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Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Written by: Be Here Now Network
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The Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast features dharma talks from a rotating lineup of contributors like: Roshi Joan Halifax, Mirabai Starr, Gil Fronsdal, Mirabai Bush, and so many more!


© Be Here Now Network Spirituality
Episodes
  • Ep. 253 - Metta for Self and Others with Gil Fronsdal

    Ep. 253 - Metta for Self and Others with Gil Fronsdal
    May 1 2026

    Resting in the field of love that ‘just is’, Gil Fronsdal explores how to live for the benefit of both self and others.

    Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.

    This week on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil Fronsdal explores:

    • Resting in the field of love without expectations
    • Love that does not require anything of others
    • Appreciating the simplicity of love through the simplicity of awareness
    • What the Buddha said about becoming a wise person
    • Living for the benefit of both self and others
    • The selfless nature of parenting
    • Understanding the circle of ‘we’ and the dynamics of family, society, and being a part of a whole
    • Taking time to be with reality rather than immediately responding and reacting

    This episode was originally recorded at a family retreat and published on Dharmaseed

    About Gil Fronsdal:

    Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders’ Council. In 2011, he founded IMC’s Insight Retreat Center. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil’s talks on Audio Dharma.

    “Love that just is, it’s not something that requires something of others. It doesn’t require them to be any particular way, to perform, to reciprocate, love is just there.” –Gil Fronsdal


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    28 mins
  • Ep. 252 - Self-Defense and Zen Buddhism with Shaolin Martial Artist Paula Lazarz & Vincent Moore

    Ep. 252 - Self-Defense and Zen Buddhism with Shaolin Martial Artist Paula Lazarz & Vincent Moore
    Apr 23 2026
    Shaolin Martial Artist Paula Lazarz explores the alchemy of self-defense and Zen Buddhism to reach ultimate inner and outer balance in practice.Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.In this episode, Paula Lazarz provides insights on:Developing a beginner's mind and a commitment to practiceIncluding the mystery of Zen for Kung Fu testingGuiding love in a martial arts environment How martial arts reflect the true nature within youInterweaving Zen practice with self-defenseFacing violence in the world and within ourselves Discovering more about our own anger and shadows Uniting our minds and bodies in a complete wayReleasing embedded cellular anger in order to practice more deeplyPracticing stillness just as much as we practice movementPaula’s ‘homecoming’ within monastic practice This conversation was originally recorded on the Paths of Practice Podcast. Listen to more episodes HERE.About Paula Lazarz:Paula Lazarz is a full-time Shaolin martial artist. She also served as an ordained priest in the Zen Buddhist lineage of Shunryu Suzuki for 10 years before giving up her robes in 2026. Her over two decades of study in the martial arts and Buddhist practice has been an exploration of the idea of the historical Shaolin Temple, culminating in Warrior’s Path Buddhist Academy. Paula studies the connection, both practical and historical, between Shaolin Kung Fu and Zen Buddhism. Her teaching and business philosophy places an emphasis on helping individuals of all ages gain physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual balance using the multi-faceted disciplines of Shaolin Kung Fu. Paula is a co-owner of Energy Fitness, Inc., Head Instructor at HealthKick Kung Fu and a Practice Leader at Ancient Dragon Zen Gate.About Vincent Moore:Vincent Moore is a creative and creative consultant living in San Francisco, California, with over a decade of experience in the entertainment industry and holds a graduate degree in Buddhist Studies. For years, he performed regularly at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, an improv and sketch comedy theatre based in New York and Los Angeles. As an actor, Vincent performed on Comedy Central, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Seth Meyers, Above Average, and The UCB Show on Seeso. As a writer, he developed for television as well as stage, including work with the Blue Man Group, and his own written projects have been featured on websites such as Funny or Die. Additionally, he received a Masters of Buddhist Studies from the Institute of Buddhist Studies with a Certificate in Soto Zen Studies and engages in a personal Buddhist practice within the Soto Zen tradition. Vincent is also the creator and host of the podcast, Paths of Practice, which features interviews with Buddhists from all over the world. Learn more on Vincent’s website HERE.“Martial art practice forces you to look at the dark side of humanity on a daily basis; you’re learning how to defend yourself against violence so you’re thinking about the reasons people get violent all the time. This is the Shaolin perspective: we know that if we only look at that all of the time that we might become an extremely aggressive person that doesn’t understand how to use it properly, that’s why there needs to be a balance in the training as well.” –Paula LazarzSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    53 mins
  • Ep. 251 - Love is Not a Gated Community with Frank Ostaseski

    Ep. 251 - Love is Not a Gated Community with Frank Ostaseski
    Apr 16 2026

    Illuminating the power of boundless love, Frank Ostaseski explains how love dissolves perceived limits and transforms our relationship to fear, doubt, and desire.

    Today’s podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.

    In this episode, Frank Ostaseski holds a session on:

    • How love enables us to do things we never imagined possible
    • Experiencing a love without limitations
    • Love as the background of all experiences and the very essence of our being
    • Making space for pain so that it can move
    • How love aligns us with the true purpose of our life
    • Differentiating between love and attachment
    • Soul friends who know how to be with us in times of grief and suffering
    • Developing a deep trust in an intelligence greater than our own
    • Living from the vantage point of boundless love

    “When the veils between the worlds get very thin, like birth and death, love shows itself very easily. It allows us sometimes to do things we never thought were possible.” –Frank Ostaseski

    About Frank Ostaseski:

    Frank Ostaseski, an internationally respected Buddhist teacher and pioneer in end-of-life care, has accompanied over 1,000 people through their dying process. Acclaimed author of The Five Invitations, Frank co-founded the first Buddhist hospice in America—The Zen Hospice Project. In 2005, he founded the Metta Institute, through which he has trained countless clinicians and caregivers, building a national network of educators, advocates, and guides for those facing a life-threatening illness.

    “Is there a greater gift we can give to ourselves or someone else than to receive them as is? Love is not a gated community. Every part of ourselves is welcome. ‘No part left out’, we say in zen. This is the receptive function of love. Once we know this treasure, there is no point in keeping it to ourselves. The ground of love is limitless. We don’t have to be stingy about it. We don’t have to think of love as a commodity that we trade with others. There is an endless supply of love, so we can endlessly give it away.” –Frank Ostaseski


    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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    20 mins
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