Shows
Hardcore ZenDogen's Meditation InstructionsWhat does "Turn the light around and shine it inward" mean?
2025-07-0421 minHardcore ZenCultivating Non-Attachment to Family & FriendsHow do you do that??
2025-07-0219 minHardcore ZenThe Samadhi of Receiving & Using the SelfA talk I gave in Germany in 2024.
2025-06-2722 minHardcore ZenI-Less AbidingWhat is "I-less abiding," and do you need it in your practice?
2025-06-2421 minHardcore ZenMortality & Death in BuddhismHere's what my teacher said about death in Buddhism.
2025-06-2021 minHardcore ZenWhat 5 Nights in Hospital Taught MeYou can learn a lot from being totally dependent.
2025-06-1722 minHardcore ZenPrimordial IgnoranceA talk from Bonn, Germany on Sept. 13, 2022. Buddhists use the word "ignorance" a lot. But what does "ignorance" mean in the Buddhist context?
2025-06-1319 minHardcore ZenBuddha As a ToiletWhat's the difference between you, your toilet, and the universe?
2025-06-0324 minHardcore ZenThe Zen of GodzillaWhat does Godzilla have to do with Zen?
2025-05-3025 minHardcore ZenAre You Being Seen by Your Zen Teacher?And, if so, is that a good thing?
2025-05-2723 minHardcore ZenDon't Fear FearWhat's the Zen way to overcome overwhelming fear?
2025-05-2321 minHardcore ZenWhat Are You Gonna Do With Your Life?Can you have an aim for the future and still be in the here and now?
2025-05-2018 minHardcore ZenIs Karma Fake??Is cause-and-effect just a scam by Big Karma?
2025-05-1420 minHardcore ZenMother's Day When Your Mom is DeadHow do you celebrate Mother's Day when your mom is gone?
2025-05-1221 minHardcore ZenZen As Self HelpCan we use Zen practice as a self help method?
2025-05-0920 minHardcore ZenDogen's Other ShobogenzoDogen wrote three books called Shobogenzo. Here I take a look at a new edition of one of the other Shobogenzos.
2025-05-0621 minHardcore ZenZen When You're SickHow does Brad do Zen practice when he's sick?
2025-04-2926 minHardcore ZenWork As Zen PracticeHow can work be Zen practice?
2025-04-2326 minHardcore ZenWhat Do We Put Our Faith In?What do Buddhists, who don't believe in God (or at least not the kind of God some people believe in), put our faith in?
2025-04-1619 minHardcore ZenSpiritual By-PassingHow do "meditator influencers" stay blissful all the time?
2025-04-1523 minHardcore ZenThe Ocean of ConsciousnessIs it a Buddhist teaching that we return to the Ocean of Consciousness when we die?
2025-04-1121 minHardcore ZenSpirit in BuddhismIs Buddhism a spiritual religion?
2025-04-1017 minHardcore ZenThe White Lotus - A Buddhist ReviewIs it Buddhist??
2025-04-0827 minHardcore ZenThe Four Noble Truths Are WRONG!For Nishijima Roshi's pamphlet, go to - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qV-F9KoXldRPzmDmpO4H2ZbXPuvmB5Cv/view
2025-04-0421 minHardcore ZenWhat's Even the Point of Enlightenment?Well...what is it?
2025-04-0321 minHardcore ZenThe Power of Now is Wrong!Here's why!
2025-04-0120 minHardcore ZenThe Universe Exists Within the Light of the SelfThat's what Dogen said! Seriously!
2025-03-2737 minHardcore ZenIf Zazen is Enlightenment Why Does Mine Feel Like Crap?Brad finally answers your burning question!
2025-03-2617 minHardcore Zen"I Believe in Reality." - Gudo NishijimaWhat do you believe in?
2025-03-1819 minHardcore ZenAtheism is a Belief SystemHere's why!
2025-03-1715 minHardcore ZenWhy I Can't Stand BuddhistsI'm sorry, but...
2025-03-1227 minHardcore ZenZazen is NOT MeditationSeriously. It's not.
2025-03-1118 minHardcore ZenFrom Birth to Death It's Just Like This!It's my birthday, so here's some Zen stuff about birth.
