Podcasts about Buddhism

Venerable Hue Can is the Abbess of Sunyata Meditation Centre in Vic Park and has the very clear goal to teach others how to realise their full potential through Zen Buddhism. Venerable Hue Can had an interesting and diverse career as a teacher, children's librarian and co-ordinator of the Ethnic Child Care Resource Unit. As an advocate for access and equity she have worked in the area of social welfare, particularly in the Vietnamese community in Western Australia. When the Most Venerable Master Thich Thanh Tu came to Perth in 1996 she was fortunate to attend his lecture "Why am I a Buddhist”. She found out that Buddhism could give her five things that she had always been searching for – wisdom, altruism, freedom, equality and emancipation. She wanted to become his disciple and follow the path that he had illuminated. Her first ordination occurred in 1998. Every year, the monastic community (Monks and nuns) go on a three month retreat called the “Rains Retreat” from mid July to mid October. During this period, they do not visit our centres for teachings as it's a time for deepening their own practice. While the monks and nuns are away, we will have some interesting guest speakers coming in to give the Friday Night talk. Dust in Our Eyes 2025 (Rains Retreat Speakers' Series 2025) Hear stories of everyday dhamma as told by monastics and lay practitioners from various Buddhist traditions. Support us on https://ko-fi.com/thebuddhistsocietyofwa BSWA teachings are available: BSWA Teachings BSWA Podcast Channel BSWA DeeperDhamma Podbean Channel BSWA YouTube

How can we use pleasure in our meditation practice? Buddhism offers specific techniques for meditating on pleasure as a way to deepen our qualities of concentration, fearlessness, loving-kindness, and even our understanding of the ultimate nature of reality.Episode 85: Guided Meditation on PleasureSupport the show

Episode 0936 - Prophecies of Mitar Tarabich, I (Click on the above link, or here, for audio.) Comments on the post-WWII prophecies of the Serbian seer, Mitar Tarabich (1829-1899), from Nexus Magazine in 2005. Comparison with other Endtimes predictions & current global conditions, and implications for personal guidance & preparation.Additional references from Pali Buddha-Dhamma, Advaita

Episode 0937 - Prophecies of Mitar Tarabich, II (Click on the above link, or here, for audio.) Concluding comments on post-WWII prophecies of the Serbian seer, Mitar Tarabich (1829-1899), from Nexus Magazine in 2005. Analysis of the word "hypocrisy," and discussion of other predictions & current global conditions, with implications for personal preparation.Additional references from Pali

Few people blend the Buddhist spiritual path with the 12-Step journey as seamlessly and as helpfully as Fr. Bill's guest Kevin Griffin. A teacher of Buddhist meditation for many years as well as an excellent writer and musician, Kevin is also a man in long-term recovery from addiction with a powerful message to share. This series explores Kevin's book One Breath at a Time: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps. It's sure to be of interest to spiritual travelers of all stripes. This episode explores Steps 2 and 3: how Buddhism can help when traditional religious practice is becoming less of an option for many.Show notes: One Breath at a Time: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps by Kevin GriffinKevin's website: https://kevingriffin.net/

Send us a textWe've all heard the questions - How can you prove God really exists? How do know Christianity is the one, true religion? How can you be sure Jesus is the only way to God? Is there any proof the Bible is real? Even if the Bible is real, how can you possibly know it's is actually the Word of God? Why are there so many Bible translations? Why do the translations sometimes contradict each other or have extra books in it? Can we effectively answer and defend our beliefs on this stuff? We should to be able to, because as 1Peter chapter 3 tells us, every Christian should be an apologist.Thanks for tuning in! Be sure to check out everything Proverbs 9:10 on our website, www.proverbs910ministries.com! You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Rumble, YouTube, Twitter, Truth Social, and Gettr!

In this episode, we talk about the importance of being present and open to the little moments of beauty, ever-present around us.

This talk was given by Gil Fronsdal on 2025.10.26 at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA. ******* Video of this talk is available at: https://youtube.com/live/v9VUIR2cnpc?feature=share. ******* A machine generated transcript of this talk is available. It has not been edited by a human, so errors will exist. Download Transcript: https://www.audiodharma.org/transcripts/24163/download ******* For more talks like this, visit AudioDharma.org ******* If you have enjoyed this talk, please consider supporting AudioDharma with a donation at https://www.audiodharma.org/donate/. ******* This talk is licensed by a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License

This talk was given by Gil Fronsdal on 2025.10.26 at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA. ******* Video of this talk is available at: https://youtube.com/live/v9VUIR2cnpc?feature=share. ******* A machine generated transcript of this talk is available. It has not been edited by a human, so errors will exist. Download Transcript: https://www.audiodharma.org/transcripts/24163/download ******* For more talks like this, visit AudioDharma.org ******* If you have enjoyed this talk, please consider supporting AudioDharma with a donation at https://www.audiodharma.org/donate/. ******* This talk is licensed by a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License

We all have trouble thinking before we speak and act. We want to be present and flow, but we also want to be careful and thoughtful of what we do. So how do we think before we act and still be present? How do we stop impulsive behavior, giving into addiction and addictive urges, and reacting from anger or losing our temper?Why do we sometimes say something we don't mean, act impulsively, or hurt others unintentionally? And most importantly, how can we become aligned in our words, thoughts and actions so that we no longer have to watch we say and do?In this podcast, I share a simple but powerful 2-step process for maintaining our presence, our wisdom, and our peace and clarity so that we can always act in the most skilled and beneficial way that leads to longterm peace and wellbeing for ourself and our loved ones.Please enjoy other episodes where I share meditation techniques, tips and spiritual lessons from around the world for peaceful and stress-free living. Remember to subscribe to stay up-to-date.*****If my words have ever touched your heart or helped you through a hard moment, I'd be deeply grateful for your support in keeping this podcast alive. Support the Podcast And if you'd like to explore these ideas in greater depth, you can find all of my books here.

In Acts 3 we have the healing of the crippled man, who was lame from birth and more than 40 years old (4:22). This healing has many parallels with the testy of the crippled man at the pool of Bethesda in John 5. The crippled man represents Israel and their inability to walk before their God. Peter commands the lame man to fix his gaze on them, which he does expecting alms. The crippled man receives far greater -he receives healing and discipleship. And walking, and leaping, and praising God he enters the templewith Peter and John. Remarkable words of witness follow with the testimony of Peter that there is noother name given under heaven by which salvation can come than our Lord Jesus Christ. Buddhism, Hinduism and all other isms cannot save. Our Lord was the stone rejected by men, but chosen and precious to God (Psalm 118:22). Peter outlines in verses 19-26 what they must do. The rulers sendofficers in chapter 4 to arrest Peter and John. Note that the number of disciples had now reached 5,000. They were examined by the Counsel and commanded to refrain from preaching Christ Jesus. TheApostles' response is that: "We cannot cease from doing what the Almighty has commanded us". Peter and John are threatened and released. Upon joining their fellow believers, the two Apostles together withtheir assembled brothers praise the LORD and in prayer speak of what had just happened as being a fulfilment of Psalm 2. Their Sovereign's response to their prayer is a shaking of the house they were in. God is further demonstrating His power in support of their testimony. This was given as yet anotherendorsement by their God of His guarantee to support his ecclesia's faithful testimony. The spirit of unity and community is spoken of in verses 32-37. Oh, for such a spirit among believers today!Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow

2 Chronicles 24 tells us that Joash was 7 years old when he begins to reign and that he rules for 40 years. Jehoiadah chose two wives for Joash and the king then produces sons and daughters. Joash decides to repair the temple and urges the unresponsive Levites to collect funds in the cities of Judah. The Levites had been impoverished by the ravages of Athaliah. A chest is made and the redemption tax of the Law of Moses is reinstated. The tax was collected in a specially made and dedicated chest. When the chest was full it was emptied and craftsmen who were employed to repair the temple and refurnish its utensils were paid from this box. No account was required of the tradesmen who dealt faithfully. At 130 years of age the faithful Jehoiadah dies and is buried and honoured in Jerusalem. Tragically, after the high priest's death the princes abandon their God and again turn to serve idols. Jehoiadah's son Zechariah condemns this evil and was stoned in the Temple court by Joash's command (this may be the incident referred to by our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 23 verses 34-36). At the end of the year the Syrian army comes against Judah and at that time Joash's servants slay him as recompense for the evil done to Zechariah. The people of Judah replaced Joash with Amaziah Joash's son. Daniel 5 occurs in BC537 - the night Babylon fell to the Medo-Persians, Babylon is ruled by Belshazzar the son of Nabonidus who is on an expedition and is absent from his city. Babylon is suffering under the dissolute rule of Belshazzar. The Babylonians believed their city to be impregnable. However, the mode of its capture and the name of the victorious general were all told in the prophecy of Isaiah 44 verses 26-45:2 - read aloud, pause and ponder. Belshazzar, Babylon's deputy ruler in the absence of his father Nabonidus seeks to desecrate the vessels that had been taken from Yahweh's temple in Jerusalem. Whilst in the process of a drunken feast honouring the Chaldean gods a mysterious hand comes and writes upon the wall. The hand covers the writing. Belshazzar becomes incontinent due to fear. When the king's wise men cannot read the writing the queen mother asks for Daniel, who was known as Belteshazzar. Daniel castigates king Belshazzar and spells out the lessons that the Almighty had taught to Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar's grandfather. The hand is removed and Daniel reads the Aramaic text and interprets the writing: "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin" ESV Read the meaning of those words in verses 26-28. The Aramaic gematria (assigning numerical values to letters and words) of the expression above is 2,520. Interestingly this is the time period which had been prophesied to Nebuchadnezzar for the kingdom of men in Daniel 4:16, 23-25. Daniel is promoted as promised by Belshazzar and king Belshazzar slain by the Persians. The Babylonian Empire was overthrown by Cyrus in the year BC 537 as Isaiah the prophet had prophesied in chapter 45 verses 1-6. In Acts 3 we have the healing of the crippled man, who was lame from birth and more than 40 years old (4:22). This healing has many parallels with the testy of the crippled man at the pool of Bethesda in John 5. The crippled man represents Israel and their inability to walk before their God. Peter commands the lame man to fix his gaze on them, which he does expecting alms. The crippled man receives far greater -he receives healing and discipleship. And walking, and leaping, and praising God he enters the templewith Peter and John. Remarkable words of witness follow with the testimony of Peter that there is noother name given under heaven by which salvation can come than our Lord Jesus Christ. Buddhism, Hinduism and all other isms cannot save. Our Lord was the stone rejected by men, but chosen and precious to God (Psalm 118:22). Peter outlines in verses 19-26 what they must do. The rulers sendofficers in chapter 4 to arrest Peter and John. Note that the number of disciples had now reached 5,000. They were examined by the Counsel and commanded to refrain from preaching Christ Jesus. TheApostles' response is that: "We cannot cease from doing what the Almighty has commanded us". Peter and John are threatened and released. Upon joining their fellow believers, the two Apostles together withtheir assembled brothers praise the LORD and in prayer speak of what had just happened as being a fulfilment of Psalm 2. Their Sovereign's response to their prayer is a shaking of the house they were in. God is further demonstrating His power in support of their testimony. This was given as yet another endorsement by their God of His guarantee to support his ecclesia's faithful testimony. The spirit of unity and community is spoken of in verses 32-37. Oh, for such a spirit among believers today! Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow 

In this talk, Jomon Sensei continues the autumn Ango practice period by exploring passages from the ancient Zen poem Affirming Faith in Mind. Through multiple translations and reflections, she examines how striving—whether for worldly success or inner enlightenment—entangles us in duality. She invites us to rest in simplicity and let the “way be invisible,” seeing that stillness and motion, comfort and discomfort, are inseparable expressions of oneness. With warmth and humor, she shows how retreat practice and daily life both reveal the same truth: reality is not perfect, permanent, or personal.This talk was given at the Vancouver Zen Group on October 21st 2025. ★ Support this podcast ★

Send me your thoughts in a Text MessageIn this conversation, Ilona Ciunaite speaks with Pierce Salguero — scholar, author, and long-time meditator — about his book The Lamp Unto Yourself and his multidharma model that honors the many paths of awakening.Together they explore how different traditions point to the same essence of truth and freedom, how awakening unfolds beyond conceptual understanding, and how the light of awareness guides each of us from within. This dialogue offers both a wide view of the dharma and a grounded invitation to live what we see.You'll hear about: – The multidharma approach to awakening – The balance between scholarship and lived experience – The universality of awareness across traditionsIf you're interested in the intersection of awakening, mindfulness, and diverse dharma paths, this episode will widen your view and bring the teaching closer to home.Subscribe to my Newsletter for updates and to receive info about free monthly meetings on Zoom: https://ilonaciunaite.com/subscribe/Music by Valdi Sabev. Visit his channel for more calm and relaxed music: https://www.youtube.com/c/ValdiSabev/featuredWebsiteshttp://ilonaciunaite.comhttp://liberationunleashed.com

A strong routine can be crucial to getting through the day when you have a full plate. But that discipline doesn't happen over night. Enoa Reid, of Oahu, shares how the reality of adulthood helped him develop the skills needed to win every day.Watch today's episode on our YouTube channel.Resources:My Dear Friends in America, fourth edition, pp. 361—62.

