Planet Dharma - The Launch Pod

It's been six months since Qapel‘s passing, and we wanted to mark the occasion by sharing some stories from his students about how they experienced him and the impact he had on their lives. In the days immediately after his death, Qapel's students recorded stories about their most powerful, transformative times with their teacher.  Today's episode includes just a selection from those recordings. Some of the stories are about how they met Qapel, some are about teachings they were given that had a profound impact, and some are remembrances of fun, silly, or touching times that provide a sense of the remarkably dynamic, skillful, and compassionate human that we call our root teacher. You can learn more about Qapel's legacy by visiting planetdharma.com/podcast   Episode photo of Qapel with Sensei and students courtesy of Clear Sky Center

You may have already heard the recent sad news that Doug Qapel Duncan passed away suddenly on October 5th. Today we are sharing the last public teaching that Qapel gave, exactly two weeks before he passed away. The occasion was the 20th anniversary celebration for Clear Sky, the retreat center he co-founded in 2004. Qapel spoke about the next stage of evolution of the dharma as he saw it, referring to it as ‘The Fifth Turning of the Wheel'. If Qapel's vision is of interest to you and you haven't yet checked out what Planet Dharma is doing, I encourage you to go to planetdharma.com and look at what is happening there. For example, you'll see that Sensei will be going ahead with the planned online course on Integral Spirituality in January 2025 that she and Qapel were set to co-teach.  We hope you found Qapel's words illuminating and will join us next season, online or in person. May all our efforts benefit all beings!

In this final regular episode of Season 4, we finish up our series on the 4 pillars of Planet Dharma's approach to working with students with a look at Shadow Integration. In this excerpt from their online course, Beyond the Cushion, Doug Qapel Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei explain what the shadow is, how it shows up, how it can be reintegrated, and the tremendous benefits this work offers those who undertake it. We hope you enjoyed this Season! Please take a moment to rate and review Dharma if you Dare on your favourite podcast app. It really helps people discover what we're doing. And don't forget to subscribe to notifications when the new season starts, along with any bonus content that may be shared this summer.

We hope you enjoy today's soundbite in which Doug Qapel Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei answer a question about why they wear red hats when they teach. Theoretical understanding and food for thought are helpful inputs as we go about our daily life, but for deep spiritual change and liberation from suffering we need to engage in depth work. In this tradition - as you hear in this recording - along with retreat work, this manifests as personal engagement with qualified spiritual guides. As engaging, practical and empowering as these podcast recordings are, working with Qapel and Sensei in person is where the transformation really happens. If you are looking to actually transform your life and awaken in this lifetime, check out planetdharma.com to find your best way to connect and move that dream closer to reality.

In this third episode in our series on the 4 pillars of Planet Dharma's approach to working with students, we will hear about Karma Yoga, also known as ‘the path of service', or ‘meditation in action'. In this excerpt from their online course, Beyond the Cushion, Doug Qapel Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei explore the many facets of karma yoga, and explain why it is such a good fit for many modern practitioners. The path of karma yoga is a powerful approach that readily lends itself to supporting a 21st-century awakening. If this path of meditation-in-action appeals to you, we think your best bet is the 3-Month Intensive Karma Yoga program at Clear Sky Center. The program brings spiritual awakening into the modern context – by integrating karma yoga, meditation, psychology, environment, career, and community. To learn more, visit planetdharma.com/kyprogram.

We hope you enjoy today's soundbite in which Doug Qapel Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei give a brief introduction to the Tarot. In addition to looking at the deck's origin and how it can be used, they give a short introduction to the first card, the Fool.    This summer at Clear Sky Center (and virtually for those unable to travel) Qapel and Sensei will be leading a deep dive on the Tarot & Western Archetypes. This practice is part of a powerful and concise path of liberation that draws on our own life experiences as Westerners and our native intelligence to help unfold deeper wisdom and understanding of our mystical life. You can learn more about the Tarot retreat, and learn how to attend in person or virtually at planetdharma.com/tarot. 

