Explore every episode of the podcast Paths of Practice: Conversations on Journeys into Buddhism

Rima Fujita is a renowned artist who exhibits her work internationally and has published seven children’s books, including Save the Himalayas. Rima is a founder of Books for Children, an organization that creates children’s books in Tibetan and English, and has donated more than 12,000 book copies to the Tibetan refugee children in exile in order to help them preserve the unique Tibetan culture and language.

For more information about Rima and the resources mentioned in this episode, please visit the following links:

https://rimafujita.com/

https://wisdomexperience.org/product/extraordinary-life-dalai-lama/

Support Nepal Relief Efforts (Goro Kimura)

https://tinyurl.com/y8cedpbz

We talked about:

*The Nechung Oracle, intuition, and receiving artistic guidance through dreams

*Nibiiro, wabi-sabi, keeping your heart clean, and the relationship between Buddhist practice and creating art

*Dakinis, Chenrezig, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, and writing a children's book about compassion with His Holiness

*And the importance of remembering that Buddhism is a journey of The Middle Way as well as remembering that your teachers are human beings

Oneika Mays is a yoga and meditation teacher, author, and former Mindfulness Coach at Rikers Island Correctional Facility, where she taught for over a decade. Her debut book Sit With Me: A No-BS Journey to Mindfulness and Meditation (HarperOne, March 2026) explores metta practice as a tool for personal and collective liberation. With deep roots in Buddhist and yogic teachings, Oneika specializes in making mindfulness accessible to marginalized and excluded communities.

For more information about Oneika and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the following links:

https://www.oneikamays.com/

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/sit-with-me-oneika-mays?variant=43876134387746

https://www.garrisoninstitute.org/event/changemakers-2026/

https://www.youtube.com/@OneikaMays

We discussed:

*Extending unconditional love to all, accountability, and the lessons of metta (lovingkindness) in Stevie Wonder's song "As"

*Understanding meditation and yoga as trauma-informed practices, keeping your eyes on your own test, and the experience of teaching mindfulness and meditation to people that are incarcerated

*Agency, identifying as Buddhish, and the practical and timeless teachings of the Buddha

*And the importance of recognizing that anything can be your teacher and to root your practice in a safe space with safe teachers

An Tran is the author of the short story collection, Meditations on the Mother Tongue, and a practitioner in the Lieu Quan lineage of Vietnamese Zen. His fiction and essays have previously appeared in The Southern Humanities Review, New South Journal, The Carolina Quarterly, Gargoyle Magazine, The Literary Hub, and elsewhere, and has received “Notable Work” distinctions from Best American Short Stories and Best American Essays. He has been involved with the parkour community in North America for over twenty years in various coaching and leadership roles and currently lives in San Francisco.

For more information about An and the resources mentioned in this episode, please visit the following links:

https://www.an-tran.com/

Pho Giac Pagoda (Enlightenment Buddhist Center)

https://phogiacca.com/

We discussed:

*The challenges involved with growing up Vietnamese American in Virginia as well as the journey of reconnecting with Vietnamese culture and identity through language

*Developing an interest in Buddhism in college, grief and attending to the 49-day period after a death in the family, and having an intense visionary experience after a bout of food poisoning

*The Dual Cultivation tradition, the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, meditation, and incorporating a Pure Land approach into a Thiền (Zen) practice

*Parkour, awakened insight, encountering the two buddhas, as well as the joy and play of embodiment

*And the importance of learning the language of your heritage

Ayya Marajina Bhikkhuni received pabbajja (2010) and upasampada (2012) at Aranya Bodhi Hermitage, California, with Venerable Tathaloka Maha Theri as pavattini. She has practiced meditation for over 15 years, now seeing the Dhamma as the highest blessing. Dedicated to practicing and teaching the Satipatthana and Brahmaviharas, she shares the transformative power of the Dhamma in Spanish and English.

A Cuban-American, Ayya is working to establish the first Theravada temple in Cuba. She leads a Sunday morning meditation and Dhamma talk livestream in Spanish. Her first book Pa’ alante es pa’ lla is currently being edited. Residing at Bhava Nirodha Nilaya in Florida, she also cares for her mother.

For more information about Ayya Marajina Bhikkhuni and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the following links:

Bhava Nirodha Nilayahttps://bhavanirodha.org/

Theravada in Cuba and in Colombiahttps://theravadacuba.org/We talked about:

*The extraordinary efforts behind the development of the Bhava Nirodha Nilaya hermitage as well as engaging with critters and letting nature recover

*Theravada in Cuba and offering Dhamma resources for people that are experiencing profound hardship

*The Brahmaviharas and remaining close to the teachings of The Noble Eightfold Path as a teacher

*and the importance of remembering the verse from the Dhammapada: "abandon all evil, cultivate the good, purify the mind: this is the teaching of all the buddhas."

Kody Muncaster, PhD, is an ocswssw Psychotherapist and Clinical Director of Pink Lotus Counselling & Psychotherapy, specializing in trauma therapy, mindfulness, gender, and sexuality. They are queer and non-binary. They have taught at the Buddhism, Psychology, and Mental Health program at the University of Toronto: New College as well as at Western University’s Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. They began a three-year training to become a Zen priest under Venerable Bhikkhuni Thích Nũ’ Tinh Quang in 2024. They are also the author of Queer Engaged Buddhism (2025) as well as Queer Resistance and Education for Suicide Prevention HIV/AIDS Activism and Structural Change for 2SLGBTQIA+ Communities (2026).

For more information about Dr. Muncaster and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the links below:

https://www.youtube.com/@LittleHeronZenHermitage

https://www.youtube.com/@iqbc570

6th International Queer Buddhist Conference (IQBC) 2026 runs from October 30th to November 1st. More info at: https://iqbc.org/

https://sumeru-books.com/products/queer-engaged-buddhism?srsltid=AU7gw4WhOAy11Csspj9YKvZ8BcQCzQWZN4QIkVD0fm0pMzeyl8JvzATV

https://www.routledge.com/Queer-Resistance-and-Education-for-Suicide-Prevention-HIVAIDS-Activism-and-Structural-Change-for-2SLGBTQIA-Communities/Muncaster/p/book/9781041127062

We discussed:

*The Diamond Sutra, the instruction to see "everything as a miracle," and the parallel paths of studying Buddhism and gender

*Training to become a Zen priest, Infinite Heart practice, and the reflective and aspirational elements of a dharma name

*The capacity of the True Heart, formal/lay daily practice, and offerings of queer-focused meditations

*Queer Engaged Buddhism, Tonglen, Queer theory and linguistics, and interests in developing a queer online Zen temple

*And the importance of finding and operating from the deep sense of care that lies underneath our emotions

Douglas McLean is the author of the blog "Gleanings in Buddha-Fields: Buddhism, Japanese culture and History all in one!"

For more information about Doug and his blogs, please visit the links below:

https://nembutsu.cc/

https://100poets.com/

We discussed:

*The beginnings of the "Gleanings in Buddha-Fields" blog, Rinzai Zen, and identifying how Japanese and English translations of Buddhist texts can differ from each other in emphasis

*The Shushōgi and the need for more manual-like texts that offer lay Buddhist practices for daily life

*Absorbing Buddhist teachings rather than trying to do Buddhism "correctly" and the Lotus Sutra

*Never staying still on the path, attending to the occasional crisis of faith, and branching out to explore the variety of Buddhisms out there

*And the importance of not being complacent and to push yourself to keep learning

Paula Arai, PhD, was raised in Detroit by a Japanese mother and did Zen training in Japan. She obtained her PhD in Buddhist Studies from Harvard University in 1993 and is now the Eshinni & Kakushinni Professor of Women and Buddhist Studies at the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, California. She is the author of Bringing Zen Home: The Healing Heart of Japanese Women’s Rituals, Women Living Zen: Japanese Soto Buddhist Nuns, and Painting Enlightenment: Healing Visions of the Heart Sutra.

