The Wisdom Podcast

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat features special guest, Alejandro Chaoul. During this episode, host Daniel Aitken and Alejandro discuss the practice of Tibetan yoga, (trul khor, “magical movement”). Alejandro provides demonstrations of some of the movements and guides the listener through how to practice them as well. Alejandro and Daniel also discuss: pervasive breath (khyab lung) and movements that work with it; the five winds; Alejandro’s upcoming Wisdom Academy course, Tibetan Yoga, Part 2; and much more. Alejandro provides detailed descriptions and instructions for the movements he demonstrates during this episode. If you would like to see the movements as well you can watch the recording of the live event on our website here.   Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Alejandro Chaoul: Trul Khor (#176) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features an interview with Charles Manson. Charles is a master woodcarver and author who spent several years as a Buddhist monk and in meditation retreats. He holds a master’s in theological studies from Harvard University and works as a librarian for the Tibetan Collections at the Bodleian Library at Oxford University and at the British Library in London. In this episode, Charles and host Daniel Aitken discuss: his book The Second Karmapa Karma Pakshi; his eight-year retreat; Karma Pakshi’s impact on Möngke Khan court; Kublai Khan’s capture and exile of Karma Pakshi; lungsem breathing meditation practice; and more! Items mentioned in this podcast: – Early 14th-Century Portrait of Karma Pakshi – 16th Karmapa in the Karma Pakshi pose at Tsurpu Pre-1959 – Karma Pakshi Travel Map – Om Ma-Ni Pe-Me Hung Sheet music – Om Ma-Ni Pe-Me Hung Recording of Nick Perry playing medieval shawm – Charles during retreat at Karma Pakshi cave   Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Charles Manson: The Second Karmapa (#175) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast was recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat with special guest, Anne C. Klein. Anne is a professor and former chair of the religion department at Rice University. She is also a lama in the Nyingma tradition and a founding director and resident teacher of Dawn Mountain, a center for contemplative study and practice in Houston. Her publications include Path to the Middle, Unbounded Wholeness (coauthored with Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche), Knowledge and Liberation, Strand of Jewels, and Being Human and a Buddha Too (Wisdom, 2023). During this episode, host Daniel Aitken and Anne discuss: her Wisdom Academy course Longchenpa’s Sevenfold Mind Training; her book, Being Human and a Buddha Too, which the course is based on; the relationship between lojong and dzogchen generally, and specifically within this text; Adzom Paylo Rinpoche’s and Jigme Lingpa’s commentaries on this texts; the metaphor of the sunlit sky; and more!   Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Anne C. Klein: Being Human and a Buddha Too (#174) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features special guest, Sangye Khandro. During this episode host Daniel Aitken and Sangye discuss Venerable Dhomang Gyatrul Rinpoche’s passing into parinirvana earlier this year, her root teacher, Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche, with whom she studied and practiced for many years, and her work as a translator. Sangye and Daniel also discuss: how Sangye met Venerable Dhomang Gyatrul Rinpoche; Rinpoche’s visions of the Karmapa while he was sick; Rinpoche’s extended tukdam; Rinpoche’s sea burial; and more! Below are a series of links to various videos of Rinpoche’s sea burial. Orgyen Dorje Den, sea burial video Orgyen Dorje Den, drone video Vimala   Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Sangye Khandro: The Parinirvana of Venerable Dhomang Gyatrul Rinpoche (#173) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat features special guest Jay Garfield. Jay Garfield is Doris Silbert Professor in the Humanities, Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Logic Program and of the Five College Tibetan Studies in India Program at Smith College, Professor in the graduate faculty of Philosophy at the University of Massachusetts, Professor of Philosophy at Melbourne University and Adjunct Professor of Philosophy at the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies. He teaches and pursues research in the philosophy of mind, foundations of cognitive science, logic, philosophy of language, Buddhist philosophy, cross-cultural hermeneutics, theoretical and applied ethics, and epistemology. During this episode, host Daniel Aitken and Jay discuss: Jay’s recent book, Losing Ourselves, and the concept of self; cognitive illusions and thought experiments; Jay’s online courses with Wisdom Academy; and much more. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Jay Garfield: Buddhist Philosophy In-Depth (#172) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat features Geshe Tenzin Namdak. Geshe Namdak first worked as an environmental researcher, having graduated with a bachelor of science degree in hydrology. He took ordination from His Holiness the Dalai Lama before engaging in his formal studies in Buddhist philosophy and psychology at Sera Jey Monastic University. He completed the entire twenty-year geshe program at Sera Jey and the traditional one-year Vajrayāna study program at Gyüme Tantric College. Currently, he is the resident teacher at Jamyang Buddhist Centre, London, and teaches worldwide. In this conversation Geshe la and Daniel discuss: Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the guidance he provided in Geshe la’s education; how to think clearly; life in Sera Jey and learning through debate; the importance of doubt and contemplation in learning; the three types of dependent arising; and much more! Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Geshe Tenzin Namdak: The Mind and Knowing (#171) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features Venerable Bhikkhu Anālayo. Venerable Anālayo is a scholar, meditation teacher, and author. He completed his PhD research on the Satipaṭṭhānasutta at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. His works from Wisdom include Daughters of the Buddha, Early Buddhist Oral Tradition, Superiority Conceit in Buddhist Traditions, and Rebirth in Early Buddhism and Current Research. In this episode Ven. Anālayo and host Daniel Aitken discuss Venerable’s newest release The Signless and the Deathless. They also discuss: the nature of signs; our perception of reality; the practice of bare awareness; and more! Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Venerable Bhikkhu Anālayo: The Signless and the Deathless (#170) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat features H. E. Kalu Rinpoche. Rinpoche is the Lineage Holder of Shangpa Kagyu. He was born in 1990 and recognized by H. H. the Dalai Lama and H. H. the 12th Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa. Kalu Rinpoche completed the traditional three-year retreat between January 2004 and September 2008. After graduating he traveled, gaining experience in the modern world, before returning to Sonada to give the full Shangpa transmission. Rinpoche continues to connect traditional Shagpa Kagyu teaching to a modern, digital world. His work makes these teachings accessible, ensuring they will remain available for generations to come. During this episode host, Daniel Aitken, and Rinpoche discuss Rinpoche’s perspective on dharma in the modern world, Niguma Yoga, his upcoming Wisdom Academy Course, The Illusory Body and Mind (formerly titled Luminous Mind), and much more. This episode contains a discussion of the live yoga demonstration from Rinpoche. You can view that demonstration from the video recording here from minutes 44:09-1:00:12. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post H. E. Kalu Rinpoche: The Yoga of Niguma (#169) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat features special guest Thupten Jinpa and host Daniel Aitken in a discussion about the series Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics series. The two pay special attention to the newest and last volume in the series, Volume 4: Philosophical Topics. Jinpa reads select passages and provides commentary and explanations from the book as well as answers questions from the audience. They also discuss: Illusion vs like an illusion; Conventional truth and conventional existence ; How to keep your practice fresh; Difficulties with translating and terminology from Tibetan to English; and more! Video featured in this episode: Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics Trailer Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Thupten Jinpa: Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics (#168) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, features Lama Tsomo. Lama Tsomo is a spiritual teacher, author, and co-founder of Namchak Foundation, which preserves and shares Tibetan Buddhist practice in accessible, contemporary ways. She dedicates the majority of her time and resources to sharing the teachings and practices of the Namchak tradition, a branch of Tibetan Buddhism. Utilizing her psychology background, Lama Tsomo works to make it easier for Westerners to bridge contemplative practice and modern life. She is particularly passionate about reaching young people and supporting those working for positive social change. Lama Tsomo holds an M.A. in Counseling Psychology and is the author of Ancient Wisdom for Our Times: Tibetan Buddhist Practice Series and coauthor of The Lotus & the Rose: A Conversation Between Tibetan Buddhism & Mystical Christianity and the Taking a Breath meditation journal. In this episode, Lama Tsomo and Daniel discuss: The art of retreat and how to prepare yourself for retreat; the four immeasurables and how they relate to meditation practices and habit formation; Lama Tsomo also offers advice on how to incorporate your practice into modern, often busy, schedules; And more! Additional links mentioned in this episode: “Neuroscience Reveals the Secrets of Meditation’s Benefits” Scientific American Mind of the Meditator from Taking a Breath Walking the Path Retreat   Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Lama Tsomo: Ancient Wisdom for Our Times (#167) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features a special guest, Malcolm Smith. Malcolm Smith has been a student of the Great Perfection teachings since 1992 and graduated in 2009 from Shang Shung Institute’s School of Tibetan Medicine. He is a veteran of the traditional three-year solitary Tibetan Buddhist retreat, a beloved and published translator, and was awarded the Acharya degree from the Sakya Institute in 2004. In this episode you’ll hear about Malcolm’s new Wisdom Academy course, Dzogchen: Ten Key Terms, and he and host Daniel Aitken dive into the difference in terminology between various other traditions and Dzogchen, including terms such as original purity and ignorance. They go on to discuss Longchepa’s distinction between different states and types of mediation, transmission and direct introduction, and much more. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Malcolm Smith: Dzogchen: Ten Key Terms (#166) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features a special guest, Khandro Kunga Bumma. As a young woman, Khando-la had a vision to leave her homeland of Tibet and go to Nepal. There, she met a hermit sage who told her that she had to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama. After a difficult journey, including major health challenges, she finally met His Holiness and began serving as a medium of the oracle Tenma. In 2012, Lama Zopa Rinpoche introduced Khandro-la to the Maitripa College community, where she gave one of her first teachings in the West. In this episode you’ll hear Khandro-la and host Daniel Aitken discuss: The connection between virtue and happiness. The subtle natural quality of the mind and interdependence. The difference between compassion and bodhicitta. The importance of trust in your teacher. A collection of teachings from the fifth Dalai Lama on Madhyamaka texts. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Khandro Kunga Bumma: Bodhicitta, Happiness, and Interdependence (#165) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features the return of special guest Karl Brunnhölzl, MD, PhD. Karl was originally trained as a physician. He received his systematic training in Tibetan language and Buddhist philosophy and practice at the Marpa Institute for Translators, founded by Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, as well as the Nitartha Institute, founded by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. Since 1989 he has been a translator and interpreter of Tibetan and English. Karl is a senior teacher and translator in the Nalandabodhi community of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, as well as at Nitartha Institute. He is the author and translator of numerous texts. Currently, he is working on the Seventh Karmapa’s compilation of Indian Mahamudra works. In this episode, host Daniel Aitken and Karl discuss: his latest translation work, the third volume in the Sounds of Innate Freedom series, the four symbolic terms of Saraha, their connection to the four yogas of mahāmudrā, and much more!   Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Karl Brunnhölzl: Sounds of Innate Freedom: Volume 3 (#164) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features Geshe Tenzin Namdak. After completing his university studies in Hydrology, Geshe la worked as an environmental researcher in the Netherlands. He began studying Buddhism at Maitreya Institute and was eventually ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama before completing the 20-year Geshe degree at Sera Jey monastic university in India, as well as the traditional one-year Vajrayana study program at Gyume Tantric College. Currently, he is the resident teacher at Jamyang Buddhist Centre, London, and teaches worldwide. As part of The Sera Jey Monastic University Translation Department, Geshe la edited and translated Khedrup Je’s commentary on Dharmakīrti’s Seven Treatises on Valid Cognition, published as Freedom Through Correct Knowing. In this episode, host Daniel Aitken and Geshe la discuss: His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s inspiration and blessings for the Sera Jey Monastic University Translation Department; translation and topics covered in Khedrup Je’s commentary on Dharmakīrti’s Seven Treatises on Valid Cognition, published as Freedom Through Correct Knowing; pedagogy, epistemology, and logic studies in the Geshe curriculum at Sera Jey; the practical application of Buddhist epistemology and logic to the path of enlightenment; Pramānavārttika and the practical purposes of debate in the Tibetan monastic tradition; the Wisdom Academy online course, Freedom Through Correct Knowing; and much more!   Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Geshe Tenzin Namdak: Freedom Through Correct Knowing (#163) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

In this episode of the Wisdom Podcast, Wisdom CEO Daniel Aitken interviews renowned teachers Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche and Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. This conversation heralded the beginning of the 2020 Serenity Ridge Dialogues, an online summit exploring the intersection of spirituality and science. In this episode, Daniel and the two Rinpoches discuss many facets of Dharma practice in the modern world, including: Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche’s inspiration for starting the Dialogues What motivated the Rinpoches to start engaging in conversations about the mind with neuroscientists What the Rinpoches would study if they had their own neuroscience labs What about Buddhism uniquely places it in a position to engage with science What the term “Buddhist sciences” really means and much more! This event was co-produced with Ligmincha International, the Contemplative Sciences Center at the University of Virginia, and the Jung Center’s Mind Body Spirit Institute. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche and Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche: Dharma in the Modern World (#162) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This Wisdom Podcast filmed as a live Wisdom Dharma Chat features special guest Venerable Bhikku Bodhi. Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi is an American Buddhist monk from New York City, born in 1944. He obtained a BA in philosophy from Brooklyn College and a PhD in philosophy from Claremont Graduate School. After completing his university studies he traveled to Sri Lanka, where he received novice ordination in 1972 and full ordination in 1973, both under the leading Sri Lankan scholar-monk, Ven. Balangoda Ananda Maitreya (1896-1998). From 1984 to 2002 he was the editor for the Buddhist Publication Society in Kandy, where he lived for ten years with the senior German monk, Ven. Nyanaponika Thera (1901-1994), at the Forest Hermitage. He returned to the U.S. in 2002. He currently lives and teaches at Chuang Yen Monastery in Carmel, New York. Ven. Bodhi has many important publications to his credit, either as an author, translator, or editor. These include The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha (Majjhima Nikaya, 1995), The Connected Discourses of the Buddha (Samyutta Nikaya, 2000), and The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha (Anguttara Nikaya, 2012). In 2008, together with several of his students, Ven. Bodhi founded Buddhist Global Relief, a nonprofit supporting hunger relief, sustainable agriculture, and education in countries suffering from chronic poverty and malnutrition. Venerable and host Daniel Aitken discuss: Venerable’s book, Reading the Buddha’s Discourses in Pāli; The challenges of translating certain technical terms from Pāli such as words for knowledge and wisdom; The relationship between the Pāli suttas and the actual languages that the Buddha may have spoken; The benefits of learning Pāli; Which words are hardest to translate from Pāli; How to memorize Pāli verses; And much more. Links mentioned in the conversations can be found below: https://www.buddhistglobalrelief.org/buddhist-action-2020/ https://www.buddhistglobalrelief.org/donate/ https://wisdomexperience.org/product/buddhas-words/ https://wisdomexperience.org/wisdom-article/rebirth-in-early-buddhism-dhammaruwans-story/ Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi: Reading the Buddha’s Discourses in Pali (#161) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This Wisdom Podcast filmed as a live Wisdom Dharma Chat features special guest Karl Brunnhölzl. Originally trained as a physician, Karl Brunnhölzl, MD, PhD, received his systematic training in Tibetan language and Buddhist philosophy and practice at the Marpa Institute for Translators, founded by Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, as well as the Nitartha Institute, founded by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. Since 1989 he has been a translator and interpreter of Tibetan and English. Karl is a senior teacher and translator in the Nalandabodhi community of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, as well as at Nitartha Institute. He is also the author and translator of numerous texts, including most recently Sounds of Innate Freedom, Volume 3: The Indian Texts of Mahāmudrā, the canon of the mahasiddhas. In this episode, Karl and host Daniel Aitken discuss: his book, Sounds of Innate Freedom, Volume 4: The Indian Texts of Mahāmudrā; the dohā tradition of the mahasiddhas; singing and dancing as part of the path; the voice of women in the Mahāmudrā songs of realization; Karl’s musical recordings of the dohās, which can be found here; and much more. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Karl Brunnhölzl: Sounds of Innate Freedom (#160) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features special guest His Eminence the 12th Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche speaking with host Daniel Aitken. His Eminence the 12th Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche was born a son of the Sikkimese royal court and was recognized by His Holiness the 16th Karmapa as the twelfth incarnation of the Gharwang tulkus. Rinpoche is the supreme lineage holder of the Whispered Lineage of the Zurmang Kagyu tradition. He teaches around the world. As head of the Zurmang Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism, Rinpoche is the spiritual head of thirteen monasteries and one nunnery in Tibet as well as monasteries and nunneries in India, Nepal, and Bhutan. Rinpoche oversees the spiritual education of the four thousand monks and nuns and approximately fifty thousand followers in the Zurmang Kagyu tradition worldwide. His Eminence and Daniel discuss: the Mahāmudrā teaching lineage and tradition of texts and practices; Rinpoche’s upcoming book, Mahāmudrā: A Practical Guide; practical, everyday advice from the Zurmang Mahāmudrā tradition; Rinpoche’s memories of the 16th Karmapa Rangjung Rigpe Dorje; the Zurmang lineage and monastery in Sikkim; and much more! Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post His Eminence the 12th Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche: Mahāmudrā (#159) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features Shaila Catherine, who has been practicing meditation since 1980, with more than eight years of accumulated silent retreat experience. She has taught insight meditation since 1996 in the U.S. and internationally, dedicating several years to studying with masters in India, Nepal, and Thailand. She is the founder of Bodhi Courses—an online Dhamma classroom, and Insight Meditation South Bay—a Buddhist meditation center in Silicon Valley. Shaila has completed a one-year intensive meditation retreat and trained in jhana, metta, samadhi, and vipassana practices. Shaila is also the author of Beyond Distraction, Focused and Fearless: A Meditator’s Guide to States of Deep Joy, Calm, and Clarity, and Wisdom Wide and Deep: A Practical Handbook for Mastering Jhāna and Vipassanā. Beyond Distraction is also available as an upcoming Wisdom Academy online course! In this episode, host Daniel Aitken and Shaila discuss what distraction and intention mean for meditators at every level of experience; ‘wholesomeness’ and mental states rooted in greed, hate, and delusion; mindfulness, the construction of identity, and recognizing conditioning; realistic strategies for overcoming restlessness and distraction as presented in her new book Beyond Distraction; her experience with deep meditative states and practical wisdom we can apply now; shifting habitual patterns and thoughts by identifying and examining them gently; wisely approaching concentration and the joyful cultivation of insight; and much more! Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Shaila Catherine: Beyond Distraction (#158) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features Cortland Dahl speaking with host Daniel Aitken. Cortland is a scientist, translator, and meditation teacher who offers workshops and leads retreats around the world. He has practiced meditation for nearly three decades and has spent time on retreat in monasteries and retreat centers throughout Japan, Burma, and India, including eight years spent living in Tibetan refugee settlements in Kathmandu, Nepal. In addition to his work as an Instructor for the Tergar community and Executive Director of Tergar International, Cortland serves as Research Scientist and Chief Contemplative Officer at UW-Madison’s Center for Healthy Minds and the center’s affiliated non-profit, Healthy Minds Innovations. Cortland is actively involved in scientific research and has published articles on the impact of meditation practices on the body, mind, and brain. He has also published twelve books of translations of classical texts on Buddhist philosophy and meditation. Cortland and Daniel discuss: Cort’s journey to the Dharma, struggling with childhood anxiety; discovering relief through establishing a meditation practice; Cortland’s years in Asia, connecting with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and Chatral Sangye Dorje Rinpoche; returning to the West and academia via the emerging contemplative sciences field; using technology to support the unfolding of inner experience; and much more! Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Cortland Dahl: Meditation and Neuroscience (#157) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features Susan A. Landesman interviewed by Prof. Robert Thurman and host Daniel Aitken. Susan A. Landesman, independent scholar and educator in New York City, is the author and translator of “The Tārā Tantra: Tārā’s Fundamental Ritual Text (Tārā-mūla-kalpa),” “Goddess Tārā: Silence and Secrecy on the Path to Enlightenment,” “Tara” (in the Oxford Bibliographies), and “The Tārā Tantra: Part II: The Uttara-tantra” (forthcoming). Having completed her doctorate in Indian and Tibetan languages and cultures at Columbia University, she specializes in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan art, and women in Buddhism. Robert Thurman is an American Buddhist author, academic, and former Je Tsongkhapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University, before retiring in June 2019. Graduate of Philips Exeter and Harvard, he studied Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism as a personal student of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He has lectured widely all over the world, is President of the American Institute for Buddhist Studies, and is also a founding trustee of Tibet House New York. Susan, Robert, and Daniel discuss: Susan’s background in visual arts and pathway to Tibetan Buddhism with Prof. Alex Wayman; translating with Geshe Lobsang Jamspel at Columbia and her dissertation on the Tārā Tantra; the vivid, inspiring imagery of the tantras; Tārā’s important role as a Buddha and enlightened protector; Susan’s upcoming translation “The Tārā Tantra: Part II: The Uttara-tantra;” contemporary Tibetan artist Samten Dakpa; and much more. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Robert Thurman & Susan A. Landesman: The Tārā Tantra (#156) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This Wisdom Podcast features Sensei Koshin Paley Ellison. Koshin is an author, Zen teacher, Jungian psychotherapist, and Certified Chaplaincy Educator. He has six years of training at the Jungian Psychoanalytic Association as well as clinical contemplative training at both Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center and New York Presbyterian Medical Center which culminated in his roles as an ACPE Certified Educator, chaplain, and Jungian psychotherapist. He began his formal Zen training in 1987, and he is a recognized Soto Zen Teacher by the American Zen Teachers Association, White Plum Asanga, and Soto Zen Buddhist Association. He serves on the Board of Directors at the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, Soto Zen Buddhist Association and Barre Center for Buddhist Studies. Koshin is a dynamic and original leader and teacher. He is the author of Wholehearted: Slow Down, Help Out, Wake Up as well as the co-editor of Awake at the Bedside: Contemplative Teachings on Palliative and End of Life Care. His work has been featured in the New York Times, PBS, Tricycle and others. In this episode, Koshin Paley Ellison and host Daniel Aitken and discuss learning about the courage to be still; his new book Untangled: Walking the Eightfold Path to Clarity, Courage, and Compassion; suffering, stillness, and nobility; mythology and the afflictions of the mind; therapy and honoring experiences lovingly; care, compassion, and the delusion of self; and much more! Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Koshin Paley Ellison: Untangled (#155) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

In this episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, host Daniel Aitken is joined by Khandro Kunzang Dechen Chodron, student of the great Nyingmapa Tsa-Lung and Dzogchen master, Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche. Khandro Kunzang left behind a promising career in the early 1990’s to pursue her practice of the Dharma and became a novice nun in the Drikung Kagyu lineage, studying under Khenchen Konchog Gyaltsen and H.E. Garchen Rinpoche. In 1998 she met Acharya Dawa Chhodak Rinpoche while attending a Dharma healing seminar. Between 1999 and 2009, Khandro Kunzang received the entire cycle of teachings and empowerments of the Rigdzin Sogdrub lineage from Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche, and completed many retreats under his direct supervision. In 2011, Acharya Dawa Chhodak Rinpoche bestowed the Tri-Don (enthronement ceremony) conferring authority to guide and teach others, and giving her the title of Khandro. Since the passing of Lama Dawa Rinpoche in 2017, Khandro Kunzang divides her time between teaching and traveling tours throughout Europe and Mexico, serving as the Executive Director for Saraswati Bhawan, leading retreats and teachings at P’hurba Thinley Ling in Iowa; heading the P’hurba Peace Mandala Project International; and offering teachings, guidance, and support to students world-wide. Khandro Kunzang and Daniel discuss Khandro Kunzang’s early Buddhist journey, beginning in Vermont with the book Sky Dancer about Yeshe Tsogyel; Dharma Protectors and drive on the spiritual quest; nature spirits, omens, and divination; the Ngagpa ordination tradition in Dolpo and throughout the Himalayan region; meeting Acharya Dawa Rinpoche in Oregon and her enthronement as a Khandro; her reckoning with Himalayan cultures and patriarchal traditions; and much more! Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Khandro Kunzang Dechen Chodron: Immersion in the Ngagpa Tradition (#154) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This Wisdom Podcast episode features Geshe YongDong Losar. Geshela is a Tibetan Bön lama, or spiritual teacher, in the Yungdrung Bön lineage, which is rooted in the indigenous spiritual tradition of the Himalayas. He lives in Courtenay, British Columbia, where he established and directs Sherab Chamma Ling, the only Tibetan Bön Buddhist Center in Canada. He teaches in many centers and universities around the world and has also founded the Bon Da Ling center in Costa Rica. In this episode, Geshe YongDong and host Daniel Aitken discuss Geshela’s early life and training with his family and in monasteries in Tibet and India; an overview of the Bön monastic curriculum and training path; sacred deity dancing; English lessons from H. H. the 33rd Menri Trizin Lungtok Tenpai Nyima; Geshe YongDong’s book “Calm Breath, Calm Mind;” the power of sound, breath, and mantra; special Tsa Lung Trul Khor yogic exercises; and much more! Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Geshe YongDong: Calm Breath, Calm Mind (#153) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This Wisdom Podcast features translator and philosopher Mark Siderits, trained in Asian and Western philosophy at the University of Hawaii and Yale University. Mark has taught both Asian and Western philosophy for many years at Illinois State University, and as Professor of philosophy at Seoul National University. He is the author or editor of five books including “Nāgārjuna’s Middle Way” and has published numerous articles on a wide variety of subjects in Indian Buddhist philosophy and comparative philosophy. Much of his work aims at building bridges between the classical Indian tradition and contemporary philosophy, by using insights from one tradition to cast light on problems arising in the other. In this episode, host Daniel Aitken and Mark discuss Mark’s introduction to Western and Asian philosophy through D.T. Suzuki, Alan Watts, and Ludwig Wittgenstein; metaphysics and soteriology in Buddhist and western philosophy; tensions between modern Buddhism and the cognitive sciences; Nāgārjuna and Zeno’s paradoxes; Mark’s comparative work in Abhidharma, Mādhyamaka, and Wittgensteinian philosophies; the two truths and practical soteriology in by Bhāvaviveka and Candrakīrti; and much more! Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Mark Siderits: Buddhism as Philosophy (#152) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features Thupten Jinpa Langri and host Daniel Aitken. Thupten Jinpa, educated in the classical Tibetan monastic academia and Geshe Lharampa, equivalent to a doctorate in divinity. Jinpa also holds a BA in philosophy and a PhD in religious studies, both from the University of Cambridge, England. Since 1985, Jinpa has been the principal English translator to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Jinpa and Daniel discuss: details about the Wisdom Academy online course, Tsongkhapa’s Mādhyamaka; further courses in the broader program Jinpa will teach on the Wisdom Academy; navigating Tsongkhapa’s unique view of Mādhyamaka philosophy and the classical Indian masters; the psychological dimension of Tsongkhapa’s theory of emptiness; Jinpa’s new translation of the Stages of the Path and the Oral Transmission; and much more. References Mentioned in Chat At the start of the conversation, Jinpa mentions several texts and translations. They can predominantly be found in the Library of Tibetan Classics series and the Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics series. In answer to Jinpa’s question about Tsongkhapa’s five great Mādhyamaka treatises, he lists: Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path, Vol.III, Tsongkhapa (Ithaca: Snow Lion Publications, 2002) The Central Philosophy of Tibet, Robert Thurman (Princeton University Press, 1984) Ocean of Reasoning, Tsongkhapa, translated by Geshe Ngawang Samten and Jay Garfield (Oxford University Press, 2006) Illuminating the Intent, Tsongkhapa, Thupten Jinpa (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2021) Middle–Length Treatise on the Stages of the Path, Tsongkhapa (Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2021) Jinpa stated that for introductory materials for the Wisdom Academy online course Tsongkhapa’s Mādhyamaka, he recommended reading either Essence of the Heart Sutra or The Middle Way by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. During the Wisdom News segment, Daniel mentioned the free conference Dharma in Daily Life conference, and Ligmincha Internationals‘ retreat and dialogues, The Five Element Retreat and Serenity Ridge Dialogues.   Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Thupten Jinpa: Tsongkhapa’s Mādhyamaka (#151) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features James B. Apple, Professor of Buddhist Studies at the University of Calgary. James’ research focuses upon critical analysis of Mahāyāna sūtras and topics within Indian and Tibetan Buddhist scholasticism. His numerous books and articles include Stairway to Nirvāṇa, A Stairway taken by the Lucid, Jewels of the Middle Way, Atiśa Dīpaṃkara Illuminator of the Awakened Mind, and An Old Tibetan Dunhuang Manuscript of the Avaivartikacakrasūtra. In this episode, host Daniel Aitken and James discuss how college athletics set James on his path to Buddhism and academia; his investigations into the root of suffering with teachers such as Bhante Gunaratana, Gelek Rinpoche, and Geshe Lhundub Sopa; the unique lineage and views of the highly influential Indian master Atiśa Dīpankara Śrījñāna; fine points of Atiśa’s contemplative Madhyamaka philosophy and emphasis on meditation; Kadampa systems of Tantric practice and the Twenty-One Taras; Atiśa’s Mahamudra lineage and interactions with some of the Mahasiddhas; the secret stages of the path of Dromtonpa; and much more! Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post James B. Apple: Stairway to Atiśa (#149) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features host Daniel Aitken joined by Malcolm Smith—translator in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and long-time practitioner of Dzogchen. Malcolm Smith has been a student of the Great Perfection teachings since 1992, his main Dzogchen teachers being Chögyal Namkhai Norbu and the late Kunzang Dechen Lingpa. He is a veteran of a traditional three-year solitary Tibetan Buddhist retreat, a published translator of Tibetan Buddhist texts, and was awarded the Ācārya degree by the Sakya Institute in 2004. He graduated in 2009 from Shang Shung Institute’s School of Tibetan Medicine, and has worked on translations for renowned lamas since 1992, including H.H. the Sakya Trichen Rinpoche, Kyabgön Phakchok Rinpoche, Kunzang Dechen Lingpa, Khenpo Migmar Tseten, Tulku Dakpa Rinpoche, Khenchen Könchog Gyaltshen Rinpoche, and more. In this lively discussion, Malcolm and Daniel talk about: Malcolm’s new translation on Sakya Lamdre, Sakya: The Path with Its Result; yantra yoga (trul-khor) and Dzogchen in the Sakya yogic tradition; translating the commentary on the Seventeen Tantras of the Great Perfection; Candrakīrti and the Prāsaṅgika Mādhyamaka view in Dzogchen; systems of medicine and elemental compatibility in the tantras; trekchö, tögal, and two types of dharmatā in Dzogchen teachings; and much more. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Malcolm Smith: Dzogchen, Sakya, and Translation (#148) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features an interview with special guest Prof. Dr. Klaus-Dieter Mathes, Head of the Department of South Asian, Tibetan, and Buddhist Studies at the University of Vienna. Host Daniel Aitken and Klaus-Dieter discuss: his initial interest in western philosophy and physics, and his journey physically and intellectually to the east; translating and studying with Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso Rinpoche; Kagyu and Jonang traditions and the Kalachakra Tantra; emptiness and interpretations of the shentong and rangtong philosophical views; perspectives on the philosophical positions of the previous Karmapas; his new project exploring philosophy in the translation and transmission of the Kalachakra Tantra from India to Tibet; inclusivity, exclusivity, and tolerance in Buddhist philosophy; and much more. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Klaus-Dieter Mathes: Mahamudra and Shentong (#147) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features a conversation with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and host Daniel Aitken. Rinpoche is the author of two bestselling books and oversees the Tergar Meditation Community, an international network of Buddhist meditation centers. He is the son of the renowned meditation master Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and was formally enthroned as the seventh incarnation of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche by Tai Situ Rinpoche when he was twelve years old. In addition to his extensive background in meditation and Buddhist philosophy, Mingyur Rinpoche has held a lifelong interest in psychology, physics, and neurology. Mingyur Rinpoche and Daniel talk about: recently filming our upcoming Wisdom Academy course with Mingyur Rinpoche and Venerable Anālayo; object- and subject-oriented meditation techniques; śamatha and vipaśyanā in the Mahāmudrā context; recognizing awareness in meditation as opposed to daydreaming; emptiness and manifestations of the mind; śamatha in generation stage Vajrayana and the book Creation and Completion; and much more. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche: Recognizing Awareness (#146) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features Heidi I. Köppl, translator and interpreter for Tibetan lamas such as Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche and Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, and editor-in-chief of Tara’s Triple Excellence Online Meditation Program. Heidi translated at the Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery in Nepal for more than a decade and has been a faculty member at the Kathmandu University Centre for Buddhist Studies. Heidi has a degree in Tibetology from the University of Copenhagen, and has translated works such as Illuminating the Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva and Establishing Appearances as Divine. Heidi and host Daniel Aitken discuss Heidi’s interest in the East and guidance from Heinrich Harrer; ‘coming home’ to Kathmandu, meeting Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche and Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche; Nyingma master Rongzom Chökyi Zangpo’s view on pure appearances; Mahayoga tantric philosophy of emptiness in light of Madhyamika interpretations; over-asserting appearances and the roots of duality; the terma foundations of Tara’s Triple Excellence Online Meditation Program, and its graduated daily practice of the path; and much more! Be sure to check out Heidi’s upcoming events and teachings at dharmasun.org/calendar including From Kindfulness to Pure Perception, a workshop taking place July 30 & 31, 2022 from 9 to 10am EDT (New York). This workshop explores the two mindsets of seeing how kindfulness can be the basis for pure perception, and experiencing the felt sense of our own innate kindfulness and pure perception. You can also find Tara’s Triple Excellence Online Meditation Program which starts with a free 12-day course at dharmasun.org/tte. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Heidi I. Köppl: Roots of Duality (#145) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features Karma Trinlay Rinpoche, a highly accomplished Buddhist teacher and meditation master. Born in 1975 to an American mother and French Father, and recognized by His Holiness the 16th Karmapa, Rinpoche is the first reincarnated Westerner of French and American origin to be recognized in the Karma Kagyu tradition of Vajrayāna Buddhism. In 1978 he started the traditional training of tulkus under the guidance of the Venerable Kalu Rinpoche in India. A charismatic speaker, Rinpoche is respected for his lucid mind and diligence in both study and practice. He has taught in Buddhist centers and universities throughout the world. Throughout this podcast, Rinpoche and Daniel discuss: Rinpoche’s family and identification as a tulku; meeting H.H. the 16th Karmapa and the foundations of H.H.’s Dharma community in Europe; growing up under the direct guidance of Kalu Rinpoche; an overview and personal perspectives of the tulku institution; Rinpoche’s simultaneous Buddhist and Western education in the French Alps; and much more. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Karma Trinlay Rinpoche: Life as a Tulku (#144) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features Wisdom author Venerable Bhikkhu Anālayo: scholar, author, and meditation teacher. Born in Germany in 1962 and ordained in Sri Lanka in 1995, Ven. Bhikkhu Anālayo completed a PhD thesis on the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta at the University of Peradeniya in 2000, and is faculty member and scholar at several academic institutions. Ven. Bhikkhu Anālayo has authored several books on meditation and early Buddhism, such as Satipatthāna: The Direct Path to Realization, Superiority Conceit in Buddhist Traditions, Rebirth in Early Buddhism and Current Research, and his most recent book Early Buddhist Oral Tradition. He also teaches the Wisdom Academy online course Foundations of Mindfulness. In this episode, host Daniel Aitken and Ven. Bhikkhu Anālayo celebrate the launch of Early Buddhist Oral Traditions, and discuss understanding self-reliance and the Buddha’s tradition; the records of the Buddha’s teachings and their transmission through time; structural elements and meaning in the memorization process of the Suttas; biases and confidence when studying early Buddhist texts; identity and memory in the modern digital environment; and much more!   Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Ven. Anālayo: Early Buddhist Oral Tradition (#143) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features poet, writer, and Sanbo Zen teacher Henry Shukman. Henry is Guiding Teacher at Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, studying primarily with Joan Rieck Roshi, John Gaynor, Ruben Habito Roshi, and continuing his training under Yamada Ryo’un Roshi. He also trained in mindfulness practice with Shinzen Young, and has published nine books to date, including fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. He writes regularly for Tricycle, The New York Times, and other publications, most recently having published his memoir One Blade of Grass. He and host Daniel Aitken discuss: his path to Zen, starting on a beach in Argentina; connecting words with practice in koans and early Chinese poetry; Dōgen’s work and the collection Moon In A Dewdrop; building a foundation for Zen with mindfulness and love; connecting with nature and the vanishing self; the books of Yamada Koun; and much more! Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Henry Shukman: Radical Simplicity (#142) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features contemporary Tibetan artist Rabkar Wangchuk. Traditionally trained, Rabkar studied for seventeen years at Gyudmed Tantric University, where he also received training in Tibetan thangka painting and arts. After moving to the West, Rabkar’s style has continued evolving into its own unique form, bringing humor and a depth of meditative searching and self-awareness to the work. We’ll be celebrating the launch of Rabkar’s first solo exhibit, Mystery of Life, which includes his colorful pop-art acrylic paintings, mineral pigment on silk pieces, and 3D installations. In this episode, Rabkar and Daniel discuss Rabkar’s youth in South India, balancing family and monastic life; being selected for the artisan path and his apprenticeship in the tantric arts; the role of art and artistic training in Buddhist contexts; his architectural projects and other works with the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA); traditional Tibetan painting materials and techniques and contemporary influences; Rabkar’s journey in life and work leading to his current show, Mystery of Life; and much more. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Rabkar Wangchuk: Mystery of Life (#141) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features special guest His Eminence the 12th Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche as he and host Daniel Aitken celebrate the launch of Rinpoche’s most recent book, Mahāmudrā: A Practical Guide. H.E. Gharwang Rinpoche was born into the Sikkimese Royal Court and was recognized by H.H. the 16th Karmapa as the incarnation of the Gharwang Tulku. Rinpoche is the supreme lineage holder of the Whispered Lineage of the Zurmang Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. As head of the Zurmang Kagyu School, Rinpoche is the spiritual leader of monasteries and nunneries in Tibet, India, Nepal, and Bhutan. In this episode, H.E. Gharwang Rinpoche and Daniel discuss the story behind the new book and its unique structure; a verse that encapsulates the essence of the book’s teachings; what it means to tame the mind; renunciation in terms of our relationship with others; the connection between mahāmudrā and non-attachment; defining the word mahāmudrā; faith and devotion in mahāmudrā practice; and much more. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Mahāmudrā: A Practical Guide (#140) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features an interview with special guest Matthew Kapstein Ph.D., Numata Professor of Buddhist Studies at the University of Chicago, director of Tibetan Studies at the École Pratique des Hautes Études Paris, and co-editor of the online Oxford Bibliographies of Buddhism. His numerous publications include Buddhism Between Tibet and China, Reason’s Traces, Contributions to the Cultural History of Early Tibet, and The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism. Matthew Kapstein and host Daniel Aitken discuss Matthew’s fascinating introduction to the languages, landscape, and philosophy of Asia; his pivotal journey to India and Nepal in the early 1970’s, meeting Lama Yeshe, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and Zina Rachevsky; Sanskrit and Tibetan language learning on the ground in Nepal, India, and the United States; studying with masters such as Kalu Rinpoche, Chögyam Trungpa, Dudjom Rinpoche, the 16th Karmapa Rangjung Dorje, and Khenpo Sangye Tenzin; Matthew’s pursuits in Western philosophy as well as Madhyamaka traditions such as Mipham Rinpoche’s; the seminal Tibetan King Gesar epic; and much more! Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Matthew Kapstein: The Reluctant Professor (#139) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features Shaila Catherine, who has been practicing meditation since 1980, with more than eight years of accumulated silent retreat experience. She has taught insight meditation since 1996 in the U.S. and internationally, dedicating several years to studying with masters in India, Nepal, and Thailand. She is the founder of Bodhi Courses—an online Dhamma classroom, and Insight Meditation South Bay—a Buddhist meditation center in Silicon Valley. Shaila has completed a one-year intensive meditation retreat and trained in jhana, metta, samadhi, and vipassana practices. Shaila is also the author of Beyond Distraction, Focused and Fearless: A Meditator’s Guide to States of Deep Joy, Calm, and Clarity, and Wisdom Wide and Deep: A Practical Handbook for Mastering Jhāna and Vipassanā. In this episode, host Daniel Aitken and Shaila discuss what distraction and intention mean for meditators at every level of experience; ‘wholesomeness’ and mental states rooted in greed, hate, and delusion; mindfulness, the construction of identity, and recognizing conditioning; realistic strategies for overcoming restlessness and distraction as presented in her new book Beyond Distraction; her experience with deep meditative states and practical wisdom we can apply now; shifting habitual patterns and thoughts by identifying and examining them gently; wisely approaching concentration and the joyful cultivation of insight; and much more! Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Shaila Catherine: Beyond Distraction (#138) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features an interview with host Daniel Aitken and special guests Venerable Robina and Venerable Chokyi, discussing their work with the Liberation Prison Project. The Liberation Prison Project offers spiritual advice and teachings, as well as Dharma books and materials, to people in prison interested in exploring, studying, and practicing Buddhism. Since 1996 the project has supported the Buddhist practice of over 20,000 men and women in prisons around the world to transform their lives. Daniel discusses with Ven. Robina and Ven. Chokyi: the foundation and development of the Liberation Prison Project; moving examples of prisoner experiences; the Tibetan astrological calendar, pilgrimage, and other fundraising efforts; Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s book Enjoy Life Liberated from the Inner Prison how students provide support to prisoners through the Project; a new opportunity in the Liberation Prison Project Director role; and much more. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Venerable Robina and Venerable Chokyi: Liberation Prison Project (#137) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features an interview with Daniel A. Hirshberg, who earned a PhD from Harvard University in 2012 and was associate professor in the Department of Classics, Philosophy, & Religion at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Since recording this podcast, Dan left his tenured professorship to found SŌTERIC. In this episode, host Daniel Aitken and Dan discuss Dan’s path to the academic Dharma world through studying with Professor Jan Willis, Naropa University, and study and practice in Asia; studies with Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche’s Nalandabodhi Community and the Nitartha Shedra curriculum; Dan’s engagement in historical studies of the influential Nyingma teacher Nyangrel (Nyangrel Nyima Özer, c.1124–1192), King Trisong Detsen, and the Padmasambhava lineage and lore; the foundation and culture of the terma/tertön tradition and the sacred world throughout Tibetan history and into today; practical perspectives on the future of Buddhist literary traditions in the modern age, and the nature of validation in authentic teachings; modern contemplative research and application through secular pedagogical techniques; Dan’s recent book, Remembering the Lotus-Born: Padmasambhava in the History of Tibet’s Golden Age; and much more. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Daniel A. Hirshberg: Nyingma Lore and Lineage (#136) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features an interview with Dr. Alejandro Chaoul, who has studied Tibetan yoga for thirty years with the tradition’s greatest masters, including Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche and Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. Dr. Chaoul and host Daniel Aitken explore Tsa Lung Trul Khor (“channel/wind obstacle-clearing techniques”) yoga practice and its place in Dzogchen meditation; the practice of “Body Buddhism,” integrating the body with the mind and breath; the benefits of purification practices like Tsa Lung Trul Khor and the subtle body; practices to help restore “dimmed awareness” to clarity; quick techniques that can be applied immediately in practice and daily life for balancing; his book with Wisdom, Tibetan Yoga: Magical Movements of Body, Breath, and Mind; and more. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Alejandro Chaoul on Body Buddhism (#135) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live at the 2021 Serenity Ridge Dialogues features a conversation between H. H. the 42nd Sakya Trizin, Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, & B. Alan Wallace, moderated by Daniel Aitken. Topics discussed include body, breath, mind, and the nature of consciousness in scientific and spiritual paradigms; views on the source of mind and the influence of the brain; integration of science and spirituality in the understanding of the nature of the mind; introspective techniques such as vipassana and samatha, and the cultivation of attention, insight, and compassion; Alaya consciousness, primordial mind, Rigpa, and the differing Mahayana interpretations of Buddha nature; awe, devotion, and faith in the experience of dream-like reality; and more. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post H. H. the 42nd Sakya Trizin, Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, & B. Alan Wallace in Conversation (#134) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features a discussion with special guests Venerable Bhikkhu Anālayo and Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. Ven. Anālayo, Rinpoche, and host Daniel Aitken discuss many Buddhist ideas and practices, comparing what different Buddhist traditions have to say about them, including how the Buddha practiced; understanding mindfulness across different Buddhist traditions; the difference between mindfulness and awareness and how we translate the original terms for these practices; defining terms like space and emptiness and how we think about emptiness; emptiness and compassion; and much more. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Ven. Bhikkhu Anālayo and Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche: Early Buddhism and Dzogchen (#133) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features an interview with Alexander Berzin. Alex is a translator and teacher of Tibetan Buddhism. A prolific author and translator, he has published seventeen books and is also the founder of StudyBuddhism.com, an extensive source of authentic Buddhist teachings, presented in a down-to-earth and practical way. Alex and host Daniel Aitken discuss his journey into Buddhism, which started with practicing yoga at thirteen; how he was impacted by meeting the Dalai Lama; his encounters with great teachers like Serkong Rinpoche, Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, and others; the special training he received in the Kalachakra Tantra; his adventures teaching Buddhism around the world, including giving some of the first public Buddhist teachings in eastern Europe after the Soviet Union broke up; and much more. Alex began his study of Buddhism in 1962 at Rutgers and then Princeton Universities, and he received his PhD in 1972 from Harvard University. His main teachers have been His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tsenzhab Serkong Rinpoche, and Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey. Practicing under their supervision, he completed the major meditation retreats of the Gelug tradition. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Alexander Berzin: Dharma for Everyone (#132) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features an interview with Pamela Weiss. Pamela is the author of A Bigger Sky: Awakening a Fierce Feminine Buddhism, a teacher in the Insight tradition, and has received Dharma transmission from Teah Strozer at the Brooklyn Zen Center. Pamela and host Daniel Aitken discuss how she found Buddhism through illness, and the vital role of self-compassion on her path; key ideas in Zen, such as the practice of “just sitting,” and Pamela’s own journey and insights with these practices; her fascinating journey between the world of the monastery and the lay world; her recent book; and much more. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Pamela Weiss: Real Health, Real Freedom, and Fierce Feminine Buddhism (#131) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features an interview with Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche—teacher, filmmaker, writer, and founder of several nonprofit initiatives including 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha. This episode was a special launch celebration for the 84000 app. Rinpoche and host Daniel Aitken discuss the importance and challenges of translating the Buddha’s words, how we should think about the Buddha’s original teachings, how Buddhism guides us through thinking about concepts like ignorance (rather than sin) and merit (as something that brings us closer to the truth), the role of technology in learning, practicing, and teaching Dharma, and much more. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche: 84000 App Launch Celebration (#130) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features an interview with special guest Karl Brunnhölzl, celebrating the launch of his book Milarepa’s Kungfu. In this episode, Karl and host Daniel Aitken discuss the origin of the book’s unusual title, what inspired Karl to create this book, why the text explored in the book is so important, exploring the meaning of view, meditation, and conduct, the important role of devotion in practice, shock as a teaching tool, the meaning of nonconceptuality, and more. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Karl Brunnhölzl: Milarepa’s Kungfu (#129) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features an interview with Achariya Doug Qapel Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei, both trained in the Karma Kagyu lineage. They follow the tradition of the late Namgyal Rinpoche, a pioneer weaving together Eastern and Western traditions. Qapel and Catherine Sensei teach meditation and act as spiritual mentors to students internationally and at their retreat center in British Columbia, Canada. This interview features stories about their lineages, Namgyal Rinpoche, Sayadaw U Thila Wunta, His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa, and Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. They also share how they are building on this legacy through group guru, conscious community, integration of the shadow, and other approaches to dharma teaching and practice. Qapel and Catherine Sensei have offered teaching on their Dharma if You Dare podcast, which started in 2009, as well as authored two books Wasteland to Pureland: Reflections on the Path to Awakening and Dharma if You Dare. The post Achariya Doug Qapel Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei: Journeying Across Traditions (#128) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features an interview with David Nichtern, a senior Buddhist teacher, meditation guide, Emmy award–winning composer and musician, and founder of Dharma Moon. David is the author of two books with Wisdom: Awakening from the Daydream and Creativity, Spirituality, and Making a Buck. In this episode, David and host Daniel Aitken explore the theme of the sword of prajna, or wisdom, including various translations of the word prajna, what discernment means in practice, how prajna is free from aggression, how to develop prajna, groundlessness and comfort, how to use the sword of prajna, and much more. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post David Nichtern: Unsheathing the Sword of Prajna (#127) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features an interview with Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo. Tenzin Palmo is a bhikṣuṇī in the Drukpa lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and a brilliant teacher who is able to touch the hearts of many with her presence, her profound understanding of the Dharma, and its relevance and application in daily life. Tenzin Palmo is an author and founder of the Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery in Himachal Pradesh, India. She also spent twelve years living and practicing in a remote cave in the Himalayas, three of those years in strict meditation retreat. Tenzin Palmo and Daniel discuss understanding emptiness, recent advances in consciousness studies, women in Buddhism, Dharma in daily life, and much more. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo: Emptiness, Dzogchen, and Women in Buddhism (#126) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.