Awake in the World Podcast: Recent Episodes
Michael Stone
Awake in the World Podcast is a library of talks on a wide-range of topics, including bringing mindfulness and meditation practice into daily life; personal and community issues regarding mental health; and social change. The podcasts were recorded at live events so you might hear coughing, airplanes, cars, sirens, laughter, and peoples’ questions—all part of the intimate experience. Michael Stone (1974-2017) was a Buddhist teacher, author, and mental health advocate. His legacy is stewarded by Carina Stone. Podcast funded by Patreon (patreon.com/michaelstone).
In this Awake in the World podcast, recorded during the afternoon practice session on New Year’s Eve 2009, Michael gives a few words of encouragement around “realizing the mystery” in the ordinariness of your life.Recorded December 31, 2009.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of Awake in the World podcast episode Michael relates the story of Daiju and Baso from the Gateless Gate (21) and explores the treasure of trusting yourself.Recorded on December 31, 2009.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Michael Stone explores the integration of yoga and Buddhism, and how we can live a life fully engaged with the suffering of the world while also taking care of ourselves.Recorded during a day-long workshop and fundraiser for New Leaf Foundation (newleaffoundation.com) at the University of Toronto in September 2010.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Michael explores the Buddha’s experience of absorption in the forest, and how he turned to the experience of pleasure in his body to stabilize during anxiety and dread. Recorded in Green Bay, WI, on March 27, 2017.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this episode, Zoketsu Norman Fischer and Shoken Michael Stone explore how the Dharma is taking root in Western culture and finding expression through mainstream media. Their conversation examines the ways Buddhist teachings are shaped by language, culture, and contemporary experience, raising questions about what it means to receive Buddhism in a radically different social and historical context. Together, they reflect on how the Dharma adapts to postmodern society and finding its place, as water finds its way through cracks, while remaining true to its essential spirit. Recorded in October 2014.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of episode of Awake in the World Michael gives advice and practical tips for dealing with some of the struggles that come up during sitting practice, such as sleepiness, rumination, or difficult emotions like anger. The Business of our mind can both humble and motivate us to practice and letting go of our viewpoint to engage in experience. Recorded on January 22, 2008.
In this episode Michael continues his discussion of The Five Powers of the Mind and offers some thoughts on tradition and yoga, the interpretation of the word faith, ethics, and the strong need for self-care. Recorded August 14, 2009.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of Awake in the World podcast episode Michael discusses Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras with an emphasis on The Five Powers of the Mind (outlined in the first pada, line 20). He touches on the fundamental teaching of Right speech and subtle forms of violence, and focussing on bringing new interpretation to old lessons while appreciating our surroundings and not getting caught up in the story of it all. Recorded August 14, 2009.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Michael talks about how our work should be energetic, industrious, diligent and skilful. We should live within our means and keep good company. When you really, really want something, you might ask: How central is this for becoming a good version of myself?Recorded at Centre of Gravity on March 1, 2014.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Michael unpacks teachings from the Buddhist tradition on how to make a living, and how to make ethical decisions around money in a financial world that revolves around extraction and exploitation. Recorded at Centre of Gravity on March 1, 2014.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of Awake in the World episode about the Heart Sutra, Michael explores how it functions to counter what John Cage calls “the authoritarian structures” of our minds, including the tendency to create “frames” and contract around our sense of separateness. Recorded on March 31, 2009.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Michael leads a 15 minute guided meditation class with the focus on grounding and bringing distractions back into the beginning of the inhale, relaxing the eyes, and feeling the sensations of breathing in the nostrils without visualizing the breath. Recorded January 17, 2017 in Victoria, B.C.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Michael gives a talk on the ways illness strengthens our heart. He guides us through simple breath techniques to start, then to expand into finer, granular insight for strong concentration as our meditation practice becomes long-term. He tells the story of how Dongshan was ready to die. He said goodbye to everyone. They wept and wept. Then he jumped out of the casket and gave them a teaching about loss. Recorded in Green Bay, Wisconsin. July 18, 2015.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Michael teaches the 2nd foundation of mindfulness and how all of our experiences comes down to pleasant and unpleasant feeling tone in the body and how important it is that we know how to feel the unpleasant. He also speaks about anger and how a heightened awareness in the middle of our original pain can free us. Meditation Facilitation Training, Vancouver, 1hr.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
followed by an equalizer graphic and the MST emblem]The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Dr. Corman's interdisciplinary scholarship draws on animal rights/liberation, post-humanist, feminist, critical race, labour and environmental theories and practices. Much of her graduate work focused on an analysis of Canadian and US slaughterhouses, with emphasis on the industrialized exploitation of pigs.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Awake in the World podcast Michael begins by stating that “this practice is a matter of life and death” and describes how yoga can help us see our patterns of conditioning, and help us to embrace both the light and the dark aspects of our lives.Recorded on January 23, 2007.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of Awake in the World episode Michael explores 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.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of Awake in the world episode Michael leads a thirty-minute guided meditation focuses on noticing and letting go of commentary. Recorded on November 4, 2008.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
in this Best of Awake in the World podcast episode based on a koan (Case Forty-five from the Gateless Gate) this talk explores the complex ways that we create a self and create an “other,” and how the two processes can be deeply intertwined. Recorded on October 12, 2008.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this “Best Of” episode, we revisit a powerful conversation where Michael breaks down the fundamentals of Jhana practice (the 4 stages of deep concentration). He explores the inner “maps” that guide absorption and offers insight into how practitioners can move into increasingly profound states. As stillness deepens, the familiar reference points we use to understand our lives begin to fall away, opening the door to a very different kind of awareness.Recorded on May 18, 2014 at the Kayagatasati Sutta during a workshop in Madison, Wisconsin.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of episode Michael explores the magic mantra that concludes the Heart Sutra, one of the most famous teachings in the Buddhist tradition. In this one-hour talk, he reflects on how this ancient mantra points to a profound shift in the way we meet our lives.Through stories, reflections, and practical insights, Michael discusses how the teachings of the Heart Sutra help us transform fear into openness, and how the practice of cultivating compassion can change the way we relate to ourselves and others. He also looks at the often overlooked power of not-knowing, the willingness to step beyond fixed ideas and meet experience with curiosity and humility.Along the way, Michael explains how mantras work, why they have been used for centuries as tools for awakening, and how the closing mantra of the Heart Sutra can serve as a reminder to keep moving beyond our limitations and into greater freedom.Recorded in London, England.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
On Silent Retreat Michael Stone explores the Zen koan “Why Can’t the Tail Pass Through” along with thoughts on hope, optimism, and despair. He describes “mindfulness as a political tool” and how we don't need a revolution, we need “embodied, moment-to-moment rebellion.” True North Insight, 45 min.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
which transforms Buddhist and yogic ethics into practical guidelines for aligning your actions with your values.If you’re interested in taking the full course, visit: https://edu-michaelstone.com/product/embodying-ethics-vows-in-modern-life/
which transforms Buddhist and yogic ethics into practical guidelines for aligning your actions with your values.àIf you’re interested in taking the full course, visit: https://edu-michaelstone.com/product/embodying-ethics-vows-in-modern-life/
which transforms Buddhist and yogic ethics into practical guidelines for aligning your actions with your values.If you’re interested in taking the full course, visit: https://edu-michaelstone.com/product/embodying-ethics-vows-in-modern-life/
episodes focused on The Five Ethics:• Ahimsa (Non-Violence)• Asteya (Non-Stealing)• Satya (Honesty)• Brahmacharya (Wise Use of Energy)• Aparigraha (Non-Greed)Join us to learn how these ethical principles can ground you in modern life.If you’re interested in taking the full course, visit: https://edu-michaelstone.com/product/embodying-ethics-vows-in-modern-life/
episodes focused on The Five Ethics:• Ahimsa (Non-Violence): I will do no harm, recognizing that I am connected to all living beings.• Satya (Honesty): I will speak the truth as I perceive it and not deceive anyone.• Asteya (Non-Stealing): I will be satisfied with what I have and only take what is freely given.• Brahmacharya (Wise Use of Energy): I will encounter all beings with respect and dignity.• Aparigraha (Non-Greed): I will use all the ingredients of my life and practice generosity.Join us to learn how these ethical principles can ground you in modern life.If you’re interested in taking the full course, visit: edu-michaelstone.com/product/embody…n-modern-life/
Vows in Modern Life, which weaves Buddhist and yogic ethical teachings into the rhythms of everyday living.Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing more excerpts and “Best of” episodes centered on the Five Ethics:• Satya (Truthfulness): Speaking honestly as we perceive it, without deception.• Asteya (Non-Stealing): Cultivating contentment and taking only what is freely given.• Brahmacharya (Wise Use of Energy): Meeting all beings with respect and dignity.• Aparigraha (Non-Greed): Living generously and working skillfully with all that life offers.Join us as we explore how these timeless principles can support and ground us in modern life.To learn more or enroll in the full course, visit:edu-michaelstone.com/product/embody…n-modern-life/
episodes focused on The Five Ethics:• Ahimsa (Non-Violence): I will do no harm, recognizing that I am connected to all living beings.• Satya (Honesty): I will speak the truth as I perceive it and not deceive anyone.• Asteya (Non-Stealing): I will be satisfied with what I have and only take what is freely given.• Brahmacharya (Wise Use of Energy): I will encounter all beings with respect and dignity.• Aparigraha (Non-Greed): I will use all the ingredients of my life and practice generosity.Join us to learn how these ethical principles can ground you in modern life.If you’re interested in taking the full course, visit: https://edu-michaelstone.com/product/embodying-ethics-vows-in-modern-life/
In this talk, Michael explores anatta (not-self) and emptiness as lived practices rather than abstract ideas. He shows how our thinking is often shaped by storytelling and emphasizes the role of sitting practice in moving beyond language to directly examine the mental habits that cloud understanding.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Using the metaphor of time travel, Michael explores the inner journey described by the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th limbs of yoga. Rather than traveling through years or lifetimes, this “time travel” moves inward, through memory, identity, awareness, and ultimately into stillness.In this talk, Michael offers a clear and grounded exploration of the self, the ego, and the subtle emptiness of the things we cling to for stability. He examines how personality is something we continuously construct, often in an attempt to create a sense of permanence in a world that is constantly changing. At the core of this construction is a quiet resistance to impermanence: a desire to fix what is, by nature, fluid.Through the lens of yogic philosophy, the conversation invites listeners to notice how attention, concentration, meditation, and absorption gradually loosen our grip on rigid identities. What emerges is not loss, but freedom, a deeper understanding that we don’t need to solidify ourselves in order to exist meaningfully. Instead, by learning to rest in change, we begin to experience time, self, and awareness in a completely different way. Recorded in Stockholm on September 9, 2016.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Michael invites the sangha to take a good look at the elephant in the room by sharing their habits, strong emotions, and patterns of reactivity while exploring the “Lookout Tower” and “Riding the Wave” practices. He makes a powerful connection between formal sitting meditation and everyday life, illustrating how what we practice on the cushion can help when things feel large and heavy. Michael also shares a personal story about navigating a month-long houseguest, setting boundaries, and doing his best to keep the balance-even when the situation starts to stampede.So what should we do with our anger? Trying to “let off steam” often turns out to be like stirring up a herd of elephants, it rarely calms things down. Explosive expressions of anger tend to increase emotional arousal, leaving us feeling more upset rather than relieved. Recorded March 5, 2013.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this podcast episode, Michael discusses the relationship in our daily lives between form and formlessness as it relates to creativity and karma. Wisdom is not separate from who we are. It’s like beads rolling on a tray: sudden, ready, uninhibited. Recorded in 2008.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of episode, Michael discusses the relationship between awareness and morality or mindfulness and ethics. When we are faced with the unprecedented and unrepeatable complexities of this moment, the question is not, “What is the right thing to do?” but “What is the compassionate thing to do?” This question can be approached with integrity but not with certainty. Recorded in 2011.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this 30-minute guided meditation, Michael explores how to work with thoughts during sitting practice, focusing on the breath in a way that reduces clinging, reduces rejection. The breath doesn’t decide good or bad: it is kind to our body, our nervous system, our habits. Recorded April 23, 2010
Water: A Collection of Poems by Michael Stone.Photo by Andréa de Keijzer.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Awake in the World podcast episode, Michael references the Middle-Length Discourses of the Buddha, reads a koan from The Book of Serenity, and explores how Buddhist practice is radically simple and relates to the whole of our lives.Recorded April 26, 2010.Photo by Andréa de Keijzer, New York CityThe Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this episode, Michael talks about Zen Case 55 from the Blue Cliff Record — “Tao Wu’s Condolence Call.” He weaves together insights from the Yoga Sutra, reflecting on fearlessness and the depth of human emotion. Michael discusses how an awakened person experiences a full spectrum of feelings without clinging to them, and how we can cultivate a balance between vibrant energy and steady calmness. Recorded at YogaSpirit in Berlin, Germany on October 20, 2016.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
A lively discussion on meditation and the Tibetan Lojong Practices for Training in Compassion. Portland, Oregon. Recorded on December 3, 2016.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Tibetan Buddhist Teachings for transforming what’s unpleasant, letting go of grasping, and the 3 treasures of awakening, reality and community. Portland, Oregon. Recorded on December 4, 2016.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Michael continues his month-long discussion about masks and how they shouldn't stick to your face. He gives the sangha some insight into the intrinsic and extrinsic nature of people and what motivates them to behave the way they do. Recorded Oct 11, 2010.
Michael tells the story of Angulimala, a murderer who met the Buddha and changed his ways though was still stoned to death. This teaching illustrates how we are never free of karma and that our conduct always shapes our lives. Recorded Sept 28, 2010.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Michael talks on another Dongshan where he asks his students if they can go to a place where there are no weeds. Michael’s commentary is that weeds are not the problem and that what we need to let go of is not “stuff” but our reactivity. Christine Centre, Wisconsin, 50 min.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Michael Begins with a reminder not to push through practice, but to relax in the present moment. Learn to let go of the expectations of what it means to be on retreat and join with this guided meditation (beginning at 21:00) from the 2009/2010 New Years Retreat, Recorded December 29, 2009.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Michael dedicates the final evening of this retreat to Alan Ginsberg, whos self-portraits and multi-fauceted expressions have inspired him. He touches on the psychology of always thinking about the dualism between the true self and the self as participants share their own "self-portraits," a six-line assignment given to them during the retreat. Recorded September 12, 2009The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Learning how to be present with an un-agitated heart. Meditation teaches us to be wiser with what’s difficult. Embodying our meditative practice by learning how to stop and see clearly. Meditation Facilitation Training, Vancouver, 1hr.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Michael offers a talk on the teachings of the insentient, how the snow and silence can hold hidden lessons. Can you give attention to the way the insentient teaches us? Recorded December 29, 2010.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Take a moment to notice where in your body this emotional state or mood is most present. What physical sensations let you know that you're experiencing this feeling? See if you can observe how the emotion shows up in your body—how it's expressed through sensation and physical experience. Recorded December 2017.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of Awake in the World epside Michael introduces Case 12 of the Mumonkon, "The Master". He ties waking up with social action and the teachings of the Burmese Monks who visited the evening prior. A funny and lively talk with practices you can use in your life. Recorded Oct 5, 2010.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of episode Michael describes how the Buddha met fear, mapping out how concentration practice unfolds, then offers a mind-opening view of rebirth and reincarnation. The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.Recorded in Wisconsin, March 26, 2017.
During a workshop in France, Michael teaches on the 3 characteristics — a teaching found in both the Yoga and Buddhist traditions. This talk is in both French and English. Recorded in Antibes, France, on October 26, 2013.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
A community talk at Tassajara Monastery with Michael Stone & Zen teacher Paul Haller. They each share some of their biography and field Q&A about practice. Paul shares from his 40 years of Zen practice. Recorded at the Tassajara Zen Mountain Monastery, California.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Nothing needs to be refused. Let the breath travel the body without picking up speed. The clouds of thought haul across the sky. Let them come and go. Let the breath move the way blood moves: let it find its own rhythm. Recorded 2017.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this thoughtful and powerful talk, Michael unpacks the transformative act of sharing the untold stories—the ones that challenge the status quo. He weaves together pressing global issues like climate change, economic disparity, and the erosion of human connection, offering 12 actionable steps toward crafting a new narrative of what it means to live with purpose and presence.Recorded live in Vancouver on January 28, 2015.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara talks about the Lotus Sutra and the parable of the burning house. Even in the world of the dharma we can get caught up with playthings and forget that we're living in a burning house. It looks like we’re living in a comfortable place, but half the world is starving. It can be hard to see the suffering that is all around us.Read the notes and transcription: https://michaelstoneteaching.com/2014/10/23/burning-house-betrayal-as-innovation-by-roshi-pat-enkyo-ohara/The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Michael teaches a one-day introduction to meditation workshop on how you can turn anything into a practice, even a bike lock. Sometimes awake, sometimes asleep; sometimes sun, sometimes moon. Recorded on May 14, 2011.
