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15/07/2022

In this episode, Kurt recounts an unusual dream.

He is seated in a circle of nuns, monks and other practitioners on the grass in the grounds of a temple. To his left there is a young woman of Malaysian appearance, around 20 years old. She is overflowing with joy, laughing and joking. Kurt knows that she is the head of the temple and also an arahat, an enlightened being.

Everything is covered in the warm purple, lavender and orange hues of a sunset. One feels so intensely peaceful and content.

The group starts to walk to the hall for the evening chant. A cloud floats by overhead, tinted with these same sunset colours. The cloud is symmetrical, and in the middle it has the face of the Buddha. “Surely this must be a good omen,” one thinks.

Reaching the temple and sitting down to pray, one picks up an unusual lotus flower. It has long indigo petals, something like that of a thistle, and they are again formed into the shape of the Buddha’s face, another good omen.

15/07/2022

At times in our lives we might find ourselves in negative feedback loops, or vicious cycles. Our emotions run wild, and then we interpret them, and our interpretations lead us to more adverse emotions.

At any point in this process, we can become conscious of the emotions, the interpretations, or the impulse to continue the loop. Often just becoming aware of what is going on within us is sufficient to initiate positive, powerful transformation.

Just as with a tensed muscle, bringing consciousness to it might cause it to relax. Of course, some muscles are so tight that we must clench them in order to release them, and that too has an analogue with our emotions – “paradoxical intention” as described by Viktor Frankl i.e. when we try hard to feel an affect strongly, we will often feel calm afterwards.

For a moment we might find ourselves free from the haunting of emotions and interpretations. Then we can ask the golden question… Who do I want to be today?

13/07/2022

Getting caught up with life, we might go months without making the effort to feel what’s going on inside ourselves. When we do, it might even seem something foreign. We will likely find some kind of unease sitting in the background.

Now, you are invited to look within. Do you find some residue of past emotions, some grudge of which you haven’t quite let go? Some discomfort waiting, making a subtle noise like radio static?

We can begin to observe the feeling and texture of these emotions, perhaps giving them names in order to better understand them.

Then we check in on them from time to time, eventually finding that they have dissolved, and in their wake there is nothing but clear space.

12/07/2022

In sales, people talk about the idea of “going first”, meaning that if you want someone to feel a certain emotion, you can feel it yourself. If you want someone to be happy, you can set an example by being happy. If you’d like people to forgive you, or themselves, you can be a model for that behavior.

On the flipside, if I feel sorry for myself or feel guilty for things I’ve done, others might follow my lead and blame me. And even if they don’t, it might color my perception so much that I believe they do.

The biologist Rupert Sheldrake proposed the idea of “morphic fields”. He believes that the universe is a creature of habit. When something happens once, it is more likely to happen again. And when it happens many times, it is much more likely.

When we assume the sweet responsibility of forgiving ourselves and others, could it be that we set a precedent for the universe, with our forgiveness echoing in every soul, ready to forgive more and more?

12/07/2022

In many situations, we might find ourselves with a level of healthy stress – practicing yoga, in the gym, in our professional lives and even in our hobbies. The stress is good for us; it will help us grow. But if we only have stress, the growth can be more difficult than it needs to be.

The stress is the yang, the masculine energy. When we find a yin, or feminine energy, that can aid the growth. The yin can be the “spoonful of sugar that helps the medicine go down”, so to speak.

In yoga, we do a stretch and focus our breath and blood-flow into the tendons, relaxing as we are tensing. Or some of our muscles might be very tight in the moment, and the surrounding muscles are completely still.

In a pool hall, we might take the same shot over and over, hundreds of times, just like Minnesota Fats in Walter Tevis’s The Hustler. Our relaxed, welcoming attitude to the outcome provides a soft cushion for our successes and failures.

There, we find comfort in the uncomfortable.

I welcome you to the final episode of A Beautiful Thought.Looking around us, we might notice there are many strange inve...
11/07/2022

I welcome you to the final episode of A Beautiful Thought.

