Yenkeui Chuang & Rev. Liên dialogue on some "edges" of "Diasporic Asian Americans," overseas Asian practices, and then Insight Dialogue. Yenkeui shares fascinating details of the interconnections from all the different traditions she's practiced in. Come listen!
YENKUEI CHUANG was born a Taiwanese girl before she became an American woman. As a licensed psychologist, somatics and mindfulness teacher, she is passionate about helping people heal and find freedom, belonging, and power in the richness of their intersectional identities. Yenkuei loves to eat, cook, dance, do nothing and everything.
IG handle: yenkueichuang
Mentioned in podcast: insightdialogue.org
Publications:
Erased No More (Lion's Roar), On Decolonizing My Mind (Blog), Yesterday I Died (Mindfulness), Dukkha of Racism (Arrow Magazine), Development of Bicultural Competence (Stanford Ph.D. dissertation), Politics of Biculturalism (Contemporary Psychology), and upcoming memoir Blood, Sweat, and Dharma
"There is no Buddhism without Women" with Dr. Paula Arai
Dr. Paula Arai talks with Dana about being brought up by her Japanese mother, and how she realized the way that she embodied Buddhism in her body and mind not through intellectual study or what Westerners view as formal practice, but through the simple actions and embodied guidance of her mother.
PAULA ARAI (she/her) (Ph.D., Buddhist Studies, Harvard University) holds the Eshinni & Kakushinni Chair of Women and Buddhist Studies at the Institute of Buddhist Studies. Steeped in ethnographic research, she takes an embodied approach to her work and finds poetic immersive storytelling a potent medium for conveying experiences of transformative healing.
Her publications include:
Women Living Zen (Oxford University Press)
Bringing Zen Home (University of Hawaii Press)
Painting Enlightenment: Healing Visions of the Heart Sutra (Shambhala Publications)
The Little Book of Zen Healing: Japanese Rituals for Beauty, Harmony, and Love(Shambhala Publications)
Explore her website to read some of Paula's poetry, stay up to date on appearances, and learn more about her.
"Meeting with my Asian Sangha Tonight" with Poet Bo Hee Moon
Listen in to hear how Bo Hee Moon was inspired by practice in the 3-month course "Lotus Rising from Mud: A Path for Anti-Asian American Restoration.
Read Bo Hee’s poem “Meeting with my Asian Sangha Tonight”.
Guest:
BO HEE MOON was adopted at three-months-old from South Korea. Her poems have appeared in AGNI, Poetry, swamp pink, and others. Omma, Sea of Joy and Other Astrological Signs, published by Tinderbox Editions, is her debut collection of poems. She previously published under a different name.
Connect with Bo at:
BoHeeMoon.com
Afterlives: An AGNI Portfolio of Asian Adoptee Diaspora Writing
Host:
REV. LIÊN SHUTT (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a founder of Access to Zen (2014). You can learn more about her work at AccessToZen.org. Her new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path. See all her offerings at EVENTS
"Zen Practice as Community Building" with Ryan Lee Wong
Listen to this wonderful guided contemplation of a few ways Ryan practices relating to and connecting with mentors and teachers with awareness.
Guest
Ryan Lee Wong is author of the novel Which Side Are You On, a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel. He lived for two years at Ancestral Heart Temple and is the Administrative Director of Brooklyn Zen Center.
Some of Ryan's publications include:
Which Side Are You On, his novel published in 2023.
Every Past Life All At Once, a critical essay on the films Past Lives and Everything Everywhere All At Once on The AMP.
The Buddha on TV: Nam June Paik's fraught relationship to Buddhism, on PBS: American Masters
Check out his website to read more and stay updated.
IG: @ryanlwong
Your Host
REVEREND DANA TAKAGI (she/her) is a retired professor of Sociology and zen priest, practicing zen since 1998. She spent 33 years teaching sociology and Asian American history at UC Santa Cruz, and she is a past president of the Association for Asian American Studies.
