Podcasts by Finding God At The Kitchen Table (Zen Wisdom for Your Everyday Life)
So many are saying Where is God when I need him? Especially today. Many feel deserted and alone. But it is only that we have been looking in the wrong direction, searching everywhere but at home. The surprising answer to the question tells us instead, that all we need is right here with us in our everyday life. In fact it is right at the kitchen table. It is only that we have been looking elsewhere, searching all around. These episodes offer specific ways in which we can encounter God, fulfillment, enlightenment right here in our daily lives, wherever we go.
Further podcasts by Brenda Shoshanna, Phd
Podcast on the topic Kunst
All episodes
GETTING READY FOR LOVE from 2022-02-22T12:00
When we look deeply at Zen it is easy to see that truly, it is truly the practice of love. The practice of nurturing out lives and the lives of all we meet It may seem odd to think that love i...
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WHERE DID THE LOVE GO? from 2022-02-14T12:00
We all want love and then when we find it can become enormously thrilled. Things may be wonderful, perfect for a while. We are caught in the delicious excitement of finding love. But after awhil...
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THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS GARBAGE from 2022-02-09T11:00
Most of us think that we have to sort out what's valuable and what isn't. If something doesn't meet our needs or standards, we often toss it away, labelling it as waste, or garb...
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MAKE ROOM FOR THE OTHER from 2022-02-02T13:00
Most of us use our relationships to feel good, safe, wanted, valued. We choose the people we want to interact with and eliminate anyone who is challenging or upsetting. Basically the illusion is...
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EVERYONE IS YOUR TEACHER IN WHAT IT MEANS TO LOVE from 2022-01-26T11:00
No matter how much we practice, once we get up from the cushion, or any other practice we do, we encounter one person after another, one relationship after the next. Some are affirming and joyou...
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DISSOLVING COUNTERFEIT LOVE from 2022-01-19T13:00
Zen practice helps us dissolve many illusion that grip us. We learn how to stay present to what's happening, see what's right here, appreciate each moment, and to take our clarity an...
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ZEN, THE SECRET PRACTICE OF LOVE from 2022-01-11T12:00
We all think relationships are difficult, difficult to find, to keep and to enjoy. But the true heart of Zen practice says something different. Zen points to the fact that we are in relationshi...
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TASTE AND SEE THAT LIFE IS GOOD from 2022-01-04T11:00
We all long for things to be different, fresh, alive, brand new. But to make the New Year new, we have to be new! The days roll on as they do, but they can become fresh, alive and meaningful, n...
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ONE UNBROKEN CIRCLE ( Nothing Left Out) from 2021-12-28T12:00
As the New Year approaches we naturally look over the year gone by. In the process, we accept some aspects of it, reject others, long to change certain things that happened or do them over again...
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IT JUST KEPT BLOOMING AND BLOOMING from 2021-12-21T12:00
Much of the time life does not go as we've planned for, and we become distressed. If events don't go according to our liking or according to our expectation we feel something is wrong ...
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No Problem - All is Proceeding Perfectly - IT Knows The Way from 2021-12-15T11:00
During this holiday so many are running in all kinds of directions, no knowing what to do next. As we check off one activity after another, make one plan after the next, our heads are often spin...
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YOU CAN'T FAIL, EVEN IF YOU TRY from 2021-12-06T13:00
So many of us are looking over the year gone by, going over our goals and actions. Sadly, many conclude that they are failures. They haven't performed as they might have wished, haven'...
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YOU ARE NEVER ALONE (TURNING TO THE LIGHT) from 2021-11-29T17:00
This amazing season is a time of turning deeply to the light. Many holidays converge at this time all dedicated to living a life if kindness, wisdom and truth. It often seems as if we are left ...
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THE GREAT GIFT OF GRATITUDE from 2021-11-23T11:00
You Cannot Be Depressed And Grateful at the Same Time. Gratitude is a gift not only to others, but to yourself as well. The mad mind constantly tries to find what's wrong with life, with ot...
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ZEN AND RELATIONSHIPS (CORRECTED PODCAST)- from 2021-11-13T13:00
SO SORRY THAT AN EMPTY RECORDING WAS UPLOADED LAST WEEK. HERE IS THE CORRECT ONE.
Much of our lives is about the desire to feel loved. We do everything to feel deserving, to be ...
THE WHOLE WORLD IS MEDICINE (WHAT IS ILLNESS?) from 2021-11-01T11:00
There is so much suffering going on today and we grab at all kinds of medicines to feel better. Some medicines give us temporary comfort, others relieve symptoms for a long while. And yet, we s...
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THE GIFT OF EMPTY HANDS from 2021-10-26T11:00
When Dogen, a great Zen Master of old, returned home after years of study and practice he was asked what he brought with him to share? His famous reply was, "I've come with nothing but...
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A TRAVELER, THIS AUTUMN EVENING from 2021-10-20T11:00
Although we think we our lives are solid and will go on the same way forever, a beautiful Zen poem reminds us that we are all travelers, passing through the changing seasons of our lives. Often...
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YOUR ORIGINAL REALTIONSHIP from 2021-10-11T11:00
We all long for close, happy, fulfilling relationships and look for them everywhere we go. There are many skills we acquire about how to treat another, communicate and hold onto the love we&apo...
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THERE ARE NO STRANGERS from 2021-10-04T11:00
Most of us think we are alone in a world of strangers. We hide from these strangers in many ways, keeping our guard up around us. This gives the illusion that we are safe and protected in a plac...
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"LINGER WITH ME ONE MORE DAY" from 2021-09-28T11:00
As summer ends and the holiday season closes, a call comes to each of us. "Linger With Me, One More day."
Before we return to our business, (busyness), become absorbed in...
