Podcasts about shakya

This segment is excerpted from the introduction to a yet-to-be-published manuscript of selected podcasts from 2020 forward. The working title is "Speaking with One (Zen) Voice," the "Zen" in parentheses, subtitled "25 Centuries of Buddha-Dharma; 3Countries of Origin; 9 Dharma Masters; 2 Dozen Teachings; with Commentary by an American Zen Elder." Selections from the text are posted monthly as our new Substack column, along with my paraphrases of traditional teachings, beginning with Buddha's "First Sermon," otherwise known as "Setting in Motion the Wheel of the Law," or, more simply, "The Four Noble Truths." Check it out. This volume represents an attempt to present Buddhist teachings selected from the vast canon of sutras (indicating direct testimony) and shastras (connoting indirect commentary) spanning some 2500 years, a quarter of a millennium, from three of Buddhism's countries and cultures of origin — India, China, and Japan. According to scholars, the early talks delivered by Buddha himself to his followers were not written down until several centuries after his death, but were preserved through the oral tradition of chanting and memorizing his spoken teachings. But the accuracy of that transmission is not considered inferior to the later written records, for one reason that it is more difficult to change the content of an oral tradition than it is to modify written documents, either intentionally, by accident, or the ravages of time. Another reason is that the truths of Buddhism and Zen are to be discovered in one's own experience, primarily via the practice of the same meditation process that led to Buddha's insight. Buddhism is, perhaps, unique amongst the Major Religions of the world, in this, its tradition of “face-to-face transmission.” Each of Buddha's Dharma heirs — from those who were exposed to his live dialogs in India, to those who propagated Zen practice and teachings in foreign lands, and the ancestors of those countries — were themselves beneficiaries of direct insight. Of course, the further we go back in time, the provenance or historicity of the canon is less certain, the record from China is more documented than that of India, and that of Japan even more so, as we approach modern times. Most of the selected pieces from these later periods of the evolution of the canon are derived from the liturgy of Soto Zen, verses that are recited in monasteries and temples of today. Speaking with one voiceThe point in surveying this collection, which is merely the tip of a massive iceberg — the Pali canon, Tripitaka, or “three baskets” alone is said to comprise some 84,000 teachings — is that these great Zen forefathers were all speaking with one voice. The written texts selected by Zen's ancestors in China and Japan to be recited on a daily basis as liturgy were obviously not casual or arbitrary choices. They come at the central truth of Buddha's message from differing cultural and linguistic contexts, of course, but if we read between the lines, we might get a glimmer of the existential and experiential reality to which they refer, as so many fingers to the same moon. Let us first consider some of the underlying premises of the teachings of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni (“sage of the Shakya clan”), which differentiate his from other teachings of a philosophical or religious nature. Let it be understood from the beginning, however, that the worldview of Buddhism — and Zen in particular — places emphasis on overarching sameness, rather than petty differences, between people, and sentient beings in general. This inclusive attitude also applies to the other worldviews, belief systems, philosophies, and religions propounded by humankind. We who follow Buddha's Way are not interested in proselytizing or converting, debating, or winning anyone over to our point of view by argument, nor in discrediting another's viewpoint. As to any perceived difference between Zen and Buddhism, you are free to substitute one term for the other where mentioned in the following. Three key distinctions where the Buddha's teaching, usually referred to as “buddha-dharma,” or more simply, “Dharma,” differs substantively: One: It is human-centered. Unlike other spiritual founders, the Buddha claimed no mandate from a god, a deity, or power outside himself; no “Wizard of Oz” behind the curtain preaching his message, other than his teachers in past lives, the so-called “prehistoric” Buddhas. Zen is all about humanity, and our place in the universe. And, for that matter, the place of all sentient beings, on the path to awakening. According to mythical tradition, the newborn baby Buddha declared: “Above the heavens and below the heavens, I alone am the most honored one!” as he sprung forth, fully formed, from his mother's womb. This expression, while clearly legendary, capsulizes Buddha's view of humanity's unique position in the scheme of things, as represented by his human birth. In today's societal context, this might be interpreted as a form of “secular humanism,” a limited, egocentric, or anthropocentric, perspective. On the other hand, to claim exclusive divine guidance, when the audience consists of other human beings like yourself would seem the more egocentric, closer to the height of arrogance. Think of all the things this leads to. Those claiming a direct mandate from God feel compelled to proselytize, to save all other beings, which is, ironically, the Bodhisattva Vow of Buddhism. But if the unsaved do not seek out the message themselves, the apostles bringing the gospel appear to disrespect and demean the innate spirituality of those they would save. Claiming to be already blessed, or saved themselves, they feel uniquely qualified to save others. One stunning difference here is Buddha's decision to attempt to teach his great discovery to others, based only on his own experience. This must have required great confidence and resolve, in that his authority to teach was not based on an established lineage, outside intervention of some “greater being,” nor on a previously existing canon or belief system. There was no directive from on high to go forth and spread the good news. So why do it? The urge to share the “compassionate teachings” stems from “suffering with” — the very definition of compassion. No one, not even Buddha, can save another. Zen's message and method of meditation offers a way to release oneself from one's own ignorance. Two: It is self-reliant. Buddha's teaching emphasizes self-reliance, individual responsibility and initiative. It is the ultimate in do-it-yourself. He teaches no-reliance on anything outside the self. We cannot rely on scripture, on beliefs, on somebody else to do this for us. This is where what is called “Great Doubt” arises. If we can't rely on anything outside ourselves, everything we've always relied upon is now called into question. If we begin to doubt everything that we've always felt to be dependable and sure, we come to an experience akin to that which people in earthquake or mudslide zones are said to undergo. Suddenly one day, the earth trembles, falls apart, opens up fissures and nearly swallows them up. What they always depended upon as “terra firma,” solid earth, turns extremely fluid, not at all stable.. Similarly, what Buddha points to can be as unnerving, but on a spiritual level, sometimes described as something like the earth “trembling in six dimensions,” meaning the Six Senses. When doubt — including doubt in the dharma — becomes such that we feel as if we are “perched atop a 100-foot pole,” and we step off. It is like vertigo on steroids. “No toe-hold”— nothing to hold on to, nothing to cling to. With his emphasis on self-reliance, individual responsibility, and initiative, taking this on for ourselves, by his own example, Buddha established the tradition of awakening without a teacher. We can learn from living, true teachers, those who have personal insight, yes, we can rely on them not to mislead us but after their death, we have only the teachings, which we can rely on, because they hold true, anywhere and anywhen in spacetime. Three: It has nothing hidden.In Buddha's teaching there is nothing hidden, nothing held back — no inner secret, something the teacher has up his or her sleeve, that the student has to try to get. Dharma is ubiquitous, and self-apparent. As Master Dogen said, “Now when you trace the source of the Way, you find that it is universal and absolute.” There isn't anywhere or any time that Dharma is not present. In the most ordinary, common, everyday thing that you go through, this teaching is manifest in that activity and in that experience. All things are manifesting buddha-dharma "without ceasing for a moment," another trope from Dogen. Recapping these three aspects: First, Buddha-dharma is humancentric, based on our consciousness, on our human birth and being. We are able to have this awakening experience without reliance on a savior, without reliance on a god. Buddha never positioned himself as a savior, never claimed a mandate from an outside force or God. To that degree Zen is a secular religion, so to say. Second, Dharma is do-it-yourself. An attitude of absolute respect, honoring the innate buddha-nature of ourselves and others. We all have the capability of doing exactly what Buddha did, waking up completely. This is one meaning of the buddhist bow. When we bow to each other palm-to-palm, it expresses a recognition of our innate spirituality: “I recognize your Buddha-nature, same as mine.” Third, Dharma has nothing hidden in it. It is openly available and accessible to everybody. These teachings are not for the “inner circle.” There is no “us and them” in the Buddhist community, or Sangha. These three things are distinguishing hallmarks of the Buddha's Dharma. Buddha's original teachings must have been influenced to some extent by his cultural context. The caste system, and presumably a proto-Hindu religion, of India of that time, as well as the contemporaneous state of the art of science, surely shaped the syntax as well as his referential vocabulary. Shakyamuni had to teach within his milieu, and his teaching went against the grain of entrenched conventional belief systems. He knew that his message would be unpopular, swimming upstream, against the prevalent cultural currents and current beliefs. Similar for our times Recognizing that no teacher taught “Buddhism” to Siddhartha Gotama — he alone started all the trouble, as someone once said — we hold him in great reverence. He is not a figure of worship, and not regarded as a personal savior, in the sense that Christians regard Jesus Christ. Buddha was not a Buddhist, after all, any more than Christ was a Christian. But he is more than a “saint” of Buddhism, of which Zen has many, its lineage Ancestors. He is the Founder of Zen, its progenitor. We all have to reinvent Zen. Its teachings, or Dharma, cannot simply be layered over the everyday dilemmas of living in this day and age. They must instead be understood, so that in adapting them to our own lives, we may integrate them fully. This does not mean that we need to modify Zen, however. Zen is always contemporary, and its relevance is revealed in its meditation, or zazen.

Trishala Gurung is a highly acclaimed singer celebrated for her powerful and enchanting voice, which has captivated audiences both within Nepal and across the globe. Rohit Shakya, on the other hand, is a multifaceted talent in the world of music. As a visionary music producer and director, he is also the co-founder of Fuzz Studio Nepal and Fuzz Factory Production.

Karma is known as the most talented actor in Nepal, praised for his perfect adaptation to versatile roles on screen. As a key figure in the Nepali movie industry, he has impressed audiences with films such as Sano Sansar, Loot, and Lukamari. With his latest film, Shambhala, gaining global recognition, Karma continues to shine as one of the country's most versatile and celebrated actors.

This week on 'Has It Aged Well?' we're talking about the breakout film of Shah Rukh Khan, and also the one that set him on a trail of playing iconic negative characters: 1993's 'Baazigar' directed by Abbas-Mustan starring SRK, Kajol, Shilpa Shetty, Dalip Tahil, Johnny Lever, and Rakhee. Joining us to talk about Baazigar with Abbas and Urjita is writer, comedian and 90's cinema enthusiast Ashish Shakya. Topics discussed include: Shah Rukh Khan's turn to negative roles and how it brought him success, the filmmaking flair and dialogue-baazi of Abbas-Mustan films, Ashish sharing stories about a Shilpa Shetty birthday bash and SRk's magnetism, how Anu Malik knocked it out of the park, Johnny Lever's crazy side track, and how a 2024 Baazigar would jsut be a series of insta reels.Follow Ashish Shakya here: https://www.instagram.com/ashish_shakyaUrjita is touring with her solo show across India, catch her in your city: https://in.bookmyshow.com/events/urjita-wani-live/ET00395374Follow Abbas here: https://www.instagram.com/abbasmomin88/Follow Urjita here: https://www.instagram.com/urjitawani/Get access to ‘Has It Aged Well?' audio episodes one week early on Amazon Music, Subscribe to the feed: https://music.amazon.in/podcasts/24d527b5-0544-4bd6-a7ff-073fa72d846a/has-it-aged-wellSubscribe to IVM Pop's Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@IVMPopFollow IVM Pop on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivmpop/    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mr. Ashim Shakya is an artist and developer with expertise in calligraphy, digital art, cinematography, music production, and 3D generation. In this podcast, he talks about developing games in Nepal. Baraka : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6MLQgoepXY GET CONNECTED WITH Mr. Ashim Shakya: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shakya.ashim/ Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/shakyaartworks  

Welcome to the Doers Podcast, where we bring you inspiring conversations with individuals making a significant impact in their respective fields. Rushil Shakya is the Co-Founder/Lead Instructor, at Technology for Equality and Justice at Tej Fellowship. He is a technology educator passionate about making the sector more inclusive. He has worked in leadership capacities in large Fortune 500 companies and technology startups. He has also volunteered his time and expertise for several social justice organizations in Nepal and the United States. He also introduced the coding bootcamp model to Nepal for marginalized communities to create world-class Software Engineers with the Tej Fellowship program. Listen to this insightful podcast with an individual who is looking to make a difference in Nepal. Get Inspired, Be a Doer. Production Partner: Viewfinders Production https://viewfinders.com.np/podcast-as-a-service/ - Explore Digital Creation with Viewfinders - Get all-in-one Podcast services - Services: Set design, content creation, guest recommendations, distribution, and more - Reach out to Viewfinders Production for expert help Podcast page: podcast@viewfinders.com.np  

In der Serie "Kleine Auszeiten" beleuchten wir Möglichkeiten, wie man Brückentage und Ferienzeiten gut nutzen kann. Viele Menschen machen Kurzulaub auch mal in einem Freizeitpark. Gerade mit Kindern ist das oft genau der richtige Ort. Allerdings sind die großen Freizeitparks auch echte "Freizeit-Maschinen" - gerade mit Blick auf den Energieverbrauch oder den CO2-Ausstoss. Im Gespräch mit Martina Shakya versucht SWR Aktuell-Moderator Andreas Böhnisch, das Phänomen "Freizeitpark" von unterschiedlichen Seiten zu betrachten. Shakya ist Professorin für Tourismus und Geografie an der Hochschule Heilbronn.

