Podcast appearances and mentions of roshi joan halifax

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Best podcasts about roshi joan halifax

Latest podcast episodes about roshi joan halifax

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
The Poetry of Cold Mountain: The Road Does Not Go Through

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2026 70:10


Roshi Joan Halifax opens this first full session (Part 2) of The Poetry of Cold Mountain by acknowledging the violence unfolding in Iran, holding the gravity of the world alongside the refuge of practice and community. She then turns the session to Kaz Tanahashi. Kaz introduces the structure of classical Chinese characters and verse — one character, one syllable, one word — before exploring the… Source

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast
Ep. 246 - Gil Fronsdal on Practicing in Accord with Nature

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2026 43:45


Gil Fronsdal explores practicing in accord with nature, showing how mindfulness and honesty help us release resistance and move with the natural flow of the Dharma.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal lectures on:Being in accord with the dharma, with truth, and with natureThe painful attitudes that we often bring to changeAccepting our feelings rather than pushing them awayHow resistance to reality causes more suffering Mindfulness: creating the ideal conditions for the natural process of healingFloating down the stream of Dharma rather than struggling up a mountainStudying nature rather than rushing into conclusionsBecoming an observer of our own lives with child-like openness and adult-like resolveAbout Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders' Council. In 2011 he founded IMC's Insight Retreat Center. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil's talks on Audio Dharma.This recording was originally published on Dharmaseed"We're in this stream of the dharma, this stream of practice. It is not fighting up a mountain and struggling so much. It is finding a place to rest in the stream and we find ourselves being carried along beautifully into the ocean. The ocean is so big it can hold all of us. Isn't that nice? It's not like you're going to be king of the mountain. We're all going to be brothers and sisters in this great ocean of the dharma." –Gil FronsdalSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
A Time to Mark the Reality of Vow: The Presence of Care

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 9, 2026 46:18


In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Sensei Monshin opens by acknowledging the 33 practitioners preparing to receive jukai — and the vow to carry non-harming actions into the world. She reads from Thich Nhất Hạnh's Go As a River, encouraging us to understand community as refuge from despair. Roshi Joan Halifax speaks into our heavy hearts — the outbreak of new war, the deep karmic wounds that will… Source

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast
Ep. 245 - The Wonder of Aging, Satsang with Ram Dass and Friends Pt. 1

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2026 42:29


We are starting a special mini-series featuring Ram Dass and guests from his Satsang on Maui.This episode kicks things off with Kirtan by Uma Reed, as Ram Dass humorously explores the wonder of aging and seeing the entire world as God.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.“Aging is wonderful, all you have to do is stay conscious.” –Ram DassIn this Satsang with Ram Dass, the group talks about:Dealing with pain, injury, illness, and other effects of agingSeeing the body as simply a vehicle for this plane of realityRam Dass's book Still Here and aging with awarenessFocusing on our consciousness rather than concerning ourselves with the body's declineRam Dass's story of seeing Krishna in a police officerPlaying our roles while we are in this worldly plane Karma Yoga and seeing the entire world as GodThis talk was recorded in 2008 at one of Ram Dass' quarterly Sunday Satsang gatherings in Studio Maui. “I'm learning the aging process has to do with the body and my consciousness need not be concerned with my body. The body is a car, it's a transport for this plane.” –Ram DassSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
Sitting with Original Love: Beneath the Categories

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2026 51:16


In this mid morning session of Sitting with Original Love, Roshi Joan Halifax leads a passionate and sweeping teaching on the many faces of love — from the Greek expressions of eros, philia, storge, pragma, ludus, philautia, and agape — to the early Buddhist concepts of Samvega and Pasada, the existential unease that drives us toward practice and the quiet radiance that meets us there. Source

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
Sitting with Original Love: First Love and Bodhicitta

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2026 52:42


In this Saturday afternoon session of Sitting with Original Love, Roshi Joan Halifax and Henry Shukman guide participants into an exploration of bodhicitta — the awakened heart — through the intimate terrain of first love. Roshi draws on Thich Nhat Hanh's account of falling in love with a young nun at Plum Village, and how that particular love became a doorway for him into boundless compassion. Source

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
Sitting with Original Love: Wisdom, Love, and the Organism of Now

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2026 64:42


This Saturday evening session of Sitting with Original Love opens with a beautiful performance from Nicolle Reigetsu, drawing the community into tender connection. Roshi Joan Halifax and Henry Shukman engage in warm dialogue exploring what it means to embody Original Love — not as theory but as the lived meeting of wisdom and compassion. Henry offers his own, luminous poem, Slow… Source

sitting organisms love wisdom roshi joan halifax henry shukman original love wisdom love
Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
Sitting with Original Love: Closing Session

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2026 81:38


This final session of Sitting with Original Love opens once again with Nicolle Reigetsu leading the community in singing the Metta Sutta — words of loving kindness from the Pali canon — before Henry Shukman and Roshi Joan Halifax offer their final teaching of the retreat. Henry leads a guided reflection, then reads from his book: a passage about a grieving mother who finds herself unexpectedly… Source

sitting pali roshi joan halifax henry shukman original love
Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
The Measure of Our Humanity: COURAGE

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2026 115:21


This session of The Measure of Our Humanity brings together Roshi Joan Halifax, Rebecca Solnit, and Christiana Figueres to reflect on courage, interconnection, and moral responsibility amid social and ecological rupture. Rebecca Solnit offers a passionate and lucid articulation of our moment as a struggle between an ideology of isolation and a shift back into the cosmology of interconnection. Source

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
Sitting with Original Love: Opening Session

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2026 55:23


In this opening session of Sitting with Original Love, Roshi Joan Halifax and Henry Shukman share the personal crucibles that led them to explore a more intimate and spacious relationship with their own lives. Shukman describes how a concussion and heartbreak stripped away his cognitive reliance, turning him unexpectedly toward the heart: “I found I was just living in my heart more. Source

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast
Ep. 244 - Sacred Connections: Healing in Community with Mirabai Starr & Rameshwar Das

