Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Opening Dharma Access: Listening to BIPOC Teachers & Practitioners

Rev's in retreat all of September so we're flipping our usual format: Enjoy this 30 minute meditation and come back for an excerpt from the Dharma Talk which goes with it: "Spoon Buddha."

Meditations in this series are from the last period each night. As such, they can range from guided meditations to readings (often, with comments) to inspired or dharmettes to round out that day's instructional or teaching points.

This begins Season 5 of Opening Dharma Access!

REV. LIÊN SHUTT (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, immigrants, and those seeking a home in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a founder & Guiding Teacher of Access to Zen. You can learn more about her work and book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Pathat AccessToZen.org EVENTS

An insightful talk from Guest Teacher, Rev. Syd Yang, at A2Z Meditation Group, 7-20-26. A jump-off, in some ways, from Rev. Syd' interview of Rev. Liên earlier in July for their new podcast "The Dharma of Loneliness." 

Stay listening for Rev. Syd's A.I.R. practice near the end of the episode!

GUEST: 

Rev. Syd Yang, MDiv (they/them), host of The Dharma of Loneliness podcast, is a mixed race/Taiwanese American queer trans/non-binary Buddhist Minister, movement chaplain, spiritual counselor and writer who engages decolonial possibilities for shared liberation through their practice, Blue Jaguar Healing Arts. Syd’s work and writing finds its resonance in the stories we each hold at the intersection of memory, body, sexuality and mental health. Syd works primarily with queer and trans BIPOC as well as regularly leads workshops and facilitates community based practice spaces for wellbeing + healing justice, body liberation and recovery.

www.bluejaguarhealingarts.com / IG @bodyliberationchaplain and @bluejaguarlove

A few recent publications: (article) https://www.lionsroar.com/how-i-reclaimed-my-body/, (book / memoir) Release: A Bulimia Story, (podcast guest) Mending with Gold / Kintsugi Therapist Collective, (chapter) Emergent Dharma, (chapter) Q + A: Voices from Queer Asian North America

This month, we are doing a special feature of a wonderful new podcast hosted by our friend Rev. Syd Yang: The Dharma of Loneliness podcast! 

Rev. Syd sits down with Rev. Liên Shutt to discuss what it means to experience loneliness as a “best friend,” exploring how the idea of best friendship and relational hierarchy can feel unclear and shifting. Rev. Liên defines loneliness as a visceral sense of not belonging or being made “other,” and they discuss their experiences with othering via bullying, racism, queerness and cultural differences. They connect Zen insights and practices to befriending difficult sensations through mindful attention, metta, and embodied pause, emphasizing agency to “re-belong.” 

Joy Harjo’s poems “Cricket Song” and “Remember” frame loneliness as longing that can remind one to remember inherent connection, complexity, and living with what is.

Go to www.DharmaofLoneliness.com to listen to other episodes and learn more!

HOST

Rev. Syd Yang, MDiv (they/them), host of The Dharma of Loneliness podcast, is a mixed race/Taiwanese American queer trans/non-binary Buddhist Minister, movement chaplain, spiritual counselor and writer who engages decolonial possibilities for shared liberation through their practice, Blue Jaguar Healing Arts. Syd’s work and writing finds its resonance in the stories we each hold at the intersection of memory, body, sexuality and mental health. Syd works primarily with queer and trans BIPOC as well as regularly leads workshops and facilitates community based practice spaces for wellbeing + healing justice, body liberation and recovery.

www.bluejaguarhealingarts.com / IG @bodyliberationchaplain and @bluejaguarlove

A few recent publications: (article) https://www.lionsroar.com/how-i-reclaimed-my-body/, (book / memoir) Release: A Bulimia Story, (podcast guest) Mending with Gold / Kintsugi Therapist Collective, (chapter) Emergent Dharma, (chapter) Q + A: Voices from Queer Asian North America

GUEST

REV. LIÊN SHUTT (she/they), host of Opening Dharma Access podcast, is a priest lineage holder in the Shunryu Suzuki tradition. Born to a Buddhist family in Vietnam, she received her meditation training in the Insight and Soto Zen traditions in the United States, Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam. They are the guiding teacher of Access to Zen, an inclusive, anti-oppression sangha and nonprofit in the San Francisco Bay Area. She lives in Oakland, on Huichin land, with her partner, exploring waterways and forests as often as they can. 

Visit AccessToZen.org for ways to connect and practice together and to learn more about her book Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path.

Rev. Liên Shutt shares how precepts can be apply in daily life.

See the full session's video (with practice & audience participation) at: https://youtu.be/FKUagZ27uKA

Rev. Liên Shutt (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, immigrants, and those seeking a home in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a founder & Guiding Teacher of Access to Zen. You can learn more about her work and book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Pathat AccessToZen.org EVENTS

In this mindful dharma talk, Rahil invites us all to feel into our bodies and stay with our experience as we contemplate the 5th Precept: Non-intoxication or Clear Heart-Mind. Rahil talks about his own initial aversion to speaking on the Precepts, and the beauty of relating to this framework and tradition of guidance as a path toward deepening our presence to our lives. Rather than seeing them as strict rules that demand perfection and immediate change, Rahil encourages us to allow for authentic growth and evolution that begins in our stretch zones. 

Guest

RAHIL ROJIANI, MD (they/them) is a queer, genderfluid, South Asian Ismaili Muslim, and an abolitionist trauma-focused psychiatrist at Cambridge Health Alliance / Harvard Medical School. Rahil’s contemplative practices are informed by their Muslim faith, secular mindfulness traditions, and multiple Buddhist lineages. Rahil has conducted several years of research on the neuroscience of meditation, and they have been facilitating and teaching meditation since 2014— particularly for healthcare professionals, BIPOC, and community organizers. 

bruni dâvila talks about the fourth precept, not lying/honoring truths. What does that look like in practice? bruni gives some examples for the times we are living in together. 

