Zen Teacher Shinsen Troy Couillard: Compassion, Openness, and the Art of Holistic Living

From fear to compassion. From unworthiness to self-acceptance. From searching for answers to living in the question. This arc of Shinsen Troy Couillard's spiritual life is still unfolding to greater depths.After years of seeking in the Jesus Movement, existentialism, Christian mysticism, and both Rinzai and Soto Zen, Shinsen found a home in the silence of zazen. But even that home he holds loosely, not because he is searching for something else, but because he has discovered that openness itself is the Way. Beyond belief, religion, and any “ism,” he remains open to mystery in whatever form it appears in the present moment.In this conversation, Shinsen reflects on a lifetime of practice and shares hard-won insights on:• Why genuine spirituality must challenge our self-perceptions and transform us into more loving people • What "living in the question mark" looks like on the cushion and in daily life • What engaging life with our whole being, what he calls holistic living , actually means in practice • How we can encounter one another beyond our pre-conceived notions and labels • How to tell true compassion from guilt-driven caretaking, and genuine self-care from escapism • How facing death and vulnerability can open us to our shared humanityThe “monastery” is everywhere. The practice is life itself.Rev. Shinsen Troy Couillard teaches and leads retreats at Ryumonji Zen Monastery in Dorchester, Iowa. He began practicing Zen in 1991 and has been affiliated with Ryumonji since 2010. Ordained in 2014 by Taizan Verkuillen and Shoken Winecoff, he received Dharma Transmission from Shoken Winecoff in 2024. Now retired, he spent forty years in education as a classroom teacher, school administrator, and educational assessment professional. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his wife and dog, and delights in time with his two adult children and grandson.To learn more about Ryumonji Zen Monastery: https://ryumonji.org/Contact Shinsen Troy Couillard: [email protected] Intro and Outro Music: Ben Bigelow (https://www.youtube.com/@BenBigelow3)Timestamps00:00 Shinsen: Deep Well04:12 Vow To Live By06:19 From Fear and Fragmentation to Wholeness12:08 Zen Practice is about Opening and Allowing15:56 The Essence of Spirituality18:34 Spiritual Attunement22:45 Letting go of all "isms," including Buddhism29:08 Zazen is seeing the mind with compassion36:32 "Sitting in the Question"41:57 Opening to the Universe45:46 Truly being with reality rather than just wanting tofeel better53:04 Cultivating Awareness Throughout the Day58:58 Integrating Practice into Daily Life: Holistic Living01:10:40 "Do You Deserve to Be Happy?"01:18:46 Insights into Reality : Breaking Open the Mind01:24:35 Not Holding On To Experience, No Matter How Good01:27:40 Connecting with People Beyond Religion01:32:42 Listening from the Heart of the Universe01:36:53 Death Reveals Our Common Humanity01:42:51 Advice for Young Spiritual Seekers01:49:49 Living in the Question Mark