Dr. Tara B. M. Smith is an early career interdisciplinary academic that works in the fields of science fiction, literature, religion and popular culture. Tara is currently a research affiliate at the University of Sydney. In 2024 Tara was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for the Study of World Religions at the Harvard Divinity School, Boston, writing on religious ideas and experiences of people that paint and play within the science fiction “grimdark” universe of Warhammer 40,000. Tara is a passionate educator who holds a Graduate Certificate of Higher Education and has taught in academic settings for over 5 years across a variety of units including media studies, religious studies, writing skills and composition. When Tara is not studying, she spends time with her two cats Thomas and Momo and her fiancé Luke in Sydney, Australia.

While most people who talk and think about the story of Dune focus on the political and religious aspects of the series [for example, the Bene Geserit with their genetic breeding program and the Kwisatz Haderach, or the Butlerian Jihad -the war against thinking machines = technology and AI], Tara's article, “The Anthropocene in Frank Herbert’s Dune Series” from 2021 takes a different approach and explores the ecological/philosophical aspects of the story. As she notes, Frank Herbert was warning his readers about their anthropocentric tendencies and urging people instead to think about ecological conservation, or at least he appears to be planting a seed in the minds of the readers to be more aware of their place or role on the Earth.

You can find the full episode at my Patreon: www.patreon.com/RejectedReligion 

Patreon Tier 2 Free Content Dr. Tara Smith Ecology & _Dune Trilogy_

prod. peril

o mundo parece que caminha para o caos.

lyrics:
Where does it all go
When the earth explodes
How long was before
Death is knocking at our door
In my home
Looking out the window
Its already far gone
How do we save it all?
Its not that simple
I dont wanna be in no clip notes.
I just want you to know
How this shit goes
I just want you to see
What’s left of you and me

Where does it all go
When the earth explodes
How long was before
Death is knocking at our door
In my home
Looking out the window
Its already far gone
How do we save it all?
Its not that simple
I dont wanna be in no clip notes.

Where does it all go?
I dont wanna lose my soul
Where does it all go?
I know that i cant control
And the truth we used to hold
Turns to stories never told
And the truth we used to hold
Turns to stories never told...

clip notes

You Dont Love Me (no more)

00:08:31 - The Faces at Braga, David Whyte

In monastery darkness
by the light of one flashlight,
the old shrine room waits in silence.

While beside the door
we see the terrible figure,
fierce eyes demanding, “Will you step through?”

And the old monk leads us,
bent back nudging blackness
prayer beads in the hand that beckons.

We light the butter lamps
and bow, eyes blinking in the
pungent smoke, look up without a word,

see faces in meditation,
a hundred faces carved above,
eye lines wrinkled in the handheld light.

Such love in solid wood—
taken from the hillsides and carved in silence,
they have the vibrant stillness of those who made them.

Engulfed by the past
they have been neglected, but through
smoke and darkness they are like the flowers

we have seen growing
through the dust of eroded slopes,
their slowly opening faces turned toward the mountain.

Carved in devotion
their eyes have softened through age
and their mouths curve through delight of the carver’s hand.

If only our own faces
would allow the invisible carver’s hand
to bring the deep grain of love to the surface.

If only we knew
as the carver knew, how the flaws
in the wood led his searching chisel to the very core,

we would smile too
and not need faces immobilized
by fear and the weight of things undone.

When we fight with our failing
we ignore the entrance to the shrine itself
and wrestle with the guardian, fierce figure on the side of good.

And as we fight
our eyes are hooded with grief
and our mouths are dry with pain.

If only we could give ourselves
to the blows of the carver’s hands,
the lines in our faces would be the trace lines of rivers

feeding the sea
where voices meet, praising the features
of the mountain and the cloud and the sky.

Our faces would fall away
until we, growing younger toward death
everyday, would gather all our flaws in celebration

to merge with them perfectly,
impossibly, wedded to our essence,
full of silence from the carver’s hands.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
 
00:27:57 - Where We Are Headed
Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer

At first we just say flower. How
thrilling it is to name. Then it’s
aster. Begonia. Chrysanthemum.

