13. On Regrets, Adjusting to Different Cultures, Not-Killing Insects, Failure, Holding Others' Suffering

These are questions and topics that Claude AnShin Thomas - fully ordained Zen Buddhist Monk in the Japanese Soto Zen tradition - reflects on. He reminds the listener of how to stay awake to life and how to understand more deeply the trappings of a deluded mind. This episode was recorded during a weekly zoom session of questions&responses. For more information: https://zaltho.org/ If you want to ask Claude AnShin Thomas a question: [email protected] Want to read up on this topic? Book recommendations: -       Bringing Meditation to Life - 108 Teachings on the Path of Zen Practice (Oakwood Publishing 2021) -       AT HELL'S GATE - A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace (Shambhala Publications 2003) https://zaltho.org/en/media/our-books.html  Zen teacher Claude AnShin Thomas responds inspiringly from Zen practice and his life experiences   These are questions and topics that Claude AnShin Thomas - fully ordained Zen Buddhist Monk in the Japanese Soto Zen tradition - reflects on. He reminds the listener of how to stay awake to life and how to understand more deeply the trappings of a deluded mind. This episode was recorded during a weekly zoom session of questions&responses. For more information: https://zaltho.org/ If you want to ask Claude AnShin Thomas a question: [email protected] Want to read up on this topic? Book recommendations: -       Bringing Meditation to Life - 108 Teachings on the Path of Zen Practice (Oakwood Publishing 2021) -       AT HELL'S GATE - A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace (Shambhala Publications 2003) https://zaltho.org/en/media/our-books.html If you are interested in a specific question, this is the list of  questions that Claude AnShin responded to and the time stamps for those questions so that you can go directly to the topic that is of most interest to you. Questions and Time Stamps:1:12 What do you do when you notice that you got stuck in an a certain pattern that feels uncomfortable, (if you have such and experience)? ****** 2:34 There is a study where dying people were asked what they regret. The number one that was mentioned most often is the regret of not having lived one's own life. How do you relate to that? Or how do you see that spiritually: living one's own life? ****** 3:04 I have gotten a couple emails recently from other groups that are celebrating "Vesak" again? I am curious, is there multiple "Vesak" days? ****** 4:16 Has any of the protests affected your movement or anything you are doing? ****** 5: 15 At the moment when you travel quickly from one place to the next, how long does it take you to arrive there with your whole being or is it that after awhile you haven't really arrived at all the places? ****** 6: 17 How do you work with the "ant street" passing through your kitchen in relationship to the precept of not killing? ****** 7:35 What are you able to share with us about the topic of "failure?" ****** 8:22 If you listen to a number of stories of suffering that people share with you on the same day, what do you do to not carry the sad stories with you around? ****** 9:38 Referring back to KG's question, if everything is an idea, what is there tangible or is there anything? ****** 11:46 In order to understand those two realms (relative and absolute) can science and intellect also be helpful with that or, in general, are they an obstacle? ****** 13:32 Is this something you are currently engaged in, in such a study (in reference to previous response)? ****** 14: 09 How do you explain expanded consciousness or the concept of with LSD? ****** 15:27: A question to KenShin on how your return to the United States has been?