Podcasts about Guanyin

Hope you enjoy the artists we have gathered for this episode, with a dozen new names added. Mick The ED Download Bios: http://www.sequencesmagazine.com/podcasts/ Playlist no 283 01.54 Ephemeral Mists ‘Astral Caravan/‘Chimeric Blooms' (album Spell Book Of Protection) https://mythicalrecords.bandcamp.com/album/spell-book-of-protection 13.48 Eric Bettens' Endless Hope' (album One More Life) https://estelys.bandcamp.com/album/one-more-life-2 19.22 Hanni Ranni ‘Live' (Live At Cercle Odyssey, Mexico City, Mexico) 38.16 Alisa Coral's Neutron Star ‘Virgo B (M49)' (album Virgo SC) https://acneutronstar.bandcamp.com/album/virgo-sc 46.31 The Beyond 'Twilights End' (album Twilight's End) *** https://thebeyond.bandcamp.com/album/twilights-end 53.50 Günter Schickert ‘Pulse' (album Überfällig) https://gnterschickert.bandcamp.com/album/berf-llig 01.02.17 Günter Schickert ‘Flügelschlag' (album Nachtfalter ) https://gnterschickert.bandcamp.com/album/kinder-in-der-wildnis 01.11.31 Mercury Antennae ‘Through The Veil' (The Veil Opaque Witchmoth Remix)' (EP The Veil Opaque 2) 01.16.30 Caught In Joy Extras ‘Analog Winter Suite' (album Analog Music For The Winter Deluxe) ***https://caughtinjoy24.bandcamp.com/album/analog-music-for-the-winter-deluxe 01.28.10 Paul Ellis ‘I Contain Landscapes/'Notturnal Sequence' (album Room Of The Lost One) https://paulellisspacemusic.bandcamp.com/album/room-of-the-lost-one 01.43.17 Parallel Worlds ‘Dreamwave/‘Inertia' (album Transformation) https://parallelworlds.bandcamp.com 01.55.00 Machka ‘Silver Night' (EP L'Algle et le Serpent) https://machka.bandcamp.com/album/laigle-et-le-serpent o1.59.50 Falling You ‘Ari's Song' (album Metanoia) https://fallingyou.bandcamp.com/album/metanoia 02.06.11 Falling You ‘(trying to weave) A Thread Of Happiness (from one day to the next)' 02.09.55 Elsehow ‘Hemisphere'/ ‘Remembrance' (album Afterimage-Instrumental Edition) www.project.com 02.21.35 Lisa Bella Donna 'Solar Winds' (album Mysteries Of Time & Space) https://lisabelladonna.bandcamp.com/album/mysteries-of-time-and-space 02.33.05 Chris Wood/Albert Sapsford ‘The Way to Tomorrow/The Multiplier' (album Pristine) *** https://pharmafabrik.bandcamp.com 02.42.15 Tauceti ‘Heilos/ ‘Black Mamba' (album Guanyin) https://taucetimusic.bandcamp.com/album/guanyin 02.49.11 Concrete Husband ‘I Heard Her Sing/ ‘A Calling From Afar' (album Where Ashes Glow) https://concretehusband.bandcamp.com/album/where-the-ashes-glow 03.00.13 Stan Dart “The Search For A Safe Place' (single) https://standartmusicbox.bandcamp.com 03.05.04 Stan Dart ‘Lovely Long Modulations/ ‘Eternity' (album Artificial Illusion) https://standartmusicbox.bandcamp.com/album/artificial-illusion 03.12.44 Keith Richie Threads Of Fate (The Binding/Dawn (The First Light)' (EP The Awakening) https://keithrichie.bandcamp.com/album/the-awakening 03.18.37 Michael Neil 'Solstice' (single) https://michaelneil.bandcamp.com/track/solstice 03.29.24 Cate Francesca Brooks ‘Aspect From The Window' (album Lofoten) https://catebrooksmusic.bandcamp.com/album/lofoten 03.33.33 Cate Francesca Brooks ‘Like Breathing Statues' 03.38.10 Christian Wittman ‘Hydra/Epsilon Persel' (album Andromeda) https://christianwittman.bandcamp.com/album/andromeda-2 03.49.54 Christian Wittman ‘Alexander Mackenzie/‘John Franklin' (album The Northwest Passage) https://christianwittman.bandcamp.com/album/the-northwest-passage 03.57.46 Bluetech ‘Null Cycles Pt 1' (album Driftworks Archives III: -Null Cycle ) https://bluetech.bandcamp.com/album/driftworks-archives-iii-null-cycle 03.07.57 Ekin Fil ‘beni yok saysan da'/Yok'(album Bora Boreas) https://dronarivm.bandcamp.com/album/bora-boreas 03.14.56 Giulio Aldinucci 'Filo Di Voce' (album ‘aer') https://dronarivm.bandcamp.com/album/aer-11th-anniversary-remastered-edition 03.22.22 Rutger Zuydervelt ‘Humming/Choreo' (album House Of Strength) https://dronarivm.bandcamp.com/album/house-of-strength Edit ***