2025-03-0517 minHardcore ZenCompassion is Like a Hand Reaching for a PillowWhat on Earth does THAT mean???
2025-03-0423 minHardcore ZenZen and the SupernaturalOooohh!! Spoooooky stuff this time!
2025-02-2626 minHardcore ZenCan Science Explain Everything?I doubt it!
2025-02-2422 minHardcore ZenYou Can't Escape KarmaThe coyote when he tried to kill the roadrunner couldn't and neither can you.
2025-02-2124 minHardcore ZenDeveloping Paranormal PowersSomeone asked me how to do this, so I answered!
2025-02-1924 minHardcore ZenZazen is a Lifetime PracticeKeep it up!
2025-02-1418 minHardcore ZenEveryone Wants to Save the World But Nobody Wants to Help Mom With the DishesIt's true!!
2025-02-0714 minHardcore ZenMy Friend Richard PusateriAbout my friend's death and death in general.
2025-02-0524 minHardcore ZenDon't Try to Learn Japanese!It's way too complicated as I shall explain.
2025-02-0431 minHardcore ZenBooks I Like: The Zen Teaching of Huang PoA little talk about a Zen book I like.
2025-01-3119 minHardcore ZenDavid Lynch and Transcendental MeditationIn which I give my uninformed opinion on David Lynch and his involvement in Transcendental Meditation
2025-01-2723 minHardcore ZenI Dedicate This Meal to... Donald Trump???For the next 4 years every meal at every Zen center in the USA will be dedicated to Donald Trump. I'll explain how and why.
2025-01-2223 minHardcore ZenWhat is Buddhism... to MeIn which I fail to answer the question posed in the title.
2025-01-1524 minHardcore ZenBuddhism is a Nerd SubcultureIn which I discuss how some Buddhists are like Star Trek geeks.
2025-01-1028 minHardcore ZenThe Buddhist CommunityMy personal reflections on the role of community (sangha) in Buddhist practice.
2025-01-0820 minHardcore ZenBuddha's Original TeachingsDoes the ancient Pali Canon preserve the actual words of the historical Buddha?
2025-01-0726 minHardcore ZenGhosts and Enlightenment Experiences with Ben GoldmanIn this episode I talk with my nephew Ben Goldman about ghosts and enlightenment experiences. We also get into Scooby Doo.
2023-04-1357 minHardcore ZenGods, Aliens, and Jabberjaw with Ben GoldmanMy nephew Ben Goldman joins me for a wide-ranging discussion about gods and divinity in Buddhism, whether aliens could get enlightened, and how Jabberjaw is a rip-off of Scooby Doo.
2023-03-1555 minHardcore ZenIn The Light - Dogen’s Divine Light Part FiveThe roaring finale of my series on Dogen's essay Komyo (aka Divine Light)! In which everything is explained.. or is it?
2023-03-1142 minHardcore ZenIn The Light: Dogen’s Divine Light Part FourMore commentary on Dogen's essay Komyo (aka Divine Light or Brightness). Also why just hearing this podcast means you've encountered the Buddha himself!
2023-02-171h 00Hardcore ZenIn The Light: Dogen’s Divine Light Part ThreeAnother deep dive into Dogen's essay KOMYO (aka Divine Light). This time with Ziggy the dog barking at birds! Plus more insights about the nature of reality!
2023-02-0358 minHardcore ZenIn The Light- Dogen’s Divine Light Part TwoEpisode Two of my commentary on Dogen's essay KOMYO (Brightness). In this episode I talk about Milk Medicine, the Gospel of John, how consciousness is like a move, and we hear Ziggy the dog bark!
2023-01-2151 minHardcore ZenIn The Light: Dogen’s Divine Light Part One (Re-Upload)Dogen's essay KOMYO is one of his most mystical pieces of writing. This series will examine this fascinating essay in detail.
2023-01-1452 minHardcore ZenWomen and Misogyny in Zen BuddhismOn a recent YouTube video I talked about misogyny in Buddhism and the pro-female ideas Dogen expressed in Shobogenzo. In this talk from March 16, 2016, I go into greater depth about both subjects in front of an audience at a retreat at Mount Baldy Zen Center.