We spend our childhood learning
to separate one thing from another.
Daffodil. Edelweiss. Fern. We learn

which have five petals, which have six.
We say, “This is a gladiolus, this hyacinth.”
And we fracture the world into separate

identities. Iris. Jasmine. Lavender.
Divorcing the world into singular bits.
And then, when we know how to tell

one thing from another, perhaps
at last we feel the tug to see not
what makes things different, but

what makes things the same. Perhaps
we feel the pleasure that comes
when we start to blur the lines—

and once again everything
is flower, and by everything,
I mean everything.


2025-02-20 | Your Original Face | Trudy Johnston

00:00:25 - Sitting together for 15 minutes
00:04:58 - Dharma Talk
00:19:06 - Meeting with Josh

To Offer Dana Please Go To:
Justthiszen.org/giving

2025-02-25 I Inquiry I Allow Your Question to Find You I Josh Gifford

00:00:23 - Dharma Talk offered by Jan Royle - Current Head Student
00:13:46 - Dharma Talk - 2022-11-19 -Day 3 - Awakening To The Koan Of Your Life - Josh Gifford - Link Below:

( https://soundcloud.com/appamada-europe/2022-day-3-awakening-to-the-koan-of-your-life-josh-gifford?si=9ba894feef7245af9ff35f37c83f5937&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

00:27:21 - Jan offers some words and guidance for the breakout rooms/meeting with a peer


To Offer Dana Please Go To:
Justthiszen.org/giving

2025-02-27 | The One Who is Not Busy | Jan Royle

00:00:51 - Sitting together for 15 minutes
00:16:29 - Dharma Talk
00:16:29 - Poem - Relax by Ellen Bass
00:37:29 - Poem - A Brief for the Defence - BY JACK GILBERT
00:40:59 - Meeting with Trudy

  
00:16:29 
Relax by Ellen Bass

Bad things are going to happen.
Your tomatoes will grow a fungusand your cat will get run over.
Someone will leave the bag with the ice creammelting in the car 
and throwyour blue cashmere sweater in the drier.
Your husband will sleepwith a girl your daughter’s age, 
her breasts spillingout of her blouse. 
Or your wifewill remember she’s a lesbian
and leave you for the woman next door. 
The other cat—the one you never really liked—
will contract a disease
that requires you to pry open its feverish mouthevery four hours. 
Your parents will die.
No matter how many vitamins you take,
how much Pilates, you’ll lose your keys,
your hair and your memory. 
If your daughterdoesn’t plug her heartinto every live socket she passes,you’ll come home to find your son has emptiedthe refrigerator, 
dragged it to the curb,
and called the used appliance store for a pick up—drug money.
There’s a Buddhist story of a woman chased by a tiger.
When she comes to a cliff, 
she sees a sturdy vineand climbs half way down. 
But there’s also a tiger below.
And two mice—one white, one black—scurry outand begin to gnaw at the vine. 
At this pointshe notices a wild strawberry growing from a crevice.
She looks up, down, at the mice.
Then she eats the strawberry.
So here’s the view, the breeze, the pulsein your throat. 
Your wallet will be stolen, you’ll get fat,
slip on the bathroom tiles of a foreign hoteland crack your hip. 
You’ll be lonely.Oh taste how sweet and tartthe red juice is, 
how the tiny seedscrunch between your teeth.

