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. 2d ago

    Paths of Practice with An Tran

    An Tran is the author of the short story collection, Meditations on the Mother Tongue, and a practitioner in the Lieu Quan lineage of Vietnamese Zen. His fiction and essays have previously appeared in The Southern Humanities Review, New South Journal, The Carolina Quarterly, Gargoyle Magazine, The Literary Hub, and elsewhere, and has received “Notable Work” distinctions from Best American Short Stories and Best American Essays. He has been involved with the parkour community in North America for over twenty years in various coaching and leadership roles and currently lives in San Francisco. For more information about An and the resources mentioned in this episode, please visit the following links: https://www.an-tran.com/ Pho Giac Pagoda (Enlightenment Buddhist Center) https://phogiacca.com/ We discussed: *The challenges involved with growing up Vietnamese American in Virginia as well as the journey of reconnecting with Vietnamese culture and identity through language *Developing an interest in Buddhism in college, grief and attending to the 49-day period after a death in the family, and having an intense visionary experience after a bout of food poisoning *The Dual Cultivation tradition, the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, meditation, and incorporating a Pure Land approach into a Thiền (Zen) practice *Parkour, awakened insight, encountering the two buddhas, as well as the joy and play of embodiment *And the importance of learning the language of your heritage

    Paths of Practice with An Tran

  2. 5d ago

    Paths of Practice with Mārajinā Bhikkhunī, Therī

    Ayya Marajina Bhikkhuni received pabbajja (2010) and upasampada (2012) at Aranya Bodhi Hermitage, California, with Venerable Tathaloka Maha Theri as pavattini. She has practiced meditation for over 15 years, now seeing the Dhamma as the highest blessing. Dedicated to practicing and teaching the Satipatthana and Brahmaviharas, she shares the transformative power of the Dhamma in Spanish and English. A Cuban-American, Ayya is working to establish the first Theravada temple in Cuba. She leads a Sunday morning meditation and Dhamma talk livestream in Spanish. Her first book Pa’ alante es pa’ lla is currently being edited. Residing at Bhava Nirodha Nilaya in Florida, she also cares for her mother. For more information about Ayya Marajina Bhikkhuni and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the following links: Bhava Nirodha Nilayahttps://bhavanirodha.org/ Theravada in Cuba and in Colombiahttps://theravadacuba.org/We talked about: *The extraordinary efforts behind the development of the Bhava Nirodha Nilaya hermitage as well as engaging with critters and letting nature recover *Theravada in Cuba and offering Dhamma resources for people that are experiencing profound hardship *The Brahmaviharas and remaining close to the teachings of The Noble Eightfold Path as a teacher *and the importance of remembering the verse from the Dhammapada: "abandon all evil, cultivate the good, purify the mind: this is the teaching of all the buddhas."

    Paths of Practice with Mārajinā Bhikkhunī, Therī

  3. Oct 6

    Paths of Practice with Kody Muncaster, PhD

    Kody Muncaster, PhD, is an ocswssw Psychotherapist and Clinical Director of Pink Lotus Counselling & Psychotherapy, specializing in trauma therapy, mindfulness, gender, and sexuality. They are queer and non-binary. They have taught at the Buddhism, Psychology, and Mental Health program at the University of Toronto: New College as well as at Western University’s Department of Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. They began a three-year training to become a Zen priest under Venerable Bhikkhuni Thích Nũ’ Tinh Quang in 2024. They are also the author of Queer Engaged Buddhism (2025) as well as Queer Resistance and Education for Suicide Prevention HIV/AIDS Activism and Structural Change for 2SLGBTQIA+ Communities (2026). For more information about Dr. Muncaster and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the links below: https://www.youtube.com/@LittleHeronZenHermitage https://www.youtube.com/@iqbc570 6th International Queer Buddhist Conference (IQBC) 2026 runs from October 30th to November 1st. More info at: https://iqbc.org/ https://sumeru-books.com/products/queer-engaged-buddhism?srsltid=AU7gw4WhOAy11Csspj9YKvZ8BcQCzQWZN4QIkVD0fm0pMzeyl8JvzATV https://www.routledge.com/Queer-Resistance-and-Education-for-Suicide-Prevention-HIVAIDS-Activism-and-Structural-Change-for-2SLGBTQIA-Communities/Muncaster/p/book/9781041127062 We discussed: *The Diamond Sutra, the instruction to see "everything as a miracle," and the parallel paths of studying Buddhism and gender *Training to become a Zen priest, Infinite Heart practice, and the reflective and aspirational elements of a dharma name *The capacity of the True Heart, formal/lay daily practice, and offerings of queer-focused meditations *Queer Engaged Buddhism, Tonglen, Queer theory and linguistics, and interests in developing a queer online Zen temple *And the importance of finding and operating from the deep sense of care that lies underneath our emotions