GUEST 

BRUNI DÁVILA (she/they) has practiced Insight and Zen meditation since 1995. They graduated from the IMS/IRC Teacher Training Program, and has been guided and supported by various wonderful teachers and sanghas, and her ancestors of Puerto Rican heritage. bruni’s practice is grounded in the teachings of Mahasi Sayadaw and Sayadaw U Tejaniya. She teaches at IMC, in Redwood City and in the wider Bay area, in English and Spanish.

Rev. Willie discusses the 3rd Precept, not misusing sexuality, and frames it as how to be safe and not hurt with sexuality. After his talk, there is a discussion with Rev. Dana Takagi and Rev. Liên Shutt going deeper into what boundaries in sanghas and practice centers might look like, and how awareness of power is an important part of this precept. 

You can also watch the talk on YouTube

REVEREND WILLIE SHOMON MUKEI (he/him) is a Zen student at The Village Zendo and novice Zen Priest where he leads the People of Color Sitting Group. He is also a psychoanalyst with a private practice and a member of both the Buddhist Council of New York and a Episcopal Priest. Willie has extensive history working the anti-racism and social justice realm.

In week 2 of Precepts for Skillful Engagement: Cultivating loving interactions in turbulent times (BIPOC Teachers, Series 1), Dana talks about the importance of deeper and creative understandings of the precept of not stealing. Drawing from her personal background as an academic, and as a priest and teacher, Dana examines the precept of not stealing when framed in terms of who believes they have expertise or the right to be heard in shared spaces and conversations. 

In that spirit, here is a version of the 5 Precepts that may help to shine the light of awareness on how to share space and dialogue without taking what is not given. We hope you enjoy!

You can also watch the YouTube version which includes chanting and Q&A here.

5 Fundamental Precepts (not stealing week)
I vow to promote non-harming.
I vow to promote space-equity.
I vow to promote intimacy.
I vow to promote balanced speech.
I vow to refrain from expertise-ness.

First of 6 parts series from AccessToZen.org. For the video of this talk (& Deep Listening prompts & participants' comments, see link at end of show notes).

Week 1 of Precepts for Skillful Engagement in Turbulent Times series:

Rev. Liên gives an overview of 3 ways to practice with the precepts which she connects to how Sama has been translated as "Right," "Wise," & "Skillful" within the 8-Fold Path. Also shared are practice stories of her work with these precepts. The group practice is both the recitations (offered weekly) and the practice of Deep Listening as a form of Repentance (an aspect of precepts taking/vowing).
The affirming/positive aspect of the 5 Precepts offered today are:
I vow to realize & promote non-harming.
I vow to realize & promote mutuality.
I vow to realize & promote connections.
I vow to realize & promote honesty.
I vow to realize & promote clear heart-mind.
The traditional form & full info can be found at AccessToZen.org under the name of this offering. 
May this offering be for the benefit of all beings. 
Be safe. Bring safety to all.

See the full session's video at: https://youtu.be/l2SuNU85JI8

Contact Info.Access2Zen@gmail.com with questions or if your are able to support the continuation of Opening Dharma Access (ODA). Thank you!

Rev. Liên Shutt (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, immigrants, and those seeking a home in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a founder & Guiding Teacher of Access to Zen. You can learn more about her work and book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Pathat AccessToZen.org EVENTS

Opening Dharma Access podcast, season 4 compilation of highlights of all our fantastic guests this past season. We hope you enjoy!
Guests in order of appearance:
Rev. syd yang, Siddhesh Mukerji, Reverend/Kumu June Tanoue, Rev. Dana Takagi, Judy Nakatomi, Professor Alice Yang, Professor/Rev. Joseph Cheah, Abbess Yuko Yamada, Rev. Liên Shutt, Professor Michael Omi, Mushim Ikeda, Professor Sharon Suh, Eunji Son, Rev. Rebecca Nie.

YouTube Version.

Instagram Version. (Please share!)

If you enjoyed this and you know of funding opportunities for a project like ours, please reach out! We are also receiving donations to help us continue into season 5, which includes the time it takes to find guests, record, edit, and get the word out about the podcast! We would love to continue forwarding BIPOC voices!

Email: info.access2zen@gmail.com
IG: accesstozen

Rev. Liên & Rev. Dana tries -- & about what it might be our future, too! Zen Fools! :)

The Co-Host reflect on 2 Seasons forwarding Asian American (AA) & Asian Diasporic (AD) Buddhist teachers & practitioners; along with other AAs who have shaped our collective understanding of race and racialization in the U.S.

We thank Rev. Dana Takagi for her dedication to these aims for the last 2 seasons! These archives would not be the same without her or her guests' voices!

We'll be dropping a compilation of Season 4 for the "practice" on April 21.

UPDATE on 4/6: We did not get funding to renew this project. 

As always, feel free to contact us (about funding or otherwise) at Info.Access2Zen@gmail.com

Your hosts

REV. DANA TAKAGI (she/her) is a retired professor of Sociology and zen priest, practicing zen since 1998. She spent 33 years teaching sociology and Asian American history at UC Santa Cruz, and she is a past president of the Association for Asian American Studies. 

REV. LIÊN SHUTT (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, immigrants, and those seeking a home in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a founder & Guiding Teacher of Access to Zen. You can learn more about her work and book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Pathat AccessToZen.org EVENTS

As our world continues to tumble, here's a Soto Zen chant for Well-being. Kannon, or Kanzeon, are the Japanese names for the Bodhisattva of Compassion. This chant is calling on her/them to support us to be with "the cries of the world."

Traditionally, just a chant. Here, Rev. has embedded it with a meditation, offering guidance to reflect on how to practice being with and be nourished by our kind heart-minds, aching in the midst of difficulties.

May our practice be for the benefit of all beings!

