Podcasts about Tibetan Buddhism

The world of Buddhist scholarship has lost one of its most influential voices. Robert Thurman, the pioneering scholar, author, father of actor Uma Thurman, and advocate for Tibetan Buddhism, died yesterday in Woodstock, New York. He was 84.Thurman spent decades introducing Western audiences to Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and culture, serving for 30 years as Columbia University's Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies. A close friend and longtime student of the Dalai Lama, he was the first American ordained as a Tibetan Buddhist monk and later co-founded Tibet House US, dedicated to preserving Tibetan culture in exile.Named by Time magazine as one of America's most influential thinkers, Thurman leaves behind a profound intellectual and spiritual legacy that shaped generations of students, readers, and practitioners.I spoke with him in 2017 about his book, 'Man of Peace: The Illustrated Life Story of the Dalai Lama of Tibet.' We play a portion of that interview this morning, in memoriam, where he talks about how he began his friendship with the Dalai Lama.

What if the parts of you you've been hiding - even from yourself - are actually your greatest source of power?In this illuminating conversation, host Elizabeth Mintun sits down with Melanie Ryan, psychotherapist, Buddhist teacher, shamanic practitioner, and creator of the Golden Shadow Method. Melanie explores how the unconscious holds not just our wounds, but also our greatest gifts, and how ancient wisdom traditions can guide us back to the light of our own true nature.Melanie shares her remarkable journey from conventional psychotherapist to weaving together Carl Jung, Tibetan Buddhism, and shamanism into a transformative healing path. Together, Elizabeth and Melanie explore why we are so often more afraid of our own power than our pain, how shadow work can help us reclaim hidden parts of ourselves, and why our triggers (both dark and golden) are actually allies pointing us toward healing. Whether you are deep in your own healing journey or simply curious about what lies beneath the surface, this conversation offers profound insight into the ancient wisdom that has always known: you are already good.Key TakeawaysThe shadow holds your golden gifts, talents, and power too.Basic goodness is your true nature; the work is removing what covers it.Your triggers are teachers, not enemies - they point directly to where healing wants to happen.Play and creativity are essential doorways into the golden shadowAncient wisdom traditions - Jung, Buddhism, shamanism - all point to the same truth: we are not separate from loveResourcesMelanie's Website: goldenshadowmethod.comNewsletter & Ancient Wisdom Today: ancientwisdomtoday.comMelanie on Instagram & Facebook: @golden.shadow.method Melanie's upcoming retreat The Golden Shadow Method at The Omega Institute, New York:https://www.eomega.org/workshops/golden-shadow-methodThe Sacred Pause Half-Day Retreat in Clintonville (Columbus, OH):

In this deeply intimate and expansive episode of This Cosmic Life, I sit down with the beautiful and mysterious Nickie Jean for a profound conversation on sacred sexuality, tantra, womb healing, divine union, and the Cosmic Mother.Together, we explore sexuality beyond performance, beyond conditioning, and beyond shame as a path of devotion, embodiment, healing, prayer, and awakening. Nickie shares her journey through kundalini awakening, years of celibacy, Red Tantra initiation, temple arts, endocrine alchemy, and the deep purification that comes through walking the path of sacred sexual rites.We speak about the connection between the throat and the womb, the healing of masculine sexuality, the power of play within intimacy, oracle consciousness, and becoming a vessel for the divine spark to move through the body.This conversation moves between the mystical and the deeply human — weaving together Inanna, Goddess Nut, astral light, ego death, sacred partnership, breath, voice, and the remembrance that our bodies themselves are living temples.Timestamps 00:01 Sacred Sexuality as Prayer04:12 Kundalini, Celibacy & Purification11:49 Red Tantra & Initiation27:38 The Throat, the Womb & Sacred Sound32:06 Womb Healing & Archetypal Awakening49:51 Healing Masculine Sexuality56:17 Yab Yum & Conscious Relationship63:56 Sexual Rites & the Cosmic Mother67:26 Inanna, Goddess Nut & Divine Union80:09 Closing Oracle TransmissionResources & Links:Womb Awakening by Azra and Serene BertrandDiana Richardson's books "Slow Sex" and "The Heart of Tantric Sex"Askanda Natha Mystery School ( Nickie Jean's Website) My guest Nickie Jean is a priestess, Tantrica, womb healer, and founder of the Askanda Nata Mystery School in Los Angeles. For over a decade, she has devoted herself to the study of sacred sexuality, temple arts, endocrine alchemy, and the mysteries of the Divine Feminine. Through ceremony, ritual, womb healing, and sacred sensuality practices, she guides others into deeper relationship with their bodies, their life force, and the divine spark that lives within all creation.I'm Tara Samadhi, and it is my joy to welcome you into This Cosmic Life. I walk a path as a mystic, a spiritual friend, an oracle, and a lover of the sacred. My own journey has been shaped by deep devotion and radical healing, and along the way I have gathered wisdom from Umbandaime, Sacred Medicines, Tibetan Buddhism, Esoteric Hindu Traditions, Non Dual Shaiva Tantra, sound alchemy, and the ancient mystery schools.This podcast is a space where we weave those threads together, not as concepts but as living practices that open our hearts and awaken the Shakti within us. Through mantra, through sound, and through soul filled conversation, we remember that we are divine beings having a human experience.Here, nothing is outside of the sacred. We come together to explore the pathless path, the wild and mysterious unfolding of transformation, devotion, and awakening. My prayer is that this space becomes a sanctuary where you feel seen, inspired, and invited to walk deeper into the truth of who you are.Website: https://tarasamadhi.com/ Instagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/tarasamadhi/⁠

#426 In this episode, Guy talked with Andrew Molnar and explored the idea that human beings are far more than physical bodies and may possess a deeper spiritual nature connected to consciousness, light, and personal transformation. Drawing from Christian mysticism, Tibetan Buddhism, quantum theories, and his own experiences, Andrew discussed the concept of "ascension" as a journey of awakening through commitment, purification, and daily spiritual practice. He emphasized the importance of examining limiting beliefs, healing emotional wounds, being intentional about the influences we allow into our lives, and cultivating practices such as meditation, prayer, and Tai Chi. Throughout the episode, the discussion encourages listeners to look inward rather than outward for fulfillment, embrace personal growth, and recognize that love, awareness, and self-transformation may be the keys to unlocking humanity's highest potential. About Andrew: My conscious journey began in college when I was diagnosed with a serious illness induced by stress. Heeding my doctor's advice, I significantly changed my outlook and life rhythms, which included starting daily meditation practices.  After my body healed, I decided to prioritize living my fullest health and well-being above all else…and assist others in doing the same. For almost three decades I've done so as a healer both as a manager and consultant for organizations, as well as through private healing sessions with individuals. Key Points Discussed:  (00:00) - Humanity Is Transforming: The Light Body Activation Has Begun! (02:18) - The Story That Completely Shattered Andrew's Worldview (05:02) - Bi-Location, Shape-Shifting & Humanity's Forgotten Abilities (07:00) - Ascension vs Resurrection: The Distinction Most People Miss (08:18) - What Happens When Consciousness Leaves the Body? (10:02) - The "Light Body" Concept Found Across Spiritual Traditions (11:22) - Why Chasing Ascension Can Become a Spiritual Trap (13:02) - The Hidden Difference Between Escape and Embodiment (15:00) - Guy's Out-of-Body Experience That Changed Everything (17:10) - Sacred Geometry, Childhood Wounds & an Unexpected Awakening (20:42) - Why the World Looks Darker During a Great Awakening (28:49) - LIVE IN FLOW — Experience This Work in Person (30:00) - From Christian Pastor to Exploring Higher States of Consciousness (35:40) - The Health Crisis That Forced Him to Question Everything (36:45) - How Tai Chi Eliminated Years of Physical Suffering (39:00) - A Mysterious Encounter With a Being of Light (40:18) - Breathwork, Meditation & the Gateway to Expanded Awareness (43:02) - What Is Actually Preventing Human Potential From Emerging? (44:00) - The Sculptor Analogy That Explains Spiritual Growth Perfectly (46:00) - "Love Is All That Is" — The Message That Changes Everything How to Contact Andrew Molnar:www.embodyourlight.com   About me:My Instagram: www.instagram.com/guyhlawrence/?hl=en Guy's websites:www.guylawrence.com.au www.liveinflow.co

Lawrence Ellyard, shares his powerful journey that began with a simple parking ticket

Most responses to civilizational crises focus outward – policy levers, energy systems, geopolitical actors, and material flows – with little focus on how the humans inside these systems might change and grow in parallel. At the same time, the minds that built this complex and fragile world are also the instruments we must use to navigate its unraveling, making them a critical factor in defining humanity's future. With that said, who will we be as simplification unfolds, and how do we prepare our inner terrains for what's coming? In this episode, Nate is joined by meditation practitioner, Andrew Holecek, for an exploration of the concept of dark retreats, periods of extended time in complete absence of light, as a practical path toward reflection and reconnection with ourselves and others. Andrew draws on decades of study in Tibetan Buddhism and non-dual wisdom traditions to explore how the external complexity of modern life is mirrored in the internal complexity of the modern mind. Central to his work is the concept of non-duality: a return from the fragmented display of self-versus-world toward a more unified, less suffering-prone relationship with reality. Andrew and Nate also explore the misleading entanglement of happiness and consumption, arguing that satisfaction arises not from acquiring what we want, but from the cessation of wanting itself.  What would it mean to practice darkness as a needed reprieve from constant light and stimulation, rather than deprivation? If the coming decades hold a forced reduction in external, material complexity, how could a deepening of our internal worlds make us more resilient, compassionate, and grounded? And could confronting fear – by learning to move through it rather than avoid it – be one of the most practical preparations for navigating future uncertainty and social fracture? (Conversation recorded on April 28th, 2026)    About Dr. Andrew Holecek: Andrew Holecek is an interdisciplinary scholar-practitioner in Tibetan Buddhism and other nondual wisdom traditions who has spent over thirty years helping people transform life's greatest challenges into opportunities for awakening. A dedicated meditation practitioner who completed the traditional Tibetan Buddhist three-year retreat, Andrew is known for making profound contemplative practices accessible and practical. He is actively involved in scientific research on dark retreat with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, as well as the Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies where he serves as Resident Contemplative Scholar. Andrew is a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the author of several scientific papers on lucid dreaming, and was also the host of the now-concluded Edge of Mind podcast, where he interviewed guests to explore ancient teachings and modern topics about the nature of mind and reality. Andrew's newest area of focus is dark retreat, the ancient Buddhist practice of extended meditation in complete darkness. His most recent book, Total Eclipse of the Mind: Unleashing the Power of Darkness for Creativity, Healing, and Transformation, draws on more than thirty years of personal dark retreat experience. True to his approach, Andrew teaches dark retreat – and the more accessible gray retreat practice of weaving in and out of darkness – as a genuine path to healing, creativity, and self-understanding.   Show Notes and More   Watch this video episode on YouTube   Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie.   ---   Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future   Join our Substack newsletter   Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners

In this episode, spiritual director John Bruna dives deeper into the perfection of wisdom within the Mahayana path of Tibetan Buddhism. He skillfully presents how our misperception of reality is the root of our suffering and then offers a variety of practices as methods for slowly clarifying our view of reality and thus relieving suffering from our experience. This episode was recorded on April 15th, 2026.Welcome to the Way of Compassion Dharma Center Podcast. Located in Carbondale, Colorado, the Way of Compassion Dharma center's primary objective is to provide programs of Buddhist studies and practices that are practical, accessible, and meet the needs of the communities we serve.  As a traditional Buddhist center, all of our teachings are offered freely. If you would like to make a donation to support the center, please visit www.wocdc.org.  May you flourish in your practice and may all beings swiftly be free of suffering.

