Personal Life Media

Shinzen Young, professional meditation instructor and geek-extraordinaire, continues his discussion with us on the unique approach he has taken to combining the best of the scientific approach with the best of the contemplative modalities of the East.  The result of this combination appears to be a delivery system for enlightenment that uses an interactive and algorithmic approach to guiding a student in their practice.  In short, instead of appointing a human dharma successor, he is trying to build one.

Listen in to find out more about this artificial intelligence system, which he refers to as "virtual Shinzen," and how it might revolutionize the way that dharma teaching is done!

This is part 2 of a 3-part series.  Listen to part 1, Shinzen Young: The Hybrid Teacher & part 3 (airing next week).

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Shinzen Young, professional meditation instructor and geek-extraordinaire, joins us today to share his unique journey as a contemplative.  From discontinuing his PhD studies to become a full-time shingon practitioner to taking up Japanese Zen and finally discovering the mindfulness practices originating from Theravada Buddhism, Shinzen has gone deep with several contemplative techniques. 

In addition to his training in the contemplative traditions of the East, Shinzen took time to train himself to become a relatively qualified mathematician and scientist so that he could one day be poised to bring together the best of the East (contemplative practice) with the best of the West (the scientific method).  The hybrid of which, he thinks will yield a comletely unique fusion.  Listen in to hear more from this incredibly gifted and incredibly geeky meditation teacher.

This is part 1 of a 3-part series.  Listen to part 2 (airing next week).

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Jun Po Roshi, an American Zen Master in the Rinzai Zen tradition, joins us again this week to discuss the limitations of Japanese Zen as it enters contemporary American culture.  He also shares the way that his Hallow Bones Zen community has re-organized the core teachings of the Buddha in their five training elements:

1. Sacred stewardship

2. Philosophical re-indoctrination

3. Emotional maturity & integrity

4. Conscious embodiment

5. Genuine insight

These five training elements are a re-working and re-presentation of the original 8-fold path, but one that was designed specifically for our time and place. 

This is part 2 of a two-part series.  Listen to part 1, Psychotropics and NeuroLinguistic Zen.

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Jun Po Roshi, an American Zen Master in the Rinzai Zen tradition, joins us to discuss his fascinating history with psychotropic drugs, including a form of LSD, called Clear Light, that he helped to create and distribute a long time ago.

We also speak with him about his new form of Koan practice that uses NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP) techniques to help anchor spiritual realization in one's linguistic structures. 

This is part 1 of a two-part series.  Listen to part 2, Hollow Bones Zen.

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Ken Wilber coined the terms "ascending" and "descending" to describe two possible orientations to spiritual practice.  The ascending path has to do with transcending the world, leaving samsara behind, and fusing with the infinite.  The descending path has to do with finding spirit in the world--in the midst of everyday life.  Both approaches are important, and both have been clearly highlighted in Stuart Davis's journey as a Zen practitioner. 

Listen in to hear Davis's radical flip-flop between these two approaches.  Where Davis once found himself sitting up in his "Zen tree fort in the sky" he now finds that "the mystery" is most intimately connected with being a father & husband.  Lastly, Davis shares with us a very strange and powerful connection he has with crows (yes, the animals), who apparently are an important symbol in the Zen tradition. 

This is part 2 of a two-part series.  Listen to part 1, Stuart Davis: Bodhisattva Rocker.

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This week we're joined by prolific musician, artist, writer, & comic Stuart Davis.  Davis, a long-time Zen practitioner, shares with us his background as a creative and the resulting unique understanding that he has of the Bodhisattva's path. 

Specifically, we discuss his current creative projects, including a language called IS that he is in the process of developing & and a spiritual talk-show that he's hosting entitled Sex, God & Rock 'n Roll.  We also cover the topic of re-incarnation, and the spiritual tutelage he has received from his wife Marci. We hope you enjoy this interview with one of the most creative, absurd, and hilarious Zen-artists we know! 

This is part 1 of a two-part series.  Listen to part 2, The Zen Tree Fort in the Sky.

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We are joined this week by Jenny Phillips, Director and Producer of the newly released documentary, The Dhamma Brothers.  The Dhamma Brothers gives an in-depth look at how a trial program of vipassana meditation courses radically transforms the lives of inmates in a the maximum-security prison facility in Alabama. 

