My meditation teaching is moving to a new level: I have just released four of my meditations on the Alyte app with more to come. Starting next week, I’ve scheduled sessions of my pre-recorded meditation classes. This means anyone can join the sesh with me live via the Alyte app by going here: http://www.alyte.app/zeb. For those of you who don’t know, Alyte is the new social fitness app. With Alyte, you don’t have to make compromises, you can hang out while you work out, and build friendships,...

The great masters of old told us of a world that for most of us seems unimaginable and unattainable. They spoke of a Kingdom of Heaven, a place of unlimited joy and inconceivable perfection, holding hidden treasures of divine beauty and love. An experience so good that is is beyond measurement or calculation. They claimed this not as a place we go when we die if we're good (contrary to the more mundane or popular accounts to the contrary) but as an experience available to every one of us...

A talk to explain Karma. Before you can understand Karma, you need to understand the nature of reality and the nature of the self which is where the video beings. The talk then goes through the four kinds of grasping, the three kinds of actions that create Karma (with 10 examples). To more deeply understand Karma, the talk then goes through the four aspects of Karma, the four results of Karma and the four principles of Karma. Fortunately, Karma can be released so we then cover the four powers...

According to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, there are six "Bardos" in the continuous turning of the wheel of life. "Bardo" means intermediate state or 'gap'. Each Bardo represents a moment that we can use to escape the continuous cycle of suffering caused by an unenlightened approach to a human life. Three Bardos occur in a human lifetime (our actual Life, the time we spend Dreaming, and the time we spend in Meditation) and three occur in between lives (the Painful Bardo of Dying and Death,...

Taking our cue from the ancient masters, we assume that the world of form and phenomena is a shadow of spiritual truth. These "shadows" express themselves in myth, religion, and the sky itself (through the Zodiac), and Number is the unifying theme. We look at symbols and stories, creation myths, and religious pantheons from Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Pythagorean, Platonic, Greco-Roman, Islamic and Christian texts and tease out the unifying insights and themes. What emerges illuminates some of...

Most people use the ordinary tactics to feel good. They use their emotions as their guide and the immediate pleasure feedback from their body as the test for whether their actions are the right ones or not. Others yolk their emotions and body to the goals set by their mind. But there is an even better method, one taught throughout the ages by the great wisdom teachers. They call this the Supreme Method. This is the topic of the episode. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out...

Pythagorean numerology, Babylonian astrology and medieval alchemy are ancient "sciences" that emerged long, long ago. But how did they come about, how can they possibly be oftentimes eerily accurate, and why they are so useful to the understanding of oneself and others in modern times? There are two explanations for this. In this talk, we cover the prehistory out of which this "natural philosophy" (or what we would now call "science") emerged. Distilling down the lessons from masters old and...

As long ago in Ancient Greece, astrologers such as Ptolomy described Saturn 🪐 as malefic and deadly. "Satan", not Saturn, was its nickname. But this is a misnomer. It is true that if one attempts to reach the celestial heights of the Saturnian sphere without the proper training and mindset, it can indeed be deadly, or at least very uncomfortable. One medieval mystic in particular (Ibn 'Arabi), described a non-believer's ascension to a Saturn level of consciousness as being like locked in a...

The sixth celestial sphere, the one the Romans called Jove or Jupiter, represents the opening of our sixth chakra or third eye. We discover a sort of partnership or union with our higher selves. It is at this level that we become a complete human being, our fully realized spiritual self. In this talk we explore what this level of consciousness is like using stories from Buddha, Jesus, Moses, Attar and Rumi. We discuss Buddha's Four Noble Truths, Jesus' parable of the Great Feast, Rumi's story...

When a person on the spiritual path reaches the Martian celestial sphere, one of three things will happen. For most of us, the scientific materialists among us for example, this part of ourselves remains invisible and simply adds energy to the intensity and passion of our baser emotions. For the spiritually inclined, it will most often open up into what St. John of the Cross called the "Dark Night of the Senses". And finally, if we can master our lower selves and integrate the various parts...

Just as the planets in our solar system orbit around the Sun, the mind seems to rotate perpetually around the ego. Observing a mysterious energy that shifts as Earth moves through space, the ancient astrologers developed a map not just of the heavens and their predictable movements, but also of the human personality. Like the repeated pattern of the Zodiac according to the time of year, the ancients observed that the human personality too was shaped by the season of its birth in predictable...

