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
Zen
In this episode of Enlightenment Today I will explore Zen. We will go into Zen’s origin, history, and ultimately what the Zen mind is. We reveal that the experience of Zen is the natural state of mind. The experience and practice of Zen reestablishes the connection between the body and mind which evokes the natural function of naturalness and intelligent spontaneity within the human organism. Recommended Reading The Way of Zen http://amzn.to/2B8mpmH The Lankavatara Sutra http://amzn.to/2hIHhsc The Zen Teachings of Bodhidharma http://amzn.to/2hRoK0m Zen and the Psychology of Transformation http://amzn.to/2hQxPqm The Complete Works of Chuang Tzu http://amzn.to/2z3U7Il Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind http://amzn.to/2z4Lxcn Silence http://amzn.to/2BascYS
Yoga
In this episode of Enlightenment Today I will explore the spiritual tradition of yoga. We will expose the materialism behind the modern movement of yoga so that people can understand that yoga has nothing to do with exercise or looking physically fit. We will go deep into the tradition of yoga, its origins, philosophy, and its practice that were devised to reveal the nature of consciousness and liberate the mind from suffering. Recommended Reading The Yoga-Sutra of Patanjali http://amzn.to/2B5WSKR The Yoga Tradition http://amzn.to/2B7YinW The Psychology of Yoga http://amzn.to/2hPSpqU
The Geography of Mind
In this episode of Enlightenment Today I will explore the geography of mind. I will expose the myth that all people cognitively think the same. To do so I will study the history of how the mind of the East and West evolved differently. This will reveal why many Westerners and modern Easterners often misinterpret Eastern philosophy. This will give us greater understanding of the authentic teachings of the East. Recommended Reading The Geography of Thought http://amzn.to/2z4GlW7
Footsteps of the Masters India Tour with Jason Gregory 2018
FOOTSTEPS OF THE MASTERS INDIA TOUR with Jason Gregory November 26-December 8, 2018 In 2018 you can travel with author and teacher of Eastern philosophy Jason Gregory on a mystical tour of India to explore and trace the Footsteps of the Masters. Get unique insights into Jason’s knowledge of the East and the memory of the masters and scared places we will visit. Jason wishes to take people to the most sacred places of India to show that the ancient Hindu and Buddhist cultures are thriving but can only be experienced by those willing to join him on this pilgrimage of the heart. 1. About our tour to India: Our 13-day itinerary includes visits to the most beautiful and mystical places in India. We will travel through India to visit the most important sacred places of Indian history. Most people never get the chance to experience face to face the archaic origins and sites of Hindu and Buddhist culture because they are in some of the most remote places of India. But on this journey you will get that once in a lifetime opportunity to actually feel the ancient living culture that is still thriving in the sacred places we will visit. You will also get the chance to meet real life mystics and mingle with the beautiful people of India. What is more, during the tour you will take part in private lectures given by Jason Gregory. He will show us the significance of how Eastern thought can help us live more harmoniously in the modern world. He strongly believes that the mystics of the East who expounded especially the Hindu philosophy of Vedanta, Zen in Buddhism, and Taoism are advanced philosophical and spiritual frameworks that give us understanding and guidance in our ordinary lives. And this is the reason for joining Jason Gregory on his tour to India to follow the Footsteps of the Masters. This will be a once in a life-time experience, this tour may never happen again! Jason Gregory about our India tour: “I have spent several years in India and the experience has changed the entire course of my life. I continue to go back and visit every year, especially the Tamil Nadu and Bihar states as they include the two places in the world that I believe everybody should visit, Tiruvannamalai and Bodh Gaya, and we will be visiting both places on this tour. I have always told people that India is hard to explain, the attraction people have to it, and its transformative ability on an individual. It is a place that most people dislike because of real life hardships that people witness in her. But I have always implored people to persevere with her grace because if you can get past all the things that push you out of your comfort zone, there is an underlying essence of spirit that is only found in India, but you need to give her time and be open to new experiences. Many believe this comes from thousands of years of people focused on the inner realm of spirituality that has led to many great sages and stories of enlightenment in India. On this tour I want to allow people to experience this living spirit that we feel when we are in the culture of India by following the footsteps of the masters. My experience of living in India for several years allows me to take you on an insider’s journey of India on this tour where you will come face to face with her archaic soul.” Jason Gregory is a spiritual philosopher, independent scholar, author, writer, public speaker, and teacher specializing in the fields of Eastern philosophy, Western esotericism, comparative religion, psychology, culture, and ancients civilizations. He is the author of the highly acclaimed Effortless Living, Fasting the Mind, Enlightenment Now, and The Science and Practice of Humility. Jason spends his time traveling, writing, and teaching around the world through his lectures and workshops centered on his work. His lectures and workshops are said to be one of the most insightful and inspirational events one can attend, as he reveals through his work that enlightenment is not an end goal that we are searching for, but instead a way of life which is an art of living. This understanding leads to the essence of his work that enlightenment evokes a humility which is a universal science. 2. ITINERARY Day 1 – Arrival to New Delhi (November 26, 2018) Arrival at Indira Gandhi International Airport. A representative of “One World Within Tours” company will welcome our guests at the Indira Gandhi International Airport and transport them to our hotel. After the check-in process at the hotel, our guests will have time to rest. In the evening we will have dinner and an organizing meeting with “One World Within Tours” company’s staff. Overnight stay at the hotel in New Delhi. Day 2 – Travel from New Delhi to Bodh Gaya (November 27, 2018) We will leave our hotel in New Delhi in the morning and we will fly to Patna, the capital city of Bihar. We will then travel by private bus from Patna airport to Bodh Gaya in the afternoon. Day 3 – Bodh Gaya (November 28, 2018) Bodh Gaya is considered one of the most sacred places on the planet. It is famously known as the place where Gautama the Buddha reached enlightenment under what became known as the Bodhi Tree. Over millennia temples and monasteries have been built around the famous Bodhi Tree. The Mahabodhi Temple and Bodhi Tree reside on the same site and is one of the most powerful places one could visit. It is a holy place for Buddhists, Hindus, and people who are not affiliated with no religion but class themselves as spiritual. On our first day in Bodh Gaya we will rise very early and meditate under the Bodhi Tree and spend a lot of time in the complex of the Mahabodhi Temple discussing its significance to the world. Day 4 – Bodh