For more information about Dr. Arai and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the links below:

https://www.shambhala.com/authors/a-f/paula-arai/of-mud-and-lotuses.html

https://www.zenhealing.org/

https://www.shin-ibs.edu/

We discussed:

*Friendship in scholarship, Dogen and “One Bright Pearl,” and understanding the Tathāgatagarbha as "Buddha womb"

*Pregnancy as an expression of Buddhist practice, motherhood, and the importance of taking time to recognize the contributions made by women throughout Buddhist history

*The Blood Bowl Sutra, misogyny, and the impact of writing empowering narratives

*Imagination, scholarship, and creative histories

*And the reminder to be kind to yourself and acknowledge your place in benefiting others along the path

Bidisha Mallik, PhD, is an Associate Teaching Professor of Social Sciences in the Department of School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington Tacoma. Dr. Mallik is the author of Legends in Gandhian Social Activism: Mira Behn and Sarala Behn: Addressing Environmental Issues By Dissolving Gender And Colonial Barriers.

For more information about the resources mentioned in this episode, please see below:

https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/https://www.amazon.com/Legends-Gandhian-Social-Activism-Environmental/dp/3030954307/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.fgFqbelrBOW_HwCwCua40A.tnkZLuujlNEvqauJZVal8_wM8sGg8mtRS3K3HJQAbQM&dib_tag=se&qid=1783028669&refinements=p_27%3ABidisha&s=books&sr=1-1

We discussed:

*Ahimsa, nonviolence vs. non-violence, as well as Gandhian and Buddhist philosophy and their connections with ecology

*Interbeing, capitalism, creativity, and making concrete examples of the world you want to live in

*Mira Behn (Madeleine Slade), Sarala Behn (Catherine Mary Heilman), and the Chipko movement

*And the importance of investigating the self and approaching actions through the lens of nonviolence

Rev. Syd Yang, MDiv (they/them) is a mixed race/Taiwanese American queer trans/non-binary lay 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 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 individuals of color, as well as regularly facilitates community based practice spaces for wellbeing + healing justice, with a specific focus on grief, sexuality + spirituality, body liberation and recovery.
If you are in the Los Angeles area, you can sit with them, in person, at the monthly Queers Who Sit at Black Being, in Inglewood CA.
Some of their recent writing can be found in Lion’s Roar (Bodhi Leaves), Emergent Dharma: Asian American Buddhist Feminists on Practice, Identity and Resistance,  Q+A: Voices of Queer Asian America,  Chrysanthemum: Voices of the Taiwanese Diaspora, and Bloody Hell! Adventures in Menopause from Around the World.
Syd is also the co-author of Bloody Transitions: A Menopausal Anthology of Asian, Black and Latine Voices, which is set to be released in November 2026 by Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

For more information about Syd and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the following links:
*Blue Jaguar Healing Arts (https://bluejaguarhealingarts.com/)
*The Dharma of Loneliness podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dharma-of-loneliness/id1875305695)
*Black Being (https://blackbeingla.org/)
We discussed:
*Loneliness and the origins of The Dharma of Loneliness podcast
*Embodiment, belonging, and our bodies relationship with the Earth body
*Menopause, impermanence, transformation, and co-authoring Bloody Transitions
*And the importance of understanding that Buddhist practice involves investigating the mind and body and remembering that bodhisattvas have chosen to stay embodied to help us

Dr. Nicole Wordlaw is a clinical psychologist, a longtime practitioner of Buddhist meditation, a lover of Spirit, and the daughter of a white mother and a Black father. She completed her undergraduate degree in psychology at Stanford University, graduating with honors and distinction in 1992, and then earned a Masters and Doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of California at Berkeley in 1999. She is passionate about helping those she serves notice and follow their own inner guide. She is the author of Waking Up Alone: Navigating the Narrow Passage Through Master-Slave Narratives.

For more information about Nicole and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the following links:

https://www.nicolewordlaw.com/

https://substack.com/@nicolewordlaw

https://sentientpublications.com/products/9781591813736_waking-up-alone

We discussed:
*Trauma, learning how to not take things personally by recognizing our conditions, and writing Waking Up Alone
*Vipassana and Zen, breathwork, and practicing in the wilderness to connect with our true nature
*Spiritual teachers, misconduct and accountability, and how to become a lamp unto yourself
*And the importance of remembering that awakening is ongoing and unfolds as a process 

Bhante Mangala, born and raised in northeastern Massachusetts, started to take an interest in Buddhism while in high school. He began taking that interest more seriously in his mid 20’s and started to practice meditation with small groups and at home. Seeing results early in life, he grew to want to learn more and came to visit the Bhavana Society for a retreat in 2009. Bhante began living at the Bhavana Society full time in 2012, ordained at the Bhavana Society as a novice in 2013 and received full ordination in 2014.

For more information about Bhante Mangala and the Bhavana Society, please visit the following link:

https://bhavanasociety.org/

We talked about:
*Ordination, the grand opening of the Bhante Henepola Gunaratana Heritage Center, and receiving a visit from the Walk for Peace monks
*Taking an interest in religion at a young age, first experiences with meditation, and being drawn to the brutal honesty of Theravada
*Heading to West Virginia after Googling the Bhāvanā Society, Bhante G, and visiting Sri Lanka
*And the importance of being kind to yourself and remembering that "patience is a meditation"

Muichi is a Cuban-American Mahayana Buddhist layman and Wikipedian currently residing in Florida. Muichi's Buddhist refuge name is Abhayajñāna (originally given in Tibetan as Yeshe Jigme), which means "Fearless Wisdom" (Ch: 無畏智 Wúwèi zhì, Jp.: Muichi). Muichi's contributions to Wikipedia are mainly in the fields of Buddhist Studies, Asian History and Eastern philosophy.

Muichi's knowledge of these fields is mainly self taught, having no formal education in these particular subjects. Muichi mostly studied Greco-Roman history and languages while receiving a B.A. in History from Florida International University and later began to study Eastern philosophy and Buddhist studies as an autodidact.

For more information about Muichi and the resources mentioned in this episode, please visit the following links:

https://sites.google.com/view/abhayajana/home?authuser=0

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Javierfv1212

https://www.youtube.com/@FearlessWisdom

We talked about:

*Dharanis, moderating the PureLand subreddit, and contributing to Buddhism-related Wikipedia articles

*Studying philosophy as a lived experience, Western philosophical materialism, and developing space for Eastern religious thought and practice

*Pure Land Buddhism, collective translation and re-translation efforts, providing open source study guides and FAQs, and The Fearless Wisdom podcast

*And the importance of studying Buddhism broadly and how Mahayana Buddhism is all about love

Reverend Katsuya Kusunoki is the Head Minister of the Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple. Sensei was born in Nagasaki, Japan, the second son of a temple family. Today his older brother Naoya is the 17th generation of their family to serve their family temple. Sensei is a graduate of Miyazaki University where he majored in primary education and his hobby is to watch and play baseball and softball. While a college student he took a break and spent almost two and a half years in a Japanese volunteer program similar to the Peace Corps in America coaching baseball in Zimbabwe before returning to Japan to complete his studies. After graduating he spent three years teaching 3rd and 6th grade classes before deciding to become a minister.
Sensei’s advanced training includes the Hongwanji-ha Rituals course for leaders (Gonshiki). He is a Hongwanji-ha certified Special Rituals Minister, a certificate only he and our former minister Rev. Sala Sekiya hold within the Buddhist Churches of America. Sensei’s first assignment in America was to the Lodi Buddhist Temple in 2010 and he was transferred to Seattle in April of 2017. Sensei and his wife Ayano have a son, Yuiya, who was born in September 2016.

