The Kansas City Meditation Podcast

This talk was recorded at Monday Meditation on 1/20/20. We talked about suffering, shopping carts, and horses. ——————————- if you feel moved to make a donation to support this work you can do so here: Paypal: https://PayPal.me/DanielScharpenburg venmo: @DScharp

This was recorded at Monday Meditation on 1/6/20. We talked about how often we get in the way of our own efforts to improve ourselves. We also talked about the three poisons: greed, aversion, and delusion. And we had a lively discussion

Indira has been a Buddhist for 20 years. She has worked as a spiritual advisor, reiki healer, and teacher (including teaching inmates in prison). She writes for the Tattooed Buddha. She is currently working on a Unity Minister degree. We talked about Unity Church, which you can learn about here: www.unity.org and Oneness which you can learn about here: www.omoneness.com

This talk was recorded at Fountain City Meditation on 12/30/19. Guided Meditation: 0:00-24:00. Discussion: 24:00-49:00. Whitney led the practice for the first time. At the beginning she introduces herself, then there’s a guided meditation followed by a discussion that includes: goals for the year, renewable energy, MS, and other things.

This talk was recorded at Fountain City Meditation on 12/23/19. We talked about desire. Can we relate to our desires in a more meaningful way? Do you want to be a dog or a tiger? ——————————- if you feel moved to make a donation to support this work you can do so here: Paypal: https://PayPal.me/DanielScharpenburg venmo: @DScharp

This talk was recorded at Fountain City Meditation on 12/2/19. We talked about believing in our practice and common obstacles. =================== if you feel moved to make a donation you can do so here: Paypal: https://PayPal.me/DanielScharpenburg venmo: @DScharp

This talk was recorded at Fountain City Meditation on 11/25/19. We talked about how we sometimes make our own suffering worse.

I sat down with my friend Katarina Elaine. She is a Wiccan, a spiritual teacher, and an event coordinator who runs a yearly retreat called Temple Scarlet. We talked about festivals, meditation, pathworking, sacred sexuality, paganism, and the meaning of the word “witch”. ================ if you feel moved to make a donation you can do so here: Paypal venmo: @DScharp

This talk was recorded at Fountain City Meditation on 11/11/19.

I sat down with my friend Sergio who is a Buddhist and a Chaplain in Kansas City. We talked about how his career in spiritual wellness and his life as a Buddhist influence each other. We also talked about right livelihood and being fully present for people that need it.

A zen story about facing difficult circumstances

This talk is an exploration of Bodhidharma’s teaching, the Four Zen Gates

This is the story of the Buddha holding up a flower.

This talk was recorded at Fountain City Meditation on 9/30/19

This talk was recorded on 9/28/19 at Aquarius KC, a metaphysical store in Kansas City. I introduced zen meditation, gave some guidance, and took questions. It went really well. Go to https://aquariuskc.com to learn more about this store. I really appreciate that they invited me to give a talk there.

On this episode I talked with my guest and partner Alicia about letting go of anxiety and attachment. We recorded this in the car during a road trip.

There is silence and calm beneath all the stuff we’re carrying. “The Great Treasure” is a story from the text “Dropping Ashes on the Buddha.” This Talk was recorded at Monday Night Zen on 9/16/19

I had a discussion with Alicia Marley about laziness, empowerment, Facebook, and goals.

This was recorded at Second Saturday Meditation Gathering on 9/14/19.

What is laziness and how does it stop us from reaching our potential and developing ourselves? This talk was given at Fountain City Meditation on 9/9/19.

This talk was recorded at Monday Night Zen on 9/2/19. We meditated and talked about Patience, as well as what to do when you feel itchy, giving in to your desires, and our fixation on doing things “the right way”

How can I encourage you in your meditation practice? Let me know!

This was recorded at Monday Night Zen on 8/26/19. We meditated and discussed things like keeping your eyes open, hearing sounds, and why this is called zen.

A very short answer to the question "What is Zen?"  These four lines are often used to describe what the Zen tradition is all about: "A separate transmission outside the scriptures Not dependent upon words and letters Direct pointing at the human mind Seeing one's nature and becoming Buddha"

This is a talk and discussion about when and why meditation is hard.

A description of a Formless meditation practice as well as a little guidance. 

Zen has no secret teaching. It's all just "Wash your Bowl"

This is a zen story. A zen teacher approached a temple and saw two monks arguing about a flag. One said, "The flag is moving." The other said, "No, the wind is moving." These two guys were just arguing with each other to try to prove who was smarter. The teacher approached them and said, "No, your minds are moving." What can we learn from this story? What's your flag? 