What if that voice telling you you're broken or fundamentally flawed is wrong? That's the radical message of today's guest, Buddhist teacher and best-selling author Lodro Rinzler.His new book is called Your Good, You Are Enough. Lodro teaches a powerful idea from Tibetan Buddhism called basic goodness, that beneath all our self-doubt, anger, and anxiety, there's something awake and whole already present in us. It sounds like a self-help slogan, but in fact, it's something we can directly experience ourselves in meditation and in everyday life.In this conversation, Lodro talks about how to trust your own goodness without using this powerful idea as an excuse to avoid growth. And how to see goodness in difficult people without excusing harm.Episode #221: You Are Good, You Are Enough with Lodro RinzlerIf you'd like to practice with others and bring these ideas into your life, join our weekly meditation community with Scott.

Dr. Andrew Holecek discusses Dark Retreat—a Tibetan Buddhist practice of spending extended periods in complete darkness—and its transformative effects on creativity, healing, and spiritual insight. Dark Retreat is “big medicine” not to be undertaken lightly. Like any retreat, its power relies on its integration. His new book on the subject is: Total Eclipse of the Mind: Unleashing the Power of Darkness for Creativity, Healing, and TransformationDr. Holecek is an interdisciplinary scholar-practitioner in Tibetan Buddhism and other nondual wisdom traditions. He is the Resident Contemplative Scholar at the Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, and a research consultant for the Cognitive Neuroscience Program at Northwestern University. His work involves studies on dream yoga and the practice of dark retreat. Dr. Holecek is a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the author of nine books, and a concert pianist. He has completed the Tibetan Buddhist three-year retreat and is a frequent subject in scientific studies on meditation and lucid dreaming. His work integrates ancient wisdom traditions with contemporary perspectives, aiming to help individuals navigate spiritual challenges and end-of-life experiences. He is currently writing a book on “gray” retreat—a more gradual approach to dark retreat. He holds degrees in classical music, biology, and a doctorate in dental surgery. You can find him at: https://www.andrewholecek.com/Retreat Centers:Sky Cave / Oregon: https://www.skycaveretreats.com/ Dark Havens / Vermont: http://www.darkhavens.org/Chamma Ling / Colorado: https://chammaling.com/Menla / New York (coming soon): https://menla.org/Other Books by Holecek:Dreams of LightDream YogaLucid Dreaming WorkbookPreparing to DieI'm Mindful, Now What?Reverse MeditationThe Power and the PainMeditation in the iGenerationSupport the showHost: Tess CallahanSubstack: Writers at the WellInterview Podcast: Writers at the WellMeditations on Insight TimerMeditations on YouTubeTess's novels: https://tesscallahan.com/Music (unless otherwise noted above): Christopher Lloyd ClarkAudio Editing: Eric FischerBy tapping "like" and "follow" you help others find the show. Thank you for listening!DISCLAIMER: Meditation is not a substitute for professional psychological or medical healthcare or therapy. We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred by you acting or not acting as a result of listening to this recording. Use the material provided at your own risk. Do not drive or operate dangerous equipment while listening. The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host or the management.

This is a reading for meditation of three poems written by Yeshe Tsogyal on the nature of the Dharmakaya and her complete realisation. Translations are by Keith Dowman (poem 1) and Tarthang Tulku.Yeshe Tsogyal was an 8th-century Tibetan Buddhist master and the foremost disciple of Padmasambhava. Revered as a fully enlightened Buddha in the Tibetan tradition, she played a central role in preserving and transmitting the teachings of Vajrayana Buddhism in Tibet. Known for her profound wisdom, intense spiritual practice, and realization, she remains one of the most beloved and inspiring female figures in Tibetan Buddhism.Yeshe Tsogyal is celebrated for her extraordinary perseverance and realization. Traditional biographies describe years of intensive retreat, austerities, meditation in remote caves, and encounters with both external hardships and inner psychological challenges. Through these practices, she attained complete enlightenment.She played a crucial role in preserving and transmitting Buddhist teachings in Tibet. Tibetan sources credit her with recording many of Padmasambhava's teachings and concealing them as “terma” (hidden spiritual treasures) to be rediscovered in later centuries by realized masters known as tertöns. Because of this, she is often seen as one of the foundational figures in Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism.

Conceiving the Mother of Tibet: The Early Literary Lives of the Buddhist Saint Yeshe Tsogyel (Oxford UP, 2026) is the first comprehensive study dedicated to the literary tradition surrounding Yeshe Tsogyel, revered as the foremost matron saint of Tibetan Buddhism. It traces the emergence and development of a rich body of narratives about Yeshe Tsogyel during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, focusing on the Tibetan Nyingma Buddhist tradition. Through careful textual analysis, the book constructs an emic (insider) Tibetan Buddhist theory of gender and female religious eminence, examining how Yeshe Tsogyel's multifaceted identities--as a devoted disciple, tantric consort, sky-goer (dakini), and spiritual mother--embody a dialectic that shifts back and forth between Tibetan women's social and cultural marginalization and a Buddhist discourse of soteriological inclusivity. Jue Liang queries these texts for their social and religious functions, especially where ambivalence and contradictions abound. However, these ambivalences do not necessarily disadvantage women in Tibetan Buddhism. Operating with ambivalent, sometimes competing, discourses on womanhood, Nyingma Buddhist theorists in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries created a space for a flexible treatment of gender, where they traverse between theological terms and embodied reality. Ultimately, Conceiving the Mother of Tibet not only illuminates the unique position of Yeshe Tsogyel within Tibetan Buddhist literature but also offers a methodological framework for understanding localized theories of gender. This approach highlights alternative ways of being and acting in the world as embodied agents, providing valuable insights for the broader field of Buddhist studies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

Conceiving the Mother of Tibet: The Early Literary Lives of the Buddhist Saint Yeshe Tsogyel (Oxford UP, 2026) is the first comprehensive study dedicated to the literary tradition surrounding Yeshe Tsogyel, revered as the foremost matron saint of Tibetan Buddhism. It traces the emergence and development of a rich body of narratives about Yeshe Tsogyel during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, focusing on the Tibetan Nyingma Buddhist tradition. Through careful textual analysis, the book constructs an emic (insider) Tibetan Buddhist theory of gender and female religious eminence, examining how Yeshe Tsogyel's multifaceted identities--as a devoted disciple, tantric consort, sky-goer (dakini), and spiritual mother--embody a dialectic that shifts back and forth between Tibetan women's social and cultural marginalization and a Buddhist discourse of soteriological inclusivity. Jue Liang queries these texts for their social and religious functions, especially where ambivalence and contradictions abound. However, these ambivalences do not necessarily disadvantage women in Tibetan Buddhism. Operating with ambivalent, sometimes competing, discourses on womanhood, Nyingma Buddhist theorists in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries created a space for a flexible treatment of gender, where they traverse between theological terms and embodied reality. Ultimately, Conceiving the Mother of Tibet not only illuminates the unique position of Yeshe Tsogyel within Tibetan Buddhist literature but also offers a methodological framework for understanding localized theories of gender. This approach highlights alternative ways of being and acting in the world as embodied agents, providing valuable insights for the broader field of Buddhist studies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Conceiving the Mother of Tibet: The Early Literary Lives of the Buddhist Saint Yeshe Tsogyel (Oxford UP, 2026) is the first comprehensive study dedicated to the literary tradition surrounding Yeshe Tsogyel, revered as the foremost matron saint of Tibetan Buddhism. It traces the emergence and development of a rich body of narratives about Yeshe Tsogyel during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, focusing on the Tibetan Nyingma Buddhist tradition. Through careful textual analysis, the book constructs an emic (insider) Tibetan Buddhist theory of gender and female religious eminence, examining how Yeshe Tsogyel's multifaceted identities--as a devoted disciple, tantric consort, sky-goer (dakini), and spiritual mother--embody a dialectic that shifts back and forth between Tibetan women's social and cultural marginalization and a Buddhist discourse of soteriological inclusivity. Jue Liang queries these texts for their social and religious functions, especially where ambivalence and contradictions abound. However, these ambivalences do not necessarily disadvantage women in Tibetan Buddhism. Operating with ambivalent, sometimes competing, discourses on womanhood, Nyingma Buddhist theorists in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries created a space for a flexible treatment of gender, where they traverse between theological terms and embodied reality. Ultimately, Conceiving the Mother of Tibet not only illuminates the unique position of Yeshe Tsogyel within Tibetan Buddhist literature but also offers a methodological framework for understanding localized theories of gender. This approach highlights alternative ways of being and acting in the world as embodied agents, providing valuable insights for the broader field of Buddhist studies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/gender-studies