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2026 50:46


In this intimate dharma talk, Mirabai Starr and Rameshwar Das explore the healing power of spiritual community and soul-level friendships. Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.Join the Ram Dass Fellowship virtual community and learn about other opportunities for connection HERE.This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Mirabai Starr and Rameshwar Das explore:The concept of beloved community and why it matters so much in today's worldSatsang, soul pods, and other forms of spiritual supportRam Dass's book of self-discovery, You are the UniverseThe universal soul consciousness which links all people togetherAccessing the depth of our being that Ram Dass called “the loving witness”Releasing the lone wolf mentality and cultivating conscious communityThe Three Jewels of Buddhism and becoming a refuge for each other Healing through shared grief, trauma, and deep spiritual friendshipNavigating introversion and finding community in unexpected places This talk was recorded at the 2024 annual Ram Dass Legacy retreat in Maui, Hawaii. Join us for another retreat this summer in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains! Click HERE to register and get more information. "We invite you to connect with your heart, yes, but that part of your heart that is burning with yearning for union. Union with God, union with the beloved, and especially, yearning for the divine within each other." –Mirabai StarrAbout Mirabai Starr:Mirabai Starr is an award-winning author of creative non-fiction and contemporary translations of sacred literature. She taught Philosophy and World Religions at the University of New Mexico-Taos for 20 years and now teaches and speaks internationally on contemplative practice and inter-spiritual dialogue. A certified bereavement counselor, Mirabai helps mourners harness the transformational power of loss. Check out her many books and learn more at MirabaiStarr.com.About Rameshwar Das Lytton:Rameshwar Das is an author and longtime collaborator with Ram Dass, known for capturing and conveying the essence of spiritual teachings through storytelling and photography. Rameshwar Das met Ram Dass in 1968 soon after his return from India, and learned yoga and meditation from him. He traveled to India and spent time with Neem Karoli Baba from 1970-1972. His working life has been primarily as a photographer, including freelance work for the New York Times and other publications. He taught photography and photo-journalism, and also worked as an environmentalist and writer. Ramesh collaborated on several projects with Ram Dass including the original collection of manuscripts that became Be Here Now and the Love Serve Remember box set of recordings. He is the co-author of Ram Dass's newer books, Be Love Now and Polishing the Mirror, and most recently Ram Dass's memoir, Being Ram Dass. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast
Ep. 243 - Engaged Spirituality for Collective Awakening with Kaira Jewel Lingo and Vincent Moore

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2026 49:14


From interfaith practice to ancestral wisdom, Kaira Jewel Lingo and Vincent Moore explore how engaged spirituality across traditions supports collective awakening.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Kaira and Vincent discuss:The Beloved Community for Engaged Spirituality: developing a monastic space for Buddhist/Christian/non-denominational practice in upstate New YorkReceiving Lamp Transmission from Thich Nhat HanhContending with hostility, wars, and climate crises Ancestral wisdom and honoring those who came before usSkillful means and working with people in denial around the current troubles of our timeEnjoying practice, allowing individuality, and letting go of rigidity Remembering that everyone has the capacity for awakeningThis conversation was originally recorded on the Paths of Practice Podcast. Listen to more episodes HERE.About Kaira Jewel Lingo:Kaira is a mindfulness meditation teacher, author, and mentor who guides people to transform and heal through embodied presence, stillness, and play. She is a Buddhist teacher who has spent decades weaving mindfulness and meditation with social justice. Check out her book, We Were Made for These Times, to learn about navigating change. You can keep up with Kaira on her website.About Vincent Moore:Vincent Moore is a creative and creative consultant living in San Francisco, California, with over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry and holds a graduate degree in Buddhist Studies. For years, he performed regularly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, an improv and sketch comedy theatre based in New York and Los Angeles. As an actor, Vincent performed on Comedy Central, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Seth Meyers, Above Average, and The UCB Show on Seeso. As a writer, he developed for television as well as stage, including work with the Blue Man Group, and his own written projects have been featured on websites such as Funny or Die. Additionally, he received a Masters of Buddhist Studies from the Institute of Buddhist Studies with a Certificate in Soto Zen Studies and engages in a personal Buddhist practice within the Soto Zen tradition. Vincent is also the creator and host of the podcast, Paths of Practice, which features interviews with Buddhists from all over the world. Learn more on Vincent's website HERE."Whenever I read the Christian mystics or any mystic, really, it's like the mystics are in touch with this space that is beyond the confines of one tradition. They're in the groundwater, not in the well. All the mystics seem to get to that place of oneness, emptiness, or total interconnection." –Kaira Jewel LingoSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast
Ep. 242 - Authentic Presence with Children with Trudy Goodman

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2026 53:42


Trudy Goodman explains the healing power of mindfulness in helping adults be authentically present with children—fully entering their creative, playful world.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Trudy Goodman talks about:Trudy's own life as a mother and grandmother, witnessing many stages of growth from different perspectivesBecoming inspired by the playfulness, openness, and curiosity of childrenApproaching the world with beginners mind: approaching all experiences as if they are newA sonar for presence: how children can tell when we are present and when we are notHow the capacity to meet ourselves often goes back to the parent-child relationship Striving to be ‘good enough' as a parent rather than perfectOrdinary devotion and maintaining a sense of routine care for our childrenLearning to be alone and getting acquainted with our inner lives Resting in presence and allowance rather than always trying to ‘fix' our children or ‘correct' their play and creativityTrusting the insubstantial nature of that which bothers us How our own expectations, concepts, and ideals, affect children for better and worseThis episode was originally published on DharmaseedAbout Trudy Goodman:Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats, engages in activism work, and teaches workshops worldwide and online. She is also the voice of Trudy the Love Barbarian in the Netflix series, The Midnight Gospel. You can learn more about Trudy's flourishing array of wonderful offerings at TrudyGoodman.com "Our mindfulness practice really offers us a way to know deeply what's going on with children and this knowing often comes in nonverbal moments of just seeing, just realizing. It's such a powerful way of staying present with what's happening with all the strange and wonderful creatures that emerge both in ourselves and in our kids." –Trudy GoodmanMore Be Here Now Network Podcasts:Lama Rod Owens covers the dharma of freedom, loving ourselves, ancestral work, and the power of meditation: Dedication to LiberationJoAnna Hardy shares a guided meditation all around the first foundation of mindfulness – mindfulness of the body: First Foundation Guided MeditationThrough bearing witness, love & service, Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee shares how we can collectively heal the crisis of disconnection & ecological devastation: Love & ServiceBuddhist Master Thich Nhat Hanh explores how we can joyfully bring mindfulness into everyday activities like phone calls, driving, and walking: The Ojai Foundation Presents: Under the Teaching Tree with Thich Nhat HanhSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast
Ep. 241 - Dependent Arising and Liberation with Gil Fronsdal