Rev. Liên Shutt (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, immigrants, and those seeking a home in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a founder & Guiding Teacher of Access to Zen. You can learn more about her work and book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Pathat AccessToZen.org EVENTS

Reverend Joseph Cheah sits down with Dana to discuss his research and writings which push back against dominant understandings of Asian religions that were propagated by Western frameworks. He brings his combination of familial and cultural Buddhist roots with his Catholic faith and livelihood to also offer the idea that anti-hate activism by Asian organizers is a deep kind of spiritual social practice in action. 

GUEST

REVEREND JOSEPH CHEAH OSM, Ph.D. is Professor of Religious Studies and Theology, and Chair of the Department of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies. 

Fr. Joe has made robust contributions in the fields of Asian American religions and theology, Buddhist Studies, World Christianity, race and religion. He is the author of Race and Religion in American Buddhism (OUP, 2011) which is the first monograph to take race seriously as a category of analysis in American Buddhist scholarship (Brooke Schedneck) and “stands to transform the discourse on American Buddhism and Asian American religions in significant and much needed ways” (Sharon Suh). His recent book Anti-Asian Racism (Orbis, 2023) has been reviewed as “an exceptional book … on the genealogy and variants of anti-Asian racism in the U.S.” (Thomas Hampton) and “a must-read for all Americans” (Peter Phan). He is a co-editor on the Palgrave Macmillan series, “Asian Christianity in Diaspora” with Grace Ji-Sun Kim, with whom he co-authored a book on Theological Reflections on “Gangnam Style.” In recognition of his record of exceptional scholarship, the University in 2018 awarded him with the Sister Mary Ellen Murphy Faculty Scholarship Award.

He has been an invited speaker on anti-Asian racism, Catholic Social Teaching, and other topics to audiences at diverse educational levels across the country. He was part of Asian American Christian Collaborative delegates invited to a White House meeting to address central issues faced by Asian American communities.

HOST

REVEREND DANA TAKAGI (she/her) is a retired professor of Sociology and zen priest, practicing zen since 1998. She spent 33 years teaching sociology and Asian American history at UC Santa Cruz, and she is a past president of the Association for Asian American Studies. 

This month on Opening Dharma Access, we continue to shift from our regular schedule to focus on the ongoing ICE occupation and state-supported destruction impacting the globe. Rev. Dana Takagi reflects on her personal experience of returning to some foundational practice tools during a time of grieving, and the necessity as practitioners to double down in times of intense hatred and anger. She also talks about chanting and acknowledging one's own ancient twisted karma, always being a work in progress, and how we should resist furthering hatred and violence in ourselves for even those who perpetuate hatred and violence. 

REVEREND DANA TAKAGI (she/her) is a retired professor of Sociology and zen priest, practicing zen since 1998. She spent 33 years teaching sociology and Asian American history at UC Santa Cruz, and she is a past president of the Association for Asian American Studies. 

This month on Opening Dharma Access, we continue to shift from our regular schedule to focus on the ongoing ICE agency violence. Rev. Dana Takagi speaks about the many ways to respond to fascism from a Dharma perspective, whether that be peaceful protest or staying educated on which systems can be used as shields for the vulnerable. Dana recommends some reading, watching and podcasts, to understand in detail how the current presidential administration is consistently acting as a fascist regime by disregarding legal and communal structures to create an atmosphere of terror. Stay tuned for a second episode from Dana on the third Tuesday of this month. 

Here are links to references mentioned by Dana in the episode:

1.  Letters from an American, Heather Cox Richardson https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/

2. Rachel Maddow, Burn Order: https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-presents-burn-order

3. Densho ( a digital storehouse of Asian American history).  This is an interview with attorney Dale Minami who was one of several attorneys who participated in the Coram Nobis Case which set aside the convictions of Fred Korematsu, Gordon Hirabayashi, and Min Yasui (all of whom challenged different aspects of the constitutionality of the order to evacuate Japanese Americans in 1942). https://www.instagram.com/reel/DTk9cCAiECg/

4. Strict Scrutiny:   https://crooked.com/podcast-series/strict-scrutiny/

REVEREND DANA TAKAGI (she/her) is a retired professor of Sociology and zen priest, practicing zen since 1998. She spent 33 years teaching sociology and Asian American history at UC Santa Cruz, and she is a past president of the Association for Asian American Studies. 

The 5 Ways of "a superior person's gift" are (as ordered in this talk): right time, respectfully, with a generous heart, without denigration, & out of faith. 

Given the heart-breaking events in the US this week, ODA will present a series of offerings from both hosts, Rev. Liên Shutt & Rev. Dana Takagi.

This episode is from a talk at Access to Zen, Rev. Liên's sangha. Video of talk & other references can be found on the Dharma Talk page at AccessToZen.org

Rev. Dana's commentaries will drop in 1-week. We'll then offer more responses; formats TBD. 

Feel free to reach out to us at Info.Access2Zen@gmail.com

Please take good care meanwhile!

Rev. Liên Shutt (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a founder of Access to Zen (2014). You can learn more about her work at AccessToZen.org. Her new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path. See all her offerings at EVENTS

A reading from Sharon's edited and author of Emergent Dharma (& go get the book!)

Sharon A. Suh is Professor of Buddhism and Associate Dean for Faculty Scholarship and Strategic Initiatives at Seattle University. She is author of Being Buddhist in a Christian World: Gender and Community in a Korean American Temple (University of Washington Press, 2004), Silver Screen Buddha: Buddhism in Asian and Western Film (Bloomsbury Press, 2015), Occupy This Body: A Buddhist Memoir (Sumeru Press, 2019), and editor/author of Emergent Dharma: Asian American Feminist Buddhist on Practice, Identity, and Resistance. She serves as president of Sakyadhita International Association of Buddhist Women

www.mindfuleatingmethod.com; @mindfuleatingmethod

Reading an excerpt from their chapter in Emergent Dharma. Enjoy (& go get the book!)

