Ep 36. - Poetically torturous or tortuously poetic

No guest, no co-host, no listener questions, and somehow we still end up with a full map of the mind. I’m MyongAhn Sunim flying solo while Dr. Lambert is tied up, so I reach for the most honest material I have: a stack of poems and rants that h...

Bonus Track #8: External and Internal Influences

Your mood might not be “you” as much as it is weather, sleep, hormones, and the stories your mind tells about all of it. We dig into the hidden drives that push us day to day and how seasonal change can amplify everything from motivation to irr...

Ep. 35 - A Question About Questions

A Zen question isn’t a polite request for information. It’s a blade that can cut straight into the habits that keep us stuck.We talk about the role of questions in Zen Buddhism, from the way sutras begin with someone asking the Buddha, ...

Bonus Track #7: Cats of the Mind

Your mind can make a shadow feel like a fact. We start with a deceptively simple rule from a spiritual teacher about driving and turn it into a Zen-sized key for modern life: greet each moment as if it is the first time, before habit tells you ...

Ep. 34 - Relationships - Becoming Each Other’s Friend On The Path

Love isn’t broken when it changes; it’s speaking a new dialect. We open a listener’s letter about long‑term relationships and use a Zen lens to rethink what keeps couples close over time. Instead of treating impermanence as doom, we explore it ...

Ep. 33 - New Year Revolution

What if “new year, new you” is the wrong frame—and what you really need is a revolution against your own autopilot? We open the door with a tour of many new years—solar, lunar, and the 24 seasonal nodes—and show how older cultures tied renewal ...

Ep. 32 - There is no such thing as selfless caregiving

What if “selfless caring” isn’t the ideal we think it is? We return from a short hiatus with a provocative lens on compassion, questioning why so much giving feels like loss and how burnout sneaks in when the mind keeps score. Instead of turnin...

Ep. 31 - Powerless Or Powerful: Rethinking Grief, Prayer, And What Remains

What if impermanence isn’t a reason to detach, but a reason to care more deeply right now? We take a clear-eyed look at grief, loss, and the practice that carries us when ideas don’t. A surprising story at a garbage dump becomes a Zen lesson: r...

Ep. 30 - Practice For The Small Losses So You’re Ready For The Big One

Grief can make the world feel smaller, louder, and strangely unreal. We open that tight space with a clear, compassionate tour of how Zen teachings and modern psychology help us face loss without sliding into nihilism. Rather than treating deat...

Ep. 29 - Dead Buddhas

Missed us? We’re back with fresh momentum, an international precept ceremony under our belt, and a major access upgrade: live Zoom captions so students can follow teachings in their own language. We share how opening our doors wider reshapes pr...

Ep. 28 - From the archives- A recording of a meditation class lecture. Painting the life you want

Ep. 28 - 5 Roots: 5. The silent wisdom within us is already complete.

The journey through wisdom begins where intellect ends. This episode explores the transformation of the five roots in Buddhism into active powers that can fundamentally change how we navigate life's challenges.At its core, wisdom in Zen...

Ep. 27 - 5 Roots - 4. Meditation and Stillness as Your Birthright

What prevents us from accessing the stillness that already resides within us? MyongAhn Sunim tackles this profound question in our continuing exploration of the Five Roots, focusing today on Jong Kun—the root of meditation, stillness, and quiet...

Ep. 26 - 5 Roots: 3. The Fire of Perseverance

What if the determination you're seeking isn't something you need to find but something you already possess? In this third installment of their mini-series on the five roots, Jörgen Sonnen and Dr. Ruben Lambert explore the fascinating concept o...

Ep. 25 - 5 Roots: 2. Wake Up!!!

Have you ever caught yourself in a full-blown adult tantrum over something as trivial as a parking space? That moment of sudden awareness—when you realize you're behaving exactly like the child you just scolded for crying over where to place th...

Ep. 24 - 5 Roots - 1. Turning Belief Into Power

What if the beliefs running your life right now are operating completely outside your awareness, pulling your strings like an invisible puppet master? We dive deep into the ancient Buddhist concept of Ogun - the five hidden roots that shape eve...

Ep. 23 - Finding Happiness Through Understanding Suffering: A Zen Perspective

What happens when we stop viewing Buddhism's focus on suffering as pessimism and instead see it as the path to profound joy? In this illuminating conversation, Milan Sinim and Dr. Ruben Lambert respond to listener feedback questioning Buddhism'...

Ep. 22 - Buddhism's Bad Rap: Debunking the "Suffering Only" Myth

"All Buddhism does is talk about suffering. What a drag." This common misconception reveals a profound misunderstanding of the Buddha's teachings and prevents many from discovering the transformative wisdom at the heart of Buddhist practice.

Ep. 21 - The Raft Gets You There, But Don't Carry It On Your Back

Words fail us at the mountain's peak. That deafening silence—somehow both empty and filled with something profound—defies language yet demands our attention. This paradox sits at the heart of our exploration into Zen's complex relationship with...

Ep. 20 - Freedom's Paradox

What does true freedom really mean? In our milestone 20th episode, we unpack this deceptively complex question, revealing how our understanding of freedom often remains superficial until we achieve liberation from our own mental habits and patt...

Ep. 19 - The Art of Feeling: Zen Perspectives on Numbness and Awareness

What happens when we numb ourselves to life's subtle symphony, constantly seeking louder experiences? This question forms the heart of our exploration into numbness—a concept that emerged from a casual conversation after Sunday service but quic...

Bonus Track #6: Pornographic Birds of the Mind

The statement "everything is created by the mind" might seem deceptively simple, but as explored in this thought-provoking bonus track, it contains profound implications about how we perceive and interact with reality. Drawing from a personal e...

Ep. 18 - Beyond Rage: Finding Clarity in a World of Emotion

What happens when anger fuels our actions? Can something traditionally viewed as poison ever become medicine? These questions form the heart of a profound meditation on emotion, motivation, and clarity.Starting with a thoughtful listene...

Ep. 17 - Deafening Murmur Amidst Silence

What happens when we truly embrace silence? Not just the absence of speech, but a deliberate practice of observing the noise within?In this revealing conversation between Myong-An Sunim and Dr. Ruben Lambert, we journey into the Korean ...

Bonus Track #5: Eye Opening Ceremony Address