Podcasts about hokai

In this third installment of my "DharmaByte" column and "UnMind" podcast, exploring the general subject of Zen in our Times, we turn to the last of three suggested topics from Hokai Jeff Harper, Halifax-based publisher of the STO newsletter: • To everything there is a season• The wax and wane of householder zazen practice• What we are feeling right now IS impermanence manifesting itself Hokai somehow managed, perhaps unintentionally, to progressively home in on the central experience of Zen on three levels. Starting with the most universal sphere of our experience on Earth, the seasonality that is an effect of orbiting the sun for approximately 365 rotations of the planet; then down to the social sphere of our practice as householders; and finally into the realm of the intimate, up-close-and-personal sphere of consciousness itself. What I call the "singularity of Zen." As I mentioned in the last segment, we often seem to labor under a misconception that because we follow the lifestyle of householders, we cannot hope to penetrate to the fundamental meaning of the teachings of Buddhism. But Hokai's assertion puts the lie to this assumption. If the Dharma is simply pointing at the present reality that we are experiencing, lifestyle choices cannot possibly have a determinative or dispositive, causal relationship in terms of coming to realization of our buddha mind. What we are feeling now is impermanence manifesting itself, to quote the above quote. Not only what we are feeling now, but what we are seeing and hearing, smelling and tasting, as well as what we are thinking. Or reading, if you are reading this rather than listening to the podcast version. You might quibble with Hokai's construction - "impermanence manifesting itself" - as it suggests that "impermanence" is some sort of independent force capable of manifesting itself, rather than an attribute of the changing nature of the universe. But let's not let mere semantics distract from the message. We are witnessing the "endless, unremitting, unnamable, unthinkable buddha-dharma," as Master Dogen expressed it; and we bear witness to IT mainly through the dynamic of change, or impermanence. Otherwise, we would not register seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching, or even thinking, at all. If nothing were changing, there could be no awareness of it. As I mentioned in the segment on householder practice, renunciation in Zen is a matter of seeing through the delusional aspect of living, not a matter of lifestyle. Discernment in Zen is like Sri Ramakrishna's analogy that, like a swan, we need to be able to drink milk mixed with water, and drink only the milk. Or as Master Tozan analogized: A silver bowl filled with snow A heron hidden in the moonTaken as similar, they are not the sameNot distinguished, their places are known So this refined awareness of the nondual nature of reality, termed "emptiness," as opposed to "form" or appearance, is so close to ordinary reality, or perceptual duality, that it is nearly indistinguishable — like white snow in a silver bowl, or a white heron and the full moon — white on white. Buddha taught that the discriminating mind imposes a "false stillness" on reality, tamping down the uninhibited flow of sensory data to a dull roar. This enables us to maintain our balance and negotiate a dynamic, 4-dimensional spacetime environment.This is part of the natural process of "individuation" that sets in once we are born, and culminates in the conception of the independent self, which is a fundamental category error, according to Buddhism. The original alienation that is our fall from grace. It is not that Buddhism claims there is no self whatever. There is a constructed self, and there is a true self, according to this model. The prevalent perception of separation as an incarnated being is not entirely delusional. But it is incomplete — reification of a separate self ignores the rest of the story, the fact that all beings are interconnected, co-arisen and co-dependent. The Twelvefold Chain of Interdependent Arising, attributed to Shakyamuni, parses this coming-of-age story, slicing and dicing stages of development finely, like an Italian chef shaving garlic with a razorblade. This is similar to Master Dogen's fine discernment of reality — from a perspective uniting space, or existence, and time — as articulated in Uji—Being-Time, explored in some detail in a prior podcast. What he referred to as the "fine mind of Nirvana," or the "subtle mind of Nirvana." Master Sengcan, third Chinese patriarch after Bodhidharma and his successor Huike, points to something similar in Hsinhsinming—Trust in Mind: In this world of Suchness there is neither self nor other-than-selfTo come into harmony with this realityJust simply say when doubt arises: "not two"In this "not two" nothing is separate nothing is excludedNo matter when or where Enlightenment means entering this truthAnd this truth is beyond extension or diminution in time or spaceIn it a single thought is ten thousand years Believing in the fundamental bifurcation of consciousness into self-and-other, body versus mind — the "Cartesian error" — is resolved in realizing that "you can't have one without the other," or as the more contemporary trope would have it, "both things can be true at the same time." "Neither-self-nor-other-than-self" indicates the True Self of Buddhism, undivided from the very beginning. "Not-two" is the mantra we conjure whenever any doubt about this arises. At the risk of repeating myself — with the caveat that these teachings bear repetition, especially in changing contexts — the last stanza returns us to the singularity of Zen: No matter when or whereEnlightenment means entering this truthAnd this truth is beyond extension or diminution in time or spaceIn it a single thought is ten thousand years The last line of which Matsuoka-roshi would encapsulate as "The eternal moment." So it all comes down to this. Like a fish-trap, reality ensnares us in its wide reach, and as we pursue our own realization — which, after all, is, or should be, our birthright — we find the trap narrowing again and again, until there is no escape, no turning back; like the exhausted swimmer at the halfway point, it is just as far, and equally risky, to try to make it back safely to shore as it is to continue swimming to the island. If we persevere, finally finding ourselves on the "other shore," we can see clearly that we have been seeing things all wrong, all along. There never has been a separate self to embody, let alone to defend against all comers, let alone any existential annihilation. In the not-two nonduality of Zen's reality, it was all like a bad dream, one that we essentially made up — with a little help from our friends and family, of course, not to mention the entire world of benighted people who fear death and, consequently, life. This is not to insist that everyone else is wrong about everything, and that only I and my like-minded friends from the enchanted land of Zen have the inside track. In one sense, it must be true that everyone has a hunch about this — an inkling that something is missing — and that that something is worth knowing. Otherwise we would probably all commit mass suicide, in despair. Which is exactly what it looks like we are doing, with an assist from the stewards, elected or not, of our commonweal. Can anyone say "lemmings"? But Buddhism never seemed to show much concern about the survival of the species. Celibacy is the quickest way to bring down the curtain on humanity - simply not giving birth to the next generation. Of course, the coterie of those who abjure bearing children is not likely to ever encompass a majority of the population, so that kind of extinction is not going to happen. No, it is more likely that Mother Nature's balancing act will bring about the demise of humanity owing to our disruption of her sphere of influence, so carefully nurtured to bring the miracle of life to the planet in the first place, as the goddess Gaia: In Greek mythology, Gaia is the personification of the Earth and a primordial goddess, one of the first deities to emerge from Chaos. She is often referred to as Mother Earth and is considered the mother of all life. And life itself is "fleeting as an arrow" according to Buddha. What we are feeling in the present is this fleeting moment, our life passing before our very eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind in a vast network of frequencies in polyrhythmic synchrony. Our heartbeat is our metronome, the rise and fall of the breathing our connection to the thin atmospheric blanket embracing the earth. On a personal basis, there is no time to waste in foolish pursuits, as the sage Jianzhi Sengcan reminds us in Hsinhsinming: Waste no time in doubts and arguments that have nothing to do with this A century later, Master Sekito Kisen says it another way, in Sandokai: I respectfully urge you who study the Mysterydo not pass your days and nights in vain So Hokai does us a great service to remind us of the evanescence of spacetime in the personal realm, embedded in our social context as householders, surrounded by the world of Nature both nurturing and threatening us, finally floating in the constancy of the universal. Let Tozan Ryokai have the last word on it, after yet another century, from his Hokyo Zammai: Within causes and conditions time and season it is serene and illuminating
So minute it enters where there is no gap so vast it transcends dimensionA hairsbreadth deviation and you are out of tune It seems that all three of the great Ch'an masters are speaking with one voice, urging us to pay attention. There is not so much to their Buddhism after all, as one sage commented upon the occasion of his insight. So Hokai's assertion that what we are feeling right now IS impermanence manifesting itself is subject to Master Dogen's repeat comment: "All things are like this." Not only what we are feeling right now — but what we are seeing and hearing, smelling and tasting and yes, even what we are thinking right now — is, in one sense, impermanence. It is not only in front of your face, it is also behind your face, penetrating your hearing with no boundary, in and out through your nose and mouth (and other orifices), and enveloping your body outside and inside, clean and clear through your original mind. Tozan says, with stunning nonchalance, earlier in the poem: You are not IT — but in truth IT is you Buddha is attributed with saying something like — that there is impermanence means that there is permanence. And his followers were overjoyed to hear that. What made them so happy? Again recalling Hsinhsinming—Trust in Mind: Change appearing to occur in the empty world we call real —only because of our ignorance So the nondual version of this insight is that IT is both changing and staying the same at the same time. This should bring about a great sigh of relief in all who realize it.

