Echoes & Stories of Dharma

Series 2 Episode 14 - Strange and dramatic times require a calm mind but how to keep it??? Here are some impromptu reflections recorded after a conversation with a friend.

Series 2 - Episode 13Jiryu- full conversationWhat does it take to leave a job as a Fintech AI engineer and step into the heart of Zen? What do you think it takes? 
It's not an option in a rational, conventional way. It rather means that something has spurred from the inside, that practice has reached a tipping point, a growing edge, and that some deeper switch is required in the unconventional way, probably for good. listen 
www.danderan.com

Trailer - Bonus content: The Heart of Zen - A conversation with Soto Zen priest Jiryu - after his journeys in Japan. www.daderan.com

Buddha’s Words on Loving Kindness : closing chant of Maha sangha dana day - Bodhgaya Feb2 2026

Gratitude Chants to receive a meal - Theravada traditionBodhgaya February 2026

Gratitude chants to receive a meal in Buddhist traditions of Mahayana and Vajrayana. Bodhgaya February 2026

Series 2 - Episode 11A wide-ranging Dharma conversation and a kind of follow up episode, with Josh of Integrating presence we discuss types of identity and self-exploration(e.g., shaved-head practice as a lay 8-precept holder despite no longer living monastically), then pivot to the viral Walk for Peace—a 120-day, ~2,300-mile pilgrimage by ~18–26 Vietnamese/Theravada-aligned Buddhist monastics from Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C. (started October 26, 2025; expected end mid-February 2026). Accompanied by rescue dog Aloka, they promote inner peace, compassion, non-harming, and healing through meditative walking (inspired by traditional Tudong with an engaged-Buddhism focus), drawing thousands of supporters, media attention, and occasional challenges (e.g., confrontations with preachers, a traffic accident injuring monastics).Key themes include:Inner peace as the foundation for outer peace (start within via mind training, resolving inner conflict before external action).The Brahma Viharas (loving-kindness/metta, compassion/karuna, sympathetic joy/mudita, equanimity/upekkha—sometimes reframed as resilience) as tools for relating to self/others and dissolving the three poisons (or poisonous roots of greed, hatred/ill will, delusion).Non-duality as interdependence, seeing self/other reflections, loosening grasping/stickiness to stories and identity (anatta/non-self), while avoiding pitfalls like “idiot compassion” (over-giving without boundaries/dignity) or spiritual bypassing.Paradoxes in practice (conventional vs. ultimate reality; restriction vs. freedom; empathy vs. action).Practical applications: ethical precepts for merit/wishes fulfilled, spatial/situational awareness, breath-focused meditation (e.g., resting in natural awareness at breath pauses), middle way balance (avoid extremes), contentment/freedom from distractions (including digital ones), compassion even for flawed leaders/politicians by separating person from defilements.Modern concerns: AI/delusion risks, generational tech shifts, accelerating change, need for lineage verification, open inquiry (ehipassiko: come and see for yourself), and preserving authentic Dharma amid impermanence.Inspirations: Bodhgaya as unifying pilgrimage site across traditions; merit of hearing Dharma; freedom from (vs. freedom to); contentment with little.

Series 2 - Episode 10 With Josh, of Integrating Presence, I am being asked to introduce you to Bhutan, Vajrayana and the upcoming Global Peace Prayers Festival to be held 4th to 19th November 2025. (Ai assist:) overview of Bhutan's history, including its self-imposed isolation until the 1970s, the influence of Padmasambhava (the "second Buddha"), and how Vajrayana Buddhism integrates compassion, wisdom, and power into daily life and governance.The festival, centered around honoring the 70th birthday of Bhutan's fourth king on November 11, has evolved from a single Kalachakra empowerment into a two-week event featuring large-scale pujas (rituals), mantra chanting for protection and peace, a three-day Kalachakra mandala ceremony (focusing on non-duality and interdependence), global prayers dedicated to the king, and a nuns' ordination ceremony to advance women's roles in Vajrayana. The event aims to promote global peace amid ongoing conflicts, drawing on Buddhist concepts like bodhicitta (Buddha nature in all beings) and the power of mantras to counter greed, hatred, delusion, ignorance, and jealousy.They address misconceptions about Bhutan, such as the Sustainable Development Fee (SDF, now $100/day, covering most travel costs for high-value, low-volume tourism). The conversation emphasizes the festival's timeliness in a world of war rhetoric, climate change, and AI-driven modernity, advocating for bridging ancient devotional practices with contemporary tools like a mantra-logging app (Guru App) to engage youth and foster a "butterfly effect" of positive energy. Participation options include in-person attendance (with visa and travel details), live streaming via Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) on YouTube, virtual mantra contributions, or organizing local watch parties. The episode concludes with reflections on preserving pure Dharma amid technological shifts, encouraging discernment and inner peace.Overall, the podcast blends educational insights on Bhutanese Buddhism with calls to action for global harmony, making it appealing for Buddhists, spiritual seekers, and those interested in sustainable societies. The tone is conversational, respectful, and occasionally light-hearted www.globalpeaceprayers.org Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) Official live streams: / @bbsbhutan / bbschannel2 globalpeaceprayers.org/old/registration.php Travel Agent: IntrekParo: bhutanintrek.com email: intrekparo1@gmail.comWhatsapp: +97577227840mantra app: guruapp.bt (will launch on November 4th the initial day of event)FB page: / 61579817360896 IG: / gppbhutan Enlightened Leadership the Book of sitting PM: penguin.sg/book/enlightened-leadership/ Integrating Presence on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/integrating-presence/id1556570867

Series 2 Ep 9Reflections on Nepal’s events from the Dharma point of vue.

