Explore every episode of the podcast Spark Your Bliss

Rebecca Otte is from Topeka, Kansas, in the United States. She grew up Christian in rural Kansas and began meditation in the Kwan Um Zen tradition in 1996. One of the founding members of the Prairieth Zen Center in Topeka, she practiced extensively for over two decades, including a ninety-day-long intensive retreat known as kyol che. She received inka (permission to teach Zen) in 2020 and became the guiding teacher of the Prairieth Zen Center. Rebecca has also worked as a nurse midwife delivering 2,000 babies over the years. She retired from nursing in 2017 and lives with her husband, Ken. They have 2 children and one grandchild. She is also trained as a classical pianist.

To connect more to her teachings:

https://prairyerthzen.org or 

https://www.kwanumzenonline.org/

#RebeccaOtte #KwanUmZen #SpiritualTransformation #ZenRetreat #SparkYourBliss

Takeaways:

• Rebecca Otte emphasizes the significance of life's big questions, particularly surrounding existence and consciousness, as pivotal in her spiritual journey.
• Her extensive experience in Zen meditation, including a rigorous ninety-day retreat, profoundly shaped her understanding and teaching of the practice.
• The connection between her nursing career and spiritual practice has enriched her perspective on compassion and the human experience.
• Otte articulates that suffering can catalyze the development of greater love, wisdom, and compassion, serving as a foundation for personal growth.
• Through her practice, she has cultivated a deep appreciation for the beauty in everyday life, including moments of joy and suffering alike.
• Chanting, as a communal and individual practice, facilitates a deeper connection to one's true nature, enhancing the meditative experience.

Welcome to Spark Your Bliss - conversations that dive into the deep questions of life and death, insights from meditation practice, and helpful Buddhist teachings to digest our experiences. Kathy shares her own experience of stepping into the dharma stream unexpectedly upon her return to her native country, South Korea, many years ago. What began as the first deep transformation of her life became the spark that continues to fuel her inner lamp to now shine on others.

Kathy Park is Korean and began Zen meditation in 1999. In 2016, she received inka (permission to teach) in the Kwan Um Zen tradition in the lineage of Korean Zen Master Seung Sahn. She is a Ji Do Poep Sa (Dharma Master), and is the co-guiding teacher of Zenseoul in S. Korea with her husband, Andrzej Stec JDPSN.

As one of the founding members and the abbot of Kwan Um Zen Online - the Kwan Um Zen online sangha since 2017 - she spearheads the remarkable growth of a robust online Zen meditation community with her global team.

Focusing on providing opportunities for meditation and Zen teachings in the midst of challenging circumstances of everyday life, she strives to make available the practice of Zen 365 days a year, provide well-curated teachings and retreat programs to deepen our experiences, and live access to global Zen teachers all within reach, no matter one’s circumstance or location.

She is also a creative consultant, helping organizations and individuals to develop personal and professional vision and growth with a foundation in spiritual and contemplative principles.

To connect more to her teachings, visit:

Websites: https://zenseoul.org/en/ and https://www.kwanumzenonline.org

LinkedIn:  http://linkedin.com/in/kathy-park-26b1b0120

Instagram:  @zen_seoul

#KathyPark #ZenMaster #ZenSeoul #KoreanZen #SparkYourBliss

Lama Ludrup Yongsoo - also known as Yongsoo Sunim, is a Korean American monk ordained in the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism since 2003. He did a four-year intensive retreat in Dordogne, southern France, under the guidance of his main teacher, Pema Wangyal Rinpoche.

Since 2008, he has been a pioneer in introducing Tibetan Buddhism to Korea. Yongsoo Sunim teaches the foundational Mahayana principles with emphasis on meditation and cultivating compassion. He is the guiding teacher at Shechen Korea meditation center in Seoul, S. Korea. 

To connect with Lama Ludrup Yongsoo and his teachings:

https://shechenkorea.org/

Instagram: Shechen.Seoul

#LamaLudrupYongsoo #TibetanBuddhism #MeditationRetreat #DharmaTalk #SparkYourBliss

Takeaways:

• Lama Ludrup Yongsoo, ordained in 2003, embodies the essence of Tibetan Buddhist teachings.
• His extensive retreat experience in France underlines the importance of immersive practice in Buddhism.
• Through his teachings, he emphasizes the transformative power of meditation and compassion in daily life.
• The journey to discovering Buddhism often stems from personal experiences and a quest for deeper meaning.
• Yongsoo Sunim's integration of Tibetan and Korean Buddhist practices enriches the spiritual landscape of Korea.
• His approach to Lojong provides practical methods for turning negative emotions into positive actions.

