Podcasts about householders

In this talk, we discuss a very subtle, high-level and easily misunderstood mode of spiritual practice: madhura bhāva, the practice of seeing God as your lover!In Vaishnava literature this is considered the highest mood because it contains all the others and is itself the most refined and passionate of the moods. The whole soul goes to God in fiery yearning!There is actually quite a precedent for this in the Christian tradition. It's called "bridal mysticism." Nuns in the Catholic faith see themselves, in some orders, as "brides of Christ." The whole idea is the transformation of eros!But this mood isn't just for monks and nuns. Householders can practice it too by seeing their spouse/partners as the embodiment of the Divine and serving them as they would God.The idea of ”making love to God" is of course very challenging because of narratives of shame and sin around sexuality so the first step in this kind of practice is to recognize the innate innocence of that energy, which is a form of spiritual energy, Kundalini. Then, through loving acceptance, we attempt to "divinize" that energy by directing it towards God in a gradual process of sublimation.Sri Ramakrishna literally worshipped his wife as the Divine Mother though you might say this came under the category of vātsalya-bhāva since Ramakrishna looked upon all women as his Mother. Note also that they had a completely chaste marriage meaning that's it's possible to practice this mode even without physical intimacy (There are much deeper and more refined versions of intimacy with a partner than the merely physical, after all!) though it certainly can include it in the case of having a partner.The best example is of course Rādha and her passionate, all-consuming love for Sri Krishna. Meerabai felt herself to be “married to Krishna” and actually had a ceremony performed. We also find this mood in Shaiva saints like Mahadevi-Akka. Sri Ramakrishna even told M. in the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (in the entry on Thursday, August 24th 1882) that through devotion one develops a “love sexual organ” implying that, mystically speaking, it is possible to quite literally make love to God.While this mood is mostly found in the Vaishnava traditions (as love for Sri Krishna) some versions also exist in the Shaiva world.After all, many people often ask me about whether it's okay for them to think of Shiva/Devī as their romantic partner. I hope to address that question tonight!This is of course a natural continuation of our lectures on “Why is Kali Desirous?” and “What Does Kali Really Want?” and perhaps the subtlest of the series! Wish me luck!For more detailed instructions for how to perform Kālī pūjā, watch this playlist: https://www.patreon.com/collection/233799Lectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.Use this link and I will see you there:https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnishTo get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrMSupport the show

Why householders are reluctant to clean out their septic tanks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

By the end of the decade, it's anticipated every home in Australia will be paying time-of-use, or cost-reflective, tariffs, rather than a flat rate for our electricity. Some households though are getting much higher electricity bills because their electricity retailer didn't tell them they'd been put on a time-of-use tariff and have to pay more during peak periods. Brendan French, the Chief Executive of Energy Consumers Australia, outlines why cost-reflective tariffs shouldn't be mandatory, and why we need to simplify consumer bills, not make them more complicated. For more information on electrification and energy efficiency https://onestepoffthegrid.com.au

Metta, or loving-kindness, is a beautiful practice in Buddhism that calls on the heart to soften, to expand, to reach out with the wish for others's happiness and well-being. It's about nurturing love, not just for those who easily come to mind, but for everyone—the stranger, the difficult ones, and even ourselves.  Metta practice, at its core, is deeply intertwined with non-violence because it cultivates the kind of love that makes harm unthinkable. In a world that so often pushes us towards division, Metta reminds us to see the shared humanity in each person.   When you practice Metta, you are not just sending love out into the world, but you are transforming yourself. This practice dissolves the walls of anger, fear, and separation that lead to violence. It teaches us to see others not as enemies or obstacles, but as beings deserving of love, just like us. Non-violence isn't just the absence of harm; it's the presence of compassion. Through Metta, we learn that the peace we long to see in our world begins within—through the quiet revolution of our hearts.   A Practice Metta   Metta Prayer May all beings be peaceful. May all beings be happy. May all beings be safe. May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature. May all beings be free.   To practice the Metta Prayer begin by sitting comfortably, closing your eyes, and taking a deep breath. As you breathe, let the world fall away and center yourself in stillness.  Start Metta with yourself—because, yes, you, too, deserve your own love and kindness. Silently repeat: May I be peaceful. May I be happy. May I be safe. May I awaken to the light of my true nature. May I be free. Let those words settle into your soul. Feel their warmth, their truth. Then think of someone you love dearly, someone who brings you joy. Offer the same blessing to them: May you be peaceful. May you be happy. May you be safe. May you awaken to the light of your true nature. May you be free. Next, turn to someone you feel neutral about, maybe a person you pass by daily but hardly notice. Offer the prayer to them, with sincerity: May you be safe. May you awaken to the light of your true nature. May you be free. Then, in a brave act of compassion, think of someone who has hurt you, someone difficult. Send them these same loving-kind words. This is where true healing begins. May you be safe. May you awaken to the light of your true nature. May you be free. Finally, let your love expand to include all beings everywhere, those you know and those you will never meet. Visualize the world bathed in the light of this blessing: May all beings be peaceful. May all beings be happy. May all beings be safe. May all beings awaken to the light of their true nature. May all beings be free. You may not change the world in this moment, but you will have changed yourself—and in doing so, you sow the seeds of peace that ripple far beyond what you imagine. Whoever is not mixed up with  Householders or renunciants,  Who has no abode and few desires, I call a brahmin. (404)*    Having given up violence  Toward beings both timid and strong,  Whoever neither kills nor causes others to kill, I call a brahmin. (405)*   Whoever is unopposing among those who oppose,  Peaceful among the violent,  Not clinging among those who cling, I call a brahmin. (406)* —Buddha, The Dhammapada References and Links   Buddha.The Dhammapada. Translated by Gil Fronsdale. (Kindle). Shambala, Boston and London, 2011, pp. 78 (Link)   Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, by Je Tsongkhapa, Volume 1. Pages 222-223. Translated by the Lamrim Chenmo Translation Committee. Joshua Cutler, Editor-in-Chief, and Guy Newlan, Editor.   Ruiz, Don Miguel. The Four Agreements. Amer-Ellen Publishing, 2011. pp.  34-38.   Find us at the links below:  Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/Buddhismforeveryone Facebook Group:Join our private group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sanghatalk/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buddhism.with.joann.fox Direct link to sign up for classes: Buddhist Study Program

Households and Businesses in Clare are calling on the Government to focus on absorbing costs, rather than fuelling price hikes at the pumps. It comes as Ireland is expected to have the highest levels of diesel tax in Europe after the upcoming budget. More fuel price hikes lie ahead for motorists at the pumps, with Ireland poised to top the EU fuel taxation rankings after October's budget. Petrol prices are set to be taxed at 57 point 2 per cent, while diesel taxation will reach 54 per cent. Petrol prices have already risen by 1 cent per litre in August, in the wake of the reinstatement of excise duty at the start of the month, with motorists now forking out 1 euro 81 cent per litre, on average. Diesel prices have remained steady, with the average price standing at 1 euro and 74 cent per litre. In contrast though, EV owners can expect to pay around 39 euro a month to run their cars, according to the AA. Clare mother, Deborah Kett says the cost associated with driving has forced her into working from home. She insists people's income is not rising at a sufficient rate to match the spiralling the cost of living. A former Clare-based President of the Irish Road Hauliage Association is calling for a cut in VAT across the board to stop spiralling costs for both businesses and householders. Ennis Haulier, Eugene Drennan says their industry contributes 500 million euro a year in taxes off fuel to the state - its highest cost after labour. He believes the Government must take steps to address the burden of high taxation in all areas and not just fuel though, saying the coffers are full so something has to give.