Delusions are distorted ways of looking at things that make our mind unpeaceful and uncontrolled. Anger exaggerates someone's faults. Attachment exaggerates someone's good qualities. Both lead us away from reality and keep us trapped in craving or aversion. Buddha taught that what fuels delusions is inappropriate attention. When we dwell on thoughts that feed our delusions, we are engaging in "inappropriate attention." The way all delusions arise: Object + inappropriate attention = Delusion With anger, inappropriate attention might look like replaying an insult, focusing only on someone's faults, or exaggerating how much they've harmed us. Each time we dwell on these thoughts, our anger grows stronger. Appropriate attention brings peace. We might notice the impermanence of the situation, remember the person's good qualities, or recognize that anger hurts us more than it hurts anyone else. This kind of attention dissolves anger's grip. The same process that fuels anger also feeds jealousy and attachment. When we compare ourselves to others or fixate on what we lack, jealousy arises. When we focus on only the pleasurable or ideal aspects of someone or something, attachment takes root. Both are forms of clinging to illusions. We can train our minds to shift this attention. When you notice your train of thought is leading to the darkside--inappropriate attention-- you can say to yourself: "W.A.I.T. What am I thinking?" Are these thoughts leading me to peace or away from peace? How can I redirect my thoughts? This simple shift of attention offers profound freedom. By learning to direct our attention wisely, we begin to choose peace over pain, compassion over comparison, and clarity over illusion. All experience is preceded by mind,  Led by mind,  Made by mind.  Speak or act with a corrupted mind,  And suffering follows  As the wagon wheel follows the hoof of the ox.    All experience is preceded by mind,  Led by mind,  Made by mind.  Speak or act with a peaceful mind, And happiness follows  Like a never-departing shadow.  --Buddha, The Dhammapada, Verse 1 - 2 References and Links Buddha.The Dhammapada. Translated by Gil Fronsdale. (Kindle). Shambala, Boston and London, 2011. 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 To learn about Life Coaching with JoAnn Fox visit www.BuddhismforEveryone.com/coaching

This disciple's dharma talk was given by Nov. Kensei at the Buddhist Temple of Toledo on September 12, 2025. Nov. Kensei discusses the deep immersion into dharma practice and cultivation of beginner's mind as foundations of abiding peacefully in the bardo of living between birth and death. If you would like to learn more about the Buddhist Temple of Toledo or to make a donation in support of this podcast please visit buddhisttempleoftoledo.org.

This trialogue continues a series of discussions exploring the latest interdisciplinary research into tantric completion stage practices such as yogas of dream, sleep, and death. Dr Tawni Tidwell is a biocultural anthropologist and doctor of traditional Tibetan medicine. Dr Michael Sheehy is the Director of Research at the Contemplative Sciences Center in the Department of Religious Studies in the University of Virginia. Dr Julian Schott is an Indologist, Tibetologist, and assistant professor at the University of Vienna. In this episode, the panel explore the ethical and methodological challenges of the studying Buddhist tantra; consider the various agendas behind scientific research into meditation, gtummo, and dream yoga; and argue for the centring of human liberation alongside human wellness and profit motives. Dr Sheehy presents his working model for achieving contemplative fluency across a range of meditation styles, suggests that scientific study of meditation can be seen as a type of cultural translation, and considers the use of etic frameworks and methods to study religious and cultural forms. Dr Tidwell argues for the validity of subjective experience, Dr Schott points out the tensions within religious traditions, and the panel consider if neuroscience might one day teach Buddhism something new about itself. … Link in bio. Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 02:11 - Why study tantra with science? 04:01 - Complexity of tantra 05:10 - Skills and transformations 05:50 - Michael's meditation model of “instances and styles“ 08:48 - Multi-modular styles and ngondro 11:17 - Contemplative fluency 13:58 - gTummo and overriding the autonomic nervous system 16:21 - 2 reasons why Vajrayāna is said to be the fast path 17:55 - Why is tantra so complex? 19:37 - Pushing to one's limits is key to tantra 22:29 - 3 classic contemplative approaches in Buddhism 25:27 - Radical transformation and social transgression 27:56 - A tension within the tradition 29:03 - Changing practice along the path 31:04 - Sādhanā is not linear 34:25 - Critical challenges when studying tantra 35:41 - The importance of neurophenomenology 39:44 - Scientific vs traditional explanatory frameworks 43:28 - Relative and the absolute 46:08 - Transmitted blessings 48:07 - Trust in the traditions 50:33 - Moving beyond the traditions with science 52:38 - A second order, cultural translation 54:58 - Paradox of the paradigm 56:26 - Defending the etic perspective 58:06 - Multi-disciplinary teams 59:37 - The fundamental academic principle 01:01:58 - Pros and cons of the etic and emic 01:03:16- Will science improve the Buddhist tradition? 01:04:56 - Neuroplasticity and aging 01:06:50 - Reshaping Buddhism is imperative 01:09:26 - A cultural-religious looping effect 01:13:13 - Dream yoga training with VR 01:18:50 - Secular extraction approaches and making the traditions better 01:21:25 -MBSR and Healthy Minds 01:22:57 - Subjective experience is valid 1:25:16 - Human freedom beyond the social and political 01:31:59 - Admitting the religious aspect 01:34:07 - Prioritising human freedom 01:35:48 - A reflexive process 01:37:09 - Is scientific study for the good? 01:38:30 - Future episode plans Previous panel discussions: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=sheehy Previous episodes with Dr Julian Schott: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=schott To find our more about the panel, visit: - https://michaelrsheehy.com/ - https://centerhealthyminds.org/about/people/tawni-tidwell - https://stb.univie.ac.at/en/about-us/team/julian-schott/user/schottj85/inum/1083/backpid/198178/ For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

In this week's episode, joined by 2024 New Orleans-Matsue Sister City Exchange Program participants Katherine Heller & Wade Trosclair, the Krewe looks back & celebrates 30 years of friendship between Matsue, Japan & New Orleans, Louisiana... a sister city relationship built on cultural exchange, mutual curiosity, &shared spirit. Together, they reflect on their time in Matsue during the exchange program, their experiences with host families, and the deep connections that form when two communities separated by an ocean come together.------ About the Krewe ------The Krewe of Japan Podcast is a weekly episodic podcast sponsored by the Japan Society of New Orleans. Check them out every Friday afternoon around noon CST on Apple, Google, Spotify, Amazon, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts.  Want to share your experiences with the Krewe? Or perhaps you have ideas for episodes, feedback, comments, or questions? Let the Krewe know by e-mail at kreweofjapanpodcast@gmail.com or on social media (Twitter: @kreweofjapan, Instagram: @kreweofjapanpodcast, Facebook: Krewe of Japan Podcast Page, TikTok: @kreweofjapanpodcast, LinkedIn: Krewe of Japan LinkedIn Page, Blue Sky Social: @kreweofjapan.bsky.social, & the Krewe of Japan Youtube Channel). Until next time, enjoy!------ Support the Krewe! Offer Links for Affiliates ------Use the referral links below & our promo code from the episode (timestamps [hh:mm:ss] where you can find the code)!Support your favorite NFL Team AND podcast! Shop NFLShop to gear up for football season!Zencastr Offer Link - Use my special link to save 30% off your 1st month of any Zencastr paid plan!  (00:53:00)------ Past Matsue/Sister City Episodes ------Lafcadio Hearn: 2024 King of Carnival (S5Bonus)Explore Matsue ft. Nicholas McCullough (S4E19)Jokichi Takamine: The Earliest Bridge Between New Orleans & Japan ft. Stephen Lyman (S4E13)The Life & Legacy of Lafcadio Hearn ft. Bon & Shoko Koizumi (S1E9)Matsue & New Orleans: Sister Cities ft. Dr. Samantha Perez (S1E2)------ Links about the Exchange ------2024 Exchange Program Info/PicturesShogun Martial Arts Dojo (Katie's family's dojo)------ JSNO Upcoming Events ------JSNO Event CalendarJoin JSNO Today!