In our interview with Jenny we explore the story behind the film, her intentions for creating it, and the potential ramifications of introducing these powerful meditation practices into an environment where genuine positive transformation is almost unheard of.  Put another way we discuss what happens when "East meets West, in the Deep South." 

To find out more about the movie and to watch the trailor please visit: www.dhammabrothers.com.

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The Geeks of the Round Table are back, continuing our discussion of Judy Lief's article Glimpses of Awakening.  We speculate on the language and culture surrounding enlightenment both here in the West and in various countries in the East--including Japan, Burma, and Thailand.  We also speculate on how likely it is that people can have initial breakthroughs in their practice (the first glimpses of enlightenment) and how useful it would be to have an empirical, longitudinal study that tracked these kind of breakthroughs.  And if you make it all the way to the end of this dialogue you'll hear something that has a %99 chance of getting you enlightened, right there on the spot.  :::wink, wink:::

This is part 2 of a two-part series.  Listen to part 1, The Buzz Lightyear Model of Enlightenment: To Infinity and Beyond.

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In this episode we bring back the Geeks of the Round Table segment.  Joining us is one of our regulars Duff McDuffee, and a new geek to the lineup, Mike LaTorra.  Mike is the resident teacher of the Soto Zen Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico. 

During this conversation we discuss an article written by Shambhala Acharaya Judy Lief entitled, Glimpses of Awakening.  We discuss the ideals surrounding awakening, and use the classic three trainings model (of ethics, concentration, & wisdom) to explore what enlightenment is about.   

This is part 1 of a two-part series.  Listen to part 2 (airing next week).

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Philosopher and long-time Buddhist practitioner, Ken Wilber, continues his discussion of the meditative terrain and of his spiritual philosophy in general.  He finishes off his discussion of the meditative maps with an exploration of what it actual takes--both in terms of time and effort--to master these various stages of consciousness. 

He also explains the difference between what he is now calling "horizontal enlightenment" (which is basically everything we've explored up to this point) and "vertical enlightenment" which encompasses other areas of human development that can't been developed while on the cushion.  According to him the traditional notion of Buddhist enlightenment isn't he be-all-end-all of human development.   

Finally, if you're interested in learning more about Ken's most recent work, and how it's being applied in the world visit the newly launched site, www.IntegralLife.com 

This is part 2 of a two-part series.  Listen to part 1, The Meditative Maps: Happy Mornings and Dark Nights.

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Philosopher and long-time Buddhist practitioner, Ken Wilber, shares with us a 10,000 foot view of the terrain of meditative experience. He describes several of the most common Buddhist maps and their progression, including the one presented in the Visuddhimagga (one of the most prevalent in the Theravada tradition), the 10 ox herding pictures in the Zen tradition, and the Anuttara Tantra from the Tibetan tradition.

He also gives an overview of the very difficult stages of practice called the Dark Nights. These are periods where after being plunged into a whole new experience of reality we have it stripped from us and feel like we have lost what was once discovered. Another meaning of the dark night has to do with dis-identifying with previous levels of consciousness, and the difficult journey of releasing our grasping and addiction to these lower levels.

This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, Horizontal and Vertical Enlightenment.

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Dr. Jeffrey Hopkins, one of the most important figure in the development of Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the United States, joins us to discuss the importance of academic studies. We explore what Buddhist studies are like in the West, the relationship between being a scholar and practitioner, and the broader role that Buddhist academia plays in Western Buddhism.

This is part 2 of a two-part series Listen to part 1, The Practice Adventures of Dr. Jeffrey Hopkins. more.

Today we speak with Dr. Jeffrey Hopkins, Professor Emeritus of Tibetan & Buddhist Studies at University of Virgina. Dr. Hopkins is a prolific translator--with 40 books translated in his career--and a committed meditation practitioner.

In this episode we ask him to share some of the details of his early practice. He shares with us his experience doing sky meditations and dark retreats, all of which he did before being exposed to Tibetan Buddhism. He also shares some of the details of his meeting the Dalai Lama and working with him on translating some of his books to English, as well as being his translator.

This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, Buddhist Studies in the West.

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Join us as we finish up our dialogue with Venerable Robina Courtin, the highly energetic Tibetan Nun, who some refer to as a "Dharma CEO". In this episode she continues to share the specific logistics behind her approach to balancing wisdom and compassion in today's world.

This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to part 1, Venerable Robina Courtin: Bodhisattva CEO. more.

