Podcasts about Tao Te Ching

moral verse tending manufactured tao te ching

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2026 9:33

Pour yourself a cup of coffee, find a comfortable chair, and let the world slow down for a few minutes. In this episode of The Coffee Buzz, we unpack the biting social commentary and deep psychological insight of Verse 18 of the Tao Te Ching. This verse presents us with a radical challenge to our modern obsession with rules, policies, and performative virtue. Today, we explore why a sudden abundance of moral rules usually means we've lost our underlying connection to reality, and how we can find our way back to an authentic, unmanufactured way of living.In This Episode, We Pour Over:The Paradox of Enforced Goodness: Why talking endlessly about virtue and piety is often a sign that the genuine flow of life has been forgotten.The Substitute Trap: How our culture relies on clever metrics, branding, and strict rules to fake an organic harmony that we've let slip through our fingers.Tending the Source: Moving past the performative demands of family duty or external righteousness to nurture simple, natural connection in our everyday interactions.Featured Reading: Verse 18 of the Tao Te Ching (Stephen Mitchell translation).Join the Conversation: Where in your life are you relying on a rigid rulebook or an abstract policy rather than trusting your natural instincts or authentic connection? How can you loosen your dependence on performance metrics this week and just sit with the real thing? Let me know in the comments below. If you enjoyed this reflection, please subscribe and share it with someone who might need a quiet moment today. See you on the next one.

Interview with a Gnostic Bishop

Gnostic Insights

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2026 26:30

Bishop Nathan Wilson pt.1 Welcome back to Gnostic Insights and to the Gnostic Reformation on Substack. Hey, this week I interviewed Bishop Nathan Wilson of the Gnostic Union, and it was a good long interview, so I’ll be breaking it up probably into three segments for the next three weeks here. Bishop Wilson earned a diploma of ministry from the Gnostic Catholic Union, and then he later went on to create The Gnostic Union, and he’ll tell you about that in this week’s episode. Here I’ll read you the intro from their website. “The Gnostic Union is an independent sacramental assembly of Gnostic Christian communities and individuals. It exists to uphold the Gnostic Christian traditions and to encourage and promote the work of Christ and the Holy Sophia in the world.As an international, independent, autonomous, non-political organization, the Gnostic Union is in no way dependent upon any other authority outside of its own administration. We are neither Roman Catholic, Orthodox, nor Protestant. We are Gnostic Christians that encourage self-development and connecting with the spirit within to build a personal relationship with God, the Monad, the Father. Our bishops, priests, and deacons are merely guides to help you on your spiritual journey. The Gnostic Union aligns itself with the history and teachings of the first Christians of early first century Christianity and the teachings of Jesus Christ as found in the Gospel of Thomas. We encourage new members to read from the Nag Hammadi and to understand how different early Christianity is from modern mainstream Christianity. We welcome all people, regardless of past religious backgrounds or faiths. Gnosis means knowledge, not just simple intellectual knowledge, but deep spiritual knowledge within you. Knowledge from the Spirit, from the Holy Spirit, and from and of God.” You see, I felt that that really went along with what we talk about here at Gnostic Insights, and so when Bishop Wilson reached out to me via our Substack Gnostic Reformation site, I was more than happy to engage in conversation with him, and I thought that having a talk with him along with you and then broadcasting it would be helpful to all of us. Here’s the last little bit that it says on their Gnostic Union homepage, which is only one page long. It’s still in development. It says, “Gnostic Christian theology differs greatly from Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. Gnostic Christianity does not depend upon the authority of a Pope or the Church. Instead, it emphasizes being reborn in Spirit, building a personal spiritual relationship with God, and becoming Christ-like by enacting the teachings of Jesus Christ in our lives. Gnostic Christianity began from earlier Gnostic traditions, such as Hermeticism and Mysticism, which arose from Jewish mystics. Gnosticism itself is much older than Judaism, and traces back to the Hermetics of ancient Egypt, the Druids, and the ancient Greeks. Although many Gnostic Christian theologies differed, they shared a common theme of a trapped spiritual essence within the material body, the divine spark, the soul, or the spark of Sophia. The ultimate goal for Gnostic Christians was to become like Jesus, to be reborn in Spirit, through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Sophia, and to know thyself, reflecting the divine essence within.” As you know, here at Gnostic Insights and the Gnostic Reformation, I stay away from the histories, because it seems to me that what is important is the here-and-now relationship we have with the Christ and with the Fullness of God. And so, I’m just not all that interested in history, but as you’ll hear from these ongoing interviews with Bishop Wilson, he’s all about history. So, for those of you who have been missing that strain of thought in our Gnostic Insights here, you’ll get an earful for the next three weeks. So without further ado, here's part one of my interview with Bishop Nathan Wilson of The Gnostic Union. Cyd: Well, such a pleasure to see you. You have such a nice smile. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for having me. It’s a pleasure. It’s always lovely to meet other Gnostics, other spiritual people, all those with open hearts and open minds. It’s always lovely to see. Cyd:Yes. Yes. Yes, it’s true. I wish I had more of these people close around me. Do you have neighbors who are Gnostic? Do you have people you can actually face-to-face with? Bishop Nathan Wilson:I’ve met a priest that I can now speak face-to-face, which was really good. So, it was the first real Gnostic I got to speak to face-to-face. Mostly, I was speaking to many online in other parts of the world, and I kind of felt like I was the only one here in Adelaide, Australia. So, I kind of felt like the one odd villager out. So, it was lovely to meet some other people. I’ve trained people, and other people have done what they wanted. Other people carried on as undercover Gnostics in this world. So, yeah. Cyd:Let me get a formal introduction to you here going. This is Bishop Nathan Wilson of the Gnostic Union, and we have connected through Substack, although you don’t have a Substack presence, do you? You don’t have a site? Bishop Nathan Wilson:No, no. We have got a website in the works, but it’s still in development. I’m not too tech-savvy, but we’ve got other people that are. So, we’re mostly on Facebook and YouTube at the moment. Cyd:Well, wonderful. Now, tell me the difference between the Gnostic Catholic Union and just the Gnostic Union. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, we used to be the Gnostic Catholic Union as well until I basically got in charge, and then I removed the Catholic part, which they only had for the Latin reasons, meaning universal, but not everyone knows that Latin subject. They’re just going to see Catholic, and usually today’s world, when you have a Catholic Union, it’s mostly those who have been brought up with a Catholic background that have now found Gnosis, and in turn, carry on those old traditions, which I don’t find anything wrong with. I think there’s many different ways to experience Gnosis. Gnosis doesn’t belong to any religion. It’s something you find within. It’s what you experience, spiritual knowledge gifted to you by what’s divine, by God, by the Father, by the Mother-Father, whichever term you like. The Source. It could even be referenced to, given you to by divine beings, by angels, angelic forces. So, Gnosis is something that you experience. So, it’s yours. It’s personal. It’s intimate. So, it’s a beautiful thing. So, with the Gnostic Union, we are more open to different Gnostic schools of thoughts. So, you could be a Sethian, a Valentinian. You could be a Carpucratian Gnostic, whichever. It doesn’t matter. You could be a Jewish Christian. Whichever the path is—we’re not really dogmatic. So, we appreciate all those who come into this spiritual life, seeking answers, and respecting each other’s beliefs, which is also rare. We have to remember, when we looked at the ancient schools of thought regarding Gnosticism, the ancient Gnostics got along. They didn’t kill each other. They didn’t fight. They had some disagreements, but they shared each other’s writings, which is fantastic. So, that’s very rare when you see that in a religious or even a spiritual school of thought. Many people can be my way only. So, that’s where Gnosis comes in, that inner spiritual experience. So, one’s own personal relationship with what’s divine. The Gnostic Union wants to encourage that, not to be bound by traditions. That’s mostly the difference between the Gnostic Union and the Gnostic Catholics, where they will be more bound by tradition, more bound by a dogmatic experience. We’re not really about that, not dissing any of that. We don’t mind, but we’re more open. Cyd:So, the Gnostic Catholics are still going on? That church is still active, but you have stepped away from them then, in that sense? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Yes, pretty much. So, we’ve done our own independent thing. So, that way we can have more schools of thought. I prefer it like that, so we can all grow from each other, which is something that I’m more about. So, that’s why I went into more of the Gnostic Union sense of things and removing the Catholic part. Some people didn’t like Catholic. Some people liked it and others were stoked that I removed that term from the group. I much prefer it. It’s less of a mouthful as well. I like things nice and simple as well. Cyd:Yes. So, it’s union—it's unity. That’s what the union means in the name, not like a labor union, but the union of Gnostics. That’s lovely. That’s very lovely. So, how many people are associating with the Gnostic Union at this point? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, we have a couple of other different groups from different parts of the world. We have a Gnostic Catholic group. I think they’re Gnostic Catholic Unitarians located in the Philippines. Then, we have other groups as well that associate with us. Within the Union itself, we have a couple of different ones. We have also side branches as well that used to be a part of the Gnostic Catholic Union, but there was some theological difference. So, some splitting went on. So, there’s other groups. We still recognize each other. Within the Gnostic Union at the moment. There is Bishop Jason, me, Bishop Nathan Wilson, Bishop Lorenzo, David and Michael, Randall over in South Africa. There’s also Priest Jeremy and Edgar and Rus. So, there’s quite a few. At the moment, it’s mostly men. We’re hoping to have some females join as well. We did have a couple of female members back in the Gnostic Catholic Union, but they ultimately retired. So, we’re hoping to expand. So, the Gnostic Union is kind of fresh on the scene. So, everything’s still building. Cyd:How fresh is it? How long have you been in existence here? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, in the Union itself, probably about almost two years now. It’s still maybe a year, year and a half, something like that there. So, it’s still growing in a sense. So, we’re doing okay, which is not too bad. We’re mostly on Facebook and YouTube. So, we do our online masses and group gatherings and stuff like that online as well. And mostly, just support each other’s individual works as well as promote each other’s work. And sometimes, I might edit a couple of videos of all of us together, give it to other people with their own channels, their own independent use, and then I’ll put it onto, say, the Union sites. Other people can go check it out as well. Cyd:I’ll be putting this up on my site. I’m going to post this to YouTube and make it for my audio podcast. But I’ll also give you the recording so that you can use it at your site if you’d like. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Oh, lovely. Lovely. I’d enjoy that as well. And again, thanks for reaching out to me. I very much enjoy speaking to like-minded individuals as well. And regarding even my translations that you brought me on to discuss as well, that’s relatively new as well. It took me about two years to fully actually translate. So, to get it all together, I use encyclopedias, I used Greek, Koine Greek dictionaries, as well as I used Bill Mounce, which is one of the top Koine Greek-speaking people in the world. I have a few friends that can speak Koine Greek as well as modern Greek as well. So, that also came in handy. So, it took me a while. I started doing that while I was still with the Gnostic Catholic Union and I didn’t finish it until the Gnostic Union. Cyd:So, tell us about, you’re speaking of your translation, tell us about that. It’s your New Testament, is it? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Yeah, I did the New Testament Gospels. I used Codex Sinaiticus because that was the oldest complete text, but then I wanted to do non-canonical. I didn’t know any Coptic at all, so I didn’t want to use any other people’s work. I just went to the Koine Greek, used what knowledge I did know, and I also used experts as well. So, I was able to look at every definition of the word and term and use. I did the Gospel of Thomas, which I actually first messed up on because I found out that the version I was looking at first was actually inspired by the Coptic version put into Koine Greek, and I realized it’s not the text. So, I went to the actual fragments themselves, and so I translated from there. It’s not very long. I didn’t use any AI recovery, so anything that wasn’t visible to our naked eye, I did not touch. So, I didn’t want to have any guessing involved. So, I just put what it was, and I did the Greek Gospel of Mary, as well as the Gospel of James, the Gospel of Peter, and I did three unknown Gospels, and they are little fragments, and they are Papyrus Oxyrhynchus. I have the names here. Actually, I better put that in—5072, and the other one was Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 840 and the other one is Egerton Gospel. So, they’re little fragments. The titles are missing. We don’t know who wrote them, so they’re unknown, but they could and likely do predate the Gospels that we do have. So, they predate the fragments we have. So, that’s interesting. So, all the fragments we have are second century. It’s likely they predate the fragments that we have. So, I chose to do them, but the interesting side was the Egerton gospel, which was actually a two-sided text, and Bart D. Ehrman actually did side two, and I did side one. So, he didn’t realize that there was a side on one. So, that means he was only looking at digital copy only, just like me. So, he didn’t actually look at the actual Papyrus itself, and so when I did one-sided, I didn’t realize there was a double side to that text, and so otherwise I wouldn’t have done it. So, the interesting thing is side one has not been publicly released for public domain, where side two has been released, which is very suspect, if you ask me, and I didn’t like that. So, I thought I’d introduce some texts that are very little looked at that were very Gnostic, such as Jesus insulting the Pharisees for dipping in waters that pigs jumped into and making themselves look like prostitutes to attract men. Cyd:They’re highly offensive, yes. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Yes, and that’s why they really want to release that publicly. So, you have to pay a scholar for their works, and that’s not really fair. All this knowledge should be for free, especially when you’re looking at our own religious or spirituality or the text involved in that. Otherwise, we’re limiting ourselves, and that’s definitely not fair. So, I think we should be more open, and the text should be up for public display, public domain for everyone to have access to. So, that’s what I ultimately believe in. It’s one reason I chose to share my translations and make accessible for free digital copies. I didn’t want people to just buy my work rather than download the digital text and just read it for themselves. Go to the library, print it out. It might be cheaper. So, when I do sell my texts, I donate it, like some of it’s a charity anyway, to Make-A-Wish Foundation. So, that’s something I do on my end. So, everything I do, I try not to make money just for myself. I try to do other things with it because I’m not really materialistic. I live very much a monk lifestyle, so I read a lot. Cyd:Yeah. Yeah, I do too. I live like a nun, I say. I’ve got a little cloister where I sleep. I live in a one-room place, so it’s very interesting. Would you explain to us the difference between the Koine Greek and the Coptic Greek and which was written and why are there two different versions? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Okay, well the Coptic, when you see Coptic Greek, that’s devolving into Coptic. So, very early proto-Coptic is what scholars term, is the developing into it. You see it with Greeks in the very language. Otherwise, Coptic language very much is a mixture of Greek and Egyptian. So, Egyptian hieroglyph turned into writing basically, but mixed in with Greek. So, Greek was like the English of the past back then. Hebrew also borrowed from the Greek during the second temple period of Jesus’ time. So, the word Judaism and synagogue are Greek words, for instance. So, a lot of borrowing, but the Greeks also borrowed from the Canaanites, such as the Phoenician language or the alphabet. So, that’s also fascinating. So, the ancient past, it was all about borrowing and making it your own, you know. But yeah, with Greek as well, that would be also evolving as well. So, you have, within the gospel itself, you might have one word being spelt slightly different, but ultimately meaning the same thing. And all that is, is one dialect from another speaking from one coastal region to a different coastal region. Obviously, saying the same thing, it just might be the accent. So, that’s played different in the language. So, it’s like we see hilios or hilion, but it’s the same root message. It’s just one person’s pronouncing it in the market different from this region, because he’s closer to the shore and other ones closer to the inner cities. And that’s basically all. So, Greek’s very advanced. You can have one word that can mean ultimately different meanings. And some words you come across can have hundreds of meanings, and that can make things difficult when translating. So, with the Koine Greek, we only know 70% to 90% of the language. We know the 100% of the alphabetical, but we don’t know every context of use. So, because of that difficulty, I had to add alternative English translations. So, I realized then that every translation we’re reading is just based on someone else’s interpretation of that translation. And it’s like, oh, that kind of sucks, so I put them all in there. So, when you come across the word aftos, for he, she, it, they, them, this one, I leave it as all of that, so, you can choose what that means. Because Jesus is speaking to diverse audiences. He’s speaking to males and females, not just men. And that’s what people forget. It’s like the word for spirit is also very feminine in Hebrew. In Greek, it’s masculine and feminine. So, it’s used as both, which is fascinating as well for the spirit within us, you know. So, but again, that’s going back to that root meaning of feminine, because when you add in the word hagion pneuma you now have the Holy Spirit, but that’s a feminine word of it. Otherwise, the root word of masculine is hagios, but the female name or the feminine version of that concept is hagion. Cyd:Ah, that’s fascinating. Yeah. You run into the same problem when translating Chinese, because Chinese pictograms can just mean many, many things. So, I’ve studied the Tao Te Ching quite a bit, and everybody’s book that’s famous of the Tao Te Ching, it’s their translation out of a hundred choices for every word. So, it’s, I understand quite a bit what you’re saying there. Well, tell me this, what makes you a bishop? How is it that you’re calling yourself bishop? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, I was ordained by, well, back when it was the Gnostic Catholic Union, I was ordained by Bishop Bill Thomas, and he was the bishop of a church in Florida. He was running a church. He was an older man, so he’s kind of, he retired for a bit, and now he’s more of a wandering bishop, because he had trouble with the funds of running a church. It’d be quite expensive. So, he was part of an organization that was the Gnostic Catholic Union. A lot of members retired as well, then he took over, and then it kind of went on for a few years, and then they started retiring, and then I joined from there, and I was ordained, and I took up a course with them, started off as a deacon, then became a priest, and then as they were retiring, I was made bishop, basically, and so then I was left with a little bit of the reins. So, it was from there, it was a lot more—more churches were involved. So, some of that has also, a lot of them have also retired or ultimately changed theologies. One of the original members of the Gnostic Catholic Union, I believe, is now either an Orthodox priest or joined the Orthodox Church, and he renounces all his old Gnostic past, which is kind of a shame. So, sometimes that does happen. So, people become wanderers because of, people basically rely solely on one priest, oftentimes, which is also sad, and when one priest moves, people lose passion, and sometimes that’s how it is. So, I prefer to have people more independently on their own, not just say rely on me, I make other people bishops so they can carry on with their own, and from there, expand it. So, someone might have, say, the coin enough to start their own church, and from there, maybe, from there, do whatever they need. So, it inspires, and still something to bring a bit of community in, and have a little bit of recognition from other people, basically. So, I kept that term. I was almost considering to remove the title, bishops and priests, but a lot of the old members wanted to keep it as well, and some of the young ones did as well. So, I thought, well, I’ll keep the term for them in their sake. Otherwise, I was going to keep it as teachers, or brothers and sisters, but I still encourage our members to, when dealing with each other, not just sit there and call each other bishops, or bishopettes, or priests, or priestess, whichever term they prefer. I prefer to call us brothers and sisters, which is more stressed. Even with the outfit some people are talking about, I would tell them, remember that Jesus wouldn’t be wandering around with fancy robes, or wearing collared shirts, or wearing gold jewelry, and say, I’m doing now, in a sense. He was out in the wilderness, gathering with community. So, as blessed as those who are poor, you know, so, which was rare. So, a lot of people wanted money back then. So, he was very much for the poor, which is beautiful to see. There were rich Christians. It doesn’t mean that was strictly only for poor people only. There were ones who were shipfarers, and in turn, would carry their message throughout the ports, or from region to region. Cyd:I was just wondering–you are obviously a Christian Gnostic, as am I. I know that you’re open to all Gnosticism, but Gnostics who reject the notion of the Christ, or the need for the Christ, doesn’t that create some kind of difficulty, let’s say? Bishop Nathan Wilson:It would conflict a little bit, yes. I haven’t really come across ones that more reject the Christ. I wouldn’t mind. I have come across ones who have debated me over it in a sense, which I don’t mind in a sense, but I would also encourage them to say, look at the message. Ultimately, it’s about finding the Christ within, being Christ-like for yourself. It goes back to that root word of the first Christians for Christanos, being little Christs, little anointed ones. So, those who were taken on their masters teaching to be Christ-like. But say we have ones that don’t believe Jesus existed. I don’t mind that, because ultimately it is the message, but I will tell them I do believe because I have reasons. I would say for them to look up, say, Judas Kriakos, which is a grandson of Jesus, which is recorded in history. We have church father writings that actually whinged about Jesus’ family being Jewish Christians and not Catholic. So, that’s interesting. So, why would you whinge about a family if the man did not exist? For instance like that. But ultimately, there were some Gnostics that didn’t believe that Jesus existed, but was rather a spirit or was the myth that you took on yourself. So, I’m okay with that, as long as we don’t conflict with each other, with our hearts, as long as we’re not hating each other. So, we can have separate beliefs, as long as we respect those beliefs. Ultimately, that’s what would stop the disheartening and also the conflictions. end part one of interview Okay, we’re going to stop for this week. This is a good place to stop because next, Bishop Wilson goes on to discuss his translation of the New Testament and also some other Gnostic texts. So, we’ll spend next week talking about his translation that he calls the Gnostic Christian Truth Bible, and we’ll get into that. Also, I did record this entire interview as a Zoom video, and as soon as I get that edited, I’ll be posting it to YouTube so you will be able to find it and watch the interview as Bishop Nathan Wilson and I discuss these things. So, I hope to see you there, and thank you for listening this week, and we’ll pick it up again next week. Until then, God bless us all, and onward and upward. The Gnostic Union Facebook The Gnostic Union YouTube Channel

