Podcasts about buddhist

With the end of the Jinshin War, Oama, posthumously known as Temmu Tenno, came to the throne.  And though they would need a new Great Council of State, they continued to build up and bolster the Ritsuryo state.  They were imagining a new Yamato based on continental models of what a state should look like, but also influenced by tradition.  This episode we take a look at that reimagining in broad strokes, asking a few questions--what was Oama's relationship with his brother, and touching on the relationship of Nakatomi no Kamatari and his brother, Nakatomi no Kane.  We also take a look at some of the literary propaganda that also helped to codify this new imaginary--the Nihon Shoki and the Kojiki.  We also touch on other sourcesof information, like the Fudoki and Man'yoshu. For more information, check out our blog:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-133   Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua, and this is episode 133: Reimagining Yamato As the bells of Houkouji tolled, Ohoama and his wife, Uno, surveyed the construction on going in the Asuka valley.  Hordes of workers had been called up, and now they were working furiously towards the deadline of the new year.  Where once stood the later Wokamoto palace of Takara Hime, aka Ohoama's mother, Saimei Tennou, now the land was being prepared for a palace on a much grander scale.  And just as the palace was being remade, Ohoama's thoughts went beyond the valley, to the entire archipelago.  His brother, Naka no Oe, had started something profound.  Now here he was, helming the Ship of State, and Ohoama had plans of his own, built upon his brother's ideas.  He would build a new state, ensuring that the reforms that started back in 645 would continue for generations. Greetings everyone and welcome back.  As we dive back in, let's recap where we are. The year is now 673, and the fighting from the previous year—the Jinshin war—is over.  Prince Ohoama and his Yoshino forces were victorious and he is now poised to ascend the throne in the recently built Palace of Kiyomihara, in Asuka.  He will be known to future generations by his posthumous name:  Temmu Tennou. Ohoama would go ahead and continue to centralize the government under the continental model.  That said, he also would pay a not insignificant amount of attention to local tradition as well.  His reign would lead to the establishment of the first permanent capital city: Fujiwara-kyo.  He is also credited with initiating the projects collecting various historical records, which culminated in the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki, the very chronicles on which this podcast is based – and both of which seem to have been designed specifically to promote the authority of the throne, specifically Ohoama and his descendants. Those descendants—the Temmu dynasty—would rule for almost a century, including four of the eight official female sovereigns (those eight become ten if you count the unofficial Himiko and Okinaga Tarashi-hime, aka Jingu Tennou).  This dynasty would reign from the end of the Asuka period up through to the Nara period, and it would see the evolution of the Yamato state into the kingdom of Nihon—which is to say the kingdom of Japan. The politics of this period were also quite something.  It is during this coming period that we see the rise of the famous Fujiwara family, who would come to dominate the political landscape.  We also see the continued contact with the mainland, with numerous trade goods coming over, many of which would be included in the famous Shousouin storehouse of Toudaiji temple, in Nara. Buddhism would also thrive, with Kokubunji, or provincial temples, being set up in a network around the archipelago.  There was also the building of the famous Daibutsu, or Giant Buddha statue, of Toudaiji. Art would also flourish.  The Man'yoshu would be published at this time—a collection of around 4,500 Japanese poems, or waka.  Meanwhile, the court would also focus on continental styles as well.  From this point on, not only do we have more evidence of what was happening through the written record, but the writing itself changed.  Different Sinitic characters were borrowed solely for their sound to help spell out Japanese words.  These would eventually be simplified, and known as “kana”.  The earliest use of these characters is known as “Man'yo-gana” because so many are traced back to the Man'yoshu itself.  They would eventually be standardized and simplified, becoming the hiragana and katakana we know and use today. But in 673, all of this is still on the horizon. So this is a great time to pause for a bit in our journey through the chronicles and set the stage for this next, incredibly transformative period in the archipelago by going over these larger patterns in some depth, so that, as we start to go through this period we get a better idea of just what was happening, and perhaps why.  That's what we'll do this episode. To start with, let's go back to the relationship between Naka no Oe and Ohoama.  As far as we can tell, these brothers were fairly close to one another.  Not only was Ohoama married to one of Naka no Oe's daughters, Princess Uno, he had actually taken as consort at least four of Naka no Oe's other daughters—all of which were Ohoama's nieces.  In turn, one of Ohoama's own daughters, Princess Touchi, had been married off to Ohotomo, aka the ill-fated Koubun Tennou.  On top of that, Naka no Oe and Ohoama both had taken as consorts daughters of Soga no Akaye, and both Ohotomo and Ohoama had consorts from Nakatomi—or Fujiwara—no Kamatari.  This demonstrates just how interrelated everyone was at court, presumably as a means of strengthening the ties between them.  Of course, as we've seen time and again, those ties were more symbolic than anything else, and certainly did not prevent the occasional use of violence, nor did it protect the fathers of those women from political repercussions when they found themselves on the wrong side. On the other hand, beyond the initial mention of their births, we don't see the two brothers together until Naka no Oe came to the throne.  Why?  Well, to be fair, we don't see much of anyone but the sovereign in the Chronicles unless there is a specific thing they are called out for—like an embassy, presenting something to the throne, etc.  Even Naka no Oe often isn't mentioned directly, even when he was the Crown Prince and supposedly helping run the government.  So that could be it. There are two apparent counter arguments to the idea that Naka no Oe and his brother, Ohoama, were tight.  First is a mention in the Toushi Kaden, the Family History of the Fujiwara Family, about Ohoama thrusting a spear into a board, which rattled Naka no Oe enough that he was apparently wondering if he needed to have his own brother taken out.  Then there is Ohoama's resignation at the time of Naka no Oe's death, presumably because he was warned that a plot was afoot, and that if he accepted Naka no Oe's offer to take the reins of the state in his own two hands then something—we aren't told what—would unfold. I can't rule out the idea that neither of those accounts is quite accurate either, however.  It is possible that the Toushi Kaden account is embellished to heighten Fujiwara no Kamatari's own role as peacemaker between the brothers.  I also have to wonder if the warning to Ohoama around Naka no Oe's death wasn't so much about Naka no Oe, but about his ministers.  After all, they seem to have had no problem supporting the much younger—and likely more malleable—Prince Ohotomo.  So it seems to me entirely possible that there were other threats that Ohoama was concerned with. That brings me to one of those ministers:  Nakatomi no Kane.  We talked about him before and during the war.  He first showed up participating in ritual and speaking on kami matters.  He would later rise to be one of the Great Ministers of State, and was one of the six ministers who had pledged themselves to Prince Ohotomo.  At the end of the Jinshin War, he was put to death and his family was banished.  That said, in period leading up to all of that,  we spent a good amount of time with another Nakatomi: Nakatomi no Kamatari. He was the head of the Nakatomi clan and the Naidaijin, the Interior Minister, a special position placing him on par, or even above, the Ministers of the Left and Right, but which did not have a well defined portfolio noted in the literature.  Interestingly, this position also doesn't seem to have survived Kamatari, at least in the short run.  From the time of Naka no Oe, aka Tenji Tennou, to the time of Ohoama, aka Temmu Tennou, it seems that the office of Naidaijin fell out of favor, possibly due, in part, to Prince Ohotomo being raised to a different post, that of Dajou Daijin, placing him in charge of the Great Council of State. The Naidaijin role wouldn't be revived until 717 for Kamatari's grandson, Fujiwara no Fusasaki (interestingly,  only three years before the completion of the Nihon Shoki). Nakatomi no Kane was, as far as we can tell, the brother to Kamatari.  When Kamatari passed away, Kane seems to have taken on the role as head of the Nakatomi family and he was also made Minister of the Right.  This mirrors, in its way, the relationship between Naka no Oe and Ohoama, and the common system of inheritance that would often go brother to brother.  And yet, while Kamatari was a hero of the Taika era, Nakatomi no Kane was executed for his role in the Jinshin War.  So in the context of the rise of the Fujiwaras to greater prominence later on in Ohoama's reign, it is significant that Kamatari's line would be set apart from the rest of the Nakatomi to the extent of giving it the new Fujiwara name.  Although the Chronicles claim that the “Fujiwara” name was actually granted by Naka no Oe, there is a thought that this was granted posthumously, and may have even been retconned by later members of the family, possibly to distance themselves from Nakatomi no Kane and his role on the losing side of the Jinshin War, and tie themselves clearly to Kamatari and his founding role in Naka no Oe's and Ohoama's new vision, instead.  This all brings me to my next point: the creation of the national histories.  The projects that culminated in what we know today as the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki are said to have been started under Ohoama's reign, though they wouldn't be finished until much later, well into the 8th century.  A lot of what went into them was work under Ohoama's wife Uno, who succeeded him as Jitou Tennou, as well as her successors.  Prince Toneri, one of Ohoama's sons, is said to have overseen the Nihon Shoki's compilation. Prince Toneri was son of Ohoama and princess Niitabe, one of Naka no Oe's daughters, and while he never sat the throne, himself, one of his sons would eventually do so.  As such, we can see a strong royal hand on the project, even though the actual composition was probably by several teams of Chroniclers—we touched on this briefly back in Episode 131. The Kojiki, on the other hand, is said to have been written by Oho no Yasumaro based on the oral history that had been maintained by Hieda no Are.  We don't know much about Hieda no Are—there are some that believe they may have been a woman, since a passage in a later work, the Seikyuuki, suggests that they were a member of the Sarume no Kimi family, descended from Ame no Uzume no Mikoto, who is said to have danced and helped lure Amaterasu out of the rock cave.  And so they were particularly known for their role as shrine maidens—a particularly female role.  That said, Are received the title of “toneri”, which is often assumed to be male, and there is nothing else that explicitly says they were not. Either way, Hieda no Are is said to have been commanded by the sovereign, Ohoama, to memorize the history of the nation, presumably to then perform it as needed, for the court.  Only later was Oho no Yasumaro asked to write it down in what became known as the Kojiki. Both of these chronicles were attempts to organize the history of the nation and to put together all the stories in a way that would establish a foundation for the new state that was evolving out of ancient Yamato.  A large part of that effort was going to be to justify those who were in power at the time—including both the royal family and the various noble houses at the time, including the powerful Fujiwara. Now, when we talk about how these histories were created to bolster the state, I want to be careful.  It may not have necessarily been the case that the chroniclers were actively and consciously promoting a fictional account.  From what we can tell, the chroniclers drew from a collection of stories, some written down in diaries and court records, works like the Baekje annals and continental histories, and some that were likely just memorized tales that were part of the general culture.   There were a couple of existing histories—we are told, for example, that there was a Teiki and a Kyuji floating around, both attributed to the legendary Shotoku Taishi, and both supposedly including the royal lineage at least to Toyomike-kashikiya-hime, aka Suikou Tennou.  However, the copies that were being passed around were apparently suspect, and we are told that there were inconsistencies.  Which probably means that the way they told the story did not conform to the way that Ohoama and the royal family wanted it told, though it could also refer to the fact that different accounts had slight variations on the stories, many of which had probably started as oral traditions that were only later written down.  It is also likely that there was only so much detail in those ancient texts, but we can't know for sure.  The Sendai Kuji Hongi purports to be the text of the original Kyuuji, or Kyuujiki, but that claim is dubious, at best, though it may have used an older, no longer extant history to crib its own notes from. So there were probably some writings, already, but there was also so much more.  There were stories from various familial records, stories told by various shrines about their kami and their histories, and stories passed down as local history that had never been captured, previously.  All of this was good material for the project of creating an official national history that aimed to tell the whole story. To get an idea of what the Chroniclers of that time might have been going through, imagine that you have some 2,000 random facts about the United States, or any country of your choice, in no particular order—stories of heroes, presidents, wars, etc.  On top of that, only a few of them ever give you any kind reference dates, and when they do, those dates are only in relationship to the presidents in office – the third year of the presidency of Roosevelt, for example - or maybe they reference another event.  In addition, some of the facts have been lost, or they come from history books with a slightly different format.  Or they come from diaries with different perspectives and takes on the same event.  And then, without the aid of the Internet or any other reference material, you are asked to put all of that together into a coherent narrative. In all likelihood you would be able to generally construct many of the broad strokes.  You would leverage what you know to be true and do your best to put things in place, but there is no guarantee that everything would be in the right order.  And in places where there wasn't any clear through line, you may have needed to come up with your best, most plausible explanation and write that down. Also, imagine you had, in the interests of completeness, thrown in some of the more, shall we say, apocryphal stories.  George Washington cutting down a cherry tree, for instance, or the story of Johnny Appleseed, or even the more fantastical stories of Davy Crockett.  Without other reference points, would you know where they went, or how true they actually were? Add to all of that the lack of a referential calendar.  The sexagesimal system helps for units of 60 years, but there was nothing comparable to a western calendar in use at the time.  Instead, everything was based on the number of years in a given reign.  So instead of thinking about it as “did this happen in 584 or 524?” it was more like “Did this happen in the years of the sovereign reigning from X palace or Y palace?” Now that said, there do appear to have been individuals whose job was to memorize the stories and the histories and recite them.  We have, for example, the Kataribe, the guild of storytellers.  It may have been out of this tradition that we get the eventual commission of the previously mentioned Hieda no Are, who was to memorize all of the historical events and recite them back, which I can only imagine would have been a kind of performance for the court, helping to reinforce the narrative.  But still, as Are was putting everything together, what were the assumptions and guidelines they were working under? After all, there were no doubt certain truths, whether factual or not, that were pushed by the court.  Things like the idea of an unbroken line of sovereigns going all the way back to the mythical founding, just like in continental stories.  Or, the idea that worship centered from the beginning around the sun goddess, Amaterasu. There is plenty of evidence that while the early Wa people practiced various forms of sun worship, with traces found in their language as well as stories, cultural traditions, etc., it was not necessarily Amaterasu who was the primary deity of worship.  Back in the Age of the Gods we talked about the creator deities, Izanagi and Izanami, and about the High god of Heaven, Takami Musubi, who seems to at one point been the most prominent central deity, but who had since been eclipsed, if you will, by the likes of Amaterasu. We also see evidence that there were other sun deities.  The language around Sarutahiko no Ohokami suggests that he may have once been worshipped as a sun deity as well.  And there is the early primacy of Mt. Miwa as a place of worship, and the spirit of Ohomononushi.  This is to say nothing of Ohokuninushi, and all of his stories, up in Izumo. Furthermore, it seems telling that Amaterasu is not even central to the rituals conducted in the palace itself, which likely went back to an even earlier period.  