THIS STEP WILL NOT COME AGAIN from 2021-09-21T12:00
Most of us feel trapped by having to go through the same activities again and again. The routines of life can seem stifling, and we long for change, adventure and excitement. However, the heart ...
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TIME FOR REBIRTH, RENEWAL AND RETURN from 2021-09-08T11:00
This is a season of Rebirth, Renewal and Return. When we become too trapped in distraction, distortion and confusion, there is a road back to our original wisdom and sanity. The holidays this y...
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LIFE IS ONE CONTINUOUS MISTAKE 11 from 2021-08-31T09:00
We hate to make mistakes and will do anything not to. Constantly trying to correct ourselves and the world we live in, there is no end to it. Once one mistake has been corrected another one seem...
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COMING OUT OF OUR INNER LOCKDOWN from 2021-08-24T11:00
Most of our life is about avoiding all kinds of storms we hear are coming. Bad news is everywhere, and in a moment conditions change and we fear we will be assaulted by uncontrollable storms wi...
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MEETING THE COMPASSIONATE ONE from 2021-08-17T12:00
,As T.S. Eliot reminds us, "Human Beings Cannot Bear Very much Reality." Most of us do all we can to avoid reality as it seems harsh and cruel. Instead, we live in dreams, hopes and as...
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JUST GRAB THE DUST RAG from 2021-08-11T12:00
Most of us think that Zen practice, like life itself is complicated and difficult. Nothing can be further from the truth. Like the essence of life and happiness, it is incredibly simple, direct...
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ENJOYING OUR ORIGINAL SANITY from 2021-08-02T11:00
Fundamentally we are all sane, clear, happy, loving. We see clearly what's in front of our eyes. However, as life goes forward the storms of our mad minds produce all kind of confusion. We&...
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MAKING THE DAY SPECIAL from 2021-07-26T11:00
We all want our days to be special and do all kinds of things to have that happen. We plan adventures, meet with friends, plan wonderful dinners. We want something to look forward to, so that we...
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SIMPLE STEPS TO SANITY from 2021-07-20T11:00
Believe it or not, there are simple steps to sanity, which will stop the chaos within. So often we find ourselves twirling around like a top, searching for stability in the middle of the spin. M...
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THE GREAT CONVERSATION - PART 1 from 2021-07-13T11:00
""Language issues forth and yet not a word is said."
We often feel separate from one another, longing to be seen and heard. There seems to be so many barriers to c...
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THE GREAT CONVERSATION, PART 2 from 2021-07-13T11:00
THIS IS PART TWO, OF THE GREAT CONVERSATION... BROADCAST AT THE SAME TIME AS PART 1.
"Language issues forth and yet not a word is said."
We often feel separat...
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ONE CHANCE, ONE MEETING from 2021-07-06T11:00
Usually we think we have many chances to do something, say something or have a new experience. If we miss our opportunity today, tomorrow will always come. This poignant, powerful Zen saying is ...
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UNEXPECTED COMFORT from 2021-06-30T10:00
Most of us live our lives walking along preset paths. We follow our plans and expectations and do all we can to make things work out. When things go our way, we call the day good. However, Ze...
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Everyday Is A Good Day from 2021-06-23T18:00
As the great Zen teaching goes, "When there are no unnecessary thoughts in your mind, everyday is a Good day." This is teaching us that basically thoughts cannot be depended upon, the...
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HERE I AM; (If You Look, You Will Find Me) from 2021-06-15T12:00
How often we wonder where we are, or where someone else may be? There's a sense of being lost in the world, and also a sense that the people we care for are missing. Even when they're ...
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Stepping Off The Merry Go Round from 2021-06-08T11:00
Around and around we go in life, enjoying the whirling merry go round. Up and down we go, waiting for the golden ring. Then , at last, dizzy and unsettled, the time comes when it's no longe...
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WAITING FOR THE BELL TO RING (Taking The Next Step) from 2021-06-01T12:00
Often it's hard to take the next step. We don't know where to go, what will happen, or if we're going n the right direction. We can lose years of our lives wondering, doubting our...
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STAY WITH ME, (No Coming Or Going) from 2021-05-25T11:00
We all dash about endlessly, coming and going without end. Where are we going and what are we looking for? Relief, refreshment, fun, success. We start a relationship and then quickly need a brea...
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NOTHING CAN BE LOST from 2021-05-17T13:00
It's natural to think that we must guard what we have, hold onto it tight and be careful not to lose it. No matter how much we hold on though, everything changes and we experience loss. It&...
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WHAT'S NEXT? ( LIFE'S INCREDIBLE OFFERINGS) from 2021-05-10T11:00
The question "What's Next?" is heard over and over. We finish one project and search for the next. Big changes take place in our life and we immediately dwell upon how we will go...
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NOTHING'S MISSING from 2021-05-03T10:00
We live our lives with the feeling that something important is missing. We may have had it for a little while, but right now, it's gone. So much of our time is then spent searching for what...
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RETURN TO ME AND I WLL RETURN TO YOU from 2021-04-19T11:00
Where do we turn when in the midst of confusion, upset, noise or danger? When the Mad Mind starts to sing, it can seem as if the whole world turns around, leaving us upset, dislodged and unable...
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"WHEN HUNGRY I EAT, WHEN TIRED I SLEEP" from 2021-04-12T12:00
We look for sanity and balance all over the place, thinking there's something wrong with who we are right now. We think our everyday life, needs, and desires must be transcended, rejected,...
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ZAZEN, THE SECERET PRACTICE OF LOVE from 2021-04-05T11:00
We have all kinds of ideas about what love is and wat it is not. Usually there's a very strong standard we live with, about whether or not we are loving. But as Rumi said, "A feeling h...
