Tricycle Talks

Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, a multi-instrumentalist, composer, Zen priest, and hospice chaplain, shares his unique journey blending spirituality and creativity. He delves into the transformative power of liturgy and music, discussing how rituals shape his artistic and chaplaincy practices. Cantu-Ledesma reveals how music serves as a personal offering and reflects on the significance of authenticity in both art and spiritual support. His insights into collaborative processes and communal spaces for emotional expression highlight the profound connections between grief, creativity, and devotion.

In this engaging discussion, Lama John Makransky, a respected figure in Tibetan Buddhism and former professor, dives into the transformative power of compassion. He explains how our well-being and relationships depend on accessing our innate compassion. Topics include the balance of empathy and action, the cultivation of compassion as a skill rather than an inherent trait, and practical meditation techniques for self-awareness. Makransky also guides listeners through a meditation, helping them tap into their deeper qualities and recognize their shared humanity.

Benjamin Brose is Professor of Buddhist and Chinese Studies and chair of the department of Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Michigan. His new book, Buddhist Masters of Modern China: The Lives and Legacies of Eight Eminent Teachers, explores the histories and teachings of eight masters who brought about a Buddhist revival during the political turmoil of the 20th century. In this episode of Tricycle Talks, Tricycle’s editor-in-chief, James Shaheen, sits down with Brose to discuss the persecution that Chinese Buddhists faced at the turn of the 20th century, the creativity and innovation with which many Buddhist monks and nuns responded to these challenges, the variety of approaches taken to revitalize the Buddhist tradition, and the remarkable life of the Chan master Laiguo.

Maria Heim, a Professor of Religion at Amherst College and translator of The Questions of Milinda, engages in a captivating dialogue about this foundational Buddhist text. She explores the philosophical exchanges between Indo-Greek King Milinda and the monk Nagasena, showcasing how their discussion illuminates concepts like no-self and the transient nature of identity. Heim highlights the significance of analogies in Buddhist thought, including the famous chariot metaphor, and demonstrates how literary qualities enrich our understanding of these profound teachings.

Sebene Selassie, a Brooklyn-based writer and dharma teacher with nearly two decades of living with cancer, shares her insights on love and belonging. She discusses how to cultivate loving-kindness as an antidote to fear and division, emphasizing the importance of addressing emotional struggles. The conversation explores the healing power of play, the complexities of belonging, and the transformative effects of mindfulness and self-care. Selassie encourages embracing pain as a part of life while finding connections that foster genuine compassion.

For poet Ocean Vuong, the act of writing is inextricably linked to his Zen Buddhist practice. In a previous episode of Life As It Is, he told Tricycle’s editor-in-chief, James Shaheen, and meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg that he believes the task of the writer is “to look long and hard at the most difficult part of the human condition—of samsara—and to make something out of it so that it can be shared and understood.” Now, in his new novel, The Emperor of Gladness, Vuong turns his attention to our cultural avoidance of illness and death, as well as the small moments of care and kindness that are essential to survival. Tracing the unlikely friendship between a young writer and an elderly widow who’s succumbing to dementia, the novel reckons with themes of history and memory, loneliness and heartbreak, and failure and redemption. In this episode of Tricycle Talks, Tricycle’s editor-in-chief, James Shaheen, sits down with Vuong to discuss how he incorporates Buddhist notions of emptiness and nothingness into his writing, the role of ghosts and the dead in his work, how writing can be a form of prayer, and what he’s learned from Buddhist understandings of redemption. Plus, Vuong reads an excerpt from his new novel.

Over the course of the last hundred years, breathing mindfulness has become the most popular method of meditation around the world. Yet its history remains largely unrecorded. In her new book, Breathing Mindfulness: Discovering the Riches at the Heart of the Buddhist Path, scholar Sarah Shaw provides a historical survey of some of the methods of breathing mindfulness and how they developed.In this episode of Tricycle Talks, Tricycle’s editor-in-chief, James Shaheen, sits down with Shaw to discuss how breathing mindfulness is linked to the seven factors of awakening, the central role of joy in meditation, why the tradition of samatha, or calm, meditation has been marginalized and suppressed, and what we can learn from thinking about traditions of breathing mindfulness as part of a vast ecosystem.

Daisy Hernández, a talented journalist and associate professor at Northwestern University, joins the conversation to share her insights on navigating uncertainty through the lens of Buddhist practices. She discusses how cultivating equanimity can help maintain balance amidst chaos, both in personal life and in journalism. Their discussion touches on the emotional toll of reporting, strategies to prevent burnout, and the importance of compassionate storytelling. Daisy also reveals her own equanimity cultivation practices, providing listeners with practical tips for mindful engagement.

Arthur Sze, a renowned poet and translator based in Santa Fe, dives deep into the significance of poetry as a means of exploring profound questions. He discusses the delicate balance of structure and spontaneity in artistic expression and reflects on the ecological implications of language and extinction. Sze explores non-human narratives, illuminating the urgency of environmental awareness. He emphasizes how poetry can awaken consciousness and connection to nature, demonstrating the intricate dance between sound, silence, and existence.

Emma Varvaloucas, executive director of the Progress Network and mindfulness expert for adolescents, shares her insights on classroom mindfulness in this engaging discussion. She explores how mindfulness can sometimes amplify negative feelings for students and emphasizes the need for mental health support alongside these programs. Varvaloucas also uncovers surprising findings from mindfulness trials in UK schools, revealing mixed impacts on student well-being, and critiques the reliance on non-specialist teachers for instruction.