Japan's Megumi Horikawa won the women's 63-kilogram division at the Judo World Championships in Uzbekistan on Sunday for her first world title, as Taylor Fritz held firm in a pair of tie-breaks Sunday to outlast tour rival and longtime friend Frances Tiafoe in a gripping all-American final at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships. And following the news that composer Toshi Ichiyanagi passed away last week, we look at several of the twelve films he soundtracked, from The World of Pulses Electronics and Living Organism (1962) to Farewell to the Summer Light (1968), Atman (1975), The Story of Big 1: Sadaharu Oh (1977) and the final film he was involved with Hokai-bito: Ina no Seigetsu (2011) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Der Impuls wurde gegeben am 24. April 2022 im Rahmen der https://www.felsentor.ch/offene-meditation (Offenen Meditation). Michael Hokai Österle, Jahrgang 1963, mit https://zen-zentrum-altbaeckersmuehle.de/pia-anrakugen-oesterle/ (Pia) verheiratet und hat einen Sohn. Er studierte Politikwissenschaft und arbeitete viele Jahre in Hamburg als Einrichtungsleiter in der Gerontopsychiatrie – bis er 2007 nach Bayern zog. HoKai stellt sich in die Wölbung seines Bogens seit er 20 ist. Er begegnete Ende der 1990er-Jahre Kobun Chino. HoKai wurde Schüler von Vanja Palmers und von Reb TenShin Anderson. Er ist spiritueller Leiter des Zen Zentrum Altbäckersmühle und Dharmanachfolger seiner Eltern GenKi und KyuSei.