In the last segment of UnMind, we took up the most social of the Three Treasures: Sangha, or community. In this segment, we will continue with our analysis of the design of Dharma study; and in the next, that of Buddha practice, Zen's unique meditation, or zazen. These three constitute the highest values and manifestations of Buddhism in the real world, and the simplest model for the comprehensive nature of living a Zen life. They are regarded as three legs, without any one of which the stool of Zen is unstable. Design intent is reflected in their modus operandi, message, and method, respectively. Dharma study consists in reviewing and contemplating the “compassionate teachings,” the message transmitted by Shakyamuni and the ancestors down to the present day. While they were all, in effect, “speaking with one voice,” nonetheless Dharma ranks second in importance and emphasis, as an adjunct to meditation, just as Sangha comes in third, in providing the harmonious community and conducive environment for Zen. As referenced in Dogen's Jijuyu Zammai – Self-fulfilling Samadhi: Grass, trees and walls bring forth the teaching for all beingsCommon people as well as sages The “walls” are the infrastructure that was built around personal and communal practice in the form of our sitting space at home, grass hut hermitages, and meditation halls of temples, centers, or monasteries. This is the millennia-old design-build activity of the ancestors attested to by the stupas of India and the monasteries of China, Tibet, Japan, and the Far East, the legacy inherited by modern proponents of Zen in the West. Dharma likewise has been codified, collected, and contained in tangible documents, originally in the form of rice paper scrolls, now in books distributed worldwide in hardbound and paperback format. My own two current volumes in print ‑ “The Original Frontier” and “The Razorblade of Zen” ‑ were actually printed and bound in India, the home country of Buddhism They are also, or will soon be, available in electronic form, as eBooks and audiobooks accessible to virtually anyone, anywhere, anytime. It is as if Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion – s/he of the innumerable eyes and ears needed to see and hear the sights and sounds of dukkha in the world, with innumerable arms and hands bringing the tools necessary to help ‑ has come to be manifested globally, in the form of the worldwide network of mobile media. By means of which her ongoing witness to the suffering of the world is also recorded for posterity. Thus, the potential for Dharma to have an effect on the world at large has expanded exponentially, as in the vow: “I take refuge in Dharma, the compassionate teachings.” Taking refuge in the Dharma means returning ‑ or “fleeing back” ‑ to the original truths or laws of existence, and our place in it. Consider what the first teachings of Buddha really had to say, and what was their intended effect upon the audience. The First Sermon lays out the essential logic of the Middle Way, and its avoidance of extremes of attitudes and approaches to the fundamental problem of existence as a sentient, human being. The design intent of the Dharma as expounded by Shakyamuni Buddha, was, as far as we can determine from the written record, to correct the conventional wisdom of the time, which I take to have been primarily based on beliefs and doctrines of Hinduism. One well-known example is his teaching of anatta or anatman, a refutation of the Hindu belief in a self-existent soul, or atman. Not being a scholar, I am basing this on my scant study of the canon and the opinion of others more learned than I. Considering how the Dharma was first shared gives us an insight more technically oriented to the intent of its design. In the beginning was the spoken word of Siddhartha Gautama, similar to the Bible's creation story. Buddha never committed a single word to paper, or so we are told. It is also said that he “never spoke a word,” a comment I take to mean that while language can point at the truths of Buddhism, it cannot capture them. Buddhist truth is uniquely experiential. It has to go through a kind of translation into language that is beyond language itself, as in the last stanza of Hsinhsinming‑Trust in Mind: Words! The Way is beyond language for in itthere is no yesterday, no tomorrow, no today Later given the honorifics of “Buddha, ‑ fully awakened one” and “Shakyamuni ‑ sage of the Shakya clan,” and others, ten in total, Siddhartha's First Sermon to the five ascetics with whom he had been practicing, begins with: O monks, these two extremes ought not be followed by one going forth from the household life. What are the two?There is devotion to the indulgence of self-gratificationWhich is low, common, the way of ordinary peopleUnworthy and unprofitableThere is devotion to the indulgence of self-mortificationWhich is painful unworthy and unprofitableAvoiding both these extremes the Tathagata has realized the Middle WayIt gives vision it gives knowledge and it leads to calm to insight to awakening to Nirvana The intent of the content was to dissuade these monks from continuing to follow the dictates of their method of asceticism, which Buddha had found to be ineffective, to say the least. And to hold out the hope that if they were able to relinquish their own opinions of the truth they were seeking, and the method for apprehending it, they would be able to accede to the insight that he had experienced directly in meditation, the “middle way.” “Tathagata,” by the way, is also one of the ten honorifics accorded to Buddha later in the course of his teaching career, meaning something like the “thus-come one.” It was most likely appended to this narrative when finally committed to written form, some four centuries after-the-fact. But our point is that the spoken language was the medium in which the teaching was first shared. Buddha was said to have spoken Pali, which is similar to, and perhaps a dialect of, Sanskrit. The theory I have heard explaining why they were not recorded in written form is that they were considered sacred, and writing them down would have made them vulnerable to accidental or intentional change. The oral tradition was more dependable in terms of preserving them with their original intent intact. So the “design intent” of Buddha's use of kind or loving speech was not the usual intent of language in general. It was intended to encourage others to apprehend the “Great Matter” of life-and-death in the most direct way, the only way, possible. Buddha recognized that there was no way of sharing his experience with others in the ordinary sense, so he resorted to parables and analogies, to allow his audience to see themselves in the pictures he painted, and to transcend ordinary understanding in words and phrases, or the pursuit of information, the usual application of language. The later codifying and organization of the original spoken teachings into the Tripitaka or “three baskets” was designed to allow teachers and students to study the voluminous canon in an orderly way, and to prioritize their approach to it in digestible bites. It was most likely understood that the existing literature of the time ‑ which had to be scarce, compared to today's glut of publications – was to be absorbed in concert with practicing the meditation that had led to Buddha's insight to begin with. As Master Dogen reminds: Now all ancestors and all buddhas who uphold buddha-dharma have made it the true path of enlightenment to sit upright practicing in the midst of self-fulfilling samadhiThose who attained enlightenment in India and China followed this wayIt was done so because teachers and disciples personally transmitted this excellent method as the essence of the teaching In the authentic tradition of our teaching it is said that this directly transmitted straightforward buddha- dharma is the unsurpassable of the unsurpassable The design intent of the teachings has been, from the very beginning, the direct transmission of the buddha-dharma, what Matsuoka-roshi referred to as “living Zen.” In the daily lives of monks and nuns, frequent repetition of chanting selected teachings enabled the monastics to deeply assimilate them. Master Dogen was known for connecting each and every regular daily routine with brief recitations, such as the Meal Verse, in order to bridge the gap between the sacred and the profane, the physical and the spiritual. Codification of the koan collections of Rinzai Zen ‑ some 1700 strong according to tradition, later organized into five sets by Hakuin Ekaku Zenji, the 18th Century Rinzai master ‑ represent design efforts to structure the lore and legacy of Zen's anecdotal history of exchanges between masters and students available in progressive levels of difficulty, enabling accessibility of the apparent dichotomies of Dharma. Soto Zen simplifies the approach even further by regarding zazen itself as representing the living koan, requiring nothing further to complement, or complicate, the process of insight. All the various models of buddha-dharma developed by the ancients qualify as efforts in information design ‑ visualizing images and what is called “pattern-thinking” ‑ that allow us to grasp the form of the Dharma beyond what mere words can convey. The Four Noble Truths comprise the first historical example of these descriptive models, including the prescriptive Noble Eightfold Path. Tozan's “Five Ranks” and Rinzai's “Host and Guest” come later, but have the same design intent – to help their students get beyond the limitation of the linear nature of language. My semantic models of the teachings, published in “The Razorblade of Zen,” represent more contemporary cases in point. Nowadays ‑ as testimonial evidence indicates, from one-on-one encounters in online and in-person dharma dialogs with modern students of the Way ‑ people are no longer studying buddha-dharma as they may have throughout history, when documents were rare. More often than not, they are reading more than one book at a time, in a nonlinear process I refer to as “cross-coupling”: simultaneously absorbing commentaries from one author or translator along with others; or perhaps comparing the teachings of more than one ancestor of Zen to those of a different ancestor. This may be an artifact or anomaly of the ubiquitous presence and availability of Zen material in print form, as well as the encyclopedic scope of online resources on offer today. It seems that in every category, and every language, we have at our fingertips a greater textual resource than ever conceivable in history, dwarfing the great libraries of legend. We can “google” virtually anything – no pun - with a few strokes of a keyboard. In addition, Artificial Intelligence threatens to bring together summaries and concoctions of content at the whim of any researcher; documents are readily searchable for those who wish to quantify uses of words and phrases at any point in history, teasing out trends and making judgments as to the hidden patterns in historical evolution of ideas. In this context it is difficult to ascertain the design intent of dharma as articulated today. It is not easy to discern the intent of the publish-or-perish, rush-into-print crowd, or to judge whether a given piece of contemporary writing is worth our effort and time to read. Fortunately, Zen offers a wormhole out of this literary catch-22. Zazen provides recourse to an even greater inventory of databases, built into our immediate sensorium. We can always return to upright sitting, facing the wall. This is where we will find the nonverbal answers we are seeking so feverishly, and somewhat futilely, in “words and letters” as Master Dogen reminds us in his seminal tract on meditation, Fukanzazengi: You should stop pursuing words and lettersand learn to withdraw and turn the light on yourselfwhen you do so your body and mind will naturally fall awayand your original buddha-nature will appear This stanza is sometimes interpreted as a slam on the nature of contemporaneous Rinzai practice predominant in the Japan of Dogen's time. But I think we should take a broader view of the great master's intent. He is merely cluing us in to the fact of the futility of pursuing literal, linear understanding of the Dharma in its manifestation as verbal expression. We are to turn our attention, instead, to the immediate and intimate presence of the self of body-and-mind ‑ beyond, or before, words can interfere. Here is where, and now is when, we will witness the full force of the design intent of the Dharma.* * * 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: Shinjin Larry Little

Meet Dr. Jaswan Shakya, a seasoned plastic and reconstructive surgeon with over 14 years of expertise. Currently serving as a Cosmetic Surgeon at Aarus Lifestyle Hospital and Swati Laser and Skin Care, he brings a wealth of experience to the world of aesthetics and rejuvenation.

On Just A Filmy Game Show with Antariksh Takkar, comedians Abish Mathew and Ashish Shakya fight to become the Biggest Bollywood Deewana! They talk about their favourite films, try to recognise songs from their 2nd verses, name movies of Paresh Rawal, and make plenty of merry to achieve the highest scores we've ever had on the show! You'll see how that happened! Just tune in!  Subscribe to IVM POP on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChLpZtmxPs2nb6Xq7IXFOug Follow Antariksh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/antariksht/ follow IVM Pop on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivmpop/ This Show is Available across audio Platforms:  Spotify | Gaana | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of The After Business School Special, host Carlee Snow is joined by Shakya Abeywickrama to discuss how her immigration journey shaped her professional path, the lessons she has learned over her time climbing the corporate ranks at Vendasta, and the power of diversity in team building and business success. Shakya has her Bachelors of Commerce in Marketing from Edwards School of Business and is the VP and Divisional GM of white-label Marketing Services at Vendasta here in Saskatoon, SK.  Which is one of North America's largest digital agencies. Born and raised Sri Lankan, Shakya has been in Saskatoon for over a decade and has made both the city and Vendasta home. She started working at Vendasta right after completing her business degree and has climbed the ranks to her current leadership position. She leads a cross-functional teams with over 200 employees in website development, social media marketing, digital advertising, digital reputation management, and product marketing, helping thousands of local businesses with their digital presence. Among many other things. Shakya also serves on numerous boards around Saskatoon focusing on welcoming new immigrants and building local tech, aligning closely with her passions, which also include female empowerment, gender equality, and diversity in the workplace and community.Show Notes Connect with Shakya and learn more about her work: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shakyaabeywickrama/ Vendasta: https://www.vendasta.com/Global Gathering Place: https://globalgatheringplace.com/Co.Labs: https://www.co-labs.ca/Saskatoon Open Door Society: https://www.sods.sk.ca/  Resources Mentioned: Good to Great by Jim Collins: https://www.jimcollins.com/books.html  Connect with The After Business School SpecialInstagram: @afterbusinesspodcast Join the community: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14250411/Stay in the know: http://eepurl.com/io8Z6A This podcast is in partnership with the Edwards School of Business, University of Saskatchewan.