Conceiving the Mother of Tibet: The Early Literary Lives of the Buddhist Saint Yeshe Tsogyel (Oxford UP, 2026) is the first comprehensive study dedicated to the literary tradition surrounding Yeshe Tsogyel, revered as the foremost matron saint of Tibetan Buddhism. It traces the emergence and development of a rich body of narratives about Yeshe Tsogyel during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, focusing on the Tibetan Nyingma Buddhist tradition. Through careful textual analysis, the book constructs an emic (insider) Tibetan Buddhist theory of gender and female religious eminence, examining how Yeshe Tsogyel's multifaceted identities--as a devoted disciple, tantric consort, sky-goer (dakini), and spiritual mother--embody a dialectic that shifts back and forth between Tibetan women's social and cultural marginalization and a Buddhist discourse of soteriological inclusivity. Jue Liang queries these texts for their social and religious functions, especially where ambivalence and contradictions abound. However, these ambivalences do not necessarily disadvantage women in Tibetan Buddhism. Operating with ambivalent, sometimes competing, discourses on womanhood, Nyingma Buddhist theorists in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries created a space for a flexible treatment of gender, where they traverse between theological terms and embodied reality. Ultimately, Conceiving the Mother of Tibet not only illuminates the unique position of Yeshe Tsogyel within Tibetan Buddhist literature but also offers a methodological framework for understanding localized theories of gender. This approach highlights alternative ways of being and acting in the world as embodied agents, providing valuable insights for the broader field of Buddhist studies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/buddhist-studies

Conceiving the Mother of Tibet: The Early Literary Lives of the Buddhist Saint Yeshe Tsogyel (Oxford UP, 2026) is the first comprehensive study dedicated to the literary tradition surrounding Yeshe Tsogyel, revered as the foremost matron saint of Tibetan Buddhism. It traces the emergence and development of a rich body of narratives about Yeshe Tsogyel during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, focusing on the Tibetan Nyingma Buddhist tradition. Through careful textual analysis, the book constructs an emic (insider) Tibetan Buddhist theory of gender and female religious eminence, examining how Yeshe Tsogyel's multifaceted identities--as a devoted disciple, tantric consort, sky-goer (dakini), and spiritual mother--embody a dialectic that shifts back and forth between Tibetan women's social and cultural marginalization and a Buddhist discourse of soteriological inclusivity. Jue Liang queries these texts for their social and religious functions, especially where ambivalence and contradictions abound. However, these ambivalences do not necessarily disadvantage women in Tibetan Buddhism. Operating with ambivalent, sometimes competing, discourses on womanhood, Nyingma Buddhist theorists in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries created a space for a flexible treatment of gender, where they traverse between theological terms and embodied reality. Ultimately, Conceiving the Mother of Tibet not only illuminates the unique position of Yeshe Tsogyel within Tibetan Buddhist literature but also offers a methodological framework for understanding localized theories of gender. This approach highlights alternative ways of being and acting in the world as embodied agents, providing valuable insights for the broader field of Buddhist studies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion

Conceiving the Mother of Tibet: The Early Literary Lives of the Buddhist Saint Yeshe Tsogyel (Oxford UP, 2026) is the first comprehensive study dedicated to the literary tradition surrounding Yeshe Tsogyel, revered as the foremost matron saint of Tibetan Buddhism. It traces the emergence and development of a rich body of narratives about Yeshe Tsogyel during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, focusing on the Tibetan Nyingma Buddhist tradition. Through careful textual analysis, the book constructs an emic (insider) Tibetan Buddhist theory of gender and female religious eminence, examining how Yeshe Tsogyel's multifaceted identities--as a devoted disciple, tantric consort, sky-goer (dakini), and spiritual mother--embody a dialectic that shifts back and forth between Tibetan women's social and cultural marginalization and a Buddhist discourse of soteriological inclusivity. Jue Liang queries these texts for their social and religious functions, especially where ambivalence and contradictions abound. However, these ambivalences do not necessarily disadvantage women in Tibetan Buddhism. Operating with ambivalent, sometimes competing, discourses on womanhood, Nyingma Buddhist theorists in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries created a space for a flexible treatment of gender, where they traverse between theological terms and embodied reality. Ultimately, Conceiving the Mother of Tibet not only illuminates the unique position of Yeshe Tsogyel within Tibetan Buddhist literature but also offers a methodological framework for understanding localized theories of gender. This approach highlights alternative ways of being and acting in the world as embodied agents, providing valuable insights for the broader field of Buddhist studies.

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In this episode of the Wisdom Podcast, host Daniel Aitken is joined by Jet Li. Jet is a renowned martial artist, actor, and thirty-year practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. Together, they celebrate the release of Jet’s new book, Beyond Life and Death. Jet and Daniel explore prioritizing experience over knowledge, bodhicitta, emptiness, awareness in daily life, and using success to help others. Jet also shares his experiences receiving refuge vows, teachings from Tai Situ Rinpoche, and more! View the video version of this episode here.  Also in this episode, Jet and Daniel discuss:  Meeting the Karmapa; Dharma through action; non-enmity; and so much more! Additional content mentioned in this episode: Follow Jet Li’s Podcast So Be It The views and opinions expressed on this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Wisdom Publications or any entities they represent. The post Jet Li: Beyond Life and Death (#229) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

Dear FriendsIn this episode of Gateways to Awakening, Yasmeen Turayhi sits down with writer and teacher Ann Tashi Slater—a Tibetan-American author whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Paris Review, and more. Ann joins us from Tokyo to explore her new book, Traveling in Bardo: The Art of Living in an Impermanent World, a Next Big Idea Club “Must-Read,” and to unpack one of the most powerful spiritual frameworks for this moment in history: the bardo.Bardo, in Tibetan Buddhism, means “between state.” It can refer to the space between death and rebirth, but it also describes the in-between moments we all live through—career transitions, identity shifts, endings, new beginnings, illness, loss, and the quiet uncertainty of not knowing what comes next. Together, Yasmeen and Ann explore how accepting impermanence is not passive at all—it is the turning point that restores agency, clarity, and forward movement. Ann shares personal stories from her Tibetan family lineage in Darjeeling, including the fascinating ancestral connection between her great-grandfather and the early Western translation of The Tibetan Book of the Dead. “Acceptance is not giving up. Acceptance is the moment where we stop fighting reality and finally regain the ability to move forward.” - Ann Tashi SlaterIn this episode, we explore:1. What bardo actually means, and why it is not only about death but also about everyday life transitions.2. Why the only real certainty is change, and how accepting that can reduce anxiety rather than increase it.3. How “acceptance” creates calm because it helps the mind stop fighting reality and start seeing options clearly.4. A powerful Buddhist framing of agency: action of body, speech, and mind, including the choice to take no action.5. How victim narratives can subtly remove our power, and how the bardo teachings help bring responsibility back in a grounding way.6. Why karma means action, not fate, and how small daily choices create “forks in the road” over time.7. How to “practice impermanence” through everyday endings—the end of a day, a season, a trip, a conversation—so you are more resilient when bigger transitions arrive.Ann Tashi Slater's book is Traveling in Bardo: The Art of Living in an Impermanent World, and you can learn more at anntashislater.com.​​​If this episode resonated, please share it with someone who is navigating a transition, facing uncertainty, or standing in the in-between—and needs language for how to move through it with more clarity, grace, and power.Tune in to Gateways to Awakening for more conversations with leading thinkers, creators, and spiritual pioneers shaping the future of consciousness. For more from me: follow my writing on Substack (substack.com/@therealyasmeent), find me on Instagram @TheRealYasmeenT, or visit InnerKnowingSchool.com.

Awareness Explorers episode 211: Salvadore Poe, Guest Explorer In this episode we talk to Salvadore Poe, a spiritual teacher and author who shared his journey from rock musician to spiritual awakening, and described his concept of "having a holiday," that is, recognizing pure being without fixing on any particular experience. The discussion covers topics including spiritual bypassing, doership, and meditation practices. • Includes a guided meditation leading you to relax the focus of attention, notice the movements of life, and see that what you are is not moving. This pure being at the core of all of the movement is that which never moves, and is who you essentially are. To learn more about Salvadore Poe, please visit: https://www.liberationis.com/ Books by Salvadore Poe: https://www.liberationis.com/books Liberation IS: The End of the Spiritual Path The Way of Freedom: Conversations with Salvadore Poe Blown Wide Open: A Collection of Holidays The Audacity of Freedom: A Journey of Spiritual Liberation Discussed in this episode: Jnani:  A Sanskrit term for a wise person, sage, or "knower of the Self" within Hindu philosophy, particularly in jnana yoga, the Hindu "path of knowledge" or wisdom. Bhakti:  A Sanskrit term meaning intense love, devotion, attachment, and surrender to a personal deity or guru, often serving as a path to spiritual liberation. It is often practiced as bhakti yoga, focusing on devotion through service. Karma: Karma Yoga, or the "yoga of action," is a spiritual path focused on selfless service, purifying the heart, and reducing ego by performing duties without attachment to results. Shiva Shakti Amma https://sivasakthiammaiyar.com/ Ajja https://myajja.weebly.com/ Dolano:: https://www.friendsofdolano.org/ Dzogchen: Dzogchen, or "Great Perfection," is the highest teaching in the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, focusing on recognizing the innate, radiant, and empty nature of the mind. It emphasizes that enlightenment is not a distant goal but is already inherently present and requires only recognition through effortless, non-conceptual awareness. I Am That book by Nisargadatta Maharaj https://www.holybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/I-Am-That-by-Sri-Nisargadatta-Maharaj.pdf POK (Perfectly Okay): Perfectlyokay.org is the social and support center of Jeffery Martin's Finders Course alumni community, Tiruvannamalai and Mount Arunachala: Arunachala hill has been considered sacred for centuries and is located within the temple town of Tiruvannamalai, one of the most ancient heritage sites of India and the home of the Ramana Maharshi Ashram.    Don't forget to subscribe for more ingenious ways to tap into the ever-present stillness and joy of our true nature. To learn more about Awareness Explorers, and to listen to all of our podcast episodes, please visit: https://www.awarenessexplorers.com/ If you want to listen to the meditations alone, you can find all of our meditations excerpted either in this playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLThffcko0gAVvivvVVGNfQgJxbWB6dF6Z Or on our Awareness Explorers website: https://www.awarenessexplorers.com/meditations To Support Awareness Explorers, please consider clicking the "Donate" button on any AwarenessExplorers.com page, or becoming a Patreon supporter: https://www.patreon.com/awarenessexplorers NOTE: If you are a Patreon supporter and have not been receiving our bonus material, please check to make sure that the email address you have on Patreon is an active one. To learn more about Jonathan Robinson and Brian Tom O'Connor, please visit https://findinghappiness.com/ and https://www.playawarenessgames.com/ You can listen to all of our episodes on this YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLThffcko0gAXyaArC4OyY0y84CZ8uSb_n Enjoy, Jonathan and Brian

Episode 500 of The Courtenay Turner Podcast. My guest is Jamie Hanshaw Dyer — author, researcher, and the person I called when I finally opened the book I'd been avoiding for three years. The book is "The Shadow of the Dalai Lama: Sexuality, Magic andPolitics in Tibetan Buddhism" by Victor and Victoria Trimondi. Itis six hundred pages long. A physical copy costs around six hundreddollars. Almost no one in the English-speaking world has read it.In this conversation, Jamie and I walk through what it says. This is not a comfortable conversation. It is, I think, a necessaryone.

