Deep Transformation

Ep. 194 (Part 2 of 2) | Frank Ostaseski, Zen hospice pioneer, founder of the Metta Institute, and author of The Five Invitations, speaks with us about the profound wisdom and potential for transformation that is unleashed in the process of dying. “Suppose we imagine death as an unprecedented opportunity for transformation, he says, adding, “so why wait until we are dying?” In attending over a thousand people in hospice, Frank has often seen them experience a real sense of discovery in the dying process; there is a time of acceptance, a time of letting go, and then a deeper state of surrendering to something larger. The walls that prop up the self start tumbling down, Frank explains, and a larger connection emerges that is always there.Frank would like to see the process of dying brought out of the closet—shared about, learned from, and not reduced to a medical event. It’s important to meet death with don’t-know mind and trust the dying process to teach each of us what we need to know, he explains. And some of what we can do right now to open ourselves to the wisdom of death is pay attention to how we end things, and to how we love. This far reaching discussion delves gently into the divine mystery of death and dying, touching on radical acceptance, transcending self, don’t-know mind, everyday compassion and boundless compassion, grief as an expression of love, and creating rituals to mark this passage and all passages. We are left feeling unexpectedly comforted and liberated at the same time. Recorded December 5, 2024.“Grief is a way we continue to love someone… a natural response to the experience of love.”Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2What qualities do people need to be with the dying? (00:27) Boundless compassion needs everyday compassion (02:09)Don’t wait to tell people that you love them (03:55)Grief is a way we continue to love someone, a natural response to the experience of love (06:06)There are subtler experiences after surrender: tracking consciousness as the brain stops (06:38)Gratefulness and a deep sense of belonging to something larger (09:52)Cultivating don’t know mind; meeting dying with don’t know mind (12:47)Terminal lucidity (17:49)Practices we can do now: how do we meet endings? (19:54)Impermanence is not later; it’s in this very moment (22:35) Cultural changes Frank would like to see (26:15)Proximate karma (30:00)Better drugs than sedation: psychedelics could help us meet the profundity of the experience (30:37)Bathing the body after death: a wonderful tradition that can fundamentally shift our relation with death (33:45)Resources & References – Part 2Frank Ostaseski’s website: https://frankostaseski.com/Frank Ostaseski, The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living FullyMetta Institute, founded by Frank Ostaseski, to provide innovative programs and trainings that foster mindful & compassionate end-of-life careFrank Ostaseski, founding director of the San Francisco Zen Hospice Project (now Zen Caregiving Project)Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner’s MindElizabeth Kübler-Ross, On Death and DyingDeath Over Dinner.org: Let’s have dinner and talk about deathRam Dass, Frank Ostaseski, Joan Halifax, Stages of the Journey (audiobook)Bill Moyers PBS series, On Our Own Terms: Moyers on Dying---Frank Ostaseski is an internationally respected Buddhist teacher, visionary co-founder of the Zen Hospice Project, and founder of the Metta Institute. He has lectured at Harvard Medical School, the Mayo Clinic, leading corporations like Google and Apple Inc., and teaches at major spiritual centers around the globe. Frank is the 2018 recipient of the prestigious Humanities Award from the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine.Frank has accompanied over 1,000 people through the dying process and trained thousands of healthcare clinicians and family caregivers around the world. His groundbreaking work has been featured on the Bill Moyers PBS series On Our Own Terms, highlighted on The Oprah Winfrey Show, and honored by H.H. the Dalai Lama. He is the author of The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

In this conversation, Frank Ostaseski, a visionary Buddhist teacher and co-founder of the Zen Hospice Project, shares profound insights on death and dying. He emphasizes that dying can be a transformative experience, urging us to embrace death with openness rather than fear. Frank discusses the importance of rituals, compassion, and acceptance, revealing how these elements foster deeper connections and understanding of life’s fragility. His reflections provide comfort and encourage a broader dialogue on mortality, inviting us to learn from the dying process.