Announcement and refresher after a long silence.

Episode #9 - Musings on experiencing tremors in Bangkok on Friday 28th March as a result of the EQ in Myanmar - The grandiose gatecrashing of impermanence in one’s life is something to always be ready for.

Series 2 - Episode 8 - Dylan’s experience at Plum Village France, is a journey of self discovery and exploration in finding balance with a new practice diverging from his foundational Thai Forest Tradition Vipassana he is accustomed to. Our converation browses various topics such being at ease with a practice while keeping precepts and discipline.

Series 2 Episode 6: Vagaboots is a photographer and graphic designer from Italy and while you listen to him you can get a glimpse of his stunning photography. The love for long-distance walking is a character traits of Vagaboots, who in a previous episode told us about his walk on foot across India - Here he tell us all about how and why he joined the Maha Khumb Mela in Prayagraj and eventually how he had to walk away from it - Join us on IG, FB, YouTube too.

Season 2 Episode 5 - Bangkok SeriesAs she landed in Bangkok, we meet Vivien at Wat Po in Bangkok, sit down and started a 5 hours long exchange of ideas on practice, experiences of living Monasteries and the more. An excerpt of our conversation is shared as she shares insights and hindsights on self-retreats. We will meet her again when she exits the retreat.Mentioned here is Wat BoonyawadFind us on IG, FB, YouTube and Apple Podcasts Dhamma on The Sidewalk.

Season 2 Episode 4 - Bodhgaya Series With Thukten Yeshi from Bhutan, we meet again to talk about his recently published novel The Monk Without Dharma - How will Tompo, the protagonist realise the emptiness of all phenomena and reach the rainbow body? The brilliant reader-friendly fiction with short paragraphs is a genuine self-discovery journey on the realisation of the emptiness of all phenomena. Available on Amazon and in Nepal at Tibet Bookstore on Tridevi Margh See also : Season 1 Episode #27 Nothing Is As It Appears

Episode #3 - Bodhgaya Series - What is it like to follow His Holiness the Dalai Lama and photograph him for a significantly close distance? This is what Neal Watkins did for 15 yrs + and here he tells us a bit about his experience also with various sanghas in India. Join me in welcoming Neal to the podcast. Mentioned in the conversation: Kalachakra Root Institute for Wisdom Culture - Bodhgaya Lama Zopa Rinpoche Taking Refuge meaning Spiti Valley Teaching Archives of the HHDL Follow us on IG - FB - Apple Podcasts - YouTube

Episode #2 Bodhgaya Series - Connecting body and mind thru subtle practices that awaken mindfulness - Arkanhom is an newly established Association based in France and Jean-Pierre is its President. Episode Language: French Website under construction

Episode #1 - Bodhgaya Series - Antoine is from France and with him we embark on a magical wheel of yoga known as Thrul khor - Here in the special location that is Bodhgaya, with lots of background sounds, dive in this special sacred form of yoga . More about Trul Khor Finds us on IG - FB - and YouTube as Dhamma on the Sidewalk

Episode #36 - [French] In talented African storytelling tradition, Venerable Panñabodhi, a Theravadin Monastic, unveils how Buddhism landed in the Congo back in the ‘60s - and what brought him today to be invited at the Vajrayana Kadampa Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal. Filled with facts woven with resilience, courage and determination the storytelling navigates the journey of threading Buddhists waves in Southern Congo. Mentioned: Akong Rinpoche Phra Visuddhivides of Wat Thai Dhammaram - Waterloo - Belgium Venerable Panñabodhi

Episode #35 - Gautam lives to serve others. Inspired by Buddhist precepts of not killing, not lying, not taking that which is not given, not having sexual misconduct and no taking intoxicants. Established in 2011, Metta Nepal serves the needs of under-privileged groups, especially children. With 4 teams of volunteers named after the Brahmavihara - the Sublime Qualities - Metta, Loving Kindness; Mudita, contentment for others, Karuna, compassion, Upekha, Equanimity - Gautam lives by the urgency of serving. Mentioned in the conversation: Phra Visuddhivides - Abbot of Wat Thai Dhammaram - Waterloo, Belgium Monks and Nuns from Malaysia and Singapore from the Mahayana Tradition. Contact Gautam Maharjan FB Contact Metta Nepal FB Metta Nepal on YouTube Short Footage of Metta Nepal scholarship program