Be Here Now Network

For episode 242, Emma Seppälä, Ph.D. returns to the Metta Hour to speak about her new book, “Sovereign: Reclaim Your Freedom, Energy, and Power in a Time of Distraction, Uncertainty, and Chaos.”

Emma is a best-selling author, Yale lecturer, and international keynote speaker. She teaches executives at the Yale School of Management and is faculty director of the Yale School of Management’s Women’s Leadership Program. She is also the Science Director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education. A psychologist and research scientist by training, Emma’s expertise is the science of happiness, emotional intelligence, and social connection.

In this episode, Sharon and Emma discuss:

Emma’s definition of the word “Sovereign”

Self-loathing hiding out as self-criticism

The toxic relationship with ourselves

The myths of high-achievers

Sharon’s story of facing self-imposed beliefs

How Emma has worked with self-loathing

Emma’s first meditation experience

You have to name it to tame it

Internalizing the stories told about us

Awareness + courage

Emma’s definition of the term “self-compassion”

The disempowerment of shame

The research around lovingkindness

How intuition supports sovereignty

What research reveals about meditation

The science of happiness

Emma’s study of breath-work for veterans

Emma closes the conversation with a guided meditation.

Harmonizing to the 'music of the spheres' & sharing gardening tips from Buddha, a blissful Jack unveils the possibility of sudden awakening.

This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/heartwisdom and get on your way to being your best self.

"You don't want to wait until you float out of your body when you die and look back and say, 'Wow, that was an amazing incarnation, wasn't it?' You actually want to have it now." – Jack Kornfield

In this fresh video episode, Jack blissfully illuminates:

- The wisdom of the Music of the Spheres

- The energies of the 2024 Solar Eclipse

- Alan Watts on why 'life is like music'

- The enlightening present moment

- Harmonizing life's opposites like the Tao

- Dancing with life's changing rhythms

- To be married to amazement and mystery

- The beautiful revelation of sudden awakening

- Being at the still point of the turning world

- Sudden realization, gradual practice, and Zen

- Releasing from the body of fear

- Buddha's gardening wisdom

- The fruits of inner well-being

"That's what meditation does, it makes space. We step out of the thrall of our plans, thoughts, reactions, how it should be, what's happened, and what should happen; and out of the fears and the confusion, sadness, excitement, and all those things; and we become the space of loving awareness that says, 'Yes.' It's an act of love." – Jack Kornfield

This Dharma Talk originally took place 3/25/24 for Spirit Rock Meditation Center's Monday Night Dharma Talk and Meditation. Sign up for Jack's next one at JackKornfield.com/events

Discussing her memoir, Lotus Girl, Helen Tworkov and Raghu talk about spiritual quests and experiencing a deeper reality.

Get your copy of Lotus Girl: https://www.amazon.com/Lotus-Girl-Crossroads-Buddhism-America/dp/1250321557

In this episode, Helen and Raghu talk about:

Growing up with tyrannical parents

How the iconic photo of Thich Quang Duc changed Helen’s life

Being orientated to Asia through Psychedelics, out-of-body meditation experiences, and equanimity

Raghu’s altered state through the music of John Coltrane

How trying to understand her family lead Helen on a quest for reality

Helen’s friendship with Charles Mingus

Stories of the Dalai Lama

Holding suffering without letting it define you

Our capacity to feel many emotions at the same time

Being accepting of whatever is in front of you in the moment

“At the time, I had no understanding that that kind of break with reality could be an entry into a deeper reality that was very true.” – Helen Tworkov

Describing how God is beyond what the mind can conceptualize, Krishna Das reflects on ways to let go and experience oneness.

In this episode, Krishna Das describes:

Looking for love and beauty inside of ourselves

God as beyond the conceptual

How Maharaj-ji represents the entire universe

Why we cannot simply run from suffering

Being of service to others without our ego getting involved

Recognizing the ways we engage in hurtful relationships

Taking care of ourselves and lightening the load of suffering

Maharaj-ji’s physical body and abilities

Accomplishing anything through love and devotion

The practice of letting go through dance, chanting, or other forms of release

Why Krishna Das has not used psychedelic medicine since the sixties

Living in oneness with God all the time

Accepting others as they are

Today’s episode originally aired on Krisha Das’ “Hanging Out In the Heart Space” online satsang on June 9th 2022. Be sure to subscribe to Krishna Das on Youtube to get new episodes of “Hanging Out In the Heart Space”, fresh music from KD and more: https://www.youtube.com/@KrishnaDasMusic

“Anything you can think of or conceptualize with your mind can’t be God, because God is beyond that. I don’t know what I believe; I believe in love. I believe that Maharaj-ji is the whole universe and Maharaj-ji is that love. The love is where I want to be. I don’t need to know anything more than that.” – Krishna Das

Responding to student questions, Joseph Goldstein invigorates listeners to have faith and confidence in dharma practice.

This special group mentorship program recording was originally published on Dharmaseed

This week on Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein answers questions on:

Mental noting throughout meditation

Working with a greedy mind

Dukkha and craving as the fundamental cause of suffering

Small moments of renunciation

The deepening of concentration over time and why practice is non-linear

Keeping confidence in the dharma

Doubt as the most problematic feeling within practice

Dealing with shame, depression, unworthiness, and other painful mind-states

Balancing self-knowing and deepening insight into non-self

Fear of impermanence and attachment to things staying the same

“We really just need to continue doing the practice and have that trust that the dharma will lead us onward, which it does. I’ve seen it in myself and I’ve seen it in thousands of yogis. I have a lot of confidence in that.” – Joseph Goldstein

Revealing how to disentangle your illusions and let go of old identities, Jack paves the way to the mystical present moment.

