Podcasts about western buddhist

This episode is a live recording from a recent SAND Community Gathering (April 2025) facilitated by Jungwon Kim. Join Buddhist scholars and activists Rev. Duncan Ryūken Williams, Ph.D. and Funie Hsu/Chhî, Ph.D. for an illuminating dialogue exploring the intersection of Buddhist practice and social transformation. This conversation weaves together Buddhism, remembrance, healing, and liberation, examining how the dharma offers both a path to personal awakening and Social-Spiritual Liberation. Our guests shared how Buddhist teachings help transform grief into connection, particularly in response to racially motivated violence against Asian American communities. The conversation challenged conventional Western Buddhist approaches to Secularization and Individual Awakening. Duncan Ryuken Williams is a Professor of Religion and the Director of the Shinso Ito Center for Japanese Religions and Culture at the University of Southern California; previously, Chairman of Japanese Buddhism at UC Berkeley, Director of Berkeley's Center for Japanese Studies, and Buddhist chaplain at Harvard University where he received his Ph.D. An ordained priest since 1993 in the Soto Zen tradition, he received Dharma transmission in 2024 at Kotakuji Temple, Japan. His latest book, American Sutra: A Story of Faith and Freedom in the Second World War, an LA Times bestseller, won the 2022 Grawemeyer Religion Award. He also wrote The Other Side of Zen . Funie Hsu/Chhî, Ph.D. is a transdisciplinary scholar from a working class, Taiwanese-American family, raised in a Taiwanese Humanistic Buddhist tradition. Her work melds American, Asian-American, Buddhist, and Taiwan Studies. Currently Associate Professor of American Studies at San Jose State University, she received a Ph.D. in Education with an emphasis in Women, Gender, and Sexuality from UC Berkeley. Aspects of her work explore issues of language, education and colonialism. She is a co-organizer of May We Gather, a national Buddhist memorial ceremony for Asian American ancestors and a former Board Member of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship where she advocated for the recognition of Asian American heritage Buddhist communities in the organization and beyond. Jungwon Kim is an award-winning writer and cultural worker. She is also a communications leader, organizational strategy consultant, and journalist who has dedicated her professional life to human rights and environmental advocacy. As Head of Creative & Editorial at the Rainforest Alliance, she directed a multimedia team of writers, videographers, and graphic designers. Earlier in her career, she served as the editor of Amnesty International USA's human rights quarterly that featured the work of award-winning journalists and documentary photographers (circulation 300,000). She began her storytelling career as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, and on-air correspondent for nationally syndicated public radio programs. Topics 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:41 Introducing the Conversation Topic 01:36 Meet Jungwon Kim 03:20 Introducing the Guests: Funie Hsu/Chhî, and Duncan Ryuken Williams 06:30 Funie Hsu/Chhî's Path to Buddhism 10:19 Duncan Ryuken Williams' Path to Buddhism 13:02 Buddhism as a Cultural Ecosystem 22:16 May We Gather: A Collective Healing Initiative 32:42 Decolonizing Buddhist Practice 37:07 Lessons from Japanese American Buddhists 44:48 Bridging the Gap in American Buddhism 58:02 Concluding Thoughts and Reflections Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

(Insight San Diego) Wise speech is an integral part of the traditional Buddhist path of awakening and a powerful way to energize our daily life practice, but is often underdeveloped in Western Buddhist practice. We'll look in a very practical way at three aspects of wise speech: (1) developing presence in the midst of communication; (2) working with the four guidelines for skillful speech developed by the Buddha; and (3) becoming more mindful of and skillful with thoughts and emotions occurring during communication. For each of the foundations, a number of ways of practicing are offered. The talk is followed by discussion.

(Insight San Diego) Wise speech is an integral part of the traditional Buddhist path of awakening and a powerful way to energize our daily life practice, but is often underdeveloped in Western Buddhist practice. We'll look in a very practical way at three aspects of wise speech: (1) developing presence in the midst of communication; (2) working with the four guidelines for skillful speech developed by the Buddha; and (3) becoming more mindful of and skillful with thoughts and emotions occurring during communication. For each of the foundations, a number of ways of practicing are offered. The talk is followed by discussion.

Chandra Easton is a senior Dharma teacher, author, and translator of Tibetan Buddhist texts. She is well renowned for her efforts to elevate the empowered feminine in Buddhism. Chandra has a deep lineage of study under the guidance of prominent Tibetan and Western Buddhist teachers, beginning her journey in Buddhist practice at the age of four. She's spent decades bridging traditional Tibetan teachings with a modern approach, making profound wisdom practices accessible and relevant for today's world. We spoke together live at Esalen this fall where we explored her latest book, "Embodying Tara: Twenty-One Manifestations to Awaken Your Innate Wisdom", diving deep into themes of ego, suffering, and the transformative practice known as 'Feed Your Demons.'

In this episode, filmed on location in Boudhanath, Kathmandu, I am joined by Naljorma Tsül'dzin, an internationally acclaimed performance artist and ordained apprentice in the Aro gTer sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Tsül'dzin recalls her childhood in rural Ireland, early cultural and occult explorations, substance abuse and recovery, and her international career as a performance artist under the name “Kira O'Reilly”. Tsül'dzin traces her history with the Aro gTer sect of Tibetan Buddhism, from first encounter to full ordination, reveals her religious robes and the reactions they provoke, and explains her ongoing fascination with the Great Stupa in Kathmandu. Tsül'dzin also considers the intersection of art and religious expression, the tension between practice and performance, ritual and spectacle, and reflects on her long-standing work with Serbian conceptual and performance artist Marina Abramović. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep264-vajrayana-performance-art-naljorma-tsldzin Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:04 - Inspiring example of Jomo Samphel Dechen Rinpoche 06:30 - Working with body and physicality as a practitioner 09:34 - Childhood in Catholic rural Ireland 11:55 - The 80s goth scene 12:43 - Linda Montano's insight on Tsül'dzin and subcultures 14:07 - Occult explorations 15:09 - Substance abuse and entering recovery 16:29 - Studying fine art at university 17:36 - Encountering the Aro gTer Buddhist sect 20:22 - Group practice format in the Aro gTer 22:44 - Attraction to the Aro gTer 23:37 - Internationally acclaimed performance art career 29:08 - Deepening Buddhist practice 30:47 - Ordination and Kathmandu 31:28 - Performance art and religious ritual 32:50 - Meeting Marina Abramović 35:25 - The Golden Bough and ritual as performance art 36:16 - Working with Marina Abramović 37:50 - Performing at Marina Abramović' recent London retrospective at the Royal Academy of Art 39:16 - West/East influence 41:34 - Marina Abramović as a teacher 43:45 - Wearing religious robes 44:48 - Conversations arising from wearing robes in public 47:08 - Explaining the colour scheme 49:56 - Robes and participation 53:00 - Fasting and preparing for the 12-day Royal Academy performance 57:41 - Street Dog Care 58:43 - Reflecting on spiritual experiences 01:00:20 - Time and space 01:02:27 - Why spend so much time in Boudha? 01:06:22 - Practice vs spectacle 01:07:15 - Prostrations 01:08:08 - Art and the Aro gTer 01:09:44 - Secular vs religious art 01:12:04 - Disappointment with Western Buddhist art 01:14:08 - Recommendations for when visiting Boudha 01:14:36 - How to have impromptu conversations … Boudhanath Interviews playlist: - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlkzlKFgdknwvU82dU487LhF_mF4AkGek&si=gFGJpi-fnLtxeyZ5 
… To find our more about Naljorma Tsül'dzin, visit: - https://www.instagram.com/naljormatsuldzin/ - https://www.kiraoreilly.com/ … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

Tibetan Magic: Past and Present (Bloomsbury, 2024) focuses on the theme of magic in Tibetan contexts, encompassing both pre-modern and modern text-cultures as well as contemporary practices. It offers a new understanding of the identity and role of magical specialists in both historical and contemporary contexts.  Combining the theoretical approaches of anthropology, ethnography, religious and textual studies, the book aims to shed light on experiences, practices and practitioners that have been frequently marginalized by the normative mainstream monastic Buddhist traditions and Western Buddhist scholarship, which focuses primarily on meditation and philosophy. The book explores the intersection between magic/folk practices and Tantra, a complex, socio-religious phenomenon associated not only with the religious and political elites who sponsored it, but also with 'marginal' ethnic groups and social milieus, as well as with lay communities at large, who resorted to ritual agents to fulfil their worldly needs. Cameron Bailey received his DPhil in Tibetan Studies from Oxford and is former assistant professor of Indian Philosophy at Dongguk University, Seoul. Aleksandra Wenta received her DPhil in Tibetan Studies from Oxford, and is Associate Professor in Indology and Tibetology at the University of Florence, Italy. 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

Tibetan Magic: Past and Present (Bloomsbury, 2024) focuses on the theme of magic in Tibetan contexts, encompassing both pre-modern and modern text-cultures as well as contemporary practices. It offers a new understanding of the identity and role of magical specialists in both historical and contemporary contexts.  Combining the theoretical approaches of anthropology, ethnography, religious and textual studies, the book aims to shed light on experiences, practices and practitioners that have been frequently marginalized by the normative mainstream monastic Buddhist traditions and Western Buddhist scholarship, which focuses primarily on meditation and philosophy. The book explores the intersection between magic/folk practices and Tantra, a complex, socio-religious phenomenon associated not only with the religious and political elites who sponsored it, but also with 'marginal' ethnic groups and social milieus, as well as with lay communities at large, who resorted to ritual agents to fulfil their worldly needs. Cameron Bailey received his DPhil in Tibetan Studies from Oxford and is former assistant professor of Indian Philosophy at Dongguk University, Seoul. Aleksandra Wenta received her DPhil in Tibetan Studies from Oxford, and is Associate Professor in Indology and Tibetology at the University of Florence, Italy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/anthropology

Tibetan Magic: Past and Present (Bloomsbury, 2024) focuses on the theme of magic in Tibetan contexts, encompassing both pre-modern and modern text-cultures as well as contemporary practices. It offers a new understanding of the identity and role of magical specialists in both historical and contemporary contexts.  Combining the theoretical approaches of anthropology, ethnography, religious and textual studies, the book aims to shed light on experiences, practices and practitioners that have been frequently marginalized by the normative mainstream monastic Buddhist traditions and Western Buddhist scholarship, which focuses primarily on meditation and philosophy. The book explores the intersection between magic/folk practices and Tantra, a complex, socio-religious phenomenon associated not only with the religious and political elites who sponsored it, but also with 'marginal' ethnic groups and social milieus, as well as with lay communities at large, who resorted to ritual agents to fulfil their worldly needs. Cameron Bailey received his DPhil in Tibetan Studies from Oxford and is former assistant professor of Indian Philosophy at Dongguk University, Seoul. Aleksandra Wenta received her DPhil in Tibetan Studies from Oxford, and is Associate Professor in Indology and Tibetology at the University of Florence, Italy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/buddhist-studies

Tibetan Magic: Past and Present (Bloomsbury, 2024) focuses on the theme of magic in Tibetan contexts, encompassing both pre-modern and modern text-cultures as well as contemporary practices. It offers a new understanding of the identity and role of magical specialists in both historical and contemporary contexts.  Combining the theoretical approaches of anthropology, ethnography, religious and textual studies, the book aims to shed light on experiences, practices and practitioners that have been frequently marginalized by the normative mainstream monastic Buddhist traditions and Western Buddhist scholarship, which focuses primarily on meditation and philosophy. The book explores the intersection between magic/folk practices and Tantra, a complex, socio-religious phenomenon associated not only with the religious and political elites who sponsored it, but also with 'marginal' ethnic groups and social milieus, as well as with lay communities at large, who resorted to ritual agents to fulfil their worldly needs. Cameron Bailey received his DPhil in Tibetan Studies from Oxford and is former assistant professor of Indian Philosophy at Dongguk University, Seoul. Aleksandra Wenta received her DPhil in Tibetan Studies from Oxford, and is Associate Professor in Indology and Tibetology at the University of Florence, Italy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/religion

In this interview I am once again joined by Dr Ben Joffe, anthropologist and scholar practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. Dr Joffe begins an interview series on demonology with a discussion about the spirit ontology of Tibet and the Himalayas. Dr Joffe explores the pre-Buddhist frameworks of relating to spirits and considers the degrees to which the arrival of Buddhism in Tibet erased, modified, or even incorporated those frameworks. Dr Joffe explains the unique methods of spirit domination, missionary geomancy, and other shamanism found in Buddhist Tantra and how these means were used to establish Buddhism in Tibet. Dr Joffe also discusses the inevitability of spirit contact for Tantric practitioners, what to do about predatory demons, the misunderstandings of Buddhist converts about the paranormal, and recalls his own stressful experiences with the spirit world. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep258-demonology-of-tibet-dr-ben-joffe Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'. … Topics Include: 00:00 - Intro 01:06 - 3 part demonology 03:31 - Interaction with imported Indian cosmology 04:32 - A scholarly caveat 05:47 - Pre-Buddhist Tibetan entity and spirit frameworks 10:16 - Land spirits 12:23 - Drawbacks of secularisation and psychologising of Buddhism 14:34 - Right relationship with entities 18:16 - Origins of dedicating the merit 18:16 - The arrival of tantra in Tibet and Padmasambhava's spirit domination 22:30 - The essence of Buddhism 24:12 - Did Buddhism weaken Tibet? 26:11 - Tantric missionary technology of spirit domination 32:32 - Degrees of Buddhist integration with Tibetan practices and rituals 40:00 - Dr Robert Mayer's work to reevaluate the terma tradition 43:30 - Beyul and opening sacred sites 47:10 - Offering practices and Chod 50:47 - Spirit mediumship and offending spirits 54:13 - Geomancy 56:41 - Staking the demoness of the land 01:01:03 - Dark tantra and the ethics of subjugation 01:05:59 - What is a demon? 01:06:57 - Facist tantra and Western occultists 01:09:12 - The role of compassion 01:10:07 - Tantra as institutional shamanism? 01:13:11 - Interviewing protector deities 01:15:15 - Perceiving spirits 01:18:07 - Misunderstandings of Western Buddhist converts 0:24:54 - Buddhism and the cultural substrate 01:25:47 - IFS and shamanism 01:27:55 - Completion stage practice and the logic of yoga 01:30:49 - Are spirits just your own mind? 01:35:09 - Dudjom Lingpa's demon encounter in a dream 01:39:09 - Brahma, Buddha, and various levels of beings 01:40:44 - Are yidams just archetypes? 01:42:19 - Paradoxes of protection from spirits 01:45:35 - Predatory demons 01:48:29 - Many faces of Buddhism 01:50:05 - Outer, inner, secret 01:52:08 - Dream yoga and visionary sex 01:57:35 - Inevitability of spirit contact 01:58:09 - Ben's stressful experiences with the spirit world 02:06:10 - Alien abduction experiences 02:11:42 - Night terrors 02:13:30 - Cognitive dissonance of tantric practitioners 02:15:30 - Priestly class mindset 02:18:09 - Real tantric training 02:22:05 - Logistical challenges of creating tantric adepts 02:23:57 - Ben's magickal training Previous episodes with Dr Ben Joffe: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=joffe To find out more about Dr Ben Joffe, visit: - https://perfumedskull.com/ - http://www.skypressbooks.com/ … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

