Stephen Snyder is a dharma teacher in the Zen Buddhist traditions of Soto and Rinzai as well as in the Theravadan Buddhist tradition. He is the author of Demystifying Awakening, Buddha’s Heart, Trust in Awakening, Liberating the Self, and is co-author of the book Practicing the Jhānas. You can find out about his teaching and retreats at awakeningdharma.org. Today we discuss the gradual and direct paths to awakening and beyond.