We may think interdependence is something that needs to be found, but it’s already right here, existing among the people we know and interact with on a regular basis. Our capacity to form mutually supportive relationships is a human drive deeply written in our bodies. What does it look like to seize upon and celebrate those connections? 

For centuries people have turned to the image of the Wheel of Life to better understand cause and effect and the very nature of existence. The section of the Wheel depicting the god realm is the focus of this episode’s exploration of community.

This episode features author and futurist Mia Birdsong. AWAKEN season 5 is hosted by singer, songwriter, and artist Devendra Banhart. Other guests in this episode include social scientist, physician, and professor Nicholas Christakis, professor of Buddhism and East Asian religions Annabella Pitkin, and Tibetan Buddhist meditation teacher and author Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. 

Read a transcript, learn about the Rubin, donate, and more: https://rubinmuseum.org/engaging-with-community-on-a-personal-scale

Interdependence is so foundational to every aspect of our lives that it can be easy to miss. But what happens when we truly wake up to the reality that everyone and everything is interconnected? For centuries people have turned to the image of the Wheel of Life to better understand cause and effect and the very nature of existence. How do the teachings of the Wheel still apply to our world today? 

AWAKEN season 5 is hosted by singer, songwriter, and artist Devendra Banhart. Guests featured in this episode include social scientist, physician, and professor Nicholas Christakis, professor of Buddhism and East Asian religions Annabella Pitkin, and Tibetan Buddhist meditation teacher and author Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. 

Read a transcript, learn about the Rubin, donate, and more: https://rubinmuseum.org/introducing-interdependence

Welcome to Season 5 of AWAKEN—a Webby Honoree podcast about the dynamic path to enlightenment and what it means to “wake up.” This season explores interdependence, a fundamental concept in Buddhism and in life that describes the mutual dependence of everything and experience. Hosted by singer, songwriter, and artist Devendra Banhart, the series focuses on a painting of the Wheel of Life from the Rubin Museum’s collection to see what it can teach us about the interconnected nature of existence. Experts in the realms of art, social science, Buddhism, and more illuminate how greater awareness of interdependence can be the wake up call that motivates actions for a better world. 

Trailer voices in order of appearance: Associate professor of Buddhism and East Asian religions Annabella Pitkin; Tibetan physician, scholar, and founder and medical director of the Sowa Rigpa Institute Dr. Nida Chenagtsang; singer, songwriter, and artist Devendra Banhart; social scientist, physician, and professor Nicholas A. Christakis; pastoral counselor, teacher, and author Pamela Ayo Yetunde.

AWAKEN Season 5 will launch on August 19, 2025.

Read a transcript, learn about the Rubin, donate, and more: https://rubinmuseum.org/welcome-to-awaken-season-5

What does it look like to put what we’ve learned about non-attachment into practice? In this episode, all the guests in the series share their practices for working through their attachments and moving toward a more open relationship to oneself and life as a whole. Ultimately, it’s not about having no attachments—that’s almost impossible—but bringing presence and awareness to each moment.

AWAKEN Season 4 is hosted by actress and filmmaker Isabella Rossellini. Guests featured in this episode include poet and filmmaker Fatimah Asghar, chef Reem Assil, Founder and Director of the Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Founder and Chief Visionary for Healthy Minds Innovations, Inc. Dr. Richie Davidson, contemplative social scientist Eve Ekman, poet and essayist Ross Gay, artist and writer Jenny Odell, scholar of Tibetan Buddhism Annabella Pitkin, author and transformational thought leader Sonya Renee Taylor, teacher and meditation master in the Bon Buddhist tradition Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, and writer, professor, and photographer Ocean Vuong. The Tibetan at the start of the episode is spoken by Tashi Chodron. 

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We might want to believe that there is a definitive end—a clear point where some patterns have died and new ones have been born—but in fact, we are always in a process of realization. It’s a continuous cycle of forgetting and remembering to let go of expectations and remain open to each moment. It might seem small but these shifts in awareness have the potential to be completely transformative. 

AWAKEN Season 4 is hosted by actress and filmmaker Isabella Rossellini. Guests featured in this episode include poet and filmmaker Fatimah Asghar, Founder and Director of the Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Founder and Chief Visionary for Healthy Minds Innovations, Inc. Dr. Richie Davidson, contemplative social scientist Eve Ekman, poet and essayist Ross Gay, artist and writer Jenny Odell, scholar of Tibetan Buddhism Annabella Pitkin, author and transformational thought leader Sonya Renee Taylor, teacher and meditation master in the Bon Buddhist tradition Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, and writer, professor, and photographer Ocean Vuong. The Tibetan at the start of the episode is spoken by Tashi Chodron.