"Silence is Not the Way" with Professor Sharon Suh
A layered and engaging discussion with Prof. Sharon Suh on what "Asian American Buddhism can be defined as; including the refusal to be silenced.
Guest:
SHARON SUH is professor of Buddhism at Seattle University and author of Being Buddhist in a Christian World: Gender and Community (2004); Silver Screen Buddha: Buddhism in Asian and Western Film (2015); and Occupy This Body: A Buddhist Memoir (2019). She focuses on racialized trauma experienced by people of color and emphasizes the importance of embodiment. She's also President of Sakyadhita International Association of Buddhist Women. Her upcoming book, Emergent Dharma: An Anthology of Asian American Feminist Buddhist Women scheduled for Fall 2025.
Links to social media:
www.mindfuleatingmethod.com; @mindfuleatingmethod
In addition to books mentioned in bio:
•. “Western Buddhism and Race,” co-authored with Joseph Cheah, Oxford Research Encyclopedia (Oxford University Press, May 2022).
• “Jeong as the Expression of the Interrelationality of Self and Other in Korean Buddhist Cinema” in Edward Y. J. Chung and Jea Sophia Oh, eds. Emotions in Korean Philosophy and Religion: Confucian, Comparative and Contemporary Perspectives.” (Palgrave, 2022).
• “Taking Refuge in the Body to Know the Self Anew: Buddhism, Race, and Embodiment,” Embodying Knowledge: Asian and Asian American Women’s Contributions to Theology and Religious Studies, ed. by Kwok Pui Lan (Palgrave MacMillan).
• “We Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Programming to Bring You This Very Important Public Service Announcement . . .”: aka Buddhism as Usual in the Academy,” in Emily McCrae and George Yancy, eds., Buddhism and Whiteness: Critical Reflections (Rowman & Littlefield).
•Suh. Sharon., “Buddhist Meditation as Strategic Embodiment: An Optative Reflection” in Flashpoints for Asian American Studies, ed. by Cathy Vials-Schlund. (Fordham University Press, 2017).
•Suh, Sharon. A., “Buddhism and Gender” in Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Buddhism, ed. by Michael Jerryson. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016):635-649.
•Suh, Sharon A., “Buddhism, Rhetoric, and the Korean American Community: The Adjustment of Korean American Buddhists to the United States” in Richard Alba, Albert J. Raboteau, and Josh DeWing, eds., Immigration in America: Comparative Historical Perspectives. (New York: New York University Press, 2009):166-190.
Host:
REV. LIÊN SHUTT (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a founder of Access to Zen (2014). You can learn more about her work at AccessToZen.org. Her new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path. See all her offerings at EVENTS
O'kagesama-de (All thanks are due to you...) with Reverend Jean Paul Contreras deGuzman
Rev. Dr. Jean-Paul Contreras deGuzman talks about how he came to Jodo Shinshu Pureland Buddhist practice coming from a Catholic family and after moving forward from a traditional path as an academic. He and Dana Takagi have an enlivened discussion about the importance and power of cultural gatherings like Mochi-tsuki for sangha and the wider community, and the role of pop culture references in Rev JP's talks in the San Fernando Valley.
REV. DR. JP DEGUZMAN (he/him) is minister’s assistant at the 103-year-old San Fernando Valley Hongwanji Buddhist Temple and received tokudo ordination at Nishi Hongwanji in Kyoto, Japan in 2023. He teaches history and Ethnic Studies at Windward School and UCLA where he earned the University Distinguished Teaching Award.
His publications include:
Lions Roar: "The Pure Land is in the West"
Everyday Buddhist: "The Dharma of a Turkey Sandwich"
Wheel of Dharma: "Mindful Action in Mindless TImes: A Buddhist Response to Injustice"
Young Buddhist Editorial: "Gratitude For My Mom"
Explore his website to learn more about his academic publications as well.