If Amaterasu were central, and the ancestral kami of the royal family since its inception, one would expect that Amaterasu would also be central to the rites carried out by her descendants in the royal palace.  And yet most of her worship appears to have continued to be set apart from the palace ritual, and conducted out of Ise shrine (albeit after a certain point ceremonially led by a designated female member of the royal line). Even Ise shrine itself isn't the primary shrine in the Ise area—the Ichi-no-miya, or most important shrine, of Ise is actually said to be Tsubaki shrine, worshipping Saruta Hiko no Ohokami and Ame no Uzume. So how did Amaterasu come to be so central in Ohoama's vision? There are stories that say that worship at Ise Shrine—and worship of Amaterasu—was specifically conducted by Ohoama's wife during the Jinshin campaign.  This is to say Ohoama's wife, primary consort, eventual queen and then queen regnant, Uno, later known as Jitou Tennou.  Remember, Uno had fled with Ohoama and had been on the trail with him at first, but had stayed behind in Ise.  Worship towards Ise seems to have later been counted as foundational to Ohoama and Uno's victory, and many suspect that they themselves may subsequently have encouraged greater worship of Amaterasu and placed her in the central position of sacral authority amongst the various kami. If so, that could explain why their histories focus so much on Amaterasu and her Heavenly descendant, from which the royal line claimed direct lineage.  It might also be around this time that the story of Iwarebiko, aka Jimmu Tennou, and the conquest of Yamato from Himuka may have been introduced: telling how Iwarebiko justifiably took away the land from the descendants of Nigi Hayahi, and then connecting Iwarebiko, in an extremely loose fashion, to Mimaki Iiribiko no Mikoto, aka Sujin Tennou. Another influence on all of this was likely the continental concept that time is a circle, and history repeats itself.  Chroniclers seeking to place events in a narrative context would have likely seen reflections of more recent events and used that to help order their compilation.  And of course, if there were events that seemed to run counter to the truth as known by the court, well, those could be smoothed over.  In this way, co-rulers were probably serialized, inconvenient interim rulers may have been excised altogether, and different dynasties, which may have only had tenuous connections, at best, were written down as direct lineal descendants.  It also seems telling that the Chroniclers may have reduced the role of what appears to be matrilineal succession to a more patriarchal and patrilineal determination of legitimacy.  Similarly, connections could be made for families to ancient ancestors through whom they were able to claim a certain proximity to the royal family.  Likewise, rules for legitimacy could be imposed—or perhaps just assumed—for previous reigns, doing their best to bring them into harmony with the social norms and the cultural imaginaries of the late 7th and early 8th centuries. So that's the general context the Chroniclers were working under. But at this point it's illuminating to take a look at the two histories and how they differ, to see what we can understand about where those differences came from. The work of Hieda no Are, eventually recorded and written down as the Kojiki, seems to have dealt with history that was far enough back that it was likely hard to argue with—it isn't like there was anyone alive who could counter with their own facts.  And the Kojiki reads as a fairly straightforward narrative, relatively speaking. The Nihon Shoki, on the other hand, is a different beast.  While the Kojiki may have captured the official narrative, the Nihon Shoki seems to have been designed to include more—including some of the competing accounts.  Thus you'll get a lot of things like “another source says…” with a different take on the same event.  This is much more prevalent in the Age of the Gods, but still pops up occasionally throughout the rest of the text.  Nonetheless, it is still very much focused on the royal line from Amaterasu down to Naka no Oe and Ohoama.  Even their posthumous names, Tenji and Temmu, specifically reference Ten, also pronounced Ama, at the start of their names, in what appears to be a bid to further connect them to the sun goddess of Heavenly Brightness--Amaterasu. Both of these works have their own character, and while the dates they were presented to the throne—713 for the Kojiki and 720 for the Nihon Shoki—suggest that they were published in succession, there are those that argue that the Kojiki is largely a reaction against the Nihon Shoki. In all likelihood the contents of the Nihon Shoki were known to many people before it was presented.  There were groups of Chroniclers involved, after all -- which meant teams of scribes pouring through sources, seeking out myths and legends, and generally trying to bring everything they could to the table.  And there is no indication that this was done in secret.  So it is quite possible that the writers of the Kojiki had seen some of the early drafts and cribbed from those notes. Some of the ways that the the history differ are in their portrayal of certain accounts.  For example, the Kojiki presents Iwarebiko and the pacification of Yamato and archipelago more generally in terms of that mythical sovereign conversing with the spirits.  And so he converses with, for instance, Ohomononushi, the deity of Mt. Miwa, a spirit whose name might be translated as the Great Lord of the Spirits, or “Mono”.  This idea places the sovereign as an intercessor between the mortal and the spirit world.  It hearkens back to earlier systems of sacral kingship, where power and authority came, at least in part, from supposed power of one's sacred sites and protective spirits. The Kojiki is also written in a much more vernacular style, using kanji and what we know of as man'yogana, the kanji used for their sound, rather than meaning, to provide a syllabary with which to write out Japanese words.  This may have been done for similar reasons to why it was also used in the Man'yoshu itself—because the Kojiki was meant to be recited aloud, not just read for meaning. The Nihon Shoki, in contrast, is clearly attempting to emulate the continental style.  It relies much more heavily on not just the characters but the grammar of Chinese, though not without its own idiosyncrasies.  The Nihon Shoki incorporated classical references that mirrored the references found in the histories of the Tang and earlier dynasties.  I suspect, for instance, that this is one of the main reasons that Naka no Oe and Ohoama are given the posthumous names of “Tenji” and “Temmu”.  Tenji means something like the Wisdom of Heaven while Temmu is more like the Martial Virtue of Heaven.  This immediately brings to mind, for me, the continental concepts of Wen and Wu—Culture and Warefare, or Bunbu in Japanese.  This even mirrors the founding Zhou kings, King Wen and King Wu.  Later, in the Han dynasty, you have Emperor Wu of Han, the grandson of Emperor Wen of Han, and Wu was considered to be one of the greatest emperors of the Han dynasty.  And so I can't help but think that there was a similar attempt at mythmaking going on here, connecting these two reigns with the reigns of famous emperors of the continent.  Of course, “Wu” was a popular name amongst the imperial dynasties from that period onward, with emperors of Jin, Chen, Liang, and others all being given the same name. This all accords with the way that the sovereign in the Nihon Shoki is less of a sacral king, interceding and speaking with the kami, and more along the continental model of an absolute ruler who ruled by divine right and heavenly mandate.  The lands outside of Yamato are subdued and, except for the occasional uprising, stay subdued—or at least that is what the narrative would seemingly have us believe. Now, I would argue that these distinctions are not absolute.  The Kojiki contains plenty of concepts of imperial trappings, and the Nihon Shoki contains plenty of examples of the sovereign playing a more traditional role.  But it is something to consider in the broad strokes of what they are saying, and I would argue that it also speaks to the duality of what was going on in this period.  Clearly the Ritsuryo State was built on the continental model, with an absolute ruler who ruled through a Heavenly mandate.  And yet at the same time, we see Ohoama patronizing the traditional spiritual sites and kami worship, like the emphasis on Amaterasu and Ise shrine.  Besides the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki, we have one more set of official records that were compiled just as the major histories were beginning to be finished.  These were the Fudoki.  Fudoki were texts about the various provinces, and they include information on the various places, population, soil quality, as well as various local myths and legends attached to such things.  Rather than supporting the royal lineage, the Fudoki were more geared towards supporting the process begun under Karu and Naka no Oe with the Ritsuryo system whereby knowledge of the archipelago was being centralized such that the State could know about its territories.  Still, there are many times that the various Fudoki refer to different sovereigns, often to help situate a given event roughly within the historical narrative. The Fudoki were commissioned in 713.  At least 48 chronicles were said to have been compiled, but only a handful of them remain extant today.  Most are only partial texts, though even those can still contain significant information.  We also have purported text from certain fudoki that were reprinted in later histories.  The Shaku Nihongi seems to have been one such work, expressly commissioned to try and compile various older records that were likely aging and in danger of being lost altogether.  However, there is a concern regarding just how faithful those later transcriptions might have been, meaning that we cannot rely on them, entirely.  Still, they are an invaluable addition to our study of the history of this period. I mention all of this because much of this period seems dedicated to remaking the nation of Yamato into what we know as Japan.  This evolution didn't happen overnight, and it seems clear that it started gradually, but had now come to a head.  There is some consideration, though, that many of the things attributed to earlier reigns—the work done by Shotoku Taishi, for example, or even that of Naka no Oe—may have been embellished in this period.  After all, consider the difference between Ohoama trying to institute something entirely new versus pointing back to a previous sovereign and claiming that he wasn't innovating, he was just following tradition. But there are still unmistakable signs of innovation in the following reigns.  The creation of the first permanent capital city, for one.  There was also the blending of Buddhist and local kami-based traditions.  While Buddhism had been ascendant for a while, now, we see Ohoama seemingly paying equal homage to Amaterasu and the local kami.  Even while instituting new fangled continental ideas, he is also hearkening back to traditions that I can only imagine helped assuage some of the fears of any traditionalists who saw the rapid speed at which the archipelago was adopting at least the trappings of continental imperial culture. Speaking of culture, there was one other work that we should probably mention, and that is the famous Man'yoshu—the collection of 10,000 Leaves.  I mentioned this briefly earlier in the episode, but I do want to discuss it a bit, because as much as we may glean from the official histories, as well as the various fudoki texts, the Man'yoshu provides an invaluable view into the minds of the people of the time, and contains some incredibly useful tidbits of information that, when put together, help give us a better idea of what was happening during this period. The Man'yoshu is a collection of more than 4500 poems attributed to various historical figures, from sovereigns, such as Ohoama and Naka no Oe, to common soldiers.  It is remarkable in that the poems are largely in native Japanese and are not using the Sinitic poetry styles that were popular with scholars of the time. These poems are waka, Japanese verse, which typically follows a pattern of repeating verses of 5-7-5 syllables or morae, ending with two lines of 7-7.  The most simple of these are tanka—one top verse of 5-7-5, and one bottom verse of 7-7.  However, the poems in the collection can vary quite a bit. They are also remarkable in that they are written in what we know as Man'yogana.  That is to say they use Sinitic characters—kanji—but for their sound rather than their meaning in many cases.  This practice allowed for much more nuanced writing, such that the author could be more certain that the correct meaning could be taken away, since Japanese grammar differs greatly from various Chinese languages, and leverages particles and suffixes that are non-existent in Sinitic script.  Often times, when reading something like the Nihon Shoki, one has to infer the Japanese word order, particles, and suffixes from the text as a whole.  This is common with any kanbun—a very Japanese style of Chinese writing that often requires its own study to fully understand. Meanwhile, the Man'yogana allowed someone to more easily sound out the letters in the Man'yoshu.  This must have been important when morae or syllable count was important to the art form.  Furthermore, it gives us tremendous insight into how spoken Japanese may have sounded  back in the 8th century. And of course it is great that we have all of these poems, but almost more important is the other information contained in the collection.  Most poems not only are attributed to a particular author, but they often give a brief introduction to lay out the circumstance in which the poem was composed.  These poems are, in many ways, more straightforward than many later poetic styles, which relied much more heavily on so-called “pillow words”, poetic allusions, or callbacks to previous poems—not that they were completely devoid of such references, especially to other, often continental, works. Some poems are actually paired—a type of call and response.  A man would often be expected to send a poem to a lady with whom he had recently had assignations, and she would often respond.  Through such correspondence, preserved in the poetic record, we can see connections that might not be as clear in the various historical texts. Now, 4500 is a lot of poems and I'll be honest, I'm probably not going to be researching all of them for historical tidbits, but it is nonetheless important to understand.  One should also be careful—while the poems are often attributed to various artists and famous persons, this may sometimes be misleading.  The attribution may have been garbled or forgotten, and recreated. Most of the poems in the Man'yoshu are presented with at least some amount of framing around them.  They are grouped loosely by various themes.  We are then told, for each poem, the composer and the occasion for which it was created.  Sometimes this may be as simple as “when they were out hunting”, but that still gives us some context on which to go by as for why the author was writing the poem in the first place. The poems themselves vary in size.  There are short poems, or tanka, but also longer form chōka poems, with multiple verses.  Some may allude to previous poems, but many of the poems are just about the author's feelings.  Unlike haiku, they were not quite so proscribed in terms of “pillow words” or requisite seasonal descriptions. And yet these poems, just as much as the histories, were important in capturing some part of the cultural zeitgeist from that time.  We can see what was considered popular or important, and it was there for future generations down until today. Ultimately the Kojiki would largely be overshadowed by the more comprehensive and prestigious seeming history in the Nihon Shoki.  The Nihon Shoki would become the official history, inspiring future historical records, such as the Shoku Nihongi, the continuation of the records.  The Man'yoshu, likewise, would be emulated, with future compilations like the Kokinshu. These, in turn, would impact the cultural imaginary of the time.  They would shape people's ideas about the past, about art, and even about the nature of the kami themselves.  During this period it is hard to understate just how much they were setting in place a new system.  It is even difficult to tell how much of that system had actually been instituted by previous sovereigns, even though it's hard to tell how much that actually happened as opposed to simple claims by Ohoama and, later, Uno, to justify what they were doing.  Up to this point, the Ritsuryou State and the various reforms had been an experiment, but under Ohoama we truly see that the new government upgrades would be fully installed.  At the same time, we also see a shake up in the court.  Those who had been loyal to Ohoama during the Jinshin conflict of 672 received various rewards—increased rank and stipend, for one thing.  As famous individuals passed away, they were also granted posthumous rank, which might not seem like much, but it increased the family's prestige and that of the individual's descendants without actually handing out a higher level stipend that would be a drain on the coffers.  All of this also continued to build up the elites' reliance on not just the court, but on the throne itself for their status, wealth, and position.  Thus they had a vested interest in seeing that the project succeeded. And that is the world that we are about to dive into.  Thank you, I know we didn't get into too much of the immediate history, and some of this is spoilers—after all, this took time and in the moment it could have turned out quite differently.  What if Ohoama had gotten sick and died?  What if there had been a rebellion?  What if Silla or Tang had attacked?  While we know what happened from the safety of our vantage point, far in the future, it is important to remember that at the time the people in the court didn't know what would happen next, so please keep that in mind. Next episode, we'll start to get into the actual events of the reign, starting with Ohoama's ascension to the throne at the newly built Kiyomihara palace in Asuka. Until then, if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

