Living Zen Podcast

In this episode of Living Zen, Eshū reflects on two guiding phrases: the Zen teaching “To study the self is to forget the self…” and the Gàidhlig seanfhacal “Cuimhnich air na daoine às an tàinig thu” — remember the people you came from. As he returns to regular practice at Zenwest, Eshū speaks candidly about the pitfalls of spiritual bypassing, the power of ritual technologies like zazen and chanting, and the importance of community as a container for awakening. He explores how our practice is rooted not in escaping the past, but in embracing it — recognizing that our lives, our questions, and even our suffering arise from deep interwoven relationships, both ancestral and present. This talk invites us to turn toward our conditioning with compassion, to see practice as relational, and to remember those who brought us here — not just in blood, but in all the “selves” that shaped us along the way.   Resources mentioned in this episode: Free Orientation to Zen course: zenwest.ca Support Eshū’s work and access

This week there’s no Dharma talk from the Zendo — UVic was cleaning the carpets on Sunday, so our usual sit was cancelled. But I didn’t want to leave the Sangha hungry. Instead, I’m sharing this reflection on how Zen was “de-animated” when it came west — and how we might begin to re-animate it, in relationship with land, ancestors, and the many seen and unseen beings who share our world. It’s not doctrine; it’s just some thoughts I found worth writing down. May they serve you in some way. If this resonates (or even troubles you), I’d love to hear how. Zen has always been about companionship on the Way. Zenwest Buddhist Society: www.zenwest.ca — a living Zen community on Vancouver Island Monarch Trancework: monarchtrancework.com — for Zen orientation, mentorship, and integration work Support this work on Patreon: patreon.com/redmountainway

In this episode, we explore the long arc of practice — how insight and awakening might come suddenly, but true transformation takes slow, organic time. Like digestion or composting, it can’t be rushed. We reflect on moments of birth and death, on coming back to practice after seasons away, and on learning to pace ourselves at the endless feast of awakening. Whether you’re tasting your first bites or returning after time away, the Buddha’s buffet is always open. It’s good to be here together. I’m Eshū, Abbot of Zenwest Buddhist Society, where we make Zen come alive in contemporary community. At Zenwest we offer a fully online Free Orientation to Zen program here https://app.kit.com/landing_pages/77458?v=7  If you’d like support building a foundation for practice, I offer one-on-one Orientation to Zen Support here: https://monarchtrancework.com/orientation-to-zen-support For deeper mentoring and one-on-one guidance, you’ll find my Zen Mentorship & Training program here: https://monarchtrancework.com/zen-men

In this talk, I explore how practice invites us to return again and again — to breath, posture, intention — dissolving fear and self-criticism, and opening to the quiet miracle of simply being here. When we give ourselves fully to this moment — to a bow, a breath, a meal, a conversation — life itself becomes the miraculous medicine this world so deeply needs. Thank you for listening, and for walking this path alongside me. • Support this work & get early access as a Patron: patreon.com/redmountainway • Free Orientation to Zen program: zenwest.ca • Orientation to Zen Support with Eshū: https://monarchtrancework.com/orientation-to-zen-support  • Zen Mentorship & Training with Eshū:  https://monarchtrancework.com/zen-mentorship-training With gratitude, Eshū

“The Dharma is being preached in everything." This Dharma talk, offered just after summer solstice, reflects on the rhythms of breath, season, and spirit. It explores the natural arising and dissolving that moves through our practice, our emotions, and our path — and invites us to rest in the still point between. Recorded in the Zenwest zendo and shared here on Living Zen – Red Mountain Way. Support this work and access more teachings at The Red Mountain Way on Patreon. If this offering supports you, please consider leaving a rating or review on your podcast platform. It really helps others find the path. Thanks for listening!    