Your Host
REVEREND DANA TAKAGI (she/her) is a retired professor of Sociology and zen priest, practicing zen since 1998. She spent 33 years teaching sociology and Asian American history at UC Santa Cruz, and she is a past president of the Association for Asian American Studies.
Bodhi Leaves: The Asian American Buddhist Monthly Co-Associate Editors Mihiri Tillakaratne and Noel Alumit
In this rich and joyful conversation, Rev. Liên and Rev. Dana talk with Mihiri Tillakaratne and Noel Alumit, the co-founders and co-associate editors of Bodhi Leaves: The Asian American Buddhist Monthly at Lion's Roar. Bodhi Leaves is the first published series of its kind, highlighting and focusing on the experiences and perspectives of Asian American Buddhist practitioners. We learn about Mihiri and Noel's views on their own identities and spiritual backgrounds, as well as about how Bodhi Leaves got started and visions for its future.
MIHIRI TILLAKARATNE (she/her) is an associate editor at Lion’s Roar focusing on Asian American Buddhist experiences. She has a PhD in Ethnic Studies and Gender, Women, and Sexuality (UC Berkeley) and a M.A. in Asian American Studies (UCLA). She studied Pali and Sinhala Buddhist nationalism in post-independence Sri Lanka at Harvard. Her publications include a documentary on Sri Lankan American Buddhist identity, I Take Refuge, a study published at UC Berkeley: Feelin' Diasporic: Embodied Memory in Sri Lankan America, and an article with South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, Spilling the Tea: Aunty Discipline and Queer Diasporic Child in D'Lo's To T, or Not To T?
NOEL ALUMIT (he/him) is an Associate Editor at Lion’s Roar, actor and bestselling author. He has a Master of Divinity in Buddhist Chaplaincy from the University of the West, where he is also an Adjunct Professor. He facilitates meditation workshops for LA Artcore and Meditation Coalition. His award-winning books include Talking to the Moon, Letters to Montgomery Clift and Music Heard in Hi-Fi.
Your Hosts
REVEREND DANA TAKAGI (she/her) is a retired professor of Sociology and zen priest, practicing zen since 1998. She spent 33 years teaching sociology and Asian American history at UC Santa Cruz, and she is a past president of the Association for Asian American Studies.
REV. LIÊN SHUTT (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. She is an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism. Shutt is a founder of Access to Zen(2014). Her new book is Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path.
Reflections with the 2024 May We Gather Co-Organizers: Funie Hsu, Chenxing Han & Duncan Ryūken Williams
Funie Hsu, Chenxing Han, and Duncan Ryūken Williams are the co-organizers of May We Gather, a collaborative project of commemorative healing, by and for Asian American Buddhists and their spiritual friends. What began in 2022 as a response to the uptick in violence and hate towards Asian Americans, has continued into 2024, as a second iteration of May We Gather, this time in the form of ritual memorial, and also as a precious and much needed space for gathering and community. In this interview, the three co-organizers share their reflections on the 2024 event.
Watch the entire live stream recording of May We Gather 2024.
Learn more about May We Gather.
GUESTS:
FUNIE HSU (she/they) is an Associate Professor of American studies at San Jose State University whose transdisciplinary research interests are shaped by their background as a former public elementary school teacher and a Taiwanese American heritage Buddhist from a working class, multilingual family. Look for their upcoming article in the Review of Education, Pedagogy and Cultural Studies which examines contemporary challenges to mindfulness in US K-12 public schools within the framework of White Christian nationalism, particularly with the perpetuation of positioning Asians and Buddhism as heathen, immoral, and a threat to the US.
CHENXING HAN (she/her) is an author, educator, and speaker whose work explores the possibilities that emerge at the intersections of Buddhism, Asian America, spiritual care, and creative expression. She is the author of Be the Refuge: Raising the Voices of Asian American Buddhists and One Long Listening: A Memoir of Grief, Friendship, and Spiritual Care.
