Bodhipatha
The Path of Awakening
Buddhism, Practice and the Zen of Everyday Life
Bodhipatha is a Sanskrit compound meaning “path of awakening.” To mindfully live life itself, in all its ordinary glory, can be this path of awakening—or better yet, the path of actualizing and embodying awakening, or enlightenment. It is not about chasing some distant goal, but about a sincere, moment-by-moment engagement with reality as it is. It’s the zen of everyday life.
Based near Madrid, Spain, Bion is a Buddhist monk and multilingual Dharma teacher. His Buddhist training has been in the Soto Zen tradition, through the unique eye of his lineage’s ancestors: Jundo Cohen Roshi, Gudo Wafu Nishijima Roshi, and Dōgen Zenji. He teaches Buddhist practice as a natural expression of life, shares practical life guidance, and offers Dharma teachings based on the early Buddhist discourses and Zen, as taught by Japanese master Eihei Dogen.
To practice the Dharma wholeheartedly does not require withdrawing from the world, but rather the ability to move through it without clinging, resistance, or fixation. My focus is on how we can respond, with greater ease and grace, to everything that arises in our lives. How do we unburden the mind from delusion? How do we awaken true wisdom?
If you want to learn about the Dharma, how to practice meditation and zazen, and how you can make the Buddha´s teachings the foundation of your life, you´re more than welcome to join our community for teachings and practice.
In the Buddhist community, the system put in place by the Buddha makes it so that the ordained sangha depends upon the generosity of the lay practitioners. The practice of generosity is called dana, and it means giving something material, time, or care to another person without expecting anything in return. If you wish to support me, you can do so here:
Paying Attention
The Practice of Letting Go
You can read more of my writings on my Substack. Feel free to subscribe to receive posts by email.
On Doing and Non-Doing in Zazen
What is the right kind of effort in "just sitting"? What are you supposed to do when practicing shikantaza?
Always Sitting
Why did the Buddha continue to sit in meditation even after his awakening, and what can we learn from his lifelong sitting practice about our own attitude towards it?
Wisdom in the Age of Machines
As wisdom becomes increasingly packaged, marketed, and consumed, an important question arises: Are we witnessing the cheapening of wisdom?
Join Bion on Insight Timer
Practice with Bion, in Person or Online
DHARMA TUESDAYS
Zazen & Dharma study
From Tuesday, September 8th at 8 pm CET (Madrid time), join me online weekly for about an hour and 15 minutes, consisting of one sitting period followed by a bit of dharma study. The study topic will be "Acquiring and Perfecting Wisdom, According to the Buddha's Teachings". Sign up for this weekly event below. A link to join will be provided soon.
Join online using the link below. We use Jitsi, which is like Zoom, except it's free and can be joined from a browser without installing anything, or, if you like, there is an app for your mobile device. (Link not yet available)
Times are in CET (Madrid) time. Use the time converter to access your time zone.
Weekly Zazen schedule (online):
Beginning in September, as I enter the Ango (Rains Retreat) practice period, I'd like to invite you to join me for zazen a few times a week.
*Schedule to be announced*
Bion serves as a teacher at Treeleaf Zendo, an international, online-based Soto Zen community. Treeleaf is a multicultural Zen Buddhist Community opened in 2006, in which people of all socio-economic classes, nationalities, races, ages, creeds, genders, sexual orientations, and physical abilities discover shared humanity by direct experience of one another’s lives.
Twice a month, on the second and fourth Sundays, from 5 pm to 7 pm (CET), Bion leads in-person practice in the Unsui Zen space in Madrid, Spain. Practice is usually in Spanish, is open to everyone, and is free of charge. Donations can be made to support the zendo's maintenance. The practice can also be attended online via Jitsi.
Zen Buddhist practice in Madrid (in person and online):
Location: Unsui Zen, Calle Valderribas, 30, Madrid
Time: 5:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Sunday of each month
Schedule:
5:00: Zazen
5:30 Kinhin
5:40: Zazen
6:10 Ceremony
6:25 Talk + Q&A
7:00 End of the meeting
Spanish speakers can join Bion every Friday evening starting at 8:00 p.m. (CET) to practice zazen and chat for a while. The practice begins promptly at 8:00 p.m. with about 30 minutes of zazen. At the end, we dedicate the merit of the practice to all beings through a brief recitation, and there is time for questions and answers.
Join online using the link below, which takes you to Jitsi, an online meeting platform similar to Zoom. Join from a browser without installing anything, or if you prefer, install the app.
Clicking the button below will open a new page that lets you enter the digital Zendo. If the interface appears in English, click “Join from the browser.” If the page appears in Spanish, select “Unirse en el navegador.” You’ll need to grant permission for your microphone and camera to be connected and enter a username. If the moderator isn’t present, the page will notify you and ask you to wait for the room to open.
Contact Bion:
