In this interview I am once again joined by Lama Glenn Mullin, spiritual teacher, Tibetologist, and author of over 30 books on Buddhism.

Glenn discusses the mysterious Kālacakra ‘Wheel of Time’ Tantra, exploring its history, and uncovers its unique esoteric characteristics,

Glenn recounts his own connection to the Kālacakra tantra, including his memories of the Dalai Lama’s first ever public Kālacakra empowerment given to hundreds of thousands of people in Bodhgaya, and discusses the surprising pros and cons of mass public initiations.

Glenn reveals the subtle body yogas of the Kālacakra, compares its methods to other highest yoga tantras such as Cakrasaṃvara and Guhyasamāja, and considers the Kālacakra prophecies of Śambhala and a coming age of darkness over the world.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep249-kalachakra-tantra-lama-glenn-mullin  

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
00:56 - Kālacakra
03:01 - Glenn’s history with the Kālacakra
04:25 - Dalai Lama’s first public Kālacakra empowerment
08:18 - Coney Island of the mind
08:49 - Blavatsky and Theosophical Society’s interest in Kālacakra and Śambhala
10:25 - Dreams and other signs during tantric empowerment
14:24 - Why give public tantric empowerments?
15:35 - Outer, Inner, and Secret levels 
18:14 - Exclusively secret traditions 
18:38 - History of public Kālacakra empowerments
20:06 - Tantric vows 
21:07 - Śambhala prophecies and the Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra
23:48 - Today’s signs of fulfilment of prophecy 
26:30 - Origin of Kālacakra in the Buddha’s teaching career
32:42 - Time capsule wisdom teachings 
35:09 - Highest Yoga Tantra’s characteristics 
36:29 - Cross-fertilisation with Himalayan shamanism 
37:30 - Later ways of categorising tantric systems 
40:20 - Unique and common aspects of the Kālacakra yogas
42:30 - 7 initiations of entering like a child
46:48 - Kālacakra completion stage  
48:18 - Subtle body yogas and rainbow body
53:35 - Misunderstandings about Śambhala
55:15 - A century of Russian interest in Kālacakra
01:00:27 - Limits of Helena Blavatsky’s understanding 
01:01:38 - Blavatsky’s world legacy 
01:06:50 - Why is Kālacakra so little practiced?
01:15:10 - How to receive teachings from Glenn

…

Previous episodes with Lama Glenn Mullin:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=glenn%20mullin 
 To find out more about Lama Glenn Mullin, visit:
- http://www.glennmullin.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Maitripa.Glenn
 …

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep249: Kalachakra Tantra - Lama Glenn Mullin

In this interview I am joined by Dr Willoughby Britton, an Associate Professor at Brown University, the Director of Brown’s Clinical and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory, and founder of Cheetah House which provides support to those experiencing meditation-related difficulties.

Dr Britton recounts her unusual childhood interest in consciousness, why a friend’s suicide drove her to meditation, and how a psychedelic peak experience changed her view of the world.

Dr Britton considers the overlaps between spiritual experience and mental illness, why deconstructing the sense of self in search of enlightenment can lead to lasting psychological damage, and questions if experiences of fear are a necessary part of the meditative path.

Dr Britton also covers the neurobiology of attention, reveals the hidden religious messaging woven into mindfulness techniques such as Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and shares how she deals with the negative responses from meditation enthusiasts towards her work.   