For more information about Rev. Kusunoki and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the following links:

https://seattlebetsuin.org/

https://www.youtube.com/@SeattleBuddhistTemple

We discussed:
*Rennyo Shonin, holding service in a gymnasium vs. the Hondo, and the Seattle Betsuin’s recovery from arson
*Becoming a certified Special Rituals Minister and feeling a powerful energy during service at Nishi Hongan-ji
*Growing up in a temple family, coaching baseball in Zimbabwe, and becoming a Jodo Shinshu minister in Lodi, California
*Ritual as as expression of gratitude, baseball, and throwing the first pitch at a Mariners game
*And the importance of exploring different Buddhist traditions and finding helpful people to guide your interest in Buddhism 

Kyle Neo aka Dharma Kueen and Facilitator of Rainbodhi SG creates safe spaces where Buddhism and queerness meet with compassion. He blends study, practice, and storytelling to make the Dharma inclusive, accessible, engaging and transformative.

For more information about Kyle and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the following links:

https://substack.com/@kyleneo

https://www.dharmakueen.com/

https://rainbodhisg.com/

https://kusalamag.com/

Instagram handle is @DharmaKueen

We talked about:
*Celebrating Vesak at Bangkok Pride, interdependence, and interfaith dialogue
*Growing up in a Buddhist household, briefly ordaining as a monk, and sharing the dharma through temple tours
*The Care and Share Dharma Study Group at Rainbodhi Singapore, developing Dharma Kueen, and exploring the gender neutrality of Avalokiteshvara
*And the importance of making yourself available to the present moment by not taking yourself too seriously

An ordained Zen Buddhist priest, Zengyu Paul Discoe studied art history and philosophy as an undergraduate in the United States and Buddhist temple design and construction in Japan. He became a student of Suzuki Roshi at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in California, and, after four years, Suzuki sent him to Japan to train under a traditional master builder for five years. Upon returning, Discoe founded Joinery Structures in 1988. His projects include the Kojin-an Zen temple in Oakland for Akiba Sensei, the founder's hall and kitchen at Tassajara, the Lindesfarne guesthouse and Wheelwright Center, and the abbot's house at Green Gulch, as well as several prestigious homes and projects internationally. His current project is Chop and Carry Farm, an emerging Soto Zen practice center based in Hawaii and guided by the teachings of Dōgen Zenji and Suzuki Roshi, with its practice structure modeled on the early days of Tassajara.

For more information on Zengyu Paul Discoe and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the following links:

https://www.chopandcarry.org/

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/4855014-zen-architecture

We discussed:

*The recent fire at the zendo of the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, using what’s around you, and building without blueprints

*Zen as an action, Genjōkōan, and dependent co-arising

*Hachi Dainin Gaku, attention to detail without gaining, and the difference between building new structures and maintenance

*Developing a cardboard zendo, repurposing discarded materials, and creating a ecologically harmonious Soto Zen retreat center in Hawaii

*And the importance of finding a teacher and developing a practice to address your karma.

John Tarrant, Roshi is a Zen teacher, poet, and founder of the Pacific Zen Institute. He is interested in Zen as a way that transforms the mind, and in the dance between innovation and tradition in both teaching and practice. Tarrant Roshi is the author of books such as Bring Me The Rhinoceros: And Other Zen Koans That Will Save Your Life, The Light Inside the Dark: Zen, Soul & the Spiritual Life, and The Story of the Buddha.

For more information about Tarrant Roshi and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the following links:

https://tarrantworks.com/

https://www.pacificzen.org/

We talked about:

*Meditation, fear, and viewing your mind like a national park

*Early experiences with Tibetan lamas in Australia, independent study of koans, and learning from Robert Aitken, Roshi in Hawaii

*Poetry, exploring koans in group settings, and Mu

*San Francisco Zen Center figures like Issan Dorsey, Philip Whalen, David Chadwick, and the place of koans in Soto and Rinzai Zen

*And the importance of sincerely taking the step of turning your heart towards the dharma and finding support in kind mentors and companions

Frank Olivier is a three-time world juggling champion with a comedy act that’s been seen on the Tonight Show, HBO's Just for Laughs, and America’s Got Talent. He’s entertained two presidents, British royalty, and for Fortune 500 companies as well as performing comedy live onstage with Bill Murray, Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, Jim Belushi and Dana Carvey.
He's toured as a national headlining comedian, and he's clean enough that Disney trusted him for a live televised special. These shows, companies and people bring Frank in not only because of how funny he is, but even more so for the sense of play and fun he instills in an audience in any venue. And if he's available he'll come astonish and delight your group as well.
He has been practicing meditation since age 11, and at 25 learned mindfulness practice from Thich Nhat Hanh. For the past 7 years, he’s been focused on the topic of happiness, blending his spiritual journey with over 40 years of spreading laughter and delight as a professional comedian juggler.
For more information about Frank and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the following links:
https://www.funnyfrank.com/
https://happinessminute.com/
https://www.trickstohappiness.com/
https://mendosuficamp.org/

We discussed:

*Transcendental Meditation, walking practice, and juggling on a unicycle to earn money for meditation instruction

*Loss, grief, wailing, laughter, and techniques to find the light in the cracks that shines through

*Gratitude practices, Happiness Minute, and developing Tricks to Happiness as way to invite others to welcome more joy into their life

*Sufism, Samuel Lewis (Sufi Sam), Thich Nhat Hanh, and smiling practice

*And the importance of consciously letting in greater happiness and to express our gratitude

Pema Khandro, PhD, is a scholar-practitioner and teacher of Tibetan Buddhism. She is the founder of the non-profit organization Ngakpa International and oversees its projects: the Dakini Mountain Retreat Center, the Buddhist Studies Institute and the Yogic Medicine Institute.

Pema Khandro’s academic work specializes in the history of Dzogchen, women in Buddhism, and Tibet’s Buddhist yogis. She has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology, a Master’s degree in Religious Studies specializing in Tibet, and a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from the University of Virginia. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Buddhist Studies and she studies English, Tibetan and Chinese languages.

For more information about Dr. Pema Khandro and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the following links:

https://pemakhandro.org/

https://buddhiststudiesinstitute.org/

www.DakiniMountain.org

www.YogicMedicineInstitute.org

We talked about:

*Being first introduced to meditation and Buddhism at five years old and recognizing a teacher’s lesson that was 30 years in the making

*Dharma friends and finding community in the solitary nature of the path

*Pursuing scholarship as a practitioner, Dzogchen, and studying women in Buddhism

*Momo-la, divine feminine energy, and the inspiration to forgo an ordinary life and see how "a life could be like a living poetry of dharma"

*Dakini Mountain, expanse, and the benefits of practicing in the wild

*And the importance of studying the classical traditions on their own terms as well as the lived Buddhist experience

Rev. Gigen Mark Hollingshead has been studying Zen for over 25 years. He began training at Middlebar Monastery in Stockton, California. Twelve years ago he moved to Santa Cruz and began practice at Ocean Gate Zen Center. In 2017 Gigen went through the Jukai ceremony to officially become Daijaku Roshi’s student, and in 2023 went through novice priest ordination (Shukke Tokodo). Gigen holds a B.A. in Religious Studies from California State University, Sacramento.

For more information about Rev. Gigen and other resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the following links:

https://oceangatezen.org/

https://www.youtube.com/@CrankyZen

https://www.youtube.com/@markhollingshead5096

We talked about:

*Finding stability, balance, and meditation at an early age in martial arts training

*Middlebar Monastery, MacDonough Roshi, and practice without pretension

*Ocean Gate Zen Center, Jukai, and the decision to ordain

*Zazen, Fudōshin or "the immovable mind," and recognizing stillness in motion

*And the importance of getting out of your own head and comfort zone and to practice with others

Monica C. Mann-Wrobel, PhD, is a licensed psychologist located in Chapel Hill, NC. Monica specializes in providing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for a range of aspects of the human condition including but certainly not limited to anxiety, depression, life transitions, family challenges and trauma in adults. Monica also works with couples, offering Emotion Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT). Monica is an experienced meditator and enjoys infusing mindfulness into all aspects of her clinical work and believes strongly in the value of this approach to the human condition. 

