Rebel Buddhist
209 episodes - English - Latest episode: 23 days ago -Rebel Buddhist is all about freedom - inside and out - so if you want to tame your mind but not your life, this podcast is for you. In each episode, Master Certified Coach Ana Verzone, DNP, will teach you practical, effective tools from the fields of psychology, eastern spirituality, and self-coaching so you can train your mind to work for you instead of against you. Learn how to get out of your own way and cultivate the compassion and resilience you need for this wild new world. Explore how you can discover your own path to enlightenment and live an adventurous life with no regrets. Start now by downloading the free Rebel Buddhist Training Kit at RebelBuddhist.com
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Episodes
Psychedelic Exceptionalism
April 20, 2023 08:00 - 23 minutes - 16.3 MBThis week we talk about the idea of “psychedelic exceptionalism” - what it means, how it’s affecting the War on Drugs, and even whether we should be concerned about it at all. Resources: // Episode 52: How to Live in Polarity // Episode 97: Psychedelics and Spiritual Practice // Episode 122: Come See for Yourself - Ehipassiko // Episode 152: Sensitivity and Addiction // Harvard Law’s Bill of Health, “The Myth of Psychedelic Exceptionalism.” // Interview in Psychedelics Today: “Psych...
Sensitivity and Addiction
April 13, 2023 14:24 - 30 minutes - 21.1 MBIn this episode, we talk about sensitivity and its relationship to addiction. We’ll also look at how we can begin to heal ourselves and build resilience as sensitive people in a world that can feel very overwhelming. Resources: // Episode 2: How to Not Care WHat Other People Think About You // Episode 13: How to Quit Buffering // Episode 15: How to Drink Less // Episode 144: Your Wild Mind - The East and Our Need to Escape // If you’re new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit...
Greatest Hits Vol. 12 - You Have the Power
April 06, 2023 08:00 - 13 minutes - 8.98 MBThis episode is all about being a leader in this world and our own lives every day. It’s about entering the room and turning the vibe into what you see would be the most skillful at the time - instead of automatically letting that vibe affect and change you, which is more reactionary. Sort of like the difference between a thermostat – which regulates the environment – vs a thermometer, which reacts to the environment. Resources: // Episode 44: The Power of the Pause // If you’re new to t...
Triggers and Building Resilience
March 30, 2023 08:00 - 37 minutes - 25.7 MBThis episode is all about triggers and resilience. We’ll jam on how and why we become triggered in the first place, and how to use mindfulness practices and cultivate resilience to help take our power back. Resources: // Episode 145: Your Wild Mind - The West & Our Shadows // Episode 146: Suffering vs Trauma // Rayya Elias & Elizabeth Gilbert: “Sex, Drugs & Hair” // If you’re new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start c...
Using Your Dreams for Soul Work
March 23, 2023 08:00 - 27 minutes - 19.2 MBThis episode is all about how to use your dreams for Soulwork. We’ll talk about dreamwork in general, and how we can use our dreams to help us on our spiritual path as well. Plus I’ll give you some tips and questions to help you get started in your dreamwork TONIGHT. Resources: // Episode 145: Your Wild Mind – The West and Our Shadows // If you’re new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start creating a life of more freedom...
Deep Intention and What Really Matters
March 16, 2023 08:00 - 48 minutes - 33.6 MBThis week’s topic is about looking at the power of deep intention and WTF it even means, ways that we can strengthen our intention, and also address some of the confusion that comes up around it. Resources: // Episode 93: Wake the F*ck Up // Check out my free 7-day Clarity + Courage Training to help you finally get clear about what you want and how to get it! // If you’re new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start cre...
Greatest Hits Vol. 11 - Change is Inevitable
March 09, 2023 09:00 - 34 minutes - 23.5 MBIn this week’s episode, we talk about the inevitability of change, and the importance of not resisting it. Plus, we will jam on the type of wisdom we can cultivate to have our freedom untouched by change. Resources: // If you’re new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start creating a life of more freedom, adventure, and purpose. You’ll also get access to the Rebel Buddhist private group, and tune in every Wednesday as I go ...
