Paths of Practice: Conversations on Journeys into Buddhism

Vincent Moore
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Buddhism

Paths of Practice (PoP) is a podcast that features interviews with people sharing their experiences with Buddhism and Buddhist practice. The podcast includes conversations with folks from a wide variety of backgrounds, both those that have been on the path for a while and those just starting out as well as everyone in between. In a way, the podcast sets out to explore the "84,000 paths to enlightenment," one Buddhist at a time. PoP was created and is hosted by Vincent Moore. Vincent is a relatively new practitioner of Soto Zen and has an MA from the Institute of Buddhist Studies.

  1. Paths of Practice with rev. syd yang

    6d ago

    Paths of Practice with rev. syd yang

    Rev. Syd Yang, MDiv (they/them) is a mixed race/Taiwanese American queer trans/non-binary lay Buddhist Minister, movement chaplain, spiritual counselor and writer who engages decolonial possibilities for shared liberation through their practice, Blue Jaguar Healing Arts. Syd’s work finds its resonance in the stories we each hold at the intersection of memory, body, sexuality and mental health. Syd works primarily with queer and trans individuals of color, as well as regularly facilitates community based practice spaces for wellbeing + healing justice, with a specific focus on grief, sexuality + spirituality, body liberation and recovery.If you are in the Los Angeles area, you can sit with them, in person, at the monthly Queers Who Sit at Black Being, in Inglewood CA.Some of their recent writing can be found in Lion’s Roar (Bodhi Leaves), Emergent Dharma: Asian American Buddhist Feminists on Practice, Identity and Resistance,  Q+A: Voices of Queer Asian America,  Chrysanthemum: Voices of the Taiwanese Diaspora, and Bloody Hell! Adventures in Menopause from Around the World.Syd is also the co-author of Bloody Transitions: A Menopausal Anthology of Asian, Black and Latine Voices, which is set to be released in November 2026 by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. For more information about Syd and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the following links:*Blue Jaguar Healing Arts (https://bluejaguarhealingarts.com/)*The Dharma of Loneliness podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dharma-of-loneliness/id1875305695)*Black Being (https://blackbeingla.org/)We discussed:*Loneliness and the origins of The Dharma of Loneliness podcast*Embodiment, belonging, and our bodies relationship with the Earth body*Menopause, impermanence, transformation, and co-authoring Bloody Transitions*And the importance of understanding that Buddhist practice involves investigating the mind and body and remembering that bodhisattvas have chosen to stay embodied to help us

    56 min
  2. Paths of Practice with Nicole Wordlaw, PhD

    Jun 3

    Paths of Practice with Nicole Wordlaw, PhD

    Dr. Nicole Wordlaw is a clinical psychologist, a longtime practitioner of Buddhist meditation, a lover of Spirit, and the daughter of a white mother and a Black father. She completed her undergraduate degree in psychology at Stanford University, graduating with honors and distinction in 1992, and then earned a Masters and Doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of California at Berkeley in 1999. She is passionate about helping those she serves notice and follow their own inner guide. She is the author of Waking Up Alone: Navigating the Narrow Passage Through Master-Slave Narratives. For more information about Nicole and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the following links: https://www.nicolewordlaw.com/ https://substack.com/@nicolewordlaw https://sentientpublications.com/products/9781591813736_waking-up-alone We discussed:*Trauma, learning how to not take things personally by recognizing our conditions, and writing Waking Up Alone*Vipassana and Zen, breathwork, and practicing in the wilderness to connect with our true nature*Spiritual teachers, misconduct and accountability, and how to become a lamp unto yourself*And the importance of remembering that awakening is ongoing and unfolds as a process