In this excerpt from their online course, Beyond the Cushion, Doug Qapel Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei talk about the value of meditation and the reason most of us find it so hard to maintain a solid practice. They also talk about their focus on ‘Meditating on the Fly', the idea of integrating meditation into our daily lives outside of our formal daily practice, and the tremendous impact this can have.  There are many ways to experience this modern formulation of the teachings. These 4 pillars are infused into Planet Dharma's diverse range of in-person and virtual programming to meet spiritual seekers where they are. From online courses and classes to full-length meditation retreats on topics ranging from Buddhadharma to the Western Mysteries, you'll find an offering that works for your context to speed up your spiritual unfoldment. Visit planetdharma.com/events to see which experience will help you with your awakening this year.

We hope you enjoy today's soundbite in which Catherine Pawasarat Sensei talks about how meditation works and why we need to value the experience of the practice and the insights we uncover. Sensei also talks about the importance of having guidance and a support community to make the practice more secure and effective.     Although Planet Dharma also incorporates study, service and integrating the shadow into its approach, Sensei and Qapel are quick to underscore the invaluable benefits of a meditation practice. And one of the most powerful experiences available on the spiritual path is the meditation retreat. Each year, Planet Dharma offers a number of group retreat options. These span a large number of topics and practices, but each is grounded in transformational meditative practices. You can learn more and find the retreat to take your practice deeper at planetdharma.com/retreat.  

We will finish this 4th season of the podcast with a series of four episodes that explore Planet Dharma's 4 pillars, the framework that Doug Qapel Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei employ to help people progress on the spiritual path. The 4 Pillars are Study, Service, Meditation & Shadow Integration, and were introduced in Episode 12 of this season.  In today's excerpt taken from their online course, Beyond the Cushion, Qapel and Sensei explore the power of studying the myriad aspects of our experience. They look at how applying this approach helps us understand our mind, emotions and our material world, including being able to more skillfully be in community together. There are many ways to experience this modern formulation of the teachings. These 4 pillars are infused into a diverse range of in-person and virtual programming to meet spiritual seekers where they are. From online courses and classes to full-length meditation retreats on topics ranging from Buddhadharma to the Western Mysteries, you'll find an offering that works for your context to speed up your spiritual unfoldment. Visit planetdharma.com/events to see which experience will help you with your awakening this year.

We hope you enjoy today's soundbite in which Doug Qapel Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei respond to an insight shared by a participant after he had a breakout room conversation with other people in the class.    Catherine Sensei will be leading a breathing retreat at the beautiful Clear Sky Center in May. This is an opportunity for practitioners of any level to deepen their connection to this powerful practice, guided by a world-class teacher, in person or virtually. Sensei will be fresh off her own 3-month personal cabin retreat, jumping back into teaching to lead this retreat on the practices from the Ānāpānasati Sutta, the Mindfulness of Breathing Discourse. You can learn more and register at planetdharma.com/breathing. 

In this interview, Qapel talks about the part the Western Mysteries played in his own path and how his teacher, Namgyal Rinpoche, employed these teachings. He also discusses the similarities and differences between the Western and Eastern esoteric teachings, and how practitioners can leverage the Western mystical tradition as a path unto itself or as a way to complement Eastern practices.  Today's interview provides context for the upcoming Western Mysteries retreats: Tarot & Western Archetypes and The Hero's Journey. You can learn more about these retreats, and learn how to attend in person or virtually at planetdharma.com/2022.

We hope you enjoy today's soundbite in which Doug Qapel Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei answer a question about how to stay fully engaged in wholesome and meaningful work without losing contact with the clear light mind of absolute reality.     Catherine Sensei will be leading a breathing retreat at the beautiful Clear Sky Center in May. This is an opportunity for practitioners of any level to deepen their connection to this powerful practice, guided by a world-class teacher, in person or virtually. Sensei will be fresh off her own 3-month personal cabin retreat, jumping back into teaching to lead this retreat on the practices from the Ānāpānasati Sutta, the Mindfulness of Breathing Discourse. You can learn more and register at planetdharma.com/breathing. 