Michael Stroe (@Plus3Happiness) is a phenomenologist and “happiness concierge.” Through a combination of the Buddhist Fetters & somatic practices, he's allegedly reduced his suffering by ~90%. He claims to consistently live at 9/10 life satisfaction and has skillfully guided others into similar transformations. Today we demystify his journey and discuss concrete practices for oneshotting procrastination, reducing reactivity and permanently raising the floor of your happiness (seriously).Watch on YouTube:Transcript — Michael Stroe​[00:00:00] Daniel Kazandjian: Michael Stroe, welcome to the Metagame.Michael Stroe: Well, thank you for having me. How you doing?Daniel Kazandjian: I'm doing great. I'm really excited for this conversation. You famously, through a combination of Buddhist practices and somatic practices reduced your suffering by around 90%, whichMichael Stroe: Even more these days.Daniel Kazandjian: And now you're teaching other people how to do that, which is fantastic. How did you figure that out? Like what, what's the story there?Michael Stroe: As many great things happened by mistake, it's a total mistake. I was on a more or less sabbatical in like 2023 in Barcelona. Uh, not in a great place in life, honestly.Daniel Kazandjian: Hmm.Michael Stroe: and towards the end of the trip, someone actually, someone that, someone being Frank Yang, which you might be familiar with,Daniel Kazandjian: Mm-hmm.[00:01:00] Michael Stroe: Shared, Kevin Schanilec's website, which I've messaged, and he was very succinct as like, “try Liberation Unleashed” being a Liberation Unleashed being this forum for, for these practicesDaniel Kazandjian: Can you say that again? LiberationMichael Stroe: unleashed. Yes,Daniel Kazandjian: Unleashed. Yeah.Michael Stroe: Yes. And very quickly realize that the way they're doing it is one practice at a time and it's months of work. My ADHD Mind, uh, was like, yeah, but what if we do everything all at once? Um, instead of doing one practice at a time, I basically did eight of them daily for a couple of hours.'cause that's how you do it. Uh, in a bunch of days I had a perceptual shift, which was very interesting, and a bit of a honeymoon for like two days. Uh, that was something that I found funny that um, some people speak of these, uh, awakenings or whatever in terms of like, oh, months of bliss. And I just had two days and on the second day I was in an airport delayed for like five hours, which I was chill about.[00:02:00] But that wasn't necessarily like, whoa, I'm so alive. They're like, yeah, that's not happening. It was a bit better than usual. That perception shift coincided with a bit of a, what should I put it? Less? Uh, stress, let's call it initially. ‘cause I didn't know what was happening. Just less stress, less, uh, overthinking, less, chatter.And actually one of the, one of the few things that I found really interesting somehow coincided with great sleep. I don't know how to explain it seconds to sleep.Daniel Kazandjian: Wow.Michael Stroe: I found it very interesting because I used to get like one hour, two hours, three hours to get to sleep. And I just have ideas and sit in bed for just 30 seconds. I was out and I'm like, okay, this is an interesting benefit. Not gonna lie. Uh, I don't even care about all these benefits, I'm sleeping. Like that's, that's enough. And from then on I sort of returned to simply the scene, the, the initial website where I was guided, uh, to Liberation Unleashed.And I've done the practices on attachment and version. Okay.[00:03:00] And I should mention that immediately after stream entry, which would be the first shift that I had where it kind of, you notice that there's just the body mind, there's no little guy driving this, uh, body around. Um, you start to be aware of the fact that you kind of don't like a lot of the things that are happening.You're trying to pull out experience to such an extent. And, I had 10, 15 years of anxiety and other things on and off. Um, when I started looking at them, uh, I sort of noticed that I had a sort of a version towards so many things even after the first shift in like two more weeks had another one where, oh, like I, my, my, like that was the point where anxiety got reduced both in size and intensity and that was a big deal, even more of a big deal than the first one. ‘cause the first one is, like I said, it was nice, I was sleeping better, but also realizing how much you hate your experience,[00:04:00] let's call it, put it into a certain perspective and realize that from whatever anxiety I used to have or whatever intensity, it went down by like 60, 70%, at least in duration.Michael Stroe: One of the things I've noticed is actually, I used to have anxiety for days and weeks at a time about some stupid thing, or in general, like a generalized anxiety. And I realized that I couldn't. Get anxiety going for more than 30 minutes. As in, if someone distracted me, I forgot I had anxiety, and I'm like, huh, don't understand what's happening.Why do you mean like, I forgot I had anxiety. What do you mean? Like that makes no sense. And sort of like this continued, uh, after a bunch, uh, more time, a few other shifts, but this one especially, were like, oh, there's a dare there. Which for me, there were years of trying self-development, failing at meditation, um, or is nothing working actually.You sort of like, you do all these self-development things.[00:05:00] You, you're gonna do your finances and orders, like you're not happy. You're gonna get a great job, not happily encouraged to do these things. It's like, okay, but like what works? Um, and I had a notion that there's a debt there, but I didn't have a notion about what's possible.It's sort of like more of a faith, even though I'm not religious, more of a fate that it's possible. I didn'tDaniel Kazandjian: Yeah.Michael Stroe: I feel like maybe some of the people that I was following were somewhat trustworthy in this sense.Daniel Kazandjian: So, you just, so to recap, you had 10, 15 years of suffering with like, maybe above average levels of anxiety, is that what you're saying?Michael Stroe: Yeah.Daniel Kazandjian: Yeah.Michael Stroe: Were months at a time where I was to be okay. And the, the moments where I was okay were just the moments where I wasn't doing anything. As you know, I was mostly taking sabbaticals, which is not necessarily a great thing in the sense of like, if you're not active in society, you're feeling great.It's like saying, oh, I'm feeling great on vacation, but I hate my job.Daniel Kazandjian: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So from that, the practices at On Liberation Unleash, the first thing,[00:06:00] Daniel Kazandjian: the thing that allowed you to sleep fast and stuff was, was that stream entry.Michael Stroe: Yes. That would be stream entry. Yeah. AndDaniel Kazandjian: So just,Michael Stroe: Obvious. Yeah.Daniel Kazandjian: Just to bring people on board with that, what is stream entry?Michael Stroe: Stream Entry, if I am to take away from the woo stuff, it's like realizing there's no self, but the problem with realizing there's no self, it's so, uh, abstract, but we, no one, no one know what it means, but it's provocative.But if I'm to be a very mundane phenomenologist, it's just the sense that I'm no longer the little guy in the behind the eyes. I used to call it behind the eyes or behind the, an experience that sort of looks like a watches experience from afar a bit.Daniel Kazandjian: Mm-hmm.Michael Stroe: So realizing that, oh, I guess there's nothing separate from the body, mind world. There's just the body and mind. And my identity is more so that of a witness, uh, not of the tour, let's call it. And it's very simple. Like it's mundane. One of my, uh, most treasured experiences, right? When someone says, uh.[00:07:00] Is it almost disappointing that there is not more there? Because that's what you kind of know. Like, okay, like yeah, they got it. And it's like, of course, like after enlightenment, it's just, just ordinary experience. Um, and yeah, basically just the sense of no longer identifying as the doer. It'sDaniel Kazandjian: Mm-hmm.Michael Stroe: There's no one moving the body mind, just the body mind moving itself. Uh, it doesn't need a do or it's all conditioning. And so,Daniel Kazandjian: Yeah.Michael Stroe: freeing.Daniel Kazandjian: So, so, uh, we might get into more details on this, but what's interesting to me is what you said after that was when you realized that you had a lot of aversion to things.Michael Stroe: Yes.Daniel Kazandjian: So is it that stream entry kind of brought awareness to the suffering that was already, like, you weren't feeling your suffering fully, and then something shifted in terms ofMichael Stroe: Yeah. Um, what happens prior to stream entry? You take all these things as identity. This is mine. Then through stream entry,[00:08:00] You start seeing them as more of an objective, uh, phenomenon or objective processes. Basically what I used to call, uh, um, what I was seeing afterwards as, oh, you know, like some contractions and so on, it used to be like my anxiety, my social, whatever. And it was, it was getting, uh, caught up as identity. And once I was able to see these processes, just those objective processes that I'm able to watch, uh, there is, uh, a subtle detachment. I don't mean detachment in, uh, sort of like going away, but they're actually going towards them.What I'm able to see them for whatever, which is a bunch of thoughts and sensations and that has a very interesting side effect of actually realizing that these are happening, these are conditions and they've been happening for so long. And if beforehand they used to be like, oh, uh, it's me, it's, I'm, I'm bad like this. I'm bad like that. I'm not good enough for whatever. It's like, oh, there's this process. Of these sensations appearing and this story about not being like this or not being like that?[00:09:00] Daniel Kazandjian: Do you have a personal anecdote about that? really illustrates this point?Michael Stroe: Uh, yes, actually, I can tell you how, uh, we, the weakening of a version happened.Daniel Kazandjian: Hmm.Michael Stroe: Uh, there was this particular day I was in my parents' house in the countryside and for some reason, some of my friends, not just one, were not answering my messages. And I used to have anxiety about this thing for, uh, both relationships and of both kinds of friends and, and anyway, about people not responding.And I used to have three friends and it's like they were not answering my messages and I was kind of going in a loop. What did I do? What did I say? Did I say something? And I was just, I had the moment of watching. I was like, okay, there's this weird process. There are some sensations that are kind of like, not pleasant, but I'm going through all these thoughts.And what happens is that I'm making it worse, but what is this? I was like, there are some sensations I had the moment. The sensations are not that bad. And also, I don't know how I'm making this. Like they're just here.[00:10:00] And that was the moment, like, oh yeah. It's like, why, why am I, what, why am I doing this to myself? And I was moments like, ah, yeah, it's okay. Oh, it's like, I best I'm gonna like if, if this is how bad it feels not to, uh, receive, uh, attention or whatever it was at the time. Like, I don't even remember fully what I was like, it's not that bad. was like, huh. A bit of like, oh, this is no big deal.Yeah. I can just go about my day. Like, I thought it was gonna be worse. The anticipation of this being so bad was what I was amplifying but the sensation themselves was like some amount of contraction in the stomach area. Like, uh, one out of 10. Not a big deal.Daniel Kazandjian: Yeah, so it's almost that there, the raw sensation itself is relatively benign, but then there's some sort of mental content, some story at adding to it.Michael Stroe: Yeah. The mental tension. Like a rat, like basically a rat in a cage.[00:11:00] Michael Stroe: Um, and going through all these stories, going through all these machinations in order to, and this is very important in order to seemingly try to change the sensation, like what should I say for this person to respond to me?Michael Stroe: And then it dawned on me that actually I was not trying to have them respond. I didn't think it was gonna sound bad, but also I didn't necessarily care about them responding. I actually cared about me not having the sensations. And this is one thing that I usually show to people, which is like, if this sensation would be the same, but you were happy, you wouldn't care about the sensation.If you were content with how things are. Whatever happens, happens, you can still be pretty, pretty okay with it. But the problem for me was not the situation, which is like all these people not responding to my messages, like the, the, the anxiety or the amplification was just happening. It's like, I just don't like how I feel right now.I hate this and probably this is the reason why. It's like, is this the reason why it's like, not just some conditioning there. But Yeah.[00:12:00] Daniel Kazandjian: And so what were the practices that allowed you to create a little bit of distance with those sensations and stories?Michael Stroe: I think at, at, at the time I didn't necessarily like I had the materials, right, but the materials were something like, oh, notice in this moment that what you're trying is to look for some other reality than the one you have. Basically that moment I had these people that were not responding to my messages, and the thing that I was was like, oh, I don't have a reality where they're responding to my messages.In current practice, I would frame it like, oh, I didn't get a response from my friends. It's like, oh, I'm looking for this reality somehow. It feels differently and things are different. So it's like, not necessarily that I wanted things to be different, I wanted to feel differently. Oh, I don't have friends that respond to my message quickly.So like, sure. I guess.But when, when, when we were seeing that actually the practice was just seeing things and just feeling a bit to it, it's not a big deal.[00:13:00] And definitely, my practice was a bit different from the one I, uh, show to people right now. Uh, at the time I was doing more inside Heavy, which would be staying that mental tension and seeing that it's just a sensation that we can do something about it.Right now. I ask people to do both that, but also like just sitting with a so-called pain and letting it dissipate.For me it was just sitting in that tension. It's like, okay, I'm sitting in that tension. So what? And it's like, okay, it's not that pleasant, but also. There's no other reality available.There's no other Michael. Sometimes I, I, when I see people being stuck in, it's like, what is your quantum duplicate that somehow has some other sensation? They're not. It's like, okay, so I guess this is what you have right now. Is it that bad? And sometimes I make these weird analogies, which is like, imagine you've hit your leg very badly in the furniture.Would you trade these sensations for those sensations? Like, no, you go. Then sit with these ones. Maybe you appreciate them more,[00:14:00] Daniel Kazandjian: Hmm. Um, I wanna get back to your story, but one thing I'll, I'll, highlight is what your practice wasn't. It wasn't trying to understand why you happen to be so sensitive to people texting you and it, and like going into the deeper reasoning for your emotions. It wasn't that at all. It was focusing on the sensations themselves.Michael Stroe: Yeah. And what I found is there are cases where the, let's say the story unbundling, which I would call it, is helpful.For the sake of reducing suffering, there is minimal need for that. You need to see that the story is a story, which is a bunch of thoughts, and the sensations are conditioned, arising and the like.The impression is that, oh, this anxiety, for example, right now for me, it's happening because of what's happening. But the reality, no, it's happening because all the baggage from the back, all my priors that are being, uh, involved in this particular situations, out of which, let's call it this gate out, which, the anxiety comes up is through this situation,[00:15:00] it's actually the baggage that's to blame, let's say for this. One of the things I usually do, um, lately is, uh, to ask people to, okay, has some meaning, whatever story, right? My story, I was like, there's meaning, and my friends are not pointing my messages. Okay, why is there more meaning to that particular thought compared to my body? 70% water?It's like. Uh, somehow one is more meaningful than the other, but they're both, let's say language markers.They're both tokens and somehow one has more meaning than the other. It's like, is it the meaning or they're just both neutral, but the charge is just because of the conditioning and it helps a bit putting on the per circuit. Like you have two stories or you have two sentences. is charged, one is not charged.It's like, how exactly is the story charged experience wise? What exactly is the charge? Oh, some sensations. Yes. So it's not the story. And through just sitting with them, they eventually were like, oh, I guess the story.[00:16:00] It was the sensations that I was resisting.Daniel Kazandjian: Yeah. maybe it'd be worth spelling this out a little bit more. It's like there's a storyMichael Stroe: Yes.Daniel Kazandjian: And then there's a sensory experience in the body, like some, some knot in your gut or something like that, or like a buzzing sensation somewhere. And then those two things are very tightly coupled or correlated. And so the story itself feels charged.What's the process of disentangling those two things?Michael Stroe: Well, the first step is usually to take away from the story as in, oh, this thing happened, this thing happened, this thing happens. It's like, okay, all those things happen, but what's happening right now? It's like me, I'm looking for some other reality in the one available. It's like, okay, um, I don't have this reality that I'm looking for where this other thing happened.So it's like, okay, in this moment, right now, what you have, uh, this sensory reality and some thoughts, it's like, okay, that brings you a bit further, into the present, right? So it's like, okay, you make a sentence,[00:17:00] and that sentence is almost like a summary of what happened, but in a very factual way.Right. Like very factual. It's like they didn't say this, okay, so I don't have this experience where I'm looking, I'm looking for them to be different. The next step would be putting the sensations into perspective. And actually that's a very big one.of the things that I notice is if I ask someone, which I have a lot of track questions during my inquiries, I, I need to mention that, uh, I usually ask them, it's like, okay, on a scale of one to 10, how bad are these sensations?And I've gotten some weird responses for some very meaningless situations. Like this email being an eight out of 10, right? Um, it's like, okay, that like an eight out of 10, an email, like he, that torture, that torture level pain, right? So if you ask people, uh, in, in that way, they're gonna, um, compare it with the ideal, how they would prefer to feel in this moment.So it's like, okay, okay, put it in a bit of a perspective, like compared to some actual pain, which is a breaking leg, I think breaking leg is the one I use most often.It's painful enough. And if you try to imagine it's like.[00:18:00] That would be a bad one. It's like compared to breaking a leg, how bad is this pain?It's like, okay, it's one or two. It's like, oh, now we got some perspective. Now we got a foothold to just sit with the sensations. Right? And, and going through these a few steps, uh, you've basically taken away from the story. You've reduced it to something, you are looking for some other reality, and then you have the intensity dropping a bit.Quite a bit actually. And then the last thing is like, okay, I want you to see with the sensation, it's called being called staying in the gap. And what I mean by staying in the gap, it's you tone descendants. I didn't get the response from my friends, right? Some sensations are appearing and being in the gap.It means seeing with those sensations until the thoughts that are happening, the thoughts that are happening somehow it seems. They can, uh, act upon these sensations somehow seem to be about these sensations. And the more you stay in the gap with a sensation, with thoughts,[00:19:00] eventually it's such a, uh, a long time between the sensations appearing and the thoughts that it's like this couldn't be connected.Michael Stroe: It's there's no way that these, there's a way for, for these sensations to be changed by this thought that happened a minute later. Like there's no way of causality in such a way. So it's like,Daniel Kazandjian: Yeah.Michael Stroe: There's two channels. You have the channel of the thoughts, you have the channel of sensation, and it might seem initially that they're glued somehow, but then it becomes, uh, obvious that no, the sensations are conditioned in a certain way.The thoughts are conditioned a certain way, but there is no, uh, uh, glue in between. There is almost one of the metaphors I use lately actually, the, the channel of sensation is the basketball game the channel of, uh, thoughts or stories is the sports commentary. No amount of sports commentary will change the basketball game.Whoever is your favorite basketball player, whether it's LeBron or whatever, it doesn't even matter. It's like he's not gonna suddenly start shooting trees just because the sports come. It's like, oh, you're shooting wrong. It's like, yeah, that's not gonna happen.[00:20:00] And it's a bit of a, of a more immediate, um, metaphor that it's helped is like, oh, I'm trying to change the game by just commenting on it.Daniel Kazandjian: Yeah, yeah, I love that image. Um, you used the word, uh, conditioning a few times, so like, because of conditioning, there's the glue between the sensations and the thoughts and the stories. How, what do you mean by conditioning here? How does that process work?Michael Stroe: Yeah. By conditioning, I mean all the situations and experiences that have left an imprint on the body mind, they've made a, they made a dent, whether it's in personality, whether it's even in the body. We have a discussion sometimes about VA computation, like.The body does keep the score right. and that conditioning is basically everything you would, uh, actually both, uh, uh, positive and negative. You can have positive conditioning, right? Uh, both, uh, pleasant and negative experiences that make a mark in that condition.[00:21:00] Future experiences based on prior experiences. If you wanna use priors, because we're more in rational spaces, we can use priors, but I'm mostly speaking about the priors at the level of, uh, memories oftentimes and bodily, uh, contractions.Michael Stroe: That's what we use mostly for this.Daniel Kazandjian: So is that like, let's say when I'm younger and I have less awareness,Michael Stroe: Yeah.Daniel Kazandjian: Something happens to me, you know, maybe I feel a sense of social rejection, um, because I don't know, the girl I like didn't text me back or something like that. And then it prompts a really big physiological response that I know.Michael Stroe: Yes.Daniel Kazandjian: Correlate with the story of like, girls not texting me back, and then that's conditioning. That's like the prior.Michael Stroe: Yes. That's basically the pairing of some sensations with some stories.Daniel Kazandjian: Mm-hmm.Michael Stroe: Often, whether the stories can be like a visual memory. Like myself in that situation where I used to feel this way, and it's like, oh, when that happens,[00:22:00] this is, uh, this is the thing. And, and also like when I have that, those pairings, those pairings actually create a certain amount of one unidimensional response.When I feel the sensations, I need to double text them or I need to say, I need to say, I need to say something. I need to say something to them. Right. Um, there is a sense where the degree of freedom is being traded for, uh. A sense of apparent control, right. In that case, uh, the one we mentioned for like, uh, not receiving a message.When I, when this happens, then I do this. But by having, just when a then BI have a degree of conditioning or a degree of conditional, uh, response that actually prevents me from seeing there are maybe 10 other options. And that tends to shrink our personal freedom to such an extent that we often don't realize that we're doing it.[00:23:00] Daniel Kazandjian: Yeah. So let's come back to your story. You got, you got the stream entry. Then you start to recognize the conditioning and all the ways in which you had aversion to your experience. What happened after that?Michael Stroe: Um, I found a guide, a lovely lady in Italy that was recommended to me by some other guide in fairs. She had some availability and we started working together and I started working on the big issues. Right now, when I work with people, I think I work a bit differently.We used to work, we used to work directly with big stuff. One of the big things I had the most directly, which was something like some past relationship thing, and then I started working with a bunch of them. But the reality is, looking back, like I had a certain degree of buy into the processWhen I used to guide the same way with folks that weren't necessarily as bought in or[00:24:00] believing in the process, I can say I had like 25 to 30 people quit after the first month because, um, instead of having more of an upstream, slowly gliding your way to more wellbeing, it's more abrupt. It's like you, you have reactivity that happens in two stages, weakening and breaking.With two big issues, you're gonna have the weakening and then the breaking. But if you don't go with the biggest ones and you just go with. You, you can, you can have more of a smoother path.Okay, what's the biggest thing I can think of? Like, oh, there's this, uh, memory from a relationship. And because I have this memory, I won't have happy relationships in the future. Right.And to work with this, and I can definitely tell you that between getting a weakening of reactivity or a version by myself and dropping, it's been like a month and a half where I cannot necessarily say that was progress.And I, uh, at the level of pedagogy,[00:25:00] I found that actually to be a big issue because I was crazy enough to believe because I got the benefits fast, let's say, and I was on my own. So it's always easy to believe in the process, but I can definitely understand someone being like, I wanna stop.So, and then in another month and a half, um, I kept working with bigger and bigger things. Right now, I, sorry, I separate things and things. Keeping you up at night, which is like immediate short term things that are causing suffering at the moment. And then the next one would be, uh, big goals and desires.The second category. And by starting to work with Maria, I was already working on the big stuff, which is not necessarily ideal if I'm gonna be honest. I don't have the emotional capacity right now. I feel that I end up in a point where I actually help people build the emotional capacity as we're dropping a version.Otherwise it can feel very jarring and that can make people not want to keep the process until finished. Right.[00:26:00] I'd say like a month and a half, beginning of December, 2023, I started noticing that things were kind of like, uh, water of a duck spec. That's what I would call it. Things were smoother. That was kind of where I started noticing. I kinda cannot say, and this is so like a bigger discussion, but. I cannot say I have bad days. A version basically is this mental chaining, uh, of some pain that happened and, and keeping it with you during the entirety of your day, even though it was like two minutes or five minutes of unpleasant sensation.So when that no longer happens, a version by the way, dropping a version is called dropping into non-conceptual. That's basically when you drop the associated between, uh, stories and sensations. And once that, that was dropped, it's like, yeah, you can still feel pain, you can still feel unpleasant sensation, but you're no longer chained as your day goes on into a big feeling that basically colors the entirety of your 24 hours.[00:27:00] And that was the last, so like the, the last days where I've noticed, uh, bad days. So I cannot say that I have had bad days since then. Okay. I hadDaniel Kazandjian: Wow.Michael Stroe: unpleasant situations for a few hours or whatever, but the amount of pain was actually low and there was no suffering. Even once, like, I had someone, like almost lost a friend a bunch of months ago, and there was crying, there was pain. There was no way of me imagining that there are some other sensations available and I fell through it. I cry. Uh, just what seemed natural there was necessarily suffering or resistance and it's, it's also a very point to be, it's not relatable.I cannot explain it for it to make sense. If someone doesn't have it almost seems like I'm trying to sell someone on these. Grant benefit, uh, uh, by now, uh, where it's like, oh, it's so amazing. It's like drugs.[00:28:00] It's like, it is amazing, but also it makes no sense how this could, uh, be experienced. Right?And then when that happened in a few more weeks, I dropped into non duality again. It is a very fast process. I think there is a certain extent to which all these shifts are happening fast when someone really wants it. And I know that the Buddhist say desire is the root of all suffering, but that's a mistranslation.Was the root of suffering. And that's a different, more moment to moment, uh, thing. being open, it's like, yeah, I really want, this has led to very fast progress. And I think actually, um, suffering wise, actually this one actually made the most, uh, difference just dropping a version. I used to have so much of it.It's to color my days to such an extent, days, months, years, whatever you wanna call it, that once it drop, it's like, okay, yeah, I did not expect this was possible.[00:29:00] It's easy to say that it's not possible or there could not be something like this. Okay. It's not perfect, but it's amazing. It's sort of like, that's how I would call it. No, it's amazing. And, and luckily right now, I, I, I feel like I'm not speaking from a standpoint of just me at, with her, there are a bunch of friends, some of them that you already know that have gotten the same experience and they have the same experience or like, no, it's pretty great.Michael Stroe: No,Daniel Kazandjian: Yeah,Michael Stroe: great. Yeah.Daniel Kazandjian: I know you, you also tried to make this a little more legible for people by like mapping it on to commonplace positive experiences.Michael Stroe: Yes.Daniel Kazandjian: You know, and I know it's a totally imperfect process or whatever, but it gives people a sense.Michael Stroe: Yeah.Daniel Kazandjian: maybe you can tell the listeners that, like how different stages mapped onto like the, these commonplace positive experiences.Michael Stroe: I was trying to do this with a friend a bunch of times ago because I was thinking,[00:30:00] what's the marginal value of the next dollar? But actually it was more so what's the marginal value of the next million dollars? It's like, what do you even buy with a bunch of money that gives you happiness? I put my own happiness into, okay, what would I trade this for?And it's for, for as much as it's gonna sound, it's farfetched, I would say, like, I don't know, tens of millions to be like, you have no physical worries for the rest of your life. You would still end up in the place where you're pursuing this.It's already that good. Like there's no convincing. Like I would rather take my pain from years ago just to have it. Yes. So the first, the first steps, treatment three, first one to three. I've humorously, uh, called it getting a free sandwich daily. Um, which is okay. It's nice. Like there are some days when, when a sandwich can, can make you feel a bit better.Uh, it's, it's nice. Um, you got a sandwich, you have a bit of a brighter day, right? There are days where a sandwich does not do anything.