Der Impuls wurde gegeben am 25. Juli 2021 im Rahmen der https://www.felsentor.ch/offene-meditation (Offenen Meditation). Support this podcast

Desde Madrid, desde donde os presentamos estas Mundofonías, llegamos por el camino más corto, por el centro de la Tierra. hasta Nueva Zelanda, donde comienzan nuestras andanzas, que luego continúan por el Cáucaso y los Balcanes. Y nos enganchamos después a las nuevas producciones del sello Sublime Frequencies, que nos trae las primeras grabaciones históricas que se hicieron en Japón a principios del siglo XX y los hechizantes cantos del pueblo mien, de más de un siglo después, desde el Sudeste Asiático. From Madrid, from where we are presenting these Mundofonías to you, we arrive by the shortest route, through the center of the Earth to New Zealand, where our adventures begin, which then continue through the Caucasus and the Balkans. And we get engaged with the new releases by Sublime Frequencies label, which bring us the first historical recordings made in Japan at the beginning of the 20th century and the enchanting songs of the Mien people, more than a century later, from Southeast Asia. · Jono Bono Heyes - Taxi - Blue besert · Alafsar Rahimov - Gafil uyan (+ Alim Qasimov) - Panik / Panic · Balkan Taksim - Meram ekspresi - Disko telegraf · Yang Chun Jin & Yang Bao Cheng - Shan ge - Mien (Yao): Canon singing in China, Vietnam, Laos (V.A.) · Suenaga Togi et al. - Taishikichou - Sound storing machines: The first 78rpm records from Japan, 1903-1912 (V.A.) · Mimasuya Kachiguri et al. - Shiokumi kasatsukashi - Sound storing machines: The first 78rpm records from Japan, 1903-1912 (V.A.) · [Artistas desconocidos / Unknown artists] - Hokai-bushi / Oiwake-bushi - Sound storing machines: The first 78rpm records from Japan, 1903-1912 (V.A.) · Keo & Na - Lan pan moon - Mien (Yao): Canon singing in China, Vietnam, Laos (V.A.) Imagen: / Image: Artistas mien / Mien artists

Der Vortrag wurde gehalten am 26. März 2021. HoKai beschreibt am Fall 60 des SHOYOROKU, 'Aufzeichnungen aus der Klause der Gelassenheit‘ - wie der Wasserbüffel und die Alte Kuh - spirituelle Freundschaft miteinander leben. https://zen-zentrum-altbaeckersmuehle.de/ (https://zen-zentrum-altbaeckersmuehle.de) Support this podcast

An indigenous studies professor says what happened at Waikeria prison shows the ineffectiveness of the government's reform strategy, Hokai Rangi. Hokai Rangi aims to cut the number of Maori in prison from 52 percent down to 16 - in line with the overall Maori population. The initial five-year goal is to reduce that number by 10 percent. Auckland University's Tracey McIntosh told RNZ's Mackenzie Smith that Hokai Rangi alone can never achieve those targets. After the standoff ended, Corrections minister Kelvin Davis said the Government has committed $98 million to work with whanau, hapu and iwi to reduce Maori re-offending rates alongside launching Hokai Rangi.

The prison protest at Waikeria has reignited calls for a rethink on the government's prison reform strategy, Hōkai Rangi. The six-day standoff, in which much of a high-security facility was destroyed by fire, ended on Sunday when the 16 prisoners surrendered.  Mackenzie Smith has this report. 

