Podcasts about Renunciation

(Cambridge Insight Meditation Center) The Buddha taught, “Whoever is addicted to society and worldly bustle, they will not partake of the happiness of renunciation, dispassion, peace, and awakening.” Wisdom and awareness practice is an invitation to wholeness and intimacy. We practice opening and receiving the activities of the mind and body with a wisdom that discerns the futility and stressfulness of attachment. The renunciation of attachment is a natural result of seeing things as they are, that all experiences arise and pass lawfully following impersonal causes and conditions. Renunciation, letting go, or letting be, is a profound giving of the heart to the moment just as it is.

(Cambridge Insight Meditation Center) The Buddha taught, “Whoever is addicted to society and worldly bustle, they will not partake of the happiness of renunciation, dispassion, peace, and awakening.” Wisdom and awareness practice is an invitation to wholeness and intimacy. We practice opening and receiving the activities of the mind and body with a wisdom that discerns the futility and stressfulness of attachment. The renunciation of attachment is a natural result of seeing things as they are, that all experiences arise and pass lawfully following impersonal causes and conditions. Renunciation, letting go, or letting be, is a profound giving of the heart to the moment just as it is.

Life is kind of empty if there is not something so meaningful and beautiful that we feel a calling to give everything out of love. We spend our lives looking for that higher cause — or feeling empty if we haven't found it. The total giving of the self is what Thomas Merton calls a blind spiritual instinct. And when you actually follow it, people may think you've gone crazy. Raghunath and Kaustubha explore that calling alongside Krishna's flute-song call of love to the gopis, instigating a "terrible act of thievery" by stealing their sobriety, shyness, fear and discrimination. Through this pastime the Bhaktivedanta tradition shares one of its most radical teachings — that true renunciation can only be the result of pure love, and that renunciation is artificial if it is not a derivative of such devotional love. Srimad Bhagavatam 10.29.2-5 ******************************************************************** LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 *********************************************************************

Life is kind of empty if there is not something so meaningful and beautiful that we feel a calling to give everything out of love. We spend our lives looking for that higher cause — or feeling empty if we haven't found it. The total giving of the self is what Thomas Merton calls a blind spiritual instinct. And when you actually follow it, people may think you've gone crazy. Raghunath and Kaustubha explore that calling alongside Krishna's flute-song call of love to the gopis, instigating a "terrible act of thievery" by stealing their sobriety, shyness, fear and discrimination. Through this pastime the Bhaktivedanta tradition shares one of its most radical teachings — that true renunciation can only be the result of pure love, and that renunciation is artificial if it is not a derivative of such devotional love. Srimad Bhagavatam 10.29.2-5 ******************************************************************** LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 *********************************************************************

Title of this lecture (speech): "वैराग्य का आनंद" (THE JOY OF RENUNCIATION/DETACHMENT)". Speaker: OSHO—a renowned Indian philosopher, writer, and teacher (Guru) who aimed

(Common Ground Meditation Center)

(Common Ground Meditation Center)

What if modernity had not always been about rupture?In this episode of Com d'Archi, I take you through the streets of Paris to encounter a discreet yet essential architect: Michel Roux-Spitz.Trained at the Beaux-Arts and winner of the Prix de Rome, he developed an architecture of measure, grounded in repetition, order, and a certain idea of continuity. A modernity without manifesto, deeply constructed.Through his white façades, his “Série blanche,” and his role in post-war reconstruction, Roux-Spitz embodies another path:that of an architecture which does not seek to break away, but to endure.In this episode, I also offer a more contemporary perspective:how can we think today about transmission, rigor, and the dissemination of knowledge in an age of massive content circulation?A personal reflection, shaped by the rediscovery of a key monograph (Michel Roux-Spitz architecte 1888–1957, Mardaga, 1983), and by my own journey as an architectural historian.Anne-Charlotte

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna focuses on the topic of training the mind in attention by giving clear guidance on the practice of shamatha and its benefits. He also describes how concentration and the other 5 perfections weave together and support one another on the path to enlightenment. This episode was recorded on March 18th, 2026.Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve.  As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org.  May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.

In a starkly honest and personal talk, Gyokei reflects on renunciation and picking & choosing through his experience growing up as a rural temple kid and living as a modern professional monk among sincere Western lay practitioners. Can letting go of wants still mean getting what we need? How does renunciation work for a monk with a salary and a family to feed? What lessons about choice can sincere lay practitioners learn from their example, and which ones should they definitely not?? Find out here!

