4. Online Visit With College Students from the School of Visual Arts, NYC, Asian Philosophy Class

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?

56:00 I see Catholicism as male oriented and patriarchal, do you see any oppressive treatment of women in Buddhist practice? 61:02 I have a friend who is a Buddhist nun who complained about her treatment in the US as a woman.