Ep. 192 (Part 2 of 2) | Professor Mark Fischler, constitutional law expert and co-host of the Integral Justice Warrior podcast, helps us make sense of what’s happening to our democracy, providing context—historical, legal, ethical—for the plethora of disturbing and destructive acts occurring on a daily basis in our political arena. The rule of law is under direct attack at this time, he explains, and an assault on democracy is essentially an assault on our most fundamental values—the principles this country was founded on: inclusivity, equality, and dignity for all. Mark clarifies President Trump’s political actions in the context of developmental stages, unpacks Project 2025, and discusses the assault on higher education and critical thinking and what it portends. The trajectory of where we are headed, Mark points out, is regressing into values we have already transcended. We need our democratic foundation to move to deeper, post-democratic levels that are reflective of greater levels of interconnection and inclusivity—not the opposite, he says. What will it take to change the regressive trajectory? Courage! And involvement. Thank you, Mark, for bringing a rare depth and much-needed clarity to the subject of the evolving democratic crisis occurring in our nation today and its implications for our future. Recorded June 12, 2025.“The assault on democracy we are experiencing is also an assault on a spiritual understanding of the deeper nature of our existence.”Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2The assault on higher education and critical thinking, continued (01:07) The idea of inherent capabilities of race is a slippery slope (02:33)Authoritarianism, the “authoritarian slide,” and the current administration (11:16)Do you cave if your livelihood is threatened or do you stand up for the values of your country? (14:12)The assault on democracy is an assault on our foundational spiritual values (19:26)The leftist postmodern approach to transgender issues & immigration created fodder for the movement towards authoritarianism (23:12)The importance of creating an educated citizenry (28:03)MLK’s four basic steps for nonviolent action (32:09)Take direct action only after you’ve entered into a purified state such as Jesus had on the cross (34:05)Prevent violence in protests, disable provocateurs (36:16)Resources & References – Part 2The Integral Justice Warrior series, co-hosted by Mark Fischler and Corey deVos (Integral Life website)Greg Thomas, CEO of the Jazz Leadership Project on the Deep Transformation podcast, From Race to Culture to Cosmos: Using the Dance of Our Differences to Wise Up, Harmonize, and ActualizeMartin Luther King Jr.’s last speech, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” (YouTube video)Robb Smith, The Great Release: The Rise of Trump and the End of U.S. Hegemony (eBook available on Integral Life)Ivan Illich, Deschooling SocietyMartin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from the Birmingham Jail---Mark Fischler is a professor of Ethics, Constitutional Law, and Criminal Procedure at Plymouth State University. Prior to joining the Plymouth State faculty, he practiced law, representing poor criminal defendants for the New Hampshire Public Defender’s Office. Mark left the law after being guided by the Universe to focus on his Spiritual Awareness for almost two years. Upon his return, he was called to become a teacher and accepted a job at Plymouth State in 2003. Since then, Mark has worked extensively with alternative theoretical models in law, constitutional law, and higher education, and has published on integral applications to teaching, being a lawyer, and legal theory. In his time at the university, he’s been a chair, Dean, and Interim VP. His focus in the classroom is ethics and criminal procedure and constitutional law. He is well respected for a teaching philosophy that emphasizes recognizing the humanity and dignity of each student. Professor Fischler was awarded the outstanding teaching award at his university in 2014. He currently offers a weekly Spiritual Inquiry class for college students.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Mark Fischler, a Professor of Ethics and Law, offers a stark analysis of America’s democratic erosion. He stresses that the rule of law is under siege, pointing to alarming political maneuvers and Project 2025’s threats to constitutional integrity. Exploring the intertwining of political influence and historical values, he urges a return to core ideals of inclusivity and justice. Fischler also critiques the role of Christian fundamentalism in current politics and the implications for higher education amid rising anti-racist tensions, highlighting the need for courage and involvement in safeguarding democracy.

A. H. Almaas, a spiritual teacher and founder of The Ridhwan School, explores the limitless realm of divine love. He shares his personal awakening to this profound experience and its impact on our perception of separateness. Discussing the obstacles that prevent access to this boundless love, he highlights how fear and ego can hinder spiritual growth. Almaas contrasts the light of love with darkness, revealing how love is intricately tied to individual purpose. The dialogue emphasizes the transformative power of love in fostering self-awareness and community connection.

A. H. Almaas, the founder of The Ridhwan School and author of spiritual works, dives into the boundless dimension of divine love. He explores how this form of love is a core aspect of our existence but often remains unmanifest. Almaas shares personal experiences that reveal the liberating yet challenging nature of accessing divine love. He discusses the obstacles of separateness and how they intensify after such an awakening. Throughout the conversation, the connection between love, consciousness, and the unity of all beings is profoundly examined.

