha in Alberta, Canada.

We discuss the importance of diversity in sanghas, how what's emphasized within Zen communities in America can vary just like Zen sanghas in Japan, collective culture and healthy ego, the experience of leading Japanese American sanghas in Southern California, language, and how practice off of the cushion helps spin the wheel of dharma.

Rev. Myozen Joan Amaral is a Soto Zen priest and the Founder and Guiding Teacher of the Zen Center North Shore located in Beverly, MA. Joan is a dharma heir of Zenkei Blanche Hartman in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki, Roshi. Joan trained at Tassajara Zen Mountain Monastery for six years. While in residency at San Francisco Zen Center, she formed a dharma group – Dharma en Español – devoted to studying Suzuki Roshi’s Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind in Spanish (Mente Zen, Mente de Principiante), in order to provide the opportunity for native Spanish speakers to hear the dharma in their own language. Joan's primary focus as a Zen priest, meditation teacher, sangha leader, and community activist, is on the dynamic relationship between formal practice and everyday, messy human life. In recent times she has been exploring the relationship of zazen and social justice, self-care, and creativity as a path of true happiness. Please see the following link for more information about Joan and Zen Center North Shore: https://www.zencenternorthshore.org/

We talked about finding “the heart of dance” in shikantaza, facilitating a recent emergency school board meeting, the importance of getting out of your own way and being your full self, practicing in a public library, and asking, "who wants to play?".

Rev. Dr. Kenneth Tanaka is a Professor Emeritus at Musashino University in Tokyo and is a former Associate Professor and Assistant Dean of the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, CA. We discuss Buddhism and humor, shinjin and the Pure Land, the lesson of service embedded within Scouting America (formerly the Boy Scouts of America), finding Other Power in other branches of Mahayana Buddhism, and meeting spiritual teachers at the Institute of Buddhist Studies.

Rev. Tanaka is also teaching a course based on his book, Jewels: An Introduction to American Buddhism for Youth, Scouts and the Young at Heart. Please see below for the course description and the link for a free download of the text (at the bottom):

“Introduction to Basic Buddhism for the West and Beyond: Fireside Chat Session with 20 Laypersons and Teachers” (Starts September 7, 2024)

This course is designed to provide the basics of Buddhism for those seeking a religious/spiritual foundation through the Dharma. We will be looking at its teachings, history, and application in daily life as this world religion deepens its roots in North America and beyond. These basics are essential for better understanding of Shin Buddhism as well as of Buddhism in general.

Each session will feature 2 guest speakers: a lay person and a teacher.

Dr. Ken Tanaka and guest speakers will discuss and share their views on the topics found in the book, Jewels: An Introduction to American Buddhism for Youth, Scouts and the Young at Heart (BDK America, 2020) by Kenneth Tanaka.

10 sessions on the first Saturday of the month: In Japan日本, on the following Sunday morning. September 7, October 5, November 2, December 7, January 4, February 1, March 1, April 5, May 3, and June 7.

Video recording will be made available to you if you miss it.

Time: 5:00 - 6:30 pm (Pacific Time) & “Optional Chat Discussion Time” (6:35 – 7:05)

Application to Register for the Course: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCdI0oJ22Z9idB7TKkNbF3LuDEjqq0DTuoGYRg5vk6tHHOMA/viewform Book Download: https://www.bdkamerica.org/product/jewels-an-introduction-to-buddhism-for-youth-pdf-only/

Shinkō Andreas Hagn is a Soto Zen priest, who serves the Daijihi Soto Zen Sangha in Vienna, Austria. Shinkō also operates two businesses: Plantago and Shinkoko – Fine things from Japan. See below for links to their respective websites as well as Shinkō's personal website. We talk about incorporating a prison rehabilitation program into Daijihi’s Japanese tea business, sitting sesshin in the Black Forest and connecting with Avalokiteshvara, the practice of everyday life, Shōhaku Okumura and beneficial action, and the experience of establishing a Soto Zen sangha in Vienna. https://www.daijihi.org/en/home-english/ https://plantago.at/ https://shinkoko.at/ https://hagn.or.at/

We discuss Letesa's experiences with Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana), chaplaincy, and how she developed her practice and found her teachers.