Late-Victorian and modernist writers have been famously preoccupied with ideas of personal and poetic discipline (or the lack thereof). How are such notions of askesis articulated within the global contexts of the twentieth century? This talk examines how two prominent twentieth-century writers—Sri Aurobindo and Rabindranath Tagore—engage with askesis in their works. Both writers were deeply fascinated by asceticism and by the figure of the ascetic. I argue that they used literary form as a space to reflect on and experiment with askesis as both figure and method. For Aurobindo, blank verse becomes a formal reflection not only of heterodox ascetic practice but also of a strategic orientation toward a transhistorical and transcultural vision of future poetry and society. For Tagore, the figure of the ascetic functions as an aesthetic cipher against which nascent political ideas and imaginaries may be tested. Drawing on Aurobindo's The Future Poetry (1917-1920) and Tagore's “The Ghat's Story” (1884), Rajarshi (1887), Achalayatan (1912), and Sanyasi (1917), this talk illuminates the centrality of askesis to global twentieth-century critical thought on the theo-politics of literary form. Bio: Dr. Apala Das is an Assistant Professor of English at Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey. She received her PhD in English from the University of Toronto in 2024. Her current book project, titled In the Shadows of Discipline: Literatures of Renunciation in the Global Twentieth Century, examines selected global literary experiments of the twentieth century as instances of modernist asceticism, conceptualized as critical and creative responses to the ideological and biopolitical forces latent in asceticism. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Wallace Stevens Journal, the Journal of Postcolonial Writing, Modern Fiction Studies, Religion and Literature, and the Bloomsbury Philosophy Library's Aesthetics and Politics in the Global South.

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna discusses one of the main obstacles to our Dharma Practice called the Laziness of Busyness. He gives us many examples of how this obstacle shows up in our lives and encourages a shift in our motivation which can transform the busyness of daily life into a path to awakening. This episode was recorded on March 11th, 2026.Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve.  As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org.  May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.

(Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community) This guided meditation in renunciation of expectations, grudges, and judgement toward the benefactor/friend, toward the past, future and present, towards ourselves and the larger society is inspired by Pascal Auclair, who was inspired in this by Ajahn Succito.

(Saskatoon Insight Meditation Community) This talk explores wise intention and the ways that kindness and renunciation support each other in freeing the heart and mind in our every day actions. It offers examples from retreat practice, daily life, and collective social justice actions.

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna offers a commentary on The Perfection of Joyous Effort. He speaks about the benefits of this practice and some obstacles that prevent us from engaging in meaningful dharma practice. This episode was recorded on March 4th, 2026.Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve.  As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org.  May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.

(Common Ground Meditation Center)

(Common Ground Meditation Center)

(Common Ground Meditation Center)

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna offers an overview of the path through a brief description of the Noble Eightfold Path. He then specifically focuses on the importance of ethics by expanding on the truth that all happiness comes from virtue. This episode was recorded on February 25th, 2026.Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve.  As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org.  May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna teaches on Losar, welcoming in the year of the Fire Horse with a teaching about the 3 higher trainings of ethics, wisdom, and concentration. He follows these foundational and transformative teachings with a Chenrezig purification practice focused on the 4 opponent powers. This episode was recorded on February 18th, 2026.Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve.  As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org.  May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.

(Perth, Australia) Renunciation is not having less but letting go of what stands in the way to live peacefully and happily. By living with moderation, we can let go of many things that cause suffering and bondage.