In today's episode, Catherine Pawasarat Sensei and Doug Qapel Duncan introduce the topic of the Western Mysteries, or better named, the Divine Mysteries. They outline an overview of the main parts of the spiritual journey: the call, the initiation and the return. They also explore the historical place these traditions have had and some of the ways their influence shows up today.   Today's recording is content from a previous course by Sensei & Qapel introducing this topic. This summer at Clear Sky Center (and virtually for those unable to travel) they will be leading a retreat on the Tarot & Western Archetypes, a powerful and concise path of liberation that draws on our own life experiences as Westerners and our native intelligence to help unfold deeper wisdom and understanding of our mystical life. Later, in the fall, Qapel & Sensei will be in Europe to lead an in-person interactive retreat on The Hero's Journey, a powerful mythical journey experience, integrating Eastern & Western traditions. Accepting the challenge of the Hero's journey will leave you with a healthier, strengthened ego – one more fully integrated with the ‘shadow' and thus more energetic and less susceptible to stress.  Learn more about these retreats by visiting planetdharma.com/2022.

We hope you enjoy today's soundbite from Catherine Pawasarat Sensei on how goodness is misunderstood and undervalued and how much could be done collectively if we embraced its true power.   Catherine Sensei will be leading a breathing retreat at the beautiful Clear Sky Center in May. This is an opportunity for practitioners of any level to deepen their connection to this powerful practice, guided by a world-class teacher, in person or virtually. Sensei will be fresh off her own 3-month personal cabin retreat, jumping back into teaching to lead this retreat on the practices from the Ānāpānasati Sutta, the Mindfulness of Breathing Discourse. You can learn more and register at planetdharma.com/breathing. 

In today's episode, Catherine Pawasarat Sensei and Doug Qapel Duncan dive into intimate relationships, and explore the skills needed to make a partnership truly work. They look at how our cultural and family conditioning plays out in how we relate to our romantic and life partners. Qapel and Sensei also highlight some ways we can begin to shift our incomplete views about how relationships should be so we can use them to truly become more conscious. Today's recording is part of a full audio course called Conscious Love. In the 4-part course, Sensei and Qapel cover a wide variety of topics related to intimate relationships. They explore the conditioning that impacts our relationships and how we experience our partners, including imprinting in the womb and our early experiences with family. And most importantly, they show us how we can use what our relationships show and teach us to wake up. Podcast listeners can download the entire course for free at planetdharma.com/podcastlove.

We hope you enjoy today's soundbite from Doug ‘Qapel' Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei as they give advice to a student about how to train the mind to be attentive to the details in their relative, day-to-day reality without losing contact with the absolute truth that everything is light and empty of inherent existence.  If you are looking to incorporate more activities into your life to support contemplation and introspection, we recommend our weekly reflection series called ‘52 Reflections'. Sign up for free and once a week you'll receive a short passage and follow-up prompt that you can use to frame your day, your week or a meditation session. You can learn more and sign up for free by visiting planetdharma.com/52reflections.

In today's episode Doug Qapel Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei explore the topic of The Clear Light of the Mind. They outline how our sense of reality is formed, including how early stimulation and imprinting creates the sense of solidity of our selves and our environment. They explore how we can use dreams as a way of understanding the ephemeral nature of our experience. And they look at how traditional buddhist practices help us to reconnect with the essential light nature of the universe. Looking to engage with cutting-edge 21st-century dharma in a way that's right for you? Each year, Planet Dharma offers a variety of programs and retreats to catalyze awakening for spiritual seekers. Over the course of this year, in addition to the Tarot retreat, Planet Dharma will be offering a variety of in-person and online retreats of various lengths. These offerings will be complemented by online courses and Enlighten Up dharma talks. There is also a dharma trip to the Baltics being planned for the fall. To learn more about these events and to see the diversity of material being offered, visit planetdharma.com/2022.

We hope you enjoy today's soundbite from Doug ‘Qapel' Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei as they introduce the 3 principles of Hua Yan Buddhist philosophy in preparation for their upcoming meditation retreat. You can learn more about the retreat at planetdharma.com/huayan.  If you are looking to incorporate more activities into your life to support contemplation and introspection, we recommend our weekly reflection series called ‘52 Reflections'. Sign up for free and once a week you'll receive a short passage and follow-up prompt that you can use to frame your day, your week or a meditation session. You can learn more and sign up for free by visiting planetdharma.com/52reflections.

