Deep Transformation

Ep. 35 (Part 2 of 2) | Frederik Coene, a European Union diplomat stationed in Kyiv and world authority on Russia and Eastern Europe, describes the current situation in Ukraine—"a cocktail of emotions"—and outlines what it would take for us to find a true solution to the conflict and create sustainable peace. Frederik brings the multiple perspectives of Integral theory to bear: he discusses how developmental stages play into the ways Russians and Ukrainians are thinking, acting, and reacting, and emphasizes the need to get beyond black and white thinking, foster compassion, and take responsibility for our thoughts and our actions. How do we cultivate the willingness to understand each other, to have a dialogue? Because as Frederik says, “the war may be fought on the battlefield, but peace is only going to come through dialogue.”The fruits of Frederik’s own personal transformative practice and understanding of the Enneagram and Spiral Dynamics flow into his work as a diplomat/bureaucrat, pointing the way towards change. Besides effectively deepening our understanding of what’s going on in Ukraine and Russia now, this talk is a real inspiration for those interested in weaving together personal growth, professional responsibility, and dedication to service. A humble, open, and wise transmission. Recorded on June 29, 2022.“If we want to find a true solution, sustainable and lasting peace…we can no longer be guided by our heads alone. We have to include the heart.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps - Part 2How the Enneagram fosters self-transformation, awareness of your own reactivity, and gets you out of black and white thinking (01:02)If we are skilled at taking multiple perspectives into account, how do we narrow it down and make a good judgment? (05:50)Practical wisdom: how do we skillfully and benevolently respond in the world? (07:14)And how this works in Ukraine now; when to take responsibility for actions and break the rules (09:01)Bureaucracy and its purpose; and the purpose of the Enneagram (12:28)Back to the situation in Ukraine now: a cocktail of emotions (16:20)Frederik’s personal self-transformation in the last 7 years with Ukraine as a catalyst (24:51)We need to merge head and heart if we want to find a sustainable peace (27:16)How do we cultivate the willingness to understand each other, to have a dialogue? (29:47) Roger reads aloud excerpts from Frederik’s Facebook postings addressed to Russians and to Ukrainians (32:59)The deep wisdom questions: what am I called to do? How can I make myself a more effective instrument of service? (36:10)Resources & References - Part 2Frederik Coene, The Caucasus - An Introduction*Frederik Coene, Euro-Atlantic Discourse in Georgia*YouTube 1420, live street interviewsClare Graves, adult developmental stages psychologist foundational to Spiral DynamicsDon Beck & Christopher Cowan, Spiral Dynamics*Enneagram, a model of the human psyche taught as a typology of nine interconnected personality typesDon Riso & Russ Hudson, The Wisdom of the Enneagram*Richard Rohr & Andreas Ebert, The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective*iAwake’s Funnel to Help, Heal, and Support the Ukrainian People* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Dr. Frederik Coene is an EU diplomat based in Ukraine and heads the team in charge of all EU-funded development programmes in the country. His previous assignments were in Tajikistan, Georgia, and Belarus, and prior to that he worked for humanitarian NGOs in Chechnya and Abkhazia. He holds an MA in economics, an MA in Caucasian and Central Asian Studies, and a PhD in Political Science. In his free time, he works on integrating stages of development with the Enneagram and Spiral Dynamics into a single framework using ancient Vedic wisdom on transpersonal development. He also conducts research and lectures on the topic of human sexuality and the Enneagram/Spiral Dynamics.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 34 (Part 1 of 2) | Frederik Coene, a European Union diplomat stationed in Kyiv and world authority on Russia and Eastern Europe, describes the current situation in Ukraine—"a cocktail of emotions"—and outlines what it would take for us to find a true solution to the conflict and create sustainable peace. Frederik brings the multiple perspectives of Integral theory to bear: he discusses how developmental stages play into the ways Russians and Ukrainians are thinking, acting, and reacting, and emphasizes the need to get beyond black and white thinking, foster compassion, and take responsibility for our thoughts and our actions. How do we cultivate the willingness to understand each other, to have a dialogue? Because as Frederik says, “the war may be fought on the battlefield, but peace is only going to come through dialogue.”The fruits of Frederik’s own personal transformative practice and understanding of the Enneagram and Spiral Dynamics flow into his work as a diplomat/bureaucrat, pointing the way towards change. Besides effectively deepening our understanding of what’s going on in Ukraine and Russia now, this talk is a real inspiration for those interested in weaving together personal growth, professional responsibility, and dedication to service. A humble, open, and wise transmission. Recorded on June 29, 2022.