Living Zen

In this talk, I reflect on form as a living, embodied Zen practicioner. Drawing on Rinzai Zen forms — gassho, sasshu, posture, breath, walking, and bowing — I explore how Zen is practiced through the body itself. The forms of practice are not symbolic gestures or rules to get right; they are precise, lived expressions of activity, receptivity, and stillness. This talk explores: plus, minus, and zero as lived experiences of movement, rest, and sitting how posture and mudra help call us back when attention drifts breath as a continuous expression of birth and death walking, chanting, and bowing as embodied Dharma activity how practice meets collapse, fatigue, distraction, and return — without judgment From the meditation hall, the reflection widens into life itself: how we are born and die many times over the course of a single lifetime, how identities fall apart and reform, and how practice supports us in learning — again and again — how to inhabit the world. Nothing here is about doing practice "correctly." The invitation is simply to notice what is happening — in the body, in the breath, in this moment — and to come back. About this podcast The Living Zen Podcast arises from my teaching work with the Zenwest Buddhist Society, a Zen practice community based on Vancouver Island. You can listen at https://livingzen.libsyn.com, or find Living Zen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts. If you'd like to support this work more directly, I share additional teachings and reflections through Red Mountain Way on Patreon. Becoming a member there helps sustain this teaching work. Another meaningful way to support the podcast is by sharing it — telling friends, passing along episodes, or sharing on social media. Comments, likes, and shares are always appreciated. I do read them, and they help others find their way into practice and community. For those seeking one-to-one Zen support, information about my work is available through Monarch Trancework. Thank you for listening, and for practicing together.

This talk was recorded during our first sit of 2026 at the University of Victoria's Multifaith Centre. It's a reflection on Zen practice, play, and seriousness—and how we meet the great matter of life and death without becoming rigid or grim. Beginning again, again and again, is at the heart of practice. Living Zen is a podcast about Zen as it's lived: sincere, embodied, and woven into real human lives. Learn more about the Zenwest sangha, teachings, and practice community: https://www.zenwest.ca Support the podcast and ongoing teachings on Patreon — The Red Mountain Way: https://www.patreon.com/redmountainway Explore individual, one-to-one guidance and support at Monarch Trancework: https://www.monarchtrancework.com If you find Living Zen meaningful, liking, subscribing, or sharing the podcast is a simple way to help it grow and reach others who may be looking for this kind of practice.

In this talk, we explore one of the Buddha's most enduring teachings — the musician Sona and the image of practice as a stringed instrument. Too tight, the strings snap. Too loose, there's no sound. Somewhere between effort and ease, discipline and kindness, we find the middle way. Drawing on this metaphor, we look at how our lives constantly shift the tuning of our practice: relationships, work, fatigue, weather, emotions. Form helps, but it isn't the music itself. The music is the living activity of the cosmos flowing through the instrument of your life — and learning to hear it requires honesty, compassion, and continuous adjustment. If you'd like to learn more about Zen training or the community behind these teachings, you can visit www.zenwest.ca. To support the teaching stream or access additional reflections, early releases, and behind-the-scenes practice notes, you're welcome to join me at www.patreon.com/redmountainway.

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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 more teachings: patreon.com/redmountainway Personalized mentorship and Zen training: monarchtrancework.com

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-mentorship-training You can also join me on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/redmountainway, where I share reflections, Zen resources, and more to support your path. If this talk nourishes you, please help others find it by rating, reviewing, or sharing. It makes a real difference — especially for those practicing far from a Zen centre.

"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 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/redmountainway

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'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!

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; first a preface session where I outline the pattern that may be creating challenges, and then an active Trancework session which uses various techniques to shift the subconscious mind into more adaptive approaches. You'll be able to tell the difference, because the Trancework sessions have a backing sound track that helps to facilitate access to deeper states of consciousness. 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!

