Journals of Spiritual Discovery by spiritualteachers.org

To have great poets, there must be great audiences, too. ~Walt Whitman Which quote means to say, thank you, to all of you reading and listening to this site.  This month’s podcast is a mini-episode featuring readings of some of my favorite spiritual poetry. For much of my life, I was a person with only a … Continue reading "Spiritual Poetry"

To have great poets, there must be great audiences, too. ~Walt Whitman

Which quote means to say, thank you, to all of you reading and listening to this site.  This month’s podcast is a mini-episode featuring readings of some of my favorite spiritual poetry. For much of my life, I was a person with only a mild appreciation of poetry, such as a few classics by Robert Frost. It wasn’t until I began writing as a spiritual practice, that poetry-like phrases began to appear, as if from nowhere.  Since then, I’ve found a deep appreciation for the creative wellspring from which universal ideas emerge and are uniquely expressed by many voices.  It’s not hard to find well-crafted poetry, but it is hard to find what I call “spiritual poetry” – that which speaks from the source of our being.

 

Listen to the interview on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play.

Stream by clicking here, or download after you follow the link by using right-click and then “save as.”

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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

Selected Links and Notes from this Episode

Irene Palmer’s “My Last Identity” is published in Beyond Mind, Beyond Death.

Kevin Shuey’s Laughter of Water, Wisdom of Trees.

Several of Richard Rose’s poems are in Carillon: Poems, Essays, and Philosophy of Richard Rose.

You’ll find my poetry both in Images of Essence and Beyond Mind, Beyond Death.

As I mentioned in this episode, my newest book is Subtraction: The Simple Math of Enlightenment.

Anything we do with our heart and soul becomes a spiritual endeavor, in spite of ourselves. ~ Jerry Wennstrom One of the striking features of my interview with Jerry Wennstrom is it felt we were in the same room even though we were hundreds of miles apart.  There is a sort of innocent intensity about … Continue reading "Jerry Wennstrom Interview"

Anything we do with our heart and soul becomes a spiritual endeavor, in spite of ourselves. ~Jerry Wennstrom

One of the striking features of my interview with Jerry Wennstrom is it felt we were in the same room even though we were hundreds of miles apart.  There is a sort of innocent intensity about him that charged our entire conversation. He’s at once at ease, yet serious, seemingly going with the flow, yet very precise.

Jerry Wennstrom is an artist, not a spiritual teacher, yet he is obviously a spiritual teacher.  Everyone is a teacher, he says.

Listen to the interview on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play.

Stream by clicking here, or download after you follow the link by using right-click and then “save as.”

Or listen on YouTube:

If you enjoy the podcast, leave a tip in the tip jar, buy a gift from CorazonGifts, or join my monthly supporters.  Your help is appreciated.

Supporter Options

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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

Selected Links and Notes from this Episode

As promised, here is the link to the day-long event with Bob Fergeson and Tess Hughes that I mentioned in the podcast: www.tatcouk.wordpress.com.

“It is in the defeat that the work really begins.” [4:36]

 “The gods whisper before they scream.” [7:00]

“The core of creation is to inhabit the void and to be so available that reality unfolds and you are a willing participant.” [8:25]

What is true individuality? [12:15]

Can we practice surrender? [13:28]

“Death isn’t death, it’s just our idea of what we would be without our identity.” [16:20]

Jerry Wennstrom’s book is The Inspired Heart. [20:00]

The difference between discipline and the fierce determination to be with exactly what is. [24:11]

“If I can be present enough with another human being, it’s always miraculous what comes out of it.” [24:25]

Creativity is not just making things.  It could also be a creative leap in a conversation, or a leap in being present with someone.  [28:29]

“If you look at somebody who is running from their pain, that is someone who can’t hold their discomfort.” This is why we have addictions. [35:10]

“You don’t control the outcome, or what you want.  You control yourself enough to stay out of the way of what’s wanting to come through.” [36:10]

Suicide and the transformational potential. [37:28]

“If we just do what we do halfheartedly, then we become a halfhearted human being.” [56:38]

Is there a shortcut to enlightenment? [57:20]

Books: A Course in Miracles, Lao Tzu, Yogananda, Memories, Dreams, Reflections.[1:05:50]

“If we try to copy somebody else’s way, it won’t work for us, but what we can see is the courage it took for others to follow their path.”  [1:06:45]

Recommended film: Paris, Texas. [1:08:55]

“I’m not a teacher,” says Norio Kushi, “I’m not someone who knows something you don’t know.  Just look for yourself and see what you see.” Though Norio Kushi says he is not a spiritual teacher, the story of his spiritual awakening is a fascinating one, and his advice in light of that awakening is worth … Continue reading "Norio Kushi Interview"

“I’m not a teacher,” says Norio Kushi, “I’m not someone who knows something you don’t know.  Just look for yourself and see what you see.”

Though Norio Kushi says he is not a spiritual teacher, the story of his spiritual awakening is a fascinating one, and his advice in light of that awakening is worth considering.  Thankfully lacking in nonduality jargon, this interview with Norio is both entertaining and inspiring.  His is a remarkable story of discovery.

Since our interview, Norio has a book out about him: Awake at the Wheel: Norio Kushi’s Highway Adventures and the Unmasking of the Phantom Self

Listen to the interview on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play.

Stream by clicking here, or download after you follow the link by using right-click and then “save as.”

Or listen on YouTube:

If you enjoy the podcast, leave a tip in the tip jar, buy a gift from CorazonGifts, or join my monthly supporters.  Your help is appreciated.

Supporter Options

Excellent : $5.00 USD – monthlyAwesome : $10.00 USD – monthlyOutstanding : $20.00 USD – monthly

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

Selected Links and Notes from this Episode

Norio’s father was Michio Kushi, who popularized the macrobiotic diet in the United States.  Norio’s mother, Aveline Kushi, founded the first natural foods store in the U.S. in 1966 in Boston, and was the first person to use the term “organic” in selling produce.  [2:57]

When Norio was five, his mother told him to always trust his feelings as that’s what would guide him through life. [3:53]

Everything we think we are has been programmed into us. [9:23]

The difference between feeling and emotion. [11:09]

Doing EST training. [32:33]

The recognition that “life is not going to turn out.” [33:23]

“We’re programmed to life for a future… and this future is a fiction…. [36:53]

Getting hit by “a cosmic 2 x 4.” [1:08:40]

The gate beyond the silence. [1:17:30]

Norio gives his email address and welcomes people to contact him. [1:38:26]

Norio Kushi on Buddha at the Gas Pump. [1:39:14]

Demystifyenlightenment.org is Norio Kushi’s website, though it is currently not updated.

If you enjoy the podcast leave a dollar in the tip jar, or buy a gift from CorazonGifts.  Either form of support is greatly appreciated.

Jan Frazier is a spiritual teacher and author of When Fear Falls Away and The Great Sweetening, among other books.  In our interview, I found Jan’s emphasis on allowing and unfolding a nice counterpoint to my usual drive to find practices and tools to speed up the spiritual search.  I hope you find this Jan … Continue reading "Jan Frazier Interview"

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A mini-episode with a few spiritual poems from the book Beyond Mind, Beyond Death.  If you like the spiritual poetry of Rumi, I think you’ll enjoy this. Listen to the episode on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play. Stream by clicking here, or download after you follow the link by using right-click and then “save as.” Listen on Youtube: QUESTION(S) OF … Continue reading "Spiritual Poems from Beyond Mind, Beyond Death"