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2026 64:03


Gil Fronsdal invites us to see Buddhism not as a doctrine but as a lived experience where insight, trust, and letting go give rise to genuine freedom.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal dives into:How the twelve steps of dependent origination fit into the schema of Buddhist practiceThe stark difference between an insight and a belief Buddhism as a path to walk rather than a doctrine to believe in Turning from suffering and clinging to peaceFinding out how Buddhism is meaningful to us individuallyHow we have all been liberated from something in our livesAppreciating the relief and clarity that comes from letting go of clingingThe profound act of trust that it takes to be open and present The door of the wishless, when the mind stops desiring Looking at things exactly as they are rather than trying to conceptualize About Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders' Council. In 2011 he founded IMC's Insight Retreat Center. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil's talks on Audio Dharma.This episode was originally published on Dharmaseed "How deep and thorough can we let go? Can we liberate ourselves? The challenge that Buddhism offers us, more than a doctrine, it offers us a challenge that it is possible to get into the very deepest roots of the clinging in our hearts and uproot it, to become free from it." –Gil FronsdalSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
WPP2026: Sesshin Day 5: Direct, Ordinary, Inexhaustible: Seven Aspects of Realization

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2026 55:42


On the fifth and final day of the Winter Practice Period Sesshin, Roshi Joan Halifax, and Senseis Kodo and Dainin gather the threads of practice into a teaching on Magnanimous Mind, intimacy, and not knowing. Kodo explores not knowing as a gateway to vastness, questioning how thought and naming can obscure direct experience. Roshi Joan continues this inquiry, inviting practitioners to stay with… Source

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
WPP2026: Sesshin Day 1: Zenki–Undivided Activity

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2026 52:07


On the first full day of the Winter Practice Period Sesshin, Roshi Joan Halifax reflects on alignment and presence, exploring how practice begins by meeting things as they are. She emphasizes that Zen training is not performance but a return to our natural state—learning to act with care, attention, and nonviolence in relationship with others and the world. Addressing ongoing social violence in… Source

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
WPP2026: Dogen's Tenzo Kyokun – Actualizing The Way in Everyday Life: Opening Session

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2026 54:15


In this opening session of the Winter Practice Period, Roshi Joan Halifax, alongside Senseis Wendy Johnson, Dainin, Kodo, and Hoshi Senko, names this month of practice as movement “against the stream”. Roshi suggests this step into structure, silence, and relationality is expressed not through personality, but through respect. Ango, she reminds us, is not only “peaceful dwelling” but safety: a… Source

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
WPP2026: Introduction to The Text: Tenzo Kyōkun

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2026 61:24


In this introduction to Dōgen's Tenzo Kyōkun (Instructions for the Cook) during the opening days of Upaya's Winter Practice Period, the faculty explores how awakening is realized through work, care, and ordinary activity. Roshi Joan Halifax reflects on Dōgen's three minds—joyful mind, parental mind (grandmother's heart), and big mind—emphasizing care for others in the cultivation of wholesome… Source

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
The Measure of Our Humanity: INTERCONNECTEDNESS

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2026 84:48


This opening session of The Measure of Our Humanity series gathers over 1,000 participants worldwide to reflect on what sustains our humanity in difficult times. Roshi Joan Halifax welcomes longtime friend Jon Kabat-Zinn, framing the series as a shared ‘commons' grounded in solidarity, truth-telling, and radical care, recognizing the gathering itself as an act of collective sanity. Source

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast
Ep. 240 - Uncovering Bliss with Dr. Robert Thurman

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2026 54:19


Guiding listeners into bliss, Dr. Robert Thurman explores how emptiness, renunciation, and compassion reinforce our oneness with all beings.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Dr. Thurman offers us:A lovely translation of an 18th-century poem written by a Tibetan lama Finding ‘mother emptiness' and reinforcing our oneness with all beingsLessons from the Buddha on emptiness and relativity Understanding renunciation as self-compassionPrioritizing the dharma rather than what society makes us feel we need to doWhat happens to the mind and body as we begin to renunciate thingsDifferentiating sympathy, empathy, and true compassionRealizing how precious we are as human beings How compassion arises from our own inner blissReleasing our need to achieve and cultivating a tolerance for ambiguity The synergy of all elements along The Eightfold PathThis episode was recorded in 2020 during the Love Serve Remember Wise Hope Virtual Retreat: Day 2. Check out upcoming retreats HERE.About Dr. Robert Thurman:Robert Thurman is the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religion at Columbia University and President of the Tibet House U.S., and is the President of the American Institute of Buddhist Studies. His new book, Wisdom Is Bliss: Four Friendly Fun Facts That Can Change Your Life, is now available. "Renunciation is true self-indulgence. It's a real connoisseur's thing to be detached, to have less baggage, less things." –Dr. ThurmanSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast
Ep. 239 - Interfaith Spirituality with Ram Appalaraju and Vincent Moore