Generally, what we carry into our childhoods and throughout our adulthood is part of a wider series, even patterns, of behavior, traumas, and worldviews. In this workshop, Dr. Stoker will give a very brief overview of Family Systems theory. You will learn: highlights for Family Systems theory a narrative that will assist you in seeing systems more objectively tools to heal and offer hope for those with whom you live and serve Dr. Andy Stoker (he/him) is married to Megan, and they are parents to two sons, Alex (20) and Wesley (15). Andy is an ordained United Methodist minister, holds a secular PhD in Family Science, and is a certified mindfulness meditation teacher in the Western Buddhist tradition. He currently serves as the Senior Pastor of Central United Methodist Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For over two decades, Andy advocated for justice, fairness, equity, and inclusiveness in the Dallas area in the areas of public education, fair employment, healthcare access, and housing justice. In his free time, he co-hosts a parenting podcast with a psychologist and pediatrician called “Parenting for the Present." Click here to download a transcript for this episode. Relevant Links Connect with Andy on Instagram Parenting for the Present podcast Generation to Generation: Family Process in Church and Synagogue* by Edwin H. Friedman Bowen Theory's Secrets* by Michael Kerr The Bowen Center on Youtube A Family Genogram Workbook* by by Israel Galindo, Elaine Boomer, and Don Reagan *this is an affiliate link

Ajahn Dhammasiha shares fond memories of one of his personal spiritual heros, who has strongly influenced his approach to Dhamma practice right at the start of his monastic life in Sri Lanka. He provides some background info about Ven. Nyanavimala, one of the early Western Buddhist monks, who lived in Sri Lanka for +50 years from the mid 1950ies. When he passed away in 2006, he was the most senior Westen monk in the world with more than 50 'vassa' (rains retreats). Ven Ñāṇavimala was well known and highly respected for his uncompromising dedication to Dhamma practice, for his asceticism and frugality, and for his dhutanga wanderings (cārika) all over Sri Lanka for 25 years. You can read more about Ven Nyanavimala in this tribute booklet published for free distribution: Our Podcast is also available on our own Dhammagiri Website, no need for any special app, just listen in any browser: https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage: https://www.dhammagiri.net/news Our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dhammatalksatdhammagiri8724 Our email Newsletter: https://www.dhammagiri.net/newsletter Our Podcasts on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD Our Podcasts on Apple/itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834 .

Host Michael Taft speaks with meditation teacher Chandra Easton about her new book Embodying Tara: 21 Manifestations to Awaken Your Innate Wisdom, the background of Green Tara, why there are 21 different manifestations, the inspirations for the book. Chandra's lifelong relationship with Green Tara, and we take an especially deep dive into manifestation number thirteen, the so-callled "Demolition Tara."Dorje Lopön Chandra Easton has taught meditation and yoga since 2001. She has had the good fortune to study with many Tibetan and Western Buddhist teachers such as H.H. Dalai Lama, H.H. Karmapa, Lama Tsultrim Allione, B. Alan Wallace, and Jennifer Welwood. She is currently the Assistant Spiritual Director & Head Teacher at the Tara Mandala Retreat Center. Chandra has published several books, including her new book Embodying Tara: 21 Manifestations to Awaken Your Innate Wisdom. http://www.chandraeaston.com/You can support the creation of future episodes of this podcast by contributing through Patreon.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, join Lama Tsultrim as she shares the profound sitting meditation technique taught by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1973. The session begins with a guided practice of the nine purification breaths, as detailed in Episode 20. Lama Tsultrim then addresses frequently asked questions about meditation, offering valuable insights and clarifications for both new and experienced practitioners. BIO: Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising - Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Over 55 years of practice as a monastic and a laywoman, Lama Tsultrim has fully embraced the arc of Buddhism coming to the West as well as fully embracing her experience as a woman emerging from a patriarchal structure into a — of empowerment and agency. She founded the first Western Buddhist center dedicated to the Sacred Feminine in the Buddhist tradition, and leads several long term practice paths including, Magyu, the mother lineage. She emphasizes the need for emotional development to accompany spiritual practice, leading a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world. Connect and Continue to Experience your own Wisdom RisingFollow Lama Tsultrim Allione on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.Join the Lama Live! webcast with Lama Tsultrim Allione on YouTube.Learn more about Lama Tsultrim.

In this potent episode, Lama Tsultrim offers a heartfelt response to the conflict in Gaza, advocating for an immediate ceasefire and the restoration of peace. She guides listeners in a meditative visualization, embodying Green Tara and her mantra, to channel and send blessings of peace, safety, and relief to those affected by the turmoil in the Middle East and beyond. This episode is a powerful call for compassion and healing in times of global distress.BIO: Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising - Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Over 55 years of practice as a monastic and a laywoman, Lama Tsultrim has fully embraced the arc of Buddhism coming to the West as well as fully embracing her experience as a woman emerging from a patriarchal structure into a — of empowerment and agency. She founded the first Western Buddhist center dedicated to the Sacred Feminine in the Buddhist tradition, and leads several long term practice paths including, Magyu, the mother lineage. She emphasizes the need for emotional development to accompany spiritual practice, leading a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world. Connect and Continue to Experience your own Wisdom RisingFollow Lama Tsultrim Allione on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.Join the Lama Live! webcast with Lama Tsultrim Allione on YouTube.Learn more about Lama Tsultrim.

Enjoy this deeply meditative episode and listen as Lama Tsultrim Allione invites us all to meditate on our true nature, the natural world around us, and these pith instructions on non-dualism from the Semde lineage. Lama Tsultrim integrates meditative instruction on the five elements from the profound teachings on non-dualism. Journey as she takes us back to Oddiyana, the birthplace of this tantra, to ponder the fundamental scripture of the Semde, or “Nature of Mind”. While doing so, "Meditate on these teachings and sit with them, walk with them, talk with them, cook with them. Just be there."BIO: Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising - Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Over 55 years of practice as a monastic and a laywoman, Lama Tsultrim has fully embraced the arc of Buddhism coming to the West as well as fully embracing her experience as a woman emerging from a patriarchal structure into a — of empowerment and agency. She founded the first Western Buddhist center dedicated to the Sacred Feminine in the Buddhist tradition, and leads several long term practice paths including, Magyu, the mother lineage. She emphasizes the need for emotional development to accompany spiritual practice, leading a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world. Connect and Continue to Experience your own Wisdom Rising

For this week's Wisdom Rising podcast, Lama Tsultrim Allione guides us on a meditative examination of the Great Mother and her manifestation around us. “The Great Mother is the ground of being itself, the pure potential from which everything arises.”Within this short meditation, Lama invites you to explore the dimensions of the sacred feminine, the three kayas, and joyfully reflect on all of the dakinis, or women, in our lives. Connect with other female energies and the Sambhogakaya aspect of the feminine, which is in the dimension of luminosity; for it is in the Sambhogakaya that we have the dakinis: the embodiments of wisdom.BIO: Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising - Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Over 55 years of practice as a monastic and a laywoman, Lama Tsultrim has fully embraced the arc of Buddhism coming to the West as well as fully embracing her experience as a woman emerging from a patriarchal structure into a — of empowerment and agency. She founded the first Western Buddhist center dedicated to the Sacred Feminine in the Buddhist tradition, and leads several long term practice paths including, Magyu, the mother lineage. She emphasizes the need for emotional development to accompany spiritual practice, leading a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world. Connect and Continue to Experience your own Wisdom RisingFollow Lama Tsultrim Allione on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.Join the Lama Live! webcast with Lama Tsultrim Allione on YouTube.Learn more about Lama Tsultrim.

Lama Tsultrim Allione discusses the ambiguities around a right to choose in today's world and as Buddhist woman.“From the Buddhist point of view, life begins at conception. Killing is negative karma, however, the circumstances of a pregnancy need to be balanced when thinking about abortion.” In this episode, Lama Tsultrim reflects on her own experience with abortion, and the importance of a woman's rights in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 turnover of Roe v. Wade. Lama Tsultrim also shares practices to heal and process parenthood, providing tools to better hold ourselves, and all beings, with compassion.BIO: Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising - Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Over 55 years of practice as a monastic and a laywoman, Lama Tsultrim has fully embraced the arc of Buddhism coming to the West as well as fully embracing her experience as a woman emerging from a patriarchal structure into a — of empowerment and agency. She founded the first Western Buddhist center dedicated to the Sacred Feminine in the Buddhist tradition, and leads several long term practice paths including, Magyu, the mother lineage. She emphasizes the need for emotional development to accompany spiritual practice, leading a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world. Connect and Continue to Experience your own Wisdom RisingFollow Lama Tsultrim Allione on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.Join the Lama Live! webcast with Lama Tsultrim Allione on YouTube.Learn more about Lama Tsultrim.

BIO: Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising - Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Over 55 years of practice as a monastic and a laywoman, Lama Tsultrim has fully embraced the arc of Buddhism coming to the West as well as fully embracing her experience as a woman emerging from a patriarchal structure into a — of empowerment and agency. She founded the first Western Buddhist center dedicated to the Sacred Feminine in the Buddhist tradition, and leads several long term practice paths including, Magyu, the mother lineage. She emphasizes the need for emotional development to accompany spiritual practice, leading a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world. Connect and Continue to Experience your own Wisdom RisingFollow Lama Tsultrim Allione on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.Join the Lama Live! webcast with Lama Tsultrim Allione on YouTube.Learn more about Lama Tsultrim.

In this episode, Lama Tsultrim is joined by Dorje Lopön Chandra Easton to discuss Easton's new book, Embodying Tara: Twenty-One Manifestations to Awaken Your Innate Wisdom. During this intimate and far-reaching discussion, the Tara Mandala teachers discuss the innate, expansive power of the twenty-one Taras, their experience channeling their wisdom, and how they look to each of the Taras for comfort during difficult times.BIO: Dorje Lopön Chandra Easton is a Dharma teacher, author, and translator of Tibetan Buddhist texts. She serves on Tara Mandala's Prajna (Teacher) Council, Executive Committee, and Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Council. She develops programs and curricula for Tara Mandala, as well as teaches nationally and internationally. She is the author of Embodying Tara: Twenty-One Manifestations to Awaken Your Innate Wisdom (2023).BIO: Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising - Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Over 55 years of practice as a monastic and a laywoman, Lama Tsultrim has fully embraced the arc of Buddhism coming to the West as well as fully embracing her experience as a woman emerging from a patriarchal structure into a — of empowerment and agency. She founded the first Western Buddhist center dedicated to the Sacred Feminine in the Buddhist tradition, and leads several long term practice paths including, Magyu, the mother lineage. She emphasizes the need for emotional development to accompany spiritual practice, leading a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world.

Can a Western Buddhist participate in Western holidays like Christmas or Thanksgiving? What about Buddhist or country specific holidays? Let's explore in this episode! Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:05 Western Buddhism and Western holidays 00:30 should I engage in Western holidays? 01:22 finding Buddhism in western holidays 01:55 the path as a Buddhist with western holidays 03:15 Buddhist qualities, beliefs, ethics 04:00 engaging in the world as it is 06:07 going to church 08:40 doing complimentary activities 08:59 what about Thanksgiving or 4th of July? 11:54 you don't have to be the outlier 12:44 Buddhist and country/culture specific holidays 16:25 Conclusion Contact Alan: alanpeto.com/contact Podcast Homepage: alanpeto.com/podcast Podcast Disclaimer: alanpeto.com/legal/podcast-disclaimer --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/alanpeto/message

Lama Tsultrim Allione invites listeners to do a guided process of Feeding Your Demons® around the difficulties connected to the holiday season.Connect and Continue to Experience your own Wisdom RisingFollow Lama Tsultrim Allione on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.Join the Lama Live! webcast with Lama Tsultrim Allione on YouTube.Learn more about Lama Tsultrim.BIO: Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising - Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Over 55 years of practice as a monastic and a laywoman, Lama Tsultrim has fully embraced the arc of Buddhism coming to the West as well as fully embracing her experience as a woman emerging from a patriarchal structure into a — of empowerment and agency. She founded the first Western Buddhist center dedicated to the Sacred Feminine in the Buddhist tradition, and leads several long term practice paths including, Magyu, the mother lineage. She emphasizes the need for emotional development to accompany spiritual practice, leading a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world.

In this episdoe, Lama Tsultrim Allione provides practical instruction for the Nine Purification Breaths as well as a instruction for the shiné practice (Shamatha, Skrt.) In the Vajrayana tradition, there are different methods of pre-practice breath and this approach was developed by Lama Tsultrim herself. Dip into this space with her for cleansing, and learn about accessing and clearing channels, the foundation for clear mind and body.Alternating, we start on the left. Depending on your sex or inclination, instructions are within. In the Tibetan tradition of salong, Tibetan yoga, the Nine Breaths are a visualization gateway of purification to ready for practice. The Nine Breaths are also a tool if you are anxious, and it will calm the prana within the body. Connect and Continue to Experience your own Wisdom RisingFollow Lama Tsultrim Allione on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.Join the Lama Live! webcast with Lama Tsultrim Allione on YouTube.Learn more about Lama Tsultrim.BIO: Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising - Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Over 55 years of practice as a monastic and a laywoman, Lama Tsultrim has fully embraced the arc of Buddhism coming to the West as well as fully embracing her experience as a woman emerging from a patriarchal structure into a — of empowerment and agency. She founded the first Western Buddhist center dedicated to the Sacred Feminine in the Buddhist tradition, and leads several long term practice paths including, Magyu, the mother lineage. She emphasizes the need for emotional development to accompany spiritual practice, leading a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world.

