Guru Viking Interview Series

In this episode I am once again joined by Mary Shutan: author, occultist, and spiritual teacher. 

Mary explains her activities as a modern spirit worker, reveals how to form and maintain working relationships with spirits, details the difference between spirit pacts and contracts, and warns about the unintended consequences of making deals with unknown beings.

Mary explores the problems associated with using the word “shaman”, offers a critique of modern shamanism training courses, and explains why many people who pursue shamanism would be better suited to a religious orientation to animism.

Mary also reveals her own aborted attempt at the infamous Abramelin ritual, details the resultant fallout and years of recovery, and reflects on the impact of magickal practice on mental and physical health.

…

Full episode link in bio.

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

01:00 - What is a modern spiritual worker?
02:20 - Why Mary doesn’t like to use the word “shaman”
02:44 - Mary’s problems with Core Shamanism 
04:31 - Shamanism and patriarchy 
05:34 - Why Mary doesn’t call herself a shaman
07:54 - Core Shamanism, Christian conditioning, and legacies of colonisation
10:58 - Anthropologists as shamanic teachers 
13:21 - Training in Core Shamanism 
15:41 - Critique of Core Shamanism and wounded healers
18:43 - Post-colonial critiques of modern shamanism
20:00 - Some people really want animism 
21:42 - When shamanism goes wrong
22:33 - Cherry-picking shamanism and reconstruction
23:47 - Discernment and tainted gnosis 
24:22 - Words have energy and the need for respect
26:36 - Mary uses the word “shaman” in her business and books
27:33 - Pervasive Christian conditioning
28:30 - Patriarchy in shamanism
29:38 - Pop-shamanism vs direct experience 
30:55 - 20 years of teaching shamanism 
32:16 - People don’t believe in spirits any more
34:04 - Modernity and scientism 
37:06 - Modernity and  shamanism
40:40 - Martin Prechtel engaging with indigenous shamanism 
43:06 - Indigeneity and the routes to become a shaman 
46:52 - What Mary tells people who feel called to shamanism?
49:05 - Conflating personal religious practice with professionalising 
49:53 - How to get started in animism
52:55 - Which spirits and entities does Mary work with?
55:27 - Spirit relations
57:42 - Mary’s way of relating to spirits 
59:33 - Spirit communication in dreams and through rituals
01:00:27 - Spirits who come to Mary 
01:01:23 - Spirit contracts 
01:03:56 - Spirit ID and the danger of spirit contracts 
01:04:53 - The Buddha in Sri Lanka
01:06:35 - Be careful what you wish for
01:07:31 - Spirit Lawyering
01:07:52 - Healthy skepticism when dealing with spirits
01:10:00 - Cultural misunderstandings about spirits 
01:11:21 - Don’t make a pact with a spirit
01:12:29 - Warning about spirit contracts 
01:13:18 - Pact vs contract
01:16:41 - Mary’s training in Western Occultism and time in the Void
01:20:14 - Mary’s spiritual crisis 
01:24:17 - Orienting to the Dark Feminine 
01:27:09 - Two attempts at the Abramelin ritual
01:29:16 - Abandoning the 18-month Abramelin ritual
01:29:50 - How did Mary exit the ritual?
01:30:48 - Magick and mental health
01:32:36 - Psychotherapists for magicians 
01:33:32 - Struggles with the Golden Dawn and pivoting to shamanism
01:38:24 - Christian monks did magick
01:38:55 - Giving up seeking

…

Previous episode with Mary Shutan:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=shutan 

To find out more about Mary Shutan, visit:
- http://maryshutan.com/ 

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

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep313: Modern Spirit Worker - Mary Shutan 3

In this episode I am joined by Ani Pema, an American nun in the Tibetan Buddhist religion and former swami in the Siddha Yoga organisation.

Ani Pema recalls her childhood in Boise Idaho, her high flying career in fashion working for Vogue magazine, and how dissatisfaction with the American dream set her on a spiritual search.

Ani Pema details her sixteen years of close discipleship and ordination under the renowned Siddha Yoga guru Swami Muktananda, her transformative encounters with the 16th Karmapa, and her subsequent discipleship under Tibetan Buddhist teachers such as Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche and Namkhai Nyingpo.

Ani Pema also explains the powerful phenomena of shaktipat including the severe karmic consequences for its use, reflects on Western shaktipat gurus such as Rudi and Adi Da Samraj, and gives her heart advice for those who wish to follow the spiritual path.
 
…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep314-me-my-gurus-ani-pema

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

Topics include: 


00:00 - Intro
01:06 - High flying fashion career 
02:41 - Questioning the American dream
03:24 - Taking up yoga 
04:02 - Meeting Swami Muktananda
04:55 - A precognitive vision
05:40 - Close study with Swami Muktananda in India
07:29 - Rigorous practice regime at the ashram 
08:38 - Obliterating the self
11:02 - Muktananda as a vortex of energy
12:09 - A past life connection
14:47 - Swami Muktananda’s 1974 USA tour
19:17 - The serious karmic burden of giving shaktipat
20:09 - Attending the 16th Karmapa
22:02 - Leaving Muktananda’s organisation
22:55 - Becoming a disciple of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
24:24 - Becoming a disciple of Namkhai Nyingpo in Bhutan
26:03 - Working for Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche after he became famous
27:19 - You hire the guru to assassinate your ego
28:44 - Lichivi House
30:02 - Reflections on past gurus
31:23 - Rudi and shaktipat
32:28 - Adi Da’s ego and meeting with Swami Muktananda
36:33 - 4 methods of shaktipat
38:31 - Health consequences of offering shaktipat
40:25 - Dangers of unauthorised shaktipat
41:48 - Mind to mind transmission in Tibetan Buddhism
42:32 - 4-6hrs of chanting per day
43:24 - Celibacy and guru controversies 
47:27 - Comparing 16th Karmapa with Swami Muktananda 
49:19 - Kashmir Shaivism vs Tibetan Buddhism 
50:39 - Depression after Swami Muktananda’s death
52:47 - Profound periods of purification 
54:48 - Consequences of the spiritual path
56:23 - Do Tibetan teachers recognise Muktananda’s dharma?
59:18 - Meditation is beyond tradition
01:00:46 - Ani Pema reflects on her experience as a practitioner
01:03:55 - Ani Pema’s advice for practitioners 
01:06:19 - Difficulties in following famous gurus

…

To find out more about Ani Pema, visit:
- https://www.facebook.com/karen.schaefer
- https://dayananda-lifewithandafterbaba.blogspot.com/

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

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep314: Me & My Gurus - Ani Pema

In this episode I host a dialogue between Dr Caroline van Damme and Lama Justin von Bujdoss.

Dr Caroline Van Damme is an adult psychiatrist and family and systemic psychotherapist specialising in chronic psychotic disorders, and co-teacher of Buddhist guru and Sowa Rigpa doctor Nida Chenagtsang. 

Lama Justin von Bujdoss is an American Buddhist teacher, dark retreat yogi, founder and spiritual director of Yangti Yoga Retreat Center in Buckland Massachusetts, and author of ‘Modern Tantric Buddhism’.

