This is a series of talks I gave from Shantideva’s “Way of the Bodhisattva”
I hope these talks give you some benefit.
You’re a Zen Buddhist, Right?
I went to a study group that’s reading “Way of the Bodhisattva”.
It’s one of my favorite texts. I feel like Shantideva is one of the greatest Buddhist teachers of all time. We studied the chapter on Patience and then we studied the chapter on Diligence. It’s been such a wonderful opportunity. The group is called Younge Drodul Ling-Kansas City and they’re part of a bigger community. It’s called a “Rime Practice Lineage.” I think some people call this group Dzogchen Buddhism or Vajrayana Buddhism. It’s been a great experience studying this text with this group.
Someone at this group said to me, “You’re a Zen Buddhist, right?”
I was a Zen Buddhist. I don’t know what I am anymore.
I became a Zen Buddhist and even did some training as a monk. I realized I didn’t want to be a monk but I kept studying and practicing Zen for a long time. I resisted anything else even though I was practicing with a Tibetan Buddhist community called the Rime Center.
The truth is that I don’t sit facing a wall anymore. I sit facing a Buddha statue in my living room. And I’m studying all the Bodhisattva teachings instead of the Zen teachings. The Bodhisattva teachings are what have carried me. And I’m doing a liturgy in front of my statue in the living room every day.
The truth is I was telling myself that Zen is more secular than it is anyway. I’m not the only one. Buddhism is a religion (sorry) and I’d argue meditation is a spiritual practice too. I think plenty of people don’t like hearing that but I think I want to be honest about such things. I’ll always probably have a soft spot for some of those Zen teachings though.
I set up a statue garden in my backyard that I call “The Garden of Virtue” I read a text that said Buddhas and Bodhisattvas dwell in sacred spaces like that. I’m starting to wonder if that’s true. I’ve never been someone to believe in such things. What I know is that the thing that’s been growing in my statue garden is me.
I’m not a Zen Buddhist. I follow the Bodhisattva Path. And that could be enough.
Maybe I’ll become Dzogchen Buddhist. I’ve had some empowerments (other things I used to not believe in) and maybe I won’t.
But also maybe names don’t mean anything anyway. I don’t know what kind of Buddhist I am and I don’t need to know.
Way of the Bodhisattva 2 (video)
“Entering the Way of the Bodhisattva” by Shantideva
Reading + Talk Chapter 2.
Confessing Misdeeds What can we do to help ourselves cultivate virtue? How does virtue help us on our path? What’s the point of making offerings? What’s the point of Refuge Vows? The book I’m reading from can be purchased here: https://www.shambhala.com/entering-th… If you want to donate to support this work, you can do so here: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/danie…
audio only:
https://anchor.fm/daniel-scharpenburg/embed/episodes/Offerings–Refuge–and-Misdeeds-e1108ri
Way of the Bodhisattva 1 (video)
“Entering the Way of the Bodhisattva” by Shantideva Reading + Talk Chapter 1.
Explaining the Benefits of Bodhichitta What is the mind of awakening? How does opening our hearts help ourselves and others? The book I’m reading from can be purchased here: https://www.shambhala.com/entering-th…
If you want to donate to support this work, you can do so here: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/danie…
audio only:
https://anchor.fm/daniel-scharpenburg/embed/episodes/The-Benefits-of-Bodhichitta-e10u93v
Shantideva Had No Friends (video)
I told the story of the monk Shantideva, who wrote the classic text “The Way of the Bodhisattva”.
We can all find some inspiration in his story.
Shantideva was not a popular guy. He lived at a monastic college with 500 other men and had no friends. Everyone thought he was a lazy jerk and they looked for creative ways to bully him. They were wrong about him. They thought they could make him so embarrassed that he would leave forever. Instead they got one of the greatest spiritual teachings of all time, The Way of the Bodhisattva.
Podcast version:
https://anchor.fm/daniel-scharpenburg/embed/episodes/Shantideva-Had-No-Friends-e10ib12
Meditation with Daniel 