Podcasts about buddha

Smoke and sky spiders fill the air as missiles smash into Gaza and powerful men drive needles into the flesh of young girls. Turns out Chomsky partied with Epstein, so now I have to take up vaping and go fill a shoebox with polaroid photos of dead birds in car parks. I'll pretend I'm doing it ironically so no one mocks my prayer cards for a dying world. Sometimes the Buddha looks like the Buddha. Sometimes he looks like bleached coral reefs, or rapefinger plutocrats with pointy teeth. Sometimes he looks like a woman in her early fifties sobbing snot-nosed and red-faced at the cruelty of it all in pajama bottoms and a Pink Floyd t-shirt. The war drums are getting louder, and the bank boys are getting horny again, and the flesh of the innocent is so soft and so easy to digest, and the darkness hides so much, and the light makes so little difference. But we shine it anyway. We shine it anyway. Reading by Caitlin Johnstone.

Kathie Fischer gives the eleventh talk of the Dhammapada series to the Everyday Zen dharma seminar.  The Dhammapada or “Path of Dharma” is a collection of verses in the Pali Canon that encapsulates the Buddha’s teachings on ethics, meditation and wisdom and emphasizes practical guidance for living a virtuous life. Suggested donation: $7 https://bit.ly/donate-edz-online-teachings We cannot continue offering teachings online without it. Thank you! https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/edz.assets/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Dhammapada-Talk1-11-Kathie-Fischer.mp3

In this episode, I am joined by Dr Christopher “Hareesh” Wallis, a Sanskritist and scholar-practitioner of Classical Tantra. Christopher recounts his unusual upbringing, early meetings with Osho and Muktananda, early shaktipat experiences, and powerful spiritual awakenings. Christopher traces his educational journey under professors such as Douglas Brooks and Alexis G. J. S. Sanderson, offers his opinions about optimal pedagogy for Sanskrit language study, and questions lineage claims made in Tibetan Buddhism. Christopher also considers the tension between religious faith and academic skepticism, explains why he thinks it is possible to receive spiritual benefit from corrupt gurus, and descries why he believes spiritual awakening leads to a deep trust in the unfolding of life. … Video version: www.guruviking.com Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:57 - An unusual family of origin 03:28 - Mother's conversion to Hinduism 03:50 - Meeting Osho and Swami Muktananda 05:17 - Awakening experience at 16 years old 05:55 - Attraction to Tantric Shaivism 07:35 - Academic training and intellectual infatuation 09:00 - Multiple teachers 10:13 - Seeing through intellectual ego 12:57 - Teenage rebellion and psychedelics 14:44 - Love of sci fi and fantasy 17:05 - Siddha yoga shaktipat 18:33 - Gurumayi Chidvilasananda 20:33 - Heart opening shaktipat 24:01 - Saint or psychopath? 28:26 - The guru's shadow 30:18 - Transmission from a disgraced guru 32:25 - No single objective reality 35:32 - No doubts despite guru's flaws 38:18 - Has Christopher missed the point? 39:53 - Parsing subjective certainty 41:55 - A belief but not really 43:21 - Innate intelligence and trusting the unfolding of life 46:50 - Harmonising with the pattern 50:17 - Don't pretend to be more enlightened that you are 51:56 - The same awakening as the Buddha's 54:22 - Waking up out of your tradition 55:32 - Agnosticism about reincarnation 57:29 - BA at Rochester 01:00:53 - Alexis G. J. S. Sanderson 01:05:40 - Great professors at Rochester 01:08:22 - Learning Sanskrit 01:11:12 - Art of translation 01:13:27 - Sanskrit pedagogy 01:16:42 - Christopher's approach to teaching Sanskrit 01:21:19 - Why learn Sanskrit? 01:24:10 - Parallel primer method 01:26:06 - Does academia ruin religious faith? 01:30:39 - Mantra disillusionment 01:34:40 - Disillusionment with saints and siddhas 01:38:10 - Religious professors 01:39:13 - Debunking tantric lineage claims 01:42:05 - Did Tibetan Buddhists fabricated their lineages? 01:43:10 - Tantric Shaivism as a living tradition 01:46:16 - Is Christopher a lineage holder? 01:48:04 - Critique of lineage holders and lamas … To find our more about Dr Wallis visit: - https://hareesh.org/ For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

CC460: 2026 is starting off worse than 2025, and we don't know how that's possible. Lindsie talks about the last name changes, navigating the regression she sees in Jackson, and Kail recounts the passing of beloved dog, Buddha. Plus, a crucial discussion about a terrifying lawsuit against Roblox that every parent needs to hear, and a heated debate over the role of phones versus Chromebooks in the classroom.Thank you to our sponsors!Honeylove: Save 20% off by going to honeylove.com/Coffee! #honeylovepodLeesa Mattress: Go to Leesa.com for 20% off PLUS get an extra $50 off with promo code COFFEEProgressive: Visit Progressive.com to learn more!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Host Michael Taft speaks with Stephen Snyder Sensei about the two “missing” brahmaviharas, Innate Goodness practice, heart wisdom vs. mind wisdom, the magic of the “group heart”, the paradox of the Heart Sutra, learning to become receptive, God and the nondual, entities, bodhisattvas, deities, the three types of forgiveness, and the “terrible importance” of heart-based practice.Stephen Mugen Snyder, Sensei began practicing daily meditation in 1976. Since then, he has studied Buddhism extensively—investigating and engaging in Zen, Tibetan, Theravada, and Western non-dual traditions. He was authorized to teach in the Theravada Buddhist tradition in 2007 and the Zen Buddhist schools of Soto and Rinzai in 2022. Stephen is a senior student of Roshi Mark Sando Mininberg and a transmitted teacher in the White Plum Asanga—the body of teachers in the Maezumi-roshi lineage. Stephen is the author of many books, including Trust in Awakening, Demystifying Awakening and Buddha's Heart. You can support the creation of future episodes of this podcast by contributing through Patreon.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) This talk discusses the Buddha's words on holding to fixed views from The Paramatthaka Sutta (Sn 4.5) followed by an open Q&A. While the Buddha warned against attachment to views, some views are clearly aligned with the Dharma such as: causing harm will lead to suffering for oneself or another. How can we reconcile not holding to fixed views when you're clear that it is appropriate to take a strong stand against harm? After reflections on this topic there is a Q&A session on this theme and other practice questions are explored.

This talk was recorded at the Radical Kindness New Year's Retreat 12/28/25 - 1/2/26 in Bay St. Louis, MS.Mikey Noechel offers the 2nd morning instructions on metta or loving kindness meditation. Enjoy! Wild Heart Meditation Center in a non-profit Buddhist community based in Nashville, TN. https://www.wildheartmeditationcenter.orgDONATE: If you feel moved to support WHMC financially please visit:https://www.wildheartmeditationcenter.org/donateFollow Us on Socials!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildHeartNashville/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildheartnashville/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wildheartmeditation

(Cambridge Insight Meditation Center) If things didn't change, there would be no hope to become free. Those not trained in perceiving impermanence embrace it only as long as the change is pleasant. However, those trained in the Dharma experience the flow of change with equanimity. We recognize that it is the changes that cause us suffering that spark the most spiritual urgency for cultivating clear seeing, wisdom, and freedom. In this talk we will explore a discourse from the Buddha in which we are instructed how we can train in the perception of impermanence. Recognizing and understanding impermanence (anicca) brings the greatest happiness, which is peace.

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) We begin by hearing from two members of the community about how they are experiencing and responding to what's happening in the larger society and world in our times. Donald then discusses how we might respond on the basis of our practice, identifying the three areas of training--in wisdom, meditation, and ethics. Guided by wisdom teachings, we can see the society and world as both manifesting greed, hatred, and delusion, and also awakened qualities. In our meditation, we can practice on many levels, including working with challenging emotions, seeing through social conditioning, and bringing mindfulness to our thoughts, emotions, and bodies. We focus especially on "ethical practice," re-framed as developing caring and compassionate responses. We briefly outline the five ethical precepts, and then focus especially on the guideline of non-harming, clarifying how this is understood both more individually and socially, identifying teachings from the Buddha, King Ashoka, and Thich Nhat Hanh. We ask what our practice of developing "caring and compassionate" responses might look like, bringing in also material from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., including his nonviolence and understanding of interdependence, and Elie Wiesel, including his commitment always to speak up whenever there is suffering.