In this episode of That's So Hindu, Dr. Vijay Satnarine from Hindu American Foundation dives into the expansive world of yoga, revealing that there are actually 16 (possibly more) paths and practices that go far beyond the commonly known four. This discussion challenges simplified views of yoga and emphasizes its diverse and inclusive nature, grounded in spiritual traditions and practical applications.The 16 types of yoga 1. The Disciplines of the Mind & IntellectThese techniques focus on refining the "instrument" of perception.Abhyāsa-yoga (Yoga of Practice): The technique of repeatedly bringing the wandering mind back to a single point of focus.Buddhi-yoga (Yoga of Discernment): Using the higher intellect to filter out sensory "noise" and make choices based on the fundamental reality of a situation.Sāṅkhya-yoga (Yoga of Analysis): The intellectual discipline of "counting" or "categorizing" the difference between the eternal observer and the transient world.Jñāna-Vijñāna-yoga (Yoga of Knowledge & Realization): The progression from theoretical understanding to direct, verifiable experience of reality.2. The Disciplines of Action & EngagementThese techniques focus on how we interface with the world without creating further cycles of suffering.Karma-yoga (Yoga of Action): Performing one's duty without attachment to personal gain.Karma-phala-tyāga (Renunciation of Results): The psychological technique of surrendering the "fruit" of action to manage anxiety and ego.Sannyāsa-yoga (Yoga of Renunciation): Not the abandonment of action, but the renunciation of the sense of doership (the ego's claim on the action).Yajña-yoga (Yoga of Sacrifice): Viewing every action—from eating to breathing to working—as an offering to the greater whole, rather than an act of personal consumption.3. The Disciplines of Emotional & Biological BaselineThese provide the "steady ground" required for all other yogas.Sthitaprajña-yoga (Yoga of Steady Wisdom): The practice of remaining unmoved by the "dualities" (pleasure/pain, win/loss) to maintain a clear view of reality.Dhyāna-yoga / Ātma-saṃyama-yoga (Yoga of Meditation/Self-Restraint): The biological discipline of regulating sleep, food, and breath to keep the "instrument" of the body tuned.Samatva-yoga (Yoga of Equanimity): The specific technique of viewing a lump of earth, a stone, and gold with the same steady eye—recognizing the same underlying Sat in all.4. The Disciplines of Connection & VisionThese expand the individual's perspective from the local self to the universal.Bhakti-yoga (Yoga of Devotion): Reorienting the emotional faculty toward the Divine, transforming personal desire into universal love.Vibhūti-yoga (Yoga of Divine Manifestation): The technique of practicing "constant awareness" by seeing the "best of" every category (the sun among lights, the lion among beasts) as a portal to the Divine reality.Viśvarūpa-darśana-yoga (Yoga of the Universal Vision): The radical expansion of consciousness to see the interconnectedness of all time, space, and being.5. The Disciplines of the "Field" (Contextual Reality)These focus on understanding the environment in which we act.Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña-yoga (Yoga of the Field & Knower): Distinguishing between the "Field" (the body, the mind, the world) and the "Knower" (consciousness).Guṇatraya-vibhāga-yoga (Yoga of the Three Modes): Analyzing the three qualities of nature—Sattva (clarity), Rajas (activity), and Tamas (inertia)—to understand what is driving our current behavior. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of That's So Hindu, Dr. Vijay Satnarine from Hindu American Foundation dives into the expansive world of yoga, revealing that there are actually 16 (possibly more) paths and practices that go far beyond the commonly known four. This discussion challenges simplified views of yoga and emphasizes its diverse and inclusive nature, grounded in spiritual traditions and practical applications.The 16 types of yoga 1. The Disciplines of the Mind & IntellectThese techniques focus on refining the "instrument" of perception.Abhyāsa-yoga (Yoga of Practice): The technique of repeatedly bringing the wandering mind back to a single point of focus.Buddhi-yoga (Yoga of Discernment): Using the higher intellect to filter out sensory "noise" and make choices based on the fundamental reality of a situation.Sāṅkhya-yoga (Yoga of Analysis): The intellectual discipline of "counting" or "categorizing" the difference between the eternal observer and the transient world.Jñāna-Vijñāna-yoga (Yoga of Knowledge & Realization): The progression from theoretical understanding to direct, verifiable experience of reality.2. The Disciplines of Action & EngagementThese techniques focus on how we interface with the world without creating further cycles of suffering.Karma-yoga (Yoga of Action): Performing one's duty without attachment to personal gain.Karma-phala-tyāga (Renunciation of Results): The psychological technique of surrendering the "fruit" of action to manage anxiety and ego.Sannyāsa-yoga (Yoga of Renunciation): Not the abandonment of action, but the renunciation of the sense of doership (the ego's claim on the action).Yajña-yoga (Yoga of Sacrifice): Viewing every action—from eating to breathing to working—as an offering to the greater whole, rather than an act of personal consumption.3. The Disciplines of Emotional & Biological BaselineThese provide the "steady ground" required for all other yogas.Sthitaprajña-yoga (Yoga of Steady Wisdom): The practice of remaining unmoved by the "dualities" (pleasure/pain, win/loss) to maintain a clear view of reality.Dhyāna-yoga / Ātma-saṃyama-yoga (Yoga of Meditation/Self-Restraint): The biological discipline of regulating sleep, food, and breath to keep the "instrument" of the body tuned.Samatva-yoga (Yoga of Equanimity): The specific technique of viewing a lump of earth, a stone, and gold with the same steady eye—recognizing the same underlying Sat in all.4. The Disciplines of Connection & VisionThese expand the individual's perspective from the local self to the universal.Bhakti-yoga (Yoga of Devotion): Reorienting the emotional faculty toward the Divine, transforming personal desire into universal love.Vibhūti-yoga (Yoga of Divine Manifestation): The technique of practicing "constant awareness" by seeing the "best of" every category (the sun among lights, the lion among beasts) as a portal to the Divine reality.Viśvarūpa-darśana-yoga (Yoga of the Universal Vision): The radical expansion of consciousness to see the interconnectedness of all time, space, and being.5. The Disciplines of the "Field" (Contextual Reality)These focus on understanding the environment in which we act.Kṣetra-Kṣetrajña-yoga (Yoga of the Field & Knower): Distinguishing between the "Field" (the body, the mind, the world) and the "Knower" (consciousness).Guṇatraya-vibhāga-yoga (Yoga of the Three Modes): Analyzing the three qualities of nature—Sattva (clarity), Rajas (activity), and Tamas (inertia)—to understand what is driving our current behavior. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna offers a talk on patience and renunciation. He offers a modern interpretation of these two important aspects of living a meaningful life based in wisdom which will lead us to an experience of genuine happiness. This episode was recorded on February 11th, 2026.Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve.  As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org.  May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.