On episode 272, Sabrina interviews Taalumot, an astrologer friend who recently created an online community for Householders - a term that denotes people whose spiritual practice takes place in everyday life as opposed to leaving the world of everyday life. We discussed what householder spirituality is, and we talked about the weaving of different spirtitual lineages, Taal's family, his wife's in-person community start-up, and what he's learned from creating his online householder community.Taalumot (“Tah-ah-loo-MOTE”), or Taal for short, is a writer, musician, astrologer, rabbi's husband and father of two from Atlanta, Georgia.He is a lay initiate of Michael Elliston Roshi at the Atlanta Soto Zen Center.His wife, Rabbi Ariel Root Wolpe is the founder of Ma'alot (“Mah-ah-LOTE”), a spiritual community transforming Jewish life in Atlanta through music, nature, and Jewish wisdom.Taal plays the drums there and helps run Netzah (“Net-ZAHK”), or Commitment, the container for men's work in the Ma'alot community.Taal has a website, taalumot.space, where he writes, podcasts, takes photos, and makes videos about spirituality in everyday life and offers a 90-minute face-to-face fireside chat, as well as a variety of written astrology consultations.The site has an annual membership called Householders where people balancing committed spiritual practices with busy worldly lives can hang out and hold council on topics of community, family, livelihood, skills, and spirituality.The Evolutionary Astrology Intensive - about, course page: https://sabrina-monarch.squarespace.com/evolutionary-astrology (new dates TBA)Email me sabrina@monarchastrology.com to inquire about 1:1 Mentorship✨

Dharma Talk from Two Hands Sangha on 03/10/24 on what the Buddha said about avoiding theatrical productions! Which is really a talk about the Sigalovada Sutta (thought of as the Vinaya for Householders) and store consciousness. Enjoy!

Charlie Weston, Irish Independent Personal Finance Editor, reacts to the latest announcement of energy price reductions from Energia.

Government is finalising plans today to protect the use of notes and coins – some TD's feel it does not go enough More comments on why we do not have enough bus shelters in Cork towns Discussing the long delays with regards to Eye appointments in public hospitals Householders in Cork urged to tackle hoarding of electrical waste by making 2024 a year for recycling Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Householders are urged to make ‘recycling of household electrical waste' a new year's resolution under a new awareness campaign launched today by the government. Speaking to Ciara this morning was Ossian Smyth, Minister of State with responsibility for Public Procurement, eGovernment and Circular Economy.

Householders are urged to make ‘recycling of household electrical waste' a new year's resolution under a new awareness campaign launched today by the government. Speaking to Ciara this morning was Ossian Smyth, Minister of State with responsibility for Public Procurement, eGovernment and Circular Economy.

It is with sadness that we report the passing of a real gentleman and former member of the Sunshine Coast Amateur Radio Club known affectionately to all as Doctor Rod VK4MRC. Rod Cardell was well-liked at the club and in his community and died December 27th in Nambour after ill health, his funeral was held on January 3 and attended by family, friends and club members. Dr Rod a retired doctor and former Ansett Pilot, was born in Brisbane on the 4th of July 1932 and was a child of WW2, living in the shadow of Mt Louisa Townsville in Far North Qld from 1942 to 1945 adjacent to the Stock Route Airstrip which became a US and Australian Air force base during the war. He had many great adventures and put them to paper in 1991 when he wrote the book, “Wings Around Us” which includes the story of how his father refused to sell his house to make way for the Airbase, so it was built around them. He is missed by his children, grandchildren, club members, and the local community. Vale Dr Rod VK4MRC. Hello, I'm Geoff Emery, VK4ZPP, and I've been thinking. The fireworks that marked the New Year Celebrations are now just a memory but the world around us continues with infinite variability. The possible peak of activity may be upon us for Sunspot Cycle 25 with solar flares, radio blackouts and amazing DX if I understand the reports. The weather has been going to be wet for days but the skies cleared and people have been looking forward to basic services such as electricity, telephones and the internet. Areas that suffered from storms and deluges with extreme damage to housing are ironically getting water back to their homes as the localised flooding recedes. At my QTH, we had storm activity and woke up the following day, New Year's Eve, with no internet. With the brilliance of the design of the NBN, this also meant no home telephone and our main service provider and the one I use as backup were all unavailable. A day without online entertainment was little more than an inconvenience but it indicated how many advisory services are now geared to delivery via the Internet. We had no access to immediate weather advice or means of accessing it other than via good old-fashioned broadcast, free-to-air, services. It seems the outage was localised as it has not been mentioned on any service that I have used. We woke up for New Year's Day with the service restored but stories running in the news are indicating many people have been without services since Boxing Day and they live not knowing what is happening in the community that sustains them. For these people, it would seem the planners have put all their eggs in one basket and then dropped it. It is interesting to hear the electricity supply people saying that the quickest way of restoring power to many areas is to set up small networks that transportable generators can service. Then as if this is the ultimate fix, hearing from one spokesperson that this solution will save householders from having generators. Sorry mate, but since when has redundancy of services been unnecessary? Householders might not have the means to replace telecommunications but should be able to protect themselves with readily available equipment. I wonder what involvement there has been in the whole weather-born situation from radio amateurs and whether radio clubs have been able to assist during the Christmas to New Year period. I am not aware, at this stage. Have you been affected or has your club suffered loss or been involved? This is the news that should be shared widely. There is a spirit of generosity within our community but for it to be demonstrated, the needs have to be known. There has been some interesting activity during the recent heatwave in the south of the State with VHF signals being received in places quite distant from their source. I'm Geoff Emery VK4ZPP and that's what I think….how about you?

Sage Briscoe, Director of Federal Policy for Rewiring America, discusses the landmark US $500 billion Inflation Reduction Act, which is designed to help electrify American households, revolutionise how they interact with energy, modernise the electricity grid, and reshape American manufacturing.

In this second half of a two-episode discussion, I briefly review the limitations of sensual or worldly pleasures. Then I explore how engagement with the world, contrary to simply being a compromise, can be its own path of practice. Finally, I talk about how the Buddha's teachings on renunciation are not only relevant but deeply meaningful and useful for householders.

The Buddha was pretty clear. If you wanted to experience complete liberation, it was best practice renunciation - to leave all worldly things behind: Family, sex, alcohol, fancy food, music, entertainment, frivolity, etc. Why did the Buddha recommend this? Why do fully ordained Buddhist monks and nuns still live this way? Are the Buddha's teachings on renunciation relevant for householders?

