Buddhist Process Explorations: Dogen and Whitehead
Event Type:
- Learning Circle Session
- (Online)
Featuring:
- Jay McDaniel, Shōryū Bradley, and Kazi Adi Shakti
Organizers:
- Center for Process Studies, Process & Faith, and Gyobutsuji Zen Monastery
A Six-Session Conversation on Zen and Process Philosophy
Today, many spiritual seekers are drawn to the writings of the thirteenth-century Zen master Dōgen. Rooted in the Sōtō Zen tradition, Dōgen’s reflections on time, awakening, body and mind, compassion, nature, and everyday practice inspire readers across religious and philosophical traditions. They are especially drawn to his emphasis on zazen, or Zen meditation, as an anchor for awakening in everyday life and for living in the world with wisdom and compassion.
Many seekers are also drawn to the process philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead. His philosophy offers a vision of lived experience as consisting of moments in which the many of the universe become one in the immediacy of experience itself; an understanding that all moments are “present in” others even as they remain discrete; and a portrayal of the universe as a vast network of interdependent becomings, each possessing value and worthy of respect and care. These seekers sense that there is something “Buddhist” about Whitehead’s thought and perhaps also something “Whiteheadian” about Dōgen’s Zen.
This series brings these two visions into conversation. Using The Essential Dōgen(opens in new tab), edited by Kazuaki Tanahashi and Peter Levitt, each of the six online sessions will feature a selected passage from the book, a Whiteheadian commentary by Jay McDaniel, a response from Sōtō Zen priest Shōryū Bradley, and open discussion among all participants.
Featuring
Jay McDaniel
Jay McDaniel is a philosopher and theologian known for his work in process theology and open and relational thought. Influenced by Alfred North Whitehead, his writing explores the relational nature of reality, the role of creativity in the universe, and the spiritual significance of everyday life. He has long been associated with the Center for Process Studies and with Open Horizons, where he helps develop resources that connect philosophy, spirituality, ecology, and the arts. McDaniel writes for both academic and general audiences, often drawing on literature, music, theater, and nature to illuminate philosophical ideas. His work emphasizes compassion, imaginative freedom, and the possibility of cooperative and sustainable communities. A teacher, essayist, and musician, he is especially interested in how process philosophy can enrich religious life, interfaith dialogue, and public culture. Through essays, courses, and collaborative projects, he seeks to make complex philosophical ideas accessible and practically meaningful for contemporary life.
Shōryū Bradley
Shōryū Bradley was ordained as a Sōtō Zen priest in 2002 by Seirin Barbara Kohn at Austin Zen Center. In 2004 he moved to Bloomington, IN to study with Shohaku Okumura Rōshi and Sanshin Zen Community. He also trained extensively at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, studying with teachers such as Tenshin Reb Anderson Rōshi and Zenkei Blanche Hartman Rōshi. Shōryū also participated in Sōtō Zen International Training periods held in the US and Japan, and in 2010 he became a lineage holder in the Sōtō Zen tradition, receiving Dharma transmission from Okumura Rōshi. He holds a BS in psychology from Texas A&M University, an MEd in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Texas at Austin, and he has been teaching and practicing at Gyobutsuji Zen Temple in Northwest Arkansas since founding it in December 2011.
