Jason Gregory's Blog, page 38

#16 The Eight Limbs of Yoga

In this episode of Enlightenment Today we will explore the Eight Limbs of Yoga created by the founder of Yoga Patanjali. The Eight Limbs of Yoga comes from the Yoga-Sutras and is Patanjali’s system of practical spirituality. It is a complex system to follow but it is essential to follow if you are to reveal the inner technology that Yoga promises to deliver. Patanjali devised this system as the primary means onto the goal of Yoga which is complete liberation.

http://jasongregory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/E16-Eight-limbs-of-yoga.mp3

 

Recommended Reading

The Yoga-Sutra of Patanjali http://amzn.to/2B5WSKR

The Yoga Tradition http://amzn.to/2B7YinW

The Psychology of Yoga http://amzn.to/2hPSpqU

#15 Just Drop It!

In this episode of Enlightenment Today we explore the ability to just drop it. This is an ability cultivated in some of the great spiritual traditions of the East. The ability to just drop it means that anything emotional you experience that lingers in your mind or a psychological problem that persists can just be let go of without thinking anything of it. To just drop the emotional baggage that we often carry and cling to comes from our over-identification with our temporary persona system. The Eastern practice of just dropping it bears fruit when we identify with our eternal true nature beneath the existence of an ego.

http://jasongregory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/E15-Just-Drop-It.mp3

 

#14 Karma

In this episode of Enlightenment Today we will explore Karma. We will examine the origins of Karma, what it is, and how to transform and transcend Karma. We will dispel the modern myth that Karma is related to a philosophy of cause and effect. You will discover in this episode that Karma has nothing to do with reward and punishment. To understand your own Karma and the practice of Karma yoga is to realize it is truly about purifying your actions to be more humble and selfless in service to something much greater than your personality.

http://jasongregory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/E14-Karma.mp3

 

Recommended Reading

The Bhagavad Gita (S. Radhakrishnan translation) http://amzn.to/2iC0Pzd

The Bhagavad Gita (Eknath Easwaran translation) http://amzn.to/2zU7wpI

#13 Mencius

In this episode of Enlightenment Today we will explore the philosophy of the ancient Chinese sage Mencius. He was one of the sages towards the end of the Warring States period in China. His philosophy is built on the notion that human nature is fundamentally good. Mencius uses agriculture as a metaphor to prove this innate goodness. Actually his view on innate goodness is backed up today by evolutionary biology and cognitive science. The wisdom with which Mencius explains how to attain individual equanimity and cultivate moral virtues in the hope of reaching social harmony is still very palatable in the modern world.

http://jasongregory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/E13-Mencius.mp3

 

Recommended Reading

Mencius (Bryan W. Van Norden translation) http://amzn.to/2hGkRrj

Mencius (D.C. Lau translation) http://amzn.to/2hPQhz8

#12 The Chinese Medical View of Climate Change

In this episode of Enlightenment Today we will explore the Chinese medical view of climate change. From the Chinese medical perspective, the warming of the planet comes from a culture and world which is yin (feminine/receptive/earth/coolant) deficient, meaning that our world is driven by yang (masculine/active/heaven/heat) which not only destroys our health on an individual level but also contributes to the increasing heat of the planet. The way we live our lives is causing this and it is up to us to cultivate more yin on our lives, which means we have to make a conscious effort of embracing the non-doing aspect of our lives and step away from excessive busyness and over-stimulation caused by bad dietary choices and digital devices which is not only killing us but also our planet. The big picture is a reflection of the small picture.

http://jasongregory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/E12-The-Chinese-medical-view-of-climate-change.mp3

 

Recommended Reading

The Yin and Yang of Climate Crisis http://amzn.to/2z6zCLb

Deep Work http://amzn.to/2zXSHjW

Fasting the Mind http://amzn.to/2zhsAY1

#11 Spiritual Bypassing

In this episode of Enlightenment Today we will come to understand spiritual bypassing. Spiritual bypassing is the use of spiritual practices and beliefs to avoid dealing with painful feelings, unresolved wounds, and developmental needs. And yet, it is much much more and something we all need to understand if we are to authentically grow spiritually. It is a very persistent shadow of spirituality. Spiritual bypassing is often thought of as nothing we need to worry about from the perspective of certain nondual teachings. But if we do not outgrow spiritual bypassing then the depth of any spiritual teaching, nondual or otherwise, will not be truly experienced. To outgrow spiritual bypassing is to understand that an authentic spiritual life is a constant dying to deeper life.

http://jasongregory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/E11-Spiritual-Bypassing.mp3

 

Recommended Reading

Spiritual Bypassing http://amzn.to/2hQisOH

Toward a Psychology of Awakening http://amzn.to/2zZVetO

Enlightenment Now http://amzn.to/2B2oNuV

#10 Advaita Vedanta

In this episode of Enlightenment Today we will explore Advaita Vedanta (nondualism). Advaita Vedanta is a school of Hindu philosophy and the oldest extant sub-school of Vedanta in India. We explain the wisdom of Advaita Vedanta and the benefits of its practice, as well as the common pitfalls that hinder many people who are interested in this path. A lot of modern day spirituality is built on the back of Advaita Vedanta. In this episode we will come to understand that a lot of the misinterpretations of nonduality and oneness in the modern day stem from this philosophy being applied to our life with no real understanding of what the nondual experience is. This video seeks to dispel all myths surrounding this beautiful philosophy to hopefully reveal the authentic view of the nondual reality which is eclipsed within all of us due to the identification with the content and activity within our mind. Advaita Vedanta is the spiritual wisdom that we can be completely free in this life.

http://jasongregory.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/E10-Advaita-vedanta.mp3

 

#9 To Stink of Zen

In this episode of Enlightenment Today we come to understand what it means to stink of Zen. We stink of Zen when we are trying to be too pious, too righteous, and essentially when we fall into the trap of being inhumanly good. When we try to portray this angel-like persona we lose sight of what it means to be human because we are not genuine and humble but rather fake and excessively righteous. We become a know-it-all and lose our connection with the seekers mind. One persistent illusion in spirituality is that the way of a sage and their enlightenment has something to do with being a goody-goody that is inhumanly good rather than just being simply human. The real difference between a sage and the ordinary person is the former are not at odds with their own humanity. The antidote to stinking of Zen is the perfection of Zen, but that means we must be radically human. So you need to ask yourself, do you stink of Zen?

#8 Lao-tzu

In this episode of Enlightenment Today we will explore the philosophy and wisdom of the original Taoist sage Lao-tzu. We will come to understand the way of nature (Tao) that Lao-tzu explained for us and what that means for us in our modern world. His wisdom is deeply embedded in the view that if we are to leave everything alone to follow its own nature, including human beings, then natural harmony and real government would come to fruition because we have learned how to trust the processes of nature without interfering with it. This process includes how we become an authentic individual, which Lao-tzu explains is a result of our ability to cease trying and to be humble and content with the way life is.

#7 The Meaning of Life

In this episode of Enlightenment Today we explore the meaning of life. We will weigh in on the debate as to whether or not life has a fundamental meaning. We will uncover this misconception from the Eastern perspective which reveals that all of our attempts to make an intellectual interpretation of life and our delusion that we are more special than anything else in nature disconnects us from nature and contributes to a temperament where a battle of man versus nature ensues to the point of ecological crisis and the downfall of the human race.