Podcast Summary
From personal suffering to profound awakening: Even in the midst of suffering, a transformative awakening is possible, leading to personal growth and a new direction in life
Even in the midst of great personal suffering and internal turmoil, it's possible to experience a profound awakening or transformation that can change the course of one's life. Henry Schochman, a Zen master and the guiding teacher of Mountain Cloud Zen Center, shared his personal story of growing up with severe eczema and internal misery in Oxford, England, despite having a privileged upbringing. He went through a profound awakening experience at the age of 19 during a gap year abroad, which he described as an answer to life and a resolution to all his internal struggles. However, upon returning home, he was unable to cope with the internal pain he had been carrying for years, leading to a breakdown. Despite the challenges, his awakening experience remained a guiding force in his life and eventually led him to Zen practice and teaching in New Mexico. This story highlights the potential for transformation and growth, even in the face of great adversity.
From suffering to presence: The speaker's journey: Through practices like meditation and therapy, one can find moments of rest and understand emotions, leading to a deeper presence and access to inner wisdom.
The speaker's life was marked by significant suffering and discomfort in their youth. However, through various practices such as Transcendental Meditation and therapy, they were able to find moments of rest and begin to understand their emotions. With deeper practice and training in Zen, they discovered a whole new dimension of presence and were able to access it more easily under challenging conditions. The speaker's appreciation for the old roads, or the wisdom that is already present within us, is a recurring theme in their life and is a central idea in their book.
Breakthrough experiences in Zen Buddhism: Experiencing self-dissolution and interconnectedness in breakthrough moments can transform spiritual growth. Approach these experiences with caution and consider gradual cultivation alongside sudden awakening.
Breakthrough experiences, such as the one described by the speaker in his youth, play a significant role in spiritual growth, particularly in Zen Buddhism's Rinzai branch. These experiences, marked by the dissolution of the sense of self and the revelation of the interconnectedness of all things, can be transformative and life-changing. However, integrating these experiences into daily life and making sense of them can be challenging. The speaker also mentioned that such experiences are not uncommon, as roughly a third of the world's population reports having had them. It's essential to approach these experiences with caution, understanding that they can be intense and potentially disorienting. Furthermore, micro-moments of awakening or "micro-Kenshos" can also contribute to spiritual growth and should not be overlooked. Overall, the discussion emphasizes the importance of both sudden awakening and gradual cultivation in the spiritual journey.
Experiencing enlightened moments and addressing the 'back end' of our psyches: Enlightenment involves both sudden moments of clarity and gradual self-awareness. It's essential to address negative emotions and behaviors to fully realize our potential for love and growth.
Our experiences of enlightened moments, though fleeting, are real and valuable in their ability to show us the fundamental truth of love and interconnectedness. However, it's essential not to ignore the "back end" of our psyches, where negative emotions and behaviors may still reside. The goal is not just to focus on the clear mirrors but also to work on the murky ones. The sudden and gradual paths to enlightenment are both valid and interconnected, with the sudden moments providing glimpses of reality and the gradual path allowing us to cultivate awareness and integrate these insights into our daily lives. Ultimately, we are all complex beings, composed of various aspects, and it's essential to acknowledge and address all parts of ourselves to fully realize our potential for love and growth.
Personal growth is a continuous journey: Stay humble, acknowledge shadows, stay present, avoid complacency, and continue the process of cultivation and learning.
Personal growth and spiritual awakening are ongoing processes, not just one-time events. The speaker shares their own experiences of dealing with psychological blocks and the importance of acknowledging the shadows of teachers and authority figures. They emphasize the importance of staying grounded in the present moment during practice, and avoiding becoming complacent after experiencing profound moments of realization. The speaker encourages a humble attitude towards the journey of growth and emphasizes the importance of consistent practice. Ultimately, the goal is not to reach an end point, but to continue the process of cultivation and learning.
Achieving peace and happiness through mindfulness practices: Mindfulness practices, recognizing support, and experiencing absorption states can help us live more in the present and find peace and happiness, with continuous spiritual growth as a byproduct.
Finding peace and happiness in the present moment is the foundation of spiritual growth, and it's enough to lead a fulfilling life. According to the speaker, this can be achieved through mindfulness practices, building a strong foundation of mindfulness, recognizing the support we already have, and experiencing absorption states. Awakening, or enlightenment, is not a distinct goal but rather a continuous process of being present. The speaker also recommended the Doctor John DeLaney Show and the ZOE Science and Nutrition podcast as valuable resources for personal growth and understanding health. By focusing on these practices and resources, we can learn to live more in our bodies, reclaim our lives, and navigate challenges with greater ease and grace.
