Eco Flow Podcast Sherab Jin

"There are two things that really good journalism should do. The first most basic thing is it needs to get the basic information accurately, the quotes need to be what people really said, the facts shouldn't be wrong...and then you do want good stories to be exciting when the news deserved it...if you do enough really good interviews and use the material well, you can make the story very pleasant and really interesting to read" ~ David Holley, former LAtimes bureau chief

Introduction

David has covered some of the most historical events in the second half of the 20th century. Prior to his teaching career, he worked as a foreign correspondent for the Los Angeles Times from 1987 to 2007, based in Beijing, Tokyo, Warsaw and Moscow. David holds a BA degree in Chinese from Oberlin College, and an MA in Communication from Stanford. After 2008, he became an adjunct professor of the School of International Liberal Studies at Waseda University and taught a variety of courses there as well as in Keio University, including Journalism, Russian history, Chinese politics, Post-war Japan and American politics. Upon his retirement, David and his wife have retreated to the countryside of Nagano where they are now enjoying a simple life of farming and being close with nature. 

Shownotes


00:20 David Holley’s short introduction by Jin, followed by Aika’s self-introduction. 
03:35 David shares “The Story of My Life” 
10:30 What kind of foresight did David have about Asia back when he was young?
What sparked his interest in Asia, especially in India and China?  [Spoiler: Population density}
17:30 What did David learn from his study abroad in India and Taiwan? and what led him down the path of becoming a journalist? 
25:07 If we can dissect David into three individuals:
1. Prejournalist David
2. Journalist David
3. Post-journalist David
What remains the same throughout his life and what has changed over time? 
34:20 What separates a great piece of article/ journalist from one that is mediocre? 
44:50 Truth vs Clicks — David’s view on the future of journalism in a digitalized world. 
49:20 What are some of David’s most memorable highlights, lessons or experiences throughout his career as a foreign correspondent?
55:00 David’s perception of "suffering" & the symbolism behind the Shiva Nata Raja. Robinson Jeffers' poems.  
1:02:22 Jin shares his favorite quote of David Holley on the importance of making conflicting parties try and understand the reasoning and complexities of both sides of an argument. David elaborates on the quote. 
1:09:35 “This is complicated” - How did David teach his students about complexities of arguments in a non-dichotomous way? And what kind of examples does he use to illustrate those complexities?
1:16:00  David’s thoughts on Daoism. What is the role and purpose of human beings in a world that is transcendental beyond good and evil? 
1:21:00 A Daoist and harmonious transition of life- how does David’’s present life look like in the countryside of Nagano? 
1:29:00 David’s identity of living in foreign cultures and societies as a “white foreigner” and how he assimilates into them. 
1:35:26 If David can design a semester/10-weeks course and teaching anything, what would he like to teach? Spoiler: David talks about evolutionary psychology and the importance of “having at least 4 grandchildren”. 

“What we really need now is a stronger network of activist groups and communities which are beginning to make radical transitions that we need, and I hope that Yonaoshi will be part of that coalition to bring people together in creating these network, which will serve as good medicine against this sense of powerlessness.” ~ Dr. Charles Cabell

Dr. Charles Cabell is an associate professor of Global and Regional Studies at Toyo University. He holds a P.h.D in Modern Japanese Literature from the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilization at Harvard University and his interests include cultural studies, Japanese literature, and educational practice and theory. Currently the acting president of the International Association for Japan Studies (IAJS), Charles has been involved in pioneering  “Yonaoshi- Why not Remake the World”,  a new form of academic conference called that combines participant-centered, creatively interactive learning events with entertainment in order to bring together students, activists, scholars, and concerned laypeople to actively engage in issues connected with equity and social justice in the context of the ecological and climate crisis. 