Podcast: This week we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Hokai Diego Sobol and Tibetan Buddhist teacher Ken McLeod. In this penetrating discussion, we explore the nature of Vajrayana Buddhist practice and its antecedents in the Tantric tradition, the primacy of the teacher-student relationship and the intimacy of spiritual transmission, as well as the body as the foundation for the awakening experience. Hokai Diego Sobol started practice and study of Buddhism in 1985. After 10 years of exploring Buddhist thought and practicing martial arts, while broadly learning from sources Eastern and Western, mainstream and fringe, Hokai became a practitioner and eventually instructor in the Shingon esoteric tradition of Japanese Vajrayana, under the private tutelage of Ajari Jomyo Tanaka. Hokai founded the Mandala Society of Croatia in 1999. Continuing to explore and cultivate his own Buddhist practice, Hokai maintains an ongoing conversation with a number of teachers and senior practitioners. Starting from 2012, he focuses on mentoring individuals to deepen their practice in the context of their lives – those who pray, learn to meditate; and those who meditate, learn to pray. Hokai's areas of special interest include mystical principles and esoteric practices in daily life, sacred apprenticeship, and deep semiotics. He is based in Rijeka, Croatia. After learning Tibetan, Ken McLeod translated for his principal teacher, Kalu Rinpoche, and helped to develop Rinpoche's centers in North America and Europe. In 1985, Kalu Rinpoche authorized Ken to teach and placed him in charge of his Los Angeles center. Faced with the challenges of teaching in a major metropolis, he began exploring different methods and formats for working with students. He moved away from both the teacher-center model and the minister-church model and developed a consultant-client model. Ken is the founder and director of UnfetteredMind.org. He is the author of Wake Up to Your Life: Discovering the Buddhist Path of Attention, The Great Path of Awakening, An Arrow to the Heart, Reflections on Silver River, and his most recent book, A Trackless Path. More information about Hokai Diego Sobol and Ken McLeod's work can be found at: Hokai Sobol's website: hokai.eu, Hokai Diego Sobol on Twitter: @hokaisobol, Ken McLeod's website: unfetteredmind.org., Ken McLeod on Twitter: @kenmcleod.

Podcast: This week we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Hokai Diego Sobol in which we discuss the function of spiritual teaching and how this function is impacted when the primary means of communication is an electronic format such as Zoom. Among other topics we also discuss the nature of the Vertical Dimension and how access to this domain corresponds with the alignment both physically and energetically of the Body, Heart, and Mental Centers of the human organism. Hokai Diego Sobol started practice and study of Buddhism in 1985. After 10 years of exploring Buddhist thought and practicing martial arts, while broadly learning from sources Eastern and Western, mainstream and fringe, Hokai became a practitioner and eventually instructor in the Shingon esoteric tradition of Japanese Vajrayana, under the private tutelage of Ajari Jomyo Tanaka. Hokai founded the Mandala Society of Croatia in 1999. Continuing to explore and cultivate his own Buddhist practice, Hokai maintains an ongoing conversation with a number of teachers and senior practitioners. Starting from 2012, he focuses on mentoring individuals to deepen their practice in the context of their lives – those who pray, learn to meditate; and those who meditate, learn to pray. Hokai's areas of special interest include mystical principles and esoteric practices in daily life, sacred apprenticeship, and deep semiotics. He is based in Rijeka, Croatia. More information about Hokai Diego Sobol's work can be found at: Hokai Sobol's website: hokai.eu, A ceremony put together by Hokai during the Corona Virus Pandemic: Medicine Buddha Ceremony, Hokai Diego Sobol on Twitter: @hokaisobol.

Critical turn #1 On a deep dark night in a deep dark wood, something strange happened over at the Imperfect Buddha podcast. Was it a moment of folly? Was it a moment of genuine madness? It remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure is that a critical turn took place and in good company too. For in that deep dark wood there was a gathering and a fire and those who turned up were Samuel Beckett, Peter Sloterdjik, Francois Laruelle, and Evelyn Underhill. Animal presences could also be heard amongst the trees and in the undergrowth, whilst the fire crackled away providing the warmth that would stimulate a rather atypical exploration of recent themes to appear on the podcast. This is the first of perhaps many critical turns, or, if it is deemed a forest fire like disaster by listeners and critics, it may be consumed as a one-off event, just like a Tibetan sand painting. As I have been saying for several episodes now, the creative and the critical are great bedfellows and this is my expression of a meeting between the two. There are strange sound effects, music, disembodied voices and narration. For the more practically minded, what I do is lay out a number of principles for guiding a sort of critical engagement with Buddhism, Buddhist materials, and practice materials more broadly beyond spirituality. I also reflect on the topic of mysticism which came up in my conversation with Ken and Hokai. This is in fact the intention for future critical turns, to pick up on and addressed issues left over from conversations with guests, identify unanswered questions, and make links to broader issues covered in the life time of the podcast. This may also produce interesting material to explore with future guests. It is an experiment, so it may or may not work. Feedback will hopefully be worthwhile and indicate the direction that further critical turns take. Prepare yourselves, expect the unexpected, and try not to take it all too seriously. Comments, complaints, suggestions, corrections, pledges of large sums of money, can all be made at the usual places. Enjoy the show! Links O'Connell Coaching: https://oconnellcoaching.com Post-Traditional Buddhism: https://posttraditionalbuddhism.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/imperfectbuddha Twitter: https://twitter.com/Imperfectbuddha