Caring for mind and body for improved well-being: Simple skincare and focusing on the present moment can enhance both mental and physical health
Taking care of both the mind and body can lead to improved well-being. Stephanie from the Zoe Science and Nutrition podcast emphasizes the importance of simple and effective skincare solutions through her sponsor, OneSkin. Their OS01 face topical peptide offers a straightforward approach to maintaining healthy skin. Meanwhile, in the spiritual realm, Stephanie suggests resting one's awareness on what is truly known to be good and true. This could be love, peace, or the present moment. For those struggling with mental turmoil, she recommends focusing on the body and finding peace within it. By practicing mindfulness towards both the mind and body, individuals can embark on a journey of cultivation and purification, ultimately leading to greater overall well-being.
Self-love during challenging times: Acknowledge and allow discomfort for healing and growth, be on the same team with your body, and learn to accept difficult emotions and sensations.
Practicing love and compassion towards oneself, especially during challenging times, is crucial for personal growth. According to the speaker, everyone's situation is unique, and it's essential to adapt our practice to meet different aspects of ourselves. For those dealing with physical pain or discomfort, it can be challenging to connect with the container of the body and find peace. In such cases, the speaker suggests acknowledging and allowing the discomfort space instead of suppressing it. He believes that recognizing and accepting the pain can lead to healing and growth, although therapy may also be necessary. Ultimately, the goal is to learn to be on the same team as our bodies and allow difficult emotions and sensations to be present, which can help them release over time.
Acceptance and letting go of attachment lead to peace: Accept pain, understand emptiness, and practice for peace. Therapy aids in healing from trauma.
Acceptance and letting go of attachment are key components in dealing with physical and emotional pain. This involves accepting the sensation without permission and allowing change, leading to appreciation and peace. The realization of emptiness and interconnectedness of all things can bring about a profound sense of peace and no self, which is the opposite of suffering. Practice helps deepen this understanding, but it doesn't replace taking action in the world. The speaker also emphasizes the importance of therapy, especially for trauma, in this process.
Interconnectedness of all things brings peace and healing: Practicing the perspective of interconnectedness eliminates craving, relaxes self-identification, and leads to deeper understanding and peace.
According to the speaker's experiences and teachings, the interconnectedness of all things can bring a sense of peace and healing. This idea, often emphasized in Zen Buddhism, suggests that there is no separation between oneself and the environment or other beings. It eliminates the possibility of craving and leads to the relaxation of self-identification. Practicing this perspective may involve acknowledging and accepting preferences or feelings, rather than trying to get rid of them. The process of letting go of attachments and fears can be challenging, but ultimately leads to a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of all things.
Allow and love fears and contractions: Instead of fighting fear and contraction, allow it and find a way to love it for deeper self-understanding and peace.
During times of fear or contraction, instead of fighting it, we should allow it and find a way to love it. This softens our identification with it and ultimately makes it okay. Henry Shuckman, a Zen teacher and author, emphasized this idea during our conversation. He shared his personal journey of experiencing a profound awakening at a young age, which can be a valuable but sometimes overlooked aspect of spiritual growth. However, it's essential not to put such experiences on a pedestal or become overly self-critical if we haven't had one. Instead, focusing on consistent practice and letting go of painful patterns, even if it comes with discomfort, is just as important. By allowing and loving our fears and contractions, we can deepen our understanding of ourselves and ultimately find peace.
Overcoming attachments for deeper self-awareness: Embrace felt experience, let go of attachments to progress towards self-identification and deeper states of awareness.
Our emotional attachments and cognitive thinking can hinder our progress towards self-identification and deeper states of awareness. The pain of the self-identification process can be a barrier, but it's important to remember that the goal is to move beyond it. The use of language and cognitive processes can sometimes pull us out of our felt experience, which can be a gateway to deeper states of self-awareness or contemplation. Henry shared his experiences with relaxing and practicing self-identification, and the benefits he's seen in his own life. Overall, the episode emphasized the importance of letting go of attachments and embracing the felt experience to progress on our journey towards self-identification and deeper states of awareness. Remember, you can support the show by subscribing, rating, and leaving a positive review on your preferred podcast platform, or by becoming a patron on Patreon for as little as a couple of cups of coffee a month. Additionally, check out my new YouTube channel, YouTube.com/c/foresthansen, for visual content on similar topics. Until next time, thanks for listening.