“If we want to find a true solution, sustainable and lasting peace…we can no longer be guided by our heads alone. We have to include the heart.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps - Part 1Introducing Dr. Frederik Coene, world authority with multiple perspectives on Russia and Eastern Europe (01:52)Life in Ukraine right now: no safe place, where violence might occur is completely unpredictable (04:20)How the Russians use fear to control people (07:34)Living in survival mode we fall into black and white thinking and how that affects our decision making (08:28)What makes the war in Ukraine distinctive is that it affects people around the globe: inflation, food scarcity, resources (12:19)What is not being seen? Both the complexity of the Ukrainian side and the complexity of the Russian side (14:16)Looking at the Russian perspective with a degree of empathy is necessary for a lasting, sustainable solution (16:47)What are they thinking in Russia? (20:00)The spiritual perspective: everyone has a soul, even Putin. Can we hold compassion for everyone (even Putin)? (26:53)Gaining inner strength from a daily gratitude practice; no matter how horrible the war and how great the suffering (33:19)Bureaucracy and Spiral Dynamics’ levels of development (37:45)Raising consciousness in the blue bureaucracy and the experience of teaching the Enneagram to bureaucrat colleagues (39:36)Resources & References - Part 1Frederik Coene, The Caucasus - An Introduction*Frederik Coene, Euro-Atlantic Discourse in Georgia*YouTube 1420, live street interviewsClare Graves, adult developmental stages psychologist foundational to Spiral DynamicsDon Beck & Christopher Cowan, Spiral Dynamics*Enneagram, a model of the human psyche taught as a typology of nine interconnected personality typesDon Riso & Russ Hudson, The Wisdom of the Enneagram*Richard Rohr & Andreas Ebert, The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective*iAwake’s Funnel to Help, Heal, and Support the Ukrainian People* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Dr. Frederik Coene is an EU diplomat based in Ukraine and heads the team in charge of all EU-funded development programmes in the country. His previous assignments were in Tajikistan, Georgia, and Belarus, and prior to that he worked for humanitarian NGOs in Chechnya and Abkhazia. He holds an MA in economics, an MA in Caucasian and Central Asian Studies, and a PhD in Political Science. In his free time, he works on integrating stages of development with the Enneagram and Spiral Dynamics into a single framework using ancient Vedic wisdom on transpersonal development. He also conducts research and lectures on the topic of human sexuality and the Enneagram/Spiral Dynamics.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 33 | Zvi Ish-Shalom is a professor of Jewish mysticism, an author, an ordained rabbi, and the guiding light of Kedumah, a teaching out of time and space, whose primary calling is to translate wisdom from the primordial ground of being into a discernible wisdom stream. In this remarkable conversation, Zvi describes how he found ways to map and interpret his own profound mystical experiences, how the teachings arise from the ground of being, about how they might become accessible to us all, regardless of religion or spiritual tradition, and how they are especially relevant for young people today, seeking to find a structure for their spiritual journey. His familiarity with the realm of mystical experience is extremely engaging—he tells of discovering the vow taken by our soul before we were born and dropping the barriers between us and God, surrendering to the divine. Roger Walsh found Zvi’s book The Kedumah Experience “the most profound spiritual text he’s ever read in the Jewish tradition,” and listeners will almost certainly be excited to read Zvi’s latest book, published since the recording of this podcast, The Path of Primordial Light: Ancient Wisdom for the Here and Now.  Recorded at the Science & Nonduality Conference, October 2019, with Dr. Roger Walsh, John Dupuy, and Douglas Prater.