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THE MOTHER WHO CANNOT BE WOUNDED from 2021-03-30T11:00
All of us are searching for a place of rest, warmth and unconditional love and acceptance. We are searching for that which cannot be lost or shaken no matter what happens. In Zen Practice this e...
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TAKE A MOMENT, AND BOW from 2021-03-23T09:00
All of the pivotal practices in Zen are incredibly simple, and only take a moment. In one moment everything turns around. Fear turns to compassion, anger to sorrow, hate to love. And, these pi...
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CONEY ISLAND OF THE MIND from 2021-03-16T10:00
Alongside the endless ocean Coney Island is filled with thrills, chills, rides, and houses of horrors. In one particular section there used to be a mirror which, when we looked into it, disto...
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PASSING THROUGH THE STRAITS from 2021-03-15T21:00
This podcast explores liberation from constriction. Leaving the straits and entering the open spaces of our hearts and lives,
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MAKING YOUR LIFE INTO A ZEN KOAN from 2021-03-08T10:00
Life presents endless questions and contradictions that seem to have no answer. We go round and round trying to figure things out, creating strategies, going over the benefits and costs. And sti...
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THIS IS NOT WHAT I EXPECTED from 2021-03-01T10:00
So much of the struggle, upset, anger and difficulty we experience comes when life presents something we did not expect. Of course this happens many times a day. How could this be happening? we ...
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I'M NOT GETTING ANYWHERE from 2021-02-15T12:00
We all have pre set visions of how our lives are supposed to turn out, where we're headed and what we're supposed to achieve. Much of our upset in life is due to the fact that the rea...
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YOU'RE NEVER STUCK from 2021-02-08T11:00
Many of us feel stuck in our lives these days, unable to move on and take the next steps. Then we become restless, frustrated or depressed. But in truth, it is impossible to be stuck. An expe...
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IS ANYONE HOME? I'M HERE from 2021-02-02T10:00
When we go to visit and knock on someone's door, we often call out, "Is Anyone Home?"
How badly we want someone to be there, greet us, offer a smile, hug, a real connection....
DO NOT BE DECEIVED BY OTHERS from 2021-01-26T10:00
Many of us are swimming in a sea of confusion, not knowing what to believe, what is right or wrong. Or, how to move on. The ground beneath us is shaking and we fear that wherever we put our foot...
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THE PERFECT OUTCOME from 2021-01-18T10:00
We all want things to work out "perfectly", exactly as we hope and imagine. Much of our energy and attention goes to trying to control events, changing them, and exerting force to have...
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"LIFE IS ONE CONTINUOUS MISTAKE" from 2021-01-12T11:00
We are all so upset at the prospect of making a mistake. We'll do anything to hide it up and pretend it never happened. Or punish ourselves or others for it endlessly. But mistakes are inev...
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HOW DO I ENTER THE WAY? (Enter Through The Days) from 2021-01-05T11:00
We all want to know how to live a life that is right and true. All through the centuries the question comes, "Where the Way is and how do I enter it. This question has been echoed in many ...
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DON'T BE CONFUSED BY YOUR CONFUSION (Mud is Just Mud) from 2020-12-30T12:00
It's so easy to get lost in the whirl of confusing messages, thoughts, and beliefs. There's no end to the different ways we get stuck or lost not knowing what is or isn't so. Howe...
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The False Promises of Samsara from 2020-12-27T13:00
A great deal of our sorrow and disappointment are due to the false promises of Samsara, how we live for them, grip them, and are so shocked when they don't fulfill our needs. However, a dee...
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THE PERFECT DEWDROP from 2020-12-21T10:00
There was a man who searched constantly for the perfect dewdrop, feeling that when he found it, his life would be complete. However, no matter how many dewdrops he stared at, there was always so...
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THE SCENERY OF YOUR LIFE from 2020-12-15T10:00
Uchiyama Roshi has said we are like travelers on a train, who get caught by the scenery again and again. Rather than be able to take the trip in peace and gratitude, we become embroiled by all k...
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BECOMING WHOLE from 2020-11-30T12:00
Although so many of us feel separated, and disconnected during this holiday season, the practice of Zazen tells us that this is not so. Even when we cannot see those we care for, even when we ca...
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EVERYDAY IS A GOO DAY from 2020-11-24T10:00
The best way to give thanks is to experience and share the Goodness, Value and Beauty of every day that is given to us. But how to do this in the midst of pain, fear and anguish? What makes a da...
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PAUSING THE WHEEL OF TIME from 2020-11-16T10:00
The Wheel of Time is relentless, turning constantly. It seems that it cannot be stopped as it turns relentlessly. No matter how much we want to do something over, or control what comes next, th...
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WHO'S LIFE ARE YOU LIVING? from 2020-11-09T12:00
There are so many ideas, memories, beliefs and people who want to live our life. They can take over at any moment, over ride what is true for us, and push us into all kinds of actions and belief...
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BECOME A BEHOLDER from 2020-11-02T11:00
When we are flooded with all kinds of events, news, hopes and fears, it is easy to get lost. Desperate to understand what is happening, and make things right, we jump into the confusion and flai...
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GARBAGE TURNS TO FLOWERS from 2020-10-27T09:00
"The Whole World Is Medicine, What Is The Illness?" is a Zen Koan for today's world. There is so much suffering, fear, and conflict that can be solved easily. We do not see that t...
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WHO IS THE OBEDIENT ONE? from 2020-10-21T10:00
Everyone wants to be themselves and not have to obey another. There's a sense we must fight, rebel and say No to life as it is. But all the time we are not aware that we are still being obe...
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DON'T MISS THE BOAT from 2020-10-13T10:00
These days we sail in choppy waters. Life changes on a dime and it seems as though there is no place to anchor our lives, or the boat we sail in. Many lose hope and feel out of control, not know...