As practitioners conserve, elevate, and purify their energies through ethics and patient discipline, they need to enact and direct such forces for the edification of theirs and others' spirituality. Such empowered efforts amplify benefit for oneself, community, and world through the laws of karma: cause and effect. By understanding such dynamics in oneself, it becomes possible to cultivate the real virtues of a bodhisattva, since generosity, ethics, and patience set the stage for ennobling everyone's quality of mind. See how through an exploration of the prior paramitas; the nature of joyful action, its opposites of sleep and inattention; the inevitability of death and how it can inspire urgency to practice; essential practices of cultivating a spiritual work ethic (exchanging self and other within Tibetan Buddhism); the different types of defeatism and how to overcome them; the true spiritual qualities of self-confidence as opposed to arrogance; the distinct characteristics of self-observation, awareness, attention, and self-remembrance; the problems of a lazy consciousness versus a hyperactive body; the powers of mindfulness and meditation; and much more. Resources and References: https://chicagognosis.org/lectures/diligence-conscious-action-on-the-bodhisattva-path

Simon Wickhamsmith is a Buddhist monk turned scholar, computer musician, and one of the only translators of Mongolian literature into English. He teaches in the Writing Program at Rutgers University and has been traveling back and forth to Mongolia since 2006. In this conversation he traces his spiritual path from Catholicism through Tibetan Buddhism and back to medieval Christian mysticism, introduces the Mongolian poet Mend-Ooyo, and takes us deep into the life and poetry of the 19th century Buddhist polymath Danzanravjaa — a figure Simon considers his primary teacher — including a live reading of the poem Twos, a stunning meditation on nonduality from the Mongolian steppe. Topics 00:00 — Introduction 00:02 — Simon's spiritual path: Catholicism, Opus Dei, the Desert Fathers, and Zen 00:04 — Discovering Tibetan Buddhism, Samye Ling monastery in Scotland, and ordaining as a monk 00:06 — The three-year retreat, his mother's illness, and returning to the world 00:07 — Returning to medieval Christian mysticism: Julian of Norwich, Meister Eckhart, The Cloud of Unknowing 00:10 — How SAND connected with Mend-Ooyo in Mongolia — and how Simon met him 00:12 — Teaching himself Mongolian by translating Danzanravjaa's complete works 00:13 — Introducing Mend-Ooyo: born 1952 into a nomadic herding family, poet and cultural guardian of Mongolia 00:16 — The underground literary group GAL (Fire) and Mend-Ooyo's role in Mongolian literary culture 00:18 — Mend-Ooyo's mission: reconnecting Mongolia to its nomadic heritage after Soviet collapse 00:19 — Mend-Ooyo's new novel The Solitary Tree: Robin Hood, shamanism, Buddhism, and falcons 00:23 — Who was Danzanravjaa? Born in the Gobi Desert, recognized as the fifth reincarnation of the Noyon Hutagt 00:26 — Danzanravjaa's approach: spontaneous, impromptu poetry as dharma teaching 00:28 — Mongolia's first traveling theater troupe and the poems as dictated teachings 00:31 — Live reading and analysis of Perfect Qualities — a love poem, a guru poem, and a poem of nonduality simultaneously 00:33 — The three levels of meaning in Danzanravjaa's poetry: outer, inner, and secret 00:38 — Bhakti yoga, Ram Dass, Maharaji, and the connection to direct transmission beyond doctrine 00:41 — Danzanravjaa and the land: the Shambhala vortex at Hamriin Hiid 00:44 — Horses, landscape, and the spiritual path in his poetry 00:45 — Simon's personal experience of the Shambhala site and animist relationship to land 00:49 — If Danzanravjaa were alive today: his anti-Manchu politics and primary focus on deepening practice 00:50 — Live reading of the poem Twos — nonduality in full 00:54 — On translation: humor, layers of meaning, and the paradox of the poem itself Resources & Links Simon Wickhamsmith Rutgers University faculty page Suncranes and Other Stories: Modern Mongolian Short Fiction — Columbia University Press, 2021 Politics and Literature in Mongolia (1921–1948) — Amsterdam University Press, 2020 The Hidden Life of the Sixth Dalai Lama — Lexington Books, 2011 Mend-Ooyo Gombojav Official website: mend-ooyo.mn Altan Ovoo (Golden Hill) — translated by Simon Wickhamsmith Gegeenten (The Holy One) — novel about Danzanravjaa The Solitary Tree — Mend-Ooyo's most recent novel, published 2025, translated by Simon Wickhamsmith Wikipedia: Mend-Ooyo Gombojav SAND Event — Nature of Mind and Mind of Nature: A Local Event with Mongolian Poet Mend-Ooyo Gombojav (2026) Danzanravjaa (referenced poems) Perfect Qualities (also known as The Five Senses / Five Offerings) Twos — read in full during the episode Mend-Ooyo's essay on Danzanravjaa: mend-ooyo.mn/content/86.html Referenced spiritual figures & texts The Cloud of Unknowing — anonymous 14th century medieval Christian mysticism text Julian of Norwich and Meister Eckhart — medieval mystics Simon returned to after Buddhism Samye Ling Tibetan Buddhist Monastery, Scotland — where Simon did his retreat Ram Dass and Maharaji — referenced in discussion of bhakti yoga and direct transmission John Cage — Simon's original entry point into Zen Buddhism Connect with more talks and films from the SAND film Series The Eternal Song Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

Cynthia Jurs is a dharma teacher (Dharmacharya) in the Order of Interbeing of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, and in recognition of her dedication in carrying out the Earth Treasure Vase practice, she was made an honorary lama in the Vajrayana tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. On this episode of Nature Revisited, Cynthia recounts a fateful meeting with a venerated Lama in Nepal whose formidable assignment sent her on a thirty year pilgrimage into diverse communities and ecosystems with holy vessels to bring healing and protection to the earth. [Originally published Oct 14th, 2024. Ep 132] https://earthtreasurevase.org/ Summoned By The Earth book: https://www.summonedbytheearth.org/ Listen to Nature Revisited on your favorite podcast apps, on YouTube, or at https://noordenproductions.com Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/bdz4s9d7 Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/5n7yx28t Subscribe on Youtube Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/bddd55v9 Podlink: https://pod.link/1456657951 Support Nature Revisited https://noordenproductions.com/support Nature Revisited is produced by Stefan van Norden and Charles Geoghegan. We welcome your comments, questions and suggestions - contact us at https://noordenproductions.com/contact

Bright on Buddhism - Episode 136 - What is Gelug Buddhism? What are some of its similarities and differences to other schools of Buddhism? What is its historical significance?Resources: Schaik, Sam van. Tibet: A History. Yale University Press 2011Powers, John (2007) Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism, p. 467. Snow Lion Publications.Jinpa, Thupten (2019). Tsongkhapa: A Buddha in the Land of Snows. Boulder, CO: Shambhala Publications. ISBN 978-1-61180-646-5.Wallace, Vesna A. (2015). Buddhism in Mongolian History, Culture, and Society (illustrated ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-995866-5.Mullin, Glenn H. (2001). The Fourteen Dalai Lamas: A Sacred Legacy of Reincarnation. Clear Light Publishers. Santa Fe, NM. ISBN 1-57416-092-3.Arnold, Edward A. (2021). Tsongkhapa's Coordination of Sūtra and Tantra: Ascetic Performance, Narrative, and Philosophy in the Creation of the Tibetan Buddhist Self, Doctoral Thesis, Columbia University._________________________________If you like our show and would like to support us, we encourage you to give your money or resources to a worthy cause. We can get through this. Our strongest weapon is solidarity. Stay strong and help where you can. Thank you.Do you have a question about Buddhism that you'd like us to discuss? Let us know by emailing us at Bright.On.Buddhism@gmail.com.Credits:Nick Bright: Script, Cover Art, Music, Voice of Hearer, Co-HostProven Paradox: Editing, mixing and mastering, social media, Voice of Hermit, Co-Host