In today's episode Doug Qapel Duncan gives an overview of the major arcana from the Tarot. He goes over all 22 of the cards from the Fool to the World, giving pithy summary statements about each one and brief comments on how you can use or work with them. The mandate of Planet Dharma is to help people awaken in this lifetime. In this recording you get a sense of this, both via the urgency of making every aspect of our experience conscious, and the framing of these 22 archetypes as an integrated path of spiritual awakening rather than simply a divination tool.  If you are interested in doing a deep dive into the Tarot, Planet Dharma is running a retreat called Tarot & Western Archetypes this summer. The retreat will take place at the beautiful Clear Sky Center in the British Columbia Rockies. There will also be the option to join virtually for those who are unable to travel. You can visit planetdharma.com/tarot for more information.  

We hope you enjoy today's soundbite from Doug ‘Qapel' Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei as they answer a question about how to balance staying absorbed in the bliss state during tantric deity practice while remaining attentive to the number of mantras recited.   If you are looking to incorporate more activities into your life to support contemplation and introspection, we recommend our weekly reflection series called ‘52 Reflections'. Sign up for free and once a week you'll receive a short passage and follow-up prompt that you can use to frame your day, your week or a meditation session. You can learn more and sign up for free by visiting planetdharma.com/52reflections.

Today's episode is our third in-a-row exploring the topic of leveraging archetypes for our spiritual unfoldment. In this talk, Doug Qapel Duncan discusses archetypes specific to the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition: tantric deities. He talks about the representations of body, speech and mind in the forms of Vajrapani, Chenrezi and Manjushri. He also introduces the 5 Buddha Families, and the 8 Bodhisattvas. Qapel explains how tantric deity practices transform our experience and help us move through negative patterns. The recording ends with a closer look at the Chenrezi practice, including an explanation of its symbology and mantra.  If you are interested in doing a deep dive into tantric deity work or learning how to get the most out of your work with sadhanas, the texts that describe these practices, Planet Dharma is about to run a weekend-long retreat called Practices for Power. There is still room for virtual participants, so check out planetdharma.com/sadhana to learn more about the home retreat.     

Today's recording is bonus content from Sensei & Qapel's audio course Conscious Love. The course explores many aspects of intimate relationships, including the unconscious patterning that influences them and how to turn partnerships into opportunities for deep transformation.  Podcast listeners can download the entire course for free at planetdharma.com/podcastlove.

In today's talk, Doug Qapel Duncan continues to dive deeper into the topic of archetypes, which he introduced in the talk we heard in Episode 11. He explores how archetypes operate at the personal & psychological level, and why we are drawn to them in contexts like storytelling. Qapel also explains the difference between what happens when these archetypes are operating consciously vs. unconsciously.  Spiritual archetypes, which we will hear more about in an upcoming episode are a vehicle for accessing higher states of consciousness. Arising yoga, also known as tantric deity practice, is one such manifestation of how to use spiritual archetypes as an awakening tool. If you are interested in doing a deep dive into arising yoga or learning how to get the most out of your work with sadhanas, the texts that describe these practices, Planet Dharma is running a weekend-long retreat called Practices for Power for both in-person and virtual participants. Check out planetdharma.com/sadhana for more information.  

We hope you enjoy this soundbite from Doug ‘Qapel' Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei on how arising yoga sadhana practice can help us move to more responsive and liberating planetary models of being.   If you are interested in learning more by doing a deep dive into arising yoga or learning how to get the most out of your work with sadhanas, Planet Dharma is running a weekend-long retreat called Practices for Power for both in-person and virtual participants. Check out planetdharma.com/sadhana for more information.

In today's talk, taken from their course Beyond the Cushion delivered in the early days of the pandemic, Doug Qapel Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei explore the idea of the modern monastery. They explain what traditional aspects of the monastic model are being carried forward and what new approaches and structures are being introduced to make the model relevant and effective in these times and beyond. Qapel and Sensei discuss how they are working with students in community at Clear Sky Center as well as virtually to bring these approaches and structures into focus through the idea of a living lab. They touch on the topics of dharma training, karma yoga, study and other modalities to help support people's spiritual awakening. There are many ways to experience this modern formulation of the teachings. Planet Dharma offers a diverse range of in-person and virtual programming to meet spiritual seekers where they are. From online courses and classes to full-length meditation retreats on topics ranging from Buddhadharma to the Western Mysteries, you'll find an offering that works for your context to speed up your spiritual unfoldment. Visit planetdharma.com/events to see which experience will help you with your awakening this year.     