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2026 58:12


Exploring Vedanta and Vipassana practices, Ram Appalaraju discusses interfaith spirituality and his work as an eco-chaplain, honoring the dignity of all beings.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Ram and Vincent discuss:Encountering dukkha (suffering) on a day-to-day basisResourcing ourselves so that we can be a resource for othersSelf-discovery and learning how to process our sufferingThe yoga of meditation and cultivating the core aspect of inner growthThe sense of ease that comes from deepening our practiceWeaving together Vedanta and Vipassana practices Fostering trust in our own experiences Transitioning from a high-stress work environment to living a more spiritual lifeOffering dignity to ourselves and others, no matter their circumstanceRam's work in prisons and offering compassionate, attentive care to othersHow preconceived notions hinder us from truly connecting with and caring for people“There's a human sense of dignity that we can offer to another person and that can only happen when we have dignity within ourselves when we have a sense of acceptance of who we are.” –Ram AppalarajuThis conversation was originally recorded on the Paths of Practice Podcast. Listen to more episodes HERE.About Ram Appalaraju:Ram Appalaraju has served on the boards of nonprofit organizations for over eight years after retiring from the high-tech industry where he worked for 35 years. Ram has been studying Buddhism under Gil Fronsdal and is currently in the Insight Meditation Center's Dharma Leaders Training. He also graduated as a chaplain and an eco-chaplain from the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies. He now teaches as a faculty member at Sati Center's Eco-Chaplaincy program and is one of the organizing team members at IMC's Earth Care community group. He also serves as a Buddhist chaplain and Mindfulness Meditation teacher at Santa Clara County Jails and is currently pursuing Clinical Pastoral Education.Ram has been practicing Buddhism for over 14 years and has engaged with several underprivileged and marginalized communities, teaching meditation and offering support. He is deeply committed to social and ecological causes and serves various groups in nature-based education through science and spirituality. He currently serves on the board of Insight Meditation Center at Redwood City and teaches at the San Jose Insight Meditation Sangha. Ram has also studied Vedanta at Sri Ramakrishna Mission and Chinmaya Mission for over 20 years.Ram serves as president of Insight World Aid. For more information about Insight World Aid, please see HERE.“My own capacity to care started to unfold. It is not just an external activity of me learning how to care for someone, that's a byproduct. The intent is self-discovery: how did I process my own suffering and how and when it's relevant to engage with others who may be suffering for their own reasons.” –Ram AppalarajuAbout Vincent Moore:Vincent Moore is a creative and creative consultant living in San Francisco, California, with over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry and holds a graduate degree in Buddhist Studies. For years, he performed regularly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, an improv and sketch comedy theatre based in New York and Los Angeles. As an actor, Vincent performed on Comedy Central, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Seth Meyers, Above Average, and The UCB Show on Seeso. As a writer, he developed for television as well as stage, including work with the Blue Man Group, and his own written projects have been featured on websites such as Funny or Die. Additionally, he received a Masters of Buddhist Studies from the Institute of Buddhist Studies with a Certificate in Soto Zen Studies and engages in a personal Buddhist practice within the Soto Zen tradition. Vincent is also the creator and host of the podcast, Paths of Practice, which features interviews with Buddhists from all over the world. Learn more on Vincent's website HERE.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast
Ep. 238 - Why We Love Mindfulness with Trudy Goodman

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2026 43:25


Vipassana teacher Trudy Goodman provides practical tools for staying present.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Trudy Goodman explores:Staying connected to the flow of the breathThe breath as our life-long companion and source of presence The loneliness of thought and being caught in the trap of our own thinking How the breath is our anchor and our teacherCultivating the power of the mind to focusThe pause at the end of a breath Balancing our energies and moving through each breath with care Stepping out of our familiar reactivity Accepting this as they are so that we can let them go About Trudy Goodman:Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats, engages in activism work, and teaches workshops worldwide and online. She is also the voice of Trudy the Love Barbarian in the Netflix series, The Midnight Gospel. You can learn more about Trudy's flourishing array of wonderful offerings at TrudyGoodman.comThis episode was originally published on Dharmaseed “All the ways of being mindful are ways that the Buddha asks us to be true to our own hearts and minds. Mindfulness is a form of honesty, of telling ourselves the truth of what is happening. It's showing us that when we're present with the breath, the breath is not just our companion, it's our dharma friend, it's our teacher.” –Trudy GoodmanSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
Open Dharma: Peaceful Dwelling

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2026 45:18


In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Roshi Joan Halifax is joined by Senseis Kodo, Dainin, and longtime Upaya friend and master Zen gardener Sensei Wendy Johnson to set the roots of the month-long Winter Ango (peaceful dwelling). Roshi traces Ango's history to ancient traditions of seasonal retreat and offers careful instruction not to trample what arises—no longer avoiding snakes, insects… Source

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
Rohatsu 2025: Day 6 – Full and Seamlessness

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2026 47:53


On the final day of Rohatsu sesshin, the faculty turn toward presence as the heart of the bodhisattva way. Sensei Kaz Tanahashi reflects on the final full day not as a rush toward the end, but as an invitation to be more fully present with each moment, as practice settles into quiet confidence and seamless activity. Roshi Joan Halifax deepens this inquiry by asking, What is a bodhisattva? Source

The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern
Ep. 164 - What is Engaged Buddhism? A Conversation with Roshi Joan Halifax

The Road Home with Ethan Nichtern

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2026 59:19


At a recent event in support of Dharma Moon's Yearlong Buddhist Studies program on January 6th, Ethan was joined by the great Roshi Joan Halifax, to discuss the practice, history and theory of Engaged Buddhism. Why is this integrated approach to the dharma so crucial now? Ethan begins with an impassioned plea after the ICE murder of the Renee Good in Minneapolis to come together as sangha and practice engaged dharma this year. And every time the thought arises "I could do something but it won't really make any difference," please label that thought thinking. Roshi Joan Halifax is Founder, Abbot, and Head Teacher of Upaya, a center which focused on Engaged Buddhism in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her vision for the Zen Center embraces comprehensive Buddhist studies, meditation, service, dharma art, and environmental action as integrated paths cultivating peace and interconnectedness. She is also the author of multiple books including Standing at The Edge and Being With Dying. In 2025, with your subscriptions, we were able to release more episodes than any previous year. This was only possible with your subscriptions. Please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber below Paid subscribers to The Road Home will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and a guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed a mindful take on intuition, and Ethan also offered instruction in the RAIN method for working with emotions with self-compassion. These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Ethan's Website, etc). You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Ethan's Website, etc). Find out about the 2026 Yearlong Buddhist Studies program at this link! A new free video course on a classic Buddhist contemplation called The Five Remembrances is available at this link. Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon. Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download at Dharma Moon.          

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
Awareness In Action: Love with Frank Ostaseski & Sharon Salzberg (Part 15 – December)

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2026 90:18


In this penultimate session of Awareness in Action (2025), Roshi Joan Halifax gathers with Sharon Salzberg and Frank Ostaseski to explore love as the foundation for engaged Buddhism, acknowledging the collective “upwelling of perturbation” many feel about the body politic. Roshi describes how spiritual community calls us back into love, noting the nation's parallel journey: “We fell out of love… Source

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
Awareness In Action: Going Forth with Joan Halifax, Noah Kodo Roen, & Wendy Lau (Part 16 – December)

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2026 91:21


In this penultimate session of Awareness in Action (2025), Roshi Joan Halifax gathers with Sharon Salzberg and Frank Ostaseski to explore love as the foundation for engaged Buddhism, acknowledging the collective “upwelling of perturbation” many feel about the body politic. Roshi describes how spiritual community calls us back into love, noting the nation's parallel journey: “We fell out of love… Source