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DON'T SEARCH FOR THE ANSWER from 2020-10-06T09:00
Whatever comes to us we turn into a problem and have to find the "answer" to it. One question about our situation comes after another. These questions take us away from our lives, tang...
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LETS TRY IT AGAIN ZENDO from 2020-09-30T12:00
Years ago I had a zendo in my home for those who fell off the cushion and wanted to climb back on again. Let's try it again! Little did I realize then that it's impossible to fall off ...
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GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING from 2020-09-23T10:00
All fear, stress and pressure arise from our concern about what is happening next. We must control it, make sure we will be happy and safe. In this process, the past interjects as well, causing ...
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CALL ME BY MY TRUE NAME from 2020-09-15T10:00
It is so easy to get lost in dreams, fantasies and just plain confusion when we allow our attention to scatter and do not stay present to what is right here in front of our eyes. As our attentio...
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PICK UP YOUR COAT FROM THE FLOOR AND PUT IT WHERE IT BELONGS, from 2020-09-05T16:00
We all search for deep meaning in our lives, and the answer to endless questions about our true direction and how to live. When a student found a great Zen teacher and put these questions to him...
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THE UNDIVIDED HEART from 2020-08-26T10:00
Usually we live our lives in division, unable to decide what to do, what is right and where to go next. Most of our time we regret past choices or are unable to make new ones. But there is anoth...
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WHEN YOU BECOME YOU, ZEN BECOMES ZEN from 2020-08-18T11:00
From the Zen point of view, all the suffering and struggling in life comes because we constantly strive to be different or better than we are. While who we are is already perfect, complete and v...
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OPEN EYES, OPEN ARMS from 2020-08-11T12:00
It's so easy to go through life with our eyes closed, dreaming, hoping, planning for better days. Of course as we do so, we not only miss what's here right now, but have no idea how to...
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THIS MOMENT WILL NOT COME AGAIN from 2020-08-04T10:00
We cling to one moment and turn away from the next, wanting to hold onto what we consider desirable. Our wish is to keep things the same, feel stable ,as if we know what is coming and how to han...
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TASTE YOUR LIFE COMPLETELY from 2020-07-31T13:00
In our lives one experience after another arises, some bitter, some sweet. And many experiences, naturally, contain both. Rather than pick and choose what we wish to have, the great Zen secret i...
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DON'T WALK AWAY FROM YOURSELF from 2020-07-21T11:00
It's so easy to get caught up in the many drama's of life. All kinds of situations, relationships and events come and suck us in. Before we know it we are entangled in our own automati...
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THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU from 2020-07-17T12:00
We all suffer greatly from the idea that something is wrong with us, and everyone else! Most of our lives becomes about improving, changing twisting ourselves into an image of what we believe we...
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WHERE IS THE ROAD TO HANSHAN? THERE IS NO ROAD TO HANSHAN from 2020-07-08T13:00
We all search for the right road to our destnation, or goal. It seems as if there is a road out there which will take us where we want to go. But the further we look, or tread on roads that have...
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LEAVING THE CAVE OF DISCONTENT from 2020-06-30T11:00
We are all living hidden away in a cave of discontent. This cave is filled with thoughts, desires, demands, fantasy and disappointment. Gripped by this we often see no way out. However, this cav...
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TOMORROW NEVER COMES from 2020-06-25T12:00
Most of our lives is lived waiting for tomorrow. We plan, prepare, dream and hope that our dreams will come true. Or, the opposite happens, we live in fear of what may be on the way , become fro...
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You Never Ask The Meaning of Life When You're In Love from 2020-06-17T10:00
Most of us do not see the connection between Zen practice and love. But Zen is the practice of being in love with all of life, becoming one with it, no separation. Though we look for meaning eve...
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NOW IT'S REALLY PERFECT from 2020-06-10T10:00
We have so many ideas about how things should be and what is good, right, and perfect. Much of our life is about striving to make our lives better, beautiful, perfect in our eyes. And in the eye...
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IN ZEN WE DON'T HAVE A THING from 2020-06-02T12:00
All of us want answers. We look for explanations, understanding. We develops beliefs to cling to and ways to behave. When we follow the guidance of others there's a sense of security and re...
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THIS VERY PLACE IS THE LOTUS LAND OF PURITY from 2020-05-26T11:00
We are all searching for the perfect place to visit, live in, spend time. It seems as if things will go better somewhere else. Or go better in a different relationship. Even when we are in one p...
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LET IT ALL BE REVEALED from 2020-05-19T09:00
We enter Zen practice the way we enter our lives, trying to do it well, figure it out, please our friends and teachers. We judge and push ourselves endlessly, determined to Master the Way. But t...
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YOU'RE NOT DISAPPOINTED ENOUGH from 2020-05-13T13:00
We all want things to work out exactly as we want them to. When they don’t we try again, or develop new strategies. If that doesn’t work, we start blaming others, or ourselves. The great Zen tea...
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The Great Way from 2020-04-21T13:00
The Great Way is all around us, and as we walk on it, we cannot stumble or get lost. Zen practices takes us right there, clears the weeds from the other paths we follow, opens our eyes, our mind...
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When The Word Disappears from 2020-04-13T17:00
What happens when the world as we’ve known it suddenly vanished and much of what we’ve held onto for security and identity slips away? This is a great Zen moment. An opportunity to look deeply a...
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When The Word Disappears from 2020-04-13T17:00
What happens when the world as we’ve known it suddenly vanished and much of what we’ve held onto for security and identity slips away? This is a great Zen moment. An opportunity to look deeply a...
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Don't Interfere from 2020-04-07T14:00
Usually we feel it's up to us to make everything right. We have something to say about everything, decide what is and isn't right. But as we interfere, we often take actions that get i...
