The Bodhisattva Vow with Michael McCord

What does it look like to live a spiritual practice 24/7, not just on weekends, in the middle of Silicon Valley's hustle culture? In this episode of Religion to Reality, hosts Dave Plisky and Father John Gribowich sit down with Sozan Michael McCord, President of San Francisco Zen Center, for one of the deepest conversations of the season. Michael's path is unlike any other: raised in a conservative Christian church, shaken by a faith crisis in his twenties, he moved through tech startups, Wall Street, slam poetry in Seattle, and a life-changing encounter with a fortune teller at a Microsoft company party, before eventually finding his way to Zen, a three-month silent retreat in the mountains, and ultimately ordination as a Zen priest. Today, he leads Young Urban Zen, a gathering of 3,000+ members, mostly tech workers in their 20s and 30s, who come every Tuesday night to ask the questions their careers never answered. In this conversation, we explore: ✦ How Zen applies to modern life and why it has to be a 24/7 practice or it's just a hobby ✦ The surprising overlap between Zen Buddhism and Christian mysticism ✦ What Buddha nature and kenosis have in common ✦ Why the Dalai Lama told Dan Rather that not everyone should become a Buddhist ✦ How AI is reshaping the conversation around consciousness and what no machine can ever replicate ✦ Truth with a capital T vs. a small t — and a Grand Canyon metaphor that will stay with you ✦ The origin of this podcast's name, finally revealed Whether you come from a faith tradition, are disillusioned with one, or are simply asking the big questions, this episode is for you. religiontoreality.org