“Being willing to lose everything for truth...when we orient that way, the most profound revelations and depths occur.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Note: This podcast was recorded live and includes, at times, some extraneous noises in the background. Please excuse them -- we felt the conversation was very valuable and well worth sharing with our audience. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.Topics & Time StampsRoger’s discovery of Zvi Ish-Shalom’s book while touring Israel: the most profound spiritual text he’d ever read in the Jewish tradition (02:00)The gnostic intermediary: how Zvi revives the culture, infusing a fresh understanding of the Jewish mystical tradition (04:43)Zvi’s personal story, starting with deep states of connection praying in the synagogue in Brooklyn (07:40)How Zvi found ways to map and interpret his profound mystical experiences, establishing cause and effect (13:45)Remembering one’s life purpose, the vow taken by your soul before embodiment (17:47)Zvi’s Kedumah experience: the concept of primordial Torah, or the ground of our being, and how the teaching arises (19:57)How to transmit the Kedumah teachings to the secular world? (22:32)The radical experiential perspective in which the Kedumah is rooted is what makes it so timely for us today (28:17)Revivifying the Jewish lineage wisdom stream through the lens of Kedumah: bringing in living expressions of the mystery (31:26)The way in which a profound analytical study of the texts creates an opening and becomes a process of illumination, deepening, and distilling truth in an ever more discriminating way (37:35) What the new Kedumah paradigm offers young people who are searching for structure for their spiritual journey  (43:27)The practice of dialectical inquiry (havruta) to discover the truth of reality embedded inside the texts and how to reveal it (48:20)Comparing the Torah scroll to the human being: working to unpack the truth of the human experience (51:06)Greek philosophy was used as a practice to investigate human life, metaphysics, and open to the transcendent as well (53:15)Socrates and the fundamental wisdom of seeking truth for its own sake (56:37)How does Zvi teach contemplative prayer and meditation? Building the embodied capacity for integration and allowing ourselves to surrender to the divine (59:07)Zvi’s “journey of silence” (01:03:03)Resources & ReferencesZvi’s website: Primordialight (formerly Kedumah.org)Zvi Ish-Shalom, The Path of Primordial Light: Ancient Wisdom for the Here and Now*Zvi Ish-Shalom, The Kedumah Experience: The Primordial Torah*Zvi Ish-Shalom, Sleep, Death, and Rebirth: Mystical Practices of Lurianic Kabbalah*Roger Walsh, The Transmission of Wisdom: The Task of Gnostic IntermediariesHasidic philosophy: Jewish law + Jewish legend + the Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) The Talmud, central text of Rabbinic JudaismTorah study, the study of Judaism’s religious textsKabbalistic texts, originally part of an ancient, mystical, oral traditionHavruta, traditional Rabbinic approach to Talmudic studyThe Apology of Socrates by Plato, Socrates, Who Was Socrates Really?* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Zvi Ish-Shalom, Ph.D., is core faculty at Naropa University, and is the guiding teacher of Kedumah, the Primordial Transmissions, and the Soulship. Zvi is the author of The Kedumah Experience: The Primordial Torah; Sleep, Death, and Rebirth: Mystical Practices of Lurianic Kabbalah; and most recently The Path of Primordial Light: Ancient Wisdom for the Here and Now.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 32 (Part 2 of 2) | Socio-psychotherapist and political consultant Indra Adnan brings forth a compelling, fresh, and powerfully practical alternative vision for our politics and our world, based on bringing people and communities together in relationship to effect real planetary transformation. Indra states that the solutions to our problems exist; we just need to be able to access them, and it is at the cosmo-local community agency networks (CANs) level that we can develop responses to current crises like climate and social justice most effectively. Indra discusses how the internet has dissolved the line between the private and the public space, especially for women and the underprivileged, and asks us to imagine what the public space would look like if all our voices were heard. Rather than focusing on our disconnectedness, Indra suggests we focus on the miracle of our connectedness in this moment and drop the dividing lines that keep us stuck in disadvantageous, unempowered lives. In this conversation, the possibilities of putting Indra’s alternative vision into effect are palpable—this is a remarkable reimagining of how things could be where political agency works from the bottom up to effect systemic transformation for the benefit of all. Recorded May 18, 2022.