Critical turn #1 On a deep dark night in a deep dark wood, something strange happened over at the Imperfect Buddha podcast. Was it a moment of folly? Was it a moment of genuine madness? It remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure is that a critical turn took place and in good company too. For in that deep dark wood there was a gathering and a fire and those who turned up were Samuel Beckett, Peter Sloterdjik, Francois Laruelle, and Evelyn Underhill. Animal presences could also be heard amongst the trees and in the undergrowth, whilst the fire crackled away providing the warmth that would stimulate a rather atypical exploration of recent themes to appear on the podcast. This is the first of perhaps many critical turns, or, if it is deemed a forest fire like disaster by listeners and critics, it may be consumed as a one-off event, just like a Tibetan sand painting. As I have been saying for several episodes now, the creative and the critical are great bedfellows and this is my expression of a meeting between the two. There are strange sound effects, music, disembodied voices and narration. For the more practically minded, what I do is lay out a number of principles for guiding a sort of critical engagement with Buddhism, Buddhist materials, and practice materials more broadly beyond spirituality. I also reflect on the topic of mysticism which came up in my conversation with Ken and Hokai. This is in fact the intention for future critical turns, to pick up on and addressed issues left over from conversations with guests, identify unanswered questions, and make links to broader issues covered in the life time of the podcast. This may also produce interesting material to explore with future guests. It is an experiment, so it may or may not work. Feedback will hopefully be worthwhile and indicate the direction that further critical turns take. Prepare yourselves, expect the unexpected, and try not to take it all too seriously. Comments, complaints, suggestions, corrections, pledges of large sums of money, can all be made at the usual places. Enjoy the show! Matthew O'Connell is a life coach and the host of the The Imperfect Buddha podcast. You can find The Imperfect Buddha on Facebook and Twitter (@imperfectbuddha). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Podcast:  This week's podcast features: This week we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Hokai Diego Sobol. Hokai started practice and study of Buddhism in 1985. After 10 years of exploring Buddhist thought and practicing martial arts, while broadly learning from sources Eastern and Western, mainstream and fringe, Hokai became a practitioner and eventually instructor in the Shingon esoteric tradition of Japanese Vajrayana, under private tutelage of Ajari Jomyo Tanaka. Hokai founded the Mandala Society of Croatia in 1999. Continuing to explore and cultivate his own Buddhist practice, Hokai maintains an ongoing conversation with a number of teachers and senior practitioners. Starting from 2012, he focuses on mentoring individuals to deepen their practice in the context of their lives – those who pray, learn to meditate; and those who meditate, learn to pray. Hokai's areas of special interest include mystical principles and esoteric practices in daily life, sacred apprenticeship, and deep semiotics. He is based in Rijeka, Croatia.  More information about Hokai Diego Sobol's work can be found at: Hokai Sobol's website: hokai.eu Hokai Diego Sobol on Twitter: @hokaisobol

This track was intended to be the theme song for a wharfsman and sailor known as Hokai, who had a penchant for umbrellas and skeevy underworld deals. This in particular was his battle theme.