The Difference Between Trauma and Suffering
March 02, 2023 16:46 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MBToday we talk about suffering and trauma - what each one is, and how they differ. We’ll also dive into the 4 aspects of trauma that you won’t find in other types of suffering and discuss how we can be a little more patient and compassionate with ourselves - and others - in moments of pain. In this episode, you’ll learn: // 4 characteristics of trauma you won’t see in other types of suffering // How trauma can relate to ADD / ADHD-type symptoms // Is trauma simply a part of the 4 Noble Tr...
Your Wild Mind - The West and Our Shadows
February 23, 2023 21:34 - 46 minutes - 31.9 MBThis week we’re talking about another facet of our Wild Mind: the West and our Shadows. What you’ll learn: // How the mystery and sweet darkness of the West facet can add richness to our lives // How, and why, modern industrialized society actively represses the qualities of the West facet, like our capacity for imagination // Our Shadows, why they develop, and how they keep us from growth and sharing our gifts with others // The dangers of Shadow work // How can we identify our Shad...
Your Wild Mind - The East and Our Need to Escape
February 16, 2023 09:00 - 48 minutes - 33.6 MBThis week we’re continuing our Wild Mind series by talking about the facets of the Eastern Self and how we can embody each piece in true integrity and wholeness. Plus we’ll talk about what happens when we are out of balance and begin to buffer and escape… and how we can fix those habits and trade them for healing ones. Resources: // Episode 82: How to Live in Polarity // Episode 142: Your Wild Mind – The North + Protectors // Episode 143: Your Wild Mind - The South + Wounded Children /...
Your Wild Mind - The South + Wounded Children
February 09, 2023 09:00 - 55 minutes - 38 MBIn this episode, we’re continuing our Wild Mind series and diving into the sensuous, embodied, and emotive energy of the South. I explore how the South helps us tap into our authentic, wild, animal knowing of who we are and why we are here, and the deep knowing of our belonging on this planet. I also introduce the subpersonalities of the South - our Wounded Children, which often have us in a place of emotional reactivity, fear of being abandoned, and disconnected from our authentic self. I’l...
Your Wild Mind - The North + Protectors
February 02, 2023 09:00 - 38 minutes - 26.2 MBThis week, I’m going to be referencing one of my fave models of the human psyche, proposed by Bill Plotkin. It’s really good medicine for many of the individual and societal challenges we are undergoing. Resources: // Episode 68: Integrity - Living Your Truth // Episode 82: How to Live in Polarity // Episode 139: Nature and Reconnecting // Wild Mind, by Bill Plotkin // If you’re new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to st...
Greatest Hits Vol. 10 - The Gift of Paradox
January 26, 2023 09:00 - 28 minutes - 19.7 MBThis week’s episode is all about the gift of paradox and the problems that can arise with black-and-white thinking. We’ll chat about how living in polarity IS living in wholeness and integrity, plus I’ll give you one practice to explore how we can embrace all parts of us. Resources: // If you’re new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start creating a life of more freedom, adventure, and purpose. You’ll also get access to the...
So What?
January 19, 2023 09:00 - 34 minutes - 23.8 MBIn this episode, we talk about the super helpful self-coaching question, “So what?” and how we can use it to see how our mind works and free ourselves from unnecessary suffering, rewriting our stories to ones that better serve us. Resources: // Episode 2: How to Not Care What People Think About You // Episode 14: Cognitive Dissonance + How to Create New Beliefs // Episode 60: How to Avoid Unnecessary Suffering // If you’re new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at ...
Nature and Reconnecting
January 12, 2023 09:00 - 31 minutes - 21.4 MBIn this episode, we talk about how nature helps us reconnect to our WHOLE selves, our Soul purpose, and to our communities. Plus, we discuss where modern industrialized society often falls short, or even intentionally blocks us, from connecting with our purpose and Soul. Resources: // Episode 71: How to Find Your Purpose // Episode 96: Unplugging in an Uncertain World // Episode 105: Soul vs Spirit // Episode 134: What You’re Meant to BE // Wild Mind, a book by Bill Plotkin about explo...
Greatest Hits Vol. 8 - How to Stop Hustling Towards Our Goals
January 05, 2023 09:00 - 22 minutes - 15.6 MBThis week is all about how to not hurry towards our goals… because especially when it comes to the new year, we get so much BS pressure to “be better versions of ourselves” and we forget that beautiful truth that hey, actually, you’re perfect just as you already are. Goals that we intentionally set are not supposed to take the joy out of life. They are to invigorate us and keep us inspired... ...But not in the way a corporation wants to make more and more and more profits each year. Rath...