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

Comment on this episode by going to KDramaChat.comToday, we'll be discussing Episode 13 of Extraordinary Attorney Woo, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Park Eun-bin as Woo Young Woo, Kang Tae-oh as Lee Jun-ho, Ha Yoon-kyung as Choi Soo-yeon, Ju Hyun-young as Dong Geu-ra-mi, Kang Ki-young as Jung Myung-seok, and Joo Jong-hyuk as Kwon Min-woo. We discuss:The songs featured during the recap: The Blue Night of Jeju Island by Park Eun-bin and Unanswered Questions by KOOW.The legal case centered around a 3,000 won admission fee to Hwangjisa Temple, and how it raises questions about cultural heritage law and public access.The real-life filming location of the fictional Hwangjisa Temple: Gwaneumsa Temple on Jeju Island, including its architecture, templestay program, and serene atmosphere.The blurred gwaebultaeng painting of Avalokiteśvara (Guanyin) and how it symbolizes the unseen spiritual essence in Korean Buddhist traditions.Attorney Jung's health deterioration and emotional unravelling, including his poignant reflections about his failed marriage and the impact of overwork.How Jeju Island acts as a backdrop for both a court case and an emotional retreat for the Hanbada team, revealing character backstories and personal struggles.Lee Jun-ho's awkward attempt to introduce Woo Young-woo to his sister and brother-in-law, leading to a painful confrontation overheard by WYW.The layered misunderstandings and hurtful comments about WYW's relationship with Lee Jun-ho, especially from his skeptical sister.Kwon Min-woo's unexpectedly supportive behavior toward Choi Soo-yeon and what we learn about his family obligations and financial pressures.More insight into language and social dynamics, including the respectful and familiar terms used between family members and toward WYW.The filming locations of Extraordinary Attorney Woo, including Deoksugung Stone-wall Road, the real-life gimbap restaurant in Suwon, and the hackberry tree in Changwon.ReferencesGwaneumsa Temple on Jeju IslandVisit Korea website about Gwaneumsa TempleKajaguruma restaurant in SuwonHackberry tree from Extraordinary Attorney Woo received natural monument statusHanbok - Wikipedia.Religion in South Korea - WikipediaInternal Investigations in Korea: If You Want To Win, Record All Interviews - Lexology.

Have you seen those breathtaking aerial photos of a solitary ginkgo tree in a courtyard, its leaves creating a perfect golden carpet of fallen leaves? This isn't just any tree—it's a 1,400-year-old living witness to history, standing tall within the walls of China's Gu Guanyin Buddhist Temple.While its stunning autumn transformation goes viral online each year, the story behind this magnificent being remains largely unknown to Western audiences. Why was this particular tree planted at this particular temple? Could it really have been placed there by Emperor Taizong himself, one of China's most celebrated rulers? Why are ginkgo trees so special?Join us as we unravel the mysteries of this famous ginkgo tree and explore its remarkable connection to the golden age of the Tang Dynasty.GuestsProfessor Ruihong DiNorthwest UniversityXi'an, Shaanxi Province, ChinaPeter Del TrediciUrban Ecologist and BotanistArnold Arboretum of Harvard UniversityBoston, MAwww.peterdeltredici.comWild Urban Plants of the Northeast: A Field GuideReaderWiley WangMachine Intelligence EngineerPalm Springs, CA"Traditional Folk Tale of Gu Guanyin Temple" edited by Doug StillVoiceover Reading for Ruihong DiMartha Douglas-OsmundsonLinkedIn ProfileMusic"Farewell at the Yangguan Pass," traditional, Tang DynastyXiao-zhong Wu soloistPeople's Association Chinese Orchestra1992 Yellow RiverOther ReferencesThe Ruler's Guide: China's Greatest Emperor and His Timeless Secrets of Success, Chinghua Tang, Scribner, 2017.Ginkgo: The Tree That Time Forgot, Peter Crane, Yale University Press, 2013.Photo CreditFlyOverChina, Xinhua News AgencyTheme MusicDiccon Lee, www.deeleetree.comArtworkDahn Hiuni, www.dahnhiuni.com/homeWebsitethisoldtree.showTranscripts available.Follow onFacebook or Instagram We want to hear about the favorite tree in your life! To submit a ~4 or 5 minute audio story for consideration for an upcoming episode of "Tree Story Shorts" on This Old Tree, record the story on your phone's voice memo app and email to:doug@thisoldtree.netThis episode was written in part at LitArts RI, a community organization and co-working space that supports Rhode Island's creators. litartsri.org

Guanyin crashes the emperor's Buddhist party and tells all the monks of the East what she really thinks of their scriptures.

¡MONO ESTÁ DE VUELTA! Tripitaka pierde a su caballo real en las fauces de un dragón arrepentido. Guanyin usa mantras y magia para poner a Mono en su lugar. Además, mentiras, engaños, tigres que explotan, ladrones, moda sangrienta y más saltos sobre las nubes.

Cierra hoy la tangente que hicimos para descubrir al monje digno de llevar las escrituras al este. Xuanzang, nieto de Taizong, se convierte en el elegido de Guanyin para llevar a cabo la hazaña que incluirá un viaje por los infiernos budistas, un dragón decapitado, un juez fantasma y un rapto en el que interfiere el planeta Venus. Pasen a escuchar.

