Earth Witness

This is the first episode of a series exploring the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path as an embodied, energetic practice. Beginning with the Buddha's very first sermon ("Turning the Dharma Wheel"), Joel unpacks the deep symbolism of the dharmachakra, including a close look at the word dukkha, usually translated as "suffering" but more precisely indicating misalignment: a wheel spinning out of true. The Eightfold Path, then, is how we true the wheel of our lives.Joel also considers the links between the Buddhist path and yogic traditions, arguing that traditional commentaries and common English translations have stripped these teachings of their somatic depth, turning a whole-body practice into an intellectual checklist. This series aims to restore that somatic dimension, approaching each of the eight limbs as embodied and energetic training. ---Cover art is "Turning the Eight-Limbed Wheel" by Joel Tagert.---Music is "Daybreak" by Kite Flight.Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/kite-flight/daybreakLicense code: NRFTD5MYWAJXYKHO

What does it mean to touch the earth? In this inaugural episode, Joel Tagert explores the story of the Buddha's enlightenment beneath the bodhi tree, and what that ancient gesture has to tell us about our relationship to the living world.Drawing on a pilgrimage to Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, India, Joel reflects on how place is fundamental to consciousness. Along the way, he traces the tree as symbol through Buddhist history and art, considers the role of trees in the life of our planet, and invites listeners back to the most important place there is - wherever you are right now.--Music is "Daybreak" by Kite Flight.Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):https://uppbeat.io/t/kite-flight/daybreakLicense code: NRFTD5MYWAJXYKHO