In this conversation, we discussed many topics ranging from his background story, ikigai and connection with Japan; his thoughts on our environment, education and possible solutions in "remaking the world". Charles is a professor who truly cares for his students and does everything he can to help them grow and contribute in this world. I miss taking his classes back I was an undergraduate student in Japan. It's fun to reconnect here and we're also planning to record another episode focusing on discussing and analyzing literature. Let me know if you enjoy this conversation as I did! Show-notes available at sherabjin.com 

This is a half an hour long guided meditation on the cultivation of loving kindness (also known as metta meditation). Loving kindness meditation is something that I've been practicing for the past decade and has helped me to maintain my personal wellbeing amidst turbulence and setbacks. When overwhelmed by negative emotions or feeling insecure, one can resort to loving kindness meditation to cultivate inner peace. Moreover, I feel that it is much accessible to beginners than other forms of meditation such as breath or insight meditation, which you can later delve into as you progress in this meditation.  Before doing this meditation, I also recommend checking out my 10-min introduction to loving kindness meditation in the previous episode.


Jin Young Lim (Sherab Jin) Bio: 

Host of Eco Flow Podcast. Schwarzman Scholar 22'. Born in Southeast Asia as an overseas Chinese, Jin grew up learning about spirituality, meditation, and traditional Chinese Martial Arts, especially in Shaolin and Tai Chi. During his undergrad at Waseda University and Peking University, he began delving deeper into Yoga and Aikido, later on receiving his yoga teacher certification at Vikasa and Universal Yoga. He sees mindfulness, art, yoga and martial arts as related to one another and integrates them into his daily practice. Deriving his learning experiences from different countries, Jin wants to build a holistic academy that caters to both local communities and foreign visitors. 

If you enjoy this meditation, please share it with anyone whom you think might find it helpful, especially during this troubled times. Sending love your way.  #lovingkindnessmeditation #mettameditation #lovingkindness #maitri   

Consider subscribing or connecting :  
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sherabjin
Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwh13eMhZDoqxalosCgT96w  
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eco-flow-podcast/id1496569006   
Personal website: https://www.sherabjin.com/
NGO: https://spawofoundation.org/

This is a 10-min long brief explanation of Loving Kindness (Metta) meditation, a form of spiritual practice that I've been doing for the past 10 years. I recommend listening first to this introduction, then proceed with the full 30-min long guided loving kindness meditation released in the following episode. Please share with anyone whom you think might find it helpful. Enjoy! 

“If I were reorganizing schools, I’d make the learning to be at anyone’s individual pace, abolish grades, and focus on ethics and morals just as much as learning math and English.” ~ Jason Lai 

During this pandemic, I've had a chance to act as the moderator and lead interviewer in representing The Leads Asia's Q&A with Jason Lai, a prominent British orchestral conductor who is at present the Principal Conductor at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory in Singapore. Besides appearing on many TV shows and giving masterclasses worldwide, Jason is also an integral coach, presenter and speaker who cares about education and the wellbeing of others. A warm and compassionate being, he is generous in sharing his thoughts and providing mentorship to young people. Much love to Jason, as well as Kaori and Ayano for inviting me to moderate the interview, and for giving me the permission to release this interview here on my channel and podcast. Some of the topics that we've discussed:

04:50 The Story of Jason, how he become who he is  
09:20 Who planted in Jason the seed to help others  
13:10 What is Jason's "identity"  
22:20 Advice on finding passion  
34:40 Jason's personal education and definition of "education"
43:10 Mentors in life  
50:40 Jason's role as a coach and mentor  
58:30 The power of music and art
1:05:15 Something touching he has done for his mentee
1:09:00 On building trust  
1:12:10 What does Jason's day look like?  
1:37:40 Biggest challenges in life & coping with death

Is there a hack to learning culture? In this episode, Jin proposes a model for hacking culture and shares his stories and personal experiences exploring and working with different cultures. Invited as an online guest teacher for Teikyo University students who are taking a course on cross-culture communication, this presentation was recorded in 2020 and the full presentation can be found on my Youtube Channel Eco Flow with Sherab Jin.