• “The vastness isn’t somewhere else. It’s right here, embodied in the most ordinary activities.”

  
  

• I traveled to Green Gulch Farm Zen Center, near San Francisco, to chat with Jiryu Rutschman-Byler. Jiryu is the abbot of the Zen Center there and he is also the co-editor of the new collection of Shunryu Suzuki’s lectures titled ‘Becoming Yourself: Teachings on the Zen Way of Life.’

  We talked about Zen practice, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, and what it actually means to “be yourself” without turning that into yet another self-improvement project.

  Jiryu shared his own early spiritual (mis)adventures — chasing vastness, losing the ground beneath his feet — and how finding Zen practice helped him discover that the boundless isn’t somewhere else at all. It’s right here, in sweeping leaves, in breathing in and out, and in inhabiting the actual space of our lives, however that looks.

  We spent a lot of time on ethics and the Bodhisattva precepts, especially Suzuki’s refreshingly non-moralistic take. What happens when ethics don’t come from “should,” but from intimacy? From trusting our own loving nature instead of rules, guilt, or ideology? In a world desperate for moral clarity while allergic to dogma, this felt both timely and quietly radical.

  We also talked about Suzuki’s enduring influence, his humor, his lightness, and the editorial work behind Becoming Yourself — including the delicate task of letting the teachings stay alive.

  
  

  “If you try to get out of your limitation to be free, you miss it. The limitation is what gives life its shape.”

  
  

  AUDIO CHAPTERS

  00:00 Exploring Zen: The Legacy of Shunryu Suzuki

  03:35 Finding Ground: The Embodiment of Spiritual Practice

  06:38 The Nature of Freedom: Embracing Limitations

  09:27 Intimacy and Aliveness: The Essence of Being

  12:22 Becoming Yourself: The Journey of Self-Discovery

  15:20 Ethics in Zen: The Precepts and Their Importance

  18:19 The Enduring Influence of Suzuki Roshi

  21:31 The Intimacy of Being: Connecting with Life

  23:36 The Radical Nature of Letting Go

  25:45 The Interconnectedness of All Life

  28:34 Trusting Intimacy: The Path to Ethical Living

  31:25 Exploring the Structure of the Book

  32:14 Understanding Bodhisattva Precepts

  35:35 Suzuki Roshi's Unique Perspective

  38:09 The Nature of Ethical Principles

  39:55 Moving Beyond Moralism and Legalism

  44:11 Trusting Our Loving Nature

  48:29 The Inherent Goodness in Human Nature

  52:24 The Role of Faith in Ethical Practice

  56:04 The Timeliness of Suzuki's Teachings

  59:48 The Process of Editing the Book

  
  

  Becoming Yourself is published n 2025 by Tarcher, an imprint of Penguin Random House. It is also available at The Dewdrop's Bookshop Page.

  
  

  OTHER RESOURCES

  shunryusuzuki.com

In this episode of the Dewdrop Dialogues, I had the pleasure of speaking with author Andy Chaleff about his latest book, "Dying to Live."

We explored the shadowy and rewarding themes of death and the fear of mortality, discussing how these experiences have shaped our lives. Andy shared personal stories and insights from his journey, and we delved into cultural perspectives on death and the transformative power of facing our deepest fears.

This conversation was a thoughtful exploration of life's ultimate certainty and the liberation that can come from embracing it.

Andy's book, Dying to Live is published by Meaningful Relations.
You can also check it out on The Dewdrop's Bookshop page.

Chapters

00:00 Exploring Death and Its Cultural Perception

05:41 The Journey of Writing About Death

11:08 Personal Experiences with Death and Fear

16:04 Cultural Perspectives on Death

21:38 Reflections on Life and Maturation

27:24 Holding Space for Others in Their Final Moments

32:54 Experiences with DMT and Altered States of Consciousness

34:49 Control, Surrender, and the Fear of Death

38:55 Engaging with Death: Personal Reflections

43:24 Preparing for Death: Acceptance and Mindfulness

Gaylon Ferguson and Vanessa Able discuss Gaylon's new book, Welcoming Beginner's Mind: Zen and Tibetan Wisdom on Experiencing Our True Nature. The conversation explores the ten images of the ox herding sequence and their progression from seeking the ox to returning to the world. Gaylon also introduces Welcoming Practice and talks about the influence of Zen on the Shambhala tradition. Gaylon shares his personal journey with the ox herding pictures and how he abandoned the project of writing a commentary on Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind. The conversation also touches on the importance of beginner's mind, the challenges of not doing anything, and the power of sitting with difficult emotions.