David Jitsusan Vititoe has been practicing Zen since 2005 and received Dharma Transmission from Fusho Roshi in 2019. Dave is a Lay Monk in the Open Mind Zen school and is a current member of the Lay Zen Teacher’s Association.   He currently lives in Melbourne, Florida. More about David and Open Mind Zen: - https://openmindzenmelbourne.com/ More about the Simplicity Zen Podcast: - https://simplicityzen.com/

A high-level look at how and why the brain creates a sense of self-identity and how this relates to the Buddhist concept of the five aggregates.  We also explore why having a self-identity can lead to pervasive human discontentment. For more on the Simplicity Zen Podcast: - https://simplicityzen.com/

Marc Lesser is a Soto Zen priest and head teacher of Mill Valley Zen in Marin County California. He was a resident of the San Francisco Zen Center for 10 years including director of Tassajara Zen Mountain Center.   He received dharma transmission in the Shunryū Suzuki lineage by Dairyu Michael Wenger. Marc is a speaker, facilitator, workshop leader, and executive coach. He is the author of four books, including "Seven Practices of a Mindful Leader: Lessons from Google". His newest book that...

Zen, Martial Arts, Budo and Shugyo - An interview with Rinzai Zen Practitioner Jim Tabor Jim Tabor is longtime Rinzai Zen practitioner and a founding board member of the Korinji Rinzai Zen monastery Foundation. He is one of the moderators of the Rinzai Zen Discussion group on Facebook.  In addition to Zen training, Jim has been a practitioner of classical Japanese martial arts for the past 30 years including Aikido and Iaido.  He currently holds the rank of Sandan (3rd degree black belt) in...

Ruben Habito Roshi is the founding teacher of the Maria Kan-non Zen Center. He is a former Jesuit priest and now a Zen teacher practicing in the Sanbo Zen lineage which was founded by Yaustani Roshi in Japan.   He received Dharma transmission from Yamada Koun in 1988. He is a faculty member at Southern Methodists University Perkins School of Theology where he teaches World Religions and Spirituality, and directs the Spiritual Formation Program. More about Ruben and Maria Kannon Zen...

Dr. Jud Brewer, a practicing Buddhist, is the director of mindfulness research as well as a professor at Brown University.  Additionally, he is the executive medical director of behavioral health at a digital healthcare company called Sharecare.  He has published numerous scientific studies as well as two books.  Those books are the Craving Mind and Unwinding Anxiety.  In this episode, we explore various topics relating to the relationship between Buddhist practice and neuroscience. More...

Corey Hess is a longtime Rinzai Zen practitioner who studied with renowned Zen master Shodo Harada Roshi in Japan.  He maintains the Zen Embodiment website, The Energy Collective practice group and the Internal Process with Corey Hess Facegroup.  Corey joins us for a second time and this episode we discuss non-directed body movement, Qigong, energy work and internal processes. We look at them individually and their relationship to traditional Zen practice....

A podcast interview with Soto Zen priest and teacher Christopher Gendo JinKan Powers Christopher Gendo JinKan Powers. He is a dharma transmitted priest in the Cohen, Nishijima, Niwa Soto lineage. He is a disabled veteran who has been practicing meditation since 1994. He has engaged in his Zen practice while facing cancer and a heart condition for which he receives regular medical treatment. He is working with the Monastery of Open Doors to help develop training for Soto Zen practitioners who...

Doug Kraft is a Buddhist teacher, Counselor, author and ordained Unitarian Universalist minister. He has a Masters in Divinity from Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley. His most recent book is "Resting in the Waves". In this podcast episode we discuss  his practice journey and explore  various topics pertaining to what science tells us about Buddhist practice.    More about Doug: https://easingawake.com More about Simplicity Zen Podcast: https://simplicityzen.com/

Gregory Wonderwheel is a prolific translator of Buddhist scriptures and an apprentice Zen teacher under Daniel Terragno at the Rocks and Clouds Zendo in Sebastopol, California.  https://wonderwheels.blogspot.com/ Simplicity Zen Podcast: https://simplicityzen.com/

Tony Wallin-Sato is a Zen practitioner, author, poet, program director for Project Rebound (a program to help formally incarcerated individuals succeed in the CSU system) and a board member of the Boundless Freedom Project (an organization that brings Dharma and mindfulness to incarcerated individuals).  Tony generously shares his inspirational story of overcoming drug addiction and imprisonment and how Buddhist practice contributed to that journey. https://www.boundlessfreedom.org/ Zen...

An interview with Rinzai priest and Zen teacher Sozui Schubert. Sozui Schubert is the teacher at Hidden Valley Zen Center in San Marcos California.  She was ordained by legendary Zen Mater Shodo Harada Roshi and studied with him for decades at Sogen-ji, his monastery in Okayama, Japan.  At the instructions of of her teacher, she has helped establish practice communities Hungary, Germany, Latvia, Italy, and Russia.  She will be among the first to officially inherit Harada Roshi lineage in...

Rafe Jnan Martin began Zen practice in 1970 and is a lay transmitted koan teacher who received Inka from Danan Henry Roshi in 2012.  In 2016 Rafe received Full Dharma Transmission as an independent teacher and Dharma Heir of Danan Henry Roshi. He has been a student of various teachers in the Harada/Yasutani line including  Danan Henry Roshi, Philip Kapleau Roshi and Robert Aitken Roshi. Rafe is the founder and head teacher of the Endless Path Zendo in Rochester New York. Rafe also has a...