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep250-when-meditation-goes-wrong-dr-willoughby-britton  

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
01:15 - Dr Britton’s upbringing and early interest in consciousness
03:58 - Friend’s suicide and a life crisis 
05:02 - Powerful high dose psychedelic experiences
08:46 - Influence of peak experiences 
09:28 - Operative mechanism of Dr Britton’s epiphany
11:04 - Is redefinition of the self necessary for awakening?
11:50 - What is the ‘self’?
13:31 - A caveat
14:19 - Many possible modifications to the sense of self and identity
18:18 - What do Buddhists really mean when they talk about no-self?
19:01 - Surprising disagreement between Buddhist sects 
19:48 - Lack on consensus about the end goal in Buddhism
20:47 - Awakening or mental illness?
24:01 - Cultural differences in what constitutes mental health
24:58 - Cultural influences and personal goals 
26:39 - When meditation goes wrong
28:35 - When no-self experiences lead to negative outcomes 
30:46 - The importance of connection 
32:14 - Strategic ambiguity of enlightenment
34:34 - The enlightenment fantasy
35:23 - Absorbing a world view from meditation instructions 
36:31 - How to assess your meditation practice
39:04 - Stealth Buddhism
40:31 - Hidden frames of meditation techniques 
41:37 - Metaphysics of MBSR 
45:18 - Market forces and religion as product
47:50 - Negative reactions to Dr Britton’s work
51:48 - Does Dr Britton’s work threaten meditators?
54:39 - Nasty emails and internet comments
56:08 - Is Dr Britton upset by the negativity?
57:31 - What is the goal of Dr Britton’s work?
59:51 - Why look for problems?
01:01:07 - How often do meditation related problems happen?
01:03:03 - Founding Cheetah House to help meditators in crisis 
01:04:29 - Is fear necessary on the spiritual path?
01:06:20 - The neurobiology of attention
01:07:43 - Attention and arousal 
0110:12 - The phenomenology and meaning of fear in Buddhist meditation
01:11:46 - Is fear part of the path?
01:13:10 - Buddhism doesn’t have its story straight
01:14:30 - The desire for a comprehensive world view 

…

To find out more about Dr Willoughby Britton, visit:
- https://www.cheetahhouse.org/
- https://www.brown.edu/public-health/mindfulness/people/willoughby-britton-phd
 …

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep250: When Meditation Goes Wrong - Dr Willoughby Britton

In this episode I am once again joined by Mattias Daly, Taoist practitioner and translator of ‘Taoist Inner Alchemy’, published by Shambala.

Mattias recounts the unusual circumstances that saw him travel to a remote monastery to meet Abbess Liu Yuanhui, under whom he would begin intensive training in meditation.

Mattias discusses Taoist meditation and its relationship to magical powers, psychic abilities, and other unusual meditation experiences.

Mattias then pulls back the veil to reveal the history and evolution of Taoist inner alchemy, referencing classical texts to contextualise and explain the Golden Elixir, differing ideas of the goal of alchemy, and the various ways in which the practice was undertaken.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep251-taoist-inner-alchemy-mattias-daly-2

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. 
…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
00:54 - Meeting Abbess Liu Yuanhui 
03:23 - Recruited to rescue a wealthy son 
08:10 - Miraculous cure through Buddhist ritual 
11:38 - First visit to Abbess Liu’s monastery 
13:05 - Initial intensive training with Abbess Liu
16:19 - Attachment to unusual meditation experiences 
19:05 - Siddhi and magical power in Taoism 
24:00 - Influence of Kung Fu novels 
26:06 - Ge Guolong’s commentary Huang Yuanji’s The Oral Record of the Hall of Joyous Teaching 
30:30 - History and evolution of Taoist inner alchemy 
34:58 - Sexual interpretations of Taoist inner alchemy
36:30 - Disagreement about the goal of inner alchemy
39:29 - What about physical immortality?
42:08 - Mechanism of alchemy
45:43 - The Nameless Master and physical secretions
48:26 - Text alteration and philological considerations
52:02 - Achieving the Goku moment
52:53 - Why close reading of classical texts is a necessity for practitioners
56:34 - How to read early texts 
58:24 - Is facility in Classical Chinese necessary?
01:00:50 - What is the Golden Elixir?
01:03:48 - Mattias shares some of his translations about Golden Elixir 
01:06:07 - Decoding alchemical symbols and metaphors 
01:10:08 - Confusion about sex 
01:12:09 - How to go about practicing?