Rev. Syd Yang, MDiv (they/them), is a mixed race/Taiwanese American queer trans/non-
binary Buddhist Minister, movement chaplain, spiritual counselor and writer who engages decolonial possibilities for shared liberation through their practice, Blue Jaguar Healing Arts. Syd’s work and writing finds its resonance in the stories we each hold at the intersection of memory, body, sexuality and mental health. Syd works primarily with queer and trans BIPOC as well as regularly leads workshops and facilitates community based practice spaces for wellbeing + healing justice, body liberation and recovery.

www.bluejaguarhealingarts.com / IG @bodyliberationchaplain and @bluejaguarlove

A few recent publications: (article) https://www.lionsroar.com/how-i-reclaimed-my-body/, (book / memoir) Release: A Bulimia Story, (podcast guest) Mending with Gold / Kintsugi Therapist Collective, (chapter) Emergent Dharma, (chapter) Q + A: Voices from Queer Asian North America

Join us for this embodied & inclusive-focused discussion! It'll leave you wanting more so go out and get Emergent Dharma: Asian American Feminist Buddhist on Practice, Identity, and Resistance!

Guests:
Sharon A. Suh is Professor of Buddhism and Associate Dean for Faculty Scholarship and Strategic Initiatives at Seattle University. She is author of Being Buddhist in a Christian World: Gender and Community in a Korean American Temple (University of Washington Press, 2004), Silver Screen Buddha: Buddhism in Asian and Western Film (Bloomsbury Press, 2015), Occupy This Body: A Buddhist Memoir (Sumeru Press, 2019), and editor/author of Emergent Dharma: Asian American Feminist Buddhist on Practice, Identity, and Resistance. She serves as president of Sakyadhita International Association of Buddhist Women

Links to social media:
www.mindfuleatingmethod.com; @mindfuleatingmethod

Rev. Syd Yang, MDiv (they/them), is a mixed race/Taiwanese American queer trans/non-
binary Buddhist Minister, movement chaplain, spiritual counselor and writer who engages decolonial possibilities for shared liberation through their practice, Blue Jaguar Healing Arts. Syd’s work and writing finds its resonance in the stories we each hold at the intersection of memory, body, sexuality and mental health. Syd works primarily with queer and trans BIPOC as well as regularly leads workshops and facilitates community based practice spaces for wellbeing + healing justice, body liberation and recovery.

www.bluejaguarhealingarts.com / IG @bodyliberationchaplain and @bluejaguarlove

A few recent publications: (article) https://www.lionsroar.com/how-i-reclaimed-my-body/, (book / memoir) Release: A Bulimia Story, (podcast guest) Mending with Gold / Kintsugi Therapist Collective, (chapter) Emergent Dharma, (chapter) Q + A: Voices from Queer Asian North America

HOST:

Rev. Liên Shutt (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a founder of Access to Zen (2014). You can learn more about her work at AccessToZen.org. Her new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path. See all her offerings at EVENTS

Rev. Dana Takagi reflects on the significance of Abbot Yuko Yamada being the first woman teacher at the founding temple of Soto Zen, Eiheiji. Dana also highlights Yamada's teaching of the Denkōroku, a text written by the ancestor Keizan who emphasized making Buddhism accessible to the masses and not just monastic residential practitioners. Dana emphasizes Abbot Yamada's ongoing contributions to moving Buddhism forward into a more inclusive and accessible future, both in Japan and globally. 

This is a supplementary episode to the full interview with Abbot Yamada. Listen first if you haven't already!

GUEST

YUKO WAKAYAMA YAMADA is the abbot of Shogakuji in Tokyo. She currently teaches at the International department of Eiheiji. She is the first nun to teach at Eiheiji, the head monastery of Soto Zen founded by Dogen Zenji. She trained at Aichi Senmon Niso-do, a training temple for female Soto Zen priests, where she also currently teaches. She was ordained in 1999 by the highly respected Rev. Shundo Aoyama-roshi. She was sent to Mt. Equity Zendo in United States for 2.5 years and has also practiced in Germany, Switzerland, France, Spain and Italy. After returning from Europe and finishing 2 more years at the Niso-do she studied at the graduate school of Komazawa University specializing in Chinese Zen History. Prior to becoming a Zen Buddhist nun, Yuko Yamada was a catholic nun in a convent for 3 years.

HOST

REVEREND DANA TAKAGI (she/her) is a retired professor of Sociology and zen priest, practicing zen since 1998. She spent 33 years teaching sociology and Asian American history at UC Santa Cruz, and she is a past president of the Association for Asian American Studies. 

GUEST

YUKO WAKAYAMA YAMADA is the abbot of Shogakuji in Tokyo. She currently teaches at the International department of Eiheiji. She is the first nun to teach at Eiheiji, the head monastery of Soto Zen founded by Dogen Zenji. She trained at Aichi Senmon Niso-do, a training temple for female Soto Zen priests, where she also currently teaches. She was ordained in 1999 by the highly respected Rev. Shundo Aoyama-roshi. She was sent to Mt. Equity Zendo in United States for 2.5 years and has also practiced in Germany, Switzerland, France, Spain and Italy. After returning from Europe and finishing 2 more years at the Niso-do she studied at the graduate school of Komazawa University specializing in Chinese Zen History. Prior to becoming a Zen Buddhist nun, Yuko Yamada was a catholic nun in a convent for 3 years.

HOST

REVEREND DANA TAKAGI (she/her) is a retired professor of Sociology and zen priest, practicing zen since 1998. She spent 33 years teaching sociology and Asian American history at UC Santa Cruz, and she is a past president of the Association for Asian American Studies. 

You are invited to listen in a quiet space with headphones (will be louder) or speakers (will be quieter) at a constant volume. 4 minutes 15 seconds. 

Eunji Son is based in South Korea, evolving her relationship with ancestral land, and practicing as a photo collage and mixed media artist. She works behind the scenes at A2Z and ODA as a part-time assistant. 

Find out a bit more about Eunji Son, Access to Zen's (A2Z) part-time admin and all-the-time SUPPORT for us all who practice or engage with any A2Z events or digital content. Hear how her own practice and spiritual journey has taken her far, wide -- and deep!

