By Josh + Terry Summers
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The podcast currently has 346 episodes available.
FREE 4-part Practice Pack: Everyday Vitality – Feel better today as Josh and Terry Summers guide you through 4 simple practices to move your vital energy, including massage, mobility, Yin and Yang yoga. www.joshsummers.net
In this episode of Miles On The Path, we tackle the vital theme of how to love thy neighbor amid today’s political polarization and social tension. Join Josh Summers and guest Miles Sherts as they explore how pragmatic skills from Insight meditation Conscious Communication help us step out of egoic conflict. Together, they address how to honor feelings and needs, even in contentious situations, using Josh’s experience with his neighbor as a backdrop. As the U.S. presidential election approaches, this conversation offers invaluable tools to cultivate calm, connection and compassion in a divided world. Tune in to discover how to navigate conflict with grace, re-center within your heart, and develop the skills necessary for fostering understanding and kindness in your everyday interactions.
Website for Miles Sherts: https://www.practicalpresence.org/
Books by Miles: Conscious Communication, The Tyranny of the Ego, Human Nature
Chapters: How To Love Thy Neighbor | Miles On The Path
04:46 Navigating Polarization and Conflict
07:26 Personal Conflict: The Gun Range Situation
10:20 The Role of Ego in Conflict
13:32 Conscious Communication Skills
16:18 Demonization and Dehumanization
19:13 Recognizing and Managing Emotions
22:18 Playing the Edge: Sensation and Emotion
24:53 The Importance of Self-Awareness
27:30 Differentiating Between Sensations, Feelings, and Stories
30:38 The Power of Vulnerability in Communication
33:40 Loving Thy Neighbor: A Challenge
36:37 The Need for Connection and Belonging
39:19 Final Thoughts on Conflict Resolution
FREE 4-part Practice Pack: Everyday Vitality – Feel better today as Josh and Terry Summers guide you through 4 simple practices to move your vital energy, including massage, mobility, Yin and Yang yoga.
Kamala Masters is one of the founders and teachers of the Vipassana Metta Foundation on Maui. She teaches retreats in the Theravada tradition at venues worldwide, including being a Guiding Teacher at the Insight Meditation Society at Barre, Massachusetts. Practicing since 1975, her teachers have been the late Anagarika Munindra of India and the late Sayadaw U Pandita of Burma, and Sayadaw U Tejaniya of Burma with whom she continues to practice. Kamala has a commitment to carrying and offering the purity of the teachings of the Buddha in a way that touches our common sense and compassion as human beings, and allows the natural inner growth of wisdom. She lives on Maui where she raised four children, and is now blessed with seven grandchildren. Kamala practiced both insight and loving kindness meditations intensively under the guidance and preceptorship of Sayadaw U Pandita, in the USA, Australia and in Burma as a nun and a lay woman.
Kamala Masters’ website: www.vipassanametta.org
Summary
In this conversation, Josh Summers and Kamala Masters explore the profound teachings of Insight Meditation, reflecting on their shared experiences with influential teachers like Munindra, Jack Engler and Sayadaw U Pandita. They discuss the importance of compassion, equanimity, and the role of generosity and ethical conduct in deepening one's practice. Kamala shares her journey to the Dharma, the significance of Nibbana, and the challenges of navigating inner conflict and reactivity in a troubled world, and the necessity of self-compassion and the ongoing journey of understanding the self and the nature of suffering.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
08:31 Meeting Munindra-ji and the Importance of Generosity and Ethical Conduct
15:50 Munindra's Role as a Teacher and the Development of Insight
25:00 The Role of Sila in Insight Meditation
35:20 The Challenges and Benefits of Deepening the Practice
46:53 Uncovering Hidden Habit Patterns through Mindfulness
48:23 The Transformative Journey of Insight Meditation
48:53 Understanding Non-Self and a Healthy Sense of Self
50:44 The Role of Compassion in Navigating the World
01:02:39 Cultivating Equanimity and Addressing Reactivity
01:23:15 The Ongoing Nature of the Spiritual Path
Practice with Josh + Terry Sumers: Classes in Yin + Yang Yoga, Qi Gong and Meditation.