Ep. 188 (Part 2 of 2) | Dr. Sally Adnams Jones has pioneered the field of art therapy as an agent of transformation and healing, choosing to work particularly with people living with no economic infrastructure: refugees, and victims of natural disasters, genocide, war, pandemics, and more. What Sally has found is that creating art within a community works miracles for the dispossessed and traumatized, in that it provides an embodied, practical method of engendering feelings of pride, a sense of belonging, finding one’s voice, and perceiving the future as something one can affect and shape. In fact, this work is applicable to everyone everywhere—it is in accessing our creativity that we come to ask, “How do we start to build the world we need?” An Integral Taoist, Sally shares her perspective on the yin and yang of creativity, explaining that ultimately, creativity is emergence working through the human body.At the heart of Integral Taoism is an understanding that the nature of emergence itself is to become aware of your polarity and integrate it. The more you do that, the more creative you become. The discussion transitions from the dance of polarity in creativity to how the polarities of yin and yang are playing out in politics today. Sally is a Canadian therapist and exceptionally well informed about politics—here we gain a perspective on current U.S. – Canadian relations and world politics that is revelatory. Recorded May 29, 2025.“Every single Canadian is deeply traumatized right now.”Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2How the movement between parts and whole, yin and yang, plays out in politics (01:21)The threat to Canada’s sovereignty, what Canada is doing in response, and Canada’s unifying, integral leader (03:12)How did it feel when Trump started talking about annexing Canada? (06:44)Under the Trump regime, the U.S. has become an arms dealer (10:21)How Sally’s growing up in South Africa under constant threat of civil war informs her views of fascism and the reversal of the American ideal of democracy (13:12)Advice for political resisters: establish a line that cannot be crossed (18:54)Coordinated resistance to the U.S. from external sources (24:14)Global politics, macroeconomics, and the rise of authoritarianism (27:36)Misinformation and the radicalization of young white men through the fourth estate (30:22)New challenges we face with fascism, and why American tech bros think Western Civilization is under threat (34:54)The future: who has control of the skies? (39:49)What is the most strategic thing one can do? (41:16)How do you stay grounded and balanced? Learning self-regulation, connecting with nature (43:56)Resources & References – Part 2Sally Adnams Jones, Art-Making with Refugees and Survivors: Creative and Transformative Responses to Trauma After Natural Disasters, War and Other CrisesSally’s website: sallyadnamsjones.com Sally’s podcast: Radical EmergenceGandhi and Non-violenceNelson Mandela: The Freedom Fighter (YouTube documentary)Sinclair Lewis, It Can’t Happen HereFrank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention, “It Can’t Happen Here”Great Replacement conspiracy theory---Dr. Sally Adnams Jones is an Expressive Arts Therapist, Psycho-Spiritual Educator, podcaster, writer, and artist. A South African-Canadian, Sally lives on Vancouver Island, amongst the old-growth forest, owls, elk, and wild lupines. Her interests are in human development; the phenomenology of creativity; the emergence of intelligent, natural systems; her grandchildren; and a healthy future for all. Sally has developed a theory called Integral Taoism that explores polarity as a cosmic principle of emergence, including through human sexuality, power dynamics, and creative flow. You can find her at her website, sallyadnamsjones.com; her podcast, radicalemergence.org; on YouTube at Dr Sally Adnams Jones; or read her book, Art-Making with Refugees and Survivors: Creative and Transformative Responses to Trauma After Natural Disasters, War and Other Crises.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Sally Adnams Jones is a South African-Canadian expressive arts therapist and pioneer in transformative creativity. She shares how art serves as a powerful healing tool for marginalized communities, fostering connection and agency. The discussion also touches on the integral duality of creativity, linking it to current political dynamics in North America. Sally draws on her experiences as an Integral Taoist, emphasizing the balance of strength and surrender and the necessity of embracing polarity in both art and politics.