“Let’s drop the boundaries that we have created for ourselves! Let’s drop the things that divide us from others.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps - Part 2Women going into politics have been obliged to be better men than men (01:15)Indra most inspired by social workers’ (mostly women) intuitive understanding of people’s real needs and how they unreservedly give themselves to the task of problem solving (02:35)The Big Society (community focused) program in British politics (04:10)What is soft power? The power of narrative or storytelling to generate attraction and therefore relationship, as in the power of the American dream to attract relationship from all over the world (05:58)What is the story we’re telling about our reality? (10:60)The ladder nature of Integral stages of development may be trapping us in old language about what development looks like (11:40)When the women in the London Integral circle walked away, and the need to apply the Integral model rather than simply study it and talk about it (12:12)The radical equality of everyone and formative agency: different agencies need to be held in a fluid state rather than in ladder format (16:57)Does Integral need to evolve to serve a wider landscape? (19:47)What is the design of the public space that could honor the full human being, where all the different voices would be heard? (24:22)The axis of a new politics: back to the I, the we, the world; at the heart of the vision is a new way of looking at who we are (26:34)The internet, the fractal emergence of a new vision holding our creative potential and political agency, and  the soft power of how we tell the story (29:52)What gives Indra hope? The miracle of connectedness in this moment (32:37)The power of paying attention to the interaction in this particular moment: that is the life changing, world changing energy that we are looking for and that we need (36:15)Resources & References - Part 2Indra Adnan and Pat Kane, Re-imagining Social WorkBritish politician David Cameron, author of For the Record, and political agency in the Big Society programJoseph Nye, Head of Kennedy School of Government, advisor to Bill Clinton, Understanding Soft PowerRobert Kegan, The Discerning Heart: The Developmental Psychology of Robert Kegan*Ken Wilber’s stages of developmentTerry Patten, A New Republic of the Heart: An Ethos for Revolutionaries*Integral European ConferenceIntegral leaders Diane Hamilton, Terry Patten, Steve McIntosh Indra Adnan, The Politics of Waking Up: Power and Possibility in the Fractal Age*Indra Adnan, founder of The Alternative Global, a socio-political platform serving systemic transformation* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Indra Adnan is founder and co-initiator of The Alternative Global, a socio-political platform serving systemic transformation. AltGlobal publishes a Daily Alternative news blog, develops cosmo-local agency networks (CANs) and connects planetary regeneration projects. Indra is concurrently a socio-psychotherapist, writer, and consultant on soft power. Clients have included the Danish and Brazilian governments, World Economic Forum, and NATO. Her book The Politics of Waking Up: Power and Possibility in the Fractal Age was a Times Literary Supplement Book of the Year in 2021.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 31 (Part 1 of 2) | Socio-psychotherapist and political consultant Indra Adnan brings forth a compelling, fresh, and powerfully practical alternative vision for our politics and our world, based on bringing people and communities together in relationship to effect real planetary transformation. Indra states that the solutions to our problems exist; we just need to be able to access them, and it is at the cosmo-local community agency networks (CANs) level that we can develop responses to current crises like climate and social justice most effectively. Indra discusses how the internet has dissolved the line between the private and the public space, especially for women and the underprivileged, and asks us to imagine what the public space would look like if all our voices were heard. Rather than focusing on our disconnectedness, Indra suggests we focus on the miracle of our connectedness in this moment and drop the dividing lines that keep us stuck in disadvantageous, unempowered lives. In this conversation, the possibilities of putting Indra’s alternative vision into effect are palpable—this is a remarkable reimagining of how things could be where political agency works from the bottom up to effect systemic transformation for the benefit of all. Recorded May 18, 2022.