Part One | Part Two | Part Three“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”― Sun Tzu, The Art of WarBecause Donald Trump understands this fundamental rule of The Art of War, he reached a compromise in Minneapolis. It was an easy shift for him because he knows himself and he knows the enemy.He knows all they wanted was months of warfare and chaos between ICE agents and the citizen army on the ground, who are now becoming an organized militia, some of them even arming themselves, all in hopes of producing viral content for the churn to keep the hearts and minds of their voters activated and mobilized ahead of the midterms.They wanted him to show up as the dictator, to crack down on protests like the United States had suddenly become Iran. But Trump is too smart for that. He knows once he becomes the version of him they invented, the war is over. He also knows they will ignore the important news of his presidency. The economy is strengthening, crime is declining, and Trump continues to make big moves on the global stage.By contrast, the left is losing but thinks it's winning because they don't know themselves. If they did, they would understand that the clever game they're playing only takes them so far. Creating chaos throughout 2020 meant they scared Americans into voting Trump out and putting the Obama coalition back in power. But they were the dog that caught the car. They had no idea what to do once Joe Biden took office.It was worse than that. Biden failed in his first major move as president with the botched exit from Afghanistan that left 13 soldiers dead and sparked two wars, as world leaders laughed in our faces at the man in the White House.As Biden's numbers began to fall, and America woke up from the haze of fear from 2020, they wondered why they ever voted out the guy with the strong economy to begin with, and why they were now stuck with a whole new set of rules we were all meant to follow.In truth? Biden was the face of normalcy for the fanatical cult that has now consumed the Democratic Party. They are the socialist socialites who are both the ruling class and the oppressor/oppressed fundamentalists who have no place for America's silent majority anymore. When the story of this moment is told by their ever-reliable unreliable narrators, they will cast themselves as the Underground Railroad to free the slaves or the Kindertransport to save Jewish children from the Nazis.So we have to ask them and make them answer: who is it they're liberating now? What are they fighting for? Mass migration? Open borders? True, they want to keep the 10-20 million who crossed over under Biden and will vote blue no matter who, but what is the endgame here? Do they even know?Trump's greatest blessing and his tragic flaw is that he cannot lose. That's what makes him a great leader; whether he's leading a family, a business, or a country, he wants to win. When you're standing behind him, you get to be a winner too.Some in his base want him to step on the gas, to crack down on protesters and not back off from Minneapolis, but as with so many hard calls Trump has had to make in his second term, he has to somehow find his way through the storm as a guy who, in the end, trusts only himself because he knows himself. If he became the dictator now just to please those in his base, he'd be eaten alive by the empire.They Don't Understand ThemselvesThe chaos in Minneapolis was designed for the legacy media. It was resistance theater that played well on the Nightly News and on social media. The objective, as we now know from the Signal chats and the ongoing soldier training for activists, was to push ICE agents into acting out, to capture those viral moments to paint a picture in the minds of social media users—ICE are violent thugs, they will conclude.If you see enough video of ICE agents pushing women to the ground and detaining children, well, what is a normal person to think? How could the polls not result in the Left's favor? What you don't see is everything that led up to it. You don't see how many times ICE agents are assaulted, obstructed, body slammed, screamed at, spat on, with whistles blaring in their ears, stalked, harassed, and doxxed.But on the Left, they don't see that side of the story, just like they didn't see that side of the story in 2020. The mob terrorizes citizens, and law enforcement and the media call it mostly peaceful protests. I was on the Left. I know that no one was allowed to talk about the violence lest they'd be called a racist. But not being able to say the truth, let alone know the truth, meant we were all walking around in a constant state of confusion. We all knew that Derek Chauvin did not murder George Floyd, but we had to say he did. We knew Trump wasn't bragging about sexual assault on the Access Hollywood tape, but we had to say we did. We knew that many of the Me Too cases were either made up or greatly exagerrated but we would be punished if we questioned any of it.Each side gets its own version of events, but these were never two equal sides. The Left still has most of the media power, says Megyn Kelly:But they have become too comfortable with confirmation bias and their ability to control the narrative that they no longer even know what is true.Important words have lost all meaning: Fascist, racist, dictator, resistance, democracy, racist, rapist, pedophile, man, woman, boy, girl, abortion is healthcare, trans women are women. Every time someone blurts out “regime,” or “occupation,” “insurrectionist,” “election denier,” “anti-vaxxer,” or “anti-masker” we are conditioned to snap to attention. Once the words are gone, and the Newspeak implemented, it's easy to lie in headlines for the same reasons. An image is even more powerful than words. Those lies meant we could not know ourselves or the enemy. We were led around by hyperbole and caught up in a dreamscape where nothing is entirely real. That meant comedians, Hollywood, and politicians couldn't really read the room, but they had to mirror that delusion, lest they get booted out of utopia too.Recently, Scott Bessent gifted Gavin Newsom with a nickname that will stick. “Sparkle Beach, Ken.” It's funny because it's true. When Newsom then tried to play on Trump's level with the knee-pads joke, it fell flat because it isn't true. Trump isn't that guy. If they knew themselves, they would understand that they are not the working-class poor who have any business marching around with No Kings posters. If they knew themselves, they would shut up about the Epstein Files because they know it's way worse on the Democrat side. If they knew themselves, they would not shout “fascist” because they would know that they are, at heart, the real fascists.If they knew themselves, they would understand why, even now, they are still the crazier side, and no matter the smoke and mirrors, the chaos, the viral videos, the mass hysteria, they can't do the one thing they would need to do to win this war: offer the people something better.If they knew themselves, they would understand that the Boy Who Cried Wolf was not just a children's story. It is a deeply profound statement about people who scream about everything until their screams fall on indifferent ears. The only reason they've gotten this far with their madness is that Trump isn't a fascist or a dictator, because if he wanted to, he could crush all of these folks like bugs as the Commander in Chief of the most powerful military in the world. They also don't seem to realize that a handful of granola crunchers arming themselves is no match for MAGA, either, should it ever come to that. The only reason the Right hasn't yet taken up arms reminds me of that scene in Grizzly Man where the bears think there might be something wrong with Timothy Treadwell, so they leave him alone, at least for a little while.But when one bear gets frustrated and hungry enough, we see just how easy it was for the bear to eat Timothy and his girlfriend in the Grizzly Maze.They don't know TrumpThe Democrats have been fighting a villain they created, but who never existed. I was one of those who sobbed on my couch after 2016, donated to Jill Stein, marched in protest, and felt myself part of the resistance. I would take to the treadmill at the gym to the Styx song Come Sail Away and I would imagine making a video to rally the troops on the Left. I would think those MAGA “racists” are not prepared for the strength of our battlestation. We have all of this power, and they have none of it. And yet, even as I imagined this, I didn't realize what I was saying because I didn't know myself, or my side, and I most certainly didn't know Trump and MAGA. What would snap me out of it was seeing what we eventually did with our power. It wasn't a grassroots uprising. It was one political party becoming more powerful than any other and then using that power to demonize, dehumanize, and marginalize half the country. When we decided we had the right to take over the 2020 election to “save Democracy” that was when I began to pull back.I was like Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2, who sees the guy she thinks is there to kill her, but instead, he's the guy who has come to save her.Because we didn't know ourselves back in 2016, we had to cover up our failures with lies about Trump. We concocted a false World War II fantasy where we were the “resistance.” Once we started that big lie, we were doomed because there was no way out of it, and there still isn't.I would find out in 2020 that all I got from the legacy media was the worst things Trump said, extracted from a much longer speech to paint a picture of someone who did not exist. I had to find that out all on my own, knowing that to do so would cost me everything. Why should just humanizing the other half of the country cost me everything? Because that is what the Left has become. Here is Chamath Palihapitiya on the Katie Miller podcast:Recently, Washington Examiner writer Kimberly Ross tried it on X with the following tweet:But of course, the truth is not something they're ready for. There is no way out for them, not because of who Trump is, but because of who they are. They just haven't figured it out.In my very wealthy, very white, and very Liberal town, there is a shop with a Buddha fountain outside, with shelves lined with spirituality and self-help. Outside, a red sign of rage. If you keep walking toward the Buddha fountain, you'll also see this sign, stabbed into the dirt on the other side.Their lawn sign isn't just an admission of how little they know themselves; it is also a manifesto. Just as they demand yet another impeachment of Trump, they also demand that you see the world the way they do, or else. But just remember, love wins.// This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sashastone.com/subscribe

Is the phenomenon known as alien abduction a modern version of spiritual awakening people have gotten through religious figures for thousands of years? Well, there certainly are comparisons to be made. You may have even heard some of them. Not these. Get ready! This is only the beginning! If you appreciate Jeremy Vaeni's work, feel free to expensively show your gratitude here: www.ko-fi.com/jayvay.

(Group Learning Program) - The Eight Fold Path - Mental Discipline (Part 3 of 3) at Wat Tung YuThe Eight Fold Path is "The Path to Enlightenment" and can be organized into three (3) distinct sections. This class is Part 3 of a three (3) part series to describe The Path to Enlightenment in detail so that you can learn and practice The Teachings that will guide you to the Enlightened mind.In this Podcast, David will share Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration which comprise the section of The Eight Fold Path described as "Mental Discipline".——-Daily Wisdom - Walking The Path with The BuddhaDedicated to the education of Gotama Buddha's Teachings to attain Enlightenment.https://www.BuddhaDailyWisdom.com(See our website for online learning, courses, and retreats.)Group Learning Program - LIVE Interactive Online Classes, Book, Audiobook, Videos, Podcast and Personal Guidancehttps://mailchi.mp/f958c59262eb/buddhadailywisdomThe Words of The Buddha - Pali Canon in English Study Grouphttps://mailchi.mp/6bb4fdf2b6e0/palicanonstudyprogramFREE Book - Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenmenthttps://www.buddhadailywisdom.com/freebuddhabooksFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DailyWisdom999YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyWisdom999Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/buddhadailywisdom/Support our efforts to share The Teachings of Gotama Buddha with you and worldwide for all people using this link.https://www.buddhadailywisdom.com/supportbuddha#buddhism #learnbuddhism #enlightenment #dhamma #dharma #buddha #meditation #meditationretreat #meditationcourse

(Cambridge Insight Meditation Center) If things didn't change, there would be no hope to become free. Those not trained in perceiving impermanence embrace it only as long as the change is pleasant. However, those trained in the Dharma experience the flow of change with equanimity. We recognize that it is the changes that cause us suffering that spark the most spiritual urgency for cultivating clear seeing, wisdom, and freedom. In this talk we will explore a discourse from the Buddha in which we are instructed how we can train in the perception of impermanence. Recognizing and understanding impermanence (anicca) brings the greatest happiness, which is peace.

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) We begin by hearing from two members of the community about how they are experiencing and responding to what's happening in the larger society and world in our times. Donald then discusses how we might respond on the basis of our practice, identifying the three areas of training--in wisdom, meditation, and ethics. Guided by wisdom teachings, we can see the society and world as both manifesting greed, hatred, and delusion, and also awakened qualities. In our meditation, we can practice on many levels, including working with challenging emotions, seeing through social conditioning, and bringing mindfulness to our thoughts, emotions, and bodies. We focus especially on "ethical practice," re-framed as developing caring and compassionate responses. We briefly outline the five ethical precepts, and then focus especially on the guideline of non-harming, clarifying how this is understood both more individually and socially, identifying teachings from the Buddha, King Ashoka, and Thich Nhat Hanh. We ask what our practice of developing "caring and compassionate" responses might look like, bringing in also material from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., including his nonviolence and understanding of interdependence, and Elie Wiesel, including his commitment always to speak up whenever there is suffering.

Every day we're inundated with stories and images of violence, and the three poisons of greed, hatred and ignorance that the Buddha spoke of centuries ago. How do we greet this moment in time? How do we handle the emotions we experience with wisdom and compassion? How do we stay connected to the world we live in and work to end the harm we see?  Mary reflects on the reality of this moment and how to take care of ourselves and others.Recorded Jan. 25, 2026 in the virtual worldSend me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically. Thanks.Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings.

From Trauma to Triumph: How Spiritual Awakening Transformed Business and Life   The Rags-to-Riches Round Trip Nobody Talks About When Success Keeps Vanishing You've built the business. Raised the capital. Made the millions. So why does it keep slipping away? And more importantlywhy does nothing feel like "enough"? Here's a truth most entrepreneurs never want to face: It's not your strategy. It's not your market. It's what's buried inside you.   In this raw and transformative episode of Richer Soul, we sit down with Smoke Wallin, entrepreneur, M&A advisor, and spiritual guide who made—and lost—$50-100 million multiple times. But this isn't a story about making money. It's about discovering why all the wealth in the world couldn't turn off the "loud fan" of anxiety constantly running in the back of his head. Until one day in Nepal, at Buddha's birthplace, everything changed.   5 Soul-Level Insights from Smoke Wallin: (This isn't about making more money. It's about freeing yourself from what's driving you.) Unhealed trauma doesn't just hurt—it sabotages. Smoke kept attracting business partners who would betray him. Why? Because betrayal was his unhealed childhood wound. His subconscious kept recreating the pattern until he faced it head-on. You can achieve massive success while suffering invisibly. Smoke became CFO of a billion-dollar company at 29, raised $110 million—all while living in constant anxiety he didn't even recognize. High achievers are masters at compartmentalizing pain. Forgiveness is freedom—for you, not them. Smoke's healing breakthrough came when he made a deal with his higher self: "If I can remember what happened, I'll forgive." That commitment unlocked everything. "Forgiveness is for the forgiver, not the forgiven." Spiritual awakening is 1% breakthrough, 99% daily integration. Plant medicine opened the door. But Smoke read 400+ books, practiced daily meditation, eliminated negative inputs, and consciously reprogrammed his subconscious. That's where real transformation lives. Money is neutral—your attachment is the prison. Once you're non-attached, you can fully experience wealth without being controlled by it. Smoke now channels resources to Dignity Moves (helping homeless families) and SACRED (supporting child abuse survivors)—because significance matters more than accumulation.   Why This Conversation Matters: Most entrepreneurs chase the next milestone thinking that will finally deliver peace. The next exit. The next $10 million. The next validation. But Smoke's journey reveals a deeper truth: External success means nothing if you're fundamentally unfree internally. This episode is an invitation to stop running—and start healing.   Money Learning: What if your wealth-building is driven by wounds, not wisdom? Smoke's pattern of building and losing fortunes wasn't about bad luck or bad partners. It was about unresolved childhood trauma manifesting in business relationships. For many driven entrepreneurs, the relentless pursuit of "more" is actually an attempt to fill a void, prove worth, or escape pain they've never faced. This episode invites you to ask: How much is enough? And what am I really running from? By healing the wounds beneath your drive, you don't lose your ambition—you gain clarity, peace, and the ability to build wealth that actually serves your life instead of consuming it.   Key Takeaway: Smoke Wallin made—and lost—$50-100 million multiple times because unhealed childhood trauma kept sabotaging his business relationships. Despite becoming CFO of a billion-dollar company at 29, he lived in constant anxiety until a spiritual awakening in Nepal and plant medicine ceremonies unlocked decades of buried memories. His breakthrough insight: "Forgiveness is for the forgiver, not the forgiven"—once he forgave, the anxiety vanished and he quit drinking without trying. Now living in "peace and joy at all times," Smoke helps entrepreneurs answer the question most can't: "How much is enough?"—proving that real wealth isn't in your bank account, it's in your soul.   Guest Bio: Smoke Wallin is an entrepreneur, M&A advisor, and spiritual guide based in Sedona, Arizona. He became CFO of a billion-dollar business at age 29, raised $110 million in the bond market, and has built and exited multiple companies across various industries. After a profound spiritual awakening triggered by a Kundalini experience at Buddha's birthplace in Nepal, Smoke has dedicated himself to helping entrepreneurs navigate both the business and existential dimensions of major exits. He co-founded Dignity Moves, a homeless initiative building villages across California, and serves on the board of SACRED, supporting families affected by child sexual abuse. A 23-year member of YPO (Young Presidents' Organization), Smoke is working on a forthcoming book offering an entrepreneur's guide to spiritual awakening.   Links: Podcast Home & All Platforms https://thesmoketrail.transistor.fm YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@SmokeWallinOfficial Substack  Full episodes + Pre-Show Q&As + Community & Poetry & Essays https://smokewallin.substack.com/ LinkedIn – Primary promotion & newsletter- https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7055158311603601408 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smokewallin Instagram https://www.instagram.com/smoketrailpodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smokewallin X (Twitter) https://x.com/TheSmokeTrail1 X: https://x.com/SmokeWallin TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@smokewallin Facebook Podcast Home https://www.facebook.com/DrinkTechnology   Stop chasing the next milestone, hoping it will finally deliver peace. Listen to Episode 477 to discover why your unhealed wounds might be sabotaging your success—and how to break the pattern before you make another rags-to-riches round trip. Ask yourself: How much is enough? If you can't answer, this episode is for you.   #RicherSoul #SmokeWallin #EntrepreneurialJourney #TraumaHealing #SpiritualAwakening #ConsciousBusiness #HowMuchIsEnough #PlantMedicine #TraumaToTriumph #InnerPeace #NonAttachment #SuccessToSignificance #Forgiveness #EntrepreneurMindset #PurposeOverProfit   Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@richersoul Richer Soul Life Beyond Money. You got rich, now what? Let's talk about your journey to more a purposeful, intentional, amazing life. Where are you going to go and how are you going to get there? Let's figure that out together. At the core is the financial well-being to be able to do what you want, when you want, how you want. It's about personal freedom! Thanks for listening!   Show Sponsor: http://profitcomesfirst.com/   Schedule your free no obligation call: https://bookme.name/rockyl/lite/intro-appointment-15-minutes   If you like the show please leave a review on iTunes: http://bit.do/richersoul   https://www.facebook.com/richersoul http://richersoul.com/ rocky@richersoul.com   Some music provided by Junan from Junan Podcast   Any financial advice is for educational purposes only and you should consult with an expert for your specific needs.