Ep. 186 (Part 2 of 2) | In this lively, mind and heart-opening conversation, Miranda Macpherson, contemporary spiritual teacher and author, shares the extraordinary wisdom she has gained from experience—both from the initial life-changing transmission of boundless love she received in Ramana Maharshi’s cave, and from the subsequent need for integration of the deeper truths that were revealed upon being called back “down the mountain,” back to the West to teach and serve. For her, the trick of navigating ordinary life without reconstructing an ego boiled down to three words: What’s needed now? Miranda discusses how to show up in the world of today and not let resistance to right action win. “Wake up and love,” she offers. “Take inventory, ask, is there anything in the way of me being openhearted and awake in this moment?” She explains a practice she developed called ego relaxation, emphasizes the power of devotion—the source of strength, love, courage, and motivation—and shares several of the key questions she asks herself in her own practice to keep her receptive to existential grace. Miranda’s inspiring teachings are infused with her foundational sense of divine benevolence; “Grace is alive!” she tells us. And being human, we can embody grace; we can become “grace delivery devices.” Recorded November 1, 2024.“Being human is a grace delivery device.”Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2After the ascent the descent; "coming down the mountain" (01:28)The power of devotion (04:12)A mantra carries with it the love, spiritual energy, and devotion of countless beings before us (06:28)The power of pilgrimages (08:58)Miranda’s practice now: Can I open my heart to all the suffering, let it be understood more completely, and be transformed? (12:22)Wake up and love: ask "Is there anything in the way of me being openhearted and awake in the now?" (15:44)Practicing with our blind spots (18:46)Multitasking is a disaster for spiritual practice (20:22)Ramana Maharshi’s transmission in the cave: Be nothing, do nothing, get nothing… be as you are. Rest in God. (22:24)Ego relaxation as a practice (23:40)Showing up and resting in God at the same time (26:50)The divine dance—here we are, learning how to be the best human beings we can be (30:41)The divine force always brings forth what is needed, but the gate is humility and surrender (34:24)What helps us into a posture of humility? (35:39)Appreciating Roger Walsh: do-er and be-er, curious and humble (38:15)Being human is a “grace delivery device;” embodying grace—grace is alive! (40:35)The importance of yes, of thank you (43:38)Resources & References – Part 2Miranda’s website: MirandaMacpherson.com, The Living Grace Global SanghaMiranda Macpherson, The Way of Grace: The Transforming Power of Ego RelaxationA. H. Almaas (Hameed Ali), founder of The Ridhwan School, home of The Diamond Approach, see also Deep Transformation podcast’s A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series (also available on YouTube)Rupert Sheldrake, Science and Spiritual Practices: Transformative Experiences and Their Effects on Our Bodies, Brains, and HealthAndrew Harvey, author & founder of the Institute for Sacred Activism, The Hope (free audiobook)Ramana Maharshi, Indian sage and liberated being, 1879-1950G. I. Gurdjieff, In Search of Being: The Fourth Way to ConsciousnessA Course in Miracles, Helen Schucman and the Foundation for Inner PeaceSri Aurobindo, The Life DivineRoger’s article looking at A Course of Miracles through a Hindu lens: The Perennial Wisdom of A Course in MiraclesRoger Walsh & Frances Vaughan’s book of excerpts from A Course of Miracles, Accept this Gift ---Miranda Macpherson is a contemporary spiritual teacher who has been guiding others into direct experience of the sacred for over thirty years internationally. In her twenties she founded the OneSpirit Interfaith Foundation in London, where she trained and ordained over 600 ministers and counsellors. Today Miranda leads the Living Grace Global Sangha, leads retreats internationally, broadcasts extensively, and serves as core faculty at The Shift Network. Unapologetically feminine, joyful, and down to earth in her way of being, Miranda is dedicated to loving people all the way back into the freedom and wholeness of our true nature.Miranda’s books include The Way of Grace: the Transforming Power of Ego Relaxation (Sounds True), Boundless Love (Rider) and Meditations on Boundless Love (Sounds True), and the Cultivating Grace Card Deck. Miranda is also a kirtan musician and singer with two mantra albums: Streams of Grace and The Heart of Being. Find out more at www.mirandamacpherson.com.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Miranda Macpherson, a contemporary spiritual teacher and author, shares her journey from depression to divine awakening after receiving a profound transmission of love in Ramana Maharshi’s cave. She discusses the crucial practice of ego relaxation and emphasizes the importance of being open-hearted in our daily lives. Through personal stories, she explores navigating existential crises, the role of devotion, and how to embody grace as 'grace delivery devices.' Her inspiring insights encourage listeners to engage with uncertainty while fostering compassion and understanding.