Join us this week as we converse with one of the most energetic and high-powered Nuns that we know, Venerable Robina Courtin. A long-time Nun in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Robina shares with us the importance of approaching work in the world, from the "Bodhisattva perspective" while also maintaining a firm grounding in emptiness.

Listen in to find out more about the work that Robina does, and more importantly, how she approaches her work.

This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, The Logistics of Being a Bodhisattva. more.

We're joined again by CEO and Founder of Twine.com, and long-time Dzogchen practitioner, Nova Spivack. In this episode we discuss the short-comings of the Western traditions understanding and pursuit of consciousness, especially with regards to finding an ultimate particle in physics. We also explore the strengths and limitations of technology to aid in the process of awakening.

This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to part 1, Does the Web have Buddha Nature? more.

This week we are joined by CEO and Founder of Twine.com and long-time Dzogchen practitioner Nova Spivack. Nova has been a student of many of the world's most well-known Rinpoches while simultaneously being one of the first pioneering entrepreneurs on the web.

In this episode Nova shares with us his background as a Buddhist practitioner and launches into a discussion on the intersection between Buddhist practice, artificial intelligence, cognitive science, and the future of the world wide web. He shares a unique perspective on the evolution of the web and tackles the question of whether or not the web will ever become sentient.

This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen part 2, Technology Makes our Delusion More Functional. more.

Join us this week as we speak with Dr. Peter Grossenbacher, director of the Consciousness Laboratory at Naropa University, about the difference between Eastern and Western modes of inquiry, sensory awareness practice, and of the importance of contemplative education.

Peter ties together the Eastern and Western schools of thought by pointing out that they are both loosely interested in the empirical, or what is observable. He also explains the sensory awareness practice that he guides students through, and in our first guided practice here on Buddhist Geeks, leads us through a few minutes of sensory awareness practice. We finish our discussion with Peter touching briefly on the role of "contemplative education," or in an education that is attempting to bring together conceptual and non-conceptual modes of learning.

This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to Part 1, The Consciousness Laboratory. more.

Join us this week as we speak with Dr. Peter Grossenbacher, director of the Consciousness Laboratory at Naropa University, about his research on meditation and contemplative spirituality.

Along with finding out about the specific work that Dr. Grossenbacher is engaged in in the Consciousness Lab, listen in as we ask we ask such questions as: Can awareness be defined through empirical methods? And if so, what methods might those be? And finally, can the emphasis on objectivity found in much of mainstream science be applied to subjective research?

This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2 How Did Descartes Die?. more.

B. Alan Wallace joins to us to compare and contrast two fantastic dream practices. One comes from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, going all the way back to India, with the yogi Naropa. This practice, called Dream Yoga, is a type of insight practice which utilizes the dream state in order to wake up. The other practice, called Lucid Dreaming, comes out of the pioneering research of Dr. Stephen LaBerge. Lucid dreaming breaks down the same goals that Dream Yoga aspires to, but into smaller and more attainable goals. It is also firmly grounded in the scientific method.

Listen in to hear Dr. Wallace, who is authorized to teach both of these methods, discuss the similarities and differences in these two different approaches. more.

Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, an esteemed teacher in the Bon Buddhist tradition of Tibet, joins us again to continue describing the importance of dream yoga as part of the larger system of the 6 yogas of Naropa.

Rinpoche guides us through the three different kinds of dreams that we can have, including samsaric dreams, dreams of clarity, and clear light dreams. He also discusses the importance of dream practice, for those that have a naturally tendency toward being active in their dreams, comments on the methodology of lucid dreaming, that Western dream research Stephen LaBerge has created, and explains the importance of dream yoga in relationship to the process of death and the bardo.

This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to part 1, Sleep as a Spiritual Journey.

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“Look to your experience in dreams to know how you will fare in death. Look to your experience of sleep to discover whether or not you are truly awake." - Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, an esteemed teacher in the Bon Buddhist tradition of Tibet, joins us to discuss the importance of sleep in relation to the spiritual path. Since we spend nearly a third of our lives asleep, the focus on sleep and dream practice becomes of utmost important for those practitioners that want to make the best of the time they have.

Listen in to find out more about the Bon tradition, the dissolution of the sense of self during sleep, and the way that dream practices can contribute to greater awareness during both sleep and death.

This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, The Yogas of Dream and Sleep. more.

