Hardcore Zen

Women and Misogyny in Zen Buddhism

On a recent YouTube video I talked about misogyny in Buddhism and the pro-female ideas Dogen expressed in Shobogenzo. In this talk from March 16, 2016, I go into greater depth about both subjects in front of an audience at a retreat at Mount Baldy Zen Center. 

Dogen’s ”Mind Alone is Buddha”

This is a talk I gave at the Rochester Zen Center on April 24, 2016 about Dogen and his essay "Mind Alone is Buddha." What the heck did he mean by that? Here's my attempt at answering that question.

God is Closer Than Your Jugular Vein

Here's a conversation I had with Sufi sheik Ingo Taleb Rashid at Benediktushof Meditation Center in Germany on September 27, 2017. We talk about God and Star Trek and take questions from the audience.

Preview of My NEW BOOK! The Other Side of Nothing

In this episode I read from the chapter "Who Walked My Dog" from my new book, The Other Side of Nothing: The Zen Ethics of Time, Space, and Being." It's a sneak preview of the book, which is available now, and of the forthcoming audiobook.

The Samadhi of Receiving and Using the Self

This is a lecture I gave in Vienna in 2018 about Dogen's famous essay "The Samadhi of Receiving and Using the Self."

The Grand Canyon and Enlightenment

Here's a talk I gave in Phoenix, Arizona in 2012 about the Grand Canyon and Enlightenment.

Good Zazen vs. Bad Zazen

In this Q&A session from 2019 in Finland I talk about what it means to be a Zen teacher and then we get into the subject of "good zazen" vs. "bad zazen."

No Self in a Bar in Texas

In 2016 I spoke in a bar in Texas about the concept of "No Self" as expressed in Dogen's most famous essay Genjo Koan (The Realized Universe). Here's the recording!

The Heart Sutra and Hitler‘s Golden Elevator

Here's a talk I did in 2015 at Felsentor, a Zen monastery in Switzerland that was established by a dharma heir of Kobun Chino Otogawa Roshi, my first Zen teacher's teacher. It's about the Heart Sutra but I also talk about some other stuff including Hitler's golden elevator. Enjoy!

Are We Wasting Our Time

In today's podcast I ask a group of Germans at a Zen retreat "Are we wasting our time doing this?" I also present a long quote from Kobun Chino Otogawa Roshi, one of the greatest contemporary Zen teachers.