Caroline and Justin discuss the risk of psychosis during extreme religious practices, consider the rewards and dangers of dark retreat, and describe the different forms of hallucination.

Caroline and Justin warn about engaging in advanced practices too soon, consider the pros and cons of spiritual ambition, and offer a mental health checklist for those considering intensive practice.

Caroline and Justin also reflect on their own biographies, share challenges they have faced, and recount anecdotes of religious psychosis.

…

Video version: www.guruviking.com

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro 
01:08 - Justin explains the practice of dark retreat 
5:55 - What is the purpose of dark retreat?
06:50 - Obstacles during dark retreat 
09:39 - Distracted and disturbed by experience 
11:08 - Sensory deprivation induces psychosis and delusional ideation 
12:41 - Auditory or visual?
13:16 - Hallucinations in dark retreat vs in schizophrenia 
18:51 - Practice prerequisites to dark retreat
21:10 - The purpose of intensive practice contexts 
22:42 - Trekchod is the best antidote
23:38 - Justin laments the rush to do advanced retreats and practices 
24:35 - Lack of mental health crisis intervention skills in Buddhist sanghas
25:38 - The devastating consequences of psychosis 
27:09 - Sensory deprivation as torture and the “White Room”
29:01 - Tantric context of dark retreat and other challenging experiences 
31:34 - Gek sel literature and “set and setting”
34:24 - Disastrous outcomes of Vipassana and other group retreats
38:19 - Mystical delusions and the manic state
41:59 - Consent, context, and the need for a guide
46:17 - Practice slowly, arrive quickly
46:51 - Extreme sports practitioners and disregard for tradition
50:24 - - Social pressure to avoid boredom
54:48 - A menu of spiritual materialism
57:10 - Outer, inner, and secret yidam practice 
59:50 - Tilopa’s Six Nails 
01:00:47 - Śamatha and raw-dogging
01:02:33 - Lojong
01:03:21 - Dream yoga and illusory body practice
01:05:14 - Walking meditation
01:05:28 - Frequency, duration, and intensity
01:08:21 - Spiritual ambition and Justin’s own training
01:13:10 - Ngondro and building a good foundation
01:14:12 - Bodhicitta as context
01:15:44 - A story of temporary insanity
01:17:29 - Health checklist for extreme spiritual adventures
01:20:17 - Dr Caroline’s difficult intake experience
01:22:02 - Spiritual bypass and the role of the teacher
01:24:13 - Long term relationships with patients and students
01:25:40 - John Welwood’s advocacy for psychotherapy 
01:29:40 - Today’s lack of a long term relationship with the guru
01:35:22 - The power of relationship
01:40:00 - Justin’s concluding remarks
01:41:56 - Dr Caroline’s concluding remarks

…

Previous episodes with Lama Justin von Bujdoss:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=bujdoss  
Previous episodes with Dr Caroline van Damme:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=caroline 

…

Find out more about Lama Justin von Bujdoss:
- https://justinvonbujdoss.com/
- https://www.yangtiyoga.com/ 

Find out more about Dr Caroline van Damme:
- 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

Ep315: Religious Psychosis & Dark Retreat - Dr Caroline van Damme & Lama Justin von Bujdoss

In this episode I am joined by Alex W, long term practitioner of Zen, Pragmatic Dharma, and Western Occultism.

Alex describes his journey from elite upbringing in Geneva; through NeoPlatonism, Zen practice, and magick; to advanced states of spiritual attainment and insight.

Alex tells stories of his discipleships under pragmatic dharma teacher Kenneth Folk and renowned occultist Alan Chapman and details the lead up to, and attainment and after effects of his own experience of enlightenment.

Alex recounts his successful operation of the Abramelin Ritual, a powerful kundalini awakening, and his ongoing encounters with spiritual beings such as Kālī Mā and Hecate.

…

https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep316-dharma-the-goddess-alex-w

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

Topics include: 

00:00 - Intro
00:55 - Elite upbringing in Geneva
03:50 - Religious experiences in America 
05:39 - Major surgery and turn towards spirituality
08:05 - Immersion in a Hindu religious group
10:25 - First spiritual experiences and power places
12:07 - Interest in philosophy and the Kyoto School
13:05 - Law school and studying mediaeval philosophy 
15:52 - Entering Zen Buddhist practice with Deshimaru Taisen
18:14 - Finding a real Zen master & understanding Zen in Japan
21:55 - Observations about Japanese religiosity
24:09 - 1996 financial crisis and internship in law firm
24:58 - Connecting with advanced practitioners online
26:53 - Interest in Chan Buddhism
30:08 - Japan vs Chinese and Korean monasticism
32:15 - Plateau after 15 years of Zen
33:01 - Daniel Ingram & Kenneth Folk
39:09 - No-self experience
39:54 - Become a student of occultist Alan Chapman
45:25 - Scrying the Enochian Æthyrs 
48:02 - Visions and esoteric Christianity 
50:09 - Abramelin Ritual w/ Alan Chapman
53:50 - Meeting the Holy Guardian Angel
56:32 - Approaching enlightenment 
01:02:38 - Achieving enlightenment
01:10:59 - Consequences of enlightenment 
01:14:45 - Confirmation by Stuart Lachs 
01:18:54 - Massive kundalini experience 
01:22:21 - Loss of interest in spirituality
01:23:21 - Spirit encounters in Santeria 
01:27:23 - Strategic presentations of Tibetan Buddhism
01:28:13 - Difficulties after awakening
01:29:52 - Post kundalini energetic development 
01:31:56 - Loss of fear of death
01:33:15 - Breathwork
01:34:54 - Opening of psychic senses
01:37:40 - Powerful encounters with Kālī Mā
01:45:03 - Meeting other Dark Goddesses
01:48:27 - Synchronicities and initiations
01:49:20 - Alan Chapman’s Magia
01:53:26 - Adventures in Bali 
02:03:14 - Chinese Internal Alchemy & Mattias Daly 
02:05:25 - Nan Huai-Chin
02:07:31 - Energy rewires for 12 years after awakening 
02:09:11 - Neoplatonist theurgy
02:12:31 - Reviving the Western spiritual tradition
02:12:53 - Instructed by Hecate to be interviewed
02:14:31 - Specialties of the Western tradition
02:17:00 - Sacred geography and local deities
02:20:27 - #1 problem in the West
02:23:11 - Karmic connections 
02:24:34 - Fall from grace after awakening
02:26:16 - Divine beings care about authenticity
02:28:15 - Sequel plans
02:29:57 - Praise for the Guru Viking Podcast

…

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

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep316: Dharma & the Goddess - Alex W

In this episode I host a dialogue between Lama Glenn Mullin and Oded Rahav about the magic of the Dead Sea. 

Oded shares how he fell in love with the Dead Sea, the power of story and the arts in communicating important messages, and why he believes water is a sacred medium.

Glenn reveals the power of sacred places and how they are formed through a combination of geomantic features and human spiritual activity.