Lama Tsultrim describes the cremation ceremony of Lama Tsering Wangdu (1935 -2023), which was held at Tara Mandala on November 22, 2023. Lama Wangdu Rinpoche was a lineage holder of the Longchen Nyingthig, Shije, and Chöd traditions. This auspicious event included traditional Tibetan practices and miraculous signs from beyond. Connect and Continue to Experience your own Wisdom RisingFollow Lama Tsultrim Allione on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.Join the Lama Live! webcast with Lama Tsultrim Allione on YouTube.Learn more about Lama Tsultrim.BIO: Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising - Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Over 55 years of practice as a monastic and a laywoman, Lama Tsultrim has fully embraced the arc of Buddhism coming to the West as well as fully embracing her experience as a woman emerging from a patriarchal structure into a — of empowerment and agency. She founded the first Western Buddhist center dedicated to the Sacred Feminine in the Buddhist tradition, and leads several long term practice paths including, Magyu, the mother lineage. She emphasizes the need for emotional development to accompany spiritual practice, leading a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world.

Lama Tsultrim responds to listeners' questions and recounts the magical story of her journey to being recognized as an emanation of Machig Labdrön. She also discusses practicing with the mirror-like nature of mind and shares her insights into the existence of other dimensions.BIO: Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising - Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Over 55 years of practice as a monastic and a laywoman, Lama Tsultrim has fully embraced the arc of Buddhism coming to the West as well as fully embracing her experience as a woman emerging from a patriarchal structure into a — of empowerment and agency. She founded the first Western Buddhist center dedicated to the Sacred Feminine in the Buddhist tradition, and leads several long term practice paths including, Magyu, the mother lineage. She emphasizes the need for emotional development to accompany spiritual practice, leading a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world. Connect and Continue to Experience your own Wisdom RisingFollow Lama Tsultrim Allione on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.Join the Lama Live! webcast with Lama Tsultrim Allione on YouTube.Learn more about Lama Tsultrim.

This captivating dialogue between Lama Tsultrim Allione and Osho Zenju Earthlyn Manuel explores the significance of darkness and uncertainty in spirituality, touching on themes of Dark Retreat, wrathful female deities, lucid dreaming, Shamanic Zen, and more. Further delve into darkness as a cosmic landscape for transformation with Zenju Osho at her upcoming Dharma Talk in January 2024, where she will expand on the “deep, sacred, natural, organic process of darkness within our lives.”To register for Darkness: The Landscape of Transformation, visit this link » bit.ly/Zenju-DTBIO: Osho Zenju Earthlyn Manuel, born to parents who migrated from rural Louisiana at the start of WWII, has walked through many different doors spiritually and academically. Ordained in the Suzuki Roshi lineage, she holds a Ph.D. and is a gifted poet and accomplished author, embodying a rich tapestry of experiences and wisdom gained through her unique journey.Her transmissions come through her books The Shamanic Bones of Zen, The Deepest Peace, Sanctuary, The Way of Tenderness, and the Black Angel Cards: 36 Oracles and Messages, her first visionary experience. She also teaches from her experience of African and Native American indigenous ceremony and her own awakening on the intersection of spirituality and systemic oppression.BIO: Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising - Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Over 55 years of practice as a monastic and a laywoman, Lama Tsultrim has fully embraced the arc of Buddhism coming to the West as well as fully embracing her experience as a woman emerging from a patriarchal structure into a — of empowerment and agency. She founded the first Western Buddhist center dedicated to the Sacred Feminine in the Buddhist tradition, and leads several long term practice paths including, Magyu, the mother lineage. She emphasizes the need for emotional development to accompany spiritual practice, leading a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world. Connect and Continue to Experience your own Wisdom RisingFollow Lama Tsultrim Allione on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.Join the Lama Live! webcast with Lama Tsultrim Allione on YouTube.Learn more about Lama Tsultrim.

In this engaging episode Venerable Sogan Rinpoche answers questions posed by Lama Tsultrim Allione and shares intimate stories about his life in Tibet, his extraordinary spiritual training and his deep karmic connection to the treasure revealing dakini, Sera Khandro Dewé Dorje.BIO: Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising - Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Over 55 years of practice as a monastic and a laywoman, Lama Tsultrim has fully embraced the arc of Buddhism coming to the West as well as fully embracing her experience as a woman emerging from a patriarchal structure into a — of empowerment and agency. She founded the first Western Buddhist center dedicated to the Sacred Feminine in the Buddhist tradition, and leads several long term practice paths including, Magyu, the mother lineage. She emphasizes the need for emotional development to accompany spiritual practice, leading a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world. BIO: Ven. Sogan Rinpoche (Tulku Pema Lodoe) was born in 1964 in Tibet. He was recognized by H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama as the 6th Sogan Rinpoche. After many years of study, pilgrimage and solitary retreat, Rinpoche left Tibet to continue his studies in India. In 2004 Rinpoche established The Sogan Foundation (TSF), a secular non-profit organization which serves as a vehicle for alleviating the suffering of the poor and the marginalized.Rinpoche now travels throughout North America and in Europe to teach Buddhism. Connect and Continue to Experience your own Wisdom RisingFollow Lama Tsultrim Allione on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.Join the Lama Live! webcast with Lama Tsultrim Allione on YouTube.Learn more about Lama Tsultrim.

In this episode, Lama Tsultrim Allione sits down with Andrea Miller at The Lion's Roar Podcast to reflect on women in Buddhism today. Lama Tsultrim discusses various dimensions of the sacred feminine and the interconnectedness of women and practice. She shares personal insight into the unique challenges that women face today.Lion's Roar magazine celebrated their 30th anniversary this year, and in celebration interviewed various women teachers and scholars in the Buddhist world. Hear Lama Tsultrim Allione's entire interview here.BIO: Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising - Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Over 55 years of practice as a monastic and a laywoman, Lama Tsultrim has fully embraced the arc of Buddhism coming to the West as well as fully embracing her experience as a woman emerging from a patriarchal structure into a — of empowerment and agency. She founded the first Western Buddhist center dedicated to the Sacred Feminine in the Buddhist tradition, and leads several long term practice paths including, Magyu, the mother lineage. She emphasizes the need for emotional development to accompany spiritual practice, leading a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world. Connect and Continue to Experience your own Wisdom RisingFollow Lama Tsultrim Allione on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.Join the Lama Live! webcast with Lama Tsultrim Allione on YouTube.Learn more about Lama Tsultrim.

In this episode, traditional Kirtan musician Nina Rao discusses her work with the 12th Tara, DRÖLMA TASHI DÖNJEMA. She talks about the connection between this Tara and the environment and the importance of prayer in changing the outcome of situations. Nina explores how the recitation of mantra invokes our inner wisdom so that we can experience our interconnection with the hearts of all other beings. She shares how praying for the preservation of life on planet earth is an expression of Tara. To learn more about TĀRĀ TASHI DÖNJEMA including her mantra and enlightened activity click here: Nina Rao Bio learned traditional chants (bhajans) from her grandfather in a village in south India when she nine years old. The chants quietly stayed with her until she rediscovered chanting with Krishna Das in New York in 1996. For many years Nina has been Krishna Das' business manager and accompanies him musically as well. In 2007, she recorded the track 'Nina Chalisa' on Krishna Das' CD "Flow of Grace " ; January 2013 she released her debut album, "Antarayaami - Knower of All Hearts"; August 2017 her second album “Anubhav” was released. Nina regularly leads kirtan, workshops, and retreats in her hometown of Brooklyn, New York and beyond. For more information visit NinaRaoChant.com.BIO: Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising - Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Over 55 years of practice as a monastic and a laywoman, Lama Tsultrim has fully embraced the arc of Buddhism coming to the West as well as fully embracing her experience as a woman emerging from a patriarchal structure into a — of empowerment and agency. She founded the first Western Buddhist center dedicated to the Sacred Feminine in the Buddhist tradition, and leads several long term practice paths including, Magyu, the mother lineage. She emphasizes the need for emotional development to accompany spiritual practice, leading a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world.

In this Episode, Lama Tsultrim answers a wide array of listener questions. She offers guidance for survivors of sexual abuse within Tibetan Buddhist Communities, addresses how to be a feminist leader within patriarchal spiritual systems, shares details about her own feminist awakening and discusses how practices like Feeding Your Demons can be adjusted for people who've experienced trauma. Lama also reflects on the universal nature of the grief that can come through the death of a loved one and the healing role that Tonglen can play in the grieving process.BIO: Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising - Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Over 55 years of practice as a monastic and a laywoman, Lama Tsultrim has fully embraced the arc of Buddhism coming to the West as well as fully embracing her experience as a woman emerging from a patriarchal structure into a — of empowerment and agency. She founded the first Western Buddhist center dedicated to the Sacred Feminine in the Buddhist tradition, and leads several long term practice paths including, Magyu, the mother lineage. She emphasizes the need for emotional development to accompany spiritual practice, leading a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world.

In this touching interview, Lama Tsultrim speaks with best-selling author, activist and writing teacher Anne Lamott. They discuss themes of attachment theory, and writing as a discipline and also share glimpses into their personal journeys toward healing and inner wholeness. Anne reflects on the intersections between Buddhism and Christianity and suggests the power of expanding the notion of God into a “great spirit of universal love”.Anne Lamott Bio (adapted from Steven Barclay Agency website): Critically acclaimed author, activist and Sunday School teacher Anne Lamott writes and speaks about subjects that begin with capital letters: Alcoholism, Motherhood, and Jesus. Armed with self-effacing humor and ruthless honesty, Lamott converts her subjects into enchantment. In all her novels, tells stories with honesty, compassion and a pureness of voice that lifts, comforts and inspires.BIO: Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising - Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Over 55 years of practice as a monastic and a laywoman, Lama Tsultrim has fully embraced the arc of Buddhism coming to the West as well as fully embracing her experience as a woman emerging from a patriarchal structure into a — of empowerment and agency. She founded the first Western Buddhist center dedicated to the Sacred Feminine in the Buddhist tradition, and leads several long term practice paths including, Magyu, the mother lineage. She emphasizes the need for emotional development to accompany spiritual practice, leading a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world.

Lama Tsultrim is joined by her long-time friend and the founding teacher of the Insight Meditation Society, Jack Kornfield. Together, they explore the difference between mindfulness and awareness, what it means to go beyond Samsara and Nirvana, the meaning of enlightenment and more. Jack describes how meditation can free us from our patterns, increasing our ability to love and, in turn, enabling us to become loving awareness itself. He also talks about the transition from monastic life into intimate partnership and the important role that therapy has played in his own life. About Jack Kornfield: Jack Kornfield trained as a Buddhist monk in Thailand, India, and Burma. He holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is a founding teacher of the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts and Spirit Rock Meditation Center in California. He is one of the key teachers to introduce mindfulness practice to the West, has taught internationally since 1974, and is the author of 16 books which have sold 2 million copies.Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising - Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Over 55 years of practice as a monastic and a laywoman, Lama Tsultrim has fully embraced the arc of Buddhism coming to the West as well as fully embracing her experience as a woman emerging from a patriarchal structure into a — of empowerment and agency. She founded the first Western Buddhist center dedicated to the Sacred Feminine in the Buddhist tradition, and leads several long term practice paths including, Magyu, the mother lineage. She emphasizes the need for emotional development to accompany spiritual practice, leading a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world.

Lama Tsultrim offers profound pith instructions on the uncontrived nature of mind, teachings from the early lineage teachers of Oddiyana, a sacred place northwest of India known as the “Land of the Dakinis” because of the numerous powerful women teachers residing there. Sharing historical context and pith instructions from the lineage of 21 teachers as well as short meditations and experiential practices. This episode is packed with teachings as Lama Tsultrim shares stories, humor, and wisdom. She teaches about Nagas, the six senses and how pleasure leads to the enlightened state, working with the mandala to transform challenging emotions, and more.BIO: Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising - Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Over 55 years of practice as a monastic and a laywoman, Lama Tsultrim has fully embraced the arc of Buddhism coming to the West as well as fully embracing her experience as a woman emerging from a patriarchal structure into a — of empowerment and agency. She founded the first Western Buddhist center dedicated to the Sacred Feminine in the Buddhist tradition, and leads several long term practice paths including, Magyu, the mother lineage. She emphasizes the need for emotional development to accompany spiritual practice, leading a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world.

Lama Tsultrim offers profound pith instructions on the uncontrived nature of mind, teachings from the early lineage teachers of Oddiyana, a sacred place northwest of India known as the “Land of the Dakinis” because of the numerous powerful women teachers residing there. Sharing historical context and pith instructions from the lineage of 21 teachers as well as short meditations and experiential practices. In this episode: Is there anything that is impermanent? Drop in and rest in your own boundless, luminous nature as Lama Tsultrim introduces you to the state beyond arising and cessation.BIO: Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising - Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Over 55 years of practice as a monastic and a laywoman, Lama Tsultrim has fully embraced the arc of Buddhism coming to the West as well as fully embracing her experience as a woman emerging from a patriarchal structure into a — of empowerment and agency. She founded the first Western Buddhist center dedicated to the Sacred Feminine in the Buddhist tradition, and leads several long term practice paths including, Magyu, the mother lineage. She emphasizes the need for emotional development to accompany spiritual practice, leading a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world. Connect and Continue to Experience your own Wisdom RisingFollow Lama Tsultrim Allione on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.Join the Lama Live! webcast with Lama Tsultrim Allione on YouTube.Learn more about Lama Tsultrim.

