Happy Life - A Serena Podcast

My meditation teaching is moving to a new level: I have just released four of my meditations on the Alyte app with more to come. Starting next week, I've scheduled sessions of my pre-recorded meditation classes. This means anyone can join the sesh with me live via the Alyte app by going here: http://www.alyte.app/zeb.For those of you who don't know, Alyte is the new social fitness app. With Alyte, you don't have to make compromises, you can hang out while you work out, and build friendships, while you build fitness. So join me, as we start the movement, for social movement.Thank you Melanie Kansil, Roisin Ryan, Emma Pilotti Krantz and the whole Alyte team for the smooth onboarding experience!! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nearly a thousand years ago, the founder of the first of the great Sufi orders, Abdul-Qadir Gilani (1077–1166), wrote an extraordinary book aptly called The Secret of Secrets where he unveiled the secret to mystical awakening. Gilani is widely considered to be one of Islam's greatest saints and yet “The Secret” was only translated into English in the last thirty years. With gems like these gathering dust it is perhaps not surprising that here we all are (at least in the English-speaking world), almost a thousand years later, still stumbling around looking for answers. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The great masters of old told us of a world that for most of us seems unimaginable and unattainable. They spoke of a Kingdom of Heaven, a place of unlimited joy and inconceivable perfection, holding hidden treasures of divine beauty and love. An experience so good that is is beyond measurement or calculation. They claimed this not as a place we go when we die if we're good (contrary to the more mundane or popular accounts to the contrary) but as an experience available to every one of us right here, right now. And these masters also taught us how to achieve this in our own lifetime. In this talk, I share some of these extraordinary insights and practical tips ancient masters from Lao Tzu to Buddha shared. And I unpack a couple of real world examples to try to illustrate how these sometimes obscure sounding insights can be applied in real situations today. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A talk to explain Karma. Before you can understand Karma, you need to understand the nature of reality and the nature of the self which is where the video beings. The talk then goes through the four kinds of grasping, the three kinds of actions that create Karma (with 10 examples). To more deeply understand Karma, the talk then goes through the four aspects of Karma, the four results of Karma and the four principles of Karma. Fortunately, Karma can be released so we then cover the four powers each one of us has to break the cycle of Karma. Finally, we take a quick look at the various religious expressions of Karma through history. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

According to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, there are six "Bardos" in the continuous turning of the wheel of life. "Bardo" means intermediate state or 'gap'. Each Bardo represents a moment that we can use to escape the continuous cycle of suffering caused by an unenlightened approach to a human life. Three Bardos occur in a human lifetime (our actual Life, the time we spend Dreaming, and the time we spend in Meditation) and three occur in between lives (the Painful Bardo of Dying and Death, the Luminous Bardo of Dharmata or the Afterlife, and the Karmic Bardo of Becoming or Rebirth). In this talk, Zebediah Rice walks you through what happens when we die, at least according to the culture that has thought most carefully and thoroughly about the end of our human lifetime. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Taking our cue from the ancient masters, we assume that the world of form and phenomena is a shadow of spiritual truth. These "shadows" express themselves in myth, religion, and the sky itself (through the Zodiac), and Number is the unifying theme. We look at symbols and stories, creation myths, and religious pantheons from Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Pythagorean, Platonic, Greco-Roman, Islamic and Christian texts and tease out the unifying insights and themes. What emerges illuminates some of the most basic questions we have as humans such as who are we, where do we come from and why are we here. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Most people use the ordinary tactics to feel good. They use their emotions as their guide and the immediate pleasure feedback from their body as the test for whether their actions are the right ones or not. Others yolk their emotions and body to the goals set by their mind. But there is an even better method, one taught throughout the ages by the great wisdom teachers. They call this the Supreme Method. This is the topic of the episode. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Pythagorean numerology, Babylonian astrology and medieval alchemy are ancient "sciences" that emerged long, long ago. But how did they come about, how can they possibly be oftentimes eerily accurate, and why they are so useful to the understanding of oneself and others in modern times? There are two explanations for this. In this talk, we cover the prehistory out of which this "natural philosophy" (or what we would now call "science") emerged. Distilling down the lessons from masters old and new, embodied physically and otherwise, I summarize why the numbers One, Two, Three, and Four were deemed to be so sacred, why the Babylonians and most western cultures since have so embraced the "science" of astrology, and touch briefly on the origin of the Four Element system that arises naturally from the study of the world around us. In the next talk, I will give the second explanation which is not at all "scientific" but which will provide a mystical interpretation and history of these sacred numbers and star signs. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As long ago in Ancient Greece, astrologers such as Ptolomy described Saturn