Monica grew up in small towns in the Western Piedmont of North Carolina and then spent 8 years with her husband Mike in Maryland, outside Wasington, DC, going to graduate school and post-doc for clinical psychology. Monica has had a steady meditation practice for about 20 years and recently completed a two-year mindfulness teacher training program, so she enjoys occasionally teaching at Mindful Families of Durham (MFD). She and her family have been members of MFD since 2018 and this community has helped them really integrate mindfulness into their family routines and rituals. It's been especially joyful for Monica to watch her children learn to be more mindful and kind towards themselves, others, and all beings.

For more information about Monica and other mentioned resources, please visit the following links:

http://www.drmann-wrobel.com/

https://www.mindfulfamiliesofdurham.org/

https://triangleinsight.org/

We discussed:

*The Walk for Peace and reflecting on dharma talks with family members

*Finding mindfulness in graduate school, clinical psychology, and the impact of applying mindfulness techniques in clinical work with veterans

*The Triangle Insight Meditation Community, Mindful Families of Durham, and the experience of creating and sustaining a model for families to participate in mindfulness communities together

*And the importance of remembering that change happens over time and that practicing mindfulness can be a radical act of self-love

Jeremy David Engels, Ph.D., is the Liberal Arts professor of Communication and Ethics at Penn State University. He is also a longtime teacher of mindfulness, meditation, and yoga and since undertaking a pilgrimage to walk in the footsteps of the Buddha in India and Nepal in 2018, a student of Thích Nhất Hạnh. He is an award-winning teacher and scholar, and has published numerous books and articles about democracy, community building, deliberation, and peace. He lives in State College, Pennsylvania, where he and his wife Anna run a community yoga and meditation studio called Yoga Lab. Jeremy joyfully joins the Plum Village Beloved Community in practicing mindfulness as “the practice of peace.”

For more information about Jeremy and other resources, please visit the following links:

https://jeremydavidengels.com/

https://zenandtheartofdemocracy.substack.com/

https://www.parallax.org/product/on-mindful-democracy/

https://www.statecollegeyogalab.com/

We discussed:

*The Walk for Peace, deliberation, and the need for and the impact of Beloved Community

*Tech awareness, teaching mindfulness to university students, and the invitation to be our own anthropologist

*Interdependence, a Buddhist pilgrimage in India, and the miracle of our life

*Thich Nhat Hanh, Vietnam, and how to go about embracing our mud

*And the importance of remembering that we are not alone on the Buddhist path and to exercise kindness to ourselves

Daisy Lin is an Emmy Award–winning journalist whose work has been published by NBC News, Huffington Post, Thrive Global, and more. She is a longtime member of the Caretaking Council of Los Angeles Compassionate Heart Sangha and a student at the Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Check out the following link for Daisy's blog, Dharma Diaries:

https://www.dharmadiaries.com/

For Daisy's recommended resources, please visit the following links:

https://lachsangha.wixsite.com/breathe

https://www.mountaincloud.org/

https://limitlesshorizonsixil.org/

We talked about:

*Service, equanimity, koans, and supporting the development of girls schools in Guatemala

*Finding Buddhism during a time of personal crisis and learning how to tend to yourself at the Los Angeles Compassionate Heart Sangha

*Mu and the impact of finding a teacher at Mountain Cloud Zen Center

*Accepting and loving your “knot” as well as acknowledging your ancestors

*And the importance of looking inside to find the jewels in your jacket and discovering that you are a wellspring

Rev. Jokan Ono is the 43rd Abbot and Head Priest of Fugenji Temple (Tendai School), Fuchu City, Tokyo. Born in Tokyo in 1986, he is a graduate of Waseda University and also studied at Lewis & Clark College in Oregon, USA. During his university years, he completed the Tendai ascetic training, Shido Kegyo, on Mount Hiei.

After working in corporate consulting and the IT sector, he founded “Kechien Kikaku,” a project aiming to strengthen the bond between temples and communities. He later completed the first 100 days of the Kaihōgyō on Mount Hiei.

He became the Head Priest of Fugenji in 2020. In 2023, he spoke as one of Japan’s representatives at the International Sangha Forum in Bodh Gaya, hosted by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Rev Ono’s aspiration is to become “an international monk who connects the Japanese Buddhism of harmony with the world."

For more information about Fugenji, please visit the following link:

https://www.fugenji.com/

We discussed:

*Ordaining at the age of ten, training at Mount Hiei, and becoming the 43rd abbot of Fugenji

*Returning to Mount Hiei after living in the secular world and working in business

*Kaihōgyō, Sennichi-e, and engaging with practices around emptiness and interdependence through nature

*Fudō Myō-ō and practicing the Goma fire ritual

*Tendai, meditation, and the Threefold Contemplation in a Single Mind

*Cafe Terrace Fugenji and supporting an online sangha

*Toei Tama Cemetery and impermanence

*and the importance of letting your motivation for awakening serve as your compass along the Buddhist path

John Fraser is the principal teacher of the Glasgow Zen Group and received Shiho or dharma transmission from Michael Eido Luetchford in 2006. John is also a somatic sex therapist & sex coach, working in Edinburgh, Scotland, with individuals and couples.

The Glasgow Zen Group was established in 1990 within the auspices of the International Zen Association, and has operated as an independent fellowship of practitioners since 2000, practicing within the broad Soto Zen tradition.

For more information about John and the Glasgow Zen Group, please visit the following links:

https://www.loveandsexcoaching.co.uk/

https://glasgowzengroup.com/

We discussed:

*Dharma transmission as the freedom to be your full self as a teacher

*First happening upon Zen in a ski chalet and the origins of the Glasgow Zen Group

*Authenticity, sexuality, dance, and embodiment

*And the importance of finding a practice that makes the most sense for you and that it’s not about being remembered, it’s about being useful

Euna is a multicultural, unaffiliated renunciate dedicating their life to the Dhamma (Laws of Nature) as taught by Buddha. Cave yogi-poet who loves exploring diverse, inclusive, and fun routes to awakening. Enthusiastic about ascetic training in caves and wilderness, nervous system theory, and Brahma-Vihara practices. Primary focus is on Cittanupassana and Hwadu. Formally trained in Vipassana & Samatha meditation (Myanmar Theravada and Korean Seon lineages), and monasticism at Mahapajapati Monastery. Completed BA in Ethnic Studies: Race, Gender, and Power at Mills College. Currently, board secretary at Mahapajapati Foundation, resident steward at Mahapajapati Monastery, and Registered Behavior Technician. Learn more about their adventures at scoby.substack.com.

For other resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the following links:

https://mahapajapatiinfo.wordpress.com/

https://dharmatreasure.org/

We talked about:

*Recovery Dharma at San Francisco Zen Center and developing a meditation practice

*Daehaeng Sunim, Mahapajapati Monastery, and dharma in the wilderness

*Cave meditation, renunciation, and learning what feels good and what doesn't

*Cooking at a Korean monastery, identity, and poetry

*Leading meditation and the excitement and fulfillment of facilitating queer retreats

*And the importance studying your role models and safely jumping into your practice.

Ananda Mahinkanda is an accomplished Accounting and Finance professional and Business Administrator with a Doctorate in Humanity. His life journey has taken him across South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and North America, giving him a rich multicultural perspective and a deep appreciation for the diversity of human experience.

A lifelong animal lover, Ananda is deeply committed to ahimsa and to promoting compassion toward all beings. He actively advocates for a plant-based lifestyle, recognizing its profound benefits for animal welfare, human health, and the protection of the environment.