Today Sun Wukong threatens to sue someone and we learn of the white rodent's many sickass names. Links: Episode artwork from the 2011 TV adaptation of Journey to West. Journey of the Monkey King on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/monkeykingpod Journey of the Monkey King on the Fediverse: https://mastodon.ie/@monkeykingpod M.J. on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emjaystokes Caoimhe's website: https://oakreef.ie Buy us a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/monkeykingpod

Guanyin, la diosa de los mil brazos y los mil ojos, Hui'an, su discípulo, y hasta el mismo buda se involucran en la cacería de Mono. El general del cielo gana un concurso de transformaciones contra el Rey de los macacos. Además, el florero más pesado del mundo, anillos que se encogen y una montaña hecha de energía. 

Returning to the twists and turns of the endless, meandering 2024 campaign for POTUS, and looming uncertainty of threatened challenges to the vote promising to bollix up the results, the question arises as to what this may have to do with Zen. The dedicated Zen guy who produces the UnMind podcast suggested that we take up the premise of the “Bodhisattva ideal” in Buddhism, comparing and contrasting behaviors and apparent attitudes of the candidates — and politicians in general — to this lofty ideal and aspiration. Somewhere in the copious Zen literature I came across the proposition that governmental leaders find themselves in positions of power owing to karmic merit accumulated in past lives, apparently whether they know it or not. We can suppose that this quaint notion arose in the context of predominantly Buddhist societies, such as that of Ashoka the Great in India, or in the later empires or principalities in China. It requires quite a stretch of the imagination to interpret our current political situation from that standpoint, though an online meme that one of the candidates is the “chosen of God” is even more ludicrous to contemplate. Looking at the meaning of “Bodhisattva” thorough the eyes of Google, the first hit that comes up is from the University of Washington, Seattle-based home of the Huskies, the first thing that comes up on their homepage. We will defer any consideration of college football as the key branding element of UW, and higher education in general, for a later segment. Their more-or-less traditional definition of the Bodhisattva assumedly comes from their comparative religion department: Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who have put off entering paradise in order to help others attain enlightenment. There are many different Bodhisattvas, but the most famous in China is Avalokitesvara, known in Chinese as Guanyin. Bodhisattvas are usually depicted as less austere or inward than the Buddha. — https://depts.washington.edu Parsing this definition, I have a few quibbles. We prefer the use of “enlightening” beings as it indicates a process in which all of us comprise a work in progress, whereas “enlightened” indicates a state of completion. No true bodhisattva would ever claim to be enlightened in that sense. In the sense of enlightened self interest and the best interests of others, yes. Then there is the idea of “entering paradise.” The Buddhist term “Nirvana” is not pointing at another dimension or plane of existence, but the true nature of this world in which we find ourselves — so-called “Samsara.” As Master Dogen reminds us, “actually, the Other Shore (of Nirvana) comes to us”; we do not go to it. As Shohaku Okumura-roshi once mentioned, “Everybody says they want to go to Nirvana. But when you go there, there is nobody there. Only bodhisattvas can go to Nirvana, and they choose to stay here. So our charge is to change Samsara into Nirvana.” This is what Dogen means by saying the other shore comes to us. The reference to “many different Bodhisattvas” and the most famous being Avalokitesvara, Guanyin in China, or Kanzeon in Japan, reinforces the notion that bodhisattvas are a special class of beings, outside the kin or ordinary mortals — much like the icons of other religions, such as canonized prophets, saints and saviors, or demigods. My understanding of the Zen ideal is that we are all bodhisattvas, whether we know it or not. And finally, the reference to their relatively diminished austerity seems somewhat overwrought. My reading of the original teachings attributed to Shakyamuni reveal a profound humility and accessibility, and a remarkable empathy for his audience, that any bodhisattva would aspire to emulate. Awakening of the Bodhi mind is concomitant with the Bodhisattva vow — to help all others before reaching the other shore — according to Dogen, who should know. So how do our current carriers of partisan banners stack up against this image? I would suggest that their motivations have little or nothing to do with entering paradise, for one. So in that, they are like bodhisattvas — but focusing their efforts on the present and immediate future of prosperity in the secular sphere — not the spiritual realm. In American politics, and perhaps that of Western countries in general, there is an underlying implication that behavior in the societal sphere is indicative of one's “values,” which tend to land in the ethical, moral, and spiritual column. This may be a vestigial remnant of the puritan ethic that pervaded the early migrants to these shores, the after- effects of which we witness today, including in the performative permutations of partisan politics. But, quoting myself in an earlier UnMind segment, there are brute behaviors of our fellow-travelers in this particular time and space that cannot be excused as politic: When it comes to indiscriminate bombing of civilians and children, we are no longer in the realm of “politics.” If we are silent, we become complicit. Buddha, I believe, would have spoken out against this betrayal of compassion and wisdom. As did Matsuoka Roshi, concerning the corrupt regime in Vietnam, and other atrocities of his time. We can look to the teachings and meditation practice of Zen Buddhism to find a degree of solace and sanctuary from these insults to humanity, but we cannot run, and we cannot hide from them, ultimately. But we do not have to join the partisan divide, either. In the same episode, we provided some historical context by referring to the foundational documents of the Founding Fathers, including the Declaration of Independence, with particular attention to the second section: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. This begins to sound a lot like the Bodhisattva ideal applied to the salvation of others, at least in the secular realm. If we are all equal, we all have equal potential to wake up in the most comprehensive sense, as did Shakyamuni Buddha. We also innately deserve to be treated with the highest degree of respect from our peers. And each and all have equal claim to life — within the realistic constraints of aging, sickness and death; to liberty — in the sense of true liberation from our own ignorance, and the imposition of that of others upon our lives; and the pursuit of true happiness, which does not derive from materialistic sources. Perhaps our political leaders are doing their level best to secure the rights, at least in their secular manifestation. But compare to the Bodhisattva vows, which address serving, or saving all beings, on another scale altogether; two translations give us a better insight into their broader and deeper meaning: Beings are numberless I vow to free themDelusions are inexhaustible I vow to end themDharma gates are boundless I vow to enter themThe Buddha way is unsurpassable I vow to realize it However innumerable all beings are I vow to free them allHowever inexhaustible my delusions are I vow to extinguish them allHowever immeasurable the dharma teachings are I vow to master them allHowever endless the great way I vow to follow it completely I leave it to you to decide whether or not, and to what degree, your candidate for the highest office in the land, the most powerful secular position on Earth, are in harmony with these compassionate aspirations. But remember that the teachings of Buddhism were never meant to be held up to criticize others, but to reflect back upon yourself and your own behavior. The mirror of Zen reflects all — the good, the bad, and the ugly — without discrimination. You and your behavior are also reflected in that Precious Mirror.

