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

Mattias tells the story of his affliction by a malevolent entity, a demon attached to his ancestral line for generations. Mattias details the progression of his symptoms and his terror as the being began to take deeper hold on his body and mind.

Mattias recounts several attempts at exorcism, working with ritualists from Taoist, Catholic, Tibetan Buddhist, Spiritualist, and Māori traditions in increasingly desperate attempts to rid himself of the entity.

Mattias also explains various theories of demonology, the steps he now takes to avoid contact with such forces, and reveals the surprising reasons why he is sharing his story now, for the first time in public.   

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep263-possessed-by-a-demon-mattias-daly-3
 
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. 

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
01:02 - Arriving in New Zealand
03:49 - Searching for a mentor
04:23 - Intense and unusual spontaneous meditation experiences
11:48 - Teacher’s advice 
13:02 - Extreme experiences reach a crescendo
14:54 - Martial movements and speaking in tongues
17:34 - Self healing powers 
20:26 - Meeting a new Qi Gong teacher 
26:01 - Lead up to the exorcism
35:06 - Exorcism #1: Taoist
37:33 - Failure of the exorcism 
42:06 - Exorcism #2: Catholic 
50:18 - Challenge to Mattias’ materialistic world view
55:03 - Return to meditation practice and involvement with Tibetan Buddhism
58:38 - The demon returns
01:02:13 - Teacher advises to stop practice
01:04:37 - Exorcism #3: Tibetan Buddhist
01:09:26 - Demon breaks through and takes possession of Mattias
01:13:33 - A deeper level of possession
01:15:47 - Isolation and worsening symptoms
01:20:20 - Exorcism #4: Spiritualism 
01:24:14 - Fear of full possession
01:25:35 - Exorcism #5: Māori
01:38:06 - Māori tohunga’s explanation of the exorcism
01:49:03 - Origin of the demon and ancestral ties
01:50:54 - Why did the demon try to take possession of Mattias?
01:54:11 - Care and safety around malevolent entities
01:59:19 - Contact with other entities
01:59:48 - Should you learn exorcism?
02:02:23 - Sleep schedule and dreams
02:03:16 -  Chinese demonology
02:07:15 - Ghost sightings
02:10:38 - Why is Mattias sharing this story now?

…

Watch the previous episodes with Mattias Daly:
- https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep244-taoist-adventures-mattias-daly  
- https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep251-taoist-inner-alchemy-mattias-daly-2 


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:
 - https://www.guruviking.com 

…

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep263: My Demon Exorcism - Mattias Daly 3

In this episode, filmed on location in Boudhanath, Kathmandu, I am joined by Naljorma Tsül'dzin, an internationally acclaimed performance artist and ordained apprentice in the Aro gTer sect of Tibetan Buddhism.

Tsül'dzin recalls her childhood in rural Ireland, early cultural and occult explorations, substance abuse and recovery, and her international career as a performance artist under the name “Kira O’Reilly”.

Tsül'dzin traces her history with the Aro gTer sect of Tibetan Buddhism, from first encounter to full ordination, reveals her religious robes and the reactions they provoke, and explains her ongoing fascination with the Great Stupa in Kathmandu. 

Tsül'dzin also considers the intersection of art and religious expression, the tension between practice and performance, ritual and spectacle, and reflects on her long-standing work with Serbian conceptual and performance artist Marina Abramović.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep264-vajrayana-performance-art-naljorma-tsldzin

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
01:04 - Inspiring example of Jomo Samphel Dechen Rinpoche
06:30 - Working with body and physicality as a practitioner
09:34 - Childhood in Catholic rural Ireland
11:55 - The 80s goth scene
12:43 - Linda Montano’s insight on Tsül'dzin and subcultures
14:07 - Occult explorations
15:09 - Substance abuse and entering recovery 
16:29 - Studying fine art at university
17:36 - Encountering the Aro gTer Buddhist sect 
20:22 - Group practice format in the Aro gTer
22:44 - Attraction to the Aro gTer
23:37 - Internationally acclaimed performance art career
29:08 - Deepening Buddhist practice
30:47 - Ordination and Kathmandu 
31:28 - Performance art and religious ritual 
32:50 - Meeting Marina Abramović
35:25 - The Golden Bough and ritual as performance art
36:16 - Working with Marina Abramović
37:50 - Performing at Marina Abramović’ recent London retrospective at the Royal Academy of Art 
39:16 - West/East influence 
41:34 - Marina Abramović as a teacher 
43:45 - Wearing religious robes 
44:48 - Conversations arising from wearing robes in public
47:08 - Explaining the colour scheme
49:56 - Robes and participation 
53:00 - Fasting and preparing for the 12-day Royal Academy performance
57:41 - Street Dog Care 
58:43 - Reflecting on spiritual experiences 
01:00:20 - Time and space
01:02:27 - Why spend so much time in Boudha?
01:06:22 - Practice vs spectacle  
01:07:15 - Prostrations 
01:08:08 - Art and the Aro gTer
01:09:44 - Secular vs religious art
01:12:04 - Disappointment with Western Buddhist art
01:14:08 - Recommendations for when visiting Boudha
01:14:36 - How to have impromptu conversations 

…

Boudhanath Interviews playlist:
- https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlkzlKFgdknwvU82dU487LhF_mF4AkGek&si=gFGJpi-fnLtxeyZ5 
 …

To find our more about Naljorma Tsül'dzin, visit:
- https://www.instagram.com/naljormatsuldzin/ 
- https://www.kiraoreilly.com/ 

…

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

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep264: Vajrayana & Performance Art - Naljorma Tsül'dzin

In this episode I am joined by Duncan Barford, occult practitioner, counsellor, and author of ‘Occult Experiments in the Home’.

Duncan discusses his own journey into the occult including reality-bending experiments with Chaos Magick, invocation of his holy guardian angel, identifying and relating to entities, and meeting his long-time collaborator, the magician and spiritual teacher Alan Chapman.

Duncan recalls his first encounter with Daniel Ingram’s “Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha”. He explains how he combined Daniel’s approach with Western occult methods and rituals to attain arhatship for himself. 

Duncan declared his enlightenment on the internet and began teaching awakening in a short-lived venture called “Open Enlightenment”. Duncan reflects on the strongly negative reactions that both his declaration and teaching project received.

Duncan also comments on demonic affliction, both his own experiences as well as those of recent podcast guest Mattias Daly, the influence of social class and geographic location, navigating kundalini crisis, the intersection of mysticism and magick.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep265-occult-experiments-duncan-barford

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
01:19 - Occult experiments in the home
02:38 - Duncan comments on Mattias Daly’s demonic affliction
04:34 - Demonic or kundalini awakening? 
06:27 -  - Duncan’s own kundalini crisis
08:44 - Seeking guidance from Tara Springett
11:39 - Identifying entities
14:19 - Duncan’s specialism in counselling those having unusual occult experiences
17:05 - Finding the best paradigm
19:38 - Does Duncan prescribe magickal practice?
21:50 - Spirituality vs everyday life 
24:42 - Meeting Alan Chapman and sustained interest in the occult
26:59 - Invocation of the Holy Guardian Angel 
27:57 - Encountering Daniel Ingram and bringing awakening back to magick
30:31 - Duncan’s childhood interest in the supernatural and strange 
33:13 - Gothic horror and psychoanalysis
33:52 - Beginning to explore magickal practice
35:03 - Moving from intellect to feeling and emotion
36:32 - Abandoning a PhD, meditation frustration, and life crisis
44:12 - Encountering Chaos Magick and leaning to bend reality
46:26 - Envy of Daniel Ingram and reception in the Chaos Magick community
49:40 - Are mysticism and spirituality compatible with magick?
51:09 - Using magick to induce mystical experiences 
52:44 - Declaring arhatship and attaining the four paths 
57:45 - Powerful experience with Andrew Cohen
01:01:43 - Advice from Christopher Titmuss 
01:03:50 - Dreaming of Gary Numan 
01:05:25 - Is arhatship the end of enlightenment?
01:07:09 - Duncan asks Steve’s opinion
01:09:07 - Did Duncan and Alan keep pace in their awakening path?
01:10:03 - The 3 doors and awakening with visions 
01:13:39 - Fire kasina retreat with Daniel Ingram
01:16:26 - Why did Duncan declare arhatship?
01:17:59 - Ego inflation through magickal practice
01:19:08 - Negative responses to declaration of enlightenment 
01:19:54 - Failure of Open Enlightenment and the compulsion to share one’s awakening
01:24:49 - Is UK conducive to spiritual and magickal work?
01:27:27 - Reflections on being working class
01:28:33 - Travellers vs locals
01:29:15 - Comments on the spectrum of entities 
01:31:09 - Discount code for the Baptist Head Compendium
 …

To find our more about Duncan Barford, visit:
- https://www.duncanbarford.uk/

…

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

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep265: Occult Experiments - Duncan Barford

In this episode, I host a dialogue between Guo Gu, Chan Buddhist teacher and scholar and author of ‘Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening’, and Meido Roshi, Rinzai Zen Abbot of Korinji Monastery and author of ‘Hidden Zen: Practices for Sudden Awakening and Embodied Realisation’.

Guo Gu and Meido Roshi reflect on their long friendship, recall their first meeting in 1989 at a meditation retreat led by Master Sheng Yen, and extol the virtues of dharma friendship.

They challenge common misconceptions about awakening, explain how to train the body in Chan and Zen practice, and reveal the suprising results of an integrated body-mind.

They also describe the enlightened field of a true master, the power of being close to one’s teacher, and how to master energy, time, and space.  

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep266-meeting-of-masters-guo-gu-meido-roshi

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
00:58 - Meido and Guo Gu reflect on their friendship since 1989
08:20 - What is a dharma friend? 	
11:36 - Sharing experiences in Chan vs Zen 
14:28 - Half baked experiences and marking history
16:25 - Keeping a practice journal
20:16 - Dreaming about Master Sheng Yen
24:30 - Developing as a teacher
28:30 - Embodying the master
31:04 - Master Sheng Yen’s sharp humour and private sarcasm
34:01 - Face to face training and being an attendant
35:55 - Drawbacks of online training
39:22 - The teacher as friend
41:46 - Dharma projections
43:16 - The resonant field of a master
47:42 - Embodied practice and interdependence of being
51:47 - The power of the retreat container
52:39 - The silent influence of one’s practice
57:33 - Learned bodily aptitude 
58:39 - How to train the body
01:01:44 - Content and clear
01:04:32 - Mastering energy, time, and space
01:06:57 - Everyone is different
01:09:33 - The body-supporting experience
01:10:46 - Working with injuries
01:13:47 - Zazen emerges organically
01:15:20 - How to use the teacher’s influence
01:17:09 - Learning to let go
01:20:39 - “Put it down”
01:25:40 - Delusion is baked into the body
01:31:24 - Mind and body conditioning
01:34:20 - Solving problems  
01:36:40 - Integrating the body-mind
01:30:01 - The entire universe is the true human body
01:38:30 - Putting down awakening
01:39:11 - Effort vs allowing
01:40:47 - Concluding remarks


Previous episodes with Guo Gu:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=guo 

Previous episode with Meido Roshi:
- https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep98-meido-roshi-hidden-zen 

…

To find out more about Guo Gu, visit:
- https://guogulaoshi.com/ 

To find our more about Meido Roshi, visit:
- https://www.korinji.org/ 

…

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

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep266: Meeting of Masters - Guo Gu & Meido Roshi

In this episode I am joined by Gilbert M Gutierrez, Chan Buddhism teacher and a dharma heir of Master Sheng Yen.

Gilbert recounts his early childhood mystical and meditation experiences, his deep-dive into closed-door internal martial arts and nei gong systems, and the special abilities he both witnessed and unlocked.

Gilbert describes the unusual circumstances leading up to meeting Taiwanese Chan master Master Sheng Yen, and how an arduous meditation retreat and a powerful encounter with Quan Yin changed his life forever.  

Gilbert also discusses exorcisms, ghosts, and vexing spirits, and tells stories of the pitfalls of using spiritual healing to sustain terminally ill patients. 

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep267-american-chan-master-gilbertm-gutierrez

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
00:52 - Childhood bardo memories
03:28 - Early meditation experiences 
06:05 - A “roaming” Catholic and asking questions
10:26 - Studies at UCLA
11:37 - Studying closed-door martial arts systems
12:44 - Chinese master vs Japanese karateka 
15:23 - Things are not as they appear
17:45 - Visionary experiences across time
19:37 - Nāgārjuna’s refutation of time and space 
20:32 - True meaning of “no thought”	
24:27 - The first level of Chan practice 
25:53 - Nei gong studies and building chi 
29:07 - Developing Wu Nien and related abilities
33:13 - Demonstrating abilities 
34:52 - Meeting a qigong master and becoming his successor
39:52 - Healing abilities of the master
42:32 - Meeting masters and cracking the code
44:15 - Asking why we practice
45:33 - The dangers of using entities to empower your practice 
50:39 - Meeting Master Sheng Yen
54:01 - Master Sheng Yen psychically anticipates meet Gilbert
58:59 - Suffering at first retreat with Master Sheng Yen
01:02:44 - Prostrating to Quan Yin and finding life’s purpose
01:06:37 - Metta, Karuna, and Henry Shukman
01:08:44 - Unconditional compassion
01:11:21 - True meaning of the Heart Sutra
01:18:45 - Moving from qigong to Chan
01:25:57 - Exorcisms, ghosts, and vexing spirits 
01:29:42 - Buddha-perception and seeing other realms
01:31:10 - How do the Buddhas see the world?
01:35:33 - A vision of Quan Yin
 …

To find our more about Gilbert M Gutierrez, visit:
- https://www.youtube.com/@chanmindwork/playlists 
- https://mind-work.mn.co/  
- https://riversidechan.org/   
	
…

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

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep267: American Chan Master - Gilbert M Gutierrez

In this episode I am joined by Khandro Kunzang Dechen Chodron, teacher of Tibetan Buddhism and executive director of Saraswati Bhawan Publications.

Khandro Kunzang recalls her childhood samadhi experiences and communications with animal spirits, her meetings with great gurus, and her own path of mystical experiences.

Khandro Kunzang recounts stories about Lama Dawa and Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche including tales of mirror divination, precognitive dreams, chulen mastery, and other yogic feats.

Khandro Kunzang also explains how to work with terror and collapse of the Self, how to hold a place in one’s practice for uncertainty, and the importance of the student’s capacity when working with a guru. 

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep268-sitting-with-terror-khandro-kunzang-dechen-chodron

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
00:52 - Early life and connection to nature
03:06 - Exposure to Eastern religion and samadhi experiences
05:38 -  Powerful experience with a Buddha statue at 14 years old 
08:07 - Initial Buddhist seeking
09:44 - Involvement in New Age 
10:03 - Transformative resonance with Yeshe Tsogyal’s biography
12:42 - Collapse of the Self structure
14:11 - Active Buddhist involvement 
16:31 - Taking refuge and life falling apart
18:34 - All in for Dharma
20:29 - Meeting Lama Dawa and open discussion of the spirit realm 
26:29 - Karmic affinity with Lama Dawa
28:16 - Invitation to meet Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche
29:59 - Accompanying Lama Dawa on a 9 month tour
33:10 - The influence of Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo
34:10 - Childhood communication with nature spirits and interest in environmental activism
38:20 - Dreams of guardian angel / dharma protector
40:42 - Feelings of alienation and other awakening experiences
44:58 - Past life as a Kagyu retreat master 
47:00 - New Age interpretations 
50:17 - Time as a sound healer
53:00 - More than mere appearances
54:13 - Trauma and the subtle body 
55:52 - Lama Dawa’s yogic emphasis on experience
58:42 - Lama Dawa’s criticisms of scholars 
59:55 - Bad death of a geshe 
01:00:29 - Lama Dawa’s skill in debate
01:02:06 - Disillusionment with scholarship and social status
01:03:25 - Using the body to process trauma and “stuff” on retreat
01:05:21 - Intense experiences on retreat
01:07:18 - Discipline and music
01:09:08 - Constructive criticism and student capacity
01:11:27 - History of Lama Dawa and Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche
01:18:40 - Mastery of stone chulen and other yogic feats 
01:23:12 - Mirror divination and other prognostication
01:31:21 - Living with a collapsed Self 
01:33:16 - Sitting with terror and holding the place for uncertainty
01:36:14 - Working with the edge 
 …

To find our more about Khandro Kunzang Dechen Chodron, visit:
- https://www.phurbathinleyling.org/khandro-kunzang/ 
	
…

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

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep268: Sitting with Terror - Khandro Kunzang Dechen Chodron

In this episode I am once again joined by Damo Mitchell author, teacher, and student of the internal arts of Asia including Tai Chi and Daoist Inner Alchemy.

Damo draws on his background in the qi arts, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Western psychology to reveal the causes and symptoms of various types of qi and meditation related problems, including dragon sickness, nihilism and depression, scorched nervous system, entity possession, and more.

Damo explains the two most common triggers for qi illnesses, expresses warnings about working with spirits and reservations about tantric practices of deity and guru yoga, and differentiates true meditation from mere mental cultivation. 

Damo shares his own spiritual encounters, considers whether or not it is wise to explain mystical experiences to students, and offers recommendations for those facing energetic or existential upset.

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro 
01:03 - Damo comments on Dr Willoughby Britton’s work
03:04 - Is meditation dangerous?
04:31 - Mediation vs qigong illnesses 
06:15 - The illness threshold
07:06 - Why qigong illnesses are common
07:38 - Hunting sensation and hyper-stimulation of the nervous system
11:12 - Releasing the nerves
11:45 - Teachers who disclose vs those who withhold 
1534 - Making progress or losing ground?
19:19 - Combining Eastern and Western psychological methods 
23:00 - Meditation vs mere mental work
26:27 - Fascination with one’s own psychology
27:12 - Damo’s definition of mental illness
28:07 - Is mental work a preliminary to or distraction from meditation?
30:39 - Chinese terms for meditation vs mental work
32:23 - Comparisons with Patanjali’s 8 limbs of yoga
34:10 - Identity attachment
34:55 - Why teaching hurts your training
35:55 - Freedom vs negligence as a teacher
38:01 - Psychiatry vs traditional medical and religious models
41:03 - Two common triggers for qi deviations
42:34 - The dangers of going inside
43:32 - Qi side effects
44:14 - Advice for qigong teachers
45:19 - Scorching the nervous system 
46:37 - Dragon sickness
47:43 - A case of dragon sickness that ended in suicide
50:04 - 5 types of qigong illness
51:38 - Entering into fire to encourage demons
52:39 - Nihilism from meditation
53:05 - Poison fire infecting the heart
54:19 - Criticism of sexual practice
58:06 - Contamination of the heart mind
01:00:25 - Love in the spiritual arts
01:01:49 - Demon possession or psychological disorder?
01:03:51 - How entity possession happens 
01:06:27 - Lighting up the body 
01:07:22 - A story about possession 
01:08:58 - Seeking contact with entities through Falun Gong and tantra
01:11:56 - Don’t trust spirits
01:15:07 - Evolution away from shamanism 
01:17:15 - Tulkus, dead gurus, and terma
01:20:05 - The cult of Avalokiteśvara and the Dalai Lama
01:21:07 - Risks associated with contacting ascended masters
01:23:42 - Reflections on deity yoga 
01:25:15 - Quan Yin worship and personification of deities
01:27:52 - Premature ejaculation and sexual imbalances  
01:31:36 - Damo’s mystical experience in a Bhutanese temple
01:35:19 - Questioning one’s own position
01:36:39 - Kundalini syndrome vs qi sickness
01:38:40 - What is kundalini syndrome?
01:39:55 - Commenting on Gopi Krishna’s kundalini account
01:41:26 - Karmic illnesses  
01:43:39 - Pilgrimage and confession
01:44:30 - How to fix qi deviations
01:46:28 - Complicated cases and overpowering the incorrect patterns
01:47:22 - How extreme cases develop
01:48:43 - Scaremongering and the value of lineage
01:52:02 - Combining psychedelics with qigong practices
01:55:24 - Potency and risk

…

Previous episode with Damo Mitchell:
- https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep174-daoist-inner-alchemy-damo-mitchell 


To find out more about Damo Mitchell, visit:
- https://damomitchell.com/ 


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


Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep269: When Qigong Goes Wrong - Damo Mitchell

In this episode, filmed on location in Kathmandu, Nepal, I am joined by Jina Kusala, originally from Norway and now a wandering Theravada monk. 

Jina tells the story of his traumatic childhood, the mental suffering and instability it caused, and how the Buddhist path provided a means to reckon with the pain.

Jina shares encounters with religious leaders such as Mingyur Rinpoche, recounts meeting previous podcast guest Bhante Jason and reflects on the profound time he spent under Bhante’s instruction. 

Jina recalls his Himalayan wanderings and cave retreats, discusses the power of the 4 foundations of mindfulness, details the differences between Hīnayāna and Vajrayāna realisations, and explains why with incremental progress one may aim for sainthood.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep270-wandering-monk-jina-kusala

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
00:56 - Background and recent travels in the Himalayas
01:40 - How to work with hardship
03:09 - Upbringing in Norway and traumatic childhood
04:30 - Healing trauma
06:21 - Redeeming trauma and helping others
07:42 - Chasing satisfaction
10:22 - Finishing high school and seeking
13:25 - Discerning the wholesome vs unwholesome
14:46 - First encounter with Buddhism in Norway
15:44 - Travel to Sri Lanka and attempts at meditation
17:17 - Jina suggests a location change
17:57 - Meeting Bhante Jason
19:19 - Sophisticated use of the 4 Foundations of Mindfulness
22:46 - Entering the 4 jhānas, clearing emotional blockages, 
23:34 - Mechanism of gaining insight  
24:31 - The Buddhist path in brief
24:59 - 3 kinds of delusion
25:35 - The 4 noble truths
29:14 - When the mind lets go
31:55 - Leaving Bhante Jason’s hermitage
35:21 - Making Jina’s broken mind functional
38:25 - A scripture parade
38:45 - A period of chaos and profound uncertainty
40:05- Stabilising and improvement of functionality
40:59 - Interpersonal difficulties and wounds of mistrust
42:52 - Manifestation of unprocessed trauma 
43:55 - Becoming a cure for trauma
44:53 - Himalayan Buddhism as Jungian shadow work
45:49 - Jina’s karmic background with Himalayan Buddhism 
47:02 - Differences between the realisations of early vs later Buddhist forms 
49:16 - Formless states vs true nirvāṇa
52:25 - A private meeting with Mingyur Rinpoche and 5 month retreat in caves
54:40 - Plans for India
55:21 - Reflections on the wandering life
57:05 - Developing intuition and accessing the magical mind 
58:59 - Reflections on the path, meaning, and ennobling character 
01:00:43 - Learning from your mistakes
01:02:29 - Incremental improvement
01:02:32 - Aiming for sainthood 

…

Kathmandu Interviews playlist:
- https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlkzlKFgdknwvU82dU487LhF_mF4AkGek&si=gFGJpi-fnLtxeyZ5 

Previous Episode with Bhante Jason:
- https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep12-bhante-jason-guru-viking-interviews 

…

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

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ and ‘Meditation’ by Steve James

Ep270: Wandering Monk - Jina Kusala

In this episode, I host a dialogue between Brad Warner, Zen teacher, Youtuber, and best-selling author of “Hardcore Zen”; and Shozan Jack Haubner, ex-Zen Monk, Youtuber, and prize winning author of the memoir “Zen Confidential: Confessions of a Wayward Monk”. 

Brad and Jack explore their own journeys as writers, the humorous and confessional elements in their work, and the complications of writing about real life events that involve other people.  

Brad and Jack reflect on what they see as the politicisation of American Zen, describe how religious institutions can compromise their principles when faced with financial and political pressure, and explain their own efforts on Youtube and elsewhere to challenge hegemony and encourage a return to essential Zen. 

Brad and Jack also discuss facing criticism as public figures, consider some of their more controversial videos and views, and reveal how they stay centred amidst the polarising forces of today’s internet and social media world.  

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep271-zen-confessions-brad-warner-shozan-jack-haubner

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
01:10 - Radical self disclosure
02:49 - Why Brad began writing about Zen
05:59 - Hardcore Zen and success
06:48 - Noah Levine’s Dharma Punx
07:50 - Jack’s initial Zen writing
10:43 - Complications of being ordained
12:34 - When people find out
13:40 - Protecting others’ identity
16:29 - Compromise thru affiliation with Zen organisations
18:08 - Selling meditation as a product
21:03 - Austrian Zen and hard retreat 
22:44 - Mainstream mindfulness 
23:37 - Wearing Zen robes
24:55 - Why Brad stopped teaching in the USA
25:45 - Hostility in NYC
27:50 - Zen apprenticeship and closing the doors
30:53 - Boomer hippy ideals vs real Zen
31:45 - US Zen hegemony 
35:11 - Politicised Zen and 80s televangelists 
36:20 - Bullying and fixed views
37:25 - Sasaki Roshi’s scandal and encounters with boutique Zen teachers 
39:02 - Politicisation of US Zen 
41:07 - Financial pressure and running an institution
44:59 - Brad on Sasaki Roshi
47:16 - Sweeping Zen
48:08 - Challenging socio-political trends in American Zen
50:08 - Hijacking Zen 
56:06 - The Jack Kornfield problem
59:20 - Attacked from both sides
01:01:16 - Right wing Zen
01:03:54 - Demonising the other side and facing your shadow
01:09:40 - Abuse and pushing your buttons
01:12:10 - Being too nice 
01:13:28 - Self-justification 
01:14:57 - Co-opting Zen
01:16:09 - Sasaki beats a lazy student
01:19:06 - The danger of Zen practice
01:23:06 - Patron priest corruption
01:24:58 - Dealing with negative feedback on social media
01:33:24 - Internet radicalisation and keeping your head
01:38:52 - Watching your equilibrium
01:39:49 - Jordan Peterson vs Zen
01:43:07 - Teachings vs entertainment
01:46:00 - Why Rinzai is evil and Soto sucks


Previous episode with Brad Warner:
- www.guruviking.com/podcast/155-hardcore-zen-brad-warner 

Previous episodes with Shozan Jack Haubner:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=haubner 

…

To find out more about Brad Warner, visit:
- http://hardcorezen.info/
- https://www.youtube.com/c/HardcoreZen 

To find our more about Shozan Jack Haubner, visit:
- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt9Q74t3o7AUCJ_bKTc5CgA 

…

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

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep271: Zen Confessions - Brad Warner & Shozan Jack Haubner

In this episode I am joined by Dr. William Rory Dickson an associate professor of Islamic Religion and Culture at The University of Winnipeg and author of “Dissolving into Being: The Wisdom of Sufi Philosophy”.

Professor Dickson recalls his Christian upbringing, teenage atheism, and how powerful psychedelic experiences saw him embark on a religious search. 

Professor Dickson recounts his initial explorations of Tibetan Buddhism, his conversion to Islam, and how his dissatisfaction with conservative and Salafi revivalist trends saw him embrace the Sufi path.

Professor Dickson also explains the history of Sufism; considers the influence of Ancient Egyptian, Persian, and Neo-Platonic thought; reflects on the role of language proficiency in the study of religions; and addresses common misconceptions about Sufism and Islam. 

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep272-mystical-path-of-sufism-professor-william-rory-dickson

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
00:59 - Upcoming book
01:42 - Religious upbringing
03:39 - Becoming a precocious atheist
04:36 - Late teen mystical experiences
05:29 - Rebellious teen years and interest in Japan
06:29 - Working as a social worker in child protection
07:57 - Drawn to academia 
08:29 - Returning to graduate school in late 20s
09:58 - Becoming a professor
11:02 - Psychedelics as spiritual doorways 
13:10 - Lessons from trauma
14:24 - Spiritual reading and engaging with Tibetan Buddhism
17:42 - Passion for reading
18:42 - From Tibetan Buddhism to Islam
20:44 - Dissatisfaction with local mosque Islam
22:50 - Friends and family reactions to conversion to Islam
23:52 - Involvement with Salafi Muslim revivalist movements 
24:53 - First flush of fundamentalism
26:26 - Burning out, renewed spiritual exploration, and seeking a teacher
28:37 - Meeting Ngak’chang Rinpoche of the Aro gTer
31:32 - Gradual or sudden conversion to Islam?
32:23 - The role of Arabic language study
35:05 - Is source language study necessary to really understand and practice religions?
37:08 - Three idiots on an island
38:04 - Language skills and scholarship 
40:21 - Decay of language skills in academia
41:59 - Shift from textual study to lived religion
44:56 - Elite vs popular Sufism
47:44 - Common misconceptions about Sufism and Islam
49:53 - Rich mystical philosophy and the post-colonial dilemma
51:17 - Meeting Sufi teachers and the question of Islamic identity
53:26 - Origin story of Sufism
57:515 - Historical perspective of Sufism and connections to Ancient Egypt, Neo-Platonism, and Persia
58:35 - Enoch as a progenitor of the mystical tradition 
59:51 - Inner circle perspective 
01:00:52 - Evolution and methods of Sufism
01:03:43 - Diversity of Sufi forms through cultural adaptation
01:06:28 - Ibn ‘Arabi 
01:07:58 - Methods and metaphors
01:09:11 - Overwhelmed by the visceral presence of love
 …

To find our more about Professor William Rory Dickson, visit:
- https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/experts-guide/william-rory-dickson.html
	
…

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

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep272: Mystical Path of Sufism - Professor William Rory Dickson

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.

Ep266: Meeting of Masters - Guo Gu & Meido Roshi

GuruViking

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