[00:31:00] I'm gonna throw that off, right? Uh, and I'll be experimenting, weakening. Um, it's a bit of a, a bit, uh, higher and I would call it almost like having a very relaxing massage daily, right?And it's great. Like you go to have a massage, it's great. You, you are relaxed now, you enjoy your day more. Maybe you are smiling more. It can make most days a bit, uh, sunny, right? also like when, some really bad things are happening and massage probably won't be enough. And there are certain categories of things where.A massage won't do anything like, you know, loss and so on. Um, but the real, the real, uh, thing happens with the dropping of reactivity. And the reason why I call that, um, basically, um, being in a, a, a pretty good vacation all the time is because you no longer want or expect to always feel good.[00:32:00] But that has the interesting side effect of making most days pretty amazing. Dropping reactivity or no longer, like I know, don't want to feel good all the time. And because I don't necessarily want or try to feel good all the time, I'm actually feeling good most of the time.It was the suffering or other, the resistance to those few moments. We were feeling some pain that was coloring all these other moments negatively, let's call it.But when you no longer want that, it does feel pretty, uh, vacay vibes, uh, it's okay. I'm on vacation most days. I don't necessarily need to be somewhere, I don't necessarily need to have a fancy dinner. A lot, a lot of what humans imagine they would feel during a vacation where they're away from work.You can have here and now with work, with life, with all these, uh, trappings of daily life, and it's pretty amazing. And that would be what we spoke so far, which is the trapping already. [00:33:00] And there's a bit of a, there's technically two more steps, but I usually, I only, uh, speak about the first, uh, uh, one, uh, in this, in this, uh, next, uh, in next year row, which is like the fourth, uh, range, I would call it, uh, dropping form and formlessness.And for those that are familiar with Buddhist, uh, terminology, that would be non-duality. And “I-ness”. I-ness probably it's a bit less, uh, common, but no is very obvious. uh, or getting into no. Minus the stories that, uh, were all one and so on. it's a, it's a small, actually a small gain in, in pleasure.You have more of a sense of connection with everything or everyone. You no longer have the sense of things or people being distant from you. You have the sense that you're in one world simulation, which is interesting, but I found it compared to not having a version not as consequential.[00:34:00] I have expected, based on how all the spiritual people are selling nonduality to feel amazing, connected. It's like you do feel connected or actually it's more correctly framed, disconnected. Like, I'm not, we are not all one necessarily, which is like, uh, further inside it's like, okay, we're all in one.It's like we're close by distance is an illusion. Pretty great. Pretty great, right? But in terms of suffering reduction, I would've expected it to be more, but it was like 5%. A cool 5%, right? But not what I expected and this wouldDaniel Kazandjian: You're like, disappointed.Michael Stroe: I'm gonna be honest a bit, a bit.Daniel Kazandjian: Yeah.Michael Stroe: I would've expected more people to have sold it to me as this grant thing where everything is amazing. It wasn't necessarily, and this would correspond with the third six, right?And I actually feel that third seven is more impactful, which would be “I-am-ness” consciousness and so on. Uh, the reason why this one actually was, um, profound, I would start with the sense of time.[00:35:00] Sense of time kind of goes away and you realize there were a bunch of sensations and thoughts. When that happens, you have to be a bit more clumsy with your appointments. I'm gonna give people that warning.That's gonna happen, but you no longer have the time pressure. I need you to do this, I need to do that. If you heard people speak about timelessness or the experience of timelessness, this is basically what they were speaking of just now. Just now, just now. And it's pretty amazing. That's just one aspect.The second aspect that I've seen, um, this actually has to do with, um, almost, um, dropping the notion that somehow things are existing in opposites. Where it's like, in this case, it's ugly and beautiful you're dropping the opposites as real categories when, when the opposites seem to be integrated as neither this nor that, neither ugly nor beautiful.I found that everything is more beautiful.[00:36:00] Very few people will be able to relate to this, but there was a joke going around on Twitter a bunch of time ago, which is like, Would you rather get plus three to your own, uh, beauty, or would you give plus three to everyone?And this is in a way giving plus three to everyone's beauty. course, beauty being in the eye of the beholder, uh, but everything from a wall to a flower to whatever you want to tends to become way more, uh, beautiful by, um, via negative, which is no longer saying, saying it's mundane or, uh, boring or whatever you would project upon it.That cancellation of the extremes makes it way more likely that everything is like, has a certain beauty, has a certain vividness to it, that I. I actually wasn't told that it's gonna happen. Uh, but I found it very, very obvious and I'm sometimes, uh, I'm, I'm being caught in, in the metro and[00:37:00] I'm just looking at people with a certain fascination regardless of how they're looking or whatever their gender is, because there is a sense of, wow, look at all these ways that the reality is happening.All these ways that, uh, things have manifested, right.Daniel Kazandjian: Yeah.Michael Stroe: And I guess, uh, the last one, which is very interesting and some might relate it, um, is no longer making things out of images. Here's what I mean. You're looking around the room or you're looking around something. You're noticing, let's say, uh, a basket.The mind or the brain is like, oh, that's a basket. It makes a thing almost like the image that you would see it and gives it a thinness, uh, substantiality. When you just take things as they are, it's an image or if you want to interact with it you can go touch it and so on. But when you compulsively make it a thing, the mental chatter drops a lot.[00:38:00] Michael Stroe: I used to have problems where I used to work in advertising, like outdoor advertisements and I was like Coca-Cola, and it's like, oh, I like, like all these, uh, ads I used to see in the brain were automatically naming them. That goes down because okay, I'm seeing an image, but I don't necessarily need to make it a substantial thing.That drops a lot of the mental chat and also like the compulsiveness of interacting with the world. Um, the benefit of this mostly is that life tends to become very movie-like at this point. When you no longer imagine that things have very distinct boundaries and everything becomes more fluid in that sense, you no longer have the image, the, the, the image that somehow you are outside of the world somehow.You, you, it's one big singularity, if you wanna call it. Um, that tends to make things very easy to move around. If you ever heard, and this is a bit of a, I'm not sure I would give it a trigger or warning,[00:39:00] but I would be mindful that sometimes when in Buddhist, a lot of people know this, know that they're actually very dumb ways of giving insight. For example, if you heard that there is no body, that's one of the dumbest ways of framing it.The actual framing would be the body arises together with everything else. And that wouldn't necessarily give people any type of, uh. Scaries. It's like, oh, okay. So the body is just part of the Raja. And the sense of the body as a thing, as a monolith was just the brain taking a bunch of this junk, uh, sensation and constructing a mental model of what the body would look like.With the seven photos, you no longer need to construct a body as a monolith. You just take sensations as different pings. I used to call it the same way that rain drops. That's how you feel. You no need to hold the frame of there is a body in, in a very, um, uh, experiential way or like one big block of stone.[00:40:00] Have this, the sensations, the body's still there, the organ is still there. You no longer hold the concept of it being a monolith and that I've actually found very relaxing and super easy to do, uh, hard things, physical hard things, or go without sleep for a long time because the body seems to be way, uh, way easier.To process. It's like, oh, there is some unpleasant sensation from tiredness. Okay. Like, it's not that the whole body is tired, it's like tiredness, uh, expresses itself as just this one muscle in the back that it's aDaniel Kazandjian: Yeah, yeah.Michael Stroe: You're no longer like, oh, the body is tired. It's like, no, it's just some sensation. It's not pleasant. That's it. So it's easy to bounce back.Daniel Kazandjian: Um, so this reminds me of a meditation prompt. Uh, it's like a direct pointing prompt of just experiencing the body. Just see, see if you can experience the body as a cloud of sensations as opposed to. The, the mental map or like, maybe a simple one that, that I noticed was if someone says, pay attention to your hand, the sensations in your hand,[00:41:00] you might think you're doing that, but then you'll notice that often there's also an image of the hand and like a sense that you're up here and you're looking down at your hand and like there's a bunch of other stuff happening quite habitually that isn't just the raw sensations of the hand and the raw sensations of the hand are something like, like texture and, and heat and tension and like these more, uh, simple constituent elements.And then the same applies for pain. Or I've noticed when I've had issues with chronic pain, if I just do this type of exercise, it just gets deconstructed into a bunch of neutral sensations.Michael Stroe: Yeah. Direct pointers of this nature are very useful because we tend to interact with the word via abstraction or via fabrication.[00:42:00] But once you see, like into the, let's call it, you realize that, oh, it's actually easier to bear. And as you mentioned, there are a lot of these small pointers that you can give someone that make actually a big dent in your experience, uh, especially are of suffering and pain they finally see experience as is not through the conceptual map.And one of the, because you mentioned the one with the conceptual map, one of the things I actually ask people during the stream entry conversation is, uh, can they imagine an actual tactile sensation? Like, okay, let me try to imagine my feet standing on the floor. So it's like, are you really imagining a sensation or are you imagining the mental body map and where it would happen, is like, oh yeah, no, I'm, I'm imagining the mental body map.There's no way for me to. Imagine a sensation the same way. It's like Exactly. So that helps put things into perspective between what's direct sense experience and what's abstract experience. And you can use abstraction.[00:43:00] It's just though you never confuse abstraction, if you want to call it, the abstraction would be context, right? And enlightenment is just untangling more and more of the context of identity or of concepts into the components of, um, what we would call experience, like context and content. Like that's, that's like the more you take, uh, context and make it content, that's the more enlightened you are, if you want.Michael Stroe: Call it like that.Daniel Kazandjian: I wanna see if we can help people on this a little bit. Obviously, you know, reducing your happiness by 90 or reducing your suffering by 90% orMichael Stroe: Yeah.Daniel Kazandjian: Nine outta 10 happiness is like a pretty good sell. But one of the things you've mentioned, and it's also implicit in the stories that you shared, is this idea of freedom. How there's actually just more degrees of freedom around different areas of life.[00:44:00] And so I wonder if you can speak a little bit more about freedom and then some of the other kind of tangible benefits that you've discovered through this journey.Michael Stroe: Yeah. Um, the biggest degree of freedom, I would say, does come from aversion attachment.I used to have this notion that I should make this amount of money by this age, and I would say that's very common for type A. Uh, once I was no longer held by that attachment, I could actually work toward that direction.Well, in the past I used to be very contracted around not having, that would actually mean and turn, uh, into procrastination. And that's a very common experience where it's imagined that procrastination is somehow. An issue of the situation. I don't have this, I don't have that, but most often with the people at work, we end up seeing that procrastination is just an emotional issue.Procrastination being just the resistance to how I'm feeling and most often how I'm feeling is not that bad.Freedom, it turns out, is a very common conversation for me. It's like, if meditation takes away my ambition?[00:45:00] It's like, wouldn't that be bad? It's like, well, let me frame it differently.Uh, if you were to lose some of these things probably you weren't interested in, but you're gonna do way more of the things that you actually want to do. And none of the people that I know have gotten, uh, this far have somehow lost their ambition. They will have families, they're still doing things, they're doing more things.They're no longer imagining that things should look a certain way and they're not looking a certain way. Turns out that the freedom of choice increases and. From the standpoint, like prior to stream, I imagine that I'm, I have agency in this, uh, frame of, uh, I sort, I control the body mind and I'm me, the self controlling the body mind.It's gonna act on the world. It's like integrating, seeing just the body mind, working with the world. I now see that there are more choices by degree of not denying that there are actually some limitations. Like, I cannot[00:46:00] I cannot, uh, suddenly start, uh, in some language. I haven't spoken before.And, but by seeing the limitation, you actually gain the freedom by denying the limitations that are inherent to, to experience. I'm actually not seeing freedom because I keep holding on to my ideas of what I should be able to do instead of seeing what I'm able to do. So without shooting the experience, you can see the things that could be happening and it becomes, uh, pretty easy.Uh, a pretty, pretty obvious experience after you get it, but before it's sort of like cloudy. in, in terms of freedom, I would say the biggest freedom I found was to, to take on projects or, or, uh, do things that I previously seemed to be unapproachable. Uh, it's my identity, like, oh, who's little me?[00:47:00] Like, uh, imposter syndrome. oh, look at all these people. Um, they're, they're from a big, this big, uh, university. How can I work with them? Right? All these notions of, of importance, it's like, who? Little me.That's from a small town in this eastern European country. Uh, so when you drop identity, it's like, okay, whenever I had that, it's like, oh. They're gonna see that I'm an imposter. Can you see how that is just a sensation in this moment right now, that being an imposter is just a sensation that's all there is to, and some thoughts, but what bothers you is not as much the thought level as much the sensation level. How does feeling an imposter or rather being an imposter, because it seems like I'm being an imposter and it's very common for prior to experiment to have the experience of I am this, I am that, versus, this sensation appearing there is this pattern occurring.So when I no longer make this about some me, some, some, uh, constant identity and adjusting as a pattern, I'm able to actually clean it out because I don't feel every time I'm doing healing that I'm somehow, uh, attacking myself.[00:48:00] Almost a lot of people try to do healing and it goes nowhere. And this is my opinion around therapy.The reason why therapy actually doesn't work is because they have this view of this monolith called self Instead of being a bunch of almost decentralized projects, um, when someone gets stream entry, they finally realize that all those were processes and they weren't necessarily constant and they weren't necessarily owned and they weren't necessarily present.Oftentimes, like the memories Hmm.We identify as, or with any memory, if I, I would invite the, the listeners, any memory they have, if they bring it out, I want them to realize that the experience of a memory, it's a bunch of thoughts and sensations happening now and. I hope they see that this means that the past can only be experienced as a bunch of thoughts and sensations happening now.They cannot experience the past in any meaningful way other than sensations and thoughts happening now. So when that happens, you no longer get lost that much into the thoughts, uh, of the past or into memories, or[00:49:00] you keep identifying with this version of you from 10, 15, 20 years ago that is actually not here. So you're able to be with a, with a, you have the, the freedom to be here now and realize that you have some references to some other so-called past experience. But what you have is just, uh, an, a reference to some memory, some thoughts happening now. that brings you to, like, you need, know, the whole power of now, right?You, to do something to be in the power of now. And this is the funniest one, which is I ask them to, okay, try to imagine the, the, the past and it's just a bunch of thoughts and sensations now. And then imagine your favorite meal in a bunch of hours and see that there are a bunch of thoughts and sensations happening now.And then I asked them, is there some other place other than, than now to be like, do you need to do something to be now? It's like, no. You just have the impression that somehow you are not now. And that opens up a lot of, uh, opportunities to clean up. I think that's the most important when I no longer, um, think that somehow I'm the same guy was five years ago in that relationship,[00:50:00] It brings the possibility of me being like, oh, wait, that relationship, it's a bunch of thoughts and sensations happening now.And that's not something I do. It's just when, when a thinking of the memory occurs, sensations come up. It's like, I did not make those sensations. I did not do the sensing somehow, I didn't do the feeling as much as the feeling happened. And there are a few, uh, pointers for these that make it immediately obvious, but at each level as you go to a pad, you realize almost, uh, in a way actually find that the Buddhist path is very consistent with the Keegan stage.Instead of like me, uh, having this experience, you make everything an object and you basically make more and more of your identity on an object that you can work with.Uh, eventually you make all of your identity. Actually, Reen enlightenment would be a bit past even Kegan five because you make everything,[00:51:00] you make everything an object that can be worked with and you no longer see it as a subjective context.Michael Stroe: Um, yeah.Daniel Kazandjian: Let me let, let, no, that was great. I, so we're talking about freedom and then, um, the, the freedom from. You're past in a way, and I, I kind of wanna sharpen up this therapy thing ‘cause you said something very provocative, which is the reason why therapy doesn't work is the way I understood. It's almost like it's reifying the self.Daniel Kazandjian: Right. It's a discursive practice that's assuming the self actually exists.Michael Stroe: Yes, and it's assuming that identity is an experience instead of like, what's experienced is just a bunch of thoughts and sensation.The way I would frame it, it actually, it, it actually applies both to stream entry and work with reactivity. For stream entry is assuming that somehow you, you can have the experience of the memory or your, uh, basically bringing up something from the past and it's like, oh, that's still happening, that's still active, that's still real.The memory of being this age and having this experience instead of seeing the experience for what it is,[00:52:00] it's like, oh, a bunch of thoughts and sensations happening now, and that's the first one. They're making a thing out of something. That's another experience, and that's the first aspect of considering identity a constant.Right? The second aspect of the, the reason why therapy doesn't work is because action therapy always works after the gap. If I want to, if, if I should, uh, remind people what I mean by the gap. The gap being the space of just sensations. No dots have started to try to change your experience. So let's say I go to a therapist and I wanna speak about this thing that happened to me in a relationship.I'm gonna draw on and on and on and on and on about what happened. But I'm already into the experience of trying to justify the sensation or change the sensation. I'm past the gap, and at no point I'm actually feeling my, my feelings. Feeling my feelings does not mean sobbing and going through this, oh, this person did this to me and they, this, this, to me.It's like, that's not what, staying with the sensation, that's not feeling your emotion, feeling your emotions or feeling your sensation is just the act of sitting with the initial sensation.[00:53:00] The one with the, the, this issue just started, the ones that you feel without needing to add the layer of, or conceptually the layer of thoughts or the layer of judgment.And because most therapies working in the space of reactive already, they're past the gap. They're the inner version already. Hmm.Most people don't make meaningful progress. Because they're actually not feeling their emotions. They are more or less feeling the amplified sensation, but not the, the, the, the crux or the core of the issue.They're feeling all the fabrication around the issue.Daniel Kazandjian: Let's see if we could apply this to an example. Like let's say, um. Uh, just totally random example, let's say I had a very critical father who whenever he was in the room, his presence, um, warranted like a hyper vigilance in me and my siblings because, and, and he's a bit volatile.[00:54:00] So we just have to be on edge, you know, whenever he's around. And then, so something at a young age developed to protect myself from, from that mechanism or from the potential of attack or something like that. And then it's still latent in the body. And maybe, maybe it's influencing the way I relate to authorities as an adult.And I come to therapy, I come to you who you're like, therapy doesn't work, but we got this other approach.Daniel Kazandjian: How would you,Michael Stroe: therapy for what is, what is me teaching? not trying to take the clients from the therapist. I'm just saying what works and what doesn't.Daniel Kazandjian: Yeah. What, what would work to, to deal with a situation like that?Michael Stroe: First it would be bringing up the memory. And when you bring up the memory, it's immediately coupled with a bunch of sensations, right? Like, it's very obvious that like, you might tell there's something, there might be a lock in, right?Daniel Kazandjian: Yeah.Michael Stroe: So where it's like you have the grand story that they were this, they were there.It's like, okay, but like, that's not happening right now. Me and you, let's say we're in the same room. We're just sitting on a couch, just vibing.[00:55:00] So it's like, oh, what happens right now? It's a bunch of mental phenomena, stories, thoughts, images, and some sensations. It's like, okay, take away the whole, he was this, he was that.He was like, what's happening here at this moment? Oh, a bunch of thoughts. Okay. I want you to notice that. Regardless of what happened in the past, that's not what is happening right now. You might behave as if it was a real, real thing, but if you foresee that your memory of it, it's a bunch of thoughts and some not so pleasant contractions in the body happening right now, you first gain a bit of distance from it.Distance in a good way, not trying to dissociate.There are some sensations in my body right now. I have a mental image of what that happens. And I would ask, okay, you notice that in this moment you're thinking of that story and imagine that reality should be a certain way for you right now.Almost like trying to, um, rewrite the past, which is in a way, making a sentence or what we describe. It's like, oh, I didn't have a father that was,[00:56:00] let's say, uh, warm and I'm just making it up right now. Right? It's like when you tone that, is that the thing that you actually wanted back then?It's like, yeah, I wanted to, it's like. what you have right now, even though you didn't have then, it's just a bunch of sensation. And I ask them, okay, if you feel those sensations, but like, don't go into thoughts that are just chatter now. At this moment. You have those crappy sensations, but are they that bad?That's why I make the framing around like compared to an actual pain, how bad they are, and I ask them to stay with it. And if they get lasting thoughts, I bring them back. It's like, no, no, no, no. You're in this room right now. Your father, whoever it is, it's not here. You're safe. You're with me. Like, or even if they're in their, in their own room, they're safe.What do you have right now? It's a bunch of sensations. Like, do you need to do something about those sensations? Can you just relax a bit into them? Can you give them 1% at a time to just be there and let them dissolve?[00:57:00] And over time that decreases, they're not here, not an experience. Would be the point of imagining, oh, it's this, this created this problem. This problem is this problem. if you wanna untangle, but at the level of suffering, most often. I've seen, uh, I, I'm not gonna give a percentage. Most people end up not having the benefits that I want because they're going like, oh, he was like this and he used to do this.And you, it's like if they, if they lock into the past, they're already not in the room with you. They're basically like lost in thoughts that they're already passed the gap in a space of just fabrication and this, just seeing the difference between what's here right now and what's fabrication or constructionDaniel Kazandjian: You know, the concept of memory reconsolidation and like, uh, therapy literature.Michael Stroe: Yeah.Daniel Kazandjian: Do you wanna do a quick summary of that?Michael Stroe: Uh, yes. I'm not super technical and I can, I best tell you myDaniel Kazandjian: Well, let, let me actually just say how I mean it. ‘cause like, we don't need to get academic about it. It, but it's this idea that like, uh,[00:58:00] There's all these different therapeutic healing modalities, inner work modalities, and to the extent that any of them are effective, they seem to share one thing in common at, at least this is the thesis, which is they allow you to reconsolidate refactor negative memory memories into positive ones by presenting. or neutral ones by presenting disconfirming evidence. So you're having, we're having a conversation in a safe environment about something that happened when it felt unsafe. Maybe we spend time with the sensations instead of the story,And then the system changes. It's a prediction because you're predicting something bad's gonna happen,but it doesn't. And then if you just see that very clearly, then your system updates and then you no longer have activation around that.Michael Stroe: Oh, uh, yeah, definitely. I feel like in a therapeutic sense, they kind of try to change the story as well, if I'm not mistaken.Daniel Kazandjian: Yeah.Michael Stroe: like in our approach, it would be mostly just.[00:59:00] Sitting with the sensation and they become neutral and then the story, it's like, okay, he did that. It is probably process wise, we would stay a step, uh, closer to experience. We wouldn't necessarily try to change the story.Daniel Kazandjian: Yeah.Michael Stroe: What it's worth, I want everyone to know that I actually don't think that enlightenment, Buddhism, or fairs have the answer to all the problems. And I think some, uh, therapeutic modalities should be used, especially after stream entry, but stream entry is super fast.But I think if you want to change your patterns, you would first do the feeling and then okay, what would ideally do here? Right. Funnily enough, funnily enough, there is a degree to which feeling your sensation about an issue changes behavior immediately. Even though we are not necessarily doing, uh, a change in the story, uh, this oftentimes actually happens with issues around procrastination.That's the one I actually have seen the most when you no longer have this, oh, this is gonna suck if I'm gonna have to do this. immediately like, oh, I, I feel okay, I'm just gonna do it.[01:00:00] Uh, and we, we in this case with, let's say, let's be less than pleasant with, uh, a parent that happens, but less to a degree. Whereas I would say that, oh, the people that I've worked with necessarily all of a sudden go and all of them repair their relationship. They feel they are if they choose later to work on this and process this and change the relationship. That's almost, um, a side process that it canBut I wouldn't say that this one actually solves it like that.Daniel Kazandjian: Um, I think it'd be nice if we did like a very concise, uh, procrastination protocol, so. Let's say someone listening to this is like, fuck, there's that thing I gotta do, and I keep putting it off step by step. How might they deconstruct it using your method?Michael Stroe: Yeah. So it'll be like this. Oh, I have this thing. Let's say I have, I have this project and there is a deadline on Friday, right? Let's say today is Wednesday. Sorry.The reality is like all those grand stories, like, oh, if this is, if I'm not gonna do this, my boss, my this might be like, okay, okay.[01:01:00] Okay. Right now what you have with this situation, you have some sensation, you have some thoughts, and you're also like some resistance to how the sensations feel. But let's take a step back and all of the, the stories we can sum it up as, I don't know if I finished the project by Friday, that's the, the thing, it can be either, uh, uh, a, a, an uncertainty problem, right?That I usually frame, I usually frame it on two things. Procrastination, especially either something that you feel like it's missing or something that you don't know.It's the first one where you feel like something is uncertain, like I don't know if I have the time to be or if I know if I'll finish the project by Friday.Okay. How does that feel in the body? Oh, it's a sensation in my gut. It's a four out of 10. It's like, whoa, we have a big one. Right. And that's when I asked them, it's like, okay, but compared to breaking, like how bad is that sensation? It's like one. Oh, okay. Yeah. So it's like, oh, it's a one out of 10 for the fact that I don't know if I'm gonna finish the project by Friday, or I don't know if this task will get done.Okay. Or I, or, or the other framing is I haven't done X project.[01:02:00] Maybe the deadline is not there. Especially for personal projects, I work with a bunch of people that are self-employed. It's like, oh, I haven't done this project. And there's no one, there's no boss to tell them to do this. So in those cases, it would be like, oh, I haven't done X project.Okay. How does that feel in the body, that sensation? It's not that, that it doesn't even bother you that you have done or haven't done that situation. What bothers you is this sensation? So give it like 30 seconds. Okay. Oh, I haven't done this project. Does it feel that bad? Oh no. It's like, and it's like so fast, like two minutes.For most people, if it's not a big deal, it's like a two minute thing, like feeling your sensations. Like, okay, are you gonna do the thing? Yeah, I'm gonna do the thing, whatever. That's it.Daniel Kazandjian: Step one, you, you, you notice that you're procrastinating because I think sometimes you don't even realize that you're doing it. You're just like avoiding your life and then you're like, oh shit, I'm procrastinating. It's due tomorrow. Okay. You notice it.[01:03:00] You just sit and feel what's happening in your body, like what's the,Michael Stroe: I would actually, first, the next step would actually be putting things into perspective. It's you looking for some other reality than the one you have available. And it's very because sometimes like, oh, but what you're initially feeli

