Koshin Paley Ellison returns to Mindrolling for a free-flowing conversation that touches on lone wolves, social media zombies, service, and the importance of paying attention.
Sensei Koshin Paley Ellison, MFA, LMSW, DMIN, co-founded the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, which is the first Zen-based organization to offer fully accredited ACPE clinical chaplaincy training in America. He is the academic advisor for the Buddhist students in the Master in Pastoral Care and Counseling program at New York Theological Seminary. Learn more about Koshin and his offerings at zencare.org.
The Lone Wolf Phenomenon
Raghu welcomes Koshin back to Mindrolling for a conversation about his book, Wholehearted. They touch on Koshin’s theory of the lone wolf phenomenon, issues of spiritual bypass, and the teachings of the show Ray Donovan.
“To me, beginning and ending each day with some kind of awareness of this is it, and how can I show up? How can I nourish myself so that I can nourish others?” – Koshin Paley Ellison
Listen to Koshin Paley Ellison speak with Ethan Nichtern on The Road Hope Ep. 20
Paying Attention (17:55)
The conversation turns to social media zombies, and how our societal addiction to smartphones is way scarier than any horror movie. Koshin reflects on how important it is to really pay attention and offers some practices to help cultivate attention.
“To me, the only time that something is not interesting is when we’re not paying attention, because if we pay attention, everything kind of pops.” – Koshin Paley Ellison
Beyond the Soup Kitchen (37:18)
Raghu brings up the subject of service, and how it is often misconstrued; it’s not just about volunteering at the soup kitchen. Koshin talks about service, the power of community, and caring for his dying grandmother. They close the show with a conversation about honoring our ancestors.
“Service means to look someone in the eye. It means to say good morning.” – Koshin Paley Ellison