Elohim, Anunnaki, and You ….. The Family Tree Nobody DrewToday We Uncover Your Cosmic LineageYou were created in the image - intentionally so. This may challenge what you've been taught, but consider it an expansion of your understanding and how information is hidden…..for a reason of control.The familiar creation story is just the first chapter. It's not a lie - it's simply incomplete.The CRITICAL UNDERSTANDING of the original Hebrew use of the reference to “Elohim” - is PLURAL……..Meaning “the gods,” not a singular deity. It says, “Let us make man in our image” - suggesting a collective of divine creators.POWER OVER and POWER UNDER SHADOW STRUCTURES Theologians have glossed over these plural references, leaving you with an incomplete picture.But there is more to the story.What if your ancestors were not alone, but rather advanced galactic divine race called - the Anunnaki?This alternate origin tale may sound radical. Evidence leads to the inescapable conclusion that all of humanity, are built differently and it's time to reveal the true nature of your cosmic lineage. Thousands are remembering and discovering this greater ancestral narrative based on evidential artifacts, history's hidden scriptures and intuitives. Once you walk through it, you cannot unsee what's on the other side.What's on the other side is you — your body, your organs, your breath, your blood — and the staggering truth that you were not made as an afterthought. You were made as a masterpiece. A living library and an internal holy temple with more rooms than you've ever been allowed to explore.Adam Isn't a Name. It's a Blueprint.We've been lead to believe that Adam is simply the name of the first man. A guy in a garden. Simple origin story?Wrong. Adam is not just a name — it's a code.In Hebrew, Adam breaks down like this:* Aleph — the spirit, the breath, the power, the source* Dam — the bloodPut them together: Adam means the blood of God. The breath of the divine made manifest in biological form.But blood in this context isn't just the red stuff pumping through your veins.Blood is records.Blood is information. Blood is genetic memory — the recordings, the essence, the full archive of whatever that plural divine family, the Elohim, carried within themselves.Adam — you, your ancestors, your lineage — is a living library encoded with the complete genetic and spiritual blueprint of an entire divine family.And here's the part that should shake you: the name Adam was given to both the male and the female.The original human — before the distinction of gender — was called Adam. Because Adam wasn't describing a person. It was describing a design.Now let's go deeper into that design. Because across multiple ancient civilizations — the Sumerians, the Egyptians, the Hindus — they're all telling the same story with different words.The Sumerians called that divine family the Anunnaki. Anunnaki simply means: the family of Anu and Ki * Early civilizations possibly lived in deeper alignment with universal laws.* Father god and mother god and all their descendants.* Human ability today could be a fraction of what once existed.* Collapse came when power outpaced wisdom.* History might be repeating patterns of rise and fall.* Signs point to a global reawakening of awareness.* Next evolution isn't external—it's internal.It's the Sumerian equivalent of Elohim. The Egyptians called them Neru. Different language. Same family.And within that family, there's a figure named Enki — the firstborn of Anu. The scientist. The craftsman. The one described across Sumerian texts as the architect of the human form.In the Sumerian account — which predates the Hebrew Genesis by thousands of years — Enki is commissioned to create a being capable of doing everything the divine family could do. His brother wants a worker. A servant. Something powerful but controlled.But Enki? Enki has a different idea entirely.Enki decides to make family.So instead of building a limited creature, he takes the blood — the genetic records, the spiritual codes — of the entire Anunnaki family and pours it all into the Adamic design. Every organ. Every system. Every breath. Encoded with the full frequency of the divine collective.You are not a servant species. You were designed as a full-spectrum being.Your Body Is a Temple — And the Temple Has AltarsNow here's where ancient wisdom and your physical body collide in a way that should permanently change how you look in the mirror.The body is a temple. Most people have heard that phrase. Most people treat it like a wellness slogan — eat clean, don't drink too much. But that's not what it means. Not even close.A temple is not just a building. A temple is a structure built to make contact. Within every temple, there are altars. And an altar is not a decoration — an altar is a point of contact between two realms.Think about it this way. Your Wi-Fi router is an altar.It takes signal from somewhere beyond your walls and funnels it directly into your house, making something invisible suddenly accessible. Your kitchen sink is an altar. It connects you to a water source miles away and gives you direct access in your own home.Now apply that to your body.Every organ system within you is an altar — a point of contact — connected to a specific frequency, a specific divine energy, a specific member of that Elohim family.The Sumerians were explicit about this. Enlil, the god of wind and air — that's why you have lungs. Your respiratory system is an altar built to engage the frequency of air, of breath, of that specific divine energy.This is why the scripture says “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” It's not poetry. It's a technical statement about how the system works.Ancient Chinese medicine — whether in Taoism or Tibetan Buddhism — mapped this even further. They didn't just work with chakras as abstract energy centers. They assigned specific deities to specific organs. The kidneys — a seat of fire and power. The liver — engaged with a particular spirit. The lungs — another point of divine contact.When every altar within the temple is functioning, when every organ system is engaged with the energy it was designed to contact, the ancient texts describe this as a state of immortality. Complete, full-body synergy — every part of you operating at its highest possible frequency.And here's the staggering implication: Because Enki encoded the full Anunnaki blueprint into the Adamic design, there is no frequency in creation that you are not built to access.You were built as the all-in-one. Ignorance Is the Weapon Used Against YouPause here. Read this slowly.“My people perish for lack of knowledge.”And the disease isn't weakness. It isn't unworthiness. It isn't spiritual inadequacy.The disease is not knowing what you are.You have access to everything. You are genetically related — not metaphorically, literally — to every kingdom of creation. The mineral kingdom. The plant kingdom. The animal kingdom. Every organism, every creature, every structure of life carries a thread of the same Adamic code. This is why humans talk to animals instinctively. This is why people like George Washington Carver could commune with plants and receive knowledge from them. This is why there's a reason that certain non-human intelligences are intensely interested in the human body — because the human body is the most sophisticated, most comprehensive biological library ever assembled.And the vast majority of human beings walk around every single day not knowing any of this.Ignorance deployed as a weapon is one of the oldest strategies in the book.But here's the other side of this — and this is the part that should ignite something in you:The system still works whether you know about it or not. Yeshua walked through crowds of ordinary people and said, “Don't you know that ye are gods?” That word — gods — is Elohim. Watch the Lion King again with new eyes. Simba's journey isn't about transformation. It's about recognition. “Remember who you are.”That's the whole message. That's always been the whole message.The question is not whether you have access. You do. The question is whether you'll stop living like you don't.Start there. Start with the breath. Start with asking what your body actually is before you spend another moment trying to fix, suppress, or transcend it.What you love is within you. Everything you've been searching for outside yourself — the connection, the power, the belonging — it's been coded into your structure since the beginning.It's time to remember.To stop giving away your power. Your soul was determined to experience the collapse of the old and rebirth of an evolution of a society that is the literal CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE. THAT'S A WRAP on your true lineage, beloved. What Next? I believe we each have an innate ability to connect with Spirit—we are Spirit, experiencing life through a human lens.To support you on this journey, I've created The Light Between Ritual Experience, plus a bonus Self-Hypnosis Empowerment Journey. This high-touch experience is designed to help you deepen your connection to your soul's contract and your spirit guides, all for just $80 for a full year of unlimited readings and upgrades. Healing is the pathway to awakening and aligning with your Highest Self, guiding you toward your deepest truth and point of origin - where all of life is a flow of co-creation. . This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thelightbetween.substack.com/subscribe

About This EpisodeThis episode marks the return of Mythic after a year and a half — and what a place to come back from. I recorded this conversation live at Pachalegria, a retreat and healing center in Zipolite, Mexico, at the close of my first men's tantra retreat. The man who led it — and built the place — is sitting right next to me.Martin Bilodeau is a Québécois public figure, social psychologist, and bestselling author of Awaken Your Inner Buddha, A Practical Guide to Modern Tantrism and Chronicles of an Urban Buddhist (all currently available in French). His path runs through indigenous shamanism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Tantrism, with lineages from Osho, Yogi Bhajan, and Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. He spent half his life in India, Asia, and traveling the world before founding Pachalegria in 2020.This is Martin's first English-language podcast.What We CoverWe use Martin's framework of four spiritual emergencies as Ariadne's thread into the labyrinth — not naming all four explicitly, but tracing the arc of a life spent following the thread of awakening from Buddhism into shamanism, Tantra, and finally into the act of building a living vision on a hillside in southern Mexico.Along the way we explore:Buddhism and the Inner World. Martin discovered Buddhism at 17 through the books of Alexandra David-Néal, the first Western woman to walk into Tibet. He consecrated his twenties to practice — two hours of meditation a day, temple visits in India and Nepal, annual retreats. But the real challenge wasn't the monastery. It was bringing the Dharma into daily modern life.Bodhicitta and the Belief That Changes Everything. The teaching that cracked Martin open: compassion as a way of seeing the world, not a feeling you wait to receive. The ego sees the world as something to take from. Compassion asks what you can bring. That single reorientation — from appetite to offering — underpins everything Martin does.Why "Emergency"? Martin spent nearly 15 years managing services for homeless, addicted, and delinquent youth in Québec. What he saw confirmed it: every wound is a wound of unlove. Every act of harm is a cry for it. If all our damage is created by the absence of love, love is the only thing that will heal it. That's not romantic. It's urgent.Tantra and the Body. We've never been more disconnected from our bodies than we are now. The body is always in the present moment — it's the mind that escapes. Tantra is the path that reconnects them: through breath, sensation, movement, and the radical act of feeling rather than managing life.The Minotaur in the Labyrinth. One of the most vivid mythic images in our conversation: the Minotaur as kundalini, as primal life force — not a monster to be slain but an energy that got trapped by the engineered maze of the mind. Daedalus built the labyrinth with his head. The Minotaur didn't need to be killed. It needed to be freed. And what frees it? Ariadne's love.Shame as a Control Mechanism. We were once invocators — beings who danced, screamed, and loved their way back to the divine. Then came 2,000 years of ideology that installed shame between us and our own bodies, our own power, our own direct experience of the sacred. Capitalism inherited that structure and kept it running. The antidote isn't permission. It's sovereignty.The King and Queen Were Never Meant to Rule Alone. Every true mythology pairs masculine and feminine — active and receptive, power and love, strength and empathy. A ruler disconnected from the soul force — the virgin princess in the tower, the yin inside — becomes narcissistic and abusive. Power without love is abuse. Love without power is passivity. They were always meant to be together.Shiva-Shakti and Cocreation. The feminine-masculine dynamic isn't about gender — it's about listening before acting, being receptive to what the world is telling you before you move. Martin guides groups this way: 70% listening intuitively before he leads. The Shiva-Shakti principle is the composition of wisdom.Zipolite and the Living Dream. And then there's the place itself — the last bohemian village, a hillside above the Pacific where people have been living freely since the early 1970s. No rules, no structure, naked on the beach at night, no violence. LGBT community, hippies, artists, locals, expats, tourists — all coexisting. The New York Times writes about it every year. And into this, Martin has built a utopia. Not finished. Expanding. Buying land, building with stones so the iguanas keep their nests, preserving what's real before the commercial wave arrives.We close with Joseph Campbell's line — dreams are private myths, myths are collective dreams — and the question it raises: what is the shared dream we're missing right now? What would it look like to stop begging for meaning from the outside and start imposing a little vision on reality?This is that conversation.Chapter Timestamps0:00 Welcome Back to Mythic — Recording Live from Zipolite, Mexico01:00 Introducing Martin Bilodeau: Author, Social Psychologist, Tantric Guide02:00 Pachalegria: "I Created Boston" — On Being Recreated by a Place02:30 The Four Spiritual Emergencies as Ariadne's Thread03:00 First Emergency: Buddhism — Alexandra David-Néal and the Call of Tibet04:00 Consecrating to the Path: Two Hours of Meditation, Temple Visits, Annual Retreats05:00 Bringing the Dharma into Daily Life — The Real Challenge06:00 Bodhicitta: The Belief That Changes Everything07:00 Ego as Attachment and Aversion — vs. Compassion as a Way of Seeing08:00 "The Best Way to Feel Love Is to Love"09:00 Why It's an Emergency: 15 Years with Homeless and Addicted Youth10:00 Putting Love Back at the Center — The Heart vs. the Mind11:00 The Mind as Dissector; Love as Radical Return to Essence13:00 Om Mani Padme Hum: Compassion as the Ultimate Protection14:00 Tantra and the Body: The Body as Portal to the Present Moment16:00 We Were Never This Disconnected From Our Bodies17:00 Mexico as Sensual Reconnection — Sweat, Stone Walls, Fish from the Ocean19:00 The Tantra Workshop at Pachalegria: Movement, Community, Breath20:00 The Minotaur in the Labyrinth — Kundalini as Primal Life Force21:00 Ariadne's Love: What Guides Us Back to Our Own Power22:00 Freeing the Minotaur: The Primal Force Needs to Devour the Ego, Not the Self24:00 The Real Fear Is Not Powerlessness — It's Power25:00 Leaving the US: The Machinery of Fear and Division, Seen from the Outside26:00 Shame as a Tool of Control: From Invocators to Beggars for Salvation28:00 Capitalism Inherits the Shame Structure of Religion29:00 "Where Is the Adult?" — Outsourcing Dignity and the Crisis of Sovereignty30:00 The Father Archetype and the Dearth of Authentic Leadership31:00 The King and Queen Were Never Meant to Rule Alone — Mythology as Template32:00 The Knight and the Princess: The Soul as the Virgin in the Tower33:00 Power Without Love Is Abusive. Love Without Power Is Passive.34:00 The Mind Separate from the Ego — Tantra, Breath, and Reconnection35:00 Shiva-Shakti: Cocreation and the Art of Listening Before Acting36:00 Martin's Vision: Building a Utopia at Pachalegria37:00 Zipolite: The Last Bohemian Village38:00 Coexistence, Impermanence, and Preserving Authenticity39:00 Is There Anything We Haven't Covered? — We Need to Be Dreamers40:00 "Dreams Are Private Myths, Myths Are Collective Dreams" — Campbell40:30 Our True Mythology Is Caring, Loving, and Sharing — That's It41:00 Pachalegria as a Living Dream — and Our Responsibility to Keep DreamingResources & LinksPachalegria — Retreat & healing center, Zipolite, Mexico: pachalegria.comMartin Bilodeau — Awaken Your Inner Buddha: A Practical Guide to Modern Tantrism (French)Martin Bilodeau — Chronicles of an Urban Buddhist (French)Alexandra David-Néal — Explorer and writer; first Western woman to enter Lhasa, TibetChögyam Trungpa Rinpoche — Tibetan Buddhist teacher; founder of ShambhalaYogi Bhajan — Kundalini yoga lineageOsho — Mystic and teacherJoseph Campbell — The Hero with a Thousand FacesThe Minotaur myth — Daedalus, Theseus, Ariadne, and the labyrinthBodhicitta — The Buddhist teaching of awakening mind; compassion as the pathOm Mani Padme Hum — The mantra of compassion in Tibetan BuddhismShiva-Shakti — The divine masculine-feminine principle in TantrismAbout Martin BilodeauMartin Bilodeau is a Québécois author, speaker, and spiritual guide whose work bridges social psychology, Tibetan Buddhism, indigenous shamanism, and modern Tantrism. He spent nearly half his life in India, Asia, and traveling the world, and worked for nearly 15 years as an organizer for services supporting homeless, addicted, and delinquent youth. He is the bestselling author of Awaken Your Inner Buddha and Chronicles of an Urban Buddhist (both in French), and the founder of Pachalegria, a retreat and healing center in Zipolite, Mexico. He is also