The sixth celestial sphere, the one the Romans called Jove or Jupiter, represents the opening of our sixth chakra or third eye. We discover a sort of partnership or union with our higher selves. It is at this level that we become a complete human being, our fully realized spiritual self. In this talk we explore what this level of consciousness is like using stories from Buddha, Jesus, Moses, Attar and Rumi. We discuss Buddha's Four Noble Truths, Jesus' parable of the Great Feast, Rumi's story of knocking on the Friend's door, Attar's Valley of Bewilderment & Awe, St. John of the Cross' Dark Night of the Soul and more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When a person on the spiritual path reaches the Martian celestial sphere, one of three things will happen. For most of us, the scientific materialists among us for example, this part of ourselves remains invisible and simply adds energy to the intensity and passion of our baser emotions. For the spiritually inclined, it will most often open up into what St. John of the Cross called the "Dark Night of the Senses". And finally, if we can master our lower selves and integrate the various parts of our self, the Red Planet provides the transformational and healing force that catapults us into higher consciousness. We are talking here about what Jesus called "the Kingdom of Heaven", what Buddha called Enlightenment and the Hindus call Moksha. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Just as the planets in our solar system orbit around the Sun, the mind seems to rotate perpetually around the ego. Observing a mysterious energy that shifts as Earth moves through space, the ancient astrologers developed a map not just of the heavens and their predictable movements, but also of the human personality. Like the repeated pattern of the Zodiac according to the time of year, the ancients observed that the human personality too was shaped by the season of its birth in predictable ways. This age-old map of the human personality can be ignored or distorted into sooth saying. Or you can use it to help opening your eyes to true reality, to help slide back the veil separating you from your higher self. This is the awakened state that Buddha and Jesus and Lao Tzu and the other ancient masters spoke of. The Sun Signs (today we speak in particular Virgo, Pisces, and Libra) are personalized map to how we can pull back that veil and awaken to the bliss and perfection spoken of by so many wisdom masters throughout the ages. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The planet Venus represents wisdom and peace and harmony. She also symbolizes beauty, love and relationships. But what do these words mean, really? How do they apply to your life? And is there any significance to these sensibilities and ideas being associated with the second planet from the sun? Astrology is like ancient codex holding the secrets to self-actualization, peace and even enlightenment. But the half that has come down to us today is so corrupted by popular notions of fortune telling and soothsaying that the half that actually has real import and effect is almost invisible. Fortunately the secrets of astrology are hidden in plain sight, there for the careful observer to ascertain. Zebediah Rice reveals these "secrets" in this talk on the true meaning and astrological significance of the planet Venus.(Zoë life: life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to a spiritual unveiling, blessed) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In ancient Mesopotamia, the Babylonians were among the first peoples in history to decode the secrets of the heavens. Their great god Nabu was believed to be in the form of the planet we now call Mercury. He was the god of literacy, reason, speech and knowledge. Harkening back to these ancient stories, with some help from Jesus, Buddha and Lao Tzu, we unpack the significance and meaning of the planet Mercury in our everyday life. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We can say that there are two ways to look at the experience of life. On the one hand, the ancient masters tell us that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (Jesus), that Nirvana (Buddhism) or Moksha (Hinduism) will release us from suffering, that the nature of the Tao will free us, or that submission to Allah will shift our consciousness to Illumination (Islam) and love. On the other hand, most people suffer, and suffer terribly. Whether it be physical pain or emotional and psychological distress, this struggle and suffering is the day to day experience for most people. So how do we explain that rift? What accounts for the difference in these two descriptions? Zebediah Rice explains the answers to these and related questions in this talk. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the Middle Ages there lived a man whose insights provide invaluable lessons for how to live a happy, healthy and peaceful life today. His name was Muhammad Ibn ‘Arabi. Ibn ‘Arabi was reportedly one of history’s spiritual geniuses. Widely known by the title Shaykh al-Akbar (“The Greatest Master”), even in his own time, this 12th century Islamic mystic is reputed to have authored as many as 800 books and was known across the Muslim world as a visionary spiritual teacher and jurist. Anticipating the debates today around consciousness by almost a thousand years, Ibn ‘Arabi spends much time discussing the question of free will. The framework he proposes is intriguing. He writes that there are two forces at work in the world. One he calls Divine Will and the other he names Divine Wish. Listen to the episode to learn what these forces are and how they relate to the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why do bad things happen to good people? How can anyone have faith in a higher power or greater force of love in the world when innocent people suffer so greatly, so often, and in such large numbers? This is not a new question. In fact, one of the more mysterious stories coming to us through the Jewish tradition, the story of Job, grapples with this very question in a vivid and instructive way. But the story ends in a frustratingly ambiguous manner with only a glimpse into the real answer that we long for to these questions. To help elucidate the answer, Buddha's Four Noble Truths, the Hindu text the Bhagavad Gita, as well as a bit of Arthur Schopenhauer are brought to bear. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There is a traditional European understanding of Easter. And then there is the story of Jesus' life, ministry, crucifiction and resurrection that is emerging from the tireless work of scholars from around the world. It is this latter story that is shared in this episode. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It may seem like we are a victim of our circumstances and that we are subject to the emotions that arise within us. But the great masters of old like Buddha along with contemporary teachers like Victor Frankl, have shown us that we have a choice in the matter. It is we who manufacture our reality. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What is the purpose of life? The great masters throughout the ages have had varied answers:Buddha: To end suffering ... and realize your true nature of non-selfMohammed: To serve Allah's purpose via submission to the Divine WillJesus: To love god with all your heart, all your mind and all your soulKrishna: Leave behind the material self and unlock bliss through devotional service to the SupremeJudaism: Live the faith, fulfill God's commandments and be rewarded with a long, happy lifeThe underlying truth of these teachings about the purpose or meaning of a human life is unpacked using contemporary terminology accompanied by the stories of Gozan and Candide. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The ancient masters left us their "lecture notes" but somehow most of the "lab notes" didn't make it through to today. In other words, we can read about "letting go" or "let Jesus" or "non-judgement, non-reaction and non-resistance" or "skillful means" or "submission" and so on but how do we put these concepts from the "lecture notes" into practice today? That is, what would the lab notes say? In this session I review being still, breaking habits, and letting go from the lecture notes and gave examples from the lab notes of the "Fire & the Well," "Split Screen," and the Hawaiian "Kala" techniques and unpacked how and why they work to release suffering and negative emotions. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nothingness is a concept that comes up again and again. We see it in the Christian and Islamic traditions, we see it in the Buddhist and Taoist traditions. In this talk, we explore what this abstract concept means and how to put it into practice in everyday life using the Buddhist concepts of "skillful means" and the Four Noble Truths, the scientific concept of neuroplasticity, the difference between wanting, willing, having, being & non-being, and the powers associated with different levels of consciousness or chakras) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This talk covers the illusory nature of the self in contrast to the typical view, how this relates to why suffering occurs, and how to experience the true nature of reality. Using examples from neuroscience as well as ancient mystical texts such as the Diamond Sutra and the letters of St. Paul, we unpack what it means when the mystical masters old old said that we were asleep and why the exhorted us to wake up, to open our eyes to the truth of our freedom, to become enlightened or illuminated with this truth. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The first in a series of talks called Kalyanamitra sessions. Kalyanamitra means "teacher". Unlike Guru (which also means teacher), Kalyanamitra has more the flavor of "spiritual friend" than "master"-connotation that Guru has. In that spirit, Zebediah Rice offers an introductory talk, followed by discussion with the group. The talk covers the lower self or the so-called first three levels of human consciousness. The discussion part of the session covers topics such as why bad things happen to good people, whether spirituality is just something the human brain comes up with when under stress, if anger can ever be a constructive emotion in life, etc. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Zander Ford hosts a podcast called Conscious Founders. He summarizes what he is up to with the following intro: "Learn how to live a joyous life while creating amazing businesses. Explore Virtual Reality tools, tips, and tricks that accelerate Human performance." Zander has graciously allowed me to repost the interview on the Happy Life podcast. You can find more about Conscious Founders at http://consciousfounders.org/ where you'll find the podcast, more information about his background as well as his unique approach to personal coaching. Zander is also a poet and publishes his work at https://www.wordsandlight.com/. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We have finally reached the last episode and the final stage of mastery. Sadly, at the 8th Stage of Mastery, we are at a point where there is very little we can say. As Buddha puts it in the Diamond Sutra, “Words cannot express the truth; that which words express is not the truth.” (Ch. 21) Or as Lao Tzu puts in in the first lines of the Tao Te Ching, “The Tao that can be named is not the eternal Tao.” (Ch. 1). But we give it a shot. In summary, the 8 stages are:LOWER SELF -- DYSFUNCTIONALStage 1: Physical (aka Gross)Stage 2: Dysfunction (aka Emotional or Astral)Stage 3: Recovery (aka Rational or Mental)PIVOT/BRIDGEStage 4: Healthy (aka Transpersonal)HIGHER SELF -- MASTERYStage 5: Cosmic (aka Holy Spirit)Stage 6: Universal (aka Buddha/Illumination/Subtle)Stage 7: Divine (aka Transcendental/Enlightened/Causal)Stage 8: Fully Liberated (non-describable/non-doing/Wu Wu Wei)I should say that I am indebted to my late teacher George Falcon for much of the ideation behind this model and my thinking on levels of consciousness more generally. Though many other ancient masters and my own practice have shaped my understanding, he was the one that first introduced it to me. Those familiar with his teachings will note many similarities so full credit to George here. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nearly there! At Stage 7 the master at this level has surpassed nearly all the other levels; they have transcended the world of the senses so completely that they are anchored in the Divine realm more than they are in the physical. More often we hear this stage simply called Enlightenment. In summary, the 8 stages are:LOWER SELF -- DYSFUNCTIONALStage 1: Physical (aka Gross)Stage 2: Dysfunction (aka Emotional or Astral)Stage 3: Recovery (aka Rational or Mental)PIVOT/BRIDGEStage 4: Healthy (aka Transpersonal)HIGHER SELF -- MASTERYStage 5: Cosmic (aka Holy Spirit)Stage 6: Universal (aka Buddha/Illumination/Subtle)Stage 7: Divine (aka Transcendental/Enlightened/Causal)Stage 8: Fully Liberated (non-describable/non-doing/Wu Wu Wei)I should say that I am indebted to my late teacher George Falcon for much of the ideation behind this model and my thinking on levels of consciousness more generally. Those familiar with his teachings will note many similarities so full credit to George here. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The 6th stage of Mastery is the consciousness of some of the greatest masters to have lived. Jesus, Krishna, Buddha, Lao Tzu, Moses, Zarathustra and Mohammed are a few of the people likely who achieved this level (at least). It goes by many names, depending on the time and the place. For example, the Hindus might have described it as the stage at which the Ajna Or Third-eye Chakra opens. More typically we will call it the stage of Illumination or Universal Consciousness. This episode explains what this stage is all about. In summary, the 8 stages are:LOWER SELF -- DYSFUNCTIONALStage 1: Physical (aka Gross)Stage 2: Dysfunction (aka Emotional or Astral)Stage 3: Recovery (aka Rational or Mental)PIVOT/BRIDGEStage 4: Healthy (aka Transpersonal)HIGHER SELF -- MASTERYStage 5: Cosmic (aka Holy Spirit)Stage 6: Universal (aka Buddha/Illumination/Subtle)Stage 7: Divine (aka Transcendental/Enlightened/Causal)Stage 8: Fully Liberated (non-describable/non-doing/Wu Wu Wei)I should say that I am indebted to my late teacher George Falcon for much of the ideation behind this model and my thinking on levels of consciousness more generally. Those familiar with his teachings will note many similarities so full credit to George here. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The higher self begins at Stage 5. It is at this stage that we finally can be called a Master. This episode explains what Stage 5 or Holy Spirit Consciousness looks like and how it is distinguished from the prior levels. In summary, the stages are:LOWER SELF -- DYSFUNCTIONStage 1: Physical (aka Gross or Four Elements)Stage 2: Dysfunction (aka Emotional or Astral)Stage 3: Recovery (aka Rational or Mental)PIVOT/BRIDGEStage 4: Healthy (aka Transpersonal)HIGHER SELF -- MASTERYStage 5: Cosmic (aka Holy Spirit)Stage 6: Universal (aka Buddha/Illumination/Subtle)Stage 7: Divine (aka Transcendental/Enlightened/Causal)Stage 8: Fully LiberatedI should say that I am indebted to my late teacher George Falcon for much of the ideation behind this model and my thinking on levels of consciousness more generally. Those familiar with his teachings will note many similarities so full credit to George here. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Masters are the apex of human experience. But, like a black belt, becoming a Master is just the beginning. Before diving in to what the higher levels are all about and going through each one in detail, in this episode we look at how to tell when someone is a master and how one becomes a master. In summary, the stages are:LOWER SELF -- DYSFUNCTIONALStage 1: Physical (aka Gross)Stage 2: Dysfunction (aka Emotional or Astral)Stage 3: Recovery (aka Rational or Mental)PIVOT/BRIDGEStage 4: Healthy (aka Transpersonal)HIGHER SELF -- MASTERYStage 5: Cosmic (aka Holy Spirit)Stage 6: Universal (aka Buddha/Illumination/Subtle)Stage 7: Divine (aka Transcendental/Enlightened/Causal)Stage 8: Fully LiberatedI should say that I am indebted to my late teacher George Falcon for much of the ideation behind this model and my thinking on levels of consciousness more generally. Those familiar with his teachings will note many similarities so full credit to George here. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mastery is about realizing our full potential in life. It is about acquiring authentic power. It is about remembering that this power belongs to us already. And it is about experience a life free from suffering. Such is the promise offered by masters from Lao Tzu and Buddha through to Jesus and Krishna. The way in which it is acquired varies in the details but, whether it is an Islamic mystic from the Middle Ages, or Cherokee Shaman, a Christian saint or a Jewish luminary, the message is essentially the same. In this episode we unpack what this so-called fourth stage of mastery looks like. It is a particularly interesting stage because it is the pivot point between the bottom three (all of which are forms of dysfunction) and the next three (all of which are forms of mastery). Some traditions call this intuition. Others the heart chakra or Beatrice. But is all more or less the same.Though the rendition is my own and I draw from many other sources, I should say that I am indebted to my late teacher George Falcon for the original the ideation behind this model and my thinking on levels of consciousness more generally. Those familiar with his teachings will note many similarities so full credit to George here.LOWER SELF -- DYSFUNCTIONALStage 1: Physical (aka Gross or Four Elements)Stage 2: Dysfunction (aka Emotional or Astral)Stage 3: Recovery (aka Rational or Mental)PIVOT/BRIDGEStage 4: Healthy (aka Transpersonal)HIGHER SELF -- MASTERYStage 5: Cosmic (aka Holy Spirit)Stage 6: Universal (aka Buddha/Illumination/Subtle)Stage 7: Divine (aka Transcendental/Enlightened/Causal)Stage 8: Fully Liberated (non-describable/non-doing/Wu Wu Wei)I should say that I am indebted to my late teacher George Falcon for much of the ideation behind this model and my thinking on levels of consciousness more generally. Those familiar with his teachings will note many similarities so full credit to George here. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The ancient masters, one after another, have spoken of a state of peace and happiness that is available to each and every one of us. But how do we reach such a state? It turns out this process is typically not a sudden flash of Satori or sudden enlightenment. In most cases it is a process and this process can be marked by a series of stations along the way. In this episode we examine the transition from the second stage to the third stage. The tricks to moving past the dysfunction of Stage 2 are elucidated as well as the features of what Stage 3 or Recovery looks like. In Summary, the 8 stages are as follows:LOWER SELF -- DYSFUNCTIONALStage 1: Physical (aka Gross)Stage 2: Dysfunction (aka Emotional or Astral)Stage 3: Recovery (aka Rational or Mental)PIVOT/BRIDGEStage 4: Healthy (aka Transpersonal)HIGHER SELF -- MASTERYStage 5: Cosmic (aka Holy Spirit)Stage 6: Universal (aka Buddha/Illumination/Subtle)Stage 7: Divine (aka Transcendental/Enlightened/Causal)Stage 8: Fully Liberated (non-describable/non-doing/Wu Wu Wei)I am forever indebted to my late teacher George Falcon for much of the ideation behind this model and my thinking on the nature of the self and levels of consciousness more generally. Much of what you will hear in this series was shared with me by him years ago. In the years since those conversations, I have discovered that he didn't invent this model. Rather he synthesized it from very similar ones used by Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Christians, Ancient Polynesians, Ancient Egyptians, Indigenous Americans, and many more. It is a universal experience of spiritual advancement to pass stages of some number and these stages, regardless of the tradition, tend to strongly resemble one another. The differences are more with how many stages the tradition breaks them up into. Sometimes there are four, sometimes 10 or 16 or more. Regardless of the number, the ideas and features of the process are more or less the same. Having now studied models from approximately 10 traditions, and investigated my own journey along this path of self-mastery, I am sharing my perspective on these so-called stages of Self-Mastery. In this episode the focus is on what is called the "Recovery" stage. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There are eight stages to the process of self-mastery. Sadly, most of us are stuck at Stage 2, which we call Dysfunction. We call it that because we all want to be happy but very few of us are, really. Yet even though we can see they don't work, we keep trying the same strategies over and over anyway. In this episode, we unpack that the hallmarks of a dysfunctional person are so that we can recognize whether we're at that level or not and begin to see how to advance beyond it.I should say that I am indebted to my late teacher George Falcon for much of the ideation behind this model and my thinking on levels of consciousness more generally. Those familiar with his teachings will note many similarities so full credit to George here. In summary, the 8 stages in total are:LOWER SELF -- DYSFUNCTIONALStage 1: Physical (aka Gross)Stage 2: Dysfunction (aka Emotional or Astral)Stage 3: Recovery (aka Rational or Mental)PIVOT/BRIDGEStage 4: Healthy (aka Transpersonal)HIGHER SELF -- MASTERYStage 5: Cosmic (aka Holy Spirit)Stage 6: Universal (aka Buddha/Illumination/Subtle)Stage 7: Divine (aka Transcendental/Enlightened/Causal)Stage 8: Fully Liberated (non-describable/non-doing/Wu Wu Wei) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Since time immemorial, the Four Elements of Earth, Air, Fire & Water have been used to understand and explain the world we live