Here it is folks, the latest episode of the Imperfect Buddha Podcast and the last in our series on post-traditional Buddhism. It is also the final part of our series with Hokai Sobol. In this interview, Hokai tackles listeners question, well, at least some of them. We had over 18 to get through and although Hokai inadvertently covered some of them whilst answering others, we didn't get through them all. I think listeners will find something of real value in Hokai's answers and thoughts as we cover a wide terrain. Some of the questions covered include; 1. Has Hokai played around with any word instead of mystic/mystical? 2. What are the axioms that underlie the mystical approach as you define it? Or, what are the assumptions that drive the mystical approach as you've defined it? 3. Can someone pursue all three approaches at the same time? What are some of the possible adverse consequences of doing so? 4. Are religious and therapeutic approaches necessary starting points for a mystical path? 5. Do either of you see a role for community on the mystical path? 6. What are Hokai's views - if any - about the transmission of mystical practice? 7. Can mystical ways of practice ever be divorced from religious systems/symbolism/language? I suspect not, but I'd be interested to hear. 8. Does Hokai have any general advice for mystical practice in the midst of 'normal' life? 9. Where does this approach take us? Is there an end? A goal? 10. Can maps be a tool for people to understand their minds? 11. Is the open discussion of progress on the path helpful? Is it hurtful? Should it be discussed publicly, or left between student and teacher? If it's hurtful, can you please explain why you believe it to be so? Theme tune for the episode is from The Naturals. Matthew O'Connell is a life coach and the host of the The Imperfect Buddha podcast. You can find The Imperfect Buddha on Facebook and Twitter (@imperfectbuddha). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here it is folks, the latest episode of the Imperfect Buddha Podcast and the last in our series on post-traditional Buddhism. It is also the final part of our series with Hokai Sobol. In this interview, Hokai tackles listeners question, well, at least some of them. We had over 18 to get through and although Hokai inadvertently covered some of them whilst answering others, we didn’t get through them all. I think listeners will find something of real value in Hokai’s answers and thoughts as we cover a wide terrain. Some of the questions covered include; 1. Has Hokai played around with any word instead of mystic/mystical? 2. What are the axioms that underlie the mystical approach as you define it? Or, what are the assumptions that drive the mystical approach as you’ve defined it? 3. Can someone pursue all three approaches at the same time? What are some of the possible adverse consequences of doing so? 4. Are religious and therapeutic approaches necessary starting points for a mystical path? 5. Do either of you see a role for community on the mystical path? 6. What are Hokai's views - if any - about the transmission of mystical practice? 7. Can mystical ways of practice ever be divorced from religious systems/symbolism/language? I suspect not, but I'd be interested to hear. 8. Does Hokai have any general advice for mystical practice in the midst of 'normal' life? 9. Where does this approach take us? Is there an end? A goal? 10. Can maps be a tool for people to understand their minds? 11. Is the open discussion of progress on the path helpful? Is it hurtful? Should it be discussed publicly, or left between student and teacher? If it's hurtful, can you please explain why you believe it to be so? Hokai’s site & article on post-traditional Buddhism: http://www.hokai.info/2017/06/meanings-post-traditional/ Theme tune for the episode is from The Naturals: http://www.hopemanagement.co.uk/thenaturals/ O'Connell Coaching: https://oconnellcoaching.com/ Post-traditional Buddhism site: https://posttraditionalbuddhism.com/

Hokai Sobol joins us for an in-person chat in Trieste. Our conversation was a second attempt at a podcast episode and this time it all worked out and there was enough content to span two episodes. Before lunch, we discussed Buddhism in the West and approaches to it. You can find out more about that in episode 11.3. After lunch we tackled the topic of mysticism and practice and that's what you will hear in this episode. Hokai is welcoming questions and queries from listeners for a follow-up episode. So, if you have thoughts, questions or doubts after listening to either episode, please leave a comment or question below or on the Imperfect Buddha Twitter feed so that Hokai and I can discuss them. So who is he? Hokai is a practitioner, pathfinder and mentor. Besides guiding a local Buddhist group gathered in the Mandala Society of Croatia, he works with a number of individual practitioners around the globe whom he meets regularly over Skype for mentoring. Hokai proposes that deep practice can be pursued in the midst of one's life, as long as it is clearly distinguished from religious activities and therapeutic transactions. Both Stuart and I have benefited greatly from Hokai's approach to mentoring and exploring Buddhism as a pathway. This is his site if you'd like to find out more: www.hokai.info Music is provided by Ossia, again from the Young Echo collective. Find out more by visiting their site: youngecho.co.uk

Hokai Sobol joins us for an in-person chat in Trieste. Our conversation was a second attempt at a podcast episode and this time it all worked out and there was enough content to span two episodes. Before lunch, we discussed Buddhism in the West and approaches to it. You can find out more about that in episode 11.3. After lunch we tackled the topic of mysticism and practice and that's what you will hear in this episode. Hokai is welcoming questions and queries from listeners for a follow-up episode. So, if you have thoughts, questions or doubts after listening to either episode, please leave a comment or question below or on the Imperfect Buddha Twitter feed so that Hokai and I can discuss them. So who is he? Hokai is a practitioner, pathfinder and mentor. Besides guiding a local Buddhist group gathered in the Mandala Society of Croatia, he works with a number of individual practitioners around the globe whom he meets regularly over Skype for mentoring. Hokai proposes that deep practice can be pursued in the midst of one's life, as long as it is clearly distinguished from religious activities and therapeutic transactions. Both Stuart and I have benefited greatly from Hokai's approach to mentoring and exploring Buddhism as a pathway. Music is provided by Ossia, again from the Young Echo collective.  Matthew O'Connell is a life coach and the host of the The Imperfect Buddha podcast. You can find The Imperfect Buddha on Facebook and Twitter (@imperfectbuddha). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hokai Sobol joins us for an in-person chat in Trieste. Our conversation was a second attempt at a podcast episode and this time it all worked out and there was enough content to span two episodes. Before lunch, we discussed Buddhism in the West. After lunch we tackled the topic of mysticism and practice, which you can find out more about in part two. Hokai is welcoming questions and queries from listeners for a follow-up episode. So, if you have thoughts, questions or doubts after listening to either episode, please leave a comment or question below or on the Imperfect Buddha Twitter feed so that Hokai and I can discuss them. So who is he? Hokai is a practitioner, pathfinder and mentor. Besides guiding a local Buddhist group gathered in the Mandala Society of Croatia, he works with a number of individual practitioners around the globe whom he meets regularly over Skype for mentoring. Hokai proposes that deep practice can be pursued in the midst of one's life, as long as it is clearly distinguished from religious activities and therapeutic transactions. Both Stuart and I have benefited greatly from Hokai's approach to mentoring and exploring Buddhism as a pathway. This is his site if you'd like to find out more: www.hokai.info Music is provided by Vessel from the Young Echo collective. Find out more by visiting their site: http://youngecho.co.uk

Hokai Sobol joins us for an in-person chat in Trieste. Our conversation was a second attempt at a podcast episode and this time it all worked out and there was enough content to span two episodes. Before lunch, we discussed Buddhism in the West. After lunch we tackled the topic of mysticism and practice, which you can find out more about in part two. Hokai is welcoming questions and queries from listeners for a follow-up episode. So, if you have thoughts, questions or doubts after listening to either episode, please leave a comment or question below or on the Imperfect Buddha Twitter feed so that Hokai and I can discuss them. So who is he? Hokai is a practitioner, pathfinder and mentor. Besides guiding a local Buddhist group gathered in the Mandala Society of Croatia, he works with a number of individual practitioners around the globe whom he meets regularly over Skype for mentoring. Hokai proposes that deep practice can be pursued in the midst of one's life, as long as it is clearly distinguished from religious activities and therapeutic transactions. Both Stuart and I have benefited greatly from Hokai's approach to mentoring and exploring Buddhism as a pathway. Music is provided by Vessel from the Young Echo collective.  Matthew O'Connell is a life coach and the host of the The Imperfect Buddha podcast. You can find The Imperfect Buddha on Facebook and Twitter (@imperfectbuddha). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hokai Sobol is a teacher in the Shingon tradition of Japanese Vajrayana and a long time mentor to the Buddhist Geeks team. In this talk from the 2014 Buddhist Geeks Conference, Hokai speaks about the relationship between imagination and Buddhism. He explains why imagination is important to spiritual practice, he gives examples of the creative process found in Buddhist tradition, and he presents an examination of the state of contemporary Buddhist Art. Episode Links: www.Hokai.info Hokai on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/hokaisobol )

Shingon teacher Hokai Sobol and religious studies scholar Dr. Pamela Winfield join host Vincent Horn to continue a conversation that digs deeper into the paradigms of enlightenment presented in Japanese Buddhism. Beginning with an explanation of the two different paradigms for the experience of enlightenment presented in Zen and Mikkyō, the unitive & purgative, Pamela briefly describes the results of her studies. Hokai then relates his understanding of the two ideas based on his personal practice. This leads to an examination of the disparate historical and cultural contexts from which each method was developed, how each method uses imagery in practice, and how despite differences, each method hopefully leads to the same results. This is part two of a two part series. Listen to part one: The Art of Enlightenment. Episode Links: Icons and Iconoclasm in Japanese Buddhism: Kukai and Dogen on the Art of Enlightenment ( amzn.to/1MwPAl8 ) Dr. Pamela Winfield ( bit.ly/1MwPD0n ) Hokai Sobol ( www.hokai.info )

We’re joined this week by Buddhist teacher and scholar Hokai Sobol to explore the broad, but crucial topic of Emergent Buddhism. As a preface to the panel that Hokai will be leading at the upcoming Buddhist Geeks Conference on “The Emerging Face of Buddhism,” he explores the nature of emergence in the history of Buddhism, pointing out that “everything that we call traditional now was at one point emergent.” Hokai also explores some of the his deepest questions regarding “Emergent Buddhism,” namely 1) What has emerged thus far, that has worked?, 2) What is emerging right now?, and 3) What do the coming decades hold? He explores the importance of each of these questions, while at the same time tackling some complex issues regarding the massive cross-pollination and convergence of multiple religious and secular traditions with Buddhism. Episode Links: www.hokai.info

