196 - Death and the Emptiness of Self: What's the Meaning of Life If You've Got No Soul?

FromThe Zen Studies Podcast

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196 - Death and the Emptiness of Self: What's the Meaning of Life If You've Got No Soul?

FromThe Zen Studies Podcast

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Length:

29 minutes

Released:

Feb 27, 2022

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

Do we think there's life after death in Soto Zen? I discuss the Soto Zen perspective on consciousness and whether some kind of consciousness continues after our physical death, and where we find meaning if the self is empty of any inherent essence.

Released:

Feb 27, 2022

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Host Domyo Burk is a Soto Zen priest and teacher. She records episodes specifically for podcast listeners on traditional Zen and Buddhist teachings, practices, and history.

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Zazen (Seated Meditation) Part 1: What Zazen Is and How to Do It: Learn about what zazen is, why it's the central practice of Zen, and how to do it. by The Zen Studies Podcast
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Buddha's Teachings Part 1: The Three Marks and the Teaching of Not-Self (Anatta): From the beginning, the Buddha's teachings featured the Three Characteristics of Existence: anicca (impermanence), dukkha (dissatisfactoriness), and anatta (not-self). This episode introduces the Three Characteristics and then goes into the teaching... by The Zen Studies Podcast
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What Zen “Acceptance” and “Non-Attachment” Really Are: The practices of acceptance and non-attachment are critical to Zen and Buddhist practice, but they are easily misunderstood. It can sound like we're being asked not to care about things, or not to try to change things for the better. Fortunately, this... by The Zen Studies Podcast
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How Does Zen Fit Within the Context of Buddhism as a Whole?: Zen is a type of Buddhism, which is a 2,500-year-old tradition. When and how did Zen arise, and what is unique about it? by The Zen Studies Podcast
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Zazen Part 2: How to Deal with Thinking, Stay Engaged, and Maintain a Practice: If you haven’t already done so, you may want to listen to Zazen (Seated Meditation) Part One: What Zazen Is and How to Do It before this episode. In this episode, I cover how to deal with stimulus-independent thinking during meditation, how to stay... by The Zen Studies Podcast
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Arising of Buddhism Part 1: Historical and Religious Context in India: This is the first episode in my “Buddhist History and Seminal Texts” series. I discuss the historical and religious context for the beginnings of Buddhism in India in the 500s BCE. I give you a brief overview of the history of civilization in... by The Zen Studies Podcast
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Shakyamuni Buddha's Enlightenment: What Did He Realize?: Buddhism began over 2,500 years ago with the spiritual enlightenment of a man named Siddhartha Gautama, who became the "Buddha," or "awakened one." What exactly did the Buddha realize upon his enlightenment? by The Zen Studies Podcast
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Arising of Buddhism Part 2: New Religious Questions and Answers Around 500 BCE: This episode is a continuation of episode 5, which focused on the historical and religious context in India before the Buddha, and how social, economic, and political changes inspired new, alternative religious movements around the time of... by The Zen Studies Podcast
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Sangha: The Joys, Challenges, and Value of Practicing in a Buddhist Community: Is it really necessary to participate in a Sangha, or Buddhist community? What are the benefits, joys, and challenges of doing so? You may be surprised by some of the aspects of Sangha practice I talk about in this episode (it's not all about enjoying... by The Zen Studies Podcast
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To Study Buddhism Is to Study the Self (and Why That’s Not Selfish): Liberation from self-concern is central to all forms of Buddhism, although the methods used to achieve that liberation differ widely. In this episode, I present a classic Zen teaching on not-self: Zen Master Dogen’s statement that “To study... by The Zen Studies Podcast
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Dharma Talk - Beyond Mindfulness: The Radical Practice of Undivided Presence: This episode is a Dharma Talk, where I present my own take on traditional Zen and Buddhist teachings & practices. In this talk I present an alternative to mindfulness practice, because I believe the concept of mindfulness – at least the way... by The Zen Studies Podcast
33 min listen
It-with-a-Capital-I: The Zen Version of God: Zen Buddhism is a non-theistic religious tradition. However, it's not entirely correct to say that there is no God in Zen. While we don’t conceive of, or worship, an omnipotent personification of the Divine, at the heart of our tradition is the... by The Zen Studies Podcast
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What Is "Zen Practice," Anyway?: If you've spent any time in a Zen community, or reading Zen books, you will have encountered the term “practice” countless times. Buddhist teachers throughout the centuries have told us to “practice” diligently. Students of Zen are called... by The Zen Studies Podcast
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35 - Dogen’s Genjokoan: A Verse by Verse Exploration – Part 2: My second episode focused on the famous Zen text “Genjokoan,” written by Japanese Zen master Eihei Dogen in 1233. In this episode I cover "the moon reflected in water" section, and the "to study Buddhism is to study the self" section. (I'm... by The Zen Studies Podcast