“Let’s drop the boundaries that we have created for ourselves! Let’s drop the things that divide us from others.”(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps - Part 1Introducing Indra Adnan: political innovator, socio-psychotherapist, writer, and consultant on “soft power” to clients such as NATO, the World Economic Forum, and the Brazilian and Danish governments, initiator of an alternative vision for creating systemic transformation (01:16)How Indra’s contemplative practice began, creating her own spiritual beliefs, and asking, Where is my power? What control do I have over my life? (4:11)Meeting Nichiren Buddhism in Indonesia (06:49)The phenomenon of empowerment in action: Look again. Re-imagine. Something else is possible. (07:57)What is it we are settling for now? Crises on every side and dependency on politicians in a two-party, competitive system, where the two parties are invested in each other’s failure (11:45)The solutions to our problems are already available (so why do we not have access to them?), and how community agency networks (CANs) are taking shape as responses to climate and social justice crises (13:38)Cosmo-local CANs can be the new system, providing a new way for the people’s voice to hear itself and be heard (15:20)Concept of the 3 realms: the I, the We, and the World—we can all be all 3 of these things, which is essential to understanding how we can have political agency by taking down the barriers between these 3 ways of being (16:13)The politics of waking up: there is waking up to the oneness, to engi, but in her book, Indra is talking about a different waking up: waking up to our capacity for connecting, for mobilizing, #softpower (18:33)The new space created by the internet and modern technology has created a radical shift of agency, the woke phenomenon (21:42)The way women see the possibilities and the future is becoming more and more distinct, i.e. the relational way of being women have always depended on is finding its way into the public space, into community, into politics (23:34)How Roger sees the possibilities of this age: a collaborative birthing that will turn out as a function of how we approach it (31:56)What can men do? Men have to make space for women to show up. This can mean giving up their place, their seat, their moment in the spotlight (34:06)It may be time for men to step into the yin and look at themselves and their relations (37:18)Resources & References - Part 1Indra Adnan, The Politics of Waking Up: Power and Possibility in the Fractal Age*Indra Adnan, founder of The Alternative Global, a socio-political platform serving systemic transformationNichiren BuddhismWhat is cosmo-localism?Engi, or Pratītyasamutpāda in SanskritKaren O’Brien, You Matter More Than You Think: Quantum Social Change for a Thriving World*Marilyn French, Beyond Power: On Women, Men and Morals** As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Indra Adnan is founder and co-initiator of The Alternative Global, a socio-political platform serving systemic transformation. AltGlobal publishes a Daily Alternative news blog, develops cosmo-local agency networks (CANs) and connects planetary regeneration projects. Indra is concurrently a socio-psychotherapist, writer, and consultant on soft power. Clients have included the Danish and Brazilian governments, World Economic Forum, and NATO. Her book The Politics of Waking Up: Power and Possibility in the Fractal Age was a Times Literary Supplement Book of the Year in 2021.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

In this podcast, Alexander Beiner discusses sensemaking and truth finding in a culture that has lost its coherence, and the role of psychedelics in healing our culture. He explores the need to go beyond intellect and use embodied practices like meditation. What if deep group processes informed political decision making? Will commodification of psychedelics subvert their benefits? Beiner asks important questions and offers insights into the potential of these substances.

Alexander Beiner, co-founder of Rebel Wisdom, explores sensemaking and truth finding in a culture that has lost coherence. He discusses the role of psychedelics in healing our culture, the need for embodied practices like meditation, and the potential of deep, psychotherapeutic group processes in political decision making. The podcast also touches on the evolution of the internet, struggles with integrity and motivated reasoning, cultivating perspectival fluidity, and the resurgence of psychedelics combined with meditation and inquiry.