GUEST:

EUNJI SON is based in South Korea, evolving her relationship with ancestral land, and practicing as a photo collage and mixed media artist. She works behind the scenes at A2Z and ODA as a part-time assistant. 

CONTACT: You know how to reach her! :) And, here it is for those who don't: Info.Access2Zen@gmail.com

HOST:

REV. LIÊN SHUTT (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a founder of Access to Zen (2014). You can learn more about her work at AccessToZen.org. Her new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path. See all her offerings at EVENTS

"Practice" part of convo between Siddhesh Mukerji & Rev. Liên.

GUEST:

SIDDHESH MUKERJI (he/him) is a Zen practitioner and a scholar of engaged Buddhism and Buddhist social work. He was born in India, grew up in the United States, and currently lives in Ireland.

HOST:

REV. LIÊN SHUTT (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a founder of Access to Zen (2014). You can learn more about her work at AccessToZen.org. Her new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path. See all her offerings at EVENTS

Tune in to this soulful conversation between Siddhesh Mukerji and Rev. Liên on the intersections of Engaged Buddhism & Buddhist Social Work. 

GUEST:

SIDDHESH MUKERJI (he/him) is a Zen practitioner and a scholar of engaged Buddhism and Buddhist social work. He was born in India, grew up in the United States, and currently lives in Ireland.

Siddhesh writes and does research on social work and engaged Buddhism.

HOST:

REV. LIÊN SHUTT (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a founder of Access to Zen (2014). You can learn more about her work at AccessToZen.org. Her new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path. See all her offerings at EVENTS

Judy Nakatomi shares meditative offerings: Morning Chant from the Plum Village Tradition, guided meditation, and an Offering of Merit from the Shin Tradition in Japanese (Ékoku). The recording of bird sounds was made by Judy at Plum Village. 

Listen to her full interview with Rev. Liên to hear about Judy's experience with biculturality and the complexity and beauty of practicing Buddhism across traditions. 

GUEST:

JUDY YUSHIN NAKATOMI (she/we) is a mother, partner, auntie, writer and community cultivator, nurturing BIPOC sangha. past work/life as tea ambassador/ importer, congressional field rep and hospice caregiver. Judy  is an ordained dharma teacher in the Plum Village tradition, certified ministerial assistant, and descendant of ancestors incarcerated during war; dedicated to understanding the wisdom of intergenerational joy and sorrow.  

Writing highlights:

https://littleawakenings.blogspot.com/

https://www.okaeri.org/okaeri-book

https://www.lionsroar.com/the-evolutionary-journey-of-mothering/

Connect with Judy:

IG: judy_yushin_nakatomi

Subtack: Judy Nakatomi

Judy Yushin Nakatomi talks about her practice in the Zen and Shin traditions. She also discusses how she is practicing with her Bodhisattva vows through engaging with the current internment of minority people, while practicing awareness of her own family's history with war wounds. Judy and Rev Liên share with each other some of the nuances of having or not having access to ancestral languages and culture, and how they navigate being Asian American Buddhist practitioners in the United States. 

People/Organizations mentioned in the episode:

Dr. Satsuki Ina  

Dr. Duncan Ryūken Williams 

Bishop Marvin Harada 

Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh  

Tsuru for Solidarity

Vista Buddhist Temple

GUEST:

JUDY YUSHIN NAKATOMI (she/we) is a mother, partner, auntie, writer and community cultivator, nurturing BIPOC sangha. past work/life as tea ambassador/ importer, congressional field rep and hospice caregiver. Judy  is an ordained dharma teacher in the Plum Village tradition, certified ministerial assistant, and descendant of ancestors incarcerated during war; dedicated to understanding the wisdom of intergenerational joy and sorrow.  

Writing highlights:

https://littleawakenings.blogspot.com/

https://www.okaeri.org/okaeri-book

https://www.lionsroar.com/the-evolutionary-journey-of-mothering/

Connect with Judy:

IG: judy_yushin_nakatomi

Subtack: Judy Nakatomi

HOST:

REV LIÊN SHUTT (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a founder of Access to Zen (2014). You can learn more about her work at AccessToZen.org. Her new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path. See all her offerings at EVENTS

Buddhist teachings on how we have been conditioned to interpret raw data; which then drives us to behave. -- An excerpt from Rev. Liên's book, Home is Here, to accompany Professor Michael Omi's in-depth interview on racial formation this month.

REV. LIÊN SHUTT (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a founder of Access to Zen (2014). You can learn more about her work at AccessToZen.org. Her new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path. See all her offerings at EVENTS

Professor Michael Omi joins Rev. Dana to help us contextualize the current climate of racial formation, namely the propagation of a far-right ideology of an oppressed white race, in a much longer history of constant changing in definitions of and associations with racial identities. In Buddhist terms, we can see the theory that Michael co-developed contains an essential Buddhist perspective, namely that of Mental Formations. Stay tuned later this month for a practice offering from Rev. Liên!

Michael Omi (he/him/his) is Professor Emeritus of Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. He is the co-author, with Howard Winant, of Racial Formation in the United States (Third Edition, 2015), a groundbreaking work that transformed how we understand the social and historical forces that give race its changing meaning over time and place. He is also the co-editor of Japanese American Millennials: Rethinking Generation, Community, and Diversity (2019). At Berkeley, he served from 2012-2016 as the Associate Director of the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society (HIFIS), and in 2020 he was the inaugural Chair of the Asian American Research Center (AARC). Professor Omi is a recipient of UC Berkeley’s prestigious Distinguished Teaching Award --- an honor bestowed on only 285 Berkeley faculty members since the award’s inception in 1959.

This practice offering is from co-host Rev. Dana Takagi, in connection with Professor and Historian Alice Yang's interview, "Our Heritage of Othering and Resistance" which dropped July 1st.