Venerable Robina is known for her clarity in presenting Buddhist concepts in a straightforward, no-nonsense and compassionate way, and will teach on the topic of dependent origination and emptiness. Lama Tsongkhapa writes lyrically about Lord Buddha's teachings on dependent arising – the "king of logics" to prove emptiness, as Lama Yeshe puts it. With this perfect view, Je Rinpoche says, we can never "fall into the abyss of the great mistake" of nihilism, one of the commonest misconceptions about emptiness. Over two sessions, we will investigate how in his gradual path literature he skillfully leads us to the eradication of ego-grasping, the primordial assumption of a fear-driven, bereft, separate self, which simply doesn't exist. We start by applying the law of karma – an example of the first level of dependent arising: cause and effect -which gradually counteracts our pervasive feelings of hopelessness and self-pity, causing us to realize that we are the source of our own happiness and suffering. Next, we get to the root of the problem by becoming our own therapists: delving deep into our mind and identifying our delusions – attachment, aversion, jealousy and the rest – and recognizing that they are fabrications rooted in ego-grasping. Now, combining our practice with Bodhicitta, we are equipped to understand the subtler levels of dependent arising and to use this logic to uproot ego-grasping itself. Summary of the teaching - The teachings in the first and second scopes of the Lamrim. The first one, Karma is the implicit teaching that we really start to get, it's a brilliant example of dependent arising, so it can help us loosen the grip of ego already. Second, when we get to the middle scope we start studying the mind, how these neuroses, delusions, afflictions, are these conceptual states of mind that distort and exaggerate the status of things; we start to understand emptiness and dependent arising, and how ego grasping is the root misconception. Attachment exaggerates the deliciousness of the cake, aversion exaggerates the ugliness of the cake (after five pieces), and they are both (and all the delusions are) rooted in the deepest assumption, which is ignorance, that imposes upon the delicious cake, intrinsic, inherent delicious cake. Ignorance exaggerates the very ontological status of the delicious cake itself. That's underneath the other delusions, and that's why it's much harder to unpack it. So start with the body and speech, control your body and speech, then begin to control the branch delusions, and now we begin (plus with Bodhichitta) to be prepared to get to the root delusion, to uproot that by realising emptiness and getting the hell out of Samsara and becoming a Buddha. Questions about - eons of practice, defining sentient beings, subtle impermanence not being emptiness, and is ego grasping purely a human form of suffering?  Mahamudra Centre for Universal Unity, North Island, New Zealand, 10th-11th May 2025.

(Pali Canon Study Group) - Generosity - Volume 13 - (Chapter 81-89)Explore The Teachings of The Fully Perfectly Enlightened Buddha through "The Words of The Buddha" Book Series in the Pali Canon in English Study Group.To learn more about this program, visit this link:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/PaliCanonStudyGroup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Using The Words of The Buddha book series, this program is offered to guide you in learning and practicing The Teachings of The Buddha on The Path to Enlightenment.You can access The Words of The Buddha Books Series using this link.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buddhadailywisdom.com/freebuddhabooks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠In this Podcast, David will guide you in understanding the Pali Canon in English through The Words of The Buddha which will help you to learn, reflect, and practice The Teachings of Gotama Buddha on The Path to Enlightenment.——-Daily Wisdom - Walking The Path with The BuddhaDedicated to the education of Gotama Buddha's Teachings to attain Enlightenment.https://www.BuddhaDailyWisdom.com(See our website for online learning, courses, and retreats.)Group Learning Program - LIVE Interactive Online Classes, Book, Audiobook, Videos, Podcast and Personal Guidancehttps://mailchi.mp/f958c59262eb/buddhadailywisdomThe Words of The Buddha - Pali Canon in English Study Grouphttps://mailchi.mp/6bb4fdf2b6e0/palicanonstudyprogramFREE Book - Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenmenthttps://www.buddhadailywisdom.com/freebuddhabooksFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DailyWisdom999YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyWisdom999Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/buddhadailywisdom/Support our efforts to share The Teachings of Gotama Buddha with you and worldwide for all people using this link.https://www.buddhadailywisdom.com/supportbuddha#buddhism #learnbuddhism #enlightenment #dhamma #dharma #buddha #meditation #meditationretreat #meditationcourse

A conversation with self-described "worry warrior" Bart van Melik about working skillfully with everyday anxiety. Bart is a guiding teacher at the Community Meditation Center in New York and our Teacher of the Month for January. In this conversation with executive producer DJ Cashmere, he gets refreshingly honest about his own tendency to worry — and shares a bunch of practical tools for when your mind won't stop spinning through worst-case scenarios. We talk about: Why mindful breathing sometimes doesn't work (and what to do instead) The practice phrase "this wants to be seen right now" How to work with your aversion to worrying (which can be worse than the worry itself) Why talking about your fears with other people is so crucial The question "what is this?" as a low-barrier entry point to awareness How the Buddha's teaching on clinging shows up in anxious thinking Why community and sangha aren't optional extras If you want more from Bart, check out the 10% with Dan Harris app where he's got meditations and live sessions throughout January.   Get the 10% with Dan Harris app here Sign up for Dan's free newsletter here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel   To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris  

We're joined by special guest and listener Vicki Dalton as we return to Osamu Tezuka's Buddha this week! We also discuss Vicki's manga & anime origins, From Far Away, Tease Me Harder, 100 Meters, JoJolion, and much, much more!!! Follow Vicki on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/vickismanga/ Send us emails! mangamachinations@gmail.com  Follow us on Social Media! @mangamacpodcast Check out our website! https://mangamachinations.com Support us on Ko-fi! https://ko-fi.com/mangamac  Check out our YouTube channel! https://www.youtube.com/mangamactv Check out our new gaming channel! https://www.youtube.com/@NakayoshiGaming/  Timestamps: Intro - 00:00:00 Vicki's Manga & Anime Origins - 00:04:56 From Far Away - 00:09:58 ACCA 13-Territory Inspection Department - 00:15:00 Cats With Jobs - 00:18:23 Tease Me Harder - 00:22:16 100 Meters - 00:27:56 JoJolion - 00:31:55 No Other Choice - 00:39:57 Dracula: Collector's Edition - 00:47:51 Next Episode Preview - 00:51:48 Buddha - 00:52:15 Outro - 01:55:37 Song Credits: "Celebration" by Suraj Nepal "We Don't Stop" by 2MooveKa "Divine" by Suraj Nepal "God Mode" by Konstantin Garbuzyuk

Drawing on the teaching “Appreciate Your Life” from Taizan Maezumi Roshi, Jomon weaves together the Zen story of Gensha with the lives and insights of Carl Rogers, Jon Kabat-Zinn, and Marsha Linehan, showing how trust in direct experience, mindful presence, and compassion reveal the same truth across traditions. Through breath, awareness, and the courage to meet life as it is, she points to a lived understanding that this very life is the life of Buddha, that each moment is complete, and that learning to rest in “this is it” allows gratitude, healing, and confidence in our own true nature to naturally arise. This talk was given at the Plum Blossom Zendo in Vancouver, WA. ★ Support this podcast ★

(Group Learning Program) - LEARN Breathing Mindfulness Meditation (Part 3 of 4)Breathing Mindfulness Meditation was the primary form of meditation employed by The Buddha to attain Enlightenment. There are many aspects of The Path to Enlightenment that one would need to learn and practice with guidance from a Teacher, however, Breathing Mindfulness Meditation should be among the top priorities for any Practitioner aspiring to attain Enlightenment.The goal of Breathing Mindfulness Meditation is to develop “Right Mindfulness”, “Right Concentration”, and to eliminate the unwholesome root of craving/desire/attachment.All discontentedness is caused by craving/desire/attachment so it is important to train the mind to not have craving/desire/attachment as part of "Developing Your Life Practice".In this Podcast, David will guide you in learning Breathing Mindfulness Meditation, will accept questions from Students to help you develop your meditation practice, and will guide you in Breathing Mindfulness Meditation.——-Daily Wisdom - Walking The Path with The BuddhaDedicated to the education of Gotama Buddha's Teachings to attain Enlightenment.https://www.BuddhaDailyWisdom.com(See our website for online learning, courses, and retreats.)Group Learning Program - LIVE Interactive Online Classes, Book, Audiobook, Videos, Podcast and Personal Guidancehttps://mailchi.mp/f958c59262eb/buddhadailywisdomThe Words of The Buddha - Pali Canon in English Study Grouphttps://mailchi.mp/6bb4fdf2b6e0/palicanonstudyprogramFREE Book - Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenmenthttps://www.buddhadailywisdom.com/freebuddhabooksFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DailyWisdom999YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyWisdom999Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/buddhadailywisdom/Support our efforts to share The Teachings of Gotama Buddha with you and worldwide for all people using this link.https://www.buddhadailywisdom.com/supportbuddha#buddhism #learnbuddhism #enlightenment #dhamma #dharma #buddha #meditation #meditationretreat #meditationcourse

On this episode, Brian continues our review of the Octet Chapter, or the Book of Eights, with Sn 4:13 The Great Array, located in the Sutta Nipāta, in the fifth book of the Pali Canon, the Khuddaka Nikāya. This part of the Canon holds some of the earliest teachings of the Buddha, cutting to the heart of his Dhamma. We will be working through this chapter for the next several weeks. Details and past classes can be found at Classes - Cross River Meditation. Should you have any questions, or wish to join us via Zoom, please Contact us via our website.    If you are subscribed to our Podcast on Podbean, iTunes, or Spotify you will receive notifications when new episodes are posted.  