…

Watch the previous episode with Mattias Daly:
- https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep244-taoist-adventures-mattias-daly  
- 

To find our more about Mattias Daly, visit:
- https://www.shambhala.com/authors/a-f/mattias-daly.html 

…

 For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
 - www.guruviking.com 

…

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep251: Taoist Inner Alchemy - Mattias Daly 2

In this episode I host a dialogue between Dr Chencho Dorji, Bhutan’s first psychiatrist and the Professor of Psychiatry at Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences, and Dr Caroline Van Damme, an adult psychiatrist and family and systemic psychotherapist specialising in chronic psychotic disorders.

Drs Dorji and Van Damme dialogue about their experiences as psychiatrists in very different countries, Bhutan and Belgium. They compare their experiences treating religious psychosis in which patients believe they are Jesus or Padmasambhava, address mental health stigma, and examine the interaction of supernatural beliefs such as spirit possession with modern psychiatry. 

The Drs discuss the emerging mental health laws in Bhutan, including forced treatment laws, innovative treatment models, and pressures from pharmaceutical companies.

The Drs also consider the pros and cons of religion to both society and the individual, examine three levels of Bhutanese Buddhism, and reflect on the dire consequences of the death of Christianity in Europe.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep252-religion-psychiatry-dr-chencho-dorji-dr-caroline-van-damme

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
01:16 - How they met
03:44 - Dr Chencho’s visit to the Night Hospital in Belgium
05:12 - Dr Chencho’s side of the story
06:07 - Fascination with the ‘Night Hospital’ model
08:33 - Sharing models between countries
09:39 - Not trying to cure
12:36 - Mental health challenges in developed vs developing countries
15:04 - Psychiatry is a simple science
17:26 - Negligence of psychotic patients
19:01 - Stigma around mental illness 
23:03 - Pressure from pharmaceutical companies
25:53 - Mental health laws in Bhutan
30:17 - Forced treatment laws in Belgium  
39:15 - Complications of supernatural beliefs in Bhutan
41:28 - Getting the family on side
45:02 - Anti-psychiatry beliefs
46:57 - Psychosis or spirit possession?
49:25 - Dangers of marijuana
55:38 - Padmasambhava’s proscription against smoking
58:00 - Religion at societal and personal level
59:47 - Religious psychosis 
01:01:23 - 3 levels of Buddhism 
01:02:27 - Pros and cons of religious belief
01:06:25 - Treating psychotic Padmasambhavas 
01:08:06 - Patients who hear God
01:11:00 - Fading of Christianity in Europe
01:13:03 - Spiritual void and fading of religion in Bhutan
01:13:55 - Today’s Buddhist monks’ failings
01:16:00 - Learning from the fall of European religion
01:21:17 - Science vs religion
01:22:05 - Spiritual void and suicide
01:24:04 - Is religion needed?
01:26:38 - Lack of priests
01:29:40 - Uniqueness of psychiatry 
01:31:25 - Reflections on inter-cultural collaboration
01:33:53 - Dr Caroline praises Dr Chencho’s accomplishments

…

Previous episodes with Dr Chencho Dorji:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=chencho 

Previous episode with Dr Caroline Van Damme:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=damme 


To find out more about Dr Chencho Dorji, visit: 
- https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057403100633 

To find out more about Dr Van Damme, visit:
- https://www.sowarigpainstitute.org/dr-caroline-van-damme 

…

 For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com 

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep252: Religion & Psychiatry - Dr Chencho Dorji & Dr Caroline Van Damme

In this episode I am once again joined by Leigh Brasington, Buddhist meditation teacher and author of ‘Right Concentration, A Practical Guide to the Jhanas’.

Leigh discusses his latest book, ‘Gradual Training: The Buddha’s Step-by-Step Guide for Awakening’, in which Leigh lays a 13 step training which culminates in enlightenment.

Leigh explains the scriptural origins of this formulation, why it is so crucial for meditation success, and speculates as to why it is so rarely taught by Buddhist teachers in America.

Leigh also emphasises the importance of moral precepts, wrestles with contradictions in the Buddhist scriptures, considers how the scriptures have been altered over the centuries, and reveals his opinion of Buddhist claims to psychic powers. 

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep253-the-buddhist-path-leigh-brasington

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro 
00:53 - Leigh’s latest book
02:09 - A life changing meditation encounter
03:00 - The gradual training
05:05 - Training in insight practice under Ayya Khema
05:49 - Leigh’s insight journey
07:31 - Why isn’t gradual training taught in Western Buddhism? 
07:55 - Buddhist teacher schtick 
09:00 - People don’t teach the suttas
09:47 - 13 steps to awakening
12:23 - Origin and evolution of the 13-step Gradual Training
13:23 - The Buddhist scriptures have been tampered with
15:23 - Evolution of the doctrine of 12 links of dependent origination
16:34 - Philological implications 
17:51  - Did the Buddha have supernatural powers? 
21:59 - Contradictions in Buddhist scripture
24:11 - Early vs late suttas 
26:20 - When were the suttas composed?
29:39 - When was the gradual training devised?
31:11 - Gradual training vs Lamrim 
32:35 - Fruits of the spiritual life
36:38 - Keeping the precepts
40:08 - Guarding the senses 
42:41 - Mindfulness and clear comprehension 
44:47 - Contentment with little
47:04 - Overcoming hinderances 
49:12 - Are psychic powers real?
50:14 - Meditation or morality?
54:13 - Consequences of skipping ethics
58:05 - Do the precepts spoil the fun of life?
01:01:19 - What makes practice life changing?
01:02:36 - Enjoyment without attachment
01:04:17 - The power of motivation to change habits
01:06:19 - How Leigh gave up pot and sweets
01:08:19 - How to do insight practice 
01:09:08 - Future writing projects 
01:13:30 - Why Leigh publishes his books for free

…

Previous episodes with Leigh Brasington:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=brasington 

To find our more about Leigh Brasington visit:
- http://www.leighb.com/ 

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com 
	

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep253: The Buddhist Path - Leigh Brasington

In this episode I am joined by Jason Miller, occultist, author, and teacher of magick.

Jason shares his explorations in Tibetan Buddhism, including life changing encounters with Lama Vajranatha and famed ngakpa Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche. Jason recalls his months spent in Nepal during which he received esoteric empowerments, conducted cave and charnel ground practice, and refused the offer of discipleship under a spiritual master.

Jason also discusses encountering the goddess Hekate and beginning to teach a magickal system associated with her. Jason compares Western ritual magick to the tantric sorcery of the Himalayas, and considers the role of natural talent in spiritual accomplishment.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep254-adventures-in-vajrayana-jason-miller

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro
00:53 - Meeting Lama Vajranatha 
04:27 - Experiments in Voodoo and psychedelic insights
07:23 - Beginning studies in Buddhism
10:31 - Travel to Nepal and meeting Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche
14:12 - Cave practice of Vajrakilaya 
16:38 - Refusing Kunzang Dorje’s offer of traditional training
20:01 - Charnel ground practice and introduction to the nature of mind
22:37 - Realising rigpa 
23:56 - Memories of empowerments in Nepal
30:30 - Powerful encounter with Hekate 
36:26 - Choosing Western Magick over Tibetan Buddhism
37:37 - Communication with Hekate 
40:53 - Grimoire culture of the early 2000s
42:45 - Beginning to teach the Hecate system
44:01 -Success of the Sorcery of Hekate online courses
45:56 - Why collect Buddhist empowerments?
49:19 - Illusory body and connections between systems 
51:00 - Empowerments and further adventures in Nepal
57:01 - Himalayan vs Western Magick
59:17 - The truest wizard Jason has ever met
01:01:22 - What makes a powerful wizard?
01:02:46 - Old vs new systems 
01:09:08 - Are some people supernaturally or spiritually gifted?
01:18:34 - Spiritual duds 
01:19:41 - Senders vs receivers
01:20:17 - How to relate to spiritual experiences 
01:23:11 - Astral projection and guitar playing 
…

Previous episode with Jason Miller:
- https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep235-strategic-sorcery-jason-miller 

To find out more about Jason Miller, visit:
- https://strategicsorcery.net/ 

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com 
	

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep254: Adventures in Vajrayana - Jason Miller 2

In this episode I am once again joined by Dr Anthony Metivier, author and internationally renowned memory expert who’s meditation practice is reciting sacred Sanskrit texts from memory.

Anthony shares his own language learning journey, including his childhood struggles learning French, to later success with languages such as German, Mandarin, Latin, Hebrew, and Sanskrit. 

Anthony describes the 5 levels of processing and reveals how he uses his expertise in the art of memory to fast track language acquisition, including strategies to optimise progress in vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension.

Anthony challenges popular theories of comprehensible input, criticises gamified language learning apps, and reveals his number one secret to success in foreign language study.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep255-memory-secrets-for-language-learning-dr-anthony-metivier

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro 
00:55 - Anthony’s struggles with English
03:09 - Early life aversion to language learning
04:06 - Learning Hebrew as a revenge language
05:20 - Moving to Germany and unlocking the secrets of language learning
06:45 - Passing level 3 in Mandarin and other studies
08:55 - Impressive Hebrew progress
10:23 - Grammar tables and the importance of extensive reading 
11:30 - Criticism of comprehensible input theories
12:30 - 5 levels of processing
14:20 - Key metrics to avoid overwhelm
16:54 - Advice for beginners and intermediates
19:02 - Frequency lists
20:53 - Working with native speakers 
22:19 - A powerful reading regime
24:38 - Movie mixing
26:33 - Speaking and yogic exercises
28:28 - Latin grammar approaches
32:03 - Don’t need to learn grammar?
33:44 - Anticipatory reading
35:40 - Latin and Sanskrit vs German and Mandarin
37:38 - Disillusionment after fluency 
39:55 - Breaking through to German fluency with extensive reading
43:46 - Problems with the language learning industry
46:40 - The tragedy of gamified apps
49:26 - Fast tracking vocabulary acquisition
56:39 - Linguistic deskilling
58:15 - Pros and cons of tests and exams
01:02:04 - Maintaining multiple languages 
01:05:28 - The power of laddering

…

Previous episodes with Anthony Metivier:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=metivier 

To find out more about Anthony Metivier, visit: 
- https://www.youtube.com/c/AnthonyMetivierMMM
- https://www.magneticmemorymethod.com/ 
 For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- www.guruviking.com

…

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep255: Memory Secrets for Language Learning - Dr Anthony Metivier

In this interview I am once again joined by Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya, a tantric priest in a centuries old Newari Buddhist family lineage and master of the religious dance tradition of Charya Nritya.

Prajwal Vajracharya explores the history of Newar Buddhism, a rich form of Varjayana practiced in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal. Prajwal Vajracharya recounts the history of the religion, from its periods of suppression and secrecy up to its complex modern day interactions with 1960s hippies and Tibetan Buddhist refugees.

Prajwal Vajracharya details the distinctive ritual practices of Newar Buddhism, which contain cultivation practices for ten paramitas, and explains the use of sacred sounds and the alphasyllabry. 

Prajwal Vajracharya also reveals distinctive mudra and mantra practices, explains the many esoteric uses of the mala prayer beads, and decodes the rich deity artwork for which the region is renowned	.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep256-newar-buddhism-prajwal-ratna-vajracharya-2

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
01:05 - Suppression of Newar Buddhism for 800 years
03:56 - Secret family lineages
04:52 - Distinctive ritual practices of Newar Buddhism
06:23 - 10 Paramita system
09:05 - Why perform daily ritual?
09:48 - Learning to perform ritual
11:28 - The power of ritual
13:00 - Sacred sounds and the alphasyllabary
14:54 - Decoding the symbolism of sacred deity art
16:50 - Daily practice 
17:34 - History of Nepal’s Buddhist textual tradition
20:08 - Buddha’s birth and past life activity in Nepal
21:56 - Lost in Tibetan translation
23:14 - Guru Rinpoche activities in Nepal
24:18 - Secret practices under Gorkha rule
25:42 - Frustrations publishing about Charya dance
26:55 - Gendun Chophel
27:55 - Lack of scholarly evidence and destruction of Buddhism in Nepal
28:49 - Modern revival 
29:44 - History of the Tibetan refugee community in Nepal
31:54 - Opening to the hippies in the 60s
33:17 - Lack of interest in Newar Buddhism among Tibetan lamas in Nepal
36:03 - Sectarian rivalry and racism 
39:33 - How to use a mala 
40:44 - Subtle anatomy and mudra
41:08 - Elemental and energetic significance of each finger
43:38 - Mudra uses the whole body 
44:44 - The 3 important mudras
46:50 - Inner mudra
47:32 - The flower mudra
48:08 - Making mudra into meditation
49:32 - A gradual path
51:18 - Future mudra discussions
51:56 - A call for more research into Newar Buddhism

…

To find out more about Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya, visit: 
- https://www.dancemandal.com/ 

 For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep256: Newar Buddhism - Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya 2

In this interview I am once again joined by Dr Nida Chenagtsang, Buddhist teacher, doctor of Tibetan Medicine, and author of ‘Let Meditation Be Your Medicine: The Timeless Healing Wisdom of Tibet’.

Dr Nida discusses his latest book, the practicality of the Yuthok Nyingthik meditation system, and why it is important to choose a meditation style that suits one’s typology.	 

Dr Nida explains why he opens the book with a tribute to the Ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, recounts how he came to a deep appreciation of the roots of European culture, and parses the difference between intellectual and experiential spirituality.

Dr Nida also calls for a moving beyond conditioned views, explains how to appreciate culture and religion without being limited by them, considers attachment theory and guru-disciple dynamics, and reveals how transformative retreat experience brought him beyond conceptual limitations.

…

Link in comments.

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

…

Topics Include: 
00:00 - Intro
01:04 - Sowa Rigpa Forum
14:41 - Appreciation of Western culture
18:05 - Know your roots
19:47 - Dr Nida’s journey to open up to European culture 
22:55 - Déjà vu when first coming to Rome
25:37 - Similarities between Ancient Greek medicine and Tibetan medicine
28:48 - European meditation traditions 
32:01 - Grabbing the devils
34:09 - A dream of facing the devil
36:50 - Inner dialogue meditation
39:51 - The essence of meditation
44:20 - The roots of meditation 
47:37 - Becoming more open
49:07 - Intellectual vs experiential spirituality
50:33 - Dr Nida’s transformational experience on retreat
56:18 - Freedom from conditioning
59:00 - Yuthok’s open-mindedness
01:01:16 - Choosing the right meditation for your typology
01:05:05 - Anger management and Guru Yoga meditations
01:07:26 - Attachment theory and guru-disciple dynamics
01:13:131 - Beyond fixation and appreciating culture 
01:16:31 - Adjusting to different life circumstances
01:18:36 - Learning languages
01:20:35 - Bonsai vs bamboo

Previous episodes with Dr Nida Chenagtsang: 
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=nida 

To find out more about Dr Nida Chenagtsang, visit:
- https://www.facebook.com/DoctorNida/
- http://www.skypressbooks.com/

…

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
    - www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep257: Let Meditation Be Your Medicine - Dr Nida Chenagtsang

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 magickal techniques 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

Ep258: Demonology of Tibet - Dr Ben Joffe

The Guru Viking Podcast specializes in in-depth interviews with remarkable figures in the world of meditation, spirituality, and self development.

Steve travels internationally teaching somatic practices and meditation, and leads explorations in contemplative, mystic, & relational realms.

Ep253: The Buddhist Path - Leigh Brasington

GuruViking

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