Awake in the World Podcast

During a public talk at the beginning of a six day retreat in Copenhagen, Michael talks on love, betrayal, commitment, the dry stage, and letting go. These talks are based on Norman Fischer's essay on the eight stages of relationship. Recorded in October, 2013.

Michael works with a koan called "This Buddha, That Buddha," in which he talks about how to stop. Our culture needs to stop. Michael compares calming practices and insight practices. Recorded on September 17, 2013.

Michael Stone gives a talk based on the koan "Oyster Swallows the Moon", exploring how we need to respect our hard shell, learn how to open, and practice simplicity. He also talks about consumerism and insomnia. Recorded on September 3, 2013 in Toronto.

In the Zen tradition, there is a saying, “Reaching the mystery is nothing but breaking through and grabbing an ordinary person’s life.” The mystical experience turns out to be this present moment. Part of a series of talks on the Buddha before Buddhism. Recorded at Centre of Gravity on June 23, 2013. Read note on the talk here: https://michaelstoneteaching.com/2013/06/23/buddha-before-buddhism-8-last-words/

Michael gives a talk on the ways mindfulness meditation can help with the spectrum of mental illness and also some signs to watch out for as practice deepens. Part of a series of talks on Shantideva’s Guide to a Bodhisattva’s Way of Life. Recorded at Centre of Gravity in Toronto on April 23, 2013

Michael Stone talks on the importance of relaxing your mind and how patience and relaxation give rise to enthusiasm. The talk is based on chapter 8 of Shantideva's Guide to a Bodhisattva's Way of Life. Ways of seeing your parents, how deep concentration arises through relaxation, and how to glide with breathing. Recorded at Centre of Gravity, Toronto on April 9, 2013.

Michael reads some core teachings of the Buddha that describe the limits of what we can know. How can we practice deeper than creating new beliefs? Recorded in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin on April 8, 2013.

The Buddha’s stance is anti-religious in a certain way. He uses what’s in religious practice to undo religious belief. The Buddha creates strategies, not dogmas. The more you go back into the old texts, the further away you get from religion. What we don’t need at this moment is another religion. Instead, perhaps we could engage a living tradition, and uncover the values of these practices. This means having a conversation with the past, while being rooted in the soil of present experience.

A talk about Zen and Intimacy with Poet and Zen teacher Peter Levitt. Peter visits Centre of Gravity in Toronto to talk about Dogen, Allen Ginsberg, and how we need to return to ourselves. Recorded on April 3, 2013.

Long-term practice requires patience more than discipline. Practice frustrates our results oriented mind. You need patience to stay with life for the long haul. The paradoxes of karma. Recorded on April 2, 2013.

It's harder to practice conditional love than unconditional love. Try loving one person for a very long time. In this podcast episode, Michael gives a talk on Shantideva. As kids, our parents are attuned to our needs. As adults, lovers can never meet us in the same attuned way. How do we deal with this? Recorded March 19, 2013.

Michael talks about the difference between mindfulness and being self-conscious, Shantideva's practices for exchanging your self with others, and suggestions for long-term practice. Recorded on March 12, 2013.

What should we do with our anger? Venting anger is one of the worst ways to cool down. Outbursts of rage typically pump up the emotional brain's arousal, leaving people feeling more angry, not less angry. Recorded on March 5, 2013.

Michael discusses Chapter 5 of the Shantideva and the way negative emotional mood swings cannot hold together for very long without thoughts. How we have to inject stories into our moods to keep them afloat; and the practices for transforming anger. Recorded on February 26, 2013.

Michael talks about the birth of his son Olin Winter a few days ago and then gives a series of simple and practical practices for working with strong emotions. Based on Chpt. 4 of Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life. Recorded Feb 19, 2013.