Review Reflect and Align - Word of the Year
December 29, 2022 09:00 - 28 minutes - 19.2 MBWe’ve arrived at the final few days of the year, and how we participate in this transition will set the tone for the next one to come. If we want to be active creators of our own life instead of passive observers of our life (letting things happen TO us), it’s important to get clear and move, think, and feel with intention. Resources: // Check out Episode 32 – How to Review Your Year // Check out Episode 33 – Living in Alignment // Download the A Year in Review worksheet here // If you ...
Freedom to Change Your Mind
December 22, 2022 09:00 - 17 minutes - 12.1 MBThis week we talk about why we feel obligated to finish everything we start - even if we’re miserable in it. Careers, relationships, even small things like movies and a bad meal. Often it;s becasue we think changing our minds equals failure or some sort, but there are many others I’ll cover in this episode. I also share how we can make every choice worth it… even when that means walking away from something we’ve put a lot of time, money, and energy into. Resources: // Episode 8: How to Ge...
Reclaiming Parts of Ourselves
December 15, 2022 09:00 - 13 minutes - 9.01 MBIn this episode, I talk about what happens when someone’s passion is dampened or shamed, and how as a result, we can lose our connection to our true selves - to the beautifully complex being we all are. We also dive into what we can do to reclaim that piece of our soul. Resources: // Episode 134: What You’re Meant to Be // If you want to deeply dive into this work immersed in nature on retreats and with a small group of like-minded seekers connecting regularly throughout your journey, app...
What You're Meant to BE
December 08, 2022 09:00 - 18 minutes - 12.9 MBIn this episode, we talk about what you’re really meant to BE (not DO). Your Soul Purpose is beyond any confines of a career, or a type of work. It is woven into your being in a way unique to your life. You’ll also learn some helpful questions and reflections that can help if you’re not sure what gifts you’re meant to bring to the world. Resources: // Want to take things to the next level in a 6-month immersion program? Apply at AdventureMastermind.com. Enter into the adventure of your li...
Relationship Alchemy - How to Break Unhealthy Patterns
December 01, 2022 09:00 - 39 minutes - 27.4 MBThis week we’re diving into how radical responsibility can help us get unstuck in a relationship with an unhealthy dynamic. Plus, we jam on how to handle those moments of activation and whether it's ever really too late to try and fix things. Resources: // Episode 14: Cognitive Dissonance + How to Create New Beliefs // Episode 132: Red Flags in Relationships // Grab my free training on how to set boundaries that actually work – and how to do this from a place of kindness and compassion. ...
Red Flags in Relationships
November 24, 2022 09:00 - 24 minutes - 16.9 MBThis week’s episode is all about “red flags” in our relationships. We’ll jam on what to do when we notice a red flag, what happens when we choose to ignore a red flag… and why we even choose to ignore them in the first place. Resources: // How to Not Lose Yourself in a Relationship: Part 1 - Episode 79 Part 2 - Episode 80 // Episode 74: How to Set Healthy Boundaries like a Buddha // Grab my free training on how to set boundaries that actually work – and how to do this from a place of k...
Gratitude - Pillars of Happiness, Part 2
November 17, 2022 09:00 - 21 minutes - 14.5 MBThis week’s episode is about a second pillar of happiness, gratitude. We frame it in a different way than you may have heard before - within the fundamentals of the foundation of mindfulness and impermanence, even in the context of grief or conflict. Resources: // Episode 34: How to Forgive // Episode 51: Self-Compassion // Episode 83: Vulnerability & Lovingkindness // Episode 107: Equanimity in Everyday Life // Episode 114: Renunciation & The Joy of Simplicity // Episode 130: Generos...
The Importance of Generosity
November 10, 2022 09:00 - 28 minutes - 19.9 MBWelcome to the first of a two-part conversation about essential pillars of happiness that are often glossed over as sort of “spiritual practice 101.” This week we’re going to talk about generosity, and why it’s so important to us feeling content, and even joy. Plus, we’ll look at some ways we can practice generosity in our everyday lives. Resources: // Want to do a deep dive into this work on your own time? To study it and practice it together with a group of people with the same goals of...