Ep. 28 (Part 2 of 2) | David Loy, Zen teacher, scholar, and prolific author, reveals his acute understanding of the crises we face today, the psychology at the root of the problems, and how we can make our way forward in this in-depth discussion. He has adopted the term ecodharma to focus attention on the challenge Buddhism faces now: integrating personal transformation with global activism and social transformation. As David points out, the focus needs to be on this world, with transcendence being a metaphorical understanding but not an excuse to abandon the problems we and our planet face today. Besides gaining great depth of knowledge from being a scholar and student of koans, David’s insights come from a plethora of nondual experiences, which led David on a path of eco-action. Ecodharma asks: How does Buddhism need to change? How much is dwelling in emptiness becoming problematical in these challenging times? What’s best for the Earth? Everyone says practice, practice, practice…when is the performance? Is evolutionary pressure going to create a new way of living sustainably? Recorded February 22, 2020. “When your sense of separation dissipates, it becomes not what’s in it for me, but what can I do to help make this a better world for everybody?”Note: Regrettably 4 minutes of the recording were irretrievably lost at minute 21:26, but thankfully, the recording resumes just as Roger succinctly sums up the previous minutes of conversation. Also, this podcast was recorded live and includes, at times, some extraneous noises in the background. Please excuse them -- we felt the conversation was very valuable and well worth sharing with our audience. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps - Part 2The role of technology, moving into an age of virtual reality, and the creation of supernormal stimuli (01:41)Ecodharma: addressing the need for a new understanding of practice and walking the bodhisattva/ecosattva path (04:37) Keeping “don’t know” mind in the face of the eco-crisis (09:57)How can Buddhism contribute to facing the critical issues of our time? (10:54)The Extinction Rebellion, a grassroots direct action movement (11:49)The election of Trump has highlighted our problems in making them worse (15:16)The problem of complacency (17:24)What signifies that one has started to walk the bodhisattva path? (19:42)Desire versus craving (21:26)Karma yoga and not being attached to the outcome (22:14)The cycle of withdrawal and return common to those people who have contributed the most to humankind (23:45)The deepest challenge of our practice is integrating the knowledge that everything is perfect, but also knowing action is needed to improve things (26:36)Evolutionary psychology, the evolution of religion, and what we need to do today (28:18)What socially engaged Buddhism has to contribute (34:02)The challenge of the gnostic intermediary to transmit a wisdom tradition across cultures and across time (34:59)Resources & References - Part 2Edward O. Wilson, aka the Darwin of the 21st centuryGuhyapati, founder of the Eco-Dharma Centre in northeast SpainDavid Loy and Guhyapati, Remaking Our Dharma: Expanding the Scope of EcodharmaDavid Loy, co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat CenterDavid Loy, "The Bodhisattva Path in the Trump Era" Greta Thunberg and the School Strike for ClimateExtinction Rebellion: Grassroots movement engaging in direct action focused on climate, species extinction, population, toxins, plastic and moreThe Bhagavad Gita Arnold Toynbee, A Study of World History* (abridgement by D.C. Somervell)Robert Thurman, first Westerner Tibetan Buddhist monk ordained by His Holiness the Dalai LamaShunryu Suzuki, author of Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind Paul Hawkins, Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Social Movement in History is Restoring Grace, Justice, and Beauty to the World*Wes Nisker, You Are Not Your Fault and Other Revelations*Roger Walsh, The Transmission of Wisdom: The Task of Gnostic IntermediariesDavid Loy, "How to Be an EcoSattva" David Loy, EcoDharma: Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological Crisis*David Loy, co-editor, A Buddhist Response to the Climate Emergency*Full list of David’s writings: https://www.davidloy.org/writing.htmlDavid Loy’s websiteDavid Loy, co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat Center* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Early on, David Loy studied koans under Yamada Kōun Roshi while teaching Eastern and Western philosophy in Japan. He began to have direct experiences of nonduality, and the recognition of unity, or connection with others, led to his activism in the spheres of social justice and the eco-crisis. A scholar, professor, and Zen teacher in the Sanbo Zen tradition, David brings a Buddhist perspective to the ecological crisis we face today. He points out there is an important parallel between what Buddhism says about our personal predicament and about our collective predicament in relation to the rest of the biosphere. David is also a prolific author; his latest book is Ecodharma: Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological Crisis; and he is co-editor of A Buddhist Response to the Climate Emergency.