Monastic

For Jogen, Zen Buddhism is not simply a meditation practice—it is a way of meeting life. Through monastic training, meditation, community, and the ordinary challenges of living alongside others, he has discovered that every moment can become part of the path. His journey reveals a Zen practice grounded in direct experience rather than belief, where transformation comes through consistency, patience, and a willingness to meet whatever arises. For those beginning their own Buddhist path, Jogen offers a simple reminder: don’t chase perfection or awakening. Practice, stay curious, find good teachers and community, and keep showing up. Over time, the distinction between life and practice begins to disappear.

Shinchok’s spiritual journey began with questioning. Raised Roman Catholic in a traditional Italian-American community in Springfield, Massachusetts, she challenged religious expectations from an early age and eventually left the Church while retaining an appreciation for the sense of community it offered. Her search led her through Zen, Hindu philosophy, meditation, Spiritualism, and an exploration of teachings surrounding death and consciousness. Eventually, Tibetan Buddhism opened another doorway, bringing together her longstanding curiosity about consciousness with a more disciplined contemplative path. Throughout her journey, Shinchok was less interested in accepting beliefs at face value than in discovering what could be known through direct experience. At the heart of Shinchok’s story is a lifelong search for an inner happiness that remains present beneath the changing conditions of anger, sadness, grief, and everyday life. Encounters with meditation masters helped convince her that this clarity was not simply an abstract spiritual idea, but something that could be embodied through sustained practice. Her journey reflects one of the central themes of Beyond the Cushion: spiritual practice becomes meaningful not simply because we inherit a tradition or believe its teachings, but because we test those teachings against our own experience and allow practice to transform how we meet our lives.

Ani Palmo Lodro’s journey into Tibetan Buddhism began with a question many people eventually confront: Why, when we have everything we thought we wanted, can something still feel missing? After building a successful corporate life, Ani Lodro found herself facing a profound sense of emptiness that material success could not resolve. Her search for deeper meaning eventually led her to Tibetan Buddhism, the Kagyu lineage, and ultimately ordination as a Buddhist nun. Today, Ani Lodro lives and serves at a Tibetan Buddhist monastery and retreat center, where her understanding of practice has moved far beyond meditation alone. Monastic life taught her that awakening is found not only in silence and retreat, but in discipline, community, humility, and the ordinary acts of serving others. “I came here thinking I would spend my life in meditation. Instead, I found that true practice is in the daily, ordinary acts of service.”

For Grace , Won Buddhism is more than a spiritual tradition—it is a practice woven into the ordinary moments of life. Raised between Korean Buddhist heritage and a multicultural Western upbringing, Grace’s relationship with the Dharma deepened through the illness and death of her father, when meditation, prayer, and the 49-day ritual became sources of healing and transformation. Her journey eventually led to ordination and a commitment to making Won Buddhist teachings accessible to modern Western practitioners. Grace sees Dharma not as something confined to meditation or the temple, but as a way of meeting life itself. “Dharma isn’t limited to the cushion—it’s everywhere.” From relationships and adversity to death and rebirth, her practice centers on awareness, responsibility, compassion, and discovering the possibility of grace within even the most difficult experiences.

Born in Nepal and trained for decades within the ancient Bön tradition, Geshe Denma has dedicated his life to preserving one of Tibet's oldest spiritual lineages while making its wisdom accessible to modern practitioners. From his years as a monastery abbot to his role as resident lama at Ligmincha Texas, he teaches timeless practices through a contemporary lens—simplifying teachings for busy lives, embracing online learning, and guiding students with compassion while remaining deeply rooted in authentic lineage. His insights into Dzogchen, healing practices, and the teacher-student relationship reveal how an 18,000-year-old tradition continues to transform lives in the twenty-first century.

Roshi Shinge shares how an unexpected moment of awakening led her from the arts into a lifetime of Zen practice. In this in-depth interview, she explores the transformative power of zazen, koan practice, sesshin, and the indispensable role of teacher and sangha. Drawing from decades of training, Shinge explains why Zen is not about comfort or self-improvement, but about meeting reality directly, cultivating discipline, and integrating awareness into every aspect of daily life. Her insights offer a timeless perspective on how traditional Zen practice remains profoundly relevant in today's distracted world.

Born in Vietnam to a Chinese Buddhist family, Guo Yuan Fashi never imagined he would one day become a Chan Buddhist monk and internationally respected meditation teacher. Although his mother introduced him to temples as a child, it wasn't until years later—after relocating to Canada following the Vietnam War—that he began searching for something deeper than material success. That search ultimately led him to Chan meditation, ordination under the renowned Chan Master Sheng Yen, and a lifetime devoted to preserving and sharing the Dharma. In this intimate conversation, Guo Yuan Fashi explains that genuine Buddhist practice is found not only on the meditation cushion but in the smallest moments of everyday life. Whether sweeping the meditation hall, eating a meal, or quietly observing the mind, each activity becomes an opportunity to cultivate awareness, compassion, and wisdom. His teacher's greatest lessons were rarely delivered through lectures, but through ordinary actions that revealed the profound nature of mindfulness. Guo also reflects on the challenges of transmitting authentic Chan Buddhism in the modern world. As people increasingly seek meditation for stress relief, he gently encourages practitioners to look beyond temporary calm toward genuine transformation. He discusses the importance of lineage, the indispensable role of the Sangha, and the need to make ancient teachings accessible without compromising their depth. Despite cultural shifts and modern distractions, he remains optimistic that the Dharma continues to offer timeless guidance for anyone willing to slow down, look inward, and practice wholeheartedly. His story is a reminder that awakening is not found in extraordinary experiences, but in learning to meet each ordinary moment with complete presence.

Raised in a Catholic family, Ani Palmo spent years searching for a spiritual path that was grounded in reason, personal experience, and genuine transformation. Her journey through Zen, Vipassana, and eventually Tibetan Buddhism revealed a practice that didn't ask for blind faith, but invited inquiry, compassion, and direct experience. Today, as the director and resident teacher of Songtsen Gampo Buddhist Center, she shares how meditation, emptiness, bodhichitta, and the Vajrayana path have transformed her understanding of suffering, relationships, death, and the purpose of human life. Through decades of practice, Ani Palmo demonstrates that Buddhism is not about escaping the world, but learning to meet it with wisdom, patience, and an open heart.