god jesus christ ai father australia church english spirit gospel zoom christians chinese holy spirit christianity jewish south africa greek union catholic new testament philippines latin pope egyptian substack pharisees hebrew judaism lovely fullness protestant orthodox canaanites roman catholic mysticism gnosticism christs rus druids gnostic roman catholicism jewish christians phoenician tao te ching orthodox church make a wish foundation gnosis gnostics papyrus in greek coptic hermeticism eastern orthodoxy egerton nag hammadi monad mother father new testament gospels koine greek hermetics bart d ehrman codex sinaiticus gnostic christianity valentinian gnostic christian bill mounce sethian

Interview with a Gnostic Bishop

Gnostic Insights

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2026 26:30

Bishop Nathan Wilson pt.1 Welcome back to Gnostic Insights and to the Gnostic Reformation on Substack. Hey, this week I interviewed Bishop Nathan Wilson of the Gnostic Union, and it was a good long interview, so I’ll be breaking it up probably into three segments for the next three weeks here. Bishop Wilson earned a diploma of ministry from the Gnostic Catholic Union, and then he later went on to create The Gnostic Union, and he’ll tell you about that in this week’s episode. Here I’ll read you the intro from their website. “The Gnostic Union is an independent sacramental assembly of Gnostic Christian communities and individuals. It exists to uphold the Gnostic Christian traditions and to encourage and promote the work of Christ and the Holy Sophia in the world.As an international, independent, autonomous, non-political organization, the Gnostic Union is in no way dependent upon any other authority outside of its own administration. We are neither Roman Catholic, Orthodox, nor Protestant. We are Gnostic Christians that encourage self-development and connecting with the spirit within to build a personal relationship with God, the Monad, the Father. Our bishops, priests, and deacons are merely guides to help you on your spiritual journey. The Gnostic Union aligns itself with the history and teachings of the first Christians of early first century Christianity and the teachings of Jesus Christ as found in the Gospel of Thomas. We encourage new members to read from the Nag Hammadi and to understand how different early Christianity is from modern mainstream Christianity. We welcome all people, regardless of past religious backgrounds or faiths. Gnosis means knowledge, not just simple intellectual knowledge, but deep spiritual knowledge within you. Knowledge from the Spirit, from the Holy Spirit, and from and of God.” You see, I felt that that really went along with what we talk about here at Gnostic Insights, and so when Bishop Wilson reached out to me via our Substack Gnostic Reformation site, I was more than happy to engage in conversation with him, and I thought that having a talk with him along with you and then broadcasting it would be helpful to all of us. Here’s the last little bit that it says on their Gnostic Union homepage, which is only one page long. It’s still in development. It says, “Gnostic Christian theology differs greatly from Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. Gnostic Christianity does not depend upon the authority of a Pope or the Church. Instead, it emphasizes being reborn in Spirit, building a personal spiritual relationship with God, and becoming Christ-like by enacting the teachings of Jesus Christ in our lives. Gnostic Christianity began from earlier Gnostic traditions, such as Hermeticism and Mysticism, which arose from Jewish mystics. Gnosticism itself is much older than Judaism, and traces back to the Hermetics of ancient Egypt, the Druids, and the ancient Greeks. Although many Gnostic Christian theologies differed, they shared a common theme of a trapped spiritual essence within the material body, the divine spark, the soul, or the spark of Sophia. The ultimate goal for Gnostic Christians was to become like Jesus, to be reborn in Spirit, through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Sophia, and to know thyself, reflecting the divine essence within.” As you know, here at Gnostic Insights and the Gnostic Reformation, I stay away from the histories, because it seems to me that what is important is the here-and-now relationship we have with the Christ and with the Fullness of God. And so, I’m just not all that interested in history, but as you’ll hear from these ongoing interviews with Bishop Wilson, he’s all about history. So, for those of you who have been missing that strain of thought in our Gnostic Insights here, you’ll get an earful for the next three weeks. So without further ado, here's part one of my interview with Bishop Nathan Wilson of The Gnostic Union. Cyd: Well, such a pleasure to see you. You have such a nice smile. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for having me. It’s a pleasure. It’s always lovely to meet other Gnostics, other spiritual people, all those with open hearts and open minds. It’s always lovely to see. Cyd:Yes. Yes. Yes, it’s true. I wish I had more of these people close around me. Do you have neighbors who are Gnostic? Do you have people you can actually face-to-face with? Bishop Nathan Wilson:I’ve met a priest that I can now speak face-to-face, which was really good. So, it was the first real Gnostic I got to speak to face-to-face. Mostly, I was speaking to many online in other parts of the world, and I kind of felt like I was the only one here in Adelaide, Australia. So, I kind of felt like the one odd villager out. So, it was lovely to meet some other people. I’ve trained people, and other people have done what they wanted. Other people carried on as undercover Gnostics in this world. So, yeah. Cyd:Let me get a formal introduction to you here going. This is Bishop Nathan Wilson of the Gnostic Union, and we have connected through Substack, although you don’t have a Substack presence, do you? You don’t have a site? Bishop Nathan Wilson:No, no. We have got a website in the works, but it’s still in development. I’m not too tech-savvy, but we’ve got other people that are. So, we’re mostly on Facebook and YouTube at the moment. Cyd:Well, wonderful. Now, tell me the difference between the Gnostic Catholic Union and just the Gnostic Union. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, we used to be the Gnostic Catholic Union as well until I basically got in charge, and then I removed the Catholic part, which they only had for the Latin reasons, meaning universal, but not everyone knows that Latin subject. They’re just going to see Catholic, and usually today’s world, when you have a Catholic Union, it’s mostly those who have been brought up with a Catholic background that have now found Gnosis, and in turn, carry on those old traditions, which I don’t find anything wrong with. I think there’s many different ways to experience Gnosis. Gnosis doesn’t belong to any religion. It’s something you find within. It’s what you experience, spiritual knowledge gifted to you by what’s divine, by God, by the Father, by the Mother-Father, whichever term you like. The Source. It could even be referenced to, given you to by divine beings, by angels, angelic forces. So, Gnosis is something that you experience. So, it’s yours. It’s personal. It’s intimate. So, it’s a beautiful thing. So, with the Gnostic Union, we are more open to different Gnostic schools of thoughts. So, you could be a Sethian, a Valentinian. You could be a Carpucratian Gnostic, whichever. It doesn’t matter. You could be a Jewish Christian. Whichever the path is—we’re not really dogmatic. So, we appreciate all those who come into this spiritual life, seeking answers, and respecting each other’s beliefs, which is also rare. We have to remember, when we looked at the ancient schools of thought regarding Gnosticism, the ancient Gnostics got along. They didn’t kill each other. They didn’t fight. They had some disagreements, but they shared each other’s writings, which is fantastic. So, that’s very rare when you see that in a religious or even a spiritual school of thought. Many people can be my way only. So, that’s where Gnosis comes in, that inner spiritual experience. So, one’s own personal relationship with what’s divine. The Gnostic Union wants to encourage that, not to be bound by traditions. That’s mostly the difference between the Gnostic Union and the Gnostic Catholics, where they will be more bound by tradition, more bound by a dogmatic experience. We’re not really about that, not dissing any of that. We don’t mind, but we’re more open. Cyd:So, the Gnostic Catholics are still going on? That church is still active, but you have stepped away from them then, in that sense? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Yes, pretty much. So, we’ve done our own independent thing. So, that way we can have more schools of thought. I prefer it like that, so we can all grow from each other, which is something that I’m more about. So, that’s why I went into more of the Gnostic Union sense of things and removing the Catholic part. Some people didn’t like Catholic. Some people liked it and others were stoked that I removed that term from the group. I much prefer it. It’s less of a mouthful as well. I like things nice and simple as well. Cyd:Yes. So, it’s union—it's unity. That’s what the union means in the name, not like a labor union, but the union of Gnostics. That’s lovely. That’s very lovely. So, how many people are associating with the Gnostic Union at this point? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, we have a couple of other different groups from different parts of the world. We have a Gnostic Catholic group. I think they’re Gnostic Catholic Unitarians located in the Philippines. Then, we have other groups as well that associate with us. Within the Union itself, we have a couple of different ones. We have also side branches as well that used to be a part of the Gnostic Catholic Union, but there was some theological difference. So, some splitting went on. So, there’s other groups. We still recognize each other. Within the Gnostic Union at the moment. There is Bishop Jason, me, Bishop Nathan Wilson, Bishop Lorenzo, David and Michael, Randall over in South Africa. There’s also Priest Jeremy and Edgar and Rus. So, there’s quite a few. At the moment, it’s mostly men. We’re hoping to have some females join as well. We did have a couple of female members back in the Gnostic Catholic Union, but they ultimately retired. So, we’re hoping to expand. So, the Gnostic Union is kind of fresh on the scene. So, everything’s still building. Cyd:How fresh is it? How long have you been in existence here? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, in the Union itself, probably about almost two years now. It’s still maybe a year, year and a half, something like that there. So, it’s still growing in a sense. So, we’re doing okay, which is not too bad. We’re mostly on Facebook and YouTube. So, we do our online masses and group gatherings and stuff like that online as well. And mostly, just support each other’s individual works as well as promote each other’s work. And sometimes, I might edit a couple of videos of all of us together, give it to other people with their own channels, their own independent use, and then I’ll put it onto, say, the Union sites. Other people can go check it out as well. Cyd:I’ll be putting this up on my site. I’m going to post this to YouTube and make it for my audio podcast. But I’ll also give you the recording so that you can use it at your site if you’d like. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Oh, lovely. Lovely. I’d enjoy that as well. And again, thanks for reaching out to me. I very much enjoy speaking to like-minded individuals as well. And regarding even my translations that you brought me on to discuss as well, that’s relatively new as well. It took me about two years to fully actually translate. So, to get it all together, I use encyclopedias, I used Greek, Koine Greek dictionaries, as well as I used Bill Mounce, which is one of the top Koine Greek-speaking people in the world. I have a few friends that can speak Koine Greek as well as modern Greek as well. So, that also came in handy. So, it took me a while. I started doing that while I was still with the Gnostic Catholic Union and I didn’t finish it until the Gnostic Union. Cyd:So, tell us about, you’re speaking of your translation, tell us about that. It’s your New Testament, is it? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Yeah, I did the New Testament Gospels. I used Codex Sinaiticus because that was the oldest complete text, but then I wanted to do non-canonical. I didn’t know any Coptic at all, so I didn’t want to use any other people’s work. I just went to the Koine Greek, used what knowledge I did know, and I also used experts as well. So, I was able to look at every definition of the word and term and use. I did the Gospel of Thomas, which I actually first messed up on because I found out that the version I was looking at first was actually inspired by the Coptic version put into Koine Greek, and I realized it’s not the text. So, I went to the actual fragments themselves, and so I translated from there. It’s not very long. I didn’t use any AI recovery, so anything that wasn’t visible to our naked eye, I did not touch. So, I didn’t want to have any guessing involved. So, I just put what it was, and I did the Greek Gospel of Mary, as well as the Gospel of James, the Gospel of Peter, and I did three unknown Gospels, and they are little fragments, and they are Papyrus Oxyrhynchus. I have the names here. Actually, I better put that in—5072, and the other one was Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 840 and the other one is Egerton Gospel. So, they’re little fragments. The titles are missing. We don’t know who wrote them, so they’re unknown, but they could and likely do predate the Gospels that we do have. So, they predate the fragments we have. So, that’s interesting. So, all the fragments we have are second century. It’s likely they predate the fragments that we have. So, I chose to do them, but the interesting side was the Egerton gospel, which was actually a two-sided text, and Bart D. Ehrman actually did side two, and I did side one. So, he didn’t realize that there was a side on one. So, that means he was only looking at digital copy only, just like me. So, he didn’t actually look at the actual Papyrus itself, and so when I did one-sided, I didn’t realize there was a double side to that text, and so otherwise I wouldn’t have done it. So, the interesting thing is side one has not been publicly released for public domain, where side two has been released, which is very suspect, if you ask me, and I didn’t like that. So, I thought I’d introduce some texts that are very little looked at that were very Gnostic, such as Jesus insulting the Pharisees for dipping in waters that pigs jumped into and making themselves look like prostitutes to attract men. Cyd:They’re highly offensive, yes. Bishop Nathan Wilson:Yes, and that’s why they really want to release that publicly. So, you have to pay a scholar for their works, and that’s not really fair. All this knowledge should be for free, especially when you’re looking at our own religious or spirituality or the text involved in that. Otherwise, we’re limiting ourselves, and that’s definitely not fair. So, I think we should be more open, and the text should be up for public display, public domain for everyone to have access to. So, that’s what I ultimately believe in. It’s one reason I chose to share my translations and make accessible for free digital copies. I didn’t want people to just buy my work rather than download the digital text and just read it for themselves. Go to the library, print it out. It might be cheaper. So, when I do sell my texts, I donate it, like some of it’s a charity anyway, to Make-A-Wish Foundation. So, that’s something I do on my end. So, everything I do, I try not to make money just for myself. I try to do other things with it because I’m not really materialistic. I live very much a monk lifestyle, so I read a lot. Cyd:Yeah. Yeah, I do too. I live like a nun, I say. I’ve got a little cloister where I sleep. I live in a one-room place, so it’s very interesting. Would you explain to us the difference between the Koine Greek and the Coptic Greek and which was written and why are there two different versions? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Okay, well the Coptic, when you see Coptic Greek, that’s devolving into Coptic. So, very early proto-Coptic is what scholars term, is the developing into it. You see it with Greeks in the very language. Otherwise, Coptic language very much is a mixture of Greek and Egyptian. So, Egyptian hieroglyph turned into writing basically, but mixed in with Greek. So, Greek was like the English of the past back then. Hebrew also borrowed from the Greek during the second temple period of Jesus’ time. So, the word Judaism and synagogue are Greek words, for instance. So, a lot of borrowing, but the Greeks also borrowed from the Canaanites, such as the Phoenician language or the alphabet. So, that’s also fascinating. So, the ancient past, it was all about borrowing and making it your own, you know. But yeah, with Greek as well, that would be also evolving as well. So, you have, within the gospel itself, you might have one word being spelt slightly different, but ultimately meaning the same thing. And all that is, is one dialect from another speaking from one coastal region to a different coastal region. Obviously, saying the same thing, it just might be the accent. So, that’s played different in the language. So, it’s like we see hilios or hilion, but it’s the same root message. It’s just one person’s pronouncing it in the market different from this region, because he’s closer to the shore and other ones closer to the inner cities. And that’s basically all. So, Greek’s very advanced. You can have one word that can mean ultimately different meanings. And some words you come across can have hundreds of meanings, and that can make things difficult when translating. So, with the Koine Greek, we only know 70% to 90% of the language. We know the 100% of the alphabetical, but we don’t know every context of use. So, because of that difficulty, I had to add alternative English translations. So, I realized then that every translation we’re reading is just based on someone else’s interpretation of that translation. And it’s like, oh, that kind of sucks, so I put them all in there. So, when you come across the word aftos, for he, she, it, they, them, this one, I leave it as all of that, so, you can choose what that means. Because Jesus is speaking to diverse audiences. He’s speaking to males and females, not just men. And that’s what people forget. It’s like the word for spirit is also very feminine in Hebrew. In Greek, it’s masculine and feminine. So, it’s used as both, which is fascinating as well for the spirit within us, you know. So, but again, that’s going back to that root meaning of feminine, because when you add in the word hagion pneuma you now have the Holy Spirit, but that’s a feminine word of it. Otherwise, the root word of masculine is hagios, but the female name or the feminine version of that concept is hagion. Cyd:Ah, that’s fascinating. Yeah. You run into the same problem when translating Chinese, because Chinese pictograms can just mean many, many things. So, I’ve studied the Tao Te Ching quite a bit, and everybody’s book that’s famous of the Tao Te Ching, it’s their translation out of a hundred choices for every word. So, it’s, I understand quite a bit what you’re saying there. Well, tell me this, what makes you a bishop? How is it that you’re calling yourself bishop? Bishop Nathan Wilson:Well, I was ordained by, well, back when it was the Gnostic Catholic Union, I was ordained by Bishop Bill Thomas, and he was the bishop of a church in Florida. He was running a church. He was an older man, so he’s kind of, he retired for a bit, and now he’s more of a wandering bishop, because he had trouble with the funds of running a church. It’d be quite expensive. So, he was part of an organization that was the Gnostic Catholic Union. A lot of members retired as well, then he took over, and then it kind of went on for a few years, and then they started retiring, and then I joined from there, and I was ordained, and I took up a course with them, started off as a deacon, then became a priest, and then as they were retiring, I was made bishop, basically, and so then I was left with a little bit of the reins. So, it was from there, it was a lot more—more churches were involved. So, some of that has also, a lot of them have also retired or ultimately changed theologies. One of the original members of the Gnostic Catholic Union, I believe, is now either an Orthodox priest or joined the Orthodox Church, and he renounces all his old Gnostic past, which is kind of a shame. So, sometimes that does happen. So, people become wanderers because of, people basically rely solely on one priest, oftentimes, which is also sad, and when one priest moves, people lose passion, and sometimes that’s how it is. So, I prefer to have people more independently on their own, not just say rely on me, I make other people bishops so they can carry on with their own, and from there, expand it. So, someone might have, say, the coin enough to start their own church, and from there, maybe, from there, do whatever they need. So, it inspires, and still something to bring a bit of community in, and have a little bit of recognition from other people, basically. So, I kept that term. I was almost considering to remove the title, bishops and priests, but a lot of the old members wanted to keep it as well, and some of the young ones did as well. So, I thought, well, I’ll keep the term for them in their sake. Otherwise, I was going to keep it as teachers, or brothers and sisters, but I still encourage our members to, when dealing with each other, not just sit there and call each other bishops, or bishopettes, or priests, or priestess, whichever term they prefer. I prefer to call us brothers and sisters, which is more stressed. Even with the outfit some people are talking about, I would tell them, remember that Jesus wouldn’t be wandering around with fancy robes, or wearing collared shirts, or wearing gold jewelry, and say, I’m doing now, in a sense. He was out in the wilderness, gathering with community. So, as blessed as those who are poor, you know, so, which was rare. So, a lot of people wanted money back then. So, he was very much for the poor, which is beautiful to see. There were rich Christians. It doesn’t mean that was strictly only for poor people only. There were ones who were shipfarers, and in turn, would carry their message throughout the ports, or from region to region. Cyd:I was just wondering–you are obviously a Christian Gnostic, as am I. I know that you’re open to all Gnosticism, but Gnostics who reject the notion of the Christ, or the need for the Christ, doesn’t that create some kind of difficulty, let’s say? Bishop Nathan Wilson:It would conflict a little bit, yes. I haven’t really come across ones that more reject the Christ. I wouldn’t mind. I have come across ones who have debated me over it in a sense, which I don’t mind in a sense, but I would also encourage them to say, look at the message. Ultimately, it’s about finding the Christ within, being Christ-like for yourself. It goes back to that root word of the first Christians for Christanos, being little Christs, little anointed ones. So, those who were taken on their masters teaching to be Christ-like. But say we have ones that don’t believe Jesus existed. I don’t mind that, because ultimately it is the message, but I will tell them I do believe because I have reasons. I would say for them to look up, say, Judas Kriakos, which is a grandson of Jesus, which is recorded in history. We have church father writings that actually whinged about Jesus’ family being Jewish Christians and not Catholic. So, that’s interesting. So, why would you whinge about a family if the man did not exist? For instance like that. But ultimately, there were some Gnostics that didn’t believe that Jesus existed, but was rather a spirit or was the myth that you took on yourself. So, I’m okay with that, as long as we don’t conflict with each other, with our hearts, as long as we’re not hating each other. So, we can have separate beliefs, as long as we respect those beliefs. Ultimately, that’s what would stop the disheartening and also the conflictions. end part one of interview Okay, we’re going to stop for this week. This is a good place to stop because next, Bishop Wilson goes on to discuss his translation of the New Testament and also some other Gnostic texts. So, we’ll spend next week talking about his translation that he calls the Gnostic Christian Truth Bible, and we’ll get into that. Also, I did record this entire interview as a Zoom video, and as soon as I get that edited, I’ll be posting it to YouTube so you will be able to find it and watch the interview as Bishop Nathan Wilson and I discuss these things. So, I hope to see you there, and thank you for listening this week, and we’ll pick it up again next week. Until then, God bless us all, and onward and upward. The Gnostic Union Facebook The Gnostic Union YouTube Channel