Designing SanghaSangha is the fruitOf all of our endeavors —If harmonious.* * *angha is also an operative dynamic of our world. Community already exists; it is just not always very harmonious. Why would Buddha have established the original Order of monks and nuns, when he had a perfectly serviceable community in the form of the Shakya clan, and enjoyed a position of high honor and privilege within it? Why do we seek out groups of like-minded folks, often turning away from the family and friends we grew up with? Why do we reject the smorgasbord of ersatz communities on offer in the wider society, and turn instead to groups who insist on sitting quietly for irrationally long periods of time, occasionally inviting someone to hit us with a stick? It is because, as Matsuoka Roshi would often say, “Civilization conquers us!”One could argue the case that Buddha was basically a late-blooming adolescent, a rebel who rejected his father's plans for his future; and potentially a draft-dodger who, as a member of the warrior caste, did not relish the idea of taking orders from the Brahmins, for instance to wage war on the neighboring tribes. One could also reasonably wager that had he been of the lower castes — an untouchable, for example — he would not likely have gotten away with his renegade movement. I submit that we are doing essentially the same thing in America today that Buddha did when faced with the dilemma of introducing a “third way,” in contrast to the probably polarized choices that denizens of proto-Hindu India faced in his day and time. In my recent book, “The Razorblade of Zen,” I delve into the choices we face today between the extremes of theism and religion on one end of the societal spectrum, with rationalism and science at the other end. Zen presents as the Middle Way, positioned between, and inclusive of, the extremes. You don't know where the middle is until and unless you go to the extreme.This vacillation, from high to low, from sensations such as exhaustion or hyper-energetic, or swings in emotions from anxiety to serenity, extreme states from depression to mania, or from one concept to its opposite, seems to be built-in to the very manner in which our mind functions. As Master Dogen reminds us in Fukanzazengi:Think neither good nor evil right or wrongThus stopping the functions of your mindGive up even the idea of becoming a BuddhaSo thinking good or evil, right or wrong is the natural functioning of the mind — monkey mind, that is.Such thoughts, emotions and states can be experienced on a strictly personal level, but they tend to influence our behavior and reactions in the social sphere as well. Which is where Sangha comes into play. One of the prevailing memes about the residential or community practice in vogue today in Zen circles is that the process is akin to stones in a fast-running creek or river — they become smooth by rubbing against each other. This analogy to rubbing off the rough edges simply by being tossed into the same tumbler for some time has its limitations. Most communities are highly intentional in their design. They often include “mindfulness gotchas” built into the day-to-day routine of the practice place.Consider that we all have other choices these days. Whether or not we live in an intentional community, and for how long, is largely dependent upon other factors, such as resources and alternatives, otherwise known as “privilege.” Most Americans practicing Zen today are vastly more affluent and thus more privileged, than was Buddha in his environ. This is one factor explaining the predominantly white and upper-middle-class skew of the leadership of American Zen. My generation is the second, after those members of my father's cohort, the “greatest generation” who went overseas in WWII. They became the first generation of American Zen practitioners and priests, having been exposed to the virus in the Pacific basin. My teacher, like theirs, was Japanese. We are now beginning to see the first generation of younger Zen students who came by it honest — their parents were into Zen.The current influx of 20- and 30-something Zen seekers are a different animal, having grown up in a post-digital and highly interconnected world, with access to most of its intellectual resources. This naturally affects how they engage with the world, and calls into question the place of Zen training, with its emphasis on face-to-face transmission of the Dharma. Why are they coming to Zen? Same reasons you and I did. I was in my mid-20's when I met Sensei; he was in his mid-20's when he came to America, as was Dogen when he travelled to China, all to find the secret of Zen, which was missing from life.Sensei would often say the secret to Zen is “Confidence in everyday life.” I would add balance to that claim, recognizing the many more tugs and pulls that are keeping us off-balance today. But we also now have many more avenues for outreach and engagement. Pre-and post-COVID, I have enjoyed many long-term, robust Dharma dialogs online, with students I have never met in person. We are actively redesigning the interface of the teacher-student relationship in all fields, including Zen.If we are to give up even the idea of becoming a Buddha, what about taking up the role of Bodhisattva?The “idea of becoming a Buddha” is relatively easy to dissect and dismiss, along with the idea of becoming anything we are not already. Or giving up the idea may create a higher likelihood of actually realizing Buddhahood. In any eventuality, it would certainly change our relationship with our community. Or would it?If we are already Buddha — that is, awake but not fully so — what effect would becoming even more awake have on our relationship to our Sangha? And by extension, to the community-at-large? Awake to what? is the question begged. Awake to the community as harmonious, that is, as genuine Sangha? Awake to our personal role in assuring that the community is as harmonious as possible, and maybe improving our performance in playing that role?We have a relatively recent usage in the realm of politics of the adjective, “performative.” This points out what some may regard as the hypocrisy of certain pols who represent positions and policies as if they truly believe in them, as we say in the religion of ideology; but an underlying suspicion suggests that they are only performing for the audience to gain or retain the votes of their constituency. Whatever the utility of this critique, and its potential influence on the future of governance, it seems we might benefit from adapting and applying it to our own role within Sangha, and by extension to society in general. While “performing” in front of others, we might pay attention to the fact that we are performing, and consider whether our actions are merely performative, or genuinely in line with our intention.Sangha is a two-way street. At least. We affect the practice of the community and the community affects our practice. It can go either way. Too much emphasis on fitting into the community, and your zazen may be neglected. Too much emphasis on personal practice, and disharmony may result. It's a balance, like most things. And Sangha is not really necessary on the personal level: see Bodhidharma. On the social level, however, the design of the community becomes crucial to its survival and success, which is measured by its beneficial effect on its members Zen lives, no matter how many or how few. If we can strike a balance between the three legs of the Zen stool — Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha — we may have a chance at experiencing the liberation that the Ancestors have assured us hangs in that balance. Zen is about true freedom or liberation: from self-imposed as well as societal constraints; it is innately apolitical. Freedom from cultural memes and mores, yes, but the Zen worldview is not a form of license; the “Zen person has no problem following the sidewalks,” as Sensei would often remind us. We followers of Zen are already the ultimate in non-conformity — no need to make a point of it. Finally, freedom from anxiety, analysis paralysis, weariness and confusion; but not based on a belief system about reality but a direct transformation of our grasp of reality.In the next series we will look at the intersection of certain selected pairs of phenomena that I find to be related to both Zen and Design Thinking. Of course I would be hard-pressed to find anything that does not relate to both of these parallel influences on my life. Meanwhile please practice-practice-practice Buddha-Dharma-Sangha.* * *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: Shinjin Larry Little