(Refuge of Belonging) When we loosen our grip on being someone — the creator, the author, the one who did that thing — something opens. This talk explores renunciation not as deprivation but as the doorway to creativity, purpose, and an open heart.

Episode #500: “If my story offers anything, I really hope that it offers permission to question sincerely, to grow beyond structures that once served us and to hold both gratitude and discernment at the same time,” says Shelina Rose, a former Acharya in the S.N. Goenka Vipassana tradition. Having stepped away from that role a couple of years ago, she does not reject discipline or community. Instead, she argues that the sincerity that draws someone into a spiritual container can later require them to move beyond it. For her, maturity means shifting from dependency to autonomy without losing appreciation for what once helped. Born in Nairobi to an Indian Ismaili Muslim family and raised in London, Shelina studied medicine in Cardiff and trained as a general practitioner in London. A pivotal moment came while working on a pediatric burns ward, where she witnessed a mute child begin to heal only after expressing trauma through art. The experience convinced her of the deep link between mind and body. Despite professional success, she felt unfulfilled and left her job to travel to Australia. There she encountered Vipassana meditation. A powerful experience on her first ten-day course committed her fully to the path. She later studied Pāḷi in India, became an Assistant Teacher, then an Acharya, serving in senior roles across Europe. She remembers the presence of S.N. Goenka vividlyduring these years: “The energy of that man was giant.” Over time, however, she felt the culture discouraged inquiry. “You weren't really trained to think.” Her practice also plateaued; the technique, she says, “becomes a fossil after a while.” After long reflection, she left, losing community and security in the process. However, rebuilding through compassion and creative expression, she now emphasizes care, discernment, and growth. Her closing advice: “I encourage you to question and to continue to grow.”

This passage is really about worship and what we trust to save us.

This episode reflects on Matthew 6 and the warning against laying up treasures on earth, exploring the biblical term "maimon" (money/idol) and how consumer culture pulls us away from God. Drawing on the Desert Fathers, Pastor Dan invites listeners into a Lenten practice of fasting, silence, and intentional acts of resistance against materialism. Through practical examples and a closing prayer, the message challenges us to simplify, practice generosity, and create space for God by turning off devices, resisting constant shopping, and embracing Sabbath-like solitude and charity.

Chapter 5, v. 11-13  Explore karma yoga, inner renunciation, and spiritual awakening through the practice of acting without attachment. This episode examines how reactive patterns, ego-based desire, and attachment to outcomes cloud awareness—and how disciplined yoga practice restores peace and clarity. Drawing from timeless wisdom, it reveals how purified awareness transforms action into offering and service into spiritual realization. Discover how freedom arises not from avoiding life's responsibilities, but from engaging them with discernment, equanimity, and awakened consciousness.

In this message, Terry Timm reflects on "freedom through renunciation," drawing from the stories of the rich young ruler, the desert mothers and fathers (especially Syncleticia of Alexandria), and Jesus' teachings on treasure and the soul. He explores how possessions, comfort, and security can quietly possess our hearts, and how practices of simplicity, generosity, and intentional "micro deserts" can loosen their grip. Ultimately, he invites listeners to be "owned by nothing" so their souls can be fully alive in Christ, praying, "Jesus, thank you, I already have enough."