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How to Stop Overthinking & Let Go of Control (Even When Life Feels Uncertain)

western stay strong soften tao te ching

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2026 27:58

Learn why uncertainty triggers anxiety, overthinking, perfectionism, and the need to control outcomes. Drawing on Taoist wisdom, we uncover why uncertainty itself is not the real problem, and why your nervous system may be reacting to old patterns of instability and fear.Learn how overthinking becomes mental vigilance, why control creates more stress, and how calming emotional activation can bring clarity, trust, and peace of mind. You'll discover practical ways to regulate anxiety, stop forcing solutions, and take aligned action without struggle.If you often feel stuck in worry, rumination, people-pleasing, perfectionism, or the need to know what happens next, this episode will help you find stability from within rather than chasing certainty from the outside.With your hosts, David James Lees (ordained Taoist monk, emotional and spiritual health teacher) and Alexandra Lees (mindset and business coach).Learn more about David's online consultations, events, books and audio teachings: https://www.wuweiwisdom.comSubscribe to David's FREE Journal: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/Other related teachings on our YouTube channel that will help you:Our INNER CHILD PLAYLIST https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zICGLRS1b7q1HSJhZRash5qqOur GOLDEN THREAD PROCESS PLAYLIST https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zIAsS_wgdRN7QGBKIk54sbyDIs there a question you'd like answered on the show? Submit it at: https://bit.ly/askusyourquestion Join our free Wu Wei Wisdom Community Facebook support group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wuweiwisdomcommunity If you love our work, you can now make a small donation to help fund the continued production of our weekly teachings by buying us a 'virtual coffee'! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wuweiwisdom Follow us on Instagram: @wuweiwisdomSign up to receive a relaxing guided meditation gift, plus our weekly newsletter + offers via email: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/signup Music by Earth Tree HealingDisclaimer: This podcast and any associated teaching and comments shared are not a substitute for professional therapy, mental health care, crisis support, medical advice, doctor diagnosis, or professional healthcare treatment. Our show episodes provide general information for educational purposes only and are offered as suggestions for you and your professional therapist or healthcare advisor to consider and research.

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Soften to Stay Strong

Protect Your Noggin

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2026 66:02

It is important to be flexible rather than brittle in life, in our families, at work, and when it comes to entire nations. After discussing several recent events in the world news and our lives, we discuss the principle in Tao Te Ching 76 that flexibility is related to youth and life but rigidity is associated with death. In other words, we should bend rather than break as we exist in the wins of time. We introduce but do not fully tease out the thesis of Sarah Allan, that we who are conditioned by Western thought should avoid realizing that nature (and water in particular) does not serve as an illustration for divine and abstract realities, but rather is the root metaphor itself and arguably even the root reality.

The Tao – Step 12

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 16, 2026 42:51

"12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all of our affairs." — Alcoholics Anonymous, Page 60 " If you don't realize the source, you stumble in confusion and sorrow. When you realize where you come from, you naturally become tolerant, disinterested, amused, kindhearted as a grandmother, dignified as a king. Immersed in the wonder of the Tao, you can deal with whatever life brings you, and when death comes, you are ready." — Stephen Mitchell, Tao Te Ching, Verse 16 GUS – 12StepRecovery.ai 30 Tools to Stay Sober All Year Round! Here is a link to an online version of the Tao Te Ching that we use in every meeting: https://ttc.tasuki.org/display:Year:1972,1988,1996,2004/section:80 You can download a free PDF of the latest version of Powerless But Not Helpless, a Recovery Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, at www.BuddyC.org. Feel free to share, post, and distribute this book wherever you believe it will be helpful. You can also sign up for a free daily Tao Recovery Email, access a list of podcasts, and find many other recovery resources. Join our private Facebook group and continue the conversation! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaoPodcast/ or search Tao of Our understanding Podcast. A Course in Miracles - Daily lessons from the 365-Day Course in Miracles Calendar. See the notes in each entry for a more detailed description. Click Here to add the Course in Miracles Calendar to your Google Calendar Daily Thought is a daily Google Calendar you can add to your Google Calendar. It provides a daily thought that combines elements of Christian, ACIM, Tao, and AA. Click here to add the Daily Thought Calendar to your Google Calendar Nightly 9 pm eastern Zoom A.A. Meeting www.ZoomAAMeetings.com Would you like to receive a free daily topic email with the most popular A.A. resources, accompanied by a secret Facebook group for discussion? Go to www.DailyAAEmails.com for more information!

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The Invisible Leader | Verse 17 | Tao Te Ching

power leader invisible verse lao tzu tao te ching

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2026 8:35

Pour yourself a cup of coffee, find a comfortable chair, and let the world slow down for a few minutes. In this episode of The Coffee Buzz, we look past the noise of our attention-driven culture to sit with the quiet wisdom of Verse 17 of the Tao Te Ching. This verse offers a radical perspective on how we influence, guide, and care for the people around us. True leadership isn't about standing on a podium or demanding obedience; it's about building trust, stepping out of the spotlight, and allowing others to discover their own strength. Today, we unpack Lao Tzu's hierarchy of power and talk about the quiet dignity of becoming a catalyst rather than a conductor in our daily lives.In This Episode, We Pour Over:The Spectrum of Control: Why our cultural obsession with being loved and praised as leaders might actually get in the way of true growth.The Trust Trap: Unpacking how micromanagement and suspicion inadvertently manufacture the very untrustworthiness we fear.The Power of the Catalyst: How to create space for others to succeed, step out of the spotlight, and celebrate the beautiful moment when they can say, "We did it ourselves."Featured Reading:Verse 17 of the Tao Te Ching (Stephen Mitchell translation).Join the Conversation:Where do you find yourself gripping the wheel too tightly in your life right now? What is one area where stepping back might actually allow the people around you to step up? Let me know in the comments below.If you enjoyed this reflection, please subscribe and share it with someone who might need a quiet moment today. See you on the next one.

The Truth Behind Your Emotions | Anxiety, Anger & Fear Explained | Tao Dialogues

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2026 21:45

Your emotions are not facts—they are signals. Discover what anxiety, anger, fear, and shame are really trying to tell you. In this Tao Dialogues episode, we explore the Taoist understanding of emotions and why anxiety, anger, shame, fear, and emotional triggers are not problems to fight but messages to understand. Discover how hidden beliefs shape your emotional experience, how the Inner Child influences your reactions, and how Shen—your inner wisdom—can guide you back to clarity, balance, and emotional freedom. Learn practical Taoist insights, wu wei principles, and self-awareness tools to transform emotional suffering into growth and authentic living.Read the blog post that inspired this episode: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/p/resonant-return [third blog post on this page]Our Tao Dialogues are powerful yet gentle teachings about authenticity, spirituality and finding emotional balance and flow in everyday life. These spoken-word episodes draw from David James Lees' practice as a Taoist monk and teacher, and expand upon popular posts on ‘David's Journal', his Substack blog.You can subscribe to David's Journal here: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/Learn more about David's online consultations, events, books and audio teachings: https://www.wuweiwisdom.comOther related teachings on our YouTube channel that will help you:TAO DIALOGUES PLAYLIST https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zICamFP2zMyey3KGTnfm2aUq&si=AW_ZOUeldKv3nHhFSHEN (THE SPIRITUAL SELF) PLAYLIST https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zIBmp50wYcmU7jCBLp1Qvl-jINNER CHILD PLAYLIST https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zICGLRS1b7q1HSJhZRash5qqIs there a question you'd like answered on the show? Submit it at: https://bit.ly/askusyourquestion Join our free Wu Wei Wisdom Community Facebook support group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wuweiwisdomcommunity If you love our work, you can now make a small donation to help fund the continued production of our weekly teachings by buying us a 'virtual coffee'! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wuweiwisdom Book an online Golden Thread Process & Inner Child Consultation with David: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/therapies-for-body-mind/ Follow us on Instagram: @wuweiwisdomSign up to receive a relaxing guided meditation gift, plus our weekly newsletter + offers via email: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/signup -Disclaimer: This podcast and any associated teaching and comments shared are not a substitute for professional therapy, mental health care, crisis support, medical advice, doctor diagnosis, or professional healthcare treatment. Our show episodes provide general information for educational purposes only and are offered as suggestions for you and your professional therapist or healthcare advisor to consider and research.Music by Earth Tree Healing

The Tao – Step 11

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2026 43:52

"11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for the knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out." — Alcoholics Anonymous, Page 59 " We mold clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that makes the vessel useful." — J.H. McDonald, Tao Te Ching, Verse 11 GUS – 12StepRecovery.ai 30 Tools to Stay Sober All Year Round! Here is a link to an online version of the Tao Te Ching that we use in every meeting: https://ttc.tasuki.org/display:Year:1972,1988,1996,2004/section:80 You can download a free PDF of the latest version of Powerless But Not Helpless, a Recovery Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, at www.BuddyC.org. Feel free to share, post, and distribute this book wherever you believe it will be helpful. You can also sign up for a free daily Tao Recovery Email, access a list of podcasts, and find many other recovery resources. Join our private Facebook group and continue the conversation! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaoPodcast/ or search Tao of Our understanding Podcast. A Course in Miracles - Daily lessons from the 365-Day Course in Miracles Calendar. See the notes in each entry for a more detailed description. Click Here to add the Course in Miracles Calendar to your Google Calendar Daily Thought is a daily Google Calendar you can add to your Google Calendar. It provides a daily thought that combines elements of Christian, ACIM, Tao, and AA. Click here to add the Daily Thought Calendar to your Google Calendar Nightly 9 pm eastern Zoom A.A. Meeting www.ZoomAAMeetings.com Would you like to receive a free daily topic email with the most popular A.A. resources, accompanied by a secret Facebook group for discussion? Go to www.DailyAAEmails.com for more information!

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Tao Te Ching - El libro del sendero

EL INICIADO

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2026 63:24

En el presente episodio tendremos ocasión de compartir una de las obras filosóficas más importantes de todos los tiempos, atribuida a Lao Tzu o Lao Tsé, según sea pronunciado, aunque muchos historiadores consideran que pudo ser una obra colectiva compilada a lo largo del tiempo y basada en enseñanzas orales taoístas. Hablamos de Tao Te Ching o el libro del sendero, un libro breve y poético que describe el Tao como el principio eterno e indefinible del universo, la fuente de todas las cosas y un orden natural que fluye espontáneamente. El Tao surge en la antigua China, alrededor de los siglos VI al IV a. C. en un contexto de crisis social y política conocido como el período de primaveras y otoños y los reinos combatientes. En dicho tiempo muchos pensadores buscaban comprender el orden natural y la mejor forma de vivir en armonía. Aunque el Tao no puede explicarse completamente con palabras, solo puede experimentarse viviendo en armonía con él. Conformado por 81 breves capítulos, he deseado elaborar este personal audiolibro para el propio disfrute de todos los oyentes y poder adentrarse en esta maravillosa obra e imperecedera filosofía. CONTACTO: eliniciado@yahoo.com Este programa no tiene ánimo de lucro ni será monetizado, por el contrario el único afán es la máxima difusión de cuestiones que nos atañen a todos.

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The Return | Verse 16 | Tao Te Ching

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2026 6:10

Pour yourself a cup of coffee, find a comfortable chair, and let the world slow down for a few minutes. In this episode of The Coffee Buzz, we strip away the noise and sit with the profound comfort of Verse 16 of the Tao Te Ching.This verse offers a beautiful reminder about the nature of reality: everything eventually returns to its root. Instead of viewing this return with fear or resistance, we are invited to see it as the ultimate serenity. Today, we look at the text together and discuss how embracing this natural cycle can make us more tolerant, amused, and completely grounded in our daily lives.In This Episode, We Pour Over:The Power of Emptiness: Why clearing the mind isn't about losing something, but making room for absolute peace.Returning to the Root: Understanding the "source" and finding comfort in the natural, inevitable cycles of life.Living with Grace: How realizing where we come from naturally makes us more kindhearted, unbothered, and dignified in the face of chaos.Featured Reading: Verse 16 of the Tao Te Ching (Text displayed in video).Join the Conversation: How do you find moments of stillness and "return to the source" during a chaotic week? Let me know in the comments below.If you enjoyed this reflection, please subscribe and share it with someone who might need a quiet moment today. See you on the next one.