Do you ever wonder why you are here at this specific time in the history of mankind? Maybe there is a bigger purpose than just surviving through all sorts of chaos that seem to be happening in the world today.In this episode, a co-founder of SoulfulWaves, a Humanity-Focused Energy Enhancement Healing Center, Nancy Adele, shares her experiences with Spirit she's been having since a young age and the message she receives from her Guides. Nancy is a registered nurse, Reiki master teacher, channel, intuitive reader, and published author of "This is a very important lifetime for you".About Nancy:Energy Enhancement System Center - Soulful WavesNancy's book "This is a very important lifetime for you"Resources discussed in this episode:Who is Jason Shurka?What is Energy Enhancement System?Who is Ganesh?.Who is Lakshmi?Who is Guanyin?Who is Maitreya?Who is Patricia Cota-Robles?Ways to connect with Masako:Let's meditate together on InsightTimer!Why not meditate? FB Groupwhynotmeditate.podcast IGmasakozawa_coaching IGWebsiteSupport the Show.

'Guanyin, Life Support & Seclusion' - Q&A with Ajahn Anan on 7 Jul 2024, translated from Thai to English. To join Ajahn Anan and the Wat Marp Jan Community online for daily chanting, meditation, and a Dhamma talk, you can email wmjdhamma@gmail.com for the link. Daily live sessions at 7.15pm - 9pm, Indochina Time (Bangkok, GMT+7).

Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Let's consider the fascinating figure of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, also known as Guanyin, in Mahayana Buddhism. We delve into the story of how Avalokiteshvara made a vow to save all sentient beings from suffering, and how he was granted a thousand arms by Buddha Amitabha to better assist those in need.  Avalokiteshvara has become one of the most popular Buddhist bodhisattvas. The “Basket Display” sutra is credited for bringing us the secret six syllable mantra, "Om Mani Padme Hum.” This text also is key in introducing Avalokiteshvara and positioning him as a powerful and compassionate being. One who transcends the realms, one who the Buddha turns to for wisdom.  We examine the complex narratives within the sutra, detailing Avalokiteshvara's activities in various realms and his interactions with other Buddhist figures. You will gain a deeper understanding of Avalokiteshvara's immense merit and powers, as well as the significance of his secret mantra. Overall, this episode provides a comprehensive overview of the Avalokiteshvara figure, his legendary origins, and the profound spiritual significance attributed to him in certain Buddhist traditions.

In this session, Ajahn Kovilo will discuss a Theravāda approach to the "Guanyin Dharmas" of: 1) listening 2) the wisdom of emptiness 3) great compassion, and 4) "response"

