Everyday Zen Podcast

Norman Fischer is a poet, a Zen priest, and a former abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center. That combination of literary sensibility and deep institutional Zen experience makes the Everyday Zen Podcast distinctive. With 299 episodes updated twice a week, Norman has built an extensive library of dharma talks through the Everyday Zen Foundation, which he founded in 2001 to adapt Zen teaching for Western culture. The format is solo dharma talks, often organized into teaching series. Recent episodes work through the Dhammapada text by text, which gives the show a structured, almost seminar-like quality. Episodes run 50-60 minutes on average, and Norman's delivery has the measured cadence of someone who's been teaching for decades and knows exactly where he's going with each point. Norman brings a poet's attention to language. He'll linger on a word in a sutra and open up layers of meaning that a less literary teacher might skip past. He also features other teachers from the Everyday Zen community, including Kathie Fischer, Sue Moon, and Christopher Dumbleton, which adds welcome variety to the perspectives on offer. The 4.6-star rating from 155 reviews suggests a smaller but devoted audience. This is a podcast for people who appreciate depth and don't mind long-form exploration. Norman doesn't try to make Zen trendy or palatable. He presents it as a serious, lifelong practice that requires patience and dedication. All talks are offered freely with a suggested donation, in keeping with the Buddhist tradition of dana.