Best Lekshe Podcasts (2024)

1
Awakening in Every Moment with Kazuaki Tanahashi 43:17

5h ago43:17

43:17

Kazuaki Tanahashi is an artist, translator, calligrapher, and environmental activist and peaceworker. In his new book, Gardens of Awakening: A Guide to the Aesthetics, History, and Spirituality of Kyoto’s Zen Landscapes, he explores the contemplative art form of Zen gardening and discusses why he believes gardens are an essential instrument of awak…

1
Why Actor Michael O’Keefe Renounced His Buddhist Vows 48:13

17d ago48:13

48:13

Michael O’Keefe is an actor, poet, and lyricist—and he’s also a former Zen priest. In his article in the Spring issue of Tricycle, “The Lost Robe,” he explores what led him to renounce his vows and leave the priesthood. In this episode of Tricycle Talks, Tricycle’s editor-in-chief, James Shaheen, sits down with O’Keefe to discuss his path to ordina…

1
Calling on Our Ancestors with Kaira Jewel Lingo 54:11

24d ago54:11

54:11

When she was just 11 years old, Kaira Jewel Lingo already knew that she wanted to be a nun. Fourteen years later, she ordained in the Plum Village tradition, where she trained closely with her teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, for fifteen years. In her new book, Healing Our Way Home: Black Buddhist Teachings on Ancestors, Joy, and Liberation, which she co-…

1
At the Crossroads of Buddhism and America with Helen Tworkov 46:27

1M ago46:27

46:27

Helen Tworkov grew up in a family of artists where art was considered the religion. Yet from an early age, she sought another kind of religion—one that would address deeper questions of the nature of truth and the self. After traveling throughout Asia and experimenting with a variety of New Age practices, Tworkov eventually arrived at Buddhism—and …

1
Facing Injustice with Joy with Dr. Kamilah Majied 1:00:08

2M ago1:00:08

1:00:08

Dr. Kamilah Majied is a mental health therapist, clinical educator, and consultant on advancing equity and inclusion through contemplative practice. In her new book, Joyfully Just: Black Wisdom and Buddhist Insights for Liberated Living, she draws from Black cultural traditions and the teachings of Nichiren Buddhism to lay out a path to liberation …

1
Practicing When Things are Difficult 23:16

2M ago23:16

23:16

Challenging times can be the best times to practice. Suffering is compelling, so you might find that resting awareness on your experience is easier than when things are going well.By Lama Lekshe

1
Guided Meditation: The Stages of Dying (concise) 14:34

2M ago14:34

14:34

This is a brief guided meditation on the stages of dying or 'bardos.' In Buddhism, the term 'bardo' typically refers to the intermediate state between death and rebirth; though it can refer to any transition. The most well-known and elaborated upon teachings on the bardo come from texts like the Tibetan Book of the Dead (also known as the Bardo Tho…

1
Holding a View, True or Not 16:55

2M ago16:55

16:55

Why would I experiment of holding a view if I am not sure it's true? This experiment can cause you to learn something beyond your current knowing—through direct experience. No belief is required. Just hold a new view, and see how it impacts your thoughts, speech and actions. If you like the effects, continue holding the view. If not, you can always…

1
Common Misconceptions about Tibetan Buddhism 26:42

2M ago26:42

26:42

You know those rumors you heard about Tibetan Buddhism? Listen and see if they are true. Any time we adopt a custom, philosophy or tradition from another culture, we're bound to misinterpret a few things. This talk unravels a few of the veils of misunderstanding surrounding Tibetan Buddhism, shedding light on prevalent misconceptions that often obs…

1
The Seven Branch Prayer 25:20

2M ago25:20

25:20

The mindful recitation of Seven-Branch Prayer, which is often done inside another practice—like Green Tara, for example— epitomizes all the practices of gathering the accumulations as well as the purification of harmful deeds, thoughts, or speech and also of obscurations. All the major points of practice are present in the Seven Branches. Each of t…

1
Transmuting Generational Grief with Jungwon Kim 56:00

2M ago56:00

56:00

In the face of global crises and catastrophes, how can we work with our anger effectively? And how can we channel our grief and rage without becoming consumed by it? These questions are at the core of Jungwon Kim’s practice. Kim is a multidisciplinary communications strategist and advocate who has chronicled frontline environmental and human rights…

1
Pulitzer Prize Finalist Arthur Sze on Translating Loss and Renewal 1:00:36

2M ago1:00:36

1:00:36

Unlike many contemporary American poets, Arthur Sze did not attend a traditional MFA program to learn to write poetry. Instead, he turned to translation to hone his craft. His latest collection, The Silk Dragon II: Translations of Chinese Poetry, compiles fifty years of his translations, illustrating the vitality and versatility of the Chinese poet…

1
Guided Meditation: Tonglen for a World in Conflict 14:29

2M ago14:29

14:29

Step into a space of introspection and compassionate inquiry as you embark on a contemplative journey through the landscape of global conflict. If you are an experienced practitioner of Tonglen, you already understand its profound power to use suffering as a springboard for compassion; to allow fear to be a foundation for courage, and for contempla…

1
Guided Meditation: Tonglen Practice for a Dying or Dead Animal 20:55

2M ago20:55

20:55

As we journey through life, our paths often intertwine with those of animals, who become companions on our journey. Their presence enriches our lives, offering us love, loyalty, and a profound connection to the natural world. In their eyes, we see reflections of ourselves, reminding us that their lives and deaths are no less significant than our ow…

1
Guided Meditation: Counting the Breath Meditation 7:02

2M ago7:02

7:02

Counting the breath meditation involves a deliberate and focused observation of the breath. The practitioner assumes a comfortable posture conducive to alertness and relaxation. With eyes either gently closed or slightly open, attention is drawn inward to the sensation of breathing. As the breath flows naturally, the practitioner directs their awar…

1
Guided Meditation: Stages of the Bardos 26:50

2M ago26:50

26:50

In Tibetan Buddhism, the term "bardo" refers to the intermediate states between death and rebirth. The most well-known bardo is the "Bardo Thodol" or the "Tibetan Book of the Dead," which describes the experiences one goes through during the intermediate state after death. According to Tibetan Buddhist belief, how one navigates these bardos greatly…

1
What is an Unbounded View? 19:47

2M ago19:47

19:47

In Buddhism, the concept of the 'unbounded view' typically refers to the perception of reality that transcends narrow, limited perspectives. It involves seeing the interconnectedness and interdependence of all phenomena, understanding the impermanent and ever-changing nature of existence, and recognizing the absence of inherent self or essence in t…

1
Shall I Practice the Mahayana or the Vajrayana? 30:54

2M ago30:54

30:54

The choice between practicing Mahayana or Vajrayana Buddhism is deeply personal and depends on individual inclinations, aspirations, and circumstances. Mahayana Buddhism emphasizes the cultivation of compassion and the aspiration to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings, while Vajrayana Buddhism offers advanced teachings and p…

1
Tendrel 7:10

2M ago7:10

7:10

In Buddhism, "tendrel" (Tibetan: རྟེན་འབྲེལ་) refers to the concept of interdependence or interconnectedness. It is closely related to the Buddhist principle of dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda), which teaches that all phenomena arise in dependence upon causes and conditions. The term "tendrel" is commonly used in Tibetan Buddhism, where it…

1
Awakening to What We Already Are with Gaylon Ferguson 1:01:09

3M ago1:01:09

1:01:09

Gaylon Ferguson is an acharya, or senior teacher, in the Shambhala International Buddhist community and a faculty member in Religious Studies at Naropa University. In his new book, Welcoming Beginner's Mind: Zen and Tibetan Buddhist Wisdom on Experiencing Our True Nature, he uses the classic Zen oxherding pictures as a way of illustrating the stage…