As we begin to talk about the arrival of Buddhism on the Japanese archipelago we start out with a look at the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, and his teachings. For more, check out our webpage at https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode- Rough Transcript: Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua, and this is Episode 83: Shakyamuni, aka the Historical Buddha. First a quick note—it has been brought to my attention that some of the episodes are out of order, particularly the older episodes.  I'm going to try to fix that.  It probably has to do with a decision I made about a year or so in to not worry about the “season” number, since this isn't exactly a “seasonal” show.  But if some episodes are marked as “Season 1” then they likely show up differently.  I'll probably see if I can't just remove the “Season” number from all of the episodes and hopefully that will fix it. Last episode we talked about the happenings over on the Korean Peninsula during the reign of Ame Kunioshi, aka Kimmei Tennou, and it wasn't looking very good for Yamato and their allies.  Over the course of the last several decades in our story the kingdom of Silla rose to power, brokered a deal with Baekje, and then ended up eating up all of the smaller polities that sat between them, including Nimna, Kara, and whatever else was there. A Baekje-Yamato alliance attempted to put the brakes on Silla's ambitions, but despite some major offensives they were thwarted time and again.  Overall, it seems rather a bleak outlook for Yamato, but there were several things going for it.  For one thing, with their close relationship with Baekje, Yamato was getting a plethora of new ideas—from how to govern to the subject of our current episode: religion. That's right, if you didn't figure it out from the title, we are finally going to talk about Buddhism. The Buddhist religion and its accompanying institutions have played a huge role in the development of Japan and Japanese culture, and so we are going to want to understand something about this and where it came from, and the journey it took to get to the islands. And to start with, let's go back to the very beginning, of what Buddhism actually is. Now this isn't going to be an in depth history of Buddhism, but I am going to try to hit the high points so that we have some context for things we'll see later on.  It should also be noted that, while the core of the religion remained the same, specific beliefs and practices were not always universal across all people and at all times.  Also, not everyone believes in exactly the same things, and as an outsider I'm going to do my best, but this will probably be more at the level of a Wiki article than a scholarly treatise.  If you are interested in more, I highly recommend looking into what various scholars have written. Also, a lot of what I'm pulling from is Andrew Skilton's book, “A Concise History of Buddhism”, mainly because I think it fits what we are trying to outline here, but I recognize that there other teachings and scholarly discussions.  Still, I think most of what we talk about will probably be at an even higher level than that book gets into. And that brings me to another thing that's important to say up front:  when I say Buddhism, I'm not necessarily talking about Zen, or any particular sect, at least not right now - though Zen is Buddhism, or a school of Buddhism.  Likewise you might also hear about Tendai, Shingon, or even Jodo, or Pure Land, Buddhism— those are all sects within Buddhism, and just some of the schools that made it to Japan, although a lot of them don't appear until after the time we're currently in.  The differences between these sects could be likened to the differences between Roman Catholicism and various Protestant groups—or even with the Orthodox church.  While they have differences, they also have their similarities, and the core beliefs that make them all Buddhist. As to why this is so important—Buddhism had a huge impact on the development of Japan.  As we'll talk about in a later episode, the adoption of Buddhism affected not just the philosophical thinking of the Japanese court, but had direct impacts that would bring about the end of what we consider the Kofun era.  Furthermore, having at least a cursory understanding of Buddhism is going to be useful in understanding some of the ways people thought about the world they inhabited. Finally:  I am probably going to butcher the pronunciation on a lot of Buddhist terms, but I will do my best.  Where possible I may preference the Japanese terms, both because they are more familiar to me, but also because that is how most of us will encounter them in the context of Japanese history. Buddhism gets its name from the fact that it promulgates the teachings of the Buddha, the Enlightened One, and while various people are believed to have attained this enlightened state over the course of human history, we usually are referring to the individual known to us as the Historical Buddha, also known to us as Siddartha Gautama. Tradition holds that Siddartha was the son of one of the elites of the Shakya clan—later this would translate into the term “Prince”, though some think that term may not be quite accurate.  Still he was born into power and privilege, at the height of his society; later this would translate into him being considered a member of the Kshatriya warrior class. His birthplace is thought to be located in “Lumbini”, at the foothills of the Himalayan mountains, in modern Tibet, in the 6th century BCE.  Some traditions put the year of his birth at about 566 BCE, though there are those that suggest a later date, even into the 5th century.     From a young age, we are told that Siddartha was protected from much of the outside world, living a life of luxury, and unaware of the poverty and suffering that went on outside of the palace walls.  You see, a seer had predicted that he would be destined to lead an empire—either political or spiritual.  And so his father did everything he could to ensure that Siddartha would aspire to the political.  Even though his mother had died when he was young, Siddartha was largely insulated from any suffering until his teenage years, and he was even provided a young wife, Yashodhara, by the time he was sixteen years old—which probably wasn't that young, back in those days.  It was as a young man, in his late twenties, traveling about the land in a carriage, that Siddhartha saw four sights that suddenly set his mind on a different path.  First, he saw an old man, and in asking about him, it occurred to him that old age and infirmity were the inevitable outcome of life; there is no escaping it.   Likewise he encountered people suffering from disease and even death, in the form of a dead body.  All of this forced him to confront the fact that suffering is a part of life here on the mortal plane.  Finally, he encountered a wandering ascetic, which got him to thinking about spiritual matters, and that perhaps there must be a better way—a solution to all of this suffering. As he contemplated what to do, he was suddenly graced with what should have been wonderful news:  his wife had just given birth to a son.  However, to Siddhartha, he saw this child as simply one more thing that was keeping him from going out and seeking answers to the problems he saw.  The comfort of his life, the social obligations, the privileges he had were all metaphorical chains, keeping him from going out really trying to answer the questions he had. And so, at the age of 29, he absconded himself.  He left his wife and child.  He left the power and prestige and worldly possessions he had inherited from his family, and he went out to seek answers and to find out how to put an end to suffering. To do this, he sought out teachers, one after the other, learned what they had to teach, found himself at the end of what they could give him, and moved on.  These teachers provided various meditation techniques, which helped, perhaps, to ease or even forget the pain and suffering of existence, but the pain and suffering were still there, nonetheless. It should be noted that a core belief at this time was in the concept of reincarnation.  The idea that, based on your karmic balance, that is the difference between the good and evil that you did, here in the world, you would be reborn after death into a new body and a new life.  If you did well, then you would be born higher up the ladder of existence, perhaps into a better caste or more.  But if you committed sins and evil acts then you would find yourself born further down the ladder of existence, perhaps even as an animal or an insect. The problem, as Siddartha saw it, was that all of this just meant you kept going back through the same things over and over again, coming back into the world, and once more experiencing suffering.  Even stories of the gods themselves tell of their wants and needs, and of their fighting,  suffering, and even dying.  As long as one stayed on the wheel of life and death, suffering would be inevitable, and you'd always come back around to it. He sought out answers in some of the extreme forms of asceticism.  Holding his breath for long periods.  Starving himself.  These were meant to bring on a state wherein he hoped he would find the answers.  Eventually, though, he spurned these techniques as well, claiming they were dangerous and unnecessary. He instead ate food in reasonable quantities, and found a form of meditation that felt natural.  In other words, he sought out a path between the extremes of hedonistic overindulgence and severe deprivation—a Middle Way, one might say.  Practicing this tempered form of existence, he meditated under a tree, and it was there that Siddartha Gautama achieved an awakening, or enlightenment.  He could see the world for what it truly was, and gained profound insight into our condition.  This is how he became known as Buddha, or “the one who has awoken”, to quote Andrew Skilton.  He was only 35 years old—he had been studying for 6 years to this point, when he finally found the answers he was looking for. Quick side note right here: For many, “Buddha” is not a single person or individual.  People may talk about the historical Buddha to refer to Siddhartha Gautama, but technically “Buddha” is a title for anyone who has awakened to the truths of the universe.  Buddhist traditions would come to define various people who had attained this enlightened state, though Siddhartha Gautama is generally considered the most important for the current era. Siddhartha Gautama spent the next forty-five years or so of his life wandering the land and teaching his Middle Way to anyone who would listen.  He initially spent time teaching in the area of the Bodhi Tree, where he had first experienced his revelation, and this area is known to us as Bodh Gaya.  He later went to a deer park in the area of Rshipatana, where five of the ascetics whom he used to hang out with were gathered. These ascetics had known Siddhartha when they were all practicing extreme deprivation together.  They had come to see him as a teacher, but turned from him when he spurned his own attainments and started on his Middle Path.  It took some initial convincing, but Siddhartha was eventually able to convince them and bring them around. From five, Siddhartha's disciples soon grew to 60, and he sent them out across the land to share his teachings with the people.  His community of followers—known as his Sangha—continued to grow.  As for Siddhartha himself, he seems to have focused much of his time on urban centers, with much of the last 20 to 25 years spent weathering the rainy monsoon seasons in the city of Sravasti. When he was 80 years old, Siddhartha grew seriously ill, possibly from something he ate.  Realizing his own state, it is said that he predicted his death in three days, and he passed away among a grove of trees.  Seven days later, his remains were cremated, and, much as with holy men everywhere, bone and teeth left over from the cremation were distributed as relics.  Tradition holds that ten relics went to ten rulers for burial under stupas, or memorial mounds, as a tribute to Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha. After his death, his disciples continued to grow the community, or Sangha, and spread the word.  The life and teachings of the Buddha were written down in various documents and these were copied into different languages.  In about the 3rd century BCE, Buddhism gained a powerful patron in the form of Ashoka.  No, not the Togruta jedi, Ahsoka Tano, but the Mauryan king, Ashoka the Great.  Much of what comes down to us about Ashoka is as likely legend as fact, but we do know some things for certain because Ashoka left his own words carved in stone across his kingdom.  Many of these mention Buddhist ideas and concepts and even identify key sites, such as the site of Lumbini, where Siddhartha Gautama was born. At the same time, I would be remiss in not pointing out that it can be difficult to suss out just what Ashoka believed.  He certainly patronized Buddhism, much as Constantine patronized Christianity, including calling councils together to help ensure Buddhist orthodoxy, but it also can be read as a form of propaganda, utilizing Buddhist concepts to strengthen his own rule.  We'll see how later sovereigns would use similar tactics to lay claim to being a Buddhist sovereign, as well. Whatever his motivations, the pillars and inscriptions left from the 3rd century BCE provide us some of the first instances of the term “Buddha”, as well as another name, “Shakyamuni”, the “Sage of the Shakyas”; the “Shakyas” being Siddhartha's own people. So with the patronage of Ashoka the Great, the influence of Buddhism spread.  But what was it? Well, what we know is what was passed down, first as oral tradition, and later written down. First of all, all things in existence are impermanent.  That is they come and go.  People live and they die.  Even we change, moment from moment, nothing is truly static in this world—even if it were to last for thousands and thousands of years. Then there is suffering—the bane of humankind's existence.  However, it is also inescapable, at least in this life.  Describing suffering, and his solution to it, Siddhartha, aka Shakyamuni, revealed the Four Noble Truths, which are at the heart of Buddhist teaching.  They are, roughly: ·         Suffering is an innate characteristic of existence.  Even the greatest pleasure eventually fades, leaving longing in its wake.  No matter how many times you go round the wheel of life and death, you cannot escape it. ·         Suffering arises because of our desires. From our material wants and needs to simply our desire to not be hungry or cold. ·         Ending our attachment can help us put an end to suffering. ·         To put an end to desire, and thus to suffering, one should follow the Eightfold Path. So the four noble truths are something like a diagnosis of the human condition and then a potential solution.  By the way, notice the numbers four and eight—just as Christianity tends to find particular value in the number seven (seven deadly sins, seven heavenly virtues, etc.) and 12 (Jesus and the 12 Apostles), Buddhism finds particular significant in the number eight, and, to some degree, the number four, although that would clash in some areas of East Asia, where the word for “four” sounded like the word for death. And that eight is found in Shakyamuni's recipe for how to end suffering: Right understanding Right resolve Right speech Right action Right livelihood Right effort Right mindfulness Right concentration These are all individual actions for someone to strive to achieve, but they are also pretty vague.  After all, what is “Right Understanding” or “Right Resolve”?  That feels kind of like giving someone directions by saying “take the right road and you'll get to where you want to go”. Indeed, Buddhism therefore offers various precepts for how to live your life in accordance with the eightfold path.  There are precepts for the lay person and precepts for monks and nuns.  These include the requirement to avoid taking a life, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and even harsh, frivolous, or senseless speech.  There are also positive admonitions, such as to cultivate loving kindness and speech that is truthful, kindly, helpful, etc.  There are different lists of these precepts, but they generally include the same things. On top of this were the rules for monks, including such things as fasting after midday; no singing or dancing; no garlands, scent, or adornments; no luxurious beds; and a vow of poverty—no accepting gold or silver, the coin of the day.  Besides following the precepts, there were various teachings and practices that monks and lay persons can follow.  Most common are various techniques of meditation, meant to help open the mind to see beyond the surface of what we can perceive with our eyes and our ears and to transform one's consciousness. All of this was geared towards the eventual attainment of a state of enlightenment, and eventually, nirvana.  Contrary to many popular portrayals, though, nirvana is not some kind of heavenly existence.  After all, any existence in this plane, at least as we know it, was still suffering.  Instead, to attain nirvana meant to escape the cycle of death and rebirth entirely.  How and what that looks like may vary depending on your interpretation, but that is generally agreed upon as the ultimate goal of Buddhist practice. This does not mean that there was not a concept of a heaven or a hell in Buddhism.  While some have suggested that much of Buddhism and Buddhist practice is philosophical in nature, or geared more towards mindful practice, it is also steeped in certain cosmological views of the universe, and greatly influenced by the beliefs in the Indian subcontinent.  Gods and demons, however, were simply different orders of existence, and even gods and demons could seek their own escape from suffering if they chose to do so. It appears as though Buddhism was originally passed down as an oral tradition amongst the community of Shakyamuni's followers.  Eventually this was written down in texts, describing Buddhism for those who came later.  The canonical texts that outline the Dharma, that is to say the teachings of the historical Buddha, are known as sutras.  They contain the actual words of the historical Buddha, or so it is believed, and the core of his teachings. Then there are the Vinaya, which are those writings about the community, or Sangha, and the rules for the community and for various monks.  These came about as the community grew, and various Buddhists in different areas, without access to the direct disciples of the Buddha themselves, started to vary in their practices.  As such, the Vinaya texts were written to try to give some shared reference material. Finally, there are the Abhidharma texts, which are further writings about the teachings, generally with a more scholarly bent.  They elaborate upon what is found in the sutras, but are not considered the actual teachings of the historical Buddha. Together, these three classes of texts are known in the Buddhist tradition as the Tripitaka, or three baskets, with any canonical text generally falling into one of the three descriptions. I'll note that it is unclear to me just when these texts were written down.  The oldest extant sutra fragments are from sometime between the 1st century BCE and the 3rd century CE, but some of the texts—particularly sutras and Abhidharma texts, were likely around much earlier.  Various traditions make claims to when different texts were written, but it can be hard, sometimes, to discern fact from fiction. There is also at least one other form of Buddhist literature which would be important in its spread, and that is the jataka tales.  These are stories about the previous lives of the Buddha.  Much like Aesop's fables or the parables found in the Bible, these are stories that contain lessons and often help to break down or explain a particular point, but they are not necessarily the direct teachings of the Buddha himself. The focus of the canon was to help define and preserve the Three Jewels of Buddhism:  Memory of the Historical Buddha, Siddartha Gautama, aka the Shakyamuni Buddha; the Dharma, which is to say, his teachings, and the Sangha, or the community of followers. Over time, things changed.  Early on, Buddhist monks would wander much of the year, coming back together during the rainy seasons and then dispersing again.  At various times they would call a council and come together and ensure they still held the same doctrines, though even with that, differences began to form.  At first it was just over things like the rules of conduct, which might differ in one place or another.  Eventually, though, different sutras began to appear here and there, claiming to describe different teachings of the Buddha.  One such sutra is the Lotus Sutra, which claims to tell the story of what the Buddha taught after his last sermon.  It claims that after most of the people had left, the Buddha began another discourse just for those who remained, and that became known as the Lotus sutra, one that many will likely have heard of.  Other texts include the Heart Sutra and the Diamond Sutra. Not everyone accepted these texts as factual and canonical scriptures, however.  Particularly in the south, down to Sri Lanka, many of the Buddhist communities continued to focus on what they considered the orthodox canonical texts, while others began to incorporate these new sutras into their practice.  Those sects that accepted the new sutras, which often focused on the concept of Boddhisatvas—individuals who had done all they needed to attain Buddhahood, but who had “remained” in this world to help shepherd and guide others—or on various tantric and spiritual techniques to attain Buddhahood for themselves, became known as the Mahayana, or Great Vehicle, sects.  On the other hand, those sects that denied the authenticity of such sutras and which tried to keep to what they believed was the original tripitaka became known as Theravada Buddhism.   Today, Theravada Buddhism tends to be more popular in Southeast Asia, in places like Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos, while Mahayana Buddhism tends to define many of the practices in Tibet, China, Korea, and Japan. In addition to changes in what people considered doctrine, the nature of the Sangha and Buddhist worship changed as well.  Over time, monasteries were set up as specific places where monks could settle down. This may have originally arisen from the places where they would gather during the monsoons, but they eventually became places where the monks themselves stayed, and where individuals might come to learn.  In addition, there was a rise in the worship of holy relics, and many such settlements would have one or more stupas containing some form of holy relic that the people could pray to. People also built statues depicting the Buddha and other figures from the stories.  An entire school of how to depict various Buddhas and other figures came about, with specific hand gestures  and postures imparting specific meaning to what was built.  Traditions arose around how to build these temples and monasteries as well as to how to build the various statues and even to specific identifying features that would call out the Buddha, such as long fingers, drooping earlobes that had once held heavy and elaborate earrings, toes that were all the same length, et cetera.  The features of Buddha images—especially the faces—would change in different areas.  Much as Jesus is often depicted as a white man, Buddha would typically be depicted with features similar to the people who were making the image. Still, certain aspects remain the same from one tradition to another such that they are all recognizable as the Buddha. From Shakyamuni's home south of the Himalayas, Buddhism would eventually spread, following the trade routes of the so-called Silk Road.  Buddhist missionaries appear to have made contact with the Han dynasty, but it wasn't until the Northern and Southern states period that it really took off.  Likewise, it made its way to the Korean peninsula, and from there to Japan. But those are all things to save for our next episode, when we take a look at just how this new religion grew and expanded and became so influential in the continent and eventually in the peninsula and the archipelago itself. Until then, thank you for listening and for all of your support.  If you like what we are doing, tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website, SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