    Paths of Practice with Kody Muncaster, PhD

  4. Sep 29

    Paths of Practice with Douglas McLean

    Douglas McLean is the author of the blog "Gleanings in Buddha-Fields: Buddhism, Japanese culture and History all in one!" For more information about Doug and his blogs, please visit the links below: https://nembutsu.cc/ https://100poets.com/ We discussed: *The beginnings of the "Gleanings in Buddha-Fields" blog, Rinzai Zen, and identifying how Japanese and English translations of Buddhist texts can differ from each other in emphasis *The Shushōgi and the need for more manual-like texts that offer lay Buddhist practices for daily life *Absorbing Buddhist teachings rather than trying to do Buddhism "correctly" and the Lotus Sutra *Never staying still on the path, attending to the occasional crisis of faith, and branching out to explore the variety of Buddhisms out there *And the importance of not being complacent and to push yourself to keep learning

    Paths of Practice with Douglas McLean

  5. Aug 15

    Paths of Practice with Paula Arai, PhD

    Paula Arai, PhD, was raised in Detroit by a Japanese mother and did Zen training in Japan. She obtained her PhD in Buddhist Studies from Harvard University in 1993 and is now the Eshinni & Kakushinni Professor of Women and Buddhist Studies at the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, California. She is the author of Bringing Zen Home: The Healing Heart of Japanese Women’s Rituals, Women Living Zen: Japanese Soto Buddhist Nuns, and Painting Enlightenment: Healing Visions of the Heart Sutra. For more information about Dr. Arai and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the links below: https://www.shambhala.com/authors/a-f/paula-arai/of-mud-and-lotuses.html https://www.zenhealing.org/ https://www.shin-ibs.edu/ We discussed: *Friendship in scholarship, Dogen and “One Bright Pearl,” and understanding the Tathāgatagarbha as "Buddha womb" *Pregnancy as an expression of Buddhist practice, motherhood, and the importance of taking time to recognize the contributions made by women throughout Buddhist history *The Blood Bowl Sutra, misogyny, and the impact of writing empowering narratives *Imagination, scholarship, and creative histories *And the reminder to be kind to yourself and acknowledge your place in benefiting others along the path

    Paths of Practice with Paula Arai, PhD

  6. Jul 3

    Paths of Practice with Bidisha Mallik, PhD

    Bidisha Mallik, PhD, is an Associate Teaching Professor of Social Sciences in the Department of School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington Tacoma. Dr. Mallik is the author of Legends in Gandhian Social Activism: Mira Behn and Sarala Behn: Addressing Environmental Issues By Dissolving Gender And Colonial Barriers. For more information about the resources mentioned in this episode, please see below: https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/https://www.amazon.com/Legends-Gandhian-Social-Activism-Environmental/dp/3030954307/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.fgFqbelrBOW_HwCwCua40A.tnkZLuujlNEvqauJZVal8_wM8sGg8mtRS3K3HJQAbQM&dib_tag=se&qid=1783028669&refinements=p_27%3ABidisha&s=books&sr=1-1 We discussed: *Ahimsa, nonviolence vs. non-violence, as well as Gandhian and Buddhist philosophy and their connections with ecology *Interbeing, capitalism, creativity, and making concrete examples of the world you want to live in *Mira Behn (Madeleine Slade), Sarala Behn (Catherine Mary Heilman), and the Chipko movement *And the importance of investigating the self and approaching actions through the lens of nonviolence

    Paths of Practice with Bidisha Mallik, PhD

  7. Jul 2

    Paths of Practice with Bidisha Mallik, PhD

    Bidisha Mallik, PhD, is an Associate Teaching Professor of Social Sciences in the Department of School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at the University of Washington Tacoma. Dr. Mallik is the author of Legends in Gandhian Social Activism: Mira Behn and Sarala Behn: Addressing Environmental Issues By Dissolving Gender And Colonial Barriers. For more information about the resources mentioned in this episode, please see below: https://www.tacoma.uw.edu/ https://www.amazon.com/Legends-Gandhian-Social-Activism-Environmental/dp/3030954307/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.fgFqbelrBOW_HwCwCua40A.tnkZLuujlNEvqauJZVal8_wM8sGg8mtRS3K3HJQAbQM&dib_tag=se&qid=1783028669&refinements=p_27%3ABidisha&s=books&sr=1-1 We discussed: *Ahimsa, nonviolence vs. non-violence, as well as Gandhian and Buddhist philosophy and their connections with ecology *Interbeing, capitalism, creativity, and making concrete examples of the world you want to live in *Mira Behn (Madeleine Slade), Sarala Behn (Catherine Mary Heilman), and the Chipko movement *And the importance of investigating the self and approaching actions through the lens of nonviolence

    Paths of Practice with Bidisha Mallik, PhD

  8. Jun 10

    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

    Paths of Practice with rev. syd yang
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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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