Angel City Zen Center - Beginners Only Podcast

Emma Roy - Rituals and Playing With Fire

"Be careful what you say out loud, and make it good." Emma and the sangha discuss rituals - what are they really and why do we do them? Is it superstition, is it magic, a way to mark a moment, or is it just something nice to do with your friends on a saturday afternoon? Do they actually hold meaning or are they how we make meaning? What's the line between a lucky pair of socks and a fascist rally? Join us in a discussion on the power and pitfalls of religion and community!

Emily Eslami - Nothing is Sacred, Nothing is Mundane

“Everything is sacred, I believe nothing. Nothing is sacred, I believe in everything” - Tom Robbins It’s hard to say what this podcast is about since the topic of Emily’s talk was explicitly nothing special. All I know is that when I listened to it, I felt moved, both to sit zazen and to appreciate today for just what it is. She explores how not let the good days over charm you and not let the boring days discourage you, and how the mundaneness of zazen becomes the best part of the day if only we can remember to stop thinking in those terms. The sangha discusses what to look forward to after a wedding, whether mexican food is really just one dish, and how much we’ll all miss lukewarm coffee when we’re gone. Again, I’m not exactly sure what it’s about, like I’m not sure what any of this is about, but it’s a convincing exhortation to practice and a reminder of what really matters in the end, which is to say nothing and everything at the same time.

Dave Cuomo - History of Zen pt 1

Dave attempts to trace the history of Zen from its Indian roots up to our present day Zen center. Part 1 is an exploration of pre-Buddhist Brahmanism, and the sangha discusses what to do when you're cultural narrative no longer fits the world as you find it.

Nina Snow - Love and Attachment

We often don't talk about love in Zen, sticking to more monkly sounding terms like "compassion" or "loving kindness" but Nina is not one to shy away from the big topics. She opens her new series this week exploring the difference between love and attachment with a reading from Brad's Sex, Sin, and Zen, and opening up about her own experiences while the sangha discusses how to let go while keeping what truly matters close. Do we have to abandon our loved ones and run off to the forest to find enlightenment? Does non attachment mean we can't love our families?? (spoiler: no you don't and no it doesn't...)

Craig French - The Vine That Connects Everything

Craig discusses the universal self; what that means, how to act when there is no ultimate purpose, and how to engage in conflict and be with yourself and others in the big universal self.

Emma Roy - Reality Is It's Own Reward

What's so great about the present moment? Emma and the sangha discuss the myth of spiritual progress, why seeking satisfaction is an inherently unsatisfying endeavor, and what the fruits of a goalless practice really are.

Emily Eslami - Buddhism and the City

Erik Andersen - Happiness

Drawing on research from positive psychology and a reading from Huangbo, Erik Andersen talks happiness; what it is, how to get it, and why it's really not the point so don't worry about it.

Dave Cuomo - Fundamental Self Worth

Nina Snow - Small Batch Artisan Mindfulness