This episode is a quiet invitation to long-time listeners and new friends alike. After years of practice, storytelling, and podcasting, Eshū speaks directly to those who’ve walked this path with him—often at a distance—and shares the next steps in the journey, including a return to leadership at Zenwest and the weaving of many streams through Red Mountain Way. Join the Sangha. Join the kinship. The path is wide enough for all of us. ➤ Become a member of Zenwest: zenwest.ca/join-zenwest ➤ Support Red Mountain Way: patreon.com/redmountainway  

This short preparatory session offers a gentle introduction to the themes and intentions behind Rewriting Money Stories, part of the Thought Pattern Trancework series.   You’ll be guided through a few minutes of grounded presence, some light reflection on your current money narratives, and an orientation to the deeper trancework session available through Patreon or the Monarch Trancework website.   This episode includes:   A brief induction and settling An overview of the subconscious themes addressed Suggestions for how and when to listen to the full trance session A quiet close, perfect for listening before engaging the full work       Show Notes This is a prep session — not the full trancework experience. Best experienced with headphones in a quiet space. The full 21-minute trance session is available to members on Patreon or for purchase at Monarch Trancework.   Listen to the full session at: https://monarchtrancework.com   Or support and access all sessions via Patreon: https://patreon.com/red

After a long hiatus, I’m returning to regular teaching in the Zendo with Zenwest — and inviting you to join me on a new path of practice and connection through my Patreon, The Red Mountain Way. Support the work: https://www.patreon.com/redmountainway Thank you for walking this path together.

Almost everyone, at some point, runs into challenges, obstacles, or problems in their family, work, or intimate personal relationships - that at their root, involve issues around boundaries. Today’s session will provide you with the framework you need to be ready to start clarifying, expressing, and maintaining healthy boundaries! This preparation session will give you the framework to go forward with the active Trancework session, called “Healthy Boundaries” which I’ll be posting on the podcast later this week. You can download the mp3 of this session here. Find out more at www.monarchtrancework.com

Today I’ll be sharing the preparation session for the next installment of the Thought Process Trancework Series which I’ve called “A Question of Control”, in which you’ll learn about how subconscious patterns that begin as natural survival responses become rigid, and overly-general rules that begin to be universally applied in our daily experiences, and can cause our lives to become increasingly smaller, and more anxious. I’m going to offer some understanding about two simple but serious errors that we can make in our thought processes that lead us to feel increasingly out of control, and gain insight into a new approach through which you can transform your thinking, behaviour, and as a result - your life - in incredible, and much more enjoyable ways! This session, and many others are also available to download, for FREE from the downloads page of my website. If you enjoy what I'm offering on the Living Zen Podcast, please let me know by commenting, and you can like, subscribe, and I'd love it if you share Li

Today I'm sharing the preparation session for the next installment of the Thought Process Trancework Series which I’ve called “Understanding Patterns”, in which we’ll be doing a deeper exploration into how subconscious thought patterns first come about often when we are really young, how they become established and essentially automatic – our default way of reacting – and how, often in spite of being aware of an unhelpful pattern, we can still find ourselves repeating the same mistake over and over. This session, and many others are also available to download, for FREE from the downloads page of my website. If you enjoy what I'm offering on the Living Zen Podcast, please let me know by commenting, and you can like, subscribe, and I'd love it if you share Living Zen with anyone you think will enjoy and appreciate it!

In this prep session, building on the last session, “Facing the Unkown”, we’ll explore and unpack our subconscious patterns around how and why we project negative past experiences forward, and how you can begin to transform this pattern into something much more beneficial, and satisfying. This session, and many others are also available to download, for FREE from the downloads page of my website. If you enjoy what I'm offering on the Living Zen Podcast, please let me know by commenting, and you can like, subscribe, and I'd love it if you share Living Zen with anyone you think will enjoy and appreciate it!