Renunciation is often thought of as letting go of things that do not benefit us. But is that the right understanding of “renunciation”? In this podcast, Bhante explains that in Buddhism, renunciation is not giving something up out of dissatisfaction, but joyfully letting go of what one is comfortable with out of wisdom. Drawing from historical discussions, true renunciation is not selfish or rooted in rejection, but grounded in understanding impermanence and expanding concern beyond oneself. He also clarifies how generosity lays the foundation for renunciation, as overcoming fear through compassionate giving cultivates the inner freedom needed to let go.

Podcast audio:

Guiding listeners into bliss, Dr. Robert Thurman explores how emptiness, renunciation, and compassion reinforce our oneness with all beings.Today's podcast is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This time on the BHNN Guest Podcast, Dr. Thurman offers us:A lovely translation of an 18th-century poem written by a Tibetan lama Finding ‘mother emptiness' and reinforcing our oneness with all beingsLessons from the Buddha on emptiness and relativity Understanding renunciation as self-compassionPrioritizing the dharma rather than what society makes us feel we need to doWhat happens to the mind and body as we begin to renunciate thingsDifferentiating sympathy, empathy, and true compassionRealizing how precious we are as human beings How compassion arises from our own inner blissReleasing our need to achieve and cultivating a tolerance for ambiguity The synergy of all elements along The Eightfold PathThis episode was recorded in 2020 during the Love Serve Remember Wise Hope Virtual Retreat: Day 2. Check out upcoming retreats HERE.About Dr. Robert Thurman:Robert Thurman is the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the Department of Religion at Columbia University and President of the Tibet House U.S., and is the President of the American Institute of Buddhist Studies. His new book, Wisdom Is Bliss: Four Friendly Fun Facts That Can Change Your Life, is now available. "Renunciation is true self-indulgence. It's a real connoisseur's thing to be detached, to have less baggage, less things." –Dr. ThurmanSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

(Gaia House)

Tim Wicks closes out the year (2025) with a talk about Renunciation, letting go.He speaks about the grasping at the root of our suffering, our conditioning as "graspers," and how we help each other in learning to let go.

Dr. Dan Schneider is an Adjunct Professor of Theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville and an Associate Staff Member at the St. John Henry Newman Research Centre for Theology at Maryvale Institute in Birmingham, England. A former U.S. Army attack helicopter pilot, Gulf War veteran, and amateur boxer, Schneider has nearly two decades of experience in Catholic evangelization and teaching. As a founding member of Liber Christo, a movement with Fr. Chad Ripperger, he provides resources for priests and laity in the apostolate of deliverance and exorcism. Schneider is the author of The Liber Christo Method: A Field Manual for Spiritual Combat (TAN Books, 2023), offering practical “guerrilla warfare” tactics for spiritual battles, including five key strategies: Renunciation of Evil Influences, Repentance, Examination of Conscience, Learning Power and Authority, and Prayer. A sought-after speaker, he advocates for sacramental living and spiritual discipline to combat diabolical influences, drawing on his military and theological expertise. Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: Join thousands of parents who trust Fabric to help protect their family—apply today in just minutes at https://meetfabric.com/SHAWN. Go to https://helixsleep.com/srs for 27% Off Sitewide https://USCCA.com/srs https://bubsnaturals.com – USE CODE SHAWN Dr. Dan Schneider Links: The Liber Christo Method - https://tanbooks.com/products/books/the-liber-christo-method-a-field-manual-for-spiritual-combat/?afmc=7e Spiritual Warfare Q & A - https://tanbooks.com/products/books/spiritual-warfare-q-and-a-for-priests-and-laity/?afmc=7e The Sins of the Father - https://tanbooks.com/products/books/sins-of-the-father-a-catholic-and-biblical-approach-to-generational-curses/?afmc=7e Holy League Institute - https://holyleagueinstitute.com General inquires, email and web page - Info@holyleagueinstitute.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This talk continues a series of reviews presented by Allie Vaknin focusing on the paramis, those wholesome conditions of the mind that, when cultivated to their greatest potential, create the conditions for Awakening, the direct realization of Nirvana.  Allie emphasizes the importance of direct subjective awareness of unwholesome conditions and the intentional “letting go” of […]

(Gaia House)