00:37:29
A Brief for the Defense - BY JACK GILBERT

Sorrow everywhere. Slaughter everywhere. If babies
are not starving someplace, they are starving
somewhere else. With flies in their nostrils.
But we enjoy our lives because that's what God wants.
Otherwise the mornings before summer dawn would not
be made so fine. The Bengal tiger would not
be fashioned so miraculously well. The poor women
at the fountain are laughing together between
the suffering they have known and the awfulness
in their future, smiling and laughing while somebody
in the village is very sick. There is laughter
every day in the terrible streets of Calcutta,
and the women laugh in the cages of Bombay.
If we deny our happiness, resist our satisfaction,
we lessen the importance of their deprivation.
We must risk delight. We can do without pleasure,
but not delight. Not enjoyment. We must have
the stubbornness to accept our gladness in the ruthless
furnace of this world. To make injustice the only
measure of our attention is to praise the Devil.
If the locomotive of the Lord runs us down,
we should give thanks that the end had magnitude.
We must admit there will be music despite everything.
We stand at the prow again of a small ship
anchored late at night in the tiny port
looking over to the sleeping island: the waterfront
is three shuttered cafés and one naked light burning.
To hear the faint sound of oars in the silence as a rowboat
comes slowly out and then goes back is truly worth
all the years of sorrow that are to come.

To Offer Dana Please Go To:
Justthiszen.org/giving

2025-03-04 | Inquiry | Some Words of Zen | Trudy Johnston

00:00:26 - Sitting for 10 minutes together
00:10:23 - Dharma Talk
00:37:29 - Meeting with Trudy

To Offer Dana Please Go To:
Justthiszen.org/giving

2025-03-11 | Inquiry | Dead or Alive | Trudy Johnston

when the sky is black

Liquid / experimental drum and bass, 2025.


Another driving song. Lots of synthesis going on here, a LOT of processing. 

[LIQUID] resonance (Original Mix) [2025]

“Give up defining yourself — to yourself or to others. You won’t die. You will come to life.”
Eckhart Tolle

"As long as you identify with your mind, you are somebody, and as long as you are somebody, you can be insulted. But when you become nobody, who is there to be insulted?”

Ram Dass

"Bodhicitta encourages us to make friends with our vulnerabilities and our deepest pain. It means that every moment is a chance to awaken our hearts just a little more, and to grow with self-love and compassion for ourselves. Inevitably, if we can give ourselves self-love, then that love eventually extends out to all the people in our life." —Anthony Tshering

Last Meeting:

Trudy offered a talk and inquiry at our last meeting. She continued to explore the theme of the self- who are we? What is it to have a self and to forget the self? 

The first quote she shared with us was:

“Although it is not the only reality our lives, self-identity is a reality for us, a tool we must use to live with others in society” 

Shohaku Okamura  Realising Genjokoan

Trudy also read this poem by Danna Faulds which so beautifully expresses how all we have is our imperfect self and this moment:

Awakening Now 

Why wait for your awakening?

The moment your eyes are open, seize the day.

Would you hold back when the Beloved beckons?

Would you deliver your litany of sins like a child’s collection of sea shells, prized and labeled?

“No, I can’t step across the threshold,” you say, eyes downcast.

“I’m not worthy” I’m afraid, and my motives aren’t pure.

I’m not perfect, and surely I haven’t practiced nearly enough.

My meditation isn’t deep, and my prayers are sometimes insincere.

I still chew my fingernails, and the refrigerator isn’t clean.

“Do you value your reasons for staying small more than the light shining through the open door?

Forgive yourself.

Now is the only time you have to be whole.

Now is the sole moment that exists to live in the light of your true Self.

Perfection is not a prerequisite for anything but pain.

Please, oh please, don’t continue to believe in your disbelief.

This is the day of your awakening.



Trudy told a personal story of a time when she constructed a narrative based on what Tara Brach calls “the trance of unworthiness” and spoke of how we all engage in this habit.



Trudy referred to a koan that goes something like this:

“During the Kaiyuan era (713-741) an ascetic named Daoyi
was dwelling in the Chuan Fa Temple; all day he sat meditating.
Nanyue Huairang knew that he was a vessel of Dharma, and went
to question him; “Great Worthy, what are you aiming at by
sitting meditation?”
Ma replied, “I aim to become a Buddha.”
Nanyue then took a tile and began to rub it on a rock in front of the hermitage; Ma asked him what he was doing rubbing the tile.
Nanyue said, “I am polishing it to make a mirror.”
Ma said, “How can you make a mirror by polishing a tile?”
Nanyue said, “Granted that rubbing a tile will not make a mirror, how can sitting meditation make a Buddha?”

