4.On Sincerity, Working with: a Busy Mind, Powerlessness, Low Moods, Physical Pain, Rats, Real Teachers
ZalthoLIVE - Claude AnShin Thomas
Release Date: 04/14/2025
13. On Addiction Recovery based on Buddhist Practice (#69)
ZalthoLIVE - Claude AnShin Thomas
Claude AnShin Thomas - Zen Buddhist monk, combat veteran, and author - speaks about recovery from addiction in relation to Buddhist practice and responds to questions in an inspiring manner based on his Zen practice and life experiences. He reminds the listener how to stay awake to life and understand more deeply the traps of a deluded mind. This episode was recorded at an online talk as the keynote speaker at an online summit conference of the international Buddhist Recovery Network. For more information: If you want to ask Claude AnShin Thomas a question, please feel free to write to . ...
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12. On Ambivalence, Attention, Resistance on Pilgrimage and in a War Zone #68
ZalthoLIVE - Claude AnShin Thomas
- Zen Buddhist monk, combat veteran, peace activist, and author - responds to questions from students in an inspiring manner based on his Zen practice and life experiences. He reminds the listener how to stay awake to life and understand more deeply the traps of a deluded mind. This episode was recorded during a weekly online meeting of questions & responses on September 14th, 2025 after Claude AnShin Thomas' weeklong visit to Odessa, Ukraine and a 5-day pilgrimage in and around Cologne, Germany. For more information: If you want to ask Claude AnShin Thomas a question, please...
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11. Claude AnShin Thomas with Veterans on Acceptance, Surrender, Balance, and Indecisiveness
ZalthoLIVE - Claude AnShin Thomas
- Zen Buddhist monk, combat veteran, and author - responds to questions from veterans based on his decades of Zen practice and his life experiences to include war. He reminds the listener how to stay awake to life and understand more deeply the traps of a deluded mind. This episode was recorded during a period of questions & responses during a 5-day veterans retreat in March of 2020 to address the consequences of military post-traumatic stress. For more information: If you want to ask Claude AnShin Thomas a question, please feel free to write to . Book recommendations: ...
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10. Useful Responses on the War in the Ukraine (repost from March 2022)
ZalthoLIVE - Claude AnShin Thomas
- Zen Buddhist monk, combat veteran, peace activist, and author - responds to questions from students in an inspiring manner based on his Zen practice and life experiences. He reminds the listener how to stay awake to life and understand more deeply the traps of a deluded mind. This episode was recorded during a weekly online meeting of questions & responses in spring 2022. For more information: If you want to ask Zen monk Claude AnShin Thomas a question, please feel free to write to . Zen Book recommendations:- Bringing...
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9. On Community, Self Esteem, Problem Solving, and Walking on Pilgrimage
ZalthoLIVE - Claude AnShin Thomas
- Zen Buddhist monk, combat veteran, and author - responds to questions from students in an inspiring manner based on his Zen practice and life experiences. He reminds the listener how to stay awake to life and understand more deeply the traps of a deluded mind. This episode was recorded during a weekly online meeting of questions & responses. For more information: If you want to ask Claude AnShin Thomas a question, please feel free to write to . Book recommendations: - Bringing Meditation to Life - 108 Teachings on the Path of Zen Practice...
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8. On Self Denial, Wisdom, Delusion, Chastity and Making Mistakes
ZalthoLIVE - Claude AnShin Thomas
- Zen Buddhist monk, combat veteran, and author - responds to questions from students in an inspiring manner based on his Zen practice and life experiences. He reminds the listener how to stay awake to life and understand more deeply the traps of a deluded mind. This episode was recorded during a weekly online meeting of questions & responses. For more information: If you want to ask Claude AnShin Thomas a question, please feel free to write to . Book recommendations: - Bringing Meditation to Life - 108 Teachings on the Path of Zen...
