Blue Collar Zen

COTTON SOCK FLOWER; the Origin Story of Sudeoksa Temple

The Origin Story of our Mother Temple, Sudeoksa. COTTON SOCK FLOWER A/K/A THE HUNTER & THE LADY Live in front of an audience at the Detroit Zen Center! Eighteen Hundre

Tumbledown Sage

The extreme punishment for a thief -- his foot is chopped off -- transforms him into a sage. Join us in the tea room as Sunim reads the story of the great sage Tumbledow

Of Fire and Weeds

A story within a story. An unremarkable monk, a scholar, a young disciple. A loving wife, a foolish husband. Their lives separated by time, yet cross on a mountain-top,

The Old Man with a Broken Arm

War: The curse of humanity. An old man with a wrangled & broken arm shares his story from youth, of being the lone surviving man in the entire region, of a long & bloody

Cutting Up the Ox

A simple cook shares the Way of Tao with his ruler (the Emperor).

The 4 Adepts

Yielding, with the 4 Adepts from the Chuang Tzu The 4 Adepts is a story read from the Chuang Tzu.  Story read by Abbot Hwalson Sunim, then a conversation afterward toge

Let Go

LET GO by Zen Master Daehaeng A man journeys home through the misty mountains of old Korea.  But as previous karma follows him, he meets with unexpected fortune, & terro

Red Bean Porridge Bubbling

Enter the world of Zen nuns.  A common kitchen nun finds her teacher's instruction simple enough, but eventually the endless work & burden of cooking in the zen community

A Little Talk about Evening Things Out

Six thousand years ago two folks were having a walk in the mountains.  They were Taoist sages, which simply means they were very sincere & accomplished spiritual practiti

On the Road Home

Abbot Yang Chu is excited to hear that his master Lao Tzu is on his way back from his remote hermitage.  He drops everything to travel up to meet his teacher on the road

Layman Pusol, Part 2

This episode follows the second part of Pusol's life, and his death.

Layman Pusol

1,500 years ago a simple rainstorm brought about a life-altering spiritual decision for a sincere monk.  His compassionate response resonates to this day. This is the fi

Mangong & the Mirror

Zen Master Mangong -- a revered 20th century monk of Korea (and grandfather teacher to the Detroit Zen Center) -- comes to the end of his life.  Without much fanfare, he

The Mad Monk

Join us as we narrate Lewis Lancaster's journey with The Mad Monk Jung Kwang Sunim, one of the most controversial Buddhist figures (and renowned artists) of 20th Century

Poduk Cave

Welcome to the origin of Poduk Cave, a zen training hermitage located on a precipice deep in the Diamond Mountains of what is now North Korea.  This cave temple has been

The Cotton Sock Flower

Here we have the origin story of Sudeoksa Temple, the mother temple of the Detroit Zen Center.    Join us as we enter what would be an ordinary day in the life of a young

Masan Bosalnim -- The Way of Devotion

This story of Masan Bosalnim, a modern day female seeker who awakened, who helped a monk understand Buddhism.

Rice Bags & Woodpeckers

For many centuries after Wonhyo, Korean Buddhism experienced total oppression. Monks could not enter through the gates of Seoul, and Buddhist teachings entered a period o

Wonhyo meets Big Brother

In this episode we continue to follow Wonhyo on his journey after awakening. He returns to Korea, where he meets a most unusual teacher:  Big Brother.  In the followup c

Introduction to Blue Collar Zen, Buddhism & Meditation

Welcome.  This narrative by Myungju introduces the spirit of the podcast, as well as the topics of Buddhism, Zen & Meditation practice.