In the last several series of the UnMind podcast, we have been exploring some ways of intentionally bringing Zen practice to bear on various situations and circumstances of daily life in America. By extension these might apply anywhere on the globe today, where revolutionary changes in technology and exploding population growth have taken hold. Again, as Matsuoka Roshi would often say, “Civilization conquers us.” In navigating the deeper waters of Buddhism, this world — including so-called “civilization” — is sometimes referred to as the “Ocean of Samsara.” Samsara is likewise referred to as the “Saha world of Patience,” in that it tries our patience — unrelentingly, and on a daily basis. Just when things seem to be going swimmingly, “Someone is always coming along to take the joy out of life,” as Grandma Nelly would often say. “Saha” is defined on Wikipedia as: It is the place where both good and evil manifests and where beings must exercise patience and endurance (kṣānti). Buddha likened his Dharma teachings to a raft, one that we ride — read: “cling to for dear life!” — sailing across the ocean of Samsara to the “other shore,” Nirvana. There are various turning points in the process of navigating the roiling waters — some positive, some negative — as with everything else in life. Whether they appear as positive or negative is largely a matter of interpretation, of course. The famous Ox-Herding Pictures illustrate various turning points on the Path, generalized to fit most anyone's journey into what I call “The Original Frontier,” the title of my first book on Zen. By the original frontier I mean to point to the frontier of mind, itself. This is the frontier that Shakyamuni Buddha discovered, and entered, some 2500 years ago. It beckons to us still, today. Perhaps the first turning-point in the process of spiritual awakening precedes discovering the hoof-prints of the ox, the first of the ten illustrations. These marks are sometimes interpreted as indicating one's first inkling of the existence of the teaching, or buddha-dharma. The hoofprints resemble brush strokes, the obvious analogy being to the written record, which consisted of scrolls of painted calligraphy in ink in those times. Translation into today's printed book format comprises the medium by which most of us first stumble across buddha-dharma. However, something else — a prior turning-point— has to precede this event. In order to begin the quest for enlightenment, one has to feel that something is missing in their life. Otherwise, why would you even be looking? Master Dogen touches on this in his tract called Genjokoan (“actualizing the fundamental point”): When you first seek dharma you imagine that you are far away from its environsBut dharma is already correctly transmitted you are immediately your original self We are blithely skipping along with our everyday life, fat and happy, when one day it occurs to us: Is that all there is? “What's it all about, Alfie?” However normal our circumstances may seem at the time, and however rich and full our life may appear, there seems to be something that is not quite right, something missing. Matsuoka Roshi emphasized this as the source of our anxiety, uncertainty, and the very unsatisfactoriness of Buddhism's definition of dukkha, or suffering. Everyone feels this dis-ease, and some eventually come to Zen, to find what is missing. Other turning points in life can precipitate a crisis of confidence, one which drives us to Zen in the first place, or makes us question whether Zen is really right for us. Or whether it works at all, for anyone. Let's take a brief look at a few of the more obvious turning-points that come up with some frequency in life. These are FAQs brought up in private interview (J. dokusan) or practice discussion, from time to time. Perhaps you may see yourself in one of these pictures. Changing JobsOne of the most stressful turning-points that many people face today, and with ever-increasing frequency, is the need to change jobs. This may come about through a personal decision, or one made by one's employer. Or one's partner may receive an offer they cannot refuse, but it requires moving to another part of the world. In any case, the resultant demand for engaging in a job search, interviewing, and starting the new job, can be fraught and disruptive. Some worry that they can not afford to continue their Zen practice during the transition, either from considerations of availability of time, or from a financial perspective, or both, as a supporting member of the Zen community. These judgments may not be true, or fully thought through, but the pressure feels very real at the time. Zen practice — at home, or in a community — should not really be considered as necessitating an expense of either time or money, certainly not an expensive proposition. Zen is about the middle way between extremes, all about finding and maintaining balance in all things. In this sense, Zen is free. And portable. When going through a job change, or any other stressful turning-point, you may need Zen meditation more than ever. It will help you to make the right choices and decisions, if you allow it. When you get back on your feet, and find yourself in a more stable position — financially and otherwise — there will be plenty of time and wherewithal to support your sangha, and your teacher. You really cannot afford not to continue practicing Zen, and even more so when you are in dire straits. “Zen will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no Zen.” (With apologies to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers.) DivorceDivorce, along with its true antecedents — unrequited love, unfaithfulness, or irreconcilable differences — is an even bigger bugaboo in today's society than losing your job. Though you might not think so, based on the treatment of divorce in pop media. It is often the theme of comedy; the butt of alimony jokes; a target of shadenfreude; and, in some recently publicized cases, even celebrated — with ceremonies akin to a wedding. Divorce often accompanies, or triggers, a change in employment and residential status as well. They say “bad things come in threes.” It is tempting to suggest that, if you are against divorce, just don't get married in the first place. This may sound less crass, and may make more sense, in the context of the life of monastics. But we do not pretend to be Zen monks or nuns. They surely have their critical turning-points as well. Householders may just have a lot more of them on a daily basis, especially given the complex society of today. I have been divorced once in my short life, and it is no fun. But the situation that led to the divorce was no bed of roses, either. Whatever the circumstances, divorce is definitely a turning-point. Whether it is “for better or worse” (a resonance on the wedding vows), it is, again, your call. If both sides are better off afterwards — as Buddha is said to have said about a “just war” — it may be considered a just divorce. Of course, there are always more than two sides to the dispute. Children often end up as pawns in the game, suffering even more short-term pain and long-term consequences than their parents do. Zen meditation is not a panacea, but can help to adjust to the new reality, even in these dire straits. Empty NestersSpeaking of parenting, there comes a time-of-life phase called “empty-nester,” at which point the rugrats are finally, and permanently (or so we hope) kicked out of the nest. Sometimes divorce follows on the heels of this exodus, and not coincidentally. The parents may keep the failed marriage together long past its shelf life, “for the sake of the children.” They may have decided to have children to “save the marriage” in the first place. In the context of professional market research, based on sociology, I suppose, there are various such “time-of-life” categories, tracing the normal flow of maturation, through biological and culturally-determined changes, from womb to tomb. Like most other models from the soft sciences, these are employed mainly to structure the marketing of goods and services. In the next episode of UnMind we will continue looking at turning points in our life, and how our practice of Zen meditation may help ease the transitions, and mitigate the sense of loss, as we move through the inevitable phases of “time-of-life.” As we witness the evolution of our own life, the evidence of the centrality of the teachings of Buddhism and Zen becomes ever more apparent, and not at all as pessimistic as they may have first appeared to us. The inevitability of aging, sickness and death, interpreted as negative developments in life, is accompanied by an increasing appreciation of their meaning and significance, and the importance of what we do with the opportunity. The good fortune of having been exposed to the Dharma and thereby being enabled to practice Zen and zazen in the context of the passing of time, is the real treasure of the Three Treasures. Please continue in your pursuit of Zen, no matter what stage of life you may be in.

New data collected during census 2022 shows that 21% of Irish Householders have two or more spare rooms in their homes, prompting calls for homeowners to consider renting a room, the Irish Independent reports. This comes as the latest report from the residential tenancies board reveals that the average Dublin rent hit €2,102 per month.Karl Deeter, Financial Analyst joined Pat on the show to discuss.

Householders coming off fixed rates mortgages could be overpaying almost €16,000 in the next three years on the average mortgage if they do not make the right choice about their next move. That's the warning from doddl.ie latest Mortgage Index. Speaking to Newstalks Breakfast this morning was Martina Hennessy managing director of Doddl.ie.

Householders coming off fixed rates mortgages could be overpaying almost €16,000 in the next three years on the average mortgage if they do not make the right choice about their next move. That's the warning from doddl.ie latest Mortgage Index. Speaking to Newstalks Breakfast this morning was Martina Hennessy managing director of Doddl.ie.

Just as most sports contests experience an ebb and flow, so it is with sports ministry. Athletes in Action president, Mark Householder shares some valuable insight as it relates to ministry and sport…the ups, downs and growing opportunities. With over 40 years of leading a world-wide ministry to athletes, coaches and others, Mark opens his heart as to how sports ministry has impacted his walk with Christ and how he desires to impact others as he Powers Up for Christ.    Bio: Mark came to Christ on the campus of the University of Cincinnati in 1977 when an Athletes in Action staff member shared the Four Spiritual Laws with him.  Five years later, as a graduating engineering student, Mark clearly felt the Lord's call to enter the mission after taking a staff interview during a spring break conference in Daytona Beach. Mark joined staff in 1982 and was placed in Cincinnati in a role that was split between campus field staff at the University of Cincinnati and office administration that served campus and pro staff across the U.S. Over the years, Mark has served in various roles within Athletes in Action, including leading campus and pro staff, the Ultimate Training Camp and various international projects and assignments.  He has served as AIA's fourth president since 2009. Mark and Marianne were married in 1985 and have three adult children: Lauren, married to Mark Sjoberg, and two sons, Robbie, married to Katie, and Garrett. The Householders have four grandchildren; Ezra, Wyatt, Avery and Knox.  Marianne's role with AIA includes serving and supporting our staff. She loves people and has served AIA staff over the years by applying her gifts and abilities in the areas of leadership development, ethnic diversity, donor relations, and staff care. Mark loves to work in the mission, and a number of years ago Marianne exhorted him to develop some hobbies.  That was great advice.  Mark loves the outdoors, has recently played more golf and loves to grill and smoke meat.  He currently is on a quest to smoke the "perfect brisket."   Links/Books/Resources: Athletes in Action:  https://athletesinaction.org The Heart of an Athlete 30-Day Devotional PDF: https://file.ac/UvlI0UtgjKE/ Join Power Up Family here on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/groups/powerupsports/ Sports Ministry Certificate Program through Our Daily Bread University @ odbu.org/sports   MB01EMZWAKFW572

Is Srimad Bhagavatam antihouseholder Why does it criticize householders so much

Money Man Scott Phillips talks relief for Householders from energy prices close, Property Market set for a final hurrah in 2022 and more... https://play.listnr.com/podcast/the-good-oil-with-scott-phillips See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can one visit temples with a year of death in a family Do not visit Temples for one year after Death in the family. Almost all Hindus refrain from visiting the temples (atleast in South India,especially from Tamil Nadu do) for one year from the date on which the death has occurred or from the date of performance of the Gruhayagna (Gregya) ,the Thirteenth Day ceremony. This is an erroneous interpretation of the Sastras, without an understanding the thirteenth day ceremony,Gruha Yagnya, also called as Subasweekaram. The word ‘Gruhayagnam' means the performance of Yagnas at Home. Householders are not sanctioned to perform the Daily Karmas,Duties, for thirteen days from the date of death in the family. This is an erroneous interpretation of the Sastras, without an understanding the thirteenth day ceremony,Gruha Yagnya, also called as Subasweekaram. The word ‘Gruhayagnam' means the performance of Yagnas at Home. Householders are not sanctioned to perform the Daily Karmas,Duties, for thirteen days from the date of death in the family.This sanction excludes Sandhyavandan. On the thirteenth day. a Purification ceremony is performed at Home( Punyahavachanam)and people are asked to visit temples. If one is purified to perform Yagnas(Gruhayagnas), it is illogical to proscribe a visit tot the Temples. ( one also finds, I see a comedy in this, many people visit temples during this period except those on Hill Tops;if one can visit a temple, why on earth should one not visit a Temple on the Hill tops?) The other term, Subhasweekara means ,literally,'inviting, embracing Auspiciousness'. Once when you invite auspiciousness to visit you, you can visit temples as well. People must remember that the Vedas do not mention visiting temples at all, though Time that we understand the Karmas and act accordingly with out following some one blindly. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ramanispodcast/message

