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What does true freedom really mean? In our milestone 20th episode, we unpack this deceptively complex question, revealing how our understanding of freedom often remains superficial until we achieve liberation from our own mental habits and patterns.

Freedom isn't simply doing whatever we want. From a Zen perspective, genuine freedom only emerges when we break free from the prison of our own thoughts—the rigid mental frameworks that filter every experience through our preexisting beliefs. As we demonstrate through candid conversation, most of us live in a state of mental captivity without even realizing it, mistaking our conditioned responses for independent thought.

We explore the fascinating concept of "Mupung Pado" (no wind but waves)—how our minds generate turbulence even in the absence of external stimuli. During meditation, when external inputs are minimized, unwelcome thoughts still intrude, proving we're not as free as we believe. Our reactions to life's circumstances often happen automatically, with little awareness of the complex causes and conditions that led to them.

Through relatable examples like household conflicts over cup placement and personal stories of monastic training, we illuminate a profound truth: freedom comes from acknowledging multiple perspectives beyond our own. When we cling to a single truth—our truth—we remain imprisoned by our expectations, disappointments, and emotional reactions. True liberation emerges when we develop the wisdom to move fluidly between different dimensions of understanding.

As we celebrate our 20th episode and over 1,000 downloads, we invite you to join us in this exploration of what it means to be truly free. Listen closely, and you might discover the subtle ways your mind has been creating its own captivity—and how the path to liberation begins with awareness itself. Share this episode with someone who might benefit from seeing their mental prisons in a new light.

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Dr. Ruben Lambert can be found at wisdomspring.com

Ven. MyongAhn Sunim can be found at soshimsa.org

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What happens when we numb ourselves to life's subtle symphony, constantly seeking louder experiences? This question forms the heart of our exploration into numbness—a concept that emerged from a casual conversation after Sunday service but quickly revealed itself as fundamental to understanding human suffering and awakening.

Numbness takes many forms in our lives. Sometimes we use substances to escape pain, moving from suffering toward a perceived "normal" state. Other times, we seek stimulation to elevate ourselves from boredom, chasing dopamine hits through increasingly intense experiences. Both paths lead away from genuine presence. As we discuss in this episode, self-harm can serve similar purposes—either escaping overwhelming emotions or creating physical sensation when emotionally numb. These represent the extremes that Zen philosophy warns against.

Our modern world has systematically designed ways to keep us from sitting with our thoughts. Look around at people standing in line, most plugged into devices, consuming content, avoiding stillness. Algorithms exploit our tendency to normalize experiences, requiring ever-increasing stimulation to maintain interest. This creates what we call "the algorithm of greed"—a progressive desensitization that pulls us further from subtle awareness and deeper into artificial stimulation.

Contrary to misconceptions, Zen doesn't encourage emotional detachment. Rather, it invites us through what initially feels like boredom to discover the richness beneath. Picture passing through a pinhole focus that strips away callouses, leaving us raw but wise—able to feel deeply while maintaining the ability to function without drowning in emotion. Like trained lifeguards jumping into suffering's ocean, we can be fully immersed in experience while possessing the skills to navigate safely.

Join us as we explore how numbness represents the opposite of wakefulness and how Zen offers a path toward complete participation in life—an attunement to reality as it is, not as we wish it to be. By breaking free from our addiction to stimulation, we might just discover that the subtle experiences we've been avoiding hold the key to awakening.

Have you found value in these discussions? Consider supporting our work by visiting Soshimsa.org/the-world-through-zen-eyes-podcast to make a donation that helps offset our production costs.

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Dr. Ruben Lambert can be found at wisdomspring.com

Ven. MyongAhn Sunim can be found at soshimsa.org

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The statement "everything is created by the mind" might seem deceptively simple, but as explored in this thought-provoking bonus track, it contains profound implications about how we perceive and interact with reality. Drawing from a personal experience teaching a meditation workshop, we witness the stark contrast between someone who immediately grasps this concept and another who actively resists it—highlighting how differently the same wisdom lands depending on who receives it.