Norman Fischer gives the ninth talk of the Dhammapada series to the Everyday Zen dharma seminar.  The Dhammapada or “Path of Dharma” is a collection of verses in the Pali Canon that encapsulates the Buddha’s teachings on ethics, meditation and wisdom and emphasizes practical guidance for living a virtuous life. Suggested donation: $7 https://bit.ly/donate-edz-online-teachings We cannot continue offering teachings online without it. Thank you! https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/edz.assets/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Dhammapada-Talk-10.mp3

What do Buddhists believe happens after death? In this episode, we explore one of the most common and meaningful questions beginners ask about Buddhism. Rather than offering a single doctrine, Buddhism presents a clear process shaped by karma, mental habits, and the continuity of causes and conditions.You'll learn how different Buddhist traditions understand death, rebirth, and the transition between lives:Theravada: the importance of the final mind state, wholesome actions, and merit transferPure Land: the role of Amitābha Buddha, nianfo chanting, and rebirth in the Pure LandCh'an/Zen: clarity, non‑attachment, and approaching death as another moment of practiceTibetan Buddhism: the bardo teachings, phowa, and rituals that guide consciousnessWe also look at merit and merit dedication, why families generate merit for the deceased, and how these practices support a peaceful transition and favorable rebirth.Whether you're new to Buddhism or deepening your understanding, this episode offers a clear, compassionate guide to how Buddhists view death — and what these teachings reveal about living with wisdom and intention.Read the article: https://alanpeto.com/buddhism/understanding-reincarnation-rebirth/Contact Alan: alanpeto.com/contactPodcast Homepage: alanpeto.com/podcastPodcast Disclaimer: alanpeto.com/legal/podcast-disclaimer

Welcome to a new episode of The Way Out Is In: The Zen Art of Living, a podcast series mirroring Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's deep teachings of Buddhist philosophy: a simple yet profound methodology for dealing with our suffering, and for creating more happiness and joy in our lives. In this installment, Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino discuss the importance of creating inner space and stillness through meditation practices. But what does it actually mean to create more space in our lives? And why is this important, and how do we go about it? The conversation emphasises that the practice of meditation is not just about achieving enlightenment, but about becoming more present, compassionate, and engaged with the world. It touches upon the difficulties of finding space in modern life, the benefits of different meditation techniques, and misconceptions around enlightenment. The hosts also share personal experiences, including insights about how meditation has deepened their practice and allowed them to navigate challenges with greater flexibility and understanding. The episode ends with a meditation guided by Brother Phap Huu. Co-produced by the Plum Village App:https://plumvillage.app/   And Global Optimism:https://globaloptimism.com/ With support from the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation:https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ List of resources Pilgrimage: In the Footsteps of the Buddhahttps://plumvillage.org/event/pilgrimage/in-the-footsteps-of-the-buddha-2 Being with Busyness: Zen Ways to Transform Overwhelm and Burnouthttps://www.parallax.org/product/being-with-busyness/ Calm in the Storm: Zen Ways to Cultivate Stability in an Anxious Worldhttps://www.parallax.org/product/calm-in-the-storm/ Course: Zen and The Art of Saving the Planethttps://plumvillage.org/courses/zen-and-the-art-of-saving-the-planet Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing Plum Village Traditionhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plum_Village_Tradition ‘Resources for Practicing the 16 Exercises of Mindful Breathing'https://plumvillage.app/resources-for-practicing-the-16-exercises-of-mindful-breathing/ ‘Making the App More Inclusive: Introducing the ‘Access to Practice' Folder'https://plumvillage.app/introducing-the-access-to-practice-folder/Robert Thurmanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Thurman Mahayanahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahayana Bodhisattvashttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhisattva The Way Out Is In: ‘The Three Doors of Liberation (Episode #18)'https://plumvillage.org/podcast/the-three-doors-of-liberation-episode-18 Sister Chan Lang Nghiemhttps://plumvillage.org/people/dharma-teachers/sr-lang-nghiem Quotes “Walking meditation was our teacher’s favorite practice and it was really a life-changing cultivation for him. Because, particularly when we are very emotional – whether that be grief, agony, pain, anger, frustration – it is probably better to be in a state of motion.” “The Buddha has said, What are we mindful of? We are mindful of our suffering. Why do we practice? To liberate ourselves and all beings from suffering. That is the greatest vow of a monk or a nun: to find liberation in oneself and liberation in all.” “There are so many creations of senses – what we see, what we hear, what we smell, what we taste – to help us cope with our suffering. And when we are suffering, whether that suffering is very petite, a daily concern, or is a generational trauma, we don’t have language for how to be with that suffering. Therefore, we look for a way out – and the world loves giving us a prescription of, ‘If you do this, you will feel that.'” “Sometimes silence is a chance for us to be in touch with deep suffering or deep experiences that our noise has covered up. As a meditator, space gives us the barrier and boundaries to listen and to hold. If we don’t create that space, we will be on autopilot for the rest of our life. Our mind is on autopilot; it has a way of thinking, a way of doing, a way of perceiving, of creating perceptions, creating judgment. So when we meditate and have the opportunity to listen to and then to guide the mind, it gives the mind a chance to not also be carried away by its own habits – which is thinking.” “Thinking is not a bad thing. Like our teacher has always transmitted to us, thinking is a part of creating a view in life, a project, a mission, an intention. But most of our thinking is not productive. It is actually more daydreaming, it is more procrastination. It is more like a zombie, in a way, or a sleepwalker. It has no destination; it’s just on autopilot.” “Many people feel they have to sit on a cushion, they have to have a shrine, they have to light incense, they have to light a candle – which of course can be very beautiful and give a good atmosphere for meditation. But you can also do it on a busy bus or train, or as you’re sitting on a park bench. It’s not about taking things out of your life; it’s about allowing life to be.” “Sometimes we sit just to enjoy sitting and doing nothing, because maybe that's the one gift that we want to give to ourselves – because we’re always doing, we’re always in fifth gear. Sometimes we need a radical act: to sit and do nothing, to give and create and redefine space for ourselves.” “How can we keep mindfulness alive if we are not cultivating it? Sitting meditation is one of the concrete cultivation practices.” “There is right mindfulness and wrong mindfulness. We could be a wonderful burglar with full concentration – but we would be creating suffering. So right mindfulness relieves suffering; it is about understanding suffering and heading towards the path of understanding and love.” “One time our teacher told us that sometimes insight doesn’t come during sitting meditation, but when it’s ripe. Maybe when we’re most relaxed: when we’re not thinking about it, but are living the moment very deeply. And Thay told us that, a lot of the time, it would come while he was gardening or doing walking meditation. But sitting meditation is the cultivation; it is like a gardener tending the seeds of insights to help us have a moment of, ‘Ah, I get it.'” “The practice is maybe just continuing to unlearn things, in order to learn again.” “There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.” “Sitting is already action. When we sit in this way and have new insight, that will become the thread of so many actions coming forward. So don’t underestimate the power of sitting still; yes, we have apps and guided meditations, but also build the capacity of generating your own guide. And that breath is there, that body is there. Then the community is there – and that’s the beauty of a tradition.” “Whenever we speak about enlightenment, enlightenment of what? What do we want to be enlightened from or towards? Then, later on – like in my own growth – I see that enlightenment is a verb; it is a continuous enlighten-ing. You cannot be enlightened today, December the 9th, and expect that enlightenment to stay the same in 2028. Because things are changing; we are changing. The world is changing.”

A devout Filipino woman's daily prayers to her beloved green Buddha statue took an unexpected turn when a friend pointed out she'd been offering incense to the world's most famous animated ogre.READ or SHARE: https://weirddarkness.com/shrekbuddah/WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2026, Weird Darkness.#WeirdDarkness, #WeirdDarkNEWS, #Shrek, #Buddha, #ViralNews, #StrangeNews, #Philippines, #ReligiousMixUp, #FunnyStories, #InternetViral

This talk was recorded at the Radical Kindness New Years Retreat 12/28/25 - 1/2/26 in Bay St. Louis, MS.Mikey Noechel offers the 1st afternoon instructions on training the attention to stay with a chosen object while maintaining an attitude of kindness. Enjoy!Upcoming Retreat: An Imperfect, Impersonal, Impermanent Meditation Retreat January 28th - February 1st in Sewanee, TN: https://www.wildheartmeditationcenter.org/events/an-imperfect-impersonal-impermanent-meditation-retreat-with-mikey-livid-and-andrew-chapman Wild Heart Meditation Center in a non-profit Buddhist community based in Nashville, TN. https://www.wildheartmeditationcenter.orgDONATE: If you feel moved to support WHMC financially please visit:https://www.wildheartmeditationcenter.org/donateFollow Us on Socials!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildHeartNashville/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildheartnashville/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wildheartmeditation

The Buddha's teaching on Wise Speech remains as important and necessary today as it did over 2,500 years ago. It may be even more important to be grounded in wisdom and clarity because there are so many more ways to interact with each other and we see the impact and harm of unwise speech around us on a daily basis. Mary talks about how we can make this part of our life.Recorded Jan. 17, 2026 in the virtual worldSend me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically. Thanks.Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings.

[This episode originally aired on March 28, 2023] Buddhism's emphasis on facing the reality of suffering could lead to the perception that the Buddhist path is only focused on what's wrong; but the Buddha also taught how to free ourselves from suffering  • facing the reality of suffering straightforwardly can actually be a tremendous relief  • when I first encountered Buddhist teachings, I never went to a talk where people didn't just burst into laughter from time to time  •  there was a sense that you could laugh and find humor and lightness, even when discussing the heaviest of topics  •  joy is an essential part of Buddhism; it is a hidden gift within the sometimes difficult discipline of meditation practice  •  but joy's twin is doubt—the doubt that we can do it  •  joy and doubt arise together and counterbalance each other  •  if we get carried away by the joy of discovery, we can lose our ground; but if we're just wallowing in doubt and distress all the time, we can begin to feel like giving up  •  so doubt arises as a kind of playful interruption; as we gradually begin to trust ourselves more, we become more grounded in a kind of quiet joy.

(Pali Canon Study Group) - Generosity - Volume 13 - (Chapter 71-80)Explore The Teachings of The Fully Perfectly Enlightened Buddha through "The Words of The Buddha" Book Series in the Pali Canon in English Study Group.To learn more about this program, visit this link:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bit.ly/PaliCanonStudyGroup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Using The Words of The Buddha book series, this program is offered to guide you in learning and practicing The Teachings of The Buddha on The Path to Enlightenment.You can access The Words of The Buddha Books Series using this link.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.buddhadailywisdom.com/freebuddhabooks⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠In this Podcast, David will guide you in understanding the Pali Canon in English through The Words of The Buddha which will help you to learn, reflect, and practice The Teachings of Gotama Buddha on The Path to Enlightenment.——-Daily Wisdom - Walking The Path with The BuddhaDedicated to the education of Gotama Buddha's Teachings to attain Enlightenment.https://www.BuddhaDailyWisdom.com(See our website for online learning, courses, and retreats.)Group Learning Program - LIVE Interactive Online Classes, Book, Audiobook, Videos, Podcast and Personal Guidancehttps://mailchi.mp/f958c59262eb/buddhadailywisdomThe Words of The Buddha - Pali Canon in English Study Grouphttps://mailchi.mp/6bb4fdf2b6e0/palicanonstudyprogramFREE Book - Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenmenthttps://www.buddhadailywisdom.com/freebuddhabooksFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DailyWisdom999YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyWisdom999Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/buddhadailywisdom/Support our efforts to share The Teachings of Gotama Buddha with you and worldwide for all people using this link.https://www.buddhadailywisdom.com/supportbuddha#buddhism #learnbuddhism #enlightenment #dhamma #dharma #buddha #meditation #meditationretreat #meditationcourse

"The Spark" is a brief sort of meditation/dharmette offered to the MindfulnessVR community this week. Lacking a topic for the evening, we had a lengthy sharing and discussion check-in which only allowed for a brief meditation together. In the check-in someone asked for an exploration of the meaning of the first of the Three Gems; The Buddha. I offered my response as this sort of contemplative reflection. This one was brief enough that I wouldn't typically share it, but I'm hoping it might help others who are not clear on the idea behind this first gem. May it be helpful for you in some way! Enjoy! https://bio.reverendgeorgebeecher.com

(Karuna Buddhist Vihara) This dhamma talk, guided meditation, comments, questions and responses was offered on 17 January, 2026 for “How do I apply the Dhamma to THIS!?!” 00:00 - GUIDED MEDITATION 19:37 - DHAMMA TALK 56:14 - COMMENTS, QUESTIONS & RESPONSES From January 4th to April 2nd 2026 the regularly scheduled Saturday morning program taught by Ayya Santussika, will take many of the suttas referenced in "Mindfully Facing Disease and Death" by Bhikkhu Anālayo as their basis. For those who want to dive deeply into this material, you may want to read the book as we discuss the suttas, listed below. Jan 10 SN 22.1 Nakula's Father Chapter 2 Jan 17 SN 36.6 An Arrow Chapter 3 Jan 24 SN 22.88 With Assaji Chapter 10 Jan 31 SN 22.89 With Khemaka Chapter 11 Feb 7 AN 10.60 With Girimānanda Chapter 12 Feb 14 SN 3.22 Grandmother and SN 47.13 With Cunda Chapters 13 & 14 Feb 21 MN 143 Advice to Anāthapiṇḍika Chapter 16 Feb 28 SN 55.3 With Dīghāvu and SN 55.54 Sick Chapters 17 & 18 Mar 7 SN 36.7 The Infirmary (1st) Chapter 19 Mar 14 AN 6.56 With Phagguna Chapter 20 Mar 21 SN 35.74 Sick (1st) and SN 41.10 Seeing the Sick Chapters 21 & 22 Mar 28 DN 16.31, 34-36 The Buddha's Last Words Chapter 23