Glenn and Oded explore the history of the Dead Sea region, trace 10000 years of Western mysticism, and discuss how the area may hold the keys to peace in the region.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep317-dead-sea-magic-lama-glenn-mullin-oded-rahav

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro 
00:47 - Oded’s world record swim to save the Dead Sea
03:10 - The political complexity of the Dead Sea swim
04:11 - Falling in love with the Dead Sea
05:51 - Meeting Glenn Mullin
06:52 - How to build trust
08:08 - The powerful energy of sacred places
11:03 - The impact of humans on the earth
11:37 - Glenn talks about the Dead Sea
13:02 - How to relate to sacred places
14:19 - A great healing sea 
14:55 - The Dalai Lama’s prophecy 
15:39 - Saving the Dead Sea
16:48 - A potential peace initiative  	
18:45 - A million signatures
19:29 - Water is a scared medium
20:24 - Dead Sea stories
22:08 - Biological attributes of the Dead Sea
23:05 - Dead Sea is vanishing 
23:38 - 4 main threats to the Dead Sea 
27:55 - Water treating
28:55 - Practical solutions to political problems
30:03 - Power places and pilgrimage 
32:03 - Magic of the Dead Sea
34:49 - Twin rivers and other initiatives
36:49 - Incentivising capitalism 
38:00 - Poems about the Dead Sea
39:34 - Glenn’s history with the Dead Sea
40:27 - Arts initiatives 
41:02 - More Dead Sea poetry
41:39 - 10000 years of Western mysticism 
42:14 - Glenn’s message to listeners
43:36 - Oded’s invitation to listeners
45:41 - Geomancy vs human mystical infusion in creating sacred places
49:01 - Why save the Dead Sea?
50:04 - A future-oriented perspective 
52:03 - How change happens
56:41 - Meditation caves next to the Dead Sea
57:34 - Meditation caves around the world
01:01:03 - Tibetan medicine and healing retreats
01:03:09 - Oded’s documentary
01:04:33 - Rheumatism and skin 

… 

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

Find out more about Oded Rahav & the Dead Sea Guardians:
- https://deadseaguardians.org/team/ 
…

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

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep317: Dead Sea Magic - Lama Glenn Mullin & Oded Rahav

In this episode I am joined by Victor Shiryaev a teacher of  Buddhist and modern meditation and somatic practices.

Victor recounts his childhood in the Soviet Union, early underground exposure to the New Age, and subsequent study of Avaita Vedānta and Ken Wilber’s Integral Theory.

Victor details his discipleship under American mindfulness teacher Shinzen Young, reflects on the tension between tradition and innovation, and shares stories of his own awakening experiences.

Victor also lays out his disagreements with Shinzen Young’s approach, critiques the Pragmatic Dharma’s use of maps and stages, and presents his own understanding of the spiritual experiences to be expected on the road to awakening and beyond.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep318-modern-mindfulness-victor-shiryaev

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

Topics include: 

00:00 - Intro
00:56 - Childhood in the Soviet Union
02:24 - Exposure to the New Age and psychotherapy
07:15 - Studying Chinese History at university
08:07 - Advaita Vedānta and Ken Wilber
09:18 - Unity experience 
10:21 - Altered states and psychic phenomena
13:14 - Personal crisis 
14:52 - Awakening in Myanmar 
17:19 - “I know what I have is working”
19:17 - Meeting Shinzen Young and adopting his model
24:50 - Observational statistics
27:29 - Studying with Shinzen
29:27 - Divorce and launching meditation teaching career
31:00 - Finding a path thru crisis
37:10 - Writing a letter to nature
42:48 - Finding purpose in spirituality
44:15 - Victor’s teaching approach and activities
48:58 - Why go deeper in practice?
51:17 - Creating a culture of openness
58:33 - Shinzen & Ken Wilber vs Victor
01:05:16 - Being a clear conduit 
01:19:32 - I am not a Buddhist teacher
01:12:40 - Experience vs faith
01:15:58 - Disagreements with Shinzen
01:17:43 - Disagreements with Theravāda 
01:19:32 - Shinzen’s modernism and scientism
01:25:19 - Steve’s understanding of Shinzen 
01:28:15 - Victor’s update on Shinzen’s scientism 
01:30:50 - Heretics and reformers
01:33:39 - Fundamentalism and the world-centred view
01:30:39 - A world-centred view is also fundamentalist
01:42:50 - Victor on the Pragmatic Dharma movement
01:46:55 - Hypocrisy of Pragmatic Dharma
01:49:29 - Traditional vs modern practitioners
01:58:13 - Critique of maps and stages 
02:06:18 - First stage: thoughts to presence
02:09:41 - Second stage: all experience is consciousness
02:12:09 - One taste
02:13:38 - Intimacy with all things
02:15:26 - The consciousness trap
02:18:18 - We shape our experience 
02:19:10 - The pregnant void 
02:22:32 - Victor’s view of the path


To find out more about Victor Shiryaev, visit:
- https://victorshiryaev.co/ 

…

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

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep318: Modern Mindfulness - Victor Shiryaev

In this episode I am joined by Ray Russell, founder of Tartarus Press and, as R.B. Russell, the author of the newly published T. Lobsang Rampa And Other Characters of Questionable Faith, the first definitive biography of T Lobsang Rampa. 

Ray shares the life story of Rampa, born Cyril Henry Hoskin in 1910, who claimed to have been possessed by the consciousness of a Tibetan Lama. Rampa’s books were best sellers in the mid 20th century and, though debunked by specialists at the time, are credited for bringing awareness to Tibetan Buddhism and serving as the initial inspiration for the careers of several notable Tibetologists. 

Ray reveals the truth of Rampa’s origins, his various assumed identities, his ascent to international fame, the consequences of his exposure by the press, and the surprising reasons for his ongoing popularity.  

Ray also reflects on the mystery of faith, the psychological payoffs from belief in hoaxes and conspiracy theories, and what motivates some authors to represent fiction as fact.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/p319-mystery-of-t-lobsang-rampa-rb-russell

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

Topics include: 


00:00 - Intro
01:10 - A look at the book
02:32 - Childhood exposure to world religions
04:31 - The New Age and the question of faith
07:04 - Denying scientific facts
08:04 - Mystical experiences 
09:22 - Alan Moore and belief in magick
10:16 - Meaning and comfort from myths and religions
10:56 - Crowley
11:22 - Incredulity and fascination
13:04 - Suspension of disbelief and religious conversion
14:27 - Nutrients of meaning and comfort
15:39 - Facing death 
17:26 - Does everyone have faith in something?
19:01 - Secular religion?
19:55 - Encountering T Lobsang Rampa
21:04 - Discovering Rampa’s fraud
22:19 - Third Eye (1956)
23:13 - Possessed by the consciousness of a Tibetan Lama
24:42 - Erich von Däniken’s clever approach
26:47 - Becoming first Dr KuanSuo and then T Lobsang Rampa
31:09 - Never coming out of character 
34:28 - Inspiration for converts and scholars of Tibet Buddhism
36:00 - The Dalai Lama’s thanks to Rampa
36:45 - Liar, delusional, or the Son of God?
38:06 - Reactions among the inner circle
40:38 - Transmigration revealed too late
42:22 - Independent vs institutionally validated miracles
44:44 - Rampa’s theosophical ideas
46:52 - Mistakes in the Third Eye
47:53 - Nostalgia for childhood
49:24 - Which miracles to believe?
50:11 - Tibetologists on Rampa 
52:34 - Carlos Castaneda 
54:04 - Raynor Winn’s “The Salt Path” controversy 
55:45 - Anger at Rampa
57:35 - Crop circles 
59:29 - Tartarus Press and Arthur Machen
01:01:30 - Why “Tartarus"
01:03:09 - The Great God Pan and other Machen writing