FREE Practice Pack: Everyday Vitality – 4 Ways to Feel Better Now.
In this episode, Josh and Miles explore the problem of being somebody and the role of the ego in creating internal conflict and external turmoil. We highlight the importance of addressing the cause of suffering and turmoil rather than focusing on the symptoms. We also touch on the concept of the ego as an avatar or projected image of oneself and the consequences of identifying with this false sense of self, along with the repression of shadow aspects and the process of uncovering and integrating them.
Miles emphasizes the importance of recognizing and healing the shadow, as well as the need to be fully present and aware in order to transcend the ego. We conclude this chat discussing the potential for collective awakening and the role of consciousness in transforming humanity.
Miles Sherts is an Insight Meditation teacher and communication coach.
Miles Sherts | Conscious Communication:
https://joshsummers.net/miles-sherts-conscious-communication/
Website for Miles Sherts: https://www.practicalpresence.org/
Books by Miles: Conscious Communication, The Tyranny of the Ego, Human Nature
In this special episode, I speak with Joseph Goldstein, meditation teacher and co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society. We reminisce about our relationships with Michael Brooks and Jack Engler, two very influential individuals in the dharma world. Joseph shares his experiences working with Michael as a mentor and discusses the integration of spirituality and activism in Michael's life. Joseph also discusses his time with Jack Engler and how Joseph guided Jack through the stages of insight on the very first three-month retreat in North America in Bucksport, Maine. The conversation then shifts to Joseph's experiences in India and Burma, where he studied with his renowned teachers Munindra-ji, Dipa Ma, Mahasi Sayadaw and Sayadaw U Pandita. We compare experiences we had while working with U Pandita and the importance of deepening one's practice in a single method before integrating other practices. We also explore the concept of One Dharma and how to navigate the multitude of Dharma streams available in the West. Our conversation concludes with Joseph’s advice for aspiring meditation teachers.
Links mentioned:
Insight Meditation Society: https://www.dharma.org/
Joseph Goldstein’s book: One Dharma
The Buddha’s Playbook, by Michael Brooks and Josh Summers
The late Michael Brooks’ podcast: The Michael Brooks Show
The late Jack Engler’s essays on the Progress of Insight: Practicing for Awakening Part 1, Practicing for Awakening Part 2
On Dipa Ma: Dipa Ma, The Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master
On Munindra: Living This Life Fully, Stories and Teachings of Munindra
In this conversation, Miles Sherts and I discuss the relationship between insight meditation and intuition. We explore the distinction between insight meditation's focus on impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and emptiness, and the idea of intuition and clairvoyance. Miles emphasizes the importance of being present and aware of the prompts and intuitions that arise in daily life. We also delve into the illusion of ego and the role of awareness in transcending the ego's influence. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the problem of victim psychology and the need to question and transcend the identity of victimhood.
Takeaways:
Insight meditation cultivates awareness and insight into the nature of reality, while intuition and clairvoyance are more personal and psychological insights.
Being present and aware allows us to receive intuitive prompts and act on them, leading to a more functional and worry-free life.
The ego is an illusion that creates the image of a separate self, and its constant maintenance drains our energy and prevents us from experiencing true happiness and effectiveness.
The ego's identity as a victim is a common pattern that perpetuates conflicts and oppression. Recognizing and questioning this victim mentality is essential for personal growth and societal change.
Setting personal boundaries and protecting oneself is important, but it is crucial to differentiate between setting boundaries and perpetuating a victim identity. Victimization is a substitute for our real power and keeps us trapped in a cycle of disempowerment.
Leadership without victimhood is essential for creating positive change.
Unplugging from the ego allows us to tap into our innate power and feel a sense of empowerment.
Practicing unhooking from thoughts and finding spaciousness within the mind can lead to a deeper understanding of our true nature.
Miles Sherts is an Insight Meditation teacher and communication coach.