Jai Guru Deva. We wanted to let you know that the full schedule and registration details for Thom's upcoming Mexico tour are now online. The program includes free group meditations and knowledge sessions, opportunities to learn Vedic Meditation and receive an advanced technique directly from Thom, refresher sessions for existing meditators, a live Satsang session, and a five-day four-night rounding retreat.This is also your opportunity to book a life-changing private one-on-one consultation with Thom while he's in Mexico City. The tour runs from September 17 to 29, and you can find out more at thomknoles.com/mexico. That's thomknoles.com/mexico.Though Buddhism has spread far and wide and has taken on many different ‘flavors,' its origins are from the heartland of the North Indian subcontinent, ensuring an inescapable link to the Vedic worldview.In this episode, Thom explores the birth story of Buddhism, and the similarities and differences between the Buddhist and Vedic worldviews. It's a fascinating insight, including an explanation of how the two worldviews have diverged, with the interpretation of a single sentence from Buddha's teachings having a profound impact on Buddhist philosophy today. Episode Highlights[00:45] An Umbrella Body of Knowledge[05:00] Spending Time With the Dalai Lama[07:27] Buddha - The Shakya Muni[10:07] Searching for the Truth[12:43] The Middle Way[14:26] Searching for a Guru[18:01] Buddhism is Not One Thing[20:50] The No-thingness[23:29] Sap in Expressed Form[25:15] The Unmanifest Field of Pure Potentiality[27:02] The Origin of Tibetan Buddhism[29:10] The Many Faces of Buddhism[30:31] Buddha Didn't Teach That[32:36] The Source of All Suffering[35:03] Everything is One[37:12] What Buddha Was Actually TeachingUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoleshttps://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

In this moving episode of Asked and Answered by Soul, guest host Annie P. Ruggles sits down with the incomparable Diane Wingert for a soul-expanding conversation on what it really means to stop shrinking, start healing, and lead with radical self-acceptance. With honesty, fire, and wisdom born from lived experience, Diane shares how her neurodivergence—once hidden and masked—has become her greatest source of creativity, power, and influence. Together, Annie and Diane explore the deep difference between being masking and being who you are. Diane vulnerably names the truth: we're not all meant to fit in. Some of us are here to stand out. About Annie Annie P. Ruggles is a strategist, showrunner, and value-obsessed mischief-maker who's spent the past 14 years helping entrepreneurs ditch the sleaze and sell with soul. Through her banner Anniepreneur Presents, she brings together truth-telling experts, unforgettable events, and community-powered transformation — all rooted in instinct, irreverence, and integrity. She's the creator of The Non-Sleazy Sales Academy & Quirk Works Consulting, the host of Too Legitimate to Quit: Growth Strategies with a Pop Culture Spin (a top 2% podcast), the author of strategy novella The Coach Who Would Not Sell, and your fiercely loyal raccoon in the alley of online business. Annie would to love to connect with you on https://www.anniepruggles.com/. About Diann After a twenty-year career as a psychotherapist and serial business owner, Diann pivoted into coaching entrepreneurs with ADHD traits, diagnosed or not.  Her passion is helping neurodivergent entrepreneurs, creatives and small business owners create ADHD-friendly, sought-after businesses that balance passion, purpose & profit.  On the personal side, Diann loves strong coffee, dark fiction, and laughing out loud. Diann is a practicing Buddhist, a dog lover, and host of the ADHD-ish podcast.  You can learn more about Diann at https://www.diannwingertcoaching.com/. The Asked and Answered by Soul podcast is dedicated to helping you understand that your Soul is the answer. To learn more about your soul's answers and purpose, access your free guide at www.themythsofpurpose.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Dharma talk was given by the Reverend Jay Rinsen Weik Roshi at the Buddhist Temple of Toledo on August 24, 2025. In this talk Rinsen Roshi meditates on the real experience of practicing through things that scare you in the present world, as it is. 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.

