ZalthoLIVE - Claude AnShin Thomas

This recording is from a public talk that Claude AnShin Thomas - fully ordained Zen Buddhist Monk in the Japanese Soto Zen tradition - gave in spring in Switzerland for the German language release of his book Bringing Meditation to Life. He reminds the listener of how to stay awake to life and how to understand more deeply the trappings of a deluded mind.

For more interesting information: https://zaltho.org/

If you want to ask a question: [email protected]

Want to read up on this topic? Book recommendations:

Bringing Meditation to Life - 108 Teachings on the Path of Zen Practice (Oakwood Publishing 2021)

AT HELL'S GATE - A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace (Shambhala Publications 2003)

https://zaltho.org/en/media/our-books.html

These are questions and topics that Claude AnShin Thomas - fully ordained Zen Buddhist Monk in the Japanese Soto Zen tradition - reflects on. He reminds the listener of how to stay awake to life and how to understand more deeply the trappings of a deluded mind.

This episode was recorded during a zoom questions&responses session with a German-speaking audience.

For more interesting information: https://zaltho.org/

If you want to ask a question: [email protected]

Want to read up on this topic? Book recommendations:

Bringing Meditation to Life - 108 Teachings on the Path of Zen Practice (Oakwood Publishing 2021)

AT HELL'S GATE - A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace (Shambhala Publications 2003)

https://zaltho.org/en/media/our-books.html

Questions and Time Stamps:1:30 In which way are your father and your mother present in your life now, if they are present? **** 3:58 During sitting meditation, is it important to consciously slow down my breathing or do I just stay with whatever breathing pattern is natural at that time? **** 5:58 Would you share something about your experience of discipline? **** 8:16 This morning when you gave instructions for sitting meditation you said that it was best to not wear shoes and if it was cold to not wear socks. How come? **** 10:16 When does discipline lead to feeling overwhelmed and tightness? **** 10:50 What your saying is, if I am not enjoying, for instance getting up very early in the morning and getting on with my day and I’d rather be in bed because I don't’ like doing that, that’s not discipline? **** 14:40 When does discipline lead to more serenity and freedom? **** 18:50 In my meditation practice I do experience on certain days I am busy with quite intense feelings which I usually reject internally and am fighting with it, and then I am not succeeding in meditating. What would you say about that? **** 21:08 Do you sometimes experience situations when you keep yourself small? **** 24:03 What are your thoughts on the idea of the value of looking or reflecting on the path? **** 27:24 When bringing little children into the zendo, when does it get to the point where the disturbance gets to big and I need to interact? **** 31:50 There is this saying that every response already exists in us. Do you have any idea how it comes that we are so deluded as humans that we don’t have access to it? **** 34:21 I noticed lately that when I travel I become rigid and uptight. Is the response to that tension just to accept it or should I make an effort to change that and relax? **** 40: 08 (In reference to what was shared in previous question) Why didn’t you just put the eyedrop in your eye?

These are questions and topics that Claude AnShin Thomas - fully ordained Zen Buddhist Monk in the Japanese Soto Zen tradition - reflects on. He reminds the listener of how to stay awake to life and how to understand more deeply the trappings of a deluded mind.

This episode was recorded during a zoom questions&responses session with a German-speaking audience.

For more interesting information: https://zaltho.org/

If you want to ask a question: [email protected]

Want to read up on this topic? Book recommendations:

Bringing Meditation to Life - 108 Teachings on the Path of Zen Practice (Oakwood Publishing 2021)

AT HELL'S GATE - A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace (Shambhala Publications 2003)

https://zaltho.org/en/media/our-books.html

Questions and Time Stamps:

1:18 What is the significance and meaning as well as the difference between sitting to the front and sitting to the back? **** 3:18 From where I am sitting, I am noticing a design stitched into the back of your rakusu and everybody seems to have it who has a rakusu. What is it? **** 4:11 What is most important for civilians to know about military veterans? **** 6: 32 How do you know the point is where the breath comes in without thinking about it? **** 7:40 Does Buddhism and/or you recognize the concept of evil? And, if so, what does it mean in that context for you and Buddhism? **** 10:55 But one has to name things because otherwise the world wouldn’t function either, right? **** 13:25 Does this retreat with veterans feel more familiar than other retreats? **** 16:51 What is this ongoing joke about Bielefeld (city in Germany) existing or not existing? **** 19:06 Talking about the relative and the absolute realm, where, if anywhere, does the ego play in the relative realm? **** 21:44 If there was a death to the sense of self, would I then experience the absolute realm? **** 28:27 My question is if you are either interacting or doing a retreat with police officers, in the relative realm, how would either work with them or encourage them to be non-violent? **** 40:32 How can I use the tools that you give us to throw off this very oppressive and heavy weight of karmic doom? **** 42:42 Do you have an idea how it comes that for example my grandmother with age she now tells things about the war which she hasn’t done before?

What is it like to live as a Zen Buddhist Monk? This and other questions from college students Claude AnShin Thomas - fully ordained Zen Buddhist Monk in the Japanese Soto Zen tradition - reflects on.

This episode was recorded during a zoom questions&responses session with a German-speaking audience.

For more interesting information: https://zaltho.org/

If you want to ask a question: [email protected]

Want to read up on this topic? Book recommendations:

Bringing Meditation to Life - 108 Teachings on the Path of Zen Practice (Oakwood Publishing 2021)

AT HELL'S GATE - A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace (Shambhala Publications 2003)

https://zaltho.org/en/media/books.html

Questions from the students and the professor:

6:26 I’ve read that there are monks who are vegetarian and those who eat meat and I wonder which is true?

8:57 How do you, in Buddhist practice relate to difficult feelings and situations?

12:04 We did a group meditation in class which some remarked was difficult. Do you have any advice for them?

17:49 Are you saying meditation goes beyond the cushion?

21:02 What do you gain from meditation the most?

23:39 If meditation practice is something to continue to do, is there a benefit to practice?

25:39 I am asking about the role of compassion in your teachings and curious about how it influences you?

28:42 Is there any one school of Buddhism that focuses on compassion?

29:48 How has your military experience influenced your understanding of Buddhist practice?

36:08 Buddhist practice has helped you to rejoin the living?

39:27 How do you see a relationship between self-forgiveness and forgiveness of others?

42:30 My parents are Buddhists and eat fish on a specific day. How are you with this?

44:37 You said you feel you have an obligation to work with others when dealing with their (war) experiences. Is that a responsibility due to your Buddhist practice or is that a responsibility due to your experience of war?

49:40 You mentioned Buddhism is about being present and narcotics detaches one from reality. I was wondering about listening to music and if it is something you indulge or avoid?

54:20 Being silent has been difficult, yes?

These are questions and topics that Claude AnShin Thomas - fully ordained Zen Buddhist Monk in the Japanese Soto Zen tradition - reflects on. He reminds the listener of how to stay awake to life and how to understand more deeply the trappings of a deluded mind.

For more interesting information: https://zaltho.org/

If you want to ask a question: [email protected]

Want to read up on this topic? Book recommendations:

Bringing Meditation to Life - 108 Teachings on the Path of Zen Practice (Oakwood Publishing 2021)

AT HELL'S GATE - A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace (Shambhala Publications 2003)

https://zaltho.org/en/media/books.html

Questions/Time Stamps:

1:16 How has your relationship to being on time been, for example before the practice and then coming into the practice ***6:04 Do you remember the first retreat that you facilitated and if so, how did it go? ***8:30 If I have developed certain reactions to similar situations over my lifetime, do you think that this is a trap like conditioning patterns? And that I should behave freshly in every moment? ***11:42 Do I let go of fear or does fear let go of me?*** 13:27 Can you say more about “moral Injury” such as examples or how a person knows that they have one? ***16:22 Would you be willing to share a personal experience about recognizing fear and how your relationship to fear served you ***19:37 Is there something that you especially like to do to recovery yourself or get back your strength after changing time (jet lag)? ***24:51 Do you beat yourself up when you make a mistake or how has your process been? ***27:15 After you finish an event or a lot of traveling do you take a specific amount of time to reflect or let it sink in? ***32:57 How would you finish the sentence, “At the end of my life...?” ***39:28 Do you think of what you might leave behind for your son after death?