DUNCAN RYŪKEN WILLIAMS (he/him) was ordained as a Soto Zen Buddhist priest at Kotakuji Temple (Nagano, Japan) in 1993. He served as a Buddhist chaplain at Harvard University, where he received his Ph.D. in 2000. Currently, he serves as a priest at Zenshuji Soto Mission in Los Angeles and Professor of Religion at the University of Southern California. He is the author of American Sutra: A Story of Faith and Freedom in the Second World War and The Other Side of Zen: A Social History of Soto Zen Buddhism in Tokugawa Japan.
Season 3 Premiere! The Disquiet & Forwarding Asian American & Asian Diasporic Buddhist Experiences with Rev. Liên Shutt & Rev. Dana Takagi
NEW Co-Host: Reverend Dana Takagi
Dana is a retired professor of Sociology and also a zen priest. She spent 33 years teaching sociology and Asian Am history at UC Santa Cruz, she is a past president of the Association for Asian American Studies. Zen practice since 1998.
Check out more of Dana's work:
2022: Sutra and Bible: an Interview with Duncan Ryūken Williams
2020: Most Intimate, Ordinary Way, Recollections of Katherine Thanas (co-eds. with Eugene Bush; 2nd printing 2022)
Mentioned in the episode, her 1993 book on affirmative action: "The Retreat from Race: Asian American Admissions and Racial Politics"
https://danatakagizenlife.squarespace.com/
Season 3 description: Hosted by Rev. Liên & Rev. Dana Takagi
This season, we will have a new focus: Uplifting and Forwarding Asian American/Asian Diasporic Buddhist Experiences in the West.
With our guests and audience, we will explore the specificities of Asian American/Asian Diasporic experiences. We take as given that there are generational differences (hence the historical moment matters!) and we hope to also delve into Asian family norms and values, our inchoate understanding of ancestor worship, issues of identity, representation, stereotypes about sexuality and sexual identity, and Asian American depression.
A theme we'll be using to help guide our conversations is The Disquiet - a term we are adapting from writer/poet Fernando Pessoa (The Book of Disquiet) -- which, in our view, signals a complex recognition of self, mind, and body. The evidence for the foregoing includes scholarly research indexed in aggregate statistics on depression, youth suicide, and other issues in immigrant or first-generation families. While Asian Americans are not alone in experiencing trauma, the racial languages and discourses of othering are different for us than for other groups.
What do we hope is the outcome of this podcast? Our first aim is to give voice to the range and depth of Buddhism in Asian and Asian American generations. We hope, in doing so, we help to shine a light on the limited or myopic envisioning of race in primarily white sanghas. Asian and Asian American diasporic truths about practice are a teaching for contemporary dharma organizations and centers. We recognize the depth and range of Asian and Asian Diasporic Buddhists is a wisdom mirror for organized Buddhism in the West.
Co-Host: REV. LIÊN SHUTT (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a founder of Access to Zen (2014). You can learn more about her work at AccessToZen.org. Her new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path. See all her offerings at EVENTS
Expanding The Dharma: ODA Season 2 Wrap-Up with All 4 Hosts
Listen to this really amazing discussion between the 4 hosts on themes and highlights from all our interviews in Season 2. Listening will "make" you want to go listen to all of our wonderful guest teachers again! Or, check out the ones you've missed!
9 bows of love and appreciation for all the Hosts of Season 2!
1. LAMA KARMA YESHE CHÖDRÖN is a scholar, teacher, and translator of Tibetan Buddhism at Rigpe Dorje Institute at Pullahari Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal and co-founder of Prajna Fire. In addition to Opening Dharma Access, Lama Yeshe co-hosts Prajna Sparks, a podcast for listening to, contemplating, and meditating on the Buddhadharma. Check out Lama Yeshe's articles published in Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Guide, Lion's Roar Magazine, and Tricyle Magazine. Join the Prajna Fire global community and follow Lama Yeshe on Instagram @karmayeshechodron.
