EPISODE · May 20, 2026 · 1H 40M
The Ego is About Five: A Vow to Meet Suffering with Compassion | Zen Teacher Bussho Lahn
from The Spiritual Context Podcast · host Bishal Karna
Waking up is not a departure from ordinary life but a deeper arrival into it. Rev. Busshō Lahn, a Zen priest and spiritual director, has spent decades practicing this arrival, responding to the infinite welcoming of reality. What he finds there, and what this conversation circles, is that turning toward suffering rather than away from it may be the most honest thing we can offer — to ourselves in meditation and one another in spiritual companionship. Somewhere between Dogen and dogs, kittens and mortality, laughter and silence, a quality of presence slowly comes into focus — the kind that doesn't try to fix what is broken or explain what cannot be explained, but simply stays.That quality has a name. It's what Busshō's name means: wide open wonder. If you've ever sensed that the spiritual life may be less about becoming and more about realizing what is already here, this conversation may feel strangely familiar and paradoxically new. Rev. Busshō Lahn is the guiding teacher of Flying Cloud Zen, a hybrid community offering both in-person and virtual practice opportunities. He is a speaker, retreat leader, spiritual director, and author, and was a Senior Staff Priest at Minnesota Zen Meditation Center for over a decade. He is the author of Singing and Dancing Are the Voice of the Law: A Commentary on Hakuin's “Song of Zazen” (2023).Flying Cloud Zen: https://www.flyingcloudzen.org/Chapters00:00 Zen: Rebellion, Fusion, and the Place Beyond Words06:47 Compassion and Wisdom: How the Transcendent Shows Up in Time15:09 Waking Up in the Dream: Nonduality, Dogen, and the Christian Encounter 23:45Origin Story: A Catholic Brother, a Borrowed Text, and a Long Dance with Zen 32:03First Books on Zen: Katagiri, Thich Nhat Hanh, and the Espresso Shot38:50Primarily a Student: On Identity, Role, and the Danger of Believing the Label51:00Making Meaning: Viktor Frankl, Empty Moments, and the Cat Who Just Eats01:05:53 Wide Open Wonder: Buddha Nature, Animals, and 'You Are That Thing'01:10:38 Zazen, Suffering, and Spiritual Direction: Buddha Shows Up01:25:13 Embracing Suffering with Compassion01:33:15 The Mountain Remains: Li Po, Self-Witnessing, and Part TwoMusic for this episode @BenBigelow3
What this episode covers
Waking up is not a departure from ordinary life but a deeper arrival into it. Rev. Busshō Lahn, a Zen priest and spiritual director, has spent decades practicing this arrival, responding to the infinite welcoming of reality. What he finds there, and what this conversation circles, is that turning toward suffering rather than away from it may be the most honest thing we can offer — to ourselves in meditation and one another in spiritual companionship. Somewhere between Dogen and dogs, kittens and mortality, laughter and silence, a quality of presence slowly comes into focus — the kind that doesn't try to fix what is broken or explain what cannot be explained, but simply stays.That quality has a name. It's what Busshō's name means: wide open wonder. If you've ever sensed that the spiritual life may be less about becoming and more about realizing what is already here, this conversation may feel strangely familiar and paradoxically new. Rev. Busshō Lahn is the guiding teacher of Flying Cloud Zen, a hybrid community offering both in-person and virtual practice opportunities. He is a speaker, retreat leader, spiritual director, and author, and was a Senior Staff Priest at Minnesota Zen Meditation Center for over a decade. He is the author of Singing and Dancing Are the Voice of the Law: A Commentary on Hakuin's “Song of Zazen” (2023).Flying Cloud Zen: https://www.flyingcloudzen.org/Chapters00:00 Zen: Rebellion, Fusion, and the Place Beyond Words06:47 Compassion and Wisdom: How the Transcendent Shows Up in Time15:09 Waking Up in the Dream: Nonduality, Dogen, and the Christian Encounter 23:45Origin Story: A Catholic Brother, a Borrowed Text, and a Long Dance with Zen 32:03First Books on Zen: Katagiri, Thich Nhat Hanh, and the Espresso Shot38:50Primarily a Student: On Identity, Role, and the Danger of Believing the Label51:00Making Meaning: Viktor Frankl, Empty Moments, and the Cat Who Just Eats01:05:53 Wide Open Wonder: Buddha Nature, Animals, and 'You Are That Thing'01:10:38 Zazen, Suffering, and Spiritual Direction: Buddha Shows Up01:25:13 Embracing Suffering with Compassion01:33:15 The Mountain Remains: Li Po, Self-Witnessing, and Part TwoMusic for this episode @BenBigelow3
NOW PLAYING
The Ego is About Five: A Vow to Meet Suffering with Compassion | Zen Teacher Bussho Lahn
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
No similar episodes found.
Similar Podcasts
No similar podcasts found.