Ananda is also a serious meditation and Dhamma practitioner. His spiritual path includes a period of temporary ordination, and he continues to maintain a dedicated practice grounded in mindfulness, insight, and ethical living.He is the founder of Samahitha Nature Foundation, USA, and serves as the International Advisor to the Sri Lanka Non-Violence Society.

For more information about Ananda and the Samahitha Nature Foundation, please visit the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/@Samahithanaturefundation

We talked about:

*Mahinda, growing up Buddhist in Sri Lanka, and right action

*Meditation and receiving temporary ordination in Burma

*Mindfulness and the joy of interconnection

*No-self, ahimsa, and the benefits of a plant-based diet

*And the importance of observing your mind and taking time to think about how you want to live your life

Assaf Katz is an activist and Buddhist teacher in Israel who opposes the Israeli governments’ devastating military action and long occupation in Palestine, and is dedicated to finding a path to peace. He has been practicing meditation and the path of the Dharma since 2007, mostly from the Vipassana tradition and also from Non-Duality traditions, and has practiced for long periods in Israel and abroad. Since 2016, he has been living in Clil and taking part of the staff of Meshiv Nefesh, a center and home for spiritual practice in the spirit of Buddhism.

Assaf's focus mostly deals with bringing the practice to everyday life and strengthening the wide vision of the Dharma as a whole spiritual path which includes the development of wisdom, moral conduct and development of the mind.

Assaf sees much importance in developing and creating communities which practice the Dharma, as a way for personal and collective liberation. Assaf is also active in social, environmental and political issues.

For more information about the resources Assaf mentioned, please see the following links:

https://tovana.org.il/en

https://engagedharma.wordpress.com/

https://www.sanghaseva.org/

https://www.tarabrach.com/

https://plumvillage.org/

We discussed:

*Dharma and being introduced to the teachings of HH Dalai Lama through Assaf’s brother

*Exploring nonduality through Advaita Vedanta at Meshiv Nefesh

*October 7th and listening to Martin Luther King Jr.'s teachings

*Vulnerability and the potential that comes from being with suffering

*And the importance of truly loving this world, all of it, and applying that love and care towards liberation

Bhante Buddharakkhita was born in Uganda to a Christian family in 1966 in Kampala, Uganda, East Africa. He first encountered Buddhism in 1990 while studying in India. He was fully ordained as a Theravada Buddhist monk by the late Most Venerable U Silananda in 2002 at the Tathagata Meditation Centre in San Jose, California. He then spent eight years under the guidance of Bhante Henepola Gunaratana at the Bhavana Society, in West Virginia.

Founder/Abbot of the Uganda Buddhist Centre, Bhante is also the founder of the Buddhist Peace School (Pre-School), Buddhist Peace School (Primary section), and African Buddhist High School in Garuga, Entebbe, Uganda.

Bhante has been teaching mindfulness meditation in Africa, the U.S., Singapore, and worldwide since 2005. He is a Teaching Professor of Theravada Buddhism at Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University, New York City, USA.

He is a long-time member of Buddhist Global Reliefs’ advisory council in New Jersey. Bhante is a much-loved teacher in many countries. His book, Planting Dhamma Seeds: The Emergence of Buddhism in Africa, tells the story of his religious and spiritual work in Africa.

For more information about Bhante and the Uganda Buddhist Centre, please visit the following links:

https://ugandabuddhistcenter.org/https://bhantebuddharakkhita.org/

We discussed:

*The Uganda Buddhist Centre's 20th anniversary and Bhante's reflections on it's past, present, and future

*Ordination and repaying his mother through sharing the dharma with her

*Meeting HH The Dalai Lama, international travel, and eventually finding that Buddhism "hit the spot"

*And the importance of meditation and undertaking the fascinating work of observing your own mind

Alexander James O'Neill is a specially appointed assistant professor at the Department of Liberal Arts at Musashino University, Tōkyō. He was previously a research fellow at the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. He received his PhD from the University of Toronto's Department for the Study of Religion.

He has a broad range of interests, including Sanskrit Buddhist texts and manuscripts from South Asia, especially Nepal. He has a passion for Newar Buddhism and the Newar language and culture. In addition, he is interested broadly in Mahāyāna Buddhism, ranging from Sanskrit and Newar literature to Chinese and Japanese Buddhist texts and practices.

For more information about Dr. O'Neill, please see the following links:

https://www.alexanderjoneill.com/

https://www.shingansportal.com/https://www.zonkakuproject.org/

We talked about:

*Zonkaku and creating open source dharma resources

*The Secrets of the Tathāgata and the Buddha meeting us as we are

*Practicing in different traditions and finding Jōdo Shinshū through a connection with Amitabha

*Newar Buddhism, Hiranya Varna Mahavihar, and Buddhist book worship

*And the importance of focused reading and finding a teacher or trusted dharma friend to help guide you along the path

Tseme (they/them) practices in the Himalayan Gelugpa tradition. Their Buddhist Studies degree at UC Berkeley included studying Tibetan and Japanese languages and they are now undertaking a Master of Divinity at Harvard to become a Buddhist Chaplain. Tseme also publishes innovative content about being queer and Buddhist on their Instagram @neo_queer and dreams of starting their own publishing house one day.

For more information about Rainbodhi, please check out the following link:https://rainbodhi.org/

We talked about:

*Mental prostrations and weaving Tibetan Buddhist practices into a busy schedule

*Rainbodhi USA and pursuing chaplaincy to support and facilitate queer communities and spaces

*Buddhist Studies and how to approach “post-post" colonial critique

*Engaged Buddhism and approaching activism through subversive art

*And the importance of remaining curious about your practice

Jhani Randhawa is an interdisciplinary artist and scholar, whose praxis centres the performative uses of literature, archival marginalia, and bodies to illuminate limits of legality, memory, and racially gendered power within the ongoing ecological crises of settler colonialism. Winner of the 2024 California Book Award for their debut poetry collection, Time Regime (Gaudy Boy, 2022), Jhani’s work has appeared in the New Art Gallery Walsall (Walsall, England) and the Czong Institute for Contemporary Art (Gyeonggi-do, South Korea), as well as publications A Mouth Holds Many Things: A Hybrid Literature Anthology, ASAP/J, 128 Lit, Footnotes, and O BOD, among others. You can learn more about their work at www.jfkrandhawa.com.

For more information about Sujatha Baliga and Spiritual Fitness, please see the following link:

https://www.sujathabaliga.com/spiritual-fitness

For more information about Annah, Infinite by Khairani Barokka, please see the following link:

https://www.tiltedaxispress.com/annah-infinite

We discussed:

• The relationship between Buddhist practice and art

• Diving deep in community during a retreat at the Upaya Zen Center
• Surabhi (aka Kamadhenu) and early experiences with Sikhism
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and learning to accept your whole self
• And the importance of taking your time with the tensions that come up along the Buddhist path and practicing “looking again”
• Also, think about creating a photo journal!

Muna Shaheen is a Palestinian single mother of three living in Haifa. She is a long-term practitioner, who co-founded “Ihna-Hon,” an open Arabic-speaking mindfulness-meditation space, and later founded “Marsa” a dedicated Arabic-speaking Sangha, in which she teaches Dharma. In addition she is an assistant teacher in an MBSR teacher-training-course.Muna regards mindfulness teaching as her major social activism, while she holds a veterinarian certificate and promotes awareness to animal welfare both as an educational consultant in the Ministries of Agriculture and Education and teaching at university level. She is an environmental activist, co-founder of the “One Climate” movement, and formerly established a Palestinian Sea advocacy community in Haifa. Muna also leads children’s group in nature bonding them to earth.For more information about One Climate, please visit the following link:https://www.facebook.com/climatejustice4all/

To make a donation, Muna recommends the following link:

https://www.every.org/youth-passageways/f/special-projects-donorWe discussed environmental education for children and teaching youths about non-violence through compassion towards animals, belonging to the land and receiving olives as gifts from ancient beings, anxiety and finding a personal Vipassana practice as well as a heart connection to Native American spirituality, developing Palestinian sanghas and viewing practice as social activism, and the importance of knowing that the Buddhist path reveals itself.