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
Gratefulness & Generosity 2025

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2026 92:57


In this year's Gratefulness and Generosity program Roshi Joan Halifax and Frank Ostaseski explore gratefulness and generosity as essential Buddhist practices for navigating “the pressure of the time we're in.” Roshi Joan situates generosity as the first paramita—a boundless state of mind—and invites participants to hold both sorrow and beauty, acknowledging the painful histories and difficult… Source

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast
Ep. 237 - Imagination: A New Year's Talk with Buddhist Teacher Gil Fronsdal

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2026 27:39


Explaining how imagination creates both beauty and suffering, Gil Fronsdal offers a skillful way to tap into inspiration without becoming lost in a dream.This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal dives into:The poem “Thursday” by William Carlos WilliamsTransformation through presence during mundane experiences Dreaming as an important part of being humanHow the imagination helps to create connectionsThe Zen principle of present moment awarenessAllowing reality to move through the world of our imaginationNot becoming lost or stuck in a dreamThe Buddha as a man of tremendous imaginationImagining the possibility of being freed from sufferingThis episode was originally published on DharmaseedAbout Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders' Council. In 2011 he founded IMC's Insight Retreat Center. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil's talks on Audio Dharma. “Dreaming, I think, is a very important part of being a human being. The imagination that can imagine possibilities, potential, that can create wonderful connections between things.” –Gil FronsdalSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
Eko Hensho – Turning the Light Around: Winter Solstice Talk

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2025 36:38


In this Winter Solstice gathering, Roshi Joan Halifax offers a grounded teaching on awareness amid darkness. Speaking during the longest night of the year, she introduces the Zen phrase ekō henshō—“turning the light around”—as the practice of directing awareness toward awareness itself. Through a story from a vinaya gathering in Thailand and a single word—“phenomena”—Roshi explores how we meet… Source

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast
Ep. 236 - Exploring Ancestral Intelligence with Dr. Sará King

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2025 37:34


With embodied loving awareness, Dr. Sará King invites us into ancestral intelligence, shadow healing, and remembering our living connection to our lineage.This recording is from our 2nd Annual Ram Dass Legacy Summer Mountain Retreat in Boone, North Carolina. Keep up with upcoming retreats and events HERE.This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Dr. Sará King explores:Ancestral intelligence and the collective nervous system as an interdependent web of beingThe concept of ‘Beloved Community' and what it feels like to embody loving awarenessMeeting the pain, grief, and responsibility of climate change with compassionComing into contact with our shadows and healing our ancestral bloodlineRecognizing that our ancestors are truly present with us, guiding us in the here and nowBreathwork and grounding to reconnect with earthSending metta to those around us and to our ancestorsShifting our neural connections and transforming our hearts through practiceGrab a copy of the book that Dr. King reads from: In Search of Our Mothers' GardensAbout Dr. Sará King:Dr. Sará King is a Mother, a neuroscientist, political and learning scientist, medical anthropologist, social entrepreneur, public speaker, and certified yoga and meditation instructor. She is an internationally recognized thought leader in the interdisciplinary field that examines the relationship between complementary alternative medicine, social justice, art, and mindfulness from the perspective of neuroscience. Keep up with Dr. King on Instagram or HERE “So many of us have lineages of complexity. I hold both ancestors who were oppressors as well as the oppressed inside of my body, so I can practice with this integration of loving presence and shadow every time that I connect to my embodiment.” –Dr. Sará KingSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
Rohatsu: Undivided Activity

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2025 44:54


On the first full day of Rohatsu sesshin, Sensei Kaz Tanahashi and Roshi Joan Halifax open practice with teachings on non-division and “undivided activity.” Kaz reminds practitioners that Rohatsu marks the Buddha's awakening—“birth, enlightenment, and […]

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
Awakened Action: Liberating Imagination – Making the Future in the Present (Part 3)

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 7, 2025 75:19


In part three of the Awakened Action series, Roshi Joan Halifax invites participants to imagine the world in 20 years, revealing how we're often “living in dread” rather than envisioning liberating possibilities. She distinguishes between […]

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast
Ep. 235 - Dance & Zazen: Finding Joy in Practice with Anusha Enryu Fernando and Vincent Moore

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2025 59:37


Exploring the connections between Bharata Natyam dance and zazen, Anusha Enryu Fernando helps listeners remember the joy of practice.This conversation was originally recorded on the Paths of Practice Podcast. Listen to more episodes HERE.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Anusha and Vincent discuss:Zen practice and doing full-body meditationsBharata Natyam: a sacred and ancient dance that focuses on the mind-body connectionPaying attention to the body so intently that there is no space for thoughtThe non-abiding mind and continuing to move through human experienceUnderstanding the devotional gestures that are built into zen practiceAnusha's profound experience learning Sanskrit for both ancient dance and studying the dharma The most important vow: to really be alive in this lifeFood preparations, making offerings, and connecting with the ancestors through foodHow people get stuck on the first noble truth and forget that there is joy in practiceCheck out The Great Vow Zen Monastery in Oregon and learn more about residencies, workshops, and more.About Anusha Enryu Fernando:Anusha Enryu Fernando was born in Sri Lanka to a Theravadin Buddhist family. Her grandparents founded the Vipassana Meditation Centre located in Colombo, Sri Lanka in 1957. She began practicing Zen Meditation with Hogen and Chozen Roshi in 2007, and became a dharma holder in 2021. She holds a BA in Religious Studies, specializing in Buddhism and Hinduism from McGill University, and a Masters of Arts in Asian Studies from the University of British Columbia, specializing in Sanskrit. In her dissertation, she translated a Sanskrit poem of the life story of the Buddha, called the Padyacudamani. Enryu has been a teacher and performer of Bharata Natyam, a form of Indian Classical Dance, for the past thirty years and is the founder and Artistic Director of Shakti Dance Society. She has also been the book purchaser at Banyen Books and Sound, Vancouver's iconic spiritual and metaphysical bookstore, for the past twenty-eight years. She is the mother of an adult daughter and lives with her husband, parents, and multiple furry friends in Vancouver, Canada. Read more about Anusha's work in Shakti Dance HERE."Movement is a huge part of the experience of zazen. You're not sitting there like a fallen rock. The connecting with just the aliveness of that experience, that juicy, wonderful aliveness which is movement, is the practice.” –Anusha Enryu FernandoAbout Vincent Moore:Vincent Moore is a creative and creative consultant living in San Francisco, California, with over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry and holds a graduate degree in Buddhist Studies. For years, he performed regularly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, an improv and sketch comedy theatre based in New York and Los Angeles. As an actor, Vincent performed on Comedy Central, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Seth Meyers, Above Average, and The UCB Show on Seeso. As a writer, he developed for television as well as stage, including work with the Blue Man Group, and his own written projects have been featured on websites such as Funny or Die. Additionally, he received a Masters of Buddhist Studies from the Institute of Buddhist Studies with a Certificate in Soto Zen Studies and engages in a personal Buddhist practice within the Soto Zen tradition. Vincent is also the creator and host of the podcast, Paths of Practice, which features interviews with Buddhists from all over the world. Learn more on Vincent's website HERE.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
Open Dharma: The Three Tenets and the Noble Eightfold Path