Looking around us, we might notice there are many strange inversions in the world. Things seem to be the exact opposite to what they’re supposed to be.

For example, once there were grand books telling stories that would appeal to the masses, and at once teach high spiritual ideas, such as the Mahabharata and its extract, the Bhagavad-Gita.

Now the popular stories we see seem to be mere backdrops to act as propaganda for powerful organizations such as BlackRock. The spiritual ideals are eliminated, the entertainment reduced, and the message they want to push is most prominent.

Another example is the concept of “mother”. In the tradition of yoga, once men would mentally refer to women as “Mother”, controlling their lust and attempting to see them as the Divine Feminine. Now in TikTok videos, young men leave comments calling attractive women “Mommy”, for quite another purpose.

We might say our innocence has been taken from us, or we might say that we willingly gave it up. But even in a world like this, our innocence can be regained. The solution can take time and effort, but it is simple.

By pursuing sexual continence, control of one’s own thoughts, and keeping God in mind, we can regain that innocence. Instead of moving deeper into the world, we move deeper into ourselves, into self-control, and into our own spirits.

The rewards are numerous, and perhaps they are even perfect.

If you’re a verbal thinker, you’re likely a highly linear thinker. That can mean it’s easy for you to get stuck in a tho...
07/07/2022

If you’re a verbal thinker, you’re likely a highly linear thinker. That can mean it’s easy for you to get stuck in a thought pattern.

One thought leads you to the next, then to the next, and then it leads you back to the first thought. As our brains operate with state-based memory, we may find more and more things that bother us.

Unable to perceive the overview of our mental patterns, we might stay like that for days, or possibly years.

One solution is meditation. When we take the time to observe our thoughts, we do gain that overview.

Another method is journaling. By putting our thoughts on a page, we can begin to recognise the patterns and the structure, and we can more easily find a way out.

Often a memory will come to mind, and we get a glimpse of something we did. In that moment we might sense an incongruenc...
04/07/2022

Often a memory will come to mind, and we get a glimpse of something we did. In that moment we might sense an incongruence.

We grasp for a sense of self, an idea that we had about who we were. That leads us to resist what actually happened. The inevitable result is suffering.

In fact, grasping and resisting are so closely related that we might say they are the same thing. To grasp for something we wish were true is to resist the reality.

In a single moment, we can let go of grasping, let go of resisting, allowing, embracing or even worshipping what we once were, and what we now are.

In Allen Carr’s Easy Way To Quit Smoking, he describes a situation where a recent former smoker has a thought: “I want a...
30/06/2022

In Allen Carr’s Easy Way To Quit Smoking, he describes a situation where a recent former smoker has a thought: “I want a cigarette.” Carr informs us that, even though we might literally have the thought telling us we want a cigarette, that doesn’t mean we actually want a cigarette.

It’s similar with many fleeting desires that surge in our bellies and heads. We get the whim to go to the fridge and stare to see what there is to eat, even though we’re not particularly hungry. We feel a sexual urge, even though we do not wish to procreate. While that urge’s fulfillment may give us satisfaction for a moment, it is unlikely to grant us happiness.

On the contrary, a life spent chasing whims is commonly a depressed one, and a lonely one.

Many desires are like these urges - mere caprices. Though they present themselves as very important and urgent, they normally are very different from our souls’ dearest wishes. Finding those requires a lot more patience and looking within.

When we do have a whim like this, it presents us a chance to find out more about who we really are. Watching the thought and the desire within us, we might quickly find that, however much it demands, it is not in control.

Our breath is a bridge between our conscious and unconscious minds. At any moment, we can take control of it and start t...
27/06/2022

Our breath is a bridge between our conscious and unconscious minds. At any moment, we can take control of it and start to influence those deeper parts of ourselves.

One classic technique is the Nadi Shoshana, or "channel cleansing" breath. The index finger and middle finger are placed on the forehead, as if either side of the third eye. Then the thumb and ring finger are used to alternate the nostrils.

By timing our breaths we can quickly settle our passions and our minds, calming them and allowing us to enjoy life a little more.