In this Best of episode, Michael explains how the meditation we need is the “initial application of attention,” then “sustained application” so that we cultivate a spacious field in which thoughts and sensations can come and go. Sometimes blessings are all over the place and we miss them. Toronto, Ontario. Recorded May 3, 2017.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Looking at early Pali texts, Michael tries to recover the original and fuller meaning of mindfulness from its current usage in the west. "Mindfulness establishes the presence of the object and thereby makes it available to scrutiny and discernment."Recorded at Centre of Gravity, Toronto. October 29, 2013.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of episode, Michael reflects on how more people seem to be afraid of uncertainty than they are of physical pain. If we do something about our own pain, we can connect with the pain of others. 50% of our practice should be inward and 50% in our environment. Recorded March 28, 2017 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this episode of Best of Awake in the World, While on silent retreat, Michael Stone reflects on the Zen koan "Oak Tree in the Garden," exploring meditation as a politics of love. He also shares a moving account of the Buddha’s final moments. Recorded at True North Insight, Ontario — April 19, 2014.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this insightful Best of Awake in the World episode, Michael delves into how the mind works, the benefits—and limitations—of meditation, and why it’s not always the right fit for everyone. He explores karma, the psychology of delayed gratification, and touches on topics like borderline personality. You’ll also learn the difference between meditative practices that help uncover repression versus those that build a resilient, integrated self. Recorded live at the Enso Foundation in Kelowna. Approx. 1 hour.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Michael begins with talking about finding simplicity in meditation practice; stepping back from the details of thinking to notice the subjective experience of awareness; and then he launches into a discussion about grieving and loss and how we can never get satisfaction when we make war on ourselves or others. He ends by talking about how loss is part of our experience of being a self and how when we reduce ourselves we rescue others. Recorded at Kushala, Port Moody, British Columbia. 1 hour.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Do you have a mind that can meet what’s unpleasant?In this deeply reflective talk from October 30, 2012, Michael Stone explores the inner tension that draws us to the path of practice. He weaves together insights from Carl Jung, the experience of boredom, the discipline of meditation and even a story from his Bar Mitzvah. With characteristic warmth and clarity, Michael invites us to consider how becoming a dharma student begins the moment we recognize the strain within ourselves—and our longing to understand it.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of Awake in the World episode, Michael Stone and Grant Hutchinson teach the ways yogic breathing returns the nervous system to "factory settings." Topics include ujjayii pranayama, the palette, the spine and viola pranayama. Pranayama is a practice of settling your attention on your breath. As attention becomes balanced, so too does the nervous system. Recorded on February 6, 2012.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
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.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of Awake in the World episode, we join Michael and Sanga on retreat at the Christine Center in Wisconsin. Michael shares a Zen story in which a teacher describes his teaching as “Just This Is It,” sparking a conversation about guilt, remorse, devotion, and the challenge of truly seeing oneself. Together, they explore what it means to find your true path.(Duration: 50 min) Recorded 2016The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of Awake in the World episode Michael begins teaching on the Two Darts and explains how physical and emotional pain are connected and how when we feel physical pain (first dart) it’s followed by a mental response (second dart). Then Michael teaches a guided meditation that people can do alone or as caregivers for people in pain. Workshop in Green Bay, Wisconsin. May 20, 2014.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Today’s Best of episode follows along with a talk from Michael recorded on the first day of a retreat back in February 2016 at Chapin Mill, New York. In this 50-minute session, Michael explores the practice of walking meditation and bowing, offering valuable tips on how to go deeper into your retreat experience. He shares insights on approaching anxiety with mindfulness and how you might uncover unexpected revelations when you explore your thoughts in practice—especially when the space for awareness begins to open up. The talk concludes with a beautiful description of Samadhi, and how concentration can serve as a protective force on our path.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Michael also reflects on the profound reality of human suffering, pointing out how the existence of prisons and the suffering within them calls into question the true freedom we experience. He shares the unsettling statistic that the USA has the highest per capita incarceration rate in the world and the growing trend of hospices being built within prisons. The conversation turns to the universal need for healing—whether physical, mental, or emotional. Michael asks, who among us doesn't have a loved one in need of healing? He calls attention to the collective healing we all need, from our anger and depression to the loss of joy, urging us to remember how to live fully while also noticing and critiquing the world around us. Recorded August 21, 2010 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this episode of Best of Awake in the World, Michael leads a 20-minute guided meditation focusing on mindfulness of thinking. This practice invites listeners to gently observe their thoughts without judgment or attachment. Perfect for those looking to enhance their meditation practice or find stillness in the midst of mental clutter, this episode serves as a powerful reminder to return to our “home base” of mindful awareness. Recorded in Vancouver 2016.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this episode of Best of Awake in the World, Michael lectures on the end of 2nd chapter of the Yoga-Sutra and then gets into a very precise mapping of what happens to the ego when you get into deeper states of calm and how to practice without dissociating. Recorded in Stockholm, September 8, 2016.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of Awake in the World, Michael explores how mind states are not inherently fixed; you can hold mind states lightly; moods are phenomena, not who you are, and; you can sculpt your attitude. This session is part of the Meditation Facilitation Program recorded in Vancouver, 2016.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of episode Michael explores how to become interested in how the mind functions rather than being caught in the content of our stories. Meditation is a physical practice and we use breathing to settle the mind and heart. 40 min. Recorded in Vancouver, 2016.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of episode Michael explores language and emotions in children and how this gets internalized in adults. How to meditate when we are thinking too much with a very clear talk on mindfulness practices for transforming overthinking and identification with thoughts. Recorded in Vancouver 2016, 55 min.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of episode Michael discusses the topics of loneliness, the power of focused attention, and the significance of small ideas that can connect and foster the creation of a new culture. Recorded at the Centre of Gravity in Toronto on December 3, 2013.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of episode Michael examines how even despite our progress in spiritual practice, there's often a sense that something is lacking. Perhaps nirvana involves facing challenges without resorting to defense mechanisms or succumbing to burnout. Michael also offers a sharp critique of the economic narratives that shape our lives. This talk was recorded on January 14, 2014 during the New Year's Silent Meditation Retreat at the Chapin Mill Retreat Center, Batavia, New York. Photo by Andréa de Keijzer.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
A talk by Michael on how even the best meditators have old wounds that need attention. He talks about how we need support for working with old patterns of our psychology that spiritual practices may not reach. Recorded Nov 09, 2010.Photo by Andréa de KeijzerThe Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
A talk by Michael on how even the best meditators have old wounds that need attention. He talks about how we need support for working with old patterns of our psychology that spiritual practices may not reach. Recorded Nov 09, 2010.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this special "Best of Awake in the World" episode, we explore why we struggle so much when all we really need to do is pause and truly see what's right in front of you? It's always in the present moment, in our breath, and in the space we give ourselves. While life's challenges may bring pain, heartache, or unmet needs, we always have what we need to practice. It’s simpler than we often think—it’s about cultivating an attitude of awareness. Join us as we reflect on how we can return to this mindset, especially after the complexities of daily life.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
A talk and group exercise for working with thorns when they begin to grow on the branches of our practice and in our lives. Recorded Nov. 2, 2010.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of Awake in the world episode, a public lecture about the effect of phones, the internet, and digital media on our minds and relationships. Michael offers very practical tools for managing our minds in an era of information overload. 1 hour. Copenhagen, November 23, 2015.Photo credit: Andréa de KeijzerThe Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of Awake in the world episode, Michael explores what it truly means to live a life of deep care and openness—how it’s not about needing a title or a badge, but about the genuine commitment to serve others. He reflects on the Bodhisattva spirit, the vow to offer ourselves in service, no matter the circumstances. This lecture is a heartfelt invitation to dedicate ourselves to the path of compassion, to spend our lives discovering how to make that vow come alive in the world. Recorded December 3, 2016 at The People's Yoga in Portland, Oregon.
In this Best of Awake in the World episode Michael speaks about bowing, forms of practice, gratitude, extending meditation beyond the cushion, and appreciating the practice of others during silent retreat. Recorded December 29, 2016 at Chapin Mill, New York.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of Awake in the World episode, Michael begins his teaching on concentration techniques by connecting attention with the body. He emphasizes understanding the expectations we place on ourselves and others, highlighting how attachment can lead to suffering and the importance of not allowing others to dictate our feelings. Ironically, the more one pursues enlightenment, the more elusive it can become. This session is part of the Meditation Facilitation Program in London and lasts for 50 minutes. Recorded December 2016.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of Awake in the World episode, Michael examines how to meet others who are in fear or anxiety, how to help anxious kids, how to validate the feelings of other people without exacerbating what’s going on for them, and how to develop concentration (jhana) practice. Wisconsin. Recorded March 26, 2017.
In this Best of Awake in the World episode, Michael explores practicing without an idea of gain, the Universal Self, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, the Buddha and Shunryu Suzuki. How can you blend your breath with the larger self? Moksha Westshore, B.C. Recorded February 18, 2017.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Michael examines the fragile nature of the self while questioning how our egos—rooted in fear and craving—can create barriers to true togetherness. Through mindful attention to the present moment, we can renounce the grasping that fills our perceived voids as we navigate the ethical landscape of community, and our moral responsibility to care for each other and the planet. Discover how embracing vulnerability can lead to a more connected existence and learn how to foster a sustainable future together. Recorded November 9, 2007The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this episode, Michael examines the struggle between our intentions and the distractions that often arise when we seek to make meaningful changes in our lives. Drawing on thought-provoking examples—from donning the robes of a monk only to be tempted by life's vices, to the allure of love that strikes when we least expect it—we reflect on how old habits resurface just when we’re ready to embrace transformation, and when we're bearing witness, we can really pay attention to what's actually happening free of our habits of ego desire and aversion. Recorded November 6, 2007.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Michael leads a 25-minute guided meditation class that begins with the beautiful chanting of the Ashtanga Yoga Prayer. This practice encourages you to bring your awareness inward, grounding your gaze as you settle into the rhythm of your breath. Ideal for practitioners of all levels, this meditation invites you to find your mat, relax, and let your gaze—and mind—settle into peace. Recorded November 5, 2007.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In the second half of our exploration into Chapter 4 of the Yoga Sutra, Michael illuminates the distinction between our transient experiences and the underlying pure awareness that observes them. By recognizing this separation consciousness can realign itself toward true freedom. This shift in understanding enables a deeper liberation, as we grasp that our essence is not bound by the ever-changing world but is rooted in a steady, unchanging awareness. Recorded March 09, 2007.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this episode, Michael investigates Chapter 4 of the Yoga Sutra, focusing on the concept of Samadhi, a state of meditative consciousness. Discover how Patanjali presents samadhi as both a process and a state that can arise through various avenues. Michael discusses how though integral to yoga, samadhi is not the ultimate goal but rather one of the eight interconnected limbs of the practice. Recorded March 09, 2007.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Michael teaches the distinction between pain and suffering and how everything is about healing. He explores the psychology behind these often intertwined experiences through the lens of one of the Buddha’s lesser-known teachings: The Two Darts. Michael begins by introducing this concept, offering a fresh perspective on how we can approach and manage the challenging mental and physical states that life throws our way. Recorded June 19, 2007The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In the second part of our dharma talk series, Michael builds upon our previous discussion on the Eight Limbs of Yoga and the Bhagavad Gita. Reflecting on how our actions and relationships influence our practice, he emphasizes the importance of addressing habitual patterns of thought and behaviour. Michael explores the challenge of recognizing our own suffering, or Dukha, and how our tendency to mask discontent can obscure our true state. Recorded January 23, 2007.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this episode, Michael explores how the 8 limbs of yoga and their connections to everyday life form a continuous circle rather than a straight line. He explains that the Yamas are not commandments, but suggestions for how to live wisely and how to avoid false categorizations.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this episode, Michael explores how our identities—shaped by body, gender, and culture—inform our worldview. He engages with experts and everyday thinkers to deepen our understanding of these complex topics, while also reflecting on how personal commitments and our own theories shape our perception of reality and ultimately, ourselves. Recorded December 7, 2007.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this episode, Michael explores the intersection of personal experience and spiritual practice. He discusses the Bhagavad Gita, focusing on Chapter 10, where Arjuna faces an inner conflict as he sees his own kin on the opposing side of the battlefield. This moment serves as a powerful metaphor for the paradoxes we encounter in life, grappling between the idealist and the shadow. Recorded March 10, 2006.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of Awake in the World episode on freedom and discipline, Michael explores how genuine freedom is achieved by peeling away the deeply ingrained habits of self-creation, such as striving, intellectualizing, clinging, and storytelling. By becoming aware of these tendencies, we can open up space for contentment, presence, and new possibilities. Recorded on June 11, 2008.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of Awake in the World episode Michael Starts off with a poem by Hafiz about haggling with God, he offers insights about ways to simplify and deepen practice, giving and receiving, renunciation, and ideas we need to let go of. Recorded on November 8, 2007.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In the final episode of our series on the core teachings of the Buddha, Michael reflects on how to face life's uncertainties without succumbing to fear. Drawing from the dying Buddha’s advice to his friend Ananda, Michael explores the importance of finding refuge within ourselves. Amidst the impermanence and fragility of life, the Buddha encourages Ananda to contemplate the body and mind with clarity, reminding him that all conditioned things eventually break down. Michael shares stories of students' sacrifices for the path, emphasizing the importance of trusting oneself and treading the path with care.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.Follow along with the Core Teachings of the Buddha playlist as we release new episodes: soundcloud.com/michaelstoneteaching/sets/core-teachings-of-the-buddha
In the seventh episode of our 8-part series, Michael explores the Buddha’s teachings on karma. Contrary to fate, karma is seen as the actions that define who we are. Drawing from key texts, Michael explains how karma is intertwined with our experience of interdependence. The Buddha emphasizes that our feelings, thoughts, and actions are shaped by conditions in the physical world, not by past lives or external fate. Clinging to these constructs causes suffering. Join us to uncover the profound implications of karma in our lives.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.Follow along with the Core Teachings of the Buddha playlist as we release new episodes: soundcloud.com/michaelstoneteaching/sets/core-teachings-of-the-buddha
In the sixth episode of our series, Michael explores how meditation can facilitate a gentle openness to life. Drawing from Allen Ginsberg’s translation of Basho’s poetry and the Buddha’s teachings on "Conditioned Arising" and "Consciousness," Michael delves into the interconnectedness of existence. According to the Buddha, even consciousness arises dependently, shaped by moment-to-moment conditions. Like a tree shedding its leaves, the mind can release its attachments to thoughts. Meditation acts as medicine, nurturing self-awareness and creating space for kindness towards ourselves. Join us to discover how meditation can help us connect intimately with ourselves and others.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.Follow along with the Core Teachings of the Buddha playlist as we release new episodes: soundcloud.com/michaelstoneteaching/sets/core-teachings-of-the-buddha
In the fifth episode of our series on the core teachings of the Buddha, Michael challenges common interpretations of nirvana and The Four Noble Truths. Drawing from "The Noble Quest" in the Majjhima Nikaya, Michael presents nirvana as something subtle and accessible within our lived experience, rather than a distant state to be attained through practice. The Buddha's awakening is portrayed as earthly and non-absolute, suggesting that nirvana is not a fixed destination but a continuous process. By literalizing religious concepts and grounding them in everyday life, the Buddha invites us to confront impermanence and let go of rigid identities.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.Follow along with the Core Teachings of the Buddha playlist as we release new episodes: https://soundcloud.com/michaelstoneteaching/sets/core-teachings-of-the-buddha
In the fourth episode of our series on the core teachings of the Buddha, Michael explores how to let go of rigid identities and ideologies. Drawing from Vedic culture and parables in the Majjhima Nikaya, Michael shows how to offer our concepts of self and separateness to the metaphorical fire. The Buddha teaches that our bodies and minds are interdependent and constantly changing. By letting go of fixed identities, we can embrace the present moment and the deeper truths of the Buddha’s teachings.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.Follow along with the Core Teachings of the Buddha playlist as we release new episodes: https://soundcloud.com/michaelstoneteaching/sets/core-teachings-of-the-buddha
In this third episode in the eight-part series, Michael explores the Buddha's teachings on transforming pain and uncovering truth. By exploring the parable of The City in the Samyutta Nikaya, Michael examines the Eightfold Path and the Four Noble Truths, emphasizing the importance of responding to suffering and dissatisfaction in our time.
In this second episode on the core teachings of the Buddha, Michael delves into the Buddha’s Middle Way. Without absolute truths or a single path, how do we navigate life? Michael highlights the human aspect of the Buddha's teachings, suggesting that practice is about compassionate engagement with the present rather than seeking enlightenment. By demythologizing the Buddha’s teachings and focusing on lived experiences, this talk offers a fresh perspective for modern practitioners.
In this first episode of an eight-part series, Michael explores the teachings of the Buddha before the rise of Buddhism as a religion. How was the world created? Is there a soul? Are the body and mind separate? These timeless questions, pondered by the Buddha, are examined against a backdrop of strict class systems, rigid religious beliefs, and gender inequality. Like Lao Tzu and Socrates, the Buddha sought ways for all people to find liberation. Michael delves into often-misunderstood Sanskrit terms, the origins of the Pali language, and insights from The Nikayas, a lesser-known Buddhist text.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of Awake in the World episode Michael leads a 20 minute guided meditation on Mindfulness of the breathing body in the abdomen to settle thoughts. Recorded 2017.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
This final episode of the unearthed Lotus Sutra podcast episodes, Michael discusses how the deepest practice a bodhisattva can ever do is to listen deeply and how the deepest thing we can ever experience is having a change of heart. This talk was recorded at Centre of Gravity's last evening at the Bellwoods location, July 12, 2011.The entire 2011 Lotus Sutra collection can be found on a nearly complete playlist here: soundcloud.com/michaelstoneteaching/sets/lotus-sutraThe Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
As we wrap up the newly located additions to the Awake in the World Lotus Sutra podcast episodes, Michael shares a discussion about contemplating someone in your life who you have a hard time seeing as a Buddha. Buddha Nature is your imagination and the way you can re-see people who have wounded you. Recorded June 28, 2011.Episodes of the 2011 Lotus Sutra collection will be added (as we uncover them) to a playlist here: soundcloud.com/michaelstoneteaching/sets/lotus-sutraThe Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Awake in the World podcast episode, Michael shares a story of never disparaging Buddha and Mark Ragosian who lived in Woodstock New York. There is nowhere you can stand that is not a place the Buddha hasn't practiced. The Buddha was enlightened right where you are standing. If you can see others as a Buddha you are a Buddha—even animals and trees. Recorded June 28, 2011.While some of the audio podcast episodes may be lost, you can read transcripts and notes from the talks in the text section of the community library. You can find the missing Lotus Sutra Part 18 in transcription here: https://michaelstoneteaching.com/lotus-sutra-18-situational-ethics/The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Awake in the World podcast episode, Grant Hutchinson and Carina Stone give a talk on Chapter 15 and 16 of the Lotus Sutra based on their study group. Seeing what is actually in our lives, not just what we want to see. If your kids won't take medicine how do you give it to them? Recorded June 21, 2011.Episodes of the 2011 Lotus Sutra collection will be added (as we uncover them) to a playlist here: soundcloud.com/michaelstoneteaching/sets/lotus-sutraThe Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Awake in the World podcast episode, Mike Holboom and Christine Koch give talks on Chapter 15 of the Lotus Sutra. One day I can have such a killer exhale that I end as a puddle of bones on the floor and time passes instantly. Recorded June 14, 2011.Episodes of the 2011 Lotus Sutra collection will be added (as we uncover them) to a playlist here: soundcloud.com/michaelstoneteaching/sets/lotus-sutraThe Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Awake in the World podcast episode, Michael unpacks some parables to explore the story of an 8 year old girl who wakes up and touches every place in the Universe. There is no such thing as an atom. Everyone continually breaks down infinitely. How fast can a young woman get enlightened, especially if she is underwater? Recorded June 7, 2011.Episodes of the 2011 Lotus Sutra collection will be added, as we uncover them, to a playlist here: soundcloud.com/michaelstoneteaching/sets/lotus-sutraWhile some of the audio podcast episodes may be lost, you can read transcripts and notes from the talks in the text section of the community library.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Awake in the World podcast episode, Michael talks about fear, community and how it grows. He shares a poem by Leonard Cohen and then he reads his own poem about his mother. Recorded May 31, 2011.As we uncover some of the long-lost episodes of the 2011 Lotus Sutra collection we’ll be adding podcast episodes as they go up to a playlist here: soundcloud.com/michaelstoneteaching/sets/lotus-sutraWhile some of the audio podcast episodes may be lost, you can read transcripts and notes from the talks in the text section of the community library.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Michael talks about people who can rub our back and say "it's ok" and everything they do is jewelled. Recorded May 24, 2011.As we uncover some of the long-lost episodes of the 2011 Lotus Sutra collection we’ll be adding podcast episodes as they go up to a playlist here: soundcloud.com/michaelstoneteaching/sets/lotus-sutraWhile some of the audio podcast episodes may be lost, you can read transcripts and notes from the talks in the text section of the community library.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this recently found Lotus Sutra podcast episode, Michael shares a story about a man who falls asleep at a party and someone sews a jewel in his coat. Some have done this for you too. Can you realize your treasures? Recorded May 17, 2011.As we uncover some of the long-lost episodes of the 2011 Lotus Sutra collection we’ll be adding podcast episodes as they go up to a playlist here: soundcloud.com/michaelstoneteaching/sets/lotus-sutraWhile some of the audio podcast episodes may be lost, you can read transcripts and notes from the talks in the text section of the community library. The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of Awake in the World podcast episode Michael talks about Milton Friedman, Emmanuel Levinas, and how when we don't see another's face, face to face, it's easy to kill. This talk happens after Osama Bin Laden's death and the Canadian election. It goes back and forth between internal practices and community life.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Michael talks about the precepts ceremony, the illusion of time, decay, and the way we set up goals for ourselves, like phantom cities, only to be shocked when we realize that they're not as real as we once thought. How do we respond when we realize that our goals are actually ideas, phantom cities, that are helpful, but ultimately unreliable. Recorded April 26, 2011.As we unearth some of these long-lost episodes of the 2011 Lotus Sutra collection we’ll be adding podcast episodes as they go up to playlist here: soundcloud.com/michaelstoneteaching/sets/lotus-sutraThe Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of Awake in the World podcast episode Michael asks some important questions. How many kalpas, ages, eons, did the Buddha sit still before he could wake up? Why did it take so long? It takes a while for the light to shine into the darkest places. What is our relationship to time? Recorded on April 12, 2011.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of Awake in the World podcast episode Michael uses the parable of a son who leaves his father and 50 years later the father finds ways of healing the son's low self-esteem. You don't have to be good or walk on your knees for a hundred miles, just love what you love. Recorded at Centre of Gravity, Toronto, on April 5 2011.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this Best of Awake in the World podcast episode Michael begins by discussing death and Japan's earthquake. Using the image of the burning house and a father trying to save his children, he teaches how we need to leave our burning houses on our own steam, nobody can do it for us. The father in the parable, like the Buddha, uses skillful means to teach a path of freedom. And, is it ok to lie to uphold compassion? Recorded on March 29, 2011.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
This Best of Awake in the World podcast episode is a Question and answer period with Michael after Lotus Sutra, Part 4 talk. None of the teachings are true! Even the ones about your own life. Part 2 of 2. Recorded on March 22, 2011.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Michael talks about Fukushima, Japan, and Libya in this Best of Awake in the World podcast, and how lucky we are to practice in a place that is safe. How Mahayana Buddhism developed after the death of the Buddha with an emphasis on serving others and putting off personal enlightenment to serve the world. The talk ends with a moving story about a high school student rubbing the back of an elderly man at an evacuation centre in Japan. Part 1 of 2. Recorded on March 22, 2011.
