My friend LL and I read from the chapter on Dionysus in Mythology by Edith Hamilton and discuss the god of wine, life, and death. Dionysus is quite feminine – followed by women and opposed by law-giving and -enforcing kings – and teaches liberation and compassion. From these we draw some comparisons with Buddha and Jesus. Dionysus also is a nearly-perfect analog with vino – the plant and cultivated drink – that which inspires poetry and crime – and I find the tragedy of that image moving. Finally, we discuss his worship in fields outside the city and most of all, the theater, through which he lives even to this day.

A case against positivity – in continuing the discussion about LL’s fear of losing her family and the idea of impermanence in life, we move on to ways to come to terms with this fact. We mention art and the country of Bhutan, a famously happy place rife with sculptures made of human ash and where death is meditated on daily. LL ends with reflections on the personal memory of her grandmother’s corpse.

For the full episode,please click:https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-czt9w-1777319

Negative virtues may help one be better and be less self-deceptive.

For the full episode,please click:https://www.podbean.com/eas/pb-czt9w-1777319