Through vivid examples and unexpected humor, we challenge our romantic notions about nature, like how we anthropomorphize birdsong as beautiful melodies when birds are actually communicating about survival, territory, and mating. This pattern of mental projection extends to everything we encounter, revealing how our minds constantly construct the reality we experience, often without our awareness.

Yet this teaching carries a powerful duality. While it empowers us with the knowledge that we create our experience, it also humbles us by revealing our susceptibility to external influences. From the documented effects of full moons on hospital admissions and crime rates to the impact of physical conditions on mental clarity, we're continually shaped by forces beyond our conscious control. This paradox sits at the heart of Zen practice—recognizing both our creative power and our vulnerability.

The path forward isn't about immediate enlightenment but patient cultivation. Like traditional practices of swordsmanship and calligraphy that begin with simply holding position, meditation success comes not from achieving special states but from the consistent practice itself. Our realizations, like shy woodland creatures, don't appear when frantically pursued but arrive naturally when we create the proper conditions. Ready to explore how your mind creates your reality? Listen now and discover the profound freedom in this ancient wisdom.

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Dr. Ruben Lambert can be found at wisdomspring.com

Ven. MyongAhn Sunim can be found at soshimsa.org

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What happens when anger fuels our actions? Can something traditionally viewed as poison ever become medicine? These questions form the heart of a profound meditation on emotion, motivation, and clarity.

Starting with a thoughtful listener question about anger's place in both spiritual practice and social movements, this episode takes us on a nuanced journey through the Zen perspective on emotional states. We carefully distinguish between inwardly-directed frustration that motivates spiritual growth and outwardly-projected anger that inevitably clouds judgment.

The metaphor of fire runs throughout – anger, like flame, can quickly transform from a controlled burn into an indiscriminate wildfire that consumes everything in its path. When we're caught in anger's grip, our ears close even as our mouths open wider, creating a fundamental barrier to understanding. This contradiction makes anger a dubious tool for positive transformation, despite its cultural celebration as necessary for change.

Instead, we explore the surprising power of alternatives: clarity, understanding, and especially compassion. Contrary to popular misconception, compassion isn't weakness but tremendous strength. It allows us to oppose harmful actions while recognizing the Buddha-nature present in all beings – even those we most strongly disagree with. This recognition forms the foundation of Zen ethics and offers a pathway to effective action without internal corruption.

Whether you're wrestling with your own emotional responses or questioning how to create meaningful change in a divided world, this episode offers wisdom that challenges conventional thinking while honoring our full humanity. Join us for this exploration of what truly burns brighter than anger – and how it might transform both ourselves and our world.

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Dr. Ruben Lambert can be found at wisdomspring.com

Ven. MyongAhn Sunim can be found at soshimsa.org

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What happens when we truly embrace silence? Not just the absence of speech, but a deliberate practice of observing the noise within?

In this revealing conversation between Myong-An Sunim and Dr. Ruben Lambert, we journey into the Korean Zen practice of Mugon Suhaeng (observing silence) and discover that not speaking is merely the surface of a much deeper experience. As Myung-An Sunim shares from his recent practice of silence, we learn that the real discovery comes when we notice the "murmuring"—that constant internal dialogue that usually hums unnoticed like a refrigerator in the background of our consciousness.

Through delightful stories, including a monk who could speak only two words per year yet chose to use them solely for complaints ("Robes rough," "Bed hard," "Food cold"), and a Zen master who created comically oversized shoes to expose a practitioner's attachment to appearances, we explore how traditional teaching methods cut through intellectual understanding to create direct experiential learning. These moments of clarity don't always feel comfortable, but they offer what Ruben describes as "a golden opportunity" to patch the leaks in our practice.