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The Art of Allowing from 2020-04-03T13:00
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One Who Is Not Busy from 2020-04-03T13:00
In the midst of our endless rush to do something, change life, stay safe and protected, there is one within who is "not busy", not rushing around. And yet this one, takes care of every...
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MOVE THE MOUNTAIN WITHOUT USING YOUR HANDS from 2020-03-24T09:00
Zen koans are a wonderful way to address problems. We cannot understand them logically or figure them out. Just like the times we are now faced with, we must find a new way to respond to them. T...
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BECOMING YOUR OWN BEST FRIEND from 2020-03-17T10:00
It is said that the real cause of all suffering and hardship is that we are not able to be in a room alone with ourselves for an extended time. How easy it is to see that now that the usual rout...
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THE TEACHINGS ARE EASY TO FOLLOW, THOUGH NO ONE FOLLOWS from 2020-03-09T10:00
The big joke of practice, is that the simpler it is, the harder for us to grasp and live it. We yearn for difficulty, challenge, obstacles to prove how smart and strong we are..Zen practice, whi...
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FIND LOVE BY DOING NOTHING from 2020-03-03T09:00
How do we find the balance, harmony, health and love we are all seeking. Usually, we struggle, scramble and feel it is up to us to make everything right. Yet to find a state of true love and one...
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AN END TO SUFFERING, IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING from 2020-02-25T10:00
Our entire lives are organized around avoiding suffering. We grab moments of happiness and demand more. When things don't go our way we declare ourselves failures, and are in pain. As if we...
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PLAYING WITH TOYS, (THE GAME OF LIFE) from 2020-02-18T10:00
From the time we are born we want stimulation, enjoyment, distractions of all kinds. Our whole life becomes about playing with toys, winning at the game of life. As we get older our toys change ...
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LETTING LOVE LIVE from 2020-02-11T10:00
Here we are at Valentine's Day, many wondering who their Valentine is, if they are loved, wanted or special in anyway? Or will they ever be? And all the time love is all around us, just wai...
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THE BITTER PILL (Temporary Comfort) from 2020-02-03T10:00
We come to life and relationships hoping all will be well, beautiful, just as we want it. When, despite all our efforts, things do not go as we wish, it's so easy to lapse into disappointme...
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THE POWER OF NO POWER from 2020-01-28T12:00
We all want to be powerful, strong, in charge. Life often seems to overpower us, and in response we fight it off, try to change, control, or dominate it. We want things to go as planned, are fri...
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THE DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN from 2020-01-14T10:00
Most of our lives we grapple with problems, going back and forth, hitting our heads against one obstacle or another. It is as though we were locked in situation with no way out. Why can't w...
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"THINGS ARE NOT WHAT THEY SEEM, NOR ARE THEY OTHERWISE" from 2020-01-06T11:00
In our world of confusion and holding on, we long for things to stay stable. We need to know what we can count on, what is real and dependable. Yet Zen practice tells us to look beneath the appe...
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AN UNDEMANDING HEART from 2019-12-30T09:00
As the New Year approaches, we review the year, make lists of how we succeeded and what went wrong. We list our failures, and resolve to improve next year. We do not see that it is not what we...
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YOU ARE THE LIGHT from 2019-12-24T10:00
As the year ends and the days grow darker, holidays come to bring light and love into the world. We do all we can to light candles, give gifts, decorate the world with . We crave the warmth and ...
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THE KOAN OF YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE from 2019-12-17T09:00
We think our everyday lives are ordinary, nothing much going on. Yet Zen practice tells us that right in the middle of our days, we are being given a huge koan. A koan cannot be figured out, or ...
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Don't Be Confused By Your Confusion from 2019-12-11T15:00
t's so easy to get caught in endless mixed messages, hopes and dreams and not know what to believe, or where to go. But Soen Roshi told us that it is easy to step out of confusion, and show...
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No More Complaints from 2019-12-02T11:00
Most of our lives are spent in disappointment. We complain about everything, try to turn things to our liking, constantly. But even if we succeed, something else arises to disappoint us again. T...
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No Snowflake Falls In An Inappropriate Place from 2019-11-26T13:00
Especially on holidays, memories of past years return strongly, including remembering those who are gone. It’s easy to compare one year to another, our lives with others, and wish we were somewh...
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Messy Shoes, Messy Mind from 2019-11-19T13:00
How do we heal the inner confusion, distraction, and conflict we live with? In Zen practice the answer is startlingly simple. Not only do we pay radical and loving attention to whatever appears ...
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WHEN YOU'RE SICK, BE A SICK PERSON from 2019-11-12T09:00
We all strive to be better and better to live up to an ideal or image of how we should be, or what we want in the moment. When conditions change, and we cannot achieve it, we fight what is prese...
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IS THAT SO? from 2019-11-03T09:00
t's so easy to react to the endless changes we go through day by day. Some changes are wonderful, others distressing. When something comes along that we don't like, we'll fight it...
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PICK UP YOUR COAT FROM THE FLOOR AND PUT IT WHERE IT BELONGS, THIS IS ZEN from 2019-10-27T11:00
We think that Zen practice is mysterious and difficult, requires that we sit still for hours and become more and more enlightened. But zazen is only part of it. The very heart of Zen is to "...
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Riding On A Donkey, We Search For A Donkey from 2019-10-21T08:00
Most of our lives we are searching for something we haven't quite found. The search goes on endlessly, and others tell us, "Not Yet", or "Keep Searching," - one day you&...
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You Are Not Outside from 2019-10-14T11:00
We all long to be close to someone we care about, belong to a group of place of meaning. An endless search goes on in our lives to be welcomed and invited in. To find the person, teaching or pla...