Full title: Green Social Work: A 21st Century Challenge for Practitioners, Academics and Students Guest: Professor Lena Dominelli, PhD, AcSS, is a qualified social worker and holds a Chair in Social Work at the University of Stirling. Amongst her many contributions to the social work profession she helped create the concept of green social work as a new paradigm for theory and practice; and her 2012 book of the same name attracted much professional interest. She has developed a range of research interests of great relevance to green and eco-social work practice, including climate change and sustainability, extreme weather events in the context of disaster intervention, community vulnerability, sustainability and resilience. On the international stage she has represented the social work profession at United Nations discussions on climate change since 2010. Introduction to this episode: My guest in this podcast episode, Professor Lena Dominelli, is well qualified to talk about aspects of historical, social work practice trends toward greater physical environment incorporation. She invented the term green social work (GSW) and for over a decade now she has developed a range of research interests of great relevance to green social work applications. These include, climate change and sustainability, extreme weather events, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions - in the context of disaster interventions, community vulnerability, sustainability and resilience. On the international stage she has represented the social work profession at United Nations discussions on climate change since 2010, and  for a long time, she led Pillar 3 of the Global Agenda for Social Work, focussed on Promoting Community and Environmental Sustainability. In 2012 she saw publication of her influential book, Green Social Work: From Environmental Crises to Environmental Justice - which has become a standard introductory text for the subject. In this episode, I talk to Professor Dominelli about the current state of play of green social work practice for various constituencies of social work service users internationally, and in the context of accelerating physical environmental challenges. MAIN INTERVIEW TALKING POINTS  - with approximate time elapsed location in minutes. General introduction – 0.50 Guest self-introduction - 3.47 Interviewer recap of themes - 19.04 What constitutes green social work (GSW) in 2022? – 20.26 Importance of energy self-sufficiency – 35.10 Why should mainstream social work more fully incorporate GSW practice? - 37.38 Recap of some interview themes – 49.56 Some thoughts on the future of GSW progression – 55.32 Guest summarising comments – 62.00 End of interview and thanks to guest – 64.30 RESOURCES MENTIONED OR RELATED TO THE THE DISCUSSION Professor Lena Dominelli – selective list and other examples of her social work scholarship Book Green Social Work: from environmental crises to environmental justice (2012) Book: Routledge Handbook of Green Social Work (2018) (Dominelli, L. ed.) University of Stirling (UK) Disaster Intervention, Humanitarian Aid and Green Social Work education offered at both CPD and MSc course level. Example of an earlier, 1970s transformative tradition in UK social work – as described in the book Radical Social Work by Bailey and Brake (1975) Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring (1962) and a fairly recent (2017) example of the continued intellectual interest in and legacy of the book relevant to a green worldview. Popular critiques of neoliberalism including Naomi Klein's book The Shock Doctrine (first edition published 2007) and as reviewed by The Guardian newspaper (2007) a neo-liberal critique by journalist George Monbiot (2016) and a book by Susan George (2010) Whose crisis, whose future?: towards a greener, fairer, richer world. UN Declaration on the Right to Development (1986) Prof Dominelli writing on climate change and the fuel poverty solutions project in Gilesgate, Durham UK (2011). Promising new energy efficiency technology research – on thermoradiative diode capabilities which may one day be able to utilise infrared radiation leaving the Earth during night time. Scottish island of Eigg's energy self-sufficiency solutions (2020) BASW (British Association of Social Workers)  CPD Guidance on Social Work Roles Undertaken During Disasters. New Zealand –  article on granting legal rights to rivers and forests (2022)  GUEST AND CONTACT DETAILS: Prof Lena Dominelli E: lena.dominelli@stir.ac.uk    Householders' Options to Protect the Environment (HOPE) T +61 7 4639 2135 Email  WEB  Facebook Production: Produced for HOPE by Andrew Nicholson. Tel + 61 411082028   E: counsel1983@gmail.com This episode recorded in Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland, Australia on 30th August 2022  Artwork: Daniela Dal'Castel  Incidental Music: James Nicholson

Kate Cayley is a fiction writer, playwright, and poet. She has written a short story collection, How You Were Born, two collections of poetry, When This World Comes to an End and Other Houses, a young adult novel, The Hangman in the Mirror, and a number of plays, both traditional and experimental. She has won the Trillium Book Award, the Mitchell Prize for Poetry, the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction, an O. Henry Short Story Prize, and a Chalmers Fellowship, and been a finalist for the Governor General's Award for Fiction, the K. M. Hunter Award, and the Toronto Arts Foundation Emerging Artist Award, and long-listed for the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Prize and the CBC Prize in both poetry and fiction. She lives in Toronto with her wife and their three children. Her second short story collection, Householders, is published by Biblioasis. Read more about Kate, here. This poem, "Attention" was first published in Grain Magazine, then again in Best Canadian Poetry 2021, Biblioasis Press. Please check out her books, here and her plays, here. As always, we would love to hear from you. Have you tried sending me a message on the Eh Poetry Podcast page yet? Either way, we would like to reward you for checking out these episode notes with a special limited time coupon for 15% off your next purchase of Mary's Brigadeiro's amazing chocolate, simply use the code "ehpoetrypodcast" on the checkout page of your order. If you are a poet in Canada and are interested in hearing your poem on Eh Poetry, please feel free to send me an email: jason.e.coombs[at]gmail[dot]com Eh Poetry Podcast Music by ComaStudio from Pixabay --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ehpoetrypodcast/message

The Noble Sangha includes laypeople. Bhante Suddhāso explains the qualities of accomplished householders by taking the examples of Ugga in AN 8.21 and 8.22 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/buddhistinsights/support

Homeowners in Sligo have been urged to consider renting rooms or property to College students attending the Atlantic Technological University, as the accommodation crisis escalates. Sligo ATU Student's Union President, Daire Martin, says they're inundated with housing requests

Here is a wonderful Q&A discussion comparing Classical Non-Duality with Tantrik Non-Duality to show that despite what pandits might say, they are actually ultimately one and the same and perfectly complementary!00:01:06 What Is It To Be a Human Being? Does Buddhism/Advaita Invalidate My Personhood? Yes. All Religion Does! Here's Why!00:12:14 Kashmiri Shaivism and "Playing the Character of Me"00:14:20 Tantrik Non-Duality vs Classical Non-Duality: Iccha-Shakti, the Role of Desire in God00:19:18 The Role of Creativity in Enlightenment00:23:35 Why Is There Suffering in The World? The Tantrik Response to the Problem of Evil00:28:55 How Is One Thing Different From Another In Tantrik Non-Duality? 00:30:00 Non-Dual Worship in Tantra and Abinava Gupta's "Devi Stotra", Hymn to the Goddess00:34:11 Advaita Vedanta, Prasangika Madhyamika Buddhism and Tantrik Non-Duality Are The Same and Complementary and Why I Don't Teach Tantra To The Public00:36:25 The Dangers of Tantra and Kali Worship and some Precautions 00:41:55 Some Resources To Study Tantra00:53:17 Live Lectures Throughout the Week00:55:00 How To Set Up Boundaries If You Are Not The Body?01:02:53 How Are Things Different If Awareness Is One? What Is A Jiva, Individual?01:09:27 The Erotic Metaphors of Tantra and the Role of Embodiment01:22:30 Does Tantra Contradict Classical Non-Duality? They are actually the same! Here's why.  01:32:11 How Does Reincarnation Work? And the End of the Mahabharatha 01:41:06 The Role of Renunciation in Spiritual Life01:47:11 "Walking Each Other Home?" and the Story of Sukadeva01:55:30 Discernment in Tantra vs in Classical Vedanta (The Doctrine of the 7 Perceivers in Shaivism)02:07:20 Should I Be A Monk? Householders vs Renunciants and the 4 Ashramas02:30:30 Does The Brain Produce Consciousness? Or Does Consciousness Produce The Brain? How Do You Know Spirituality Isn't Just Chemicals?Support the show

