Hardcore Zen
Zen teacher and author Brad Warner, known for books like Hardcore Zen, Letters to a Dead Friend About Zen, Don't Be a Jerk, Sit Down and Shut Up, and others, shares his thoughts on Zen Buddhism and related topics.
Episodes
Faith and Doubt
My first Zen teacher said you need an equal amount of faith and doubt to practice and study Zen.
The Zen of Meat
Should a lay Buddhist work in an industry that sells meat?
Zen Retreats and Deep Meditation
How much zazen is "enough"?
How to Get Results from Meditation
Suffering Never Goes Away But That's All Right
The Dark Side of Mindfulness
Meditation is dangerous!!!
I Am Not This Body
OK. Then what am I???
I Am Not Very "Zen"
The Urban Dictionary defines Zen as being chill and laidback. I am not that! Is that a problem in practicing actual Zen?
Zen & The Four Noble Truths
What does Zen say about the Four Noble Truths?
Why Does Zen Care So Much About Ethics?
I'm not sure I can answer this one. But I tried!
When a Dharma Talk is Not a Dharma Talk
What should you do when you go to a Dharma Talk and they talk about something else instead?
Surgery Report
How did it go? Here's how!
Don't View Big Fish!
Why did Dogen tell people not to view big fish?
Nobody Knows Anything (My Cancer Story)
Well... some people know some things. But, really, nobody knows anything.
Why Does Meditation Take So Long?
How come I can't get instant enlightenment?
The Dalia Lama sez Don't meditate to Feel Better
Is he right???
There Are No Zen Teachers
Then how come there are so many people teaching Zen?
Is Life a Kind of Dream?
Dogen says, “It may be that the state in a dream and the state in waking consciousness are equally real.” Why?
What Are You Gonna Do With Enlightenment?
Maybe it'll make you rich and famous!
The Dharma of Disclosure Day
What would Buddhists think if the truth about aliens were revealed?
Making Effort in Meditation
What sort of effort is required?
Stages of Enlightenment
Can Enlightenment experiences be ranked?
Is ENLIGHTENMENT the Point of Zen?
Do we do zazen in order to have a kensho or "enlightenment experience"?
What is Zazen Supposed to Do?
If Zazen is good for nothing, why do it at all?
The Elimination of Suffering
Is that the goal of Buddhist practice?
Is Zen a Form of Buddhism?
Some say it is, some say it isn't.
Meditation and Pain
... or "Zazen is Annoying"
Don't Criticize Buddhists!
The Precepts say we shouldn't criticize other Buddhists. Why does Dogen do it all the time? Why do I?
Does Everyone Experience Karma the Same Way?
...or is it different for some people?
Sometimes Pain is Bad
Shohaku Okumura has an interesting explanation of Dogen's essay on pain.
Sometimes Pain is Good
Is it really...?
Self and Time
Dogen said that the self arrays itself and looks at itself. What does that mean?
Life is Just Life, Death is Just Death
What more can I say? A lot apparently!
Zen Author David Chadwick 1945-2026
A tribute to my friend and one of the great Zen writers.
My Ketamine Experience
Can drugs make you Enlightened?
Self Power vs. Other Power
What does that even mean??
Science Proves Buddhism! ... Or Does It?
Why am I not all excited by the latest evidence that science proves Buddhism is true?
Blowing Zen?
Is playing the flute the same as doing zazen?
Radical Acceptance: The Only Approach That Makes Sense
Why Doesn't Zen Talk About Loving Kindness?
Buddha never met man he didn't like!
How to Achieve One-Pointed Concentration
Or do you really need to?
Are We LARP-ing Zen?
Is Western Zen just live action role playing?
What If There is ABSOLUTELY No Zen Teacher Nearby?
Like if you're living on a remote island or something.
Why Do You Need a Teacher to Study Buddhism
So you don't become a cult leader! And other reasons...
Should You Study Zen Without a Teacher?
Well... Yes and no...
A Zen View of PLURIBUS
Is the Apple TV series Pluribus about what an Enlightened world would look like?
What do I Think of Robot Zen??!!
Robot and AI generated Zen/Buddhism SUCKS!
What If You Haven't Accomplished Anything?
Are accomplishments all they're cracked up to be?
Working With Koans
What actually is the sound of one hand clapping?
Love in Zen
Why don't Zen people talk more about love?
Forgivenes in Buddhism
Christianity teaches forgiveness. What about Buddhism?
Will Doing Zazen Help Me Understand Buddhism?
How to Avoid Picking & Choosing
It's said that the secret to Buddhist practice is to avoid preferences. How do you do that?
Dogen's Dreams
Are dreams as real as waking reality? Dogen thought so!
Buddhist Intuition
What is it? How does it relate to practice? How can it be recognized? Can it be cultivated?
The Zen Way to Listen to Music (Rest in Peace, Ace)
My unintended tribute to the late Ace Frehley of KISS.
Letting Go of Enlightenment
Why do we always end up right back here?
Just Follow Circumstances
That's what Dogen said! What does it mean?
Finding Enlightenment Within Delusion
Mind is Not Thought
A talk I gave in Hebden Bridge, UK last year.
Your Opinions Don't Matter & Neither Do Mine
Your opinions are not even your own!
Space in Zen Buddhism
How does Zen Buddhism conceive of space?
Expressing a Dream Within a Dream
What does that mean and what does it have to do with Godzilla?
Motivation for Meditation
Should You Teach Zen Before You Master Zen?
The Zen of Optimism
How Zen turned me from a pessimist into an optimist!
Does a Dog Have Buddha Nature?
Even Ziggy?
Dogen's Tears
Dogen cried! It's true! He even said so!
Don't Anticipate and Don't Regret
Nisargadatta Maharaj had some useful advice about free and pain.
Thought Has No Answers
You can think some problems through and get an answer. But more often thought has no solution to your problems.
Is Buddhism Anti-Children?
Is Buddhism a religion that says you should not have kids?
The Power of Prayer
Do Buddhists believe in the power of prayer?
Dogen's Meditation Instructions
What does "Turn the light around and shine it inward" mean?
Cultivating Non-Attachment to Family & Friends
How do you do that??
A Monk Walks Into a Bar...
There's a bar in Tokyo run by Buddhist monks. Is that even allowed??
The Samadhi of Receiving & Using the Self
A talk I gave in Germany in 2024.
I-Less Abiding
What is "I-less abiding," and do you need it in your practice?
Mortality & Death in Buddhism
Here's what my teacher said about death in Buddhism.
What 5 Nights in Hospital Taught Me
You can learn a lot from being totally dependent.
Primordial Ignorance
A talk from Bonn, Germany on Sept. 13, 2022. Buddhists use the word "ignorance" a lot. But what does "ignorance" mean in the Buddhist context?
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