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When It's Soup, It's Soup from 2019-10-02T12:00
We are all so incredibly impatient to get where we’re headed, (even though we have no idea what is waiting for us there). Our days, actions and attention are deeply focused upon where we’re head...
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The Best Instruction Is No Instruction from 2019-09-23T10:00
We all search for answers relentlessly, hoping to be guided about what our problem means, how to procede, what's right or wrong to do.There's no end to the instruction we look for. ...
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Painted Cakes Do Not Satisfy Hunger from 2019-09-17T12:00
When we're hungry and go into a restaurant, no matter how long we read the menu, it does not fill us up. We must order the food, eat it and be satisfied. Same with our lives, just thinking ...
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Zen Play (Instructions on Becoming Fully Alive) from 2019-09-10T10:00
It's easy to go over the same inscrutable problem or question, again and again. Doesn't seem to have an answer. These are called koans. Using our logical mind, we create plans, strateg...
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THROW AWAY THOUGHTS OF IMAGINARY THINGS from 2019-09-03T10:00
These days there is so much confusion and what is true and real. Yet the more we think and dwell upon it, the more confused we can become. There is another way to find our direction and live cle...
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This, Too, Is Beautiful (Just As It Is) from 2019-08-28T10:00
We love what is beautiful and reject what is ugly, not realizing that all appearances are flashes across the sky of our lives. But, instead of grappling with what happens, trying to change and f...
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Coming From Nowhere I Ring The Bell from 2019-08-12T11:00
All summer long, coming and going. All our lives long, coming and going, but what is our ultimate destination? What do we hope to find when we get there, and what actions will be beneficial as w...
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Give No Thought Of Receving from 2019-08-04T11:00
There are so many ways we get trapped in life, take the bait. We all want so much from others, and when we give there's always the thought of what will come back. This craving to get someth...
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What's Most Important Is What You're Doing At The Moment from 2019-07-29T11:00
We all want to do what we feel is important and meaningful, will make our life worthwhile. Along with goals of all kinds, we have endless to do lists. But no matter what we achieve, it is never...
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Clinging Is Never Kept Within Bounds: Away With It, Once And For All from 2019-07-22T13:00
We all cling to something, hoping it will make us feel safe and secure. But the opposite is true, the more we cling, the more we crush whatever is in our hands. And holding on never stops the en...
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The Coin Lost In The River Is Found In The River from 2019-07-17T09:00
As the seasons turn, year after year, we experience so many change. Many experience a sense of loss, as if something precious has vanished. Where has it gone? How can we find it again? But the ...
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No Enlightened Men Or Women from 2019-07-10T10:00
All of us try so hard to become enlightened, wise, all knowing. But there are no enlightened men or women, only enlightened moments. Come find out how to live a life of true clarity and joy, wha...
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When The Heat Turns Up from 2019-06-23T16:00
The heat turns up in all our lives in so many ways. Usually we seek cool breezes, comfortable conditions, good friends and ease. But rather than be on edge and try to always adjust conditions t...
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True Generosity Is Not Wanting To Possess Anything from 2019-06-18T11:00
Most of us give wanting something back in return. And to hold onto it tightly. Our generosity revolves around ourselves, feeling what's in it for me? This is not generosity but simply barte...
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If You Live Truly, You Will See Truly from 2019-06-11T09:00
So many are searching for the truth. There are endless pathways, talks, books, practices. which can be comforting and fulfilling, but are they real for us? Do we say one thing and live another? ...
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There's No Such Thing As Garbage: A Weed Is A Treasure from 2019-06-04T10:00
We are so occupied with pulling up the weeds in our lives, discarding that which no longer works or makes us happy and replacing it with something shiny and new. Including people. But that never...
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Meeting The True Friend from 2019-05-28T22:00
We all want friends, closeness, true connection. And yet, conditions change. A dear friend may have to leave, or a relationship suddenly alters. That which we hoped would last forever, departs. ...
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Dwelling As Change Brings Peace from 2019-05-21T09:00
We all hold onto that which we love and makes us feel secure. When change comes we struggle to keep things the same. But this struggle itself takes our peace from us and keeps us insecure. In th...
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Who Is The One Who Walks Alone? from 2019-05-14T10:00
Many of us have a dread of being alone, not wanted or included. We live our lives to fit in, gain praise and approval. But living this way something is missing. The One who walks alone does not ...
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Koans: The Place Where Reality Is Revealed from 2019-05-07T10:00
We usually think we are living in Reality and all is stable and safe. But when sudden change comes and our anchors are swept away, this is a precious moment. A larger view of Reality is revealed...
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Cut The Leaning, Depending Mind from 2019-04-30T09:00
We all cling to something, depend upon it to keep us strong and secure. But change is inevitable, and when it happens, many feel lost. Find out how to let go of the leaning, depending mind and ...
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LET A LONG BREATH BE LONG, A SHORT BREATH BE SHORT from 2019-04-23T08:00
Zen is the "Wholehearted Relinquishment of Delusion".. What is delusion and how does it cause us so much pain and dissatisfaction in our lives? And, how can the simple joy of letting a...
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Walking Through The Open Door from 2019-04-16T08:00
This is a season of moving to freedom, leaving pain, confusion and despair behind. But how to do it?We search for the answer, when all the time there is an open door right in front of us, a per...
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I DON'T HAVE A THING from 2019-04-02T00:00
Many feel empty inside and run to others to fill them up, help, strength. But a great Zen Master told a searching monk. "I wish I could give you the world, but in the Zen school we don&apos...
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The Most Dangerous Thing In The World from 2019-03-26T00:00
Everyone wants to be smart, to know what this world is and how to behave effectively. We want to be safe, happy and at ease. Yet, thinking we truly understand something, closes the door to on go...