Bright on Buddhism - Episode 126 - Who is Xuanzang? What were some of his views and written works? How did they affect Buddhism in East Asia?Resources: Beal, Samuel, trans. (1911). The Life of Hiuen-Tsiang. Translated from the Chinese of Shaman (monk) Hwui Li. London. 1911. Reprint Munshiram Manoharlal, New Delhi. 1973. (a dated, abridged translation)Bernstein, Richard (2001). Ultimate Journey: Retracing the Path of an Ancient Buddhist Monk (Xuanzang) who crossed Asia in Search of Enlightenment. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. ISBN 0-375-40009-5.Christie, Anthony (1968). Chinese Mythology. Feltham, Middlesex: Hamlyn Publishing. ISBN 0600006379.Gordon, Stewart. When Asia was the World: Traveling Merchants, Scholars, Warriors, and Monks who created the "Riches of the East" Da Capo Press, Perseus Books, 2008. ISBN 0-306-81556-7.Julien, Stanislas (1853). Histoire de la vie de Hiouen-Thsang, par Hui Li et Yen-Tsung, Paris.Yung-hsi, Li (1959). The Life of Hsuan Tsang by Huili (Translated). Chinese Buddhist Association, Beijing. (a more recent, abridged translation)Li, Rongxi, trans. (1995). A Biography of the Tripiṭaka Master of the Great Ci'en Monastery of the Great Tang Dynasty. Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research. Berkeley, California. ISBN 1-886439-00-1 (a recent, full translation)Nattier, Jan. "The Heart Sutra: A Chinese Apocryphal Text?". Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Studies Vol. 15 (2), p. 153-223. (1992) PDF Archived 29 October 2013 at the Wayback MachineSaran, Mishi (2005). Chasing the Monk's Shadow: A Journey in the Footsteps of Xuanzang. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-306439-8Sun Shuyun (2003). Ten Thousand Miles Without a Cloud (retracing Xuanzang's journeys). Harper Perennial. ISBN 0-00-712974-2Waley, Arthur (1952). The Real Tripitaka, and Other Pieces. London: G. Allen and Unwin.Watters, Thomas (1904–05). On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India. London, Royal Asiatic Society. Reprint, Delhi, Munshiram Manoharlal, 1973.Wriggins, Sally Hovey. Xuanzang: A Buddhist Pilgrim on the Silk Road. Westview Press, 1996. Revised and updated as The Silk Road Journey With Xuanzang. Westview Press, 2003. ISBN 0-8133-6599-6.Wriggins, Sally Hovey (2004). The Silk Road Journey with Xuanzang. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press. ISBN 0-8133-6599-6.Xuanzang (1996). The great Tang dynasty record of the western regions. Translated by Li, Rongxi. Berkeley, CA: Numata Center for Buddhist Translation & Research. ISBN 978-1-886439-02-3.Yu, Anthony C. (ed. and trans.) (1980 [1977]). The Journey to the West. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-0-226-97150-6 (fiction)https://wck.org/relief/chefs-for-gazaDo you have a question about Buddhism that you'd like us to discuss? Let us know by emailing us at Bright.On.Buddhism@gmail.com.Credits:Nick Bright: Script, Cover Art, Music, Voice of Hearer, Co-HostProven Paradox: Editing, mixing and mastering, social media, Voice of Hermit, Co-Host