In this soundbite taken from his Enlightened Archetypes talk, Doug Qapel Duncan outlines the three levels of refuge. For many of us, just getting to the point where we are taking refuge in the buddha, dharma and sangha can feel like our biggest challenge, but it is important to be aware that in a way this is just the first step in the taking-refuge process.  Right now there are lots of things going on in the world that are challenging physically, emotionally and mentally. Reflecting on refuge reminds us that we will never fully resolve any of these challenges because, as phenomena rooted in samsara, they are inherently unresolvable. When we deepen our wholesome refuge we are actually able to address the challenges, without allowing our relative level of success to affect our clear, blissful and radiant state. Taking a moment to rate and review Dharma if you Dare on your favourite podcast app is a great way to reinforce your aspiration to support wholesome, awakening activity and helps us connect with more people. And check out the programming that we have on offer for this year: there's a wide variety of opportunities for in-person and virtual learning and retreats. Check out planetdharma.com/2022.

In today's talk, Doug Qapel Duncan introduces the topic of archetypes. He gives an overview of what archetypes are, how they operate in our lives and explains how to harness their power by making them conscious. In the talk, Qapel touches on the topic of refuge and its connection to how we relate to archetypes. He also briefly talks about samadhi, states of absorption, which you can hear more about in last week's bonus episode. This recording was made during the first course that had to switch to online only during the early days of the pandemic. Catherine Sensei was in a writing retreat at the time and so Qapel led this course on his own. Interestingly, Sensei was finishing her book about the Gion Festival. If you would like to learn more about this fascinating and beautiful 1150-year-old month-long purification ritual focused on warding off epidemics, check out Catherine Sensei's book, The Gion Festival: Exploring Its Mysteries. Sensei is the world's foremost English language expert on the festival, and has used this position to help reintegrate people's understanding of the festival as a massive spiritual ritual. You can find it, and some videos on the topic at gionfestival.org/book.

We hope you enjoy this soundbite from Doug ‘Qapel' Duncan on the three forms of meditative absorption: kamma samadhi, upacara samadhi & appana samadhi.    If you are looking to incorporate more activities into your life to support contemplation and introspection, I recommend our weekly reflection series called ‘52 Reflections'. Sign up for free and once a week you'll receive a short passage and follow-up prompt that you can use to frame your day, your week or a meditation session. You can learn more and sign up for free by visiting planetdharma.com/52reflections.

In today's talk, Doug Qapel Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei go over 4 secrets that make up a core part of how we orient ourselves in the world. Drawing on material from their bestselling book, Wasteland to Pureland, Sensei and Qapel explain each secret, how they operate in our lives and what possibilities open up when we integrate them into our conscious awareness. Today's episode covers ideas that Qapel and Sensei explore in detail in their bestselling book, Wasteland to Pureland. If you'd like to explore these ideas further, you can visit the Planet Dharma website to receive a free copy of the chapter entitled ‘Protecting Against Hurt Is What Hurts'. Podcast listeners can download this free chapter of the book by visiting planetdharma.com/purelandchapter.

We hope you enjoy this soundbite from Doug ‘Qapel' Duncan on how to support loved ones through the dying process. For an extended look at death, dying and rebirth, check out Episode 7 from this season, about 5 recordings back in the podcast feed. You can also watch that talk as a video on your YouTube channel at youtu.be/rzgLkJ1Yxxk. If you are finding the teachings of Planet Dharma resonate and are wondering how to explore them further, we recommend the free online course called Wake Up: 4 Paths to Spiritual Awakening. This self-study course gives an introduction to the main approaches that Doug and Catherine employ with students to help them find their speediest path to spiritual awakening. You can learn more and register for free by visiting planetdharma.com/wakeup.

In today's talk, Catherine Pawasarat Sensei explores the topic of Women in Buddhism. She talks about her early years as a feminist, becoming an attendant for her male teacher, shifting views in the buddhist world around female rebirth & elevating female tantric deities, among other subjects.   Wisdom Publications has just published an interview with Catherine Sensei and Qapel on their Wisdom Podcast. It's a wide-ranging interview, the first half of which lays out a detailed account of the life of Namgyal Rinpoche. It's a great synopsis of the legacy that this generation of the lineage is currently carrying forward. The second half of the interview explores the ways that Qapel and Sensei are honoring the Namgyal tradition of bringing the teachings to new frontiers. You can find the interview - Episode #128 of The Wisdom Podcast - on your favourite podcast app and at wisdomexperience.org/wisdom-podcast/128-duncan-pawasarat.

We hope you enjoy this soundbite from Doug ‘Qapel' Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei on the difference between states and stages - models from Integral Spirituality - and the roles meditation work and ego work play in developing the stages of development that we have access to. Have you checked out our Patreon page yet? By becoming a micropatron you can help us upgrade our equipment, expand our production bandwidth and grow our listening audience. This also gives us a chance to connect with our most enthusiastic listeners with monthly updates and extended cuts of recordings. You can learn more and participate at patreon.com/planetdharma.

In today's talk, Catherine Pawasarat Sensei and Doug ‘Qapel' Duncan explore the topic of Buddhanature. They look at the various terms that are used to describe it and highlight the challenge of talking about Buddhanature in a way that doesn't fall into a conceptual trap that actually separates us from it. Qapel and Sensei also discuss switched off and switched on potential, how Buddhanature gets obscured and how an effective spiritual practice helps remove these obscurations.  Helping people experience spiritual awakening is the reason Planet Dharma exists. If you are also passionate about unfolding and awakening deeper and more quickly, we encourage you to enroll in one of our online courses. Each year Qapel and Sensei host multiple online courses live on various topics with the goal of empowering participants to dive deep into their awakening spiritual practice. Learn more about upcoming opportunities to join these online offerings at planetdharma.com/online.

We hope you enjoy this soundbite from Doug ‘Qapel' Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei on how Buddhism worked with the shadow before modern psychology existed to name this aspect of our psyche.  And a note of clarification: In the talk, you'll hear Qapel and Sensei reference Passionate Enlightenment, which is a book by Miranda Shaw on the history of women in Tantric Buddhism. Today's bonus recording covers ideas that Qapel and Sensei explore in detail in their bestselling book, Wasteland to Pureland: Reflections on the Path to Awakening. The third section of the book is entitled 'Crazy Wisdom' and covers a wide variety of topics, including The Shadow, Tantra, and Money, Sex & Power. Podcast listeners can download a free chapter from this section of the book by visiting planetdharma.com/crazywisdom.

Today's recording is a talk that Doug ‘Qapel' Duncan gave recently on the topic of death, dying and the bardos. In the talk, he explores how we really experience a death in every moment, and describes in detail the steps in the death process and how consciousness finds its way to its next rebirth. If you are looking to incorporate more activities into your life to support contemplation and introspection, we recommend our weekly reflection series called ‘52 Reflections'. Sign up for free and once a week you'll receive a short passage and follow-up prompt that you can use to frame your day, your week or a meditation session. You can learn more and sign up for free by visiting planetdharma.com/52reflections.

We hope you enjoy this soundbite from Doug ‘Qapel' Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei on how to access higher states of consciousness through clearing the lower 3 chakras. Today's bonus recording covers ideas that Qapel and Sensei explore in detail in their bestselling book, Wasteland to Pureland. The third section of the book is entitled 'Crazy Wisdom' and covers a wide variety of topics, including The Shadow, Tantra, and Money, Sex & Power. Podcast listeners can download a free chapter from this section of the book by visiting planetdharma.com/crazywisdom.

In this interview, Catherine Pawasarat Sensei talks about the impact our views of connection with - or disconnection from - our natural environment have on the quality of our lives moment to moment. She highlights the centrality of natural laws in the very essence of the meaning of ‘dharma'. She also talks about her own journey of fully connecting with her ecosystem and reflects on what we can do as practitioners to help us do the same. If these teachings resonate with you, we recommend you check out Planet Dharma's library of articles on the website. There are over 100 blog posts offering dharmic perspectives on all sorts of issues of interest to awakening beings. You can check them out at planetdharma.com/articles.  

We hope you enjoy this soundbite from Doug ‘Qapel' Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei on the folly of assigning happiness to objects and how happiness is actually a result of being in a good state. This bonus episode marks the 100th upload to the podcast feed! How many of the recordings have you listened to? If you've benefited from these teachings, one of the best ways to honor that is to pay it forward: introduce the people in your life to the podcast. Word of mouth recommendations are the most meaningful and effective way for others to find these teachings. Post your favorite episode to social media or text a friend a link to some material you think might resonate. It's a great way to practice generosity and support awakening in our world.

In this episode, Catherine Pawasarat Sensei and Doug ‘Qapel' Duncan explore parts of our natal charts that are particularly connected to spiritual and personal transformation, including Chiron, Saturn, and North and South Nodes. They explain how these lenses can help us get unstuck, transform challenges into tools, and take things in our lives less personally. This includes how to use astrology to integrate our shadow and realize our fullest potential. Today's recording is a continuation of a talk from Season 3 (Episode 11) entitled “Astrology + Buddhism: Introducing AstroDharma”.   Interested in developing a working understanding of astrology as a system of personal and spiritual transformation? Looking to explore the material from today's talk and look at how it applies to your own life? Catherine Sensei's self-study course Intro to AstroDharma goes step-by-step through everything you need to know, and includes fun, meaningful and engaging exercises, including analyzing the Dalai Lama's chart and guided activities to deepen your understanding of your own natal chart. Visit planetdharma.com/astrodharma to learn more about the course and to access some free resources. You may also like what's going on in our AstroDharma Facebook Group. You can see what's happening there by visiting www.facebook.com/groups/2858034031184361

We hope you enjoy this soundbite from Catherine Pawasarat Sensei and Doug ‘Qapel' Duncan on the Buddha's allegory of the ego being like a house on fire, inviting us to orient from the awakened state rather than the objects in our lives. If you find these teachings resonate and are wondering how to explore them further, visit planetdharma.com/events to see the variety of online and in-person offerings coming up. Whether through the formal retreats on Dzogchen, the Western Mysteries or Zen or online teachings and Q&A like Enlighten Up and Digital Dojo, there is a wealth of programming to suit any level of interest and availability.

In today's talk, Doug 'Qapel' Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei explore the topic of 'Spiritual Energy Traders' in more detail. (Season 3 Episode 22 introduces this material.) They look at the unwholesome aspects of capitalism and how it reinforces negative patterns both in our individual lives and in our collectives: our communities, countries and corporations. They outline suggestions for how we can shift our attitudes and behaviors to transform our world into a place where we are motivated by exploration, compassion and a vision for humanity that is much bigger than ourselves. Today's episode covers ideas that Qapel and Sensei explore in detail in their bestselling book, Wasteland to Pureland. The third section of the book is entitled Crazy Wisdom and covers a wide variety of topics, including The Shadow, Tantra, and Money, Sex & Power. Podcast listeners can download a free chapter from this section of the book by visiting planetdharma.com/crazywisdom. Note: the extended version of this recording, with 5 extra minutes of material, is available to our supporters on Patreon at patreon.com/planetdharma. 

We hope you enjoy this soundbite from Catherine Pawasarat Sensei and Doug Qapel Duncan on the importance of actually seeing ourselves as an integrated part of our ecosystems. If you are looking to incorporate more activities into your life to support contemplation and introspection, we recommend our weekly reflection series called ‘52 Reflections'. Sign up for free and once a week you'll receive a short passage and follow-up prompt that you can use to frame your day, your week, or a meditation session. You can learn more and sign up for free by visiting planetdharma.com/52reflections.

Today we are introducing the first of what we hope will become a regular addition to this podcast: interviews with Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat.  Given the pace at which the teachings can evolve and change, we thought it would be helpful to check in periodically about what is happening with our two root teachers so they can speak to a topic that's currently at the fore for them. Our first interview is with Doug Duncan, formerly known as Doug Sensei, about his recent decision to start using his zen name, Qapel. We talk about what led to his decision, the place names and titles have in the teachings, and how name changes can be leveraged by practitioners for their unfoldment.  Note: the unedited/extended version of this conversation is currently available on our new Patreon page. For the next month, it will be available to the public as a taster of the sort of material that will be available to our patrons going forward. Visit patreon.com/planetdharma to learn more and access the extended recording.

We hope you enjoy this soundbite from Doug Duncan on how we can best support loved ones through the death process. If you are finding the teachings of Planet Dharma resonate and are wondering how to explore them further, try the free online course called Wake Up: 4 Paths to Spiritual Awakening. This self-study course gives an introduction to the main approaches that Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat employ with students to help them find their speediest path to spiritual awakening. You can learn more and register for free by visiting planetdharma.com/wakeup.

In order to truly understand what drives our unconscious behaviour we have to understand the core fears of the ego. If we don't, we are doomed to repeat behaviour that we may even realize is unwholesome as we are impacted by the invisible hand of these forces. In today's talk based on the section of their book Wasteland to Pureland entitled “The Pearl Without Price”, Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat explain the 4 Deep Ego Fears and why they hold so much power over us. You can learn more about the 4 Deep Ego Fears and other topics by checking out Doug and Catherine's bestselling book, Wasteland to Pureland: Reflections on the Path to Awakening. Visit planetdharma.com/purelandchapter to receive a free copy of the reflection entitled ‘Protecting Against Hurt Is What Hurts'.

We hope you enjoy this soundbite from Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat on creating a harmonious relationship between absolute and relative truths through the cultivation of both a clear view and training. Did you know that Planet Dharma also has a library of articles covering a wide variety of topics? We have over 100 blog posts on our website offering dharmic perspectives on all sorts of issues of interest to awakening beings. You can check them out at planetdharma.com/articles.

In today's episode, Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat speak about what form the teachings will likely take in the 21st Century. Given how teachings of spiritual liberation have evolved through the millennia to speak to the cultural contexts in which they found themselves, in what ways will the expression of timeless wisdom evolve and adapt in the coming years? They also discuss ways that we can leverage feedback from teachers - as well as sangha members - to train ourselves to be more fully integrated. Dharma If You Dare is now on Patreon! By becoming a micro-patron you can help us upgrade our equipment, expand our production bandwidth and grow our listening audience. This also gives us a chance to connect with our most enthusiastic listeners with monthly updates and extended cuts of recordings. You can learn more and participate at patreon.com/planetdharma.

Season 4 is launching soon! Today producer Christopher Lawley takes the opportunity to introduce himself and to talk a bit about how Planet Dharma operates. For more on karma yoga, visit www.planetdharma.com/what-is-karma-yoga/ For more on the practice of dana, visit www.planetdharma.com/what-is-dana/ And, as always, for more content from the cutting edge of spiritual awakening, including books, blogs, videos and a free minicourse, visit planetdharma.com/podcast.

In this talk Doug and Catherine discuss how the current capitalist paradigm that is so focused on the individual creates all sorts of conditions in our psyches that lead to suffering. They explore how a shift in view and behaviour would allow us to build a society that will work for everyone, not just a handful of people.   The ideas in today’s talk are explored in detail in the chapter entitled 'Spiritual Energy Traders' in Doug and Catherine's bestselling book, Wasteland to Pureland: Reflections on the Path to Awakening.  If you’d like to read more about these ideas, you can visit planetdharma.com/crazywisdom to receive a free copy of a chapter from the book.  

We hope you enjoy this soundbite from Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat on why retreat work is unparalleled in its transformative potential: it allows us to access higher states of consciousness, to see the interconnectedness of our world and to live our lives more fully.   Have you checked out any of Planet Dharma’s online offerings? We have a range of options available to you on the Planet Dharma website, from small group Q&A Office Hours, to full online courses, some of which are taught live and some of which are study at your own pace. Take a look at what’s currently running or coming up soon by visiting planetdharma.com/events.  

In this talk Doug and Catherine discuss how we attempt to manipulate and control our worlds in order to get what we desire. They explain the importance of making these actions conscious in order to integrate our shadow. Through harnessing the energy of our desires by making them conscious we can power our spiritual transformation and exercise greater choice in our daily lives.   Today’s episode covers ideas that Doug and Catherine explore in detail in their bestselling book, Wasteland to Pureland. The second section of the book is entitled Riding the Dragon and covers a variety of topics, including awakening through action, creativity, career and relationships. Podcast listeners can download a free chapter from the book by visiting planetdharma.com/purelandchapter.