2. SISTER PEACE spent five years in government work before realizing that something was missing. Feeling spiritually bereft, she began practicing at the Washington Mindfulness Community where she encountered the teachings of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. Compelled by his teachings, she relocated in 2006 to the Plum Village Monastery in France to deepen her mindfulness practice and where she was ordained a Buddhist nun in 2008, and received the Dharma Lamp Transmission in 2017. Sister Peace currently resides in Memphis, TN, where she practices Engaged Buddhism. Sister Peace's writing with Parallax Press.
3. DALILA BOTHWELL (she/her) is a Dharma practitioner in the Insight Meditation/Theravada Buddhist tradition and a graduate of Spirit Rock's Community Dharma Leader Program. She served as Deputy Director of New York Insight Meditation Center for nearly a decade where she learned the priceless value of sangha and the role relationships play in embodying the teachings and in creating kinder human beings. With a formal education in food and nutrition, her practice meets at the intersection of physical and emotional wellbeing while being Black and queer and her love of recovery, nature, community, and justice. A native of the Southwest, Dalila currently lives in Papago / Tohono O'odham territory in Arizona with her handsome pup, Brisco. www.dalilabothwell.com / IG: @moonearthlove
4. REV. LIÊN SHUTT (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a co-founder of Buddhists of Color (1998) and founder of Access to Zen (2014). You can learn more about her work at AccessToZen.org. Her new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path. See all her offerings at EVENTS
"What's Values Got to Do With It?" asks Solwazi Johnson
To celebrate Black History Month, we’re dropping early this Opening Dharma Access (ODA) episode of an engaging conversation between Co-Host Dalila Bothwell with Guest Solwazi Johnson
Solwazi Johnson has a laughter-filled conversation with Dalila Bothwell about his many life experiences before finding the Dharma, and how he believes the Dharma is for every person interested in freedom.
GUEST
Solwazi Johnson (he/him) teaches mindfulness meditation classes and leads mindfulness meditation retreats and workshops throughout the U.S. and the world. He has practiced mindfulness meditation for over 25 years, focusing on Vipassana since 2003. In addition, he has studied and practiced meditation in many places, including Thailand, Burma, India, and South Africa. He is a graduate of Spirit Rock's Community Dharma Leaders' Training and Spirit Rock's four-year Retreat Teacher Training. In addition, for over five years, he served as the guiding volunteer teacher for the Prison Buddhist Ministry/Mindfulness Meditation Program in a Federal Prison located in Englewood, CO. He is currently with the Mindfulness Mentor Teacher Certification Program.
HOST
Dalila Bothwell (she/her) is a Dharma practitioner in the Insight Meditation/Theravada Buddhist tradition and a graduate of Spirit Rock's Community Dharma Leader Program. She served as Deputy Director of New York Insight Meditation Center for nearly a decade where she learned the priceless value of sangha and the role relationships play in embodying the teachings and in creating kinder human beings. With a formal education in food and nutrition, her practice meets at the intersection of physical and emotional wellbeing while being Black and queer and her love of recovery, nature, community, and justice. A native of the Southwest, Dalila currently lives in Papago / Tohono O'odham territory in Arizona with her handsome pup, Brisco.
To connect with Dalila in other ways:
www.dalilabothwell.com
IG: @moonearthlove
Dharma Stories for Visibility with Grace Song
An engaging conversation with Grace about creating space for self, community, & collective inclusion for 21st Century Dharma.
GUEST:
Grace Song is an ordained Won Buddhist Kyomunim, meditation teacher, and advocate of interfaith dialogue. She serves as the Chair of the Won Buddhist Studies Department at the Won Institute of Graduate Studies. She has traveled to many countries to present and lead workshops and retreats on interfaith dialogue, social justice, mindfulness in education, and spiritual practice in daily life. She is committed to embodying the truth of interconnection and invests her time putting into practice her belief that renewing society starts with renewing our inner lives.