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna focuses in on the antidotes to suffering. He presents a commentary that invites us to bring practical practices into our daily lives to slowly yet consistently erode misperceptions that lie at the root of our dissatisfaction and stresses. This episode was recorded on August 20th, 2025.Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve.  As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org.  May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.

Here's something a little different from the usual CHP fare. It concerns a natural substance that's not too well-known outside of Asia, mainly because it's so dang expensive! Chénxiāng 沉香 or Agarwood as it's also known, grows inside the heartwood of certain Aquilaria trees. Chenxiang has a few interesting things about it and is often mentioned in Chinese literature. This episode includes a bunch of poems and a couple of chengyu's that all contain references to chénxiāng. While I was on the subject, I'm also mentioning five other trees that, while nowhere nearly as expensoive as chenxiang, were rare and precious enough to be driven to the brink of extinction. These four are Xiǎoyè Zǐtán 小叶紫檀, Hǎinán Huánghuālí 海南黄花梨, Lǎowō Dàhóng Suānzhī 老挝大红酸枝, Jīchìmù 鸡翅木, and Jīnsī Nánmù 金丝楠木.  You could have heard this episode three months earlier if you subscribed to the Official CHP Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheChinaHistoryPodcast CHP Premium: https://teacupmedia.supercast.com/ The Teacup Media Website: https://teacup.media/ Thanks to all of you for listening. Reach out to me anytime at laszlo@teacup.media.        

In this episode, we sit down with multi-hyphenate storyteller Christopher Rivas — actor, writer, Buddhist practitioner, and host of the Brown Enough podcast. We dive deep into themes of identity, race, belonging, and what it means to “live in the middle space.” Christopher shares his journeys into Buddhism, the stories behind his creative work (including Brown Enough and Rubirosa), and how life, art, and spiritual practice intersect for him. ✨ Guest Bio & Links Christopher Rivas is an actor, author, playwright, and podcast host known for exploring issues of race, culture, identity, and transformation. Christopher Rivas He hosts the Brown Enough podcast, where he explores what it means to navigate “brownness” in a Black/white world. Brown Enough Podcast He also created Rubirosa, a documentary-style story about Porfirio Rubirosa (a Dominican figure many believe inspired James Bond). Rubirosa Podcast Key writings in Tricycle Magazine Christopher regularly contributes essays to Tricycle. A few notable ones: Non-Self Storage — reflection on attachment, possessions, and letting go Tricycle: The Buddhist Review I Think the Clock Is Broken — on time anxiety, meditation, and being present Always Lie When Someone Asks If You Meditate — an unconventional take on how practice begins (and how we show up) Social & Web Links Christopher's official site: Brown Enough podcast: Apple Podcasts Apple Podcasts | Spotify Spotify | general listing via Podnews Podnews YouTube playlist for Brown Enough episodes: YouTube Twitter / X: @chris__rivas X (formerly Twitter)+1

Jogen explores the Buddha's teaching of right thought. Through vivid metaphors and down-to-earth humor, he invites us to notice what we hold onto that tethers us to unhappiness and how readiness to release can arise naturally, like ripe fruit. The talk moves from the monastic renunciate ideal to the subtler, everyday practice of relinquishment in relationships, habits, and self-images. Letting go, he says, is not moralistic or forced, but an alchemy of honesty, compassion, and faith in a deeper happiness.This talk was given on October 1st 2025 at Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple. ★ Support this podcast ★

