Urban Dharma

My interview with Ven. Ajahn Sudanto a monk from Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery, the first monastery in the United States to be established by followers of Ajahn Chah. Efforts to establish this California monastery moved slowly until 1995. As Ven. Master Hsüan Hua, abbot of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, located in Ukiah, California, approached his death, he instructed his disciples to deed over to Ajahn Chah's disciples 120 acres of forest in Redwood Valley, fifteen miles north of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. On several occasions Master Hua had made a point of stating that it had been the dream of his life to bring the northern and southern traditions of Buddhism back together again. - http://www.abhayagiri.org/

My Interview with Rev. Heng Sure the Abbot of the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery in Berkeley, CA. Both Rev. Heng Sure and myself attended the second "Monks in the West" Conference... We found some free time and did this interview... Rev. Heng Sure talked about the conference, celibacy and his first CD of original Buddhist folk songs... More on Rev. Heng Sure at - http://paramita.typepad.com/ - and - http://www.dharmaradio.org/

A short talk given at the 'Monks in the West II' conference on why Buddhist monks are celibate. The Second 'Monks in the West' gathering was held at Saint John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota from Oct. 26, to Oct. 29, 2006. Buddhist and Catholic monastics gathered to dialogue on monastic celibacy.

My interview with Rev. Sandra Yarlott, Director of the Spiritual Care Dept. at the UCLA Medical Center. Rev. Yarlott speaks of the challenges running a spiritual care dept. in a major medical center... Working with and training new hospital chaplains and some of the issues patients face in getting well or dying.

A presentation to Mr. Jim Maechling's comparative religions class at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School on basic Buddhism. I've been speaking to Mr. Maechling's class for a number of years now and have always enjoyed the experience.

My interview with Dr. Ananda Guruge, Dean of Academic Affairs and Director of the International Academy of Buddhism at the University of the West in Rosemead, CA. Dr. Guruge was kind and gracious in allowing me to interview him and consented to do another interview in the near future. His web site is: www.Ananda-Guruge.com

My answer to the question, "What are the benefits of meditation." This is from my ongoing Wednesday Night class at IBMC in Los Angeles, CA. I tweaked the volume on the question in the podcast to make it understandable. My Wednesday Night class at IBMC is open to anyone interested in learning more about Buddhism. For more info please go to: www.Kusala.info

A talk on finding peace in this ever changing world of birth, death, growth and decay. This talk was given at True Yoga in Thousand Oaks, California in August of 2006.

My interview with Rev. Nori Ito a priest at The Los Angeles Higashi Honganji Buddhist Temple. We talk about his life and work as a priest at a Pureland Temple in Los Angeles. Growing up in Los Angeles as a Buddhist Japanese American, his school years, meeting his wife and his Buddhist ordination. How he started a Buddhist club at Occidental College, his work with the Los Angeles Buddhist/Catholic Dialogue and taking students to Hiroshima and Nagasaki to introduce them to the horrors of the atomic bomb and nuclear war.

A talk on 'Happiness in Buddhism' given at, One Spirit - Center of Conscious Living, in Simi Valley, California. There is happiness in owning things, happiness created by Self and a Selfless, transcendent happiness. The talk ends with Rev. Kusala singing "The Eve of Destruction" and playing some harmonica blues in the key of G.

My interview with Ericka Bryant the owner of True Yoga in Thousand Oaks, California. She talks about how she came to yoga, religion and spirituality, a 16 day yoga retreat she just returned from and how to start a yoga practice. You can find me there the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month, talking about Buddhism and meditation.

A talk at True Yoga... An introduction and brief overview on the kinds of mind states found in some forms of meditation and the dying process. The two reference works used were... "Preparing for Death & Helping the Dying" — by Sangye Khadro (available on Urban Dharma for free download - eBooks page) and "The Psychedelic Experience": A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead by Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner, Richard Alpert (available at Amazon.com).

My interview with Father Alexei Smith... Director of the Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs Office of the Los Angeles Archdiocese. Father Alexei and his office is a resource used by the Archbishop and the various offices of the Archdiocese in all matters of ecumenical and interreligious issues. You can find out more about Father Alexei and his work at: http://www.archdiocese.la/ecumenical/index.php

This is part 3... My interview with Roshi Wendy 'Egyoku' Nakao, abbot of the Zen Center of Los Angeles. Since 1967, ZCLA / Buddha Essence Temple has provided the teachings and practice of Zen Buddhism to all who come and go through its temple gate. The core practice is zazen. Visit the ZCLA web site at: www.zencenter.org

This is part 2... My interview with Roshi Wendy 'Egyoku' Nakao, abbot of the Zen Center of Los Angeles. Since 1967, ZCLA / Buddha Essence Temple has provided the teachings and practice of Zen Buddhism to all who come and go through its temple gate. The core practice is zazen. Visit the ZCLA web site at: www.zencenter.org