Paths of Practice with Paula Arai, PhD

Paths of Practice with Paula Arai, PhD

Author: Vincent Moore August 15, 2026 Duration: 1:19:24

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.html

https://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


Vincent Moore hosts Paths of Practice: Conversations on Journeys into Buddhism, a space where personal stories take center stage. Each episode is built around a simple, profound question: what does it actually look like to live with Buddhist teachings? You’ll hear from people whose lives have been shaped by this path, from long-time monastics and dedicated lay practitioners to those who have just felt a curious pull toward mindfulness and compassion. The conversations avoid dry theory, focusing instead on the messy, human, and often surprising realities of integrating practice into daily life-through family, work, doubt, and discovery. This podcast operates on the belief that there are as many ways to walk this road as there are people walking it, gently exploring that diversity one honest conversation at a time. It’s less about providing answers and more about sharing the map-making process itself, offering companionship and insight for anyone interested in the varied terrain of spiritual life.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Paths of Practice: Conversations on Journeys into Buddhism
Podcast Episodes
Paths of Practice with Rev. Roland Ikuta [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:19
Roland sensei was born in Richmond B.C. He attended the Steveston Buddhist temple and the Calgary Buddhist temple when his family moved there in the 1970’s. He is a retired physician who worked in senior’s care (Geriatri…
Paths of Practice with Rev. Michael Tran, M.Div. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:37
Rev. Michael Tran is an ordained Buddhist minister with over 30 years of Buddhist study and practice, and more than a decade of experience in spiritual care. His training includes lineages in Chinese Ch’an (Japanese Zen)…
Paths of Practice with Rev. Tony Truong [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:26
Rev. Tony Truong serves as Secretary of the Board of Directors and Temple Minister at Ming Ya Buddhist Foundation in Los Angeles, where he supports the community’s liturgical life and daily operations. Ordained as a Lay…
Paths of Practice with Howard Lazzarini [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:29
Howard Lazzarini holds a degree in Japanese Language and Literature from the University of California at Berkeley. He spent 12 years in Japan and for several years during that time, in the early 1970s, practiced Soto Zen…
Paths of Practice with Primož Korelc Hiriko [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:52
Primož Korelc Hiriko was born in 1985 in Ljubljana (Slovenia), but grew up in Dolenjska. Hiriko spent many years as a Buddhist monk abroad, specifically in Great Britain, New Zealand, Thailand and Sri Lanka. During this…
Paths of Practice with Peace Twesigye [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:24
Peace Twesigye is a musician, meditation teacher and mentor, teacher of BuddhaDharma, and leadership consultant who hopes to be a part of the changes that unbind each of us from the systems that limit our momentum toward…
Paths of Practice with Brook Ziporyn, PhD [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:42
Brook Ziporyn is a scholar of ancient and medieval Chinese religion and philosophy at The University of Chicago Divinity School and College. Professor Ziporyn received his BA in East Asian Languages and Civilizations fro…
Paths of Practice with Anusha Enryu Fernando [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:59
Anusha Enryu Fernando was born in Sri Lanka to a Theravadin Buddhist family. Her grandparents founded the Vipassana Meditation Centre located in Colombo, Sri Lanka in 1957. She began practicing Zen Meditation with Hogen…
Paths of Practice with Bhante Sanāthāvihārī Bhikkhu [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:30
Bhante Sanāthāvihārī is a Mexican-American Theravāda monk at the Sarathchandra Buddhist Center in North Hollywood, a Sri Lankan center. He is a student of the late Dr. Bhante Madawela Puññaji, and the founder of Casa De…