Lama Tsultrim offers profound pith instructions on the uncontrived nature of mind, teachings from the early lineage teachers of Oddiyana, a sacred place northwest of India known as the “Land of the Dakinis” because of the numerous powerful women teachers residing there. Sharing historical context and pith instructions from the lineage of 21 teachers as well as short meditations and experiential practices. In this episode you will learn the difference between mindfulness and awareness as she shares simple and profound teachings on the stainless nature of your mind to heal trauma and realize your own self-cognizing wisdom. BIO: Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising - Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Over 55 years of practice as a monastic and a laywoman, Lama Tsultrim has fully embraced the arc of Buddhism coming to the West as well as fully embracing her experience as a woman emerging from a patriarchal structure into a — of empowerment and agency. She founded the first Western Buddhist center dedicated to the Sacred Feminine in the Buddhist tradition, and leads several long term practice paths including, Magyu, the mother lineage. She emphasizes the need for emotional development to accompany spiritual practice, leading a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world. Connect and Continue to Experience your own Wisdom RisingFollow Lama Tsultrim Allione on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.Join the Lama Live! webcast with Lama Tsultrim Allione on YouTube.Learn more about Lama Tsultrim.

Lama Tsultrim offers profound pith instructions on the uncontrived nature of mind, teachings from the early lineage teachers of Oddiyana, a sacred place northwest of India known as the “Land of the Dakinis” because of the numerous powerful women teachers residing there. Sharing historical context and pith instructions from the lineage of 21 teachers as well as short meditations and experiential practices introducing you to the timeless nature of awareness, from the Semde Lineage of Dzogchen. Including teachings on the mandala, working with the elements, the fourth time, and sacred union.Lama Tsultrim Allione is the bestselling author of Women of Wisdom (1984), Feeding Your Demons (2008), and Wisdom Rising - Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine (2018). Over 55 years of practice as a monastic and a laywoman, Lama Tsultrim has fully embraced the arc of Buddhism coming to the West as well as fully embracing her experience as a woman emerging from a patriarchal structure into a — of empowerment and agency. She founded the first Western Buddhist center dedicated to the Sacred Feminine in the Buddhist tradition, and leads several long term practice paths including, Magyu, the mother lineage. She emphasizes the need for emotional development to accompany spiritual practice, leading a vibrant international community with over forty groups around the world.

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) We look first at the importance of wise speech, the way that it forms an integral part of the path of awakening, the way that it is often underdeveloped in Western Buddhist practice, for various reasons, and some of the challenges of speech. We then examine three aspects of wise speech practice: (1) developing presence in the midst of communication; (2) working with the four guidelines for skillful speech developed by the Buddha; and (3) integrating our practice to be mindful and skillful with thoughts, emotions, and body states with our speech practice. The talk is followed by discussion, focused especially on some challenging relational and speech situations.

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) We look first at the importance of wise speech, the way that it forms an integral part of the path of awakening, the way that it is often underdeveloped in Western Buddhist practice, for various reasons, and some of the challenges of speech. We then examine three aspects of wise speech practice: (1) developing presence in the midst of communication; (2) working with the four guidelines for skillful speech developed by the Buddha; and (3) integrating our practice to be mindful and skillful with thoughts, emotions, and body states with our speech practice. The talk is followed by discussion, focused especially on some challenging relational and speech situations.

Dr. Rick Strassman is a Clinical research psychiatrist, founding figure of the American psychedelic research renaissance, and best-selling author of DMT: The Spirit Molecule, an account of his DMT and psilocybin studies which has sold a quarter-million copies  and been translated into over a dozen languages.  He co-produced an independent documentary by the same name.   Dr. Strassman performed clinical research investigating the function of the pineal hormone melatonin in which his research group documented the first known role of melatonin in humans. He also began the first new US government approved clinical research with psychedelic drugs in over twenty years, focusing on DMT and to a lesser extent, psilocybin. Rick has been a consultant to the US Food and Drug Administration, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Veteran's Administration Hospitals, and the Social Security Administration, In 1984, he received lay ordination in a Western Buddhist order, and co-founded, and for several years administered, a lay Buddhist meditation group. He currently is Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine.  Dr. Rick Strassman  newest book is : The Psychedelic Handbook: A Practical Guide to Psilocybin, LSD, Ketamine, MDMA, and DMT/Ayahuasca.

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center)

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center)

Hugh T Alkemi, host of EntheoRadio, is honored for a second time with Psychedelic Research Renaissance Founding Father Rick Strassman, MD who has been on The Joe Rogan Experience just this month and on Entheoradio about two years ago. It's always a fun time discussing the impact of psychedelics from both a research and a cultural standpoint with Dr Rick. This part 2 of 2 of the interview becomes particularly intense and includes both powerful wisdom and cautionary speculation about the future of Psychedelics in the USA.Bio for Rick Strassman, MD:Rick Strassman was born in Los Angeles, California in 1952. He attended public schools in southern California's San Fernando Valley and graduated from Ulysses S. Grant High School in Van Nuys in 1969. As an undergraduate, he majored in zoology at Pomona College in Claremont California for two years before transferring to Stanford University, where he graduated with departmental honors in biological sciences in 1973. During summers in college, he worked for RedKen Laboratories, developing cosmetics and a line of hair dyes. In addition, he performed laboratory research at Stanford, on the development of the chicken embryo's nervous system. He attended the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in the Bronx, New York, where he obtained his medical degree with honors in 1977.Dr. Strassman took his internship and general psychiatry residency at the University of California, Davis, Medical Center in Sacramento, and received the Sandoz Award for outstanding graduating resident in 1981. After graduating, he worked for a year in Fairbanks, Alaska in community mental health and private psychiatric practice. From 1982-1983, he obtained fellowship training in clinical psychopharmacology research at the University of California, San Diego's Veteran's Administration Medical Center. He then served on the clinical faculty in the department of psychiatry at UC Davis Medical Center, before taking a full-time academic position in the department of psychiatry at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque in 1984.At UNM, Dr. Strassman performed clinical research investigating the function of the pineal hormone melatonin in which his research group documented the first known role of melatonin in humans. He also began the first new US government approved clinical research with psychedelic drugs in over twenty years, focusing on DMT and to a lesser extent, psilocybin. He received grant support from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Drug Abuse, as well as from the Scottish Rite Foundation for Schizophrenia Research. Before leaving the University in 1995, he attained the rank of tenured Associate Professor of Psychiatry and was awarded the UNM General Clinical Research Center's Research Scientist Award.In 1984, he received lay ordination in a Western Buddhist order, and co-founded, and for several years administered, a lay Buddhist meditation group associated with the same order. Dr. Strassman underwent a four-year personal psychoanalysis in New Mexico between 1986 and 1990.From 1996 to 2000, while living in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, Dr. Strassman worked in community mental health centers in Washington State in Bellingham and Port Townsend. For the next four years, he had a solo private practice in Taos, New Mexico. After two years working near the Navajo Nation in Gallup NM, he returned to northern New Mexico in 2006, where he provided psychiatric services at a mental health center in Espanola. Since mid-2008, he has been writing full-time.Dr. Strassman's “DMT: The Spirit Molecule,” an account of his DMT and psilocybin studies, has sold a quarter-million copies as of mid-2021, and been translated into over a dozen languages, including Mandarin. He co-produced an independent documentary by the same name, which was the most-streamed independent drug documentary on Netflix. He also is the author of “DMT and the Soul of Prophecy,” “Joseph Levy Escapes Death,” and a co-author of “Inner Paths to Outer Space.”He has published over 40 peer-reviewed scientific papers and has served as a reviewer for 20 psychiatric research journals. He has been a consultant to the US Food and Drug Administration, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Veteran's Administration Hospitals, Social Security Administration, and other state and local agencies. He has provided consultation to many of the psychedelic startups that began appearing in 2020, including Atai, MindMed, and The Noetic Fund. He is on the Scientific Advisory Boards for Alexander Shulgin Research Institute and Ninnion Therapeutics.He currently is Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and lives in Gallup, New Mexico.ENTHEORADIO IS SPONSORED BY:Mushroom Shaman Brand Supplements and ServicesHttps://linktr.ee/mushroomshaman/Alkemi Ormus Products and ExtractsAlkemi.gold Buy his book through his site to get a personal inscription: https://www.rickstrassman.com/publications/the-psychedelic-handbook/The Psychedelic Handbook:Entering the world of psychedelic drugs can be challenging, and many aren't sure where to start. As research continues to expand and legalization looms on the horizon for psychedelics like psilocybin, you may need a guide to navigate what psychedelics are, how they work, and their potential benefits and risks.The Psychedelic Handbook is a complete manual that is accessible to anyone with an interest in these “mind-manifesting” substances. Packed with information on psilocybin, LSD, DMT/ayahuasca, mescaline/peyote, ketamine, MDMA, ibogaine, 5-methoxy-DMT (“the toad”), and Salvia divinorum/salvinorin A, this book is your ultimate reference for understanding the science and history of psychedelics; discovering their potential to treat depression, PTSD, substance abuse, and other disorders, as well as to increase wellness, creativity, and meditation; learning how to safely trip and explaining what we know about microdosing; and recognizing and caring for negative reactions to psychedelics.Clinical research psychiatrist, father of the American psychedelic research renaissance, and best-selling author of DMT: The Spirit Molecule, Dr. Rick Strassman shares his experience and perspectives as neither advocate nor foe of psychedelics in order to help readers understand the effects of these remarkable drugs.

Hugh T Alkemi, host of EntheoRadio, is honored for a second time with Psychedelic Research Renaissance Founding Father Rick Strassman, MD who has been on The Joe Rogan Experience just this month and on Entheoradio about two years ago. It's always a fun time discussing the impact of psychedelics from both a research and a cultural standpoint with Dr Rick. This show includes suggestions and speculations about consciousness and the ongoing hype filled, psychedelic trend in the United States and gets especially intense in the part two of this episode. This is part 1 of 2.Bio for Rick Strassman, MD:Rick Strassman was born in Los Angeles, California in 1952. He attended public schools in southern California's San Fernando Valley and graduated from Ulysses S. Grant High School in Van Nuys in 1969. As an undergraduate, he majored in zoology at Pomona College in Claremont California for two years before transferring to Stanford University, where he graduated with departmental honors in biological sciences in 1973. During summers in college, he worked for RedKen Laboratories, developing cosmetics and a line of hair dyes. In addition, he performed laboratory research at Stanford, on the development of the chicken embryo's nervous system. He attended the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in the Bronx, New York, where he obtained his medical degree with honors in 1977.Dr. Strassman took his internship and general psychiatry residency at the University of California, Davis, Medical Center in Sacramento, and received the Sandoz Award for outstanding graduating resident in 1981. After graduating, he worked for a year in Fairbanks, Alaska in community mental health and private psychiatric practice. From 1982-1983, he obtained fellowship training in clinical psychopharmacology research at the University of California, San Diego's Veteran's Administration Medical Center. He then served on the clinical faculty in the department of psychiatry at UC Davis Medical Center, before taking a full-time academic position in the department of psychiatry at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque in 1984.At UNM, Dr. Strassman performed clinical research investigating the function of the pineal hormone melatonin in which his research group documented the first known role of melatonin in humans. He also began the first new US government approved clinical research with psychedelic drugs in over twenty years, focusing on DMT and to a lesser extent, psilocybin. He received grant support from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Drug Abuse, as well as from the Scottish Rite Foundation for Schizophrenia Research. Before leaving the University in 1995, he attained the rank of tenured Associate Professor of Psychiatry and was awarded the UNM General Clinical Research Center's Research Scientist Award.In 1984, he received lay ordination in a Western Buddhist order, and co-founded, and for several years administered, a lay Buddhist meditation group associated with the same order. Dr. Strassman underwent a four-year personal psychoanalysis in New Mexico between 1986 and 1990.From 1996 to 2000, while living in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, Dr. Strassman worked in community mental health centers in Washington State in Bellingham and Port Townsend. For the next four years, he had a solo private practice in Taos, New Mexico. After two years working near the Navajo Nation in Gallup NM, he returned to northern New Mexico in 2006, where he provided psychiatric services at a mental health center in Espanola. Since mid-2008, he has been writing full-time.Dr. Strassman's “DMT: The Spirit Molecule,” an account of his DMT and psilocybin studies, has sold a quarter-million copies as of mid-2021, and been translated into over a dozen languages, including Mandarin. He co-produced an independent documentary by the same name, which was the most-streamed independent drug documentary on Netflix. He also is the author of “DMT and the Soul of Prophecy,” “Joseph Levy Escapes Death,” and a co-author of “Inner Paths to Outer Space.”He has published over 40 peer-reviewed scientific papers and has served as a reviewer for 20 psychiatric research journals. He has been a consultant to the US Food and Drug Administration, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Veteran's Administration Hospitals, Social Security Administration, and other state and local agencies. He has provided consultation to many of the psychedelic startups that began appearing in 2020, including Atai, MindMed, and The Noetic Fund. He is on the Scientific Advisory Boards for Alexander Shulgin Research Institute and Ninnion Therapeutics.He currently is Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine and lives in Gallup, New Mexico.ENTHEORADIO IS SPONSORED BY:Mushroom Shaman Brand Supplements and ServicesHttps://linktr.ee/mushroomshaman/Alkemi Ormus Products and ExtractsAlkemi.gold Buy his book through his site to get a personal inscription: https://www.rickstrassman.com/publications/the-psychedelic-handbook/The Psychedelic Handbook:Entering the world of psychedelic drugs can be challenging, and many aren't sure where to start. As research continues to expand and legalization looms on the horizon for psychedelics like psilocybin, you may need a guide to navigate what psychedelics are, how they work, and their potential benefits and risks.The Psychedelic Handbook is a complete manual that is accessible to anyone with an interest in these “mind-manifesting” substances. Packed with information on psilocybin, LSD, DMT/ayahuasca, mescaline/peyote, ketamine, MDMA, ibogaine, 5-methoxy-DMT (“the toad”), and Salvia divinorum/salvinorin A, this book is your ultimate reference for understanding the science and history of psychedelics; discovering their potential to treat depression, PTSD, substance abuse, and other disorders, as well as to increase wellness, creativity, and meditation; learning how to safely trip and explaining what we know about microdosing; and recognizing and caring for negative reactions to psychedelics.Clinical research psychiatrist, father of the American psychedelic research renaissance, and best-selling author of DMT: The Spirit Molecule, Dr. Rick Strassman shares his experience and perspectives as neither advocate nor foe of psychedelics in order to help readers understand the effects of these remarkable drugs.

