Via Tricycle \\ Three Teachings on Embodiment in a Digital World

 

Browse our online courses » July 17, 2025 Knowing Happens Through the Body   Talk of overcoming the body is not new, whether it’s rooted in religious ideas of bodily impurity, promises of psychedelics or virtual reality, or resistance to pain or suffering. But the current frenzy over AI and how life-like our digital assistants are seems to further privilege and propel the prospects of disembodyment over the alternative: the Buddhist value of embodiment, or connecting with the body as a vehicle for practice.   The Buddha taught that craving occurs through the six sense doors—ears, eyes, nose, tongue, body, and mind—and to diminish craving, we must mindfully pay attention to sensation. The body—sensation, the breath, or the delicate and aging body as a whole—is also a direct path to understanding impermanence. Even when we zoom out and consider our daily activities vis-a-vis the digital alternatives, we still see a contrast to Buddhist values—to the physical tasks and connections that are so essential to many Buddhist traditions.  This week’s Three Teachings reminds us of the wisdom of the body and the truth that it’s only through connecting with the body that we can go beyond it. Forward today's teachings to a friend » On Tuesday, July 22 at 2 p.m. ET, join mindfulness teacher Shinzen Young in a discussion on connection and right speech with the help of AI in an increasingly divided world. Can AI lay the groundwork for more productive and compassionate discourse? What are the potential benefits of integrating AI into practice and everyday life for Buddhists? How can we remain embodied in an increasingly disembodied world? Explore these questions and more with author, longtime meditation teacher, and former Shingon Buddhist monk Shinzen Young in conversation with Tricycle’s executive editor, Phil Ryan. This event is free for Tricycle Premium subscribers and $10 for general admission. If you haven't already, upgrade your subscription for free access.   Sign up today » This Very Body By Sensei Dhara Kowal The co-director of Rochester Zen Center describes the value of releasing from our thoughts and connecting with the physical body in practice and outside of the zendo. She reminds us that this is a two-way street: “Bringing the world into our sitting is to not separate ourselves from life as it is, as we experience it through our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body-mind.” Read more » The Body Is Already Mindful By Willa Blythe Baker The founding teacher and spiritual co-directorof Boston’s Natural Dharma Fellowship offers a teaching and practice for following the body’s lead, because while the mind is distracted, the body is not. “Put another way, the model is not one of taming but trust.” Read more » The Wisdom of the Body With Kathy Cherry Brooklyn-based meditation teacher, coach, and founding member of DharmaPunx NYC Kathy Cherry guides us on connecting with our inner resilience through somatic practice.