A  Zen student of the late Korean Zen Master Seung Sahn in the Kwan Um Zen tradition since 1985, Tim attended two 90-day winter kyol che - traditional intensive Zen retreats in silence - at Hwa Gae Sah Temple and Shin Won Sah Temple in S. Korea in 1995 and 1997. In 2022, he received inka, permission to teach from Zen Master Soeng Hyang Barbara Rhodes in the Kwan Um Zen tradition. He has been on the Teachers Council of Long Beach Meditation since 2015. Tim also practices with the “Silver Lake Meditation Group” and a Pasadena interfaith group. He is a retired set decorator, currently teaching set decoration at Chapman University. Tim lives in Los Angeles with his husband Bernie and they enjoy being grandparents. 

Tim Colohan, JDPSN (dharma master), practices and teaches at the Dharma Zen Center in Los Angeles, CA. He is also a teacher at Kwan Um Zen Online, the online community in the Kwan Um Zen tradition. 

To join retreats, practice, or to connect with Tim:

https://www.dharmazen.com/

https://kwanumzenonline.org

P.S. A timely NYT article reminded us how hard, and weirdly competitive, it can be to just be. Check out the “Space-Out Competition” in Seoul, where people try to win… by doing nothing. I had the opportunity to add the Zen take on 'doing nothing' for this article. Please check it out:  Read it here

#TimColohan #ZenArt #Mindfulness #MentalHealth #SparkYourBliss

Takeaways:

• Tim Colohan has been a devoted Zen practitioner since 1985 under the guidance of esteemed Zen masters, significantly shaping his spiritual journey.
• His experiences in the arts, particularly painting, played a pivotal role in his exploration and eventual embrace of Zen philosophy.
• Tim emphasizes the importance of authenticity and self-exploration in both art and Zen practice, advocating for a life aligned with one's true nature.
• The conversation highlights the interconnectedness of personal clarity and environmental stewardship, urging individuals to act compassionately in the face of global challenges.
• Tim reflects on the transformative power of community, suggesting that genuine human connections can foster understanding and acceptance within marginalized groups.
• He encourages newcomers to explore various spiritual traditions, asserting that sincerity in practice can illuminate one's unique path toward liberation.

Zen Master Soeng Hyang Barbara Rhodes

Barbara Rhodes (Zen Master Soeng Hyang), known as Bobby to her students, has almost five decades of Zen practice and teaching experience. She met the late Korean Zen master Seung Sahn in 1972, received inka (permission to teach) from him in 1977, and dharma transmission in 1992. She has been teaching and leading retreats since 1978, and has been the head Zen master of the global Kwan Um Zen tradition since her teacher’s death in 2004. A registered nurse since 1969, she worked as a nurse until 2014, with twenty-seven years spent as a hospice nurse. She lives with her wife, Mary. 

She is an outstanding down-to-earth teacher, well respected in the Buddhist community, reflected by her inclusion in Meetings with Remarkable Women: Buddhist Teachers in America, Revised and Updated Edition, by Lenore Friedman (Shambhala, 2000), which also includes such influential teachers as Pema Chödrön, Charlotte Joko Beck, and Sharon Salzberg. She was also included in Zen Master Who? A Guide to the People and Stories of Zen (Wisdom Publications, 2006), by James Ishmael Ford. Bobby is also a contributor to Being Bodies: Buddhist Wisdom on the Paradox of Embodiment (Shambhala, 1997), edited by Lenore Friedman and Susan Moon; and The Hidden Lamp: Stories from Twenty-Five Centuries of Awakened Women (Wisdom Publications, 2013), edited by Florence Caplow and Susan Moon.

Her teaching has been published in Composting Our Karma: Turning Confusion into Lessons for Awakening Our Innate Wisdom (Shambhala, 2024). She continues to lead retreats and teaches worldwide both in-person and online, establishing kwanumzenonline.org, the global Kwan Um Zen online sangha. 

Related links:

kwanumzenonline.org

kwanumzen.org

Takeaways:

• Zen Master Soeng Hyang Barbara Rhodes, affectionately called Bobby, exemplifies the profound integration of Zen practice with everyday life and healthcare.
• Through her extensive experience as a hospice nurse, Bobby emphasizes the importance of listening deeply and compassionately to alleviate suffering.
• Bobby's teachings encourage individuals to embrace their innate wisdom by transforming confusion into actionable insights for personal growth and understanding.
• The necessity of dedicated practice, such as solo retreats, is underscored as a means of deepening Zen understanding and fostering significant personal insights.
• Bobby's stories illustrate that moments of awakening often arise unexpectedly when one is engaged and fully present in their surroundings.
• The conversation highlights that the true essence of Zen lies in questioning and seeking clarity amidst confusion, guiding us towards compassionate action.