After a concert flyer turned paper airplane lands into the laps of two kid sisters, they infiltrate the venue to find a mindless mosh crowding a supernatural bathroom. Music video for ‘Buddha Was A Rich Boy' by That Handsome Devil What motivated you to make this film? We all have friends that have ideas for films they want to direct. My friends not acting on their ideas after years of me cheerleading them led me to saying, “fuck it”, and maxing out two credit cards to make two music videos with That Handsome Devil in one weekend. There's no lead-up to our death. It's just going to happen one day to all of us. Anyone wasting the time we aren't guaranteed drives me crazy.  From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film? To keep up with the release of their album, Exploitopia, there were maybe 5 months tops on the calendar. In that 5 months, maybe two weeks of it was spent putting this baby together.  ———— Subscribe to the podcast: https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

In this Rohatsu sesshin talk, Chozen reflects on awakening, silent mind, and the constructed personality that both protects and confines us. Drawing on the Buddha's own awakening, the teaching of “don't-know mind” from Seung Sahn Sunim, Eckhart Tolle's modern account of disidentification from thought, and the koan of Isan tipping over the water bottle, she points to the moment when thinking falls away and original mind reveals itself—vast, intimate, and free from entanglement. The invitation is to trust this silence, let personality become optional, and allow awakening to flow through the body and into everyday life. ★ Support this podcast ★

(Group Learning Program) - LEARN Breathing Mindfulness Meditation (Part 2 of 4)Breathing Mindfulness Meditation was the primary form of meditation employed by The Buddha to attain Enlightenment. There are many aspects of The Path to Enlightenment that one would need to learn and practice with guidance from a Teacher, however, Breathing Mindfulness Meditation should be among the top priorities for any Practitioner aspiring to attain Enlightenment.The goal of Breathing Mindfulness Meditation is to develop “Right Mindfulness”, “Right Concentration”, and to eliminate the unwholesome root of craving/desire/attachment.All discontentedness is caused by craving/desire/attachment so it is important to train the mind to not have craving/desire/attachment as part of "Developing Your Life Practice".In this Podcast, David will guide you in learning Breathing Mindfulness Meditation, will accept questions from Students to help you develop your meditation practice, and will guide you in Breathing Mindfulness Meditation.——-Daily Wisdom - Walking The Path with The BuddhaDedicated to the education of Gotama Buddha's Teachings to attain Enlightenment.https://www.BuddhaDailyWisdom.com(See our website for online learning, courses, and retreats.)Group Learning Program - LIVE Interactive Online Classes, Book, Audiobook, Videos, Podcast and Personal Guidancehttps://mailchi.mp/f958c59262eb/buddhadailywisdomThe Words of The Buddha - Pali Canon in English Study Grouphttps://mailchi.mp/6bb4fdf2b6e0/palicanonstudyprogramFREE Book - Developing a Life Practice: The Path That Leads to Enlightenmenthttps://www.buddhadailywisdom.com/freebuddhabooksFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DailyWisdom999YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DailyWisdom999Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/buddhadailywisdom/Support our efforts to share The Teachings of Gotama Buddha with you and worldwide for all people using this link.https://www.buddhadailywisdom.com/supportbuddha#buddhism #learnbuddhism #enlightenment #dhamma #dharma #buddha #meditation #meditationretreat #meditationcourse

Dave tells the story of the time Buddha preserved democracy for 2000 years and started a radical social revolution that not only didn't get anyone hurt or killed, but had the kings and power brokers of the day falling over themselves to support what he was doing. How did he pull that off without making enemies of the powers he was challenging? Can we learn to wield selfless goallessness effectively? What are we really trying to win and who are we really trying to convince?? Find out here!

Norman Fischer gives the ninth talk of the Dhammapada series to the Everyday Zen dharma seminar.  The Dhammapada or “Path of Dharma” is a collection of verses in the Pali Canon that encapsulates the Buddha’s teachings on ethics, meditation and wisdom and emphasizes practical guidance for living a virtuous life. Suggested donation: $7 https://bit.ly/donate-edz-online-teachings We cannot continue offering teachings online without it. Thank you! https://s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/edz.assets/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Dhammapada-Talk-9.mp3

In this episode, filmed on location in Kathmandu, Nepal, I am joined by Buddhist nun Guruma Dhamma Vijaya. Guruma recalls her childhood in Kathmandu Valley, the religious life of her Newar Vajrayāna family, and why she turned to Theravāda Buddhism and took ordination as a nun. Guruma recounts her extensive training in Mahasi and Goenka meditation styles, compares tantric techniques to ānāpānassati, and offers her understanding of the essence of Buddhist teaching. Guruma details her educational journey, describes her life-changing encounter with feminism while studying in the USA, and tells the story of obtaining a PhD on the subject of Buddhist Feminism. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep344-nepali-buddhist-nun-guruma-dhamma-vijaya Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'.
 … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:50 - Homage to Buddha, Dhamma, Saṅgha 01:54 - Blessing and welcome 02:33 - Question etiquette in different cultures 03:17 - Guruma's Newar childhood in Kathmandu Valley 06:11 - Guruma's education pathway to PhD 06:36 - Family dynamics 07:30 - First meeting with Buddhist nuns 09:46 - From Vajrayāna to Theravāda 11:12 - Desire to be a nun 12:48 - Attending a teaching by the Dalai Lama in Bodhgaya 13:54 - The loss of the bhikkhunī ordination lineage 14:28 - Becoming a nun 17:54 - 4 years of study in Taiwan 19:20 - Meditation and further studies in Burma and India 20:02 - Studying meditation under Mahasi Sayadaw and S.N. Goenka 26:37 - Mahasi vs Goenka 27:37 - 4 points of Goenka meditation 29:10 - Ānāpānassati meditation is the Buddha's teaching 29:55 - Guruma's practie 30:51 - Vajrayāna vs Theravāda 36:27 - Body mantras and Vajrayāna threats 39:15 - Choosing Ānāpānassati over Vajrayāna 43:23 - Freedom from suffering 45:38 - The essence of Buddhist teaching 47:25 - Encountering feminism 54:58 - Messy status of nuns in Nepal 01:03:02 - Theravāda revival 01:05:39 - Tragic reason why Guruma's teacher became a nun 01:08:14 - Buddhist pilgrimage sites 01:08:54 - Life is precious and exhortation to practice 01:1341 - Dedication prayer and blessing … Kathmandu Interviews playlist: - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlkzlKFgdknwvU82dU487LhF_mF4AkGek&si=4U8rRVEHKA4Z28oF Find out more about Guruma here: - http://tartaruspress.com/russell-rampa.html - https://www.arthurmachen.org.uk/ For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