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A Guided Meditation for Inner Child Integration - When Healing Turns Into Freedom

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2026 30:55

A calming meditation to help you move beyond emotional struggle and soften into trust, ease, and natural self-leadership - with Taoist monk and teacher, David James Lees. In this guided meditation, David gently leads you through the transition from Inner Child healing into emotional integration and authentic inner peace. Inspired by Taoist wisdom, this meditation helps you release constant self-monitoring, emotional over-analysis, and nervous system vigilance, allowing your grounded adult awareness — your Shen — to lead with steadiness and ease. Experience a restorative meditation for emotional healing, self-trust, nervous system regulation, trauma recovery, relaxation, mindfulness, and effortless living. The meditation is ideal for anxiety relief, emotional overwhelm, self-soothing, spiritual growth, and reconnecting with calm presence and flow.⚠️ PLEASE DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS MEDITATION WHILE DRIVING OR OPERATING MACHINERYThis meditation can be practised daily or whenever you need it. Learn more about David's online consultations, events, books and audio teachings: https://www.wuweiwisdom.comSubscribe to David's FREE Journal: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/Other teachings and guided meditations you may enjoy: Reparenting Yourself Without Force: How to Heal the Inner Child Gently https://youtu.be/YC2kzpZs3pI?si=ROup6Y9f_SIvIyErGUIDED MEDITATION PLAYLIST https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zIA12P7BftG6a18lIWFDjL35&si=bWWub6YyoZpXhFubLOVE & RELATIONSHIPS PLAYLIST https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zID3yxrdCbbZFuKHCwgV6qhX&si=-zdah_z6MiSZIl0tIs there a question you'd like answered on the show? Submit it at: https://bit.ly/askusyourquestion Join our free Wu Wei Wisdom Community Facebook support group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wuweiwisdomcommunity If you love our work, you can now make a small donation to help fund the continued production of our weekly teachings by buying us a 'virtual coffee'! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wuweiwisdom Book an online Golden Thread Process & Inner Child Consultation with David: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/therapies-for-body-mind/ Follow us on Instagram: @wuweiwisdomSign up to receive a relaxing guided meditation gift, plus our weekly newsletter + offers via email: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/signup -Disclaimer: This podcast and any associated teaching and comments shared are not a substitute for professional therapy, mental health care, crisis support, medical advice, doctor diagnosis, or professional healthcare treatment. Our show episodes provide general information for educational purposes only and are offered as suggestions for you and your professional therapist or healthcare advisor to consider and research.Music by Earth Tree Healing

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The Doership Delusion

Awaken Beauty Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2026 6:16

Right now, as you read this, your heart is beating roughly 70 times a minute.You're not doing it.Your lungs are pulling in air, your cells are dividing, and a planet weighing six septillion kilograms is hurtling through space at 67,000 miles per hour.And you?You're likely worried about the future and…. The Big PictureHere's the truth in its simplest form. You do not know what you actually need to do, and you do not know what will happen entirely by itself.The ancient wisdom traditions, drawing from texts like the Bhagavad Gita and the Tao Te Ching, point to something so obvious we've spent our entire lives missing it.We've confused ourselves into believing we're the doer of things that have been doing themselves since before we were born. That single misunderstanding is the source of nearly all the exhaustion and anxiety you carry every day.Why This MattersRecent studies report stress levels at record highs, with over 75% of adults reporting physical symptoms from chronic worry.Yet the universe has been running flawlessly for 13.8 billion years without your supervision. Your body performs trillions of operations every second without consulting you.So why are we so tired? Because we got recruited into a story that said everything depends on us.The Three States of BeingMost of us bounce between two states: doing and not doing. Gripping or pushing away. Chasing or avoiding.But there's a third option, and the masters called it surrender.It's the state where breath flows on its own. Where the heart beats. Where life unfolds. And your consciousness, instead of being consumed by maintenance, gets liberated to be actually alive. The Proof Is in Your BodyRun this thought experiment. Imagine you were born into a society where, generations ago, people were taught they had to consciously breathe to survive.From birth, your parents would drill it in. “Don't forget to breathe. Pay attention.”Half your daily consciousness would be tied up just staying alive. Conversations would be impossible. Creativity would vanish.Now imagine someone says, “You don't have to do that. It happens by itself.” You wouldn't believe them. Every experience confirms breathing requires effort.Yet the moment you stopped trying, the breath would keep flowing.You already live this reality with your heartbeat, your digestion, your cell division. You've simply forgotten the same principle might apply to everything else. How to Actually Live ThisStart with what you grip the tightest. Your relationship. Your career. Your reputation.Ask honestly, “Am I being Atlas right now? Am I crouched under the weight of something the universe is already carrying?”Then gently, just for a moment, duck your shoulders.Surrender isn't quitting. Surrender is doing without being the doer. It's showing up fully to what's in front of you while releasing your grip on the outcome.When anxiety rises, pause and notice your breath. Notice it's been flowing all day without your help. That single observation can break the spell. Addressing the Skeptics“If I don't take action, nothing will happen.”Surrender isn't passivity. Water flows downhill, but water still flows. The point isn't to stop acting. The point is to stop forcing.“What about people who hustled to the top?”Ask any accomplished person about pivotal moments, and they'll describe something that happened to them. Right place, right time, the right person walking through the door. They participated. They didn't author the outcome.“This sounds like magical thinking.”It's the opposite. Magical thinking says, “If I want it badly enough, the universe will deliver.” Surrender says, “The universe is already delivering exactly what's meant to unfold.” Real-World ApplicationIn your career, do excellent work without attaching to every recognition.In relationships, love people without needing them to be a certain way. When your partner is in a mood, let it pass like weather through a sky.In your finances, make wise decisions without white-knuckling every dollar.In the bigger questions, trust that the same intelligence running your heart can probably handle the next chapter. The Hidden LayerHere's what fewer people realize. True surrender is functionally invisible.You cannot prove to anyone that you're not the doer. When your life unfolds beautifully, observers will insist you did it. They'll credit your strategy and hustle. And you'll smile, because you'll know the truth.It was never you. The Lingering ThoughtRight now, as you finish reading these words, your breath is still flowing. Your heart is still beating. The Earth is still turning.And somewhere, quietly, beneath all your striving and worrying and planning, something far wiser than your mind has been running the show this entire time.It always has been.The only question is whether you'll finally let it.---Get to the level of resolve in minutes, not months. The path is a next level Trauma-Informed Oracle journey -a personalized digital guide blending nervous system science with intuitive insight to help high achievers, therapists, and healers release emotional blocks efficiently—without years of divination training or one-off oracle readings.Shift to Your Focus to your DESIRES!Start with our daily transit astrologist or dream decoder.Next level? Upgrade to unlock the app and the 5 guides for spiritual problem solving to embrace change, deepen intuition, and align with your NOW and evolutionary - future self.Because…….you don't grow to the height of your vision—you rise or fall to the level of your beliefs.The Light Between Oracle Journey offers a sacred journey and deeper path for inner personal and professional growth in a world full of noise.It helps you slow down, reconnect, and experience meaningful transformation.Each Guide and 5-layer reading guides you to slow down, access what matters most, and receive precise guidance. * Access personalized guidance for clarity and empowerment* Rewire limiting beliefs and reclaim your power* Use hypnotic visualizations and poetic insights to support healing* Tune into your inner wisdom and make soul-aligned decisionsIncluded with Subscription:The app and the 5 guides for spiritual problem solvingSubscription Breakdown:MONTHLY:For just $7/month, gain access to the app and the 5 guides.YEARLY:For a one-time fee of $84/yr (everything in monthly and bonuses)Love, Kassandra This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thelightbetween.substack.com/subscribe

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The Tao – Step 10

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2026 44:34

"10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it." — Alcoholics Anonymous, Page 59 "Take on difficulties while they are still easy." — Jonathan Star, Tao Te Ching, The Definitive Edition, Verse 63 GUS - 12StepRecovery.AI 30 Tools to Stay Sober All Year Round! Here is a link to an online version of the Tao Te Ching that we use in every meeting: https://ttc.tasuki.org/display:Year:1972,1988,1996,2004/section:80 You can download a free PDF of the latest version of Powerless But Not Helpless, a Recovery Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, at www.BuddyC.org. Feel free to share, post, and distribute this book wherever you believe it will be helpful. You can also sign up for a free daily Tao Recovery Email, access a list of podcasts, and find many other recovery resources. Join our private Facebook group and continue the conversation! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaoPodcast/ or search Tao of Our understanding Podcast. A Course in Miracles - Daily lessons from the 365-Day Course in Miracles Calendar. See the notes in each entry for a more detailed description. Click Here to add the Course in Miracles Calendar to your Google Calendar Daily Thought is a daily Google Calendar you can add to your Google Calendar. It provides a daily thought that combines elements of Christian, ACIM, Tao, and AA. Click here to add the Daily Thought Calendar to your Google Calendar Nightly 9 pm eastern Zoom A.A. Meeting www.ZoomAAMeetings.com Would you like to receive a free daily topic email with the most popular A.A. resources, accompanied by a secret Facebook group for discussion? Go to www.DailyAAEmails.com for more information!

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The Ancient Masters | Verse 15 | Tao Te Ching

Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2026 8:01

What does ancient wisdom actually look like in everyday life? In this episode, we sit with Verse 15 of the Tao Te Ching to explore why the modern obsession with constant action and "mountain-top" achievements might be keeping us stuck. Through Lao Tzu's imagery of crossing thin ice, becoming like a valley, and letting muddy water settle, we learn that sometimes the most powerful action we can take is to step back, put the glass down, and let clarity happen on its own.Grab a warm drink, take a deep breath, and let's slow down for a few minutes.**** Intro: The mistake of "stirring the pot" when we need answers.**** The Verse: A slow reading of Verse 15.**** The Ice: Why walking on thin ice demands an absolute honesty that can't be faked.**** The Valley: Shifting away from a culture that worships the mountain, and finding the quiet power of receptivity.**** Mud & Water: Why a glass of muddy water doesn't need to be fixed—it just needs to be set down.**** Releasing the Grip: Living in the present instead of waiting for life to "finally arrive."The ancient Masters were profound and subtle.Their wisdom was unfathomable.There is no way to describe it; all we can describe is their appearance. They were careful as someone crossing an iced-over stream.Alert as a warrior in enemy territory.Courteous as a guest.Fluid as melting ice.Shapable as a block of wood.Receptive as a valley.Clear as a glass of water.Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear?Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?The Master doesn't seek fulfillment.Not seeking, not expecting, she is present, and can welcome all things.Where in your life right now are you desperately stirring the water? What would happen if you just set the glass down and let gravity do its work?If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone who needs a few quiet minutes today.In This Episode, We Discuss:The Verse: Verse Fifteen (The Ancient Masters)A Question to Carry With You This Week:

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When Inner Child Work Is Complete: How Healing Turns Into Freedom

Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2026 25:16

Discover why healing is not endless self-work — it's the moment you finally feel safe enough to live freely, lightly, and fully as yourself.This is part 4 of our powerful 4-part Inner Child series for 2026.In this episode, we explore the profound shift from healing to integration — the stage where emotional regulation becomes natural, self-monitoring falls away, and your calm adult self leads with ease.You'll learn why some people get trapped in endless self-improvement, and the real signs that healing has matured into wholeness. Learn how playfulness, spontaneity, emotional resilience, inner peace, and effortless living return when safety becomes embodied.This is a powerful guide to Inner Child integration, emotional healing, Taoist wisdom, nervous system regulation, self-awareness, and living with calm, presence, and freedom.Watch part 1 here: https://youtu.be/FY0EMmLfiDw?si=vTqAAqPGWAcsgHFxWatch part 2 here: https://youtu.be/HhxyED-VSik?si=JkAIyg2kcWdRklh1 Watch part 3 here: https://youtu.be/YC2kzpZs3pI?si=lnGkxDDGgq27za3I With your hosts, David James Lees (ordained Taoist monk, emotional and spiritual health teacher) and Alexandra Lees (mindset and business coach).Learn more about David's online consultations, events, books and audio teachings: https://www.wuweiwisdom.comSubscribe to David's FREE Journal: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/Other related teachings on our YouTube channel that will help you:Our INNER CHILD PLAYLIST https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zICGLRS1b7q1HSJhZRash5qqOur GOLDEN THREAD PROCESS PLAYLIST https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zIAsS_wgdRN7QGBKIk54sbyDIs there a question you'd like answered on the show? Submit it at: https://bit.ly/askusyourquestion Join our free Wu Wei Wisdom Community Facebook support group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wuweiwisdomcommunity If you love our work, you can now make a small donation to help fund the continued production of our weekly teachings by buying us a 'virtual coffee'! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wuweiwisdom Follow us on Instagram: @wuweiwisdomSign up to receive a relaxing guided meditation gift, plus our weekly newsletter + offers via email: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/signup Music by Earth Tree HealingDisclaimer: This podcast and any associated teaching and comments shared are not a substitute for professional therapy, mental health care, crisis support, medical advice, doctor diagnosis, or professional healthcare treatment. Our show episodes provide general information for educational purposes only and are offered as suggestions for you and your professional therapist or healthcare advisor to consider and research.

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The Tao – Step 9

Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2026 53:56

"9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others." — Alcoholics Anonymous, Page 59 "Though the Tao of Heaven has no favorites, it always sides with one who has a pure heart." — Jonathan Star, Tao Te Ching, The Definitive Edition, Verse 79 GUS - https://chatgpt.com/g/g-69f9f86d3e9481919d2d732149f68d66-gus 30 Tools to Stay Sober All Year Round! Here is a link to an online version of the Tao Te Ching that we use in every meeting: https://ttc.tasuki.org/display:Year:1972,1988,1996,2004/section:80 You can download a free PDF of the latest version of Powerless But Not Helpless, a Recovery Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, at www.BuddyC.org. Feel free to share, post, and distribute this book wherever you believe it will be helpful. You can also sign up for a free daily Tao Recovery Email, access a list of podcasts, and find many other recovery resources. Join our private Facebook group and continue the conversation! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaoPodcast/ or search Tao of Our understanding Podcast. A Course in Miracles - Daily lessons from the 365-Day Course in Miracles Calendar. See the notes in each entry for a more detailed description. Click Here to add the Course in Miracles Calendar to your Google Calendar Daily Thought is a daily Google Calendar you can add to your Google Calendar. It provides a daily thought that combines elements of Christian, ACIM, Tao, and AA. Click here to add the Daily Thought Calendar to your Google Calendar Nightly 9 pm eastern Zoom A.A. Meeting www.ZoomAAMeetings.com Would you like to receive a free daily topic email with the most popular A.A. resources, accompanied by a secret Facebook group for discussion? Go to www.DailyAAEmails.com for more information!