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2025 46:29


In this Wednesday Night Dharma Talk, Roshi Joan Halifax, joined by Senseis Kodo and Dainin, reflects on how Thanksgiving is both a time of festivity and a day of mourning for Native peoples. She raises […]

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast
Ep. 234 - Walking Each Other Home: A Psychedelic Perspective on Healing and Connection, Ram Dass Explorer's Club with Matt Zeemon and Jackie Dobrinska

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2025 56:18


Drawing on neuroscience, psychology, and lived experience, Matt Zeemon discusses the power of psychedelics for quieting the ego, rekindling love, facing pain, and opening the heart.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Matt Zeemon explores:Psychedelics as catalysts for healing, not curesMatt's first psychedelic experience and reconnecting with his motherWestern psychological medicine as a bandaid approach versus working to find the root causeBreaking repetitive thinking patterns ourselvesUncovering what relative risk meansThe mental health crisis in our country, especially among veterans How we all have psychedelic usage within our lineage The social politics of psychedelic substances Ways to create safe, sacred space for yourself and others on their journeysWhat it truly means to walk each other homeAbout Matt Zeemon:Matt Zemon, MSc, is a best-selling author and thought leader at the intersection of psychedelics, science, and spiritual experience. With a Master's in Psychology and Neuroscience of Mental Health, he blends modern research with timeless wisdom to support safe, intentional psychedelic use. Inspired by teachers like Ram Dass, Matt's work empowers spiritual seekers, veterans, and others on the path of healing and transformation. Learn more about Matt on his website.About The Host, Jackie Dobrinska:Jackie Dobrinska is the Director of Education, Community & Inclusion for Ram Dass' Love, Serve, Remember Foundation and the current host of Ram Dass' Here & Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an inter-spiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves. “With these medicines, we have the real ability to heal ourselves. It's not that the medicines did it, it's that we rewrote our own stories. We are the medicine when we use psychedelics and entheogens. They don't bring back people we've lost, they don't change the past, they bring it close where we can look at it, discover it, understand it, and decide how to make more of our present. That's why psychedelics are catalysts and not cures.” –Matt ZeemonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast
Ep. 233 - Live It Up with Trudy Goodman

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2025 49:33


Offering listeners a way to live life fully, Trudy Goodman explores how to overcome the brain's negative bias by inclining the mind toward appreciation. Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.In this episode, Trudy Goodman gives a lecture on:The mind's tendency to view things negatively How evolutionary wiring shapes what we notice and what we missA powerful teaching from loved ones at the end of life: do all things with joyRemembering that our heart is inclined toward that which we pay attention toHow micro-moments of mindfulness accumulate into lasting transformationBuilding new neural pathways through steady, repeated practiceLiving fully with both joy and difficulty instead of moving into denialEnsuring that we do not overlook that which will grow our spiritual wealthRealizing that both our feelings about a situation and the situation itself do not really matterWhy the Buddha wanted us to look deeply at our suffering and to question itTaking in the goodness of your very own beingThis recording was originally published on Dharmaseed.About Trudy Goodman:Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats, engages in activism work, and teaches workshops worldwide and online. She is also the voice of Trudy the Love Barbarian in the Netflix series, The Midnight Gospel. You can learn more about Trudy's flourishing array of wonderful offerings at TrudyGoodman.com“This took me so long to understand in my practice: that what I think about what's happening doesn't matter. Actually, what's happening doesn't even matter. All that matters is do we know it? Can we be with it without being hard on ourselves, shaming ourselves, blaming somebody else? All that matters is our quality of attention to it.” –Trudy GoodmanSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast
Ep. 232 - Contentment On The Buddhist Path with Gil Fronsdal

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2025 55:03


Connecting to the timelessness of the present moment, Gil Fronsdal offers practical steps towards the only source of true happiness: contentment.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal explores:Seeing the timeless present through photographs Enjoying the preciousness of our limited time here on earth How corporate, capitalist America prefers people who are discontentWhat the Buddha said about the vital importance of contentment How many desires often dissipate on their own if you ride them outThe ways in which desire alienates us from ourselves The embodied quality of contentment and being in touch with ourselvesFreedom in the Buddhist sense: freedom ‘from' rather than freedom ‘to do'Cultivating contentment by valuing it and seeing it as an important part of lifeActivities which encourage contentment versus remaining franticFacing discontentment head-on so that it does not drive us This recording was originally published on Dharmaseed. “Contentment is a falling away of anxiety, restlessness, reaching forward, fear, being fragmented, and disconnected. It is a kind of settling. If we're driven by desires, fears, preoccupations, or fantasies, often our energy, our center of attention, is upwelling in an unhealthy way. As we are contented, we feel the settling down, settling down into the center of gravity.” –Gil Fronsdal About Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders' Council. In 2011 he founded IMC's Insight Retreat Center. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil's talks on Audio Dharma.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast
Ep. 231 - Taming the Mind with Buddhist Martial Artist Damiano Seiryū Finizio and Vincent Moore