Social Media with Grace:
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/3/369
https://tricycle.org/article/timeless-son/
https://tricycle.org/article/mindful-journaling/
Connect with her at: https://www.gracesangjinsong.com
HOST
Rev. Liên Shutt (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a co-founder of Buddhists of Color (1998) and founder of Access to Zen (2014). As the creator, producer, and host, she launched a podcast series, “Opening Dharma Access: Listening to BIPOC Teachers,” in 2021. In Season 2, she hosts with Lama Karma Yeshe Chödrön, Sister Peace ,and Dalila Bothwell. You can learn more about her work at AccessToZen.org
Her new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path. See all her offerings at EVENTS
Speaking for the Silenced with Pema Khandro Rinpoche
ABOUT OUR GUEST FOR THIS EPISODE
PEMA KHANDRO RINPOCHE is an internationally renowned teacher and scholar of Buddhist philosophy. She is the founder of Ngakpa International and its three projects, The Buddhist Studies Institute, Dakini Mountain and the Yogic Medicine Institute.
In her work as a Buddhist teacher, she is an authorized Lama and lineage holder of the Nyingma and Kagyu traditions and was enthroned to carry on the lineage of her predecessor, the first Pema Khandro, an early twentieth century yogini from Eastern Tibet.
Khandro-la has led a vibrant world-wide community since 1999. Through the Buddhist Studies Institute, she also offers a complete curriculum of training in Tibetan meditation and Buddhist Philosophy.
She has a bachelor's degree in Sociology, a Master’s degree specializing in Tibetan studies, and a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from the University of Virginia. Her scholarly research focuses on the history of Dzogchen and on Women in Tibetan Buddhism.
Visit Khandro-la's website for more resources
and learn more about the Buddhist Studies Institute here.
You can find Khandro-la on social media on:
Facebook
Instagram
X (formerly Twitter)
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HOST LAMA KARMA YESHE CHÖDRÖN is a scholar, teacher, and translator of Tibetan Buddhism at Rigpe Dorje Institute at Pullahari Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal and co-founder of Prajna Fire.
Hear more about Lama Yeshe as ODA co-hosts Rev. Liên Shutt and Kaira Jewel Lingo interview her about her Dharma experiences as a practitioner and teacher of color here.
In addition to Opening Dharma Access, Lama Yeshe co-hosts Prajna Sparks, a podcast for listening to, contemplating, and meditating on the Buddhadharma.
Check out Lama Yeshe's articles published in Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Guide, Lion's Roar Magazine, and Tricyle Magazine.
Join the Prajna Fire global community and follow Lama Yeshe on Instagram @karmayeshechodron.
Illumination of Chan with Rebecca Li
An open, spacious conversation with Dr. Rebecca Li on her practice & teachings on Chan Buddhism and her newly released book, Illumination: A Guide to the Buddhist Method of No-Method
GUEST:
Dr. Rebecca Li, a Dharma heir in the lineage of Chan Master Sheng Yen, is the founder and guiding teacher of Chan Dharma Community. Her books include Allow Joy into Our Hearts: Chan Practice in Uncertain Times and the upcoming book Illumination: A Guide to the Buddhist Method of No-Method. She lives in New Jersey with her husband.
Illumination: A Guide to the Buddhist Method of No-Method, clarifies the practice of "Silent Illumination," (shikantaza in the Japanese tradition) and outlines the potential "traps and snares" that are encountered on the path to Awakening, as well as the potential remedies. Each chapter illuminates mind habits that cause difficulty to earnest meditation students, including: craving mode (striving for enlightenment), aversion mode (trying to eliminate thoughts completely), trance mode (cultivating a peaceful but foggy mind state), Intellectualization mode (substituting concepts for direct experience), quietism mode (dwelling in a cave of no thoughts), and forgetting emptiness (belief in someplace to arrive at and dwell in).