Dana speaks to the need to address specific kinds of suffering as Buddhist teachers and practitioners, as not all suffering is the same. She reflects on the vow to save all beings, and how this stems from a grounded embodiment of our own humanity to understand the humanity of others who need our support the most in these times. 

Your host

REVEREND DANA TAKAGI (she/her) is a retired professor of Sociology and zen priest, practicing zen since 1998. She spent 33 years teaching sociology and Asian American history at UC Santa Cruz, and she is a past president of the Association for Asian American Studies. 

Professor Alice Yang helps us put the systematic othering we are seeing in the U.S. today into historical context. She discusses the oppression and disappearance of people, and points out how protest movements are often erased from the history Asian American and other immigrant groups in the United States, when the truth is that we can embrace and continue a deep heritage of resistance. Alice emphasizes the urgency of knowing our history to expand what we think is possible in the present, and why it is important to resist the othering of any community member whether they are in our ethnic group or not. 

Guest

ALICE YANG is Chair and Professor of History at UCSC. She is also a founding faculty member of the Critical Race and Ethnic Studies Department at UCSC. Her publications include What Does the Internment of Japanese Americans Mean? Historical Memories of the Japanese American Internment and the Struggle for Redress, and Major Problems in Asian American History. She co-directs the Center for the Study of Pacific War Memories and recently curated the exhibit Never Again is Now: Japanese American Women Activists and the Legacy of the Mass Incarceration.

Host

REVEREND DANA TAKAGI (she/her) is a retired professor of Sociology and zen priest, practicing zen since 1998. She spent 33 years teaching sociology and Asian American history at UC Santa Cruz, and she is a past president of the Association for Asian American Studies. 

We hope you enjoy this dharma talk from Rebecca Nie, "10 Vows". 

GUEST BIO:

ZEN MASTER REBECCA DAWN NIE is the founder of MV Sanctuary and Vice President of the Maitreya Association for Buddhist College Chaplains. As Stanford’s Chaplain-Affiliate, she oversees the Buddhist religious and spiritual life for students, faculty, and staff. Her offerings ranges from Continental Zen to Buddhist Yoga, offering healing wisdom for contemporary life through dharma teaching, translation, and new media art.

Learn more about Rebecca at

http://mvseon.com/

Highlighted Works

Yin Mountain: The Immortal Poetry by Three Daoist Women (2022, Shambhala). 

Heart Sutra: A Network Audio Technology-Assisted Visual Music Composition

Rebecca Nie talks about the common misconception that China is an ethnic monolith, and how she identifies with her Huaren heritage. Although her spiritual path was discouraged in her early life, she discusses being connected to a centuries old heritage of a resilient Dharma that allows us to dream without limitations even through turbulent times.

Rebecca also mentions a book-in-progress which will be a translation of Chan Zen Master poems responding to turbulent historical moments, pointing out how there is much more to Zen poetry than peaceful monks in serene mountains.

GUEST BIO:

ZEN MASTER REBECCA DAWN NIE is the founder of MV Sanctuary and Vice President of the Maitreya Association for Buddhist College Chaplains. As Stanford’s Chaplain-Affiliate, she oversees the Buddhist religious and spiritual life for students, faculty, and staff. Her offerings ranges from Continental Zen to Buddhist Yoga, offering healing wisdom for contemporary life through dharma teaching, translation, and new media art.

Learn more about Rebecca at

http://mvseon.com/

Highlighted Works

Yin Mountain: The Immortal Poetry by Three Daoist Women (2022, Shambhala). 

Heart Sutra: A Network Audio Technology-Assisted Visual Music Composition

HOST

REVEREND DANA TAKAGI (she/her) is a retired professor of Sociology and zen priest, practicing zen since 1998. She spent 33 years teaching sociology and Asian American history at UC Santa Cruz, and she is a past president of the Association for Asian American Studies. 

Mushim Patricia Ikeda is an internationally-known secular mindfulness and Buddhist teacher working primarily with justice activists and Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) meditation practitioners and with people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. A core teacher at East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, California, she is an author whose writing has been published in Lion's Roar, Tricycle, Buddhadharma and various anthologies. Mushim was selected by Lion's Roar Buddhist media magazine as one of twenty-six "Great Buddhist Teachers" in the January 2022 issue. 

Connect with Mushim at:

Website:  www.mushimikeda.com

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/mushim.ikeda

Bluesky:  mushimikeda

X / Twitter:  @MushimCA1

Instagram:  mushimikeda

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/mushim-patricia-ikeda-5307279/

Secular & Buddhist teacher Mushim Patricia Ikeda in convo with Rev. Liên on how mature practice can help us deal with the current conditions of our world.

GUEST

Mushim Patricia Ikeda is an internationally-known secular mindfulness and Buddhist teacher working primarily with justice activists and Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) meditation practitioners and with people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. A core teacher at East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland, California, she is an author whose writing has been published in Lion's Roar, Tricycle, Buddhadharma and various anthologies. Mushim was selected by Lion's Roar Buddhist media magazine as one of twenty-six "Great Buddhist Teachers" in the January 2022 issue. 

Connect with Mushim at:

Website:  www.mushimikeda.com

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/mushim.ikeda

Bluesky:  mushimikeda

X / Twitter:  @MushimCA1

Instagram:  mushimikeda

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/mushim-patricia-ikeda-5307279/

HOST:
REV. LIÊN SHUTT (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a founder of Access to Zen (2014). You can learn more about her work at AccessToZen.org. Her new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path. See all her offerings at EVENTS

June Kaililani Tanoue, Kumu Hula, reads her blog post, "Dwell Nowhere and Browse That." Listen as she reflects on a conversation with her husband Roshi Robert Joshin Althouse. Together they are cofounders of Zen Life & Meditation Center of Chicago. You can find the written piece on the Halau i Ka Pono website.