On this episode of Conversations in Process, Jay McDaniel and Jared Morningstar are joined by Kazi Adi Shakti to discuss her provocative and nuanced essay “Buddhism is Basically Useless”. Kazi is an artist and theorist whose theoretical work primarily consists in the study and creative synthesis of process thought, Madhyamaka Buddhism, Western Marxism and Eco-feminist ethics. She graduated with a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art, where she majored in Interdisciplinary Sculpture with a focus on computer modeling, 3D scanning and digital fabrication and currently works as a scanning specialist and digital artist in the 3D digitization industry. In addition to this, she also blogs regularly at her site www.holo-poiesis.com. In this conversation, Kazi discusses her essay and why the idea of Buddhism being basically useless is in fact a positive. She describes that one of her aims with this piece is trying to get people to question their attachments and the identities they create—even identifying with traditional Buddhism. So to assert that Buddhism is basically useless is to acknowledge the emptiness of the religion and to resist taking it as an object of clinging. Jared asks what kinds of Buddhists Kazi was trying to reach with this critical article, whether it was more Western Buddhist modernists, or if she meant this critique to cut against traditional Buddhists as well. In response, Kazi shows how her argument can be critical of either, even as there are important differences between the dispositions of these two kinds of Buddhists. However, she also finds inspiration among all these different ways of being Buddhist, stating that even secular Buddhism has some important insights in recognizing the emptiness of myth and traditional doctrine. Jay then asks Kazi about an important idea running throughout the essay that Kazi uses in a number of different ways; namely, the notion of touching oneself. She charts a continuity between physical self-pleasure to intellectual self-knowledge and finally to self-reflexive gnosis—a manifestation of the awakening experience so central to Buddhist spirituality. In all of these, Kazi notes how there is no medium for the interaction beyond oneself, contrasting this perspective with views in Western philosophy such as those of Immanuel Kant where all perception and knowledge can never get directly at things in themselves. For Kazi, Buddhism is at its best when it is able to facilitate this direct self-touching in these various meanings, but none of these are ultimately dependent on the religion hence why Buddhism is useless in one sense. Kazi's essay concludes with a sudden switch to an almost devotional tone, mentioning the “infinite loving-compassion and boundless luminous-vision of the uncountable multiplicity of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas”—a stark contrast from the critical mood of the article up to this point. Jay notices this shift and asks about Kazi's intent with this sudden change in direction. She explains that she tries to mix the perspective of critique which acknowledges the emptiness of all things with a more positive, constructive standpoint more grounded in a vision of dependent origination. More than just trying to balance these two perspectives, Kazi attempts to show how they are in fact inseparably bound to each other, evoking the Daoist image of the yin and the yang where both opposites actually exist within each other. This wide-ranging dialogue concludes with a discussion of what Whitehead's thought could potentially bring to this conversation, particularly through his aesthetic theories. This prompts Jay to consider what the ideas discussed might look like were they communicated by some medium other than language, such as visual art or music. LINKS: Kazi's Essay “Buddhism is Basically Useless”Kazi's Blog Holo-PoiesisThe Cobb InstituteOpen Horizons https://youtu.be/YDyjJnUKGZw

Join Lama Surya Das and Jo Tastula in this beautiful Dharma conversation.Lama Surya Das is one of the foremost Western Buddhist meditation teachers and scholars, one of the main interpreters of Tibetan Buddhism in the West, and a leading spokesperson for the emerging American Buddhism. The Dalai Lama affectionately calls him “The Western Lama.”Surya has spent over forty-five years studying Zen, vipassana, yoga, and Tibetan Buddhism with the great masters of Asia, including the Dalai Lama's own teachers, and has twice completed the traditional three-year meditation cloistered retreat at his teacher's Tibetan monastery. He is an authorized lama and lineage holder in the Nyingmapa School of Tibetan Buddhism, and a close personal disciple of the leading grand lamas of that tradition. He is the founder of the Dzogchen Center and Foundation in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and its branch centers around the country. Over the years, Surya has brought many Tibetan lamas to this country to teach and start centers and retreats. As founder of the Western Buddhist Teachers Network with the Dalai Lama, he regularly helps organize its international Buddhist Teachers Conferences. He is also active in interfaith dialogue and charitable projects in the Third World. In recent years, Lama Surya has turned his efforts and focus towards youth and contemplative education initiatives, what he calls “True higher education and wisdom for life training.”Lama Surya Das is a sought after speaker and lecturer, teaching and conducting meditation retreats and workshops around the world. He is a published author, translator, chant master (see Chants to Awaken the Buddhist Heart CD, with Stephen Halpern), and a regular blog contributor at The Huffington Post and Elephant Journal, as well as his own AskTheLama.com blog where he shares his thoughts and answers questions from the public.Much gratitude to the sponsors of Yoga Heart Mind!ww.solemechanics.com.au 15% off with promo code WATKINS6162 https://www.themilkcleanse.comPromo code STUARTWATKINS for 10% offhttps://sacredtaste.comPromo code STUARTWATKINS for 10% offhttps://blessitbee.com.au/r?id=af1ac8Promo code STUART for 10% offSupport the show (https://stuartwatkins.org/podcast/)

Host Michael Taft speaks with Dorje Lopön Chandra Easton about her recent work with the 21 manifestations of the Goddess Tara, some aspects of Green Tara, and especially the role of vision and visualization in Vajrayana, and Buddhism more generally. Beginning with the somewhat negative role of the eyes in early Buddhist practice, moving through the Mahayana sutras talking about "enlightened eyes," and the "Eye of the Buddha," and culminating with the rainbow light practices of Vajrayana and Dzogchen. Topics include: Nagarjuna's vision metaphor of emptiness, the esoteric subtle channel from the heart to the eyes, meditation on kasinas, and much more.Chandra Easton has taught meditation and yoga since 2001. She has had the good fortune to study with many Tibetan and Western Buddhist teachers such as H.H. Dalai Lama, H.H. Karmapa, Lama Tsultrim Allione, B. Alan Wallace,Tulku Sang-ngag Rinpoche, and Jennifer Welwood. She is currently the Assistant Spiritual Director & Head Teacher at the Tara Mandala Retreat Center. You can learn more about Chandra's work at:http://www.shunyatayoga.com/ andhttps://www.taramandala.org/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This talk continues my discussion of revisioning religious practice for the 21st century. It is based on how I understand Buddhism to be evolving in the west and how I see OzZen as being part of what I am calling the fourth way: “The OzZen Way is an attempt to do a preliminary sketch of how we fit into the larger pantheon of global Buddhism, and then, how we fit into Western Buddhism and what kind of Western Buddhist project we are cultivating - to become more conscious and intentional of this”. The talk also discusses how many westerners feel uncomfortable with religious practices such as rituals and liturgy. It includes a discussion about Zen Priests and the Jukai ceremony and the difference between no gain and for gain as applied to ritual, and I will use liturgy and bowing as two case examples. Finally, I will conclude with describing OzZen as a broad church, an expression that comes from my previous engagement with the Anglican church, many years ago

“The more we hold on to things that are slipping through our fingers, the more we get rope burns.” Episode Summary: I am honored to have my guest this week on SoulTalk, Lama Surya Das, one of the foremost Western Buddhist meditation teachers and scholars and leading spokesperson for the emerging American Buddhism. Learn how to remain open and see how life can be so beautiful, marvelous, mysterious and magical. Listen to this episode and be inspired to make the most of your life and appreciate all it is offering you, even in its challenges.   In This Episode You Will Learn: How to deal with loss in your life. What karma is and how it can affect us. How to gain wisdom through bad experiences. How to find peace within. What “reincarnation” means and what goes into the next lifetime.   Some Questions That I Ask: How can someone who is going through a challenging time find peace within? What insight do you have to help someone deal with loss? How does someone going through challenging moments see God? Can someone change their karma and how can they do that? What is the difference between karma and destiny? What happens when we die?   Find out more about Lama's work here: www.surya.org and www.dzogchen.org

Taranita discusses the Five Buddhas of the Mandala, their characteristics, how their wisdom may manifest itself in everyday life, and how their features may benefit the Western Buddhist practitioner. From the talk entitled The Five Buddha Mandala given at Bristol Buddhist Centre, 2007. *** Subscribe to our Free Buddhist Audio podcast - a full Dharma talk every week! Follow our blog for news and new Dharma FBA on Twitter FBA on Facebook FBA on Soundcloud

Wat Nong Pah Pong: Part 2 GOLDEN DAYS The Luang Por Chah that left such an indelible impression on those who met him during his trips to the West in the mid-1970s is for many, the Luang Por Chah. Most of the surviving recorded talks, the well-known photographs, and the priceless seconds of footage in the BBC documentaries, were all from that period of his life. It is a wise, chuckling grandfather figure with a potbelly and walking stick that has embedded itself in the Western Buddhist pantheon. People who met him at that time recall a warmth and wisdom emanating from him that seemed timeless – so much so that it was hard for anyone to imagine that he could ever have been any other way. But, of course, he had. Looking back twenty years, a somewhat different Luang Por Chah emerges. At that time in his life, although he appears a powerful and impressive figure, he is also, perhaps, a less engaging one. If, in his later years, he might have been compared to an absolute monarch at ease in a peaceful kingdom, then in the 1950s, the comparison that would have come to mind was that of the warrior king of a troubled land. …

This first episode of The Body Knows Podcast of 2021 is with senior, Western Buddhist monk Ajahn Succito, and we could not be happier to be sharing his deep, compassionate, somatic wisdom as we set forth into the New Year together. Ajahn Sucitto entered monastic life in 1975 in Thailand, but been based in Britain since 1978. He spent fourteen years training under Ajahn Sumedho, the senior Western disciple of the Thai Forest Buddhist master Luang Por Chah, and so is part of that direct lineage of Theravadan monastic practice. Beginning in 1979 with the founding of Chittaviveka monastery in Chithurst, West Sussex, under the guidance of Ajahn Chah, and later Amaravati in Hertfordshire with Ajahn Sumedo, he is one of those who is instrumental in establishing Theravadan Buddhism in the West. He was also then abbot of Cittaviveka between 1992 & 2014, when he resigned the post, although he continues teaching. The title of Ajahn denotes an expert spiritual teacher in the Thai language, and for both of us has been just that; directly on silent retreat, practicing mediation and Chi Gong, as well as through talks on the Buddha's teachings, and in his many written works also. This first season of the podcast has been all about us speaking with those who have been direct influences, teachers and companions to us and when drawing up our wish list of guests Ajahn was always one we both dearly wanted to interview, such has the impact of his teaching been upon us. The Thai Forest tradition has a very direct style and approach to practice, the Buddha's teachings and to daily life. There are spiritual traditions that ignore, deny, abuse or try to transcend the body, and we wanted to gain Ajahn's spiritual perspective on the importance of reclaiming our feelings, sensations, and instincts and the value of listening to wisdom the of the body. Some of the Buddha's instructions on mindfulness emphasize that we should ‘Directly know the body in the body', and that ‘Mindfulness of body encompasses all states that give rise to wisdom'. We knew Ajahn would provide clear, loving, joyful, first-hand personal experience upon this, and we were not disappointed by what he had to share. Ajahn's books are available for free distribution and are free to download via https://forestsangha.org/ His talks, essays and reflections are also available on his own site https://ajahnsucitto.org/ where you can sign up for his newsletter, to get updates about all his teaching engagements, both live and virtual, as well as links to recorded teachings. You can also find him on the Insight Timer app https://insighttimer.com/ajahnsucitto The interview took place over Zoom between the 2nd and 3rd lockdown in the UK. Marcela was in Devon teaching the final module on The Still Flowing Yoga Teacher training, Mat was at home in West Sussex and Ajahn was at Chitaviveka. The recording of Mat's voice is not great for some reason, however we have done our best to maximize playback quality. This episode was edited by https://www.fiverr.com/bijoyahmed21094 who deserves the biggest Enriquez Wakeham family shout-out for saving Christmas when our edit crashed and corrupted and left us out of time. His services are highly recommended. Our listener shout-out this month goes to Jessie Rose. Jessie is life coach, who is also a near death experience survivor. Jessie reached out to us via Instagram to share her story after we posted a reflection upon the ineffable awareness and support the body gives us even when facing death, in response to our last conversation with counseling psychotherapist Mark Craven. You can discover more of Jessie's story of self healing, harmony, love and alignment for yourself at https://www.instagram.com/jessierosecoach/ where she also has a link to her site and services. Finally please like, subscibe, download and share. Find as at https://www.instagram.com/thebodyknows_podcast/

There is so much posturing in some of the "spiritual" circles. It goes even into the Buddhist and academic circles. Why all that? There's no need to overcomplicate things which were meant to be simple. (00:25) Kallisti and the Golden Apple (02:35) Dialectical Behaviour Therapy & Training Objective Constancy With Zen Meditation (06:31) The Concept of Radical Acceptance (09:37) When Physical Conflict is Less Painful Than One's Suffering (12:22) Spiritual Competition & "The Kallisti Effect" (19:37) Don't Put on a Front (Why Am I Swearing?) (22:01) The Dangerous Cycle of Idealization, Devaluation, Discarding (24:38) No Need to Obsess Over Supernatural Aspects of Buddhism or Taking the Stories Too Literally

Lama Surya Das is one of the foremost Western Buddhist meditation teachers and scholars, one of the main interpreters of Tibetan Buddhism in the West, and a leading spokesperson for the emerging American Buddhism. The Dalai Lama affectionately calls him “The Western Lama.”Surya has spent over forty-five years studying Zen, vipassana, yoga, and Tibetan Buddhism with the great masters of Asia, including the Dalai Lama's own teachers, and has twice completed the traditional three-year meditation cloistered retreat at his teacher's Tibetan monastery. He is an authorized lama and lineage holder in the Nyingmapa School of Tibetan Buddhism, and a close personal disciple of the leading grand lamas of that tradition. He is the founder of the Dzogchen Center and Foundation in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and its branch centers around the country. Over the years, Surya has brought many Tibetan lamas to this country to teach and start centers and retreats. As founder of the Western Buddhist Teachers Network with the Dalai Lama, he regularly helps organize its international Buddhist Teachers Conferences. He is also active in interfaith dialogue and charitable projects in the Third World. In recent years, Lama Surya has turned his efforts and focus towards youth and contemplative education initiatives, what he calls “True higher education and wisdom for life training.”Lama Surya Das is a sought after speaker and lecturer, teaching and conducting meditation retreats and workshops around the world. He is a published author, translator, chant master (see Chants to Awaken the Buddhist Heart CD, with Stephen Halpern), and a regular blog contributor at The Huffington Post and Elephant Journal, as well as his own AskTheLama.com blog where he shares his thoughts and answers questions from the public.Surya Das has been featured in numerous publications and major media, including ABC, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Boston Herald, New York Post, Long Island Newsday, Long Island Business Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, The Jewish Free Press, New Age Journal, Tricycle Magazine, Yoga Journal, The Oregonian, Science of Mind, and has been the subject of a seven-minute magazine story on CNN. One segment of the ABC-TV sitcom Dharma & Greg was based on his life (“Leonard's Return”). Surya has appeared on Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, and twice on The Colbert Report.Surya is the author of fourteen books which are must haves for everyones library.Follow Surya here: www.surya.org  www.dzogchen.orgFacebook- @lamasuryadasTwitter- @LamaSuryDasInstagram- @lamasuryadasusaSurya also has a virtual retreat coming up July 24-26, 2020. This is his annual summer meditation retreat that has been transformed into a virtual retreat, for obvious reasons.The direct link is https://dzogchen.org/virtual-meditation-retreat/To listen or watch my first episode with Lama Surya Das click here:https://stuartwatkins.org/podcast/lama-surya-das/With love,StuSupport the show (https://stuartwatkins.org/podcast/)