Daijaku was ordained in 1988, completed her priest training Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, and received Dharma transmission (full authorization as a Soto Zen teacher), in 2004 from Sojun Mel Weitsman Roshi (Abbot of Berkeley Zen Center and Abbot of San Francisco Zen Center from 1988- 1997).

After her priest training, Daijaku completed a master’s degree in counseling psychology and a PhD on the teachings and practice of Soto Zen with a focus on effective ways to support a deep engagement with the path of practice.

Daijaku has taught and led retreats in a variety of settings including Gampo Abbey with the Venerable Pema Chodron and at Buddhist temples throughout the U.S. She continues to learn from and incorporate teachings and wisdom from Buddhist traditions beyond Soto Zen, while remaining deeply rooted in the Soto Zen way.

She is a Professor Emerita at the Institute of Buddhist Studies (IBS), a Buddhist seminary and graduate school and member school of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley California, where she founded and directed the Buddhist chaplaincy graduate program, as well as the Certificate in Soto Zen Studies. She continues her involvement at IBS in a less formal way.

Jaku was appointed Kokusaifukyoshi (International Teacher) by the Soto Zen School (Sotoshu) in Tokyo Japan in 2009 and is a board member of the Association of Soto Zen Buddhists, a Sotoshu organization of Kokusaifukyoshi in North America. She is also a full member of the Soto Zen Buddhist Association, served as a board member of that organization from 2007 – 2013, and is a member of the American Zen Teacher’s Association. She is the author of Trust Realization and the Self in Soto Zen Practice and numerous articles on Buddhism.

For more information, please visit the following link:https://oceangatezen.org/

We talked about preparations for an upcoming Jukai at Ocean Gate Zen Center, beginnings in Zen and the invitation to enter practice “completely as you are," Tassajara Zen Mountain Center and pursuing a degree in counseling, developing the Buddhist chaplaincy program and the Certificate in Soto Zen Studies at the Institute of Buddhist Studies, and the importance of remembering that "discipline is following what you love" and that you can find a way to be in this world as it is.

Coral Short is a queer, non-binary, white settler born in 1973. They completed their Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) training in March 2023 with Dea Parsanishi. They specialize in working with LGBTQIA+ folks, recovery, activism, creativity, and all forms of radical sexuality.

They are a graduated active Community Dharma Teacher at True North Insight in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal and co-lead a weekly Queer Sangha. Coral has been working with the Stretch Festival in Berlin for several years at the Somatische Akademie/ Village Berlin and at the Montreal Somatics Festival. They offer anti-racist courses, somatic workshops, and eco-somatic walks to international communities. They have been an organizer, activist, and artist for the last two decades.

For more information about Coral, please visit the following website:

https://www.coralshort.com/

We talked about co-facilitating the Poly Dinner Club and supporting polyamorous community discussions with Buddhist practices, anattā (non-self) and accepting the fluidity of identity and body, performance art and celebrating community through joint creativity, digital dharma offerings and eco-somatic hikes, and the importance of sangha and exploring what forms of Buddhism resonate with you.

​Rev. Hōgetsu Laurie Belzer is the Guiding Dharma Teacher at Ancient Dragon Zen Gate (ADZG) in Chicago, Illinois, and succeeds their founding guiding teacher, Taigen Dan Leighton. She is a lineage holder in the Soto Zen tradition of Shunryu Suzuki-roshi, and received dharma transmission from Rev. Taiyo Lipscomb. Since 1989, Hōgetsu has trained intensively at all three of San Francisco Zen Center’s temples, where she served as Shuso (Head Monk) with Tenshin Reb Anderson at Green Gulch Farm. A founding member of ADZG, Hōgetsu has supported the evolution of the practice center since its genesis. As guiding teacher, Hogetsu joyfully serves the wonderful ADZG community in many ways, including as dharma teacher, sangha leader, board member, Thursday morning zazen host, and sewing practice mentor.

For more information about ​Rev. Hōgetsu and Ancient Dragon Zen Gate, please visit the following website:

https://www.ancientdragon.org/

We discussed practice conversations and how a sangha sharing individual experiences with each other around practice informs a sense of community, zazen as a practice that touches the heart and caring for our conditions, meditating with incense as a child and finding Soto Zen through a cross-country peace walk, and the importance of appreciating the preciousness of practice.

Chance Krempasky is a vegan cyclist, cold water swimming weirdo, and meditator. He works as a family nurse practitioner specializing in queer and transgender medicine, drug user health, and care for people living with HIV. Chance is a practice leader at New York Insight Meditation Center, co-author of Developing Trans*Competence: A Short Guide to Improving Transgender Experiences at Meditation and Retreat Centers, and a contributor to Transcending: Trans Buddhist Voices. He has led gatherings for TGNC Buddhists and allies both online and at venues including the Spirit Rock Teacher Training Program, the Philadelphia Trans Health Conference, and Brooklyn Zen Center.

Please see below for links to Chance's written work and recommended organizations/causes:

Developing Trans*Competence: A Short Guide to Improving Transgender Experiences at Meditation and Retreat Centers

https://www.transbuddhists.org/retreat-guide/about-the-guide/

(also see Transbuddhists.org)

Transcending: Trans Buddhist Voices (book)

https://www.northatlanticbooks.com/shop/transcending/

Recovery Dharma Global

https://recoverydharma.org/

The Sameer Project

https://www.instagram.com/thesameerproject/?hl=en

We discussed Chance's recent retreat experience at the Temple Forest Monastery in New Hampshire and engaging in service as practice, Transbuddhists.org and the origins of the zine “Developing Trans*Competence," Recovery Dharma Global and applying the Four Noble Truths towards navigating recovery and support, Mudita and the practice of celebrating the joys of others as a healthcare provider, and the importance of remembering that the Buddhist journey is a marathon not a sprint.

Arthur Braverman studied at Antaiji temple in Japan under Uchiyama Roshi from 1970 to 1975. He is an author and translator, whose works include Mud and Water: The Collected Teachings of Zen Master Bassui, and the novel, Dharma Brothers Kodo and Tokujoo. He lives in Ojai, California.

For more information, please visit the following link for purchasing options for some of Arthur's books (you can also check out your local independent bookstore):

https://greenapplebooks.com/search?q=arthur%20braverman

We discussed volunteering with the Peace Corps in Nigeria and his early experiences with Zen in Japan, Uchiyama Roshi and his lessons on old age and death, writing historical fiction vs translation, independence and recognizing zazen as your teacher, and the importance of keeping your ideals in check and seeing what happens when you just sit.

Zen Master Dae An (Bogumila Malinowska) is a Guiding Teacher at The London Zen Centre of the Kwan Um School of Zen and currently lives in London. She was born in North-west Poland and met Zen Master Seung Sahn in 1981 on one of his visits to the country. In 1988 she participated in a 100 day solo retreat. She was leading zen groups in Pila and Poznan while she was living in Poland from 1985 to 2003 before she left for the UK. 

She is a licensed counselor/psychotherapist in private practice in North London and registered with British Association of Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP). In 2005, she established the London Zen Centre two years after moving to the UK with the spiritual support of Zen Master Wu Bong. She received Inka (authority to teach koans and lead retreats) from Zen Master Wu Bong in September 2009 at the Warsaw Zen Centre (Wu Bong Sa). She received transmission from Zen Master Ji Kwang on June 15th, 2024 and was given the title Zen Master Dae An.

