Buddhist Geeks

Martin Aylward is a vipassana teacher and founder of Le Moulin Meditation Centre. He has been leading retreats worldwide, teaching meditation, and supporting groups and individuals since 1999.
In this episode taken from the 2013 Buddhist Geeks Conference, Martin speaks on the relationship between the dharma and sex. He examines the general lack of dharma teachings concerning sex, the results of his own inquiry to the subject, and his belief in the potential of sexuality as a powerful tool for transformation.
Episode Links:
www.MartinAylward.com
Le Moulin Meditation Centre ( http://www.moulindechaves.org )

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Erik Braun is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at University of Oklahoma. He is the author of The Birth of Insight: Meditation, Modern Buddhism, and the Burmese Monk Ledi Sayadaw.
In this episode, Erik joins host Vincent Horn to discuss his book and the legacy of Burmese monk Ledi Sayadaw. By connecting the dots between changes in Burmese Buddhism with the political disruption caused by the British takeover of Burma in the late 19th Century, Erik describes Ledi’s role in bringing insight meditation practice to the modern world.
This is part one of a two part series. Listen to part two: The Making of a Mass Meditation Movement.
Episode Links:
The Birth of Insight: Meditation, Modern Buddhism, and the Burmese Monk Ledi Sayadaw ( http://amzn.to/1JMLYFM )
Erik Braun on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/erkbraun )

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Erik Braun is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at University of Oklahoma. He is the author of The Birth of Insight: Meditation, Modern Buddhism, and the Burmese Monk Ledi Sayadaw.
In this episode Erik and host Vincent Horn continue a discussion on Burmese Monk Ledi Sayadaw and his role in bringing insight meditation to the world. The conversation digs deeper into the connections between Burmese political disruption and changes to Buddhist practice in Burma, how meditation became more accepted in Burmese Buddhism, and how this all led to the export of insight meditation to the rest of the world.
This is part two of a two part series. Listen to part one: The Birth of Insight Meditation.
Episode Links:
The Birth of Insight: Meditation, Modern Buddhism, and the Burmese Monk Ledi Sayadaw ( http://amzn.to/1JMLYFM )
Erik Braun on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/erkbraun )

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Marianne Elliott is an attorney, human rights advocate, and the author of Zen Under Fire, a memoir about her work in Afghanistan.
In this episode taken from the 2013 Buddhist Geeks Conference, Marianne shares her belief that mindfulness practice alone isn’t enough to put an end to the suffering of the world. By first unpacking a few areas of social suffering that have deeply touched her, Marianne talks about the practical strategies she employs when working towards positive social change. As she describes the importance of action to the engaged Buddhist life, Marianne encourages the audience to ground themselves in the resiliency provided by Buddhist practice, find an issue that touches them, find a way to use their unique skillset, and actively work to end suffering in the world.
Episode Links:
www.Marianne-Elliott.com
Zen Under Fire ( http://marianne-elliott.com/book/ )

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Jerry Colonna was a venture capitalist in New York City and played a prominent part in the early development of Silicon Alley–he is known by some as the “Yoda of Silicon Alley.” He is currently a life and business coach and serves as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Naropa University. Jerry is an investor and close mentor to the Buddhist Geeks team.
In this episode taken from the 2013 Buddhist Geeks Conference, Jerry speaks about confronting the demon and dharma of uncertainty. By first telling the story of Milarepa and the Demons, Jerry engages the audience with an account of confronting his own fears of not being good enough. He describes how this “imposter syndrome”, this fear of admitting to uncertainty, can trap leaders and the people in their organizations in cycles of suffering. Jerry then offers strategies to confront delusion, doubt, and uncertainty through dharma and mindfulness practices.
Episode Links:
CEO Bootcamp ( http://reboot.io )
www.TheMonsterInYourHead.com
Jerry Colonna on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/jerrycolonna )