For the first regular episode of the year (excepting our New Year's recap) we take a look at the New Year Traditions at Temmu's court.  How did the court celebrate the New Year in the late 7th century? For more, check out our blogpost:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-141 Rough Transcript: Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is episode 141: Temmu's New Year's Traditions   The chill winter air meant that most of the assembled crowd had donned multiple layers of robes.  Men and women had assembled together, upon the open, rock-covered courtyard, both to see and be seen.  To the north and east of the courtyard were the walls and gates of the buildings that made up the royal palace, the rooves of the buildings just visible beyond the gates. The onlookers stood arrayed around the open lanes that had been created for the event—at one end of the rocky field were targets, while at the other were archers, also arrayed in their finest outfits.  While technically they wore hunting robes, cut to allow greater movement in the arm, many of these fabrics had no business being anywhere near a moor or the dirt of open fields.  After all, this wasn't just some hunt:  They were demonstrating their skills in the center of the State.  At the officials' command, the archers let loose their arrows.  The crowd murmured at the soft crack of the bowstring, the faint whisper of arrow as the fletchings cut through the air, and the thud as the arrows struck their targets.  Looking downrange, approval bubbled through the crowd: the targets were well-struck.  Behind the archers on the field, another group awaited their turn. The events of the day would be the talk of the court, from the lowest clerk to the highest prince , for days to come.   Not just the well-placed shot, but also the grace and poise of the one who had let loose an arrow of particular note.  And heaven forbid an arrow miss its target.  Even kicking up stones or scraping the earth could have negative social consequences.  A particularly good showing could inspire poetry, and beyond the prizes being offered to the winner, could also bring notice to those from more obscure backgrounds. The new year had just started, and a good performance might be just what was needed to help put the rest of the year on a good footing.     Welcome back!  This is the first episode of the new year, 2026, and we are still going through the reign of Ohoama, aka Temmu Tenno, covering the period from 672 to 686. Before we get started, though, a quick shout out to Suzuki for supporting us on Patreon.  It means a lot and helps us keep this thing going.  If you would like to support us or our efforts to maintain the website, where we also have the Armor manual, clothing, and a miscellany on various topics, we have information at Sengokudaimyo.com and we will have more information at the end of this and every episode.  Support is appreciated as I really do want to try and minimize ads—I don't put any into the podcast myself, though some platforms may place ads around the podcast, which I cannot always control.  Now we've covered a lot this reign, but this episode we are going to cover three things in particular.  First off, and perhaps a bit of a tangent, we'll talk about some of the issues with the Chronicles when it comes to reading it,especially in translation.  It seems quite clear to me that even the sources that the Chroniclers were using weren't always in agreement with each other on how they spelled certain things or even in properly recording when things happened. After that we'll cover the major topics of this episode, focusing primarily on the New Year traditions of the court—we'll look at the major events of the first month for each year in the reign, allowing us to see some of the similarities, and differences. Finally, we'll look at the last year of Ohoama's reign, particularly as he grew ill, because it can be a fascinating question:  What did people do when disease struck before we had modern medicine?  Here the Chronicles reveal a lot about not only the beliefs of the time, but of their syncretism: how people were willing to reach out to whatever power they could in order to cure disease.  Whether it was Yin-yang divination, beseeching the local kami, or attempting to make merit, all of these things were on the table when it came to illness and mortality. And so, let's get into it. One of the first things I want to talk about is the problem that we have in trying to read the Chronicles, both in the way they are written and then the translation issue on top of that.  Even in Japanese the Chronicles have to be translated out of an ancient form of kanbun—basically a Japanese version of Chinese, using Sinitic characters.  Like any document written by non-native speakers, the Chronicles have their idiosyncrasies that make it different from what someone in Chang'an might be writing at the same time.  There are times and places where it is clear that something is meant to be read in the Japanese pronunciation, which itself was different from modern Japanese.  Add to this the fact that there are many times that different Sinitic characters sound alike in Japanese—especially in modern Japanese.  So any English translation of the Chronicles which doesn't give the actual characters in the source text can add to the confusion.  This is why I like to consult either the Japanese Historical Text Initiative or an electronic version of the National History series text—though even those have issues at times when the characters used in the text don't exist in modern character sets, though that seems to be less and less of a problem. One example I want to give of the complexities of reading the Chronicles, and the need to dive deeper into the original language and consult multiple versions, is a set of records for Ki no Omi no Abemaro and others.  He is our first mention of a member of the Ki family: on the 9th day of the 8th month of 673, the first year since Ohoama's ascension and one year after the Jinshin no Ran, we are told that Ki no Omi no Abemaro and others were given favors and rewards for their service during the war in Iga province.  Indeed, Ki no Omi no Abemaro is listed prominently in the records of the Jinshin no Ran and appears to have been one of the generals for Ohoama and the Yoshino faction in general.  Less than a year later, on the 28th day of the 2nd month, Ki no Omi no Abemaro died and was posthumously awarded the rank of Daishi, which was 5th from the top in the old system of 26 ranks.  A rather respectable rank, to be sure. Later that same year we get a note that Ki no Omi no KATAmaro—another member of the family, apparently--was appointed, along with a "Prince Mino" as a commissioner for the erection of the Great Temple of Takechi. Two years later, however, we get a record on the 22nd day of the 4th month of 676 that the sovereign, Ohoama, sent an order to the Governor of Mino telling him to let the children of Ki no Omi no Abemaro, resident in the district of Toki, be removed to the East country and become peasants in that country.  On the face of it, this appears to be an incredible fall from grace.  Ki no Omi no Abemaro is basically one of the top generals and heroes of the Jinshin no Ran, but his children are so unruly that they are banished to the East and stripped of their noble status?  There has to be a story there, right? Then in 679, on the 3rd day of the 2nd month, we are told that Ki no Omi no Katamaro died.  For his service in the Jinshin War he received the posthumous rank of Upper Daikin.  That would have been roughly the 7th rank—two below Ki no Abemaro.  So was the Ki family back in the good graces of the court?  What is going on? First off, when we go to the original text, we see that Aston, whose translation of the Nihon Shoki we've been working on Ihas made an apparent error in translation.  Remember, Aston was translating the Chronicles back in 1896, without the aid of modern computers, along with a lot of other research that has happened since then, and I can hardly fault him for missing things here and there.  This is why, if you cannot check the original, you may want to also look at the new translation from John Bentley.  Here we can see that he translates the name not as "Ki no Omi no Abemaro", but rather that of "Ki no Omi no KASAmaro".  And if we compare Ki no Omi no KaSAmaro with the previous entry on Ki no Omi no KaTAmaro we can see that these are actually the exact same names except for a single character.  Which leads us to the question:  Are these the same person, and the scribes simply miswrote one of the characters in the name?  It may not even be on the Chroniclers so much as whatever texts they were, themselves, working on.  This isn't helped by the fact that we later on see another entry for Ki no KATAmaro, but that one uses character for "KATA", meaning "hard", using the kun'yomi, or Japanese reading, rather than using two phonetic characters in the on'yomi reading.  So is this just another way to write "KATAmaro" or is this a different person altogether? Ultimately, we cannot be entirely sure.  It does seem wild that there would be two "Ki no Omi no Katamaro" at court at the same time and nobody otherwise distinguished the two.  The question about KaSAmaro and KaTAmaro, and whose kids were sent into exile, is a bit harder to untangle. And, truth be told, it is ultimately a minor point.  We have only a couple of lines here, and maybe these passages will help illuminate something later in the histories, but for now, they are just fragments of the story of what was happening.  Parts of the tattered tapestry from which the royal history was ripped out and restitched together, the rest of the story largely discarded, unless it made its way to us through other means. The Chronicles may be flawed, but they are still our main source for the period, and while we might challenge individual items, we still get a glimpse at how things operated back at this time.  For instance, if we look at the events happening around the New Year, we can see some common threads. The New Year is an important tradition in many cultures.  Whether it was a solar or lunar cycle—or some combination—the new year indicated a new cycle, and was often accompanied by associated symbols and rituals.  Today in the US it is often celebrated with fireworks and champagne, followed by making resolutions for the new year.  In Japan, people will often go to their local shrine or temple for an important first visit, and temple bells will ring out 108 times. Another tradition is the osechi-ryori, the  traditional new years foods.  This has grown over time from a tradition of eating a large bowl of rice to various other foods that are seen as auspicious or having special properties, such as the hardening of teeth—a major concern before the era of modern dental hygiene!  Then there are traditions such as the Kagami Biraki, or opening of the mirror, and the creation of special mochi, or rice cakes for the purpose.  Of course all of these traditions started somewhere and have evolved over time, so what do we know about the New Year celebrations during the late 7th century? One caveat: in the Chronicles, we only really see what was happening in the court, and the Yamato court at that.  There may have been local traditions that others were following that, unless we find documentation about them, we likely would never know.  But many of the court traditions were passed down to later generations. These traditions appear to include the giving of gifts; large, celebratory banquets; and the annual archery tournament. Banquets are some of the first and most common things we see.  We see a banquet as Ohoama assumed the throne in 673—which probably was the event that overshadowed anything else they might have done that year.  The following year, 674, there doesn't seem to have been much recorded, and I wonder if they were still pulling everything together after the turmoil of Ohoama's ascension.  And so it is that in the first month of 675 we really get to see the annual new year's events in their full form.  On the second day of that year, from the Royal Princes on down, all of the public functionaries presented their respects to the sovereign.  I suspect that this was a large ceremony, where everyone gathered in the courtyard of the palace together or something similar, not that each person individually went up and presented their respects—I doubt Ohoama would have wanted to sit through all of that.  Also, as we've already seen, there were limits on what parts of the palace different functionaries were allowed to enter.  So some of these well-wishers may have been "outside", others in the courtyard, and others in the palace building itself, depending on their rank and importance in the bureaucratic hierarchy. On the following day, all public functionaries, from the initial rank upwards, presented firewood.  Aston notes that this is the first mention of what would become a yearly practice.  Firewood may not seem like much, but it would have likely been important to keeping things running, especially given how early people were supposed to arrive at the palace and administrative complex each day.  This wasn't firewood for a fireplace—they didn't have those—but probably would have been used either for cooking or, I suspect, for the large braziers that burned with wood and pitch to light the darkness, particularly in the winter months.  Firewood could also be processed into smaller pieces of coal for other uses.  It is interesting that for the first ceremony, the Chronicles describe the court from the Royal Princes on down, while for the giving of firewood the order is from the initial—which is to say the lowest—ranks upwards.  This could indicate the order in which things progressed in these cases. Several days after that, on the 7th day of the first month, a banquet was given at court for the Ministers—so only the higher ranking functionaries.  But ten days later, on the 17th, everyone of rank—the Ministers of State; the Daibu, or high officials; and all of the public functionaries from the initial rank upwards had an archery meeting in the Court of the Western Gate. Archery and archery contests had been important to the Yamato people for ages—and the same on the continent.  Confucius, in his day, suggested that archery was a martial skill that even nobles should cultivate.  I believe we've noted before how archery could be used both for warfare and for just feeding your family.  As such, it was considered a particularly useful skill for just about everyone to have.  It probably also helped that it was a martial skill that noblemen and others could use to show off without actually risking any injury to themselves in the process.  I'm just saying.  And as we described at the top of the episode, this particular archery contest would, for both participants and spectators, likely have been a chance to show off the top of their game, whether in martial prowess, clothing, or behavior. And since we are looking at the new year's celebrations, let's keep this going and look at later years in Ohoama's reign. As I go through these you'll start to see the patterns, where the events I've just described will generally recur year after year, but not identically, sometimes with a shuffle in the schedule. In 676, we see that the Ministers and public functionaries pay their respects on the first day of the new year.  On the 4th day, the sovereign granted gifts to the higher level officials, from Royal Prince Takechi, down to the high officials, or Daibu, of Shoukin rank.  Their not so secret Santa gifts included robes, hakama, lined garments, obi for their waist, leg straps, and staves, or walking sticks.  We are also told that everyone above the rank of Shoukin also got an armrest thrown in, as well.  Further gifts or grants were given out several days later, on the 7th, to everyone from Shoukin on up, based on their individual circumstances.  Then, on the 15th, we again see all of the functionaries present firewood and then they were all entertained at a court banquet. The following day they held the annual new year's archery contest, with prizes, at the court of the western gate.  Those who hit the target received prizes of different values.  In his recent translation of the Nihon Shoki, Bentley references Kuroita on Article 41 of Miscellaneous Statutes, saying that this archery event was apparently a regular new year's occurrence, and even the prizes were noted as varying over time. The same day they held the archery contest, that year, Ohoama held a banquet at the Shima Palace.  Shima was the name given to the Soga Prime Minister, back in the day, so I assume that this was at or near the site of the old Soga residence? In 677, by comparison, we don't see nearly as much referenced.  There is archery at the South Gate, vice the west gate, but that is it.  The festivities in 678 similarly only talk about the archery at the south gate.  There is also mention of a preparation for worshipping the kami of heaven and earth, for which a purification was held throughout the state.  In addition, an abstinence palace, or saiguu, was erected on the bank of the Kurahashi river.  Kurahashi appears to refer to a tributary of the Ohara river, in Sakurai.  This feels less like a New Year's celebration, however, and more like a sign of merit-making.  The Saiguu would have likely been to prepare for a trip to Ise shrine, and three months later Ohoama was preparing to go to the Saiguu, but that is when Princess Towochi suddenly died, and they scuttled the plans. In 679, the court greeted the New Year with a new decree.  Ohoama declared that Princes, Ministers, and public functionaries—anyone in service to the government, basically, were to refrain from paying respects during New Years or other ceremonies to anyone except relatives of the grade of elder brother, elder sister, and above, or to the senior members of the Houses.  Princes weren't even to pay respects to their own mothers unless they were, themselves, princesses.  Ministers were likewise not to pay respects to their mothers if they were of "mean" rank.  In other words, if they were commoners. These kinds of statutes are interesting.  First of all, you ask yourself why?  In all likelihood, there were various local traditions and individuals paid respects to their parents as well as to others to whom they owed respect for one reason or another.  Here the State is ordering society such that there is a clear hierarchy, at least among the members of the court.   Since women often found advancement by marrying up, it was usual for one's mother to have been born a lower rank in society than oneself.  And so we see them enforcing the social order. That new order was based on Confucian concepts of hierarchy, and this seems to go along with those same ideas. What we don't really see is how this was enforced—if at all.  The day after that, the yearly archery competition took place at the West Gate of the palace. The next year, 680, we see a New Year's Banquet at the Court of the Great Hall.  Ohoama himself occupied the Mukai-kodono, which appears to refer to one of the smaller wings.  Based on the palace layout that we see in the posthole remains, this probably means that he was set up in the smaller wing, likely in a more intimate space, while most of the other guests were in the large hall, maintaining that crucial separation of sovereign and subjects. This New Year's archery event included Princes of the Blood all the way down to the rank of Shouken—the very lowest rank in the court—and it was held at the South Gate. You may be noticing a pattern, that the archery competition is listed as being held at either the south or west gates.  The south gate probably refers to the main gate of the later Okamoto—aka the Kiyomihara—palace.  The West gate refers to the west gate of the Ebinoko enclosure.   We talked about these and the general layout of the palace back in Episode 134, and you can check out that podcast blog post for some images of what things looked like, as well.  These gates were on the north and east sides of a large, rectangular courtyard, which was likely the actual event location.  So it isn't as if these were separate areas, just a difference of where things were set up in what was otherwise the same relative space. The following year, 681, we see similar ceremonies.  We see offerings made to the kami of Heaven and Earth, and we once again see a note about various functionaries paying their respects at court.  Even though this wasn't mentioned every year, it could have been an annual thing and just wasn't always recorded so the Chroniclers just wrote down what they had records for.  There are certainly other things we don't necessarily witness in the records, such as the annual promotions and promulgations.  We see irregular promotions, of course, such as on someone's passing, but the regular administration of the government and promotions of people to new positions is not something we really see regularly documented, since it doesn't really shed much light on the sovereign and the royal household.  And so we sometimes see things if they get mentioned, but otherwise we only see glimpses.  That would change as records became more administrative and the histories were more about simply recording what was happening—though still from a particular angle.  At this point, however, we aren't dealing with a single court record, but rather with numerous records, stories, and recollections.  That same year, 681, we also see another banquet, with Ohoama situated in the Mukai no Kodono, while the Princes of the Blood and non-royal Princes were both introduced into the inner reception chamber.  Ministers attended in the outer reception chamber.  They all received sake and musical performances, and rank advancements were given out.  Kusakabe no Kihi no Ohogata was graduated from the rank of Upper Daisen to Lower Daikin, and given the title of Naniwa no Muraji.  A few days later, Sakahibe no Muraji no Iwazumi was granted a fief with 60 horses and received presents of coarse silk, floss silk, cloth, and one hundred mattocks—the last one being a rather interesting gift, I have to admit.  Of course, in true Chronicles fashion, we have no idea why these gifts were made—we don't even have another reference to Iwazumi around there, but he must have done something. We are later told that there was the annual archery shoot, and then a decree, possibly unrelated to New Years, that the various provinces were ordered to repair the shrines to the kami of heaven and earth. The year 682 is an anomaly.  There is no mention of a banquet, nor of an archery tournament.  I wonder if this may have to do with some of the sad events of that first month.  While it started fine—Toneri no Miyatsuko no Nukamushi was raised from Daisen to Lower Shoukin—we are told that on the 18th, Lady Higami, one of Ohoama's consorts, died in the palace.  The next day there was an earthquake, and she was buried on the 27th.  A prominent illness and death may have put a pall on the ceremonies, and could explain why we don't see any mention of them for that year. It is also possible that some of this New Year tradition had become so routine that people were no longer commenting on it, and therefore the Chroniclers weren't including references to it. The following year, in 683, we again see the functionaries paying their respects.  We also see the presentation of a three legged sparrow by the Viceroy of Tsukushi, Tajihi no Mabito no Shima, along with others.  A three legged sparrow would have been something: it is reminiscent of the three legged crow, often depicted in the sun.  It is unclear if it was still alive, but that wasn't the point.  They invited the Princes of the Blood down to the Ministers to great hall, the Daigokuden, for a banquet, where the three legged sparrow was displayed. .  Later that month, Ohoama issued a decree in regards to all of the auspicious omens and made presents to everyone, from Shouken rank upwards.  There was also a general amnesty—all crimes were pardoned, from capital offenses on down, and all forced labor was remitted, so that people didn't have to provide the normal service.  The phrasing for this particular entry is intriguing.  Ohoama is mentioned as Yamato Neko Sumera no Mikoto and is specifically called a "God Incarnate".  This is one of the rare times that we see the Chronicles explicitly call out the sovereign as a living deity.  Of course, they trace the royal lineage back to Amaterasu, but there isn't a lot suggesting that the sovereign is necessarily a deity. And in reality, this was probably something that was more honorific than anything else.  Heck, at times in Japanese history we would see sovereigns selling their calligraphy to help keep the royal palace funded while warriors went around actually being in charge of things.  However, this divine language did show up in the 19th and 20th century, especially as the Tennou, now called Emperor in English terminology, once again was recognized as the Head of State, and people would actually pray to him.  Not necessarily like praying at a shrine, but out of respect.  And remember, a lot of time the Tennou was kept out of sight of regular people and hidden, much like the way that the kami were treated.  The concept of the Emperor's divinity was very much tied up in the elevation of the State and the general sense of Nationalism that had gripped Japan in the early half of the 20th century.  And so the allies quite explicitly had Emperor Showa renounce his divinity after Japan  World War II. Those studying Japanese history have probably heard of this concept, and so it is interesting to see evidence of it here, as well as the nature of the royal house, where the sovereign is kept at a distance from those of lower rank, unless they are directly serving him.  But it was not as though the sovereign was a god in the sense of being all powerful.  Even if he were considered a living, visible kami, the kami were not omnipotent, and there was no getting over the fact that our particular sovereign, Ohoama, was getting older.  Only a year or so earlier, he had suffered a rather bad illness, so he clearly was not invincible.  And it is of course possible that this language was simply royal exaggeration, rather than any attempt to define the sovereign as something more than he was.  Still, that concept would continue to play a part throughout Japanese history. The same day in 683 that Ohoama issued the pardons, we are told that there was a special performance at the Woharida Court of dance and music from Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla—the "Three Countries" of the Korean peninsula, even if only one of them was still going strong.  The Woharida palace is thought to have been north, along the banks of the Asuka River.  It may have been moved over time—there appears to have been a palace in the Furumiya area, near Toyoura, but there is also evidence of a palace by a shared name over by Ikazuchi-no-oka, on the other side of the river.  Excavations at Ikazuchi no oka revealed pottery with the name of the palace, suggesting that this was the site, but even then, that pottery was from the later Tempyo era.  Regardless, it seems that the Asuka valley was just chock full of palaces, new and old, though the older ones were not as regularly used for government functions, one assumes. The following year, 684, we again get told about the annual archery shoot.  It took place in the Eastern court this time, with Ministers in attendance.  Apparently they had men skilled in archery shooting alongside palace attendants and little people—the word used in Japanese is "Shuju" or "Hikihito".  This word is often translated as "dwarf"; it appears to be a derogatory term for anyone considered short of stature, though it is also used to refer more generally to those seen as either lacking wit or to actors and performers. This isn't the first time we see the term.  Back in 675, about 9 years prior, Ohoama had sent orders to a number of regions near the capital, from Awaji to Tamba, to Afumi and to Mino and Wohari, among others, to send as tribute common people who could sing, shuju—or dwarfs—and jugglers.  More generally they seem to be referring to entertainers, and it strikes me that could be what is meant here.  Either way, the entertainment industry was hardly a lucrative one, and we can see that performers are almost more of a commodity, to be "paid" as tribute, rather than a professional who is "hired" to work.  I suspect that, as in many other times and places, individuals who were shorter than average often found work as entertainers in this sense—whether they wished it or not. The year 685 we don't see any mention of archery, though it probably still happened.  Instead the Chronicles focus on the various government officials paying their respects to their sovereign.  The rest of the entries for the month are largely concerned with changes to the rank system as of that year. The year 686, we get the last records of various new years festivals—four months later, the sovereign would grow terribly ill, and he would eventually pass away later that year.  However, for those still celebrating the new year in 686, that was all in the future. The last year of Ohoama's reign started out relatively like others. Ohoama went to the Daigokuden, the Great Hall of Audience, and gave a banquet to the Princes and High Officials.  There he decided to have something of a riddle challenge.  He would ask riddles, and then offer prizes for the correct answer. And no, unfortunately we don't have any of the riddles, at least that I have seen.  Aston calls these "conundrums" and notes that they are specifically nonsensical questions, and provides examples such as "Why does a horse, after a rapid run, listen to the earth? Why does a dog, when he goes slowly, raise his leg?"  Ohoama's son, Prince Takechi, answered correctly, and so did Prince Ise.  Their prizes differed in content, but in both cases were pretty extensive.  The winners received ceremonial robes, brocade or purple hakama, numerous bolts of coarse silk, many pounds of thread, hundreds of pounds of flossed Silk, and hundreds of bolts of cloth. I think that makes it quite a bit more lucrative than any of the quiz nights I've ever been to. Later that month, there was another banquet, this time for nine Buddhist monks of Daikan-daiji. Besides its status as a national temple, this may have also been related to the year before, when Ohoama had fallen ill, and prayers had been offered at Daikandaiji for his recovery.  The courthad likewise provided gifts to the temple in the last month of the previous year, and then, at the banquet, gave to the attending monks silk and cloth, based on their rank. But that wasn't the end of the gifts.  The following day the Princes and High Officials all received upper garments and hakama—likely referring to official garments—each getting one suit, each. Then, on the 13th day of the new year, the court invited 20 exceptional individuals to a banquet.  These were talented people, professors, divination specialists, and physicians.  They were also wined and dined and presented various gifts. On the 16th day, the Princes and High Officials were then invited to a banquet in the Daigokuden.  They were given gifts of silk and cloth, based on their rank.  Then they held another riddle competition, with correct answers rewarded with gifts of coarse and flossed silk. This was only a short time after disaster had struck, though a bit removed—two days earlier, in the evening, the royal storehouse at Naniwa had caught fire, eventually burning the entire Toyosaki palace complex to the ground.  Some claimed that it was actually started at a private residence,  that of Ato no Muraji no Kusuri, and then spread to the Palace.  In the end, only the military storehouse was spared. This would have been quite the tragedy for the government, but it did not halt the festivities happening down in Asuka.  The Naniwa Palace appears to have been a major government center for the administration of the state, but it was not the royal court which had been in Asuka for over a decade.  Indeed, I imagine that the news probably reached Asuka around the time of the Banquet itself. And yet, rather than putting a damper on the festivities, they continued another couple of days – presumably everything was already prepared and there was no point in canceling.  On the 17th, the court sponsored a banquet in the rear palace, presumably for the Queen and members of the imperial family.  Then the following day there was a great revel at the palace.  Ohoama took his place in front of the royal muro and made presents to performers, as well as to the singers.  As before everything varied according to rank. Asuka wasn't the only place to get in on the festivities.  The same month, the court also sponsored a banquet for the Silla envoys in Tsukushi, sending Prince Kawachi and others. Regrettably, that would be the last new year that Ohoama would see.  In the fifth month, he grew ill, and what we see in the Chronicles after that is an interesting look into how people of the time dealt with sickness. First, the court had the Sutra of Yakushi expounded at Kawaradera and held a Buddhist retreat in the palace, inviting monks to come and expound Buddhist teachings.  Yakushi, or Yakushi Nyorai—Bhaisajyaguru in Sanskrit—was known as the Medicine Buddha, and his name in Sinitic characters was basically "Master of Medicine".  It is said that he was responsible for the Eastern Pure Land, and that, as a Bodhisattva, he had made 12 great vows to cure the illnesses of all living beings in the world.  For that reason, Yakushi Nyorai was often called upon to cure illness.  In fact, six years earlier, when the Queen, Uno no Sarara Hime, had taken ill, Ohoama erected an entire temple to Yakushi Nyorai, known as Yakushiji.  He then had 100 people take vows as priests, and they attributed her recovery to this effort. In this case, however, it seems that it didn't have quite such an effect, and Ohoama remained under the weather.  We are also told that the court sent Palace Attendants, the Oho-toneri, to clean the pagodas of various temples and that a general amnesty was announced for all under heaven, emptying the prisons.  All of this points to the idea of making merit in the hope of bringing good karma, and thus healing. But the following month, Ohoama was still ill.  Divination was performed by the Onmyoji, the court diviners, and they claimed that there was a curse from Kusanagi, the sword that is considered one of the three main royal symbols.  This is the sword that was said to have been found by Susanowo in the tale of Yamata no Worochi, and which gained its name, Kusanagi, when used by Yamato Takeru, cutting down the grass to save him when his enemies tried to catch him by setting fire to the field where he was hunting.  For more on that, check out Episodes 34 and 35. Given the importance of Kusanagi, I suspect that the idea of destroying it to remove the curse was out of the question, and so it was sent to Atsuta Shrine, where it was enshrined and would largely stay except when needed for enthronement ceremonies.  And yet, even after the sword was taken away, the illness remained.  Six days later, on the 16th day of the 6th month, the court sent Prince Ise and officials to Asukadera and asked the monks there to make and oath with the Buddha to make Ohoama whole through the power of the Three Treasures of Buddhism.   For their work, the three Buddhist Officers, the Master of the Law, and the Upadhyaya and temple directors, as well as those monks with the rank of "master" each received a donation of one robe and one cover, or "Ohi". Three days later, the court ordered the hundred officials to go to Kawaradera and perfom the ceremony of lighting lanterns and giving offerings to Buddha.  Then they held a great feast and offered repentance for their transgressions.  All of this sounds like a continued attempt to make merit for the state, and thus for Ohoama. We then see the court granting the monks Hounin and Gishou 30 stipend-households to provide for them in their old age, which may be more merit-making, or possibly was related to some of the many other activities so far.  There are a few issues with this entry, and Aston and Bentley don't seem to agree on the actual date.  Bentley has it on the 28th, but that seems odd as it comes before the entry for the 22nd of the same month.  Aston has it as the 20th, but then claimes that there is something odd about the date of the 22nd. On the 22nd, we are simply told that the district kitchen of Nabari caught fire.  Aston notes that this would have been the official government arm in the district gathering food to supply the royal household—rather than being a kitchen in terms of a place to prepare food. Merit-making continued into the 7th month.  We see the Soujou and Soudzu, the primary and secondary prelates of the Asukadera, performing ritual repentance.  The following day there is another general amnesty, and Aston specifically mentions performing a Oho-harai, or cleansing. The day after taxes were halved from the provinces and corvee labor with local conscripted labor was exempted for the year.  Then we see the court presenting paper offerings to the Kunikasu Kami in Ki provinces, as well as the four shrines in Asuka and the Great Suminoe—aka Sumiyoshi—shrine. On the 8th day of the 7th month, 100 monks were invited to the court to read the Golden Light Sutra—Konkoymyou kyou.  And on the 15th there was another court issued amnesty. Despite all of these attempts to make merit and intercede with the Buddha or with various kami, Ohoama's illness continued.  We see that the court issued a decree that all things that should occur, great or small, should be reported to the queen and the crown prince—presumably because Ohoama was no longer in a state to be able to do so. Continuing with their efforts, the court declared that destitute commoners who had been forced to borrow rice seed or money before the 12th month of the previous year would be exempted from repayment.  And then the court changed the name of the year to Akami-tori, or Shuuchou.  They also renamed the palace in Asuka to "Kiyomihara"—again, go check Episode 134 for more on the palace.  "Shuuchou" is the Red Bird, likely referring to Suzaku, though Aston also points out that "Asuka" here is given as "flying bird", as well, and there had been numerous bird-related omens reported throughout the reign. Although these names would not have been used prior to this point—the 7th month of the final year of the reign—the Chroniclers applied the nengo, Shuuchou, to all of the entries for this year, and the name of the palace is often given as "Kiyomihara" is given to distinguish it from the Later Okamoto Palace, even though it was simply the latter palace with the addition of the Ebinoko enclosure. The changing of the era name was likely another attempt to change the seemingly inauspicious year, along with all of the merit-making that the court had been undergoing. And yet they kept going. The court selected 70 people who were diligent in keeping Buddhist laws and had them take the tonsure, and they sponsored a feast—or festival—in the Royal Muro of the Palace. At the same time the various princes had a statue of the Boddhisatva of Compassion, Kannon, made for the sovereign and had the Lotus sutra—the sutra where Kannon is first mentioned—read out at Daikandaiji. Kannon, or Avalokitesvara, was originally seen as a male Boddhisatva, but is often depicted as a woman.  They are also known as Guanyin, from which we get Kannon in Japanese.  Guanyin is also seen as Goddess of Mercy, and is one of the most popular figures across multiple sects of Buddhism and even outside of the Buddhist faith, where she is still seen as a goddess.  In this case, however, it seems clear that the princes were seeking compassion to relieve the sovereign of his affliction. And yet it persisted. They had 80 more people take the tonsure, and then 100 more men and women, placed 100 statues of the Boddhisatva, Kannon, in the palace, and then read out 200 volumes of the Lotus Sutra. And then they made prayers to the kami of Heaven and Earth.  And they dispatched Hata no Imiki no Iwakatsu to present paper offerings to the Tosa great shrine.  Nothing seemed to be working. In the 9th month, we see the royal princes and others, down to the various ministers, all gathered at Kawaradera making oaths for the health of the sovereigns.  This last ditch effort would go unrewarded.  Five days later, and Ohoama would pass away.  Of course, they couldn't just say that he died:  The Chronicles actually say that he divinely departed.  After all, didn't they call him an incarnate kami? Two days later, the court began the ritual of mourning, raising voices in lamentation, and setting up a temporary palace of interment in the courtyard, south of the palace.  Ohoama's body was placed there some thirteen days later, and people mourned his passing. For the rituals, we see monks and nuns performing ritual lamentation in the courtyard between 3 and 5 am, around the time that court officials would normally be waiting at the gates.  Over the next several days, various ceremonies were held and eulogies given.  We are told that the court presented offerings of food for the dead for the first time, and over the next several days monks and nuns would offer their laments and then various individuals would provide their eulogies.  Finally, on the last day of the ninth month, the eulogies concluded with Nyang-u, a Baekje prince, who pronounced a eulogy on behalf of his father, and then the Miyatsuko of various provinces came and did likewise.  There were also performances of all manner of singing and dancing. With that, the reign of Ohoama would come to an end.  The government would continue under his wife, the Queen, and Crown Prince.  We'll get into the succession in a later episode.  For now I'll just say that he was eventually buried in a large tomb in the modern Noguchi area of Asuka, and you can still go see it. And while that does bring us to the end of the reign, we still have a few more things that I want to discuss.   This episode just seemed a good time to talk about all of the various new years ceremonies, and that seemed to lead naturally into the very last year, but there is still more to discuss.  For one thing, we still haven't quite covered the spread of Buddhism and the changes in the structure.  There are also various laws and punishments that are worth covering.  Finally, there are the Chronicles themselves: we've talked about it all along, but the Nihon Shoki and the Kojiki are attributed to this era, as is the start of what would become the capital of Fujiwara-kyo—many works that Ohoama would not live to see to the end, but is largely held responsible for starting. But until then, if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  