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. Unfortunately, as a result of multiple factors (discussed in detail in the Appendix) we have come to the difficult conclusion that under the current circumstances the strategic model we have been running is not sustainable, and Zenwest needs to make significant changes going forward. Our collective recommendation is that Zenwest undergo a transition over the next 12 months to: (a) gradually phase out financial compensation for Eshu Osho, (b) undertake a review of all aspects of our programming, and (c) engage in deep community discussions to determine how to go forward in revitalizing and renewing our community. These are very significant, serious changes that we are suggesting and we need to know whether the sangha is supportive of this proposed direction. We want to be clear that the recommendation to end Eshu Osho's employment with Zenwest is in no way a comment on Eshu's performance as Abbot. Rather it is a reflection that our membership has shrunk (as discussed in the Appendix) and it is no longer financially sustainable to support a paid position. Throughout the extended and at times painful discussions that led to this recommendation, we have held two core principles: First, that we are responsible to treat all of the Zenwest relationships with integrity and care. This includes the relationships between Zenwest and Eshu Osho and the Martin family, between sangha members, and relationships with external bodies such as the University of Victoria Multifaith Services where we have a chaplaincy. Second, we all remain committed to Zen practice and creating spaces for people to practice in community. However, it is unclear at this time what that might look like. We see the need to create space for organizational transformation, where we individually and collectively deeply consider what we want to do, what brings us joy, and how we want to practice. What we are proposing for the next year is a three-phase transition. Phase 1: June-September 2017 Eshu Osho continue to work 0.4 FTE at Zenwest (the current arrangement). All Sunday and Tuesday practice opportunities remain the same. Begin community discussions about the future of Zenwest. Phase 2: October 2017-March 2018 Eliminate cash salary from Eshu Osho's compensation arrangement. Zenwest will continue to provide a residence and amenities to the Abbot and his family at the temple in Sooke as compensation for Eshu's continuing work (hours to be negotiated between Eshu and the Zenwest Board). Sunday and Tuesday sits will continue. Continue community discussions about the future of Zenwest. Phase 3: April-June 2018 All compensation will be eliminated from the relationship between Eshu Osho and Zenwest, and Eshu Osho will cease to be an employee of Zenwest Buddhist Society. This is conceptualized as a "pause" to allow our sangha and Eshu to reflect and consider what we want going forward. It is not yet clear what member-led practice opportunities might continue to be available during this time, this will depend in part on the community discussions in earlier phases. It is our hope that this staged withdrawal arrangement will allow both Eshu Osho and the members and board of Zenwest Buddhist Society time to explore, plan, and prepare financially and organizationally for what will be a major transformation of how the future of Zenwest will unfold. Further, it is our hope that this staged arrangement will alleviate the financial demands of Zenwest without creating catastrophic financial hardship for Eshu Osho and his family; Eshu has been employed and served our Sangha as our Abbot and teacher for the past 13 years, and his family has been very generous in sharing their home space as a temple. The direction set out above can only be undertaken if members, associates, patrons and donors are willing to support this transition, both in principle and financially. It is our intention to continue to provide practice opportunities until April 2018 and we hope that members and associates will remain actively engaged in Zenwest and continue to provide financial support through dues in this period. We will also need to continue to hold quarterly fundraising drives in addition to dues, to allow for a gradual transition for Eshu Osho and his family. At this time we anticipate that the fundraising targets will be $6,000 in June, $5,500 in September, and $2,550 in December. Fundraising after this time depends on what the community decides to do together. Although we don't yet know what form this will take, we are clear that we want to continue to practice Zen in community. To determine what this will look like requires our collective wisdom and creativity. As you have been a participant and contributor to this community, we would like to extend an invitation to you to participate in the conversation and exploration of how Zenwest will be moving forward into the future. To facilitate these discussions, and also give an opportunity for people to ask questions and talk about this letter, we will be holding in-person and online meetings, including the following: An in-person member get-together Wednesday June 28, hosted by Kozan, Seishin, and Yushin. This will kick off a series of monthly