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Freedom from attachment doesn’t require leaving home and renouncing all our ties to family and friends like the Buddha did. It’s something that is available to all of us, in each moment, in everyday life. Letting go of expectations and self-imposed identities can create space to tune into what’s truly important and follow a path that feels authentic and meaningful.  

AWAKEN Season 4 is hosted by actress and filmmaker Isabella Rossellini. Guests featured in this episode include poet and filmmaker Fatimah Asghar, Founder and Director of the Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Founder and Chief Visionary for Healthy Minds Innovations, Inc. Dr. Richie Davidson, contemplative social scientist Eve Ekman, poet and essayist Ross Gay, scholar of Tibetan Buddhism Annabella Pitkin, author and transformational thought leader Sonya Renee Taylor, and teacher and meditation master in the Bon Buddhist tradition Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. The Tibetan at the start of the episode is spoken by Tashi Chodron. 

Read a transcript, learn more about the Rubin, donate, and more.

How does non-attachment awaken us to our interdependence? We cannot exist without each other and the world around us. When we recognize this fact, not only do we free ourselves from self-focus and feel more connected, but we start to notice the extraordinary in the ordinary and recognize our collective responsibility to care for one another and our world. 

AWAKEN Season 4 is hosted by actress and filmmaker Isabella Rossellini. Guests featured in this episode include chef Reem Assil, Founder and Director of the Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Founder and Chief Visionary for Healthy Minds Innovations, Inc. Dr. Richie Davidson, contemplative social scientist Eve Ekman, poet and essayist Ross Gay, scholar of Tibetan Buddhism Annabella Pitkin, artist Asha Kama Wangdi, and teacher and meditation master in the Bon Buddhist tradition Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. The Tibetan at the start of the episode is spoken by Tashi Chodron. The Tibetan at the start of the episodes is spoken by Tashi Chodron.

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The concept of non-attachment seems particularly confounding in the context of love. How can we not be attached to the people closest to our hearts? It’s not about loving or not loving, but rather how we love. Openness and compassion are the foundation for not only loving without expectations and conditions but also loving in service of one another. 

AWAKEN Season 4 is hosted by actress and filmmaker Isabella Rossellini. Guests featured in this episode include Founder and Director of the Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Founder and Chief Visionary for Healthy Minds Innovations, Inc. Dr. Richie Davidson, contemplative social scientist Eve Ekman, artist and writer Jenny Odell, scholar of Tibetan Buddhism Annabella Pitkin, author and transformational thought leader Sonya Renee Taylor, teacher and meditation master in the Bon Buddhist tradition Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, and writer, professor, and photographer Ocean Vuong. The Tibetan at the start of the episodes is spoken by Tashi Chodron.

Read a transcript, learn more about the Rubin, donate, and more.

Many of the challenges that arise with attachment are related to the ego: who you think you are and how you think others should feel about you. By holding onto our sense of self too tightly, we end up seeing ourselves as alone and separate from one another. How can loosening our grip on the ego help us step into the fundamental truth of our interconnectedness?

AWAKEN Season 4 is hosted by actress and filmmaker Isabella Rossellini. Guests featured in this episode include Founder and Director of the Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Founder and Chief Visionary for Healthy Minds Innovations, Inc. Dr. Richie Davidson, contemplative social scientist Eve Ekman, artist and writer Jenny Odell, scholar of Tibetan Buddhism Annabella Pitkin, author and transformational thought leader Sonya Renee Taylor, and teacher and meditation master in the Bon Buddhist tradition Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche.

Read a transcript, learn more about the Rubin, donate, and more.

It’s almost impossible to have no attachments. So what does non-attachment actually mean? Depending on the context, it can be easily misunderstood. But from the Buddhist perspective, it’s not about letting go of what we hold dear—it’s about releasing attachments to outcomes, points of view, and expectations that keep us from fully engaging with life. 

AWAKEN Season 4 is hosted by actress and filmmaker Isabella Rossellini. Guests featured in this episode include poet and filmmaker Fatimah Asghar, Founder and Director of the Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Founder and Chief Visionary for Healthy Minds Innovations, Inc. Dr. Richie Davidson, contemplative social scientist Eve Ekman, poet and essayist Ross Gay, artist and writer Jenny Odell, scholar of Tibetan Buddhism Annabella Pitkin, author and transformational thought leader Sonya Renee Taylor, and teacher and meditation master in the Bon Buddhist tradition Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche.

Read a transcript, learn more about the Rubin, donate, and more.