We spend so much energy trying to think our way to insight, yet a fuller understanding of our lives often arrives from somewhere beyond the usual way we know ourselves. When our hands are busy with ordinary tasks something vast can sometimes settle into awareness. What happens when we discover that our bodies know a kinship with the earth our minds may have forgotten? Could belonging be less about finding our place and more about recognising we never left it? This week's conversation is hosted, as always, by Lizzie Winn and Justin Wise of Thirdspace. Episode Overview 00:00 Introduction to Turning Towards Life 03:03 Exploring the Source: Of Gravity and Light 05:43 The Significance of Menial Tasks 08:47 The Relationship Between Thinking and Receiving 11:45 Belonging and Recognition 14:43 Connection and Community 17:44 The Mystery of Existence and Our Place in It 20:59 The Importance of Acknowledging Our Already Existing Ways of Belonging 23:43 Creating a Sense of Belonging in the World 26:55 Conclusion and Invitations Here's our source for this week: Of Gravity and Light  What we need most, we learn from the menial tasks: the novice raking sand in Buddhist texts, or sweeping leaves, his hands chilled to the bone, while understanding hovers out of reach; the changeling in a folk tale, chopping logs, poised at the dizzy edge of transformation; and everything they do is gravity: swaying above the darkness of the well to haul the bucket in; guiding the broom; finding the body's kinship with the earth beneath their feet, the lattice of a world where nothing turns or stands outside the whole; and when the insight comes, they carry on with what's at hand: the gravel path; the fire; knowing the soul is no more difficult than water, or the fig tree by the well that stood for decades, barren and inert, till every branch was answered in the stars. John Burnside Photo by Merri J on Unsplash ---- Join Us Live in 2025 Turning Towards Life Live Season 1, from 10 September 2025 Our Turning Towards Life live programme of community, learning and reflection runs in six month seasons from September. It's going to be in person on Zoom once a month. We're very excited about it. A chance to expand beyond the bounds of a podcast into forming a community of learning and practice. You can find out more and join us here: www.turningtowards.life/live ---- About Turning Towards Life Turning Towards Life, a week-by-week conversation inviting us deeply into our lives, is a live 30 minute conversation hosted by Justin Wise and Lizzie Winn of Thirdspace.  Find us on FaceBook to join in the lively conversation on this episode. You can find videos of every episode, and more about the project on the Turning Towards Life website, and you can also watch and listen on Instagram, YouTube, and as a podcast on Apple, Amazon Music and Spotify. Join Our Weekly Mailing: www.turningtowards.life/subscribe Support Us: www.buymeacoffee.com/turningtowardslife Keywords menial tasks, ordinary moments, body kinship, earth connection, belonging fully, inner mystery, thinking patterns, gravity metaphor, physical presence, everyday insights, transformation edge, soul simplicity, cultural belonging, human mystery, inclusion practice, overthinking habits, fearful analysis, mindful walking, dish washing, leaf sweeping, grounded presence, mysterious depths, embodied wisdom, life belonging, earthly home People Mentioned John Burnside - The poet whose work "Of Gravity and Light" is discussed throughout the episode

Secular Buddhist Essentials is a weekly online program that shares the timeless wisdom of the Buddha. As a Secular Buddhist Organization, SBT offers a practical presentation focused on the positive life-affirming message of the Buddha, while deemphasizing the more religious, mystical, and cultural content found in traditional Buddhism. Our aim is to inform and guide without sharing presumptions of what to believe. Learn more about this program at: ⁠⁠⁠https://sbtonline.org/sbe/⁠⁠⁠  Venerable Tenzin Tarpa is the founder and director of SBT –The Secular Buddhist Tradition. A fully ordained Buddhist monk and student of The Dalai Lama, Venerable Tarpa is a teacher, author, and philosopher with nearly three decades in Buddhist studies, including a decade in Buddhist monasteries in India.  SBT – the Secular Buddhist Tradition, is an international spiritual community dedicated to Secular Buddhism and the timeless wisdom of the Buddha. SBT presents the Buddha's teachings as neither a religion nor exotic belief system, emphasizing and prioritizing those aspects that we deem most credible, illuminating, and effective. Learn more about SBT and Venerable Tarpa at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://SBTonline.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#buddhism ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#secularbuddhism⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#meditation ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#mindfulness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#happiness⁠⁠⁠ #Dalailama #spirituality ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  

In part 1 of this Q&A session, Joseph Goldstein gives Buddhist-flavored insight on accepting impermanence, developing our practice, and loving selflessly.In this episode, Joseph Goldstein offers his perspective on:The path from accepting impermanence to happinessLetting go of clinging and becoming attuned to the truth of changeThe stages we go through in Vipassana meditation practice Understanding meditation experiences—why difficult moments don't mean a “bad” practiceHow developing a regular practice helps us approach life more equanimously Feeling the whole mind-body process within practice and how this helps us let go of our sense of self Walking meditation as an effective tool for immediate selflessnessThe challenge of engaging with the world without getting lost in itSeeing the clear possibility of loving without attachment and with pure generosity of the heart“On a conceptual level, being afraid of impermanence is like being afraid of gravity. It's the way things are. The more we can see that and open to it, we get over that conditioned fear and we're just in the experience and the acceptance of the flow. It's actually quite easeful.” – Joseph GoldsteinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A personal talk about gifts and teachings that Satyaraja has received from his Teachers, from the first retreat with S. N. Goenka in India early 1970's, to his first contact with Triratna and meeting Bhante Sangharakshita a few years later, to several very significant meetings with Bhante, and concluding with what his two kalyana mitras, Kamalashila and Padmavajra, have given and what they mean to him. Given at Stockholm Buddhist Center, 2025. *** This month's FBA Podcasts and Dharmabytes celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of Sangharakshita's birth, founder of the Triratna Buddhist Community and Order. Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now: https://freebuddhistaudio.com/donate Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast: A full, curated, quality Dharma talk, every week. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dharmabytes-from-free-buddhist-audio/id416832097 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UHPDj01UH6ptj8FObwBfB YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FreeBuddhistAudio1967  

Episode #387: “I think vipassana has always been a response to crisis, not just a quest for spiritual purity,” says Gustaaf Houtman, anthropologist and author of Traditions of Buddhist Practice in Burma and Mental Culture in Burmese Crisis Politics. Drawing on decades of research and immersion in the culture, Houtman connects meditation, language, politics, and cultural history, revealing a view of Burma's Buddhist traditions that resists Western simplifications. Houtman contrasts Western notions of religion—rooted in belief in abstract doctrines and separated from culture—with the Burmese concept of sāsana, the Buddha's dispensation, which is integrally embedded in historical and social life. He juxtaposes sāsana with bodha-batha, a term coined by the 19th century American missionary Adoniram Judson, which reframed Buddhism as a belief-based “-ism,” comparable to Christianity. This, Houtman argues, was not simply linguistic but ideological as well. In response, Burmese reformers emphasized Pāḷi terms like sāsana to defend Buddhism's historical and cultural depth, turning language into “a site of resistance” against Western cultural hegemony. This framework illuminates the importance of lineage in Burmese meditation. Unlike monastic ordination, which is formally documented, meditation instruction is informal and personal, requiring validation from respected teachers— and it rarely goes in a straight line. U Ba Khin's reliance on Webu Sayadaw's endorsement exemplifies how Burmese meditation culture depends on networks of trust and recognition. Houtman contrasts this complexity with S. N. Goenka's simplified lineage narrative, which, while pedagogically effective, erases the historical crises— British colonialism, military dictatorship, and cultural reform— that gave rise to vipassana. He links this history to Ledi Sayadaw, whose reforms empowered laypeople to sustain Buddhism during colonial rule, paving the way for later teachers like Mahasi Sayadaw and U Ba Khin. Meditation in Burma, Houtman emphasizes, has long been entwined with social and cultural life, politics, and survival, and is a source of cultural pride. Today, he supports exiled Burmese scholars through what he calls “academic activism,” insisting that understanding Burma requires joining its ongoing historical struggle. “If you stay with it, you will be drawn in. And if you're drawn in, you stay for the long haul.”

Recorded live at the 2025 Summer Mountain Retreat, this homestyle chat with Raghu Markus, Nina Rao, and Robert Thurman explores the Bhakti-Buddhist lineage of Ram Dass and Maharaj-ji.Join us this December for the 2025 Ram Dass Legacy Open Your Heart in Paradise retreat in Maui!This time on Mindrolling, Raghu, Nina, and Robert discuss:The story of finding Neem Karoli Baba and filling up on poori and potatoesHow Maharaj-ji miraculously healed Krishna Das's injured kneeThe wonderful interplay between Ram Dass and Buddhist teachersNina's relationship with Sri Siddhi Ma, an intimate devotee of Maharaj-ji (considered by many to be a saint in her own right)Seeing everyone as the guru and living the best way that we canNina's journey to the foothills of the Himalayas and meeting Siddhi Ma for the first timeThe Buddhist perspective on the soul (ātman) and whether we truly have oneWhy ‘Be Here Now' is actually a mantra of care and femininity The Bhagavad Gita and the meaning of karma yoga Letting go of fear around birth and death by focusing on liberation from sufferingBeing here now in the best way we can by loving those around us rather than running away from the pain in the world “My own take on it in terms of what we represent and what goes on here is really, truly, a combination of Bhakti and discriminating wisdom represented by Buddhist perspective.” – Raghu MarkusAbout Nina Rao:Nina Rao is a devotional singer. She tours with Krishna Das, playing cymbals, singing, and acting as his business manager. Nina has two of her own albums, “Antarayaami – Knower of All Hearts” and “Anubhav”. Nina regularly leads kirtan, workshops, and retreats in her hometown of Brooklyn, New York and beyond. Together with Chandra and Genevieve Walker, Nina operates the 21 Taras Collective. You can keep up with Nina on her website or find her on Instagram @nina_rao and on Facebook @NinaRaoChant. “I didn't realize that I was looking for a guru until Krishna Das started talking about Neem Karoli Baba. When I heard about him and I felt that presence that came alive when Krishna Das was talking about Maharaj-ji, I wanted to meet him.” – Nina RaoAbout Robert Thurman:Robert Thurman is the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religion at Columbia University and President of the Tibet House U.S., and is the President of the American Institute of Buddhist Studies. His new book, Wisdom Is Bliss: Four Friendly Fun Facts That Can Change Your Life, is now available. “What is the best way to 'be here now'? It's to love Raghu, to love Nina, to love Maharaj-ji, it's to love everything here and now and make it beautiful and the best. Be as beautiful and as best as you can be because that's absolute. That's the way to 'be Nirvana now'.” – Robert ThurmanSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kathryn began meditating over 30 years ago at the Armadale group (AMG) of BSWA and continues to join the now online group as a regular member. She has practised in Theravadan, Tibetan and Zen/Chan traditions. She is the founder of “Mind and Movement”, and is a certified teacher of Jon Kabat-Zinn's program, “Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction” (MBSR). Kathryn is recognised as a Senior Teacher by the Meditation Association of Australia. Kathryn has been slowly retiring from her meditation related work but continues to support a local secondary school implementing a whole school approach to Mindfulness-based Social and Emotional Learning. 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  

In this episode I am joined by Myriam Szabo, also known as Ngakma Yumma Mudra: dancer, producer, model, teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, and founder of the international Danza Duende Network. Ngakma Yumma Mudra describes the path of the body, what it means to practice the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta through movement, and how to contact the blissful nature of mind with dance. Ngakma Yumma Mudra reveals how she guides students to transform habitual tendencies into new expressions, how to read others, and why it is so easy to become stuck in the 6 realms. Ngakma Yumma Mudra also discusses dance as art, how to infuse technique with goodness, and reflects on what it takes to be a true artist. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep322-dharma-of-dance-ngakma-yumma-mudra Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'. … Topics Include: 00:00 - Intro 00:54 - Path of the body 02:28 - Dancing without choreography 04:40 - Mindfulness of the body and the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta 07:25 - Empathy and reading others 13:11 - Art, technique, and the Path of the artist 16:15 - The Man Who Cried 20:53 - Structure and flow 22:27 - Working with students through dance 23:32 - Infuse technique with goodness 24:08 - Transforming habitual tendencies 26:06 - Bridging students' technique into art 30:56 - First thought, best thought 35:49 - Blissful nature of mind 37:22 - Expressing bodhicitta 40:55 - Opening a fan of possibilities 42:09 - Getting stuck in the 6 realms 49:32 - All true Buddhist masters are unique 51:17 - Cleansing technique 53:47 - Attracting mostly women 56:06 - Trajectory as a teacher 01:00:29 - Whirling 01:03:36 - Attracting students 01:06:53 - Sequel plans … To find our more about Ngakma Yumma Mudra visit: - https://www.danzaduende.org/yumma-bio-en.htm For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

What did the Buddha become "awakened" to? It was the twelve links of dependent origination! This is one of the most important concepts and teachings in Buddhism because all our Buddhist traditions and practices arise from it (and to liberating ourselves from it).Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OCNnti-NAQPodcast Homepage: alanpeto.com/podcastPodcast Disclaimer: alanpeto.com/legal/podcast-disclaimer

How did your mind evolve into what it is now? In this episode, Bhante Sathi explores the evolution of the mind, not as something shaped only by external forces, but as something we can intentionally cultivate through awareness, compassion, and discipline. Drawing from the Buddha's own journey, he explains how our thoughts, speech, and habits shape our reality and how mindfulness helps us rewire ourselves toward inner peace.