Ep. 228 (Part 1 of 2) | In part 1 of our second What is Real Greatness Series podcast, Margaret Cullen, author of the newly published book Quiet Strength: Find Peace, Feel Alive, and Love Boundlessly Through the Power of Equanimity, explains there is far more power in the virtue of equanimity than we may have thought. Because equanimity is associated with non-reactivity, people often confuse it with a neutral sort of feeling, a dampener of emotions, when actually, equanimity allows us to expand our capacity to feel; it widens our tolerance and empowers us to be comfortable with change. “Equanimity is big enough to include our broken, despairing hearts,” Margaret says. “We can hold a vision of equanimity that is completely inclusive of the human experience.” Practicing equanimity allows us to deepen our love—for the world and for others—without becoming attached.Margaret shares practical ways we can access equanimity—ways we can achieve conceptual clarity or a “wedge of spaciousness” when a moment has been hijacked by out-of-control emotions; how we can learn to turn directly and fully to what is arising in the moment; and how we can unhook from reactivity by not taking things too personally. “How can we respond heroically to the times we live in?” co-host John Dupuy asks. Margaret shares what she has learned teaching military units and special forces to cultivate equanimity—equanimity can save lives—and describes a compassion cultivation training program that has been established for police officers in California. Takeaways from this discussion may have important, powerful, timely effects on your life—and all of our lives; as John put it, “Never before have we had such a need for the medicine Margaret brings us.” Recorded January 14, 2026.“How do we care about this world that is in so much trouble without feeling overwhelmed? The answer is equanimity.“Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1Introducing podcast #2 in our What is Real Greatness Series with Margaret Cullen, psychotherapist, meditation & compassion cultivation trainer, author of Quiet Strength: Find Peace, Feel Alive, and Love Boundlessly Through the Power of Equanimity (00:48)What is equanimity and how did Margaret begin to experience it? (03:07)Coming to understand we don't have control over the happiness of our loved ones (07:27)Finding a way to deepen our love without attachment (11:21) How can we respond heroically to the times we live in? (13:21)Equanimity is wisdom; wisdom is equanimity (17:16)Equanimity is big enough to include our broken, despairing hearts—we can hold a vision of equanimity that is completely inclusive of the human experience (18:11)Ways to access equanimity: perspective taking (22:12)Remembering the reality of impermanence (26:18)Unhooking from reactivity: Am I taking things too personally? (26:31)Cultivating equanimity in the military can make a huge difference—it can save lives (30:55)Compassion cultivation training program for police officers (32:51)The reframing technique & the power of turning directly to what is arising in the moment (37:31)Emotions are packed with important information for us; we gradually learn we can turn towards an emotion and survive it (38:28)Studies show that when subjected to provocative stimuli, practiced meditators actually feel more than other people (40:03)Resources & References – Part 1Margaret Cullen, Quiet Strength: Find Peace, Feel Alive, and Love Boundlessly Through the Power of EquanimityMargaret Cullen founded Compassion Corps, offering free compassion & mindfulness training to under-resourced communities around the world; co-developed Compassion Cultivation Training at Stanford University, and is a founding faculty of the Compassion InstituteChögyam Trungpa, preeminent teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, founded Naropa UniversitySharon Salzburg, co-founder of the Barre Insight Meditation SocietyDr. Dan Siegel's window of tolerance is described in ​​The Developing Mind: How Relationships and the Brain Interact to Shape Who We AreJoseph Goldstein, co-founder of the Barre Insight Meditation Society, on Deep Transformation: Living on the Spiritual EdgeAmishi Jha & Elizabeth Stanley, pioneers of bringing mindfulness into the militaryCourageous Heart, compassion cultivation training program for police officers in CaliforniaChief Ryan Johansen & former officer Chris Orrey on Deep Transformation: Enlightened Ways to Make Policing Work For EveryonePaul & Eve Ekman's Cultivating Emotional Balance trainingRichard Davidson & Daniel Goleman, Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and BodyJames Baraz on the Deep Transformation podcast: Awakening Joy---Margaret Cullen, a Licensed Psychotherapist (MFT), has been at the cutting edge of translating contemplative trainings into universal and accessible formats in mainstream settings ranging from elite military to maximum security prisons. She was one of the first certified Teachers of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR); is the founder of Mindfulness-Based Emotional Balance; and is co-developer of Compassion Cultivation Training at the Stanford School of Medicine (with Thupten Jinpa). Margaret also co-developed Mindfulness Based Attention Training for military spouses with neuroscientist Amishi Jha at the University of Miami, and is the founder of Compassion Corps, offering free compassion and mindfulness programs to under-resourced communities around the world. Margaret is a Fellow of the Mind & Life Institute.---Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell

Learners in Tibetan Buddhism at the Bodhisattva Institute in Tucson share stories of overcoming negativity through positive coping skills.

What do you think of when you think of meditation? Many people think of meditation as only sitting still and clearing your mind, but in reality, mindfulness can happen through movement, sound, and attention. And for a lot of people, the outdoors might be the most natural place to experience it.In episode 216 of the Outdoor Minimalist podcast, we're exploring the idea that hiking, walking, and spending time outside can become a form of meditation, and why nature often makes it easier for us to slow down.Today's guest is Brian Berneman. With a background in neuroscience and more than 15 years of experience teaching and practicing yoga, meditation, mindfulness, and other healing modalities, Brian blends modern scientific understanding with ancient wisdom to help people cultivate healthier, more intentional lives. He has taught hundreds of workshops around the world, empowering people from all walks of life to realize their full potential and live more meaningful, less stressful lives.Brian also spent two years studying Tibetan Buddhism, yoga, and meditation through the teachings of Tibetan Lama Tarthang Tulku at the Ratna Ling Retreat Center. He's also the co-founder of Conscious Action, a global movement encouraging intentional living, and You Being You, a platform offering practical lifelong wellbeing pathways for heart-centered, conscious living.Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalistBuy Me a Coffee: ⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/outdoorminimalist⁠⁠⁠Listener Survey: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/jd8UCN2LL3AQst976⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠------------------Brian Berneman: https://www.brianberneman.com/

A reading for meditation of the teaching 'A dear Treasure for Destined Disciples' by Dudjom Rinpoche.Dudjom Rinpoche (1904–1987) was one of the most revered masters of Tibetan Buddhism and a major lineage holder of the Nyingma tradition. Renowned as a scholar, poet, and realized yogi, he spent his life preserving and transmitting the profound teachings of Dzogchen and the treasure traditions (terma).Dudjom Rinpoche's writings and teachings emphasize the direct recognition of the nature of mind—pure awareness that is naturally free, luminous, and ever-present. With remarkable clarity, he pointed practitioners beyond conceptual elaboration toward immediate realization, often expressing that liberation is not something newly created but the unveiling of what has always been present.Through his compassionate guidance, literary works, and spiritual presence, Dudjom Rinpoche inspired countless practitioners to recognize the innate purity and awakened nature of their own mind. His legacy continues to illuminate the path of awakening for students around the world._______________________________

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) This talk shares a teaching from the great 10th Century Tibetan master, Tilopa. Tilopa and his succession of Dharma heirs formed the core of the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. He passed his teachings on to Naropa, whose student Marpa transmitted them to Milarepa, who then gave transmission to Gampopa. Tilopa's teaching is summed up in his timeless "Six Words Of Advice" which are instructions on how to stay connected to the present moment. These instructions are explored in this talk.

(Insight Meditation Community of Berkeley) This talk shares a teaching from the great 10th Century Tibetan master, Tilopa. Tilopa and his succession of Dharma heirs formed the core of the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. He passed his teachings on to Naropa, whose student Marpa transmitted them to Milarepa, who then gave transmission to Gampopa. Tilopa's teaching is summed up in his timeless "Six Words Of Advice" which are instructions on how to stay connected to the present moment. These instructions are explored in this talk.

