The Ship of Fools Podcast

#6 – Ship of Fools Cast - Professor Patrick Laude & Shimmering Mirrors

Patrick Laude is a scholar, author and teacher. His works deal with the relationship between mysticism, symbolism and poetry, as well as focusing on contemporary spiritual figures such as Simone Weil, Louis Massignon and Frithjof Schuon.
Born in France in 1958, Patrick took a graduate degree in Philosophy at the University of Paris IV Sorbonne while studying at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris. He traveled to the US in the early eighties and obtained his Ph.D. in 1985 from Indiana University. He joined Georgetown University in 1991. Laude's scholarly work is primarily focused on comparative mysticism, the symbolic imagination in religion and literature, and Western interpretations of Asian contemplative traditions. He is the author of several books and numerous articles on these subjects. Although we had some technical difficulties during the chat and couldn’t quite get all the subject material out of the way, I believe we still managed to coax out some valuable materials on comparing religions of the East and West, as expressed in his excellent book, “Shimmering Mirrors: Reality and Appearance in Contemplative Metaphysics of East and West”. I recommend this book for all those interested in this difficult subject.
We will have a book deal available for listeners soon! Watch this space.
Music & Mixing Credit: Chris Kelly - for all music enquiries, including original music and editing services please contact shipoffoolscast@protonmail.com
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#5 – Ship of Fools Cast - Phoenix Aurelius on Alchemy & "Alchemi-Culture"

This week we are privileged to speak to Alchemist Phoenix Aurelius on his concept of "Alchemi-Culture". That is the art and science of utilising the principles of alchemy for the purposes of agriculture, and effectively building another layer on top of Seiner’s bio-dynamic theory. My mind was completely and utterly blown after this, something that rarely happens these days and I guarantee yours will also.
Phoenix has a wonderful story - by happenstance, or as we will see perhaps not, inheriting an alchemical laboratory and library from the famous German alchemist Frater Albertus from a former office manager of the famous Paracelsus Research Society in Salt Lake City. From his earliest days of being naturally inclined to the science and art of alchemy, he has built and incredible breadth of knowledge on these issues and I got so much from this talk, as you will.
These days Phoenix focuses on agricultural experimentation, manufacturing organic, bio-dynamic medicinal alchemical spagyric tinctures and also provides education for up and coming alchemists running courses online. You can find more information at https://www.phoenixaurelius.org
Music & Mixing Credit: Chris Kelly - for all music enquiries, including original music and editing services please contact shipoffoolscast@protonmail.com
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#4 – Ship of Fools Cast - Peter "Genjo" Bruza on Zen and Awareness

This week we are privileged to speak to Zen master, Peter “Genjo” Bruza.
Peter started Zen practice in the late 80’s with the “Kanzeon Sangha” in The Netherlands while he was working in computer science. His first teacher was Genno Roshi, who as we will hear, greatly helped him on The Way. After moving back to Australia he briefly studied within the Korean Kwan Um school of Zen. From there and as we will see in a rather moving recounting, he met is master “Hogen Yamahata” at a sesshin near Byron Bay in 1995. Since then he has been studying under Hogen san's guidance and became a Dharma successor in 2008. He currently works as an academic.
I have engaged in Zazen in Peter’s circle on many occasions in the past and was always vastly impressed with him. He is one of those rare individuals some of us are privileged enough to encounter in our lifetimes. I hope you are also able to engage with his excellent descriptions and knowledge on “Zen and Awareness”.
Interview Starts 03:55
04:30 PB'S lineage, meeting his master
13:00 Decline in Japan, Hogen san's journey
20:50 Driving from home - What was I missing?
24:00 Buddhism and Christianity, Experience vs Theological salvation?
35:30 How did Zen develop? Focusing on the Body, China & Japan - Dialectics, Conceptualization and Experimentation
47:40 Shortcomings of Language and Conceptualization
51:00 Awareness is?
Music & Mixing Credit: Chris Kelly - for all music enquiries, including original music and editing services please contact shipoffoolscast@protonmail.com
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#3 – Ship of Fools Cast - John Bradshaw on Biodynamic Farming

This week with John Bradshaw, editor of Biodynamic Growing, former farmer and Biodynamic certifier for Demeter Bio-Dynamic Research Institute and all round great guy joins us for episode 3. We discuss the method, Rudolph Steiner, general agricultural matters through a biodynamic lens with some of the more exotic elements getting some attention, and of course soils and food. Websites and links mentioned are as follows:
Bio-Dynamic Agricultural Association of Australia (BDAAA, for professional farmers) - www.demeterbiodynamic.com.au
Biodynamic Growers Australia (for gardeners and smallholders) - www.demeterbiodynamic.com.au
Bio-Dynamic Research Institute for certification - www.demeter.org.au
Biodynamic Growing magazine - www.bdgrowing.com
Biodynamic Marketing Co. - www.biodynamic.com.au
00:01 Introduction 02:30 Start of Interview 06:00 The Philosophy and Practice of Biodynamic Farming 09:40 Agricultural systems - exponential decay or exponential regeneration 13:30 Biodynamic preparations 16:08 Moon planting methods & the influence of Alex Podolinsky in Australia and Europe 22:25 Rudolph Steiner 30:50 The evolution of the method 41:00 is it profitable? 46:30 Soils 50:00 Food quality
Music Credit: KellychipsKelly - for all music enquiries including original music and editing services for please contact shipoffoolscast@protonmail.com
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#2 – Ship of Fools Cast - Harry Oldmeadow & Traditionalist School (pt 2)

Episode Notes
Introduction - starts 02:36
interview - starts 05:54
Topics discussed include the Kali Yuga, Buddhism, Primordial Cultures and their outlooks, Meaninglessness of Scientism and much more.
Books mentioned/books recommended:
"Taking the Path of Zen" - Robert Aitken
"The Way if the White Clouds" - Lama Anagarika Govinda
"The Way of the Mountain"- Marco Pallis
"Treasures of Buddhism" - Frithjof Schuon
"Esoterism as Principle and as Way" - Frithjof Schuon
"The Reign of Quantity & the Signs of the Times" - Rene Guenon
"The Crisis of the Modern World" - Rene Guenon
"The Message of the Tibetans" Arnaud Desjardins
Music:
Chris Kelly - please -email shipoffoolscast@protonmail.com for details.
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#1 – Ship of Fools Cast - Harry Oldmeadow on the Traditionalist School (pt 1)

Episode Notes
Catch up with scholar of the traditionalist school Harry Oldmeadow.
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