For more information about The London Zen Centre (Kwan Um School of Zen), please see the link below:

https://kwanumzen.co.uk/

Please also see the following link for more information about Bogumila Malinowska's private therapy practice:

https://www.londoncounsellingcentre.org/

We talked about Gestalt therapy and how to cultivate an environment for clients to be in the moment, recognizing the boundaries involved with being a zen teacher and a therapist, Zen Master Seung Sahn and solo practice vs. group settings, the Kwan Um School’s approach to bowing, meditation, and kong-ans (koans), and the importance of knowing your needs when you’re exploring Buddhism and Buddhist communities.

Shohaku Okumura, founder and abbot of Sanshin Zen Community, was born in Osaka, Japan, in 1948. In 1970, he was ordained by the late Kosho Uchiyama Roshi, one of the foremost Zen masters of the twentieth-century. He received Dharma transmission from his teacher in 1975 and, shortly after, became one of the founding members of Pioneer Valley Zendo in Massachusetts. He returned to Japan in 1981 and began translating the works of Dogen Zenji, Uchiyama Roshi and other Soto masters from Japanese into English. In 1993, he moved back to the United States with his wife, Yuko, and their two children. He has previously served as teacher at the Kyoto Soto Zen Center in Japan and at the Minnesota Zen Meditation Center in Minneapolis, and was Director of the Soto Zen International Center in San Francisco for thirteen years.

Today he is recognized for his unique perspective on the life and teachings of Dogen Zenji derived from his experience as both practitioner and translator, and as a teacher in both Japanese and Western practice communities. He gives frequent lectures on the Shobogenzo and other foundational texts. His translations and commentaries include Dogen’s Extensive Record: A Translation of the Eihei Koroku, Realizing Genjokoan, Living by Vow: A Practical Introduction to Eight Essential Zen Chants and Texts, and The Mountains and Waters Sutra: A Practitioner’s Guide to Dogen’s “Sansuikyo”. His lectures have appeared in Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Quarterly, Dharma Eye, and Buddhism Now.

For more information, please visit the links below:

Sanshin-ji (Sanshin Zen Community)

https://www.sanshinji.org/

The Dōgen Institute

https://dogeninstitute.wordpress.com/

We discussed Kosho Uchiyama Roshi and early Zen practice at Antaiji, jiko and how understanding the emptiness of the self fosters compassion, the poetry of Dōgen Zenji and Taigu Ryōkan, practicing Zen Buddhism through lectures and translation, Kannon and the sound that perceives the world, and the importance of finding a teacher and sangha.

Arisika Razak is Professor Emerita at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, where she also served as the director of the Women’s Spirituality MA and PhD program and as Director of Diversity. She has been an inner-city midwife for over two decades, has performed nationally and internationally as a spiritual dancer, and has led embodied healing workshops for over thirty-five years. She teaches at East Bay Meditation Center in Oakland.

Please see below for Arisika's upcoming and ongoing events as well as recommended resources:

Afrikan Healing and Wisdom

With Vimalasara Mason-John, Arisika Razak, and Aleta Toure’ 

First Sundays at East Bay Meditation Center (online)

https://eastbaymeditation.org/calendar/online-afrikan-wisdom-and-healing-2-2-2/

Honoring the Past, Revisioning the Future: Afrikan Healing & Wisdom 

Taught by Vimalasara, Arisika Razak, and Aleta Toure’

In-person, Residential Retreat: February 5 - 8, 2026

https://www.dhammadena.org/retreats/Afrikan-Wisdom-Retreat-Feb-2026

Middle East Children’s Alliancehttps://www.mecaforpeace.org/

Crushing Wheelchairs (Film)https://wraphome.org/2025/11/03/crushing-wheelchairs-premiere-of-the-movie-in-the-sf-bay-area/

We discussed civil rights activism and growing up listening to Malcolm X in Harlem, midwifery and identifying connections between breath techniques used during labor and meditation, karma and the caste system, kinship and learning how to recognize those that are different than us as meaningful and integral to our shared sacred hoop, and the importance of remembering to trust that you have a life purpose and that you have your own path of heart.

Žarko Andričević is the founder of Dharmaloka Chan Buddhist Community and Chan Retreat Centre (Chan centar Hartovski vrh) in Croatia, where he currently lives and teaches. Žarko first encountered Buddhism 1975 and has been a martial arts and yoga teacher since the 1970s. In the mid-80s, he started the first Buddhist study and meditation group in Croatia. In 1996, he meet Chan Master Sheng Yen and became one of his students. Žarko received Dharma transmission from Master Sheng Yen in June 2001. Since then, he teaches and leads Chan retreats in Europe, USA, Canada, Taiwan and Australia.For more information about Žarko and Chan centar Hartovski vrh, please visit the following link:https://chan.hr/en/chan-retreat-center-croatia/We talked about martial arts and forming Croatia's first Buddhist practice group, Master Sheng Yen and silent illumination practice, Zenyoga and awakening your body through physical movement, and the importance of remembering to approach dharma with a joyful seriousness.

American Buddhist Fellowship (ABF) disciples Keith and Sissi share what they have learned from Venerable Xingren since volunteering at the temple, their Buddhist journeys, the upcoming Consecration Ceremony that ABF will host on December 25, 2025, and the teachings Venerable Xingren plans to resume after the New Year.

For more information about the American Buddhist Fellowship, please visit the following website: https://www.meifo.org/

Speakers introduction：

At 19 years old, Keith came from China to the United States and first encountered Buddhism through Master Chin-Kung’s Pure Land teachings. For 17 years his main practice has remained reciting Amitabha Buddha’s name and aspiring for rebirth in the Western Pure Land, even as he later studied other masters and methods. During his years in the U.S., Keith has lived in several cities, completing his studies and then working for over ten years. In July this year, Keith met Venerable Xingren through Dharma Sister Shen Yun, whom he had long admired for overcoming late-stage, metastasized cancer through unwavering recitation of Amitabha Buddha’s name. Sister Shen introduced Keith to the American Buddhist Fellowship and invited him to support its multimedia work. Since joining as a volunteer, Keith has built the temple’s website, secured Google Workspace for Nonprofits, and helped produce more than ten related videos.

Sissi has been studying Buddhism for 3 years and practicing Pure Land Buddhism for about 1.5 years. After learning that the American Buddhist Fellowship was raising funds to build and renovate its new temple in Covina, CA—and with the introduction from Dharma Sister Shen Yun—Sissi began volunteering in July 2025. Since then, she has humbly assisted with the shipping and customs clearance of the Buddha statues for the new temple, YouTube video editing, website development, and other projects assigned by Venerable Xingren of American Buddhist Fellowship.

We discussed the American Buddhist Fellowship and how community members connect digitally, aspirations and how ambitious vows can manifest, Pure Land Buddhist practice and the potential impact of reciting Amitabha’s name, and ABF's upcoming Consecration Ceremony.

Rev. Devon Matsumoto is a Minister’s Assistant at the Mountain View Buddhist Temple. Devon grew up in the Jodo Shinshu community and has a deep interest in understanding how his Buddhist teachings can inform social justice movements and movements toward liberation. Devon is also a founding member of The Young Buddhist Editorial, an organization that seeks to share the stories of young Asian American Buddhists while preserving the experiences and stories of their ancestors. Please see the following links for more information about organizations and efforts that Devon works with:

Raffle Fundraiser for Mona Alshourafa & Family

tinyurl.com/raffle-for-mona

Mountain View Buddhist Temple

https://mvbuddhisttemple.org/

The Young Buddhist Editorial

https://www.youngbuddhisteditorial.com/

We talked about moving to Japan for Kaikyoshi certification and the benefits of studying Jodo Shinshu in Japanese, social justice advocacy and recognizing 'the cries of the nembutsu' as a wake up call, Buddhist youth groups and understanding that children aren’t just the future but are part of the present, and the importance of remembering that you're never alone where you're walking the Buddhist path.