Miles Sherts | Conscious Communication:
https://joshsummers.net/miles-sherts-conscious-communication/
Miles' website: https://www.practicalpresence.org/
Books by Miles: Conscious Communication, The Tyranny of the Ego, Human Nature
Originally recorded on July 8, 2024, Josh offers reflections about how to apply meditation and retreat practice to the fire of everyday life activity. All too often we are told to “be as mindful as possible,” and the Buddha has some better advice for us – advice that he gave to his son Rahula.
LINKS mentioned:
Sign up for our FREE Everyday Vitality practice pack for effective (and simple) ways to improve the vitality of your body, energy and mind.
Josh and Terry share 4 guided practices:
Self-Massage for Circulation + Energy Flow (10min)
Daily Mobility for Joint Suppleness + Longevity (15min)
Dynamic Flow for Integrated Stability + Coordination (30min)
Soothing Flow for Relaxation + Inner Renewal (30min)
=====>>>>www.joshsummers.net and sign up for your pack of Everyday Vitality practices.
Everyday Strength: 4 Weeks to a Stronger You! Join Josh and Terry for a four week strength training program as a foundation for an integral life practice of yoga, energy work and heart-based meditation. ======>>>>>Everyday Strength Series.
Originally recorded on June 24, 2024, Josh reflects on his niece’s memorial and ways of honoring and remembering the gifts of noble friends.
LINKS mentioned:
Sign up for our FREE Everyday Vitality practice pack for effective (and simple) ways to improve the vitality of your body, energy and mind.
Josh and Terry share 4 guided practices:
Self-Massage for Circulation + Energy Flow (10min)
Daily Mobility for Joint Suppleness + Longevity (15min)
Dynamic Flow for Integrated Stability + Coordination (30min)
Soothing Flow for Relaxation + Inner Renewal (30min)
=====>>>>www.joshsummers.net and sign up for your pack of Everyday Vitality practices.
Everyday Strength: 4 Weeks to a Stronger You! Join Josh and Terry for a four week strength training program as a foundation for an integral life practice of yoga, energy work and heart-based meditation. ======>>>>>Everyday Strength Series.
Originally recorded on June 17, 2024, Josh reflects on a few of Death’s lessons, nihilism, quitting caffeine, moods of depression and the rainbow nature of self.
LINKS mentioned:
Sign up for our FREE Everyday Vitality practice pack for effective (and simple) ways to improve the vitality of your body, energy and mind.
Josh and Terry share 4 guided practices:
=====>>>>www.joshsummers.net and sign up for your pack of Everyday Vitality practices.
Everyday Strength: 4 Weeks to a Stronger You! Join Josh and Terry for a four week strength training program as a foundation for an integral life practice of yoga, energy work and heart-based meditation. ======>>>>>Everyday Strength Series.
Originally recorded on June 10, 2024, Josh returns to the podcast, reflecting on personal updates: the death of his niece and the relationship that formed with his neighbors while building a chicken coop together.
LINKS mentioned:
Sign up for our FREE Everyday Vitality practice pack for effective (and simple) ways to improve the vitality of your body, energy and mind.
Josh and Terry share 4 guided practices:
Self-Massage for Circulation + Energy Flow (10min)
Daily Mobility for Joint Suppleness + Longevity (15min)
Dynamic Flow for Integrated Stability + Coordination (30min)
Soothing Flow for Relaxation + Inner Renewal (30min)
=====>>>>www.joshsummers.net and sign up for your pack of Everyday Vitality practices.
Originally recorded on May 6, 2024, Josh offers reflections on the confusing relationship between renunciation and practicing one’s heart’s desire. Often seen in conflict, the practice of renouncing unfulfilling activity for the pursuit of one’s deepest desires is an ongoing evolution itself.
FREE: 4 Simple Ways To Feel Better Now!
Sign up for our FREE Everyday Vitality practice pack for effective (and simple) ways to improve the vitality of your body, energy and mind.
Josh and Terry share 4 guided practices:
Self-Massage for Circulation + Energy Flow (10min)
Daily Mobility for Joint Suppleness + Longevity (15min)
Dynamic Flow for Integrated Stability + Coordination (30min)
Soothing Flow for Relaxation + Inner Renewal (30min)
The podcast currently has 346 episodes available.
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