The planet Venus represents wisdom and peace and harmony. She also symbolizes beauty, love and relationships. But what do these words mean, really? How do they apply to your life? And is there any significance to these sensibilities and ideas being associated with the second planet from the sun? Astrology is like ancient codex holding the secrets to self-actualization, peace and even enlightenment. But the half that has come down to us today is so corrupted by popular notions of fortune...

In ancient Mesopotamia, the Babylonians were among the first peoples in history to decode the secrets of the heavens. Their great god Nabu was believed to be in the form of the planet we now call Mercury. He was the god of literacy, reason, speech and knowledge. Harkening back to these ancient stories, with some help from Jesus, Buddha and Lao Tzu, we unpack the significance and meaning of the planet Mercury in our everyday life. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Astrological significance of the moon has long been known to be connected with emotions and the subconscious. In this talk we use the Islamic symbolism associated with the Moon to unlock a deeper and more powerful meaning. The moon becomes a pivot point, an invitation to discover your higher self. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Astrology explained for the skeptics. This is the first in a multi-part series discussing the origins and practical value of the ancient art of Astrology. Forget fortune telling and soothsaying. Astrology instead represents a roadmap to our best possible self and the happiest potential life. Listen to find out why and how. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Buddha taught that the cure for suffering was following the Middle Way or practicing Skillful Means. But when you look these up you will often come up with ambiguous or unsatisfying explanations. In this talk, Zebediah Rice explains how to live these principles in everyday life. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We can say that there are two ways to look at the experience of life. On the one hand, the ancient masters tell us that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand (Jesus), that Nirvana (Buddhism) or Moksha (Hinduism) will release us from suffering, that the nature of the Tao will free us, or that submission to Allah will shift our consciousness to Illumination (Islam) and love. On the other hand, most people suffer, and suffer terribly. Whether it be physical pain or emotional and psychological...

In the Middle Ages there lived a man whose insights provide invaluable lessons for how to live a happy, healthy and peaceful life today. His name was Muhammad Ibn ‘Arabi. Ibn ‘Arabi was reportedly one of history’s spiritual geniuses. Widely known by the title Shaykh al-Akbar (“The Greatest Master”), even in his own time, this 12th century Islamic mystic is reputed to have authored as many as 800 books and was known across the Muslim world as a visionary spiritual teacher and...

Why do bad things happen to good people? How can anyone have faith in a higher power or greater force of love in the world when innocent people suffer so greatly, so often, and in such large numbers? This is not a new question. In fact, one of the more mysterious stories coming to us through the Jewish tradition, the story of Job, grapples with this very question in a vivid and instructive way. But the story ends in a frustratingly ambiguous manner with only a glimpse into the real answer...

There is a traditional European understanding of Easter. And then there is the story of Jesus' life, ministry, crucifiction and resurrection that is emerging from the tireless work of scholars from around the world. It is this latter story that is shared in this episode. For information regarding your data privacy, visit Acast.com/privacy

It may seem like we are a victim of our circumstances and that we are subject to the emotions that arise within us. But the great masters of old like Buddha along with contemporary teachers like Victor Frankl, have shown us that we have a choice in the matter. It is we who manufacture our reality. For information regarding your data privacy, visit Acast.com/privacy

What is the purpose of life? The great masters throughout the ages have had varied answers: Buddha: To end suffering ... and realize your true nature of non-selfMohammed: To serve Allah's purpose via submission to the Divine WillJesus: To love god with all your heart, all your mind and all your soulKrishna: Leave behind the material self and unlock bliss through devotional service to the SupremeJudaism: Live the faith, fulfill God's commandments and be rewarded with a long, happy life The...

The ancient masters left us their "lecture notes" but somehow most of the "lab notes" didn't make it through to today. In other words, we can read about "letting go" or "let Jesus" or "non-judgement, non-reaction and non-resistance" or "skillful means" or "submission" and so on but how do we put these concepts from the "lecture notes" into practice today? That is, what would the lab notes say? In this session I review being still, breaking habits, and letting go from the lecture notes and...