Buddhist teacher David Nichtern explains that making friends with the mind and internal world is the first step to relating better with the people around us.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.LIVE from the 2024 Ram Dass Summer Mountain Retreat, David Nichtern explores:How our minds shape the reality we experience and perceiveThe importance of positive mantra versus focusing on negativity Taking comfort and refuge within our own mindsUnderstanding restless, “hot” boredom versus calm, “cool” boredomMusical examples for how we relate to one another The bridge between the everyday world and the internal, spiritual experienceMental patterns that destabilize us and hinder resilience Becoming open to our environment during mindfulness meditation “Mindfulness meditation would be good because you're developing patience and familiarity with yourself that's accepting, not rejecting. It is, in a way, making love to yourself. It's being intimate with yourself; it's just you and your mind. You develop a kind of willingness to be where you are.” –David NichternAbout David Nichtern:David Nichtern, founder of Dharma Moon, is a senior Buddhist teacher who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He was one of the initial American students of renowned meditation master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and studied closely with him soon after his arrival in the United States in 1970. He is also a business consultant with companies creating a variety of offerings integrating meditation in a larger health and well-being context. David is also a multiple Grammy-nominated and Emmy award-winning musician. David's journey has crisscrossed with the Maharaji/Ram Dass sangha for decades. He has produced multiple Krishna Das albums and frequently joins the Bhaktettes live on guitar. He considers himself to be a first cousin and honorary member of the Bhakti community. “If you examine the self-talk, the narrative dialing through our minds, there's a lot of criticism, harshness towards our selves and others. We start with kindness and gentleness, that's it, if you can't get anywhere else, that's really a good place.” –David NichternSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Twenty years ago, the religious scholar Reza Aslan wrote his first book, There is No god but God, about the origins, evolution and future of Islam. It was a huge hit which lead to many other bestselling books on Islam and Christianity. Now Aslan has released a twentieth anniversary version of There is No god But God suggesting that the internet is reinventing Islam in ways that even he couldn't have imagined back in 2005. The creation of what he calls the “cyber ummah” is destroying traditional religious authorities, enabling experimental communities like LGBTQ Catholics and Quranist Muslims, and redefining the very concept of community for the first time in 250,000 years of human history. And yet, for these profound changes, there are some things about not just Islam, but about all monotheistic faiths, that are unchanging. Religion is our human creation, he reminds us. So every religion will always be absurd because we are absurd. * Islam Follows the Same Patterns as All Religions - Aslan's core argument in “No god but God” is that Islam isn't uniquely violent, inflexible, or problematic. Like Christianity, Judaism, and Buddhism, it has evolved through the same historical conflicts, splits, and adaptations that characterize all major faiths.* The Internet Is Creating the First New Form of Community in 250,000 Years - For the entirety of human history, community was geographically bound. Social media has fundamentally redefined this, allowing a Muslim kid in Jakarta who loves heavy metal to have more in common with a Muslim in Detroit than with anyone physically around them.* Traditional Religious Authority Is Collapsing Online - Muslims no longer need to rely solely on their local imam for religious guidance. Websites like fatwaonline.net offer 500,000 ready-made fatwas, and “cyber muftis” answer custom questions, democratizing religious knowledge and undermining centralized clerical power.* Religion Is Hardwired Into Human Cognition - The “cognitive study of religion” reveals that religious impulse is part of our evolutionary process and the proper functioning of our brains. Whether this is an accident, an illusion, or something fundamental to being human remains debated.* All Religions Are “Absurd” Because They're Human Creations - Aslan argues that religions are petty, violent, and prone to schisms not despite being sacred, but because they're human institutions. We create religions in our own image, complete with all our contradictions and flaws.Keen On America is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Why are we so uncomfortable with not knowing? We often race toward any answer, even a bad one, just to escape the anxiety of uncertainty. This episode explores the strange and profound world of Zen koans.Using the powerful story of the nun Chiyono and her breaking water pail ("No water, no moon"), Noah explains that koans are not intellectual puzzles to be "solved." Instead, they are a practice for developing a "don't-know mind" and building our tolerance for ambiguity.Learn how sitting with confusion can be the most valuable preparation for the inevitable moments of groundlessness in real life. This episode is an invitation to stop trying to "get it" and instead embrace the wisdom that emerges from uncertainty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jack Kornfield and Prof. Rajiv S. Joshi explore ‘inner climate change,' guiding us through meditation and reflection on transforming the world by becoming the Tree of Enlightenment.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.Jack's new book hits shelves on 11/11: All in This Together: Stories and Teachings for Loving Each Other and Our World – Preorder your copy today!“As much as we want to transform the world, if we don't change ourselves, we might not inspire those around us and perhaps change the system.” –Prof. Rajiv S. JoshiIn this episode, Jack and Rajiv mindfully explore:Guided meditation: A journey into becoming the Tree of Enlightenment—rooted, steady, and open to the sky. Jack and Prof. Rajiv invite us to feel the deep stillness and sacred presence of the trees, reminding us that awakening is a natural unfolding within the web of life.Buddha and trees: The Buddha's life was interwoven with trees—born beneath one, meditating and awakening beneath another, and passing away surrounded by their quiet grace. Trees mirror the path of the awakened heart: grounded in the Earth, reaching toward the light.Trees as ancestors: They are our elders, silent teachers who breathe life into the world. Through their patience and generosity, they remind us of what it means to listen, to endure, and to belong.Collective healing: Our awakening is not only personal—it is collective. Through love across generations, we can heal the planet and one another, planting seeds of compassion that will grow long after us.Radical compassion: To live with an open heart requires both tenderness and courage. We learn to trust, to build bridges, to speak truth, and to act for justice with mindfulness and care.System change: True transformation begins within and extends outward. Each of us has a role to play in creating a world rooted in awareness, kindness, and right action.Spiritual community: Sangha becomes the living ground for our practice—a space to learn, to stumble, to grow, and to embody a new way of being together.Rajiv's story: After his accident, Rajiv discovered that spirituality is not apart from life—it is life. Every breath, every act, every moment becomes practice when the heart is awake.This Dharma Talk originally took place on 9/8/25 for Spirit Rock Meditation Center's Monday Night Dharma Talk and Guided Meditation. Stay up to date with Jack's upcoming livestreams and events here. About Prof. Rajiv S. Joshi: Professor Joshi is the Founder of Bridging Ventures and former Associate Dean for Climate Action at Columbia University. He helped launch Columbia's Climate School with President Obama, and has led groundbreaking work in global collaboration, climate technology, and regenerative entrepreneurship.“With trust, we learn to build bridges, not walls. That skill—the capability to build bridges in the most difficult of contexts—requires the depth of compassion.” –Prof. Rajiv S. JoshiAbout Jack Kornfield:Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in the monasteries of Thailand, India, and Burma, studying as a monk under the Buddhist master Ven. Ajahn Chah, as well as the Ven. Mahasi Sayadaw. He has taught meditation internationally since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practice to the West. Jack co-founded the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, with fellow meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein and the Spirit Rock Center in Woodacre, California. His books have been translated into 20 languages and sold more than a million copies.Jack is currently offering a wonderful array of transformational online courses diving into crucial topics like Mindfulness Meditation Fundamentals, Walking the Eightfold Path, Opening the Heart of Forgiveness, Living Beautifully, Transforming Your Life Through Powerful Stories, and so much more. Sign up for an All Access Pass to explore Jack's entire course library. If you would like a year's worth of online meetups with Jack and fellow community, join The Year of Awakening: A Monthly Journey with Jack Kornfield.Stay up to date with Jack and his stream of fresh dharma offerings by visiting JackKornfield.com and signing up for his email teachings.“The Buddha was born under a tree, grew up under the trees, practiced under trees, got enlightened under the Bodhi Tree, taught under the trees, and died beneath two sal trees that immediately came into bloom when he died. He and the trees were one.” –Jack KornfieldSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Lawrence Pintak has spent his life grounded in facts while fascinated by the ethereal. An award-winning former CBS News Middle East correspondent with a PhD in Islamic Studies, Pintak has been a practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism for three decades and is an avid student of the perennial truths at the core of the world's religions. The author of seven books at the intersection of religion, media, and policy, his reporting and analysis on religion and international affairs has been published by The New York Times, Foreign Policy, the Washington Post, and many of the world's leading media organizations. He also wrote about Buddhism and Eastern traditions for Shambhala Sun/Lion's Roar, Buddhadharma, Beliefnet.com and others before 9/11 drew his focus back to the Middle East. Pintak's most recent nonfiction book, America & Islam, was a finalist for the 2020 Religion News Association award for Religion Reporting Excellence. Books: Lessons from the Mountaintop: Ten Modern Mystics and Their Extraordinary Lives America & Islam: Soundbites, Suicide Bombs and the Road to Donald Trump Website: pintak.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Interview recorded October 4, 2025

In this episode Jessica Gibbons offers a talk and guided meditation on mudita, the gifts of joy! 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

"Practice" part of convo between Siddhesh Mukerji & Rev. Liên.GUEST:SIDDHESH MUKERJI (he/him) is a Zen practitioner and a scholar of engaged Buddhism and Buddhist social work. He was born in India, grew up in the United States, and currently lives in Ireland.HOST:REV. LIÊN SHUTT (she/they) is a recognized leader in the movement that breaks through the wall of American white-centered convert Buddhism to welcome people of all backgrounds into a contemporary, engaged Buddhism. As an ordained Zen priest, licensed social worker, and longtime educator/teacher of Buddhism, Shutt represents new leadership at the nexus of spirituality and social justice, offering a special warm welcome to Asian Americans, all BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, and those seeking a “home” in the midst of North American society's reckoning around racism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia. Shutt is a founder of Access to Zen (2014). You can learn more about her work at AccessToZen.org. Her new book, Home is Here: Practicing Antiracism with the Engaged Eightfold Path. See all her offerings at EVENTS

In this follow-up to our earlier episode on Annihilationism, Bishop Bryan Ouellette and Father Chris Yates continue the deep dive into this controversial and often misunderstood theological position. Building upon the foundation laid in the first discussion, tonight's episode explores the implications of Annihilationism for Christian eschatology, the nature of the soul, and the eternal consequences of sin. Together, Bishop Bryan and Fr. Chris examine how Annihilationism intersects with traditional doctrines of Hell, eternal punishment, and God's justice and mercy. This thoughtful and engaging conversation offers a balanced, theological, and pastoral perspective—unpacking the strengths, challenges, and potential misinterpretations of Annihilationism. Whether you are a skeptic, a seeker, or a committed believer, this episode aims to bring clarity and insight to one of the most profound questions in Christian thought: what happens to the soul at the end of all things? Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/vestiges-after-dark--3076216/support.

Pleasure is often viewed as a hindrance to the spiritual path, a hotbed of craving and attachment, but what if we told you that pleasure can actually be a positive part of the spiritual path, a portal to love and happiness?Episode 84: Pleasure and Buddhism: Food, Sex and Netflix on the Path to EnlightenmentSupport the show

Ethan is back with a solo episode to discuss the Buddhist experience of liberation and (moksha) and how we can glimpse an experience it in our awareness and meditation practice. He also discusses the related question of the collapsing American mythology of “freedom.” In the discussion, he highlights several categories of freedom, first “conditional” freedom versus “unconditional” freedom. Then he discusses individual, or personal freedom versus “collective” freedom. Please support the podcast via Substack and subscribe for free or with small monthly contributions. Additional links and show notes are available there. Paid subscribers will receive occasional extras like guided meditations, extra podcast episodes and more! The Thursday Meditation Group happens each week at 8am ET on Thursdays, and a guided audio meditations are released monthly. Another bonus podcast for paid subscribers discussed a mindful take on the These are all available to paid subscribers. You can also subscribe to The Road Home podcast wherever you get your pods (Apple, Spotify,Ethan's Website, etc). Find out about the 2026 Yearlong Buddhist Studies program at this link! Check out about upcoming free live events like a panel on Mindfulness and Holiday Stress Nov 12, a live talk with Ethan and Dan Harris December 10, and a live talk with Ethan and Roshi Joan Halifax January 6th! Ethan's most recent book, Confidence: Holding Your Seat Through Life's Eight Worldly Winds was just awarded a gold medal in the 2025 Nautilus Book Awards. You can visit Ethan's website to order a signed copy. Please allow two weeks from the time of your order for your copy to arrive. Find out about the 2026 Yearlong Buddhist Studies program at this link! Check out all the cool offerings at our podcast sponsor Dharma Moon, including a free webinar with David Nichtern on the new Advanced Teacher training on November 20. Free video courses co-taught by Ethan and others, such as The Three Marks of Existence, are also available for download at Dharma Moon.

Reflecting on the Parami of Truthfulness, Mary investigates what gets in the way and keeps us removed from reality and not seeing the world clearly. We are invited to reflect on being honest with the world and, what is sometimes even more difficult, being honest with ourselves. There is freedom in truth.Recorded Oct. 19, 2025 at Insight Community of the DesertSend 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.

In this episode, Kisei explores the unique Zen practice of mirror meditation at Tokeji, a thirteenth-century Japanese convent. Practitioners sit before a mirror, asking, “Where is a single feeling, a single thought in the mirror image at which I gaze?” Through historical stories, personal experiences, and reflections from teachers like Zenju Earthlyn Manuel and Ruth Ozeki, we witness how this practice reveals habitual judgments, fear, grief, and ultimately compassion and equanimity. By sitting with the reflection, we learn to see ourselves as nature itself, discovering clarity, openness, and our original heart-mind. ★ Support this podcast ★

Episode #417: “There has been a massive lay critique of leading Buddhist monks that have been seen as pro-military… but to conclude that monks are either silent or pro-military is too hasty! What we actually see is polarization and division within the Saṅgha,” says Iselin Frydenlund, a professor of religion in Norway who has spent decades studying Buddhism and politics in Sri Lanka and Myanmar. One of her arguments is that the Saṅgha has never been truly unified. The coup simply shattered public illusions of unity, and that diversity and division have always marked monastic life in Myanmar. Frydenlund's second main point concerns a popular perception that the Saṅgha has been “captured” by the junta. She does admit that pro-junta monastic voices have drawn strength from decades of state patronage, forming what she and her colleagues call the “military-monastic complex.” But the reality is far more complex: not all monks are under the military's sway, and she stresses that even the reasons that pro-military monks support the junta are not monolithic. Some are certainly rabidly militaristic, but others simply fear chaos more than dictatorship; there are many others alleged to be complicit through their silence, but are just afraid, and others who resist quietly, sustaining the Vinaya and supporting the displaced. In the end, Frydenlund expresses concern that dismantling institutional Buddhism in a post-junta Myanmar would impoverish the Sāsana. She emphasizes that it has “has not gone away” even during the revolution, and remains central to its networks, ethics, and resilience. The future may bring new schisms, reforms, or survival strategies, but she insists that Buddhism will be an integral part of whatever shape the country takes. “Don't buy into this narrative that we all lose faith in Buddhism now, because it's a revolution,” she says. “Buddhism is still with us as this kind of personal practice, but it's also the realization of the Dhamma and the need for social justice that informs this societal engagement.”

30 September 2025 Sandra Henville joins the Armadale Meditation Group online live.  Armadale Meditation Group (AMG) teaches you about meditation. The classes generally begin with chanting the Metta Sutta, meditation instructions, meditating together, asking questions, and, if time allows, a Dhamma talk. These weekly Tuesday night teachings are via Zoom from Bodhinyana or Dhammasara Monastery. For the AMG zoom link and more details: https://bswa.org/location/armadale-meditation-group/ Support us on: https://ko-fi.com/thebuddhistsocietyofwa BSWA teachings are available:  BSWA Teachings BSWA Podcast Channel BSWA DeeperDhamma Podbean Channel BSWA YouTube

10/18/2025, Zenju Earthlyn Manuel Osho, dharma talk at City Center. Zenju Earthlyn Manuel Osho teaches that when we remain in the mode of discovery we open to new portals to engage and activate in tending to today's suffering.

