Podcasts about infinite smile

This week we’re joined by Zen-inspired dharma teacher, Michael McAlister. Michael is the leader of the Infinite Smile sangha, just east of Berkeley, in what Michael calls, “the hard edge of suburbia.” After many years of Zen practiced with the San Francisco Zen Center, Michael set up to teach a form of dharma that wasn’t bound by tradition. Some of the topics we discussed with Michael include climbing the mountain of spirit–a stirring and ancient metaphor for the spiritual journey, the 7th, 8th, and 9th spiritual senses, and finally the things that Michael has learned while endeavoring “to integrate a relevant spirituality with 21st century living.” Episode Links: Ken Wilber ( http://www.kenwilber.com ) Awake in This Life: A Guide for Those Climbing the Mountain of Spirit ( http://bit.ly/6B44Zf )

To begin with, all of us at Infinite Smile offer each of you well wishes as we begin the holiday season. We also are so thankful for all of your support and participation in this project of awakening. Recognizing our gratitude elevates our experience as human beings, so taking this time to appreciate all of the blessings each of us has seem appropriate. The fact that you listen and support us as a community makes a difference to many people. With this in mind, we seem to be trained in this culture to always want more, or less, of things and experiences. We seemingly spend very little time appreciating what we have in the here and now. What's more, the nondual teachings of "Emptiness" and how it appears to be an utter void to the mind, can be experienced as total fulfillment to our deepest sense of being. Michael approaches this evening's talk with this paradox and offers up pointers on how to bring about the fullness of Emptiness in the midst of every single experience we might have.

To begin with, all of us at Infinite Smile offer each of you well wishes as we begin the holiday season. We also are so thankful for all of your support and participation in this project of awakening. Recognizing our gratitude elevates our experience as human beings, so taking this time to appreciate all of the blessings each of us has seem appropriate. The fact that you listen and support us as a community makes a difference to many people. With this in mind, we seem to be trained in this culture to always want more, or less, of things and experiences. We seemingly spend very little time appreciating what we have in the here and now. What's more, the nondual teachings of "Emptiness" and how it appears to be an utter void to the mind, can be experienced as total fulfillment to our deepest sense of being. Michael approaches this evening's talk with this paradox and offers up pointers on how to bring about the fullness of Emptiness in the midst of every single experience we might have.

This podcast is a recording made by members of the Infinite Smile, expressing their gratitude for the Sangha, as a way of asking for all who have been touched by this teaching to give. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

This podcast is a recording made by members of the Infinite Smile, expressing their gratitude for the Sangha, as a way of asking for all who have been touched by this teaching to give. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

In tonight's talk, Michael discusses concepts brought up in chapter eight of Jack Kornfield's book, After the Ecstacy the Laundry. The discussion centers around having our initial exposure to spiritual work, gives way to returning to our lives, letting go of our lives, and then letting go of the letting go. At the point of any Great Awakening we recognize that our work is never done. The practice, then, never ends. Michael then has his students meet to discuss the reading and the talk from an impersonal place. Questions and comments deal with how Krishnamurthi's teaching methods might correspond with what is being done with Infinite Smile; how satori supports compassion.

In tonight's talk, Michael discusses concepts brought up in chapter eight of Jack Kornfield's book, After the Ecstacy the Laundry. The discussion centers around having our initial exposure to spiritual work, gives way to returning to our lives, letting go of our lives, and then letting go of the letting go. At the point of any Great Awakening we recognize that our work is never done. The practice, then, never ends. Michael then has his students meet to discuss the reading and the talk from an impersonal place. Questions and comments deal with how Krishnamurthi's teaching methods might correspond with what is being done with Infinite Smile; how satori supports compassion.

Recognizing that Awareness is not thought is one of the key steps that all practitioners must take on the Path to Awakening. In this talk Michael suggests that shifting our approach to day-to-day living from thought into Awareness allows us to lose our addiction to the carefully crafted mask of ego. The contemporary Zen-teacher Shunryu Suzuki was once described as being "nothing extra". This lack of extra is the openness that practice supports. Apologies for the volume issues, but questions deal with "nothing extra" in contemporary living; and what the term "Infinite Smile" means.

Recognizing that Awareness is not thought is one of the key steps that all practitioners must take on the Path to Awakening. In this talk Michael suggests that shifting our approach to day-to-day living from thought into Awareness allows us to lose our addiction to the carefully crafted mask of ego. The contemporary Zen-teacher Shunryu Suzuki was once described as being "nothing extra". This lack of extra is the openness that practice supports. Apologies for the volume issues, but questions deal with "nothing extra" in contemporary living; and what the term "Infinite Smile" means.