Contemporary Spiritual Life – Arete House

In this episode two Buddhist philosophers - Martin Kovan and Toby Mendelson - continue their formal dialogue around the relationship (and tensions) between philosophy, Buddhism and meditation practice. Topics covered in part II include: karma and rebirth, pitfalls and possibilities in 'western' Buddhism, anatman/atman, comparative philosophy east & west, and Buddhist politics. Please Donate—It takes [...] The post 011 Contemporary Spiritual Life – Philosophy, Buddhism and Meditation: Tensions and Harmonies. Part II appeared first on Arete House.

In this episode two Buddhist philosophers - Martin Kovan and Toby Mendelson - conduct a formal dialogue around the relationship (and tensions) between philosophy, Buddhism and meditation practice. Topics covered in part I include: the role and task of philosophy, idealist experiences, modernist/secularist vs traditionalist approaches to Buddhist practice and the epistemological status of meditation [...] The post 010 Contemporary Spiritual Life – Philosophy, Buddhism and Meditation: Tensions and Harmonies. Part I appeared first on Arete House.

In this episode we are joined by young film maker and lifelong Tibetan Buddhist practitioner, Freeman Treblicock. With beautiful candor and openness, Freeman talks about the profound influence of his spiritual teachers, the relationship between myth and psychology, and his transition from child monk to mature film maker. Please Donate—It takes less than 2 [...] The post 008 Contemporary Spiritual Life – Freeman Treblicock on Tibetan Buddhism, Myth & Film Making appeared first on Arete House.

In this episode we ask two questions which are highly elusive: what does ‘spiritual’ mean and what does it mean to live a spiritual life? Although we do not arrive at a clear and concise answer to these questions, we do uncover some fascinating connections (and disconnections) between spiritual life and freedom, work, religion and [...] The post 007 Contemporary Spiritual Life – What Does it Mean to Be Spiritual? appeared first on Arete House.

In this episode we speak with Carl Asuruf about the discoveries he has made about techniques of embodiment and how they coalesce indivisibly with emotional, psychic and intellectual habits. We explore this particularly through the lens of Feldenkrais and Traditional Chinese Medicine, and discover that both are less about treating specific ailments and more about [...] The post 006 Contemporary Spiritual Life – Carl Asuruf on Embodiment, Awareness, Feldenkrais and Chinese Medicine appeared first on Arete House.

In this episode we are joined by Matthew Sharpe - Associate Professor of Philosophy at Deakin University - in order to explore the tremendous richness of ancient western contemplative techniques and practices. In particular, we explore the views and practices of the Stoics and rescue the ancient meaning of the philosopher as he or she [...] The post 005 Contemporary Spiritual Life – Matthew Sharpe on Stoic Contemplation and Philosophy as a Way of Life appeared first on Arete House.

Everyone knows about yoga, and many people participate in it. But as we mentioned in the earlier episodes, there seems to be a rather large abyss between the Indian tradition of yoga - which has its roots in the early Upanishads (perhaps even earlier) and flowered especially under the hand of Patanjali in the 8th [...] The post 004 Contemporary Spiritual Life – Peter Ujvari on Yoga in the 21st Century appeared first on Arete House.

East-West Spiritual Encounters—Historical Reflections Contemporary spiritual life is unimaginable without yoga mats, Buddha statues and mindfulness practices. In order to unmask this, we undertake a brief recent history of East-West dialogue or transmission. Beginning in the 19th century, we examine the way Indian and East Asian spiritual traditions shifted from being objects of colonialist denigration, [...] The post 001 Contemporary Spiritual Life—East-West Spiritual Encounters: 19th & 20th Century appeared first on Arete House.

East-West Spiritual Encounters in the 21st Century Where Are We Now? In this episode we (mostly) leave aside the history of east-west spiritual transmission, and ask 'where has it actually led us to?' We examine the relationship between Buddhism and science, Yoga and the body and the New Age connection to 'wellness.' In doing so, [...] The post 002 Contemporary Spiritual Life – East-West Encounters in the 21st Century appeared first on Arete House.