How to Reparent Ourselves
November 03, 2022 08:00 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MBThis week’s podcast episode is about how we can address the needs that weren’t met by our caretakers when we were children so that we stop trying to get other people - like our partners/friends/family – to meet them for us. We chat about how we can create a reality where those needs are met by ourselves through reparenting, without resentment. Plus, I explain why it’s important for us to rely on ourselves to meet those needs instead of other people (even though it would be oh-so-sweet if tha...
Bearing Witness - Who Did You Tell?
October 27, 2022 08:00 - 21 minutes - 14.9 MBPeter Levine said, “Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness.” Bearing witness and being witnessed is what we talk about today. We’ll explore why it matters who acknowledged our suffering and/or who we told - and why the answer is usually, “No one.” We also dive into the importance of having (and being) an empathetic witness when healing from trauma - and healing our communities. Resources: // Early registration is open for the n...
Creating Keystone Habits
October 20, 2022 08:00 - 33 minutes - 23 MBIn this week’s episode, we talk about what a keystone habit is and how we all can benefit from one. Keystone habits can lead to improving other habits in completely different areas of our life, which also leads to big changes in our self-concept and identity as we become the person we want to be, fully and authentically. We go over 4 steps to creating healthy keystone habits and why finding peer support can help us manifest the best version of themselves (as long as they don’t stick us in th...
How to Know if You're Making Spiritual Progress
October 13, 2022 08:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MBWe often focus too much on our imperfections instead of the progress we are making. This happens for a lot of reasons that I go into on the pod, but also has to do with the fact that we often ignore the more subtle - yet important- parts of our progress. Listen to learn over 10 ways we can see our own growth in our physical, emotional, and spiritual lives. Plus find out why discernment is such a key part in continuing our path and learn how our progress can help us face future suffering and...
Authenticity, Courage, and Relationships
October 06, 2022 08:00 - 30 minutes - 21 MBThis week we talk about the importance of showing up authentically in relationships… even when we are afraid the other person won’t accept us for who we are. I’ll share my own story about how my husband and I could have ended it… and how my choice to speak and act wisely changed the course of our relationship and our parenting forever (and for good)! P.S. Be sure to grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start creating a life of more freedom...
"Who Am I?" Loneliness and Our Self-Concept
September 29, 2022 08:00 - 37 minutes - 26 MBThis week, we explore the question of “Who Am I?” and how that relates to being a medicine of sorts for the epidemic of loneliness we are experiencing in society. I’ll talk about how the exploration of awareness can help us define our own identity and how to find a balance between ourselves and the bigger picture of existence… plus I give you some practices you can take to help you step back when we get hooked by a story that our “small sense of self” creates.. P.S. Be sure to grab the Re...
Creating emotional safety
September 22, 2022 08:00 - 23 minutes - 16.4 MBThis week, I share some thoughts on creating emotional safety, which is essential for our growth and healing. Tune in to learn why truth is important for our healing and why an internal environment of safety is just as crucial as an external one. Plus, I’ll give you the two main ingredients for optimal healing, and discuss what happens when either or both is not properly aligned. P.S. Be sure to grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start cre...
Come See for Yourself - Ehipassiko
September 15, 2022 08:00 - 19 minutes - 13.1 MBThe reason I called this podcast Rebel Buddhist is because it’s meant to encourage one’s own inquiry into the teachings and to not just accept things on blind faith or without deep inquiry into the teachings; to encourage questioning and for people to have different experiences of that exploration and that it is OK. In this Episode we talk about: // WTF it means to “live the question” // Why “seeing for ourselves” is key to prevent, and protecting against, oppression (and gaslighting) ...
Clarity is a Decision
September 08, 2022 08:00 - 7 minutes - 5.39 MBIn this episode, I talk about the idea that clarity is some passive “aha” moment that just falls into our lap, when in reality, clarity is an active decision that we must all make. Listen to find out why we all need clarity, and what you can do when you think you’ve found clarity, but suddenly, good ol’ doubt starts to creep back in. P.S. Be sure to grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start creating a life of more freedom, adventure, and pu...