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

St. Isaac's words reveal that communion with God requires remoteness from distraction and a renunciation of whatever disquiets the heart. This is not something reserved for monks alone, though they live it most radically, but it is a law of the Christian life as a whole. For Isaac, the fruits of renunciation are not abstract but very real: tears, compunction, a fountain of sweetness welling up from the heart, light dawning within. These are given not to the distracted soul but to the one who bows like a convict before the Cross, empty-handed and intent upon nothing else. Renunciation is not simply turning away from sin but from every movement that agitates the mind. He calls it a kind of death, both of the outer man in worldly deeds and occupations, and of the inner man in thoughts, passions, and self-will. It is this dying that makes room for the Spirit to raise one into true life. For the monk, this call is lived in visible and total form: silence, enclosure, vigils, fasting, the cutting away of unnecessary speech and activity. Leaving behind the noise of the world, the monk learns to dwell continually before God. For them Isaac's words are direct and literal, for one cannot hold onto worldly cares and at the same time enter into the madness of divine love. Stillness is the path by which grace rushes into the heart. For those living in the world, this teaching does not mean the rejection of responsibilities, but rather the careful discernment of what is indispensable and what is merely disquieting. Isaac himself acknowledges that not all can practice stillness in its fullness, but warns that one should not abandon the path altogether. Instead, there are ways of living the same spirit in daily life: simplicity, which renounces excess possessions, amusements, and chatter that scatter the heart; sobriety of senses, which guards against overindulgence and constant stimulation; interior watchfulness, which makes room for compunction and prayer in the ordinary rhythms of the day; trust in God's providence, which loosens the grip of anxiety over outcomes. For the layperson, renunciation looks like choosing silence over noise, prayer over distraction, mercy over greed, humility over self-exaltation. In these small dyings the heart is opened to the same fountain of sweetness, even if not in the same intensity as in the solitary monk. Isaac reminds us that whoever does not voluntarily withdraw from the causes of the passions will be carried away by them in the end. Whether monk or layperson, if the heart is constantly fed on the world's noise, possessions, and anxieties, it will inevitably be drawn off course. But if one begins to renounce even in small ways, the Spirit quickly comes to give aid, comforting the soul and granting grace. The lesson is clear: every Christian is called to some measure of renunciation, not as loss, but as the doorway to joy and divine consolation. The monk may live it to the depths, but each person in Christ is summoned to taste it in their own measure. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:14:30 jonathan: started trying practising paustinia every Wednesday and Friday. Its been far harder trying to abstain from all forms of entertainment than it is from food. Like fr said, the noon day demon feels heavy. 00:16:55 Catherine Opie: Ave Maria> What page are we on? 00:17:10 Myles Davidson: Replying to "Ave Maria> What page..." P. 152, last full paragraph on page 00:18:27 Catherine Opie: Reacted to "P. 152, last full pa..." with

Episode #403: Annai had always been attracted to spirituality. Growing up in a devout Catholic family in Barcelona, she preferred spending time in church while her friends only wanted to watch TV, and even began asking how she could one day become a Catholic nun. Eventually she found her way to Dhamma Neru, a vipassana meditation center in Spain the tradition of S.N. Goenka. She found the course extremely difficult and cried every day. However, in the end, she realized this was a path she wanted to dedicate herself to, and so decided to venture to India, where she took the 8-month Pāḷi course offered at Dhamma Giri. After the Pāḷi course, Annai happened to meet Venerable Canda, who told her about her teacher The Phyu Taw Ya Sayadaw in Burma. Playing his chanting for Annai, she was deeply moved and felt compelled to travel to Myanmar to meet him. Annai meditated at the Yangon-based monastery for five months—even drawing inspiration from Webu Sayadaw and foregoing sleep. Seeing her progress, the Sayadaw gave her permission to meditate for long periods under a large tree in the forest. Annai was also fascinated hearing her Sayadaw's stories about practicing in Maha Myaing Forest near the Indian border, where he had a branch monastery. Yet there were many obstacles in her being able to go here, as women were rarely allowed remote practice possibilities, and foreigners weren't even allowed in this part of the country. But somehow Annai was able to break through this red tape, and reaching the forest, took a vow of silence for one year. Still, it was a totally new experience for her, from snakes in her kuti, to armies of termites, to hearing the sound of elephants in the distance, to the playful monkeys. Moreover, whether large or small, each wild animal and insect was a possible threat, and there were spirits in the forest as well, but Annai soon realized that the best way to confront them all was to develop stronger mettā. Eventually, after six years in total in Myanmar, Annai returned to Spain, where she planned to re-engage with the vipassana community of S.N. Goenka. Although she had pursued a rather diverse meditative experience, she always felt close to her first real teacher. Yet Annai found her deep meditation practice put her at odds with the tradition's guidelines, and so instead decided to develop a monastery which could support yogis in the dynamic, varied kinds of ways she, herself, had experienced in Myanmar. This led to the establishment of Sarana Vihara near the Montseny National Park, outside of Barcelona. She decided that if people there could not go to Myanmar, she would bring some part of Myanmar to them. Of course, her strong memories of her time in Myanmar continue to inspire her current work. “It was overwhelming: the generosity, the care, the support of the people [there].”