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The Face Before You Were Born | Verse 14 | Tao Te Ching

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Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2026 15:33

In this episode, we step away from the cultural demand for constant optimization and sit with Verse 14 of the Tao Te Ching (Stephen Mitchell translation). Lao Tzu takes us to the very edge of language, dismantling our reliance on seeing, hearing, and grasping to verify reality. We explore the concept of "negative space" in life, why you can't think your way into the Tao, and what it truly means to be "at ease in your own life"—not by arriving somewhere new, but by remembering where you came from.Look, and it can't be seen.Listen, and it can't be heard.Reach, and it can't be grasped.Above, it isn't bright.Below, it isn't dark.Seamless, unnameable, it returns to the realm of nothing.Form that includes all forms, image without an image, subtle, beyond all conception.Approach it and there is no beginning; follow it and there is no end.You can't know it, but you can be it, at ease in your own life.Just realize where you come from: this is the essence of wisdom.The Verse— Tao Te Ching, Verse 14 (Trans. Stephen Mitchell)

Why Anger Keeps You Stuck (And How to Let It Go) | Tao Dialogues

Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2026 19:03

Discover why anger never truly protects you — and how Taoist wisdom helps you finally release resentment, emotional pain, and inner conflict.In this Tao Dialogues episode, discover how resentment, emotional triggers, and replaying past pain can quietly shape your identity and block inner peace. Through Taoist wisdom, Inner Child healing, authentic self-awareness, and wu wei teachings, you'll learn how to release anger without suppressing emotions or losing your boundaries. The teaching is perfect for anyone struggling with anger, stress, emotional overwhelm, or their spiritual growth. Read the blog post that inspired this episode: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/p/burning-bridges [first blog post on this page]Our Tao Dialogues are powerful yet gentle teachings about authenticity, spirituality and finding emotional balance and flow in everyday life. These spoken-word episodes draw from David James Lees' practice as a Taoist monk and teacher, and expand upon popular posts on ‘David's Journal', his Substack blog.You can subscribe to David's Journal here: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/Learn more about David's online consultations, events, books and audio teachings: https://www.wuweiwisdom.comOther related teachings on our YouTube channel that will help you:TAO DIALOGUES PLAYLIST https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zICamFP2zMyey3KGTnfm2aUq&si=AW_ZOUeldKv3nHhFSHEN (THE SPIRITUAL SELF) PLAYLIST https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zIBmp50wYcmU7jCBLp1Qvl-jINNER CHILD PLAYLIST https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zICGLRS1b7q1HSJhZRash5qqIs there a question you'd like answered on the show? Submit it at: https://bit.ly/askusyourquestion Join our free Wu Wei Wisdom Community Facebook support group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wuweiwisdomcommunity If you love our work, you can now make a small donation to help fund the continued production of our weekly teachings by buying us a 'virtual coffee'! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wuweiwisdom Book an online Golden Thread Process & Inner Child Consultation with David: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/therapies-for-body-mind/ Follow us on Instagram: @wuweiwisdomSign up to receive a relaxing guided meditation gift, plus our weekly newsletter + offers via email: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/signup -Disclaimer: This podcast and any associated teaching and comments shared are not a substitute for professional therapy, mental health care, crisis support, medical advice, doctor diagnosis, or professional healthcare treatment. Our show episodes provide general information for educational purposes only and are offered as suggestions for you and your professional therapist or healthcare advisor to consider and research.Mus

The Tao – Step 8

Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2026 37:02

"8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all." — Alcoholics Anonymous, Page 59 "If you want to take something, you must first allow it to be given." — Stephen Mitchell, Tao Te Ching, Verse 36 30 Tools to Stay Sober All Year Round! Here is a link to an online version of the Tao Te Ching that we use in every meeting: https://ttc.tasuki.org/display:Year:1972,1988,1996,2004/section:80 You can download a free PDF of the latest version of Powerless But Not Helpless, a Recovery Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, at www.BuddyC.org. Feel free to share, post, and distribute this book wherever you believe it will be helpful. You can also sign up for a free daily Tao Recovery Email, access a list of podcasts, and find many other recovery resources. Join our private Facebook group and continue the conversation! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaoPodcast/ or search Tao of Our understanding Podcast. A Course in Miracles - Daily lessons from the 365-Day Course in Miracles Calendar. See the notes in each entry for a more detailed description. Click Here to add the Course in Miracles Calendar to your Google Calendar Daily Thought is a daily Google Calendar you can add to your Google Calendar. It provides a daily thought that combines elements of Christian, ACIM, Tao, and AA. Click here to add the Daily Thought Calendar to your Google Calendar Nightly 9 pm eastern Zoom A.A. Meeting www.ZoomAAMeetings.com Would you like to receive a free daily topic email with the most popular A.A. resources, accompanied by a secret Facebook group for discussion? Go to www.DailyAAEmails.com for more information!

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Favor and Disgrace | Verse 13 | Tao Te Ching

Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2026 7:31

In this episode of The Coffee Buzz Podcast, we pause to sit with one of the most counter-intuitive passages in the Tao Te Ching: Verse Thirteen.Most of us spend our lives trying to climb. We are taught that hitting the next rung brings security, and that falling backward is the ultimate failure. But Lao Tzu pushes back on this entire architecture, suggesting that success and failure are equally dangerous—and that hope might just be fear in a better outfit.Grab a comfortable chair, pour yourself something warm, and let's take a few quiet minutes to step off the ladder and find the ground beneath our feet.The Trap of the Ladder: Why reaching the top of a professional or social ladder often yields exposure and fragility rather than the stability we were promised.Hope vs. Fear: Exploring the shared architecture of these two "phantoms." How both emotions anchor us to a fragile ego and pull us out of the present moment.The Ground's Indifference: Why the earth requiring nothing of us is actually the ultimate form of freedom and support.A Story of Shaky Ground: A real-world example of a design firm owner who found her ultimate clarity and vitality only after her position was kicked out from under her.The Medicine: How expanding our definition of "self" transforms fear into a practical, deeply felt capacity to care for the world."The ladder requires you to perform; the ground just lets you exist.""Hope is just fear in a better outfit. Both keep us from being right here, right now.""When the ladder is kicked out from under you, you find out that the ground was always there."Tao Te Ching — Translated by Stephen Mitchell (Verse 13: Favor and Disgrace)Notice the ladders you are currently climbing, and the ones you are terrified of falling from. Just for today, see if you can take your two feet off the rungs.Put them on the ground. And love the world as your self.

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Reparenting Yourself Gently | A Guided Meditation for Inner Child Healing & Emotional Safety

Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2026 24:54

A calming meditation with gentle Inner Child healing for emotional safety and self-trust - with Taoist monk and teacher, David James Lees.In this guided meditation on gentle reparenting and Inner Child healing, we explore how to create emotional safety, self-trust and calm authority within yourself — without pressure, force or self-criticism.Drawing on Taoist wisdom, mindfulness and emotional healing principles, this meditation helps you reconnect with your Shen (your calm spiritual essence), regulate emotional triggers, release urgency, and build inner peace through steady self-guidance and self-awareness.The meditation is ideal for soothing emotional overwhelm, and supporting self-love, reparenting work and personal growth.⚠️ PLEASE DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS MEDITATION WHILE DRIVING OR OPERATING MACHINERYThis meditation can be practised daily or whenever you need it. Learn more about our online consultations, events, books and audio teachings: https://www.wuweiwisdom.comSubscribe to David's FREE Journal: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/Other teachings and guided meditations you may enjoy: Reparenting Yourself Without Force: How to Heal the Inner Child Gently https://youtu.be/YC2kzpZs3pI?si=ROup6Y9f_SIvIyErGUIDED MEDITATION PLAYLIST https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zIA12P7BftG6a18lIWFDjL35&si=bWWub6YyoZpXhFubLOVE & RELATIONSHIPS PLAYLIST https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zID3yxrdCbbZFuKHCwgV6qhX&si=-zdah_z6MiSZIl0tIs there a question you'd like answered on the show? Submit it at: https://bit.ly/askusyourquestion Join our free Wu Wei Wisdom Community Facebook support group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wuweiwisdomcommunity If you love our work, you can now make a small donation to help fund the continued production of our weekly teachings by buying us a 'virtual coffee'! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wuweiwisdom Book an online Golden Thread Process & Inner Child Consultation with David: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/therapies-for-body-mind/ Follow us on Instagram: @wuweiwisdomSign up to receive a relaxing guided meditation gift, plus our weekly newsletter + offers via email: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/signup -Disclaimer: This podcast and any associated teaching and comments shared are not a substitute for professional therapy, mental health care, crisis support, medical advice, doctor diagnosis, or professional healthcare treatment. Our show episodes provide general information for educational purposes only and are offered as suggestions for you and your professional therapist or healthcare advisor to consider and research.Music by Earth Tree Healing

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Episode 343: Prashanthi Amarnath: Embracing Paradox/Tao Te Ching

End of the Road

Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2026 59:18

Prashanthi Amarnath is an information technology engineer and author of Embracing Paradox: A Mystical Adventure with the Tao Te Ching Through 81 Enchanting Micro Lessons (2026). The Tao Te Ching is often treated as an ancient hurdle to clear or a complex riddle to solve. In Embracing Paradox, Prashanthi invites you to see it differently; not as a daunting divide of language and ideas, but as a guide steering you through the winding paths of your own existence. Through 81 enchanting micro-lessons, the book transforms ancient wisdom into a modern roadmap for handling life's uncertainties. it is a journey than began not in a library, but in the grit of everyday life--across the landscapes of India, Australia, and the United States. For more information about Prashanthi, and to connect with her life and work, please see: https://www.embracingparadox.com/ This podcast is available on your favorite podcast feed, or here: https://endoftheroad.libsyn.com/episode-343-prashanthi-amarnath-embracing-paradoxtao-te-ching Have a blessed weekend!

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The Tao – Step 7

Play Episode Listen Later May 11, 2026 31:30

"7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings." — Alcoholics Anonymous, Page 59 "Only in being lived by the Tao can you be truly yourself." — Stephen Mitchell, Tao Te Ching, Verse 22 30 Tools to Stay Sober All Year Round! Here is a link to an online version of the Tao Te Ching that we use in every meeting: https://ttc.tasuki.org/display:Year:1972,1988,1996,2004/section:80 You can download a free PDF of the latest version of Powerless But Not Helpless, a Recovery Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, at www.BuddyC.org. Feel free to share, post, and distribute this book wherever you believe it will be helpful. You can also sign up for a free daily Tao Recovery Email, access a list of podcasts, and find many other recovery resources. Join our private Facebook group and continue the conversation! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaoPodcast/ or search Tao of Our understanding Podcast. A Course in Miracles - Daily lessons from the 365-Day Course in Miracles Calendar. See the notes in each entry for a more detailed description. Click Here to add the Course in Miracles Calendar to your Google Calendar Daily Thought is a daily Google Calendar you can add to your Google Calendar. It provides a daily thought that combines elements of Christian, ACIM, Tao, and AA. Click here to add the Daily Thought Calendar to your Google Calendar Nightly 9 pm eastern Zoom A.A. Meeting www.ZoomAAMeetings.com Would you like to receive a free daily topic email with the most popular A.A. resources, accompanied by a secret Facebook group for discussion? Go to www.DailyAAEmails.com for more information!

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Too Much | Verse 12 | Tao Te Ching

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Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2026 8:43

In this episode, we sit with Verse Twelve of the Tao Te Ching (Stephen Mitchell translation). We explore the paradox of modern excess: how a world designed to stimulate our senses often leaves us numb, and how the "Master" navigates this noise without withdrawing from it.Colors blind the eye.Sounds deafen the ear.Flavors numb the taste.Thoughts weaken the mind.Desires wither the heart.The Master observes the worldbut trusts his inner vision.He allows things to come and go.His heart is open as the sky.The Irony of Excess: Lao Tzu isn't arguing against beauty or sensory experience; he is diagnosing overexposure. When we drown our senses in constant "signal," we lose the ability to actually perceive the world.Mental Static vs. Thinking: We often mistake a "chronic mental overcrowding" for productive thought. True thinking is a precision instrument, but it becomes dull when forced to process an endless churn of reactions and anxieties.The Wanting Machine: Constant appetite and the accumulation of desires don't expand the heart—they wither it, making our internal world smaller and more reactive.The Master's Orientation: Living "in the world but not of it." The goal isn't to hide in a cave, but to keep one ear tuned to something quieter while allowing the stream of life to move through us without grasping at it."We've taken the most ancient of human senses and drowned it in signal.""Silence stopped feeling like quiet and started feeling like deprivation.""The mind... starts mistaking noise for signal.""His heart is open—not like a wound, but like space."What would it feel like to be genuinely nourished by less?Consider being more selective this week. Instead of a dozen half-attended conversations or a hundred scrolled images, try to find one thing—a meal, a walk, a single page of a book—and give it your full, un-fragmented presence.Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse (for further reflection on the journey toward inner vision)The Way of Zen by Alan WattsBill Evans - Alone (for a musical companion to quiet reflection)Thank you for listening to The Coffee Buzz. Find a chair, pour another cup, and we'll see you next time.

Understanding Gnosticism: The Path to Inner Knowledge

Gnostic Insights

Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2026 24:05

In Simple Explanation terms, the Christ is the correcting algorithm for Second Order fractals that no longer ring true. The Christ replicates all of the qualities of the All—that is, the full attributes of the originating consciousness in their pure form that existed prior to the Fall, with all of the confounding memes stripped away. When one accepts the gift of the Christ, one invites a correction to ego's amnesiac memes so that the best functioning of the universal unit of consciousness may be re-established within yourself. The Christ also provides a homing beacon to the Son via a rooted love connection. Simply put, gnosis is the realization that we come from Above and that our Father is in heaven and to heaven we shall return. That's all! Gnosis requires us to step down from the throne of ego and this meme shroud of the imitation that we are wrapped in to better reveal the light of God that shines from within. That's all! You cannot be taught gnosis, you must discover it inside of yourself. The Tao Te Ching in verse 21 puts it this way: This is accordingly how I know the ways of everything and the origin of all things—by observing what is within me. So here at the Gnostic Insights Podcast, I am not attempting to teach you gnosis, I am merely sharing the gnosis that I have discovered within my Self. You have this gnosis within your Self, and if you resonate to what I am saying, this is merely you remembering gnosis. You have the entirety of the Fullness of God already in you and a remembrance of who you are and where you come from.