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20 - The Heart Sutra Part 2: Line by Line Explanation, Continued: In this episode I complete my line-by-line exploration of the Heart Sutra. I cover what the sutra means when its says "there is no" such-and-such, why it proceeds through such long lists of things that don't exist the way we conceive of them... by The Zen Studies Podcast
43 min listen
29 - Six Realms of Existence Part 1: Introduction and the Heaven Realm: In this episode, part 1 of 3, I explain the Buddhist teaching of the Six Realms of Existence, also known as the Wheel of Life, or the Wheel of Samsara. I share the rich mythology and imagery of this teaching while explaining how it can be a useful... by The Zen Studies Podcast
29 min listen
Life of Shakyamuni Buddha Part 3: First Sermons and Students, and the Early Sangha: In this first of two episodes about the Buddha's 45-year teaching career and the early Buddhist community, I’ll talk about the Buddha’s first sermons, the enlightenment of the first disciples, the first lay students of the Buddha and how lay... by The Zen Studies Podcast
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21 – Sesshin: 24-7 Silent Meditation Retreats: Buddhists all over the world regularly gather for silent meditation retreats with a 24-7 schedule. In this episode I describe a Zen retreat, or sesshin, including what a typical day is like, and the challenges and rewards of maintaining silence and... by The Zen Studies Podcast
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Life of Shakyamuni Buddha Part 2: Spiritual Struggle, Enlightenment, Teaching, and Death: Buddhism began when Siddhartha Gautama experienced a spiritual awakening over 2,500 years ago in India, and became an “awakened one,” or Buddha. Over the course of two episodes, I tell the story of the Buddha’s life from birth to death, while... by The Zen Studies Podcast
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Life of Shakyamuni Buddha Part 1: Source Texts, and Birth Through Homeleaving: Buddhism began when Siddhartha Gautama experienced a spiritual awakening over 2,500 years ago in India, and became an “awakened one,” or Buddha. Over the course of two episodes, I tell the story of the Buddha’s life from birth to death, while... by The Zen Studies Podcast
36 min listen
October Break Message: Hello! I didn't produce an episode for you this week because I'm spending time with my parents - they live in Minnesota but are here in Oregon on their annual visit. I'll release a new episode next Thursday, Oct. 19th. Thanks for listening! by The Zen Studies Podcast
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18 - Zen Forms (Customs and Rituals) and Why They Matter: In traditional Zen practice, we have a lot of what we call “forms.” Forms are the established ways we enact our practice with our bodies… including the ways we move in the meditation hall, sit in the meditation posture, place our shoes outside... by The Zen Studies Podcast
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23 - How Buddhists Should Behave: Evolution of the Buddhist Precepts Part 2: I continue with the story of the Theravadin precepts - particularly how the Vinaya has affected the ordination of monks and nuns, and how lay people participate in precept practice. Then we move on to China, and I talk about how the Chinese dealt with... by The Zen Studies Podcast
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22 - How Buddhists Should Behave: Evolution of the Buddhist Precepts Part 1: Many people are unaware that, from the beginning, Buddhism has said as much about how you should behave in your daily life as it does about meditation or study. In this episode, I cover the first Buddhist teachings about moral conduct, and then talk... by The Zen Studies Podcast
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37 - Dogen’s Genjokoan Part 3: Seeking, Self, and the Matter of Life-and-Death: In part 3 of my series on the famous Zen text called “Genjokoan,” written in 1233 by Japanese Zen master Eihei Dogen, I discuss the sections about seeking the Dharma, riding in a boat (recognizing self-nature is impermanent), and firewood and ash... by The Zen Studies Podcast
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31 - Six Realms of Existence Part 3: Hungry Ghost and Human Realms: In this third episode of a 3-part series on the Buddhist teaching of the Six Realms of Existence, I describe the Hungry Ghost and Human Realms. I continue offering a traditional, mythological account of the realms, followed by a section about how to... by The Zen Studies Podcast
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Labor Day Message: I won't be releasing a new episode today, in honor of Labor Day weekend. I will release one next week! Take care, Domyo by The Zen Studies Podcast
1 min listen
19 - The Heart Sutra Part 1: Introduction to the Most Common Mahayana Text: The Heart Sutra is probably the best-known Buddhist text in the world. It's less than 250 words long and considered to present the essence of Mahayana Buddhism. However, its meaning – and its attraction to Buddhists – may not be immediately... by The Zen Studies Podcast
35 min listen

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268 - Teisho, An Encouragement Talk During Zazen: Last week I led a , or silent Zen retreat. Participants participated in a 24-hour schedule of zazen, chanting, silent work, formal meals, and rest. Once or twice a day, I offered a "teisho" during zazen. "Tei" means to offer or put forth, and "sho"... by The Zen Studies Podcast
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267 - Ten Fields of Zen Practice Chp 4 - Mindfulness: Cultivating Awareness Every Moment: The third Field of Zen practice is Mindfulness, which is cultivating clear awareness of what is happening, moment by moment, within you and around you. Mindfulness is absolutely fundamental to Zen practice, allowing you to practice within all the... by The Zen Studies Podcast
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196 - Death and the Emptiness of Self: What's the Meaning of Life If You've Got No Soul?

196 - Death and the Emptiness of Self: What's the Meaning of Life If You've Got No Soul?

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