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Listen To The Sound Of The Stream from 2019-03-19T00:00
All of us are seeking the way out of confusion. We wonder how to proceed in life, or how to find the right person to guide us. It's as if the path is somewhere else, and that we don't ...
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Do Not Look At The Faults Of Others from 2019-03-12T00:00
We can easily become obsessed with finding the faults of others and dwelling upon them. Not only does this us disheartened and upset, it prevents us from seeing what is truly important. Not only...
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MARCH ON, (Where Is The Road To Hanshan?) from 2019-03-05T00:00
March is a time of transition, the month between winter and spring. In Zen we March On, muster great determination, but also great resilience and ease. As we take a step upon a road, it becomes ...
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Do Not Squander Your Life! Attention! Attention! from 2019-02-26T00:00
We all receive so many competing invitations to pay attention to this or that. It's easy for our focus to become split, and our energy depleted as we go through the day. But Zen offers a w...
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"Praise And Blame Away With Them Once And For All" from 2019-02-19T00:00
Much of our lives is run by our hunger for praise and fear of blame. These two dominate our actions and erode our relationships. We fear being natural and honest, trying new things and growing. ...
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Falling In Love With A Fantasy from 2019-02-12T00:00
Valentine's Day is here, and we all want to be loved, thanked, remembered. If we are not, sadness follows and disappointment. But let's look at the true nature of love. Are we in love ...
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Hold Your Seat (No More Puppet on The Stage of LIfe) from 2019-02-05T00:00
The moment something happens we react, and one reaction breeds another. Our good mood and balance disappear, along with our connection to our own reality.. But when we do not live on automatic,...
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Feeding Others We Are Fed from 2019-01-29T00:00
Most of us want so much from others. And whatever we get is not enough. Craving develops along with resentment. But it's easy to break out of that trrap.This podcast offers a simple Zen te...
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Take Me As I Am from 2019-01-22T00:00
So many of us crave approval, acceptance and to belong. We then create an Ideal Self and strive to be someone we're not. But the difference between Real and Ideal Selves causes endless conf...
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There's Always Something (Waiting for Everything to Fall Into Place) from 2019-01-15T00:00
We're always waiting for the perfect day, weather, person,home or job to appear. Once that happens, everything will fall into place. But after one problem is solved another pops up. Find o...
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Let Reality Be Reality from 2019-01-08T00:00
These days we are confronted with so many dreams, possibilities, questions, illusions, how can we know what is real and return to it in our lives? This episode shows how to go back to the Realit...
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How To Make The New Year Truly New from 2018-12-31T11:00
We all wish each other Happy New Year! But how do we truly make the new year new? There is a great and simple secret to experience a really fresh and lively New Year. It is not that events have ...
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The Birth of Love from 2018-12-24T10:00
"A Feeling That Is Here One Minute and Gone The Next, Cannot Be Called Love." Let's spend time to discover the true taste of love that can never disappear or harm us. This is a wo...
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Love Is In The Air from 2018-12-18T09:00
We all want love, to be seen, known, cared for and respected. And it is so simple to experience, has nothing to do with seeking approval or controlling others. Find the few simple ways to turn a...
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The Practice of Real Kindness from 2018-12-11T09:00
During the holiday season we all want to offer kindness and uplift one another's spirits. But what is real kindness? How do we practice it and escape from the dangers of Counterfeit Kindnes...
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Take It Easy: from 2018-12-04T09:00
During this busy holiday season, we cannot stop rushing around, arranging for gatherings, buying gfts, making calls. We want to do it right and be important, and all the while miss the real gift...
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A Traveller, Let Me Be Known Thus from 2018-11-27T09:00
Our lives move so quickly from one season to the next. Yet we fight change, long for things to be the same, especially during the holiday season, wanting to feel safe and secure. Find a brand ne...
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Who Is The Giver? What Is The Gift? from 2018-11-20T08:00
The Thanksgiving holidays are a time to give thanks for all we have received and celebrate it. Yet so many feel empty, lonely and filled with lack. However there is an unfailing way to turn this...
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Don't Take The Bait from 2018-11-13T11:00
It's so easy to get caught up and taken over by the endless people, calls, messages and surprises that appear. But there's a great cost to us living this way. Let's find out how t...
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Worry Free Giving from 2018-11-05T00:00
Most of us give with one hand and then wait to see the outcome. This inevitably leads to disappointment and resentment. Is our gift enough? Will they love us for it? From the world of Zen a new ...
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Who is The Guest? Who Is The Host? from 2018-10-30T00:00
We go many places, visit and return. What calls us home? What in our life is fleeting and temporary, only a guest, and what remains stable and welcoming, the Host? As we learn to recognize the d...
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Playing With Toys (Finding The Real Thing) from 2018-10-17T00:00
Much of our life revolves around playing with toys and putting so much time and effort into getting them, keeping them, and then when the toy is worn out finding an updated version. Including re...
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Ordinary Mind Is The Way from 2018-10-09T00:00
We are all looking for something or someone special, or to become special ourselves. Who we are is not enough, something is always wrong or missing. Many feel that way, wondering how to become f...
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Thank You, This Suffices from 2018-10-02T00:00
The world as we know it is ruled by fierce hunger which quickly develops into greed. And when we get what we want, oddly we only want more of it. No matter how much we receive, there is always diss...
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Trusting Life's Changes from 2018-09-18T00:00
We all seek the ultimate answer to what we can really count on in life. Many absorb the words and experiences of others and expect them to provide all they need. They hold onto these truth fiercely...
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A Taste of Honey from 2018-09-12T00:00
We all want life to be sweet and are looking for that taste of honey. We look for it in our food, relationships, friends, circumstances that will not disturb us. The goal is comfort and being undis...