In this episode of Stories of Innovation, Suman Shakya shares his experiences about how problem-solving approach can be critical part in enabling innovation. He also expounds upon how SmartPaani come into existence to solve drinking water problem by harvesting rain water. Suman Shakya is an entrepreneur, consultant, and certified trainer. Since 1995, he has been involved in multiple entrepreneurial ventures and as an adjunct faculty of marketing and strategy. Suman is the founder of Tangent Waves, an action learning consulting, facilitation and training company. He is the Co-founder of SmartPaani, Rooster Logic, Nepal Entrepreneurs' Hub; Co-Chair of Startup & Innovation Committee, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries; Founder Board member, Nepal Marketing Association of Nepal; and District 41 Program Quality Director, Toastmasters International (2022-23). Know more about Suman at LinkedIn: https://np.linkedin.com/in/sumanshakya052006 Twitter: https://twitter.com/sushak Follow our work across our social media platforms: Website: https://www.wvi.org/nepal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WVINPL Twitter: https://twitter.com/wvnepal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wvinepal/?h... #WorldVision #NepalInnovationLab #WVInnovates #StoriesOfInnovation #ReimaginingSocialInnovations #Innovation4Children #InvestingInInnovation #SDG9 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wvinepal/message

Shreeya Shakya is a program manager in the tech industry with over 9 years of experience. She's a fellow ambassador at the Immigrants Network.This episode is dedicated to new immigrants with no information or knowledge on how to settle in their newfound country; guidance is needed. Our guest, Shreeya did not have this privilege. She has to rely on networking and develop a change management system that works for her.Change management for newcomers is the topic of discussion in today's podcast.Remember to follow us @theimmigrantview for more details about the immigrant networks, and like and share this podcast with your loved ones. Enjoy listening  The Immigrant View is brought to you by Immigrantnetworks.com. Visit immigrantnetworks.com

Welcome to the new season of The Doers Podcast, where leaders from across the business spectrum share ideas about how to help build your organization whether working in the non-profit, public or private sectors you will hear tips from emerging or recognized leader that is sure to lighten or inspire. Join our Discord community https://discord.gg/PQGN4U9sVU Guest: Ujaya Shakya Founder & Chief People Officer/ Author, Brandsutra/ Entrepreneur Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shakyau/ Host: Anup Ghimire Founder and CEO at Viewfinders Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anup-ghim... Send us your thoughts, comments, and suggestions either by email (thedoers.2019@gmail.com)

DDLJ এর Raj-এর হাতে এখন আর mandolin নেই, গায়ে আছে chemistry ল্যাব কোট... Simran কি interested হবে ? শুনুন, 'DDLJ'...Presenting our 28th episode for #PremDotCom Season 2 called 'DDLJ'.Credits :Diona Dutta - LajvantiLagnajyoti Jana - AgniChapstick voice - PushpalShahan Chatterjee - ShakyaAayan - SomakStory by - Paramesh DasSound Design - SayakVisuals and Creative - AltoAdaptation & Episode Direction - MohorStory introduction - LajvantiPresentation and as Aayan- SomakEnjoy and stay connected with us!! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello Overthinkers ™ Today's discussion is yet another suh-lippery slope! What does “problematic” even mean? What happens in between "problematic" and "cancelled"? When it comes to our faves — how do we consume art and culture responsibly? When Kanye comes on at the club, do you stop dancing? We've all had an “oops” moment, but with the power of social media, the consequences of that moment could lead to some tricky places. We'll be brave and try to figure it all out in this episode of The Overthink Tank, with comedian/wise-uncle Ashish Shakya and entertainment lawyer Priyanka Khimani. Listen in. Learn more about cancel culture: Contra Points : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjMPJVmXxV8&t=154s The Long and Tortured History Of Cancel Culture: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/03/t-magazine/cancel-culture-history.html ➭ Join our Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/join/THEOVERTHINKTANK ➭ If you liked the episode - please rate/review us on Apple Podcasts. We need them sweet sweet likes! ➭ Follow us on Instagram & Twitter. We are @theoverthinkpod ➭ Hosted by comedian, writer and certifiable overthinker - Surbhi Bagga. Hang with me in-between uploads on my Instagram: @surbhi.bagga Podcast Producer: Jessica D'mello Recorded at: Subculture Studios Find out more at https://the-overthink-tank.pinecast.co

Tonight's Full Moon will have an orange tone to it, and has been appropriately dubbed a 'pumpkin moon'.Kaitlynn shares a poem, Shakya reads one of his fave poems and Matt performs a new song!✅ JOIN US @creative.recovery on IG! #fullmoon, #moonwater, #openmic, #powerofintention

In this episode they talk about their love for quizzing/knowledge, social media, 90s Bollywood, living alone, dating and relationships, staying relevant, knowing things one is good at and things we can improve, intangibles for success, love for sports and also bars and drinking!

Kreeti Shakya is a designer and a creative entrepreneur. She is the founder of Kazi Studios & brands such as Allare, Alchi & creator of board games such as Samrajya, Jatra and many more. In this episode, Kreeti Shakya shares: Working with her partner what led to her having her first baby at 36 How changing the way her company priced her services positively impacted the whole industry

Design thinking is a buzzword we hear a lot in the startup space- but what is it really all about? Should you be trying it? Is it too late to get started? And how might it speed up your route to market and loyal customers who keep coming back for more? In this episode, Hattie is joined by Nirish Shakya, a design thinking and user experience design expert. For the past 15 years, he has been helping organisations across the UK, Europe and the Asia-Pacific create impactful customer experiences by empowering teams to put their customers first, collaborative creatively without the fear of judgement and innovate faster.He also has his own show, Design Feeling about developing greater self-awareness, creative confidence and meaning, as we design . On it, Nirish interviews top industry leaders and experts from design, technology and creative industries to share hard won insights to help listeners know themselves better and become more impactful problems solvers with more meaning with joy. In this episode of Not My First Guess, we unpick: What design thinking really is, why it matters and how we as founders can practically get better at itPractical skills like rapid prototyping (testing the core risks in your idea and product quickly) and how anyone can get started, even if they've never done user experience design beforeWhat founders should know when working with and briefing design teamsSome of the biggest takeaways Nirish has had from experts on his own podcast, Design FeelingAnd much moreLinks: Listen to Nirish's podcast, Design FeelingGive rapid prototyping a go with Balsamiq Email Nirish: Nirish@designfeeling.coExplore UX courses at General AssemblyRead Inspired by Marty Cagan

Be realistic —Give up your designs on life.It has its own plan.* * *In the last segment we addressed the first few questions that arose from the Zen community regarding the most recent mass shootings in the context of buddhadharma and daily life practice, concluding with the point that Zen Buddhism is not overly optimistic on these issues, but certainly not pessimistic, either, as generally regarded by the uninitiated, owing to its emphasis on confronting suffering rather than trying to avoid it. Zazen practice is thought to engender an attitude not of resignation or hopelessness, but a practical approach to problem-solving, beginning with the premise that some problems are not amenable to quick resolution. In fact, we may not see the end of this particular insanity in American life in our lifetimes. To continue where we left off:Someone asks: Thank you for your willingness to step forward and wade into these very painful events that occur, when so many spiritual and political leaders go silent, when a very massive loss of life occurs.I say: Well, you can't blame them. You're bound to be misunderstood and maybe vilified, no matter what tact you take in the context of these emotionally sensitive affairsYes. I am speaking to you out of an emotional place. This Uvalde, this shooting at this school, has triggered a lot of emotions. Sadness, tears, anger, frustration. Wanting to do something. Not wanting to just stand back while these things occur. Getting even more angry when I hear what our political leaders who are bold enough to step forward have to say about protecting my right to go publicly into the community with assault weapons and bags of ammunition, like somehow that‘s patriotic and the right thing to do. I have a sense to bolt. I live in a community that actually puts assault rifles on their campaign signs. It feels toxic, and there's actually a little bit of fear. To be fair, a lot of them are hard-working, good people. But I have this strong sense to bolt. But I don't know where to go. I don't particularly want to leave my state. But to find some kind of like-minded community, that would be required, I think, or maybe even leave my country. I am sharing these with you, and thank you for listening. I welcome your thoughts.Sure. Well, I would say, Welcome to the club. I think you're not alone. A lot of people have the same thoughts, escaping to Canada, and even fantasies of taking revenge. Why doesn't someone go shoot up the NRA convention, you know? Like — you guys seem to think this is a good idea — well, here it is.But you can understand the arguments on both sides, to some degree. Thich Nhat Hanh did a lot of work on world peace, and of course he came from Vietnam, where they saw massive atrocities that would probably make these look like child's play, no pun intended. But he said in order to work for world peace, you must be world peace. You cannot take a side. And that's hard. That's hard to do. It's really hard not to take a side, when some things seem so glaringly obvious, obviously wrong-headed.Even logical comparisons fall short in the face of the stubbornness of fixed opinions. One that stands out starkly for me as just being a neutral fact, is that every other country that has brought access to weapons under control does not have this problem. And they do have all the other problems that this is blamed on, such as mental health issues. So that's a glaring discrepancy to my way of thinking, but one that assumes that politics — unlike anything else in our culture — works on logic. And it is very clear that politics is probably one of the most emotional professions, or categories of activities, that we have in modern culture. Probably always was.Buckminster Fuller, as you may know, was an indirect mentor to me. I met him a couple of times. I never was his student, but he was an influencer of my generation of design professionals. He called his design approach “anticipatory comprehensive design science.” He tried to anticipate problems before they happened. This is how he taught his students. Come up with solutions. Do the definition, do the analysis, the prognosis and so forth, and come up with solutions so they are sitting there, ready to go, when the rest of society recognizes: This is a problem. So that's a big, heavy lift, to do that well. His geodesic domes were examples of that, along with a lot of other things that he did in his lifetime.He was a philosopher as well, and wrote about a lot of subjects, including politics. He said it all began with Malthus and Darwin. Malthus did a world resource inventory, and concluded there's not enough to go around, basically. Darwin developed his origin of species, which was then misinterpreted to mean survival of the fittest — meaning whoever is strongest, basically — and so the politicians said, Keep me in power, I'll make sure we get ours. And to hell with the rest of the world. I said that. That was the robber barons period. Might makes right.His other comment on politicians was something like, We turn to politicians for solutions to our problems. But if they had any solutions they wouldn't be politicians. Politicians' job number one is status quo — maintaining the status quo for themselves, for their constituents, for their sponsors. So that's the beginning of the corruption, right there.When we look at Buddha's example, he did not become a politician. He had the opportunity. He was warrior class and was slated to be chief of the Shakya clan, which is close to a political position. But he would be reporting to the Brahmins, who were the number one caste; the warrior caste was number two. So you could say that Buddha was basically a draft-dodger. He didn't want to do that. And he was highly placed and wealthy enough that he had the option to pull out of the usual social program assigned to people in his position.So we want to have a realistic view of what Buddhism is about, and how it probably started, as well. Buddha apparently did not go against the political structure of the time, the caste system, head-to-head. One of our members, a Pulitzer-prize-winning journalist, recently published a book titled “Caste,” in which she posits that actually, we live in a caste system, but we don't call it that. She considers race to be just one of many aspects or dimensions of the total caste system in this society. Read the book.What Buddha did — at least if the story has historicity — was to set up an alternative way of living. Like many of the communes in the 1960s into the 1970s tried to do here. I knew a lot of people who tried that. They were based on a lot of faulty premises, I think, which is why and how many or most of them failed. I think the difference is that Buddha's community was based on meditation. It was also based on the ideas of impermanence and imperfection, and so forth, Buddha's model of reality. But essentially it was based on the communal practice of meditation. That's the glue that held it together, in my opinion.I think we are doing something similar. We're a bit like a Tupperware marketing approach going underground, into peoples' houses, not going into the stores. We are trying to bring this practice into this culture as kind of an almost subversive activity. We are training people, if what I feel is true, we train people to think truly independently and find true freedom; and be able to act interdependently. It's the most subversive political thing you can do. Because every political system depends upon people thinking dependently, and acting co-dependently. The real revolution starts at home, with each individual. Every top-down solution we have ever seen has not worked. Just after the revolution, guess who owned the dachas at the lake? The Bolsheviks. Same system, different players. Shuffle the deck, that's all it is.If you become truly independent, and are willing to act interdependently, then by the ripple effect, we will build a better society. We are fortunate to be in a democracy where we can do this without being persecuted. So far.Someone asks: I'm hearing a lot of discussion about how to practice compassion and not let events like this just utterly annihilate you. You are called to witness suffering, to hear the cries of sentient beings and not turn away. We can't take a pass, we can't ignore the causes of suffering. We should avow our complicity in the structures here. I keep thinking about just how related we are as a species. Human beings do not have much genetic variation compared to other types of animals. We are all very similar. You are not more than fifteen, sixteen cousins away from most people on the planet. Just by the nature of life, you're fourteenth-million cousin of your cat, or something, you know what I mean?I say: And in terms of proximate causes, you're only one airplane ride away from anybody else on the planet. Many exacerbating conditions such as this have never existed before in society.Someone asks: That's what I think when I think about starting here with human nature, and not getting into the fear that is obviously the goal of these fascist strikes on the heart of open society. It is not hard to see what's really happening here. There is this act of terrorism, there is this radiating atmosphere of menace. It is intended to intimidate us. And Zen training is supposed to give us some impulse toughness, in order to persevere against that. And you're right, that can be freedom.I say: A historical claim of Zen has always been that it is a way of facing life, but it is also a way of facing death. That is why it has had such a tight relationship to the martial arts and the military throughout China and Japan. If you look at the consistent factor of Zen transitioning from India through China to Vietnam, Korea, Japan and the Far East, it's like this — I hate to use a cliché like “beacon of light” — it's just this constant thing that is moving through all this insanity. If you think that what we are facing is bad, try going back to China or Japan during their warring periods. Or Vietnam for that matter. The so-called history of humankind is “written in blood,” you know. And yet, Zen somehow survived.So I think it's pretty strong. I think you can't go too far wrong, by emphasizing Zen as kind of the core of what you do. The center to which you return and reconsider, maybe, you know, Well I blew that one. Like the other day I tried to hold our monthly ZENtalk open-ended discussion via Zoom. I thought I had it all set up, but I couldn't even find the way to get the meeting to start. Zoom Zen. Zen Zoom.One of the connections between Design and Zen is that we experiment. We take a risk, we take a chance, and we fail, again and again. As Dogen said, “Fall down seven times, get up eight.” Another expression he used was, “The bullseye depends on the hundred misses.” So in Zen, we are not afraid to take action. In Design, we try to define the problem thoroughly before taking action, just as a hedge on your bet, you know. So that you are not only going on gut level intuition with your own confirmation bias and all that kind of stuff. We mitigate the risk to the extent feasible, but without analysis paralysis. Design has historically been primarily a group process. Great inventions have come up in groups, not brilliant individuals in their ivory towers, as commonly thought. I think the same thing is true in Zen. Dogen, Bodhidharma, Buddha — they were all surrounded by groups of people who were all working together in a collaborative way to pull this off, make this Zen thing happen. It wasn't a Lone Ranger, individual genius kind of proposition.And I think that's what we need to do now. We need to bind together as much as we can, and take collaborative action to do our best to create an alternative to this insanity that we see. Doesn't have to be on a big scale. We don't have to go up against “them.” Of course, some of our people are supporting politicians. It's okay to get involved in the politics. I don't see any reason not to. But don't get your hopes up that that's going to provide the final solution, that political action is going to make it all different. Human nature is a stubborn thing. Especially when facts are no longer that stubborn.To be continued.* * *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

