Awake In The World Podcast

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: sound

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/michaelstoneteac

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-sutra 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 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-sutra 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 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-sutra 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, 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-sutra 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 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.