Simplicity Zen Podcast

 Peter Coyote is an actor, narrator, writer and Soto Zen priest. He was ordained as a Zen Priest in 2015 and received dharma transmission in 2016 from Chikudo Lewis Richmond in the Soto tradition of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi.  For more podcast episodes and online Zen training visit: https://simplicityzen.com/ 

A conversation with pioneering Zen practitioner and leader Hugh Curran.  In this episode we have a conversation with Hugh Curran. He is longtime practitioner, Zen retreat leader and professor of Peace and Reconciliation Studies at the University of Maine. Hugh was a key player in the early years of the transmission of the Harada/Yasutani lineage to North American and offers fascinating insight int...

 Genpo Roshi is Zen teacher who has trained in and taught within both the White Plum school of Buddhism. He was ordained as a Zen monk in October 1973 under Taizan Maezumi Roshi at the Zen Center of Los Angeles where he later served as Director. In September 1980, he received Dharma transmission as Maezumi Roshi's second successor, and he later received Inka from Bernie Glassman in 1996, maki...

 In this dharma talk we look at the critical importance of attention in Zen Buddhist practice.  Gambo Kyogan Berry Crawford first started practicing Zen meditation in 1992. He lived at the Sonoma Mountain Zen Center and practiced as a resident in the mid 1990s. Afterwards, he practiced with Diane “Eshin” Rizzetto in the Ordinary Mind Zen School started by Joko Beck. Later, he became a student of J...

In this dharma talk we explore the differences between desire vs craving in Buddhism.  Gambo Kyogan Berry Crawford first started practicing Zen meditation in 1992. He lived at the Sonoma Mountain Zen Center and practiced as a resident in the mid 1990s. Afterwards, he practiced with Diane “Eshin” Rizzetto in the Ordinary Mind Zen School started by Joko Beck. Later, he became a student of John “Shoj...

In this episode with Kokyo we discuss various topics like solo Zen retreats, koan training, Dzogchen, psychedelics and his hermitage. Kokyo Henkel has been practicing Zen since 1990, in residence at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, Green Gulch Farm Zen Center, No Abode Hermitage in Mill Valley, Bukkokuji Monastery in Japan, and Santa Cruz Zen Center. He was ordained as a Zen priest in 1994 by Tenshi...

Seiso Paul Cooper is an ordained priest and a transmitted teacher in the lineage of Dainin Katagiri. He has practiced and studied in both the Soto and the Rinzai traditions. He began his formal practice in 1980 and received Dharma transmission from Sojun Diane Martin Roshi. He is the founder and former guiding teacher of the Two Rivers Zen Community in Narrowsburg, NY. He currently lives in Barry,...

 This a recorded Simplicity Zen Dharma talk by Gambo Kyogan Berry Crawford on the topic of "Showing Up".  More information about Simplicity Zen Here:  https://simplicityzen.com/  Podcasts  Dharma Talks Online Zen Training  Speaker Bio: Gambo Kyogan Berry Crawford first started practicing Zen meditation in 1992. He lived at the Sonoma Mountain Zen Center and practiced as a resident in the...

 Stephen a long time Zen koan practitioner and a professor of music theory at the University of North Texas. He was a professional fiddler and banjo player and an author of a book on the Americanization of Zen Chanting. This is part 2 of our discussion. You can find our earlier conversation as part of this podcast series.  For more on the Simplicity Zen Podcast :  https://simplicityzen.com/  

 In this talk we explore how to work with the Zen Bodhisattva Precepts using an inquiry approach.  Speaker Bio: Gambo Kyogan Berry Crawford first started practicing Zen meditation in 1992. He lived at the Sonoma Mountain Zen Center and practiced as a resident in the mid 1990s. Afterwards, he practiced with Diane “Eshin” Rizzetto in the Ordinary Mind Zen School started by Joko Beck. Later, he becam...

 James Ishmael Ford is a Zen teacher and semi-retired Unitarian Universalist minister. He has dharma transmission from Houn Jiyu Kennett and Inka Shomei from John Nanryu Ji'un-ken Tarrant. He is the guiding teacher of the Empty Moon Sangha.  For more about James:  - http://www.jamesishmaelford.com/  For more about Simplicity Zen Podcast :  - https://simplicityzen.com/ 

Berry Crawford first started practicing Zen meditation in 1992. He lived at the Sonoma Mountain Zen Center and practiced as a resident in the mid 1990s. Afterwards, he practiced with Diane “Eshin” Rizzetto in the Ordinary Mind Zen School started by Joko Beck. Later, Berry became a student of John “Shoji” Sorenson and in 2022 was authorized to independently teach Zen. He is a koan student of Russel...

An Interview with Zen Teacher Eihei Peter Levitt Eihei Peter Levitt is the founder and guiding teacher of the Salt Spring Zen Circle on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, where he resides with his wife, poet Shirley Graham. He was authorized as a Zen teacher in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi by Zoketsu Norman Fischer, founder of the Everyday Zen Foundation, and received Preceptor Transmi...

Katherine Daiki Senshin Griffith is the Head Teacher at the Zen Center of Los Angelos. She started studying Zen in the Rinzai tradition at New York Zendo Shobo-Ji in Manhattan in 1987. At Dai Bosatsu Zendo, she received Jukai in 1994 from Eido Shimano Roshi, with whom she studied until 2000, when she moved to Los Angeles. She became a member of ZCLA in 2001 and began her studies with Roshi Egyoku....

An Interview with Zen Teacher and Priest Teshin Matthew Sweger Teshin Matthew Sweger is the teacher and resident priest at the North Carolina Zen Center.  He was ordained as a Buddhist priest in 2004 by Lawson Sachter Roshi, a Dharma successor to Philip Kapelau Roshi. After completing the Harada-Yasutani koan curriculum, Teshin received Dharma transmission from Sevan Ross, a Dharma successor to Ja...

An Interview with Zen Teacher Dr Sono Andrew Tootell Dr Sono Andrew Tootell is an Australian Zen teacher in the Ordinary Mind Zen School.  He is the dharma heir of Barry Magid and is an accredited mental health social worker and maintains a private psychotherapy practice.  He is the teacher for the OzZen sangha. More about Andrew: https://ordinarymind.com.au/ More about Simplicity Zen Podcast : ht...

An Interview with Rabbi and Zen Teacher Adam Fogel Adam Fogel is a practicing Jewish Rabbi and long time Zen practitioner with authorization from his guiding Zen teacher, Ruben Habito Roshi, to offer Zen training within the context of Jewish high holiday retreats.   He is also a licensed and practicing psychologist in the State of California. More from Adam: https://mindfuljudaism.com/ More about...

An Interview with Zen practitioner and Music/Chanting Scholar Stephen Slottow Stephen Slottow is a long time Zen koan practitioner and a professor of music theory at he University of North Texas.  He was a professional fiddler and banjo player and an author of a book on the Americanization of Zen Chanting which we will discuss today. More about Stephen: https://music.unt.edu/faculty-and-staff/step...

Bobby Chowa Werner is a dharma holder, or assistant teacher, in the White Plum Zen tradition.  He has been a student of Roshi Anne Seisen Saunders since 2005 at the Sweetwater Zen Center in the San Diego California area. Chowa’s livelihood is in the music industry, composing and producing music for various projects and touring with an acappella doo wop quartet, The Alley Cats. Chowa is also on the...

Sensei Koshin Paley Ellison is an author, Zen teacher, Jungian psychotherapist, and ACPE Certified Chaplaincy Educator. After working more than a decade as a chaplain and psychotherapist, Koshin co-founded the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care.   Koshin began his formal Zen training in 1987, and he is a recognized Soto Zen Teacher by the American Zen Teachers Association, White Plum Asang...

Rev. Keiryū 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 Soto Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice...

An Interview with Mushim Patricia Ikeda Mushim Patricia Ikeda is a Buddhist teacher ordained in the Korean Sŏn (Zen) tradition. She is also an author, poet, mentor, and community activist.  She teaches meditation retreats for people of color, women, and social justice activists nationally and is a meditation teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center in downtown Oakland.  She was a board member of...

Kogen Czarnik is a full Soto Zen priest (Osho) in the lineage of Tangen Harada Roshi. He began Zen practiice in 2003 in Poland, and soon after graduating from college he went to Japan to practice Dharma in a traditional monastic context. Since then, he has been practicing at monasteries such as Bukkoku-ji, Sogen-ji, Tosho-ji (where he did his priest training in temple's monk hall or sodo).  ...

Helen Hobart is an ordained Vietnamese Zen practitioner and community leader.  In 2010 she was ordained at Plum Village into Order of Interbeing where she was given the dharma name "True Sacred Clouds".  She is a board certified chaplain and works professionally in that field.  She has been the on the board of directors for both the Sacramento Dharma Center and the Sacramento Buddhist Me...

Korin Charlie Pokorny is a Soto Zen priest and was ordained by Tenshin Reb Anderson in 1999 and then received dharma transmission from him in 2018.  He studied koans with Daniel Terragno under whom he completed Harada/Yasutani koan curriculum. He has a Masters degree from Stanford University in Religious Studies.  He currently is a Dharma teacher at the Brooklyn Zen Center and is a member of the t...