In this Best of Awake in the World podcast episode, Michael teaches that it's not enough that our intentions are clear, our actions need to make a difference. Being a Bodhisattva means serving all beings including one's self, yet this can only occur when we see all beings as Buddhas. Recorded on March 16, 2011.As we unearth some of the long-lost episodes of the 2011 Lotus Sutra collection we’ll be adding podcast episodes as they go up to playlist here: https://soundcloud.com/michaelstoneteaching/sets/lotus-sutraThe Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
Guess what? After a deep-dive into our archives, we've unearthed some hidden gems! Most of the long-lost episodes of the 2011 Lotus Sutra collection are now found.In this Awake in the World podcast episode, Michael introduces the first section of the Lotus Sutra where the Buddha casts a light from the centre of his eyebrows and wakes up 18,000 worlds. Is this a reminder that the light of the awakening goes everywhere, leaving nothing out. Maybe we can put off enlightenment in order to serve others. Recorded March 8, 2011.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
As we approach the end of the year We will be sharing talks from Michael’s New Year’s Silent Retreats. In this episode, Michael offers an introduction to the five day silent New Year's Retreat. Michael talks about what can show up on retreat, and Dogen’s idea of the Way Seeking Heart. Recorded December 28, 2010.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
We will be sharing talks from Michael’s New Year’s Silent Retreats as we approach the end of the year. In this episode, Michael gives a talk on depression, mental health, the negativity bias in the brain, and how we can have reverence for every moment of our lives. He talks about the Dalai Lama, photographer Nan Goldin, neuroscientist Rick Hanson, Yun-Men, and how to find your light. New Year's Silent Meditation Retreat 2014-15 at Chapin Mill in Upstate New York. Photo by Andréa de Keijzer.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
As we approach the end of the year we will be sharing talks from Michael’s New Year’s Silent Retreats. In this episode, Michael gives a talk on Dogen and how to practice meditation without memory and imagination. Learn to step back and turn your light inwards. Living in your small grass hut, covered in weeds. This podcast episode is from our archive and was recorded on Dec 30, 2012.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this talk, Michael summarizes his teachings and introduces a key passage on dealing with obstacles to practice from the Yoga-Sutra of Patanjali.These talks are part of a series on the psychology of yoga and Buddhism and were recorded in front of a small group in Toronto in 2015. Michael used a large whiteboard to draw diagrams and define terms. The lectures are based on Chapters 8, 9, and 19 in his book The Inner Tradition of Yoga.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this talk, Michael explains the last two steps of the SAIN method and reintroduces the 3 Characteristics as part of the process of investigation and non- identification.These talks are part of a series on the psychology of yoga and Buddhism and were recorded in front of a small group in Toronto in 2015. Michael used a large whiteboard to draw diagrams and define terms. The lectures are based on Chapters 8, 9, and 19 in his book The Inner Tradition of Yoga.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this talk, Michael introduces the acronym SAIN as a method for applying mindfulness techniques to our daily lives in order to help free us from our addictive and unskillful behaviour.These talks are part of a series on the psychology of yoga and Buddhism and were recorded in front of a small group in Toronto in 2015. Michael used a large whiteboard to draw diagrams and define terms. The lectures are based on Chapters 8, 9, and 19 in his book The Inner Tradition of Yoga.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this talk, Michael shares a video of Richie Davidson presenting his research on addiction, adolescence and delaying gratification to the Dalai Lama.These talks are part of a series on the psychology of yoga and Buddhism and were recorded in front of a small group in Toronto in 2015. Michael used a large whiteboard to draw diagrams and define terms. The lectures are based on Chapters 8, 9, and 19 in his book The Inner Tradition of Yoga.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this talk, Michael focuses on samskaras or the psychological grooves formed of habituated behaviour, how those contribute to addiction and how spiritual practice can free us from both.These talks are part of a series on the psychology of yoga and Buddhism and were recorded in front of a small group in Toronto in 2015. Michael used a large whiteboard to draw diagrams and define terms. The lectures are based on Chapters 8, 9, and 19 in his book The Inner Tradition of Yoga.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
This week Michael focuses on the cycle of samsara as a model to understand the psychology of human experience, relationship and behaviour.These talks are part of a series on the psychology of yoga and Buddhism and were recorded in front of a small group in Toronto in 2015. Michael used a large whiteboard to draw diagrams and define terms. The lectures are based on Chapters 8, 9, and 19 in his book The Inner Tradition of Yoga.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this talk, Michael focuses on the cycle of samsara as a model to understand the psychology of human experience, relationship and behaviour.These talks are part of a series on the psychology of yoga and Buddhism and were recorded in front of a small group in Toronto in 2015. Michael used a large whiteboard to draw diagrams and define terms. The lectures are based on Chapters 8, 9, and 19 in his book The Inner Tradition of Yoga.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this talk, Michael continues to explore the Buddhist and Yogic perceptions of consciousness as well as how the mind and senses function to form a sense of self.These talks are part of a series on the psychology of yoga and Buddhism and were recorded in front of a small group in Toronto in 2015. Michael used a large whiteboard to draw diagrams anddefine terms. The lectures are based on Chapters 8, 9, and 19 in his book The Inner Tradition of Yoga.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this talk, Michael explores the Buddhist and Yogic perceptions of consciousness as well as how the mind and senses function to form a sense of self.These talks are part of a series on the psychology of yoga and Buddhism and were recorded in front of a small group in Toronto in 2015. Michael used a large whiteboard to draw diagrams and define terms. The lectures are based on Chapters 8, 9, and 19 in his book The Inner Tradition of Yoga.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this talk Michael continues to present his approach to spiritual practice with grounded psychological insight into key practices of both the yogic and Buddhist traditions.These talks are part of a series on the psychology of yoga and Buddhism and were recorded in front of a small group in Toronto in 2015. Michael used a large whiteboard to draw diagrams and define terms. The lectures are based on Chapters 8, 9, and 19 in his book The Inner Tradition of Yoga.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
In this talk Michael presents his approach to spiritual practice with grounded psychological insight into key practices of both the yogic and Buddhist traditions.These talks are part of a series on the psychology of yoga and Buddhism and were recorded in front of a small group in Toronto in 2015. Michael used a large whiteboard to draw diagrams and define terms. The lectures are based on Chapters 8, 9, and 19 in his book The Inner Tradition of Yoga.The Awake in the World podcast is brought to you by the generosity of our amazing Patreon supporters, making it possible for us to keep Michael's archive of teachings available to the public. To become a patron, visit: patreon.com/michaelstone.
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. In this talk, Michael argues that yoga and mindfulness are best practiced via the body versus striving for the attainment of philosophical or intellectual concepts. He encourages trusting that the body is the natural world and listening with the heart, so that “knowing” or too much technique don’t become obstacles to intimacy. Recorded on May 16, 2008.
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. In this talk, Michael considers the final lines of the first pada of the Yoga Sutra through the lens of a Buddhist koan: Case 62 of the Book of Serenity. Recorded on May 25, 2010.
Michael gives a talk about the importance of form, and the importance of not becoming caught by form, and how this insight expands out to allow spontaneity, creativity, and freedom to be whatever you need to be moment by moment. Recording date unknown.
In this talk on awareness, Michael uses the metaphor of a nest to describe our accumulation of narratives, memories and viewpoints, and argues that non-attachment (vairagya) is crucial and “viewpoint interruption” is a practice in itself. Recorded on September 29, 2009.
Michael leads a thirty-minute meditation focusing on the finer points of the posture (form), and explains how physiological details and psychological states affect one another. Recorded on September 26, 2009.
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. In this talk, Michael highlights the hindrances to practice described in line 30 of the Yoga Sutras and then offers some techniques to work with them. Recorded on February 9, 2010.
In this talk on the Third Foundation of Mindfulness (from the Satipatthana Sutta), Michael covers the kleshas, karma and learning to discern skilful versus unskilful mind states. Recorded on September 25, 2009.
Michael gives a talk about the Buddha’s “Fire Sermon,” and connects it to practice, being in relationship, and the cultivation of generosity, creativity and loving action. Recorded on September 22, 2010.
In this talk Michael covers part of the Ariyapasasana Sutta (the Buddha’s own account of his awakening), the difference between Patanjali’s definition of yoga and the Buddha’s Second Truth, recognizing and working with (or against) the momentum of culture, and navigating our relationship with our ego/storyteller. Recorded on September 16, 2008.
Michael argues that “yoga citta vritti nirodha” can be interpreted as “the ending of our misidentification with the movement of consciousness” and that our attempts to ground or reify our self-identity lead to dissatisfaction and anxiety. Recorded on September 15, 2009.
Using a Haiku by Basho as a jumping off point, Michael continues his exploration of Dogen’s essay The Time Being. Recorded on September 13, 2009.
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. Michael uses an old Zen tale, a troubled story about him falling in love with his wife, and quotes from Shunryu Suzuki, to describe the practice of not-knowing and not holding onto anything. He ends with a very interesting and subtle meditation instruction on breathing. Chapin Mill, New York. Recorded December 31, 2016.
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. Michael explores the sensitive topic of knowing when to pull out of relationships, kindness to one’s self, emptiness, love, and a story about appreciating that you and others are divine. Chapin Mill, New York. Recorded December 30, 2016.
Michael talks about dukkha, self-care, and activism. He also describes several kinds of burnout and some methods to prevent being afflicted by them. Recorded on September 12, 2010.
Starting with Dogen’s Self-Portrait, Michael explores different ways of viewing self-hood and argues for a “useful” doubt in respect to the self (not the kind that leads to indecision, but the kind that opens us up to new possibilities). Recorded on September 12, 2009.
In this talk Michael unpacks Dogen’s essay on The Time Being and argues that an unhealthy relationship with time can be one of our biggest discontents. Recorded on September 11, 2009.
Micheal explores the difficulty of being immersed in a culture of desire, our tendency to want to be something other than what we are, and our notion that practice is going to get us somewhere. Recorded on September 9, 2008.
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. Michael explains how we can cultivate a field in which anxiety can arise and change, surrounded by spaciousness. We have forces of good inside us, we aren't fated to live out our history, and we are loveable just as we are. Recorded in London.
In this talk on the Yoga Sutra Michael highlights the fluctuations of consciousness, kaivalya, and four kinds of nirodha. Recorded on September 7, 2009.
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. How to not leave your body, even when it feels untrustworthy. We can always turn to the body in pain, grief, and even in altered states of consciousness. Anxiety, compassion, and equanimity always play out in your body. Victoria, B.C. Recorded January 19, 2017.
This talk explores Bernie Glassman’s guiding principles for taking practice into daily life: not knowing, bearing witness and taking loving action. Recorded on September 6, 2008.
Michael guides a meditation on the breath, with an emphasis on letting go of grasping. Recorded on September 28, 2007.
In this talk Michael describes ujjayi breathing as a meditative practice, explains that the goal of yoga is not samadhi, and argues that “realization” automatically cycles back to the yamas—and demands action in response to suffering in the world. Recorded on September 27, 2007.
Michael speaks about the eight limbs of Ashtanga and how to practice them. He argues for the importance of a sitting practice as well as asana. (Unfortunately the last half of this talk failed to record, so it ends abruptly). Recorded on September 25, 2007.
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. Michael Stone gives a talk during the ethics course about the precept of Aparigraha, and using our imagination. Recorded at Centre of Gravity, Toronto, on March 17, 2011.
In this talk inspired by “bowing to reality,” Michael covers impermanence, story-telling and his view of the three most common ways we try to deal with our dukkha. Recorded on September 21, 2007.
Michael talks about Patanjali, subject/object duality, and the meaning of nirodha. Recorded on September 29, 2007.
A twenty-minute guided meditation on breath-centered mindfulness. Recorded on October 31, 2009.
In this guided mindfulness-of-the-body practice Michael focuses on feeling the ground, the breath, the support of the posture and a sense of buoyancy within stability. Recorded on October 30, 2009.
Michael explains Patanjali’s take on subduing the causes of suffering in their gross and subtle forms (Pada 2, 10-12) and how this differs from our modern psychological viewpoint. Recorded on October 28, 2008.
Based on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra (1.19) and a poem by Gary Snyder Michael talks about death, self-concept, rebirth versus reincarnation, karma, abhinivesa and “aiming for the gap.” Recorded on October 27, 2009.
Michael talks about applying a lens of Western Psychology to Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra and the Dharma, and how these different thought-systems can compliment and converse with one another. At the same time we must remain aware that this process is a reinterpretation and superimposition. He uses lines 1.17 and 1.18 of the Yoga Sutra as an example of a place where old and new ways of thinking about the mind can be explored from multiple perspectives. Recorded on October 20, 2009.
Based on a koan (Case Forty-five from the Gateless Gate) this talk delves into the complex ways that we create a self and create an “other,” and how the two processes can be deeply intertwined. Recorded on October 12, 2008.
Michael explores the line from the Rig-Veda that he chose as the epigraph to The Inner Tradition of Yoga. (The recording is cut short, but we thought it was still worth a listen.) Recorded on October 9, 2008.
Beginning with a quote from Gary Snyder, Michael teaches about non-reactivity, letting go of clinging and how awareness is revealed through practice. Recorded on October 6, 2009.
Michael leads a thirty-minute guided meditation on mindfulness of breathing. Recorded on October 6, 2008.
In this talk Michael describes how practice helps us become conscious of our viewpoints and can show us where we are caught. He argues that we’re waking up from restricted, self-centered views as opposed to awakening to an elusive something other-than-this somewhere other-than-here. Recorded on October 5, 2008.
In this talk about the first pada of the Yoga Sutra (line 20), Michael considers the relationship between faith (sraddha) and doubt, as well as the importance of enthusiasm (virya), mindfulness (smrti), samadhi and wisdom (prajna) to the project of reducing our suffering. Recorded on November 17, 2009.
Michael gives a talk on silence, impermanence, the nature of mind and love. Recorded on November 17, 2009.
Michael describes sitting practice as a place where we can work with our aversion, anger and blame, and where we can “prune the dead ends” of our habitual thought patterns. (Unfortunately, the recording ends abruptly, but we still felt it was worth sharing). Recorded November 5, 2008.Content Warning: Michael shares a story about homophobia and violence.
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. Michael details fear, dissociation, and shame, and how they impact the body, mind, and relationships. Very clear talk about the strategies we use to protect ourselves and create recognizable symptoms. Michael ends with a story about generational trauma. Meditation Facilitation Program, London. Recorded on July 30, 2016.Listen to Part 2, Healing Trauma Through the Body: bit.ly/2kke4WB
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. 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 begins this podcast with a quote from Marcel Proust about the path to wisdom being “a journey through the wilderness which no one else can make for us, which no one can spare us.” Michael compares yoga asana to a journey through the wilderness of the body–our “zones of preferences,” and the eight limbs of yoga as pointers to integrate our experiences while we’re on this path. Recorded on November 6, 2007.
In this talk on the first few lines of the Yoga Sutras Michael explains that the present moment is the teacher. He argues that the “chitta vrittis” are sacred and not meant to be eliminated, but rather it’s our relationship with them that requires insight and work. Recorded on November 25, 2007.
In this short talk Michael describes non-harming (ahimsa) as the natural response to understanding interdependence, and states that yoga must become a form of ecological and social awareness—otherwise it’s not helpful. Recorded on November 24, 2007.
This wide-ranging talk, delivered in Vienna (2007), covers the internal, psychological and potentially transformative aspects of Ashtanga practice. Touching on Freud, the yamas, karma, interdependence and impermanence Michael argues for a yoga of relationship, creativity and change. Recorded on November 23, 2007.
In this 2008 talk on the nature of the self Michael considers a framework of “four selves,” the Buddha’s teachings on not-self, and Hakuin’s assertion that, with practice, the self becomes wisdom and compassion–as spontaneous as “beads rolling on a tray: sudden, ready, uninhibited.” Recorded on November 8, 2008.