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Alexander Bard is a cyber philosopher and the co-founder of the Syntheist Movement. He is the co-author of The Futurica Trilogy, a series of books concerning Internet philosophy and futurist studies.
In this episode, Alexander joins host Vincent Horn to discuss the origins and concepts of the Syntheist Movement and it’s intersection with Buddhist practice & thought. Using the setting of the annual Burning Man event to illustrate humanity’s sometimes unconscious desire to gather and practice religion, Alexander describes the Syntheist philosophy, its core concepts of multiple Gods, and its philosophical origins. From there the conversation touches on the concepts of God and Self, Quantum Physics and Religion, and Alexander’s utopic vision for the future.
Episode Links:
Alexander Bard on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/Bardissimo )
The Syntheist Movement ( http://syntheism.org )
The Futurica Trilogy ( http://amzn.to/1JMKxHe )
What if the Internet is God? ( https://youtu.be/tXA7TewF53w )

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David Chapman is a writer, computer scientist, engineer and Buddhist practitioner. He blogs on several sites including Meaningness, Approaching Aro, and Buddhism for Vampires.
In this episode, David joins host Vincent Horn for the second part of their discussion on the challenges facing the reinvention of Buddhist Tantra. David first compares “zombie ritual” with “living ritual”, pointing out the ideal characteristics of useful ritual practices. David and Vincent then examine the importance of participatory ritual in communities, the rate of innovation in contemporary ritual, and how lineage relates to the forming and maintaining of ritual.
This is part two of a two part series. Listen to part one BG 313: Reinventing Buddhist Tantra.
Episode Links:
Meaningness ( http://meaningness.wordpress.com )

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David Chapman is a writer, computer scientist, engineer and Buddhist practitioner. He blogs on several sites including Meaningness, Approaching Aro, and Buddhism for Vampires.
In this episode, David joins host Vincent Horn for a discussion on the topic of Buddhist Tantra. Beginning by stating his interest and intentions with recent writing on Buddhist Tantra, David gives a quick definition of Tantra and begins to unpack that definition and how it relates to Buddhism. Vincent and David then discuss whether or not Buddhism is in some ways opposed to passion, where and when Tantric elements are apparent in various traditions, and what modern Buddhist Tantra may look like and why it may have been suppressed in Western Buddhism.
This is part one of a two part series. Listen to part two BG 314: Creating Living Ritual.
Episode Links:
Meaningness ( http://meaningness.wordpress.com )
Consensus Buddhism and Mindful Mayo ( http://bit.ly/1JMITFN )

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Shinzen Young is a Vipassana meditation teacher and was ordained in Japan as a monk in the Shingon tradition. He has studied and practiced extensively in other traditions, including Zen and Lakota Sioux Shamanism. Shinzen leads meditation retreats throughout North America and has helped establish numerous mindfulness centers and programs. He also consults widely on meditation-related research, in both the clinical and the basic science domains.
In this talk from the 2013 Buddhist Geeks Conference, Shinzen describes strategies for working with questions like “What does Life mean?” and how to enact a successful model for spiritual growth. He begins by examining the general framework of questions and why humans ask questions at all. This leads to a presentation of three fundamental goals for Life and how a spiritual practice can help reach those goals, how to recognize when a spiritual practice goes off course, and what results to expect from a successful spiritual practice.
Episode Links:
www.Shinzen.org

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Kate Johnson is a yogi and meditation teacher in NYC where she teaches yoga and mindfulness meditation to high school students in public schools. A student in the Vipassana meditation tradition, Kate completed the year-long Training Immersion Program at The Interdependence Project, graduated from the Mindfulness Yoga and Meditation teacher training at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, and returned from a three-month retreat at Insight Meditation Society in 2013.
In this episode taken from the 2013 Buddhist Geeks Conference, Kate speaks about how Buddhist practice can help us wake up to unconscious patterns of power and privilege in our communities and ourselves. Beginning with a synopsis of the COLORLINES article “Rinku Sen: The Racist Mind”, she explains the pervasiveness of implicit bias in our thinking and actions. As she describes her experience and shame when realizing her own implicit racial bias, Kate describes how her meditation practice helped wake her up to those problem areas. She concludes by explaining how racial injustice and lack of diversity affects Buddhist communities, and she issues a call to wake up to these unconscious patterns of power and privilege for the benefit of ourselves and our communities.
Episode Links:
“Rinku Sen: The Racist Mind” ( http://colorlines.com/archives/2013/07/rinku_sen_thinking_through_racism.html )
The Interdependence Project ( http://theidproject.org )

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