This session with Ven. Robina follows on to explore attachment in more detail, as well as renunciation, dependent arising and having an open heart. She says, attachment is very primordial and can manifest as as possessiveness, manipulation, controlling, expectations, addictions. We need to start to work with attachment and aversion by controlling our body, speech and mind. "Attachment doesn't like when we see our own crazy mind. We need to learn to counteract that, and be glad to see our crazy minds. And learn to live wiht it and be kind to ourselves about it. Rather than wishing it would go away, because that is naive." Q&A at Namche Bazaar – Attachment (Part 2) – Renunciation, dependent arising and having an open heart. Lawudo Trek | March 26, 2019 | Namche Bazaar, Solu Khumbu

St. Isaac's words fall like a plough upon the heart. He does not speak of religion as ornament, nor of spiritual life as a gentle addition to human comforts. His vision pierces through to the marrow: the Kingdom of God is hidden within, yet it is veiled from us by attachments, by the clamor of outward concerns, by the fog of our restless desires. To find God we do not roam heaven and earth, chasing visions or “phantasms.” We are told simply to purify the soul, to drive away cares foreign to our nature, to cultivate humility and chastity of heart. In that stillness, the mysteries of God shine forth. Renunciation, for St. Isaac, is not a dour rejection of creation but a necessary loosening of chains. The soul addicted to “ease,” to possessions, to the endless commerce of sights and sounds, is like wet wood; it cannot ignite with the fire of divine love. Only when stripped, when made poor and simple, can it burn. Poverty, humility, stillness; these are not negations but preparations, making space for the light that transforms. It is a paradox: what seems like loss is the doorway into inexhaustible gain. Isaac teaches us that prayer and reading are not separate paths but one movement of the soul. Reading feeds prayer; prayer clarifies the mind and makes reading luminous. When a man stands in prayer, Scripture rises up within him like fresh springs. It silences distractions, fills the heart with recollection of God, and sometimes overwhelms prayer itself with the sweetness of divine astonishment. Such moments are not learned from books, not borrowed secondhand, they must be tasted. Without the labor of vigilance, no one will know them. Without knocking with persistence, the door remains closed. Yet the fruit of such striving is nothing less than transfiguration. The soul that bows before the Cross in vigil and compunction finds fountains of sweetness rising from within; unexpected, uncaused by effort alone. Joy surges, the body itself trembles with divine consolation, and prayer ceases to be labor and becomes gift. This is the hidden fire of the Kingdom, the mystery known only to those who hunger and thirst for God above all else. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:06:25 susan: what page? 00:11:46 Fr. Miron Kerul-Kmec Jr.: No I don't. I stole it from you 00:37:47 Ryan Ngeve: Father this seems to imply that external converse has a great effect on the internal internal self. How does this relates to the role of the thought as the source of all temptation 00:38:09 Jonathan Grobler: After decades of severe addiction to digital entertainment, silence has become an exceptionally difficult thing to achieve. It is truly a difficult thing to break away from. 00:44:22 Thomas: Will intellectually accepting something eventually lead to belief of that thing in the heart 00:44:40 John Burmeister: Reacted to "After decades of sev..." with

St. Isaac the Syrian leads us into a subtle yet decisive truth about the spiritual life: to taste of God rightly, one must be weaned from the world—not only from its visible distractions and passions, but also from the premature grasping of spiritual visions and insights. Renunciation, for Isaac, is not merely the abandonment of external goods; it is the letting go of everything that agitates, excites, or exceeds the soul's present capacity. Like a child given honey before it can digest it, the soul that seeks lofty knowledge or noetic vision without purification risks sickness and collapse. This is why Isaac insists that silence and stillness are the true companions of renunciation. The soul must be emptied and simplified, freed from the clutter of worldly images, memories, and concerns. Only then can she begin to perceive, not in phantasy, but in the true theoria that God bestows upon the humble and pure of heart. Silence, for Isaac, is the protection of this delicate work. It guards the soul from shameless curiosity about mysteries that surpass her strength, and it teaches her to receive revelation with reverence, not presumption. Stillness, likewise, is the arena where renunciation becomes fruitful. By cutting off the “exterior war” of the senses—sight, hearing, chatter, possessions—the soul is fortified against the subtler inner warfare of thoughts. In this solitude, prayer and Scripture reading form the new conversation of the heart, replacing worldly recollections with the remembrance of God. Thus renunciation is not negative but deeply positive: it creates space for mercy, for purity, for true prayer, and for the divine astonishment that halts the soul in stillness before the mysteries of God. Isaac reminds us that almsgiving and voluntary poverty open the heart to boldness before God, but stillness is the summit—where the soul is no longer divided, tossed about, or burdened, but rests in the radiant quiet of God's presence. Renunciation, then, is not escape but transfiguration. It severs us from the false sweetness of the world and teaches us to taste, in measure, the true sweetness of God. It bids us to be content with what is given, to wait in silence for the moment when grace itself will lift us beyond our measure, and to remain always in the humility by which mysteries are revealed. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:05:39 Bob Čihák, AZ: Our current book is “The Ascetical Homilies of Saint Isaac the Syrian, revised 2nd Edition” 2011, published by Holy Transfiguration Monastery, https://www.bostonmonks.com/product_info.php/products_id/635 . This hard-covered book is on the expensive side but of very high quality. 00:12:38 Bob Čihák, AZ: P 147, halfway down page 00:26:41 carolnypaver: Page # ? 00:26:51 Andrew Adams: 148 00:26:59 carolnypaver: Reacted to "148" with

