Earth Dreams: Zen Buddhism and the Soul of the World

Dec 21 2024 52 ep. 32 mins

Earth Dreams: Zen Buddhism and the Soul of the World Podcast artwork

Zen Buddhist teachings point to a profound view of reality--one of deep interconnection and non-separation. Awakening is a word used to describe the freedom, creativity and love of our original nature. This podcast explores the profound liberating teachings of Zen Buddhism at the intersection of dreamwork and the soul. The intention is to offer a view of awakening that explores our deep interconnection with the living world and the cosmos as well as to invite a re-imagining of what human life and culture could be if we lived our awakened nature. Amy Kisei is a Zen Buddhist Teacher with 12 years of monastic training. She currently studies the intersection of Zen Buddhism, Jungian Dream-work, Archetypal Psychology, Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic mindfulness and creativity. She leads retreats and weekly meditation events, as well as offers 1:1 Spiritual Counseling.

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Religion & Spirituality

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The Dark Side of Enlightenment

Dec 21 2024 37 mins

When we enter the path of practice, two paths open up simultaneously—first we have the path of what we think we are doing. This is the practice method, the conceptual framework, the spoken vow that we turn towards, that we make effort at, that we can talk about more or less.The other path is the path of what is actually happening. It is darker, more mysterious, often below the le

Eight Realizations of Great Beings

Dec 15 2024 28 mins

As the calendar year comes to an end, I offer this poem as a re-write of a text that one of my Sanghas has been studying. The text is called The Eight Realizations of Great Beings, one story says it was one of the last teachings given by the Buddha before passing into PariNirvana.I re-wrote the teaching as a way of distilling and remembering the practices we did together during our

Let's Awaken Together

Dec 08 2024 34 mins

While sitting under the bodhi tree through the night, Shakyamuni Buddha saw the morning star, was enlightened and said:I, together with the great earth and all sentient beings, simultaneously attain the way.In the Zen tradition today is Bodhi day. The day that we commemorate the Buddha’s awakening and celebrate our buddha nature. Last night, locally, people from the Zen Columbus

A Sensuous Solidarity

Dec 03 2024 45 mins

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What Haunts You?

Nov 22 2024 37 mins

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Fierce Hope

Nov 15 2024 27 mins

It’s beautiful to be taking refuge together in all the various places we find ourselves.Ah. Here we are. Survivors of the election. Spiritual warriors attempting to live a vow-fueled life. Hearts turned towards love larger then fear. Even if fear is rattling in your gut, or anger is raging strong in your body or numbness has you hiding out.Whatever you are feeling is welcome.What

Hidden in the Shadows

Oct 31 2024 41 mins

A couple weeks ago I heard a sound near our back screendoor, as if an animal were wrestling with a large bag of cat food. I assumed my cat Sasha was trying to break into her bag of treats, and noted the sound but didn’t respond right away.A few minutes later, the sound long faded, I went to check on Sasha to see how far she got with trying to claw her way into her treat bag. As I

Realizing Impermanence

Oct 20 2024 41 mins

As part of Autumn Ango with the Zen Community of Oregon, we are contemplating a text called the Eight Realizations of a Great Being. A text that some sources say is the last teaching that the Buddha gave. We are working with an interpretation by Thich Nhat Hanh edited by Hogen Bays, Roshi.I want to start this reflection with a poem that was read to me by another Zen Teacher, Daniel

The Play of Light and Shadow

Oct 13 2024 31 mins

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The Harmony of Difference and Sameness

Oct 06 2024 37 mins

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