Melvin McLeod, Editor-in-Chief of the Shambhala Sun and Buddhadharma magazines, concludes his conversation with us, this time discussing the inevitable tensions that arise in Buddhist media. These tensions center primarily around going deep vs. spreading wide. Listen in to hear how these magazines find the middle ground between condemning Buddhism to the irrelevant on the one hand (too much depth) and selling out on the other (too much breadth).

Also at the end Melvin shares the specific ways that their publications are looking to integrate new media technologies into their projects. Exciting times!

This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to part 1, Peering Under the Hood of Buddhist Media. more.

"Buddhism offers the most profound critique or criticism of life imaginable in it's analysis of the role of ego, and of the nature of samsara, as well as in its basic doctrine of emptiness. There could hardly be a more profound critique of life then to say that neither your nor it exists." - Melvin McLeod

Melvin McLeod, Editor-in-Chief of the Shambhala Sun and Buddhadharma magazines, joins us to share his perspective on the differences and similarities that Buddhist media sources have with more traditional media. Listen in to find out more about the philosophical underpinnings of a publication that has at it's heart a commitment to the teachings of non-ego.

This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, The Inevitable Tension: Going Deep vs. Spreading Wide. more.

"At any moment the Yellowstone caldera could blow up, wipe out %99 of the life on the surface of the planet, and probably all humans, and in our last minutes the degree of equanimity with which we face that prospect is the test of our dharmic fortitude and wisdom." - James Hughes

In our final episode with professor James Hughes we tackle the less rosy side of Transhumanism, which has to do with massive existential threats and risks. Though there are many natural risks that could threaten humanity as a whole, including large asteriod collisions, gamma bursts, and super volcanoes, the Transhumanist recognize a whole host of other ways that we could threaten ourselves with advanced technologies.

In addition to discussing these threats and all of the possible side traps on the way toward a more techno-utopian future, James ties these together with our understanding of the dharma. He argues that even in a techno-utopian future (assuming we make it), we will still have to deal with annica—the ever changing flow of reality.

This is part 3 of a three-part series. Listen to part 1, Transhumanism and the Authentic Self and part 2, Cyborg Buddhas & Techno-Utopian Pure Lands! more.

With radical advances in science in technology would it be possible for us to turn our world into a so-called, "Buddha Realm" or would it be more likely that we create some sort of God Realm, where awakening is discouraged because the conditions are so radically pleasant? And how specifically could these advances help us develop spiritually, on the path toward Buddhahood?

This week, we discuss this and other questions with professor James Hughes, author of the upcoming book Cyborg Buddha. If you want to have your views regarding technology and it's relation to the Buddhist path challenged, please listen in!

This is part 2 of a three-part series. Listen to part 1, Transhumanism and the Authentic Self and part 3, Existential Threats and Risks: We Can't Escape Impermanence! more.

"The longer our lives, the more we'll have a chance to see that there's no self living them." - James Hughes

What is Transhumanism and how is it related to Buddhist practice? Will technology enable us to radically extend our lifespans, help us control our thoughts and emotions, and bring about the potential to upload our consciousness into virtual reality spaces? And if so, what are the deeper implications for our contemplative traditions. Will these advances actually support the deepening of wisdom? According to professor James Hughes, a Buddhist practitioner and leading voice in the Transhumanist movement, these advances will enable us to deconstruct the notion and experience we have of an "authentic self" and will support the development of happiness, and the cessation of suffering. Listen in to find out how...

This is part 1 of a three-part series. Listen to part 2, Cyborg Buddhas & Techno-Utopian Pure Lands! and part 3, Existential Threats and Risks: We Can't Escape Impermanence! more.

"I do not believe in an after life, although I am bringing a change of underwear." - Woody Allen

The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche joins us again, this time to discuss the importance of the teachings of rebirth in the Western context. He also gives many detailed suggestions on how to work with suffering in practice, especially when your awareness of it becomes more acute--a common occurrence in practice. We finish off this fantastic dialogue with Rinpoche hearing his thoughts on transplanting Buddhism to the west to form a genuine form of western buddhism.

This is part 3 of a three-part series. Listen to part 1, Analytical Meditation: Going Beyond Coffee Table Dharma and part 2, The Best Preparation for Dying Well is Living Well. more.

The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche is the only Rinpoche we know who owns and uses a Blackberry! Rinpoche shares with us the different ways that he has adopted modern technology into the work that he does and into his teaching style. We also speak with Rinpoche about his most recent book, which explores the Bardo teachings, Mind Beyond Death. Rinpoche explains to us that death, one of the greatest sources of suffering, gives us a palpable opportunity to live well. He also points out that in terms of the trained mind, both death and life are but two sides of the same coin. Both can bring about enlightenment.