1
Compassion: What are we afraid of? 27:39

3M ago27:39

27:39

Compassion is the wish that the suffering of others be relieved. It's also the wish that the causes of that suffering be dispelled. When learning compassion practices, people sometimes express fear. What are we afraid of? Vulnerability, fear of boundaries dissolving, fear of overwhelm, inadequacy; there are so many places we could find resistance t…

1
Generosity: Can We Offer Fearlessness to the World? 25:43

3M ago25:43

25:43

In Buddhism, one of the greatest generosities is to remove fear and the causes of fear for other beings. How can we practice generosity by offering fearlessness to others? What does fearlessness look like? To alleviate suffering brought about by fear, to promote safety and security, to empower and liberate others—or at least not to oppress them, is…

1
Speaking of Giraffes and Dharma 17:20

3M ago17:20

17:20

In this episode I am remembering and sharing memories of my own American dharma teacher's teachings and teaching style. Even thinking about it now inspires my practice and my own teaching. He was humble and remarkably simple in his delivery—but years later I realize how much truth was in every sentence. You can listen to some of the teachings he ga…

1
A Call for the Full Ordination of Women with Karma Lekshe Tsomo 55:34

3M ago55:34

55:34

Karma Lekshe Tsomo came to Buddhism because of a typo: years ago, her family name had been mistakenly changed from Zinn to Zenn. When her classmates started teasing her about being a Zen Buddhist, she took to the library to learn more about Buddhism and was instantly sold. After deciding to dedicate her life to Buddhist practice, she ordained as a …

1
Living Between Worlds with Amy Yee 50:04

3M ago50:04

50:04

In March 2008, journalist Amy Yee was assigned to cover a press conference in Dharamsala following the Chinese government’s crackdown on protests throughout Tibet. After an unexpected personal encounter with the Dalai Lama at the conference, she set out to highlight the stories of Tibetans living in exile in Dharamsala and around the world. Her new…

1
A Guide for When Things Don't Go Your Way with Haemin Sunim 50:36

4M ago50:36

50:36

Haemin Sunim is a Korean Zen monk based in Seoul, where he founded the School of Broken Hearts and the Dharma Illumination Zen Center. In his new book, When Things Don't Go Your Way: Zen Wisdom for Difficult Times, he offers a guide to transforming life’s unexpected challenges into opportunities for awakening. In this episode of Life As It Is, Tric…

1
What Makes a Good Life with Seth Segall 56:58

4M ago56:58

56:58

What does it mean to live an ethical life? And how can cultivating wisdom and virtue support us in navigating the crises of today’s world? These questions are at the center of Zen priest and psychologist Seth Segall’s new book, The House We Live In: Virtue, Wisdom, and Pluralism. Drawing from Aristotelian, Confucian, and Buddhist ethical traditions…

1
The Zen Way of Recovery with Laura Burges 56:37

5M ago56:37

56:37

Laura Burges is a lay-entrusted teacher in the Soto Zen tradition, and she has been leading retreats on recovery at the San Francisco Zen Center for over twenty years. In her new book, The Zen Way of Recovery: An Illuminated Path Out of the Darkness of Addiction, she brings together Buddhist wisdom and the teachings of recovery programs to lay out …

1
Revisiting Radical Acceptance with Tara Brach 1:04:36

5M ago1:04:36

1:04:36

It can be so easy to feel like we’re not enough or that we’re somehow insufficient. According to meditation teacher Tara Brach, this feeling of unworthiness is fundamentally a disease of separation, as it alienates us from ourselves and the people around us. For Brach, one way to free ourselves from this trance of unworthiness is the practice of ra…

1
Restoring Dignity at the End of Life with Sunita Puri 1:08:58

6M ago1:08:58

1:08:58

Sunita Puri is a writer, a palliative medicine physician, and an associate professor at the UMass Chan Medical School. In her memoir, That Good Night: Life and Medicine in the Eleventh Hour, she explores her journey of helping patients and families redefine what it means to live and die well in the face of serious illness. In her article in Tricycl…