Bright on Buddhism - Kōan Series Episode 12 - Banzan's "3 Worlds, No Dharma"Hello and welcome to a new episode of the Kōan Series. In this series, we will read and discuss real Buddhist kōans to try and better understand them. We hope you enjoy.Resources: Episode 10 - https://anchor.fm/brightonbuddhism/episodes/What-is-Zen-Buddhism-e1a2sm2Episode 18 - https://anchor.fm/brightonbuddhism/episodes/What-is-the-Buddhist-philosophy-of-speech--language--and-words-e1dgqu9Episode 32 - https://anchor.fm/brightonbuddhism/episodes/What-are-kans-e1j5sclEpisode 33 - https://anchor.fm/brightonbuddhism/episodes/What-is-emptiness-e1jc31iHori, Victor Sogen (1999). "Translating the Zen Phrase Book" (PDF). Nanzan Bulletin (23).; Hori, Victor Sogen (2000), Koan and Kensho in the Rinzai Zen Curriculum. In: Steven Heine and Dale S. Wright (eds)(2000): "The Koan. Texts and Contexts in Zen Buddhism, Oxford: Oxford University Press; Heine, Steven (2008), Zen Skin, Zen Marrow; Bielefeldt, Carl (2009), "Expedient Devices, the One Vehicle, and the Life Span of the Buddha", in Teiser, Stephen F.; Stone, Jacqueline I. (eds.), Readings of the Lotus Sutra, New York: Columbia University Press, ISBN 9780231142885; Kotatsu, Fujita; Hurvitz, Leon (1975), "One Vehicle or Three", Journal of Indian Philosophy, 3 (1/2): 79–166; Lopez, Donald (2016), The Lotus Sutra: A Biography (Kindle ed.), Princeton University Press, ISBN 978-0691152202; Lopez, Donald S.; Stone, Jacqueline I. (2019), Two Buddhas Seated Side by Side: A Guide to the Lotus Sūtra, Princeton University Press; Pye, Michael (2003), Skilful Means – A concept in Mahayana Buddhism, Routledge, ISBN 0203503791; Watson, Burton (tr.) (1993), The Lotus Sutra, Columbia University Press, ISBN 023108160X; Patrick Olivelle, trans. Life of the Buddha. Clay Sanskrit Library, 2008. 1 vols. (Cantos 1-14 in Sanskrit and English with summary of the Chinese cantos not available in the Sanskrit); Stone, Jacqueline Ilyse (2003), "Original enlightenment and the transformation of medieval Japanese Buddhism" (PDF), Studies in East Asian Buddhism, University of Hawaii Press (12), ISBN 978-0-8248-2771-7, archived from the original (PDF) on November 5, 2013; Hakeda, Yoshito S., trans. (1967), Awakening of Faith—Attributed to Aśvaghoṣa, with commentary by Yoshito S. Hakeda, New York, NY: Columbia University Press, ISBN 0-231-08336-X; Jorgensen, John; Lusthaus, Dan; Makeham, John; Strange, Mark, trans. (2019), Treatise on Awakening Mahāyāna Faith, New York, NY: Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780190297718https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/flood-relief#/⁠⁠Do 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

a conversation with Bryce Boehmer where we discuss how to understand culture. We are setting up a workshop in Calgary on 20-21st October and this podcast provides an outline for the workshop program.Culture cannot be understood through definitions and propositions; culture is lived and experienced through observations and conversations.In this podcast, Nippin explains to Bryce how to make the familiar strange and the strange familiar through immersive, experiential learning that is termed as Semiotic Walks. As part of this workshop, we will visit a church, a Buddhist monastery and the Ikea Store in Calgary to feel and experience culture. Through these two days of experiential learning we will gain the wisdom and insights to become strategic and deliberate about organisational culture and culture change.

George explores the fine line between healthy interdependence and codependency, especially for anxious types seeking closeness and discusses how codependency emerges. Looking to dive deeper into your own attachment journey? Join our Meditation x Attachment Level One online course beginning on September 13th. Sign up at ⁠mettagroup.org/meditation-x-attachment-level-one ⁠.Try our free video resource "The Main Signs of Attachment Disturbance " and learn how to identify core attachment disturbances, move beyond the challenges and live a truly meaningful life. Get it now at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠mettagroup.org/start-here⁠⁠Mettagroup was founded by George Haas in 2003 and named the ‘Best Online Buddhist Meditation' by Los Angeles Magazine in 2011, Mettagroup uses Vipassana, or Insight meditation, as a way to help students live a meaningful life. Drawing from 2500-year-old Buddhist teachings and John Bowlby's Attachment Theory, the Mettagroup techniques serve as a model of how to connect with other people, and how to be completely yourself in relationships with others and with work.More info at ⁠⁠mettagroup.org⁠⁠.

Reminding listeners that they can be fully supported and guided by the Dharma, Gil Fronsdal discusses the Buddhist concept of taking refuge.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.In this episode of the BHNN Guest Podcast, Gil describes:The significance of going for refuge within the Buddhist tradition How taking refuge can radically reshape your life and reorient your heart towards truth and freedomAnalyzing our consciousness and what it is concerned with Taking refuge in the right things (those which can be be depended on for safety, peace, support)Bringing 100% of yourself along to the refuge without holding backWhy some people resist the concept of going for refugeMaking the intentional, willful choice to live a life aligned with truth and awakeningTrusting in the Dharma, surrendering, and knowing that it will always support youThe wise story of a monk who always maintained an attitude of trust and positivity, to his own downfall Taking refuge within ourselves and becoming independent within the Dharma rather than depending on other people The essence of the Dharma: committing to a life that doesn't cause harm Taking refuge in the potential for awakening and freedom that we all haveFinding refuge within the sangha, aka, our spiritual community Offering refuge to others and ensuring that we are a source of peace for the world around us“For me a very important aspect of this whole refuge thing is offering refuge to others, being someone that people can take refuge in, or being in the world in such a way that the world feels safe with you, supported by you, that the world has nothing to fear from you. Not just going for refuge or taking refuge, but offering refuge in return.” – Gil Fronsdal About Gil Fronsdal:Gil Fronsdal is the co-teacher for the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California; he has been teaching since 1990. He has practiced Zen and Vipassana in the U.S. and Asia since 1975. He was a Theravada monk in Burma in 1985, and in 1989 began training with Jack Kornfield to be a Vipassana teacher. Gil teaches at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where he is part of its Teachers Council. Gil was ordained as a Soto Zen priest at the San Francisco Zen Center in 1982, and in 1995 received Dharma Transmission from Mel Weitsman, the abbot of the Berkeley Zen Center. He currently serves on the SF Zen Center Elders' Council. In 2011 he founded IMC's Insight Retreat Center. He is the author of The Issue at Hand, essays on mindfulness practice; A Monastery Within; a book on the five hindrances called Unhindered; and the translator of The Dhammapada, published by Shambhala Publications. You may listen to Gil's talks on Audio Dharma.This recording was originally published on Dharmaseed.org "To take refuge is to be interested in shaping consciousness in a very different way, shaping our heart in a very different way, so that our heart, our mind, is depending on something that is worth depending on. Depending on something which can provide a stable peace. Depending on something which is dependable. Depending on something that can protect us, support us, inspire us, and even liberate us.” – Gil Fronsdal See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Parami describes Avalokiteshvara; her relationship to the figure, his origins and mythology. In this talk, she helps listeners connect with his compassion and find meaning in his example of skilful action to end suffering of all beings. Excerpted from the talk Introducing Avalokiteshvara given at Glasgow Buddhist Centre, 2023. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now: https://freebuddhistaudio.com/donate Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast: Bite-sized clips - Buddhist inspiration three times a week. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dharmabytes-from-free-buddhist-audio/id416832097 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UHPDj01UH6ptj8FObwBfB YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FreeBuddhistAudio1967  

Susan Gillis Chapman shares helpful insights and wisdom from her new book, "Which Way Is Up?" She is joined in conversation with Jan Marie Martell.Drawing from her personal journey through cancer during the isolating years of the Covid pandemic, Susan offers a guide to navigating difficult times with mindfulness, compassion, and courage. Through the lens of Buddhist teachings on the "bardo"—a period of transition—she reveals how we can face our fears, transform suffering, and emerge stronger.Susan Gillis Chapman is a Buddhist teacher, retired family therapist, and author with decades of experience in contemplative psychology and meditation. She has trained under notable teachers like Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Pema Chodron, and Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, and her work emphasizes the power of mindfulness in times of personal crisis. Her first book, The Five Keys to Mindful Communication, has been widely praised. Her new book is Which Way Is Up? Finding Heart in the Hardest Times. Which Way is Up? offers practical and transformative guidance for facing life's greatest challenges.Jan Marie Martell is a poet, writer, photographer, botanical pharmacist, and former film teacher at Emily Carr University. She has been a student of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche since 1996 and member of his organization, Nalandabodhi, since its inception.

What to do when the voice in your head is an asshole.   Sebene Selassie is an author and meditation teacher. She writes the popular newsletter remind me to love and her first book is called, You Belong.    Jeff Warren is an author and meditation teacher. He writes the popular newsletter Home Base and is the coauthor, along with Dan, of a book called Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics. And he is the co-host of the mind/bod adventure pod. Aaron Schultz aka DJ DRM has crisscrossed the globe for decades playing his own unique brand of dance music. Aaron is also a longtime meditator and Dharma practitioner in the Dharma Drum lineage of Chan Buddhism, and is a passionate devotee of GuanYin Bodhisattva.   In this episode we talk about: How to relate to sticky stories and emotions  How to face unpleasant feelings  The 5 hindrances (that's a Buddhist list of the main problems that arise in meditation) and how sneaky they can be  The potential pitfalls of a “good sit” The role of right effort in meditation  How expectations make us suffer Neurodivergence Working with shame (and how it differs from wise remorse)  The connection between dancing and the Dharma (and why Dan is too self-conscious to dance) Join Dan's online community here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel On Sunday, September 21st from 1-5pm ET, join Dan and Leslie Booker at the New York Insight Meditation Center in NYC as they lead a workshop titled, "Heavily Meditated – The Dharma of Depression + Anxiety." This event is both in-person and online. Sign up here!    Get ready for another Meditation Party at Omega Institute! This in-person workshop brings together Dan with his friends and meditation teachers, Sebene Selassie, Jeff Warren, and for the first time, Ofosu Jones-Quartey. The event runs October 24th-26th. Sign up and learn more at eomega.org/workshops/meditation-party-2025. To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris Sponsors:  Liquid IV: Savor the last bits of summer with Liquid I.V. Tear. Pour. Live More. Go to LiquidIV.com and get 20% off your first order with code HAPPIER at checkout.  AT&T: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit att.com/guarantee for details.

