Be Here Now Network Guest Podcast

Pondering what it means to awaken spiritually, Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee examines the possibility of life beyond the illusions of ego that are fed by our distorted culture.Two cultural icons. Two unique perspectives... One understanding of the presence of the way.Ram Dass' Love Serve Remember Foundation and the Alan Watts Organization invite you to open your mind, open your heart, and tap into the living truth of Alan Watts and Ram Dass. Learn more about this special 4-week Virtual Course:"The Presence of the Way: The Dharma of Alan Watts and Ram Dass"In this episode, Llewellyn tells us his thoughts on:What a spiritual awakening can look and feels likeBeing here now for our individual self and the worldHaving an awareness for the distortions of our culturePerception versus what is presentCulturally created illusions and conditioningThe primal experience of life and creationThe relationship between humanity and the worldThe archetypal Garden of Eden and divine presenceWhen reality meets with our illusionsHow the ego manipulates our thoughtsThe non-existence of separateness in nature“A primary spiritual experience is to be awake in the moment, to experience life as it is. In this moment we experience life not through the patterns of the mind, or the illusions of the ego, but a simple, direct experience of life around us.” – Llewellyn Vaughan-LeeAbout Llewellyn:Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, Ph.D. is a Sufi teacher in the Naqshbandiyya-Mujaddidiyya Sufi Order. He is the author of Sufism, the Transformation of the Heart, and the founder of The Golden Sufi Center. Check out his new podcast Working With Oneness.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trudy Goodman, a renowned Vipassana teacher and Founding Teacher of InsightLA, shares her wisdom on navigating life's complexities. She discusses embracing impermanence and the interplay of personal and universal truths, highlighting the importance of mindfulness amid chaos. Trudy reflects on the transformative power of suffering for spiritual growth, using personal anecdotes to illustrate interconnectedness. She emphasizes mental health awareness, advocating for openness and the benefits of therapy in achieving balance and resilience.

Exploring doubt as the fifth hindrance of mind, the podcast discusses the different forms of doubt and its usefulness as an indicator of necessary change. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing doubt, embracing discomfort, and trusting the walkway. The speakers also delve into the concepts of wholesome and unwholesome actions in Buddhism, stillness and sensitivity in mindfulness practice, and the significance of honesty and integrity.

Activist, writer and yoga teacher Seane Corn joins Jackie Dobrinska, host of the Ram Dass Fellowship, for a conversation about nurturing the soul with love and attention in a way that allows for a ‘revolution of the soul’.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenowIn this interview for the Ram Dass Fellowship, Jackie speaks with Seane Corn about:Tapping into our inner strength and pursuing a ‘revolution of the soul’How the practices of yoga, mindfulness and meditation can offer relief for those who have experienced severe traumaLearning to befriend ourselvesToday’s episode was recorded as part of the Ram Dass Fellowship’s regular online gatherings. To learn more about the Ram Dass Fellowship and sign up to join a fellowship gathering near you, visit RamDass.org/Fellowship.“Getting real is recognizing not only the grief and the anger, but the sense of powerlessness that a lot of people feel in this day and age.” – Seane CornSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sufi teacher Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee describes the multi-tiered transformations that can come from from working with light.Be sure to check out his new podcast Working With Oneness for more insightful and flowing wisdom from Llewellyn.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenowIn this episode Llewellyn explores:The deep ecology of our consciousnessDeveloping the light of our divine natureInner life and outer serviceBringing primal, spiritual energy into our lives and communitiesIndividual and societal transformationsThe illusion of separateness“When a human being prays and looks towards God, turns towards the divine inside of them, then that light shines through them. It is the light of pure awareness.” – Llewellyn Vaughan-LeeAbout Llewellyn:Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, Ph.D. is a Sufi teacher in the Naqshbandiyya-Mujaddidiyya Sufi Order. He is the author of Sufism, the Transformation of the Heart, and the founder of The Golden Sufi Center. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trudy Goodman shares Zen Master Dōgen's method, the Backward Step, for stepping back into awareness and receiving each moment as awakening.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenowIn this episode, Trudy Goodman lectures on:Stories about Wonhyo, Bodhidharma, Ajahn Chah, and the BuddhaHow to work with what arises when sitting in retreatDōgen Zenji’s Backward StepDating Jack KornfieldBeing present with different kinds of experiences"When we have the capacity to be with our own suffering with a more steady presence, what happens is we can help other people with that steady presence. We can be with them through the ups and downs of their lives when we’re called to do that. And so freeing our hearts is a blessing, not just for ourselves, but for our world." – Trudy GoodmanAbout Trudy Goodman:Trudy is a Vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. For 25 years, in Cambridge, MA, Trudy practiced mindfulness-based psychotherapy with children, teenagers, couples and individuals. Trudy conducts retreats and workshops worldwide.Learn more about Trudy's offerings at trudygoodman.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

