Alex Kakuyo

Alex Kakuyo joins us to speak about Perfectly Ordinary: Buddhist Teachings for Everyday Life.

There can be a tremendous allure to leading the monastic life, relinquishing wordly possessions, and fully immersing in learning and practice. But sometimes during this very different way of living one’s life, another realization occurs: Zen is not separate from life, even the householder’s life.

Sensei Alex Kakuyo is a former marine, author, and Buddhist teacher with a B.A. in philosophy from Wabash college. Alex’s journey into Buddhism began when he had a quarter-life crisis in January 2013. At this point, he possessed everything that he thought would make him happy (a fast car, money, job success, etc.), but he still went to bed feeling miserable each night. Convinced that there had to be more to life than simply earning a paycheck he began studying spirituality, which led him to the teachings of the Buddha. After reading the 4 Noble truths, Alex knew that he’d found his path. In May 2018 he was authorized to teach in the tradition of Rev. Koyo Kubose.

So, sit back, relax, and have a nice Darjeeling tea.

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Books

Web Links

• Same Old Zen Blog

Music for This Episode Courtesy of Rodrigo Rodriguez

The music heard in the middle of this podcast is from Rodrigo Rodriguez. You can visit his website to hear more of his music, get the full discography, and view his upcoming tour dates.