The Jason Gregory Podcast

In the Tao Te Ching and the Zhuangzi there is no consideration of goals, but rather a focus on aimlessness as a method for creating healthy and sane individuals. Having goals, according to Taoism, is a blind alley that can lead to all sorts of psychological problems and social unrest. In this episode of Ask Jason , I will answer a question about whether or not a goal oriented focus can fit into th...

In this podcast , we will explain why too much of anything is a bad idea and how to live in balance according to Taoist wisdom. Lao-tzu uses three primary images to explain why less is more: the overflowing cup, the blade that is too sharp, and the room full of treasures. But this is not about the material world, but rather the three images are about the mind, essentially how our "mind cup" can ov...

In this podcast , we will explain if you really exist or not. To examine the self, we will explain the mind science of Buddhism from the perspective of the the five aggregates, especially the Madhyamaka and Yogacara schools of Mahayana Buddhism. People often assume Buddhist beliefs are built on the idea that the self (ego/persona) is a persistent illusion, but this is not entirely true because it...

In this podcast , we will explain the mind science behind yoga that informs a large portion of the philosophies and spiritual practices of the East. The mind science of the East is explained thoroughly in the 196 observations on the nature of consciousness known classically as the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. We will explain the first eleven sutras which is the first episode of the 196 Meditations of...

In this podcast , we will explain how those who live in the Tao act in their lives and dealings as water acts in nature. Being flexible and humble, water does not compete nor fight obstacle because it flows naturally to the lowest places. Water is the ideal image of what Lao-tzu means when he explains the humility of non-interference, non-action, and non-being (wu-wei). Find out why we should emul...

In this episode of Enlightenment Today , I will explain the practice of loving kindness meditation in Buddhism. In a world lacking compassion and forgiveness, loving kindness meditation is a great practice to cultivate and amplify those intrinsic human qualities. The decline of compassion and forgiveness was also a problem during the time of the Buddha. But instead of blaming others, Buddha turns...

In this podcast, we will explain how the Taoist sage is a mirror reflection of the eternal nature of Heaven and Earth. The secret to lasting forever is embodied in the nature of how the Tao is and we need to emulate that nature within our own lives. Find out what this secret is in the seventh episode of the 81 Meditations of the Tao Te Ching, a series where we explore each chapter of the Tao Te Ch...

In this podcast , we will explain why having no relationship to anything is freedom. In the ancient scripture of the Mandukya Upanishad and its Karika (commentary) by the ancient Advaita master Gaudapada, we discover a practice and a way of life focused on having no relationship to anything for advanced sages known classically as Asparsha Yoga. This hidden knowledge and practice were feared by the...

In this episode of Enlightenment Today , I will explain the ultimate state of authenticity accessed by the great Taoist sages. In the Tao Te Ching, Lao-tzu spoke of a genuineness that is at the core of our very being that the true sage of Tao embodies. This is a radical authenticity that is not determined by pop culture or any form of socialization. It goes far beyond social, cultural, and religio...

In this podcast , we will explain how Eastern spirituality and Western psychology understand the "I," the persona. Both have completely different perspectives of the individual based on their diametrically opposed cultural and religious worldviews. These differences are extremely important for understanding how to overcome suffering. One path provides a way of dealing with our suffering within the...

In this podcast , we will explain what the true state of everlasting bliss is in Eastern spirituality. In Hinduism and Buddhism, they speak of Ananda, a bliss that is everlasting and innate to our being. But Ananda is not an associated form of happiness, rather it is unassociated. Taoism also agrees with the views of the Dharmic paths and have an identical view. In the Tao Te Ching, Lao-tzu explai...

In a world growing overly sensitive and overly serious about every little thing due to political correctness being forced on the innocent minds of the masses, virtue signaling and weaponizing identity becomes a new tool to create artificial divides among humanity. But this is nothing new. 2,500 years ago during the Warring States period of China, Lao-tzu had to also deal with the politically corre...

In this podcast , we will explain the mystical feminine represented by the valley spirit in Taoism. This valley spirit of the Tao contains the secret power of Yin that is accessible to all when we become receptive to the fundamental forces of the universe. This podcast is the sixth episode of the 81 Meditations of the Tao Te Ching, a series where we will explore each chapter of the Tao Te Ching. W...