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2025 58:19


Uncovering the deep connection between Buddhism and Martial Arts, Damiano Seiryū Finizio joins Vincent Moore to explore what it truly means to face our most powerful opponent: the mind.This conversation was originally recorded on Paths of Practice Podcast. Listen to more episodes HERE.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Damiano and Vincent discuss:What initially brought Damiano to Buddhism after growing up in Italy, a predominantly Catholic countryHow Buddhism can be harmonious with martial arts Working on self-development and mutual growth rather than sparring Maintaining perfect mental presence during times of physical discomfort Following the Buddhist precepts and adopting a vegan diet for the principal of no-harmMountains as natural energy centersDamiano's global work and exposure to unique cultures in Vietnam, Cambodia, The Canary Islands, and moreBringing the message of peace, awareness, and compassion into the westDamiano's advice for beginners walking the Buddhist pathAbout Damiano Seiryū Finizio:Damiano Finizio was born in Italy in 1992. He began practicing traditional Japanese martial arts in 2012, where he met the Buddhist monk Seiun, who transformed his curiosity for Eastern disciplines and philosophies into dedicated practice. In 2014, he officially took refuge in the Dharma at Tenryuzanji Temple, receiving the name Seiryu, symbolizing his deep bond with his teacher and the temple. Since 2020, he has been living and working in Spain as a hostel owner, while also working seasonally in Italy and Croatia as a trip leader during the warmer months. Despite his commitments, he remains an active member of the Tenryuzanji community and continues to participate in its activities whenever possible.For more information about Tenryuzanji Temple, please click HERE. To keep up with Damiano, visit his Instagram.“The advice is don't do it yourself. It's very likely to happen that you're trying to tame your mind, but if you don't know how to do it, most likely your mind will tame you and make you feel like you're moving forward, but you're just looking for comfort. This is why a teacher is important.“ –Damiano Seiryū FinizioAbout Vincent Moore:Vincent Moore is a creative and creative consultant living in San Francisco, California, with over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry and holds a graduate degree in Buddhist Studies. For years, he performed regularly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, an improv and sketch comedy theatre based in New York and Los Angeles. As an actor, Vincent performed on Comedy Central, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Seth Meyers, Above Average, and The UCB Show on Seeso. As a writer, he developed for television as well as stage, including work with the Blue Man Group, and his own written projects have been featured on websites such as Funny or Die. Additionally, he received a Masters of Buddhist Studies from the Institute of Buddhist Studies with a Certificate in Soto Zen Studies and engages in a personal Buddhist practice within the Soto Zen tradition. Vincent is also the creator and host of the podcast, Paths of Practice, which features interviews with Buddhists from all over the world. Learn more on Vincent's website HERE.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast
Ep. 230 - Psychedelic Peer Support, Ram Dass Explorer's Club with Joshua White and Jackie Dobrinska

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2025 60:52


Founder of Fireside Project, Joshua White, reflects on becoming a ‘loving rock' and how Ram Dass's teachings sparked his creation of a psychedelic peer support line.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Joshua White outlines:How Joshua grew up feeling alienated from his Jewish rootsThe realization that we truly can just be observers of our own thoughtsThe inner knowing that there is more to this world Service as the highest form of psychedelic integrationBeing a ‘loving-rock' for people in a psychedelic experienceBecoming an environment in which someone can come up for airConnecting with our sense of ‘enoughness' rather than brokennessActive listening and simply showing up for another person as a loving witnessWelcoming all emotions and not referring to any as ‘wrong'About Joshua White:Joshua (he/him) is Fireside Project's founder, the world's first psychedelic peer support line. He is a lawyer, peer support advocate, and psychedelic researcher who believes in the power of peer support and the role of support lines as foundational components of an equitable mental-health ecosystem.Prior to founding Fireside Project, Joshua volunteered for many years as a counselor on Safe & Sound's TALK Line and a psychedelic peer support provider for the Zendo Project.Before devoting his life to the psychedelic field, Joshua spent more than a decade as a Deputy City Attorney at the San Francisco City Attorney's Office, where he focused on suing businesses exploiting vulnerable communities, serving as general counsel to City departments, and co-teaching a nationally renowned clinic at Yale Law School. He also clerked on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and practiced civil litigation at Conrad | Metlitzky | Kane. “Ram Dass's experience encountering Maharaj-ji and having these magical experiences with him and all of the impact LSD and other psychedelics had on him, really showed me that these substances could be responsible tools for profound inner work.” –Joshua WhiteAbout The Host, Jackie Dobrinska:Jackie Dobrinska is the Director of Education, Community & Inclusion for Ram Dass' Love, Serve, Remember Foundation and the current host of Ram Dass' Here & Now podcast. She is also a teacher, coach, and spiritual director with the privilege of marrying two decades of mystical studies with 15 years of expertise in holistic wellness. As an inter-spiritual minister, Jackie was ordained in Creation Spirituality in 2016 and has also studied extensively in several other lineages – the plant-medicine-based Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, Sri Vidya Tantra, Western European Shamanism, Christian Mysticism, the Wise Woman Tradition, and others. Today, in addition to building courses and community for LSRF, she leads workshops and coaches individuals to discover, nourish and live from their most authentic selves. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast
Ep. 229 - Making Friends with the Mind with David Nichtern LIVE from the Ram Dass Summer Mountain Retreat

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2025 73:15


Buddhist teacher David Nichtern explains that making friends with the mind and internal world is the first step to relating better with the people around us.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.LIVE from the 2024 Ram Dass Summer Mountain Retreat, David Nichtern explores:How our minds shape the reality we experience and perceiveThe importance of positive mantra versus focusing on negativity Taking comfort and refuge within our own mindsUnderstanding restless, “hot” boredom versus calm, “cool” boredomMusical examples for how we relate to one another The bridge between the everyday world and the internal, spiritual experienceMental patterns that destabilize us and hinder resilience Becoming open to our environment during mindfulness meditation “Mindfulness meditation would be good because you're developing patience and familiarity with yourself that's accepting, not rejecting. It is, in a way, making love to yourself. It's being intimate with yourself; it's just you and your mind. You develop a kind of willingness to be where you are.” –David NichternAbout David Nichtern:David Nichtern, founder of Dharma Moon, is a senior Buddhist teacher who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He was one of the initial American students of renowned meditation master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and studied closely with him soon after his arrival in the United States in 1970. He is also a business consultant with companies creating a variety of offerings integrating meditation in a larger health and well-being context. David is also a multiple Grammy-nominated and Emmy award-winning musician. David's journey has crisscrossed with the Maharaji/Ram Dass sangha for decades. He has produced multiple Krishna Das albums and frequently joins the Bhaktettes live on guitar. He considers himself to be a first cousin and honorary member of the Bhakti community. “If you examine the self-talk, the narrative dialing through our minds, there's a lot of criticism, harshness towards our selves and others. We start with kindness and gentleness, that's it, if you can't get anywhere else, that's really a good place.” –David NichternSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast
Ep. 228 - Trust in Dharma, Trust Yourself with Trudy Goodman

