The Zen Studies Podcast

Domyo Burk
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The Zen Studies Podcast

Learn about traditional Zen and Buddhist teachings, practices, and history through episodes recorded specifically for podcast listeners. Host Domyo Burk is a Soto Zen priest and teacher.

  1. 1 NOV

    Ten Fields of Zen, Field Six – Ending Dukkha: Taking Care of this Precious Life (1 of 2)

    The sixth Field of Zen Practice is ending Dukkha (this is part of my book, The Ten Fields of Zen Practice: A Primer for Practitioners). While physical and emotional pain, discomfort, and longing are an inevitable part of human life, Dukkha is existential angst we add to such experiences, ranging from subtle uneasiness to acute anguish. It drives our unhealthy or harmful behaviors, so we seek to end Dukkha for the sake of self and others. Buddhism offers a holistic approach to doing this, including maximizing our overall spiritual health and working with our karma. However, Buddhism’s radical teaching is that Dukkha is a symptom of underlying spiritual illness caused by false views - so, through practice, our spiritual illness can be cured, and Dukkha ended.

    25 min
  2. Reflections on Continuous Practice and Dogen's “Gyoji” (2 of 2)

    24 OCT

    Reflections on Continuous Practice and Dogen's “Gyoji” (2 of 2)

    It’s challenging to make our Dharma practice continuous – maintaining awareness and appropriate conduct each moment of our lives. In his essay Gyoji, or “Continuous Practice,” Zen Master Dogen doesn’t offer practical tips for mindfulness and pure conduct in everyday life, but instead challenges our limited ideas about what practice is. In this episode (part 2), I continue discussing four points I think Dogen makes about Gyoji.

    24 min
  3. Reflections on Continuous Practice and Dogen's “Gyoji” (1 of 2)

    2 OCT

    Reflections on Continuous Practice and Dogen's “Gyoji” (1 of 2)

    Our goal in practice is to live in accord with the truth, or the Dharma - not only while sitting in meditation or studying Buddhism, but every moment of our lives. In other words, we strive to make our practice continuous. It can be extremely challenging to maintain mindfulness and good behavior all the time. How can we make our practice more continuous? Not surprisingly, in his essay “Gyoji,” or Continuous Practice, Dogen does not give us practical tips but instead challenges our limited ideas about what practice is.

    30 min
  4. Cutting Moral Corners: Is Buddhism Compatible with 21st-Century Life? (2 of 2)

    21 SEPT

    Cutting Moral Corners: Is Buddhism Compatible with 21st-Century Life? (2 of 2)

    This is part two of my discussion “Cutting Moral Corners: Is Buddhism Compatible with 21st-Century Life?” In Part 1 I talked about the moral stress that arises from living a modern life, where almost every decision we make becomes a moral choice. I discussed how home leaving – or monasticism – was early Buddhism’s prescription for avoiding moral stress, and then how the Mahayana bodhisattva ideal become a model for lay practice. In this episode I address the matter of moral stress and how we might practice in the midst of it in order to free ourselves from dukkha, or suffering.

    22 min
  5. Cutting Moral Corners: Is Buddhism Compatible with 21st-Century Life? (1 of 2)

    11 SEPT

    Cutting Moral Corners: Is Buddhism Compatible with 21st-Century Life? (1 of 2)

    As long as we remain engaged in 21st-century life, at least in any industrialized society, we are part of an infinitely complex web of karma that covers our planet. Even the details of our lives become moral choices, and it becomes increasingly difficult to live in a way that does no harm or that fulfills the ideal of the selfless Buddhist contemplative. Because of our interconnectedness with all things, we feel pain and moral stress when we act out of accord with our ideals. What does lay Buddhist practice look like in the midst of all of this?

    26 min
  6. Stories of My Teachers - A Live Talk*

    27 AUG

    Stories of My Teachers - A Live Talk*

    In a lineage tradition like Zen, your understanding, manifestation, and expression of the Dharma is deeply influenced by your teachers, and by their teachers. Whether you are a member of my Zen Center, Bright Way Zen, or a fan of this podcast, you may appreciate stories of my teachers Kyogen and Gyokuko Carlson in this live talk.* (*Most of my episodes are produced specifically for podcast listeners, but I am on sabbatical in August.)

    45 min
  7. 279 - Talking about Politics as a Buddhist - A Live Talk*

    22 AUG

    279 - Talking about Politics as a Buddhist - A Live Talk*

    I am on sabbatical for the month of August, so this is a recent live talk* I gave at Bright Way Zen. This is, of course, a very timely topic with a major election coming up in the U.S. in just over two months. If politics is "the set of activities that associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status, none of us are able to opt out of politics. How can we engage in conversations about what we should do as a group, institution, organization, community, state, nation, or species, while remaining centered in our practice and true to our aspirations as Buddhists? (*Most of my episodes are produced specifically for podcast listeners.)

    25 min
  8. 278 - Having a Zen Teacher - An Live Talk*

    8 AUG

    278 - Having a Zen Teacher - An Live Talk*

    I'm on sabbatical the month of August, so this episode is an informal, live talk* I gave in response to a question: "Is everything a Zen teacher does a 'teaching'? How do you know?" This led to discussion of other topics as well, related to having a formal relationship with a Zen teacher - What does it mean? What does it look like? Why would someone want this? (*Most of my episodes are produced specifically for podcast listeners.)

    41 min
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About

Learn about traditional Zen and Buddhist teachings, practices, and history through episodes recorded specifically for podcast listeners. Host Domyo Burk is a Soto Zen priest and teacher.

Information

  • Creator
    Domyo Burk
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2024
  • Episodes
    296
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2017-2021 Domyo Burk
  • Show Website
    The Zen Studies Podcast

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