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Episode 48 – Lao-Tzu, The Tao Te Ching, Part 1 – Darkness Within Darkness

Books of All Time

Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2026 34:00

Ever seen or doodled a yin-yang symbol? Does the proverb "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" ring a bell? You've brushed up against the Tao Te Ching, one of the most influential works of Ancient Chinese literature that's also the foundational text of Taoism (pronounced "daoism"), China's major native religion. Traditionally ascribed to a scholar called Lao-Tzu, the Tao Te Ching was likely a collection of related poems and proverbs by many authors, collected into an anthology around 350 BCE. In this episode, we walk through some of the main concepts, including the Tao as a cosmic force, the principle of wu wei, or non-action, and how you can see the tensions of China's Warring States Period (c. 475–221 BCE) shining through in the text.Want a transcript or access to the list of references we used for this episode? Click here. Don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review us! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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When a Hub-and-Spoke Executive Hijacks Your Agile Transformation — And What to Do About It | Peter Merel

Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2026 16:31

Peter Merel: When a Hub-and-Spoke Executive Hijacks Your Agile Transformation — And What to Do About It Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. "Either you're going to do what you know works, or you're going to step away. Either way, you're not going to do damage to your client." - Peter Merel After a successful transformation at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Peter Merel moved to Westpac, another major Australian bank, expecting to replicate the same approach. He found an executive who appeared eager to support an agile transformation — but this executive saw agile as the ideal form of micromanagement. Everything and everyone revolved around this one individual, and as Peter began facilitating conversations that didn't hub on the executive, the executive felt disempowered. Peter was blind to this dynamic — he had never encountered it before. The situation deteriorated because Peter had been hired to run a push-based transformation, when he knew from experience that only pull-based transformation works. At Commonwealth Bank, he had built a thin steel thread from business through to DevOps with a small group, proved it worked, and then grown it organically. At Westpac, he let himself be persuaded to push change into the organization, and it compromised everything. The lesson Peter shares is stark: if you can't do what you know works, and you can't step away, then you are the problem. He also warns that when coaches fail this way, they make life harder for whoever comes next — a responsibility that's easy to overlook in the moment. In this segment, we talk about pull-based transformation and why push-based change programs consistently fail in large organizations. Self-reflection Question: Are you currently in a situation where you've compromised on your approach to change — and if so, are you doing more damage by staying than you would by stepping away? Featured Book of the Week: The Agile Way by Peter Merel Peter's own book, The Agile Way, is his modern translation of the Tao Te Ching — a 3,000-year-old text he argues was originally about how to achieve agile development in organizations large and small. Peter first started translating this text in 1989, and after decades of iteration, the book draws connections between ancient wisdom and modern agile practices — XP, Lean, Theory of Constraints, throughput accounting, and permaculture. As Peter explains, "The sage in Lao Tzu is Shang Ren — agile people. This is a book about agile people, agility, and it always was." The book is available at agile.way.pm, and Kent Beck, who wrote the foreword, calls it "a dangerous little book" — dangerous in the same sense as the word extreme. [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

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The Tao – Step 6

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Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2026 41:53

"6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character." — Alcoholics Anonymous, Page 59 "Can you deal with the most vital matters by letting events take their course? Can you step back from you own mind and thus understand all things?" — Stephen Mitchell, Tao Te Ching, Verse 10 30 Tools to Stay Sober All Year Round! Here is a link to an online version of the Tao Te Ching that we use in every meeting: https://ttc.tasuki.org/display:Year:1972,1988,1996,2004/section:80 You can download a free PDF of the latest version of Powerless But Not Helpless, a Recovery Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, at www.BuddyC.org. Feel free to share, post, and distribute this book wherever you believe it will be helpful. You can also sign up for a free daily Tao Recovery Email, access a list of podcasts, and find many other recovery resources. Join our private Facebook group and continue the conversation! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaoPodcast/ or search Tao of Our understanding Podcast. A Course in Miracles - Daily lessons from the 365-Day Course in Miracles Calendar. See the notes in each entry for a more detailed description. Click Here to add the Course in Miracles Calendar to your Google Calendar Daily Thought is a daily Google Calendar you can add to your Google Calendar. It provides a daily thought that combines elements of Christian, ACIM, Tao, and AA. Click here to add the Daily Thought Calendar to your Google Calendar Nightly 9 pm eastern Zoom A.A. Meeting www.ZoomAAMeetings.com Would you like to receive a free daily topic email with the most popular A.A. resources, accompanied by a secret Facebook group for discussion? Go to www.DailyAAEmails.com for more information!

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Love According to Tao Te Ching

Home Sweet Home

Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2026 32:21

We want to hear from you! Please, send us a text comment or suggestion. In this episode of Home Sweet Home, we explore a timeless and thought-provoking perspective on love through the wisdom of Lao Tzu and the Tao Te Ching. Together, we unpack five distinct expressions of love, from the unhealthy patterns of possessiveness, codependency, and romantic illusion to the freer, more mature forms of love rooted in openness, compassion, and harmony. This conversation challenges the common cultural idea that love is about ownership, control, or finding the “perfect” person, and instead invites us to consider love as something deeper: a way of relating to others and to life itself. As we move through these five levels, we reflect on how fear, ego, and insecurity can distort love, and how awareness can help us move toward relationships that are healthier, more authentic, and less conditional. Ultimately, this episode is a reminder that love is not just something we seek—it is something we learn to embody. To find out more about Rod McCall and Eryk's Place of Hope check out https://fortheloveoferyk.com/ & https://eryksplaceofhope.com/Find us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

The Joy Paradox: Why Joy Comes When You Stop Chasing It | Tao Dialogues

Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2026 27:48

The harder you chase joy, the further it slips away - here's why...In this episode of Tao Dialogues, we explore a powerful Taoist truth: joy isn't something you achieve — it's something you allow.Most of us are conditioned to believe “I'll be happy when…” — but that chase is exactly what keeps joy out of reach. This teaching reveals how the Inner Child creates urgency, comparison, and pressure, while Shen — your deeper authentic nature — guides you back to calm, presence, and enoughness.Discover how practising wu wei (effortless effort) shifts you from striving to flowing — and why true joy appears the moment you stop chasing and start aligning with what already is. Because nothing is missing — and joy has been here all along.Read the blog post that inspired this episode:https://davidjameslees.substack.com/p/middle-light [second blog on this page] Our Tao Dialogues are powerful yet gentle teachings about authenticity, spirituality and finding emotional balance and flow in everyday life. These spoken-word episodes draw from David James Lees' practice as a Taoist monk and teacher, and expand upon popular posts on ‘David's Journal', his Substack blog.You can subscribe to David's Journal here: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/Discover David's online consultations, events and shop: https://www.wuweiwisdom.comOther related teachings on our YouTube channel that will help you:TAO DIALOGUES PLAYLIST https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zICamFP2zMyey3KGTnfm2aUq&si=AW_ZOUeldKv3nHhFSHEN (THE SPIRITUAL SELF) PLAYLIST https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zIBmp50wYcmU7jCBLp1Qvl-jINNER CHILD PLAYLIST https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zICGLRS1b7q1HSJhZRash5qqJoin our free Wu Wei Wisdom Community Facebook support group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wuweiwisdomcommunity Book an online Golden Thread Process & Inner Child Consultation with David: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/therapies-for-body-mind/ Follow us on Instagram: @wuweiwisdomSign up to receive a relaxing guided meditation gift, plus our weekly newsletter + offers via email: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/signup -Disclaimer: This podcast and any associated teaching and comments shared are not a substitute for professional therapy, mental health care, crisis support, medical advice, doctor diagnosis, or professional healthcare treatment. Our show episodes provide general information for educational purposes only and are offered as suggestions for you and your professional therapist or healthcare advisor to consider and research.Music by Earth Tree Healing

The Nothing is Load Bearing | Verse 11 | Tao Te Ching

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Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2026 8:01

In this episode, we dive into one of the most practical and paradoxically profound chapters of the Tao Te Ching: Verse Eleven. We explore Lao Tzu's fascination with the "nothing" at the center of things—the hole in the wheel, the hollow of a pot, and the space within a room.Society teaches us to value what is tangible and "full," but this episode challenges that notion, reminding us that while we work with being, it is non-being that we actually use.The Load-Bearing Nothing: Why the most functional part of a wheel is the part that isn't there.Playing the Rests: Understanding "negative space" through the lens of music and silence.The Architecture of Life: A reminder that a house is only livable because of the space inside, not the walls themselves.Inventory vs. Utility: Moving away from a "full cup" mentality to create capacity for new experiences."A life that is all structure and no space — all doing and no room to receive — is like a house with no interior. It looks solid from the outside... but you can't even live in it yourself."We join spokes together in a wheel,but it is the center holethat makes the wagon move.We shape clay into a pot,but it is the emptiness insidethat holds whatever we want.We hammer wood for a house,but it is the inner spacethat makes it livable.We work with being,but non-being is what we use.The "Hollow" Check:Look at your schedule for the day. Is there an intentional gap where you aren't producing or consuming? If your day is 100% "spokes" and 0% "center hole," how is your wagon supposed to move? Find five minutes today to simply be the vessel.Key Themes & ReflectionsFeatured QuoteThe Verse (Stephen Mitchell)Practical Takeaway

Choose Her Every Day or Leave Her: Bryan Reeves on What Men Get Wrong About Relationships

Men Talking Mindfulness

Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2026 6:18

"I spent five years hurting a good woman by staying with her but never fully choosing her." That one sentence, written by Bryan Reeves, has been read by tens of millions of people. On this episode of Men Talking Mindfulness, hosts Jon Macaskill and Will Schneider sit down with Bryan... former U.S. Air Force captain, relationship coach, and author of the book Choose Her Every Day or Leave Her... to talk about what men actually get wrong in their relationships and what it takes to fix it.Bryan gets into the paradox at the center of every committed relationship... the need to care deeply about your partner while also holding onto yourself. He talks about why so many men bounce between total sacrifice and total detachment, why "what would serve we?" is the most powerful question a couple can ask, and why connection time is not productive time, even though every mission-oriented bone in your body says otherwise.Jon and Bryan go deep on the two fears that show up in men over and over again... "I'm not worthy of love" and "I'm going to mess this up." They get into how those fears drive the shame cycle in relationships and how mindfulness is the practice that interrupts it. Bryan shares a story about studying the Tao Te Ching while being completely unable to apply any of it in his own relationship. Twenty-five years later, he can. The difference is reps.They also talk about when leaving is the most loving choice, why men need men's work that isn't just beer and football, and why learning to play again matters more than most men realize.What you'll hear in this episode:Why "checking the box" on your relationship is slowly killing itThe paradox of caring and not caring at the same timeThe two core fears men bring to relationships and how they feed the shame cycleHow mindfulness gives you access to repair after a fightWhy the Gottman Institute says arguing past ten minutes is pointlessWhen leaving in love is the right choiceWhy men's work and play are connected to being a better partner and parentBryan's book: Choose Her Every Day or Leave Her Bryan's website: bryanreeves.com (Bryan with a Y) Bryan's programs: Elevate Your Relationship, Elevate 2026 (annual men's group)Jon and Will's new course is coming out soon... sign up here to stay in the loop https://focusnowtraining.com/a2a-course-interestSign up for our newsletter... text MTM to 33777.Jon's new book, DIAL in Your Leadership: 4 Non-negotiables for Leading with Clarity, Trust, and Purpose, is available now on Amazon. https://a.co/d/0hYwI2SzFollow Men Talking Mindfulness, Jon Macaskill, and Will Schneider for more.Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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SPP2026: Sesshin Day 5: Returning to the Source

Upaya Zen Center's Dharma Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2026 54:10

In this fifth-day talk, offered during the Spring Practice Period Sesshin, Senko and Sensei Monshin explore the ninth ox-herding picture, Returning to the Source — the stage where effort ceases and life simply flows. Drawing on Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching, the Xin Xin Ming, and the Song of the Grass Hut, Monshin traces the difference between striving and ease, and how returning to the source is not… Source

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The Tao – Step 5

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2026 34:22

"5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs." — Alcoholics Anonymous, Page 59 "A great nation is like a great man: When he makes a mistake, he realizes it. Having realized it, he admits it. Having admitted it, he corrects it. He considers those who point out his faults as his most benevolent teachers. He thinks of his enemy as the shadow that he himself casts." — Stephen Mitchell, Tao Te Ching, Verse 38 30 Tools to Stay Sober All Year Round! Here is a link to an online version of the Tao Te Ching that we use in every meeting: https://ttc.tasuki.org/display:Year:1972,1988,1996,2004/section:80 You can download a free PDF of the latest version of Powerless But Not Helpless, a Recovery Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, at www.BuddyC.org. Feel free to share, post, and distribute this book wherever you believe it will be helpful. You can also sign up for a free daily Tao Recovery Email, access a list of podcasts, and find many other recovery resources. Join our private Facebook group and continue the conversation! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaoPodcast/ or search Tao of Our understanding Podcast. A Course in Miracles - Daily lessons from the 365-Day Course in Miracles Calendar. See the notes in each entry for a more detailed description. Click Here to add the Course in Miracles Calendar to your Google Calendar Daily Thought is a daily Google Calendar you can add to your Google Calendar. It provides a daily thought that combines elements of Christian, ACIM, Tao, and AA. Click here to add the Daily Thought Calendar to your Google Calendar Nightly 9 pm eastern Zoom A.A. Meeting www.ZoomAAMeetings.com Would you like to receive a free daily topic email with the most popular A.A. resources, accompanied by a secret Facebook group for discussion? Go to www.DailyAAEmails.com for more information!