Alpa Shakya began her career began in audit, finance, and accounting, and transitioned successfully to operations, procurements, and management. She has over two decades of work experience in various sectors such as the hospitality industry, travel and tourism, medical research and services, events, and even in development organisations. In 2012, she founded GO Nepal, a business with a vision to provide professional support to individuals, local and foreign corporates, small and medium enterprises, start-up business ventures as well as not-for-profits and charitable foreign entities that wish to work in Nepal. GO Nepal has a diverse portfolio of clients including beed Management, Tai Ping Carpets in Hong Kong, Baabuk Shoes in Switzerland, Everest Bank in Nepal, Timro Concept Store in Nepal, Child Aid Network in Germany, Evoke Café and Bistro in Nepal, 6 Degree Academy for Women and many more In this episode, Alpa shares: Her secret to successful work relationships What does the word BIG mean to her How to survive as as introvert

Cardinal Richelieu - MirConstance Bonacieux - GodhuliRochefort - Angshuman PalMonsieur de Treville, Monsieur d'Artagnan – Sankari Prasad MitraThe Duke of Buckingham – Debajyoti GhoshQueen Anne of Austria – DebasmitaLord Winter – Deep BasuMadame Bois-Tracy – RaiMilady De Winter - DebiKitty – MohorAssassin – PushpalFelton – Sayak AmanBrismont – Atri BhattacharyaExecutioner – RichardMother Superior - RaiOther voices - Sayak, Shakya, SabyasachiNarrated and Directed by - DeepRecorded by PushpalProduction, Sound Design & Original Music - Pradyut ChatterjeaPoster Design - Join The DotsExecutive Producer - AltoInternsSwapnayu BasuriArpan ChatterjeeSaptanil MajiUtsa DeyKuheli DasEnjoy and stay connected with us!!--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/mirchibanngla/message See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It is laugh or cry —the tragedy of humansin hormonal rage.* * *This is one I did not want to have to write. But owing to the resurgence of mass shootings — emerging to fill the gap, now that the COVID pandemic has cut us some slack — I feel I would be remiss to continue along the lines of treating less controversial dimensions of design thinking, Zen, and the reality we face. Perhaps because I have recently re-watched some old videos of George Carlin and Richard Pryor, I am subject to irresistible flashes of standup routines parodying relentless social issues, in that half-awake, half-asleep state of awareness known as hypnogogic or hypnopompic, depending on whether you are retreating from, or returning to, full consciousness, reminiscent of the old Taoist Zhuang Zhou's famous saying:I dreamed I was a butterfly, flitting around in the sky; then I awoke. Now I wonder: Am I a man who dreamt of being a butterfly, or am I a butterfly dreaming that I am a man?Butterflies, of course, are known for flitting from flower to flower, gathering nectar I suppose, but at the same time, distributing pollen for the reproductive needs of the plants in question, the flowers being their genitalia. A very public case of in flagrante delicto, usually considered an act of wrongdoing. Which brings up another quote, from the Precepts of Zen Buddhism as currently received in ceremony:Honor the body; do not engage in sexual misconductWhich, in turn, begs the question of which kind of sexual behaviors amount to misconduct, and which do not. A tellingly large portion of religious, philosophical and ideological beliefs is devoted to making the cultural norms on this question as explicit as possible, with variations from culture to culture, loosely construed as “values.” One need look no further than the animal kingdom, particularly that of the insect world, to find that, as far as Nature is concerned, anything goes, basically, and not to even mention the plant kingdom. If a human being were to emulate or imitate any one of thousands of behaviors found in the fecund orgy going on out there, they would be driven out of society with no mercy. Marquis de Sade, move over.This discussion inevitably moves into treacherous territory, skating on the thin ice covering theistic beliefs in the creation of humankind, and God's divine intervention from the get-go in our daily affairs, no pun. Theists, please forgive me in advance — I mean no disrespect — but as a designer I have to give license to an interpretation of Intelligent Design from a perspective embracing human frailty and folly. I find myself — or rather my unchained, dreamy unconscious — imagining the “design arguments” familiar from struggles with problem definition and solution in professional design circles, only the kind that must have arisen from time to time on “God's Design Committee.” Any one experienced in a design-build organization at any scale will tell you that teams of specialists typically actualize the output of the conceptual Genius, who himself is far too busy with bigger things to be bothered with the details.I suppose it would be theologically proper to speak of God's “angels” discussing these ideas in process, probably a committee of elders and perhaps some creative youngsters. Delegated the task of detailing the nuts and bolts of God's vision — as sentient beings evolve through the inevitable developmental stages, from the earliest glimmerings as single-celled organisms through ever-more complex forms, until finally arriving at the absolute apogee of all creation — thee and me, in all our homeliness.A few perhaps impertinent questions naturally arise as to how, exactly, this might have transpired. Of particular relevance to the current topic would be those surrounding the reproductive design of the only being “made in God's own image,” after all, and the lively debate that must have taken place amongst those responsible for final design intent — form, features and styling — and implementation. Surely there must have been some competing opinions as to best potential solutions.For example — and this pivots toward the issue of violence and its possible root causes, so buckle up (or conversely, loosen your belt) — the cultural meme against masturbation. Not a historian, so not sure how widespread this prohibition has been in the development of civilization (using the term loosely), but certainly grew up in the inhibitory climate of the 1950s, myself.As an aside, by the fourth grade, I could already draw pretty well, and had initiated a comic strip about our family's pet fox terrier, a couple of years earlier. My best friend in middle school brought what was called an “eight-pager” in those days, a primitive form of pornographic comic book featuring Betty Boop and Dick Tracy, which he had obtained from his older brother. I decided to try my hand at drawing naked women, and turned out to be pretty good at it, minus the details, of course, of which I was blissfully ignorant. When one of my sketches came to the attention of the teacher, she demanded to know who was the ringleader. All my friends in the classroom pointed at me. My first betrayal. Busted at 10 for running a porn ring.From a personal perspective, the intervening scope creep in porn — from the cartoon book I was exposed to, to the advent of Playboy Magazine, culminating in the cascade of virtual information overload available online today — is breathtaking. Whether this is having a majorly negative or positive impact on today's youth, I am not sure. In one sense, it is better to know, than to have to imagine, the gross details of “bumping uglies,” as a Hollywood film so charmingly put it. In another sense, a bit of mystery does not hurt. Ignorance is not necessarily bliss, in all cases.From a religio-theistic perspective — if I may be permitted the coinage — sexual exploration and giving in to our desires is not given much cover. From an early age we are admonished to not — as my beer-drinking, tobacco-chewing, Jehovah's Witness maternal grandmother put it so delicately — “go around acting like dogs.” In every other respect, of course, we virtually worship the dog, which, spelled backwards, is… never mind. Dog has buddha-nature. Let it go at that.But back to the committee: if God really didn't want us to play with ourselves, why did S/he make our hands come out exactly where our genitals are located? They — the latter, that is — could have been located in the middle of our back, where they would be virtually unreachable. Which would lend new meaning to the song, “Back-to-back; belly-to-belly; well I don't give a damn ‘cause I done that already.” I can remember from the tender age of six or so becoming aroused simply by sleeping on my belly. To this day I cannot see how that situation was somehow my fault.I could go on. But to return to the main thrust of the dreamworld: When the assignment hit the desks of the co-chairs (Heaven must be highly organized), they would have called the committee together for some initial brainstorming, perhaps with some high-level aspirational direction from the Big Guy himself. The team had just successfully completed the exhaustive establishment of all manner of mammals around the world, and were basking in the glow of that accomplishment. So when considering this next task — the ultimate challenge of the top-of-the-line model of sentient beings, a cut above all other animals, requiring a breakthrough yet to be determined — what did they do? Like most design teams in that situation, they played it safe. Landing on a small refinement of the latest in that series, with some tweaking, that turns out to be what we cavalierly call the “hairless ape.” A caveat — no slur intended on other innocent bipeds, who would likely regard some of our behavior as unforgivable, or at least unconscionable. One of Buddha's honorifics is translated “honored among bipeds.” Not making this up.So when it came to the reproductive system of a species designed for eternal life in Heaven if not on Earth, what did they come up with? Mammal is a mammal is a mammal. I think it likely that at least one of the committee members, perhaps a few of the younger and less jaded, might have objected. “You're telling me that this, our highest achievement, will have one with an innie and one with an outie — and have to stick the outie into the innie in order to reproduce? That's disgusting.” “Yeah, that's just another mammal, man!” “Why can't we do something nice and clean, like we did with that amoeba. Just split in half, clean break down the middle. No muss, no fuss.”Well, we can't blame them. Maybe the obiter dictum came down that He Who Shall Not Be Ignored wanted it that way. Just wanted to make things a little more challenging for his only begotten. Like that just-another-ape thing. Give the old ego something to work on. Just spit-balling here.Someone capable of thinking ahead would offer, “Well, then, for something this intelligent, we are going to have to make that feel really good. Otherwise you're going to get pushback. Have to stuff a lot of nerve endings in there, maybe sacrifice some in the back. Where, remember, I was the one who suggested we put the reproductive junk in the first place.” Some ideas die hard.So the tragedy of what we see happening today may have had comic cosmic beginnings. Nonetheless, it is necessary to take a sober look at where this particular madness is coming from. This constitutes a real exercise in problem definition. Which is our only hope of finding a solution.When we look at the mass murders now taking place weekly, like some kind of insane competition — and the parallel phenomenon of so-called suicide-bombers (some would say homicide-bombers) from a different culture — an eerie commonality emerges. One theory I came across in what passes for cool and collected scrutiny today is that these incidents are largely the brainchild of young men, probably “incels” — involuntary celibates — a term coined relatively recently. Which suggests that the prevailing witches' brew of seductive and restrictive cultural conditions may not have obtained in the past. Of course, a mere couple of centuries or so ago, no one person could have so casually pulled together the means of mass murder and destruction on offer, and on demand, today. Violent repression leads to violent expression.Speculation on the pathology of the madness, meaning its true causes, abounds. In ancient times, in one particular city-state in early Greece, the local overlord decided it would be a good idea to parade all nubile young women through the streets, nearly naked. Purportedly in order that the young men could see what ladies look like under their clothes, to remove some of the mystery, and relieve the urge, to that degree. Young men, in turn, apparently competed naked in sporting competitions, presumably with young women permitted to watch. The important thing was who won the game, after all. Nowadays maybe scantily-clad cheerleaders represent the vestigial remains of those traditions.Speaking of scantily-clad: “Quora Digest.” This site pops up on my email daily, maybe more than once. Under the guise of featuring factoids of general interest, including a heavy obsession with Beatlemania and Nazi stories, the lead item always has something to do with photos of youngish female celebrities: wardrobe failures, T&A, boobs and butts, beaver shots, et cetera. Soft porn. Rarely is the subject of the feature male nudity, and never their accidentally exposed parts.With this kind of “infotainment” readily available today, in our hyper-sexualized media and culture, even to those most sheltered by parental controls, it is no wonder that the youth are obsessed with sex. Boys in full hormonal rage are confronted with images of nearly-naked women on all fronts, and the harder porn message is that they all want it, bad. But when they turn to their own immediate circle, they are met with rejection, ridicule and scorn. Their personal reality is badly out of sync with their perceived social reality. One definition of madness.It reminds me of an incident a good friend in college once related. He was a lifeguard on the beaches of New York in his high-school days, when one day a little girl, maybe five years old, came running up to him wrapped in a towel. Suddenly she flung open the towel, revealing her stark naked body, shouting “No shame! No shame!” then ran off to accost her next convert.I, too, wish we could all walk around naked, with notable exceptions. If the Emperor literally has no clothes, you could literally not un-see that. I had a friend in Chicago who, with his two girlfriends after his first marriage ended, were nudists. He was well-endowed, worked as a trainer in a gym, and was always encouraging everyone to get naked, asserting that if you did, you would not have much more to hide. I knew him well enough to know that he still had plenty to hide, fully starkers, though I did not tell him so. There's more to that story, but I will leave you wanting more.Suppression and repression are defined as pretty much synonymous in the dictionary, so I do not know which would be more appropriate to define the attitude toward sexuality, and its public presentation, in the context under consideration. Currently parents are up in arms over teaching critical race theory, the racial replacement conspiracy, and sexuality, in schools. I think these are all facets of one private problem. And that the violence we are witness to all too frequently is its public manifestation. Like most maladies, it is not going to get any better on its own. The question is, What to do? First, define it.The reemergence of conservative ideology and values in countries dominated by Islamic extremists appears to be another example of this same syndrome. The cultural imperative may be the opposite — women required to go full burqa in public, accompanied by a male 24/7, et cetera, only serves to exacerbate the situation they are trying to control. Hiding the body may inflame the hormonal dysplasia afflicting the young men of the society. The proposed solution to the problem is different, but like the televangelist caught with the prostitute, making something absolutely evil is to make it absolutely irresistible. Especially if it feels good. Addiction occurs because the drugs work.Bodhidharma, the great sage credited with brining Zen Buddhism to China, is reputed to have encouraged fellow monks to watch animals fight, in order to learn how to defend themselves without weapons against armed opponents, by whom they were frequently attacked. Religious jealousy and animus are not recent phenomena. This was one of the origins of the martial arts, according to the story. But he did not suggest that they observe animals for instruction in the romantic arts as well. Monks were mostly celibate, if you accept the historicity of the written record. Likewise, we are not going to go there. I leave to your imagination what kind of Kama Sutra might have emerged.The disconnect between the social and personal worlds revealed by these mass killings, or even individual suicide, is a universal condition shared by all who have reached their maturity. Meditation is the direct way to resolve all such seeming contradictions. In this context, masturbation is not wrong, but meditation is better. Those who would argue that any waste of sperm is an abomination should consider the amount of semen in a typical ejaculation, estimated in the hundreds of millions. What are the odds that any but the most minuscule percentage will ever impregnate an egg? Do the math.Buddha himself is said to have lived a life of dissipation and self-gratification under the care of his family, who wanted him to inherit leadership of the Shakya clan, rather than take up the life of an itinerant religious leader, as had been prophesied. He is said to have become so “refined” — we would say “jaded” — that he no longer desired anything. This disaffection, along with his reputed estrangement from the intense suffering he witnessed, led to his leaving home on a quest for salvation, the beginning of Buddhism.But Buddha's ultimate insight became the basis for the Middle Way, the instruction that the extremes of self-gratification and self-mortification were equally “unworthy and unprofitable,” and the Eightfold Path, completing the triangle of findings, conclusions and recommendations that any worthwhile research study must produce, in order to be useful to oneself or others. For him, and for innumerable followers of the Zen way, these teachings stand as a most comprehensive definition of the fundamental problem of existence. They also offer a universal solution. The only thing is to get on with it.* * *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