In this podcast , we will explain one of Taoism's most famous stories, Zhuangzi's butterfly dream. In the Zhuangzi text, chapter two is finished with a very odd and peculiar story of Zhuang Zhou (Zhuangzi) dreaming he is a butterfly and the butterfly dreaming it was Zhuang Zhou. Many theories and speculation have been made about the meaning of this story. We will explain the three main meanings an...

India is not typically known for its relationship to psychedelics. But around 3500 years ago we find an anomaly in India's most ancient text, a mysterious word called Soma. Some have attributed this to a psychedelic plant, some to a non-hallucinogenic plant, while others believe it's something metaphorical that makes no sense to us in the modern day. In this episode of The Sacred Word , I will exp...

In this podcast , we will explain why India is the spiritual heart of the world. India is famous for being a large exporter of spices, tea, coffee, gems, jewelry, and vaccines. But its greatest gift to the world, and the one Indians are most proud of, is spirituality, beginning with Sanatana Dharma. For centuries, India has been invaded and oppressed, and yet, their Dharmic culture and spiritualit...

In this episode of Enlightenment Today , I will explain the hidden meaning behind Shiva's trident and his sacred ash. Both the trident and sacred ash are related to a secret three worlds within all of us. Shiva destroys these three worlds, leaving only the remnants of ash. How does Shiva destroy these three worlds? But, more importantly, what are these three worlds that the trident symbolize? Find...

In this podcast , we will explain why Western culture is destroying the world. Since the advent of social media, Western influence has reached the most distant parts of the world with its own culture and ways of thinking. Unintentionally, or in some cases maybe intentionally, Western culture undermines other cultures and reduces cultural diversity because innocent people from far off distant lands...

In this podcast , we will explain how thoughts create the ego and what are the nature of thoughts. Thoughts and the process of thinking has been an area the East has focused on for thousands of years. In the modern world, we are under the impression that thoughts are linked in a series creating this continuity of the person we think we are. What causes this linkage? Is it a natural function of the...

The great Eastern spiritual traditions reiterate numerous times through hundreds of texts that only consciousness exists and everything else, including yourself, is an illusion. This conflicts with our modern sensibilities because this ancient knowledge suggests that the world is neither real or unreal, but something entirely different. In this episode of The Sacred Word , I will explore one of th...

In this podcast , we will explain the differences between the Taoist path of non-interference and the path of interference through religious conversion within Christianity. The path of conversion is a doctrinal privilege within some religions based on demographic swamping, which is diametrically opposed to the non-expansionist views of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism. This doctrinal privilege has c...

In this episode of Enlightenment Today , I will explain how a spiritual master can enlighten you with just one look. In the East there is the knowledge of Darshan, a practice of transmission from Guru to disciple, which bestows blessings and merit upon an individual. This auspicious sight of the spiritual master is believed to have the power to enlighten anyone with just a simple gaze. How is it p...

In this podcast , we will dissect chapter five of the Tao Te Ching to give you ultimate clarity on the meaning of the chapter. This is the fifth episode of the 81 Meditations of the Tao Te Ching , a series where we will explore each chapter of the Tao Te Ching. In chapter five, Lao-tzu explains how both nature and a sage view reality impartially. The second part of this chapter dives deep into the...

In the West there is an emphasis on purpose and the need for purpose to fulfill our so-called empty lives. But this perspective is diametrically opposed to the essential teaching of wu-wei in Taoism. In the Tao Te Ching and the Zhuangzi there is a focus on aimlessness as a method for creating healthy and sane individuals. Purpose, on the other hand, is thought of as a blind alley that can lead to...

In this podcast , we will explain the story of Hundun in the Zhuangzi, the famous Taoist text. This story concludes the inner chapters of the Zhuangzi and is one of the most revealing stories about what it means to be following the essential Taoist teaching of wu-wei (non-doing/effortless action/noninterference). The story of Hundun can be read in three ways, exposing social conformity and identit...