Guest: Dr Dyann Ross, Senior Lecturer, Social Work, Program Coordinator for Master of Social Work (Qualifying) and Higher Degrees by Research, University of the Sunshine Coast (USC), Australia Introduction to this episode  The experience of  the use of love and a love ethic within eco-social work practice has already been introduced by a previous guest in this series (Dr.Naomi Godden) and because these topics have been garnering considerable interest within the eco-social turn over the last few years I wanted to seek out further perspectives on the use of love by other leading eco-social work thinkers. My guest on this episode of the series, Dr. Dyann Ross, is a social work academic, researcher and author who has continued to focus on and help elaborate the place of love in social work practice over the last twenty years or so. In fact, she goes so far as to say that exploring the ethic of love has been her life journey and work. As with wider eco-social work (ESW) approaches, the use of love in social work practice has been slow to appear on the mainstream social work radar but is now finding a greater audience of practitioners willing to explore and adopt its precepts. And Dr Ross's work has made an important contribution towards that adoption. In our discussion Dr Ross talks about her abiding interests in the importance of love and a love ethic for social work practice, and how a growing ethos of lovelessness for other people, non-human animals and Nature is a strong underlying causation of injustices and lack of ecological sustainability for the planet as a whole. The social work profession has an important contribution to make in helping right some of these wrongs, and we discuss the particular benefits the elements of a love ethic (ethics of love, non-violence and ecological justice) can bring to this important work. INTERVIEW TALKING POINTS:  with approximate time elapsed location in minutes. General introduction – 0.50 Guest self-introduction – 2.45 How does a love ethic fit within contemporary eco-social practice? - 8.45 How can a love ethic help tackle ecological sustainability concerns? - 15.30 Why should the social work mainstream  be involved with a love ethic within ESW practice? - 21.13 What could/should the future hold for the use of a love ethic in SW practice? - 25.15   The contribution of a multi and interdisciplinarity stance within ESW – 31.35 Guest take home message -35.23    Closing remarks  -  38.16   End -  40.36 RESOURCES RELEVANT TO OR MENTIONED IN THE DISCUSSION: DR DYANN ROSS – some selected publications Her doctorate research On the place of  an ethic of love in social work education (awarded 2002) Books: Brueckner, M. & Ross, D. (2010). Under corporate skies: A struggle between people, place and profit. Fremantle: Fremantle Press.  –inter alia,  analysis of the social, health and environmental concerns surrounding aluminium refining impacts on the small town of Yarloop in Western Australia Ross, D. (2020). The revolutionary social worker: The love ethic model. Brisbane: Revolutionaries. Ross, D., Brueckner, M., Palmer. M. & Eaglehawk, W. (Eds.). (2020). Eco-activism and social work: New directions in leadership and group work. London: Routledge. Other Work Ross, D. (2020). ‘Ethic of love', International encyclopedia of sustainable management. S. Idowu, R. Schmidpeter, N. Capaldi, L. Zu, M. Del Baldo, & R. Abreu (Eds.). Switzerland: Springer Reference. Book chapter contribution by Ross, D., Bennett, B. & Menyweather, N. (2020). Towards a critical posthumanist social work: Trans-species ethics of ecological justice, nonviolence and love. In B. Pease & V. Bozalek (Eds.). Post-anthropocentric social work: Critical posthumanism and new materialist perspectives (pp. 175-186). London: Routledge. Mental Health Gates, T. G., Ross, D., Bennett, B., & Jonathan, K. (2022) Teaching Mental Health and Well-Being Online in a Crisis: Fostering Love and Self-compassion in Clinical Social Work Education (2021) OTHER LOVE ETHIC RESEARCHER/PRACTITIONERS: Dr Naomi Godden – Edith Cowan University Australia – publication record (and listen to her episode in this podcast series) CODES OF ETHICS REVISION  The AASW Code of Ethics (2020)  Thomas Ryan (2011) - suggestions for expanding ethical codes and a morally inclusive social work.  ANIMAL RIGHTS AND ETHICS ADVOCACY Book review for Algers, K. (2020). Five essays for freedom: A political primer for animal advocates. Brisbane: Revolutionaries.  The Animal Industrial Complex - concept ANTHROPOCENTRISM AND ECOCENTRISM worldviews as they influence human-nature relationships  bell hooks - Teaching to Transgress (2014)  ECO-SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE – HISTORY OF PRINCIPLES AND IDEAS Besthorn (2011) deep ecological social work Peeters (2011) The place of social work in sustainable development Norton (2011 Social work and the environment: an ecosocial approach Dominelli (2018) The Routledge Book of Green Social Work Gray, Coates and Hetherington (2013) Environmental social work Molyneux (2010); The Practical Realities of Ecosocial Work: A Review of the Literature Tischler (2011) Master level thesis: Climate change and social work : steps to an eco-social work practice Boetto (2019) Advancing transformative eco-social change: Shifting from modernist to holistic foundations  Michael Kim Zapf (2009) modifying the social work, the ecological imagination and other work FIRST NATION LEADERS INSIGHTS FOR SUSTAINABILITY IN SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE.  Book chapter: Woodley, M. & Ross, D. (2021). First Nation leaders' lessons on sustainability and the environment for social work. In B. Bennett (Ed.). Aboriginal fields of practice (pp. 216-228). London, UK: Red Globe Press. PSYCHOANALYSIS AND PSYCHOLOGY INSIGHTS  INTO A CULTURE OF LOVELESSNESS AND THE CAUSATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION: Book: Weintrobe, S. (2021). Psychological roots of the climate crisis: Neoliberal exceptionalism and the culture of uncare. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. Book: What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming (2015) some insights into psychological defence mechanisms around climate change and how to counter them - from Norwegian psychologist and economist Per Espen Stoknes. Psychology for a Safe Climate group (Australia) some great resources on the psychological/ cognitive biases acting to constrain effective action on environmental protection and repair, and how they can be overcome. ‘Wicked problems' – significance    GUEST AND CONTACT DETAILS: Guest: Dyann Ross  -see her contacts in USC publication record  E  WEBSITE  Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn. Householders' Options to Protect the Environment (HOPE): T 07 4639 2135 E office@hopeaustralia.org.au WEB  FACEBOOK  Production: Produced for HOPE by Andrew Nicholson E: counsel1983@gmail.com T: +61 413979414 This episode recorded in Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland, Australia on 7th June 2022.  Incidental Music: James Nicholson     