One for all, and all for one!Mirchi Bangla presents Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeers on Sunday Suspense. Athos - Gaurav ChakrabortyPorthos - AgniAramis - SomakCardinal Richelieu - MirConstance Bonacieux - GodhuliRochefort - Angshuman PalMonsieur de Treville, Monsieur d'Artagnan – Sankari Prasad MitraThe Duke of Buckingham – Debajyoti GhoshQueen Anne of Austria – DebasmitaKing Louis XIII – Sayak AmanLord Winter – Deep BasuJussac – Pushpal. Madame Bois-Tracy – RaiMilady De Winter - DebiOther voices - Sayak, Shakya, SabyasachiNarrated and Directed by - DeepRecorded by PushpalProduction, Sound Design & Original Music - Pradyut ChatterjeaPoster Design - Join The DotsExecutive Producer - Alto Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mukti Shakya, aka "King of Blues" is the vocalist and performer from the legendary band "Mukti and Revival" which has been in the music industry for over three decades and has delivered iconic songs like "Chaubandhi Cholo," "Nahera Malai," "Saanjha Ko Jun," and many more. In this episode of On Air, we discuss shows back then, acid parties, buying from the hippies, the band, radio awards, the police incident, and many more intriguing things from his life.

A smuggling racket, a murder & Bollywood! Will Feluda's Maharashtra be good enough? Feluda is back on Sunday Suspense after one & a half years! Cast: Feluda - Sabyasachi Chakraborty. Narration & Topse - Somak. Lalmohan Ganguly a.k.a Jatayu - Jagannath Basu. Pulak Ghoshal - Paran Bandyopadhyay. Victor Perumal - RJ Bharat from Mirchi Chennai. Inspector Patvardhan & flight captain Mr Datta - Deep. Mr Gore & introduction - Mir. Other characters - Agni & Chayan. Chorus - Pushpal, Ayan, Shakya, Alankar, Afzal, Sayan, Atri, Alto, Sumit & Dipanjan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Karna Shakya is the chairman of the KGH Group, which owns and operates Kathmandu Guest House, Park Village Resort, and other hospitality businesses. He served as a wildlife officer and was a significant figure in the founding of Nepal's first national park, Chitwan National Park. He also worked in the tourism sector and was a crucial figure in the founding of Nepal's B.P. Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital. In this episode of On Air, we discuss happiness, the KGH group, becoming hippies, overcoming hurdles, the late King Mahendra, and fascinating anecdotes from his life.

Happy 5 Year Anniversary to our favv The Local Project Nepal ! What better day to air a podcast with the co-founders of Local Project than todayy! Started in 2017, The Local Project Nepal has always focused on creating a platform for local brands and artisans while delivering high quality and sustainable products. Team Dhikichyau being a huge fan of this start up, we were super excited to have a conversation with Binam dai and Sachin dai! This episode we talked about the story behind The Local Project Nepal, the manufacturing scene in Nepal, the ongoing trade deficit, working culture and so much moree! Leave us some comments below if you support local grown products

Soch is a kaleidoscope that displays the pattern of perception and thoughts. It helps us distinguish many faces of truth, empowering a sense of judgement and it increases the power of positive thinking. Anxiety and skepticism when reign high, the disillusioned society needs to be resuscitated with morale, confidence and trust.

Karna Shakya's Book Khoj || कर्ण शाक्यको खोज

A bedtime Story Join this bedtime story about Siddhartha Gautama's life and teaching with original recordings from Nepal and India. Today you'll give you some more background about the geographical area that I am visiting to research the life of Siddharta Gautama.