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 27 (Part 1 of 2) | David Loy, Zen teacher, scholar, and prolific author, reveals his acute understanding of the crises we face today, the psychology at the root of the problems, and how we can make our way forward in this in-depth discussion. He has adopted the term ecodharma to focus attention on the challenge Buddhism faces now: integrating personal transformation with global activism and social transformation. As David points out, the focus needs to be on this world, with transcendence being a metaphorical understanding but not an excuse to abandon the problems we and our planet face today.Besides gaining great depth of knowledge from being a scholar and student of koans, David’s insights come from a plethora of nondual experiences, which led David on a path of eco-action. Ecodharma asks: How does Buddhism need to change? How much is dwelling in emptiness becoming problematical in these challenging times? What’s best for the Earth? Everyone says practice, practice, practice…when is the performance? Is evolutionary pressure going to create a new way of living sustainably? Recorded February 22, 2020.“When your sense of separation dissipates, it becomes not what’s in it for me, but what can I do to help make this a better world for everybody?”Note: This podcast was recorded live and includes, at times, some extraneous noises in the background. Please excuse them -- we felt the conversation was very valuable and well worth sharing with our audience. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time Stamps - Part 1Social activism, Zen practice, philosophy, koan study: how it all started (03:52)How does David’s Zen practice inform his activism? It was the experiences of nondual reality (05:48)The emergence of compassion: when your sense of separation dissipates, it becomes not what’s in it for me, but what can I do to help make this a better world for everybody (09:14)The cold civil war in the U.S. and the need to find a way to talk with each other and understand conflicting points of view (12:03)Our fundamental problem is that we don’t feel real, because the separate self is a construct, inherently insecure, inherently uncomfortable, and we experience this as a sense of fundamental lack (14:03)The psychological and sociological implications of this sense of lack and how society is constructed to take advantage of it: the contemporary world religion is consumerism (17:31)The positive and negative sides of individualism (22:23)The heart of the bodhisattva path: personal transformation and social transformation (24:57)The challenge of integrating nondual experiences (27:31)3 elements of the Pali Canon’s Motivation for Awakening (28:31)Dukkha (suffering) is structural not just individual (30:09)Awakenings: transcendent, imminent, and the decline of Axial religions that devalue this world (36:26) The problem with mindfulness and the 3 poisons: greed, ill will, delusion (40:51)Resources & References - Part 1David Loy, EcoDharma: Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological Crisis*David Loy, NonDuality: In Buddhism and Beyond*David Loy, co-editor, A Buddhist Response to the Climate Emergency*Full list of David’s writings: https://www.davidloy.org/writing.htmlDavid Loy’s websiteDavid Loy, co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Ecodharma Retreat CenterYamada Kōun Roshi, David's teacher and author of The Gateless Gate : The Classic Book of Zen Koans* (2004)Robert Aiken, one of the original founders of the Buddhist Peace FellowshipDōgen, Japanese Buddhist priest, poet, philosopher, and founder of the Sōtō school of ZenWilliam Blake, poet, painter, mysticErnest Becker, The Denial of Death*Mahatma Gandhi, “The world has enough for everyone’s need…”Theravada sutras, the Pali Canon, Bodhipakkhiya DhammaAldous Huxley, Island*Dogen’s Genjokoan, Actualizing the Fundamental PointLoyal Rue, Everybody’s Story: Wising up to the Epic of Evolution*Naomi Klein, This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs the Climate*Stockholm Institute’s 9 markers of ecological sustainability* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Early on, David Loy studied koans under Yamada Kōun Roshi while teaching Eastern and Western philosophy in Japan. He began to have direct experiences of nonduality, and the recognition of unity, or connection with others, led to his activism in the spheres of social justice and the eco-crisis. A scholar, professor, and Zen teacher in the Sanbo Zen tradition, David brings a Buddhist perspective to the ecological crisis we face today. He points out there is an important parallel between what Buddhism says about our personal predicament and about our collective predicament in relation to the rest of the biosphere. David is also a prolific author; his latest book is Ecodharma: Buddhist Teachings for the Ecological Crisis; and he is co-editor of A Buddhist Response to the Climate Emergency.