Zen at the Sharp End

Mark Westmoquette
  • 5.0 (4)
  • BUDDHISM
  • UPDATED MONTHLY
Zen at the Sharp End

This is the podcast about how to turn difficult people and relationships into your best teachers. In each episode we'll be exploring different varieties of people, relationships and situations that we find irritating, difficult or painful. Together with a number of Zen friends, I'll be discussing how the practices of Buddhism and mindfulness can help us see our difficult people – in arenas as diverse as fellow commuters, the workplace, neighbours and family – as troublesome buddhas, our greatest teachers.

  1. Non-violent communication - with Claralynn Nunamaker

    02/29/2024

    Non-violent communication - with Claralynn Nunamaker

    Claralynn Nunamaker grew up in Chicago. She first encountered Chinese philosophy when at university and particularly resonated with the Dao De Jing. She studied Chinese and spent some time in China before moving to moving to Ukiah, California, home of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas Chan Buddhist monastery. It’s there that she became a practising Buddhist. Soon she became involved in the Theravada Forest sangha in northern California and her interest moved her to learn the Pali language in o...

    43 min
  2. Is that so? - with Steve James

    01/18/2024

    Is that so? - with Steve James

    Steve grew up in a Christian family on the Shetland Islands (off the northern coast of Scotland) and was very involved in church growing up. This provided the foundation for a life-long interest in spiritual investigation, philosophy, world mysticism, and body-awareness realms of practice. He has an interest in extreme outdoor survival, and works closely with the well-known therapist Michaela Boehm. Steve teaches a wide range of movement and meditation practices and works with leading figures...

    42 min
  3. Troublesome encounters in the dream world - with Charlie Morley

    10/31/2023

    Troublesome encounters in the dream world - with Charlie Morley

    Charlie Morley is a bestselling author and teacher of lucid dreaming, shadow integration and Mindfulness of Dream & Sleep. Since early childhood, Charlie has been fascinated by lucid dreaming. His interest in Buddhism was piqued after reading “The Art of Happiness” by the Dalai Lama on a long flight when he was just 16, and just a few years later he took refuge in Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. After being instructed in the Buddhist practice of lucid dreaming by Lama Yeshe Rim...

    39 min
  4. Everyone is essentially a troublesome buddha! - with Matt

    09/28/2023

    Everyone is essentially a troublesome buddha! - with Matt

    Matt has asked that I use only his first name to preserve his anonymity. Matt has been a member of the Zenways sangha for some years. He came to meditation originally through an interest in Asian martial arts and is now an authorised teacher of the Jhana practice method taught by Leigh Brassington.Matt has high functioning autism (Aspergers Syndrome). In this interview, he explores his unique perspective on the intricate world of human interactions, where everyone he meets is essentially a tr...

    41 min
  5. Coming face-to-face with money, wealth and finances - with Spencer Sherman

    08/24/2023

    Coming face-to-face with money, wealth and finances - with Spencer Sherman

    Spencer Sherman’s journey started in the late 80s when he had a panic attack and ran into his burning office building to retrieve his client files, sparking a realisation that he had valued money higher than his own life. This inspired him to begin a journey into meditation which brought him face-to-face with his issues around money. In the years that followed, he learned how to befriend his pains and tightly held beliefs and to transform his understanding of identity and wealth. Now based in...

    45 min
  6. How to avoid being emotionally highjacked - with Geshe Namdak

    07/25/2023

    How to avoid being emotionally highjacked - with Geshe Namdak

    Born in Netherlands, Geshe Namdak completed his university studies in Hydrology and went on to work as an environmental researcher. He found Buddhism via a martial arts practice and a general leaning towards a spiritual perspective on life. On a work visit to Tibet, he encountered the Tibetan style of Buddhism and felt drawn in that direction. He decided to become a monk and commit to the 20-year programme of becoming a Geshe in the Nalanda tradition at the remote at Sera Jey monastery in Ind...

    41 min
  7. Storylines, identity, race and transformation - with Rehena Harilall

    06/21/2023

    Storylines, identity, race and transformation - with Rehena Harilall

    Rehena was born in South Africa to a Buddhist family of Indian origin, who had been brought to South Africa during colonial times as indentured labour (her ancestors are originally from Bodh Gaya, the place where the Buddha attained enlightenment). She grew up in heart of the apartheid movement in a racially segregated area with many other families of Asian descent, and had an education in activism from an early age, with her parents being heavily involved in the anti-apartheid movement. Afte...

    42 min
  8. Ah-un Meditation - Energising The Hara (Belly)

    05/26/2023 · BONUS

    Ah-un Meditation - Energising The Hara (Belly)

    The ah-un meditation comes from the Rinzai Zen tradition and is a powerful practice for waking up, centering our awareness and energising the hara (belly). It may feel a bit weird at first (and sound strange), but the proof is in the pudding...! Try it and see how you feel.The more familiar you get with this practice, the less physical movements and sounds you'll need. These are helpful in the beginning to create this energising quality, but over time you might find you only need only one bre...

    10 min
See All (31)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

This is the podcast about how to turn difficult people and relationships into your best teachers. In each episode we'll be exploring different varieties of people, relationships and situations that we find irritating, difficult or painful. Together with a number of Zen friends, I'll be discussing how the practices of Buddhism and mindfulness can help us see our difficult people – in arenas as diverse as fellow commuters, the workplace, neighbours and family – as troublesome buddhas, our greatest teachers.

Information

  • Creator
    Mark Westmoquette
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2024
  • Episodes
    31
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Zen at the Sharp End
  • Show Website
    Zen at the Sharp End

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