Matt Welsh is a musician from the United States, creating conscious music intended to bring awakening to the mind of the...
24/06/2022

Matt Welsh is a musician from the United States, creating conscious music intended to bring awakening to the mind of the listener. Matt is known by his stage name “BLUVBU” (“Be love, be you”).

In this interview, Matt tells a story of teenage heartbreak, struggle and grief. Getting out of high school, he decided to break up with his sweetheart Sarah in order to pursue his passion, touring the east coast of the US as a drummer in the band Bright and Early. It was a hard decision for Matt, not wanting to leave his girlfriend behind, but also believing that it was important for him to go and experience the world.

When he finished touring, he went back home and eventually reunited with his girlfriend. He found that they’d both changed, both being more mature and more experienced - through good and bad.

Then Matt woke up one morning to a strange phone call from Sarah. He got in his vehicle and went to see her, as something seemed to be wrong. Tragically, that was the last time anyone heard from Sarah.

After that, Matt faced the difficult challenge of overcoming his grief, figuring out who he was and what he wanted to do with his life. By way of this tragedy, he decided to live life to the fullest and become something great.

Hear Matt’s story in this interview.

Many people receive their view of the world primarily through television and news sites, without putting into context wh...
23/06/2022

Many people receive their view of the world primarily through television and news sites, without putting into context what the media is telling them. They may even have personal experience seeing the media lie about some subject they know well - but they don’t hold that in mind when they see the news talk about any other subject.

In media there still exists this saying “If it bleeds, it leads.” The most shocking, most sensational stories go to the front page, and if the news isn’t sensational enough, they may well change the title to make it seem more alarming.

In this age, it’s not just the news who twists the truth this way. There are even scientific papers which present a very uncertain conclusion in the paper itself, and a very different version in the abstract to show to the public.

When something seems alarming, it’s very important to ask: Are they trying to make me afraid, and why?

In Swami Muktananda’s Play of Consciousness, he recounts the story of visiting his guru, Baba Nityananda. Muktananda obs...
20/06/2022

In Swami Muktananda’s Play of Consciousness, he recounts the story of visiting his guru, Baba Nityananda. Muktananda observes Nityananda fulfilling his morning routine - spending an hour or more worshiping himself.

In another part of the book, Muktananda tells aspirants more directly to follow Nityananda’s example and worship themselves - turning their attention and praise within and basking in their own divine consciousness.

Perhaps it’s difficult to conceptualize exactly how to do it. Many people in modern culture are not familiar with what it means to worship.

Even so, the process is quite simple. If we imagine bowing to a great saint or to our god, we might start to feel a little twinge, a feeling of praise or glory. Then we can turn that feeling towards our own inner light.

When we grow as individuals, we might find ourselves making new classes of error that were previously unimaginable to us...
16/06/2022

When we grow as individuals, we might find ourselves making new classes of error that were previously unimaginable to us. For example, having gained new confidence in speaking with friends and strangers, we make a faux pas and we don’t know how to talk ourselves out of it.

We might feel shame or guilt, wonder how we could have said such a thing, or even think “This would have never happened when I was more of a quiet person.”

It’s true, it never would have happened to the old you - the old you didn’t have the power to make such a mistake, nor did they have the power to relate or inspire as you do now.

Here you stand on the brink between what was comfortable and what we might become; here we honor our errors.

15/06/2022

Sterlin Lujan is known as the “Psychologic Anarchist”, known for his ideas of compassionate or relational anarchy – creating a better world by treating people better. Sterlin is very close to releasing his first book, “Dignity and Decency: Rhapsodic musings of a modern anarchist”.

In the previous interview with Sterlin, he explained how he took M**A for the first time and started to open his heart, experiencing greater empathy and compassion for himself and others, and trying to share that experience. In this episode, Sterlin explains how he quickly became enamoured with the life of a drug dealer, enjoying the money and power associated with that role.

Eventually his ego or his lack of caution led to him being caught by authorities, storming his home to break open a safe, charging him with possession, intent to distribute, manufacture of illicit substances, and even organized crime.

