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Sword in the Water

Religion & Spirituality Podcasts

Sword in the Water is a reading circle for Zen books, spiritual dimensions, poetic insights and provocative perspectives on our inner life. "The Sword Disappears In The Water" says Fugai, disciple of Genro the Wolf in Genro's koan, Case 90, in The Iron Flute. As Zen spiritualist Bonnie Myotai Treace explains it, the sword disappears when there is no longer any sense of you and it, you and the koan, you and your practice. Completely immersed in the way, the way becomes you. You become one with your understanding, insight, expression. This is the way of Zen.A koan is a zen riddle, or an anecdote, a story without an apparent conclusion or meaning, something to ponder over that will confer insight in unusual ways. In Sword in the Water, I pick up passages from texts that function as koans, pushing us to consider ourselves and the world in new ways.Created by Shamah | शम:, a mind+body+spirit counselling practice by Gayatri Jayaraman, a Mumbai-based author and counsellor.

Sword in the Water is a reading circle for Zen books, spiritual dimensions, poetic insights and provocative perspectives on our inner life. "The Sword Disappears In The Water" says Fugai, disciple of Genro the Wolf in Genro's koan, Case 90, in The Iron Flute. As Zen spiritualist Bonnie Myotai Treace explains it, the sword disappears when there is no longer any sense of you and it, you and the koan, you and your practice. Completely immersed in the way, the way becomes you. You become one with your understanding, insight, expression. This is the way of Zen.A koan is a zen riddle, or an anecdote, a story without an apparent conclusion or meaning, something to ponder over that will confer insight in unusual ways. In Sword in the Water, I pick up passages from texts that function as koans, pushing us to consider ourselves and the world in new ways.Created by Shamah | शम:, a mind+body+spirit counselling practice by Gayatri Jayaraman, a Mumbai-based author and counsellor.

Location:

India

Description:

Sword in the Water is a reading circle for Zen books, spiritual dimensions, poetic insights and provocative perspectives on our inner life. "The Sword Disappears In The Water" says Fugai, disciple of Genro the Wolf in Genro's koan, Case 90, in The Iron Flute. As Zen spiritualist Bonnie Myotai Treace explains it, the sword disappears when there is no longer any sense of you and it, you and the koan, you and your practice. Completely immersed in the way, the way becomes you. You become one with your understanding, insight, expression. This is the way of Zen.A koan is a zen riddle, or an anecdote, a story without an apparent conclusion or meaning, something to ponder over that will confer insight in unusual ways. In Sword in the Water, I pick up passages from texts that function as koans, pushing us to consider ourselves and the world in new ways.Created by Shamah | शम:, a mind+body+spirit counselling practice by Gayatri Jayaraman, a Mumbai-based author and counsellor.

Language:

English

Episodes

Reading Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master by Sri M

7/12/2020
'it is not only the visible fire that is called agni. All forms of combustion are agni." A journey through a syncretic world of sufis, yogis, sadhus and sannyasins, bairagis, and gurus to the heart of one's spiritual practice. Born Mumtaz Ali Khan, Madhu or Sri M, makes his way through an India we have forgotten exists. He meets sufis, yogis, bairagis, sadhus, yogis and gurus on his spiritual quest from Trivandrum to the caves of the upper Himalayas. On his way he reminds us of a land of...

Duration:00:34:59

Reading Human Kind by Rutger Bregman

6/19/2020
The world around often seems a terrible place. But what if the reports are highly exaggerated? Human Kind looks back at human history to re-examine the veneer theory - that human beings are intrinsically anarchic and civilisation is just a thin veneer. The theory becomes more important in these times when would be authoritarian forces use it as justification. Look at the world, they say, look how brutal everyone is. And watching the news, you'd think that is true. But is it? This book is a...

Duration:00:31:01

The Wise Heart - Suffering, Letting Go, Being Happy

4/25/2020
May I be filled with loving-kindness May I be safe from inner and outer dangers. May I be well in body and mind. May I be at ease and happy. You begin with yourself because without loving yourself, it is almost impossible to love others. Jack Kornfield's The Wise Heart is a book that outlines 25 principles of Buddhist Psychology, from seeing the inner beauty of all human beings to releasing views and judgement. What is suffering, how does it shape our ideas of ourselves and others, and...

Duration:00:43:02

Bardo Thodol + Meditation of The Three Body Mentor Yoga

4/20/2020
In this episode we're reading from the Bardo Thodol, commonly known as The Tibetan Book of the Dead. It should actually be the Tibetan Book of the In Between because it deals with what happens after death and before rebirth in that belief system. We're reading from Robert Thurman's translation of the original text by Padma Sambhava. Why should we contemplate our death? Isn't that a bit morbid? Well, in the current scenario of coronavirus and covid19, we are surrounded by it and therefore...

Duration:00:42:21

Reading From The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu & Douglas Abrams

4/11/2020
In The Book of Joy, two spiritual giants, the Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama come together, "mischievous half brothers" as they dub themselves, to create what they call a three-layer birthday cake of a book. In three parts, they discuss what constitutes a long lasting, pervasive joy, the kind that doesn't come and go but just is. They discuss what is the research and data behind joy, and they offer insight into what constitutes joy in their own practices and routines. The book...

Duration:00:30:54