The conversation expands to address a listener's question about generational karma and fairness. Rather than seeing karma as punishment or reward, the hosts illuminate how we're all connected through an intricate web of relationships (inyon) spanning countless lifetimes. Like a tennis ball bouncing off a wall following the precise laws of physics, karma isn't personal—it's the natural unfolding of cause and effect. When we question its fairness, we're really expressing our inability to see the complete picture of causality.

Ready to explore your own internal murmuring? Join us each week as we tackle everyday challenges through a Buddhist lens. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or visit soshimsa.org to discover practical wisdom for navigating life's complexities with greater awareness and compassion.

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Dr. Ruben Lambert can be found at wisdomspring.com

Ven. MyongAhn Sunim can be found at soshimsa.org

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Support the show

Dr. Ruben Lambert can be found at wisdomspring.com

Ven. MyongAhn Sunim can be found at soshimsa.org

FAN MAIL - Send us a comment or a topic suggestion

Have you ever wondered why bad things sometimes happen to good people? Or why some experiences seem to repeat across generations? Our exploration of karma goes far deeper than the oversimplified idea of cosmic punishment you might be familiar with.

Karma, simply meaning "action," represents a sophisticated framework for understanding the complex web of cause and effect that shapes our lives. In this second part of our series, we unveil the multidimensional nature of karmic consequences—some visible, some hidden beneath the surface, some immediate, and others unfolding across lifetimes or even affecting future generations.

We delve into the crucial distinctions between individual and collective karma, illustrating how we're all passengers on the same boat yet experiencing different accommodations. When disaster strikes, the wave affects everyone regardless of status, yet our individual karma determines how we uniquely experience that collective event. This understanding liberates us from unnecessary judgment and prejudice while opening doors to compassion.

Perhaps most transformative is our exploration of changeable versus unchangeable karma. While some conditions remain immovable—like chronic illness or imprisonment—we always retain freedom in our perception and response. Just as a man imprisoned on a tiny stool survived by taking mental journeys, we can transcend even the most challenging circumstances through spiritual awakening.

Throughout our conversation, we share profound wisdom about navigating life's complexities with greater awareness. When we stop obsessing over tracing each effect back to its original cause and instead wake up to the present moment—the only point where change is possible—we discover a path toward liberation from unnecessary suffering.

Ready to transform your relationship with life's challenges? Listen now and discover how seeing the world through Zen eyes can reveal the invisible threads connecting all existence, bringing peace even amidst life's greatest trials.

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Dr. Ruben Lambert can be found at wisdomspring.com

Ven. MyongAhn Sunim can be found at soshimsa.org

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Have you ever stumbled upon wisdom in the most unexpected place? That moment when profound truth arrives from a source you'd never anticipate?

A simple gift exchange led to one of the most meaningful spiritual insights I've received. After attempting to thank a friend in my limited Spanish, I turned to a translation app to decipher her response. What appeared on my screen wasn't what she intended to say, but something far more profound: "You're not for you." Those four simple words stopped me in my tracks.

This accidental wisdom perfectly articulated a fundamental spiritual principle—that our purpose extends beyond ourselves, that we exist not merely for our own benefit but for others. It challenged the individualistic mindset so prevalent in modern society and reconnected me to the interdependent nature of our existence. The phrase has become a treasured mantra I keep close to my heart.

This experience reveals something essential about wisdom itself. We often decide in advance whose words merit our attention, dismissing children for being too young or friends for being predictable in their views. But profound truth doesn't respect these boundaries. Among a thousand ordinary words from any source—sage or criminal, child or elder—one might carry extraordinary meaning. The Buddha can speak through anyone, if only we're truly listening.

I invite you to practice deeper listening in your own life. Pay attention to the people around you, to nature, to unexpected moments like mistranslations. You never know when someone might speak "with the mouth of a thousand Buddhas." What wisdom might you discover if you set aside your assumptions about where truth can be found? Share your own unexpected moments of insight and join our community of seekers who understand that sometimes, the most profound teachings arrive when we least expect them.

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Dr. Ruben Lambert can be found at wisdomspring.com

Ven. MyongAhn Sunim can be found at soshimsa.org