This is an extended version of the previously uploaded recording of the Bon pointers (Remain Like the Sky). It allows for more spaces between each profound pointing and thus offers a longer and potentially deeper meditation.Excerpts have been taken from the text 'Masters of the Zhang Zhung Nyendyud' - the Experiential Transmission of Bönpo Dzogchen. The text contains the heart teachings of ancient Bönpo Dzogchen Masters, translated and commented on by Yongdzin Lopön Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, the current holder of this unique lineage.The Yungdrung Bön (Bön) Lineage tradition is one of the oldest indigenous spiritual traditions in the world. Originating in Central Asia with Tongpa Shenrap Miwoche (considered by tradition to be a full Buddha), the Bön Lineage teachings have been transmitted unbroken from teacher to student for over 17,000 years. This profound and uninterrupted transmission through generations has ensured the preservation and vitality of the Bön tradition, teachings and practices across millennia.Often referred to as Tibetan Bön Buddhism, Bön Lineage teachings share many similarities with Tibetan Buddhism yet maintain unique traditions, texts, rituals and practices intent on cultivating openness of heart, purification of obscurations and direct realisation of primordial awareness.

We cling to things as if they won't change, but change is the nature of reality. When we embrace impermanence, we prepare ourselves for changes (big or small). In this episode, we explore how to embrace impermanence in order to let go of fear and anxiety. This way we can become fully present to those around us and more appreciative of life's fleeting pleasures.Episode 9: Embracing ImpermanenceThemes:Accepting changeBecoming presentHow to enjoy lifeBuddhist philosophyThe hero's journeyLetting go of fearWatch the episode on our YouTube channelIf you'd like to practice with others and bring these ideas into your life, join our weekly meditation community with Scott.

Vonetta Rain is a mystic, healer, mother, and cultural visionary who connects ancient wisdom with modern leadership. A graduate of Cornell University in Cultural Anthropology, her spiritual awakening started at sixteen with a prophetic dream that sparked a lifelong dedication to truth and transformation.From fieldwork in Kenya to initiations in Kriya Yoga, Tibetan Buddhism, Amazonian Shamanism, and Tantric Feminine Leadership, Vonetta has walked a path rooted in deep spiritual exploration. She founded a Mystery School in 2015, providing soul-centered mentorship and initiatory trainings for seekers of divine embodiment and sacred leadership.Before she answered her calling to healing, Vonetta rose to prominence in the design world as a self-taught artist, earning an Emmy and multiple industry awards for her creative work on campaigns for the Super Bowl, Olympics, and Fortune 500 brands. Yet, her soul yearned for more.Since 2012, she has led over 800 retreats worldwide, helping thousands—including CEOs, doctors, therapists, and creatives—transform trauma into joy and purpose. Her teachings blend stillness, plant medicine, energy mastery, and sacred ritual to awaken inner wisdom.She is the co-founder of The New Dawn Institute for Peace and Harmony and author of The Shaman's Apprentice: A Memoir, a luminous testament to healing, freedom, and planetary unity.Unlocking Humanity with Ancient Knowledge Hosted by John Edmonds Kozma Unimpressed Podcast offers a groundbreaking look into consciousness, ancient wisdom, and the nonconscious aspects of humanity via the Quantum Field. Hosted by John Edmonds Kozma, CEO of Bang Productions and a seasoned entertainment industry veteran with extensive experience, each episode delves deeper than typical discussions to reveal profound insights about reality, spirituality, and human potential. He has been likened to Albert Einstein for his innovative reasoning. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Continuing their discussion on Tibetan Buddhism and Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's lineage, David Silver and Raghu Markus chat about carrying forward the wisdom of great masters.Check out part 1 of this conversation on Ep. 627 of the Mindrolling Podcast and grab a copy of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's memoirs, Blazing Splendor, for a deeper look into his magnificent life. In this episode, Raghu and David chat about:Being guided toward unconditional love, selflessness, and devotion to the Divine MotherThe role of lineage holders and treasure revealers in Tibetan BuddhismTulku Urgyen's unique style of teachingDeep humility as an essential spiritual practiceHow ‘being here now' becomes a gateway to embodied wisdomReleasing skepticism and misunderstanding around the concept of a guruHonoring great spiritual masters and transmitting their wisdom across generationsThe powerful film, Tibet: Cry of the Snow LionReaching a state of deathlessness and timeless awarenessStarting our day with compassion for ourselves and others“As soon as I wake up in the morning, I remind myself that nothing exists as it appears. Then I think about sentient beings who want happiness, but experience suffering. I generate compassion for them, determined to help them as much as I can to eliminate their negative emotions.” –The Dalai LamaAbout David Silver:David Silver is the former co-host of the Mindrolling podcast. He is a filmmaker and director, most recently coming out with Brilliant Disguise. Brilliant Disguise tells the unique story of a group of inspired Western spiritual seekers from the 60s, who in meeting the great American teacher, Ram Dass, followed him to India to meet his Guru, Neem Karoli Baba, familiarly known as Maharaj-ji. Two days before he left his body, Maharaj-ji instructed K.C. Tewari to take care of the Westerners, which he did resolutely until the day he died in 1997. Silver's #1 charting MGM/UA/Warners film, “The Compleat Beatles” is the critically acclaimed biopic movie about history's most famous band. The term ‘rockumentary' was first applied to this two-hour movie. Rolling Stone recently described the film as a “masterwork.” Silver's Warner Brothers' feature film, “No Nukes” also started the whole trend of music/activism feature documentaries.“‘Be Here Now' is not only Ram Dass's precept of just be in the present, it's saying, ‘Be here now, and you're everywhere. Be here now, and you're in wisdom.' If you're not here now, you're veering away from wisdom.” — David SilverSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode I am once again joined by Victor Shiryaev a teacher of Buddhist and modern meditation and somatic practices. Victor traces a contemplative history of modern Russia from the days of the esotericism and Orientalism of the Russian Empire, through the religious restrictions of the Soviet Union, the New Age spiritual fervour of the 1990s, and the Westernisation of recent times. Victor considers whether Russia was a mission field for spiritual groups such as the Diamond Way, details the different Buddhist sects active in the country, describes how meditation is viewed in Russian culture today, and reflects on the relationship between globalist Buddhist sects and heritage Buddhist groups of the region. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep350-contemplative-history-of-modern-russia-victor-shiryaev-2 Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'.
 … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:49 - Why a contemplative history of modern Russia? 05:49 - Russian interest in the East and esotericism 07:54 - Buddhist regions of Russia 08:39 - Catherine the Great and empire 10:08 - Persecution of religion under the Soviet Union 11:14 - New Age and spiritual revival in the 1990s 15:22 - Current scene 16:30 - Westernised spirituality in Russia 21:58 - The self publishing movement 23:32 - How the scene became Westernised 27:12 - Shambala and post-Soviet Russia as a mission field 36:21 - Tibetan Buddhism in Russia today 39:40 - Other Buddhist and mindfulness groups in Russia 41:43 - Vipassana and the lack of a retreat scene 45:41 - Heritage Buddhists vs the new Buddhists 56:21 - Russian esotericism and the Soviet Union 01:04:41 - How is meditation viewed in Russia today? 01:12:06 - Modern mindfulness in Russia 01:13:00 - Russian Orthodox Christianity and the future of Buddhism in Russia Previous episode with Victor Shiryaev: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=shiryaev To find out more about Victor Shiryaev, visit: - https://victorshiryaev.co/ … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

Send a textIn this episode, we explore the life and work of Tim Johnson, one of Australia's most distinctive contemporary artists. Known for blending Western art history, Indigenous knowledge systems, and spiritual iconography, Johnson's practice spans decades of experimentation, collaboration, and cultural exchange.We discuss Johnson's role in co-founding Inhibodress in the early 1970s, widely recognised as Australia's first artist-run initiative. Established in Sydney, Inhibodress became a catalyst for experimental contemporary art, giving artists control over how and where their work was shown. It marked a turning point in Australia's independent art scene and set the stage for Johnson's boundary-pushing career.Johnson's spiritual curiosity led him to engage deeply with Tibetan Buddhism, including meeting Dalai Lama. This encounter reinforced themes already present in his work, compassion, interconnectedness, cosmology, and sacred symbolism—which continue to appear in his layered, richly referential paintings.Johnson's international reach saw him exhibit alongside renowned German painter Gerhard Richter, positioning his work within a global contemporary art dialogue. These exhibitions highlighted the intellectual and aesthetic strength of Johnson's cross-cultural visual language.A pivotal moment in Johnson's life was his close friendship and collaboration with Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, a leading figure of the Western Desert art movement. Johnson was given a skin name, a profound cultural gesture reflecting kinship and responsibility, signifying trust, respect, and long-term collaboration between the two artists. This relationship deeply informed Johnson's engagement with Indigenous knowledge systems and Country.Thanks Tim. We hope you enjoy this episode. 

In this episode I am once again joined by Alex W, long term practitioner of Zen, Pragmatic Dharma, and Western Occultism. Alex takes a deep dive into the world of magick to compare esoteric systems from around the world including Western Occultism, Tibetan Buddhism, Indian Tantric and Goddess systems, Santeria and more. Alex gives a history of the development of Western Occultism, exploring the Egyptian mysteries, Neoplatonism, Catholic mysticism, Kabbalah, Shi'ism, Wicca, the Golden Dawn, Thelema, Chaos Magic and beyond. Alex discusses esoteric techniques such spellcraft, opening the psychic senses, working with entities, mantra, yantra, alchemy, astrology, and divination. He considers the tension between natural talent and practiced skill, reviews strategies for protection against curses and entity oppression, and recounts his own path as a practitioner of the occult. … Full episode: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep349-deep-dive-into-magick-alex-w Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'.
 … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:09 - History of magick 06:08 - Christianity as a reinterpretation of Egyptian mysteries of Osiris 06:40 - Syncretism of the Golden Dawn 08:48 - Thelema 09:50 - English vs French magick 11:10 - Wicca 12:55 - Chaos Magic 16:04 - Belief and manifestation 19:26 - Theory vs practice 20:52 - Neoplatonism 22:54 - Kabbalah 29:09 - Shi'ism, Sufism, and the Church fathers 30:42 - Renaissance 32:36 - Not superstition? 33:53 - Alex's magick path 35:32 - Training under Alan Chapman 38:21 - Scrying and the Holy Guardian Angel 40:10 - What is the HGA? 46:04 - The real initiation of Western Occultism 47:37 - Santeria and spirits 51:16- Exploring the Renaissance grimoires 54:56 - Catholic mysticism, angels, and saints 56:25 - Spellcraft 57:25 - Hinduism and Buddhist magick 01:03:33 - Mantra 01:07:29 - Yantras and Indo-European astrology 01:10:15 - Tantra as a ritual process to effect change and invoke spirits 01:11:34 - Ramnath Aghori Baba  01:12:51 - How Goddess traditions work 01:19:13 - Initiated by Kālī and the Dark Feminine 01:25:21 - Opening the psychic senses 01:27:19 - Kālī, Chinnamastā, and the Dark Feminine 01:30:41 - Hecate 01:33:10 - Dark spirits, ḍākinīs, and the 64 yogis 01:37:19 - Network of friends 01:41:06 - Past lives 01:42:38 - Astrology 01:46:12 - Which practice is right for you? 01:47:42 - Alchemy 01:48:46 - Why practice magick? 01:53:14 - Divination and protection against curses 01:54:28 - 3 magickal self defence methods 02:02:10 - How common are curses? 02:05:26 - Why seek the Western Tradition? 02:12:08 - Indian vs Tibetan tantra 02:15:29 - Is magick well understood? 02:20:34 - Talent, lineage, and technique 02:22:44 - Crowley's birthchart 02:27:32 - Alan & Duncan's relationship 02:29:08 - Dangers 02:35:089 - Spiritual psychosis 02:37:50 - Devotion … Previous episodes with Alex W: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=alex For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