About June

June Ryushin Tanoue, B.S., MPH is co-founder of Zen Life & Meditation Center. Practicing Zen since 1993, she received Transmission in 2014 as a fully empowered Zen Teacher/ Zen Buddhist Priest and Inka as a Roshi in 2022.
June is a Kumu Hula and founded Halau I Ka Pono, the Hula School of Chicago in 2009.   

Read June's piece, "The Hula Sutra" at Lion's Roar. 

zlmc.org

halauikapono.org

Halau I Ka Pono Facebook

Instagram: @JuneTanoue

June's blog posts: https://halauikapono.org/news

June Kaililani Tanoue, Kumu Hula, talks about how to practice observing our thoughts rather than holding onto them, whether times are easy or tough. Hear about how June started Halau I Ka Pono as an offshoot of the Zen Life & Meditation Center after she moved to Chicago, and how Hula is the dance of being a pillar in one's community. 

About June

June Ryushin Tanoue, B.S., MPH is co-founder of Zen Life & Meditation Center. Practicing Zen since 1993, she received Transmission in 2014 as a fully empowered Zen Teacher/ Zen Buddhist Priest and Inka as a Roshi in 2022.
June is a Kumu Hula and founded Halau I Ka Pono, the Hula School of Chicago in 2009.   

Read June's piece, "The Hula Sutra" at Lion's Roar. 

zlmc.org

halauikapono.org

Halau I Ka Pono Facebook

Instagram: @JuneTanoue

June's blog posts: https://halauikapono.org/news

In the season 4 premiere, Rev. Liên Shutt and Rev. Dana Takagi discuss the need to continue to forward Asian American and Asian Diaspora Buddhist voices in these tumultuous times. 

Thank you to everyone who has listened so far, and continue to tune in!

It's not too late to take our listener survey! Respond by March 21st and get access to an exclusive meditation recording by Rev. Liên: "Tenderhearted Buddhas for these Times". 

On season 3, we co-created and witnessed an amazing example of how the Net of Indra weaves and connects. We heard from 13 Buddhist practitioners and teachers of Asian American or Asian Diaspora heritage, and in their own words, spoke to what the AA/AD Buddhist experience is for them. 

Season 3 is officially a wrap! Thank you to everyone who listened with us, and we hope you join us for more Asian American/Asian Diaspora forwarding conversations and offerings in season 4. 

Full list of guests, and their featured episodes, in order:

Co-hosts Rev. Liên Shutt and Rev. Dana Takagi - Forwarding Asian American & Asian Diasporic Buddhist Experiences with Rev. Liên Shutt & Rev. Dana Takagi

Chenxing Han - Reflections with the 2024 May We Gather Co-Organizers

Mihiri Tillakaratne - Bodhi Leaves: The Asian American Buddhist Monthly Co-Associate Editors 

Rev. Jean Paul (JP) de Guzman - O'kagesama-de (All thanks are due to you...)

Paula Arai - There is No Buddhism Without Women

Sharon Suh - Silence is Not the Way

Funie Hsu - Reflections with the 2024 May We Gather Co-Organizers

Bo Hee Moon - Meeting with My Asian Sangha Tonight

Ryan Lee Wong - Zen Practice As Community Building

Ram Appalaraju - Eco-Dharma Care 

Yenkuei Chuang - Insight Dialogue & Further Relationality 

Rev. Duncan Ryūken Williams - Reflections with the 2024 May We Gather Co-Organizers

Lisa Nakamura - Platforms for Zazen: The Cushion to the Computer 

Noel Alumit - Bodhi Leaves: The Asian American Buddhist Monthly Co-Associate Editors 

Rev Dana follows up on her dharma talk from the last episode dropped on February 18th. She adds to her perspective on the current historical conditions of our time in the United States, talks about breath practice, and offers a chant she's used often for the dying, from Thich Nhat Hanh.

Check out the 2011 book Dana discusses in this episode:

More Beautiful and More Terrible: The Embrace and Transcendence of of Racial Inequality in the United States by Professor Imani Perry Ph.D, JD

Hello, listeners of Opening Dharma Access, for February, we're doing things a little bit different by offering you some meditations and Dharma talks on current conditions as 2025 brings to the United States a whole bunch of difficult circumstances: the L.A.  fires; the current administration.

This dharma talk is from co-host Rev. Dana Takagi. Dana speaks on what wisdom could look like in times like these, and how to expand our vision as well as awareness about our current national systems work, and the history of how they were built over time, as they are being dismantled. 

May it be for the benefit of all beings.

Your host

REVEREND DANA TAKAGI (she/her) is a retired professor of Sociology and zen priest, practicing zen since 1998. She spent 33 years teaching sociology and Asian American history at UC Santa Cruz, and she is a past president of the Association for Asian American Studies. 

Meditation to find stability in the midst of current threats in our world: nationally, world-wide, and with climate justice. -- Given at EBMC BIPOC Sangha

REV. LIÊN SHUTT (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a founder of Access to Zen (2014). You can learn more about her work at AccessToZen.org. Her new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Pathis being used for one of it's original purposes! Join us in takingThe Dharma of Being Antiracist: Accessing Skillful Engagement for Healing (for all racial locations) Feb. 17-May 12, 2025.See all her offerings at EVENTS

Hello, listeners of Opening Dharma Access, for February, we're doing things a little bit different by offering you some meditations and Dharma talks on current conditions as 2025 brings to the United States a whole bunch of difficult circumstances: the L.A.  fires; the inauguration.

NOTE: This talk was given at a BIPOC group, addressing specific fears & issues of people of color in extremely challenging U.S. political and social justice contexts.

May it be for the benefit of all beings.