On today's episode I had the pleasure to speak with Dr Ortwin Lüers. Dr. Lüers is a psychotherapist and an expert in the internal martial art of Wu Ji Chuan. As a psychiatrist he specializes in treating post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic stress. In 1984,  he began studying Buddhism with Tibetan meditation master Ven. Lama Chime Rinpoche and the following year he began his study of Wu Ji Chuan. In 1990 he was accepted as a disciple by Grandmaster Chee Kim Thong. He trained extensively with the Grandmaster until his passing in 2001.You can find out more about Dr. Ortwin Lüers on his website https://wuchidao.dehttps://www.yanshougong.orgSupport the Podcast at our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/u63954666Support the show

How can one of the most inevitable things in life still be so shocking and confusing? Oona Friedland, of Berkley, Michigan, shares the story of how she navigated the pain of illness and death, eventually creating new meaning for her life.Watch this episode on our YouTube Channel.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comCharles is a writer, social scientist, and longtime friend. He currently holds the F.A. Hayek Chair Emeritus in Cultural Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. His many books include Losing Ground, The Bell Curve (co-authored with Richard Herrnstein), Coming Apart, Facing Reality, and Human Diversity (which we discussed on the Dishcast in 2021). His new book is Taking Religion Seriously. If you think you know who Charles is from the way the MSM has described him for years, this conversation may surprise.For two clips of our convo — on how science has revived old ideas of God over the past several decades, and the connection between psychedelics and agape — head to our YouTube page. (Charles is the second guest we've had who has come out as an LSD experimenter on the show; Rod Dreher was the other one.)Other topics: how Charles lived for decades without a “God-sized hole”; the security and comfort of modern life; when death and suffering was far more common; the 24/7 distractions of today; meditation retreats; Charles learning TM in Thailand; Quakerism and his wife Catherine's discovery that she loved her child “more than evolution requires”; how religiosity falls on a bell curve; my Irish grandmother's faith; “why is there something rather than nothing?”; the Big Bang and fine-tuning; logos; multiverses; the materialism of Dawkins et al; the evolutionary role of religion; CS Lewis; the Golden Rule; pure altruism; the transcendence in nature; near-death experiences; dementia and terminal lucidity; consciousness outside the brain; the soul; the collective consciousness in Buddhism; the strange details of the Gospels; the feminism of Jesus; the adulteress he saved; how grace is contagious; the Nativity; crucifixion and the Resurrection; the Jefferson Bible; the sacraments; the doubt in faith; Oakeshott; “Why We Should Say Yes to Drugs”; my HIV diagnosis; theodicy; Camus; TS Eliot; transhumanism, and the boredom of too much life.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy. Coming up: Karen Hao on artificial intelligence, Michel Paradis on Eisenhower, David Ignatius on the Trump effect globally, Mark Halperin on the domestic front, and Arthur Brooks on the science of happiness. As always, please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.

Carried by a discourse on The Heart Sutra, teacher and author Susan Piver joins Raghu to explore the truth of emptiness.Grab your copy of Susan's book: Inexplicable Joy: On the Heart SutraThis week on Mindrolling, Raghu and Susan chat about:Practicing The Heart Sutra with only one syllable: ahhThe truth of emptiness through recitation of non-truths Understanding emptiness as bliss, not as voidnessThe commitment to self interest that many westerners experienceReleasing the ego as the first step towards embracing emptiness Being both empty and luminous at the same timeThinking of emptiness as complete interconnection and fullnessSusan's psychedelic experience: staying in the present, being in the womb of blissThe six transcendent actions and how they all spring from generosity Check out this free, downloadable translation of The Heart Sutra from Plum Village“You're empty of separate existence. Your parents, their parents, their parents, if someone ate a different sandwich a thousand years ago, you wouldn't be here. Emptiness could just as easily be called fullness, completely connected.” –Susan PiverAbout Susan Piver:Susan Piver has an international reputation as an exceptionally skillful meditation teacher. She teaches workshops and speaks on mindfulness, innovation, communication, relationships, and creativity. Susan has been a student of Buddhism since 1995, graduated from a Buddhist seminary in 2004, and was authorized to teach meditation in 2005. In 2012, she founded The Open Heart Project, the world's largest online-only meditation center. Susan is also a New York Times bestselling author. Her most recent book, Inexplicable Joy: On the Heart Sutra, is now available. You can keep up with Susan on Instagram or on her website.Join Susan for a 5-day Kripalu meditation retreat this NovemberSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This we wrap up our discussion of the Eightfold Path by talking about 3 components of Meditation/samādhi: Wise Effort, Wise Mindfulness, and Wise Concentration. We'll talk about how our meditation practice isn't just to calm the mind, and why we need it now more than ever. Plus I'll give you some ways you can begin practicing samādhi in your own daily life.You will learn:// The real reason we meditate (it's not what you think!)// The 3 parts of samādhi: Wise Effort, Wise Mindfulness, and Wise Concentration// Why modern industrialized society has given many of us a complicated relationship with “effort”// How meditation (samādhi) trains the mind to pause between impulse and action - not to escape life, but to meet it fully.// Why ethical living quiets inner conflict and creates the ground for real peace and a solid meditation practice.// How to recognize when effort becomes striving// What mindfulness truly means: remembering what matters and staying awake to what's real, even when it's uncomfortable.// How concentration offers refuge in an age of distraction// Why the Eightfold Path isn't about checking out, but learning to see clearly and act with integrity in a world that needs awake hearts.Resources:// Episode 44: The Power of the Pause// Episode 208: The Sit Spot Practice - When It's Hard to Meditate// Episode 209: Ripening and the Inevitability of Our Awakening// Listen to Ana talk with Brooke Castillo on The Life Coach School Podcast about how Buddhism was using thoughtwork thousands of years ago// Episode 278: Off the Cushion and Into the World – Part 1 Intro and the Three Jewels// Episode 279: Reality Check – Off the Cushion + Into the World Part 2// Episode 281: Wisdom In Action – Off the Cushion Part 3// Episode 282:  Remembering Our Humanity – A Lesson of the Ages// If you're new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start creating a life of more freedom, adventure, and purpose. You'll also get access to the Rebel Buddhist private group, and tune in every Wednesday as I go live with new inspiration and topics.// Want something more self-paced with access to weekly group support and getting coached by yours truly? Check out Freedom School – the community for ALL things related to freedom, inside and out. We dive into taking wisdom and applying it to our daily lives, with different topics every month. Learn more at JoinFreedomSchool.com. I can't wait to see you there!// Have you benefited from even one episode of the Rebel Buddhist Podcast? I'd love it if you could leave a 5-star review on iTunes by clicking here  or on Spotify by clicking here.

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. This is the recording of our second live public event, which recently took place in London. Zen Buddhist monk Brother Phap Huu and leadership coach/journalist Jo Confino are joined on stage by special guest Ocean Vuong, Vietnamese American poet, essayist, and novelist. Their conversation explores the themes of joy, togetherness, and cultivating courage in the face of hardship and suffering; the role of language, narrative, and technology in shaping modern experiences of suffering and joy; intergenerational trauma; and more. All three share personal experiences and insights about finding meaning and community amidst individual and collective challenges. Ocean recollects the way that, growing up in a community impacted by the opioid crisis, Buddhism and the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh provided solace and a path to understanding suffering, while Brother Phap Huu reflects on his journey to become a Zen Buddhist monk, and the role of kindness, fearlessness, and vulnerability in his practice. The discussion culminates with a chant offered by Ocean as a message of hope and resilience in the face of adversity. 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 Ocean Vuong https://www.oceanvuong.com 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/ Interbeinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interbeing W. S. Merwinhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._S._Merwin Harry Beecher Stowehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Beecher_Stowe  Tom Brokawhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Brokaw Duḥkhahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Du%E1%B8%A5kha Ford Model Thttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Model_T The Dhammapadahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhammapada Anaphorahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anaphora_(rhetoric) Schadenfreudehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schadenfreude ‘Bright Morning Star'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bright_Morning_Star ‘The Five Earth Touchings'https://plumvillage.org/key-practice-texts/the-five-earth-touchings Quotes “When drinking water, remember the source.” “On the last day of the world / I would want to plant a tree / what for / not for the fruit […] / I want the tree that stands / in the earth for the first time / with the sun already / going down” – from ‘Place' by W.S. Merwin. “Being a Vietnamese person in the diaspora, for many of us, the temple or the church or what have you is the place where we hear Vietnamese at the longest unbroken duration. Whereas someone native to Vietnam would hear it all the time. So, to this day, the Vietnamese language, to me, elicits this collective desire to heal and understand suffering. And it’s very specific to the immigrant. It’s what I call a third culture: there’s nothing like it in the homeland; there’s nothing like it in the assimilated American ethos. But there’s this special place that displacement and violence created.” “In Plum Village, when I first entered, I was 13 years old, and I touched a kind of kindness that I’d never touched before. And I asked myself whether I could be a kind person. I think I’m good; I think I’m going to have a career of offering smiles.” “I invite us, as a collective, to invoke this peace that we can bring in our hearts and into the world at this moment. Body, speech, and mind in perfect oneness. I send my heart along with the sound of this bell. May the hearers awaken from forgetfulness and transcend the path of anxiety and sorrow.” “Just a smile can save someone’s life.” “Technology was supposed to bring us together. This is the promise of the Enlightenment. But it’s interesting that all technological movements or renaissances are controlled by the wealthy and the elites. So what I’m interested in, as a writer, as a teacher, is that so much of our world is about material resources and narrative. And this is why I tell my students, ‘They shame you for being a poet, for being a writer: “Oh, you’re doing this liberal arts, naval-gazing, decadent thing, dreaming”' – but the politicians and the elites are poets too. The greatest political speech is the anaphora. Walt Whitman used it as a catalog, but you hear it: ‘We will heal the working class, we will heal the great divide, I will solve, we will heal this country’s heart, we will heal the middle class.' And that's why the anaphora is so useful: because it doesn’t have to explain itself.” “All those in power are also poets. They’re manipulating meaning, but for votes, for profit, for power, towards fascism. And no wonder the system is designed to make you ashamed to be an artist. It’s so interesting, isn’t it, that, in the art world, we’re often asked to be humble, to be grateful for a seat at the table; to perform humility. And I think humility is good; as a Buddhist, I believe in it, but there is a discrepancy here: we never tell people on Wall Street to be humble. You never hear someone say, ‘You know what, we killed it last quarter, so let’s tone it down and be grateful that we have a seat at the economic table.'” “Kindness is more difficult now than ever because I think kindness is something that is deeply dependent on our proximity to suffering. It’s harder for us to comprehend suffering, now. Schadenfreude is in our hands and it’s always easier to see. We’ve normalized suffering so much that we’ve been disassociated from it.” “We speak about inclusiveness and equanimity in Buddhism, but we’re not equal. Some of us are born in places where we have more privileges: in a particular race, in a particular situation, in a particular year. But what is equal is, as human beings, we’re all going to grow old, we’re all going to get sick, we’re all going to have to let go of what we think is permanent. And we’re going to learn to live deeply in the present moment.” “Sadness becomes not just a feeling, but knowledge. So think about sadness as knowledge, as potential, and that anger even has an aftermath. And you realize that the aftermath of anger is care.” “The big trouble with masculinity is that we are not given the ability or the permission to feel and be vulnerable – but we are encouraged to have absolute agency. It’s incredible. It’s a perfect storm of violence: ‘Don’t feel, don’t interrogate, and don’t be vulnerable. But, meanwhile, go get ‘em, buddy.'” “Under our greatest fear is our greatest strength.” “Camus says that writing itself is optimism, because it’s suffering shared. Even if you write about the darkest things, it is optimistic because someone else will recognize it. And recognition is a democratic ideal, because it means that one feeling could then be taken and collaborated with.” “It’s really hard to convince people to go to war, historically. You need a lot of text, you need a lot of airwaves, you need a lot of speeches to convince people to go to war – but it's very easy to convince people to stop war. Very easy for people to stop armament. Difficult for folks who are in control to keep it up, but if you ask the general population, ‘Do you want peace?', it’s quick. So that gives me a little hope.” “In fast food is a kind of sinister beauty, because it’s an industrialized promise of absolute replication of fulfillment – and yet it’s a kind of poison as well. It’s like the ultimate democratic ideal, sadly: we can’t have equality, income equality, or healthcare, but we can all eat McDonald’s French fries, and, whether you’re a billionaire or a houseless person, it will taste the same. Likewise with Coca-Cola, etc. In a way it’s the sinister capaciousness of the American dream: you can all feel the same thing while you’re all slowly dying.”

Will Storr, award-winning author and science writer, reveals why the Buddhist rejection of ego and ambition completely misunderstands human nature, and how status is the hidden force driving everything we do. In this episode of The Problem With… James and Will unpack the uncomfortable truth: without wanting, striving, and competing for recognition, civilisation itself would collapse. Will Storr is the author of The Status Game and The Science of Storytelling, and his work spans psychology, neuroscience, and culture. He explains why our obsession with hierarchy and belonging is baked into evolution, how status loss drives everything from online hate to violence and suicide, and why “connection and respect” are as fundamental to survival as food and water. He explains: ◼️ Why Buddhism gets human motivation wrong ◼️ How every person plays invisible “status games” daily ◼️ Why humiliation can trigger violence ◼️ How storytelling and culture shape our sense of self ◼️ The link between status, social media, and modern mental health I'm on a mission to help men check their levels of Testosterone, more info here: https://www.manual.co/smith Please check out and try Neutonic here: https://www.neutonic.com/jamessmith For a free trial of my online personal training app go here: https://www.affordableonlinecoaching.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices