{"podcast":{"title":"Wisdom of the Masters","slug":"wisdom-of-the-masters-2534212","podcast_index_feed_id":2534212,"rss_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/49a54198/podcast/rss","website_url":"https://vivekahermitage.com/","image_url":"https://d3t3ozftmdmh3i.cloudfront.net/production/podcast_uploaded/12255670/12255670-1611627498895-d3757aae969eb.jpg","author":"Samaneri Jayasara","episode_count":458,"summary":"These podcasts are designed to provide listeners with teachings from great spiritual Masters & to create a meditative mood so that the meaning can go deep & enter your heart. These podcasts are not monetized & are purely for educational & spiritual purposes. If you enjoy & benefit from these recordings you are welcome to contribute to the daily running costs of our hermitage to support the nuns. Donations/gifts for this purpose can be made via PayPal: https://paypal.me/VivekaHermitage or WISE: wise.com/pay/me/margarets448 vivekahermitage.com www.youtube.com/c/SamaneriJayasara/featured","last_synced_at":"2026-06-25T10:17:14.163519+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/wisdom-of-the-masters-2534212"},"episode":{"title":"Sayings of the Desert Mothers ~ Christian Mystics","slug":"sayings-of-the-desert-mothers-christian-mystics","published_at":"2026-06-16T21:00:33+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/wisdom-of-the-masters-2534212/sayings-of-the-desert-mothers-christian-mystics","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/wisdom-of-the-masters-2534212","url":"https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jayasara0/episodes/Sayings-of-the-Desert-Mothers--Christian-Mystics-e3kklcr","audio_url":"https://anchor.fm/s/49a54198/podcast/play/121312091/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-5-11%2Fa9f17ff5-65b9-4d14-ca08-571c2b78b044.mp3","summary":"This is a reading for meditation of selected teachings/sayings of the Desert Mothers, taken from 'Apophthegmata Patrum' (Sayings of the Desert Fathers & Mothers) translated by Benedicta Ward; and Philokia: compiled in the eighteenth century by Macarius of Corinth (1731-1805). The teachings spoken here are from the Mothers - Amma Theodora, Amma Syncletica and Amma Sarah.The Desert Mothers lived primarily in the fourth and fifth centuries, withdrawing to the arid regions of the eastern Mediterranean at a time when Christianity had become legally protected and increasingly institutionalized. Like their male counterparts, they sought the desert as a place of stripping away — a landscape where distractions fell silent and the soul was exposed before God.Some lived in loose monastic communities; others inhabited abandoned tombs, caves, or simple mud-brick cells. Their days were shaped by prayer, fasting, manual labor, and long periods of silence. Water was scarce, food minimal, and illness common. The desert was not romantic — it was a place of bodily weakness and spiritual testing.They were called ammas, meaning “mothers,” a title that conveyed both intimacy and authority. This was not sentimental language. To be an amma was to be recognized as someone whose life had been tested and whose counsel could be trusted. 🙏 May whatever goodness arises from these readings/offerings be for the benefit of all sentient beings. 🔆 These podcasts are not monetized. If you benefit from these podcasts and would like to support our nun's hermitage, there are two options to donate - via Paypal using this email address: vivekahermitage@gmail.com with PayPal or using this direct link: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://paypal.me/V…","meta_description":"This is a reading for meditation of selected teachings/sayings of the Desert Mothers, taken from 'Apophthegmata Patrum' (Sayings of the Desert Fathers &am…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":849,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/wisdom-of-the-masters-2534212/episodes/sayings-of-the-desert-mothers-christian-mystics/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/wisdom-of-the-masters-2534212/sayings-of-the-desert-mothers-christian-mystics.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}