This talk is meditation instruction I gave at a Meditation Gathering. It was an outdoor event so there is a lot of ambient noise. Notes on posture - healing breath practice - following the breath - silent illumination

We all have these experiences in life where we face unexpected difficulties. These things happen in big and small ways. Does it help to remember we're all going through these things? What can we do about it?

This is a discussion I had with Alicia Marley on Self Image, Compliments, and Empowerment

Huineng was a poor person from the southern part of China. No one could have expected him to become an influential Zen Teacher. This is a very short version of his story

A student goes to his teacher and says “I need peace of mind. Can you help me?” And the teacher says, “No”

A Zen Story that can tell us a few things about expectations and perception.

When we meditate we’re going to have feelings of serenity but also feelings of frustration. In both cases it’s important to not cling to these feelings. -this talk was recorded at a meditation gathering at the Nelson Museum on 6/1/19

Exploring where the Zen tradition comes from and what "zen" really means.

The Buddha is sometimes described as a doctor. He saw the was we suffer as a disease to be treated. His teaching is a treatment plan. This is a tiny bit about his life story, but more importantly about the central Buddhist teaching of the Four Noble Truths.

I struggle with uncertainty and worry. How about you? This talk was recorded right after I had to cancel a meditation gathering event because of a thunderstorm.

The spiritual path isn't all just for fun. We're trying to do something here. We're trying to reduce our suffering and change the way our suffering spills out of us and on to other people. But how do we do that?

Barefoot Bran is my guest. He’s a buddhist folk musician in Kansas City. He’s a member of the Rime Buddhist Community and the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids. We talk about spirituality, music, dreams, and community, as well as the intersection between paganism and buddhism

We’re all dreaming. We’re going through life missing things because we’re dreaming. And we’re not seeing reality clearly. How do we wake up?

I’d like to Introduce you to Chan Buddhism. This is a path that is practical and it’s about training our minds so we can engage the world in a more meaningful way. This introduction is the first part of a series.

This is a talk I gave at Fountain City Meditation. There were 17 in attendance, including one child and one dog. Because it was the first outdoor meditation of the season, I decided to just briefly talk about the basics. Why do we meditate?

My childhood friend Daniel Symes joined me on the podcast to talk about spiritual communities.  Daniel has been my friend since I was 11 years old and he's a member of pagan and freemason communities. We discussed what those communities, and Buddhism, do well and also where they struggle. I talked some, but not much, about my experience at a temple I used to attend called the Rime Center. He talked some about his experience with the pagan communities: Camp Gaea and Gaia Community (and I marveled at the fact that there are two pagan communities in Kansas City with essentially the same name). And we also talked about semi-spiritual communities like Freemasonry and Scouts BSA.  And we talked about Fountain City Meditation, which I think is a project but may actually be a community. 

This is a recording of a live talk I gave online in the Tattooed Buddha Community Facebook group. I went over a teaching from Hongzhi in “Cultivating the Empty Field” then I addressed some questions and comments about anger.

We all have to face death. Impermanence is a part of our lives and one thing we all have in common is that we lose the people we care about. What can help us with our grief? In this episode I get personal and talk about my own story. ——Recommended Reading: “Awake in the World” by Michael Stone and “No Death, No Fear” by Thich Nhat Hanh

Daniel and Alicia talk about: Insecurity, Introspection, and Brain Weasels.

Part one of a series. Insecurity is something we all struggle with it. In this episode Daniel and Alicia explore Daniel’s insecurity regarding hosting events.

What’s holding us back? Often it’s ourselves. We’re not broken, or at least no more broken than anyone else. With quotes from “Cultivating the Empty Field”

True Charity, True Sharing, True Giving. With a quote from Mirror of Zen

How does the way we see things shape our experience? This talk includes a story about a young monk who tried to walk from Korea to China and learned something about the power of our minds.

We are telling ourselves stories all the time. We re-create our past. We worry/have expectations about the future. And we tell all sorts of stories about ourselves and others. Is this helpful?   “You can no longer deceive yourselves as sincerely as you did before. You have now got the taste of truth.” -Ouspensky

Alicia Marley came to the podcast. We talked a little bit about Buddhism, but mainly we discussed Facebook, having a sense of wonder, and Geocaching. 

Great Faith, Great Doubt, Great Determination.  Trying to practice without all three of these present is like having a table that's missing a leg.