Practitioner’s Episode 14 - "Zen and Meditation" with Rev. Zenju Earthlyn Manuel

Carving the Divine TV Podcast

Hosted by filmmaker Yujiro Seki, Carving the Divine TV is a series of Q&A sessions with Buddhist scholars and practitioners. These Q&A sessions explore the basic concepts of Buddhism, the history of Buddhism and of course Buddhist sculptures/sculptors (bustuzo/busshi) so that when viewers finally watch the documentary Carving the Divine - Buddhist sculptors of Japan, they will get the maximum value of the documentary.
We've heard the word Zen everywhere in American society. Americans use the word “Zen” a million times more than Japanese, so by this point the word is overused and oversaturated and we don't really even know what it means anymore. As a matter of fact, it is extremely difficult to define Zen because it’s an ultimately embodied practice: in other words, without actually “practicing” it, you will not even begin to understand the benefit of Zen. You cannot just theorize and intellectualize Zen! However, to do the show Zen in Carving the Divine TV, we will do our best to give you an idea of what you are getting into. Yes! We brought the best of the best. We have the legendary Soto Zen priest Rev. Zenju Earthlyn Manuel today! We will discuss Zen for the people who have little or no experience in Zen. But, rest assured! We will start from the basics and then we will go in deep so that even those of you with experience will greatly benefit from the teachings of one the best Zen practitioners in the world!
We will be asking important questions such as:
What does Zen mean to you?
How is the Zen different/unique from other sects of Buddhism?
What kind of expectation do people have when they come to Zen practice?
What is the difference between therapy and dharma?
Is it wrong to look for spirituality in Zen?
What does “Zen is good for nothing” mean?
What are the benefits of Zen?
When do we see the benefit of Zen?
What is the difference between shikantaza and zazen?
"Zen and Meditation" - with Rev. Zenju Earthlyn Manuel #carvingthedivine
What is the right posture of zazen? What the purpose of staring at the wall while sitting? What is the story behind “the white wall”?
How many hours do you expect to meditate if you are a beginner and how many hours do you meditate?
How could zen help to overcome difficult circumstances/situations such as discrimination (racism/sexism/homophobia)?
How can we do simple Zen meditation at home? Or can we do it?
Zenju Earthlyn Manuel, an ordained Zen Buddhist priest, is the author of The Deepest Peace: Contemplations From A Season of Stillness; Sanctuary: A Meditation on Home, Homelessness, and Belonging; and The Way of Tenderness: Awakening Through Race, Sexuality, and Gender. More at zenju.org

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