    59 min
  3. Paths of Practice with Maṅgala Bhikkhu

    May 29

    Paths of Practice with Maṅgala Bhikkhu

    Bhante Mangala, born and raised in northeastern Massachusetts, started to take an interest in Buddhism while in high school. He began taking that interest more seriously in his mid 20’s and started to practice meditation with small groups and at home. Seeing results early in life, he grew to want to learn more and came to visit the Bhavana Society for a retreat in 2009. Bhante began living at the Bhavana Society full time in 2012, ordained at the Bhavana Society as a novice in 2013 and received full ordination in 2014. For more information about Bhante Mangala and the Bhavana Society, please visit the following link: https://bhavanasociety.org/ We talked about:*Ordination, the grand opening of the Bhante Henepola Gunaratana Heritage Center, and receiving a visit from the Walk for Peace monks*Taking an interest in religion at a young age, first experiences with meditation, and being drawn to the brutal honesty of Theravada*Heading to West Virginia after Googling the Bhāvanā Society, Bhante G, and visiting Sri Lanka*And the importance of being kind to yourself and remembering that "patience is a meditation"

    1h 6m
  4. Paths of Practice with Muichi

    May 23

    Paths of Practice with Muichi

    Muichi is a Cuban-American Mahayana Buddhist layman and Wikipedian currently residing in Florida. Muichi's Buddhist refuge name is Abhayajñāna (originally given in Tibetan as Yeshe Jigme), which means "Fearless Wisdom" (Ch: 無畏智 Wúwèi zhì, Jp.: Muichi). Muichi's contributions to Wikipedia are mainly in the fields of Buddhist Studies, Asian History and Eastern philosophy. Muichi's knowledge of these fields is mainly self taught, having no formal education in these particular subjects. Muichi mostly studied Greco-Roman history and languages while receiving a B.A. in History from Florida International University and later began to study Eastern philosophy and Buddhist studies as an autodidact. For more information about Muichi and the resources mentioned in this episode, please visit the following links: https://sites.google.com/view/abhayajana/home?authuser=0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Javierfv1212 https://www.youtube.com/@FearlessWisdom We talked about: *Dharanis, moderating the PureLand subreddit, and contributing to Buddhism-related Wikipedia articles *Studying philosophy as a lived experience, Western philosophical materialism, and developing space for Eastern religious thought and practice *Pure Land Buddhism, collective translation and re-translation efforts, providing open source study guides and FAQs, and The Fearless Wisdom podcast *And the importance of studying Buddhism broadly and how Mahayana Buddhism is all about love

    53 min
  5. Paths of Practice with Rev. Katsuya Kusunoki

    May 12

    Paths of Practice with Rev. Katsuya Kusunoki

    Reverend Katsuya Kusunoki is the Head Minister of the Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple. Sensei was born in Nagasaki, Japan, the second son of a temple family. Today his older brother Naoya is the 17th generation of their family to serve their family temple. Sensei is a graduate of Miyazaki University where he majored in primary education and his hobby is to watch and play baseball and softball. While a college student he took a break and spent almost two and a half years in a Japanese volunteer program similar to the Peace Corps in America coaching baseball in Zimbabwe before returning to Japan to complete his studies. After graduating he spent three years teaching 3rd and 6th grade classes before deciding to become a minister.Sensei’s advanced training includes the Hongwanji-ha Rituals course for leaders (Gonshiki). He is a Hongwanji-ha certified Special Rituals Minister, a certificate only he and our former minister Rev. Sala Sekiya hold within the Buddhist Churches of America. Sensei’s first assignment in America was to the Lodi Buddhist Temple in 2010 and he was transferred to Seattle in April of 2017. Sensei and his wife Ayano have a son, Yuiya, who was born in September 2016. For more information about Rev. Kusunoki and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the following links: https://seattlebetsuin.org/ https://www.youtube.com/@SeattleBuddhistTemple We discussed:*Rennyo Shonin, holding service in a gymnasium vs. the Hondo, and the Seattle Betsuin’s recovery from arson*Becoming a certified Special Rituals Minister and feeling a powerful energy during service at Nishi Hongan-ji*Growing up in a temple family, coaching baseball in Zimbabwe, and becoming a Jodo Shinshu minister in Lodi, California*Ritual as as expression of gratitude, baseball, and throwing the first pitch at a Mariners game*And the importance of exploring different Buddhist traditions and finding helpful people to guide your interest in Buddhism

    53 min
  6. Paths of Practice with Kyle Neo (aka Dharma Kueen)

    May 7

    Paths of Practice with Kyle Neo (aka Dharma Kueen)