"What will it take to have us collectively awaken to the suffering of the earth?" In this episode of the #earthconversepodcast, I bring in the distinctive Western Buddhist voice of meditation teacher, psychologist and author, Tara Brach. One of those people who have been an important influence in my life, whom I have never met. (17 mins). Specifically, I draw out the essence of one of her talks, Earth's Crisis: on the edge of the roof https://www.tarabrach.com/earths-crisis-edge/ where she asks - what will it take to have us collectively awaken to the suffering of the earth? In doing so, with the help of Rumi, she explores egoic trance and the inner practices of presence that enable us to respond from love and wisdom. EPISODE EXTRAS: To access Tara's invaluable guidance in her talks and meditations, go to www.tarabrach.com. She offers them free and of course donations make a difference. One related talk is https://www.tarabrach.com/loving-life-loving-earth/. And you will see that her new book Radical Compassion has just been released https://www.tarabrach.com/store/ Tara Brach inspired blogs from #earthconverse include: https://earthconverse.com/be-porous/ https://earthconverse.com/sitting-on-the-solution/ https://earthconverse.com/hope-the-mantra-of-doubt-hope-not/ NEW HERE? ABOUT EARTH CONVERSE AND I Hi, I am Penelope Mavor, podcast host and founder of Earth Converse a nature-based leadership collaborative helping leaders have the conversations they need to: with themselves, each other and the earth. Please get in touch for executive coaching and leadership development programmes. https://linktr.ee/EarthConverse Email: info@earthconverse.com And the wind, the trees...

Join Andrew and Lama Surya Das for a truly delightful romp through a torrent of topics. This is a tour of mind and reality from a Tibetan Buddhist point of view, delivered by a senior figure of this noble tradition in the West. Surya Das starts with the role that dreams have played in his life, and the place of Dream Yoga in his two three-year retreats. The discussion then turns to blind spots (non-lucidity spots), and how we're all extremists and fundamentalists in our views of eternalism (reified reality). He then talks about the importance of the “Middle Way” between eternalism and nihilism, and not skidding into these ditches on either side of the road to awakening. Surya Das peppers in topics like the dangers of scientism and post-modernism, the joy of “playing jazz with the dharma,” and the place of preservation vs. adaptation in the transplantation of dharma in the West. The conversation turns to “substance abuse” at the level of thought addiction, and a look at the important difference between experience (nyam) vs. realization (tokpa) on the path. After a brief look at psychedelics, and revealing that LSD are his very initials, Lama Surya Das offers a “State of the Union” address about the status of Buddhism in the West: “Buddhism has been reduced to mindfulness, while Hinduism has been reduced to yoga.” A central narrative of the entire discussion is the absolute level teachings of non-duality, and the many “near enemies” that await one on the path. Lama-la talks about the importance of “Swooping down from above [absolute truth] while climbing up from below [relative truth],” and “Being now while getting there.” Sharing the neologisms that he is famous for, Surya Das openly radiates his passion and playfulness for the truth – no matter where it comes from. Don't let the levity of this conversation hide the profundity. Surya Das shares a lifetime of deep practice and study, delivered with wit and wisdom.--Lama Surya Das is one of the foremost Western Buddhist meditation teachers and scholars, one of the main interpreters of Tibetan Buddhism in the West, and a leading spokesperson for the emerging American Buddhism. The Dalai Lama affectionately calls him “The Western Lama.”Surya has spent over forty five years studying Zen, vipassana, yoga, and Tibetan Buddhism with the great masters of Asia, including the Dalai Lama's own teachers, and has twice completed the traditional three year meditation cloistered retreat at his teacher's Tibetan monastery. He is an authorized lama and lineage holder in the Nyingmapa School of Tibetan Buddhism, and a close personal disciple of the leading grand lamas of that tradition.Lama Surya Das is a sought after speaker and lecturer, teaching and conducting meditation retreats and workshops around the world. He is a published author, translator, chant master (see Chants to Awaken the Buddhist Heart CD, with Stephen Halpern), and a regular blog contributor at The Huffington Post, as well as his own AskTheLama.com blog site where he shares his thoughts and answers questions from the public each week.

This is a 30 minute preview. To listen to the full interview - and get all of our premium content - join Night Club: Lucid Dreaming & Dream Yoga Community! For the full interview: ⭐ nightclub.andrewholecek.com/interviews/lama-surya-das Join Andrew and Lama Surya Das for a truly delightful romp through a torrent of topics. This is a tour of mind and reality from a Tibetan Buddhist point of view, delivered by a senior figure of this noble tradition in the West. Surya Das starts with the role that dreams have played in his life, and the place of Dream Yoga in his two three-year retreats. The discussion then turns to blind spots (non-lucidity spots), and how we're all extremists and fundamentalists in our views of eternalism (reified reality). He then talks about the importance of the “Middle Way” between eternalism and nihilism, and not skidding into these ditches on either side of the road to awakening. Surya Das peppers in topics like the dangers of scientism and post-modernism, the joy of “playing jazz with the dharma,” and the place of preservation vs. adaptation in the transplantation of dharma in the West. The conversation turns to “substance abuse” at the level of thought addiction, and a look at the important difference between experience (nyam) vs. realization (tokpa) on the path. After a brief look at psychedelics, and revealing that LSD are his very initials, Lama Surya Das offers a “State of the Union” address about the status of Buddhism in the West: “Buddhism has been reduced to mindfulness, while Hinduism has been reduced to yoga.” A central narrative of the entire discussion is the absolute level teachings of non-duality, and the many “near enemies” that await one on the path. Lama-la talks about the importance of “Swooping down from above [absolute truth] while climbing up from below [relative truth],” and “Being now while getting there.” Sharing the neologisms that he is famous for, Surya Das openly radiates his passion and playfulness for the truth – no matter where it comes from. Don't let the levity of this conversation hide the profundity. Surya Das shares a lifetime of deep practice and study, delivered with wit and wisdom. -- MORE ABOUT LAMA SURYA DAS Lama Surya Das is one of the foremost Western Buddhist meditation teachers and scholars, one of the main interpreters of Tibetan Buddhism in the West, and a leading spokesperson for the emerging American Buddhism. The Dalai Lama affectionately calls him “The Western Lama.” Surya has spent over forty five years studying Zen, vipassana, yoga, and Tibetan Buddhism with the great masters of Asia, including the Dalai Lama's own teachers, and has twice completed the traditional three year meditation cloistered retreat at his teacher's Tibetan monastery. He is an authorized lama and lineage holder in the Nyingmapa School of Tibetan Buddhism, and a close personal disciple of the leading grand lamas of that tradition. Lama Surya Das is a sought after speaker and lecturer, teaching and conducting meditation retreats and workshops around the world. He is a published author, translator, chant master (see Chants to Awaken the Buddhist Heart CD, with Stephen Halpern), and a regular blog contributor at The Huffington Post, as well as his own AskTheLama.com blog site where he shares his thoughts and answers questions from the public each week.

Rick Strassman was born in Los Angeles, California in 1952. He attended public schools in southern California’s San Fernando Valley, and graduated from Ulysses S. Grant High School in Van Nuys in 1969. As an undergraduate, he majored in zoology at Pomona College in Claremont California for two years before transferring to Stanford University, where he graduated with departmental honors in biological sciences in 1973. During summers in college he worked for RedKen Laboratories, developing cosmetics and a line of hair dyes, and also performed laboratory research at Stanford, on the development of the chicken embryo’s nervous system. He attended the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University in the Bronx, New York, where he obtained his medical degree with honors in 1977. Dr. Strassman took his internship and general psychiatry residency at the University of California, Davis, Medical Center in Sacramento, and received the Sandoz Award for outstanding graduating resident in 1981. After graduating, he worked for a year in Fairbanks, Alaska in community mental health and private psychiatric practice. From 1982-1983, he obtained fellowship training in clinical psychopharmacology research at the University of California, San Diego’s Veteran’s Administration Medical Center. He then served on the clinical faculty in the department of psychiatry at UC Davis Medical Center, before taking a full-time academic position in the department of psychiatry at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque in 1984. At UNM, Dr. Strassman performed clinical research investigating the function of the pineal hormone melatonin in which his research group documented the first known role of melatonin in humans. He also began the first new US government approved and funded clinical research with psychedelic drugs in over twenty years. Before leaving the University in 1995, he attained the rank of tenured Associate Professor of Psychiatry, and received the UNM General Clinical Research Center’s Research Scientist Award. In 1984, he received lay ordination in a Western Buddhist order, and co-founded, and for several years administered, a lay Buddhist meditation group associated with the same order. Dr. Strassman underwent a four-year personal psychoanalysis in New Mexico between 1986 and 1990. He has published nearly thirty peer-reviewed scientific papers, and has served as a reviewer for several psychiatric research journals. He has been a consultant to the US Food and Drug Administration, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Veteran’s Administration Hospitals, Social Security Administration, and other state and local agencies. In 2007 he founded, with Steve Barker and Andrew Stone, the Cottonwood Research Foundation. From 1996 to 2000, while living in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, Dr. Strassman worked in community mental health centers for Washington State in Bellingham and Port Townsend. For the next four years, he had a solo private practice in Taos, New Mexico. After two years working on the edge of the Navajo Reservation in Gallup NM, he returned to northern New Mexico in 2006, where he served at a mental health center in Espanola.  Since mid-2008, he has been writing full-time. He currently is Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. LINKS: Dr. Rick Strassman- www.rickstrassman.com  Books by Rick Strassman: DMT The Spirit Molecule-   https://www.rickstrassman.com/publications/the-spirit-molecule/ DMT and the Soul of Prophesy-   https://www.rickstrassman.com/publications/dmt-and-the-soul-of-prophecy/ Inner Paths to Outer Space-   https://www.rickstrassman.com/publications/inner-paths-to-outer-space/ Joseph Levy Escapes Death-   https://www.rickstrassman.com/publications/joseph-levy-escapes-death/   Book by Blake C. Erickson:  The Forbidden Fruit & The Tree of Knowledge: Opening the Third Eye- www.amazon.com/Forbidden-Fruit-Tree-Knowledge/dp/0557019524/ Music by ZencesTry on Spotify, iTunes, or visit- www.soundcloud.com/zencestry  Podcast Logo Art by Zachary Brown (Visonary Voyager)- https://www.instagram.com/visionaryvoyager/?hl=en Patreon support for The DMT Xperience Podcast- www.patreon.com/dmtxp 

Pema Chodron, the great Western Buddhist teacher, writes “Our personal attempts to live humanely in this world are never wasted. Choosing to cultivate love rather than anger just might be what it takes to save the planet from extinction. In today’s episode, we introduce Firestarters for Men, our new short format segment. This will be used from time-to-time as a break from our standard interview format and to offer something to listeners that is short and sweet.

"Do not use Buddhism to protect yourself from life... use it to celebrate life" Manjusvara - poet, musician, fundraiser - died while leading at retreat at Dhanakosa in 2011. Here he is, in 2007, giving a talk marking the twentieth anniversary of his ordination. He explores the history of his engagement with the Triratna Buddhist Order (previously the Western Buddhist Centre), starting with his first encounter with the London Buddhist Centre and taking in many significant learnings along the way including the vital importance of friendship, the loneliness of not being able to talk about the most precious things in life and the beauty of the ethical precepts. By turns humorous and lyrical, Manjusvara shares his story (and the occasional poem) and thereby illuminates what it means to live a Dharmically-inspired life. (This is part one of a two part series on Manjusvara. Listen to part two (https://audioboom.com/posts/7316445-manjusvara-part-2-half-my-life) ) Extracts from this talk were used for the 50 Years, 50 Voices project - visit the dedicated space on The Buddhist Centre Online for more. (https://thebuddhistcentre.com/50Voices/50-years-50-voices-manjusvara)

At the age of 36, the Tibetan Buddhist meditation master Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche sneaked out of his monastery in Bodhgaya, India, in the middle of the night to live as a beggar and traveling yogi. The story of how he left behind his privileged lifestyle for a four-year wandering retreat is told in the new book, In Love With the World: A Monk's Journey Through the Bardos of Living and Dying, which he co-wrote with his student and Tricycle’s founding editor, Helen Tworkov. Tworkov sits down with James Shaheen, Tricycle’s publisher and editor, to discuss how she helped Mingyur Rinpoche tell his story, the near-death experience that transformed his life and teachings, and how seeing the small deaths we experience each day can help us alleviate our fears of dying. They also discuss the origins of the magazine and how the Western Buddhist landscape has changed over time.