1
How the First Buddhist Women Became Free 59:39

6M ago59:39

59:39

After the Buddha’s enlightenment, his aunt and adoptive mother, Mahapajapati Gotami, asks him to ordain women and welcome them into his new monastic community. The Buddha declines to fulfill her request. But Mahapajapati Gotami doesn’t give up—accompanied by a large gathering of women, she sets out to ask him again. In her new novel, The Gathering:…

1
Meeting Crisis with Compassion with Oren Jay Sofer 56:13

7M ago56:13

56:13

What is the role of contemplative practice in times of crisis? And how can meditation actually support us in meeting the greatest challenges of our time? Oren Jay Sofer takes up these questions in his new book, Your Heart Was Made for This: Contemplative Practices for Meeting a World in Crisis with Courage, Integrity, and Love. As a meditation teac…

1
Becoming the New Saints with Lama Rod Owens 1:06:06

7M ago1:06:06

1:06:06

Lama Rod Owens is an author, activist, and authorized lama in the Karma Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism. In his new book, The New Saints: From Broken Hearts to Spiritual Warriors, he draws from the bodhisattva tradition to rethink the relationship between social liberation and ultimate freedom, putting forth the notion of the New Saint. In the pro…

1
How to Save Time (By Doing Nothing) with Jenny Odell 52:10

8M ago52:10

52:10

In her first book, How to Do Nothing, writer and artist Jenny Odell examined the power of quiet contemplation in a world where our attention is bought and sold. Now, she takes up the question of how to find space for silence when we feel like we don’t have enough time to spend. In her new book, Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock, Odel…

1
Actor Michael Imperioli on Patience, Practice, and Liberation 45:40

8M ago45:40

45:40

Michael Imperioli has a knack for playing mobsters and villains. Best known for his roles as Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos and Dominic Di Grasso on The White Lotus, the Emmy Award–winning actor has made a career out of exploring addiction and afflictive emotions on screen. Offscreen, though, Imperioli is a committed Buddhist practitioner. …

1
Attending to the Fullness of Life with Ross Gay 46:53

9M ago46:53

46:53

In 2016, poet Ross Gay set out to document a delight each day for a year. After he published The Book of Delights, his friend asked him if he planned to continue his practice. Five years later, he began The Book of (More) Delights, demonstrating that the sources of delight are indeed endless—and that they multiply when attended to and shared. For G…

1
“Don’t Despair of This Falling World” with Jane Hirshfield 57:26

9M ago57:26

57:26

When poet Jane Hirshfield first arrived at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center nearly fifty years ago, a Zen teacher told her that it was a good idea to have a question to practice with. She’s been asking questions ever since. Both in her Zen practice and in her poetry, Hirshfield is guided by questions that resist easy answers, allowing herself to be tr…

1
A Different Kind of Healing with Anthony Back 49:34

10M ago49:34

49:34

As a young oncologist, Anthony Back turned to Buddhism as a practical way of processing the suffering he encountered each day. Over time, his practice has become an essential support to his work in accompanying patients as they navigate illness and death, and it has radically transformed his understanding of what it means to provide care. Back curr…

1
Being Human and a Buddha Too with Anne C. Klein 47:37

10M ago47:37

47:37

When Anne C. Klein (Rigzin Drolma) first read that everyone, including her, was already a buddha, she was so shocked that she put down the book she was reading. Now, as a professor of religious studies at Rice University and a teacher at Dawn Mountain Center for Tibetan Buddhism in Houston, she continues to grapple with the relationship between our…

1
From Despair to Possibility with Rebecca Solnit 1:06:13

11M ago1:06:13

1:06:13

These days, with catastrophe after catastrophe, it can be easy to turn to despair and to believe that there is nothing we can do. But writer Rebecca Solnit is determined to change that narrative. Over the course of her career, Solnit has published twenty-five books on feminism, popular power, social change and insurrection, and hope and catastrophe…