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Can You? | Verse 10 | Tao Te Ching

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Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2026 15:31

In this episode of The Coffee Buzz, we take a pause from the usual productivity hacks and fast-paced schedules to sit with Verse 10 of the Tao Te Ching. Unlike many of Lao Tzu's other passages that make deep, authoritative declarations, Verse 10 is simply a list of six profound questions.We explore what it means to gently coax our wandering minds back to stillness, why there is strength in remaining soft, and how to strip away our assumptions to see the world as it actually is. Finally, we discuss the "supreme virtue" (Te)—how to act, lead, and love with your whole heart while keeping your hands entirely open to the outcome.Pour yourself a cup of coffee, find your chair, and join us for a few quiet minutes of reflection.Key Reflections in This Episode:The Wandering Mind: The vital difference between forcing your mind to be quiet and gently coaxing it home.The Strength of Softness: Why hardening our opinions and our bodies limits our ability to truly connect with others.Cleansing the Vision: Overcoming our "perceptual sets" to see what is actually in front of us without the veil of our own commentary.The Supreme Virtue (Te): How to give birth and nourish, have without possessing, and lead without trying to control.Read Along: Verse 10 (Stephen Mitchell Translation)Can you coax your mind from its wandering and keep to the original oneness?Can you let your body become supple as a newborn child's?Can you cleanse your inner vision until you see nothing but the light?Can you love people and lead them without imposing your will?Can you deal with the most vital matters by letting events take their course?Can you step back from your own mind and thus understand all things?Giving birth and nourishing,having without possessing,acting with no expectations,leading and not trying to control:this is the supreme virtue.Thanks for listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please consider taking a moment to rate and review the podcast. It helps others find this small space for stillness in their day.

Are We on the Brink of Revolution?

Protect Your Noggin

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2026 58:15

It seems to many that we in the USA are on the precipice of something like a civil war. But then, when asked, the vast majority reject the idea of political violence. What conditions might exist where that changes, according to Tao Te Ching chapter 75?

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Tao Te Ching - Verse 4 | Echoes of the Tao: Tao Te Ching In Music | David James Lees

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2026 3:01

Tao Te Ching Verse 4 – Taoist wisdom and music for inspiration and inner peace, with Taoist Master and teacher David James Lees This is Verse 4 of the Tao Te Ching, brought to life through spoken word and original ambient music from Echoes of the Tao: Tao Te Ching in Music — a unique audio journey covering the 81 verses of the Tao Te Ching designed to help you release overthinking, reconnect with inner calm and wisdom, and return to natural flow (wu wei).This modern translation and narration of the Tao Te Ching by Taoist monk and teacher David James Lees, captures the essence of Taoist wisdom in a clear, accessible way for everyday life — blending ancient insight with contemporary emotional and spiritual understanding.Each track in this series is crafted to reflect the deeper meaning and energy of the verse, offering a powerful immersive experience.

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Tao Te Ching - Verse 1 | Echoes of the Tao: Tao Te Ching In Music | David James Lees

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2026 4:04

Tao Te Ching Verse 1 – Taoist wisdom and music for inspiration and inner peace, with Taoist Master and teacher David James Lees This is Verse 1 of the Tao Te Ching, brought to life through spoken word and original ambient music from Echoes of the Tao: Tao Te Ching in Music — a unique audio journey covering the 81 verses of the Tao Te Ching designed to help you release overthinking, reconnect with inner calm and wisdom, and return to natural flow (wu wei).This modern translation and narration of the Tao Te Ching by Taoist monk and teacher David James Lees, captures the essence of Taoist wisdom in a clear, accessible way for everyday life — blending ancient insight with contemporary emotional and spiritual understanding.Each track in this series is crafted to reflect the deeper meaning and energy of the verse, offering a powerful immersive experience.

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The Tao Te Ching Explained: Ancient Taoist Wisdom for Modern Life (+ Access David's New Books & Music!)

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2026 24:30

Unlock the Tao Te Ching's ancient wisdom for calm and clarity in a fast-paced and turbulent modern world, with Taoist Master and teacher David James Lees This timeless Taoist text reveals how to live with balance, purpose and inner peace. David explains what the Tao Te Ching is, how its teachings can be applied today, and why its message is more relevant than ever. Whether you're facing anxiety, overwhelm, or searching for meaning, the Tao Te Ching's teachings offer practical tools for modern living. This episode also introduces David's unique modern translation of the Tao Te Ching, along with his in-depth commentary and Tao Te Ching audio experience.

The Tao – Step 4

grok tao te ching know what you don

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2026 49:17

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. — Alcoholics Anonymous, Page 59 Open yourself to the Tao, then trust your natural responses; and everything will fall into place. — Stephen Mitchell, Tao Te Ching, Verse 38 30 Tools to Stay Sober All Year Round! Here is a link to an online version of the Tao Te Ching that we use in every meeting: https://ttc.tasuki.org/display:Year:1972,1988,1996,2004/section:80 You can download a free PDF of the latest version of Powerless But Not Helpless, a Recovery Interpretation of the Tao Te Ching, at www.BuddyC.org. Feel free to share, post, and distribute this book wherever you believe it will be helpful. You can also sign up for a free daily Tao Recovery Email, access a list of podcasts, and find many other recovery resources. Join our private Facebook group and continue the conversation! Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaoPodcast/ or search Tao of Our understanding Podcast. A Course in Miracles - Daily lessons from the 365-Day Course in Miracles Calendar. See the notes in each entry for a more detailed description. Click Here to add the Course in Miracles Calendar to your Google Calendar Daily Thought is a daily Google Calendar you can add to your Google Calendar. It provides a daily thought that combines elements of Christian, ACIM, Tao, and AA. Click here to add the Daily Thought Calendar to your Google Calendar Nightly 9 pm eastern Zoom A.A. Meeting www.ZoomAAMeetings.com Would you like to receive a free daily topic email with the most popular A.A. resources, accompanied by a secret Facebook group for discussion? Go to www.DailyAAEmails.com for more information!

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Tuesdays With Grok | Episode 3 | Tao Te Ching Part 2

Meta Mysteries

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2026 66:20 Transcription Available

Chapter 20-40.To Follow Us On Patreon—> https://www.patreon.com/c/MetaMysticsEmail Us!—> MetaMystics@yahoo.comSubscribe to our Youtube—> http://www.youtube.com/@MetaMysticsTo Follow Us On TikTok—> https://www.tiktok.com/@metamysticsGive us a follow on Instagram—> @MetaMystics111Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/meta-mystics--5795466/support.You Don't Know What You Don't Know!

Step Back | Verse 9 | Tao Te Ching

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2026 11:20

In this episode, we sit down with Verse Nine of the Tao Te Ching. Lao Tzu brings us into the kitchen and the workshop to show us how our obsession with "more"—more coffee in the bowl, more edge on the knife, more security in the bank—actually leads to the very things we're trying to avoid: a mess, a blunt tool, and a heart that forgot how to unclench. We explore the "gear shift" between doing good work and becoming a prisoner to approval, ending with the seven words that provide a path to true serenity.The Trap of the "Brim": Why filling the bowl to the very top ensures a spill. We discuss the human hunger to maximize every margin and why "more" isn't always "better."The Brittle Edge: A look at the "sharpened knife" metaphor. There is a point where over-preparation and constant refining actually dull the life out of our work and our presence.The Posture of Chasing: Understanding the "clenched heart" that comes from chasing security. Lao Tzu suggests that the search for safety often creates a permanent state of bracing for a future that hasn't happened yet.The Invisible Cell: How caring too deeply about the "committee" of public approval hands over the keys to your interior life.The Six-Word Solution: "Do your work, then step back." Analyzing why completion requires the grace to let go of the outcome."The bowl doesn't know that it's being maximized. The bowl just spills.""The person who cannot make a decision without first consulting the imagined reactions of people who may not even be paying attention...that person is in a cell.""The stepping back is not absence. It's completion."Where in your life are you pouring "to the brim," leaving no room for the walk across the kitchen?Is there a conversation or a project you are "over-sharpening" out of a fear of being unfinished?What would it feel like to treat your work like a garden—to plant the seeds fully, and then step back and trust the soil?"Do your work. Then step back."Thank you for listening to The Coffee Buzz. If you enjoyed this meditation on Verse Nine, consider sharing it with someone who needs to hear the reminder to "unclench." Don't forget to subscribe for our weekly reflections on the Tao.

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Guided Meditation for Finding Inner Calm and Managing Emotional Triggers

Ojas Oasisâ„¢ - Ayurvedic Wisdom and Healing

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2026 24:59

A powerful guided meditation to help you understand emotional triggers and return to inner calm - with Taoist monk and teacher, David James Lees.Instead of fighting or suppressing your reactions, this guided meditation practice shows you how to gently observe what's happening within — recognising the role of the Inner Child and the deeper emotional patterns behind each trigger.Through calm awareness, visualisation, and affirmations, you'll learn how to pause, soften, and respond with clarity rather than react unconsciously.This is not about controlling your emotions — it's about understanding them. Calm is not the absence of reaction. It is the presence of awareness.⚠️ PLEASE DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS MEDITATION WHILE DRIVING OR OPERATING MACHINERYThis meditation can be practised daily or whenever you need it. Learn more about our online consultations, events and shop: https://www.wuweiwisdom.comSubscribe to David's FREE Journal: https://davidjameslees.substack.com/Other teachings and guided meditations you may enjoy: Why You Get Triggered So Easily (It's Not Overreaction – It's Your Inner Child) https://youtu.be/HhxyED-VSik?si=dSvpePPjjpV1kcGZGUIDED MEDITATION PLAYLIST https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zIA12P7BftG6a18lIWFDjL35&si=bWWub6YyoZpXhFubLOVE & RELATIONSHIPS PLAYLIST https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9NQ_PWX4zID3yxrdCbbZFuKHCwgV6qhX&si=-zdah_z6MiSZIl0tJoin our free Wu Wei Wisdom Community Facebook support group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wuweiwisdomcommunity If you love our work, you can now make a small donation to help fund the continued production of our weekly teachings by buying us a 'virtual coffee'! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wuweiwisdom Book an online Golden Thread Process & Inner Child Consultation with David: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/therapies-for-body-mind/ Follow us on Instagram: @wuweiwisdomSign up to receive a relaxing guided meditation gift, plus our weekly newsletter + offers via email: https://www.wuweiwisdom.com/signup -Disclaimer: This podcast and any associated teaching and comments shared are not a substitute for professional therapy, mental health care, crisis support, medical advice, doctor diagnosis, or professional healthcare treatment. Our show episodes provide general information for educational purposes only and are offered as suggestions for you and your professional therapist or healthcare advisor to consider and research.Music by Earth Tree Healing

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How to Create from Alignment and Devotion: Lessons from the Tao Te Ching with Sheng Huang

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 13, 2026 97:15

Sheng Huang is a Mind Mapper and YouTuber, coaching professionals to discover their purpose and build meaningful momentum. Through his unique integration of Mind Mapping, first principles thinking, and project management techniques, Sheng has helped thousands around the world navigate complexity, sharpen their systems thinking, and move through both professional and personal chaos with clarity. His videos have reached over half a million views, resonating with those seeking structure without losing soul. Speaking of soul, his is one of my favorites. As a dear friend of mine, I feel so grateful to be able to share his beautiful being with our Ojas Oasis community.In today's episode, we explore what it truly means to create from a place of alignment and devotion: two forces that, when combined, unlock a deeper, more sustainable form of success and fulfillment. Drawing inspiration from the timeless wisdom of the Tao Te Ching, this conversation invites you to reconsider how you approach creativity, purpose, and prosperity in both your personal and professional life.In this episode, we dive into:-The difference between forcing and allowing in the creative process-How devotion reshapes your relationship to work and outcomes-Lessons from the Tao Te Ching on flow, effortlessness, and inner alignment-Practical ways to apply systems thinking without losing intuition-How to create from a place of grounded purpose rather than pressureWith a rich background spanning corporate strategy, product management, user operations, and venture capital, Sheng brings a multidimensional perspective to what it means to live and create intentionally in today's modern world.If you've been feeling the pull to slow down, realign, and create from a deeper place within, this conversation is for you. Send us Fan MailFor 20% off Kerala Ayurveda products, use code OjasOasis at checkoutFor 20% off GarryNSun products, use code OJASOASIS20 at checkoutFor 20% off Ora Cacao products, use OJASOASIS20 at checkout Receive $500 off your Panchakarma retreat at SoHum Healing Resort with code OjasOasisPK2025 Register for the 2026 NAMA Conference at https://www.ayurvedanama.org/ Support the showTo learn more about working with us, please visit www.OjasOasis.com Connect with us @ojasoasis on Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube

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How States Use the Fear of Death

Protect Your Noggin

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2026 78:54

Tao Te Ching 74 starts by suggesting that people don't naturally fear death. Then it suggests that nefarious leaders try to instill a fear of death in those they dominate in order to control them. We discuss how this applies to contemporary times. Then Jeff shares some of the emerging research he's doing into the extent to which early Taoism applied, evolved, rejected, or ignored archaic Chinese mythological frameworks. He'll come back to that theme after this summer's reading agenda and report back. The question in practical terms is this: when the "Mysterious Mother" or the "Great Carpenter" are mentioned, are these to be taken as deities? Are they symbolic?

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Why You Get Triggered So Easily (It's Not Overreaction — It's Your Inner Child)