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Hardcore Zen

by hardcorezen

Zen teacher/author Brad Warner, author of Hardcore Zen, The Other Side of Nothing, Don't Be a Jerk, Sit Down and Shut Up, and many more books about Zen, shares his thoughts about Zen and other stuff.

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Episodes

  1. Tassajara Stories

    A review of the new book about Tassajara Zen monastery by David Chadwick.

  2. Faith and Doubt

    My first Zen teacher said you need an equal amount of faith and doubt to practice and study Zen.

  3. The Zen of Meat

    Should a lay Buddhist work in an industry that sells meat?

  4. Zen Retreats and Deep Meditation

    How much zazen is "enough"?

  5. How to Get Results from Meditation

  6. Suffering Never Goes Away But That's All Right

  7. The Dark Side of Mindfulness

    Meditation is dangerous!!!

  8. I Am Not This Body

    OK. Then what am I???

  9. I Am Not Very "Zen"

    The Urban Dictionary defines Zen as being chill and laidback. I am not that! Is that a problem in practicing actual Zen?

  10. Zen & The Four Noble Truths

    What does Zen say about the Four Noble Truths?

  11. Why Does Zen Care So Much About Ethics?

    I'm not sure I can answer this one. But I tried!

  12. When a Dharma Talk is Not a Dharma Talk

    What should you do when you go to a Dharma Talk and they talk about something else instead?

  13. Surgery Report

    How did it go? Here's how!

  14. Don't View Big Fish!

    Why did Dogen tell people not to view big fish?

  15. Nobody Knows Anything (My Cancer Story)

    Well... some people know some things. But, really, nobody knows anything.

  16. Why Does Meditation Take So Long?

    How come I can't get instant enlightenment?

  17. The Dalia Lama sez Don't meditate to Feel Better

    Is he right???

  18. There Are No Zen Teachers

    Then how come there are so many people teaching Zen?

  19. Is Life a Kind of Dream?

    Dogen says, “It may be that the state in a dream and the state in waking consciousness are equally real.” Why?

  20. What Are You Gonna Do With Enlightenment?

    Maybe it'll make you rich and famous!

  21. The Dharma of Disclosure Day

    What would Buddhists think if the truth about aliens were revealed?

  22. Making Effort in Meditation

    What sort of effort is required?

  23. Stages of Enlightenment

    Can Enlightenment experiences be ranked?

  24. Is ENLIGHTENMENT the Point of Zen?

    Do we do zazen in order to have a kensho or "enlightenment experience"?

  25. What is Zazen Supposed to Do?

    If Zazen is good for nothing, why do it at all?

  26. The Elimination of Suffering

    Is that the goal of Buddhist practice?

  27. Is Zen a Form of Buddhism?

    Some say it is, some say it isn't.

  28. Meditation and Pain

    ... or "Zazen is Annoying"

  29. Don't Criticize Buddhists!

    The Precepts say we shouldn't criticize other Buddhists. Why does Dogen do it all the time? Why do I?

  30. Does Everyone Experience Karma the Same Way?

    ...or is it different for some people?

  31. Sometimes Pain is Bad

    Shohaku Okumura has an interesting explanation of Dogen's essay on pain.

  32. Sometimes Pain is Good

    Is it really...?

  33. Self and Time

    Dogen said that the self arrays itself and looks at itself. What does that mean?

  34. Life is Just Life, Death is Just Death

    What more can I say? A lot apparently!

  35. Zen Author David Chadwick 1945-2026

    A tribute to my friend and one of the great Zen writers.

  36. My Ketamine Experience

    Can drugs make you Enlightened?

  37. Self Power vs. Other Power

    What does that even mean??

  38. Science Proves Buddhism! ... Or Does It?

    Why am I not all excited by the latest evidence that science proves Buddhism is true?

  39. Blowing Zen?

    Is playing the flute the same as doing zazen?

  40. Radical Acceptance: The Only Approach That Makes Sense

  41. Why Doesn't Zen Talk About Loving Kindness?

    Buddha never met man he didn't like!

  42. How to Achieve One-Pointed Concentration

    Or do you really need to?

  43. Are We LARP-ing Zen?

    Is Western Zen just live action role playing?

  44. What If There is ABSOLUTELY No Zen Teacher Nearby?

    Like if you're living on a remote island or something.

  45. Why Do You Need a Teacher to Study Buddhism

    So you don't become a cult leader! And other reasons...

  46. Should You Study Zen Without a Teacher?

    Well... Yes and no...

  47. A Zen View of PLURIBUS

    Is the Apple TV series Pluribus about what an Enlightened world would look like?

  48. What do I Think of Robot Zen??!!

    Robot and AI generated Zen/Buddhism SUCKS!

  49. What If You Haven't Accomplished Anything?

    Are accomplishments all they're cracked up to be?

  50. Working With Koans

    What actually is the sound of one hand clapping?

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Zen teacher/author Brad Warner, author of Hardcore Zen, The Other Side of Nothing, Don't Be a Jerk, Sit Down and Shut Up, and many more books about Zen, shares his thoughts about Zen and other stuff.

HOSTED BY

hardcorezen

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Hardcore Zen have?

Hardcore Zen currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Hardcore Zen about?

Zen teacher/author Brad Warner, author of Hardcore Zen, The Other Side of Nothing, Don't Be a Jerk, Sit Down and Shut Up, and many more books about Zen, shares his thoughts about Zen and other stuff.

How often does Hardcore Zen release new episodes?

Hardcore Zen has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Hardcore Zen?

You can listen to Hardcore Zen on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Hardcore Zen?

Hardcore Zen is created and hosted by hardcorezen.
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