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7. Bearing Witness to War: Reflections on Violence, Identity, and the Path to Peace, Claude AnShin Thomas Speaks With Veterans
ZalthoLIVE - Claude AnShin Thomas
- Zen Buddhist monk, combat veteran, and author - speaks with veterans on the themes of personal transformation, the complexity of war, and the deep moral and spiritual inquiry reflected in the questions—while remaining short, impactful, and thought-provoking. For more information: If you want to ask Claude AnShin Thomas a question, please feel free to write to . Book recommendations: - Bringing Meditation to Life - 108 Teachings on the Path of Zen Practice (Oakwood Publishing 2021) - AT HELL'S GATE - A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace (Shambhala Publications 2003) - On...
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6. On Silence, Arguing, Being Rejected, Arrogance, and Getting Older
ZalthoLIVE - Claude AnShin Thomas
- Zen Buddhist monk, combat veteran, and author - responds to questions from students in an inspiring manner based on his Zen practice and life experiences. He reminds the listener how to stay awake to life and understand more deeply the traps of a deluded mind. This episode was recorded during a weekly online meeting of questions & responses. For more information: If you want to ask Claude AnShin Thomas a question, please feel free to write to . Book recommendations: - Bringing Meditation to Life - 108 Teachings on the Path of Zen...
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5.On Manifestation, Loss, Communication, Passion, Expectations, and Daily Routines
ZalthoLIVE - Claude AnShin Thomas
- Zen Buddhist monk, combat veteran, and author - responds to questions from students in an inspiring manner based on his Zen practice and life experiences. He reminds the listener how to stay awake to life and understand more deeply the traps of a deluded mind. This episode was recorded during a weekly online meeting of questions & responses. For more information: If you want to ask Zen monk Claude AnShin Thomas a question, please feel free to write to . Zen Book recommendations: - Bringing Meditation to Life - 108 Teachings on the Path of...
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4.On Sincerity, Working with: a Busy Mind, Powerlessness, Low Moods, Physical Pain, Rats, Real Teachers
ZalthoLIVE - Claude AnShin Thomas
- Zen Buddhist monk, combat veteran, and author - responds to questions from students in an inspiring manner based on his Zen practice and life experiences. He reminds the listener how to stay awake to life and understand more deeply the traps of a deluded mind. This episode was recorded during a weekly online meeting of questions & responses. For more information: If you want to ask Claude AnShin Thomas a question, please feel free to write to . Book recommendations: - Bringing Meditation to Life - 108 Teachings on the Path of Zen Practice (Oakwood Publishing...
info_outlineClaude AnShin Thomas - Zen Buddhist monk, combat veteran, and author - responds to questions from students in an inspiring manner based on his Zen practice and life experiences. He reminds the listener how to stay awake to life and understand more deeply the traps of a deluded mind.
This episode was recorded during a weekly online meeting of questions & responses.
For more information: https://www.zaltho.org
If you want to ask Claude AnShin Thomas a question, please feel free to write to info@zaltho.org.
Book recommendations:
- Bringing Meditation to Life - 108 Teachings on the Path of Zen Practice (Oakwood Publishing 2021)
- AT HELL'S GATE - A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace (Shambhala Publications 2003)
- On the Edges of Sleep: Poems of War and Memory (Oakwood Publishing 2024)
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If you are interested in a specific question, this is the list of questions that Claude AnShin responded to and the time stamps for those questions so that you can go directly to the topic that is of most interest to you.
Questions and Time Stamps:
2:31 How come you don’t sit Sundays during the online retreats with the Ukraine Zen group?
3:04 What is your relationship with sincerity?
4:39 After so many years of practice do you still plan things in your mind while sitting or rehearse the past?
7:52 When you are confronted with suffering, no matter from people or animals, do you sometimes get trapped in feelings like being desperate?
13:09 I am curious if you experience low moods for longer time periods?
16:28 How do you encounter physical pain?
20:08 What do you think about the notion of weeds in the garden?
23:23 Would you be willing to speak about your time in the peace movement?
28:49 Since nothing is purely bad, what can you see as a positive attribute of arrogance?
29:39 I am trying to decide if I should kill the rats in my yard?
33:20 Do you consider doing another pilgrimage?
33:33 What do you mean when you state that someone has to invite you for a pilgrimage?
34:58 How can I make sure a teacher is not trapped in conditioning, so I can trust his or her teachings?
37:17 How does what is going on in Germany look to you as an American?