Lama Surya Das is an American lama in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. He is one of the foremost Western Buddhist meditation teachers and scholars, one of the main interpreters of Tibetan Buddhism in the West, and a leading spokesperson for the emerging American Buddhism. The Dalai Lama affectionately calls him “The Western Lama.”He is a poet, chantmaster, spiritual activist, author of many books and an all round beautiful person. He has long been involved in charitable relief projects in developing countries and in interfaith dialogue. Lama Surya Das is a Dharma heir of Nyoshul Khenpo Rinpoche, a Nyingma master of the non-sectarian Rime movement, with whom he founded the Dzogchen Center. His name, which means "Servant of the Sun" in a combination of Sanskrit and Hindi, was given to him in 1972 by the Hindu guru Neem Karoli Baba.Surya has spent over forty five years studying Zen, vipassana, yoga, and Tibetan Buddhism with the great masters of Asia, including the Dalai Lama's own teachers, and has twice completed the traditional three year meditation cloistered retreat at his teacher's Tibetan monastery. He is an authorized lama and lineage holder in the Nyingmapa School of Tibetan Buddhism, and a close personal disciple of the leading grand lamas of that tradition. He is the founder of the Dzogchen Center and Foundation in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and its branch centers around the country. Over the years, Surya has brought many Tibetan lamas to this country to teach and start centers and retreats. As founder of the Western Buddhist Teachers Network with the Dalai Lama, he regularly helps organize its international Buddhist Teachers Conferences. He is also active in interfaith dialogue and charitable projects in the Third World. In recent years, Lama Surya has turned his efforts and focus towards youth and contemplative education initiatives, what he calls “True higher education and wisdom for life training.”I first met Lama Surya Das while on retreat with Ram Dass and it was beautiful to dive into this podcast chat with him. I deeply appreciate his wisdom balanced with and wonderful sense of humour. I hope you enjoy our chat!To support the podcast please visit https://stuartwatkins.org/podcast/Follow the work of Lama Surya Das at http://www.surya.orgSupport the show (https://stuartwatkins.org/podcast/)

Lama Surya Das, a renowned Western Buddhist meditation teacher and scholar, teaches and lectures around the world, conducting dozens of meditation retreats and workshops each year. He is the founder and spiritual director of the Dzogchen Foundation, and founder of the Western Buddhist Teachers Network. He is the author of many books, including Awakening the Buddha Within: Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World (Broadway 1997), Buddha Is as Buddha Does: The Ten Original Practices for Enlightened Living (HarperOne 2008), Buddha Standard Time: Awakening to the Infinite Possibilities of Now (HarperOne 2011)Interview Date: 6/20/2011 

Is time speeding up? It seems so as we fill our lives with so many “labor saving” devices. The 21st century mantra could very well be: There isn’t enough time. Here we explore how we can free ourselves from the tyranny of time, as we step out of the fast lane on to the off ramp, in order to enjoy a saner and more balanced relationship with time. Lama Surya Das, a renowned Western Buddhist meditation teacher and scholar, teaches and lectures around the world, conducting dozens of meditation retreats and workshops each year. He is the founder and spiritual director of the Dzogchen Foundation and founder of the Western Buddhist Teachers Network. He is the author of many books, including Awakening the Buddha Within (Broadway 1997), Buddha Is as Buddha Does (HarperOne 2008) and Buddha Standard Time: Awakening To the Infinite Possibilities of Now (HarperOne 2011)Interview Date: 6/20/2011Tags: Lama Surya Das, time, Dzogchen, nowness, stress busters, artificial time, natural time, linear time, awareness, letting go, meditation, mindfulness, mindful prayer, technology, techno-addiction, full-connection, meditation, cyclical time, perception, presencing, Buddhism, Spirituality

Is time speeding up? It seems so as we fill our lives with so many “labor saving” devices. The 21st century mantra could very well be: There isn’t enough time. Here we explore how we can free ourselves from the tyranny of time, as we step out of the fast lane on to the off ramp, in order to enjoy a saner and more balanced relationship with time. Lama Surya Das, a renowned Western Buddhist meditation teacher and scholar, teaches and lectures around the world, conducting dozens of meditation retreats and workshops each year. He is the founder and spiritual director of the Dzogchen Foundation and founder of the Western Buddhist Teachers Network. He is the author of many books, including Awakening the Buddha Within (Broadway 1997), Buddha Is as Buddha Does (HarperOne 2008) and Buddha Standard Time: Awakening To the Infinite Possibilities of Now (HarperOne 2011)Interview Date: 6/20/2011Tags: Lama Surya Das, time, Dzogchen, nowness, stress busters, artificial time, natural time, linear time, awareness, letting go, meditation, mindfulness, mindful prayer, technology, techno-addiction, full-connection, meditation, cyclical time, perception, presencing, Buddhism, Spirituality

Ep.12 ~ Krishna Das chats with Lama Surya Das Krishna Das chats with Lama Surya Das, one of the foremost Western Buddhist meditation teachers and scholars, and a long-time friend.... The post Ep.12 | Krishna Das chats with Lama Surya Das appeared first on Krishna Das.

Ep.12 ~ Krishna Das chats with Lama Surya Das Krishna Das chats with Lama Surya Das, one of the foremost Western Buddhist meditation teachers and scholars, and a long-time friend.... The post Ep.12 | Krishna Das chats with Lama Surya Das appeared first on Krishna Das.

Chandra Easton and Michael Taft talk about gender and sexual misconduct in Buddhism, why compassion must be a part of spiritual practice, and the place of the guru in modern culture. Chandra shares her personal story of dealing with sexual misconduct at the hands of her teacher, tantric practices as a technology for awakening, internalized patriarchy, and how love and kindness is the whole point of spiritual practice. Also included are guidelines for choosing a teacher, reimagining Tantric practices in non-binary ways, and much more.Chandra Easton studied Buddhist philosophy, meditation, and Tibetan language at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Dharamsala, India, and translated Tibetan Buddhist texts on meditation with B. Alan Wallace. Chandra has taught meditation and yoga since 2001. She has studied with many Tibetan and Western Buddhist teachers such as H.H. Dalai Lama, H.H. Karmapa, Lama Tsultrim Allione, B. Alan Wallace,Tulku Sang-ngag Rinpoche, and Jennifer Welwood. She is currently the Assistant Spiritual Director & Head Teacher at the Tara Mandala Retreat Center. To learn more visit www.shunyatayoga.com and www.taramandala.org.LinksThe teachings of ChödNamkhai NorbuLama Tsultrim AllioneThe Alchemical BodyThe Anam Cara Show Notes2:57 - Chandra’s move to Colorado4:14 - The Tara Mandala retreat center6:35 - The Chöd practices11:33 - Namkhai Norbu and “self-secret”14:33 - The technology of Tantra20:38 - The motivation of compassion25:54 - Guru sexual misconduct and The Feminine in Buddhism34:04 - The Buddha’s views on women37:38 - The Tantra movement40:01 - Women in Buddhism and what needs to change44:41 - Women-run sanghas47:39 - Gender in Tantric practices52:16 - Sexual abuse and spiritual leaders59:05 - How to choose a teacher1:05:04 - Qualities to look for in a teacher1:10:11 - Is the guru still needed?1:13:05 - The Soul Friend1:15:40 - The story of the Grandma and the Dog’s Tooth1:19:54 - The teacher vs. the teachings1:28:35 - Education changing the female experience in Buddhism You can support the creation of future episodes of this podcast by contributing through Patreon.

S4P Radio, Season 2, Episode 4 with Lama Surya Das on Tibetan Dream Yoga Lama Surya Das is one of the foremost Western Buddhist meditation teachers and scholars. The Dalai Lama affectionately calls him “the American Lama”.  He has spent over forty-five years studying Zen, Vipassana, Yoga, and Tibetan Buddhism with many of the great old masters of Asia, among them, some of the Dalai Lama’s own teachers. He is an authorized lama in the Tibetan Buddhist order, a leading spokesperson for Buddhism and contemporary spirituality, a translator, poet, meditation master, chant master, and spiritual activist.  Lama Surya Das is the author of the international bestselling Awakening trilogy: Awakening the Buddha Within, Awakening to the Sacred andAwakening the Buddhist Heart, as well as his latest book, Make Me One with Everything: Buddhist Meditations To Awaken From The Illusion Of Separation and nine others.  In 1991 he established the Dzogchen Foundation and Dzogchen Retreats (www.dzogchen.org). In 1993,with the Dalai Lama, he founded the Western Buddhist Teachers Network and regularly organizes its International Buddhist Teachers’ Conferences. Today Lama Surya Das teaches and lectures around the world, conducting dozens of meditation retreats and workshops each year andis a regular contributor at The Huffington Postand Elephant Journal. His podcast “Awakening Now” can be found on the Be Here Now Network and his blog, Ask the Lamaat askthelama.com. Lama Surya’s lecture and retreat schedule can be viewed on his website surya.org. You can follow Lama on Facebook (Lama Surya Das), Twitter (@LamaSuryaDas), and Instagram (lamasuryadasusa). Lama Surya Das resides in Lexington, Massachusetts. In this awesome episode of Sleep4Performanc Radio, Surya Das and I discuss Tibetan Dream Yoga and much more, including; The basics of Buddhism Did the Buddha talk about sleep? How does meditation help you relax and reduce stress? Why and how meditation helps you sleep? Why does meditation make me less sleepy? The benefits of meditation retreats. Dream yoga, how it works? The benefits of dream yoga in our waking life How can people support the Dzogchen centre? Contact me at iandunican@sleep4performance.com.au or on Twitter @sleep4perform 

In this interview I talk with Robert Beer, an internationally renowned artist who has dedicated his life to both the study of Indo-Tibetan sacred art and to experiential contact with the afterlife. Robert is the author and illustrator of the The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motif, and The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbol, as well as having his work featured in countless publications and websites. In our discussion we delve into Robert's childhood mystical experiences, his psychedelically induced psychosis and kundalini crisis, the runaway Carmelite nun, years spent in India studying with Tibet’s greatest living master artist, astral encounters with long-dead Indian gurus, and Robert’s extensive research into parapsychology and the spirit world. - The afterlife experience at 14 years old that catalysed Robert’s spiritual search - The death of Robert’s sister and an afterlife dream - How Robert became homeless at 16, sleeping rough in the blood bank where he worked - Being rejected from art school and meeting the eccentric artist John F.B. Miles - The story of John’s mother the runaway Carmelite nun - John’s prodigious ability to reproduce any script instantly - Robert’s psychedelic explorations in his early twenties - How an attempt to practice Tibetan phowa on LSD triggered a devastating psychosis and kundalini crisis - The severe and debilitating effects of Robert’s kundalini crisis - Travelling to India and Robert’s 7 year journey to reintegrate his nervous system - Sacred art and music as therapy and medicine - The practice of stillness and concentration in art - Learning Tibetan thangka painting with Tibet’s master artist Jampa Tseten - Understanding mystic traditions through sacred art - Robert’s aboriginal encounter with Buddhist Dharma - Robert’s unpublished manual of the deities of the Karma Kagyu tradition - The challenges of obtaining funding and support in Robert’s career - The physical and psychological demands of creating extremely intricately detailed images - Robert’s incompatibility with traditional Buddhist practice - Encountering the physical emanation of the long deceased Shirdi Sai Baba - Ongoing psychic contact and teaching from Shirdi Sai Baba - How the tragic death of Robert’s daughter radically changed his life trajectory - Encounters with channellers and mediums - Robert’s profound experience with Dr. Michael Newton’s ‘Life Between Life’ hypnosis method - Research into Near Death Experiences and deathbed visions - The limitations of the Tibetan bardo and after-death teachings - The ineffectiveness of religious practice compared to near death experiences - Ani Tenzin Palmo’s near death experience - The karmic implications of past life regression - Robert’s opinion on the tulku system - Dudjom Lingpa’s anomalous reincarnation process - The blindly dogmatic approach to reincarnation of most Western Buddhist teachers - Robert’s approach to counselling the bereaved To find our more about Robert, visit: http://www.tibetanart.com/ For more interviews, videos, and more visit: www.guruviking.com Music 'Deva Dasi' by Steve James

On this episode of #WiseGirl, Lama Surya Das joins me for a wide-ranging conversation about meditation, mindfulness, how to really be "in" your life, and how to ride the waves of it without drowning. Lama Surya Das is one of the foremost Western Buddhist meditation teachers and scholars, one of the main interpreters of Tibetan Buddhism in the West, and a leading spokesperson for the emerging American Buddhism. The Dalai Lama affectionately calls him “The Western Lama.” Surya has spent over forty five years studying Zen, vipassana, yoga, and Tibetan Buddhism with the great masters of Asia, including the Dalai Lama’s own teachers, and has twice completed the traditional three year meditation cloistered retreat at his teacher’s Tibetan monastery. He is an authorized lama and lineage holder in the Nyingmapa School of Tibetan Buddhism, and a close personal disciple of the leading grand lamas of that tradition. He is the founder of the Dzogchen Center and Foundation in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and its branch centers around the country. www.surya.org

Lama Surya Das is one of the foremost Western Buddhist meditation teachers and scholars. An authorized lama in the Tibetan Buddhist order (the Dalai Lama affectionately calls him “the American Lama”), he is a leading spokesperson for contemporary spirituality as well as a translator, poet, meditation master, chant master, and spiritual activist. He is the author numerous books, including the Awakening trilogy—Awakening the Buddha Within; Awakening to the Sacred; and Awakening the Buddhist Heart—and his latest, Make Me One with Everything: Buddhist Meditations To Awaken From The Illusion Of Separation. In the 1990s, he established the Dzogchen Foundation and Dzogchen Retreats. He maintains a busy schedule of retreats and workshops around the world and blogs at Ask The Lama. We spoke on a wide range of topics related to Buddhism and today’s spiritual landscape. Learn more about Lama Surya Das here: surya.org

Lama Tsultrim Allione is the founder and resident lama of Tara Mandala, a 700-acre Buddhist retreat located outside of Boulder, Colorado. She traveled to India in her late teens and at the age of 22, she was ordained as the first Western Buddhist nun. After living in the Himalayan region for several years she returned her monastic vows, married, and raised a family of three children, while continuing to study and practice Buddhism. Now, 50 years later, she finds herself teaching women tools of empowerment through their sacred feminine lineage. Lama Tsultrim was named Buddhist Woman of the Year in 2009 by a panel of distinguished scholars and practitioners in Bangkok, Thailand. She is author of Women of Wisdom, Feeding Your Demons and her new book Wisdom Rising:Journey into the Mandala of the Empowered Feminine.  Today, we are honored to welcome Lama Tsultrim Allione to the America Meditating Radio Show! Visit https://taramandala.org.  