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains sensitive material that may not be suitable for all audiences, including themes relating to refugee affairs and abortion. Listener discretion is advised.  Suab, a Hmong shaman from Southeast China, finds spiritual asylum in the graces of Guanyin after being pursued by mysterious spirits. Guanyin is willing to listen and see what has caused such suffering to the shaman's state...but the more she inquires of the shaman's past, the more her unconditional compassion and mercy wavers. Why has Suab fled her country? From what exactly is she trying to escape from? How may a Goddess find empathy in the conflicting values of a modern world? Episode performed by Chloe Ong, Ryako, Karen Li, Deanna Halls, Breanna Pearl, Calista Wong, and Andrew Quilpa Directed by Angela Yih Episode script by Elizabeth Ung Sound Design and Musical Composition by Ryako Dramaturgy by Navi Feminist Fairytales is produced by Madeleine Regina, Van Winkle, Jennie Grenelle, Madelyn Dorta and Emma Love.  Theme music composed and produced by Juliana Marin. A special thank you to our Kickstarter supporter Rebecca Barry, the fairy godparent who made this episode possible with her generous donation. We apologize as our transcription software is still down, but we are close to solving the issue! If you would like to request a copy of the script before we upload the transcript, you can reach out to us at feministfairytalespodcast@gmail.com! Love Feminist Fairytales? Get early access to all episodes by becoming a Patreon member today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains sensitive material that may not be suitable for all audiences, including themes relating to refugee affairs and abortion. Listener discretion is advised.  Suab, a Hmong shaman from Southeast China, finds spiritual asylum in the graces of Guanyin after being pursued by mysterious spirits. Guanyin is willing to listen and see what has caused such suffering to the shaman's state...but the more she inquires of the shaman's past, the more her unconditional compassion and mercy wavers. Why has Suab fled her country? From what exactly is she trying to escape from? How may a Goddess find empathy in the conflicting values of a modern world? This episode was performed by Chloe Ong, Ryako, Karen Li, Deanna Halls, Breanna Pearl, Calista Wong, and Andrew Quilpa Episode script by Elizabeth Ung Dramaturgy by Navi Sound Design and Musical Composition by Ryako Directed by Angela Yih Interlude performed by Jennie Grenelle, Madeleine Regina, and Connor Bushoven. Interlude scripts by Madeleine Regina. Interlude Sound Design by Van Winkle.  Feminist Fairytales is produced by Madeleine Regina, Van Winkle, Jennie Grenelle, Madelyn Dorta and Emma Love.  Theme music composed and produced by Juliana Marin. A special thank you to our kickstarter supporter Rebecca Barry, the fairygodparent who made this episode possible with her generous donation. Episode transcript is slightly delayed as our transcription software is down! We will upload asap! Love Feminist Fairytales? Get early access to all episodes by becoming a Patreon member today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can you imagine if there was only one argument that you had to win? If you could become a master at winning that one argument, everything in your life would work. You would be a winner everywhere in your life. Would that be something worth mastering? Well, there's only one problem in all of human existence, and that is our belief and perception of separation from Source. There is a something, an isness that is whole, complete and perfect, that is perfection itself, life itself. It never is born. It can never die. It has no beginning or end. It can't be improved upon and it can't be diminished. It is the very source and substance, cause and effect, power and presence, principle and reality of all existence. It's nature is good. It's nature (not a good that's opposite of a bad, but in all good) is an infinite, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent good that has nothing outside of it and nothing else within it except its own goodness. Now, if you could just get what I just said, I don't mean just intellectually but have a realization of it, you will have won the argument because that's the truth principle – oneness, wholeness, perfection, god only, only god, love only, only love. However, that's not our experience. Our life experience is the relative perception and projection of this infinite perfection. So, we don't experience the one real life directly. We experience through our perception, through the filters of our mind and awareness which become beliefs and habits, which create circumstances and conditions. That is what we call life experience. Life experience can be all over the place. It literally can be anything depending on what dimension you're in and how much you're willing to believe in something. You can pretty much experience anything. That doesn't necessarily tell you what is reality, just as your beliefs don't tell you what reality is. They tell you your best guess at it and your emotions don't tell you reality. They tell you what you believe. The reason for this is because life is infinite. There's one mind, one consciousness, the mind of God, the intelligence of the universe, the all-knowing, all-containing, all-possessing, perfect mind. You're a center in it, and it's unfolding. So, you have the capacity to tap into it but it's all within this consciousness that is within you. This is why Jesus said, “Take no thought for your life, for the clothes you'll put on and the food, wherewithal you shall be clothed… but seek first the kingdom of heaven.” Then, he said, “And then all those things you've been striving after, those will be added unto you.” Buddha also taught us to go within. Lao Tzu, Guanyin, Shankara and the greatest masters and teachers all said that ultimately the solution and the answer to everything outside of you is inside of you – either go within or you'll go without. Ultimately, the greater the realization of your true self, your true nature, the realm of truth, and your connection, communion, and identification with that, the more everything resolves itself and your life reveals more and more bounty, abundance, and goodness. That's why it also says in the Bible, “If you dwell in the secret place of the Most High, under the shadow of the Almighty, no hurt, no harm can come down in your dwelling place.” I'm talking about this dimension with you – consciousness. Now, what does that have to do with the only argument you ever have to win? Well, in the most basic sense, as I mentioned above, the only lie is that you're separate from this ultimate reality or ultimate good. That's the one and only problem, this sense of separation from it. So, the only solution is the realization of your oneness within. To support you in mastering this, listen to the in-depth podcast on the subject, where we break it down and put it into real-life practice TODAY. This will be a real game-changer. Like this episode? Please rate it, post a review, and share it! Want more free trainings? Check out my free training page: https://derekrydall.com/free-trainings Get a copy of my best-selling book, EMERGENCE, and $1791 in huge bonuses! https://myemergencebook.com Get a copy of my best-selling book, THE ABUNDANCE PROJECT and $891 in amazing bonuses! https://theabundanceprojectbook.com Subscribe to Podcast here, or subscribe in iTunes or Stitcher, via email or Android: https://derekrydall.com/subscribe-to-podcast