potlucks open to anyone interested in the future of Zenwest who wants to share ideas in community. One-to-one video chat between Eshu Osho and Distance members. An online Zoom meeting open to all associates, and people who have completed the online Orientation course, facilitated by Eshu Osho. A facilitated discussion at the Tuesday night Zen open house, coordinated by Rev. Soshin. Additionally, members, associates, and supporters can email Eshu Osho or any of the Board members or other Strategic Planning participants to discuss this letter and clarify any issues of concern. Contact information is included below. We very much value and appreciate your support, and look forward to hearing your ideas and comments. Sincerely, Eshu Osho, Abbot, Zenwest Buddhist Society, eshu@zenwest.ca Rev. Hoyu Tommi Boulter, Chair, Zenwest Buddhist Society, reverendhoyu@shaw.ca Rev. Soshin Ruth McMurchy, Treasurer, Zenwest Buddhist Society, ramcmurchy@gmail.com Rev. Doshu Lars Rogers, Secretary, Zenwest Buddhist Society, doshu@zenwest.ca Joshua Goldberg, Strategic Planning participant, jgoldberg@shaw.ca Seishin Susanne Ledingham, Strategic Planning participant, sledingham@gmail.com Kozan Nori Nishigaya, Strategic Planning participant, anishi@gmail.com Yushin Charles Rose, Strategic Planning participant, charles@roseware.com APPENDIX: HISTORY AND CONTEXT By Eshu Osho, Abbot, Zenwest In 2004, a strategic planning group that included the Zenwest board of directors, a group of members who had committed to being a part of the planning process, and the Zenwest Abbot together created a plan and vision for how Zenwest would grow into the future - and out of this plan and vision, a model was created. Two key features of this plan were: Maintenance of a stable and consistent practice space appropriate for all levels of Zen training. The full-time employment of Abbot and teacher Eshu Osho. We believed that the best way to ensure the stability of the community, its programs, and the consistency of teaching was by employing a skilled professional who can have these goals as their primary focus, and having an appropriate place to do Zen practice. This planning group also fully recognized that the costs of committing to supporting a full-time employee and practice space were significant, and several models of membership were suggested and considered, such as: A straightforward business model in which the cost of membership was based on the expenses divided by the membership. A donor model, in which there are no membership dues, but rather we would ask for donations and hope that enough came it to pay for expenses. As a group we felt that the first model would likely be more exclusive than we wanted, with a membership in the neighbourhood of $200+/mo; which would put it way out of range of some that would greatly benefit from Zen practice. Conversely, the instability and insecurity inherent in the second model would likely make basic survival a monthly worry and would be a distraction from practice and development. In the end, together we created a community-centred model for Zenwest Buddhist Society. We would offer different levels of membership from "Full" (with dues representing a single full share of the cost of the resources and opportunities available), to "Basic" (with dues being non-trivial, but significantly less than a full share of the actual cost of the resources and opportunities available). Full members would have access to all activities, and Basic Members would be required to pay for activities and opportunities outside of basic sits. Beyond this, we made provisions to accommodate those who experienced financial hardship, as well as opportunities for work-exchange for membership. From the outset, we recognized that by initiating this model, membership dues alone would not fully cover expenses; we committed to doing regular fundraising drives based on the belief that: Our teacher, our tradition, and our practice are not commodities for us to purchase, but rather a symbiotic culture in which each of us has a part to contribute and accept responsibility for in the co-creation of community. All of our members recognize the value of the teacher, community, and physical resources that we have in place. All members recognize that by making membership accessible to everyone regardless of financial ability to pay that membership dues alone would not cover organizational expenses. Thus when quarterly fundraising drives take place, all members will contribute as much as they can (even if they felt it was insignificant in the grand scheme), based on the understanding that we are co-creating this community – together. Our basic philosophy setting out was that we would take care of and support one another – as a community. Our understanding was that some of us struggle to make ends meet financially, but could offer our time and energy to building and nourishing the community, supporting programming etc. Others among us have greater financial resources, and less time, yet are committed to giving more financially so that this tradition, practice, and resources can be available locally to as many people as is possible. Some of us have both material resources and an abundance of time to commit to