…

Buy Ray’s book here:
- http://tartaruspress.com/russell-rampa.html

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

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep319: Mystery of T Lobsang Rampa - R.B. Russell

In this interview I am once again joined by Dr Ben Joffe, anthropologist, occultist, and scholar practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. 

Dr Joffe leads a deep dive into the topic of divination, explores its underlying mechanisms and practical methods, and compares different cultural understandings of the practice.

Dr Joffe details his understanding of the tarot as a scholar and reader, shares his advice for those who wish to learn the system, and reveals how to use tarot for information gathering, sorcery, and magickal workings.

Dr Joffe also reflects on his own journey as a tarot reader, addresses criticisms that tarot and other psychic methods are exploitative, and considers the uneasy relationship between divination and licensed counselling.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep320-divination-tarot-dr-ben-joffe

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
02:12 - What is divination?
06:08 - Synchronicity and randomness
09:37 - Dependent origination
14:34 - Ben’s extensive study of divination 
22:13 - Mechanistic vs intuitive
29:17 - Scrying and establishing parameters
34:56 - Childhood divination
39:59 - What should divination mean for the client?
41:50 - Addiction to divination
43:50 - Cold reading and choosing a question
48:45 - Ben’s recounts his own history as a diviner 
01:20:43 - Structure of the tarot
01:27:16 - How to read tarot
01:48:38 - Tarot reading mistakes
01:53:46 - Tibetan butter lamp divination
01:57:11 - Collaboration vs cold reading
02:02:10 - Studying the history of tarot
02:06:58 - 6 reasons to engage with tarot
02:09:22 - Critique of modern, inclusive decks 
02:12:43 - Bad omens and gatekeeping
02:20:17 - Is tarot exploitative pseudo-counselling?
02:47:23 - Why not just become a counsellor?
02:54:19 - Is tarot over-psychologised?
02:55:25 - Ben reflects on his recurring clients
03:01:11 - The power of the right question	
03:07:39 - Shaman and tarot reader as therapy-adjacent
03:13:18 - Does clairvoyance actually have value?
03:16:16 - Caution about taking life advice from Buddhist lamas
03:21:44 - Wild West of Tiktok diviners
03:22:49 - Anti-divination laws
03:29:14 - Tibetan and Buddhist divination
 …

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

Ep320: Divination & Tarot - Dr Ben Joffe

In this episode I am once again joined by John Myrdhin Reynolds, also known as Lama Vajranatha: writer, teacher, translator, and scholar/practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. 

John shares his own decades of contact with the Bon religion, reveals its doctrines and practices, and gives a detailed history of its transmission in the West. 

John traces the automythos of Bon, compares it to historical evidence and Buddhist accounts, and addresses the common critique that Bon is merely plagiarised Buddhism.

John also addresses misconceptions about the history of religion in Tibet, explains how to successfully practice multiple religious lineages, and reveals various means of attaining siddhi power through ritual and meditation.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep321-tibetan-bon-lama-vajranatha

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

…

Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro
00:53 - Bon vs Buddhism
01:35 - First contact with Bon and subsequent involvement
06:17 - Namkhai Norbu’s nationalism and promotion of Bon
06:44 - 2 authentic Dzogchen lineages
07:45 - Bon Dzogchen
09:10 - Later transmission period and folk religion syncretism
12:03 - Old Bon vs New Bon 
13:06 - Bon’s automythos
14:11 - Snellgrove’s “9 Ways of Bon”
16:37 - Bonpo refugee community in India 
18:08 - Reprinting of Bonpo texts in exile
19:31 - Gene Smith’s text preservation work
22:25 - Election of Lungtok Tenpai Nyima as the 33rd Menri Trizin 
24:35 - Dalai Lama’s recognition of Bon as the fifth Tibetan school
26:39 - Bon scriptures
28:38 - Are gter ma authentic?
32:17 - Personal contact post-1959 and T Lobsang Rampa
33:27 - Academic work on Bon
34:44 - Geshe Tenzin Wangyal comes to the West
40:03 - Lopon’s interest in translations and USA activities
43:46 - New Age sponsorship of Bon
45:31 - Further USA activities 
48:02 - Search for a Bon HQ in Europe + gtum mo studies
51:20 - Guinness sponsor a Bonpo HQ in Europe, blocked by aristocrats over Sogyal scandal
56:11 - Tenzin Wangyal’s USA activities and influx of Bon teachers 
58:48 - Geshe Wangyal, Jeffrey Hopkins, and Robert Thurman
59:32 - Jeffrey Hopkin’s influence on Buddhist Studies
01:02:38 - Popularity of podcasts
01:04:11 - Samten Karmay
01:05:27 - Bon vs Buddhism & the question of plagiarism 
01:07:34 - Bonpo one-upmanship?
01:12:44 - How to practice different lineages simultaneously
01:18:50 - Namkhai Norbu’s independent status
01:21:16 - Supernatural powers of Bonpo lamas and other spiritual beings
01:24:53 - Chatral Rinpoche’s siddhi powers and the possibility of miracles
01:27:24 - How to attain siddhi powers
01:30:32 - Tibetan vs gter ma in the rest of the world
01:33:06 - Accidental gter ma
01:35:39 - Misconceptions about the history of religion in Tibet
01:37:32 - Animal sacrifice and gtor ma
01:41:40 - Lithuanian’s unusual religious heritage
01:45:44 - Spiritual relations in India and Tibet

…

Previous episodes with John Myrdhin Reynolds:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=vajranatha 

To find our more about John Myrdhin Reynolds visit:
- https://vajranatha.com/ 

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

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep321: Tibetan Bon - Lama Vajranatha

In this episode I am joined by Myriam Szabo, also known as Ngakma Yumma Mudra: dancer, producer, model, teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, and founder of the international Danza Duende Network.

Ngakma Yumma Mudra describes the path of the body, what it means to practice the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta through movement, and how to contact the blissful nature of mind with dance.

Ngakma Yumma Mudra reveals how she guides students to transform habitual tendencies into new expressions, how to read others, and why it is so easy to become stuck in the 6 realms.

