Ancient Futures

What does it mean to be free? One of the earliest overviews of yogic ideas is the Mahābhārata, whose epic stories include extensive teachings on philosophy and practice. These are detailed in a section called the Mokṣadharma-parvan, whose primary focus is liberating insight.James Fitzgerald has been working on this text for half a century. He recently published a full translation as part of a series begun by his mentor, Johannes van Buitenen. His work explores the Mahābhārata from multiple angles – as religious, philosophical and political literature, with a particular historical context.Our conversation reflects on how yoga relates to the battle at the heart of the narrative. This clash is preceded by the Bhagavad-gītā and followed by the twelfth book on peace (the Śānti-parvan), which contains the Mokṣadharma and echoes the Gītā’s principal themes, including devotion – here to Viṣṇu-Nārāyaṇa.It’s structured as a dialogue between Bhīṣma, the dying patriarch, and the new king Yudhiṣṭhira, who abhors the messy business of ruling and wants to renounce it. To persuade him to shoulder his duty for the greater good, Bhīṣma tells stories about yogic wisdom, which highlight the virtue of inner detachment.In the process, renunciate teachings – from Sāṃkhya philosophy to meditative practice and the precept of non-harming – are explained in depth. That raises the question of whether worldly action or turning inward is the highest objective. The result is a Brahmin synthesis that counters a challenge from Buddhists and Jains.--🔎 To explore yogic texts and traditions, join me for a course at truthofyoga.com🙏 Your support makes this podcast sustainable – please consider subscribing or make a donation... It's greatly appreciated! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ancientfutures.substack.com/subscribe

To what extent is yoga compatible with drama? Performance is in some ways the opposite of inward focus, yet it might still be enhanced by yogic practices.Sergei Tcherkasski is a theatre director and teacher of acting at the Russian State Institute of Performing Arts. He is also the author of Stanislavsky and Yoga, which explores a key influence on the Russian pioneer of modern acting techniques.Konstantin Stanislavsky’s system helped actors tap into their inner experiences, enabling them to embody a fictional character and perform more believably. This inspired what American followers such as Lee Strasberg called “method acting” and shaped what’s taught in drama schools all over the world.As Sergei explains, about a third of the first-year acting curriculum is influenced by yoga, which Stanislavsky learned in the early 20th century. He did so not by visiting India but from reading translated books by an American attorney who wrote under the pseudonym “Yogi Ramacharaka”.We talk about the hybrid ideas that Ramacharaka presented, and why their worldly emphasis might be more helpful than traditional teachings on transcendence – as argued by the Polish director Jerzy Grotowski. We also consider which modern schools of yoga might be best suited to training actors.Among other names we discuss are Stella Adler and Sanford Meisner, two other influential American acting coaches. Plus Sergei highlights the term perezhivanie (переживание), which translates as “emotional experience”. He once made a film about Stanislavsky and yoga, which is available on YouTube.--🧭 To explore how yogic traditions relate to modern life, join my online community🙏 Your support makes this podcast sustainable – please consider subscribing or make a donation... It's greatly appreciated! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ancientfutures.substack.com/subscribe

What distinguishes self-centredness from care for oneself? To what extent is emotional healing a spiritual practice? How might an inner sense of safety and connection fuel better relationships and more sustainable ways of living?Justin Michelson is a meditation teacher, author and wilderness guide. His recent book The Dharma of Healing is billed by its publisher as: “A handbook for spiritual freedom in an age of global crisis”. Its focus is on changing responses to difficult feelings, which otherwise block the development of wisdom and compassion.Our conversation explores Justin’s fusion of Buddhist perspectives with modern psychology. We discuss what it means to heal personal wounds, as well as how that relates to taking better care of each other and the world. We also reflect on a tension between accepting what is and facilitating change.Justin’s book provides a practical guide to the transformative power of self-compassion. It’s accompanied by guided meditations, available here.--🧘 To explore dharmic wisdom from a yogic perspective, join us on The Path of Knowledge🙏 Your support makes this podcast sustainable – please consider subscribing or make a donation... It’s greatly appreciated! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ancientfutures.substack.com/subscribe

What inspired the idea of being “spiritual but not religious”? Modern quests for experiential insight have diverse roots. Influences range from the work of Aldous Huxley – The Perennial Philosophy and The Doors of Perception – to the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous and their references to “God as we understood Him”.Don Lattin is the author of Distilled Spirits: Getting High, Then Sober, with a Famous Writer, a Forgotten Philosopher, and a Hopeless Drunk, which highlights the impact of Gerald Heard, who got Huxley interested in Eastern wisdom, and turned on many others to LSD – including Bill Wilson, the co-founder of AA.This book is the prequel to an earlier bestseller, The Harvard Psychedelic Club: How Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, Huston Smith, and Andrew Weil Killed the Fifties and Ushered in a New Age for America. That grew out of Don’s career as a reporter, covering religion for the San Francisco Chronicle while becoming an addict and alcoholic.We discuss how his own story overlaps with those he writes about, from religious doubts to experiencing oneness on LSD. In the process, we explore whether altered states lead to mystical insights or resolve mental health issues – topics addressed by Don’s recent books, God on Psychedelics and Changing Our Minds.These days, Don shares reflections on cults and other new religious movements via his Substack, Messiahs I Have Known, which I highly recommend.--👀 For a yogic perspective on life, join my year-long course The Path of Knowledge🙏 Your support makes this podcast sustainable – please consider subscribing or make a donation... It's greatly appreciated! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ancientfutures.substack.com/subscribe

How might humans relate to other beings if we saw ourselves as animals? What if beastliness had positive qualities, instead of being seen as a defect to exorcise? Which natural tendencies might we embody if we paid more attention to ancestral insights?Elizabeth Sulis Kim is the author of the recently published Book of Beasts, which is subtitled “Reclaiming Animal Wisdom”. She is also the founding editor of Cunning Folk, an independent magazine about magic, folklore, mythology and the occult.Our conversation explores how these interests overlap, with a particular focus on the power of telling stories to present new possibilities – or as Cunning Folk puts it: “to innovate, we have to imagine”. In the process, we consider how to foster better treatment of animals and live more harmoniously with our surroundings.Elizabeth’s second book, The Art of Folklore: A Visual Miscellany of Myths, Lore and Legend will be published next year. She’s also working on a novel that examines how the stories we tell shape our future.--🧙 For an immersion in traditional yogic wisdom, join us on The Path of Knowledge🙏 Your support makes this podcast sustainable – please consider subscribing or make a donation... It's greatly appreciated! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ancientfutures.substack.com/subscribe