This is a dharma talk I gave on August 8, 2017 at IMSB in Mountain View, Ca, on the topic of Skillfully Recognizing Empty Appearance. Though the Buddhist notion of emptiness can be quite challenging for Western Buddhist practitioners, the rich teachings on emptiness offer a clear path to apply wise view, wise action and skillful means in daily life.

Ajahn Viradhammo reflects on the beauty of those who are currently well, but taking care of those who become sick. He recounts the tale of our Thai friends’ support and generosity for a new Buddha Rupa, and how the Thai’s love of Dhamma helps Buddhism spread to the West, and Western Buddhist teachings integrate back to the East.… Read the rest

This episode is brought to you by The Alan Watts Foundation. You can find every single recorded Alan Watts talk in one convenient place. All proceeds benefit the continuation and dissemination of Alan Watts recorded media. Use the code SYNC at checkout and get 30% of your first purchase. Bonus Download: Viken Arman's set from Burning Man 2016 at the White Ocean Camp Lama Surya Das stops by Synchronicity to discuss Dzogchen, Buddhism, Buddha Standard Time, non-duality and practical applications of various Buddhist practices. Lama Surya Das has an excellent book called "Make Me One With Everything" which you can pick up now. Lama Surya Das is one of the foremost Western Buddhist meditation teachers and scholars, one of the main interpreters of Tibetan Buddhism in the West, and a leading spokesperson for the emerging American Buddhism. The Dalai Lama affectionately calls him “The Western Lama.” Surya has spent over forty five years studying Zen, vipassana, yoga, and Tibetan Buddhism with the great masters of Asia, including the Dalai Lama's own teachers, and has twice completed the traditional three year meditation cloistered retreat at his teacher's Tibetan monastery. He is an authorized lama and lineage holder in the Nyingmapa School of Tibetan Buddhism, and a close personal disciple of the leading grand lamas of that tradition. He is the founder of the Dzogchen Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and its branch centers around the country, including the retreat center Dzogchen Osel Ling outside Austin, Texas, where he conducts long training retreats and Advanced Dzogchen retreats.

MF 37 – Awakening from the Illusion of Separation with Lama Surya Das Lama Surya Das is one of the foremost Western Buddhist meditation teachers and scholars, one of the main interpreters of Tibetan Buddhism in the West, and a leading spokesperson for the emerging American Buddhism. The Dalai Lama affectionately calls him “The Western […] The post MF 37 – Awakening from the Illusion of Separation with Lama Surya Das appeared first on Meditation Freedom.

If you've ever wanted to feel better, enjoy life more, and feel our oneness or our interconnected being-ness with everyone and everything around you, then do we have the show for you! Today we'll be talking Lama Surya Das, considered one of the foremost Western Buddhist meditation teachers and scholars. The Dalai Lama affectionately calls him “The Western Lama”. And He's the best-selling author of 13 books including Buddha Standard Time, Awakening the Buddha Within and his latest book Make Me One With Everything: Today we'll be talking about oneness and inter-meditation, or connecting to everyone and everything around us. We'll talk about why we should do it, how we should do it, when we should do it, and what in the world we have in all have in common with a hot dog. Topics Include: What did the Dalai Lama say about a hot dog? Are we surfing the cresting wave of evolution How have things changed? You mention the Dalai lama giving high level teachings to thousands now, why is that? Why did you write this book? What is your mission? Why is it so important to interconnect, and particularly NOW? Is interconnection a relatively new idea or as old as the Buddha? What was your experience in France in hermitage retreat with intermeditation? What is intermeditation What is Thich Nhat Hanh's interbeing? What is the difference between intermeditation – all inclusiveness, and mindfulness? Being aware or bringing all of our perception in? When I forget who I am, I serve God, when I forget who I am, I am God ~Hanuman Function Practice Main Practice Difficulties along the road? I intermediate on subways, but my favorite is at intersections, with drivers passing by. Co-meditation Are we in a new era? How have times changed? Are more of the esoteric teachings being shared? You spoke of the Dalai lama giving high level teachings before thousands now, why is this? How do we find peace in ourselves, and bring peace to the world Webination Neoroscientists – Richard Davidson, and Dan Siegel Tonglen – giving and receiving Lojong – attitude transformation and spiritual refinement Everyone is going to die someday, but who amongst us will choose to truly live Atisha – the lamp master – systematized Lojong – “taming” or “mastering” What is true attention or lucid attention and how do we cultivate it? What is nowness awareness or presencing? After attention is self-acceptace or compassion Be aware of the fragile and impermanent nature of your life Live the Buddhist tantric committment of looking at everyone and everything as Buddhas Be aware of the implications of your motivations and consequences of your actions My religion is kindness (I just said “My religion is We” Co-meditating with the dalai lama Co-meditating with our guides Natural meditation – clouds, trees, etc. Intermeditating with trees Intermeditating with animals The less full of myself I am, the more room there is for others. Inspiration | Motivation | Meditation | Spiritual | Spirituality | Dalai Lama | Tibet | Tibetan | Buddhism | Religion | Health | Peace | Happiness | Joy | Love | Self-Help  

Mark Oppenheimer is an essayist, reporter, critic, and one of the United States’ leading investigators of religion. His new book, The Zen Predator of the Upper East Side, is an investigation of the decades of sexual scandal surrounding Japanese Zen teacher Eido Shimano. Mark joins host Vincent Horn to discuss the book and the impact his writing has had on the Zen community. Mark reports a brief history of the situation, they discuss the conditions that led to the problems, and they examine why the problem of sexual misconduct is not as common in other Western Buddhist traditions. Episode Links: The Zen Predator of the Upper East Side ( http://amzn.to/1as7Uak ) www.MarkOppenheimer.com

In this episode Rohan Gunatillake speaks with Buddhist teacher Rob Burbea on the topic of Climate Change. Rob wonders why the Western Buddhist community is largely silent on the topic, and over the course of the discussion Rohan and Rob explore several questions, including: How does dharma practice relate to the topic of Climate Change? What is the consequence of Buddhists not addressing this issue? What example should Buddhist teachers and leaders show in relation to climate change? Episode Links: The Meditator as Revolutionary ( http://dharmaseed.org/talks/audio_player/210/13850.html ) Dharma and Climate Change ( http://sanghaseva.org/ongoing.html ) Gaia House ( http://gaiahouse.co.uk ) www.21awake.com

Terry Patten–spiritual teacher and author–joins us to speak about some of the challenging issues involve in teaching and practicing an empowering form of dharma. We begin the conversation by exploring his history with infamous teacher Adi Da. Patten spent many years practicing intimately with Da, and shares his incredible love and appreciation for his guru, while also openly acknowledging the many challenges and paradoxes inherent in his approach. He also speaks about the problem of the “rare specimen” and the ways that incredible teachers inadvertently create “demotional”, as opposed to devotional, cultures around themselves. This topics leads us to then explore the various ways that we, often quite unsuccessfully, work with the areas of money, sexuality, and power. We look at why these forces are so challenging to us as social creatures, and as part of that Terry issues an interesting challenge to the Western Buddhist community. This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, Seasons of Practice. Episode Links: Integral Spiritual Practice ( http://www.integralspiritualpractice.com ) Integral Life Practice ( http://amzn.to/sTzZSx ) Beyond Awakening ( http://beyondawakeningseries.com ) The Knee of Listening ( http://amzn.to/sq5paV )

We’re joined this week by Ph.D Candidate and Buddhist blogger Brooke Schedneck, to explore her research into several emerging patterns in Western Buddhist communities. We begin with how, as a training academic, she got into Buddhism and how she ended up combining both 1st and 3rd person observation into her research. We also explore her current research at International meditation centers in Thailand, and how this research highlights larger trends in how Buddhism is interacting with modernity. She goes into several broad trends that she is tracking including 1) The ongoing relationship between lay and monastic forms 2) the pragmatic dharma movement 3) practitioners having a strong interest in the future of Western Buddhism & 4) an overall sense of a movement toward greater balance in Buddhist communities. Episode Links: Wandering Dhamma ( http://wanderingdhamma.wordpress.com/ ) Cambridge Insight Meditation Center ( http://www.cimc.info/ ) The Hardcore Dharma Movement ( http://wanderingdhamma.wordpress.com/2010/07/16/the-hardcore-dharma-movement/ ) The Blogisattva Awards ( http://www.blogisattva.org ) Turning the Wheel of Truth: Commentary on the Buddha’s First Teaching ( http://amzn.to/hk7G65 )

We’re joined again this week by Kenneth Folk, a long-time Theravada practitioner and meditation teacher. Kenneth completes his harrowing spiritual story, all the way to the point, where he says that he, "got off the ride and was done." He speaks about how uncommon it is, in Western Buddhist circles, to believe that enlightenment is possible, a phenomenon that his teacher Bill Hamilton described as the "mushroom culture."Kenneth then goes on to describe two different ways of understanding enlightenment: one as a developmental process, much the way his path is described, and then two, as a timeless realization that’s available at any moment. After his awakening, Kenneth went on to explore the timeless realization through the direct teachings of Ramana Maharshi, Adyashanti, Eckhart Tolle, the Dzogchen teachers of Tibet. He found that the direct and developmental teachings could be integrated, and that integration led him to what he calls the “3-speed transmission”. Listen in to hear about the 3-speed transmission, and how one can shift between levels, all the while supporting a deepening sense of awakeness and non-distracted-ness. This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to part 1, Ordinary People Can Get Enlightened. Episode Links: Kenneth Folk Dharma

Buddhism is a profound study in time and time management because the better you manage your mind, the less hold time has on you. Every moment can be lived fully, free, and unconditioned, and every moment holds infinite possibilities and opportunities for a fresh start. Every moment of heightened consciousness is precious beyond price, for awareness is the primary currency of the human condition. Buddhism for me, is a study in how to live fully and authentically, not only in our earthly time zone, but in what I call Buddha Standard Time- the dimension of timeless time, wholly now. – Lama Surya Das Listen to a Drishti Point Yoga Podcast with Lama Surya Das, known affectionately by the Dalai Lama as ‘the Western Lama’ is one of the foremost Western Buddhist teachers and scholars. In this interview, Lamaji speaks about developing concentration, spending time outdoors and in Nature, the 5 Paramitas (Perfections) and how to bring the sacred into everything we do.

This week we talk to Lama Surya Das about looking beyond ourselves Lama Surya Das is one of the foremost Western Buddhist meditation teachers and scholars, one of the main interpreters of Tibetan Buddhism in the West, and a leading spokesperson for the emerging American Buddhism. The Dalai Lama affectionately calls him “The Western Lama.” Surya has spent over forty five years studying Zen, vipassana, yoga, and Tibetan Buddhism with the great masters of Asia, including the Dalai Lama's own teachers, and has twice completed the traditional three-year meditation cloistered retreat at his teacher's Tibetan monastery. Surya Das has been featured in numerous publications and major media, including ABC, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, The Washington Post, One segment of the ABC-TV sitcom Dharma & Greg was based on his life (“Leonard's Return”). Surya has appeared on Politically Correct with Bill Maher, and twice on The Colbert Report. Surya is the author of thirteen books, his latest is called Make Me One With Everything: Buddhist Meditations to Awaken from the Illusion of Separation.  In This Interview Surya and I Discuss... The One You Feed parable. The Concept of Inter-Meditation. The Us vs.Them problem. Furthering a collective awakening versus only individual awakening. The process of gazing meditation. For more show notes visit our website Some of our most popular interviews that you might also enjoy: Dan Harris Maria Popova Todd Henry- author of Die Empty Randy Scott Hyde See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lama Surya Das is one of the foremost Western Buddhist meditation teachers and scholars, one of the main interpreters of Tibetan Buddhism in the West, and a leading spokesperson for the emerging American Buddhism. The Dalai Lama affectionately calls him “The Western Lama.” Lama Surya Das is a sought after speaker and lecturer, teaching and […]

Tune in as Sister Jenna interviews Lama Surya Das on the America Meditating Radio Program.  Lama Surya Das is an American-born lama in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. He is one of the foremost Western Buddhist meditation teachers and scholars, one of the main interpreters of Tibetan Buddhism in the West, and a leading spokesperson for the emerging American Buddhism. The Dalai Lama affectionately calls him “The Western Lama.”  He has long been involved in charitable relief projects and in interfaith dialogue. Lama Surya has spent over forty years studying Zen, vipassana, yoga, and Tibetan Buddhism with the great masters of Asia, including the Dalai Lama's own teachers. He is a published author, translator, chant master, and a regular blog contributor at The Huffington Post, as well as his own AskTheLama.com blog site where he shares his thoughts and answers questions from the public each week. Lama Surya travels, teaches and leads meditation retreats throughout the world. He is often called upon as a Buddhist spokesman by the media and has appeared frequently on TV and radio.  He has been featured in numerous publications and major media, including ABC, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, The Washington Post, to name a few. Lama Surya is the author of thirteen books, including his most recent bestseller, “Buddha Standard Time: Awakening to the Infinite Possibilities of Now.” Visit his website at www.surya.org Get the OFF TO WORK CD by Sister Jenna  Like America Meditating on Facebook and Download our FREE Pause for Peace app. 

It’s almost to the point that there’s a flavor of Buddhism for everyone, especially in the West! From A is for Amida to Z is for Zen, there are groups and teachings of all stripes … the monastic and the “out in the world” types … traditional and tradition breaking … many teachers in between, mixing and matching. The Western Buddhist world comes in ten thousand colors and flavors! And that can be GOOD! I have never been a “my way or the highway, one size fits all” kind of Buddhist. Different folks may require different medicines for what ails them. Find the path and teacher(s) right for you. All you have to do, though, is avoid the snake oil, the image driven jive and hype, soothing but empty cliches, crazy cults, charismatic charlatans and ego maniac gurus professing “freedom from ego”, downright crooks and con-men, New Age dribble and pseudo-psycho-babble, fast food drive-though spirituality. Also, don’t fall into “spiritual materialism” … shopping around in the Dharma department store for the fluffy and flashy, for teachers of ‘anything goes, feel good philosophies’, “teachings” that just say what we want to hear (and not what we need to hear). Oh, and if you do stumble on a worthwhile practice, be sure not to quit too fast … as soon as it becomes a little demanding. Do all that … and you’ll be just fine! Visit the Forum for this topic!

A discussion with Geraint Evans (Bhikku Khantiko).