2022-08-1347 minHardcore ZenDogen’s ”Mind Alone is Buddha”This is a talk I gave at the Rochester Zen Center on April 24, 2016 about Dogen and his essay "Mind Alone is Buddha." What the heck did he mean by that? Here's my attempt at answering that question.
2022-06-2458 minHardcore ZenGod is Closer Than Your Jugular VeinHere's a conversation I had with Sufi sheik Ingo Taleb Rashid at Benediktushof Meditation Center in Germany on September 27, 2017. We talk about God and Star Trek and take questions from the audience.
2022-06-141h 01Hardcore ZenPreview of My NEW BOOK! The Other Side of NothingIn this episode I read from the chapter "Who Walked My Dog" from my new book, The Other Side of Nothing: The Zen Ethics of Time, Space, and Being." It's a sneak preview of the book, which is available now, and of the forthcoming audiobook.
2022-05-1641 minHardcore ZenThe Samadhi of Receiving and Using the SelfThis is a lecture I gave in Vienna in 2018 about Dogen's famous essay "The Samadhi of Receiving and Using the Self."
2022-02-041h 06Hardcore ZenThe Grand Canyon and EnlightenmentHere's a talk I gave in Phoenix, Arizona in 2012 about the Grand Canyon and Enlightenment.
2022-01-211h 02Hardcore ZenGood Zazen vs. Bad ZazenIn this Q&A session from 2019 in Finland I talk about what it means to be a Zen teacher and then we get into the subject of "good zazen" vs. "bad zazen."
2022-01-1036 minHardcore ZenNo Self in a Bar in TexasIn 2016 I spoke in a bar in Texas about the concept of "No Self" as expressed in Dogen's most famous essay Genjo Koan (The Realized Universe). Here's the recording!
2021-12-1757 minHardcore ZenThe Heart Sutra and Hitler‘s Golden ElevatorHere's a talk I did in 2015 at Felsentor, a Zen monastery in Switzerland that was established by a dharma heir of Kobun Chino Otogawa Roshi, my first Zen teacher's teacher. It's about the Heart Sutra but I also talk about some other stuff including Hitler's golden elevator. Enjoy!
2021-12-101h 29Hardcore ZenAre We Wasting Our TimeIn today's podcast I ask a group of Germans at a Zen retreat "Are we wasting our time doing this?" I also present a long quote from Kobun Chino Otogawa Roshi, one of the greatest contemporary Zen teachers.
2021-12-0338 minHardcore ZenDid Dogen Believe in Reincarnation and Does It Matter If He Did?Lots of people ask what Zen teaches about life after death. Here is my really long answer!
2021-11-261h 00Hardcore ZenBuddhas Alone Together With Buddhas Part SixThe explosive conclusion of my series of commentaries on Dogen's essay Buddhas Alone Together With Buddhas!
2021-11-1949 minHardcore ZenBuddhas Alone Together With Buddhas Part FiveWhat do Buddhists do when they have a "bad hair day"? Here is Zen Master Dogen's answer! Plus an explanation of the universe as it really is.
2021-11-1239 minHardcore ZenBuddhas Alone Together With Buddhas Part FourPart Four (4! Count 'em!) of my commentary on Dogen's essay Buddhas Alone Together With Buddhas. In this one I say some weird stuff about astrology and astronomy.
2021-11-0544 minHardcore ZenBuddhas Alone Together With Buddhas Part ThreePart Three of my translation and commentary on Dogen's essay Yui Butsu Yo Butsu, aka Buddhas Alone Together With Buddhas.
2021-10-2930 minHardcore ZenBuddhas Alone Together With Buddhas Part TwoPart two of my paraphrase and commentary on Dogen's essay Buddhas Alone Together With Buddhas.
2021-10-2236 minHardcore ZenBuddhas Alone Together With Buddhas Part OneMy paraphrase of Dogen's essay "Buddhas Alone Together With Buddhas" in the style of the Dogen paraphrases I did for my books Don't Be a Jerk and It Came From Beyond Zen.
2021-10-1525 minHardcore ZenBuddhist Ordinations and InstitutionsHere's a talk I gave in Lammi, Finland in 2019 on the subject of Buddhist ordination and Buddhist institutions.
2021-10-0839 minHardcore ZenOne Bright Pearl in FinlandHere's a talk I gave on September 3, 2021 in Lammi, Finland while on my recent European tour. The subject is a koan called One Bright Pearl as well as the teachings of Zen Master Huangpo, who is also known as Obaku.
2021-10-0154 minHardcore ZenHyakujo‘s Fox Part ThreeThe thrilling conclusion of my three-part talk about Hyakujo's Fox at Benediktushof Retreat Center in Germany in September, 2021. The Q&A gets a little funny in this one, but it's sort of interesting too.
2021-09-2146 minHardcore ZenHyakujo‘s Fox Part TwoHere is the second part of my series of lectures about the old Chinese Zen teaching story, Hyakujo's Fox. This talk took place in September, 2021 at the Benediktushof Retreat Center in Germany.
2021-09-1840 minHardcore ZenHyakujo‘s fox Part OneHere is part one of a three part lecture I did at the Benediktushof Retreat Center in Germany. I'm discussing Hyakujo's Fox, a very old Zen famous koan (teaching story). Parts two and three will follow shortly.
2021-09-1545 minHardcore ZenAliens, Socks, and Sweat in FinlandHere's a recording of a discussion I had on September 4, 2021 with the group at my recent retreat in Lammi, Finland. We talked about aliens, socks, and sweat — three vital topics in Zen Buddhism!
2021-09-0551 minHardcore ZenGetting Rid ofWhat Does Not Originally Belong to UsNishijima Roshi said that zazen is getting rid of what doesn't originally belong to us. It's kind of an interesting to say.
2021-08-3115 minHardcore ZenDogen on Buddha Nature Part ThreeHere is the final part of my paraphrase and commentary on Dogen's essay Bussho (Buddha Nature). In this episode, Dogen says, "Grasses, trees, and even land are mind itself. Because they are mind, they are living beings and they have Buddha Nature. The sun, the moon, and the stars are mind itself. Because they are mind, they are living beings and they have Buddha Nature." Pretty interesting stuff!
2021-08-2357 minHardcore ZenHacking Enlightenment?Years ago I made a joke commercial about a machine called The Enlightenizer that gets you enlightened in minutes. Now someone has created the Enlightenizer for real!
2021-08-2013 minHardcore ZenDogen on Buddha Nature Part TwoAt last! Here is part two of my paraphrase and commentary on Dogen's essay "Bussho" or "Buddha Nature." The commentary is far more extensive this time so the episode is twice as long as part one! Dogen discusses the deep meaning of Buddha Nature and I get into some of what I think Dogen means. What is Buddha Nature, anyhow?
2021-08-1658 minHardcore ZenDream (for Franz)The second episode of my series about Buddha Nature isn't ready yet. So I'm putting up the audio from the video tribute I made for my friend Franz Kummer in Germany who passed away a few weeks ago. He was good guy.
2021-08-1317 minHardcore ZenBuddha Nature A Brief SynopsisI'll be back soon with more of my in-depth analysis of Dogen's essay about Buddha Nature. But here's the audio of a brief video I did on the subject. It may serve as a good introduction to the subject.
2021-08-1118 minHardcore ZenDogen on Buddha Nature Part OneThis is part one of my podcast about Dogen's essay Bussho or "Buddha Nature" from Shobogenzo. I paraphrased the essay in the style of my Dogen paraphrases from my books Don't Be a Jerk and It Came From Beyond Zen, then I commented on it. Enjoy!
2021-08-0936 minHardcore ZenWhen Buddhism Goes BadSometimes scary things happen during meditation. Sometimes it can be really, really scary. Let's talk about that.
2021-08-0619 minHardcore ZenAn Experience of EnlightenmentMy reaction to a story about an enlightenment experience.
2021-08-0420 minHardcore ZenThe Tibetan Book of the DeadIt's one of the most popular Buddhist books in the world, but up until a few months ago I had never read it. Now I have. Here are my thoughts about the Tibetan Book of the Dead.
2021-08-0219 minHardcore ZenSome of My Favorite Zen BooksIf you always wondered what my favorite Zen books are, well, here are some of them!
2021-07-3015 minHardcore ZenPolishing a Tile to Make a MirrorZazen is supposed to be a practice without a goal. What does that mean?
2021-07-2816 minHardcore ZenThe King of SamadhisDogen describes zazen as the King of Samadhis. What the heck does that even mean?
2021-07-2617 minHardcore ZenZentertainment with Rylend GrantThis episode was recorded in the pre-pandemic days. But I think we all need a break from that stuff, so here it is. In this episode, I talked to my friend Rylend Grant, a professional Hollywood screenwriter and member of the Angel City Zen Center. Topics range from Zen in the entertainment business, to entertainment in the Zen business, and even a bit about diversity and inclusion in Zen. Enjoy! Or, should I say "Zen-joy?"
2020-03-2545 minHardcore ZenThe Meaning of LifeIn this episode's letter to my dead friend Marky, I try to address the idea of the "meaning of life." You always hear that phrase, "the meaning of life." But what the heck does it mean? What does it mean to say that life has a meaning? What is meaning? What is life? It gets a little weird! But a nice discussion followed and you can hear that in the second half of the podcast.
2020-02-1234 minHardcore ZenZen and the ParanormalThis episode was recorded at Mystic Journeys Bookstore in Venice, California. I love Mystic Journeys Bookstore! But it's not exactly a Zen space. They sell healing crystals, offer psychic readings, and sell books about all sorts of new age topics. Zen, by contrast, is philosophy that emphasizes ordinariness as the way to the truth. Is Zen compatible with belief in the paranormal? That is the question this episode's letter to Marky takes up.
2020-01-1659 minHardcore ZenTime is WeirdIn this episode's letter, I wrote to my dead friend Marky about some of the weirder claims Zen Buddhists sometimes make -- like their occasional claims of experiencing oneness with everything. If some Zen guy has an experience of oneness with the entire universe, shouldn't the rest of us also notice it? I mean, he's become one with us too, presumably. You'd think you'd notice something like that!
2019-12-1646 min
Get Up Nation® ShowGet Up Nation® Podcast Episode 90 Guest: Brad Warner, www.hardcorezen.infoGet Up Nation®! My name is Ben Biddick. I’m the Creator and Host of the Get Up Nation® Show where I help individuals, organizations, and societies develop and sustain resilience. Recently I had the honor and privilege of speaking with Brad Warner. Brad is the author of Letters to a Dead Friend about Zen and numerous other books including It Came from Beyond Zen, Don’t Be a Jerk, and Hardcore Zen. A Soto Zen teacher, he is also a punk bassist, filmmaker, and popular blogger who leads workshops and retreats around the world. His writing has appeared in Lion’s...2019-12-0500 minHardcore ZenThe Heart Sutra in the HeartlandI didn't include a letter to Marky about the Heart Sutra in Letters to a Dead Friend About Zen because I had written a chapter about it in my first book, Hardcore Zen. But the Heart Sutra is probably the most important sutra for Zen Buddhists. So I wrote Marky a letter about the Heart Sutra for this episode and presented it in America's Heartland, Cleveland, Ohio.
2019-11-231h 00Hardcore Zen"Zen Beginnings"Recorded October 12, 2019 in Akron, Ohio. In this episode I write to Marky about how I got started in Zen. This talk was delivered before a group that included a number of people who knew the real people upon whom "Marky" in the book was based. I think the discussion after the letter was one of the best that I've had so far with an audience.
2019-11-121h 01Hardcore ZenBeginner's Mind (aka Shoshin)Recorded in London, England on July 4, 2019, Brad Warner introduces his book Letters to a Dead Friend About Zen. The book is a series of letters to Brad’s childhood friend Marky who died in 2014. Brad wants to tell his friend everything he never said, to explain Zen, “this crazy philosophy and weird meditation practice I do every day.” In this episode Brad read a new letter to Marky (not from the book) on the subject of "Beginner's Mind" in Zen Buddhist practice.
2019-10-2950 min