1
Writing in the Bardo with Tenzin Dickie 42:45

11M ago42:45

42:45

When Tenzin Dickie was growing up in exile in India, she didn’t have access to works by Tibetan writers. Now, as an editor and translator, she is working to create and elevate the stories she wished she had had as a young writer. Her new book, "The Penguin Book of Modern Tibetan Essays," offers a comprehensive introduction to modern Tibetan nonfict…

1
Listening Fearlessly with Meredith Monk 49:27

12M ago49:27

49:27

For the past sixty years, composer and interdisciplinary artist Meredith Monk has been expanding the possibilities of the human voice. A pioneer of extended vocal technique and interdisciplinary performance, she has created collaborative performance pieces that stretch the limits of music, inspiring figures from Björk to Merce Cunningham. Her most …

1
When the Baptists Came to Burma with Alex Kaloyanides 50:34

1y ago50:34

50:34

In July 1813, a young American couple from Boston arrived in the Buddhist kingdom of Burma to preach the gospel. Although Burmese Buddhists largely resisted Christian evangelism, members of minority religious communities embraced Baptist teachings and practices, reimagining both Buddhism and Christianity in the process. In her new book, "Baptizing …

1
Casting Indra's Net with Pamela Ayo Yetunde 54:04

1y ago54:04

54:04

Pamela Ayo Yetunde has worked as an activist, lay Buddhist leader, chaplain, pastoral counselor, practical theologian, and teacher. In each of these roles, she has witnessed how our humanity has been distorted and how distraction and delusion keep us from our true purpose of caring for one another. Drawing from Buddhist and Christian teachings on m…

1
Living at the Edge of Chaos with Neil Theise 52:15

1y ago52:15

52:15

Neil Theise is a professor of pathology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine and a practicing Zen Buddhist. For the past twenty years, he has been fascinated by the science of complex systems from the infinitesimal level of quantum foam to the vastness of our entire universe. In his new book, "Notes on Complexity: A Scientific Theory of Connectio…

1
Opening to Freedom with Sharon Salzberg 1:02:27

1y ago1:02:27

1:02:27

A world-renowned meditation teacher, Sharon Salzberg is the founding teacher at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts. In her new book, "Real Life: The Journey from Isolation to Openness and Freedom," she weaves together Buddhist psychology, her own experiences, and insights from a variety of contemplative traditions to examine how…

1
The Magic of Vajrayana with Ken McLeod 46:23

1y ago46:23

46:23

For the past forty years, Ken McLeod has worked as a translator of Tibetan texts, practices, and rituals. With his new book, "The Magic of Vajrayana," McLeod takes a more personal approach, drawing from his own experience to provide readers with a taste of Vajrayana rituals and practices. Through practice instructions, evocative vignettes, and stor…

1
Joy as a Practice of Resistance and Belonging with Ross Gay 43:12

1y ago43:12

43:12

It can be so easy to dismiss joy as frivolous or not serious, especially in times of crisis or despair. But for poet Ross Gay, joy can be a radical and necessary act of resistance and belonging. In his new essay collection, "Inciting Joy," Gay explores the rituals and habits that make joy more available to us, as well as the ways that joy can contr…

1
An Antidote to Despair with Emma Varvaloucas 47:51

1+ y ago47:51

47:51

According to the recently released COVID Response Tracking Study, Americans are the unhappiest they’ve been in fifty years. Between the pandemic, mass shootings, and ongoing environmental catastrophes, it can be easy to feel like we’re always in crisis—and to believe that the world is coming to an end. But journalist Emma Varvaloucas believes that …

1
How Art Can Liberate Our Perception with Charles Johnson 38:03

1+ y ago38:03

38:03

Charles Johnson is a novelist, essayist, screenwriter, professor, philosopher, cartoonist, and martial arts teacher—and he’s also a Tricycle contributing editor. Over the course of his career, he has published ten novels, three cartoon collections, and a number of essay collections that explore Black life in America, often through the lens of Buddh…

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Lekshe Podcasts

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