Greatest Hits Vol. 8 - Tomorrow Isn't Guaranteed
September 01, 2022 19:05 - 27 minutes - 19 MBI was thinking how maybe like 5 years ago, I would have done the damn episode, thinking I had more of an obligation to crank one out that spend time with my kid, or to try and sleep, because it was “work” and I was the primary breadwinner, so no excuses in order to provide. I’m really grateful that now I have so much more clarity about how to prioritize my life, but whew…being raised by an immigrant Filipinx mama who sacrificed so much for me makes choosing self care and small precious mome...
How to Write Your Personal Manifesto
August 25, 2022 08:00 - 16 minutes - 11.5 MBToday we talk about how to write your personal manifesto and why it’s worth doing. In this episode you’ll learn: // Why you should bother writing a manifesto // How to use a manifesto when you’re not motivated to do what you need to do // Three questions that make writing one easy // Something you can do today, right now, to get started Resources: // Grab a copy fof the Rebel Buddhist Manifesto here // Ep. 7: Know Your Values - The Rebel Buddhist Manifesto // We recommend you use Ca...
Devotion
August 18, 2022 08:00 - 26 minutes - 18 MBI’ve noticed that when I am aligned and mindful, I show up more often as the person I want to be. So that’s why I meditate when I don't feel like it, or when it feels like the last thing I have time for is to sit on my ass on my cushion. What is devotion and where does it come from? And how can we use it when we aren’t religious? Devotion can be a really loaded word for a lot of people and isn’t used a lot in the West. For me, devotion used to have a very heavy weight to it for me. Like it...
Greatest Hits Vol. 7 - Psychedelics and Spiritual Practice
August 11, 2022 08:00 - 39 minutes - 27.3 MBThis week, I’m revisiting one of my favorite topics: Psychedelics & Spiritual Practice. I’ve used psychedelics in clinical settings and have found them to have a unique place in the treatment of mental health disorders. But I’m personally very interested in their use for spiritual purposes. Especially because, in my own clinical experience, many mental health issues have a strong root in spiritual and existential challenges. When we really look at the intention for spiritual practice or u...
The Importance of Rites of Passage
August 04, 2022 15:49 - 32 minutes - 22.6 MBIn this episode, we talk about rites of passage: not just how we can celebrate external and internal moments of growth and maturation, but also how to overcome society’s biggest challenges we face as we grow towards our Soul Purpose. Contrary to popular belief, psychological adolescence isn’t just confined to our teen years, and soul development isn‘t about age, or even external accomplishments. True psychological adulthood can’t be meaningfully defined as what happens in our 20s or what ...
Making Quality New Friends
July 28, 2022 08:00 - 23 minutes - 16.4 MBIf you’re like me, after you finished college, you found moments in your life when your friendships with others changed. Maybe you wanted to grow and evolve spiritually, and they did too. But you’ve also probably walked away from friendships that, for one reason or another, no longer served you. Some could see moments like this as a positive change, but for many of us, it can be really lonely… even before the isolation of the pandemic. And we’re like, “How the heck do we do that, again?” I...
Renunciation + The Joy of Simplicity
July 21, 2022 08:00 - 32 minutes - 22 MBThe assumption that accumulating things (homes, land, power, cars, the “right” body) leads to more happiness causes a lot of resistance to living simply in Western culture. Ajahn Succito said, “wise renunciation goes against the current of gain.” So, if we really want freedom from the suffering that the mind creates, we have to be prepared to challenge the assumptions of gain and loss. We do that in this episode. Renunciation about cultivating the intention to loosen our attachment and gra...
The One Thing
July 14, 2022 08:00 - 11 minutes - 7.77 MBOne of the common themes I see with my coaching clients is a need/want to get so much done, but not knowing where to start. The to-do list and project ideas are endless and it all seems really important. And the really annoying part is that when we look at the lists and get overwhelmed, we end up doing nothing instead. The secret is that it’s NOT all as important as it might seem. So how do we narrow down that list and figure out what ACTUALLY needs to get done? First, identify your big...