making Zen come alive at Zenwest; and some of us are working full speed ahead just to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads; and underlying all of this, we recognized that for each of us, our circumstances can change with very little notice, and that by creating community together we could create a community of awakening and refuge. As I take the time to write this down, I realize how ambitious this model is; how countercultural and almost revolutionary it is in the context of North American culture today. I also have to accept responsibility for not championing it strongly enough. Where we are today: For more than a decade, our model helped Zenwest to grow, and for the training and teaching that happens here to become known around the world. The efforts of our board of directors in the development of organizational structures, policies and procedures for Zen Centres in North America have been adopted or have contributed to other Zen organizations around the world. Our use of orientation education, online resources, podcasts, and videos (once thought almost heretical) has become the norm in modern Dharma practice globally. Zenwest and Eshu Osho have become recognized and respected by Zen communities and teachers internationally. Somehow though, as a community we lost sight of the interdependence and mutual responsibility that was inherent and intentionally built into the model. Perhaps because of the consistency of our programming, or the stability of the teaching, or my own failure to press this principle; it seems that complacency was born into the mix. Growth of the membership is only beneficial if all three aspects grow together – member dues, volunteer labour, and distribution of donations from members – because more members also increases financial demands as well as labour demands. When the membership did grow at Zenwest, it was in only one area: member dues. Impact and the feeling of member ownership was not emphasized, and certainly participation in fundraising was not emphasized to new members, and perhaps this was a major mistake. Regardless, the fundamental model is one in which costs – both operational and labour are not covered by dues, therefore no amount of growth will alter that balance. While our membership was growing, fundraising drives were still a significant component of meeting expenses. Over time, while the donor pool has diversified thanks to international podcast listeners supporting Zenwest, fewer individual members are making contributions, in terms of finances as well as participation in operational teams, facilitating activities, and board involvement. Perhaps members have felt like everything was well in hand, or that their participation wasn't needed, or that they were already contributing as much as they possibly could. It's impossible to say, and was perhaps "all of the above". Practically, it meant that expenses and programming needed to be cut, and that a diminishing group of members and donors were contributing more and more so that our endeavour could continue to be available to as many people as possible. By late 2015 it was clear to our Board of Directors and Abbot that many of our key financial and labour contributors were rapidly reaching the point of complete exhaustion. In terms of our budget, virtually all programs and resources that could be cut from the budget had been cut. Even so, our fundraising drives were falling short of the targets. After some very challenging discussions, the Board and Abbot decided that the only viable way forward was to reduce human resource expenses, namely the Abbot's salary. Fortunately I was able to find external part-time employment at Victoria Hospice relatively quickly. The downside was that many of the operational and organizational tasks that were formerly performed by the Abbot and Director of Operations had to be delegated to others; others who were already overloaded and weren't familiar with the tasks, so needed time to learn and time to develop. This had significant impacts on new membership growth, and membership retention. In short, while our expenses were significantly reduced, our membership revenue diminished apace. In spite of this, since the switch to a part-time Abbot, Zenwest has managed to continue to offer consistent programming. Our spring 2017 Orientation to Zen led by Rev. Doshu in Victoria was well attended, and more than 20 individuals participated in the recent NRTP with leadership shared by all ordained clergy. However, on top of being unbelievably stretched, each member of the Zenwest clergy and governance team are facing significant personal challenges that eliminate the option of doing more, even where there is a desire or capacity to do so. Zenwest Buddhist Society is entering a period of significant change and a re-imagining of who we are, and how we are to proceed in the future. Most of all I want to reassure all of our members that my dedication to Rinzai Zen practice and the Buddhadharma remain as strong as ever. Regardless of where this transition takes us as an organization, I will continue to practice and teach the Dharma to those who wish to make Zen come alive. Warm regards, Eshu

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