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The joke used to be that every time Michael opened his mouth what he said was archived here. We couldn’t be more grateful for that now because it is one of the best ways Michael’s teachings will live on.
The Awake in the World Podcast is the heart of the Community Library. Talks are on a wide-range of topics, including: bringing mindfulness and meditation practice into daily life; personal and community issues regarding mental health; and social change.
This podcast has been created so that anyone can have instant access to Michael’s teachings. It has been made possible due to generous donations from members of the community. In the six years that the podcast has been available, over half a million people have pressed play as a way to be more—like the name says—awake in the world.
Each podcast is between 30-60 minutes long. As always, you’re encouraged to follow along weekly as part of your practice. The podcasts were recorded at live events so you might hear coughing, airplanes, cars, sirens, laughter, and peoples’ questions—all part of the intimate experience.
The Secular Buddha: Part Two
In this podcast guest teacher Stephen Batchelor asks “What did the Buddha awaken to?” Drawing largely on the Buddha’s First Sermon (Turning the Wheel of Dharma) he elucidates the Four Truths, the actions required by them and the cyclical, processual
The Secular Buddha: Part One
Guest teacher Stephen Batchelor explains his interest in Secular Buddhism, which returns the word “secular” to its etymological root, “saeculum,” meaning “this age” or “at this time in this world.” He describes some of the historical and societal circumstances surrounding
A Performed Meditation
This Awake in the World Podcast features guest speaker Christopher House, who was the artistic director of the Toronto Dance Theater for twenty-five years (he retired in 2020). He describes his studies with the American experiential choreographer Deborah Hay (author
Embodying the Buddha’s Teachings
In this podcast episode, Michael introduces the bodhisattva path and the paramitas. The bodhisattva ideal is you at your best – rather than simply a code of ethics, it is the cultivation and realization of your particular form of creativity,
A Civilizing Practice
Michael explores Patanjali’s teachings on samadhi (Pada 1, 41-51) and points out that if practice becomes too self-focused and too centered on achieving “special” mind states it can be easily co-opted by social forces like institutionalized greed, hatred and delusion.
Uncovering the Roots
In this deep dive into the first four lines of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra Michael talks about the nature of awareness and the goals of yoga.
Waiting for a Ride
Starting with a poem by Gary Snyder, Michael explores the Fourth Pada of the Yoga Sutra and argues that without the experience of a solid meditation practice it cannot be comprehended. Patanjali, he says, “is leaving you speechless.” But waiting
Best of Awake in the World: Forgiveness
This week we’re revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode from a New Year’s retreat. A tender and personal talk Michael gives during silent retreat about his father, forgiveness, and how we need to practice forgiveness all the
Best of Awake in the World: Love – Sometimes We Can Really Show Up
This week we’re revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode. An hour before New Year’s Michael gives a quiet talk on the Heart Sutra and Forgiveness. “When I hold someone’s hand as they are dying I chant the
Best of Awake in the World: Being Independent in our Practice
This week we’re revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode from a New Year’s retreat. Michael Stone talks on silent retreat about how meditation works over the long-haul, how to practice with a teacher that encourages independence, and
Best of Awake in the World: Save a Ghost!
This week we’re revisiting a favourite Awake in the World podcast episode from a New Year’s retreat. Michael speaks about modern Buddhism as a “culture of awakening,” and then talks on the Zen koan “Save a Ghost.” We are broken.
Obstacles as Traction
In this talk, Michael explains that the way we choose to view the obstacles we encounter in practice can either take us off the path, or allow us to use them as signposts that help us move forward. He argues
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