The Queer Leather Meditation group is a peer-led meditation group for those who have a meditation practice and are queer and leather/kink-identified. QLM's intention is to create an inclusive space where participants can support each other as they practice in their daily lives. The group meditates together and also offers a time for check-ins with individual meditation practices. This group provides an accepting space where folks can include the queer and leather/kinky parts of their identities and experiences when talking about their practices.This episode features a conversation with Ro Rose and Kota Rook, who are members of the Queer Leather Meditation group.For more information about Queer Leather Meditation, please visit their Instagram account: @queerleathermeditationPlease also see below for account information for Ro Rose and Kota Rook:Ro Rose  @queerlyfluid  Kota Rook @soulskin.bodyworkWe talked about scar care and the joy of attending to healing, BDSM and stillness, the power of place and identifying similarities among dungeons and temples, the Queer Leather Meditation group and the value of meeting in a peer-led space, and the importance of remembering that we all have different access points and that all rivers lead to the sea.

Pedro Kaiten Piquero was born in 1976, exactly 38 years before the death of his master Gudo Wafu Nishijima, of whom he was the last disciple. In 2017, he received Dharma transmission in Japan from Venerable Peter Rodo Rocca in the lineage of Nishijima Roshi. He is president of the Dogen Sangha in Spain and director of the Zendo Gudo, as well as an active member and guest lecturer of the Dharma Voices for Animals organization.

For more information about Venerable Kaiten and the above organizations, please see the following links:

Zendo Gudo

https://zendogudo.es/

Dharma Voices for Animals

https://www.dharmavoicesforanimals.org/

We discussed perfectionism and classical piano, animal rights and having compassion for the bull and the bullfighter, impermanence and the relief in knowing that you'll be forgotten in 100 years, and the importance of taking your time.

Rev. Shudo Paula Lazarz is a 6th degree Black Sash in Shaolin Kung Fu and an ordained priest in the Soto Zen lineage of Shunryu Suzuki. Her over two decades of study in the martial arts and Buddhist practice has been an exploration of the idea of the historical Shaolin Temple, culminating in Warrior’s Path Buddhist Academy. Paula is a co-owner of Energy Fitness, Inc., Head Instructor at HealthKick Kung Fu and a Practice Leader at Ancient Dragon Zen Gate.

For more information about Paula and the above organizations, please see the following links:

Ancient Dragon Zen Gate

https://www.ancientdragon.org

Warrior's Path Buddhist Academy 

https://warriorspathacademy.org

HealthKick Kung Fu 

https://healthkickkungfu.com

We discussed how practicing martial arts in tandem with Chan/Zen peels back the onion layers of our humanity and reveals our true nature, feeling a sense of homecoming while visiting Shaolin Temple as well as Green Dragon Temple/Green Gulch Farm, lay ordination and female representation in sangha leadership, and the importance of remembering that difficulty is part of the training.

Mindy Newman, MA, MTS, LMHC, is a psychotherapist and hypnotherapist in private practice. She has an MA in counseling psychology from Lesley University and an MTS in world religion from Harvard University. She is a graduate of Nalanda Institute’s Contemplative Psychotherapy Program and taught meditation as part of the institute’s Introduction to Meditation series at Tibet House. Newman was recently one of Tricycle’s online dharma talk leaders and has written several pieces for Tricycle as a contributor. She is a student of Geshe Tenzin Zopa, whom Mindy met on pilgrimage in Nepal in 2018.

For more information about Mindy and her work with Tricycle, please see the following links:

https://www.mindynewman.com/

https://tricycle.org/author/mindy-newman/

Please also see the following link for Geshe Tenzin Zopa's website:

http://www.tenzinzopa.com/

We talked about preparing for a pilgrimage to Bhutan and how sharing reflections with others can strengthen the pilgrimage experience, Geshe Tenzin Zopa and being drawn towards Vajrayana practice, grief and exploring Māyādevī through both inner and outer journeys, and the importance of remembering that the Buddhist journey can be messy.

Roland sensei was born in Richmond B.C. He attended the Steveston Buddhist temple and the Calgary Buddhist temple when his family moved there in the 1970’s. He is a retired physician who worked in senior’s care (Geriatric Medicine). While an active temple member all his life he started studying Buddhism more seriously in 2016. He received his first level ordination (Tokudo) in Japan in 2019 and his second level ordination (Kyoshi) in 2022. Besides his temple life he enjoys golf in the summer and is trying to learn the Taiko. He is married to Brenda and has two adult children.

For more information about the Buddhist Temple of Southern Alberta (BTSA), please check out the following link: https://www.thebtsa.com/

We discussed internment and the Japanese Canadian diaspora, the development of the BTSA as an amalgamation of other temples in the region, growing up in a temple family and asking for ministerial advice from his younger brother, geriatric medicine and transitioning from a career as a physician to becoming a minister, temple outreach and the impact that an enthusiastic young adult temple group has had on community building, and the importance of taking that step of trying out something new that interests you.

Rev. Michael Tran is an ordained Buddhist minister with over 30 years of Buddhist study and practice, and more than a decade of experience in spiritual care. His training includes lineages in Chinese Ch’an (Japanese Zen), Pure Land, and Tibetan Nyingma traditions, which inform his compassionate and inter-traditional approach to service. He holds a B.A. in East Asian Cultures from UC Irvine and an M.Div. in Buddhist Chaplaincy from University of the West, and completed Clinical Pastoral Education at USC Arcadia Hospital.

Rev. Tran is ordained through the International Order of Buddhist Ministers and currently serves as a hospice chaplain, bereavement coordinator, and spiritual counselor. He is a board member and Chief Operations Officer of the Bodhiyana Buddhist Chaplain Fellowship and serves on the ritual teams of Kuang Min Buddhist Association in La Puente and Quan Yum Temple in Los Angeles Chinatown. His work centers on healing, presence, and service across communities.

For Rev. Michael's blog (The Buddha Wears Glasses), please check out the following link: www.sgvbuddhism.wordpress.com

For more information about the Bodhiyana Buddhist Chaplain Fellowship, please check out the following link: www.bbcf84000.org

We talked about Buddhism in the San Gabriel Valley and “3-in-1 Combo” temples, chaplaincy and applying Pure Land teachings to hospice care clients and meeting their needs, recognizing ancestors as temple tenants and protectors through their lotus seats, The Buddha Wears Glasses blog and highlighting the nuanced Buddhist experience, and the importance of sangha, exploring, and the benefits of engaging with monastics.

Rev. Tony Truong serves as Secretary of the Board of Directors and Temple Minister at Ming Ya Buddhist Foundation in Los Angeles, where he supports the community’s liturgical life and daily operations. Ordained as a Lay Minister in 2018 through the International Center for Chinese Buddhist Culture and Education, his path has been shaped by his family’s deep ties to Chinese Buddhist Chan and Pure Land practice, as well as his own training in Shingon Vajrayana.

He studied and practiced at Mount Koya in Japan and later continued his formation at Gokoku-ji Temple in Tokyo, under the Buzan-ha sect of Shingon Buddhism, with which Ming Ya has long maintained a spiritual partnership. Alongside his temple service, he is active in developing English-language liturgical resources to help make practice more accessible within Chinese American communities.

A second-generation Chinese-Vietnamese American of Teochew descent, Rev. Truong was born in Minnesota, raised in the San Gabriel Valley, and teaches high school English in the region. To learn more about his community and work, visit the temple’s Instagram: @mingyabf.la.

We discussed Rev. Truong's early experiences with Buddhism while attending his father’s memorial service and the impact of hearing chanting in the Teochew dialect, curiosity and being drawn to Buddhist symbolism and Ming Ya’s “gold room,” becoming a part of temple leadership and working towards bringing more people into the sangha, Ming Ya’s roots in Vietnamese Daoism and its connections to Shingon, and the importance of remembering that Buddhism is not just philosophy but also experienced through community.