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2025 52:24


Vipassana teacher Trudy Goodman explores how trusting in the dharma and in ourselves leads to a more peaceful, present life.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.In this episode, Trudy Goodman gives a lecture on:The dharma as our reliable refuge Trusting the simple process of being aliveOffering metta (loving-kindness) to ourselves and othersPracticing mudita, aka, taking joy in the joy of othersHow the principle of sila (ethical conduct) protected the Buddha from his demonsWhat to do when we are swayed by temptation Concerning ourselves only with what our minds are doing in this very minuteLiving in the way instead of worrying about a resultMaking each thing we do the most important thing in the worldUsing our karma instead of being used by itThis recording was originally published on Dharmaseed.About Trudy Goodman:Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats, engages in activism work, and teaches workshops worldwide and online. She is also the voice of Trudy the Love Barbarian in the Netflix series, The Midnight Gospel. You can learn more about Trudy's flourishing array of wonderful offerings at TrudyGoodman.com “Trust yourself then, to this simple process of being alive, letting go of all elaborations and returning to the body, the breath, step by step, moment by moment, just returning to this simple basic fundamental fact of our own aliveness—our embodied being.” –Trudy GoodmanSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
Love and Death 2025: The Sovereignty of Solitude (Part 3B)

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2025 48:16


This is the 2nd half of … part 3 of Upaya's Love and Death program, Frank Ostaseski and Roshi Joan Halifax explore the tension between belonging and accommodation. Through personal stories of illness, recovery, and […]

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
Love and Death 2025: Opening the Great Gifts: Opening Session (Part 1)

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2025 63:24


In the opening session (part 1) of Love and Death, Roshi Joan Halifax and Frank Ostaseski welcomed more than 1,300 participants into a shared inquiry of love and mortality. Framed by Rainer Maria Rilke's insight that […]

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
Love and Death 2025: Four Flavors of Fearless Love (Part 2A)

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2025 48:40


In part two of Upaya's Love and Death weekend program, Roshi Joan Halifax and Frank Ostaseski deepened the exploration of how personal love can open into universal compassion. Framed by the bodhisattva path, Roshi Joan recounted […]

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
Love and Death 2025: Four Flavors of Fearless Love (Part 2B)

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2025 64:13


This is the 2nd half of … part two of Upaya's Love and Death weekend program, Roshi Joan Halifax and Frank Ostaseski deepened the exploration of how personal love can open into universal compassion. Framed […]

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
Love and Death 2025: The Sovereignty of Solitude (Part 3A)

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2025 50:38


In Part 3 of Upaya's Love and Death program, Frank Ostaseski and Roshi Joan Halifax explore the tension between belonging and accommodation. Through personal stories of illness, recovery, and care, they show how dignity in receiving […]

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast
Ep. 227 - Simplicity on the Soto Zen Path with Rev. Chimyo Atkinson & Vincent Moore

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2025 61:50


Exploring the Soto Zen path, Rev. Chimyo Atkinson and Vincent Moore reflect on inclusivity, feminine wisdom, and the beauty of simplicity.This episode is from the series Paths of Practice. Click here to subscribe on YouTube, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts! Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.In this episode, Rev. Chimyo and Vincent Moore chat about:Building a Zen Buddhist community in the Southern United States Rev Chimyo's profound experience volunteering at a prison as a Zen priest How Rev Chimyo was first introduced to meditation and BuddhismThe beautiful serenity within taking pause, being still, and doing a Zen practiceFinding reality in the present moment and realizing that everything else is made up in our mindsWalking the Soto Zen path and finding depth within simple practicesGreat Tree Zen Women's Temple and holding space specifically for women in the Buddhist worldPaying attention to what feminine energy can bring to Buddhist practice and templesInclusive spiritual practice and focusing on the shared elements of life The calm and connection that can be discovered through Zen labor Loving others and loving the dharma, wishing peace for all people Doing all daily tasks with the dharma in our hearts and mindsAbout Rev. Chimyo Atkinson:Rev. Chimyo Atkinson is a Soto Zen priest that serves the Great Tree Zen Women's Temple in Alexander, NC, as well as sanghas and centers throughout the United States and internationally. Rev. Chimyo was ordained by Rev. Teijo Munnich in 2007 and received Dharma Transmission in 2015. She received monastic training at Great Tree Temple and completed two Sotoshu International training periods (angos) in Japan in 2010 and 2011, two additional angos at Aichi Senmon Nisodo in Nagoya in 2012 and one ango at Ryumonji Monastery in Iowa in 2014. Chimyo served as Head of Practice at Great Tree Zen Women's Temple and volunteered with the sangha at Avery-Mitchell Correctional Institute until 2020. For more information, please visit: https://chimyoatkinson.org/About Vincent Moore:Vincent Moore is a media specialist and creative consultant at Good for Nothing Ideas based in San Francisco, California. Vincent has over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry as a producer, performer, and writer in stage, film, and television and wrote a children's book titled, You're a Rubber Duck. He also has a master's degree in Buddhist Studies from the Institute of Buddhist Studies with a Certificate in Soto Zen Studies. Vincent is also the creator and host of the podcast, Paths of Practice, which features interviews with Buddhists from all over the world. For more information about his work, please visit: www.goodfornothingideas.com“Just stop, and give not just the breath but the whole being to that stillness, that stop. Be in reality for a minute, for 40 minutes, if you can handle it, 60 minutes. Be in that stop. Experience it. Know there's reality. Everything else you're making it up as you go along.” –Rev. Chimyo AtkinsonSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
Life, Death, and Freedom

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2025 53:15


In this unique Wednesday Night Dharma Talk before the upcoming Love and Death program, Roshi Joan Halifax and Frank Ostaseski engage in an open dialogue on Life, Death, and Freedom. Departing from scripted teachings, the evening unfolds […]

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast
Awareness In Action: Earth with Terry Tempest Williams & Joan Halifax (Part 9 – August)

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2025 96:49


In this session of Awareness in Action, Roshi Joan Halifax and Terry Tempest Williams guide participants to witness the world with care, presence, and courage. Roshi Joan opens with the Zen koan—“A monk asked Joshu, […]