REV. LIÊN SHUTT (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a founder of Access to Zen (2014). You can learn more about her work at AccessToZen.org. Her new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Pathis being used for one of it's original purposes! Join us in takingThe Dharma of Being Antiracist: Accessing Skillful Engagement for Healing (for all racial locations) Feb. 17-May 12, 2025.See all her offerings at EVENTS

RAM APPALARAJU was brought up as a Hindu and has been on a spiritual path since 90's, first studying Vedanta and pursuing Buddhism since 2012. After years of practice he chose to pursue a path of service and became a chaplain focused on Ecology as well as supporting marginalized people in prisons and homeless shelters. He is now on the faculty at Sati Center for Buddhist Studies' Eco Chaplaincy program. He also serves as a board member and an advisor at several nonprofits focused on climate education and offers various services to marginalized communities. 

Connect with Ram on X/Twitter: @Mindful_Ram

As today marks a disturbing time for many of us, I offered a Healing Space today at the same time as the swearing in. It was informal and my aim was to offering 3 aspects of healing: Acknowledging what is with tools we've learned from Buddhism and practice. Second, to attend to the impacts of hurt and harm in ourselves & with each other. Third, committing to enacting qualities and ways we can stay connected and thrive in the net of life which includes us all.

Host:
REV. LIÊN SHUTT (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a founder of Access to Zen (2014). You can learn more about her work at AccessToZen.org. Her new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path. See all her offerings at EVENTS

What does "caring" really mean? Listen in on this fascinating conversation on Nature, Dharma & Caring for self and the Earth between Ram Appalaraju and Host Rev. Liên Shutt.

RAM APPALARAJU was brought up as a Hindu and has been on a spiritual path since the 90's, first studying Vedanta and pursuing Buddhism since 2012. After years of practice he chose to pursue a path of service and became a chaplain focused on Ecology as well as supporting marginalized people in prisons and homeless shelters.  He is now one on the faculty of Sati Center for Buddhist Studies's Eco Chaplaincy program. He also serves as a board member and an advisor at several nonprofits focused on climate education and offers various services to marginalized communities. 

Connect with Ram on X/Twitter: @Mindful_Ram

Host:
REV. LIÊN SHUTT (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a founder of Access to Zen (2014). You can learn more about her work at AccessToZen.org. Her new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path. See all her offerings at EVENTS

When considering what to offer for her ODA practice, Lisa considered chanting or reading from a more traditional Buddhist text such as the Heart Sutra. She found, instead, that reading the words of Audre Lorde resonated more deeply in her body at this time. And co-host Dana Takagi offers some context on Lorde from Lisa before she reads.  

Please enjoy, Lisa Nakamura reading an excerpt from "Learning from the 60s", a talk given by Audre Lorde as part of the February 1982 celebration of Malcolm X Weekend at Harvard University. 


LISA NAKAMURA (she/her) is the Gwendolyn Calvert Baker Collegiate Professor of American Culture and Digital Studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She is also a core faculty member of the Asian American Studies Program, the Film, Television and Media department, and the English department at Michigan. 

Lisa is the author of four books on racism, sexism, and the Internet and her book “The Inattention Economy: Women of Color and the Internet” is forthcoming in Fall 2025 from University of Minnesota Press. She has published research on Asian stereotypes in massively multiplayer online games, the connections between virtual reality, empathy, and racial and disability justice, the overlooked role of indigenous women in postwar electronics manufacture, and on cross-racial and cross-gender role play in anonymous digital environments like chatrooms and games. 

lisanakamura.net

LISA NAKAMURA (she/her) is the Gwendolyn Calvert Baker Collegiate Professor of American Culture and Digital Studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She is also a core faculty member of the Asian American Studies Program, the Film, Television and Media department, and the English department at Michigan. 

Lisa is the author of four books on racism, sexism, and the Internet and her book “The Inattention Economy: Women of Color and the Internet” is forthcoming in Fall 2025 from University of Minnesota Press. She has published research on Asian stereotypes in massively multiplayer online games, the connections between virtual reality, empathy, and racial and disability justice, the overlooked role of indigenous women in postwar electronics manufacture, and on cross-racial and cross-gender role play in anonymous digital environments like chatrooms and games. 

lisanakamura.net

Your host

REVEREND DANA TAKAGI (she/her) is a retired professor of Sociology and zen priest, practicing zen since 1998. She spent 33 years teaching sociology and Asian American history at UC Santa Cruz, and she is a past president of the Association for Asian American Studies. 

YENKUEI CHUANG was born a Taiwanese girl before she became an American woman. As a licensed psychologist, somatics and mindfulness teacher, she is passionate about helping people heal and find freedom, belonging, and power in the richness of their intersectional identities. Yenkuei loves to eat, cook, dance, do nothing and everything.

IG handle: yenkueichuang

Publications:
Erased No More (Lion's Roar), On Decolonizing My Mind (Blog), Yesterday I Died (Mindfulness), Dukkha of Racism (Arrow Magazine), Development of Bicultural Competence (Stanford Ph.D. dissertation), Politics of Biculturalism (Contemporary Psychology), and upcoming memoir Blood, Sweat, and Dharma

Yenkeui Chuang & Rev. Liên dialogue on some "edges" of "Diasporic Asian Americans," overseas Asian practices, and then Insight Dialogue. Yenkeui shares fascinating details of the interconnections from all the different traditions she's practiced in. Come listen!

YENKUEI CHUANG was born a Taiwanese girl before she became an American woman. As a licensed psychologist, somatics and mindfulness teacher, she is passionate about helping people heal and find freedom, belonging, and power in the richness of their intersectional identities. Yenkuei loves to eat, cook, dance, do nothing and everything.

IG handle: yenkueichuang
Mentioned in podcast: insightdialogue.org

Publications:
Erased No More (Lion's Roar), On Decolonizing My Mind (Blog), Yesterday I Died (Mindfulness), Dukkha of Racism (Arrow Magazine), Development of Bicultural Competence (Stanford Ph.D. dissertation), Politics of Biculturalism (Contemporary Psychology), and upcoming memoir Blood, Sweat, and Dharma

Host:
REV. LIÊN SHUTT (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a founder of Access to Zen (2014). You can learn more about her work at AccessToZen.org. Her new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path. See all her offerings at EVENTS