In this talk Michael covers our tendency to compose narratives that create a separate self (and then judge it), and a paradox: we have to take care of ourselves in order to forget ourselves. Recorded on November 16, 2009.
Michael leads a thirty-minute meditation mainly focused on feeling the body. Recorded on November 16, 2009.
Michael explains ahimsa, the importance of attention, the role of asana, and the meaning of samadhi. (The talk ends abruptly. We suspect the recorder ran out of battery). Recorded on November 16, 2007.
Michael gave this talk in France in 2007. He presents yoga as a practice of intimacy and argues that its goal is compassion and relationship rather than unity. Recorded on November 16, 2007.
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. How to meet others who are in fear or anxiety, how to help anxious kids, how to validate the feelings of other people without exacerbating what’s going on for them, and how to develop concentration (jhana) practice. Wisconsin. Recorded March 26, 2017.
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. 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.
In this Remembrance Day talk Michael considers the relationship of stillness and action, bearing witness, non-violence and letting go of “why?”. Recorded on November 11, 2008.
In this podcast episode, Michael discusses how mindfulness applies to situational ethics, exploring in practical detail the two wings of the practice: calming (samatha) and insight (vipassana). This lecture was part of an older version of Michael's online course, Embodying Ethics & Vows in Modern Life (recorded in 2015).
In November 10th, 2009 Michael hosted a poetry reading night and invited author, Sarah Selecky, and poet, Erin Robinsong, to choose and read poems that highlight the importance of art to spiritual practice. He opened the evening by talking about the profound ways that language can either keep us stuck in a false representation of the world or open us up to new possibilities. Recorded on November 10, 2009.
In this guided meditation practice Michael provides suggestions for cultivating equanimity and radical acceptance. The instructions last approximately fifteen minutes, followed by fifteen minutes of silence before the bell. Recorded on November 10, 2008.
In the face of our global environmental crisis Michael argues that it’s not enough to only work with our individual greed, anger and delusion–we must create a culture of awakening that integrates individual practice, a cultural recognition of interdependence (deep ecology), and collective, ethical action. Recorded on November 9, 2007.
Starting with a poem by Hafiz about haggling with God, Michael offers insights about ways to simplify and deepen practice, giving and receiving, renunciation, and ideas we need to let go of. Recorded on November 8, 2007.
In this talk Michael covers balancing form and creativity in practice, the trouble with ideas of purity and accomplishment, and how the five koshas might be applied within asana practice. Recorded on November 6, 2008.
This thirty-minute guided meditation focuses on noticing and letting go of commentary. Recorded on November 4, 2008.
This talk, given to a group of clinicians, begins with a meditation practice (ending at 12:07). What follows is a wide-ranging discussion about mindfulness techniques, their origin in the Satipatthana Sutta, and participants’ experiences and insights. The talk ends with a brief meditation on sound led by Michael.
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. 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.
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. Michael integrates a discussion of spiritual bypassing (using practice to avoid dealing with painful feelings and unresolved emotional habits) with a teaching on using labeling to let go of ruminating thoughts and overthinking. Victoria, B.C. Recorded January 22, 2017.
In this talk Michael explores anatta (not-self) and emptiness as strategies versus “things.”He argues that sitting practice is required to get beyond language and investigate the habits of mind that obscure our understanding. Recorded on May 28, 2008.
Michael considers the final lines of the first pada of the Yoga Sutra through the lens of a Buddhist koan: Case 62 of the Book of Serenity. Recorded on May 25, 2010.
In this talk Michael looks at the five kleshas and their corresponding cultural samskaras through the practice of working with a koan–an exercise in not knowing. He also describes Bernie Glassman and Grover Gauntt’s street retreats and their three guiding principles: bearing witness, not knowing and taking loving action. Recorded on May 18, 2010.
This meandering talk starts with a story about “Entering the Way” and flows around asana practice, pranayama, the role of a teacher, the five kleshas and the importance of healthy doubt (the kind that comes with faith). Recorded on May 18, 2008.
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
In this talk (on the first lines of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra) Michael explores the mistakes we make as we try to ground ourselves and construct identities based on stories, desires and fears. Recorded on May 17, 2008.
In this talk Michael argues that yoga and mindfulness are best practiced via the body versus striving for the attainment of philosophical or intellectual concepts. He encourages trusting that the body is the natural world and listening with the heart, so that “knowing” or too much technique don’t become obstacles to intimacy. Recorded on May 16, 2008.
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. Michael interviews Pat Smith, physician and abortion provider, on the precept of non-harming. Michael and Pat discuss ethics versus political ideologies, the relationships between how we are in the world, our belief system, and our values, and the influences of formal meditation.
Michael explores the line in the Heart Sutra: “With no hindrance in the mind. No hindrance therefore no fear.” He covers the three “traditional” hindrances: karma, the kleshas and anaya, and talks about creativity, groundlessness and the importance of community. Recorded on May 5, 2009.
In this talk about the Heart Sutra Michael explains how it functions to counter what John Cage calls “the authoritarian structures” of our minds, including the tendency to create “frames” and contract around our sense of separateness. Recorded on March 31, 2009.
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. On retreat, Michael speaks about the Buddha’s instructions for practicing alone in the wilderness, how past actions haunt the body, how to turn towards anxiety, and a moving story about his son and autism. Wisconsin. Recorded on March 25, 2017.
In this talk to clinicians Michael focuses on mindfulness of feeling (the second foundation) and in particular, the feeling of wanting or craving. Recorded on March 28, 2008.
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. Michael provides a reflection on the retreat with Stephen and Martine Batchelor. He speaks to making a practice of our lives where all our roles, our actions are interconnected. Michael examines the end of the first chapter of the Yoga Sutra. Recorded March 30, 2010.
Martine Batchelor explains and explores ceremonial offerings in Korean Zen practice. Martine Batchelor, a former Buddhist nun, studied Zen Buddhism under the guidance of Kusan Sunim and is the author of several books. Recorded on March 28, 2010 at Centre of Gravity in Toronto, Ontario.
Stephen Batchelor reflects upon secular Buddhism and revisits the Four Noble Truths, primary Buddhist ideals, assumptions, and dogmas. Recorded on March 28, 2010.
Martine Batchelor leads a meditation practice based on a Korean technique, using the question “What is this?” as an object to come back to. Recorded on March 28, 2010.
In this talk Stephen Batchelor muses about the Buddha’s “breakthrough” and his embrace of first person analysis (based on attention, introspection and reason) to reveal a fundamentally contingent world. Recorded on March 27, 2010.
Guest teacher Martine Batchelor explains how the point of contact between sense and sense object is the moment when the choice between grasping and not grasping takes place. Not grasping allows for creative engagement—an attitude of stability and openness, so that we can meet problems in new and different ways. Recorded on March 26, 2010.
In this podcast guest teacher Stephen Batchelor asks “What did the Buddha awaken to?” Drawing largely on the Buddha’s First Sermon (Turning the Wheel of Dharma) he elucidates the Four Truths, the actions required by them and the cyclical, processual nature of these teachings. Recorded on March 26, 2010.
Guest teacher Stephen Batchelor explains his interest in Secular Buddhism, which returns the word “secular'' to its etymological root, “saeculum,” meaning “this age” or “at this time in this world.” He describes some of the historical and societal circumstances surrounding Gautama Buddha’s teaching and argues for a return to what the Buddha taught in the Pali Canon to “recover what lies on the ground floor.” Recorded on March 26, 2010.
This Awake in the World Podcast features guest speaker Christopher House, who was the artistic director of the Toronto Dance Theater for twenty-five years (he retired in 2020). He describes his studies with the American experiential choreographer Deborah Hay (author of My Body, the Buddhist) and her unique, subversive, present-centered approach to choreography and performance. Recorded on March 23, 2010.
In this podcast episode, Michael introduces the bodhisattva path and the paramitas. The bodhisattva ideal is you at your best – rather than simply a code of ethics, it is the cultivation and realization of your particular form of creativity, responsiveness, and compassion.
This talk is an excerpt from our Six Practices for Awakening the Heart online course. Drawing on ancient Buddhist knowledge, this 7-week online course offers six practices for becoming more compassionate, courageous, and imaginative in how we live. Find out more: https://michaelstoneteaching.com/product/six-practices-for-awakening-the-heart/
Michael explores Patanjali’s teachings on samadhi (Pada 1, 41-51) and points out that if practice becomes too self-focused and too centered on achieving “special” mind states it can be easily co-opted by social forces like institutionalized greed, hatred and delusion. He argues that practice was meant to lead to a cultural and civilizational awakening, not just personal liberation. Recorded on March 16, 2010.
In this deep dive into the first four lines of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra Michael talks about the nature of awareness and the goals of yoga. Recorded March 14, 2010.
Starting with a poem by Gary Snyder, Michael explores the Fourth Pada of the Yoga Sutra and argues that without the experience of a solid meditation practice it cannot be comprehended. Patanjali, he says, “is leaving you speechless.” But waiting at the airport watching everything come and go, isn’t a bad analogy. Recorded on March 9, 2007.
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode from a New Year's retreat. A tender and personal talk Michael gives during silent retreat about his father, forgiveness, and how we need to practice forgiveness all the time. He talks about how, and why. He talks about the painter Hellen Frankenthaller’s death and practicing in good times and bad. Recorded on December 29, 2011.
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. An hour before New Year’s Michael gives a quiet talk on the Heart Sutra and Forgiveness. “When I hold someone’s hand as they are dying I chant the Heart Sutra. Or when I watch my son sleeping.” A tender and quiet talk on silent retreat. Recorded on Dec 31, 2011.
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode from a New Year's retreat. Michael Stone talks on silent retreat about how meditation works over the long-haul, how to practice with a teacher that encourages independence, and how to live without gain. This is the second last talk of the year and the group was in deep silent practice, and it was snowing. Recorded at Sugar Ridge Retreat Centre in Midland, Ontario on Dec 30, 2013.
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode from a New Year's retreat. Michael speaks about modern Buddhism as a “culture of awakening,” and then talks on the Zen koan “Save a Ghost.” We are broken. That’s why meditation is an ambulance service for love. Mindfulness is a practice of mourning. The dead live on in us as ghosts and as we mourn we make them into culture. Recorded during the Silent New Year’s Retreat in Chapin Mill, New York.
In this talk, Michael explains that the way we choose to view the obstacles we encounter in practice can either take us off the path, or allow us to use them as signposts that help us move forward. He argues that social action, spiritual practice and psychological awareness are all required if we wish to wake up.
Recorded on March 7, 2006.
Drawing on several ancient texts, Michael describes practice as a deep investigation into the nature of how things are and how we are—which requires letting go of our tendencies to create categories, cling to preferences, and grasp for the unattainable.
Recorded March 5, 2008.
In this second talk on the Lotus Sutra Michael provides some background about the role the text plays following the emergence of the Mahayana and Tendai traditions, shifting the emphasis from personal liberation to compassion and interdependence. He considers the mythical, fantastical style of the text and how it challenges orthodoxy in order to promote a path of service.
Recorded on March 3, 2011.
This thirty-minute guided meditation focuses on the physical body, and describes how physical choices like setting up the gaze can help to monitor and settle the mind.
Recorded on June 28, 2008.
In this Awake in the World podcast Michael talks about anger, the R.A.I.N. practice, and how to be more skillful in working with afflictive emotions.
Recorded on June 27, 2008.
In this thirty minute guided meditation Michael offers an introduction to investigation, using the question “who is breathing.”
Recorded on June 26, 2009.
A forty-minute guided meditation on the First Foundation of Mindfulness, Mindfulness of Breathing.
Recorded on June 24, 2009.
In this Awake in the World podcast guest teacher Norman Feldman unpacks part of the Buddha’s First Discourse, with a focus on the ending of dukkha and the five aggregates.
Recorded on June 23, 2009.
In this talk Michael considers the first two of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness in terms of the three characteristics (impermanence, interdependence and not-self). He describes how these foundations are techniques we can use to discover and dismantle self-constructed suffering.
Recorded on June 25, 2009.
In this Awake in the World podcast Michael provides some background about the “Fear and Terror Sutta” (Bhaya-bherava Sutta) and discusses the importance of mindfulness in coping with fear, dread and anxiety.
This talk, shared in two parts, is an excerpt from Michael’s six-week online course, Big Heart Powers, examining topics like the characteristics of fear and anxiety, how they become embodied, common responses to fear, and the Buddha’s recommendations for managing fear.
For more details and to sign up, visit: https://michaelstoneteaching.com/product/big-heart-powers/
In this Awake in the World podcast Michael provides some background about the “Fear and Terror Sutta” (Bhaya-bherava Sutta) and discusses the importance of mindfulness in coping with fear, dread and anxiety.
This talk, shared in two parts, is an excerpt from Michael’s six-week online course, Big Heart Powers, examining topics like the characteristics of fear and anxiety, how they become embodied, common responses to fear, and the Buddha’s recommendations for managing fear.
For more details and to sign up, visit: https://michaelstoneteaching.com/product/big-heart-powers/
Using Philip Whalen’s poem “Further Notice” for inspiration, Michael describes how to establish a consistent meditation practice and offers suggestions to help with motivation.
Recorded on June 21, 2009.
In this podcast Michael explores the dynamics of meditation, and the need for us to let our assumptions about what meditation is fall away.
Recorded on June 16, 2009.
In this talk on the theme of freedom and discipline Michael argues that true freedom comes with unravelling the layers of self-making that are deeply habitual—including striving, intellectualizing, clinging and story-telling. Awareness of these tendencies can create space for contentment, presence and new possibilities.
Recorded on June 11, 2008.
In this talk, which took place during a retreat at Sugar Ridge, Michael delves into the koan titled “Not knowing is the most intimate” (Miscellaneous Koans Case 62). He explores ideas about home and pilgrimage, stages of mindfulness practice, commentaries on commentaries, and a funny story about “the supreme power of the useless.”
Recorded on June 5, 2010.
In this Awake in the World podcast guest teacher Norman Feldman explores metta practice and how it compliments and supports insight (Vipassana) practice, as well as allowing us to open to dukkha so we can see its origins and free ourselves.
Recorded on June 4, 2010.
In this Awake in the World podcast Michael speaks about the power of story-telling and how the stories we construct, individually and culturally, can either heal and transform us—or shut us down. Once we get still enough to see the story-teller (ahaṃkāra) at work, we can consciously choose to shift the story towards realization and connectedness.
Recorded on June 4, 2009.
In this Awake in the World Podcast Michael explains the teaching of “The Two Darts” (the Sallatha Sutta) and asserts that the Buddha offers a useful and supportive model for working with pain—whether it is physical, emotional, or cultural in origin.
Recorded on June 19, 2007.
In this Awake in the World Podcast Michael covers the ninth part of the Genjokoan that begins, “A fish swims in the ocean, and no matter how far it swims there is no end to the water.” He argues that realization comes with knowing what nourishes you—and then “you can do you.”
Recorded on July 29, 2010.
In this Awake in the World podcast, guest teacher Trudy Goodman gives a talk on sila, the ethical foundations of the eightfold path (wise livelihood, wise behaviour, and wise speech).
Recorded on July 18, 2009 at a mindfulness for clinicians program with Leading Edge Seminars.
In this Awake in the World podcast Michael talks about the tendency we have to amplify suffering by creating a self that we think is separate and “special,” and how in our quest to be enlightened we can often get tripped up by the same instincts.
In this Awake in the World podcast Michael muses about the section of the Genjokoan that starts, “Enlightenment is like the moon reflected on the water….” Along the way he weaves in Kannon, koans, zen poetry, and Bob Dylan.
Recorded July 22, 2010.
In this Awake in the World podcast Michael focuses on emptiness or boundlessness as a way of talking about interdependence, and Dogen’s views (from the Genjokoan) about enlightenment and delusion. The talk includes a reading of Robert Bringhurst’s poem, “Dogen.”
Recorded on July 9, 2010.
In this Awake in the World podcast Michael continues his exploration of Dogen’s Genjokoan and ponders the question, “How do you know you’re awake?”
Recorded on July 8, 2010.
In this Awake in the World podcast Michael delves into the capacity of questioning to pull us back into our lives, but only if we can practice in the paradoxical space of not-seeking, not conceptualizing, and not clinging to our habits.
Recorded on July 8, 2010.
In this Awake in the World podcast Michael muses about understanding in the poetic sense—what’s under the point of view we choose to stand in? He touches on karma, habits, projection, doubt and our fraught relationship with time.
Recorded on January 25, 2008
In this Awake in the World podcast Michael gives advice and practical tips for dealing with some of the struggles that come up during sitting practice, such as sleepiness, rumination, or difficult emotions like anger.
Recorded on January 22, 2008.
In this Awake in the World podcast Michael begins by stating that “this practice is a matter of life and death” and describes how yoga can help us see our patterns of conditioning, and help us to embrace both the light and the dark aspects of our lives.
Recorded on January 23, 2007.
This week we're revisiting a favorite Awake in the World podcast episode. Life before and after Death. Michael Stone talks about deep memory, rebirth, and how when we have problems it’s usually because we have the wrong map.
Recorded in the spring of 2014.
This week we're revisiting a favorite Awake in the World podcast episode. The mind in meditation, dream yoga, and the Buddha’s teaching on “The Arrow.” Michael Stone gives an in-depth talk on the Buddha’s approach to embracing suffering, letting go, and how when we experience letting go a path begins to open.
Recorded in the spring of 2014.
In this Awake in the World podcast Michael focuses on dukkha: how we create it both individually and collectively, and how we can be more skilful in managing it.
Recorded on January 21, 2008.
In this Awake in the World podcast Michael teaches about equanimity (upeksha) and how it relates to creativity, art, practice and anger.
Recorded on Februrary 16, 2010.
In this Awake in the World podcast Michael explores the human desire to create and cling to transcendental narratives at the expense of our lived reality. He asks if we can practice in a way that is deeper than our opinion, and without getting trapped by the habit of seeking for what’s not here at the expense of what is.
Recorded on February 18, 2008
In this Awake in the World podcast Michael highlights the hindrances to practice described in line 30 of the Yoga Sutras and then offers some techniques to work with them.
Recorded on February 9, 2010.
In this Awake in the World podcast Michael begins with a passage by Wendell Berry regarding the importance of process. He applies this idea to mindfulness practice and suggests that we tune in to the quality of our noticing without getting derailed by thoughts, stories or a quest for meaning.
Recorded on February 2, 2008.
In this Awake in the World podcast episode Michael describes the value of uncertainty and its role in helping us gain insight into the part of our mind that creates suffering.
Recorded on February 1, 2008.
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. In this guided meditation by Michael Stone, the focus is on the tongue, palette, position of fingers, and subtle physical tricks to open the mind in Vipassana practice.
Recorded on silent retreat at True North Insight, Ontario, on April 19 2014.
In this Awake in the World podcast Michael relates the story of Daiju and Baso from the Gateless Gate (21) and explores the treasure of trusting yourself.
Recorded on December 31, 2009.