Ngakma Yumma Mudra also discusses dance as art, how to infuse technique with goodness, and reflects on what it takes to be a true artist.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep322-dharma-of-dance-ngakma-yumma-mudra

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

…

Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro
00:54 - Path of the body
02:28 - Dancing without choreography
04:40 - Mindfulness of the body and the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta
07:25 - Empathy and reading others
13:11 - Art, technique, and the Path of the artist
16:15 - The Man Who Cried
20:53 - Structure and flow
22:27 - Working with students through dance
23:32 - Infuse technique with goodness 
24:08 - Transforming habitual tendencies 
26:06 - Bridging students’ technique into art 
30:56 - First thought, best thought
35:49 - Blissful nature of mind
37:22 - Expressing bodhicitta
40:55 - Opening a fan of possibilities
42:09 - Getting stuck in the 6 realms
49:32 - All true Buddhist masters are unique
51:17 - Cleansing technique
53:47 - Attracting mostly women
56:06 - Trajectory as a teacher
01:00:29 - Whirling
01:03:36 - Attracting students
01:06:53 - Sequel plans

…

To find our more about Ngakma Yumma Mudra visit:
- https://www.danzaduende.org/yumma-bio-en.htm

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

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep322: Dharma of Dance - Ngakma Yumma Mudra

In this episode I am joined by Alan Chapman, British writer, occultist, and spiritual teacher.

Alan recalls his troubled childhood in the impoverished North of England, reflects on the British class system, and shares his first encounter with Aleister Crowley.

Alan recounts his occult adventures with long time collaborator Duncan Barford, shares his spiritual biography of awakenings and mystical experiences, and considers the power and pitfalls of spiritual transmission.

Alan also compares gurus Papaji, and Andrew Cohen, and Adi Da; reveals why he considers Stephen Batchelor and Sam Harris to be Black Brothers; and discusses the role of the Dark Goddess on the path of awakening.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep323-british-occultist-alan-chapman

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

…

Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro
00:55 - Duncan Barford and Alex W
03:07 - Impoverished upbringing in the North of England
05:05 - Early reaction to Christ
05:56 - First encounter with Aleister Crowley 
11:17 - Chaos magic and meeting Duncan Barford
12:00 - What kind of boy was Alan?
14:28 - Class consciousness 
15:44 - Sensitive boy in a cruel environment
19:20 - Regret about violence
20:58 - One’s own nature
22:25 - Alan questions Steve’s questions
22:45 - British class system
27:21 - Liminal identity
29:50 - Working vs middle vs upper class
31:18 - Anti-aspiration
33:18 - Growing out of musical aspirations 
37:36 - Shedding Feathers and fulfilment on the path
41:41 - Crowley book and facing challenges
47:37 - Path myth in The Book of the Law
54:56 - True path vs the New Age
58:08 - Following the Silent Knowing
01:05:10 - Facing darkness
01:10:36 - Black Brothers like Stephen Batchelor and Sam Harris
01:19:48 - Stephen Batchelor’s crisis of faith
01:22:49 - Warning about spiritual teachers
01:23:48 - Stereotypes of culture and awakening
01:27:54 - Papaji and the nondual car crash
01:31:33 - Adi Da and guru yoga
01:35:45 - Papaji vs Adi Da
01:41:24 - Invoking the Holy Guardian Angel
01:47:30 - Andrew Cohen
01:52:16 - Great White Brotherhood
01:54:34 - Enlightened in India
01:57:26 - Ancestors appear
01:59:11 - Practicing with Adi Da
02:01:01 - Transmission traps
02:05:02 - Confronted by Adi Da disciple
02:06:51 - Solid, vital, peculiar
02:09:12 - Cutting truth and Adyashanti 
02:10:43 - Reflections on Adi Da’s trajectory
02:11:52 - Further awakening at 33 
02:19:52 - Receiving the Magia teaching
02:33:58 - The Dark Goddess
02:36:15 - Accommodating yourself to the Damned
02:37:25 - Finding Sophia 
02:40:28 - Crowley and Jung
02:42:14 - Myth of Sophia
02:47:42 - Sequel plans
02:48:58 - Alan’s perspective on near death experiences 
03:00:31 - Purpose of life and awakening

…

To find our more about Alan Chapman visit:
- https://barbarouswords.com/ 

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

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep323: British Occultist - Alan Chapman

In this episode I am once again joined by Alex W, long term practitioner of Zen, Pragmatic Dharma, and Western Occultism.

Alex explains how to meditate after awakening; details the path to success in Zen, Mahāmudrā, and Dzogchen; and compares Taoist Inner Alchemy to cultivating the enjoyment body, Saṃbhogakāya.

Alex reflects on the biases of the Buddhist tradition, summarises the phases of his own meditation development, and differentiates constructive and deconstructive modes of practice.

Alex also reveals the purpose of the 6 Yogas of Naropa, warns about the dangers of advanced meditation techniques, and considers whether greater political engagement is a result of spiritual maturity.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep324-how-to-practice-after-awakening-alex-w-2

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

…

Topics include: 


00:00 - Intro
00:53 - Repercussions of first interview
03:20 - Changing practice priorities 
04:26 - Concern for younger generations 
07:04 - Constructive vs deconstructive practice
08:18 - Biases of the Buddhist tradition
13:47 - Crystallising the energy body
14:46 - Success in Zen, Mahāmudrā, and Dzogchen practices
17:02 - Why talk about spiritual experiences 
19:09 - Beyond nondual realisation 
23:04 - Post-awakening stages
26:41 - Rewiring the energy body
31:03 - Out of body experiences and the body of light
35:41 - Summoning spirits
37:36 - Building the Saṃbhogakāya
38:40 - Improving the self 
40:51 - Summarising the phases of Alex’s practice
41:42 - Cultural resonances and adopting foreign traditions 
45:36 - Inner alchemy 
49:01 - The big danger of energy practices
52:11 - Power of Now
55:21 - Consciousness and energy 
01:00:46 - Preparing for the afterlife
01:04:45 - The purpose of the 6 Yogas of Naropa
01:06:24 - The purpose of deity yoga 
01:08:25 - Taoist inner alchemy
01:10:21 - Rainbow body and Dzogchen attainments
01:13:53 - What is the point of post-awakening practices?
01:30:42 - Spirituality vs self improvement 
01:36:11 - Dangers of intense practices
01:40:43 - Wrong ideas about freedom from suffering
01:43:24 - Enlightened self interest
01:45:45 - Clarifying the term “ego”
01:51:17 - Cult leader manipulations
01:53:25 - Change of interest from spirituality to politics 
01:54:57 - Political concern related to age or spiritual development?
01:56:29 - Perks of aging
01:58:42 - Finding your purpose
02:01:27 - Service as a spiritual path
02:02:27 - Who Alex admires 
02:09:56 - Sequel plans

…

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

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep324: How To Practice After Awakening - Alex W 2

In this episode, I am once again joined by Lopon Yudron Wangmo, American teacher of Tibetan Buddhism and author of several books including, her most recent, “Clearing the Way to Awakening”.