2025-04-24 | Give Up Defining Yourself | Trudy Johnston Trudy Johnston

Title of Talk - Freedom Seeks for Freedom

2025-05-06 | Talk 2 | Wearing the Universal Teaching | Josh Gifford

Koan - Corsaire (Flow Remix)

In this guided meditation Will gives  instructions on how to work with the koan 'who is hearing?'.  'Who is hearing' is one of the primary koans taken up by students of Zen under the supervision of a Zen teacher. This practice instruction was given by apprentice teacher Will Moon during the Autumn sesshin of 2025 at Kodoji.

Who is Hearing?

2025-06-02 | Dharma Talk | I have no compaints whatsoever | Trudy Johnston

🎧 Listen here: linktr.ee/gindbeat
🎵 Buy gindbeat.bandcamp.com/
📱 Follow me: www.instagram.com/gindizzz/




Darkstar

This is the lyrics version of my piano piece (https://soundcloud.com/konrad-spittelberg/the-clap-of-one-hand). (Roughly) same melody, but now with lyrics. 
If the melody left you puzzled about the title, maybe the lyrics will connect the dots. Hope you enjoy it — drop me a comment, I’m curious what you think!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Clap of One Hand - Lyrics
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

The high priest looked the monk straight into the eyes 
“You search for wisdom, want to see through disguise 
Then hear the clap of only one hand, 
Imagine tasting the kiss of only one lip!”

The monk was puzzled, did not know what to make of this question 
His mind was racing without the slightest suggestion 
The meaning was hiding so deep 
He could as well go to sleep

And as he lay down he thought and he thought some more, 
And soon he’d snore a Monkish snore 
Deep in his dream he saw the cosmic law 
As it is and will be and has been before

To find the truth you need to see the world through different frames,
As place and motion, time and energy play Heisenberg’s games
The one single truth, the clap of one hand deceives the ancient lore

And then his dream shifted to our world
Where flags of dogma are unfurled
Where it’s en vogue to scorn the views of those 
Whose minds are differently curled

They yell their slogans convinced that it's only their kind who knows truth
They silence doubt and debate to keep everything smooth
They vote in blocs convinced others mean harm
They don't want to discuss they don’t want to disarm
They spit poison and phlegm - 
Them is us, us is them

The monk awakened quite surprisingly rested – and something like pride filled his chest 
The dream had opened his eyes and he knew the deep meaning that the koan expressed 
And so as fast as his feet could carry him he ran to the temple ground Requesting to see the high priest and as soon as he met him he told him the solution he found:

“Avoid the clap of one hand 
'Cause you can not understand 
The world in all its true colors if your mind cannot bend 

Every Current or Tide 
Must with others collide, 
A single stream is quite boring, nothing happens inside.

Seek out the voices that are not like your own – 
Don’t guard your comfort like a dog protects its chewed upon bone 
Be cautious if all of your friends do agree – 
You might discover greeater insights without cheap harmony

A field of only one crop may spark in sunlight like gold, 
But slight disease might turn these fragile monoculture to mold 
No coral alone can just survive with it’s kind – 
Reefs only thrive when hundredthousand curious creatures entwine

Don’t flatten the ground so that your pace can be faster –
'Cause if you don’t train your balance each false step means disaster 
All life, all vision needs to ripple and bend – 
Not frozen in uniformity but free to transcend”

The monk fell silent, his speech was complete - 
He wanted praisal, but the priest kept his seat. 
An awkard silence filled slowly the air, 
The priest just sat there with a calm, timeless stare

“I like your thinking—it rings wise, it rings bold, 
It has reason, it's crafted, it's gold. 
But, dear monk, there might be one subtle twist: 
There is one aspect that you seem to have missed.