Jack Kornfield explores the nature of mind, offering playful practices and profound perspectives to uncover our true home of freedom, compassion, and ease.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.Join the Year of Awakening with Jack Kornfield for a monthly group livestream Q&A hang with Jack, along with weekly modules and prompts to keep your life focused on awakening!“If we don't know the nature of mind and the ways of mind, our life is like a boat without a rudder, and we get pulled here there by all the thoughts, images, stories, feelings, and unfinished business that arise during the day” – Jack KornfieldIn this episode, Jack mindfully explores:The purpose of meditation and BuddhismLearning the true nature of mindAn assortment of micro guided meditation practicesExperiencing Buddha's ‘sure heart's release”Uncovering natural happiness and freedom of heartHow we create our world with our mindDiscovering what creates suffering and what creates happinessThe mirror-like quality of meditationStanislav Grof and LSDThe playfulness and creative capacity of mindThe Buddhist creation mythCounting/noting our thoughtsBecoming aware of awarenessAjahn Chah's meditation instructions Finding the place of natural mind and restCultivating inner listening The gradual and sudden dimensions of illuminationUntangling the unfinished business of our lives Touching the world in kindness and compassionMeeting ourselves and this world in kindness and humblenessBearing witness to the sorrows of the world while resting in the heart of the BuddhaOpening to the great mysteryBecoming The One Who KnowsThe Timeless Buddha as the ground of all being, our true home“Buddha didn't give an answer to the great mystery, he taught us how to rest in our heart in the midst of that mystery, to find our true home, that awakened state.” – Jack KornfieldThis Dharma Talk from 5/3/1993 at Spirit Rock Meditation Center was originally published on DharmaSeed.About 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.“There is something sudden in any moment, discovering that what we sought all along was here.” – Jack KornfieldSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Buddhist nun Jin Zheng Shi talks about goals and monastery lifeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amy and Margaret dive deep into the concept of radical acceptance—what it is, what it isn't, and how it can transform your approach to parenting, relationships, and life's toughest moments. From the wisdom of the Serenity Prayer to Buddhist teachings about the “second arrow,” the hosts unpack how accepting reality (without judgment or resistance) can help you move forward, even when things are hard. In This Episode: What is radical acceptance? (Hint: It's not denial or resignation!) The “second arrow” metaphor: why our reactions often cause more suffering than the original pain How radical acceptance helps parents deal with shame, guilt, and the pressure to “fix” everything Real-life examples: from parenting challenges to personal setbacks Actionable steps: mindfulness, self-compassion, and telling yourself the truth Why acceptance doesn't mean giving up—it's the first step to wise action Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode: Arlin Cuncic for VeryWell Mind: How to Embrace Radical Acceptance Tara Brach: The Wise Heart of Radical Acceptance Tara Brach for Counseling Center Group: Embrace Life with Radical Acceptance Dr. Ramani Durvasula on YouTube: 6 Things You NEED to Know About Radical Acceptance BorderLiner Notes on YouTube: How She Learned Radical Acceptance | MARSHA LINEHAN RADICAL ACCEPTANCE by Tara Brach We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/⁠ mom friends, funny moms, parenting advice, parenting experts, parenting tips, mothers, families, parenting skills, parenting strategies, parenting styles, busy moms, self-help for moms, manage kid's behavior, teenager, tween, child development, family activities, family fun, parent child relationship, decluttering, kid-friendly, radical acceptance, dialectical behavioral therapy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode was recorded at the Loving Kindness Meditation Retreat in Sewanee, TN July 2025. Andrew Chapman offers the second afternoon instructions on the effort of loving kindness.***Get Your Mind Right: A Young People's Retreat on the Four Great Efforts with Mikey Livid and Rachael Tanner-Smith Nov. 13th-16th: https://southerndharma.org/retreat-schedule/1522/get-your-mind-right-a-young-peoples-retreat-on-the-four-great-efforts/ 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

This week on VOMAus Radio, hear part two from Patrick as he shares remarkable stories from the field, of persecution, forgiveness and overcoming, with God's help and strength. You will be amazed and strengthened by the testimonies of Rachana, whose husband tried to kill her after she became a Christian, and Nanda, once a devout Buddhist priest who lost his prominence and reputation for Jesus. Be encouraged as you hear how God is at work in this ‘Hostile' nation. We hope it spurs you on to pray for believers in this nation and pray for VOM Australia too, as we seek to minister for those who suffer for His name.

Want ad-free episodes, exclusives and access to Q&As? Subscribe to Forever Strong Insider: https://foreverstrong.supercast.comWe have all heard the sayings and clichés, but what is the truth behind being afraid of dying? In this episode, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon sits down with Elena Brower, a best-selling author, meditation teacher, and hospice volunteer, to discuss the profound topics of impermanence, living intentionally, and preparing for the end of life.Drawing from her own experience with the loss of her mother, Elena shares her journey into hospice work and Buddhist chaplaincy, revealing how embracing the reality of death has become her most sacred practice. This conversation is not about morbidity but about using the awareness of death to live a more vibrant, present, and meaningful life.Discover Elena Brower's powerful new book, Hold Nothing, available now at https://elenabrower.com/holdnothing Chapters:0:00 - Intro1:24 - The Five Remembrances3:16 - Living with Impermanence5:11 - The Two Kinds of Physicians6:14 - Elena's Journey as a Hospice Volunteer9:22 - Why Not Just Wait to be Afraid?10:05 - The Power of Day-by-Day Awareness13:34 - The Practice of Letting Go of Your Personality15:40 - Making the Room Sacred17:06 - Why Our Culture Turns Away from Death23:02 - Do We Need Rituals?26:39 - Talking to Children about Death28:27 - Trauma, Grief, and Meeting Death Differently30:20 - Zen Meditation vs. Other Modalities38:54 - The Power of Friendship45:45 - The Lightning Speed of Letting Go46:33 - Cultivated Things47:07 - Redefining Success48:10 - Emptying Self-Doubt49:30 - The Purpose of Self-Doubt53:16 - Navigating Too Much Information54:23 - Sitting Still and Weight Training56:49 - Intergenerational Healing59:09 - The Grandmother's Passing1:01:36 - How Does Someone Become So Capable?1:07:39 - The Most Powerful Form of Action1:10:38 - Boundary Setting as an Act of Love1:17:45 - The Altar of the Heart1:19:22 - What to Say to Someone Who is Afraid of Dying1:21:18 - A Quick Story1:23:58 - Five Remembrances1:25:01 - Meditation1:31:16 - Closing RemarksThis episode is brought to you by: Puori - Use code DRLYON for 20% off - https://puori.com/DRLYONManukora - Get $25 off your Starter Kit at https://manukora.com/DRLYONBON CHARGE - Use code DRLYON to get 15% off your entire order - https://boncharge.com/DRLYONARMRA - Use code DRLYON to get 15% off your first order - https://tryarmra.com/DRLYONDisclaimer: The Dr. Gabrielle Lyon Podcast and YouTube are for general information purposes only and do not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast, YouTube, or materials linked from this podcast or YouTube is at the user's own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professional for any such conditions.

Patrick responds to questions that cut to the heart of Catholic life, moving from a supervisor’s Sunday work dilemma to a mother’s heartbreak over her son abandoning Mass for love. He weaves together listener stories, personal reflections, and Church teaching with both gentle encouragement and striking candor. As he celebrates the arrival of his new grandson and listens to tales of faith, Patrick offers practical advice and genuine warmth, drawing out the truth in every exchange. Steven (email) – Is it okay to ask people to work on Sunday? (02:03) Mary - My son is dating someone who is not Catholic. I feel the girlfriend is lying to him. Is there anything I can do? (10:07) Rosa - I called a year ago about an annulment. I want to thank you for your guidance. It helped me a lot. (23:17) Caesar - In Catholic Christian burials, we should keep the body together and not cremated and spread in the ocean. Saints, however, have relics all over the world. Can you help me understand this? (29:07) Victor – Our priest said that not all Catholics will be going to Heaven. He also said that we might meet Buddhist monks in heaven. How is this possible? (38:56)

Indian philosophy and the search for unityIn our everyday lives we act as though we are all separate individuals, but is this really the case? Jessica Frazer argues that reality is ultimately unified, and that this shift in perspective can change the way we live our lives. It can help you lose your isolated ego and escape feelings of alienation from nature and the universe. You can start to see that you are living out a strange, larger pattern of mysterious provenance and immense creative power that's generating everything you've ever seen.Jessica Frazier is a professor of theology and religion at Trinity College, Oxford, as well as a Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Hindu studies. During her academic career, she has explored key philosophical themes across various cultures, ranging from Indian concepts of 'Being' to 20th century phenomenology. In addition, Frazier is the founding editor of the 'Journal of Hindu Studies' and a frequent contributor to BBC radio.Don't hesitate to email us at podcast@iai.tv with your thoughts or questions on the episode!To witness such debates live buy tickets for our upcoming festival: https://howthelightgetsin.org/festivals/And visit our website for many more articles, videos, and podcasts like this one: https://iai.tv/You can find everything we referenced here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

 [This episode originally aired on December 4, 2023]  Buddhist training has two sides, somewhat parallel to pure science and applied science  •  there is the meditation aspect, the inward journey; and there is the application of that in the world, or meditation in action  •  we all have the capacity to help; we all have the capacity to cultivate compassion and also to cultivate wisdom and insight, so that compassion is intelligent  •  but each of us has to find our own way to engage  •  according to the Buddhist teachings, there are five fundamental ways of engaging in the world  •  the first way is to create an accommodating, spacious mind through the practice of sitting meditation — which, according to my teacher, is one of the most radical things you can do  •  the second is exposing falsehood, clarifying situations, and providing information to address problems from a sane viewpoint  •  the third is providing resources like food or money  •  the fourth is cultivating relationships with people engaged in compassionate activities  •  the fifth has to do with understanding how to create organizations that can actually bring about effective action  •  this discussion is about taking stock of our own resources as well as being aware of what we need to cultivate in order to effectively respond to the endless variety of challenges we all face.

In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we explore how flow states, those moments of effortless focus and peak performance, can help us reconnect with our true selves and quiet the inner critic. My guest this week is Tom Roberts, retired dentist, race car driver, Buddhist practitioner and author of the upcoming book From Fear to Flow.Together, we examine what it really means to be in a flow state and why it's more accessible than most people think. Tom shares his personal journey of discovering flow through racing and Buddhist practice, and how that journey helped him reframe impostor syndrome as a form of ego protection. We also talk about why flow isn't just for elite performers, it's our natural state, how our ego and old narratives block access to flow and creativity and what racing taught Tom about fear, failure, and finding his own lane.About My GuestTom Roberts is a retired dentist, race car driver, longtime Buddhist practitioner, and author of the upcoming book From Fear to Flow: Transcend the Ego and Discover the Life You Were Meant to Live.~Connect with Tom:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-roberts-flow/~Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:https://www.kimmeninger.com/challengeLearn more about the Leading Humans discussion group:https://www.kimmeninger.com/leadinghumansgroupJoin the Slack channel to learn from, connect with and support other professionals: https://forms.gle/Ts4Vg4Nx4HDnTVUC6Join the Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/leadinghumansSchedule time to speak with Kim Meninger directly about your questions/challenges: https://bookme.name/ExecCareer/strategy-sessionConnect on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimmeninger/Website:https://kimmeninger.com

In this talk, we explore the meaning of vow and how it shapes the direction of our lives. From the Buddhist teaching of bodhichitta—the awakened heart-mind of compassion and wisdom—to personal stories of exemplars and inherited vows, we reflect on how intention becomes the fuel for practice. Through poetry, lived experience, and the reminder that even life itself carries a vow to endure and transform, we discover that vows are not rigid goals but guiding stars. This conversation invites us to discern our own vows and orient our lives with clarity, humility, and openness.This talk was given during the Tuesday night meeting of the Vancouver Zen group on July 29th, 2025. ★ Support this podcast ★

Receiving a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia can be an emotional and challenging experience. How can meditative practices support those living with MCI? Buddhist chaplain Sharon Lukert wrote her book, Until My Memory Fails Me, with the goal of sharing mindfulness and spiritual practices that have helped her since being diagnosed with MCI in 2021. She joins the podcast to share how her spirituality has impacted her journey to a diagnosis as well as strategies on navigating emotional struggles and building community for those living with MCI. Guest: Sharon Lukert, author, Buddhist chaplain Show Notes Learn more about Sharon Lukert and her book, Until My Memory Fails Me, on her website. Register for the Wisconsin ADRC's Healthy Living with Mild Cognitive Impairment education series on our website. Learn about the Wisconsin ADRC's involvement in the development of new blood tests, mentioned by Mrs. Lukert at 12:50, on our website. Interested in hearing more about what it's like being involved in Alzheimer's disease research? Listen to the Dementia Matters four-part series, “Voices of Research Participants,” on our website and wherever you listen. Connect with us Find transcripts and more at our website. Email Dementia Matters: dementiamatters@medicine.wisc.edu Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to the Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center's e-newsletter. Enjoy Dementia Matters? Consider making a gift to the Dementia Matters fund through the UW Initiative to End Alzheimer's. All donations go toward outreach and production.

