Paths of Practice with Paula Arai, PhD

Paula Arai, PhD, was raised in Detroit by a Japanese mother and did Zen training in Japan. She obtained her PhD in Buddhist Studies from Harvard University in 1993 and is now the Eshinni & Kakushinni Professor of Women and Buddhist Studies at the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, California. She is the author of Bringing Zen Home: The Healing Heart of Japanese Women’s Rituals, Women Living Zen: Japanese Soto Buddhist Nuns, and Painting Enlightenment: Healing Visions of the Heart Sutra. For more information about Dr. Arai and the resources mentioned in the episode, please visit the links below:https://www.shambhala.com/authors/a-f/paula-arai/of-mud-and-lotuses.htmlhttps://www.zenhealing.org/https://www.shin-ibs.edu/We discussed:*Friendship in scholarship, Dogen and “One Bright Pearl,” and understanding the Tathāgatagarbha as "Buddha womb"*Pregnancy as an expression of Buddhist practice, motherhood, and the importance of taking time to recognize the contributions made by women throughout Buddhist history*The Blood Bowl Sutra, misogyny, and the impact of writing empowering narratives*Imagination, scholarship, and creative histories*And the reminder to be kind to yourself and acknowledge your place in benefiting others along the path