CONNECT with her writings, talks, guided meditation, teaching, buy her book, & see the book tour schedule at www.rebeccali.org
Resourcing our Practice in Nature with René Rivera
GUEST:
René Rivera (he/him) is a meditation teacher and restorative justice facilitator working and learning in all the spaces in-between race, gender, and other perceived binaries, as a queer Latinx trans man. René teaches heart-centered, trauma-informed meditation, as a core teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center. He has co-led the first residential meditation retreats for transgender, nonbinary and gender expansive people, and offers classes and retreats for many Buddhist centers and groups. René is a restorative justice facilitator for the Ahimsa Collective, working to heal sexual and gender based violence.
Connect with René via:
eastbaymeditation.org
HOST
Rev. Liên Shutt (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a co-founder of Buddhists of Color (1998) and founder of Access to Zen (2014). As the creator, producer, and host, she launched a podcast series, “Opening Dharma Access: Listening to BIPOC Teachers,” in 2022 with Lama Karma Yeshe Chödrön, Sister Peace and Dalila Bothwell. You can learn more about her work at AccessToZen.org
Her new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path was released on Tuesday, Aug. 22! To see when it's in your part of the U.S. or is virtual, go to BOOK TOUR INFO
Dharma Songs for Connection with Joe Reilly
GUEST:
Joe Reilly (he, him) is a singer, songwriter, social worker, and ordained Dharma Teacher in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. Joe was raised Catholic and currently studies and practices progressive Catholicism, Native American spirituality, and engaged Buddhism. Joe has been a student of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh since 2004 and is often found singing and writing songs on spiritual retreats. He currently lives in Waawiyatanong/Detroit, where he co-leads the Building Beloved Community Sangha. He is of Cherokee, Choctaw, Italian, and Irish descent and identifies as Native American.
Connect with Joe and LISTEN to more of his music at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joereillymusic/
YouTube, Instagram @JoeReillyMusic
https://www.joereilly.org/music/
This EPISODE is in MEMORIAM for Mary Randolph
(Rev. Liên covered for Sr. Peace so she could attend to her sister)
HOST
Rev. Liên Shutt (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a co-founder of Buddhists of Color (1998) and founder of Access to Zen (2014). As the creator, producer, and host, she launched a podcast series, “Opening Dharma Access: Listening to BIPOC Teachers,” in 2022 with Lama Karma Yeshe Chödrön, Sister Peace and Dalila Bothwell. You can learn more about her work at AccessToZen.org
Her new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path was released on Tuesday, Aug. 22! To see when it's in your part of the U.S. or is virtual, go to BOOK TOUR INFO
The Nature of Practice & Teaching with Anushka Fernandopulle
GUEST
Anushka Fernandopulle (she/they) is on the Spirit Rock Teacher's Council and has trained for over 30 years in the Theravada Buddhist tradition in the U.S., India, and Sri Lanka. Anushka lives in San Francisco and teaches retreats and workshops around the world. They also works as a leadership coach and management consultant, influenced by a BA in anthropology and religion from Harvard and an MBA from Yale. Her teaching is informed by nature, creative arts, political engagement and modern urban life.
Connect with Anushka at:
https://www.anushkaf.org/
HOST
Rev. Liên Shutt (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society’s reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a co-founder of Buddhists of Color (1998) and founder of Access to Zen (2014). As the creator, producer, and host, she launched a podcast series, “Opening Dharma Access: Listening to BIPOC Teachers,” in 2022 with Lama Karma Yeshe Chödrön, Sister Peace and Dalila Bothwell. You can learn more about her work at AccessToZen.org
Her new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path launches on Tuesday, Aug. 22! Join her in-person or livestream at Book Inc Berkeley
For full info on all her offerings: EVENTS
A short, but lovingly offered, meditation from Anushka Fernandopulle. Originally offered on Dharma Seed.
Going Deep with Rev. Mark Unno
ABOUT OUR GUEST FOR THIS EPISODE
REV. MARK UNNO is Professor of Buddhist Studies & Department Head of Religious Studies at the University of Oregon, specializing in Pure Land, Zen, and Shingon Buddhism. He is the 14th generation minister of Shin Buddhism in his family. He is also the President of the Society for Buddhist-Christian Studies.
