Wisdom of the Masters

This is a reading of extracts of a talk given by Charlotte Joko Beck taken from the text 'Everyday Zen'. Charlotte Joko Beck (March 27, 1917 – June 15, 201) was an American Zen teacher and the author of the books Everyday Zen: Love and Work and Nothing Special: Living Zen. Born in New Jersey, Beck studied music at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and worked for some time as a pianist and piano teacher. She married and raised a family of four children, then separated from her husband and worked as a teacher, secretary, and assistant in a university department. She began Zen practice in her 40s with Hakuyu Taizan Maezumi in Los Angeles, and later with Hakuun Yasutani and Soen Nakagawa.Beck received Dharma transmission from Taizan Maezumi Roshi in 1978, but broke with Maezumi over his actions and opened Zen Center San Diego in 1983, serving as its head teacher until July 2006. Beck was responsible for a number of important innovations in Zen teaching. Because she was adept at teaching students to work with their psychological states, she attracted a number of students who were interested in the relationship between Zen and modern psychology. 🙏 May whatever goodness arises from these readings/offerings be for the benefit of all sentient beings. 🔆 These podcasts are not monetized. If you benefit from these podcasts and would like to support our nun's hermitage, there are two options to donate - via Paypal using this email address: [email protected] with PayPal or using this direct link: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://paypal.me/VivekaHermitage⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or we have a WISE account with the above email address.

A reading of one of Milarepa's songs taken from the text, Drinking the Mountain Stream: Songs of Tibet's Beloved Saint, Milarepa. Translated by Brian Cutillo and Kunga Thartse. Milarepa is one of the most important yogis and spiritual poets in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, but very little of his life is known with any historical certainty. Even the dates of his birth and death have been notoriously difficult to calculate. In any case, it is clear that he lived during the eleventh and early-twelfth centuries, at the advent of the latter dissemination of Buddhism in Tibet. At his mother's request, Milarepa left home and studied sorcery to take revenge on their cruel relatives, killing many people. Later he felt sorrow about his deeds, and became a student of Marpa the Translator. Eventually, Marpa accepted him, explaining that the trials were a means to purify Milarepa's negative karma. Music: "Surrendering to the Flow" by Malte Marten (with thanks to Malte for his kind permission to use his music). https://www.youtube.com/@MalteMarten 🙏 May whatever goodness arises from these readings/offerings be for the benefit of all sentient beings. 🔆 These podcasts are not monetized. If you benefit from these podcasts and would like to support our nun's hermitage, there are two options to donate - via Paypal using this email address: [email protected] with PayPal or using this direct link: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://paypal.me/VivekaHermitage⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or we have a WISE account with the above email address.

Longchenpa’s Explanation of the Three Statements That Strike the Vital Point (by Garab Dorje). 1. Be introduced to your own nature. 2. Decide upon one thing. 3. Gain confidence in liberation. This commentary is drawn from Longchenpa’s ​Profound Quintessence.​ ​The original translation is included in ​Great Perfection: Separation and Breakthrough​, translated by Cortland Dahl. Longchenpa, also known as Longchen Rabjam , ‘Infinite, Vast Expanse of Space’, or Drimé Özer (1308-1364), was one of the most brilliant teachers of the Nyingma lineage. He systematized the Nyingma teachings in his ‘Seven Treasures’ and wrote extensively on Dzogchen. 🙏 May whatever goodness arises from these readings/offerings be for the benefit of all sentient beings. 🔆 These podcasts are not monetized. If you benefit from these podcasts and would like to support our nun's hermitage, there are two options to donate - via Paypal using this email address: [email protected] with PayPal or using this direct link: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://paypal.me/VivekaHermitage⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or we have a WISE account with the above email address.

Karl Rahner (1904-1984) was one of the most influential Catholic philosophers and theologians of the mid to late twentieth century. A member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and a Roman Catholic priest, Rahner, as was the custom of the time, studied scholastic philosophy, Rahner's philosophy posited that the dynamic thrust of the knowing mind understands the being-most-irreducible as God and the unity of being and spirit in knowing. The Absolute or God is implicitly and intrinsically affirmed in the dynamic of every act of knowing. Rahner maintained that the fulfillment of human existence consists in receiving God's self-communication, and that the human being is actually constituted by this divine self-communication. He identifies grace with the self-communication of God. For Rahner, the human being is intrinsically open to God or the Absolute. It is necessarily the receptacle of revelation. In Rahner’s view, even if God or the Absolute remains utterly silent and completely hidden that silence and hiddenness, are, in fact, revelations. Revelation, however, does not resolve the Mystery; it increases cognizance of God's incomprehensibility. Experiences of the mystery of themselves point people to the Absolute Mystery, "an always-ever-greater Mystery." https://iep.utm.edu/rahner/ _____________________________________________ 🙏 May whatever goodness arises from these readings/offerings be for the benefit of all sentient beings. 🔆 Thank you to everyone who has written to inquire about offering a donation or gift. You are welcome to do so, and all offerings will go towards supporting monastic requisites and overheads at Viveka Hermitage. There are two options to donate using this email address: [email protected] with PayPal or using this link: https://paypal.me/VivekaHermitage Alternatively, donations can also be made via 𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐄 - please contact us on the email above for account details.