The Second Immortal

I recorded this episode beneath a waning crescent moon, on the threshold of the winter solstice, reflecting on the many ways humans mark light and darkness across cultures. And among my many readings in this reflective season, I find and offer a reading of Alan Watts’ parable The Second Immortal, as a meditation on the quiet holiness of ordinary life. May it be an invitation to notice that what we’re seeking may already be living itself through us.

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Mentioned in the episode:

• The Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, translated by Stephen Mitchell
• Devotions by Mary Oliver
• Awareness by Anthony De Mello
• The Bhagavad Gita, translated by Stephen Mitchell
• Become Who You Are by Alan Watts

Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Opening
• 05:06 - The Second Immortal

May you gaze softly at the sky. May you breathe deeply, sleep soundly, and have courage to take your next Two Steps.

What is Two Steps With Stephen Henning?

When becoming and un-becoming who you are one step at a time isn’t quite enough, take two. Join multi-passionate audionaut, Stephen Henning, in questions of life, art, and spirit as we look to the sky, the subterranean, and the beautiful boundary layer we all inhabit.