This is such an interesting point, it sounds nice - oh yeah our minds play a role. Rinpoche said one time, and I'm quoting him exactly I promise, it's very shocking when we hear it, I've quoted it a lot, Rinpoche said - “The vast majority of all human beings on the planet have absolutely no idea that their mind plays any role at all in their lives.” Now this sounds almost impossible to believe doesn't it. I'll qualify it, we clearly know that our mind plays a big role when it comes to learning mathematics, learning music, and learning carpentry, I always say this point, we know our mind is the main player. If you don't have the right theories and think the right thoughts, you can never play the piano, you can't make a cake, and you can't make a table. So we do know it when it comes to theoretical things, intellectual things, or scientific things. We know the mind has to be trained to perfection. But Rinpoche's point is when it comes to becoming a happy person or an unhappy person, we have absolutely no idea that our mind plays any role at all, and that's the part that's shocking, and I think that's exactly right. Even if we're good little Buddhists we all know karma, yeah, blah, blah, blah. But the moment your hubby does the wrong thing, your wife slurps her coffee, the red light is red, you don't think it's your mind that is the problem at all. I mean even the best Buddhists, because we are so addicted, totally from eons of lifetimes, Buddha says, to seeing that the outside world is the main cause of our happiness and suffering, and that's why it's so difficult, it's incredibly difficult. Even the smallest disturbance on the outside, we know this, the smallest disturbance, we don't even bother looking at our mind, we just believe in the thing out there being the problem, and we know this is true. So it's very humbling. Karma theoretically is not complicated, it's just that it's so utterly shocking to us because it's the exact opposite of what we think. Many of us practicing for so many years, we know how tremendously hard it is, so we should not underestimate how difficult it is. But it's the essence of being a Buddhist, it's the absolute total point of all Buddha's teachings, that the mind is the main player. That the mind is the creator of everything, from the hell realms to Buddhahood, the mind is what creates it, it's as simple as that. So all we can do is keep hearing it, keep getting the theories clear, and be able to say them in a simple way because we mostly just get very confused, we go - oh yeah it's karma! What do you mean? Oh well it's just karma. That's like saying please explain the roses in the garden. Oh it's botany! Can you explain it for me? No! What good is that? You've got to learn a bit of botany, so you know how to use the law of botany. So we have to learn to know the words so we can use the law of karma. So let's look at how to think simply, what are the basic principles? This is part of our problem, we can't say the basic principles. But because we've heard it from the Tibetans in the same way that they would have said it in the 14th century, and talking to the choir, they don't really explain it in the way we need it to be explained. They don't stress the logic behind it, because the main point of karma in the first stages of the Lamrim is behave yourself, be nice, and don't kill, don't steal, and don't lie; and if you do you'll go to the hell realms for twenty two eons. I mean you're shaking in your shoes if you hear Lama Zopa talk. So let's use our concepts, let's look at what would help us! Western modern people who don't have this view. How do we present it to ourselves so that it begins to be logical to us? Well there's lots of different ways, you know, let's do that. Questions include - Karma is a natural law so there's no room for guilt? Why is ‘should' anger? Karma as a hypothesis? What is the correct way to act towards a teacher? What can we do to become more attuned to karma? What is the relationship between karma and loneliness? If someone is unkind to us, how do we fix it? Question on karma and children born with disabilities. How do delusions relate to karma and how do we work with them? Vajrayana Institute, Sydney, July 27th 2025.  

This week on What's My Thesis?, host Javier Proenza is joined by Ann Shi, a nomadic curator and founder of a poco art collective, whose deeply intuitive curatorial practice bridges Chinese literati aesthetics, feminist mysticism, and contemporary Asian diasporic identity. With roots in China, academic training in Oxford and at Sotheby's Institute of Art, and early career experience on Wall Street, Ann's nonlinear path defies institutional expectations, illuminating how curating can become both an embodied ritual and an act of cultural translation. In this wide-ranging conversation, Ann reflects on growing up as the daughter of a classical inkwash painter and an opera singer, both devoted Buddhist practitioners who observed the Five Precepts, embodying compassion and discipline in daily life—a grounding that continues to shape how calligraphy, voice, and ritual manifest in her exhibitions. Drawing on her time as Associate Curator at Rice University's Chao Center for Asian Studies, she reflects on how oral histories and immigrant archives shaped her curatorial voice and informed her efforts to platform Asian art beyond the Western gaze. Together, Ann and Javier unpack the tension between authenticity and market sustainability, the legacy of the literati tradition in Chinese art, and the complicated dynamics of Asian representation within museum and gallery systems. They also explore Ann's use of feng shui, the five elements, and feminine archetypes—like the goddess Nüwa—as curatorial frameworks that honor the unseen and elevate spiritual intuition over spectacle. The episode closes with a discussion of “Nüwa's Garden: A Summer Offering in Clay, Fire, and Water,” Ann's recent show at Charles Arnoldi Studio in Venice Beach, and its irreverent, ritual-infused closing celebration featuring live performances and feminist mythologies. Topics Discussed: Asian art history beyond Western institutional frameworks Literati aesthetics and connoisseurship in Chinese painting Feminist mysticism, feng shui, and the unseen in exhibition design Spiritual embodiment and curating as a ritual practice Challenges of art market sustainability and cultural authenticity The evolution of ink-on-paper and gendered aesthetics in East Asian art Intersections of performance, memory, and oral history a poco art collective's programming and community Follow Ann Shi: a poco art collective – @a.poco.art.collective Personal account – @annonymous_cynist

Episode #142 - Ha Nguyen - LOLAH Entertainment This podcast is also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.Born in a small town in Vietnam, Ha Nguyen was raised with a clear path laid out before her: academic achievement, a professional career, and a life of quiet respectability. For years, she followed that path—studying dentistry for six years at the insistence of her father. But even in the lecture halls and clinical labs, something louder was calling.Music had always been in her bones. As a child, she played piano, fashioned guitars from broomsticks, and recorded her favorite songs from MTV on cassette. It wasn't until her late teens that she picked up a guitar and started taking lessons. In her early twenties, she joined an all-female rock band in Saigon, and soon after, she never looked back.In this conversation, Nguyen is reflective, grounded, and quietly fierce. She speaks of her Buddhist practice not as a performance of spirituality, but as a daily discipline—a reminder to stay present, to stay soft, to stay open. She's also a mother now, a role that has softened some of her edges while sharpening her sense of purpose. Songs like “Best Thing” reflect this shift—less rebellion, more resolution.Follow Ha on Instagram @lolahentertainment or visit her website at lolahentertainment.com Ha was most recently featured in Issue 17.2, “Connect.”

Vishvapani has been studying, reflecting upon, and living out the Dharma life as presented by Urgyen Sangharakshita, Triratna's founding teacher, for over 40 years. To mark the fourth anniversary of “Bhante” Sangharakshita's death in 2018, this new audio essay delves deep into the heart of what Vishvapani calls a “unique and strange” intuitive approach to Buddhism that, at its best, seems to capture and vibrate with the essential vital energy of the universe. Excerpted from the essay The Organic Core of Sangharakshita's Teaching given at Triratna Buddhist Community, 2022. *** Help us keep FBA Podcasts free for everyone! Donate now: https://freebuddhistaudio.com/donate Subscribe to our Dharmabytes podcast: Bite-sized clips - Buddhist inspiration three times a week. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dharmabytes-from-free-buddhist-audio/id416832097 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UHPDj01UH6ptj8FObwBfB YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FreeBuddhistAudio1967  

We were honored to welcome Todd and Pernille Lent Damore as our August 2025 Satsang guest. Their conversation with Yvonne Unger was both inspiring and insightful, offering profound reflections that resonated deeply with our community.About Todd and Pernille:Todd and Pernille Lent Damore have created The Awakening Curriculum, a comprehensive path to awakening using “The Wheel of Identification”, their framing of the Buddhist 10 Fetters. Their approach provides practical applications to wake up, moment to moment, amidst our everyday life. Together they have more than 50 years of Buddhist practice, and they combine this with elements of psychology, MindBody Trauma Release, and integrated non-dual inquiry to help people live a well-rounded human life free from attachments and suffering.You can find their work at The Awakening Curriculum and Unfettered Mindfulness YouTube channels, and on their website. https://www.youtube.com/@TheAwakeningCurriculum https://www.youtube.com/@UnfetteredMindfulnesshttps://TheAwakeningCurriculum.comTodd and Pernille strive to provide much of their work for free. Donations are always welcome to help them continue their passion of spreading awakening throughout the world. You can either donate directly using this link: http://paypal.me/ToddLent or join their Patreon channel here:  https://www.patreon.com/TheAwakeningCurriculumA Link to Satsang ReflectionsSatsang Reflections is a monthly dialogue held after the Satsang. During this program, hosted on Monday, August 18th by Joseph Schmitz, members shared their insights and takeaways from the Satsang with Todd and Pernille.https://open.spotify.com/episode/4I0SwXbHXhwqPGmPgOugGU?si=rSMWHsELR5yIewLJ4MYBeALove podcasts? You might also enjoy one of the programs listed here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://awakening-together.org/interact/podcasts/

Drew is a former President and Secretary of the BSWA in the years of 2014-2018. During this time Drew implemented many changes at the BSWA including property purchases and a re-structure of the Committee into sub-committees and the employment of paid staff to better service the growth in size the Society had experienced in the previous 10 years. Drew is a family man and business man who won an industry award in 2021 from the State Government for innovation in the mining sector. Since stepping down as President Drew has been a regular on the scene at the BSWA and has been invited as a Lay Speaker and to date has given 9 Dhamma talks. Drew's talk last year, ‘Monks on Mars' followed a trajectory of Buddhism in the future, which was a sequel to his talk the year before ‘Dhamma and the Dinosaurs' that was a Buddhist examination of deep time. Tonight's talk ‘Free Will - a Failed Fantasy' is a look at the experiences of a lay person existing in the human realm looking to change their future. 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

