Everyday Buddhism: Making Everyday Better
Religion & Spirituality:Buddhism
You're in for a treat in this episode. At least it was a treat for me to have a conversation with Clark Strand. Clark is a former Zen monk, author, Haiku teacher, and communicator of all things spiritual and religious. He has studied and actually practiced within many, many spiritual and religious traditions so he speaks from actual experience.
The focus of today's conversation is on his book, Waking the Buddha: How The Most Dynamic and Empowering Buddhist Movement in History is Changing Our Concept of Religion, but Clark is also the author of Seeds From a Birch Tree: Writing Haiku and the Spiritual Journey, Now Is the Hour of Her Return: Poems In Praise of the Divine Mother Kali, co-author, with Perdita Finn, of The Way of the Rose: The Radical Path of the Divine Feminine Hidden in the Rosary, and many other books on poetry, spirituality, and ecology. He is the co-founder of an international, non-sectarian rosary fellowship with members across the world.
I invited him on the podcast to talk about Nichiren Buddhism, Soka Gakkai, and chanting, in general. It is a subject I haven't covered on this podcast and the timing was sparked by the recent passing of Tina Turner who was a very public Soka Gakkai practitioner.
Although the focus of the conversation began with the Soka Gakkai, it became a fascinating journey to many other areas, due to Clark's wide reach of Clark's spiritual depth.
Among many other things, we talked about the folk traditions within all religions. Or, as Clark said, "there is always a religion within a religion." …
About how the Soka Gakkai became virtually the only ethnically and racially diverse Buddhist organization religion in the world…
About why Clark states that spirituality needs to be about "ecology not theology" and that the reason the thread that runs through his spiritual experience IS ecology and the folk traditions…
And, for fellow Pure Land and Shin practitioners, about how the Pure Land tradition is the only tradition deeply grounded in ecology…
About Haiku…
About the divine feminine, the Divine Mother, and the rosary as a spiritual and NOT a religious practice … and is, essentially, a tantric mantra practice…
About the 12-Steps program…
About chanting and how it gives voice to one's intentions, dreams, or hopes … and is the most ancient form of spiritual practice…
Listen and enjoy the journey...
Everyday Buddhism 70 - Disappearing? Transcending?
Everyday Buddhism 69 - Thoughts on the Loss of My Teacher - Rev. Koyo Kubose
Everyday Buddhism 68 - The Buddha's Wife: Yasodhara and the Buddha with Vanessa Sasson
Everyday Buddhism 67 - Love and the Strength of Our Humanness
Everyday Buddhism 66 - Buddhist Spiritual Friendship as a UU Pastor with Pamela Patton
Everyday Buddhism 65 - Winter Solstice, Bodhi Day, and the Light of the Buddha's Promise
Everyday Buddhism 64 - We Were Made For These Times With Kaira Jewel Lingo
Everyday Buddhism 63 - Halloween: What Scares You? What Masks Do You Wear?
Everyday Buddhism 62 - The Magic Power of Equanimity
Everyday Buddhism 61 - A Skeptic's Path to Enlightenment with Scott Snibbe
Everyday Buddhism 60 - It's All About "Tude" But Not That "Tude"
Everyday Buddhism 59: The 37 Practices of Bodhisattvas with Frank Howard
Everyday Buddhism 58: Allow Joy - Chan Practice for Uncertain Times
Everyday Buddhism 57 - Dharma for Trauma
Everyday Buddhism 56 - Can You Lament And Still Be A Buddhist?
Everyday Buddhism 55 - Introducing Where The Light Meets
Everyday Buddhism 54 - Same Crap, Different Year?
Everyday Buddhism 53 - Lessons for Covid Living From Those With Long-Term Health Challenges
Everyday Buddhism 52 - How To Be Thankful in the Midst of Sadness
Everyday Buddhism 51 - Steady, Calm and Brave with Kimberly Brown
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Hello Heaven Podcast
Tara Brach
The Way Out Is In
Heart Wisdom with Jack Kornfield
Insight Hour with Joseph Goldstein
Tricycle Talks