Greatest Hits Vol. 6 - Commitment & Massive Action
July 07, 2022 08:00 - 24 minutes - 16.7 MBThis week, I’m hard at work studying for my post-doctorate certification from my amazing condo in Hawaii. But trust me… even though I feel like I’m livin’ the life on a tiny piece of paradise, the current events in the world and here in the U.S. are fresh in my mind. Especially since the beginning of the week was July 4th… a day that is supposed to represent freedom and equality. Anyway, all of this has inspired me to bring back one of my Greatest Hits about massive action vs passive action...
Judgment and Blame
June 30, 2022 08:00 - 47 minutes - 32.6 MBThis episode is all about releasing one of the most common toxic patterns many of us have (and that easily that hooks me, personally): judgment and blame. Judgment and blame are really pervasive in our workplaces, our personal relationships, and in society at large. As we’ve experiences, it causes a lot of suffering when we label others as “wrong” or “bad” in some way. We can also get hooked by blame, and when it becomes habitual, it also keeps us stuck. These reactions can arise wit...
The Miracle of Being Alive
June 23, 2022 08:00 - 27 minutes - 19.2 MBThis past week when I was on a silent retreat, as the days went by and we all got deeper into our meditation practice, I could see that people were walking really slowly...taking long pauses to enjoy the nature around us; stopping and touching the leaves of a bush and even petting it in appreciation; gazing at a wild turkey and laughing at all its sounds and attempts at impressing us with displays of their feathers, or perma-grinning up at the full moon. If any of us had been wearing tie...
The Gift of Silence
June 16, 2022 08:00 - 10 minutes - 6.97 MBThis past week I went to Maui with my good friend, Angela on a bit of an informal retreat. We had an absolute blast together - not just because we share so much in common and can laugh until we almost pee ourselves, but also because we both realized what we could change and what we couldn’t. We chose happy. A lot. Over and over. On one of our last days, we hiked up to a small peak at Haleakala for a super early sunrise and perched ourselves on a rocky outcrop between two boulders with only...
Existential Anxiety and Crisis
June 09, 2022 08:00 - 43 minutes - 30.2 MBIn 1991, my life seemed perfect. I had just started at UCSC, my first choice for schools, not just because of the amazing reputation of the rebel professors, but also because of the ancient redwood forests and proximity to the beach - nature was important to me, and this place had it ALL. I had a blast doing new things like skinny dipping, drum circles, and mushroom journeys with friends, majoring in clinical psychology (which I couldn’t get enough of), loving my classes… I had a great b...
Equanimity in Everyday Life
June 02, 2022 08:00 - 31 minutes - 21.9 MBWhen it comes to the practices of lovingkindness & compassion in Buddhist psychology, it’s pretty well understood that if we only practice these things, we can end up getting attached to the way we think things are supposed to be. … And want to run off into the mountains when things don’t go as we want them to. We want to check out. Withdraw. … Or we may grasp and struggle with the world rather than serving it. We resist and we fight. This is why equanimity if often taught along ...
Empathy vs Compassion
May 26, 2022 08:00 - 23 minutes - 16.2 MBDuring a ceremony on my last meditation retreat, I looked this woman in the eyes and she was sobbing (with joy) and BAM! I started sobbing - also with joy - for how beautiful and precious the moment was. I didn’t stop, the entire ceremony. I had an immediate response to her tears of joy. And I could not reign that shizzle in. For the life of me. On the other end of tears, as a nurse, a midwife, and also a death doula, I’ve witnessed a lot of suffering - I’ve delivered stillborn babies an...
Soul vs Spirit
May 19, 2022 14:37 - 31 minutes - 21.6 MBToday is about the question, “Who am I?” We talk about why it matters and how we hold it in a context where we debate if we even exist on certain levels. Specifically - I want to talk about the concept of non-self and and Ultimate Oneness as well as how - and if - this can exist simultaneously alongside the concept of the individual soul. I’m going to do this while reminding you that I’m no philosophy or theology expert, and that I’m sharing my own experience of this debate along the pa...
Ethics and Freedom
May 12, 2022 08:00 - 46 minutes - 32.1 MBI just got back from a semi-silent retreat at what I consider to be my current home meditation center, Spirit Rock in California. I say semi-silent because between our silent periods, we would meet for about 4 hours a day to discuss topics we were studying together in a 2-year program. This particular retreat was all about sīla (in Pali), or ethics. We’ll go into more detail in a bit, but the idea is that when you speak and act in alignment with your integrity (or ethics), you’re natural...