Ep168: Trust in Awakening - Stephen Snyder & Mark Mininberg
A dialogue between meditation teacher and author Stephen Snyder; and Zen master and founder CEO of Environ Energy, Mark Mininberg.
Available on Youtube, iTunes, SoundCloud & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
Stephen and Mark recount how they met and why they decided to become each others’ teacher, Stephen teaching Mark heart meditation methods while Mark completed Stephen’s Zen koan training.
Stephen and Mark pull back the curtain to give us an intimate view into their mutual teaching relationship, including accounts of mind-to-mind transmission, powerful spiritual epiphanies, and a blossoming friendship.
Stephen also announces his new book ‘Trust In Awakening’, a reworking with commentary of the classic Tang Dynasty Chan poem of awakening the XinXin Ming, and offers a teaching and commentary on two of the stanzas from the book.
Stephen and Mark also discuss their rigorous new program for training the next generation of teachers, their plans to open a residential retreat centre, and reflect on the dharma politics of traditionalists vs innovators.
Topics include:
00:00 - Intro
01:13 - First meeting
03:35 - Becoming each others’ teacher
06:47 - Adding heart to Zen
12:54 - Zen master learning heart practices from Stephen
17:09 - A powerful heart experience
20:50 - Receiving Dharma transmission in the Glassman-Roshi lineage
24:27 - Deepening koan practice
26:18 - Meeting the minds of the ancient masters
29:04 - Trust in Awakening
33:48 - Stephen and Mark teach about awakening from the 5th stanza of Stephen’s reworking of the Xinxin Ming
39:59 - How to practice with Xinxin Ming stanzas
43:40 - Stephen and Mark teach from the 8th stanza
50:17 - What is the Zen transmission process?
55:09 - Demonstration and the Mu koan
01:00:21 - Buddha’s Heart Meditation Centre
01:07:44 - Training the next generation of teachers
01:08:37 - Qualities needed in a trainee teacher
01:15:29 - The program for trainee teachers
01:18:45 - Respect for the Zen tradition
01:24:00 - Stephen’s in-person retreats
01:25:26 - Dharma politics and traditionalists vs innovators
Previous episode with Stephen Snyder:
To find our more about Stephen Snyder, visit:
To find out more about Mark Mininberg, visit;
Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James