This is part 2 of a three-part series. Listen to part 1, Analytical Meditation: Going Beyond Coffee Table Dharma more.

The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, one of the foremost teachers in the Nyingma and Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism, joins us to discuss his efforts in creating a genuinely Western form of the traditional shedra tract of Buddhist learning. This traditional scholastic training system is being translated and slightly altered for Westerners so that they can learn the full system of monastic training. In this episode we spoke with Rinpoche about the ways that these systems are being altered for Westerners, how this in-depth training is different from "coffee table dharma", and how analytic meditation—using the mind to analyze the mind—actually works.

This is part 1 of a three-part series. Listen to part 2, The Best Preparation for Dying Well is Living Well. more.

"What the teacher really offers the student is literally living proof that all this talk and the seemingly impossible goals [of Zen] can be realized in this lifetime." - Baker Roshi in the Introduction to Zen Mind, Begineer's Mind

Stuart Lachs, who for many decades has studied Zen from within and from without, challenges the legitimacy and authority of the Zen Master by deconstructing the structures and invisible institutional systems that grant this authority to the Zen Master. Listen in to find out how Noam Chomsky's notion of "useful doctrinal fabrications" applies to Zen, how the story of an unbroken lineage of Zen masters going back to the Buddha himself is basically bogus, how all of the elements of Zen itself weave together to form a seamless web of nearly unquestionable power, and why it's so hard to leave these communities even if you want to.

This isn't to say that the practice of Zen isn't extremely powerful, and Stuart himself is a huge fan of the practices therein, but it is to say that many of us aren't aware of the ways that the institution itself defines reality for us.

This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to part 1, Zen Masters: Dressing the Donkey with Bells and Scarves. more.

Long-time American Zen practitioner Stuart Lachs has spent some 40 years practicing Zen. First with Suzuki Roshi at the Tassajara Monastery in California and then with Eido Shimano Roshi, Walter Nowick, and finally with Ch'an Master Sheng-yen. In all of these communities Stuart ran up against strange and unfortunate dynamics playing out between the Zen Master and their communities. After getting heavily involved with the academic and sociological study of Zen, Stuart began seeing some of the cultural (and invisible) reasons that these communities would falter, whether from sexual scandals, the intense vanity of the teacher, or worse.

In this episode he shares with us some of the ways that the legitimacy, authority & power of the Zen Master are spread through the Zen institution, and how these sometimes ridiculous ideals are accepted without questions from many intelligent, well-meaning, people. If you're a Buddhist practitioner of any sort, you won't want to miss this conversation!

This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, The Darker Side of Zen: Institutions Defining Reality. more.

Our conversation with Susan Piver continues this week as we wrap our discussion on the relationship between meditation and writing. We also also explore the role that intention plays in offering or marketing the dharma. Finally, we wrap up the conversation by touching in on personality theory and productivity. Find out which enneagram type the Buddha was, and why productivity systems can bring about more bliss than meditation, in one of our geekiest (and fun) conversations to date!

This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to part 1, Susan Piver: The Fearless Writer. more.

When Susan Piver's book, The Hard Questions, hit the top of the NY Times Bestsellers list (and stayed there) she decided that she needed to deepen her practice immediately. Listen in this week as speak with Susan about her journey as a popular author and Buddhist practitioner. And if you have an interest in writing, or the creative process, you won't want to miss out on her description of the "meditation for writers" retreats that she leads, where writers of all backgrounds are able to combine their interest in writing with the power of the retreat environment. Are creativity and meditation really all that different?

This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, Mind Like Space. more.

The Round Table Geeks continue their exploration of Whitney Joiner's article, "Dive-bar Dharma". In a flurry of paradox, perspectives, humor, and exploration they tackle questions of integrating dharma into life, the Buddhist secular movements, contemplative practices in other traditions, and the historical and sociological dimensions of Dharma's spread to the West. We hope you enjoy this dynamic and fun conversation between fellow Buddhist geeks.

This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to part 1, Dive-bar Dharma: Making it Fresh or Sensationalizing it?. more.

Join the Geeks of the Round Table as we discuss an article published on Salon.com entitled, Dive-bar Dharma. The geeks explore several questions, sparked by this article, including whether or not we should update ancient metaphors with more contemporary metaphors? Also of interest is how far teachers should go in adapting the teachings of the Buddha to the culture and counter-cultures that they teach within? How do we discover the fine between making the dharma more fresh and relevant and of sensationalizing it?