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The Great Return: (Returning Home To Ourselves) from 2018-09-04T00:00
Here we are at end of summer, preparing to return home. Everything returns to where it came from, it has to. Waves return to seashore, baby to mother's arms, friends to one another. Learn how ...
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An End To Sorrow from 2018-08-21T00:00
We all wish to be happy and plan our lives around it. Inevitably, however, happy times come and go. How is it possible to end sorrow and experience unflinching happiness? Our first reaction is to ...
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The One Who Walks Alone from 2018-08-14T00:00
We all seek companionship, good friends. We want to be heard and to be known. And yet within ourselves and our worlds is One Who Walks Alone. This is a Zen koan. This is not a lonely one, but one w...
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Again and Again; The Great Value of Repetition from 2018-08-07T00:00
Here we are in summer, vacationing, looking for excitemement and refreshment, hoping to make life special. Then we return to our routines, having to face ordinary moments again. But here is a secre...
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Go Wash Your Cup from 2018-07-31T00:00
The Zen direction to lasting happiness is very different from the way we usually live. When asked that question, teachers just point to what is under your nose. Happiness is right here always, the...
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Wanting Nothing In Return from 2018-07-24T00:00
Usually we give to others, expecting a great deal in return. This way of life keeps us dependent upon the outcome of our actions. If they go as we wish, we are a success, if not a failure. Find out...
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Falling In Love With Your Fantasy from 2018-07-17T00:00
So many of us falling in love with someone because they make us feel good and meet our needs. When they change, the love vanishes. But are we in love with them, or with our fantasy about them? Are ...
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Leaving The House of Sorrow from 2018-07-11T00:00
It's so easy to get trapped into sorrow that we can't get out of. Zen wisdom has a way for us to open the windows and doors, to let the sun in and find that there is so much more happenin...
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The Best Encouragement Is No Encouragement from 2018-07-03T00:00
Find out why the Best Encouragement is No Encouragement. We all want to be encouraged, uplifted, inspired and look for role models to emulate. But when someone disappoints us, or things go wrong, o...
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Inevitable Kindness (The Tree House Master) from 2018-06-26T00:00
How can we fill our lives with acts of Inevitable, natural kindness? How do we live with playfulness and joy, no matter what? The great Master who lived in a tree house tells us, offering a surpri...
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It's Not An Ordinary Afternoon from 2018-06-20T00:00
After an exciting day of celebrations, many feel let down, as if now it's just an ordinary afternoon... Nothing special. They retreat and go through the paces of the life. But each day, each m...
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Where Is Life? Where is Death? from 2018-06-12T00:00
So many are shocked by the sudden loss of two well known individuals. Why did they resort to suicide to end their suffering? In Zen we explore the very nature of what life is, how it can be lived ...
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The True Craving from 2018-06-05T00:00
We all are in the grip of cravings which run our lives mercilessly. But no matter what we do to satisfy it, the craving continues anyway. Nothing hit the spot. That is because we have not yet recog...
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Come Find Me: Hiding In The Zen Hut from 2018-05-30T00:00
Most of us spend our lives searching. Something is missing and we don't know where it is. And all the time the door to the Zen Hut is open and all we are looking for is right within. In fact, ...
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Attention! Attention! Attention! from 2018-05-15T00:00
We are bombarded by so many demands upon our attention, not realizing that our attention is our precious energy and life force. What we pay attention to increases and intensifies in our lives. Lear...
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Nothing Bad Ever Happened from 2018-05-08T00:00
Most of our lives we spend dwelling upon painful situations. But here is a way to turn that around and see that whatever happens, holds a precious gift for us.
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The Real Miracle from 2018-05-01T00:00
We're all looking for miracles, sudden beneficial changes in our lives. And miracles do happen. But Henry Miller, tells us that there is only one real miracle. Standing Still. See what he mean...
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The Ultimate Destination from 2018-04-24T00:00
As we walk along the roads of our lives, what is our ultimate destination? And what is the true way to make this journey so that every moment counts? This episode discusses Zen practice, during t...
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When Others Are Wrong I Am Wrong from 2018-04-17T00:00
Much of our interactions with others is about deciding who is right, who is wrong. Conflict, power struggles and disappointment rule the day. This podcast offers a completely new way to be together...
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Every Place Is The Right Place from 2018-04-10T00:00
We always want to be somewhere else, waiting for the perfect moment, person or situation to be happy. This episode show us how that compulsion takes our lives from us. As we return to where we are ...
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Water Wears Away A Stone from 2018-04-03T00:00
Stones seem strong, tough and immovable, but a simple drop of water, flowing, yielding and nourishing, can wear away the stone. We make our lives and hearts into stones and here we learn how to mel...
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Answering The Call from 2018-03-27T00:00
The journey to freedom is being celebrated this week-end. Throughout all the centuries and traditions we are called to a larger life, and in our journey must learn to hear the call, know where it i...
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The Path Is Made By Walking On It from 2018-03-20T00:00
Part of the distress we have in life comes from travelling on paths which lead us in the wrong direction, or are not the paths that belong to us. In this podcast we explore how to walk with our own...
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The Whole World Is Medicine, What Is The Illness? from 2018-03-12T00:00
Let's discover the root of our sorrow and distress and how to uproot it. We'll look at the difference between pain and suffering and how to contact the source of all well being.
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Life Is One Continuous Mistake from 2018-03-04T00:00
Let's explore the nature of so called problems and "mistakes". Let's also look at koans, what are they and how do they relate to the issues we confront in life and the ways in w...
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Life Is One Continuous Mistake from 2018-03-04T00:00
Let's explore the nature of so called problems and "mistakes". Let's also look at koans, what are they and how do they relate to the issues we confront in life and the ways in w...
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