JoAnna Hardy gives us perspective on the origins of metta and guides us through a gentle meditation to cultivate loving kindness for ourselves and all beings.“One of my favorite teachings around this idea of metta, or loving kindness, care, friendliness, benevolence, is that naturally from a mind and heart that are at ease, this quality comes alive. So we don't actually have to do anything to make it happen.” - JoAnna HardyIn this offering from a 2018 Spirit Rock retreat, JoAnna gently guides us through a metta meditation, softly exploring:Clearing the hindrances of our being through mindfulness practice and allowing our natural state of metta to emerge The origins of metta Metta as the antidote to fear, aversion, and hatred The undefended heart and the undefended mind How we feel about wishing for the wellbeing of ourselves and of beings who: are easy to love, we feel neutral towards, we have a light agitation towards, feels like a difficult person to loveExplore JoAnna's heartwork hereAbout JoAnna Hardy: JoAnna Hardy is an insight meditation (Vipassanā) practitioner and teacher; she is on faculty at the University of Southern California, a meditation trainer at Apple Fitness+, a founding member of the Meditation Coalition, a teacher's council member at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, a visiting retreat teacher at Insight Meditation Society, and a collaborator on many online meditation Apps and programs.Her greatest passion is to teach meditation in communities that are dedicated to seeing the truth of how racism, gender inequality and oppression go hand in hand with the compassionate action teachings in Buddhism and related perspectives to social and racial justice. Graphic via Khwanchai AMstockerSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sufi teacher Llewellyn Vaughan Lee returns with a collection of heartful poetry that touches on nature, soul, prayer, and practices of the heart.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenowIn this episode, Llewellyn Vaughan Lee recites his writings on:*Restoring the inner garden of our souls*Moving into a relational way of being*The restlessness of our culture and how we can surrender to a more natural rhythm*Finding belonging within the natural world*A conscious return to present moment awareness*The mystery of breath-work and it’s connection between the inner and outer worldLearn more about Llewellyn and find more resources at: The Golden Sufi Center“We can also re-imagine the inner garden of our soul, create a place protected from the demands of greed and desires. We can work to restore this inner land often polluted by the noise and clutter of today’s world. Returning it to its natural beauty and sense of peace. Through prayer and love we water and nurture the garden until it flowers into our life.” – Llewellyn Vaughan LeeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gil Fronsdal returns for a guest episode on the importance of our quality of mind and explores self-discovery through our actions.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenowIn this BHNN Guest Episode, Gil Fronsdal speaks on:Being still and befriending the self Self-discovery and our motivationsA story of the Buddha and his sonActions as a mirror to the selfLearned behavior & conditioning versus the truth “You study yourself, you study what you do in body, mind, speech, and those actions show you that you know yourself. You know yourself through your actions, through what you do, not by what you are.” – Gil Fronsdal See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Guiding us through The Four Immeasurables, author and teacher Lama Tsomo lectures about developing deep connections.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenowIn this episode, Lama Tsomo teaches us about:Technology as a window to the worldHow to have deep, satisfying connectionThe four immeasurablesLoving-kindness, compassion, and equanimity Near and Far Enemies About Lama Tsomo:Born Linda Pritzker, Lama Tsomo followed a path of spiritual inquiry and study that ultimately led to her ordination as one of the few American lamas in the Tibetan Buddhism. Today she works to share the teachings of the Namchak tradition, making its time-tested meditation practices accessible to westerners. “Each of the four boundless qualities gets us past our ego fixations and joins us with another in a way that brings right relationship. We can feel that rightness and joining when it happens. As we know from neuroscience, that feeling registers in that ever-popular left middle pre-frontal lobe — a main locust of positive emotions.” – Lama TsomoSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.