This guided meditation takes us through different ways of observing the mind, first examining its ever-present parts: perception, feeling, will, and awareness. Then we explore the nature of subjective reality itself by asking what is the mind without thoughts? Where is the space of our consciousness? And, how finely can we slice moments of consciousness? Do we ever arrive at a quantum of consciousness?Episode 7. Guided Meditation: What Is the Mind?Themes:Watching your thoughtsFree willWhat is consciousnessFinding peaceMind-body connectionBuddhist philosophyCultivating joyWatch the episode on our YouTube channelIf you'd like to practice with others and bring these ideas into your life, join our weekly meditation community with Scott.

Jason McDonald is an artist currently based in Melbourne, Australia.He completed his BA (Hons) Graphic Design 1995. Since then he has lived and worked in London, Singapore, Bangkok and Melbourne.McDonald has undertaken advanced studies in consciousness, including practitioner accreditation in energetic field work, research grade brainwave state monitoring in the field of neuroscience, Meditation Teacher training and extensive education and practices in Tibetan Buddhism, Korean Buddhism,Anthroposophy, Esoteric creativity and other wisdom traditions.He is also deeply informed by over 20 years of meditative & spiritual practice.His work deals with consciousness, transcendence and beauty and is at the frontier of synthesizing and anchoring energy, aesthetics, inspiration and the way in which spirit moves through art as a resource for growth and evolution.https://www.jasonwmcdonald.com/Follow Martin Benson for more insights:*To stay updated on the podcast and related content, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠my websitewww.martinLbenson.com*To support the show and access exclusive content, consider subscribing for $0.99/month on Instagram (link available from website).Credits: Special thanks to Matthew Blankenship of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Sometimes Island⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for our podcast theme music!Support this podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/martin-l-benson/support⁠⁠⁠⁠

In Part 2 of our conversation with Sofia May, she continues sharing her experiences connected to Tara Mandala and the community around lama Tsultrim Allione. We get into the messy, nuanced territory where Buddhist teachings, spiritual leadership, and real-world power dynamics intersect. We explore what draws people to Tibetan Buddhist communities and retreat centers in the first place, and how things can get complicated when reverence, hierarchy, and human behavior collide. Sofia shared her perspective on navigating doubt, loyalty, and disillusionment, and what happens when your spiritual home starts raising hard questions instead of providing easy answers.We also zoom out to look at broader patterns across guru-centered and high-demand spiritual communities, including teacher-student dynamics, accountability gaps, community pressure, and spiritual bypassing. This conversation isn't about flattening every Buddhist or Tara Mandala experience into one story, but about building discernment, consent, and self-trust when engaging with any spiritual teacher or organization. If you've ever wrestled with concerns about a spiritual leader or practice community, this one's for you.Be sure to check out the article in Guru Magazine in which Sofia May first shares her Tara Mandala experience, and follow her comedy journey on Instagram or TikTok @sofiamaycomedy.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of child and sexual abuse, coercive influence, and religious/spiritual trauma.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody's mad at you, just don't be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin' fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gayathri Narayanan is the founder of Myndtree and a contemplative guide whose work centers on integrating deep inner inquiry with the realities of modern life. With more than three decades of sustained practice and study, she brings together the wisdom of the Narayana Guru lineage, as transmitted through her own Guru, Nitya Chaitanya Yati, with secular mindfulness and lived inquiry. Her grounding lies in Advaita Vedanta and Yoga, supported by long-term study of classical texts including the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, and key works of Narayana Guru such as Ātmopadeśa Śatakam and Darśanamālā. Over time, her path expanded to include sustained study and practice in Buddhist traditions, with particular depth in Theravada teachings through close study with Gil Fronsdal, as well as engagement with Zen through teachings with Reb Anderson. More recently, she has begun studying Tibetan Buddhism with Anam Thubten.https://www.myndtree.org/

If the mind is our thoughts, then what is it that observes those thoughts? What are we without thoughts? Do we ever truly see an object, or only its mental reconstruction? Though we are all convinced that we have one, science has no agreed definition for consciousness or mind. Even subjectively, the mind is elusive, difficult to pin to any specific mental experience.Episode 6. What Is the Mind?Themes:Body-mind dualityInterdependenceConsciousnessNoticing your thoughtsHow to be presentThe mind's 4 mental factorsPsychologyWatch this episode on our YouTube channelIf you'd like to practice with others and bring these ideas into your life, join our weekly meditation community with Scott.

In Part 1 of this conversation with stand-up comedian and former Tara Mandala practitioner Sofia May, she joins us to talk about how a beautiful Tibetan Buddhist retreat center in the Colorado mountains—founded by western author lama Tsultrim Allione—slowly revealed a deeply culty underbelly beneath the goddess imagery and tantric empowerment language. Sofia traces her path from sincere Buddhist seeker to close student of lama Tsultrim inside Tara Mandala's residential community. She describes the powerful draw of the center's practices, trauma‑informed branding, and female‑centered spirituality, and how all that coexisted with secrecy, hierarchy, and a guru culture where doubt was pathologized and obedience was framed as devotion.We also get into the day‑to‑day dynamics at Tara Mandala—unpaid or underpaid labor justified as spiritual service, pressure to attend costly retreats and trainings, complex power plays in teacher–student relationships, and how survivors are now comparing notes about gaslighting, spiritual bypassing, and psychological harm in a place that promised healing above all. You'll want to read the article in Guru Magazine in which Sofia May first shared her experience, and stay tuned for Part 2.And be sure to follow Sofia May's comedy journey on Instagram or TikTok @sofiamaycomedy.Trigger warning: This episode contains frank discussion of sexual abuse and violence, spiritual and psychological abuse, financial and labor exploitation misogyny and boundary violations, and trauma.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody's mad at you, just don't be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin' fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, I am joined by Dr Christopher “Hareesh” Wallis, a Sanskritist and scholar-practitioner of Classical Tantra. Christopher recounts his unusual upbringing, early meetings with Osho and Muktananda, early shaktipat experiences, and powerful spiritual awakenings. Christopher traces his educational journey under professors such as Douglas Brooks and Alexis G. J. S. Sanderson, offers his opinions about optimal pedagogy for Sanskrit language study, and questions lineage claims made in Tibetan Buddhism. Christopher also considers the tension between religious faith and academic skepticism, explains why he thinks it is possible to receive spiritual benefit from corrupt gurus, and descries why he believes spiritual awakening leads to a deep trust in the unfolding of life. … Video version: www.guruviking.com Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:57 - An unusual family of origin 03:28 - Mother's conversion to Hinduism 03:50 - Meeting Osho and Swami Muktananda 05:17 - Awakening experience at 16 years old 05:55 - Attraction to Tantric Shaivism 07:35 - Academic training and intellectual infatuation 09:00 - Multiple teachers 10:13 - Seeing through intellectual ego 12:57 - Teenage rebellion and psychedelics 14:44 - Love of sci fi and fantasy 17:05 - Siddha yoga shaktipat 18:33 - Gurumayi Chidvilasananda 20:33 - Heart opening shaktipat 24:01 - Saint or psychopath? 28:26 - The guru's shadow 30:18 - Transmission from a disgraced guru 32:25 - No single objective reality 35:32 - No doubts despite guru's flaws 38:18 - Has Christopher missed the point? 39:53 - Parsing subjective certainty 41:55 - A belief but not really 43:21 - Innate intelligence and trusting the unfolding of life 46:50 - Harmonising with the pattern 50:17 - Don't pretend to be more enlightened that you are 51:56 - The same awakening as the Buddha's 54:22 - Waking up out of your tradition 55:32 - Agnosticism about reincarnation 57:29 - BA at Rochester 01:00:53 - Alexis G. J. S. Sanderson 01:05:40 - Great professors at Rochester 01:08:22 - Learning Sanskrit 01:11:12 - Art of translation 01:13:27 - Sanskrit pedagogy 01:16:42 - Christopher's approach to teaching Sanskrit 01:21:19 - Why learn Sanskrit? 01:24:10 - Parallel primer method 01:26:06 - Does academia ruin religious faith? 01:30:39 - Mantra disillusionment 01:34:40 - Disillusionment with saints and siddhas 01:38:10 - Religious professors 01:39:13 - Debunking tantric lineage claims 01:42:05 - Did Tibetan Buddhists fabricated their lineages? 01:43:10 - Tantric Shaivism as a living tradition 01:46:16 - Is Christopher a lineage holder? 01:48:04 - Critique of lineage holders and lamas … To find our more about Dr Wallis visit: - https://hareesh.org/ For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

“It is not more surprising to be born twice than once,” Voltaire once said. In this episode we contemplate the miracle of existing at all, from our place at the end of our universe's 14 billion years' evolution to the simple joy of another 24 hours alive that Thich Nhat Hanh describes.Episode 4: The Preciousness of Life from Cosmos to the KardashiansIn this talk Scott explores:How to appreciate life moreWhy money can't buy you happinessHow to find satisfaction and meaning in your lifeHow to stop worryingWhy meditation is so powerfulHow to become self-awareWatch this episode as a YouTube videoIf you'd like to practice with others and bring these ideas into your life, join our weekly meditation community with Scott.