This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, Every Generation Creates the Dharma Anew. more.

Real creative expression, to me, is a process of discovery ... It's entering the mystery - Daido Roshi

John Daido Loori, Roshi continues his discussion with Robert Spellman on the intersection between contemporary art and contemplative awareness. The two teachers share revealing stories about their understanding of the importance of meditative awareness in the creative process, and of specific exercises that one can do to tap into deeper ways of seeing, participating, and merging with the creative process.

This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to part 1, Zen Mountain Monastery: Zen and the Arts.

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John Daido Loori, Roshi abbot of the Zen Mountain Monastery in NY and well-known Buddhist author, joins us to discuss the history and development of his teaching, especially with regards to the key role that Art plays in Zen practice. Naropa University teacher Robert Spellman joins us as guest host to ask Daido Roshi about the 8 gates of zen, Roshi's training with Minor White, the difference between Western and Eastern forms of art, how the wildness of nature relates to Buddha-Nature, and ethical issues of taking responsibility for one's state of mind and their art work.

This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, Everything Arises in the Mind of the Yogi.

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Where does awareness tend to locate itself? And how is this important in our experience and understanding of the Buddhist path of awakening? This week Diane Musho Hamilton—Zen sensei and Big Mind lineage holder—joins us again to discuss the importance of what Ken Wilber calls the three faces of spirit.

Using this powerful notion as a lens we explore questions about how and why lineage is passed down, the way that Buddhism adapts to new cultures and why it is particularly vulnerable to being destroyed, how cultural development impacts the tradition, issues surrounding the master-disciple relationship, and finally whether or not one can regulate the erotic impulse.

This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to part 1: Discover Yourself as a Perspective-Taking Being.

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Diane Musho Hamilton, Zen sensei and Big Mind lineage holder, joins us to discuss her personal story on the path of awakening. From experiencing the death of several friends at a young age, to studying with Chogyam Trunpga in the mid-80s, to becoming the first lineage holder of a unique new spiritual process called Big Mind, join us as Diane shares the intimate details of her life as a seeker (and non-seeker).

In this dialogue we also touch in on the importance that the work of integral philosopher Ken Wilber has had on her teaching, especially with regards to what Wilber calls the three primordial perspectives. These three perspectives can be summarized by the pronouns, "I" (first-person), "we" (second-person), and "it" (third-person). Find out why these perspectives are so important to someone who is trying to bring together the spiritual quest with all of their other endeavors.

This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to Part 2, The Three Faces of Spirit: Where is Awareness Locating Itself?

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We continue our discussion with Buddhist teacher and author, B. Alan Wallace, on the impact of the recently completed Shamatha Project. Dr. Wallace shares the astounding levels of concentration that were achieved during the 3-month retreats he led and tells us more about the achievement of shamatha. Find out how deep the students on this retreat went, and why nearly %20 of them decided to continue on with intensive retreat practice after it was over!

Dr. Wallace also discusses the potential impact that a study of this magnitude could have on the scientific community as well as the culture-at-large. Questions that the study aimed to answer included, "Is it possible to train attention?" & "Does meditation have an effect on ethics?". While the answers may be obvious to meditators, having them scientifically validated could have a major impact on the fields of education, mental health, and psychology.

This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to Part 1: Reverberations from The Shamatha Project.

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B Alan Wallace, author of "The Attention Revolution" and "Embracing Mind", joins us to discuss the initial results from The Shamatha Project—one of the most extensive studies on the long-term benefits of meditation practice ever conducted. The terabytes of data that were collected during the course of the retreat-study included physiological and psychological measurements, thousands of entries from student journals, and the ongoing evaluations from Dr. Wallace as he interviewed with the students. Find out what his evaluations were, and how deeply the yogi's progressed over the course of their 3-month retreats.

Also listen is in to hear Dr. Wallace's perspective on the relationship between shamatha and vipassana, and whether deep states of shamatha are necessary pre-requisites for the advanced practices of insight found in the Buddhist tradition.

This is Part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to Part 2: Unwavering Samadhi: Meditative Achievement and Its Impact in the World.

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Have you ever considered what it would be like to cultivate, what in the Buddhist tradition are called the siddhis or magical powers? Buddhist magic is an endlessly fascinating topic, and in this episode we speak with Daniel Ingram, one of our favorite guests here on Buddhist Geeks, about the powers.