This Thought Process Trancework series explores subconscious thought patterns that we’ve all experienced at times. Generally, these patterns start out as efficiencies created by the subconscious mind to ensure survival, but as our environment and developmental stages change, these patterns often become far more problematic than beneficial, and at times can lead to deep or pervasive cycles of suffering. Originally, the core of these sessions came out of my exploration into Trancework processes in order to address issues like insomnia, chronic pain, addiction, anxiety and depression – and what I found was that there are a handful of specific thought patterns, almost like subconscious software, that in various combinations, underpin the vast majority of these issues. As I incorporated them into my practice, I came to see that everyone, including myself struggles with at least some of these patterns from time to time – particularly during periods of increased stress. I’ve structured the series in paired sessions;

Breathing new life into the Living Zen podcast. A lot has happened since I posted the last episode in 2017! Check out what I've been up to, and get ready to step into the new world with Living Zen. I love hearing from listeners. If you'd like to contact me, you can email me at: eshu@monarchtrancework.com You can also visit the Monarch Trancework Website for more information about the work that I do, and how you can engage with me directly.

To: Zenwest members, associates, patrons, and donors   From: Eshu Osho, Zenwest Board, and members of the Zenwest strategic planning group   Dear friends and supporters of Zenwest,   In our global community, locally, and within our Sangha, the past 3 years have been filled with change. We are writing to talk with you about the changes we have been discussing over the past eight months as part of the 2017 strategic planning process.   Some of you are already familiar with Zenwest’s current model, while for others this is new information. To ensure that everyone has access to the background information to help you understand the history and context for our proposed changes, we have included as an appendix to this letter an overview of the developments in Zenwest that led to the current model, written by Eshu Osho who provides his perspective from 22 years of practicing with Zenwest and 13 years as Abbot.   The model that Zenwest has been operating under since 2005 served Zenwest well for many years. Unfortunate

The Zenwest Buddhist Society is a federally registered charity in Canada that provides training and education in Zen Buddhism. If you enjoy this podcast, please rate it, review it, and share it with a friend that you think will enjoy it as much as you did. Please consider purchasing the Living Zen-podcast app on the iTunes app store! www.zenwest.ca If you are interested in getting started in Zen Practice, check out our Online Orientation to Zen Practice Program http://www.zenwest.ca/online-zen/84-online-orientation-to-zen

The Zenwest Buddhist Society is a federally registered charity in Canada that provides training and education in Zen Buddhism. If you enjoy this podcast, please rate it, review it, and share it with a friend that you think will enjoy it as much as you did. Please consider purchasing the Living Zen-podcast app on the iTunes app store! www.zenwest.ca If you are interested in getting started in Zen Practice, check out our Online Orientation to Zen Practice Program http://www.zenwest.ca/online-zen/84-online-orientation-to-zen

The Zenwest Buddhist Society is a federally registered charity in Canada that provides training and education in Zen Buddhism. If you enjoy this podcast, please rate it, review it, and share it with a friend that you think will enjoy it as much as you did. Please consider purchasing the Living Zen-podcast app on the iTunes app store! www.zenwest.ca If you are interested in getting started in Zen Practice, check out our Online Orientation to Zen Practice Program http://www.zenwest.ca/online-zen/84-online-orientation-to-zen

The Zenwest Buddhist Society is a federally registered charity in Canada that provides training and education in Zen Buddhism. If you enjoy this podcast, please rate it, review it, and share it with a friend that you think will enjoy it as much as you did. Please consider purchasing the Living Zen-podcast app on the iTunes app store! www.zenwest.ca If you are interested in getting started in Zen Practice, check out our Online Orientation to Zen Practice Program http://www.zenwest.ca/online-zen/84-online-orientation-to-zen

The Zenwest Buddhist Society is a federally registered charity in Canada that provides training and education in Zen Buddhism. If you enjoy this podcast, please rate it, review it, and share it with a friend that you think will enjoy it as much as you did. Please consider purchasing the Living Zen-podcast app on the iTunes app store! www.zenwest.ca If you are interested in getting started in Zen Practice, check out our Online Orientation to Zen Practice Program http://www.zenwest.ca/online-zen/84-online-orientation-to-zen