In this Awake in the World podcast, recorded during the afternoon practice session on New Year’s Eve 2009, Michael gives a few words of encouragement around “realizing the mystery” in the ordinariness of your life.
Recorded December 31, 2009.
In this Awake in the World podcast Michael speaks to a poem by Pan Yung which includes the lines, “My supernatural power and marvelous activity/Drawing water and chopping wood.” In this talk (given at the 2009 New Year’s Retreat) Michael encourages staying in the physical practice and yoking the mind back to the breath instead of trying to figure out your life.
Recorded on December 31, 2009.
In this Awake in the World podcast episode, Michael begins with the poem “The Laughing Heart,” by Charles Bukowski, and talks about trusting yourself, knowing what nourishes you, and practicing in a way that allows creativity, spontaneity and eccentricity.
Recorded on December 30, 2009.
In this Awake in the World podcast Michael returns to the Heart Sutra, beginning with the line, “Here, Shariputra, form is none other than emptiness…” He argues that there is no such thing as emptiness, but the philosophy of emptiness gives us a lens that can show us how to see (time, our nature, impermanence and so on).
Recorded on December 30, 2008.
In this Awake in the World podcast episode Michael begins unpacking the first line of the Heart Sutra with an emphasis on what it means to live from the heart, some background on Avalokiteshvara, and the Buddha’s teaching to Bāhiya.
Recorded December 23, 2008.
In this Awake in the World podcast Michael offers encouragement to follow the path of love and to find the faith and motivation to keep practicing, even in the face of restlessness, worry, and pain.
Recorded December 20, 2009.
In this Awake in the World Podcast Michael talks about the Buddha’s enlightenment as described in the Ariyapariyesana Sutta, plus the importance of avoiding both active and passive nihilism, interconnection as action, and how to take care of anger.
Recorded on December 16, 2008.
In this Awake in the World podcast episode Michael discusses commitment to practice, showing up, and Case 33 from the Mumonkan (What is Buddha?).
Recorded on December 15, 2009.
In this Awake in the World podcast episode Michael talks about the similarities between mindfulness and homecoming.
Recorded December 8, 2009.
In this Awake in the World podcast episode Michael asks “What are you committed to?” He discusses the relationship between restraint and samadhi, as well as ethics, karma and the importance of taking action.
Recorded on December 8, 2007.
In this Awake in the World podcast episode Michael considers how we tease out the parts of practice that are evolving and changeable versus the parts that are non-negotiable if we want to decrease suffering for ourselves and others.
Recorded December 7, 2007
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. Michael explores how mindfulness and meditation practice can heal shame and trauma and how these symptoms manifest in relationship.
Recorded on November 20 2016. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
In this Awake in the World podcast episode Michael continues his discussion of The Five Powers of the Mind and offers some thoughts on tradition and yoga, the interpretation of the word faith, ethics, and self-care.
Recorded August 14, 2009.
In this Awake in the World podcast episode Michael discusses Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras with an emphasis on The Five Powers of the Mind (outlined in the first pada, line 20).
Recorded August 14, 2009.
In this Awake in the World podcast episode Michael explains the meaning of taking refuge in Prajna Paramita (your heart), and your capacity to embrace your aliveness without being sidetracked by your storyteller.
Recorded April 28, 2009.
In this Awake in the World podcast episode Michael considers the question: “If the boundaries of your self are conditioned and changeable, how do you know if you’ve stretched too far?” How do we balance the importance of boundaries and self-care against the need to be open, responsive, and flexible. Michael argues that you can’t have fluidity without boundaries, and discusses Shunryu Suzuki’s assertion that the best way to control a cow is to give it a large pasture.
Recorded on April 27, 2010.
This week we're revisiting a favorite Awake in the World podcast episode. In this talk, Michael describes the Buddha's death and discusses the Zen koan "Oak Tree in the Garden," meditation practice, and the politics of love.
Recorded at True North Insight in Ontario on April 19, 2014.
This week we're revisiting a favorite Awake in the World podcast episode. In this talk, Michael uses the teachings on emptiness to work with the body. He calls sitting "physical practice" and he describes yoga as "psychological practice."
Recorded at True North Insight in Ontario on April 18, 2014.
This week we're revisiting a favorite Awake in the World podcast episode. In this talk, Michael discusses the Avatamsaka Sutra (The Flower Garland Sutra) and seeing everything as medicine. Meditation teaches us how to practice intimacy, even with old wounds.
Recorded on a silent retreat at True North Insight, Ontario on April 17, 2014.
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. In this dharma talk, Michael talks about a Zen Master called Bird's Nest Roshi who would go out on a limb and meditate in an abandoned bird's nest. Living in the world, ignoring death, trying to make impermanence permanent, avoiding loss and suffering... What we do with our deep grooves is more dangerous than going out on a limb and meditating.
Recorded on February 5, 2013.
This week we're revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. In this talk, Michael reflects on God, gratitude, mind, compassionate action, and the encounter between what can and can't be talked about. Recorded at a retreat co-taught by Michael Stone and Rabbi Miriam Margles in Quebec in November 2013.
In this Awake in the World podcast episode, Michael references the Middle-Length Discourses of the Buddha, reads a koan from The Book of Serenity, and explores how Buddhist practice is radically simple and relates to the whole of our lives.
Recorded April 26, 2010.
In this 30-minute guided meditation, Michael explores how to work with thoughts during sitting practice, focusing on the breath in a way that reduces clinging, reduces rejection. The breath doesn’t decide good or bad: it is kind to our body, our nervous system, our habits.
Recorded April 23, 2010
In this Awake in the World podcast episode Michael elucidates the “post-negation” part of the Heart Sutra, particularly the lines “with no hindrance in the mind. No hindrance, therefore no fear.” He characterizes hindrances as walls of the mind and describes creating a “no landing zone.” In addition he talks about “horizontal transcendence,” “knotty” thoughts, and making peace with the fears that may accompany a more “liquified” existence.
Recorded April 21, 2009.
In this Awake in the World podcast episode Michael explores the “negation section” of the Heart Sutra (no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue...) and how the story-telling and I-making functions of the mind contract and cling, leading us away from intimacy. Drawing on poems by John Cage and Jack Gilbert he describes the dependent-origination of the self, our tendency to create metaphysical frames, and the paradox of being a parent as exemplified by Krishna’s mother.
Recorded April 7, 2009
In this Awake in the World podcast episode Michael unpacks part of the second pada of the Yoga Sutra (2.29 - 2.39) with an emphasis on wholesome thoughts, the yamas, the cure for nihilism, and the importance of not separating inward-directed psychological work from outward-directed activism.
Recorded April 20, 2007.
In this Awake in the World podcast episode, Michael emphasizes the need to view yoga as a living tradition that is relevant and useful in our contemporary lives. He discusses faith versus fundamentalism, the centrality of karma, how asana fits into the picture, and the mistake of interpreting “oneness” as “sameness.”
Recorded in 2007.
In this podcast episode, Michael discusses the relationship between awareness and morality or mindfulness and ethics. When we are faced with the unprecedented and unrepeatable complexities of this moment, the question is not, “What is the right thing to do?” but “What is the compassionate thing to do?” This question can be approached with integrity but not with certainty.
Recorded in 2011.
In this podcast episode, Michael discusses the ethic of brahmacharya. Brahmacharya literally translated means to live like Brahma, the creator God. It means acceleration and to have pistons fire and to build cities and make art and neighbours and architecture and grow things. It’s to live like brahma which is to take creative energy and to do something with it. That’s why Thich Nhat Hahn’s encourages us to be aware of what we’re creating.
Recorded in 2011.
In this podcast episode, Michael explores the ethic of not stealing (asteya). Dogen, a wonderful Zen master, translates it this way: “The self and things of the world are just as they are. The gate of freedom is open.” This ethic is about being satisfied with what I have. Another way you could translate this is: not taking what’s not given freely.
Recorded in 2011.
In this podcast episode, Michael discusses the ethic of honesty (satya). In the practice of satya, we become honesty, it arises out of the real-time situations of our loves and livings. The deepest value of practice comes through our commitment to honesty. If you look at non-violence or greed, it’s hard to enter those principles unless there’s honesty at the base.
Recorded in 2011.
In this podcast episode, Michael discusses the relationship in our daily lives between form and formlessness. Wisdom is not separate from who we are. It’s like beads rolling on a tray: sudden, ready, uninhibited.
Recorded in 2008.
Michael interviews Simone Moir, Registered Psychotherapist, on the precept of aparigraha (non-greed) and the practice of generosity. They discuss what comes up around possessiveness, addiction and obsession, embracing impermanence, the importance of relationship and knowing the importance of boundaries.
Michael interviews Pat Smith, physician and abortion provider, on the precept of non-harming. Michael and Pat discuss ethics versus political ideologies, the relationships between how we are in the world, our belief system, and our values, and the influences of formal meditation.
The Buddha’s experience of absorption in the forest, and how he turned to the experience of pleasure in his body to stabilize during anxiety and dread.
Recorded in Green Bay, WI, on March 27, 2017.
Michael talks about what it means to be deeply involved in a life of care and openness; that you don't need a badge. This lecture is about offering our Bodhisattva spirit to others, no matter what. It's about making a vow to serve others and then spending the rest of our lives trying to figure out how to make that vow a reality.
Recorded December 3, 2016 at The People's Yoga in Portland, Oregon.
In this simple and profound lecture, Michael explores how the most radical thing that anyone can do is tell the stories that are not being told. He links together contemporary issues like climate change, economic inequality, and the atrophy of intimacy, and offers 12 steps for telling a new story about what it means to live an engaged life.
Recorded in Vancouver on January 28th, 2015.
A conversation between Zoketsu Norman Fischer and Shoken Michael Stone.
Recorded in October 2014.
Michael talks how meditative practice is about dropping our stories to become more engaged in our lives, politics, cities, families, and communities. Paying attention is really powerful.
Recorded at Naada Yoga in Montreal, April 2014.
In this Awake in the World podcast episode, Michael speaks about the three characteristics: dukkha, impermanence, and emptiness.
Recorded at The Yoga Hub in Dublin, October 2013.
Michael speaks at Occupy Vancouver on November 6, 2011. "We are failing in our culture from a lack of imagination. And what we're achieving here is space for imagination." Originally shot by Ian MacKenzie (https://vimeo.com/31735800) and watch the post-speech piece Love & Shadow in the Occupy Movement (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2akehtL-Ac).
The evening begins with Priya Thomas covering Bruce Springsteen's "I'm on Fire," then Michael reads the Fire Sermon and gives a talk on the way we burn with lust, hatred and delusion and how the Buddha offers a public path of practice. We practice even when we're on fire.
Recorded Sept 22, 2010 at Centre of Gravity, Toronto.
Michael Stone explores the integration of yoga and Buddhism, and how we can live a life fully engaged with the suffering of the world while also taking care of ourselves.
Recorded during a day-long workshop and fundraiser for New Leaf Foundation (https://newleaffoundation.com) at the University of Toronto in September 2010.
This was the final talk during silent retreat at Stowel Lake Farm on Salt Spring Island, August 2016. Michael talks about the relationship between emptiness, Buddhism, and the need for healing with First Nations. It was an inspiring and powerful end to the retreat.
A wide ranging talk by Michael Stone on using language in meditation practice, labelling thoughts, and the way kids and adults use language to mediate their internal states. [NOTE: The recording unfortunately was cut off before the end of the talk. We apologize for the error.]
Recorded on April 8, 2014.
Michael talks about how our work should be energetic, industrious, diligent and skilful. We should live within our means and keep good company. When you really, really want something, you might ask: How central is this for becoming a good version of myself?
Recorded on March 1, 2014.
Michael offers teachings from the Buddhist tradition on how to make a living, and how to make ethical decisions around money in a financial world that revolves around extraction and exploitation.
Recorded on March 1, 2014.
Michael explores two questions: 1) Who Are You? and 2) What Should You Do? Using the old Zen koan, "What's the price of rice?" Michael talks about wrestling with questions, compassion, empathy, and how to care for people without getting credit.
Recorded on February 4, 2014.
Even when we advance in spiritual practice, something is always missing. Maybe nirvana is about having troubles without falling into defense or burnout? Michael also gives a strong critique of the economic stories that drive us.
Recorded on January 14, 2014.
Michael talks on loneliness, paying attention, and the importance of small ideas that can network and build a new culture.
Recorded at Centre of Gravity, Toronto on December 3, 2013.
Michael Stone gives a talk on the importance of paying attention, youth, and how deep yoga is a political practice. Recorded December 1, 2013 at Yoga Shala Calgary.
Michael Stone explores the bleakness of loneliness, the puzzle of modern isolation, and how to work with being alone and feeling lonely.
Recorded at Centre of Gravity, Toronto, on November 26, 2013.
A Q&A discussion with Joshua Stephens after his talk, Gentle with Each Other, Dangerous Together (https://soundcloud.com/michaelstoneteaching/gentle-with-each-other-dangerous-together-with-joshua-stephens).
Recorded at Centre of Gravity, Toronto, on November 12, 2013.
Often when we see Buddhist practice put into conversation with radical social transformation, commitments like forgiveness, patience, and non-attachment appear in one of two ways: as pillars of self-care, or resigned—almost theological—faith in inaction in the face of the intolerable. In fact, these practices are not merely tactical approaches to our immediate experience; they are key, prefigurative building-blocks worth re-thinking not just through the lens of the Buddha's teachings, but the accounts of actors on the ground in contemporary struggles.
Recorded at Centre of Gravity, Toronto on November 12, 2013.
Michael Stone and Rabbi Miriam Margles co-teach a popular retreat integrating Jewish & Buddhist practice. Michael gives an afternoon talk reflecting on God, gratitude, mind, compassionate action, and the encounter between what can and can't be talked about.
Recorded in Quebec on November 3, 2013.
Michael Stone and Rabbi Miriam Margles discuss the intersection of Jewish practice and Buddhism. Rabbi Margles explores internalised anti-semitism and Michael talks about his attempts to bring practice to issues like climate change, economic injustice and working with young people.
Recorded in Quebec on November 1, 2013.
Neuroscientist Willoughby Britton, PhD. and Michael Stone, present a detailed workshop on dangers on the path. In this talk Dr. Britton explores loss of identity, gender difference in meditative effects, and questions about whether these signs and symptoms are progress or pathology. A fascinating talk geared towards clinicians and mindfulness educators.
Recorded in November, 2013.
Looking at early Pali texts, Michael tries to recover the original and fuller meaning of mindfulness from its current usage in the west. "Mindfulness establishes the presence of the object and thereby makes it available to scrutiny and discernment."
Recorded at Centre of Gravity, Toronto. October 29, 2013.
During a workshop in France, Michael teaches on the 3 characteristics — a teaching found in both the Yoga and Buddhist traditions. This talk is in both French and English.
Recorded in Antibes, France, on October 26, 2013.
During 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.
During 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.
During 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.
During 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.
During 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.
During 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.
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.
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.
A dharma "pep-talk" by Michael Stone. Has the powerful but ineffable energy of strong emotions, attachment and aversion reduced us to servitude? A gruff old man takes up yoga and experiences momentary freedom from painful thoughts. Has anyone else been gripped by sorcery lately?
Recorded on February 12, 2013.
We get a gleaming new husband or wife and then they don't turn out how we think they will! What we think is stable and reliable turns out to be unreliable. Michael talks about Birds' Nest Roshi who goes out on a limb to meditate, which is safer than trying to make impermanence permanent. Recorded on February 5, 2013.
Michael's powerful final talk of 2012, during silent retreat. There is a true person who is constantly coming and going from the portals of your face. Who is that true person? Recorded on December 31, 2012. Midland, Ontario.
Guns are horrifying, a temple in an urban world, seeing everything we encounter as medicine. Michael Stone gives the last talk at Centre of Gravity before moving to a new location. Medicine and disease cure each other, everything is medicine, so what is the self? Recorded December 18, 2012.
Matthew Remski talks about his book, Threads of Yoga, a remix of Patanjali's sutras. He reads excerpts from his own book, and also speaks about Patanjali's ideas which make up one of the most popular texts in modern Yoga culture. Recorded on December 11, 2012.
Listen to the sangha chant the Ashtanga invocation in detail. Michael explains how to look at the nature of thoughts and see how they change but also the way they have no power except for what we invest in them. He also talks on letting the mind rest, the jungle of habits, and seeing our habit patterns as physicians that want to heal us. Thoughts are only a little more than a cloud. Recorded on November 20, 2012.
Do you have a mind that can meet what's unpleasant? Michael Stone talks about meditation, Carl Jung, what it means to be bored, and his Bar Mitzvah. One becomes a dharma student when they see that there's a strain inside themselves that they need to learn how to work with.
Recorded on October 30, 2012.
Can you bring your broken self into your life? Michael shares the personal and nervous story of asking his partner to marry him in France. Recorded on Oct 23, 2012.
Michael's talk on the core teachings of the Buddha and how they relate to being a self, letting go, repeating the past, investing too much in the future, and being stuck. Recorded on September 28, 2012. Please note, the end of the talk and discussion is cut-off.
Michael Stone continues discussing The Heart Sutra. Our practice helps others' practice. Emptiness is everything, just as it is right now. Dukkha is restlessness — we want more or we don't want. The Heart Sutra as magic, incantation, voodoo. Advice from an 88 year old quantum physicist. Mel Weitsman on life as mantra. Recorded at Centre of Gravity on July 19, 2012, day 11 of a 12-day intensive.
A riveting talk on animals and non-violence by guest speaker, Dr. Lauren Corman, given during a 12-day intensive at Centre of Gravity. Dr. Lauren Corman taught classes in the area of Critical Animal Studies, which engages an intersectional approach to, "the question of the animal." As such, Dr. Corman's interdisciplinary scholarship draws on animal rights/liberation, posthumanist, feminist, critical race, labour and environmental theories and practices. Much of her graduate work focused on an analysis of Canadian and US slaughterhouses, with emphasis on the industrialized exploitation of pigs.
Recorded on July 19, 2012.
Michael Stone discusses The Heart Sutra, nirvana, worry and fear. The Buddha lists five fears. Fear is a trance state. Some of the worst things in my life never happened. During sitting meditation, feel the stable knowing behind fear and bliss. Nirvana is fearlessness. We’re all practicing in nirvana right now.
Day 9 of a 12-day intensive. Recorded on July 17, 2012.
Self liberation. Thoughts without a thinker. The Buddha talks about the All. What is taste? Spiritual air miles. Bukowski has a bluebird in his heart. Three kinds of burnout. A talk by Michael Stone at Centre of Gravity on day seven of a 12-day intensive. Recorded July 15, 2012.
Michael Stone continues discussing The Heart Sutra — form and emptiness, the Buddha's troubles, making families in Toronto, bathing in Japan. What is underneath language in sitting practice is self-acceptance. Avalokiteshvara and Shariputra are both in you. Waves are the practice of water. Recorded July 13, 2012.
