12.On Boundaries, Presence, and How Liabilities Can Be Assets (#82)

Claude AnShin Thomas - Zen Buddhist monk, combat veteran, and author - responds to questions in an inspiring manner based on his Zen practice and life experiences. He reminds the listener how to stay awake to life and understand more deeply the traps of a deluded mind. This episode was recorded during a weekly online meeting of questions & responses. For more information: https://www.zaltho.org If you want to ask Claude AnShin Thomas a question, please feel free to write to [info@zaltho.org](mailto:info@zaltho.org). Book recommendations: \- AT HELL'S GATE - *A Soldier's Journey from War to Peace* (Shambhala Publications 2003, also as ebook and audiobook)  \- Bringing Meditation to Life - *108 Teachings on the Path of Zen Practice* (Oakwood Publishing 2021, also as ebook and audiobook) \- On the Edges of Sleep: *Poems of War and Memory* (Oakwood Publishing 2024, also as ebook) \- Applied Zen- *A Short Guide to an Active Meditation Practice* (Oakwood Publishing 2025, also as ebook)   https://www.zaltho.org/books/ To support, donate. If you are interested in a specific question, this is the list of questions that Claude AnShin responded to and the time stamps for those questions so that you can go directly to the topic that is of most interest to you. **Questions and Time Stamps:** **1:10** What do boundaries mean to you? \** **4:25** When you listen to someone expressing intense suffering, what helps you to remain present?\** **8:05** What do you know about a treatment called Emotional Freedom Techniques, used for former soldiers with post-traumatic stress?\** **12:50** Being aware of your suffering, do you do anything other than simply observe the sensation?\** **22:16** What does success mean to you today?\** **29:25** What has your experience been in receiving gratitude?\** **31:45** With a vow to "give up everything", do you notice what you are attached to, and if so, what is it?\** **42:40** How did your greatest liabilities become your greatest assets?\**