The Smart 7 Ireland Edition is the daily news podcast that gives you everything you need to know in 7 minutes, at 7am, 7 days a week… Consistently appearing in Ireland's Daily News charts, we're a trusted source for people every day. If you're enjoying it, please follow, share or even post a review, it all helps… Today's episode includes references to the following items: https://www.rte.ie/news/2022/0616/1305108-energy-poverty-report/https://twitter.com/i/status/1537427000196882432https://youtu.be/GwzqpL5lNlkhttps://twitter.com/i/status/1537481465528832002https://twitter.com/i/status/1537500611033415680https://twitter.com/i/status/1537484262005702656https://twitter.com/i/status/1537463875188273155https://twitter.com/i/status/1537494123665674242https://twitter.com/i/status/1537282519183241218https://twitter.com/i/status/1537410191901265920Contact us over at Twitter or visit www.thesmart7.com Presented by Ciara Revins, written by Liam Thompson and produced by Daft Doris. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Householders have only weeks to lock in new electricity contracts before they are hit with price increases of up to $1000 a year. Doctors want the state government to bring in automatic influenza tests whenever  symptomatic patients are swabbed for Covid-19. Prince Charles stepped up in the absence of the Queen as bells rang out at St Paul's Cathedral, London, for an extraordinary Platinum Jubilee National Service of thanksgiving. Olympic star Ariarne Titmus has tested positive to covid but the rest of the Australian swim team remain on high alert despite being cleared of the virus after several high profile stars were potentially exposed at the Speedo promotional event during the week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest: Dr Meredith Powers(she/her) - Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work at University of North Carolina, Greensboro, USA Introduction to this episode: The Eco-Social Work in Australia podcast series has been expanded to include guest interviews with social work professionals who either practice outside of Australia or with individuals who work in closely allied fields, such as public health or psychology. This has been a conscious decision made in light of the recognition that social work is a global as well as national profession, and one which benefits from the sharing of interdisciplinary knowledge and expertise, particularly in connection to dealing with the practice implications of increasing physical environmental challenges such as global heating and climate disruption. My guest in this episode is a good representative of this more cosmopolitan direction for the series. Dr. Meredith Powers(she/her) is an American based and internationally focussed practitioner across a range of roles. Dr. Powers is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work at UNC Greensboro, USA. She teaches and conducts community engaged scholarship on topics of climate justice, climate migration, eco-social worldviews, and eco-therapeutic practices for well-being. She is the Founder and Director of the Climate Justice Program of the International Federation of Social Workers. And she also established and co-administers the global Green/Eco Social Work Collaborative Network. SUMMARY OF MAIN INTERVIEW TALKING POINTS  - and approximate time elapsed in minutes General introduction – 0.50 Guest self-introduction – 3.38 What is the significance of eco-social work practice (ESW) in 2022? – 10.00 How can ESW help tackle key physical environment challenges? - 15.28 The 2022 IFSW People's Summit – 23.30 The need for mainstream SW involvement with physical environment problems – 27.43 What could/should the short to mid-term future hold for ESW practice? – 33.28 Guest take home message – 46.56 Close of interview and thanks to guest – 49.46 Total run time – 51.03 RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE DISCUSSION A listing of any books, publications or digital media information sources relevant to eco-social work and mentioned during discussion. Dr Meredith C.F. Powers academic profile and publications list Anthropocentric and ecocentric worldviews and Climate Justice Program Book on fungi: Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures (M.Sheldrake, 2020). Book: Braiding Sweetgrass- Indigenous wisdom Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants(Robin Wall Kimmerer, 2020) Paper by Kim Zapf (2010) on the SW concept of people as place/learning to live well in place Quote by author B. White on saving and savouring the world. Eco-therapy – the use of Green and Blue Spaces and nature connectedness approaches and research. Paper on radical self-care – see Meredith Powers' academic profile and publications IPCC (2022) - latest report on climate change explainer (Australian perspective, March 2022) The concept of ecokin and climate change influence on natural disaster events IFSW linked event discussed: Co-building a New Eco-Social World: Leaving No One Behind' People's Summit 29 June- 2 July 2022, Virtual Event Book on leadership Meredith mentioned: Salsa, Soul, and Spirit: Leadership for a Multicultural Age GUEST AND CONTACT DETAILS: Guest: Dr. Meredith Powers  E mcfpowers@uncg.edu   WEBSITE   Householders' Options to Protect the Environment (HOPE): T 07 4639 2135 E office@hopeaustralia.org.au W http://www.hopeaustralia.org.au/ F https://www.facebook.com/Householders.Options.to.Protect.the.Environment/  Production: Produced for HOPE by Andrew Nicholson. E counsel1983@gmail.com  This episode recorded in Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland, Australia on 29th April 2022  Incidental Music: James Nicholson

Humans as resources.* * *Inga Annie Tudora is an Atlanta-based illustrator and designer who loves to make movies with her nieces and nephews. As someone with a health-related disability, she strives to make the world a more accessible place for everyone.Kyōsaku Jon Mitchell is a daughters' father, rabbi's husband, writer, musician, and podcaster. He was born and raised in Atlanta and now lives in Decatur.Householders is a production of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center in Atlanta, Georgia and the Silent Thunder Order. You can support these teachings by PayPal to donate@STorder.org. Gassho.

Birthdays and relationships.* * *Inga Annie Tudora is an Atlanta-based illustrator and designer who loves to make movies with her nieces and nephews. As someone with a health-related disability, she strives to make the world a more accessible place for everyone.Kyōsaku Jon Mitchell is a daughters' father, rabbi's husband, writer, musician, and podcaster. He was born and raised in Atlanta and now lives in Decatur.Householders is a production of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center in Atlanta, Georgia and the Silent Thunder Order. You can support these teachings by PayPal to donate@STorder.org. Gassho.

Maybe it doesn't just end.* * *Inga Annie Tudora is an Atlanta-based illustrator and designer who loves to make movies with her nieces and nephews. As someone with a health-related disability, she strives to make the world a more accessible place for everyone.Kyōsaku Jon Mitchell is a daughters' father, rabbi's husband, writer, musician, and podcaster. He was born and raised in Atlanta and now lives in Decatur.Householders is a production of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center in Atlanta, Georgia and the Silent Thunder Order. You can support these teachings by PayPal to donate@STorder.org. Gassho.

Local householders who use turf have been urged to involve themselves in a protest outside the Dail in opposition to Minister Eamon Ryan's moves to ban the sale and distribution of turf. Laurence from Pettigo, and Tom from Cloonacool are among the listeners not happy with the move

Spirituality as a kind of bias.* * *Inga Annie Tudora is an Atlanta-based illustrator and designer who loves to make movies with her nieces and nephews. As someone with a health-related disability, she strives to make the world a more accessible place for everyone.Kyōsaku Jon Mitchell is a daughters' father, rabbi's husband, writer, musician, and podcaster. He was born and raised in Atlanta and now lives in Decatur.Householders is a production of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center in Atlanta, Georgia and the Silent Thunder Order. You can support these teachings by PayPal to donate@STorder.org. Gassho.

Portrait painting versus house painting.* * *Inga Annie Tudora is an Atlanta-based illustrator and designer who loves to make movies with her nieces and nephews. As someone with a health-related disability, she strives to make the world a more accessible place for everyone.Kyōsaku Jon Mitchell is a daughters' father, rabbi's husband, writer, musician, and podcaster. He was born and raised in Atlanta and now lives in Decatur.Householders is a production of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center in Atlanta, Georgia and the Silent Thunder Order. You can support these teachings by PayPal to donate@STorder.org. Gassho.

Hey folks! Today we chat with author Kate Cayley. Her collection Householders is available through Biblioasis. Check it out and give the show a listen.

The spotlight in this Ask Me Anything episode is on spiritual life…Is spiritual life compatible with earning money? (Spoiler alert: the answer is a resounding yes).Is the tradition of Vedic Meditation truly ancient? (Also yes).And what's the relationship between Dharma and self expression? (No spoiler alert for this one).The underlying message in all of Thom's answers in this episode, is the importance of Self referral. Too often we're influenced by the thinking of others, whether they be those closest to us, or in the broader community, and this reduces our ability to both give and receive the fullest expression of life. By accessing the big S Self, through our twice-daily practice of Vedic Meditation, we can transcend the rules, the expectations and experiences of others and live an authentic, abundant and inspired life.Episode Highlights: [00:45] Q- How Can I Combine Spiritual Life with Earning Money?[00:58] An Obsolete Idea[02:22] The Risk of Invasion[04:19] The Monastic Tradition of Shukadeva[06:04] Householders as Rishis[07:25] Access to Maximum Creativity[08:53] A Life of 200%[09:37] Spirituality is Not Based on Suffering[10:47] Q- Does the Technique of Vedic Meditation Come From an Ancient Lineage?[11:20] The State of Consciousness of the Enquirer[12:23] One of the Greatest Masters That Ever Lived[13:20] Basing Our Lives on Direct Experience[14:07] Come to India and See for Yourself[15:09] Q- What is the Relationship Between Dharma and Self Expression?[15:23] Capital S, Self Expression[16:14] A Social ResponsibilityUseful Linksinfo@thomknoles.com https://thomknoles.com/https://www.instagram.com/thethomknoles/https://www.facebook.com/thethomknoleshttps://www.youtube.com/c/thomknoles https://thomknoles.com/ask-thom-anything/

It was about dang time.* * *Inga Annie Wade is an Atlanta-based illustrator and designer who loves to make movies with her nieces and nephews. As someone with a health-related disability, she strives to make the world a more accessible place for everyone.Kyōsaku Jon Mitchell is a daughters' father, rabbi's husband, writer, musician, and podcaster. He was born and raised in Atlanta and now lives in Decatur.Householders is a production of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center in Atlanta, Georgia and the Silent Thunder Order. You can support these teachings by PayPal to donate@STorder.org. Gassho.

A father passes on.* * *Inga Annie Wade is an Atlanta-based illustrator and designer who loves to make movies with her nieces and nephews. As someone with a health-related disability, she strives to make the world a more accessible place for everyone.Kyōsaku Jon Mitchell is a daughters' father, rabbi's husband, writer, musician, and podcaster. He was born and raised in Atlanta and now lives in Decatur.Householders is a production of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center in Atlanta, Georgia and the Silent Thunder Order. You can support these teachings by PayPal to donate@STorder.org. Gassho.

Sunday, 3rd April is Census night - the latest Census was delayed due to Covid. So what do you need to know, and where should you be - Kathleen Goulding of Census Publicity provides all the relevant information

60 per cent of households will face significant energy price rises next month. The government is phasing out low-use, fixed-electricity pricing plans across the country following a 2019 independent panel review of electricity pricing. From April 1, 60 per cent of households will pay double for the fixed line component of their energy bill - from 30 cents per day to 60 cents per day. Meanwhile Consumer New Zealand's Power Switch Manager Paul Fuge says many energy companies are currently putting up variable prices as well. He says some of the most vulnerable households on fixed incomes could be facing increases of $200 this year - and more than $650 a year in five years. Kathryn also talks with Fair Energy Manager for the Sustainability Trust, Phil Squire.

Transitions and resolutions.* * *Inga Annie Wade is an Atlanta-based illustrator and designer who loves to make movies with her nieces and nephews. As someone with a health-related disability, she strives to make the world a more accessible place for everyone.Kyōsaku Jon Mitchell is a daughters' father, rabbi's husband, writer, musician, and podcaster. He was born and raised in Atlanta and now lives in Decatur.Householders is a production of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center in Atlanta, Georgia and the Silent Thunder Order. You can support these teachings by PayPal to donate@STorder.org. Gassho.

Rinzai or Soto?It does not make much diff'rence —if you are sincere.* * *In the last segment, we ended with Matsuoka Roshi's cautionary tale about overreacting to the menu of Zen and other meditation teachers on offer today:In all the world now there are many genuine teachers and many more pretenders. The popular Zen teachers of today may fade in a year or two.He goes on to point out that with Master Dogen, and other teachers in the so-called unbroken face-to-face lineage from Shakyamuni on down, many of their stories are subject to revisionist history, which further amplifies his point on history as a great deceiver:Of course, if you were a slightly dishonest scholar of the Sung era who wanted to justify the Lin Chi sect's use of koans, it would be handy to make a venerable canon testify to that prior practice. This story, and that of Dogen, are just two specifics from modern Zen research to remind you to distrust historians a little. With bad information, it is easier to let yourself believe some embellished legends, and then wonder why they do not make sense in your own life.Why should the history of Zen Buddhism be any different, after all? As soon as any record is written down, as usual by the victors, it is subject to error, intentional or accidental. While we have the ideal of the separation of church and state as a contemporary meme, it was not always so. Those who do not study history may be doomed to repeat it, but we cannot take for granted that the written record is any more than an approximation of what actually happened, and why. The who, how, where and when are often questionable as well. Not to be too paranoid, but Zen Mind is one of few things we can trust:There is of course a second thing to distrust. There is nothing that is static, so do not look for an unchanging Zen tradition any more than you would look for an unchanging you. In examining Zen as it has been taught in all the different times and places in the last 2,500 years or so, the form has changed, and changed, and changed again. The original vinaya, or monastic rules, as set down by Shakyamuni Buddha to his disciples are no longer all practiced in the monasteries of modern China and Japan, and yet, the Zen practice is as authentic as the first practice of the historic Buddha.Here is a fundamental koan on the history of Zen: its form changes but its essence does not. It is based on the innate quality of the buddha, or awakened, nature, as being natural, the birthright of all humans. The method, that is the only concrete thing that is transmitted in Zen, is what fosters this realization. It does not matter, in this sense, what the historical details really were. We do not claim the performance of miracles, for instance, other than awakening to the miracle of existence itself.After going into tighter focus on the history of Zen in 9th century China, mentioning some of the standout “monsters” of Zen, as we like to refer to them, and remarking their differences, Sensei includes verbal and visual pedagogy:Each of the three schools [Ikyo; Ummon Zen; and Hogen Zen sects] was based upon meditation practice and upon the use of verbal or diagrammatic means to reveal the light of inherent wisdom. Wei Yang of Ikyo Zen and his disciples used a series of circular figures that they would draw in the sand. By means of these illustrations and the terse descriptions that accompanied them, and by question-and-answer, called “mondo,” the Ikyo masters worked for the liberation of their disciples.Socrates was not the only master innovating non-traditional teaching approaches. We are challenged to do likewise today.Wrapping up his brief survey of this century-plus of Ch'an, Sensei summarizes:Of the five schools of Zen, these three vanished. What is ironic is that Yun Men, founder of the Ummon sect, was the most popular of all the founders of the five houses of Zen in that century. And yet, the Ummon sect vanished. The two Chinese houses of Zen that lasted, and later crossed the shore to Japan, were Rinzai and Soto. These two I will discuss in a little more depth.Matsuoka Roshi, like many of the early pioneers of Zen in America, was steeped in the history of Zen, developing a near-encyclopedic memory of teachings and the exchanges between the great ancestors. But for our immediate ancestors, the history of Zen was inseparable from the history of the country, Japan, itself. In our case, they may appear as interesting — if somewhat irrelevant — stories from a remote part of the world. Imagine what it would be like if they were intertwined with the story of America, from its founding to the Revolution, and the subsequent establishment of the Republic. Master George Washington. Fully enlightened Thomas Jefferson, Zenji. James Madison, dai osho. John Adams, Roshi. Brother Ben Franklin, that iconoclast rogue monk. Householders all. But I digress:The Master I Hsuan (Gigen in Japanese) of Lin Chi Temple is credited with being the founder of the Lin Chi or Rinzai Zen sect. Lin Chi, as I Hsuan is also known, was a very intense, driven and severe disciple of Huang Po (Obaku Kiun in Japanese). He used beatings, shouting and other severe discipline in conjunction with koan practice to open the eyes of his followers. Although others before Lin Chi used these methods, under Lin Chi's guidance, they became a most skillful means of teaching to obtain immediate enlightenment. Lin Chi also discoursed on more doctrinal issues, like the four propositions of Indian Buddhist logic; but such discussions were the common interest of Zen disciples in China at the beginning of the Five Dynasties period. Despite his strict and somewhat brutal methods, Lin Chi was also well able to discourse on the dharma in public debate, a teaching method now sometimes called “dharma combat.” After Lin Chi, however, the teaching style of the sect became more formalized, and less spontaneous. Nonetheless, it has proved itself to be a vital and effective teaching.Where others see and tend to stress difference over sameness — the current political term of art being “divisiveness” — Sensei, and Zen teachers in general, tend to stress sameness over difference. The ultimate resolution of this binary is found in Sekito Kisen's Sandokai — Harmony of Sameness and Difference. Matsuoka Roshi had friends who were priests in the Rinzai sect, one of whom visited the Zen Buddhist Temple of Chicago, and was the guest speaker. Since it was in Japanese, I do not remember the content. But afterward, if memory serves, we began striking both shoulders with the kyosaku, the “wake-up” stick, instead of only the right shoulder. Sitting with a Rinzai group in Japan in 1987, I asked for the stick, and they struck down the back on both sides of the spine, rather than on the shoulders. I suspect that Matsuoka Roshi adopted the double strike as an influence of Rinzai, but do not know for sure.He goes on to compare Rinzai with Soto, the tradition in which he trained at Sojiji, Keizan's monastery:The original Ts'ao Tung sect does not bear much resemblance to the modern Soto sect. In fact, old Lin Chi Zen is closer to modern Rinzai than Ts'ao Tung is to modern Soto. The masters Liang Chiai of Tung Shan monastery, and Pen Chi of Ts'ao Shan monastery are credited as being cofounders of the Soto sect, although Liang Chiai died thirty-one years before Pen Chi. Again the main practice was zazen, but the “finger pointing to the moon of enlightenment” took the form of the teaching of the five ranks.The five ranks were a system of symbols used to differentiate among the levels of enlightenment. The ranks were the prince; the minister; the prince looking at the minister; the minister returning to the prince; and the prince and minister in harmony. Additionally, the idea of “host and guest” were used interchangeably with those of the “prince and minister.” Circular symbols in black and white as well as kua from the I Ching were also used to try to communicate this abstruse and complicated scheme of teaching. As those of you who have practiced Soto Zen know, we do not discuss the five ranks. Instead, we practice zazen-only Zen.So here we find the reduction to zazen-only, the hallmark of simplicity of Soto praxis. Tozan's Five Ranks constitute one of many such models that the ancestors designed to help their students visualize the big picture, while putting their main effort into the reality before their faces. The next sentence is a classic of stating the obvious, but with the resonance of Zen's encompassing worldview:Time passed, and change occurred. The Soto and Rinzai sects also changed. By the middle of the twelfth century AD, Rinzai had become the more popular Chinese Chan sect. The koan system became a regular feature of Rinzai practice. The word “koan” (kung-an in Chinese) translated literally means a “public case,” in this instance a public discussion of the truth of Zen. The koan were alogical problems which were given to disciples to solve. The solution of the koan could only be arrived at with an experience of satori, or some realization of enlightenment.Sensei goes on to demystify this thing, the koan, explaining that,…no intellectual solution to the koan is acceptable to the Rinzai masters because mental antics or logic are the chatter of the superficial self. Only after a hundred and eight thousand or more surface mind answers is the logical mind brought to a frustrated impasse. Then, and most suddenly at that moment, the eye of enlightenment sees with all certainty the solution to the koan.Sensei traces the origin of the schism that developed between the two systems:Two great Zen masters lived in the twelfth century China: Rinzai Master, Ta Hui (1189–1163 AD) and Soto Master, Tien T'ung (1091–1157 AD). These two contemporaries criticized each other's version of Zen teaching. You will hear their positions repeated today, so it is instructive to know what they said.And concludes his gloss on the history with a reconciliation of the conflict on the personal level:When Tien T'ung died, his Rinzai dharma combatant, Ta Hui, hastened to attend his funeral rites. Soto and Rinzai Zen of the Sung dynasty ending time is fairly much how Rinzai and Soto are practiced today.Puts one in mind of other famous contemporaries and their deaths, such as Huineng and Shenxui, of the so-called Southern and Northern schools of Ch'an. And, more recently, that of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, who famously passed within hours of each other on July 4th, 1826.Sensei then brings us to our present lineage founder:It was not too long after Tien T'ung's death that Dogen Zenji was born in 1200 AD in Japan.We will not be able to fully cover this in-depth exegesis on the ways of Zen in the time we have available. I will share a few of the nuggets, with the hope that you will follow by studying the whole chapter and book. In concluding his remarks on Soto versus Rinzai pedagogy, Sensei uses some striking imagery:Rinzai Zen moves from the outer world to the inner world like a fearless hunter questing for an elusive quarry. If, however, you can understand… Dogen's “practice and enlightenment are the same”; and my “Five minutes of practice, five minutes a Buddha!”; you will know that Soto is just the opposite Zen of Rinzai.The original nature is already present and shining… In Soto Zen, when we sit, we let this original nature shine as it is. When we simply stop interfering, this original nature will melt all our hardness; will untangle our confusion; will blunt all our sharp and jutting angles; and will balance us perfectly without any effort of the small self directing an assault on the great and enlightened self.I think that this sudden enlightenment of the old Rinzai masters seemed so sudden because the way of koan inquiry into the original nature is not the way that the original nature is and acts. The practice of koan Zen applies an extra and angular energy to the primal radiant nature. It pits the small self's desire for peace and harmony with all its own turbulence against the great and silent original mind. Only when the Rinzai practitioner succeeds in exerting a 180 degree polar opposite and artificial energy, does the seat of consciousness turn about on its axis. Suddenly, like two out-of-phase magnets that flip and lock together with inseparable force, the original nature and worldly nature become one, fused inseparably. It seems sudden and violent because koan Zen moves against the outward and outpouring current of radiant enlightenment.All the while, the gradual Soto practice of zazen allows the original nature to dissolve the small, suffering and separated self, breath by breath. The end result does not seem, perhaps, as striking; but it is more sure as a Dhyanayana. No matter whether gradual or sudden, first remembering, then bringing the enlightened nature back into pre-eminence is the way of Zen.Sensei concludes with an exhortation for Americans to practice the gentler approach of Soto Zen:Today, I can absolutely recommend Soto Zen to you as the upaya and Dhyanayana of our time. If you are half-hearted, it will produce no ill effects; and, in fact, will improve some areas of your life physiologically, emotionally, or mentally. If you are sincere and determined to the end, Soto Zen will lead you surely, safely, and most harmoniously, to the supreme realization and to the subtlest Samadhi in this life.Note the definition of zazen Samadhi as the “subtlest,” Master Dogen's “fine mind of Samadhi,” or “subtle mind of Samadhi.”Please take Sensei's compassionate plea to heart. Just sit still enough, long enough, to let your true colors come shining through.* * *Elliston Roshi is guiding teacher of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center and abbot of the Silent Thunder Order. He is also a gallery-represented fine artist expressing his Zen through visual poetry, or “music to the eyes.”UnMind is a production of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center in Atlanta, Georgia and the Silent Thunder Order. You can support these teachings by PayPal to donate@STorder.org. Gassho.Producer: Kyōsaku Jon Mitchell