Guanyin was a Bodhisattva, a figure in Buddhism who reached true enlightenment and ascended to Nirvana. She is known for showing love, compassion, and mercy. This month, we're talking about Goddesses: mythical figures who have shaped culture, history, and imagination around the world. History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn't help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should. Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we'll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more.  Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.  Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Sara Schleede, Paloma Moreno Jimenez, and Abbey Delk. Special thanks to Shira Atkins. Original theme music composed by Miles Moran. Follow Wonder Media Network: Website Instagram Twitter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rev. Zenshin Florence Caplow shares intimate accounts and stories of Kannon or Guanyin, the bodhisattva of compassion. She shares the story of Julie Pryde, the public health administrator of her […]

Loretta H. Yang and Chang Yi, founders and artists of LIULI Crystal Art, devoted their life to the art of LIULI for three decades. In the process, they revived the ancient Chinese technique of pâte de verre lost wax casting and instigated the contemporary glass art movement in Asia. Richly imbued with traditional Chinese artistic vocabulary and philosophical thinking, Yang's works have been acquired by more than 22 museums for their permanent collections including Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Palace Museum in Beijing, New York Museum of Arts and Design, The Corning Museum of Glass, and Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. She has created work for the Oscars, Grammys and 32 world leaders. “Beauty transformed” is how Japanese critics have described Yang's multiple talents. Named Best Leading Actress in the 21st and 22nd Golden Horse Film Awards ceremony, she was the first actress who won this award two years in a row. In 1987, Yang left the film industry along with her late husband, film director Chang Yi, and several other people from the film industry to establish the glass workshop and studio LIULI Crystal Art near Taipei, Taiwan. The industrious group invested their resources in rehabilitating a dilapidated factory and learned the techniques and process of glass casting in the French manner, similar to the luxury glass made by Lalique and Daum. Yang single-handedly rediscovered the techniques of pâte de verre glass casting and uses this technique to create works with a traditional Chinese artistic flare.  When asked, “What has it been like being a woman in the glass arts industry all these years,” Yang responded: “Honestly, I haven't given this topic much thought. Don't exceptional women exist in all industries? Chang Yi believed that women were the stronger gender and possess a resilience men don't. He would use the saying ‘will of steel, gentle heart' to describe women, because he observed that we lead with a gentleness of heart and an unwavering will. Maybe I've been lucky to work with Chang Yi all this time because despite what other people said, we took it with a grain of salt and continued to live according to our own set of rules. We complemented each other. He was responsible for the development, planning and operational aspects of the company. And because of this, he was able to steer our team in the right direction and instill an equitable value system.”  She continues: “I, on the other hand, have more patience and lean more toward innovation. I enjoy researching techniques – LIULI Crystal Art's 12-step technique is a product of my work. Yes, the process was challenging, but what would we be without it? LIULI Crystal Art faced a lot of challenges in our 36 years. The sheer will to complete a project was our greatest encouragement and got us through them. Chang Yi used to good-naturedly admonish that I was the type of person who doesn't know when to quit. But really, I'm the type of person who immerses themselves in something and will continue searching for an answer until I find it. Value and strength are creations of our own design. I refuse to put myself in a box or limit myself in any way. Women can be just as bold as men, men can be just as resilient as women.”  Today, LIULI Crystal Art owns factories on Taiwan (Tamshui) and in Shanghai, and numerous galleries on Taiwan and in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and United States. The group decided to use the Chinese word LIULI as opposed to more common names for glass in the Chinese language. It is commonly believed that the word LIULI first appeared during the Western Zhou Dynasty (about 1045-771 BCE), which referred to the glass being produced at the time. For Yang especially, using the term LIULI greatly references her own body of work, which draws upon traditional Chinese motifs and such Buddhist teachings as enlightenment and transparency, evoking an almost meditative practice and devotional purpose. Each piece undergoes a comprehensive 12-step process and requires six to eight months to complete. Known for her floral sculptures, in 2006 Yang removed all traces of color from her work. This pure, transparent series debuted at Leo Kaplan Modern in New York in 2007 with Proof of Awareness, an oversized and colorless blooming peony, garnering widespread acclaim. To Yang, the oversized flowers of Proof of Awareness represented her life reflections and the next stage of her creative journey. Says Yang: “LIULI petals, when looked at individually, hold little significance. But when clustered together, these petals manifest a symbiotic relationship to create a single large and flawless flower. A harmonious and mutually beneficial relationship does not focus on the self but on the greater good of everyone involved.”  Combining pâte de verre with hot casting, Yang uses multiple castings to create the abstract form of Buddha. Because life is impermanent, LIULI is the perfect material to capture its wavering illusory and tangible qualities. Yang explored the Buddhist philosophy of enlightenment and non-attachment in her exhibition Diamond Sutra held at the Grand Palais in 2015. The Ateliers d'Art de France commented: “The collection exudes a meditative philosophy that captures the Parisian way of life yet is an uncommon component in contemporary French art.” In 1996, when Yang and Chan Yi visited the Buddhist grottoes near the desert oasis of Dunhuang in western China, the moment they saw the Thousand-armed, Thousand-eyed Guanyin fresco in Cave 3 at Mogao, painted during the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368) and slowly disappearing under the relentless weathering of the desert sandstorms, Yang vowed to recreate the image in glass as a way of handing down to future generations the wisdom and compassion it has accumulated over the centuries. On the reverse side is engraved the Great Compassion Dharani, a popular incantation in Chinese Buddhism. The unique transparent nimbus represents the wisdom and compassion of Guanyin illuminating the world. The image exudes an air of boundless compassion, quelling the anxiety of a troubled heart. Though Yang has completed a 200cm version, her deepest wish is to complete a LIULI-made Thousand-armed, Thousand-eyed Guanyin that measures14.7 feet tall!  In order to “continuously create art for the good of the heart,” Chang wrote a dedicated poem for each artwork. It took great determination and faith to accumulate such a compelling body of work. He viewed LIULI as a communicator of life and death, and as the state between illusion and reality, light and shadow. Even though life was illusory, a dream and ephemeral like bubbles, there was always an unwavering touch of red in the heart urging all to never give up life and never give up hope.  Says Yang: “Although it's been more than three decades, we know there's a lot more to achieve. And the only way to do so is to continuously practice what we believe in. The mission of LIULI has always been more than LIULI. It is the society, the culture, and the human beings.  