Join us as Sterlin explains the trauma of being locked in a cage, the injustice of the system, and how he processed his trauma by resolving to make the world a better place.

Content warning: drugs

15/06/2022

Sometimes we focus so much on what’s going on around us… we forget to have a look at what’s going on inside us.

Maybe there’s a lot going on, feelings of energy, electricity, warmth… Some kind of subtle happiness that stays with us.

By directing our attention inwards, we can become more directly aware of our emotions, being conscious in our disturbed moments, and going deep into our peaceful moments. Whatever we find, by going inside, we are almost certain to find a different aspect of it – something softer and sweeter.

What’s inside you, right now?

14/06/2022

Many of us try to see life and life’s situations as puzzles, trying to solve them, put every piece in its place… Trying to arrange every part as if it were a machine.

When we get very deep into that mindset, we might start to feel like machines too, not the creative, living, breathing beings that we are.

Perhaps there’s another way to look at life, where we’re not striving or struggling. We may work hard, not in a way that reduces us, but a way that brings us life. We allow life to come to us.

14/06/2022

Some emotions stick with us longer than we’d like. Resisting them, we become uncomfortable with their presence. We might deny them, but they persist. How do you deal with such emotions?

One strategy is Viktor Frankl’s concept of paradoxical intention. By attempting to feel the emotion as intensely as possible, we might find that our experience of it is instantly transformed. In some way, the quality of the emotion is the same, but now we can see that it’s not entirely unpleasant. Having felt it, acknowledge it entirely, we might find that it simply leaves.

We also might try observing it, giving it space, and an intellectual eye. Ask little questions about it, such as, where is it in the body? What is its texture – rough, smooth, something else? Is it bright or dark? What colour is it? What flavour is it? By observing it patiently, with affection, we might start to understand what this emotion has brought for us.

Similarly, if we give a little loving space to the emotion, being calm with it and allowing it to be exactly what it is, offering it care and support, as one might give an upset child… We may find that it is quickly pacified, and our self-knowledge increased.

14/06/2022

The state of Chiapas, Mexico is known for its natural beauty, green pastures, tamales with local herbs, and also for its border with Guatemala where many travelers have crossed seeking adventure.

In this episode, Kurt explains how he went to Talismán, Chiapas to renew his stay in Mexico, praying for an adventure that went beyond pragmatic into the sublime, facing the challenges and finally discovering the goodness of the people of Chiapas – even those who might be in a position to make life difficult.

As they say in Latin America, “Somos más los buenos” – there are more of us good folks.

In this age of information, when we’re curious about something it can be easy to pull out a smartphone and search for wh...
13/06/2022

In this age of information, when we’re curious about something it can be easy to pull out a smartphone and search for what we’d like to know. The ease of access to information means we don’t always have to stop to think any more.

There are many things that are valuable to figure out for ourselves, without the use of Google. We can engage our memory, our logic, and our creativity to fill those gaps in our knowledge. Whether we’re right or wrong, we have pumped juice into those forgotten parts of our brains, again awakening that potential.

For example, a beginner guitarist might wonder how to add a seventh note to a G chord. He could look it up, or he could stop and think about which notes are being played on which strings, and which fret he might finger to add that F note to form the seventh chord.

Then there are things which an Internet search won’t yield easy answers. For example, the feeling of a chord progression going from the first chord to the fourth, and back to the first. Nobody else can tell us exactly how that feels. We must feel it for ourselves, noticing with attention and purpose.

Amina Mara is a conscious dreamer of broad and profound experience, now having lucid dreams as often as 3 times a week -...
10/06/2022

Amina Mara is a conscious dreamer of broad and profound experience, now having lucid dreams as often as 3 times a week - a frequency which is uncommon even among recognized dream practitioners. Amina is also the host of the Dream World Podcast where she interviews people about how their dreams affect their lives, among other subjects.
Years ago, Amina found herself in an unhealthy relationship, isolated from her family and unsure how to progress in her life. Through exploring her dreams she found a path to wisdom and greater freedom. By imagining vividly in her dreams she began to form a more fulfilling life, even receiving the inspiration to create her podcast.