Vipassana teacher Trudy Goodman provides practical tools for staying present.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Trudy Goodman explores:Staying connected to the flow of the breathThe breath as our life-long companion and source of presence The loneliness of thought and being caught in the trap of our own thinking How the breath is our anchor and our teacherCultivating the power of the mind to focusThe pause at the end of a breath Balancing our energies and moving through each breath with care Stepping out of our familiar reactivity Accepting this as they are so that we can let them go About Trudy Goodman:Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats, engages in activism work, and teaches workshops worldwide and online. She is also the voice of Trudy the Love Barbarian in the Netflix series, The Midnight Gospel. You can learn more about Trudy's flourishing array of wonderful offerings at TrudyGoodman.comThis episode was originally published on Dharmaseed “All the ways of being mindful are ways that the Buddha asks us to be true to our own hearts and minds. Mindfulness is a form of honesty, of telling ourselves the truth of what is happening. It's showing us that when we're present with the breath, the breath is not just our companion, it's our dharma friend, it's our teacher.” –Trudy GoodmanSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We start off today discussing women's farts and if they're worse and if they have benefits.  Then, we are introduced to the word Choppleganger and find out if we have one, and we meet a woman who has been praying to the wrong God.  LINKS:Do Women's Farts Really Smell Worse Than Men's?Bad news if someone calls you a "choppelganger"—Gen Z's favorite new dissFilipino woman worships green statue for 4 years, finds out it is animated character ShrekThe Treehouse Show is a Dallas based comedy podcast. Leave your worries outside and join Dan O'Malley, Trey Trenholm, Raj Sharma, and their guests for laughs about funny news, viral stories, and hilarious commentary.The Treehouse WebsiteGet MORE from the Treehouse Show on PatreonGet a FREE roof inspection from the best company in DFW:Cook DFW Roofing & Restoration CLICK HERE TO DONATE:The RMS Treehouse Listeners Foundation