Emptiness is not place or process. Mistaking emptiness is like catching a snake from the wrong end. Moving out of stories in order to feel. Five skandhas. How perception works. Two kinds of teachers. A talk at Centre of Gravity on day three of a 12-day intensive. Recorded July 11, 2012.
Beginner's mind threatens the part of us that wants to control experience. Knowing before knowing. Hakuin: wisdom is not separate from you. It's like beads rolling on a tray: sudden, ready, uninhibited. We all want to be more comfortable, and slowly the comfort starts to kill you. Knowing is a kind of renunciation. You're already there. Recorded on July 9, 2012.
The mind makes snapshots and creates categories, our patterns contain the world keeping us small and separate, mindfulness is the new Tylenol, dying as generosity, perhaps practice means simply catching up to what you actually feel, instead of living in your descriptions of what you feel. Recorded on June 26, 2012.
How do we bow? Everything becomes your teacher. Throwing up dualistic ideas. Teachers are heavy, students are feathers. The pain of panic wakes you up to what hasn't grown up. Sincerity. The sense of something else gets in the way of satisfaction. Recorded on June 14, 2012.
People who practice Zen are always asking: what is this all about? Whatever you do, Buddha is in that activity. Becoming the breath. Hitting the pillow. Occupy the wall. Suck your thumb. Recorded on June 5, 2012.
Don't ignore what your life actually is. Practice tattoos us. Life stains us. Your life carves your face all the time. Michael reads section 17 - every action you do carves your life. So, how do you carve what's true into your life? Recorded on March 20, 2012.
Water has its own integrity, like you. Every event is interconnected and empty, and yet, everything has its own integrity. You can't say exactly what a river is, and yet, it's not the same as every river. Recorded on February 28, 2012.
Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara talks about the Lotus Sutra and the parable of the burning house. Even in the world of the dharma we can get caught up with playthings and forget that we're living in a burning house. It looks like we’re living in a comfortable place, but half the world is starving. It can be hard to see the suffering that is all around us.
Read the notes and transcription: https://michaelstoneteaching.com/2014/10/23/burning-house-betrayal-as-innovation-by-roshi-pat-enkyo-ohara/
Can we express with language what is most true for us? Maybe all philosophy is heading towards poetry. Michael Stone tells a story about finding the nectar of compassion in the centre of practice. Recorded on February 14, 2012.
How do we use words to say something meaningful about our lives? This is what Dogen tries to do. There is no "outside" or "inside. There is just "this." Being is the ongoingness of "this." This is all our lives have ever been. Recorded on February 7, 2012.
Pranayama is a practice of settling your attention on your breath. As attention becomes balanced, so too does the nervous system. Michael Stone and Grant Hutchinson teach the ways yogic breathing returns the nervous system to "factory settings." Topics include ujjayii pranayama, the palette, the spine and viola pranayama. Recorded on February 6, 2012.
Mountains are actually walking. If you can understand that mountains walk, you can understand impermanence. Nothing is as solid as you think. What, in your life, do you think is solid? Your body is like a mountain and it's also like water. Recorded on January 31, 2012.
Michael Stone describes the way mountains and rivers influenced Dogen and the way they can teach us about our lives. Mountains and water teach us about time, flow, and solidity. Everything is nothing but a moment in time. Recorded on January 24, 2012.
Who Was Dogen? What were his main teachings? Michael Stone introduces the teachings of 13th century Japanese Zen master Dogen and his essay, Mountains and Rivers. Dogen loses both his parents and wants to understand impermanence. Recorded on January 18, 2012.
Michael Stone gives commentary on Buddhism and the Four Noble Truths in a series on the basic teachings of the Buddha. Craving, Suffering, Enlightenment, and the 8-fold path. Craving closes down the path. Recorded on January 13, 2012.
In this dharma talk, Michael Stone aims to answer the question, "What did the Buddha teach?" by focusing on the Pāli Canon—the earliest known record of the Buddha’s teachings in India. The mind is like a tourist—taking pictures of the present moment. The power of mindfulness practice is opening up to raw sensation. Recorded on January 13, 2012.
Treat each movement of the mind as something we devote ourselves to, like the beloved, and then forgiveness happens naturally. Meditation is about going to the places deeper than ourselves, the place where forgiveness comes from. The final talk on Chapter 3 of the Yoga Sutra. Recorded on January 10, 2012.
Guided meditation with a focus on the subtle body, breath, palette, tongue and skull. Given during the first night of year-end silent retreat. Recorded in Midland, Ontario on Dec 28, 2011.
Michael comes home from practice in Thailand and talks about travels, not buying things in plastic, and details about meditation techniques. Some very good meditation instructions in this talk. Recorded on December 20, 2011.
It's cool to be kind - it's the new black dress. Lovingkindness is a ratio. If it's about you, it's about clinging. If it's only about the other, you lose yourself. The best kind of love is actually conditional. At the core of every heart, even those who cause trauma for others, is the desire to be happy. Recorded on November 29, 2011.
Meditation opens us up to levels of experience that are non-human. Michael Stone goes through Patanjali's description of superpowers and how they happen in meditation practice. Then he talks about calmness and what can lead people into trouble if they don't have stability in practice. Recorded on November 22, 2011.
Can you see each thing in your life—whether objects or the people around you—as a moment in time? The mind is like a tourist constantly taking photos; meditation allows for the coming and going of everything. What's happening is really just a moment in time. Recorded on November 8, 2011.
Michael Stone begins talking about the death of his mentor, maverick psychologist James Hillman. When death comes the only thing that's important is your heart, not your accomplishments. So what really matters? Recorded on November 1, 2011.
Drawing on research with people who have healed from stroke, Michael Stone compares the Sanskrit term "samskara" with modern neuroscience and ties this into the genetic level of meditation practice. "Meditation turns genes on and off in each moment restructuring genetic code." Recorded on October 18, 2011.
The mind in concentration is like a flame in a windless space. Michael describes what happens in the mind when concentration is so focused that hindrances and distraction don't arise. Michael parallels this process with the Occupy movement. Recorded on October 11, 2011.
Michael gives a talk on the Sandokai during the 2011 autumn intensive. Michael talks about taking the meditation group to sit in court and bear witness, remembering one-ness in everything you do, and not taking things so personally. Recorded on Sept 26, 2011.
The most esoteric practice is being a human. Michael talks on the relation between the absolute and relative, religious life and the everyday mess we're in. What does it mean to have Buddha mind? Do you have it? Do you place it somewhere else? Recorded on Sept 25, 2011.
Michael talks in detail on the Chinese poem "Sandokai" during a 5-day Intensive at Centre of Gravity. Can you remain human? Can you see the way "one-ness" and "difference" support one another? Can you go beyond transcendence and drop deeply into this world? Recorded on September 24, 2011.
What is meditation? How do you settle your attention on a moving field? Michael talks on the second line of the 3rd chapter of the Yoga Sutra and how most of the world is operating in the realm of non-thinking. How do we do that? Recorded on Sept 20, 2011.
Centre of Gravity re-opens after summer break with a talk on the Yoga Sutra and Michael talks on meditation and also how to practice without making the other shore separate from us. Recorded on Sept 12, 2011.
The Deepest Practice a Bodhisattva can ever do is to listen deeply. The deepest thing we can ever experience is having a change of heart. Last evening at Bellwoods location. Recorded on July 12, 2011.
Discussion about contemplating someone in your life who you have a hard time seeing as a Buddha. Buddha Nature is your imagination and the way you can re-see people who have wounded you. Recorded on June 28, 2011.
There is nowhere you can stand that is not a place the Buddha hasn't practiced. The Buddha was enlightened right where you are standing. If you can see others as a Buddha you are a Buddha - even animals and trees. Story of Never Disparaging Buddha and Mark Ragosian who lived in Woodstock, New York. Recorded on June 28, 2011.
Grant Hutchinson and Carina Stone give a talk on Chapter 15 and 16 of the Lotus Sutra based on a study group. Seeing what is actually in our lives not just what we want to see. If your kids won't take medicine how do you give it to them? Recorded on June 21, 2011.
One day I can have such a killer exhale that I end as a puddle of bones on the floor and time passes instantly. A moving evening when Mike Holboom and Christine Koch give talks on Chapter 16 of the Lotus Sutra. Recorded on June 14, 2011.
Everyone continually breaks down infinitely. How fast can a young woman get enlightened, especially if she is underwater? Michael unpacks some parables to explore the story of an 8 year old girl who wakes up and touches every place in the Universe. Recorded on June 7, 2011
We need people who can rub our back and say "it's ok", and everything they do is jewelled. Recorded on May 24, 2011.
A man falls asleep at a party and someone sews a jewel into his coat. Some have done this for you, too. Can you realize your treasures? Recorded on May 17, 2011.
Sometimes awake, sometimes asleep; sometimes sun, sometimes moon. Michael teaches during a one-day introduction to meditation workshop on how you can turn anything into a practice, even a bike lock. Recorded on May 14, 2011.
Michael talks about Milton Friedman, Emmanuel Levinas, and how when we don't see another's face, face to face, it's easy to kill. This talk happens after Osama Bin Laden's death and the Canadian election. It goes back and forth between internal practices and community life. Recorded on May 3, 2011.
Michael Stone leads a guided meditation beginning with grounding the body, opening to sound, and feeling the breath as an anchor to present experience. Recorded on May 2, 2011.
How many kalpas, ages, eons, did the Buddha sit still before he could wake up? Why did it take so long? It takes a while for the light to shine into the darkest places. What is our relationship to time? Recorded on April 12, 2011.
One of the last days of the 6 month Precepts course. Following chanting the Heart Sutra, five students present on the five ethical values of the course, and then Michael discusses three ways of thinking about ethics. And how to look at a flower and smile. Recorded on April 7, 2011.
A son leaves his father and 50 years later the father finds ways of healing the son's low self-esteem. You don't have to be good or walk on your knees for a hundred miles, just love what you love. Recorded at Centre of Gravity, Toronto, on April 5 2011.
Michael begins by discussing death and Japan's earthquake. Using the image of the burning house and a father trying to save his children, he teaches how we need to leave our burning houses on our own steam, nobody can do it for us. The father in the parable, like the Buddha, uses skillful means to teach a path of freedom. And, is it ok to lie to uphold compassion? Recorded on March 29, 2011.
Question and answer period with Michael after Lotus Sutra, Part 4 talk. None of the teachings are true! Even the ones about your own life. Part 2 of 2. Recorded on March 22, 2011
Michael talks about Fukushima, Japan, and Libya, and how lucky we are to practice in a place that is safe. How Mahayana Buddhism developed after the death of the Buddha with an emphasis on serving others and putting off personal enlightenment to serve the world. The talk ends with a moving story about a high school student rubbing the back of an elderly man at an evacuation centre in Japan. Part 1 of 2. Recorded on March 22, 2011.
Contemporary debates about intellectual property and the practices of meditation and yoga are both built around a questioning of ideas of property, ownership, self and other. In this talk, Marcus Boon, writer, journalist and Professor of English at York University in Toronto, explores the relationship between interdependence and imitation, on the yoga mat and off, along the way reflecting on recipes, hip-hop, file sharing, laughter, money, maternity, and practice. Recorded at Centre of Gravity, Toronto on March 18, 2011.
Michael Stone gives a talk during the ethics course about the precept of Aparigraha, and using our imagination. Recorded at Centre of Gravity, Toronto, on March 17, 2011.
It's not enough that our intentions are clear, our actions need to make a difference. Being a Bodhisattva means serving all beings including one's self, yet this can only occur when we see all beings as Buddhas. Recorded on March 16, 2011.
Michael introduces the first section of the Lotus Sutra where the Buddha casts a light from the centre of his eyebrows and wakes up 18,000 worlds. Is this a reminder that the light of the awakening goes everywhere, leaving nothing out. Maybe we can put off enlightenment in order to serve others. Recorded on March 8, 2011.
Michael teaches the basics of Mahayana Buddhism, defines what a Bodhisattva is, and explains the context of the Lotus Sutra. This talk has a good description of the history of Mahayana Buddhism as it applies to waking up ourselves and others, until every blade of grass is free. Recorded March 1, 2011.
Roshi Enkyo gives a morning dharma talk during a weekend retreat with Centre of Gravity. Recorded at Hart House, Toronto on February 26, 2011.
An incredible talk by Roshi Pat Enkyo O'Hara on Zen poetry and practice during her annual visit to Centre of Gravity. Enkyo Roshi is the abbot of Village Zendo in Manhattan (www.villagezendo.org). Recorded at Hart House, Toronto on February 25, 2011.
After surviving "the dry place", slowly our relationship transforms and appreciation arises. Appreciation leads to love and finally to letting go. Recorded on February 22, 2011.
Michael teaches the in-person ethics course on the wise use of energy (brahmacharya) - encountering all with respect and dignity. Recorded February 17, 2011.
Cathleen Hoskins, Psychotherapist/Philosopher, gives a lecture on the work of Martin Heidegger, philosophy, interconnectivity and being. Martin Heidegger is widely acknowledged as an original and important, yet controversial, philosopher in the 20th century.
Recorded at Centre of Gravity in Toronto on February 15, 2011.
Michael begins talking about the reasons for bowing. Then he dives into what it's like to be caught in the dry place during relationship with practice and with others. Fear and its transformation. How to heal the wounds of abandonment. Recorded February 8, 2011.
Michael teaches the ethics course and discusses not-stealing, right after his computer is stolen at the NYC airport. Not taking what is not given freely and being satisfied with what we have. Recorded February 3, 2011. Please note, the recording cuts off at the end.
Michael goes through detailed instructions on sitting meditation posture and talks about lineage. Then he discusses our urges to run away when commitment arises and how commitment has departure built into it. Recorded Feb. 01, 2011.
Drawing on Norman Fischer's essay Michael explores how the honeymoon period of practice comes to an end and about the ten obstacles that show up which we tend to miss in deep practice. Psychologically, there are so many ways we get caught in practice and can't see how we are caught. Recorded Jan. 25, 2011.
Drawing on Norman Fischer's essay on monastic practice & it's maturation, Michael talks about 8 stages that we all encounter during any relationship. Also, how we get wounded & repeat our relational wounds in our relationship with our body, with others & with our spiritual practice. Recorded Jan. 18, 2011.
Drawing on Instructions to the Cook, Michael offers a talk on the teachings of the insentient. The snow and silence are teaching us. Can you give attention to the way the insentient teaches us? Recorded December 29, 2010.
Michael offers an introduction to the the five day silent New Year's Retreat. Michael talks about what can show up on retreat, and Dogen’s idea of the Way Seeking Heart. Recorded December 28, 2010.
Michael talks about how the person in us who is sick has the resources to take care of the parts of us that are not sick. This paradox is the entry point of maturing meditation practice. Recorded December 21, 2010.
Michael begins talking about the snow and the differences between people and birds, and then ends up speaking about the map of what to look for in meditation practice over time. Recorded Dec 14, 2010.
Annual Poetry Evening. Erin Robinsong, Sarah Selecky, Michael Stone read from their favourite poems. A wonderful evening of words to support practice. Recorded Nov. 30, 2010.
Michael talks about the G20, the power of shared attention, and how letting go of fixed views opens us up to community. When we are attentive to suffering we are more tender and connected. A self connected with others is a political self. Recorded November 16, 2010.
A talk by Michael on how even the best meditators have old wounds that need attention. He talks about how we need support for working with old patterns of our psychology that spiritual practices may not reach. Recorded Nov 09, 2010.
A talk and group exercise for working with thorns when they begin to grow on the branches of our practice and in our lives. Recorded Nov. 2, 2010.
Michael continues his month-long discussion about masks and how they shouldn't stick to your face. He gives the sangha some homework. Recorded Oct 11, 2010.
Michael introduces Case 12 of the Mumonkon, "The Master". He ties waking up with social action and the teachings of the Burmese Monks who visited the evening prior. A funny and lively talk with practices you can use in your life. Recorded Oct 5, 2010.
Michael tells the story of Angulimala, a murderer who met the Buddha and changed his ways though was still stoned to death. This teaching illustrates how we are never free of karma and that our conduct always shapes our lives. Recorded Sept 28, 2010.
Jen Whitney investigates a favourite koan of hers and relates it to the passing of Michael and how the community can move forward from here. Recorded at the Eight-Day Silent Meditation Retreat in France, August 2017.
Part two of Michael describing how to "enter the path of practice" and become a committed student at Centre of Gravity. Recorded Sept. 15, 2010.
Jen Whitney explores the famous saying by Seigen Ishin, integrating the wisdom of poet David Budbill. Recorded at the Eight-Day Silent Meditation Retreat in France, August 2017.
Book Launch at the Shambhala Centre on Freeing the Body, Freeing the Mind: Yoga and Buddhism. Recorded Sept. 9, 2009.
Jen Whitney discusses working with ideals, expectations, and perfection, and turning towards it with love. Recorded at the Eight-Day Silent Meditation Retreat in France, August 2017.
Jen Whitney teaches yoga and dharma with a small sangha in Brooklyn. She studied with Michael for many years as part of his mentorship program and is currently pursuing her MA and Ph.D. in Psychology at The New School.
During a weekend retreat in Michael's honour, Carina Stone speaks about how practice shows up as both a scaffolding for loss and as the path forward. She responds to the questions what do we do now and why do we practice in light of his unique struggles and death. Recorded in Victoria, BC on Oct 8, 2017.
Caitlin Lambstrom remembers Michael and what he taught her: that practice is not a way to transcend our humanness, but to embrace it. Awakening is not an end goal, but a possibility that exists in each moment - even the painful ones. Recorded on retreat in Victoria, BC on Oct 7, 2017.
Caitlin Lambstrom has studied with teachers in the Vipassana, Tibetan, and Zen traditions, and has received teacher training from Shambhala and the Interdependence Project in New York. She worked closely with Michael Stone since 2015 as part of his mentorship program and assisted him in teaching meditation on silent retreats and workshops, as well as working with students one-on-one. She currently lives in Chicago with her husband Nathan and their dog Basho.
A discussion and talk Michael gave at the Yoga Festival Toronto with local teachers and studio owners. Toronto, Ontario. Recorded August 21, 2010.
Michael Stone provides a reflection on the retreat with Stephen & Martine Batchelor. He speaks to making a practice of our lives where all our roles, our actions are interconnected. Michael examines the end of the first chapter of the Yoga Sutra. Recorded March 30, 2010, at Centre of Gravity, Toronto, ON.
Martine Batchelor explains and explores ceremonial offerings in Korean Zen practice. Recorded March 28, 2010, at Centre of Gravity in Toronto, Ontario. Martine Batchelor, a former Buddhist nun, studied Zen Buddhism under the guidance of Kusan Sunim and is the author of several books.
