**Speaker 00**:
What happened to the Death Dhamma Podcast? Is it gone? Have we exhausted our discussions around death and grief and impermanence? Hi everyone, it's Margaret Meloni and I have been grappling with whether or not there would be a season five of the Death Dhamma Podcast. Together, we have tackled quite a bit. We jumped right in at the very beginning learning how Buddhist teachers handled death, how they first encountered death, and how that shaped their lives and their practices. Then, in the next season, we considered the fact that death is not just about the sentient beings who we love. It's also about ideas, dreams, jobs, things like houses and cars and money and relationships. That led us to our next topic, clinging and aversion. Coming face to face with the second noble truth, there is suffering or dis-ease or discomfort and that stems from us wanting. There's a scene in a movie I've watched a few years back and in it, a family member goes to visit a prisoner and while doing a life sentence, that prisoner found Buddhism. When this family member, who's a member of a crime organization, goes to visit that prisoner, he is disappointed because instead of getting advice on how to grow the criminal enterprise, he gets a lecture on Buddhism. It's the wanting, the prisoner yells at him. Indeed, it's the wanting and it's also the not wanting, known as aversion. So with a full season on clinging and aversion behind us, we learned how to help ourselves and we spoke with people who are out there in the world, helping others with their suffering. It's at this point that I thought, we might be finished. There is much more in terms of content and Buddhist teachings, but what was really relevant for us on the Death Dhamma Podcast? As I am entertaining these thoughts, all around me, things are becoming chaotic. To some, the world feels like it is in turmoil. The weather has changed. We have larger storms or more frequent storms. And in my corner of the world, we have drought and fire. We also have political unrest. But why would I talk about that? Am I the right person to talk about that? Is that something to be addressed by the Death Dhamma Podcast? And as the new year began, and here in Southern California, we encountered massive fires, fires and losses still going on as I'm recording this. As the transition in political power began, many are feeling a loss, a type of death. And there it is. My reticence to discuss any of what is happening was simply my own aversion. What we have in these times is an opportunity to really connect with one another in a place of compassion and loving kindness, and to go deep into our practice, we are experiencing death and grief and everything that the Death Dhamma Podcast has been discussing. Today, I saw a social media post by a tiny Buddha. And it said, today, I refuse to stress myself out over the things I cannot control or change. I will focus my energy on creating peace and finding gratitude in the present moment. Probably going to need to be reminded of that on a daily basis. And others are reminding us of being mindfully here and in the present, and to practice equanimity. So there it is, my friends. Welcome to season five of the Death Dhamma Podcast, equanimity and chaos. Together, we will work on finding balance in times of chaos, to recognize that many aspects of life are beyond our control, and allow us to have a sense of balance and peace amid external chaos. But by the way, this doesn't mean blindly accepting illegal acts or doing nothing in the face of injustice. We will discuss that in the future. Thanks for joining me during these times, and for this season of the Death Dhamma Podcast. You've been listening to the Death Dhamma Podcast with your host, Margaret Meloni. Thank you so much for being here. Come find me on margaretMeloni.com. M-A-R-G-A-R-E-T-M-E-L-O-N-I dot com. And until we meet again, may you be well, may you be happy, may you be at ease, and may you be free from suffering. Bye for now.Meloni