This talk was given by Matthew Brensilver on 2025.08.21 at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA. ******* Video of this talk is available at: https://youtube.com/live/OVrX49OQ3qA?feature=share. ******* For more talks like this, visit AudioDharma.org ******* If you have enjoyed this talk, please consider supporting AudioDharma with a donation at https://www.audiodharma.org/donate/. ******* This talk is licensed by a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License

Dr. Dan Schneider is an Adjunct Professor of Theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville and an Associate Staff Member at the St. John Henry Newman Research Centre for Theology at Maryvale Institute in Birmingham, England. A former U.S. Army attack helicopter pilot, Gulf War veteran, and amateur boxer, Schneider has nearly two decades of experience in Catholic evangelization and teaching.  As a founding member of Liber Christo, a movement with Fr. Chad Ripperger, he provides resources for priests and laity in the apostolate of deliverance and exorcism. Schneider is the author of The Liber Christo Method: A Field Manual for Spiritual Combat (TAN Books, 2023), offering practical “guerrilla warfare” tactics for spiritual battles, including five key strategies: Renunciation of Evil Influences, Repentance, Examination of Conscience, Learning Power and Authority, and Prayer. A sought-after speaker, he advocates for sacramental living and spiritual discipline to combat diabolical influences, drawing on his military and theological expertise. Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: https://americanfinancing.net/srs NMLS 182334, nmlsconsumeraccess.org https://tryarmra.com/srs https://betterhelp.com/srs This episode is sponsored. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/srs and get on your way to being your best self. https://meetfabric.com/shawn https://shawnlikesgold.com https://hexclad.com/srs https://hillsdale.edu/srs https://ketone.com/srs Visit https://ketone.com/srs for 30% OFF your subscription order https://ROKA.com – USE CODE SRS https://trueclassic.com/srs https://USCCA.com/srs https://blackbuffalo.com Dan Schneider Links: The Liber Christo Method - https://tanbooks.com/products/books/the-liber-christo-method-a-field-manual-for-spiritual-combat Spiritual Warfare Q & A - https://tanbooks.com/products/books/spiritual-warfare-q-and-a-for-priests-and-laity Website - https://liberchristo.org Website - https://montechristo.net FB - https://www.facebook.com/VirginMostPowerful Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Earle Birney grew up in Vancouver, Canada surrounded by a supportive community network. After leaving University, Earle spent two years in New Zealand's prestigious Paremoremo Institute where he started studying yoga and meditation. He went on to co-create Diamond Mountain University in southern Arizona where he completed a program in Tibetan Buddhism, concluding with a three-year silent meditation retreat starting in 2011. Now the head of curriculum development and lead teacher with the Yoga Studies Institute (YSI), Earle is reaching thousands of students a year with yoga programs and retreats, meditation teacher trainings, and philosophy workshops. His aim is finding integrity between theory and action; he enjoys guiding people in their personal practices while making these esoteric teachings practical and culturally relevant.Yoga Studies Institute - Become lightLojong: Developing a Good Heart September 2025 - Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat Bahamas

The Minimalists talk about the difference between minimalism and renunciation, and they explore the unforeseen downsides of renouncing things. Discussed in this episode: What's the best way to avoid purchasing things that will soon be junk? (2:48) What topping should never go on pizza? (23:03) Listener tip: Make your phone more boring to make it more useful. (43:14) Listen to the full Maximal episode on Patreon: patreon.com/theminimalists Detailed show notes: minimalists.com/podcast Recorded at Earthing Studios.