Mencius
In this episode of Enlightenment Today we will explore the philosophy of the ancient Chinese sage Mencius. He was one of the sages towards the end of the Warring States period in China. His philosophy is built on the notion that human nature is fundamentally good. Mencius uses agriculture as a metaphor to prove this innate goodness. Actually his view on innate goodness is backed up today by evolutionary biology and cognitive science. The wisdom with which Mencius explains how to attain individual equanimity and cultivate moral virtues in the hope of reaching social harmony is still very palatable in the modern world. Recommended Reading Mencius (Bryan W. Van Norden translation) http://amzn.to/2hGkRrj Mencius (D.C. Lau translation) http://amzn.to/2hPQhz8
The Chinese Medical View of Climate Change
In this episode of Enlightenment Today we will explore the Chinese medical view of climate change. From the Chinese medical perspective, the warming of the planet comes from a culture and world which is yin (feminine/receptive/earth/coolant) deficient, meaning that our world is driven by yang (masculine/active/heaven/heat) which not only destroys our health on an individual level but also contributes to the increasing heat of the planet. The way we live our lives is causing this and it is up to us to cultivate more yin on our lives, which means we have to make a conscious effort of embracing the non-doing aspect of our lives and step away from excessive busyness and over-stimulation caused by bad dietary choices and digital devices which is not only killing us but also our planet. The big picture is a reflection of the small picture. Recommended Reading The Yin and Yang of Climate Crisis http://amzn.to/2z6zCLb Deep Work http://amzn.to/2zXSHjW Fasting the Mind http://amzn.to/2zhsAY1
Spiritual Bypassing
In this episode of Enlightenment Today we will come to understand spiritual bypassing. Spiritual bypassing is the use of spiritual practices and beliefs to avoid dealing with painful feelings, unresolved wounds, and developmental needs. And yet, it is much much more and something we all need to understand if we are to authentically grow spiritually. It is a very persistent shadow of spirituality. Spiritual bypassing is often thought of as nothing we need to worry about from the perspective of certain nondual teachings. But if we do not outgrow spiritual bypassing then the depth of any spiritual teaching, nondual or otherwise, will not be truly experienced. To outgrow spiritual bypassing is to understand that an authentic spiritual life is a constant dying to deeper life. Recommended Reading Spiritual Bypassing http://amzn.to/2hQisOH Toward a Psychology of Awakening http://amzn.to/2zZVetO Enlightenment Now http://amzn.to/2B2oNuV
Advaita Vedanta
In this episode of Enlightenment Today we will explore Advaita Vedanta (nondualism). Advaita Vedanta is a school of Hindu philosophy and the oldest extant sub-school of Vedanta in India. We explain the wisdom of Advaita Vedanta and the benefits of its practice, as well as the common pitfalls that hinder many people who are interested in this path. A lot of modern day spirituality is built on the back of Advaita Vedanta. In this episode we will come to understand that a lot of the misinterpretations of nonduality and oneness in the modern day stem from this philosophy being applied to our life with no real understanding of what the nondual experience is. This video seeks to dispel all myths surrounding this beautiful philosophy to hopefully reveal the authentic view of the nondual reality which is eclipsed within all of us due to the identification with the content and activity within our mind. Advaita Vedanta is the spiritual wisdom that we can be completely free in this life. Recommended Reading The Upanishads http://amzn.to/2hR008t Song of the Avadhut http://amzn.to/2hGqkPb The Song of Ribhu http://amzn.to/2zS1END Be as You Are http://amzn.to/2z1YML6 The Book http://amzn.to/2z1U9AM Myths of Light http://amzn.to/2hN1Ya8 Spiritual Bypassing http://amzn.to/2hEZSoK
To Stink of Zen
In this episode of Enlightenment Today we come to understand what it means to stink of Zen. We stink of Zen when we are trying to be too pious, too righteous, and essentially when we fall into the trap of being inhumanly good. When we try to portray this angel-like persona we lose sight of what it means to be human because we are not genuine and humble but rather fake and excessively righteous. We become a know-it-all and lose our connection with the seekers mind. One persistent illusion in spirituality is that the way of a sage and their enlightenment has something to do with being a goody-goody that is inhumanly good rather than just being simply human. The real difference between a sage and the ordinary person is the former are not at odds with their own humanity. The antidote to stinking of Zen is the perfection of Zen, but that means we must be radically human. So you need to ask yourself, do you stink of Zen?
Lao-tzu
In this episode of Enlightenment Today we will explore the philosophy and wisdom of the original Taoist sage Lao-tzu. We will come to understand the way of nature (Tao) that Lao-tzu explained for us and what that means for us in our modern world. His wisdom is deeply embedded in the view that if we are to leave everything alone to follow its own nature, including human beings, then natural harmony and real government would come to fruition because we have learned how to trust the processes of nature without interfering with it. This process includes how we become an authentic individual, which Lao-tzu explains is a result of our ability to cease trying and to be humble and content with the way life is. Recommended Reading Tao Te Ching (Gia-Fu Feng & Jane English translation) http://amzn.to/2z6w7V3 Tao Te Ching (Philip J. Ivanhoe translation) http://amzn.to/2iCs0tU Tao Te Ching (Stephen Mitchell translation) http://amzn.to/2hPV6IX I Ching http://amzn.to/2zWMSW7 Trying Not to Try http://amzn.to/2z6l0eU Tao: The Watercourse Way http://amzn.to/2zZGn2N
The Meaning of Life
In this episode of Enlightenment Today we explore the meaning of life. We will weigh in on the debate as to whether or not life has a fundamental meaning. We will uncover this misconception from the Eastern perspective which reveals that all of our attempts to make an intellectual interpretation of life and our delusion that we are more special than anything else in nature disconnects us from nature and contributes to a temperament where a battle of man versus nature ensues to the point of ecological crisis and the downfall of the human race.
What is the Soul?
In this episode of Enlightenment Today we will explore the nature of the Soul from the Eastern perspective. We unpack the science behind reincarnation known as the Wheel of Samsara Framework which tries to explain what it actually “is” that comes back life after life. This is a comprehensive system for understanding the subconscious root conditioning, latent tendencies, and unconscious actions of our mind. It also explains methods of how to eventually make them conscious so that we transform our mind at the root level with the Eastern view of transcending our soul.
Chuang-tzu
In this episode of Enlightenment Today we will explore the philosophy and wisdom of the Taoist sage Chuang-tzu. We will go into the depth of Chuang-tzu’s philosophy and explain its relevance for the modern world. The philosophy of Chuang-tzu reveals a latent wisdom found within the embodied skill of a craftsman. Their embodied skill is a metaphor about how to live our lives effortlessly every day with a mind of no deliberation. We will explain Chuang-tzu’s ultimate method of ‘fasting the mind’ which is a strategy to bring about this natural state of an effortless mind which writers, painters, musicians, athletes, martial artists and so on, all try to embody. Though, the wisdom of Chuang-tzu is to take that state of consciousness out of the craft and transfer it over to every moment in life. Recommended Reading The Complete Works of Chuang Tzu http://amzn.to/2hFc1Kt The Way of Chuang Tzu http://amzn.to/2z3VyGJ Trying Not to Try http://amzn.to/2B8ouPx Tao: The Watercourse Way http://amzn.to/2hNGB8x
Irrational Man by Woody Allen
In this episode of Enlightenment Today we will explore the Eastern philosophical view within the Woody Allen film Irrational Man. We will go into the benefits and naturalness of the irrational view over being too rational which is a way of life and cognitive state embraced in the East and evident within this film. Recommended Viewing Irrational Man http://amzn.to/2B8D4GK