Different belief systems—and just differences in general—collide and merge in Journey to the West, the classic Chinese novel at the center of this season. “In Dungeons & Dragons terminology, you've got this lawful good monk and then you have this chaotic good monkey,” says Kaiser Kuo (co-founder of China's first heavy metal band and host of the Sinica Podcast) in this episode. And their quest succeeds: the combination of the monk Tripitaka's lawfulness and the Monkey King's chaos works out. That intertwinement of differences shapes Journey to the West, on multiple levels. It's about a quest for Buddhist texts, but Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, makes his way through Daoist self-cultivation and Confucian thinking, too. The divine realm includes Daoist deities such as the Jade Emperor, but it's also a Buddhist realm, including the Buddha and Guanyin. There's a playful engagement with everything here, and the translator Julia Lovell explains the world behind that kind of expansive interaction with various traditions: The novel sprang from a much older set of legends about a real historical character who lived around 600–664 CE as a subject of the Tang empire in China. Now the Tang is one of the great eras of Chinese imperial expansion, when the empire extends from the edge of Persia in the northwest to the frontier with modern Korea in the northeast. Taizong, the emperor on the throne in Tripitaka's time—he's the character who in the novel dispatches Tripitaka off to India to fetch the sutras—Taizong is the vigorous, ruthless ruler who pushes the frontiers of his empire out so far.  And in the decades that follow this, the Tang empire is awash with cosmopolitan products and ideas. And still today in China, the Tang is celebrated as this period of phenomenal cosmopolitan flourishing of the empire and ideas throughout China. In this episode, we think about how a wild novel gave that cosmopolitan attitude a new narrative life. Guests in this episode include Kaiser Kuo, host of the Sinica Podcast; Julia Lovell, whose recent translation of Journey to the West is titled Monkey King; D. Max Moerman, scholar of religion at Columbia; and Xiaofei Tian, scholar of literature at Harvard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chit-Chat Chill 唞下啦! | 美國廣東話 Podcast 節目EP112: 娘娘

Prayer Moment 3 of 4 in MarchPrayer for God's Mercy...Pray with us for God's mercy in the lives of both believers and Buddhist people. (Psalm 136)...1. Pray for a deeper awareness of the power in God's mercy. Pray that believers will grow in confidence, empowerment, and transformative faith as a result of this mercy.2. Pray for Japanese and Chinese Buddhists, who orient their understanding of mercy around the goddess of mercy, Guanyin. Pray for the power they see in this goddess to pale in comparison to the living God of mercy. (Psalm 136:2)3. Pray for global workers across the Buddhist world to walk in mercy as they adapt to culture, language, and gospel proclamations in their contexts.For more resources and prayer opportunities, click the links below.Website: https://changethemap.netYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmu0ndxRYOLhYImtiGNtkzgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/changethemapprayerteamInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/changethemapTwitter: https://twitter.com/changethem...

