Life Lessons from an Authentic Zen Master - Henry Shukman

Henry Shukman is an English poet, author, and Zen teacher in the Sanbo Zen lineage, known for his award-winning writing and his role as the Spiritual Director of Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Kevin sits down with Henry to discuss the misconceptions surrounding Zen, especially in Western cultures, and the true meaning of Zen as a path of existential training.
They also cover the impact of awakening or enlightenment, the significance of Koans in Zen practice, and the compatibility of Zen with religious traditions.
Pre-Order Henry's new book, "Original Love: The Four Inns on the Path of Awakening" - henryshukman.com/writing/orig...
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0:00 Kevin introduces guest, Henry Shukman to the listeners
3:30 Henry discusses the commercialization of Zen
6:00 Misconceptions and the true essence of Zen
9:00 Question: When and where did koans originate?
16:00 “Whether it's a discovery or the recovery of something long forgotten, in a way it doesn't matter, because it hasn't been present to me. And when it suddenly is. It changes everything. It really changes everything.”
19:00 Koans and how they apply to Zen practice
23:30 Role of meditation in Zen
26:15 Question: What are the common curiosities that people approach you with and what can Zen solve for them?
26:50 “Zen is for revelation. It's sort of exposing us to more dimensions of what life actually is.”
30:15 Henry shares his personal journey into Zen
40:00 The importance of checks and balances when teaching Zen practices
43:30 Question: What do you tell someone in hospice laying there and says: ‘Henry, Where am I going? Or I don’t want to die.’
51:15 Question: How many koans did you have to pass to become a fully accredited Zen master?
53:45 “In a certain way, Zen is absolutely not a religion. It's about changing our hearts and minds.”
56:20 Question: Do you think prayer can be a form of meditation?
59:00 Therapeutic benefits of psychedelics, plant medicine, and meditation to achieve awakening
1:04:25 Henry’s experience with 5-MeO-DMT
1:09:55 Reflections on the transformative power of Zen
1:12:45 Strategies to make a long-lasting practice with meditation
1:16:00 The Way app offers guided meditation training
1:23:50 Download the Way app: www.thewayapp.com/
1:31:00 Perspectives on drinking alcohol
1:37:00 Questioning ancient Zen feats of power
1:41:00 Extreme self-sacrifice and equanimity
1:46:55 Finding infinite happiness.
1:52:30 Closing thoughts
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[@KevinRose]

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Show timestamps below:
0:00 Kevin introduces guest, Henry Shukman to the listeners
3:30 Henry discusses the commercialization of Zen
6:00 Misconceptions and the true essence of Zen
9:00 Question: When and where did koans originate?
16:00 “Whether it's a discovery or the recovery of something long forgotten, in a way it doesn't matter, because it hasn't been present to me. And when it suddenly is. It changes everything. It really changes everything.”
19:00 Koans and how they apply to Zen practice
23:30 Role of meditation in Zen
26:15 Question: What are the common curiosities that people approach you with and what can Zen solve for them?
26:50 “Zen is for revelation. It's sort of exposing us to more dimensions of what life actually is.”
30:15 Henry shares his personal journey into Zen
40:00 The importance of checks and balances when teaching Zen practices
43:30 Question: What do you tell someone in hospice laying there and says: ‘Henry, Where am I going? Or I don’t want to die.’
51:15 Question: How many koans did you have to pass to become a fully accredited Zen master?
53:45 “In a certain way, Zen is absolutely not a religion. It's about changing our hearts and minds.”
56:20 Question: Do you think prayer can be a form of meditation?
59:00 Therapeutic benefits of psychedelics, plant medicine, and meditation to achieve awakening
1:04:25 Henry’s experience with 5-MeO-DMT
1:09:55 Reflections on the transformative power of Zen
1:12:45 Strategies to make a long-lasting practice with meditation
1:16:00 The Way app offers guided meditation training
1:23:50 Download the Way app: www.thewayapp.com/
1:31:00 Perspectives on drinking alcohol
1:37:00 Questioning ancient Zen feats of power
1:41:00 Extreme self-sacrifice and equanimity
1:46:55 Finding infinite happiness.
1:52:30 Closing thoughts

[@RinkuKumari-kv5yn]

Jm 0:07 😂 k ln

[@kamalchavan6790]

0a
Pppll

[@akaramali3778]

Kk😢😊

[@RaytotheY]

An absolutely wonderful episode. So real and deep. Thank you Kevin for this awesome video.

[@blakewillson18]

Really great stuff, awesome to see you back, Kevin.

[@ChrisDeMicco]

Dark Tipper to Zen Tipper. Love it

[@sendrius]

Hey man! I've been rolling with you since the G4 and Diggnation days. Glad to see you have a new (to me) podcast.

[@ThomasAndersonPhD]

43:20 There is a term called "leshavidya" that refers to the lingering remnants of ignorance that are inevitable in an embodied person. Basically, you cannot be "perfected" because you're still human. You've transcended all the illusion, but you still have to (as McKenna put it) know which mouth to put food in at the dinner table so there is still that "leshavidya", that little bit of individuality or "ego" that comes back in normal life. The idea is that doesn't go away, even in a master, until they're dead. It would be "as free as a person can be".

[@markhou]

Bring back Ramzi

[@SajiSNairNair-tu9dk]

👉all energy shift but your mind's 🕵️👈😂were is?

[@luceemmia]

Seriously, what a lot of superficial nonsense. How the hell can u enter the moment ...when else is there?

[@hristuppiteitinu]

In my experience I can be lost in thought and not really paying attention to what there is going on around me, sound, smell, sight, feeling of warmth. After practicing meditation I get much more attuned to my senses and therefor to some extent I'm more present with the here and now. Hope that makes sense 🙏

[@fffabs85]

Over 1hr in and I still have no idea what zen is…

[@MichaelSverdlin]

I'm sure the buddha would really appreciate having another app for meditation, that is truly the way. I'll tell this "master" one thing - his ancestors are ashamed of him choosing to feel bad for Gaza while mentioning nothing of the suffering brought to his own people. Maybe that is the issue with only clapping with one hand, you lose ability to see that the truth has two sides, and is somewhere in the middle.

[@tipplewick]

🐶>🦝