It's a pleasure to share a conversation with Ani Lodro Palmo, an ordained Tibetan Buddhist nun and Director of the Vajra Vidya Monastery in Crestone, Colorado; and a spiritual teacher and author with more than three decades of monastic experience. Ani has devoted her life to spiritual practice and shares her understanding of the Dharma as an author of the books, All That Appears & Exists: The Buddha's Teachings to Awaken the Heart and Turn Suffering Into Joy and her most recent, The End of Suffering: Finding Love, Self-Compassion, and Awakening in a Chaotic World. As a recognized teacher of Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and meditation, Ani Lodro's insights are deeply rooted in the unbroken lineage of Buddhist wisdom, through the Karma Kagyu lineage of The Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche. Although Ani has decades of monastic experience within Tibetan Buddhism, she teaches how the frustrations and dissatisfaction of our everyday lives can be understood and transcended through wisdom and compassion. She writes and speaks in an accessible way, with the gentle encouragement of a friend that is helpful to both new seekers and seasoned practitioners alike. Her teachings are available through retreats, online sessions, and publications. In the conversation we talked about a wide range things, including: How we tend to misunderstanding what suffering is. Gurus and reincarnation as a part of Tibetan Buddhism, but not a necessary part. The Four Noble Truths as a path to awakening. Taking the mystique from karma, as Ani writes: "transforming [it] from an enigmatic doctrine into a practical guide for conscious existence…. rooted in intention and behavior." Her teaching of the "7 Simple Truths to End Suffering": (1) Thoughts are nothing, they are no things; (2) Labels and thoughts create our reality; (3) When we look for our thoughts, they aren't there; (4) Your beliefs are not truth; (5) Dropping attachments is the fastest way to end suffering; (6)You can't focus on helping others and be miserable at the same time; (7) You don't need your mind (as much as you think). ... And much more. I know you will enjoy Ani Lodro's easy and relatable style of teaching and be inspired by what she has to say.   Learn more about Ani Lodro Palmo: https://www.anilodroretreats.com/   Vajra Vidya Monsastery: https://vajravidya.com/   Buy her books The End of Suffering:  The End of Suffering All That Appears & Exists: All That Appears & Exists Journey Into Peace: Timeless Tales of Zen Buddhism: Journey Into Peace   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@anilodroretreats     Become a patron to support this podcast and get special member benefits, including a membership community, a virtual sangha, and a subscription to my Everyday Buddhism Substack:https://www.patreon.com/EverydayBuddhism     Check out my Substack for ongoing chapter releases of my new serial book, Living Life As It Is and the podcast, Words From My Teachers: https://wendyshinyohaylett.substack.com/   If this podcast has helped you understand Buddhism or help in your everyday life, consider making a one-time donation here: https://donorbox.org/podcast-donations   Support the podcast through the affiliate link to buy the book, Everyday Buddhism: Real-Life Buddhist Teachings & Practices for Real Change: Buy the book, Everyday Buddhism   Support the podcast and show your support through the purchase of Everyday Buddhism merch: https://www.zazzle.com/store/everyday_buddhism   NOTE: Free shipping on ALL (unlimited) items (Everyday Buddhism merch or gifts from other stores) if you join Zazzle Plus for $19.95/year: https://www.zazzle.com/zazzleplus

I woke up this morning to the most incredible thunderstorm (which got me up way too early, thanks Mother Nature), and instead of being grumpy about it, I had this wild thought: "What if I just recorded that podcast episode I've been marinating on?" Today we're diving into a concept that literally changed my life which is...--> It doesn't get any better than this

Prayer Moment 4 of 4 in AugustPrayer for Outward Focused Evangelism1. To Seek and Save the Lost - Pray for believers in Vietnam would bring the Good News of God's Kingdom outside the walls of the church.  2. Secular spaces - Pray that Vietnamese Christians would talk about Jesus in the market place, the business world, and in their workplaces. 3. Bivocational Pastors - Pray for many pastors in Vietnam to be bivocational - not to make more money, but to testify about Jesus to those who won't enter into their churches.

Watch the full podcast here! https://chinauncensored.tv/programs/podcast-307 A Buddhist group with mysterious ties to China is taking over a small Canadian province. What do people in Canada and the US need to learn before it's too late? Joining us today is Garry Clement. He's the Chief Anti-Money Laundering Officer at VersaBank. He's a co-author of the new book Canada Under Siege, and he's co-starting in a new documentary, Game of Shadows.  Watch Game of Shadowshttps://optimumpublishinginternational.com/books/p/game-of-shadows-documentary-cp3ae And check out our other channel, China Uncensored: https://www.youtube.com/ChinaUncensored Our social media: X: https://www.x.com/ChinaUncensored Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChinaUncensored Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ChinaUncensored #China

In this episode of Asked and Answered by Soul, guest host Diane Wingert welcomes Danielle Weil, copywriter, strategist, and creator of LaunchFlow, for an empowering and deeply honest conversation on evolving leadership, authentic storytelling, and trusting your soul's call to reinvention. This episode is a masterclass in feeling your way through growth, shedding old labels, and making room for authenticity without sacrificing safety or soul. About Guest Host Diann After a twenty-year career as a psychotherapist and serial business owner, Diann pivoted into coaching entrepreneurs with ADHD traits, diagnosed or not.  Her passion is helping neurodivergent entrepreneurs, creatives and small business owners create ADHD-friendly, sought-after businesses that balance passion, purpose & profit.  On the personal side, Diann loves strong coffee, dark fiction, and laughing out loud. Diann is a practicing Buddhist, a dog lover, and host of the ADHD-ish podcast.  You can learn more about Diann at https://www.diannwingertcoaching.com/. About Danielle Danielle Weil is a copy & marketing strategist and the creator of LaunchFlow® who helps expert business owners build a fun, profitable, sustainable launch engine. Since 2006 she's written dozens of 6 and 7-figure launches, generated over $170M++ in sales for clients, and mentored business owners to break their own sales records while launching in a way that creates flow and momentum. You can learn more about Danielle at https://www.dwcopy.com/. The Asked and Answered by Soul podcast is dedicated to helping you understand that your Soul is the answer. To learn more about your soul's answers and purpose, access your free guide at www.themythsofpurpose.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 0929 - Ajahn Chah & Core Buddhism, I (Click on the above link, or here, for audio.) Introduction to the Thai Forest Tradition and core Buddhist principles, from Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah (compiled by Ajahn Munindo, 2011). Commentary on the book's Introduction from Ajahn Amaro (pages iii-vi), Buddhist history, and the incarnative mode of "straight and narrow."References from

Let us know what you enjoy about the show!Have you ever felt guilty for resting in a world that glorifies constant productivity? This gentle, meditative episode offers a powerful antidote to our culture's obsession with perpetual action through a beautiful Buddhist parable about balance and renewal.At the heart of this episode is the story of Kansho and Yuma – the mighty waterfall and the still pond. Their relationship reveals the profound truth that power and stillness aren't opposing forces but complementary energies that sustain each other. The waterfall's thunderous strength depends entirely on the pond's quiet ability to receive, hold, and renew. This ancient wisdom speaks directly to our modern struggle with burnout, perfectionism, and the relentless pressure to perform.Through guided breathing and thoughtful narration, this episode creates a sanctuary for listeners to experience what it teaches – that rest isn't weakness but the source of our strength. You'll be invited to recognize yourself as both waterfall and pond, understanding that your moments of quiet reflection are just as valuable as your periods of dynamic action. The episode concludes with a powerful reminder that "by choosing to rest, you are not giving up your power, you are increasing it." Take this opportunity to pause, breathe, and rediscover the restorative power of stillness. What might change in your life if you honored both your need for achievement and your need for renewal?Support the show

This talk was given by Andrea Fella on 2025.08.23 at the Sati Center in Redwood City, CA. ******* At the time of the Buddha, someone is said to come to the Buddha and asked “[Why] though beings wish to be free of enmity, violence, hostility, and hate, they still have enmity, violence, hostility, and hate?” (Digha Nikaya 21.2.1) We are still asking that question. Conflict seems to be deeply embedded in being human, and is quite pronounced right now. Practitioners now often ask the same question that was asked of the Buddha, and the teachings that were offered then are quite relevant now. During this two part class, we will explore some of the Buddhist teachings that can help us to understand conflict and how to navigate it more skillfully. The first week we will explore the Buddhist understanding of how conflict arises. The second week we will consider some of the teachings about working with conflict and the path to non-conflict. ******* Video of this talk is available at: https://youtu.be/0C65-9EzdIg. ******* 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

Send us a text & leave your email address if you want a reply!Feeling overwhelmed by digital burnout while craving deeper intimacy and community connection? You're not alone in this modern paradox. In this episode of Sex Reimagined, hosts Leah Piper and Dr. Willow Brown tackles the loneliness epidemic head-on, revealing how our obsession with digital efficiency is actually robbing us of living a more poetic life filled with adventure & deep connection that we so desperately crave.EPISODE HIGHLIGHTSPattern interrupts: Do something slightly out of the ordinary togetherTantric practices: Try Yab Yum (sitting meditation position) for 25 minutes before bedDitch the phone rides: Ask friends to drive you places instead of using UberFind your people: Buddhist centers, poetry nights at local venues, fitness buddiesShared experiences: Comedy shows, live music, anything where you laugh/feel togetherShow up consistently: Pick one community thing and stick with itComplete digital detox days (like Willow did when she couldn't even open her computer)Create device-free zones during meals and before bedReplace scrolling time with offline activities that actually fill you upLINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE CAN BE FOUND HERE ON THE WEBSITEAWAKENING THE GODDESS IN CRETE! Leah & Willow want to take you on an all-woman's tantric pilgrimage to Greece Oct 5-12, 2025! Join us for a trip of lifetime. THE VAGINAL ORGASM MASTERCLASS. Discover how to activate the female Gspot, clitoris, & cervical orgasms. Save 20% Coupon: PODCAST 20 LAST 10x LONGER. If you suffer from premature ejaculation, you are not alone, master 5 techniques to cure this stressful & embarrassing issue once and for all. Save 20% Coupon: PODCAST20. Support the show SxR Website Dr. Willow's Website Leah's Website

(East Bay Meditation Center) Sometimes it is thought that Buddhist practice is exclusively about "inner" transformation. However, the Buddha himself spoke of going out for the benefit of others and understood basic ethical guidelines socially. Later approaches and tradition, such as embodied in the rule of King Ashoka and the Mahayana vision of the bodhisattva, also manifest the connection of inner and outer transformation. In this talk, a contemporary "Eightfold Path" is offered to support connecting inner and outer transformation--bringing our practice into engagement with our contemporary society and world in great need. There are three wisdom guidelines, two meditation guidelines, and three ethical guidelines. The talk is followed by discussion.

Watch the full podcast here! https://chinauncensored.tv/programs/podcast-307 A Buddhist group with mysterious ties to China is taking over a small Canadian province. What do people in Canada and the US need to learn before it's too late? Joining us today is Garry Clement. He's the Chief Anti-Money Laundering Officer at VersaBank. He's a co-author of the new book Canada Under Siege, and he's co-starting in a new documentary, Game of Shadows.  Watch Game of Shadowshttps://optimumpublishinginternational.com/books/p/game-of-shadows-documentary-cp3ae And check out our other channel, China Uncensored: https://www.youtube.com/ChinaUncensored Our social media: X: https://www.x.com/ChinaUncensored Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChinaUncensored Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ChinaUncensored #China