Zen practices for daily life

Wellness Curated

Welcome to another episode from our podcast season on 'Ancient Wisdom For Modern Living.' Each episode aims to provide practical insights and actionable advice, helping listeners incorporate ancient wisdom into their daily routines to achieve greater balance and wellness. This episode provides a comprehensive look at how Zen principles can offer valuable guidance for living a mindful, balanced, and fulfilling life.

In this episode, host Anshu Bahanda looks toward the ancient practice of Zen Buddhism with two esteemed guests: Professor Ruben L. F. Hábito, a Filipino Zen rōshi of the Sanbō Kyōdan lineage, and Shozan Jack Haubner, a Zen Buddhist priest known for his humorous takes on monastic life, having spent many years in a monastery. Hábito discusses the Zen koan (story) of the monk who carries a woman across the river. After helping her, he continues on his journey, but his fellow monk is troubled, later asking, “Why did you carry that woman?" The first monk replies, "I left her at the river. Are you still carrying her?” This story underscores the essence of Zen presence—letting go of the past to remain steadfastly in the now. Zen Buddhism is a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism that emphasises the value of meditation and intuition. Hábito also explains the core concepts of Zen, focusing on the practice of Zazen, a form of seated meditation, and offers practical advice on how to start practising Zazen.

Jack Haubner shares insights on integrating Zen practices into daily activities. He also discusses the role of humour in Zen practice and how it can be used to cope with life’s challenges. Haubner's anecdotes from monastic life provide a relatable and lighthearted perspective on applying Zen principles in everyday situations.

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for more wellness tips to help you live your best life.

פרקים

1. Intro (00:00:00)

2. Understanding Zen (00:02:03)

3. Being Fully Present (00:03:05)

4. Starting on the path of Zazen (00:06:32)

5. Zen koans explained (00:10:00)

6. Concept of the Zen Garden (00:18:05)

7. Humour in Zen (00:22:20)

8. Recommendation from experts (00:24:14)

9. Outro (00:27:54)