in. In this first episode of the series of the Stages of Self-Mastery, the Four Elements are used to introduce the entire process. What does it mean, why is it worth doing, what have the great religions and indigenous cultures had to say, and how do the Four Elements help elucidate how to lead to a better life? These are the sorts of questions unpacked in this episode. Using the insights from great minds such as Buddha, Jesus, and the great medieval Islamic Shaikh e Akbar Ibn 'Arabi, the purpose of self-mastery is explored. And using the Four Elements theory from the Zoroastrians, Ancient Greece and indigenous cultures such as pre-settlement Hawaii and Cherokee medicine wheels, the first Stage of Self-Mastery, the Earth or Vegetative state, is introduced. In summary, all 8 stages can be summarized as follows:LOWER SELF -- DYSFUNCTIONALStage 1: Physical (aka Gross)Stage 2: Dysfunction (aka Emotional or Astral)Stage 3: Recovery (aka Rational or Mental)PIVOT/BRIDGEStage 4: Healthy (aka Transpersonal)HIGHER SELF -- MASTERYStage 5: Cosmic (aka Holy Spirit)Stage 6: Universal (aka Buddha/Illumination/Subtle)Stage 7: Divine (aka Transcendental/Enlightened/Causal)Stage 8: Fully Liberated (non-describable/non-doing/Wu Wu Wei) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The ancient Persian sage Zarathustra provided very practical advice on how to live the best life, advice that is as relevant today as it was in those days many thousands of years ago when he first sang his hymns. These hymns, recorded in the Gathas, provide a very different wisdom than that put in his name by the great German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche in his book Thus Spoke Zarathustra. So in this episode we look at what Zarathustra really spoke in contrast to Nietzsche's bold rewriting of it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The great masters have told us that happiness belongs to us. We saw the ways the explained in this in the first episode of the series. Then in the next two we explored why this happiness remains so elusive, looking at a poor man's version of evolutionary psychology, karma and the leaps of faith many of us just can't make. And all of that brought us, finally, to this episode in which we discuss the various methods for realizing this happiness within ourselves. We take a look at many of the shortcuts, including fasting, LSD, kundalini, base jumping, and so on, and explore why they are probably only going to lead to a dead end in this search for happiness. And we conclude with the wise words of dear old Dumbledore, the wise master from Harry Potter's Hogwarts. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jesus, St. Paul, the I Ching provide some of the core insights about how to live a happy life in this episode. But those guys can be a little boring and obscure so we will also take advantage of the insights from George Lucas' Master Yoda and General Iroh of the Last Airbender's Fire Nation to get a better grip of who we really are and what that means for happiness. One of the main points covered in the episode is that there are two core leaps of faith that we need to make to realize happiness in our own lives. The first leap is that the physical world has certain properties: the physical world is a world of separation and duality (light/dark, yes/no, yin/yang), and in part because of that duality, it is our beliefs that shape our experiences. So this first leap of faith is that we can create a happier life by exploiting the brain's "confirmation bias" and insisting on the belief that life is good, regardless of how things appear in any given moment (a strategy that was wonderfully lampooned by Voltaire in Candide years ago). The second leap of faith is that there is a whole other world that is invisible to our senses and our thinking/emoting selves, existing right here and right now (a belief that has also been hilariously caricatured in movies like Monty Python's The Life of Brian). As much fun as it is to see Candide and Monty Python make fun of these two leaps of faith, and as useful as those satires are at pointing out the ways in which these leaps can be misunderstood or exploited, these humorous takes can unfortunately leave us with the impression that faith in general and these two leaps in particular are worthless. They most certainly are not and this episode explores why making these leaps can be so useful in hacking the mind to create the mental state we call joy or peace or love. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why is happiness so elusive? Evolutionary psychology provides some answers but not as many as we would like. It doesn't provide much insight into why some are happier than others, for example, or how to find and sustain happiness. In this episode, with some help from Master Po from the Kung Fu TV series and Master Yoda from Star Wars mythology, we delve into these questions more deeply. We look at how the power of karma explains the way in which we recreate our own suffering again and again. We explore how our beliefs determine our experiences. We look at some of the common misconceptions around practices like mindfulness. And we revisit the importance of being still and opening our heart for discovering the happiness that is already within us. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The greatest mystics the human race has produced have all told us the same thing: happiness belongs to us. We already posses it. So then why is it so elusive? It is one of the most challenging health care issues of our time. Over 300 million people have depression globally and it costs the US $200B per year. In any given year, as many as 20% of workers will suffer from some form of debilitating anxiety or depression. Can all these wise masters of old all be wrong? Can Jesus and Lao Tzu, Mohammed and Buddha all be confused on this point? In Part one of these series we look at what these guys actually said and pick apart the message from the trappings of religion and we strip away the misleading elements that creep in as culture and context and word meanings change. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If life really is meant to be as great as the wise masters of old tells us, how do we not recognize it? How do we know what choices to make to ensure we are moving with the flow, aligning ourselves with the master plan (assuming there is one!)? What are the signs we can look for in life to experience this so-called "Nirvana" or "Kingdom of Heaven consciousness"? In this episode, Zebediah Rice investigates the answers to these questions in what could be called the awkward adolescence of consciousness. At some stage in life, many of us reach a point where we are ready to do things differently. We may have tried other options for self-improvement but nothing is really creating any fundamental changes in our life or leading to sustained happiness or health or peace. With the Serena approach, the idea is to take the advice of the ancient teachers seriously and attempt to incorporate their teachings into our life. The challenge with the Serena style approach is that when you actually go back and read what these guys have to say, turning their insights on living the best life into practice can be challenging, to say the least. In this episode Zebediah looks at what three of his favorite masters (Lao Tzu, Jesus, and Buddha) have to say about techniques we can use to achieve Nirvana here in this body, in this life. He then puts this into a context of what our self really looks like and with this context, then brings these obscure teachings into a practical and specific set of things each of us can look out for and do in our day to day lives to live better, more fulfilling, happy and healthy lives. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Fourth Rule of of Happiness is in some ways the most subtle and most commonly misunderstood of the lessons from martial arts. We call it "Fighting," yet a fight is rarely the action that is needed to realize the best possible outcome. In this episode, we look at what the feudal Japanese Ronin can teach us about what fighting really looks like. We see that when we are dominated by wanting and doing, much of life becomes a fight and therefore makes these rules of martial arts so relevant to all of us. And finally, we learn from fictional characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Oogway, how to fight like a true master. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Asian tradition of martial arts teaches us many things. But one of the most powerful and relevant sets of principles to come down to us are the Four Rules of Happiness. The live or die contrast of the fighting situations they focused on put in stark relief what the important elements to survival were. These old masters understood that a nuanced set of principles that could be applied to maximize success was needed. Part of the challenge with understanding these rules today is that they operate on a number of levels and so the true meaning can be hidden. Today, your host, Zebediah Rice, explains the third rule (Run!) in all its many layers using examples from everyday life. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

From the tradition of martial arts we learn that there are four rules that each of us can follow in our day to day lives to achieve stability of mind, peace and happiness. Like a long buried secret, these four rules have been hidden in the plain sight of the fighting arts from Asia. But following these Four Rules from Martial Arts isn't just about combat. To the contrary, they can have a transformative and powerfully positive impact on every one of our lives. In this episode, Zebediah Rice explores the second of these rules, "Heal the Situation" and connects it with ancient spiritual traditions like Islam and Buddhism. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The ancient Asian traditions of martial arts brings us much wisdom. One teaching that is highly relevant for our day to day lives is what could be called The Four Rules of Happiness. In this episode, Zebediah Rice explains the first of these rules, "Don't Be There" or how to avoid the turmoil in the first place. Using examples from everyday life, and a bit of wisdom from Master Kan, one of the wise old masters in the 1970s TV show “Kung Fu”! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mindfulness is in the air these days. But what is it, exactly? And why should we do it? In this podcast, Zebediah Rice reviews three key reasons for why it is worth doing. He covers a major misunderstanding about meditation and mindfulness, then summarizes some of the latest science on the subject and finally spends most of the episode looking at one of the features about human consciousness that the ancient masters identified as a key source of our suffering. Humans evolved the ability to generate negative feelings, not as a mechanism to convey true reality to our consciousness, but rather as a way to move the body to keep it alive. And perceptions about threats to our body are not always accurate. This is a result of our conscious perception of the world being a controlled hallucination. And the hallucination, or hologram, that we project with our minds, is shaped by our beliefs about what the world looks like. The problem most people encounter is that they are waiting for their experiences to prove to them that it is ok to feel great. But if you already have a belief that ‘life is hard’ or ‘I don’t deserve to be happy’ ‘I am feeling sad’ or whatever your belief is, then your experiences are going to manifest and reinforce that belief. So, the key is to learn how to change your beliefs and sustain that change. Then you will witness your world transform! Mindfulness is one of the most helpful ways to do that. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode we look into the question of why we meditate. Thanks to the work of many scientists around the world over the last twenty years or so, we now know that meditation not only lowers stress and improves mental sharpness but it also strengthens our immune system, gives us more youthful and healthy brain tissue, and can be as good or better than prescription drugs for treating many forms of mental illness. But the wise masters from throughout the ages tell us that there is so much more to it than that. If we practice enough, we are told, we not only begin to see evidence of ever increasing health and happiness, but we can actually learn to switch the brain off and thereby realize the truth of our own freedom and the experience the inherent perfection of the universe. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The first foundational principle of the Serena system is knowing who we are. None of these methods of achieving optimal physical and psychological well being really work sustainably until we can begin to grasp this concept of self, non-self, or levels of consciousness. Training and practice (like meditation and mindfulness) are essential but they aren’t enough. We have to understand why we are practicing, where we want to go with the practice and, perhaps most importantly, we have to have faith that it will work. So today, we are going to revisit the principle of Knowing Ourselves but rather than using an apartment building or the idea of levels of consciousness, we are going to explore three other frameworks for talking about who we really are: One, Chakras, Two, Personification, and Three, States of Being. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We think we are our bodies and our brains. But this isn’t true. And by making this mistake, we are setting ourselves up for a life of suffering. It is like in a corporation or a government. Everyone in the company or bureaucracy needs to know their role on the team and do their job and not all try to be the boss or do someone else’s job. The situation we find ourselves in most of the time is what we would find if we put children in the White House and let them run the United States government. And these children either don’t believe there is a higher authority or believe that, even if there is, this higher authority won’t look after them so they better just make the best of it. But there is a higher authority. There is another way. It begins with regime change. Time to throw out the rulers of our life and put the our higher self in charge. In this episode, we cover three techniques each of us can use to effect this autogolpe or regime change within our selves. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"Humans grow to become whatever the believe." Bhagavad Gita 17:3 In this episode, Zebediah Rice looks at the way the brain controls how we feel and what we do. It is true that no matter how much we try, we are ultimately not in control of the events that unfold in our lives. And yet, in strange and subtle ways, we do control both our experience of reality and the very future that awaits us. It all comes back to our beliefs. If we have limiting or negative thoughts, emotions, ideas and beliefs then we are manufacturing a reality for ourselves that is going to be limiting and negative. We are the ones that are responsible for creating our experience of life. And we do this through our beliefs. In this episode, we are going to explore this dynamic and look at how simply changing the belief from negative and limiting to positive and unlimited, changes our actual experience of life itself. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the last two episodes, we covered the first three principles in the Serena system: Knowing Ourselves, Taking Responsibility, and Moving our Awareness. In this episode, we cover the fourth principle: Trust, Train & Test. We have to have faith that an end to suffering is possible, we have to do the training to change the neuronal structure of our brain to support that state, and we have to check to verify that our faith and training are actually making a difference in our lives. These three are all inter-related and in tension with each other so we can cluster them together and as we work on one we can be mindful of the other two. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode we review the third principle of the Serena system: Be the Watcher. Even though if feels like we are our bodies and the thoughts, emotions and actions it produces, this is an illusion. The truth is that we don’t change and bodies and emotions and thoughts change, so we can’t be any of that. We know this because we can be aware of our bodies and emotions and thoughts; and we can MOVE our awareness at will. So we are the one doing the watching and a great trick for leveling up in consciousness, for living a happy and healthy life, is knowing this truth and taking charge of this power. Unfortunately, most of us just let our lower self control the show. We’ve given the keys of the candy shop to the kids and left them in charge so we should be surprised that thing aren’t working out for the best. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.