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Ep. 26 | Samaneri Jayasara, a Theravādin renunciate in the Thai Forest tradition, became inspired to record readings of profound wisdom texts written by the great spiritual masters of all time and traditions, put them to music (in most cases), and post them on YouTube. Intending simply to share the gift of wisdom, Jayasara didn’t expect much in the way of listeners, maybe 100 or so. But with her sublime understanding and exquisite voice, accompanied by beautiful music tailored to the individual texts, Jayasara has turned mere readings into transmissions of wisdom and healing that are helping and inspiring people around the globe, and she now has upward of 70,000 followers. In this conversation, Jayasara talks about the power of the spoken word to bypass intellectual filters and enter straight into your heart, how listening can result in unexpected awakenings, how contemplating death can shift our illusions and wake us up, and the story of how she came to be a contemplative. In this episode, she also treats listeners to two lovely samples of her readings, from St. John of the Cross and Chuang Tzu. Recorded October 14, 2021.“Silence is God’s first language.” – St. John of the Cross(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)Topics & Time StampsThe inspiration behind reading wisdom texts on YouTube: the advantage of absorbing dharma wisdom through listening (03:11)The power of the spoken word to go straight to the heart (06:12)Samaneri Jayasara, a rare Theravadin to have studied such a broad variety of religious traditions (13:38)Theravada: The Teaching of the Elders based on the Pali Sutras (15:37)The Thai Forest tradition focuses on practice (16:44)St. John of the Cross reading (17:49)The intention: a heartfelt sharing of the dharma; as the Buddha said, “The greatest gift you can give is the gift of the dharma.” (22:34)How Jayasara came to be a contemplative: suffering, dissatisfaction, and the teachings of Buddha and Krishnamurti (24:44)How one can support Jayasara’s practice and the Viveka Hermitage (33:15)Hearing teachings expressed in different ways, different conceptualizations with different traditions, can enliven your practice, make the wisdom go deeper, and help you not get stuck (33:48)The “flow and rhythm” of the spiritual life and the poetry of Ram Dass (35:28)How does Jayasara choose which text to read? (37:58) On the transmission of wisdom (40:44)Chuang Tzu reading (46:24)When striving in our practice turns to opening to what is latent within us (51:35)Sudden awakening versus gradual awakening (54:44)How death contemplations can shift the illusion and wake us up (56:46)The story of Ramana: pure awareness and the deathless realm (01:02:26)The tendency to pick up a new identity after an ego death (01:04:24)What’s next? Mother Mountain Gulaga retreat (01:07:16)Choosing the music that goes with the readings (01:11:23)Resources & ReferencesSamaneri Jayasara, Wisdom of the Masters podcastJayasara’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/SamaneriJayasara/featuredSamaneri Jayasara’s hermitage: Viveka HermitageDonations to the hermitage can be made via PayPal using the link: https://paypal.me/VivekaHermitageOr become a Jayasara patron: https://www.patreon.com/jayasaraPadmasambhava’s Self-Liberation Through Seeing Through Naked Awareness*Ramana Maharshi, Indian sage and liberated being, 1879-1950Lectio Divina (divine reading)Ajahn Sumedho, longtime abbot and one of the senior Western representatives of the Thai Forest tradition of Theravada BuddhismTheravada sutras, the Pali CanonAjahn Mun, co-founder of the Thai Forest traditionSt. John of the Cross, Dark Night of the Soul*Krishnamurti, philosopher, speaker, author focused on psychological revolution, inquiry, human relationships, and bringing about radical change in societyVipassana retreatsSt. John of the Cross, Spanish Catholic priest, mystic, and Carmelite friarRam Dass, Love, Service, DevotionChuang Tzu, Taoist sage, influential 4th century BC philosopher in China credited with writing Zhuangzi,* one of the two foundational texts of Taoism (along with the Tao Te Ching*).Thomas Merton, The Way of Chuang Tzu*Kamalashila Tibetan Buddhist Centre at the foot of Mother Mountain Gulaga* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.---Samaneri Jayasara is a Buddhist nun in the Theravadin Forest tradition. She has studied and practiced Buddhism and meditation in various capacities for over 35 years. Jayasara has a Ph.D. and Master's Degree in education, focusing on comparative spiritual traditions, Buddhism, and psychotherapy. She has taught at secondary, undergraduate, and postgraduate levels in psychology and counseling; and also worked as a trainer in mental health and crisis intervention in the welfare sector. Jayasara initially ordained as an Anagarika in 2003 living at both Dhammasara nun’s monastery, Western Australia, and Amaravati, UK. She re-entered the robes as a Samaneri in 2018 at Santi Forest Monastery where she lived and practiced for four years.  Jayasara now resides in a quiet hermitage (Viveka Hermitage) with another Dhamma sister in rural New South Wales.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell