Ayahuasca, Zen, and Your Natural State (Ryushin Marcharj)

In this episode, host Stephan Bodian welcomes Zen teacher Ryushin Marchaj to discuss the intersection of psychedelics, Zen meditation, and nondual awakening. Ryushin shares his personal spiritual trajectory, from childhood insight into the mystery of time and experience to over two decades in intense practice and teaching at Zen Mountain Monastery.The conversation shifts to plant medicine and Ryushin’s more than a dozen years exploring ayahuasca, as he explains that he approaches it not to seek altered states, but to uncover a "non-altered", natural state of consciousness that mirrors the nondual essence of everyday reality. He frames ayahuasca as a radical non-human form of intelligence that demands absolute surrender and dismantles the egoic illusion of a voluntary "letting go" by instead requiring a deep relaxation into the present moment.Ultimately, both teachers emphasize that spiritual realization—whether accessed through the rigorous discipline of Zen koans, deep meditation, or sacred medicines—is fundamentally about reclaiming our innate intimacy with the world to live in service and connection to all beings.