Lopon Yudron Wangmo shares stories of her discipleships under various spiritual gurus such as Lama Tharchin, recalls her memories of the California Vajrayāna scene, and remarks on the qualities she has observed in realised masters. 

Lopon Yudron Wangmo reflects on her ADHD struggles with concentration in meditation, offers a critique of śamatha practice, and shares her own relationship to the dialectic between effort and rest.

Lopon Yudron Wangmo explains how Dzogchen works, shares her experiences in extended solo retreat, and warns about the possibility of psychological regression during Tibetan Buddhist 3-year retreat.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep325-my-spiritual-journey-lopon-yudron-wangmo-3

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro 
00:58 - New audiobook of “Clearing the Way to Awakening”
06:34 - Text and oral cultures in Tibet
09:44 - Ngondro workbook 
11:58 - Discipleship under various Tibetan Lamas
15:09 - Attraction to Vajrayāna 
15:20 - Memories of Lama Tharchin 
22:53 - 3 year retreat 
25:28 - Solo retreats
26:09 - Longchen Nyingthig practice 
27:00 - Desire for practice and further retreats 
29:15 - Evidence of attainment
32:51 - The nature of mind and the 6 bardos
34:29 - Lama Tharchin’s spaciousness
36:26 - Dzogchen vs Mindfulness
39:28 - Critique of śamatha meditation
41:43 - Effortful practice vs Dzogchen
45:01 - Rewards of a life of practice
46:18 - Uncontrived resting
48:05 - How Dzogchen works
54:21 - Practicing in old age
56:05 - Production-line teaching style
58:21 - Regression to childlike state in 3 year retreat
59:00 - Peak experiences and being good enough
01:00:22 - The California Vajrayāna scene
01:03:52 - Encouragement to practice Vajrayāna

…

Previous episode with Lopon Yudron Wangmo:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=yudron 

To find our more about Lopon Yudron Wangmo, visit:
- https://www.yudronwangmo.com/ 


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

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep325: My Spiritual Journey - Lopon Yudron Wangmo 3

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’.

In this episode we had planned to discuss Leigh’s latest book, entitled “On The Way To The Far Shore”. Instead Leigh spontaneously began to explore the theme of Buddhism and politics and so we decided to go deeper into his ideas. 

Leigh shares his take on the world situation and reveals the impact of his childhood upbringing and college education on the development of his own political views. 

Leigh discusses whether or not Buddhist spiritual development necessarily leads to left wing politics, reflects on the role of compassion and interdependence in the left-right divide, and considers whether or not past Buddhist masters who held different political views to his own lacked enlightenment. 

Leigh also warns about the dangers of clinging to fixed views, gives advice for how meditators should relate to politics, and explains why he believes political engagement is a natural result of the spiritual path.

This episode is a spontaneous exploration of Leigh’s ideas about Buddhism and politics in the spirit of open discourse and is not intended to represent my own views or the stance of this podcast.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep326-enlightened-politics-leigh-brasington

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

…

Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro 
01:18 - Complexity and inequality
02:52 - Global warming
03:28 - Visiting mission fields in Mexico
05:13 - Overpopulation
06:02 - What motivates Leigh’s political engagement?
08:24 - Practice and politics 
11:03 - Should Buddhists be politically engaged?
16:49 - Dependent origination leads to politics 
22:21 - Diverse politics of past Buddhist masters
24:31 - Evolution of Leigh’s political views
28:40 - How Leigh relates to those who hold different political views
32:19 - Why did past Buddhist masters hold different views to Leigh’s?
35:21 - Spiritual insight leads to left wing positions
40:54 - How does Leigh explain past Buddhist masters who have held conservative views?
47:58 - Does it give Leigh pause to claim his political views are the most enlightened?
54:11 - Leigh comments on the awakening of past masters who held different political views to his own
56:34 - Leigh refines his position
57:44 - What if Leigh is wrong?
59:16 - Advice for how to relate to politics as a spiritual practitioner 
01:02:27 - New sutta index 
01:06:09 - Why discuss controversial topics?
01:08:43 - Concluding remarks

…

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

Ep326: Enlightened Politics - Leigh Brasington

In this episode I am joined by Dr Francisco José Luis, scholar of Indo-Iranian Studies and Comparative Religion trained at the Sorbonne, Paris and SOAS, London.

Francisco recalls his upbringing and education in Luxembourg; details his rigorous academic training in classical languages such as Latin, Greek, and Sanskrit; and laments what he sees as the rise of idealogical indoctrination in modern education

Francisco discusses his PhD in pre-reformist Sikhism, his years of field work living in the Punjab, and expresses his love of the German intellectual tradition.

Francisco reveals the influence of Neoplatonism in Islamic theology and mysticism, describes his own turn to Shiʿi Islam, and explains why he believes that even today there is a living lineage of Neoplatonism that stretches directly back to Plotinus. 

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep327-neoplatonic-mystic-dr-francisco-jos-luis

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
01:01 - Upbringing in Luxembourg 
02:56 - Classical education
04:28 - Learning Latin, Greek, and Sanskrit
08:03 - Germanic intellectual tradition and WW2
12:37 - Advantages of an anti-American education
15:06 - Critical thinking and intellectual independence
17:04 - Boomer educators and idealogical indoctrination
20:59 - German literature
22:56 - Post WW2 culture shock and the boomer revolution
27:20 - Vatican II and loss of trust 
30:35 - Filling education gaps
32:06 - A deeply pagan Catholic
35:21 - Meditation practice and interest in Neo-Vedanta
37:52 - Studying two masters degrees simultaneously at the Sorbonne
39:57 - Rigorous training in Sanskrit
43:56 - MA theses in French literature and pre-reform Sikhism
45:20 - PhD at SOAS in pre-reformist Sikh monastic orders 
46:48 - Living among the Sikh community and learning Punjabi
49:54 - Young Sikh’s interest in pre-reformist religion
50:54 - Death threats from Sikhs
53:00 - Changes in Sikhism 
55:20 - Tradition religious music of Sikhism and other pre-reformist features
01:00:18 - Neo-traditionalist Sikh movements in the UK and India
01:03:59 - Falling in love with Shiʿi Islam
01:10:16 - Conversion to Islam?
01:11:45 - Shi’ism as a personal practice 
01:13:23 - Cultural barriers against European converts
01:16:12 - Neo-Platonic Vajrayanism 
01:17:43 - Mysticism perceived as a threat 
01:21:48 - Neoplatonic influence on Islam
01:27:28 - Surprising Neo-Platonic features of Islamic mysticism
01:33:30 - Metempsychosis in Islam 
01:37:16 - Francisco is a Neoplatonist
01:43:08 - Vajrayana and Shiʿi inner alchemy and dream yoga
01:50:43 - Islamic tummo

…

To find our more about Dr Francisco José Luis, visit:
- https://www.instagram.com/hludvig_tradicionalista 


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

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep327: Neoplatonic Mystic - Dr Francisco José Luis

In this interview I am once again joined by Dr Nida Chenagtsang, Buddhist teacher, doctor of Tibetan Medicine, and author of "Foundations of Vajrayana”.