    Kyle Neo aka Dharma Kueen and Facilitator of Rainbodhi SG creates safe spaces where Buddhism and queerness meet with compassion. He blends study, practice, and storytelling to make the Dharma inclusive, accessible, engaging and transformative. For more information about Kyle and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the following links: https://substack.com/@kyleneo https://www.dharmakueen.com/ https://rainbodhisg.com/ https://kusalamag.com/ Instagram handle is @DharmaKueen We talked about:*Celebrating Vesak at Bangkok Pride, interdependence, and interfaith dialogue*Growing up in a Buddhist household, briefly ordaining as a monk, and sharing the dharma through temple tours*The Care and Share Dharma Study Group at Rainbodhi Singapore, developing Dharma Kueen, and exploring the gender neutrality of Avalokiteshvara*And the importance of making yourself available to the present moment by not taking yourself too seriously

    56 min
  7. Paths of Practice with Zengyu Paul Discoe

    Apr 30

    Paths of Practice with Zengyu Paul Discoe

    An ordained Zen Buddhist priest, Zengyu Paul Discoe studied art history and philosophy as an undergraduate in the United States and Buddhist temple design and construction in Japan. He became a student of Suzuki Roshi at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center in California, and, after four years, Suzuki sent him to Japan to train under a traditional master builder for five years. Upon returning, Discoe founded Joinery Structures in 1988. His projects include the Kojin-an Zen temple in Oakland for Akiba Sensei, the founder's hall and kitchen at Tassajara, the Lindesfarne guesthouse and Wheelwright Center, and the abbot's house at Green Gulch, as well as several prestigious homes and projects internationally. His current project is Chop and Carry Farm, an emerging Soto Zen practice center based in Hawaii and guided by the teachings of Dōgen Zenji and Suzuki Roshi, with its practice structure modeled on the early days of Tassajara. For more information on Zengyu Paul Discoe and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the following links: https://www.chopandcarry.org/ https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/4855014-zen-architecture We discussed: *The recent fire at the zendo of the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, using what’s around you, and building without blueprints *Zen as an action, Genjōkōan, and dependent co-arising *Hachi Dainin Gaku, attention to detail without gaining, and the difference between building new structures and maintenance *Developing a cardboard zendo, repurposing discarded materials, and creating a ecologically harmonious Soto Zen retreat center in Hawaii *And the importance of finding a teacher and developing a practice to address your karma.

    55 min
  8. Paths of Practice with John Tarrant, Roshi

    Apr 24

    Paths of Practice with John Tarrant, Roshi

    John Tarrant, Roshi is a Zen teacher, poet, and founder of the Pacific Zen Institute. He is interested in Zen as a way that transforms the mind, and in the dance between innovation and tradition in both teaching and practice. Tarrant Roshi is the author of books such as Bring Me The Rhinoceros: And Other Zen Koans That Will Save Your Life, The Light Inside the Dark: Zen, Soul & the Spiritual Life, and The Story of the Buddha. For more information about Tarrant Roshi and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the following links: https://tarrantworks.com/ https://www.pacificzen.org/ We talked about: *Meditation, fear, and viewing your mind like a national park *Early experiences with Tibetan lamas in Australia, independent study of koans, and learning from Robert Aitken, Roshi in Hawaii *Poetry, exploring koans in group settings, and Mu *San Francisco Zen Center figures like Issan Dorsey, Philip Whalen, David Chadwick, and the place of koans in Soto and Rinzai Zen *And the importance of sincerely taking the step of turning your heart towards the dharma and finding support in kind mentors and companions

    1h 1m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Paths of Practice (PoP) is a podcast that features interviews with people sharing their experiences with Buddhism and Buddhist practice. The podcast includes conversations with folks from a wide variety of backgrounds, both those that have been on the path for a while and those just starting out as well as everyone in between. In a way, the podcast sets out to explore the "84,000 paths to enlightenment," one Buddhist at a time. PoP was created and is hosted by Vincent Moore. Vincent is a relatively new practitioner of Soto Zen and has an MA from the Institute of Buddhist Studies.

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