In this episode, Andrew talks about the link between the first two factors of the eightfold path, View & Intention. How does your perspective of things inform your motivations in life? Find out how the Buddha's understanding of our psychology 2600 years ago is still very much relevant today. Enjoy! Wild Heart Meditation Center in a non-profit Buddhist community based in Nashville, TN. https://www.wildheartmeditationcenter.orgDONATE: If you feel moved to support WHMC financially please visit:https://www.wildheartmeditationcenter.org/donateFollow Us on Socials!Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildHeartNashville/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildheartnashville/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wildheartmeditation

Mary answers the question, "How do we offer Loving Kindness to those that commit atrocities?"  This is a common question, and is especially relevant right now. The heart practices do not ask us to ignore feelings or emotions that arise when faced with the violence and oppression so rampant today. Instead we are invited to greet whatever shows up and reflect on where we are and how we are holding our own pain. The heart practices invite us into our own healing which allows us to open to others.Recorded Jan. 10, 2026 in the virtual worldSend me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically. Thanks.Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings.

Speaking across the decades from the 1960s through the 1990s, Ram Dass shares his thoughts on expanding the boundaries of consciousness through the use of psychedelic chemicals. Get your copy of All In This Together, the latest book from Jack Kornfield! Let this new book be your guide, as Jack reveals how to navigate our human experience with wisdom and care. Inside you'll find a beautiful collection of stories, inspiration for conflict resolution, and powerful teachings on healing, justice, and human kindness—anchored in the teachings of the Buddha and poetry from luminary voices like Mary Oliver. Click here to learn more!This episode of Here and Now is a compilation of Ram Dass exploring the use of psychedelic chemicals. We begin in the mid-1960s, back when Ram Dass was still Richard Alpert. In this interview with the CBC, he talks about how the psychedelic experience can help us see past individual differences. The next stop is 1968 and the famed WBAI radio talks. Ram Dass details his first experience with psychedelic chemicals and the process he went through of losing his attachment to his social roles. We move on to 1977 and a radio interview at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Ram Dass touches on the role of these chemicals in the spiritual awareness of people, recreational versus sacramental use, and the importance of set and setting.Up next is a retreat in 1989 where Ram Dass answers questions from a breakout group. He gives a brief history of psychedelic chemicals and talks about how they can provide a fresh look at the universe, expanding the boundaries of consciousness. The final stop is a psychedelic conference at Chapman University in 1994. Ram Dass reflects on the impact that psychedelics had on his life and how they influenced his work with death and dying.The Ram Dass community gathers regularly to engage in meaningful discussions about the podcast. We invite you to join us and share your curiosities, insights, and wisdom. Sign up for the General Fellowship to receive event invitations directly in your inbox.“And the predicament is that as you develop a model of who you are and how the universe works, it's extremely hard to get out of that, which is called the ego, really. It's very hard to get out of that. And what the chemical allows you to do is set that aside for a moment and see the universe from a different vantage point and find places in yourself, which is why it was used in religious traditions, find the deeper parts of your being that lie behind your thinking mind.” – Ram DassSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In The Matrix, the red pill reveals the truth behind appearances and opens the path to freedom. In Buddhism, a realization of the true nature of reality is the ultimate path to freedom. In this episode, we explore how waking up to reality gives us the ability to reshape who you are because nothing is fixed learn to bend the "rules" of your reality unplug from emotional reactivity Buddha explained the ultimate truth of reality as "emptiness." Emptiness does not mean nothingness. This teaching doesn't mean that nothing exists. We have to ask ourselves, what is reality empty of? Reality is "empty" of being fixed, independent of causes and conditions. For example, when we wake up from a bad dream, we're relieved because we realize that the scary monster was just a creation of our dreaming mind. Buddha said that our waking mind creates all the beautiful and disturbing appearances of ordinary life. ​When someone annoys us, for example, we don't think our mind has anything to do with creating those annoying qualities we perceive. We innocently go about our lives, and an annoying person is just there to ruin our fun. Just as we don't question the realness of the nightmare while we are still sleeping, we don't think our waking mind has anything to do with how our waking life appears to us.  The Diamond Sutra says: All conditioned phenomena Are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, and shadows, Like dew and lightning. One should contemplate them in this way. To learn about Life Coaching with JoAnn Fox visit www.BuddhismforEveryone.com or email JoAnn Fox at joann@buddhismforeveryone.com References: Diamond Sutra. Retrieved from All Worldly Affairs Are Transient - FoGuangPedia https://share.google/OPtZLbx2OkQpUEueB Find us at the links below:  Our Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/BuddhismForEveryone Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Buddhismforeveryone Private Facebook Group:: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sanghatalk/ Website: Buddhismforeveryone.com Instagram: @buddhism4everyone X: @Joannfox77 TikTok: @buddhism4everyone YouTube: @Buddhism4Everyone To learn more about virtual classes with JoAnn Fox: Buddhist Study Program

(Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center) The story of turning into the skid to grow in wisdom and the journey of the Buddha's awakening

I like to start the year with a few episodes on things I'm personally working on. Not resolutions, exactly. More like intentions. Or, even better, practices.One of those practices, strange as it sounds, is repeatedly asking the question: “What is this?” It's a question I got from a book of the same name, by Stephen and Martine Batchelor. In that book, they are describing an approach to Buddhist meditation built on the cultivation of doubt and wonder. You can see that as a spiritual practice, but it's also an intellectual and ethical one. It is, for me, a practice that has a lot of bearing on politics and journalism.Stephen Batchelor's latest book, “Buddha, Socrates, and Us: Ethical Living in Uncertain Times,” explores those dimensions of doubt more fully. And so I wanted to have him on the show to discuss the virtues of both certainty and uncertainty, the difficulty of living both ethically and openly. You can see this as a conversation about our inner lives or our outer lives, but of course they are one. And Batchelor, as you'll hear, is just lovely to listen to.Mentioned:Buddha, Socrates, and Us by Stephen BatchelorWhat Is This? by Martine Batchelor and Stephen BatchelorEthics of Care by Carol GilliganBook Recommendations:Children of a Modest Star by Jonathan S. Blake and Nils GilmanWork Like a Monk by Shoukei MatsumotoThe Second Body by Daisy HildyardThoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast, and you can find Ezra on Twitter @ezraklein. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by Kristin Lin. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld, with additional mixing by Isaac Jones. Our executive producer is Claire Gordon. The show's production team also includes Marie Cascione, Annie Galvin, Rollin Hu, Emma Kehlbeck, Jack McCordick, Marina King and Jan Kobal. Original music by Pat McCusker. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The director of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.