Dr Nida discusses the foundations of tantric practice, shares the power of its intensive ngondro practices, and reveals how to face one’s emotions with Vajrayana methods.

Dr Nida also explains the nyingthig genre of heart drop teachings, differentiates true freedom from spiritual bypass, and shares an anecdote of a student who experienced a temporary awakening.

Dr Nida also probes me about the Buddhist doctrines of suffering and taking refuge, explains the difference between good and bad attachment, and reveals why Buddha Shakyamuni does not require respect.

…

Video version: 

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

…

Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro
00:55 - New books
02:40 - About the ngondro book
03:49 - Dr Nida’s history of ngondro practice
05:18 - Yuthok’s Nyingthig  
08:29 - The nyingthig genre of Tibetan spiritual texts
15:59 - 5th Dalai Lama’s mastery of Yuthok Nyingthig
17:52 - Tibetan medical and astrological training
20:09 - Jamgon Kongtrul’s Yuthok Nyingthig commentary
21:27 - Dr Nida’s experiences as a teacher 
23:47 - The importance of asking questions
27:25 - When Buddhism makes people more stressed
29:43 - Extreme freedom and spiritual bypass
30:50 - 2 types of realisation
33:38 - Importance of ngondro
38:53 - Prostrations are a perfect yoga
42:04 - The teacher must connect with students
46:40 - Good attachment vs bad attachment
48:53 - 4 Noble Truths 
49:35 - Making the ngondro personal to you
51:06 - Practice must begin where you are 
53:54 - Making practice truly personal 
58:45 - Buddhist gospel
59:53 - Spiritual bypass in Buddhism
01:00:22 - Anecdote about a temporary awakening
01:02:24 - Dr Nida probes Steve about taking refuge
01:06:09 - A new language of refuge
01:06:55 - Guru traumas
01:09:00 - You are a Buddha
01:10:42 - Final teaching of Dzogchen
01:12:09 - Buddha Shakymuni did not require respect
01:14:16 - Soothing emotional suffering
01:16:33 - Many methods of Vajrayana
01:17:25 - Facing your emotions

…

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:
    - https://www.guruviking.com 

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep328: Foundations of Vajrayana - Dr Nida Chenagtsang

In this episode I am once again joined by Alan Chapman, British writer, occultist, and spiritual teacher.

Alan reflects on his search for true awakening, compares the spiritual traditions of the West and the East, and questions the liberal ideal of the universal man.

Alan presents Merlin as the archetype of the Western adept, asserts theosis to be the true purpose of Christianity, and reveals the language of the birds.

Alan also offers advice for those who have had an awakening, discusses Gnosticism and Pragmatic Dharma, and critiques the idea that contemplative neuroscience is the Fourth Turning of Buddhism.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep329-the-western-path-alan-chapman-2

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

…

Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro
00:46 - Is Alan a book guy?
03:30 - Alan’s books
07:07 - Current writing project
10:02 - Insights on Crowley
11:17 - What Alan enjoys reading
13:53 - Eastern vs Western traditions
19:25 - In search of true awakening
21:05 - Cultural and ethnic inheritance 
21:57 - Western Buddhism and Sigalow’s “American JewBu”
27:04- The Christian revival and theosis
29:02 - Trauma for your own good
31:05 - Becoming a fit vessel
32:48 - The true Western tradition
36:50 - Western vs Eastern awakening
37:37 - Merlin 
41:23 - Language of the birds
44:33 - Entering the miraculous
45:56 - How Alan first encountered the language of the birds
54:01 - Transmission and birds as messengers
56:23 - Spirituality beyond states and stages
59:32 - The Liberal ideal of the universal human being
01:02:04 - The end of the WW2 cultural drama
01:03:03 - Perennialism, Traditionalism, and Magia
01:06:28 - Spiritual cultural exchange
01:09:07 - Denying difference
01:10:22 - Gnosticism, alchemy, and Merlin
01:14:09 - Beat Zen, Square Zen
01:15:46 - Misunderstanding foreign traditions
01:19:19 - Traditions fit their own cultures
01:20:29 - Scholasticism 
01:23:00 - Pragmatic Dharma
01:24:37 - A need to belong
01:26:08 - Morality and nondual realisation
01:27:07 - The real longing
01:29:51 - Follow the Silent Knowing
01:30:51 - Traditionalism and cultural chauvinism
01:32:28 - Problems with following foreign traditions 
01:37:44 - Fetishisation
01:40:35 - Post-awakening advice
01:41:48 - Basic Goodness and Chogyam Trungpa
01:42:58 - Syncretism vs divine inspiration
01:49:35 - Origins of Christianity
01:51:01 - History of ideas vs esoteric transmission
01:57:15 - 4th turning delusion 
01:59:24 - Critique of contemplative neuroscience  
02:02:13 - The winter of a civilisation

…

Previous episodes with Alan Chapman: 
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=chapman 

To find our more about Alan Chapman visit:
- https://barbarouswords.com/ 

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

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep329: The Western Path - Alan Chapman 2

This trialogue continues a series of discussions exploring the latest interdisciplinary research into tantric completion stage practices such as yogas of dream, sleep, and death.

Dr Tawni Tidwell is a biocultural anthropologist and doctor of traditional Tibetan medicine. 

Dr Michael Sheehy is the Director of Research at the Contemplative Sciences Center in the Department of Religious Studies in the University of Virginia.

Dr Julian Schott is an Indologist, Tibetologist, and assistant professor at the University of Vienna. 

In this episode, the panel explore the ethical and methodological challenges of the studying Buddhist tantra; consider the various agendas behind scientific research into meditation, gtummo, and dream yoga; and argue for the centring of human liberation alongside human wellness and profit motives. 

Dr Sheehy presents his working model for achieving contemplative fluency across a range of meditation styles, suggests that scientific study of meditation can be seen as a type of cultural translation, and considers the use of etic frameworks and methods to study religious and cultural forms.

Dr Tidwell argues for the validity of subjective experience, Dr Schott points out the tensions within religious traditions, and the panel consider if neuroscience might one day teach Buddhism something new about itself. 

…

Link in bio.