We cover their historical treatment by some of the major traditions, including the Zen, Tibetan, and Theravada. Daniel also gives us his first-hand experience having explored the powers, and considers the implications of doing public magic, and whether or not this kind of magic is "objectively real". We also discuss the ethical issues involved in using magic and issues of reproducibility.

Finally, we take a look at the ancient text, The Fruits of the Homeless Life, and explore what was said in that text about the powers, especially about the greatest power of all, the power of insight.

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The Geeks of the Round Table™ continue their discussion on the Big Mind process and the criticisms from Zen teacher Brad Warner, in his article Big Mind™ is a Big Load™ of Horse Shit (link goes to SuicideGirls, an alt porn site). The geeks focus on these criticisms which include charging for the dharma, the nature of an authentic transmission, trademarking Dharma practice, ethical issues with marketing the dharma, and issues of confusing personal psychology with transpersonal states and stages. Hold on to your seat and be prepared to be whisked into a world of geeky and fun banter between these young (and foolhardy) practitioners.

This is Part two of a two-part series. Listen to Part 1: McZen: A Double Satori with Cheese.

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This is an experimental dialogue called Geeks of the Round Table. In this session we speak with two young Buddhist practitioners in a round-table format about Brad Warner's criticisms of the Big Mind process, in an article he wrote called, Big Mind™ is a Big Load™ of Horse Shit (link goes to SuicideGirls, an alt porn site). We are joined by a student of Genpo Roshi's as well as someone who has a more skeptical view of the Big Mind process.

This quick-paced dialogue covers a number of interesting topics including the difference between altered states and permanent traits, issues of marketing the Dharma, the nature of skillful means, transmission and practice, the important dialectic between tradition and innovation, and the recipe for a sensational new sandwich, the double satori with cheese.

This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to Part 2: Geeks of the Round Table™.

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Crazy Wisdom, a phrase coined by the late Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, is used to describe uncommon, unique, and even wild ways of sharing wisdom. Wes Nisker, insight meditation teacher, shares with us his connection to the crazy wisdom teachers of the past, including such spiritual teachers as Jesus, Rumi, Kabir, and Benkei as well as philosophers, scientists, and artists from the Western tradition. We discuss the importance of crazy wisdom, especially with regards to it's ability to pave the way for new ways of thinking. Quoting Oscar Wilde, Wes explains that, "all great truths begin as blasphemy."

At the end of the talk we share an except from Wes Nisker's comic monologue album, with a track entitled Meeting the Buddha on the Road. With his own unique brand of Crazy Wisdom, Wes shares his initial exposure to the dharma and to the difficult, albeit funny, truth of how the mind works.

This is part 3 of a three-part series. Listen to Part 1: Atto, Zepto, and Yacto: The Buddhist Marx Brothers and Part 2: Science as the Western Wisdom Tradition.

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"The true value of a human being is determined primarily by the measure and the sense in which he has attained to liberation from the self." - Einstein

One would think that the above quote would come from one of the East's great sages, but instead it comes from one of the last centuries most celebrated physicists. In this episode Wes Nisker shares with us his understanding of the similarities and differences amongst the Eastern and Western approaches to knowledge. He uses the human brain and it's two hemispheres as a metaphor for understanding these two different, and yet intimately related perspectives, and explores whether or not science is actually be a valid wisdom tradition.

We also discuss issues of intelligent design and evolution, as well as what it's like to look at the history of humanity through a "deep time" perspective. Enjoy this fast-paced and intellectually stimulating dialogue.

This is part 2 of a three-part series. Listen to Part 1: Atto, Zepto, and Yacto: The Buddhist Marx Brothers, and Part 3: Crazy Wisdom Saves the Day!

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What would it be like if we were able to extend the silence & clarity of the meditative mind into our relationships? Would this impact how we listen, what we say, and even how we perceive reality? Gregory Kramer, teacher of a unique interpersonal meditation called Insight Dialogue, claims that it does this and much more.

In this dialogue we find out about the specifics of the Insight Dialogue practice, covering each of the six steps of this practice (see below), as well as exploring what it's like to be on a retreat where both individual and interpersonal contemplation takes place.

The six steps of Insight Dialogue:

1. Pause
2. Relax
3. Open
4. Trust Emergence
5. Listen Deeply
6. Speak the Truth

This is Part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to Part 1,