Discovery now.Invention follows later —in Design or Zen.* * *One more point about process in general may be worth noting before considering the processes of discovery and invention in particular. Like most words, “processing” can be used as a euphemism. The last message on the evening news was that this night was going to be the worst of the current invasion of Ukraine by the Russian military. Turning on the news this morning, the first station was talking about sports; the second about methane emissions from raising cattle. I did not dwell for long on the sports commentary, feeling that familiar frisson of disorientation that comes with the sense of living in two different worlds. Imagining rockets and tank shells landing in my cozy neighborhood in Atlanta, while somewhere on the other side of the world, local attention is raptly focused on today's soccer game.The methane discussion, while at least focused on a real problem, that of global warming, was not that much more rational. It hinged around the idea of raising so many million head of grass-fed versus grain-fed cattle, in order to reduce the amount of methane in cow “burps.” The additional cost associated with the former, according to the rancher and self-proclaimed scientist being interviewed, does not result from the manner of feeding, but that of “processing” the cattle. The fact that factory-farming allows for geographically compact organization of feed lots close to processing plants — the slaughterhouse, in more honest words — is the sum total of the problem definition, at least from the perspective of the interests committed to producing a grass-fed product to meet the demand of the market for beef. His proposed solution is to invest in building processing plants close to the pastures. The rest of the dialog was all about adding things like oregano and kelp to the diet of the cattle, as serious proposals to solve the problem.By this time, a similar sense of losing my bearings from a focus on sports made me slightly dizzy. That these “products” to be “processed” are living beings was not once mentioned, nor the processing called out for what it actually is. Needless to say, any suggestion around reducing the consumption of beef, an obvious solution to the problem, crossed no one's lips. This may be taken as yet another lively example of the tragedy of the commons, so common to our times, but from a deadly bovine perspective. Bossy is not likely to ever die of natural causes, whatever the method of feeding. Shout out to Big Mac.Picking up the thread of how Design thinking may be related to Zen, as parallel processes of discovery and invention, the notion that what we call Buddhism or Zen originally had to be discovered or invented, may qualify as a radical departure from how most religions are regarded as originating in revelation, i.e. from a creator god. Then the apostolic imperative becomes convincing others of the validity of the claim, through performance of miracles, proof of prophecy, et cetera. In other words, propagation of the faith does not rely upon individual converts experiencing some such epiphany for themselves, with the notable exceptions of the recognized saints, but only believing the gospel, as interpreted by its messengers, prophets and priests.In Buddha's case, he took the contrarian approach that his claims depended on no one else, no authority from God — the Hindu Brahman or Ishvara — and no reliance on doctrine or scripture handed down from antiquity. This has to be the ultimate in personal responsibility, though Buddha did not claim exclusivity. Anyone could accede to the same revelation. There are stories of his performing miracles, but we have to take them with a dollop of… honey. Video recording was not ubiquitous in those days.In a very real sense, Zen calls upon us to rediscover and/or reinvent the findings of Buddha for ourselves, then draw our own conclusions from our own experience, and base any recommendations upon that body of evidence, rather than from belief in what others tell us. Thus the record of Buddhism amounts to testimony of the ancestors, rather than holy writ. But it does not stint on the potential implications, for their times and social milieu, but also for ours. Zen is always contemporary.Design, on the highest levels of the discipline, operates on a similar premise. Each of us is trained and encouraged to redefine the problem before us, rediscover its underlying raison d'etre, and to reinvent the best approach to resolving it. We cannot rely upon solutions from the past, merely adapting details to the current realities. Usually, any invention worthy of the name requires a wholesale revision of multiple dimensions of the process. Contemporary Design is an amalgam of the old and the new.One of the main points I am trying to make in this present series is that the principles of both Design and Zen are ever-present in all dimensions of living, from the most trivial and mundane on the personal level, to the most crucial on social, natural and universal levels. We have clever sayings, like “Don't sweat the small stuff” and “It's all small stuff.” But the small stuff is not disconnected from the big stuff, as it turns out.A mundane example: Spreading pine straw on our walkways, I realized that I used to do it differently. I would drop clumps of straw on the ground and then come back and spread them with a rake. But I noticed — discovered — that the professional lawn and garden crews in the neighborhood shake the clumps so that thin layers of straw fall on the surface, more like the natural process in a forest. Which results in a smoother, more tightly-woven layer on the ground. Since the walkways are underlaid with poly sheeting, which helps to suppress weeds without using chemicals, the straw tends to separate when it rains, revealing open areas of exposed poly. Adding more straw, I simply fill those spots in. But I do it by shaking thin layers over each other. It takes a little longer, but totally eliminates the secondary operation of raking. Which is a Design principle. Any time you can eliminate a secondary task, you do. You invest more time on the frontend but make it up on the backend.I think zazen functions similarly. The more time we invest in the beginning, when the going is pretty rocky and we do not have much experience under our belt, the more patience we can practice with our initial resistance, the less we will have to deal with in future, generally speaking. Exceptions include major changes in living patterns, such as adapting to changing working or living situations, which entails an overabundance of stress, and the sledding in zazen proportionately rougher. Midlife crises would provide the poster-boy for this category of circumstance. However, if we did not have the advantage of doing zazen, the tough times might be even tougher. When the going gets tough, the wise get sitting.References to “Zen bondage” made elsewhere are only partially tongue-in-cheek. We are in bondage already, if only to our own limited imagination. Bondage is known to have a comforting effect, along with its more unseemly connotations. Babies in swaddling cloths, cats in tight boxes, and dogs in calming sweaters are examples. We do have a blanket recommendation in Zen circles, to wear something comfortable and unrestricting, such as sweatsuits, or the newer stretch athletic clothing. But there is something akin to Victorian modesty in the mix as well. Clothing that is too revealing, or overly colorful, displaying distracting messages, such as some tee-shirts and sweatshirts, are generally discouraged, at least in public meditation sessions. In private, you are on your own. Which is where my suggestions of experimenting with support systems such as slings and strapping come into play.You should feel free, in the privacy or your own home, to sit zazen like no one is watching. And to play with the gear, the costumes and equipment. We sure know how to have fun, as my mother used to say.Again, Buddhism was inventive, and a process of discovery, from the very beginning. Buddha taught his followers to “Do thou likewise,” essentially. Understanding, I am sure, that no two instances of human practice-experience can possibly be the same. So I do not believe that the design intent of his instructions was for us to try to emulate his life, either as a young prince, or as the sage of the Shakya clan, to the letter. He encouraged all to find the middle way between the extremes, as he had done. Knowing that no one of those three paths would be the same, for any two people in history.What Buddha handed down was like a jazz chart, containing the basic chord progression and melody. But as the musician performing the piece, we are expected to improvise, and fill in the blanks. Claude Debussy, whose “Claire de Lune” is the first and only piece of sheet music I ever taught myself to play on the piano, said “Music is the space between the notes.” John Cage, the modernist American composer and music theorist, said something similar, and backed it up with his “4'33'',” a piano concert consisting of four minutes and thirty-three seconds of silence from the piano. The audience and other ambient sources provide the sound.Similarly, the ancestors of Zen were quite willing to improvise as needed, while grounding their teaching and practice on the legacy of their forebears, in particular their immediate progenitor. The lineage of Zen is a bit like that of music and the arts. Where, for example, the great classical and jazz greats had students and followers who inherited their mastery and philosophy, but then extended it into the next generation, allowing it to evolve with the changing circumstances of the time. Including developments in the technology of instrument-making. This universal process finds perhaps its clearest manifestation in Zen, where the instrument is this very body-mind, with which we have been born.Of course, any position of authority in any field can be misused and abused. A robe can hide a lot of sins, whether in the form of a Catholic priest, a choir master, an Oxford don, or a Zen master. Mastery of a method to the degree that it impresses others is no guarantee that one has mastered oneself. We hold to the truism that we do not master Zen. Zen masters us. And we cast a wary eye on the outer trappings of the tradition for these reasons, as well as the inescapable fact that the overt, outer form of the profession or guild, school or sect, creates a recognizable boundary between oneself and others. While such a division can be useful and is perhaps necessary — as the dividing boundary between the stage and the audience — over-emphasis on appearance and protocol can add to confusion. Such as implying that unless you, too, get a robe, your practice of Zen is not genuine. The Zen robe has a wonderful draping effect, of anchoring you to the ground, or on the cushion, and imposes no restriction on the legs arrayed in the lotus posture. But it can become a kind of sanctimonious symbol. As the old saying has it, there is no stench of holiness in Zen.Please consider the design of your Zen practice creatively. Do not be afraid to experiment. When you take this intentional approach, any imagined failure is not possible in reality. All malfunctions, whether of costume, gear, or monkey-mind, are temporary setbacks, from which you will recover quickly if you but pay attention and learn from them. And make any necessary adjustments. Or simply try something different. In this way, you engage your practice as YOUR practice. You broke it, you own it.* * *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

My name is Aryatara Shakya. I’m an International student from Nepal currently pursuing my PhD at the University of Arizona. My research involves studying the antioxidant protein NRF2 under the mentorship of Dr. Donna Zhang in the Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology

My name is Aryatara Shakya. I’m an International student from Nepal currently pursuing my PhD at the University of Arizona. My research involves studying the antioxidant protein NRF2 under the mentorship of Dr. Donna Zhang in the Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Monish and Nishant are joined by Ashish Shakya, comic and writer. This is a fun episode where the trio talks about their introduction to the world of the NBA, and what got them hooked on. They also make their All-Star selections and debate about some of the picks. All this and more on today's episode of the Airball Diaries.

In this week's episode we are talking advocacy and civic duty with Shakya Cherry Donaldson, Executive Director of 1000 Women Strong. Shakya share with us her story of finding her purpose of being an advocate for the black community at an early age. She talks about her journey and how she founded 1000 Women Strong. Shakys also shares some of 1K Women Strong's upcoming campaigns including the push for the elimination student loan debt which disproportionally impacts Black Women. Check out a link to the campaign below.https://www.cancel50kstudentdebt.org/About ShakyaShakya Cherry-Donaldson is the Executive Director of 1K Women Strong, a national constituency of Black women who are creating a network of the millions of Black women who are building the beloved community by engaging in civic, community, and electoral campaigns. Prior to establishing 1K Women Strong, she served as the Deputy Field Director: Statewide for Stacey Abrams for the governor of Georgia during the historic primary in 2016. Connect with her at info@1kwomenstrong.com or @thecherrydon on twitter.www.1Kwomenstrong.orgHow are you advocating for your community?Share your thoughts under this episodes IG post. Send me an email. DM me @leadingwithpurposepodcast. I'd love to hear from you.Feedback is always welcomed. Please connect with me on instagram or send me an email at info@waajidasmall.com. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave a comment on this platform or on whichever platform you listen. You can also visit my website, www.waajidasmall.com. Till next time…Music by Cassette Tapes - This Year Master via @hellothematic

Two talented music producers of our country, Rohit Shakya and Foeseal joined us for this episode of On Air. From pursuing their passion of music to scaling to the top of the music industry, these two exceptional artists share their journey, their perspective on the Nepali music industry, and their way forward.

Ashish has met Anil Kapoor, Jeeya has met Anil Kapoor, Sorabh has met Anil Kapoor but, who did Raunaq meet? Tickets for Pune show: sorabhpant.com Support this show, if you want: instamojo.com/pantonfire OR paypal.me/pantonfire Watch it Live: youtube.com/pantonfire

This week, we bring you the best bits of The Filter Koffee Podcast's journey by combining two different episodes with a similar theme. On this episode, Karthik is joined by 2 guests, Karthik Kumar, and Ashish Shakya. They are chalk and cheese when it comes to their careers or even their brand of comedy. These two episodes give a glimpse into how the unlikely journey began for them and how they found their paths in comedy in the most unconventional ways. Tweet to Karthik Nagarajan @The_Karthik and follow his WordPress handle here (https://filterkoffee.wordpress.com/author/karthik215/). You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app. You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/

In this week's episode, host Karthik Nagarajan is joined by stand-up comic, writer and columnist Ashish Shakya. In this conversation, he talks about his journey from being a writer in a youth magazine to doing stand-up to being a part of a comedy collective. He also talks about the evolution of comedy in India. Tweet to Karthik Nagarajan @The_Karthik and follow his WordPress handle here (https://filterkoffee.wordpress.com/author/karthik215/). You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.

We are done with confronting people! Hush. After some intense episodes, How To Citizen takes another dramatic turn with the penultimate chapter: Public Facilities. Meghnad and Shreyas are joined by comedian, columnist and writer, Ashish Shakya as they unleash and epic battle between the Delhi Metro and Mumbai Local. Hint: Delhi Metro Wins. Always. Forever and ever. The trio discuss why Government exists and why its primary job is to provide basic facilities to its citizens. Listen to this hour long answer to the profound question: "If not the Government, then who?" If you wish to have an immersive experience of this podcast and journey through Chennai with the protagonists in this book, go to this link: https://ivm.today/2Fk3VU4 and download the chapter. Read along with us!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here's the challenge: Living in a busy, distracting world, with information overload, can feel overwhelming. These challenges are greater still when there are so many new ideas to play with: we don't know where to start - or even where to finish - when it comes to managing our creative projects With so many other responsibilities this can all lead to stress and anxiety. Yet we all seem to crave is peace, happiness and the space to create: to find and fulfil our true purpose. In this special short action episode, mindfulness coach, Shakya Kumara, offers two brief exercises that you can try and actively engage in as you listen. This is an easy opportunity to get a sense of mindfulness in practice and to gauge how it could help you. Hear how to begin to achieve a happier, more peaceful and more creative life. Shakya is a specialist who helps people to improve their quality of life through the reduction of anxiety, overwhelm and stress. Hear the full interview with Shakya and more of his story (and more exercises) here. http://www.briefmindfulness.com/courses/quickstart http://www.inspirationalcreatives.com/podcast/

Shakya Kumara, is a specialist who helps people to improve their quality of life through the reduction of anxiety, overwhelm and stress. He's also a Bhuddist who enjoys nature and discovering everyday ordinary beauty through photography. As a leadership and management coach who specialises in mindfulness, Shakya has a rich and diverse background. His background includes having working with charities and multi-national companies across the globe. He has a fascinating story to tell. In this special episode, Shakya offers exercises that you can actively engage in as you listen, as well as live demonstrations of mindfulness in practice. Hear how mindfulness can help you to creative a more fulfilling life. http://www.briefmindfulness.com/courses/quickstart http://www.briefmindfulness.com/ http://www.inspirationalcreatives.com/podcast/