Join Jack online Sat June 22 for The Awakened Heart: Mindfulness and Compassion Practices for Living a Wise and Free Life – a special live daylong retreat exploring lovingkindness, compassion, joy, and peace. Register here: go.spiritrock.org/SR062224

“Part of the joy of selflessness is that as we become selfless much greater forces of what life is move through us.” – Jack Kornfield

In this episode, Jack mindfully explores:

- Disentangling your illusions

- Opening to the paradox of self and no-self

- The yogic practice of asking, “Who am I?”

- This mystical present moment

- How the entire universe is inside your mind

- Experiencing selflessness

- Why you can’t just ‘no-self’ it away

- Moving past your inner-critic, shame, and unworthiness

- Listening to, accepting, and loving the shadow

- The strength of being grounded on Earth

- Working with meaninglessness

- Letting go of old identities

- Love as the work of a lifetime

This Dharma Talk estimated to be recorded on 4/23/1990 was originally published on DharmaSeed.

“You can’t just ‘no-self’ it away.” – Jack Kornfield

“All that you need to do is to keep coming back to the present and what needs to open in you will. You can really trust that.” – Jack Kornfield

Reflecting on Gandhi’s principles, Raghu and Perry Garfinkel discuss sainthood, imperfection, and continued service to others.

Get your copy of Perry’s book, Becoming Gandhi, HERE: https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Gandhi-Living-Mahatmas-Immoral/dp/1683646924/

This time on Mindrolling, Perry and Raghu talk about:

Bob Dylan, Jazz, and music as a portal

Perry’s journey to India looking for Neem Karoli Baba

Following the footsteps of Mahatma Gandhi

How sainthood does not mean you are enlightened

Polarized views of Gandhi and controversy based on gender, race, etc.

Acting out empathy in compassionate ways

The six principles of truth, vegetarianism, non-violence, simplicity, faith, and celibacy

Re-introducing Gandhi to the next generation

Separating the idea of faith from any rigid religious dogma

Trusting our own unique experiences

About Perry Garfinkel:

Perry Garfinkel is an author and has been a contributor to the New York Times since 1986, specializing in travel and cultural trends. A veteran journalist who has covered the overlap of East and West for more than thirty years for many major publications, he has been falling on and off the meditation cushion for just as long. He lives on Martha’s Vineyard.

“My message in my book is that you do not have to become Gandhi, ridiculously disciplined. But, if you just turn the dial down or up in certain areas, life is about trying to improve yourself.” – Perry Garfinkel

Encouraging listeners to examine their relationships with death and endings, Frank Ostaseski and Chris Grosso talk about living fully.

In this deep conversation, Chris and Frank Ostaseski go over:

- Death, dying, and what we can learn about living fully

- Death as our secret teacher

- The relief of impermanence versus the oppression of permanence

- Ram Dass’ idea of death being like taking off a tight shoe

- Breaking the walls of our identity and living a life that is more curious

- Frank’s 5 invitations to living well and dying without regret

- Witnessing transition through a different lens

- Perspectives on what happens after we die

- Being with people who are dying and walking side by side

- Working with fear and distinguishing emotion from object

- Setting aside our judgments and welcoming experiences

“To imagine that at the time of our dying, we’re going to have the mental stability, the emotional strength, the mental clarity to do the work of a lifetime, is a ridiculous gamble. The time for the conversation is now.” – Frank Ostaseski

Omid Safi discusses how modern myths like Star Wars can connect us to Sufism and the mystery of the universe.

This time on Sufi Heart, Omid Safi has a discussion on:

The story of Moses in the Qur’an

Moses’ teacher, ‘the green one’, and Yoda from Star Wars

How myth-makers revive spiritual traditions

The mythic language found in music and movies

How Daoist, Muslims, Christians, and more see themselves in ‘the force’

Everything as animated and the energy that flows through all things

Recognizing that we are made of the elements and of God

How George Lucas asks beautiful questions in subtle ways

Considering the mystery rather than having all of the answers

The many forms that Allah may appear in and finding saints in ordinary people

How movies fill a gap when we mistrust formal religion

“Luke and Obi-Wan, apprentice and master, this is the very stuff of the Sufi tradition, This is part of that re-enchanting that Star Wars is trying to accomplish. It’s trying to remind us that there are these mysterious ways of the heart, of the soul, of the universe, that we can still learn.” – Omid Safi

Explaining the subtleties of practice and the energy between mind and body, Joseph Goldstein offers both insight and humor to his students.

This time on Insight Hour, Joseph Goldstein :

- The variety of practice ways to strengthen concentration

- Animals and questions on karma in the natural world

- Free our minds from fear when nearing the end of our lives

- Watching the mystery of life unfolding

- The wholesome and unwholesome actions that determine our rebirth

- Habitual karma and having a place of refuge from repeated practice

- Humility and the understanding of selflessness

- Cultivating relationships of equanimity

- The ongoing discovery of the mind-body energy system

- Sexual desire and the refinement of our sensations

- Why neutrality is better than pleasure

- The unhelpful ways that we relate to pain

- How practice helps with boredom and restlessness

- Keeping an effort to pay close attention

- Using our precious lives very well

“Each of these practices not only addresses a particular conditioning of the mind, they all very much strengthen the power of concentration. It’s just to see how through many different doors we can enter the realm of understanding, taming the mind, coming to a place of stillness where we can really see the essential nature and come to freedom. There are many ways depending on temperament.” – Joseph Goldstein