Gifted school teacher Kristie Burnett offers a funny and brilliant presentation on how she brings meditative practices to kids. She describes class plans, games, managing emotions, rethinking the role of a teacher, collaboration, problem solving, and how to model mindfulness with young people and why. Toronto, ON. Recorded May 4, 2017.
In meditation we need “initial application of attention,” then “sustained application” so that we cultivate a spacious field in which thoughts and sensations can come and go. Sometimes blessings are all over the place and we miss them. Toronto, Ontario. Recorded May 3, 2017.
More people are afraid of uncertainty than they are of physical pain. If we do something about our own pain, we can connect with the pain of others. 50% of our practice should be inward and 50% in our environment. Green Bay, Wisconsin. Recorded March 28, 2017.
Stephen Batchelor reflects upon secular Buddhism and revisits the Four Noble Truths, primary Buddhist ideals, assumptions and dogmas. Centre of Gravity, Toronto. Recorded March 28, 2010.
Describing how the Buddha met fear, Michael maps out how concentration practice unfolds, then offers a mind-opening view of rebirth and reincarnation. Wisconsin. Recorded March 26, 2017.
An 8-minute guided meditation with Martine Batchelor. Centre of Gravity, Toronto. Recorded March 28, 2010.
How to meet others who are in fear or anxiety, how to help anxious kids, how to validate the feelings of other people without exacerbating what’s going on for them, and how to develop concentration (jhana) practice. Wisconsin. Recorded March 26, 2017.
On retreat, Michael speaks about the Buddha’s instructions for practicing alone in the wilderness, how past actions haunt the body, how to turn towards anxiety, and a moving story about his son and autism. Wisconsin. Recorded March 25, 2017.
For the purposes of meditation, what you’re thinking about is not important. But as we pay attention to thinking in meditation, you might notice other aspects of the process of thinking besides the content. So, for example, if you’re thinking words or images, what’s the quality of the inner voice? What’s the quality of the pictures that you see? Recorded 2017.
See if you can find out where in your body that emotional state or mood is most manifested, most expressed. What sensations or feelings in your body let you know that you’re having this emotional state? See if you can notice how the emotional state is expressed through your body, through sensations in your body. Recorded December 2017.
Nothing needs to be refused. Let the breath travel the body without picking up speed. The clouds of thought haul across the sky. Let them come and go. Let the breath move the way blood moves: let it find its own rhythm. Recorded 2017.
Tuning into breath in the nostrils to explore subtle sensations and bring mind into its natural state. Recorded 2017.
Michael explores practicing without an idea of gain, the Universal Self, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Pattabhi Jois, the Buddha and Shunryu Suzuki. How can you blend your breath with the larger self? Moksha Westshore, B.C. Recorded February 18, 2017.
Michael integrates a discussion of spiritual bypassing (using practice to avoid dealing with painful feelings and unresolved emotional habits) with a teaching on using labeling to let go of ruminating thoughts and overthinking. Victoria, B.C. Recorded January 22, 2017.
How to not leave your body, even when it feels untrustworthy. We can always turn to the body in pain, grief, and even in altered states of consciousness. Anxiety, compassion, and equanimity always play out in your body. Victoria, B.C. Recorded January 19, 2017.
Bringing distractions back into the beginning of the inhale. Victoria, B.C. Recorded January 17, 2017.
BONUS Michael Stone and Matthew Remski read personal letters they wrote to each other as expectant fathers. These letters later become their co-authored book, "Family Wakes Us Up." They explore their process as fathers, as parents, and as two people integrating spiritual practice and the demands of parenting. This podcast is from our archive and was recorded November 23, 2013, in Toronto.
Michael uses an old Zen tale, a troubled story about him falling in love with his wife, and quotes from Shunryu Suzuki, to describe the practice of not-knowing and not holding onto anything. He ends with a very interesting and subtle meditation instruction on breathing. Chapin Mill, New York. Recorded December 31, 2016.
Michael explores the sensitive topic of knowing when to pull out of relationships, kindness to one’s self, emptiness, love, and a story about appreciating that you and others are divine. Chapin Mill, New York. Recorded December 30, 2016.
On silent retreat Michael speaks about bowing, forms of practice, gratitude, extending meditation beyond the cushion, and appreciating the practice of others. Recorded at Chapin Mill, New York, on December 29 2016.
Michael unpacks different kinds of blame, both inward and outward, followed by a description of projection and the link between blame and projection and how they cover over underlying feelings. Then he describes how we can make room for gratitude, as taught in the Tibetan Lojong teachings. Recorded in Ottawa on December 10, 2016.
Deep listening, wisdom, and the ability to do extraordinary things. Salt Spring Island, B.C. Recorded in December, 2016.
Tibetan Buddhist Teachings for transforming what’s unpleasant, letting go of grasping, and the 3 treasures of awakening, reality and community. Portland, Oregon. Recorded on December 4, 2016.
A talk, followed by a guided meditation on inhaling suffering and exhaling peace. A practice of learning how to exchange your happiness for someone else’s suffering – how to train your heart to do what it doesn't want to do. Portland, Oregon. Recorded December 3, 2016.
A lively discussion on meditation and the Tibetan Lojong Practices for Training in Compassion. Portland, Oregon. Recorded on December 3, 2016.
What’s happening right now in our lives can be the raw material that shows us the path of awakening & compassion. In Portland, Michael teaches from the Lojong Training in Compassion. Portland, Oregon. Recorded December 2, 2016.
Michael explores how mindfulness and meditation practice can heal shame and trauma and how these symptoms manifest in relationship. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Recorded on November 20 2016.
In Berlin Michael talks about Zen Case 55 of the Blue Cliff Record “Tao Wu's Condolence Call.” He talks about the Yoga Sutra, not being afraid, and how an awakened person has a very wide palette of emotion, it’s just they don’t grasp so much. Recorded at YogaSpirit in Berlin, Germany on October 20, 2016.
A ship is safe in the harbour, but that’s not what ships are built to do. Michael talks about the ways that we can balance calmness with vitality, how not to be afraid of our power, and how balanced energy can have superhero qualities. Recorded in Copenhagen, September 27 2016.
Using a Zen koan about the Pang family, Michael talks about wholehearted activity, compassion, and throwing yourself to the ground when someone falls down. He ties this into the refugee situation in Europe, racism, and how to take compassionate action when we have no idea what to do. Recorded in Copenhagen on September 25, 2016.
Describing the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th limbs of yoga, Michael offers a very clear talk on the self, the ego and the emptiness of what we cling to. At the core of the personality we are trying to create permanence because we’re trying to come to terms with how fluid things really are. Recorded in Stockholm on September 9, 2016.
Michael lectures on the end of 2nd chapter of the Yoga-Sutra and then gets into a very precise mapping of what happens to the ego when you get into deeper states of calm and how to practice without dissociating. Recorded in Stockholm, September 8, 2016.
Based on a Zen story, Michael talks about wholehearted activity, compassion, and throwing yourself to the ground when someone falls. He ties this into the refugee situation in Europe, racism, and how to take compassionate action when we have no idea what to do. Recorded in Stockholm, September 7, 2016.
Caitlin Lambstrom gives a dharma talk on silent retreat about avoiding burnout, using effort wisely, getting rest, and being inspired by something greater than yourself. Salt Spring Island, Canada. 40 min. Recorded August 26, 2016.
Michael speaks about the ways that being mindful of the body helps us make ethical choices and how our hostility and poor conduct only happen when we have lost track of the body. An interesting exploration at the nexus of ethics and breathing. Recorded at the Eight-day Silent Meditation Retreat on Salt Spring Island, August 24, 2016.
Michael speaks about composure, waiting 5 breaths when we are aggravated, and how patience is not about waiting for something, it’s really a matter of being where you are. The talk begins with a story about his young son and ends with a sing-along. Salt Spring Island, Canada. 50 min. Recorded August 25, 2016.
Michael suggests that you need to get deeper than cognition and stories, in order to heal trauma. It’s what we have created in the wake of painful events, that need healing. Knowing when to name our symptoms and then when to drop the pathology. Meditation Facilitation Program, London, 40 min. Recorded on July 31, 2016.
Listen to Part 1, Symptoms of Trauma: http://bit.ly/2lhkCDI
Michael details fear, dissociation, and shame, and how they impact the body, mind, and relationships. Very clear talk about the strategies we use to protect ourselves and create recognizable symptoms. Michael ends with a story about generational trauma. Meditation Facilitation Program, London. Recorded on July 30, 2016.
Listen to Part 2, Healing Trauma Through the Body: http://bit.ly/2kke4WB
How to work with your thoughts through labeling practice. Recorded at the Meditation Facilitation Program 2016 in London, UK.
Using mindfulness of thinking to hold mental states more lightly. Meditation Facilitation Program, London, 50 min. michaelstoneteaching.com
BONUS A tender and personal talk Michael gives during silent retreat about his father, forgiveness, and how we need to practice forgiveness all the time. He talks about how, and why. He talks about the painter Hellen Frankenthaller's death and practicing in good times and bad. This podcast episode is from our archive and was recorded Dec 29, 2011.
An hour before New Year's Michael gives a quiet talk on the Heart Sutra and Forgiveness. "When I hold someone's hand as they are dying I chant the Heart Sutra. Or when I watch my son sleeping." A tender and quiet talk on silent retreat. This podcast episode is from our archive and was recorded on Dec 31, 2011.
Michael gives a talk on New Year's Silent Retreat on Dogen and how to practice meditation without memory and imagination. Learn to step back and turn your light inwards. Living in your small grass hut, covered in weeds. This podcast episode is from our archive and was recorded on Dec 30, 2012.
BONUS Michael Stone talks on silent retreat about how meditation works over the long-haul, how to practice with a teacher that encourages independence, and how to live without gain. This is the second last talk of the year and the group was in deep silent practice, and it was snowing. This podcast is from our archive and was recorded Dec 30, 2013, at Sugar Ridge Retreat Centre in Midland, Ontario.
Michael Stone talks during the New Year's Silent Meditation Retreat about the depth of meditation, an old koan about bowing, Zen master Dogen, and Edward Snowden. This powerful talk wraps up 2013. This podcast episode is from our archive and was recorded Dec 31, 2013, at Sugar Ridge Retreat Centre in Midland, Ontario.
Michael begins teaching concentration technique by aligning attention and the body. Recognizing expectations we have for ourselves and others and how grasping creates suffering. Not allowing others to change. The more you seek enlightenment the further it goes away. Meditation Facilitation Program, London, 50 min. michaelstoneteaching.com
A community talk at Tassajara Monastery with Michael Stone & Zen teacher Paul Haller. They each share some of their biography and field questions about practice. Paul shares from his 40 years of Zen practice. Tassajara Zen Mountain Monastery, California.
Followed by a talk on how meditation unfolds, and how to use the space of meditation to investigate experience. Recorded on retreat co-taught with Michael Stone, Tassajara Zen Mountain Monastery, California. 60 min.
Michael talks about feeling the breath; the limits of Jung's ideas of images; how to go beyond internal dialogue and how Jung falls apart for 2 years and how he deals with it. Recorded on September 25, 2012.
Michael explores happiness; how the Buddha saw a "self" as creative and not destined by fate or individuation. Become who you are. As we drop into practice, happiness is a by-product, not a goal. Recorded on September 18, 2012.
Michael explores what it's like to feel like two people; how Jung felt alone as a kid; the place of religious images in life as a child; how do we relate to the vastness of the unconscious and memory; the gods are on the inside now. This dharma talk is from our archive and was recorded September 11, 2012.
Michael talks about Jung and Freud's split, dreams, work, the unconscious as a process of compensation, madness and meditation, and what it's like going into cellars. This dharma talk is from our archive and was recorded September 4, 2012.
Zen teacher Paul Haller guides a gentle and clear meditation on noticing what it is to attend to experience. Recorded on retreat co-taught with Michael Stone, Tassajara Zen Mountain Monastery, California in June 2016.
Because the Self is absent when we are awake, we cannot know if we are awake because we are one with our activity. So how do we know when someone is awake? Isn't it all projection? This is the final talk in our Diamond Sutra series recorded at Spirit Loft in Toronto in June 2016.
BONUS Love and compassion are necessities for basic sustainability. Norman Fischer gives a lecture to a packed house in Toronto on the importance of love, care, and ordinary suffering. This episode is from our archive and was recorded March 16, 2014.
BONUS Norman Fischer talks on not speaking destructively, not criticizing the faults of others, and working with conflict. This episode is from our archive and was recorded March 16, 2014.
Norman Fischer facilitates discussion about meditation, prayer, loss, compassion to oneself, and the liberation of sitting still even when it seems useless. This episode is from our archive and was recorded March 16, 2014.
There are hungers we just can't satisfy. So how can we open to desire without grasping? There’s no satisfaction at the end of the money or fame path. Meditation is controlling your posture and mind in order to let go of control. Spirit Loft, Toronto, 20 min.
Michael talks about the five kinds of fear, community and how it grows, a poem by Leonard Cohen, generosity, and then he reads his own poem about his mother. This talk is from our archive and was recorded in May 31, 2011.
Michael talks about wedding Vows in community, labeling our thoughts so we can honour them, and how generosity is about the way we give our attention. The most profound gift we can give others is our attention. It’s a form of love. Spirit Loft, Toronto, 30 min.
The benefit of our practice must be wider than the benefit to our body. How wide do you draw the circle of self? Self-soothing. Michael talks about “a secure base” and how to manage reactivity that’s both inside and outside. Spirit Loft, Toronto, 30 min.
What does being alive feel like? Michael tells the story of Subhuti and the questions he asks the Buddha about how to practice. Haven’t we been blessed with greatest of trusts? Aren’t we all blessed? Isn't meditation learning how to trust? Spirit Loft, Toronto, 28 min.
The first in a series of six talks on the Diamond Sutra. Michael speaks on the three aspects of ourselves we can let go of through practice: Possessiveness (This is mine); Conceit (This is me); and Beliefs about what the self is (This is what I am). He connects this to both meditation practice, daily life, and the teachings of the Diamond Sutra. Mental states are not inherently fixed, and you can hold them much lighter than you are now. Recorded at Spirit Loft in Toronto, June 2016.
As the breath becomes smooth and slow, the mind settles and we become less interested in wanting “an experience.” Be kind to yourself, cultivate an un-agitated heart, and live a life that connects. London, 50 min.
Michael explains how we can cultivate a field in which anxiety can arise and change, surrounded by spaciousness. We have forces of good inside us, we aren't fated to live out our history, and we are loveable just as we are. London, 55min.
Michael talks about the magic mantra that ends the Heart Sutra. Transforming fear, cultivating compassion, not-knowing, how mantras work. London, 1 hour.
How to meditate when your are thinking a lot. Michael also explores language and emotions in children and how this gets internalized in adults. A very clear talk on mindfulness practices for transforming overthinking and identification with thoughts. Vancouver, 55 min.
Drawing on Freud, Jung, and the Buddha, and various ways of understanding what the ego is, how it develops, and why working with settling thoughts becomes a spiritual practice over time. Vancouver, 30 min.
How to become interested in how the mind functions rather than being caught in the content of our stories. Meditation is a physical practice and we use breathing to settle the mind and heart. 40 min. Vancouver.
Shift away from the content of the mind to the process of thinking. Mindfulness of thinking while sitting like a mountain. Vancouver, 25 min.
If you feel unsafe or unstable, this is a gentle 10 minute guided meditation in corpse pose, for taking care of yourself. Vancouver, 20 min.
Molly Boeder Harris co-teaching with Michael on trauma sensitivity for meditation facilitation. Vancouver, 53 min.
Molly Boeder Harris co-teaching with Michael on self-soothing and trauma awareness during the Meditation Facilitation Training. Recorded in Vancouver, 59 min.
Molly Boeder Harris co-teaching with Michael on trauma sensitivity during the Meditation Facilitation Training. Vancouver, 25 min.
Molly Boeder Harris co-teaching with Michael on trauma sensitivity during the Meditation Facilitation Program. Vancouver, 46 min.
In Meditation Facilitation Program Michael explores how: mind states are not inherently fixed; you can hold mind states lightly; moods are phenomena, not who you are, and; you can sculpt your attitude. Vancouver, 1hr.
A bodhisattva is someone who doesn’t get used to violence. How to train our hearts to be awake so our hearts don't build plaque. Comox, B.C. 1 hour.
1.) What was your first experience of solitude, and 2.) What were your first experiences of being with others? The best thing we can leave our kids is to show how we loved. Madison, WI.
Michael talks about how to protect yourself, how to cultivate a caring heart, and ways of praying without necessarily needing God. Madison, WI.
Michael starts out linking Aylan Kurdi’s body washing up on shore in Greece, with unemployment, austerity, and our interconnection. How do we wake up in the middle of confusion? He then talks about emptiness as a practice of not-knowing, and how to work with confusion. Madison, WI 1 hr.
Michael teaches the 2nd foundation of mindfulness and how all of our experiences comes down to pleasant and unpleasant tone in the body and how important it is that we know how to feel the unpleasant. He also speaks about anger and how a heightened awareness in the middle of our original pain can free us. Meditation Facilitation Training, Vancouver, 1hr.
Learning how to be present with an un-agitated heart. Meditation teaches us to be wiser with what’s difficult. Embodying our meditative practice by learning how to stop and see clearly. Meditation Facilitation Training, Vancouver, 1hr.
Guided meditation with Michael Stone. Meditation Facilitation Training, Vancouver, 20 min.
Michael teaches a group of clinicians (with Brian Williams) on the Buddhist teaching of Mudita – Appreciative Joy. He speaks of the ways that joy is contagious and how we can train to notice it more often. Enso Foundation, Kelowna, 25 min.
A 15-minute guided meditation on mudita (appreciative joy) with psychotherapist and dharma teacher Brian Williams. Co-taught with Michael. Enso Foundation, Kelowna.
Michael unpacks Tibetan Buddhist teachings that use a series of slogans to transform our attitude into compassion. Enso Foundation, Kelowna, 45 min.
This is instruction for a meditation practice called tonglen. Tonglen is a Tibetan term that means giving and receiving. In this practice you send out happiness to others and you take in any suffering that others feel. (Lojong Teachings #2) Enso Foundation, Kelowna, 15 min.
Michael teaches Tibetan practices for training in empathy: Turning what’s arising into the path, see everything as a dream, don't get stuck on peace, rest in an open mind, and after meditation just become a beginner. Enso Foundation, Kelowna, 1 hour.
Meditation, how the mind functions, and contra-indications for meditation are the subject of this talk. Michael explores karma and also the delay of gratification, borderline personality, and the difference between practices that uncover repression and practices that strengthen the personality in helpful ways. Enso Foundation, Kelowna, 1 hour.
Discussion about technology in culture and its effect on us personally and socially. Semperviva, Vancouver, 50 min.
Michael explores the way “interruption technologies” like phones and messaging etiquette, create hyper-arousal in the body and mind and de-stabilize emotions. He connects this research with practical things we can do at home to stabilize our minds and re-establish depth in relationships. Semperviva, Vancouver, 50 min.
Photo credit: Andréa de Keijzer
Michael talks about the goal of practice as being yourself. He tells the Zen story of T’ing being slapped and explores trusting yourself, not telling black and white stories about those we love and hate, and how meditation is the same as art. Chapin Mill, New York, 50 min.
First day of retreat Michael talks about walking meditation, bowing, and practice tips for going deeper on retreat. The talk ends with a beautiful description of Samadhi and how concentration can protect us. Chapin Mill, New York, 50 min.
Photo credit: Jill Willcott
Rabbi Miriam Margles leads beautiful morning prayers (in Hebrew & English) during the Jewish-Buddhist retreat exploring the intersection of practices & teachings from both traditions, co-taught with Michael.
During a Jewish-Buddhist retreat Michael speaks about fear of failure, fear of disappointing others and being scared of missing out. He begins by talking about the death of writer Oliver Sacks. 50 min. Ontario.
Final talk about relaxing the breath to settle the mind. Noticing how when we go on line to "rest" we end up over-stimulating ourselves and lose track of what we feel and our emotions become unstable. Port Moody, 30 min.
Photo credit: Andréa de Keijzer
Making space in our hearts for empathy, forgiveness and non-reactivity to emerge. How to practice with your breath when you feel crazy. Samadhi is the opposite of feeling fragmented. Port Moody, 30 min.
Photo credit: Jill Willcott
Did you cut my shoelaces? Q & A about different forms of meditation for different people. Michael tells some funny stories about his son and practicing mindfulness in family. He also talks about mindfulness at work. Port Moody, 30 min.
In Port Moody, B.C., Michael talks on finding the sane part of the breath, seeing how all thoughts pivot around a construct of "me," and how to cultivate a non-reactive mind. Also, the way there are many conditions that give rise to depression or psychosis, and how to actually see that backdrop to our mental states. Port Moody, B.C., 55 min.
In Copenhagen, Michael goes into detail about emptiness, working with shame, connecting with the emotional body in order to transform traumatic scars, and how to connect with the depth of the breathing body with concentration and safety. Also, how reconciliation does not heal trauma. Yoga Mudra, Copenhagen.
Photo credit: Andréa de Keijzer
In Copenhagen Michael maps out how meditation based on concentration can bring intense pleasure and joy (piti) and how for some students these levels of concentration (jhana) can reveal deeper levels of holding and/or old trauma. Then he details how trauma works: we will do anything not to be re-traumatized, we dissociate, and shame emerges. Copenhagen, 1 hr. 12 min.
A public lecture about the effect of phones, the internet, and digital media on our minds and relationships. Michael offers very practical tools for managing our minds in an era of information overload. 1 hour. Copenhagen.
Photo credit: Andréa de Keijzer
In Gotenborg, Michael maps out the first two levels of concentration (jhanas); the importance of not being too awake; and a very different approach to working with strong emotions like anger but leaving it alone. Gotenborg, Sweden.
In Gotenborg, Michael explains the first level of concentration that emerges when the mind settles (first jhana). Also: distinguishing concentration from mindfulness in the Buddhist and Yoga Sutra traditions. Gotenborg, Sweden.
In Gotenborg, Michael offers instruction on the Buddha’s teachings of mindfulness on the breath: learning how to let the breath be natural; what happens when joy arises and various energies appear in the body during deeper levels of concentration; and how to our mind tends to move in loops and what we can do about it. Gotenborg, Sweden.
Chanting for Ill and Dying Species. On the last night of silent retreat in Cubjac, France, the community chanted outdoors for all ill and dying species. Based on a traditional Buddhist chant for humans, we translated it for other living beings. Led by Emilie Lindsten & Michael Stone 5 min. France.
Photo credit: Jill Willcott
Chanting Heart Sutra and Bodhisattva Vows. Early morning chanting on silent retreat led by Caitlin Strom. 5 min. Chapin Mill, Batavia, New York.
Photo credit: Andréa de Keijzer
Led by Jennifer Whitney and community, a recording of evening chanting for dying animals and vegetation. 5 min. Chapin Mill, Batavia, New York.
Photo credit: Jill Willcott
Rose Riccio gives her first dharmatalk on retreat exploring the Ox-herding images and how there are 84,000 gates into practice, and you only have to enter one. 30 min. Chapin Mill, Batavia, New York.
Photo credit: Jill Willcott
Michael gives a series of 6 profound talks during silent retreat on the Zen Ox-Herding images & poems. You can feel the depth of this retreat in these talks that range from Buddhist philosophy, Zen koans, personal stories about Michael (including his meeting w/Julia Roberts as a teen) and touching references to Allen Ginsberg, Ornette Coleman and deep psychological insight. Each talk was better than the next – listen to the whole series. Recorded at Moulin de Chaves in Cubjac, France.
Michael gives a series of 6 profound talks during silent retreat on the Zen Ox-Herding images & poems. You can feel the depth of this retreat in these talks that range from Buddhist philosophy, Zen koans, personal stories about Michael (including his meeting w/Julia Roberts as a teen) and touching references to Allen Ginsberg, Ornette Coleman and deep psychological insight. Each talk was better than the next – listen to the whole series. Recorded at Moulin de Chaves in Cubjac, France.
Photo credit: Andréa de Keijzer
Michael gives a series of 6 profound talks during silent retreat on the Zen Ox-Herding images & poems. You can feel the depth of this retreat in these talks that range from Buddhist philosophy, Zen koans, personal stories about Michael (including his meeting w/Julia Roberts as a teen) and touching references to Allen Ginsberg, Ornette Coleman and deep psychological insight. Each talk was better than the next – listen to the whole series. Recorded at Moulin de Chaves in Cubjac, France.
Michael gives a series of 6 profound talks during silent retreat on the Zen Ox-Herding images & poems. You can feel the depth of this retreat in these talks that range from Buddhist philosophy, Zen koans, personal stories about Michael (including his meeting w/ Julia Roberts as a teen) and touching references to Allen Ginsberg, Ornette Coleman and deep psychological in sight. Each talk was better than the next – listen to the whole series. Recorded at Moulin de Chaves in Cubjac, France.
Michael gives a series of 6 profound talks during silent retreat on the Zen Ox-Herding images & poems. You can feel the depth of this retreat in these talks that range from Buddhist philosophy, Zen koans, personal stories about Michael (including his meeting w/Julia Roberts as a teen) and touching references to Allen Ginsberg, Ornette Coleman and deep psychological insight. Each talk was better than the next – listen to the whole series. Recorded at Moulin de Chaves in Cubjac, France.
Photo credit: Andréa De Keijzer
Michael gives a series of 6 profound talks during silent retreat on the Zen Ox-Herding images & poems. You can feel the depth of this retreat in these talks that range from Buddhist philosophy, Zen koans, personal stories about Michael (including his meeting w/Julia Roberts as a teen) and touching references to Allen Ginsberg, Ornette Coleman and deep psychological insight. Each talk was better than the next – listen to the whole series. Recorded at Moulin de Chaves in Cubjac, France.
Photo credit: Andréa de Keijzer
Focusing on equanimity as a deep roundedness, Michael explores how to be balanced and creative without becoming indifferent. Equanimity doesn’t wear out. How joy, delight and tranquility arise in meditation. At the end Michael gets into some interesting ideas about working with frustration & consumerism. ENSO Foundation, Kelowna, B.C., 1 hour.
Michael describes the basics of mindfulness practice as a practice of spaciousness, non-reactivity, and conduct in our lives. Practice isn’t so much about finding peace but discovering spaciousness. Michael talks about three layers of suffering & how “what arises” is not as important as how we relate to it. ENSO Foundation, Kelowna, B.C., 1 hour.
Photo credit: Andrèa De Keijzer
Michael gives a talk in Wisconsin on the ways illness strengthens our heart. Dongshan was ready to die. He said goodbye to everyone. They wept and wept. Then he jumped out of the casket and gave them a teaching about loss. Green Bay, Wisconsin. 50 min.
Photo credit: Andrèa De Keijzer
One 2nd day of retreat Michael talks on another Dongshan where he asks his students if they can go to a place where there are no weeds. Michael’s commentary is that weeds are not the problem and that what we need to let go of is not “stuff” but our reactivity. Christine Centre, Wisconsin, 50 min.
Photo credit: Andrèa De Keijzer
On retreat in Wisconsin Michael talks about a Zen story where a teacher describes his teaching as “Just This Is It.” Guilt, remorse, devotion, you can’t really see yourself, finding your true path. Christine Centre, Wisconsin, 50 min.
Photo credit: Eagleclaw Thom
Michael begins with talking about finding simplicity in meditation practice; stepping back from the details of thinking to notice the subjective experience of awareness; and then he launches into a discussion about grieving and loss and how we can never get satisfaction when we make war on ourselves or others. He ends by talking about how loss is part of our experience of being a self and how when we reduce ourselves we rescue others. Recorded at Kushala, Port Moody, British Columbia. 1 hour.
Rage, nonviolence, and embracing what’s unbearable. Michael begins by talking about embracing the limits of our lives and then explores how to be with what is unbearable without turning it into destructiveness or someone else’s problem. The last part of this talk on rage and frustration is really great. Richmond, Virginia, 1 hour.
A master is dying & a student asks him how he is feeling. Michael uses this Zen story to explore letting go of expectations and blame. He also talks about being to diffuse or too sharp in our reactivity. Richmond, Virginia, 1 hour.
Michael explains how kundalini, moksha and other Hatha Yoga terms are metaphors for awakening. He then talks about intimacy, creativity and the false self. A very clear talk about common haha yoga terms. University of Toronto. co-taught with Kathryn Bruni-Young. 1 hour.
During a 5-day intensive Michael explores key terms from a 15th century text on yoga and talks about mental habits, yoga postures, and the ways that the habits of mind and body are actually the path. Michael explains savasana, corpse pose. University of Toronto. co-taught with Kathryn Bruni-Young. 1.5 hours.
Michael explores Patanjali’s teaching on pratyahara in both meditation and daily life. We don’t really understand why things happen in our life, and yet we hold so much in our bodies. He talks about settling the self, the fact that there is no inside or outside, and the way others change when we do. Antibes, France. 1 hour. (translation: Cecile Payne).
Michael translates Patanjali’s teachings on ethics, posture, steadiness, and not holding onto anything. He also speaks about greed, anger and non-duality. Antibes, France. 1 hour (translation: Cecile Payne).
Michael Stone is interviewed by CBC Regina about SIT UP HERITAGE - an outdoor urban day-long retreat in Regina's Heritage Community. Recorded May 2015.
Michael reads from his new book and then opens up in a very personal talk about fathering, his doubts about the nuclear family, co-parenting in a split-family, his relationship with writing about family, and his friendship with Matthew Remski. 1 hour. Banyen Books, Vancouver, B.C.
Sofia Forman gives her first dharma talk on trust, death and her process of practice. Silent New Year’s Retreat, Chapin Mill, New York, 35 min.
Photo credit: Andréa de Keijzer
Michael speaks about modern Buddhism as a “culture of awakening,” and then talks on the Zen koan “Save a Ghost.” We are broken. That’s why meditation is an ambulance service for love. Mindfulness is a practice of mourning. The dead live on in us as ghosts and as we mourn we make them into culture. Silent New Year’s Retreat, Chapin Mill, New York, 45 min.
Photo credit: Andréa De Keijzer
Michael Stone gives a talk at the New Year's Silent Retreat in New York on depression, mental health, the negativity bias in the brain, and how we can have reverence for every moment of our lives. He talks about the Dalai Lama, photographer Nan Goldin, neuroscientist Rick Hanson, Yun-Men, and how to find your light. New Year's Silent Meditation Retreat, Chapin Mill, New York, 42 min.
Join renowned activist Judy Rebick and Buddhist teacher Michael Stone for an evening of discussion about the intersection of spiritual practice and social action. What inspires social action? How do we stay motivated? How do we cope with burnout? And how can we collaborate, so that independent struggles can join forces to create incredible change? (Unfortunately, this talk cuts off part way through.)
When someone is enlightened, what are they enlightened about? Michael uses the dhammapada to talk about caregiving, taking care of yourself, and then he offers a list that sums up a new ay of thinking about spiritual practice in this century. He ends with a reading from his book “Family Wakes Us Up.” Copenhagen. 1.2 hours.
Michael explains how interdependence, in Buddhist psychology, begins at the level of perception. We can have many versions of ourself, we are a novel. Importance of the ego. If you numb negative emotions, you also numb positive emotions. Copenhagen. 80 min
Photo credit: Andréa de Keijzer
Michael tells the story of King Pasenadi and other Buddhist teachings on caring for ones-self as a means to not hurting others, instructions for meditation on impermanence, aware of awareness, and not clinging to our identity. Copenhagen. 1 hour.
Photo credit: Andréa de Keijzer
Students from Denmark, Germany and Sweden talk together about working with ethics in the realms of sexuality, marriage, family and work. Copenhagen 50min
Photo credit: Andréa de Keijzer
Michael comments on the Buddhist text The Dhammapada exploring projection on teachers, noticing rigidity, and understanding the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation. Copenhagen. 65 min.
Photo credit: Andréa de Keijzer
Michael uses the Dhammapada to explore letting go of hostility, it’s effect on kids and families, and his separation. Copenhagen 30 min.
Photo credit: Andréa de Keijzer
Each moment is a new beginning. Michael talks on speech, actions and opens up about his struggle with depression. He also speaks of Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s overdose. Copenhagen. 1.2 hours.
The Four Tasks: 1. Embrace Life, 2. Let go of Craving, 3. Stop & See, 4. Act. Drawing on the academic work of Richard Gombrich and Stephen Batchelor, Michael gives a focused talk on the core concepts/memes of Buddhism as a series of practices rather than a set of beliefs. 3rd talk in a series at Hollyhock, Cortes Island, 30mins. (This talk cuts off part way)
Photo credit: Andréa de Keijzer
Michael offers a practical list of psychological changes that happen when you practice: 1. self transience, 2. body becomes sacred, 3. resilience, 4. reliable self-esteem, 5. insight. 4th talk in a series at Hollyhock, Cortes Island, 40 min.
Michael talks about working with the breath, mantras, language, yoga, feelings in the body, releasing the sense of “me,” and the importance of collaboration in political change. Hollyhock, Cortes Island, 50 min.
Photo credit: Andréa de Keijzer
Drawing on the Buddha’s first teaching, Michael talks on craving to be someone, craving to fill something, craving to not-exist, and craving for stimulation. He ties this to greed and the ability to open to frustration. Hollyhock, Cortes Island, 1 hour.
Michael explains Nirvana, the Deathless, Buddhist practice without religion, and a re-thinking of the core teachings of the Buddha. Michael draws on Stephen Batchelor’s idea of The Four Tasks that we can practice as the realization of Nirvana. Chapin Mill, Batavia New York. 1 hr.
When you’re feeling Stuck. Michael gives a talk on the “killing” energy of Mara, the power of being blocked and unfulfilled. He talks about how the Buddha worked with being attacked by the hell realms. Waking up is always followed by shutting down, so watch for it. Another focused talk from silent retreat. Chapin Mill, Batavia New York. 1 hr.
Michael Stone gives a focused and detailed thought about meditation technique and using your body to develop concentration. He goes through meditations on sound, the nostrils, the belly and approaching the objects of meditation with sthira (steadiness) and sukkha (well-being). A fascinating retreat talk that gets precise about mediation skills.
When you have imbalanced attention how can you live an intentional life? Michael talks about being on retreat, two categories of thought, introduces the Dvedhavitakkka Sutta and talks about how deeply wanting to wake up is a delicate thing in a technological age where we are always on google. 45 min. Chapin Mill, Batavia New York.
All your life, you’ve been searching, without knowing it, for exactly this moment. Michael Stone gives a guided meditation on the city, the body and the breath. 25 minutes. Ottawa.
On Silent Retreat Michael Stone explores the Zen koan “Why Can’t the Tail Pass Through” along with thoughts on hope, optimism, and despair. He describes “mindfulness as a political tool” and how we don't need a revolution, we need “embodied, moment-to-moment rebellion.” True North Insight, 45 min.
Pascal Auclair co-teaches with Michael and explores the work of Joanna Macy and Aung San Suu Kyi and the work that reconnects. True North Insight. 1 hour.
Michael begins teaching on the Two Darts and explains how physical and emotional pain are connected and how when we feel physical pain (first dart) it’s followed by a mental response (second dart). Then Michael teaches a guided meditation that people can do alone or as caregivers for people in pain. Workshop in Green Bay, Wisconsin. May 20, 2014
Practice is the opening of a path and letting go of rigid opinions. Michael’s final talk on the Kayagatasati Sutta on understanding the role of Mara in practice. Mara is our inability to transcend our fixed perspectives. Mara is a killer. Mara is the energy that shuts us down. Recorded in Madison, Wisconsin on May 18, 2014.
Michael explains the basics of Jhana practices (4 stages of concentration) based on the the Kayagatasati Sutta in a workshop in Madison, Wisconsin. In stillness the landmarks for how we understand our lives are not there. Michael explores the maps for absorption practice and how to enter deeper territory. Recorded on May 18, 2014.
In Madison, Wisconsin, Michael talks on the Kayagatasati Sutta exploring meditation on the body, how to work with the breath, and meditations on the dissolution of the body at death. Recorded on May 17, 2014.
Michael Stone gives his final talk at Centre of Gravity on the famous Zen Koan MU. Michael begins with discussing meditation on the breath and then goes deeply into seeing how practice is about being unconditional with yourself. Recorded at Centre of Gravity, Toronto on May 6, 2014. 1 hour. This is a “must listen” talk if you’re a podcast regular!
Life before and after Death. Michael Stone talks about deep memory, rebirth, and how when we have problems it’s usually because we have the wrong map. Spring 2014.
The mind in meditation, dream yoga, and the Buddha’s teaching on “The Arrow.” Michael Stone gives an in-depth talk on the Buddha’s approach to embracing suffering, letting go, and how when we experience letting go a path begins to open. Spring 2014.
Guided meditation by Michael Stone, with focus on the tongue, palette, position of fingers, and subtle physical tricks to open the mind in Vipassana practice. Recorded on silent retreat at True North Insight in Ontario. April 19, 2014.
On silent retreat Michael Stone talks about the Zen koan "Oak Tree in the Garden," as well as the meditation practice as "a politics of love." He describes in detail the Buddha's death. Recorded at True North Insight in Ontario on April 19, 2014.
Michael Stone uses the teachings on emptiness to work with the body. He calls sitting "physical practice" and he describes yoga as "psychological practice." Recorded at True North Insight in Ontario on April 18, 2014. (Photos by Andréa de Keijzer)
Michael Stone opens a silent retreat talking about seeing everything as medicine and how meditation teaches us how to practice intimacy, even with old wounds. Recorded at True North Insight in Ontario on April 17, 2014. (Photo courtesy of Andréa de Keijzer)