In this interview with Amina Mara, you can hear how she developed her dreaming skills, how her passion enabled her to move past her fears, and the wide-ranging and exciting possibilities that are available to a skilled dreamer.

Going through our lives, we might be able to arrange things so we can have a series of good experiences, maintaining the...
09/06/2022

Going through our lives, we might be able to arrange things so we can have a series of good experiences, maintaining the outside world in a careful balance, so it seems like we are happy.

In some ways, this is dysfunctional, and in an extreme case, it is the attitude of a drug addict. They arrange things so they can get another fix, and feel satisfied. Soon after, they have another lack.

We might believe that our good experiences fulfill us, but perhaps we are merely avoiding dissatisfaction.

If we look deep inside, we might find we don’t really need to do things or receive things. All we need is our own support, being our own best friend.

08/06/2022

As Hugo Chávez’ dictatorship was getting into full swing in Venezuela, many expatriates were unsure of what to do. Many had invested in property and businesses around the country, including on the beautiful island of Margarita.

Tom Ravey was dealing with this situation, when a friend asked for his help, travelling to Trinidad and Tobago to recover a boat stolen by her estranged husband.

However, it wasn’t as easy as it first seemed, with Tom and his crew lost power, gas, and even faced troubles with the Venezuelan coast guard.

What can we learn from Tom’s adventure on the high seas, an adventure of accidental piracy?

08/06/2022

There aren’t too many people, even among the rich and famous, who can live life so big, with such personality that they divide and fascinate the masses. Kanye West is one of those people.

When you hear him speak, you can feel the passion, the belief in himself. Throughout his career, in one form or another, his belief in himself was supported by his belief in God.

08/06/2022

It’s hard to know exactly what makes someone successful. Of course many people get lucky with contacts, inheritance and other factors.

But it’s never all about luck. Many are more determined, they have more grit… And maybe they’re willing to think bigger, to imagine more.

One day you might wake up and write your goals and decide you won’t place any limits on yourself… You might write down the most outlandish thing you’ve thought of, and start dreaming about how to achieve it.

In fact, your goals might become so big, that when you’re at a party and explain them to someone, they say “I don’t know man… That’s a bit of a stretch of the imagination.”

And you say “Yes, exactly. My dreams are so big, if you want to think about them, you must stretch your imagination.”

07/06/2022

Francisco Valencia is an engineer, lawyer, writer of short fiction and a defender of animal rights, living in Guadalajara, Mexico.

In this interview, Francisco explains the process that he went through in discovering his compassion for animals, then finding out that his friends and family weren’t always receptive to his message in the way he presented it, and how he could learn to be more patient with them.

07/06/2022

At the end of your meditation, you might find yourself saying a little prayer to conclude, expressing your gratitude for the myriad of things that occurs to you – however you might judge them in the moment.

Thank you for the good times, thank you for the bad times. Thank you for the pleasure, the enjoyment, the happiness, the experience. Thank you for the sadness, the sorrow, the melancholy, the pain, the suffering.

Thank you for everything.

07/06/2022

“The only thing I know is that I know nothing.” – Socrates.

Leaving behind our pride, some of our ego, our feelings of superiority, we can begin to explore the world. We no longer have such a strong desire to see it as we wish it were. Instead, we can dive into the mystery.

When we admit that we know so little, we are free to find out that life can be so much better.

If you live in Australia or the United States and tell people you’re travelling to Mexico, or Colombia, they might tell ...
06/06/2022

If you live in Australia or the United States and tell people you’re travelling to Mexico, or Colombia, they might tell you that you’ll be lucky to return alive.

Even many Mexicans might tell you they’re scared to go to Michoacán or other beautiful places.

Normally these aren’t well-travelled people, but they have many concerns about where the danger lies. When you ask if they want to go too, they might say “I can’t.”

One day you might have said “I can’t,” but when you tried some small adventure, you found you could. Take a few small adventures, each one bigger than the last, and after some years you find yourself doing things that, just recently, you couldn’t have imagined.

The world is waiting for you.

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