Read articles by Rev. Mark Unno at Lion's Roar Magazine online
Visit his website for more resources
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HOST LAMA KARMA YESHE CHÖDRÖN is a scholar, teacher, and translator of Tibetan Buddhism at Rigpe Dorje Institute at Pullahari Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal and co-founder of Prajna Fire.
Hear more about Lama Yeshe as ODA co-hosts Rev. Liên Shutt and Kaira Jewel Lingo interview her about her Dharma experiences as a practitioner and teacher of color here.
In addition to Opening Dharma Access, Lama Yeshe co-hosts Prajna Sparks, a podcast for listening to, contemplating, and meditating on the Buddhadharma.
Check out Lama Yeshe's articles published in Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Guide, Lion's Roar Magazine, and Tricyle Magazine.
Join the Prajna Fire global community and follow Lama Yeshe on Instagram @karmayeshechodron.
I Belong Everywhere with Cristina Moon
About Our Guest for this Episode
As a strategist, author, and Chozen-ji priest, Cristina Moon works with individuals and organizations to develop the sensitivity and spiritual strength needed to lead in today’s challenging world.
Cristina ordained as a Zen priest in December 2020 at Daihonzan ChInozen-ji, a Rinzai Zen temple in Hawaii in the Tenryu-ji line. Cristina publishes a Substack newsletter called CMOON, with published work appearing in Tricycle, Lion's Roar, and Buddhadharma magazines. Cristina's memoir is coming out in June 2024 with Shambhala Publications.
Find out more about Cristina at:
www.cristinamoon.com
https://cmoon.substack.com
Instagram: @moon.c.moon
About Our Host for this Episode
Dalila Bothwell (she/her), a Dharma practitioner in the Insight Meditation/Theravada Buddhist tradition and a graduate of Spirit Rock's Community Dharma Leader Program. She served as Deputy Director of New York Insight Meditation Center for nearly a decade where she learned the priceless value of sangha and the role relationships play in embodying the teachings and in creating kinder human beings. With a formal education in food and nutrition, her practice meets at the intersection of physical and emotional wellbeing while being Black and queer and her love of recovery, nature, community, and justice. A native of the Southwest, Dalila currently lives in Papago / Tohono O'odham territory in Arizona with her handsome pup, Brisco.
To connect with Dalila in other ways:
www.dalilabothwell.com
IG: @moonearthlove
When Action is Graced with Compassion: A Conversation with Dr. Ava Avalos
Sister Peace interview of Dr. Ava Avalos from the Order of Interbeing (OI) branch of the Thich Nhat Hanh tradition.
BIO:
Dr. Ava Avalos was ordained as a Dharma teacher in 2018, after over 20 years of study and Zen practice. She facilitates the Tshedisa Sangha in Botswana - the first African Sangha established in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh on the continent.
Originally from San Diego, California, for the last 22 years she has worked as HIV/TB specialist physician and AIDS activist in Africa. In addition to clinical care, she focuses medical research on optimizing anti-retroviral treatment for HIV/AIDS patients, preventing the development of HIV drug resistance and improving implementation of public health programs.
She currently leads the Botswana National Advanced HIV Care Initiative, is a Research Associate of the Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Initiative and Botswana-Baylor Children’s Centre for Clinical Excellence and sits on the Editorial Board of the Southern African Journal of HIV Medicine.
She also does her best to keep up with her two high spirited pups, paints, teaches yoga and dances as often as she can.
3 Links to connect with Dr. Avalos:
1. Facebook: Studies in Zen Buddhism Botswana.
2. The next Africa based retreat I am facilitating:
Sacred Body - Wonderful Body- Coming Home to Ourselves
Tara Rokpa Centre, Groot Marico, South Africa. October 13, 14, & 15th, 2023
Inquire at careenahealth@gmail.com
3. Tshedisa Sangha holds monthly Days of Mindfulness on the first Sunday of each month. Inquire at careenahealth@gmail.com
