E31

STOP HAVING BABIES AND SAVE THE WORLD

In this episode of Enlightenment Today I explore what overpopulation is doing to the world and why our conscious choice to refrain from having children might be the most noble act of our time. The reason I wanted to address such a contentious topic is because recently we broke the record for Earth Overshoot Day. The new record stands at August 1 for 2018 and it’s not a record we should be proud of. If people aren’t going to stop their thirst for material objects then not having children is the only responsible choice.

Recommended Reading

https://www.overshootday.org/

E30

You Are Worthy

In this episode of Enlightenment Today I explore why we feel the need to be worthy and why it is wrong to feel worthless. Trying to feel worthy is common among all cultures and societies. We are all trying to prove our worth to others. We want to be accepted by others. We’ll do anything to feel as though we are needed by the world. We’ll continually chase our tail to try and be successful in the eyes of others. We’re essentially putting on an act for the world to try and establish our worth. But why do we feel the need to be someone else to please the world? Why are you not fine just the way you naturally are? The bigger question, is it normal to feel unworthy? So, basically what I’m going to address is why we feel the need to be worthy and is that attitude is even sane.

E28-thumbnail

An Accomplished Taoist

In this episode of Enlightenment Today you will learn what it means to be an accomplished Taoist. We often hear people say they follow the Tao, the Way. But what does it mean and are they truly a Taoist or are they just intuiting their experience according to their own biases and confusing it with flow? When we think of Taoism we have to revert back to the two great sages of Taoist philosophy: Lao-tzu and Chuang-tzu. The core of Taoism is a way of life focused on having healthy and sane people who are then capable of understanding and aligning with the spiritual core and order of the universe, the Tao. This in turn creates a healthy and sane world. By becoming an accomplished Taoist you will be immune to the inevitable perils you encounter in life.

 

Recommended Reading

Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy http://amzn.to/2EgVpTN

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

The Complete Works of Chuang Tzu http://amzn.to/2hFc1Kt

The Way of Chuang Tzu http://amzn.to/2z3VyGJ

I Ching http://amzn.to/2zWMSW7

Trying Not to Try http://amzn.to/2z6l0eU

Tao: The Watercourse Way http://amzn.to/2zZGn2N

Genuine Pretending http://amzn.to/2iDhF04

Awakening to the Tao https://amzn.to/2KdsSBc

E27

Lao-tzu on Desires

In this episode Enlightenment Today we will explore the desires of the eye and the desires of the belly that Lao-tzu mentions in the Tao Te Ching. The desires of the eye are the artificial needs created by society, which keep up chasing and hunting a life that is not ours and this in turn maddens our hearts, to use Lao-tzu’s words. These desires are insatiable and practically infinite. The desires of the belly are our basic needs, which are very simple. These desires of the belly are what nature gave you and they are quite modest needs. If our natural needs are quite modest than our starting off point to be a sane and healthy individual is oriented in the wrong direction. But if we reorient our lives towards the desires of the belly we will realize that human beings have a simple nature and are easily satisfied. We only mess with this simple nature when society creates artificial desires and as a result we want more than we naturally need.

 

Recommended Reading

Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy http://amzn.to/2EgVpTN

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

E26-thumbnail

The Eastern Science of Mind

In this episode of Enlightenment Today I will speak about the scientific model of mind in the East. This model is the psychological system of the East, especially in India, and it is likely the first scientific model of mind. In ancient India this model was used in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. It is an advanced model of mind to this day in the East. Understanding this model is the key to comprehending the nature of suffering and, as a result, is a surefire way to heal ourselves. This is why it is connected to the concept of samsara, the wheel of suffering.

 

Recommended Reading

The Art of Living: Vipassana Meditation http://amzn.to/2CSx8D5

The Yoga-Sutra of Patanjali http://amzn.to/2B5WSKR

E25-thumbnail

Affluence Kills Spirituality

In this episode of Enlightenment Today I explore why affluence destroys spirituality and the sense of unity with life and God. Many people wonder why the world is becoming increasingly secular. There are people leaving religion by the droves and more people are comfortable with being an atheist. As the world becomes more affluent, the less it appears that people need religion or any type of spiritual belief system. The more affluent people are the less they think of God, death, and other mystical matters. Why is this happening? And we need to ask whether it is a real problem or just the nature of cultural evolution?

 

Recommended Reading

Why Religion is Natural and Science is Not http://amzn.to/2E5X2mV

The Secret of Our Success http://amzn.to/2Cka8fW

E24

Guru

In this episode of Enlightenment Today I will explore the role of a guru, a spiritual teacher. You will discover who a guru is, why they are important, and also why in the modern world we have a nervous reaction when we hear the word.

 

Recommended Reading

Be as You Are http://amzn.to/2z1YML6

Autobiography of a Yogi http://amzn.to/2AEDhVk

I Am That http://amzn.to/2ysAR6c

White Fire http://amzn.to/2AFwdYv

Total Freedom http://amzn.to/2C6p001

Inner Engineering http://amzn.to/2ChbEyK

Shankara’s Crest Jewel of Discrimination http://amzn.to/2AFPoBH

E23 (2)

Yugas: The Cycles of Time

In this episode of Enlightenment Today you will learn about Hindu time system called the Yugas. The Yugas are a complex world-age doctrine of four ages. The Yugas map the cycles of change within the universe and consciousness. The Yugas build a solid framework for understanding how we experience time and eternity, and how they related to one another. You will find out in this episode what makes the Eastern view of time different to the Western view.

 

Recommended Reading

The Yugas http://amzn.to/2jziwze

The Holy Science http://amzn.to/2ByoTux

E22-flow-and-wuwei

Flow and Wu-wei

In this episode of Enlightenment Today you will learn about what a state of flow truly is and its original ancestor known in Chinese as wu-wei from ancient China, which is a concept at the heart of Taoism and martial arts. Flow is a term we use for an athlete, musician, writer, craftsman, or any artist when they appear to be in the zone. But our understanding of flow and how to induce it is at a novice level. You can tell this by how the word is loosely thrown around in popular culture. Most of us incorrectly think that this dimension of effortless skill and peak performance is a state of mind isolated to world-class performers. You need to eliminate this way of thinking and really absorb the information I am about to give you. This episode will give you the inside dope.

Recommended Reading

Flow http://amzn.to/2zhhYVm

The Complete Works of Chuang Tzu http://amzn.to/2hFc1Kt

Trying Not to Try http://amzn.to/2B8ouPx

Tao: The Watercourse Way http://amzn.to/2hNGB8x