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
02:11 - Why study tantra with science?
04:01 - Complexity of tantra 
05:10 - Skills and transformations
05:50 - Michael’s meditation model of “instances and styles“
08:48 - Multi-modular styles and ngondro 
11:17 - Contemplative fluency
13:58 - gTummo and overriding the autonomic nervous system
16:21 - 2 reasons why Vajrayāna is said to be the fast path
17:55 - Why is tantra so complex?
19:37 - Pushing to one’s limits is key to tantra
22:29 - 3 classic contemplative approaches in Buddhism
25:27 - Radical transformation and social transgression
27:56 - A tension within the tradition
29:03 - Changing practice along the path
31:04 - Sādhanā is not linear
34:25 - Critical challenges when studying tantra
35:41 - The importance of neurophenomenology 
39:44 - Scientific vs traditional explanatory frameworks
43:28 - Relative and the absolute
46:08 - Transmitted blessings
48:07 - Trust in the traditions
50:33 - Moving beyond the traditions with science
52:38 - A second order, cultural translation
54:58 - Paradox of the paradigm
56:26 - Defending the etic perspective 
58:06 - Multi-disciplinary teams
59:37 - The fundamental academic principle
01:01:58 - Pros and cons of the etic and emic
01:03:16- Will science improve the Buddhist tradition?
01:04:56 - Neuroplasticity and aging 
01:06:50 - Reshaping Buddhism is imperative
01:09:26  - A cultural-religious looping effect 
01:13:13 - Dream yoga training with VR
01:18:50 - Secular extraction approaches and making the traditions better
01:21:25 -MBSR and Healthy Minds
01:22:57 - Subjective experience is valid 
1:25:16 - Human freedom beyond the social and political
01:31:59 - Admitting the religious aspect
01:34:07 - Prioritising human freedom
01:35:48 - A reflexive process
01:37:09 - Is scientific study for the good?
01:38:30 - Future episode plans

Previous panel discussions:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=sheehy 

Previous episodes with Dr Julian Schott:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=schott 

To find our more about the panel, visit:
- https://michaelrsheehy.com/
- https://centerhealthyminds.org/about/people/tawni-tidwell
- https://stb.univie.ac.at/en/about-us/team/julian-schott/user/schottj85/inum/1083/backpid/198178/ 


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

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep330: Questioning the Scientific Study of Tantra  - Dr Tawni Tidwell, Dr Michael Sheehy, & Dr Julian Schott

In this episode I am joined by Alana Fairchild, spiritual teacher, psychic, and author of the best-selling Kuan Ying Oracle Deck.

Alana recalls her unusual childhood of Catholicism and folk spirituality, details her training as a psychic, and recounts her significant spiritual experiences.

Alana shares her journey of academic excellence through law school, explains her career-change to become a working psychic, and reveals how she created the bestselling Kuan Yin Oracle Deck.

Alana also reflects on the relationship between eros and spirituality, expresses her views on past lives, and describes her mysterious sense of connection to the Kālī Mā and the Indian tantric tradition.

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https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep331-becoming-the-oracle-alana-fairchild

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

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Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro
01:38 - Alana’s unusual childhood
03:22 - Early spiritual inclination
05:44 - Folk spirituality and an esteemed Catholic family
08:59 - Alana’s father
10:06 - Pros and cons of ancestor work 
13:34 - 2 dimensions of freedom
16:52 - Alana’s beliefs about past lives 
20:12 - Comparative religion and expanding the experience of God
23:24 - Eros and spirituality
34:45 - Sacred sexuality mistakes
28:36 - Imminence vs transcendence 
30:35 - Changing relationship with Buddhism
33:47 - Spiritual experience while getting a tattoo
36:11 - Overcoming lifelong existential terror
40:17 - Sense of connection to Tibet 
41:39 - Heart connection with Kuan Yin / Avalokiteśvara
44:45 - Connection to Kālī Mā at 6 years old
45:53 - Creating the bestselling Kuan Yin Oracle Deck 
48:18 - Developing a Buddhist tarot deck
49:35 - Training as a lawyer
53:02 - Meeting a mentor and becoming a psychic
55:50 - Psychic training
59:58 - Changing modalities of Alana’s psychic work
01:02:35 - Attending Catholic mass as a clairvoyant 
01:04:19 - How Alana receives psychic impressions 
01:06:24 - Sequel 

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To find our more about Alana Fairchildvisit:
- https://www.alanafairchild.com/

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

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep331: Becoming the Oracle - Alana Fairchild

In this episode I join Charles Manson in Oxford, England to visit the Bodleian Library (Oxford University) where he is the specialist librarian for its Tibetan Collections. 

Charles leads us through the streets of Oxford to visit the old Bodleian Library, founded in 1602. Then we arrive at the Weston Library to explore its collection of Tibetan manuscripts.

Charles guides us through gold lettered texts about Lamdre and expiation, describes the process of textual revelation known as “terma”, and shares a warning based on his own experiences of dark retreat.

Charles explains the Tibetan doctrines of the afterlife while showing a rare copy of the Tibetan Book of the Dead, muses on Coleridge’s advice for visiting a library, and reflects on why he believes converts to Tibetan Buddhism should attempt to learn the Tibetan language.

Charles also details his working routine as a librarian and archivist, reflects on his own academic journey from SOAS to Harvard and Oxford, and considers the role his religious faith plays in his work with Tibetan texts.

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Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep332-oxford-librarian-of-tibet-charles-manson

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

00:00 - Intro
01:16 - The old Bodleian
03:25 - Entering the Weston Library
06:13 - Retrieving the texts
06:48 - The Driver collection
08:29 - Close look at a Lamdre text
12:33 - Features of a terma treasure text
13:14 - Mind vs earth termas 
15:15 - How termas are composed
15:51 - Charles’ terma experience
16:54 - 4 ways of changing the mind
17:30 - Expanding a terma
18:02 - The Driver collection
19:00 - Dakini script and images
20:52 - Manuscript care 
21:20 - Unwrapping a text, discovering a washing prayer
22:30 - More texts
24:50 - The Tibetan Book of the Dead 
26:03 - Bardo doctrine of 49 days between lives
26:24 - Opportunities for liberation at and after death
27:43 - How to use the Tibetan Book of the Dead 
28:39 - The process of rebirth
29:48 - Liberation upon hearing
30:18 - Phowa practice for the dead
33:16 - Dark retreat as preparation for death
34:11 - Dark retreat warnings
35:40 - Charles’ studies at SOAS, Harvard, and Oxford
38:45 - Beginning at the Bodleian Library
39:58 - Coleridge on libraries
41:15 - Work at the British Library
41:46 - Why Charles would like more time
43:06 - First days at the Bodleian Library
44:36 - Initial work on the collection
45:27 - The Library of Congress and other partnerships
50:59 - Range of acquisitions 
52:46 - Tibetan medical writing
53:41 - Access and the goals of Charles’ library acquisitions 
57:14 - What would Charles do with more funding
01:01:41 - Providing online access for the world
01:03:32 - Day in the life at the Bodleian Library
01:06:33 - Importance of specialist knowledge
01:09:19 - Charles’ religious devotion 
01:13:45 - Separation of religion and scholarship
01:14:53 - Why converts should learn the Tibetan language
01:16:43 - Scholar practitioners and the importance of study
01:18:17 - Teaching the Tibetan language
01:19:02 - Curation as religious service
01:19:17 - Charles’ invitation to viewers 

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Previous episode with Charles Manson:
- https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep243-scholar-practitioner-charles-manson 

To find our more about Charles Manson, visit:
- https://www.shambhala.com/authors/the-second-karmapa-karma-pakshi.html
- https://uk.linkedin.com/in/charles-manson-07420911 
- charles.manson@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

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

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Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep332: Oxford Librarian of Tibet - Charles Manson

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.

Guru Viking Interview Series

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