Myokei Caine-Barrett, Shonin

Bishop, Nichiren Shu Order of Buddhism of North America

Myokei Shonin - as she is called with her bishop title, was born in Okinawa in Japan. Raised by a Japanese mother and an African American father, Myokei grew up in Texas, where, as a young girl, she first connected with the community of Japanese women who gathered to chant together.

Dedicating her life to the practice of chanting and with the completion of the arduous training of austere practices in Japan years later, today she is the first American woman and the first person of African Japanese descent to receive full ordination as a priest, and the only woman to become a bishop in the Nichiren Shu Order of Buddhism worldwide. Based in Houston, Texas, she is the guiding teacher of Myoken-ji Temple.

For over twenty years, Myokei Shonin has also led two remarkable local prison sanghas that are continuing to this day, and has been active in both Healing Warrior Hearts (a program for veterans returning home) and The Gathering: Buddhist Teachers of Black African Descent. Her presence and teaching reflect a lifetime of deep practice rooted in compassion and the all-seeing eye of true equality in all beings. 

For more about Myokei Caine-Barrett, Shonin, and her teachings

https://myoken-ji-usa.org

Reference article on Myokei Shonin

https://www.lionsroar.com/meet-a-teacher-myokei-caine-barrett-shonin/

Teaching on the Lotus Sutra by Myokei Shonin

https://www.lionsroar.com/nichiren-shonin-a-teacher-of-equality/

Join the upcoming talk given by Myokei Shonin in the Dharma Stewardship series on August 24, 2025 (SUN) titled, "How Did We Get Here and What Can We Do About It? The Power of Choice and Changing the World. Join the series here: https://www.kwanumzenonline.org/

Recordings available post-session. Scholarship provided upon request.

Takeaways:

• Myokei Shonin's unique background includes being the first American woman ordained as a priest in the Nichiren Shu Order of Buddhism, reflecting significant cultural and spiritual milestones.
• The practice of chanting serves as a profound foundation for Myokei, fostering community and personal growth throughout her spiritual journey.
• Through her work with marginalized communities, including prisons and veterans, Myokei Shonin exemplifies the Buddhist principle of compassion and equality for all beings.
• In her teachings, Myokei emphasizes the importance of unity among diverse communities to overcome societal divisions and promote healing and understanding.
• The concept of Sangha, or community, is central to Myokei's practice, highlighting the necessity of connection and support in spiritual development.
• Myokei Shonin's life illustrates the transformative power of Dharma, as she encourages individuals to recognize their inherent potential for change and growth.

Aaron Stryker

After a spiritual crisis at the age of 18, Aaron began practicing Mysore-style Ashtanga Yoga with Angela Jamison in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He encountered Zen on a trip to Dai Bosatsu Zendo in New York State, with an emerging student meditation group at Wesleyan University. During his senior year, he worked with the Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship to co-found Dharma Gates, supporting young students to do retreats in various Buddhist traditions.

He wrote an honors thesis in philosophy on the relationship between traditions of embodied practices, trauma, and cultural transformation. Since graduating in 2019, he has spent four years living in various communities in all three vehicles of Buddhism, and is currently living at Padmasambhava Buddhist Center and working on the preliminary practices in the Nyingma tradition. 

Related links:

dharma-gates.org

Instagram: dharma.gates

Takeaways:

• Aaron Stryker embarked on a profound spiritual journey that began at the age of eighteen, focusing on personal growth through yoga and meditation practices.
• He co-founded Dharma Gates, an organization dedicated to providing immersive meditation retreats for young adults across various Buddhist traditions.
• Aaron's academic pursuits culminated in an honors thesis exploring the intersection of embodied practices, trauma, and cultural transformation, reflecting his commitment to understanding these complex relationships.
• His experiences have led him to practice within the Tibetan Nyingma tradition, where he engages deeply in preliminary practices to cultivate his spiritual development.
• The recent international Dharma Gates retreat in South Korea fostered meaningful dialogue among young adults regarding the challenges they face in today's world.
• Aaron emphasizes the importance of aligning with one's inherent integrity and serving others, irrespective of external circumstances or guaranteed outcomes.

#TeenWellbeing

#MentalHealthMatters

#MindfulYouth

#MentalHealthAwareness

#TalkAboutIt

#StrongerTogether

#CompassionateLiving

#TheMiddleWay

#AwakeningYouth