Getting through the dark season.* * *Inga Annie Wade is an Atlanta-based illustrator and designer who loves to make movies with her nieces and nephews. As someone with a health-related disability, she strives to make the world a more accessible place for everyone.Kyōsaku Jon Mitchell is a daughters' father, rabbi's husband, writer, musician, and podcaster. He was born and raised in Atlanta and now lives in Decatur.Householders is a production of the Atlanta Soto Zen Center in Atlanta, Georgia and the Silent Thunder Order. You can support these teachings by PayPal to donate@STorder.org. Gassho.

Tasshin talks with Kyōsaku Jon Mitchell (@kyosaku_jon) about Zen, Judaism, and spiritual practice as a contemporary Westerner and lay practitioner with a family. Atlanta Soto Zen Center: https://www.aszc.org/ Jon's Website: https://jonmitchell.net/ Jon's Podcast, Householders: https://www.aszc.org/householders

While in some traditions enlightenment was really only the goal for monastics, Mahasi Sayadaw's revolutionary teachings brought the notion to householders as well. George delves the topic in this talk which was captured live on 7/30/20. Learn more about our offerings at mettagroup.org. If you would like to develop or support your practice, consider joining our daily Morning Meditation at patreon.com/mettagroup.

In Srishti kram you invoke the Devi by way of expansion. You will start on the first night and will go for fifteen nights and sixteenth is the cusp when it ends. Each night you invoke one Devi. And, on the sixteenth you invoke the The Devi: Mother Goddess. Her appearance is momentary. Only an extraordinary practitioner can hold the form of Devi for any more than a moment because she is in the cusp of that date. There is no sixteenth date as such. It only comes for a very short period of time. For a sanyasi, for a renunciate, they are not supposed to fulfill their desires. They are not supposed to keep their desires in their heart and go after them like a householder would. So, they go after what's called Sanghar kram. Sanghar is destruction, the sequence of destruction. Householders would go for a sequence of creation. In sequence of destruction the process is reversed. And then there is Stithi kram. Stithi karma is to sustain. Devi alone assumes the form of Brahma and creates as Brahma. She assumes the form of Vishnu and sustains. She assumes the form of Shiva and destroys. Listen to this beautiful discourse by Om Swami and find out the deep meaning of Sri Vidya. BREATHE / SMILE / LET GO ----------------------- SUBSCRIBE to Om Swami channel for weekly dose of positive and practical thoughts on life, meditation, spirituality, relationships & more! - https://www.youtube.com/user/omswamitv ----------------------- Want to connect & explore more. You can connect with Om Swami on https://os.me. ----------------------- If you enjoy the talks and would like to try courses by Om Swami, please visit: https://os.me/courses/ ----------------------- Need a companion in your self-discovery. You can find Om Swami's books here: https://os.me/books/ -----------------------