An interview discussion that explores the science of Zen. Neil Schmitzer-Torbert is a Professor of  Psychology at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, IN where he teaches courses and conducts research on memory and learning.  He is a Zen practitioner and runs a website called the "Neural Buddhist" which explores the intersection of Zen and neuroscience. https://neuralbuddhist.com/ https://scienceofzen.org/ Zen Podcast: https://simplicityzen.com/

Heather Shoren Iarusso is currently the director and head of practice for San Francisco Zen Center’s online practice center.  She moved to Tassajara in 2008 where she lived for a total of seven years while completing twelve, 90-day practice periods.  At Tassajara she served such roles as Ino (head of the meditation hall), Tenzo (Head Cook), Shika (Guest Manager), and the Shuso (Head Student). Heather was ordained as a Zen Priest in October 2015 by Teah Strozer, who served as the guiding...

Mark Doyu Albin was a longtime student of the legendary Rinzai Zen Master Shodo Harada Roshi in Japan.  After a long period of monastic Zen practice he is now practicing as a shiatsu therapist, meditation guide, mentor, and translator. Mark lives in Southern Germany. https://www.markalbin.com/en/ https://simplicityzen.com/

Note:  Sorry about Jiryu's sound being a bit muddy.  I have improved it as much as I can. Jiryu Rutschman-Byler is a Soto Zen Buddhist priest and teacher in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, with dharma transmission from Sojun Mel Weitsman.   He lives and teaches at Green Gulch Farm Zen Center, where he served as Tanto (Head of Practice) and is slated to become abbot of the temple next year.  He also has led sanghas in Columbia and San Quinton State Prison. Jiryu has trained in Zen...

Tim Ryuko Langdell is a board-certified hospice chaplain and is both the head priest and guiding teacher at the StillCenter Zen Center in Pasadena, California.His dharma name, Ryuko, means “Dragon Tiger.”  He holds an Master of Divinity from Claremont School of Theology and a Ph.D. in Psychology from University College London.  He is an author of several books, including “Beginner’s Mind: An Introduction to Zen Buddhism,” and “Christ Way, Buddha Way: Jesus as Wisdom Teacher and a Zen...

Mary Mocine is the founder of and head priest at Clear Water Zendo in Vallejo California.  She was priest ordained by Sojun Mel Weitsman in 1994, was Shuso (or head student) at Tassajara monastery in 1998 and received Dharma Transmission in 2005.  She practiced professionally as a lawyer and has offered mindfulness retreats at Tassajara and at Spirit Rock for attorneys. She has also led a dharma support group for lawyers for many years. More about Mary: - https://clearwaterzen.org/ About...

Here is the same Guogu Interview but with the audio fixed.  The volumes between me and Guogu have been normalized by a software transform.  If you tried listening before but the volume changes were too distracting, please give this a try.

Yujiro Seki is the director, cinematographer and editor of the upcoming documentary titled “Carving the Divine - Buddhist Sculptors of Japan” which explores the ancient practice of wood carving Buddhist statues in Japan called Busshi. Today Yujiro is launching a crowdfunding campaign to fund the release of this film to the general public.  I was able to watch a early viewing of this documentary and was very impressed.  It shows a side of traditional Japanese apprenticeship training that is...

Guogu is a Chan teacher, author, and Buddhist scholar. He is the founder and teacher of the Tallahassee Chan Center.  He is a professor of Religion at Florida State Univeristy.  He received inka from legendary Chan teacher Sheng yen. More on Guogu and the Tallahassee Chan Center: - https://tallahasseechan.org/ - https://guogulaoshi.com/ More on Simplicity Zen Podcast: - https://simplicityzen.com/

Deborah Eden Tull is the founder of Mindful Living Revolution.  She is a Zen meditation and engaged dharma teacher, public speaker, author, and sustainability educator.  She trained for seven and a half years as a Buddhist monk at a silent Zen monastery and has taught engaged dharma for over 20 years.   She is an author of multiple books with her most recent being “Luminous Darkness: An Engaged Buddhist Approach to Embracing the Unknown” https://www.deborahedentull.com/ Simplicity Zen...

Shaku Kojyu is the abbot of the Daishu-in West Rinzai Zen temple in rural Northern California.  He came to Daishu-in West in 2007 and was ordained in Kyoto the following spring.  He practiced traditional Rinzai Zen at the training halls in Daitoku-ji and Kosho-ji for ten years before returning to America. More about Shaku: - https://daishuinwest.org/ More about the Simplicity Zen Podcast: - https://simplicityzen.com/

Taiun Michael Elliston began practicing Zen in 1966 With Matsuoka-Roshi at the Chicago Zen Buddhist Temple.  He was ordained as a Zen priest in 1970 by Matsuoka-Roshi and in 1983 received full Dharma transmission.  Has also studied with Sayrin Barbara Kohn of the Austin Zen Center and Shohaku Okumura of the Sanshin Zen Community.  He is the founder and current about of Atlanta Soto Zen Center. More about Atlanta Zen Center: - https://www.aszc.org/ More about Simplicity Zen Podcast: -...