Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast The Grace of Bodhisattvas
Sep 15, 2025
Wendy Lau, a Zen teacher and physician, delves into the transformative power of the Bodhisattva vow. She discusses her journey of compassion and its evolution from a fixed trait to a cultivated practice. Wendy emphasizes the urgent need for compassionate action in today’s world, sharing insights from her GRACE training. She illustrates the importance of non-transactional service through heartwarming stories from the Nomads Clinic, reminding us that amid conflict, we can rehumanize ourselves and others.
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Compassion As Antidote To Global Crisis
- Wendy Lau frames global crises (war, genocide, climate, displacement) as manifestations of collective lack of compassion and dehumanization.
- She argues the Bodhisattva vow is urgently needed now as a commitment to alleviate suffering and transform greed, hatred, and delusion.
Ordination Amid Smoke And Pandemic
- Wendy describes asking Roshi Joan for ordination in 2020 amid fires and pandemic stress, not fully knowing what ordination meant.
- She committed to service and recognized she needed sangha and lineage support to pursue the Bodhisattva path.
Compassion Is Trainable Not Fixed
- Lau reflects that compassion is often taught as a fixed trait or scripted behavior rather than a skill to cultivate.
- She and Roshi Joan saw compassion as trainable and emergent through practice rather than innate charisma.