The Only Argument You EVER Have to Win Can you imagine if there was only one argument that you had to win? If you could become a master at winning that one argument, everything in your life would work. You would be a winner everywhere in your life.  Would that be something worth mastering? Well, there's only one problem in all of human existence, and that is our belief and perception of separation from Source. There is a something, an isness that is whole, complete and perfect, that is perfection itself, life itself. It never is born. It can never die. It has no beginning or end. It can't be improved upon and it can't be diminished. It is the very source and substance, cause and effect, power and presence, principle and reality of all existence. It's nature is good. It's nature (not a good that's opposite of a bad, but in all good) is an infinite, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent good that has nothing outside of it and nothing else within it except its own goodness. Now, if you could just get what I just said, I don't mean just intellectually but have a realization of it, you will have won the argument because that's the truth principle – oneness, wholeness, perfection, god only, only god, love only, only love. However, that's not our experience. Our life experience is the relative perception and projection of this infinite perfection. So, we don't experience the one real life directly.  We experience through our perception, through the filters of our mind and awareness which become beliefs and habits, which create circumstances and conditions.  That is what we call life experience. Life experience can be all over the place. It literally can be anything depending on what dimension you're in and how much you're willing to believe in something. You can pretty much experience anything.  That doesn't necessarily tell you what is reality, just as your beliefs don't tell you what reality is. They tell you your best guess at it and your emotions don't tell you reality. They tell you what you believe. The reason for this is because life is infinite. There's one mind, one consciousness, the mind of God, the intelligence of the universe, the all-knowing, all-containing, all-possessing, perfect mind. You're a center in it, and it's unfolding. So, you have the capacity to tap into it but it's all within this consciousness that is within you. This is why Jesus said, “Take no thought for your life, for the clothes you'll put on and the food, wherewithal you shall be clothed… but seek first the kingdom of heaven.” Then, he said, “And then all those things you've been striving after, those will be added unto you.” Buddha also taught us to go within. Lao Tzu, Guanyin, Shankara and the greatest masters and teachers all said that ultimately the solution and the answer to everything outside of you is inside of you – either go within or you'll go without. Ultimately, the greater the realization of your true self, your true nature, the realm of truth, and your connection, communion, and identification with that, the more everything resolves itself and your life reveals more and more bounty, abundance, and goodness. That's why it also says in the Bible, “If you dwell in the secret place of the Most High, under the shadow of the Almighty, no hurt, no harm can come down in your dwelling place.” I'm talking about this dimension with you – consciousness. Now, what does that have to do with the only argument you ever have to win? Well, in the most basic sense, as I mentioned above, the only lie is that you're separate from this ultimate reality or ultimate good.  That's the one and only problem, this sense of separation from it. So, the only solution is the realization of your oneness within. To support you in mastering this, listen to the in-depth podcast on the subject, where we break it down and put it into real-life practice TODAY. This will be a real game-changer. To Your Emergence! Stay inspired! Derek Like this episode? Please share it! Subscribe to Podcast in iTunes, Stitcher, via email or Android

Today on the podcast, we discuss Ascended Female Masters!  Ascended Masters are enlightened beings whom many believe have evolved beyond the need to reincarnate on earth and now act from a higher plane of existence to assist humans in their movement toward enlightenment, guiding the human race in its evolution.  Think Mary, the Beloved Mother; Isis the Egyptian goddess of Nature; and Guanyin, the goddess of mercy, compassion, and protection.  We hear about these ascended masters in our society, we see images of them, but have we ever really ever thought about them, considering that their imagery is still ever present?  Join us in this fascinating conversation as Josie Teresi and I discuss these ascended female masters, who are ever-present to guide us to a higher path.  Maybe it’s silly, maybe it can make you feel better, or maybe focusing on the world’s female masters may further enlighten you.  You decide.   Josie Teresi is an intuitive energy healer, reiki healer, counselor, and YouTuber.  She has published several books, including You Were Born a Star, Now What? based on the teachings of  “A Course In Miracles” and the Unity Philosophy.  Visit her webstie, josieteresi.com, and her YouTube channel, Into Light.

Wukong is going to need to go the the very top for help with the One-Horned Buffalo. No, not Guanyin. The very top.The episode has some brief mentions of slavery and cruelty, and the torture headband gets brought up again in passing.Links:Subscribe to our Patreon or buy us a coffee.The novel Clashmore can be found on the Internet Archive.An article about the Macroom buffalo heard being stolen.Episode artwork is a painting of Laozi on a buffalo by Igarashi Shunmel and a photograph of Tramore.Follow Caoimhe, MJ and this podcast on Twitter and follow MJ on Instagram.

At times we can find ourselves fighting to hold onto the known but there are lessons to be discovered from surrendering to our fear of trying new things! If you've ever needed huge gains, big change or simply to get unstuck then do we have the Shake Things Up show for you   Today we'll talk about trying new things, going new ways, and experimenting with all that you've got. Plus, more on messing with cleats, skewing cameras, learning new tools, being okay with the bigness of energy, vertigo, Guanyin, tantrums and what in the world different size baby feeding bottles have to do with anything!   Check out CJ Liu: https://www.fireitupwithcj.com/   To find out more visit: https://amzn.to/3qULECz - Order Michael Sandler's book, "AWE, the Automatic Writing Experience" www.automaticwriting.com  https://inspirenationshow.com/ ……. Follow Michael and Jessica's exciting journey and get even more great tools, tips, and behind-the-scenes access. Go to https://www.patreon.com/inspirenation   For free meditations, weekly tips, stories, and similar shows visit: https://inspirenationshow.com/   We've got NEW Merch! - https://teespring.com/stores/inspire-nation-store   Follow Inspire Nation, and the lives of Michael and Jessica, on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/InspireNationLive/   Find us on TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@inspirenationshow 

In another adventure from the classic Chinese myth, the Tang Monk and his disciples encounter a river spirit that eats children... and is an even greater warrior than The Monkey King. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What A Joy! I'm talking to Lenza Smith this Halloween season about one of my most favorite subjects, goddesses. Lenza talks about her two favorites, Sky Woman, and Guanyin. It's was a fun interview, hope you enjoy it✨