We’re joined again this week by Buddhist teacher and scholar Hokai Sobol, to continue our exploration of the hidden mindsets and cultural forces that shape Western Buddhism. In this episode Hokai explores a tradition of exchanging knowledge, which is at least 1,000 years old in Europe, that of the “master & apprentice.” Hokai describes the process by which Europeans used to, and in some cases still do, learn a particular trade, by first becoming a novice apprentice, eventually striking out on one’s own as a journeyman, and then finally coming back to become part of the local guild, as a full master of one’s craft. This model, he explains, has striking similarities to the traditional model found in the Asian countries where Buddhism thrived. He then presents a new model for how we might look at exchanging Dharma. This model includes three mindsets, or roles that we take on as Dharma practitioners and teachers, with the first one being the “consumer mindset.” We look at both the immature and mature versions of this consumer mindset, and how as a consumer we tend to approach the exchange of Dharma. In the next episode Hokai completes his contemporary model by describing the client mindset and colleague mindset. This is part 2 of a multi-part series. Listen to part 1, The Invisible Forces that Shape Western Buddhism. Episode Links: Hokai Sobol ( www.hokai.info ) Internet access is ‘a fundamental right’ ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8548190.stm )

In the first part of a multi-part discussion with Buddhist teacher and scholar Hokai Sobol, we explore the invisible, and rarely discussed, forces that shape Western Buddhism. In particular what we call “culture” shapes our institutions and communities in ways that we rarely see with clarity. Hokai spends a good bit of this initial discussion exploring the traditional story that has been handed down to us. This story includes the various cultural assumptions surrounding the Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana Buddhist traditions, in the different countries and time periods in which they existed. These norms include the what it means to have a “healthy attitude” (or “right attitude” as it’s often formulated), what the proper teacher-student relationship is, and what hierarchy looks like in these cultures. This is part 1 of a multi-part series. Listen to part 2, Exchanging Dharma – The Consumer Mindset. Episode Links: Hokai Sobol ( www.hokai.info )

In the last part of our discussion with Buddhist teacher and scholar Hokai Sobol, we wrap up our exploration on some of the important influences and forces that shape Western Buddhism. As part of that we discuss the fluid nature of his consumer-client-colleague model. We also talk about the deep problems that have arisen from adopting traditional models, instead of current ones, and how this has generated a multitude of scandals—including scandals of power, sex, and also of the generational problem of their being so few young practitioners today. Finally, we talk about how to reinvigorate “the timeless tradition of spiritual apprenticeship.” Hokai speaks about what he calls “essential apprenticeship,” and also brings up a couple of questions related to the way that spiritual apprenticeship relates to current cultural forms. This is part 4 of a multi-part series. Episode Links: Hokai Sobol ( www.hokai.info )

In this episode, we continue our dialogue with Shingon teacher Hokai Sobol. We begin our conversation by dropping a difficult question on Hokai, asking him how the Vajrayana traditions (both the Japanese and Tibetan) can maintain relevance in our post-modern and rapidly changing world. He suggests that we must develop a “Vajrayana in Plain English,” one that is germane to the particularities of this time and space. And as the 1st generation of Buddhist teachers and leaders near retirement-age, now is the only time that we have to do so. Listen in to hear his take on making the Vajrayana not only more relevant, but on it becoming a pioneering force and cultural leader in today’s world. This includes the way that Buddhist teachings, practice, & even creative expressions are presented. It includes nothing less than a bold transformation of the tradition. This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to part 1, Japanese Shingon: The True Word School. Episode Links: Hokai.info Mindfulness in Plain English ( http://bit.ly/a7Z4L )

In this episode we are joined by one of our favorite Buddhist Geeks, Hokai Sobol. Hokai who is a teacher in the Shingon Buddhist tradition–a form of Vajrayana found in Japan–joins us today to speak about the Shingon school. Hokai shares with us a brief history of Shingon tradition and its main teacher Kukai, the artistic dimension of Shingon, and also begins to explain the basic teachings and practices of the lineage. Similar to the Tibetan Vajrayana approaches Shingon harnesses things like mudras (gestures), mantras (sounds), and mandalas (visualizations)–which lines up with the three-fold Body, Speech, & Mind. Speaking about mantras specifically Hokai brings us through the three distinct dimensions of mantra practices and shows us how we can understand and practice with the basic mantra of “om”-“ah”-“hum.” This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, Vajrayana in Plain English. Episode Links: Hokai.info