You see the truth where opinions compete, 
That wholeness only grows where none is complete. 
But if no single view should stand out alone 
Then even your own view must be overthrown

You praise duality, the joining of two - 
But what if your view in itself is not true? 
What if the world isn't built as you claim? 
What if we’ll never know the rules of the game?"

Hear the clap of one hand 
Avoid the clap of one hand 
Hear the clap of one hand 
Avoid the clap of one hand 
Hear the clap of one hand 
… Reflect on the clap of one hand

The Clap of One Hand (Piano Poetry)

The piano is not just an instrument; it is a storyteller. My lifelong companion. Each piece holds the memory of a moment in time, of a period in life. Here, I share my personal journey—one miniature, one experiment, one story at a time.

I’m Konrad Spittelberg, 52 years old. Though I’ve always called Vienna my home, I have pursued various interests, building an interdisciplinary background that spans education in Latin and Greek, studies of Mathematics, Physics and Economics and a carreer in Consulting and Risk Management. Sometimes, you might also find me immersed in games of Go, Chess or D&D. 

But only when I’m not making music. Of course. Still then, all of my interests have shaped the way I think — and, in turn, the way I compose.

The instrument of my life is the piano. I play it since the age of six, the first 16 in music school with my dedicated teacher Margarete Gerlach (and also thanks to the city of Vienna to the incredible publicly funded music schools!). My piano playing saw multiyear interruptions due to travel and workload. But in recent years I’ve found the time to pursue my passion again—with renewed joy. I devote many of my evenings to developing, refining and rehearsing my piano miniatures. 

I inhale music wherever I find it. In the echoes of Renaissance motets or contemporary cluster music with my local choir, which I joined 30 years ago. In music running in the background of a fashion store which I Shazaam for later enjoyment. Or live concerts - there are so many gifted artists in the world! 

My music is a dialogue between tradition and exploration. Rooted in classical and romantic traditions, it ventures into jazz, rock, and pop.  I love to experiment—playing with unexpected tonalities, syncopated rhythms, and dynamic contrasts. My compositions often evolve through shifts in tension, rhythmic complexity, and harmonic modulations, sometimes venturing across the circle of fifths. I’m also diving deeper into the art of mastering, an area where I still have much to explore.

If my music speaks to you, I’d love for you to follow my journey. Follow along, share your thoughts—whether in appreciation or in challenge. Music, after all, is meant to be a conversation—and I’d love to hear your voice in it.
Enjoy your time with my music! 
Contact: konrad.spittelberg@gmail.com
Spotify and Youtube: https:\\konrad-spittelberg.carrd.co

Hey! My names Brisske, I’m a 27 year old producer from Australia. I've been producing for 14 years now, started when I was 13, and had my first signed release the following year. 

I have had multiple releases under labels since, and extensively toured as a DJ. 

I focus heavily on bass music, DnB is my latest fascination and I’m thoroughly enjoying exploring the genre. I love foley, quirky noises I like leaving other producers guessing how I’ve created a certain sound, or section. I have fun with it. 

I'm available for all your production needs. Mixing, mastering, writing, co-production. 

prodbybrisske@gmail.com

We are one of Australia's original Zen groups. We offer weekly meditation nights, silent retreats, and orientations for beginners. All are welcome.

Just This Zen Community

Zazen – just sitting – is the foundation of our practice. At the heart of our community is our shared commitment to compassionate inquiry, mutual care and deep gratitude, demonstrated through our everyday actions, words and thoughts. This practice supports our aspiration to open to all of life, as an expression of the timeless wisdom of Buddha’s Way.

We welcome people of all races, cultures, ethnicities, sexual orientations, gender identities, classes, religions, abilities, and ages. We are committed to providing a safe place for all people to explore the dharma and awaken to their true nature.

We want to offer our deep gratitude and thanks to all the innumerable people whose practice and dedication have kept the flame of the dharma alive and well. We want to acknowledge that our western iteration of practice rests on the efforts of all those who practised for centuries in their own non-western cultures.

New tracks tagged #koan