Awake in the World Podcast

In this Awake in the World podcast Michael muses about the section of the Genjokoan that starts, “Enlightenment is like the moon reflected on the water….” Along the way he weaves in Kannon, koans, zen poetry, and Bob Dylan. Recorded July 22, 2010.

In this Awake in the World podcast Michael focuses on emptiness or boundlessness as a way of talking about interdependence, and Dogen’s views (from the Genjokoan) about enlightenment and delusion. The talk includes a reading of Robert Bringhurst’s poem, “Dogen.” Recorded on July 9, 2010.

In this Awake in the World podcast Michael continues his exploration of Dogen’s Genjokoan and ponders the question, “How do you know you’re awake?” Recorded on July 8, 2010.

In this Awake in the World podcast Michael delves into the capacity of questioning to pull us back into our lives, but only if we can practice in the paradoxical space of not-seeking, not conceptualizing, and not clinging to our habits. Recorded on July 8, 2010.

In this Awake in the World podcast Michael muses about understanding in the poetic sense—what’s under the point of view we choose to stand in? He touches on karma, habits, projection, doubt and our fraught relationship with time. Recorded on January 25, 2008

In this Awake in the World podcast Michael gives advice and practical tips for dealing with some of the struggles that come up during sitting practice, such as sleepiness, rumination, or difficult emotions like anger. Recorded on January 22, 2008.

In this Awake in the World podcast Michael begins by stating that “this practice is a matter of life and death” and describes how yoga can help us see our patterns of conditioning, and help us to embrace both the light and the dark aspects of our lives. Recorded on January 23, 2007.

This week we're revisiting a favorite Awake in the World podcast episode. Life before and after Death. Michael Stone talks about deep memory, rebirth, and how when we have problems it’s usually because we have the wrong map. Recorded in the spring of 2014.

This week we're revisiting a favorite Awake in the World podcast episode. The mind in meditation, dream yoga, and the Buddha’s teaching on “The Arrow.” Michael Stone gives an in-depth talk on the Buddha’s approach to embracing suffering, letting go, and how when we experience letting go a path begins to open. Recorded in the spring of 2014.

In this Awake in the World podcast Michael focuses on dukkha: how we create it both individually and collectively, and how we can be more skilful in managing it. Recorded on January 21, 2008.

In this Awake in the World podcast Michael teaches about equanimity (upeksha) and how it relates to creativity, art, practice and anger. Recorded on Februrary 16, 2010.

In this Awake in the World podcast Michael explores the human desire to create and cling to transcendental narratives at the expense of our lived reality. He asks if we can practice in a way that is deeper than our opinion, and without getting trapped by the habit of seeking for what’s not here at the expense of what is. Recorded on February 18, 2008

In this Awake in the World podcast Michael highlights the hindrances to practice described in line 30 of the Yoga Sutras and then offers some techniques to work with them. Recorded on February 9, 2010.

In this Awake in the World podcast Michael begins with a passage by Wendell Berry regarding the importance of process. He applies this idea to mindfulness practice and suggests that we tune in to the quality of our noticing without getting derailed by thoughts, stories or a quest for meaning. Recorded on February 2, 2008.

In this Awake in the World podcast episode Michael describes the value of uncertainty and its role in helping us gain insight into the part of our mind that creates suffering. Recorded on February 1, 2008.

This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. In this guided meditation by Michael Stone, the focus is on the tongue, palette, position of fingers, and subtle physical tricks to open the mind in Vipassana practice. Recorded on silent retreat at True North Insight, Ontario, on April 19 2014.

In this Awake in the World podcast Michael relates the story of Daiju and Baso from the Gateless Gate (21) and explores the treasure of trusting yourself. Recorded on December 31, 2009.

In this Awake in the World podcast, recorded during the afternoon practice session on New Year’s Eve 2009, Michael gives a few words of encouragement around “realizing the mystery” in the ordinariness of your life. Recorded December 31, 2009.

In this Awake in the World podcast Michael speaks to a poem by Pan Yung which includes the lines, “My supernatural power and marvelous activity/Drawing water and chopping wood.” In this talk (given at the 2009 New Year’s Retreat) Michael encourages staying in the physical practice and yoking the mind back to the breath instead of trying to figure out your life. Recorded on December 31, 2009.

In this Awake in the World podcast episode, Michael begins with the poem “The Laughing Heart,” by Charles Bukowski, and talks about trusting yourself, knowing what nourishes you, and practicing in a way that allows creativity, spontaneity and eccentricity. Recorded on December 30, 2009.

In this Awake in the World podcast Michael returns to the Heart Sutra, beginning with the line, “Here, Shariputra, form is none other than emptiness…” He argues that there is no such thing as emptiness, but the philosophy of emptiness gives us a lens that can show us how to see (time, our nature, impermanence and so on). Recorded on December 30, 2008.

In this Awake in the World podcast episode Michael begins unpacking the first line of the Heart Sutra with an emphasis on what it means to live from the heart, some background on Avalokiteshvara, and the Buddha’s teaching to Bāhiya. Recorded December 23, 2008.

In this Awake in the World podcast Michael offers encouragement to follow the path of love and to find the faith and motivation to keep practicing, even in the face of restlessness, worry, and pain. Recorded December 20, 2009.

In this Awake in the World Podcast Michael talks about the Buddha’s enlightenment as described in the Ariyapariyesana Sutta, plus the importance of avoiding both active and passive nihilism, interconnection as action, and how to take care of anger. Recorded on December 16, 2008.

In this Awake in the World podcast episode Michael discusses commitment to practice, showing up, and Case 33 from the Mumonkan (What is Buddha?). Recorded on December 15, 2009.