Cosmopolitan Zen

Why Are You Here - Engo Michael Jackson - Dharma Talk - October 14, 2024

Engo Dohi MIchael Jackson opens our Fall Practice Period with a discussion of non-duality.  Engo was ordained by Jun Po Roshi and serves as a senior training faculty for programs at Shining Bright Lotus Meditation Society and Dragon Heart Dharma. 

This podcast was originally offered as a dharma talk as part of The Heart of Zen - The Fall Practice Period 2024 at Shining Bright Lotus Meditation Society.

Who Are You? - Kogen Keith Martin-Smith - The Heart of Zen FPP24 - Dharma Talk October 21, 2024

Kogen Keith Martin-Smith offers his personal reflections about Jun Po Roshi's Koan Who Are You?  Author of The Heart of Zen.  Kogen share intimately some of his experience with Jun Po Roshi. 

This podcast was originally offered as a dharma talk as part of The Heart of Zen - The Fall Practice Period 2024 at Shining Bright Lotus Meditation Society.

Emotional Koans 2.0 - Ekai Joel Kreisbeg

Ekai Joel Kreisberg discusses the next step development of Jun Po Roshi's emotional koans.  Bringing in the wisdom of Karlan McLaren's Language of Emotions, Ekai unpacks the eleventh and twelfth koan of Mondo Zen Facilitation, showing how Jun Po Roshi pointed to this work and how much more is possible as we explore new emotional koans. This podcast was originally offered as a dharma talk at Shining Bright Lotus Sacred Ceremony, October 19th, 2024

Part Of Getting The Robe Is To Say I'm Part Of Spreading The Dharma - Nanda Nina Lynch

If you look at it historically, it’s not proselytizing. It’s saying the Dharma has to spread. Nature has to move the seeds, either through the wind or through a bird, picking it up and dropping it somewhere else. The Dharma spreads. So part of getting the robe or the rakasu is to say I'm part of the spreading. So I bring it somewhere else.

- Nanda Nina Lynch

https://www.shiningbrightlotus.org/sblms-blog/nanda

Zazen and Emotional Koans 2024 - Meditation Two

Emotional Koan work is for those interested in taking their practice off the cushion and into our interpersonal world in which our habitual emotional responses offer us insight and access to wisdom and transformation. This is a basic meditation instruction for practice led by Ekai Joel Kreisberg.  This is the second meditation from the Zazen and Emotional Koan retreat recently completed in October, 2024

https://www.shiningbrightlotus.org/events/zazenkaiemotionalkoans24

Zazen and Emotional Koans 2024 - Meditation One

Emotional Koan work is for those interested in taking their practice off the cushion and into our interpersonal world in which our habitual emotional responses offer us insight and access to wisdom and transformation. This is a basic meditation instruction for practice led by Ekai Joel Kreisberg

https://www.shiningbrightlotus.org/events/zazenkaiemotionalkoans24

There's a Buddha Inside of You - Kenshin Cian Whalley

I found out how magic works, manifestation works and how changing the mind and the field around us works. And then looking back at tantric Buddhist tradition, I recognized that the initiatory practices are the path. If you break down all of the facets of the prostration, it really is a magical practice meant to transform your mind into the mind of a Buddha

https://www.shiningbrightlotus.org/sblms-blog/kenshin

We Can Go Deeper With Understanding Emotions - Fugen Tom Pitner Roshi

Fugen Tom Pitner Roshi is a busy man. After 25 years of service to Jun Po Roshi and Hollow Bones Zen, he is leading a six day retreat in South Dakota as the head of Dragon Heart Dharma. The retreat includes a Jukai Ceremony for five new members as well as ordination of the first three priests for Dragon Heart Dharma. Fugen Roshi wears many hats - a professional coach, a teacher, and a leader in the ManKind Project to name a few. I did manage to catch up with him to share how he see’s himself moving forward given his unique role as a Roshi of his own sangha 25 years after beginning with Jun Po Roshi and Hollow Bones Zen.

I Think Everybody Brings Gifts - Engo Michael Jackson

Engo Michael Jackson is one of the few priests ordained by Jun Po Roshi who has experience leading an eight day sesshin in the role of the Tanto - the spiritual leader of the sesshin,. He has mastered all of the retreat roles through his extensive commitment to the Jun Po Roshi’s dharma. He continues to lead through the Virtual Zendo, serve as a primary teacher in the clergy training at Dragon Heart Dharma, and as a board member at Shining Bright Lotus Meditation Society. He continues to raise his two boys in Huntington Beach, CA. I caught up with Engo on zoom a few weeks ago

We Can Provide The Answers To Our Own Dilemmas - Koto Washi Dallas Chief Eagle

Koto Washi is a elder in the Lakota Sioux Tribe living on the Pine RIdge Reservation. He and his wife Becky operate All Nation’s Gathering Center, a non-profit retreat center on their lend in Yellow Bear Canyon, outside of Kyle, SD. Together, they have been hosting our retreats annually since 2022, Koto Washi has taken on several significant roles at SBLMS as a dharma teacher and a member of the Board of Directors. I caught up with him on zoom recently to learn more about him.