Buddhist Geeks

Ken Mcleod is one of the more innovative teachers of Buddhism today, known for his ability to explain difficult and subtle teachings. In this conversation with host Vincent Horn, Ken takes on one of the most difficult topics to pin down: the “Truth”.
They begin the conversation by examining the supposition that the path to enlightenment is ultimately to find the “Truth”. Vincent talks about how his early efforts in practice were rooted in the need to find the “Truth”, and how his motivations and understanding have changed. Ken relates his own recent advances on the topic. The two then examine the role and representation of the “Truth” in context of spiritual practice, psychological well being, and philosophical inquiry. They then explore the parallels of “Truth” and “Enlightenment” and how each idea is shaped and defined by the culture and by the individual.
This is part one of a two part series. Listen to part two: Questioning Frameworks of Practice.
Episode Links:
Unfettered Mind ( http://www.unfetteredmind.org )
Straw Dogs ( http://amzn.to/1MRFcSd )

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Tony Stubblebine is interested in meditation, app development, and behavioral design. He’s brought all three interests together in his latest project, a habit building app called Lift.
In this conversation over Google Hangouts, Tony and host Vincent Horn discuss the merits and potential shadow side to behavioural design. Tony describes how he became interested in the science of behavioural design and how that led him to create Lift as a way to bring a social aspect to building positive habits. They talk about the three components to consider when building a habit, how the QS Movement relates to behavioural design, and how to use systems like Lift to build strong positive habits like daily meditation.
Episode Links:
LIFT ( https://lift.do )
Lift’s How to Meditate page with free guided meditations ( https://lift.do/meditation )
BJ Fogg ( http://www.bjfogg.com )
Quantified Self ( http://quantifiedself.com )

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In this interview, host Vincent Horn speaks with Dr. Ronald Purser–professor of management at SFSU and an ordained Zen Buddhist teacher in the Korean Taego order. They explore Ronald’s research on organizational mindfulness, mindfulness in corporate settings, and how Buddhist philosophy can inform organizational theory and practice, with a particular emphasis on exploring the limitations and shadow-sides of the mindfulness movement as it moves into the business context.
Episode Links:
College of Business at San Francisco State University ( http://cob.sfsu.edu/cob/directory/faculty/ronald-purser )
Center for Creative Inquiry ( http://www.creativeinquiry.org/develop/index.php )
Korean Buddhist Taego Order ( http://www.taegozen.net )
Beyond McMindfulness ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ron-purser/beyond-mcmindfulness_b_3519289.html )

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David M. Levy is a professor of technology in the Information School (or iSchool) at the University of Washington. Since 2006 he has offered a course called “Information and Contemplation”, a course on mindfulness in the Digital Age.
In this interview with host Vincent Horn, David talks about his early rejection of zen meditation practice and how he came back to it later through a study of calligraphy. They talk about a National Science Foundation funded study David created to observe the effects of meditation on multitasking, and the university course he subsequently developed at the iSchool, “Information and Contemplation.” He talks about insights his students have through the course and the surprising way email can be used as a focus for mindfulness. Finally, Vincent and David discuss the idea of taking a “digital Sabbath” and the usefulness of periodically unplugging from the online world.
Episode Links:
What Computers Still Can’t Do: A Critique of Artificial Reason ( http://amzn.to/15yQx4K )
“You’re Distracted. This Professor Can Help.” ( http://chronicle.com/article/Youre-Distracted-This/138079/ )
Xerox PARC ( http://www.parc.com )
Darlene Cohen ( http://www.darlenecohen.net )
“Information and Contemplation” ( http://dmlevy.ischool.uw.edu/information-and-contemplation/ )

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Ramez Naam is a computer scientist who spent 13 years at Microsoft, leading teams working on email, web browsing, search, and artificial intelligence. He’s the author of several books including Nexus, a science fiction thriller set in the near future when humans are linked mind-to-mind by an experimental and illegal nano-drug.
In this conversation with host Vincent Horn, Ramez describes his inspiration for the book and it’s narrative of collectivism and mind-to-mind connection through technology. The two discuss the fact, fiction, benefits, and perils of technology that can connect humanity so intimately, and what that kind of technology could mean to the process of awakening.
Episode Links:
www.RamezNaam.com
Nexus ( http://rameznaam.com/nexus/ )

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Mike Redmer is a freelance UX designer and mindfulness coach. His most recent project, the ReWire App, is part of a growing field of technology designed to assist the end user in attaining greater degrees of concentration ability and contemplative awareness.
In this second part of their conversation, host Vincent Horn discusses with Mike the subtleties of contemplative design and the current state of contemplative technology. Vincent relates details of his experience with some of these technologies at the recent Wisdom 2.0 conference, and he and Mike discuss the mixed potential each sees in the future of ubiquitous computing.
This is part two of a two part series. Listen to part one, ReWiring Meditation for the Digital Age
Episode Links:
ReWire: meditation remixed ( http://rewireapp.com )
I used Google Glass: the future, but with monthly updates ( http://bit.ly/1MRE8O4 )

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Mike Redmer is a freelance UX designer and mindfulness coach. His most recent project, the ReWire App, came out of a desire to utilize technology to make mediation more effective and engaging.
In this first part of a conversation with host Vincent Horn, Mike shares his motivation for creating Rewire and the ways he hopes it can help people develop in meditation. He also describes how he approached designing the app, the improvements he made in the second iteration, and how Shinzen Young’s practice of “Just Note Gone” influenced the end product and Mike himself.
This is part one of a two part series. Listen to part two, Contemplative Technologies
Episode Links:
ReWire: meditation remixed ( http://rewireapp.com )
The Power of Gone ( http://shinzen.org/Articles/PowerofGone.pdf )

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Dr. Reggie Ray is an author, teacher, and the Spiritual Director for the Dharma Ocean Community in Crestone, Colorado.
In this episode Reggie and host Vincent Horn conclude their conversation by discussing the recurring cycle of conflict between “authentic lineages” and “institutional lineages” in the world’s religions. Reggie describes the personal toll this conflict had on his teacher, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and how many unorthodox teachers have found themselves threatened and restricted by religious institutions. He then describes how the techniques of Mahamudra can lead us to identify all the places where we hold back as people so that we may find freedom from all forms of restriction.
This is part two of a two part series.
Listen to part one – BG 281: Mahamudra in the Modern World
Episode Links:
Buddhist Saints in India: A Study in Buddhist Values and Orientations ( http://amzn.to/1MRDXm5 )
Dharma Ocean ( http://www.dharmaocean.org )

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Dr. Reggie Ray is an author, teacher, and the Spiritual Director for the Dharma Ocean Community in Crestone, Colorado. He has forty years of study and intensive meditation practice within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition in the lineage of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Recently, Dr. Ray published an audio training series through Sounds True titled Mahamudra in the Modern World.
In this episode Dr. Reggie Ray and host Vincent Horn discuss the basics of the Mahamudra tradition and Reggie’s approach to teaching it. He shares his insight into how his personal practice has changed and deepened through teaching, and he answers questions such as: Is a personal relationship with a teacher necessary? And, how does one know when it’s time to start teaching?
This is part one of a two part series.
Listen to part two – BG 282: Specializing in Letting Go
Episode Links:
The Forest Dwelling Yogi ( http://bit.ly/1MRDNuI )
Dharma Ocean ( http://www.dharmaocean.org )

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Stephen Schettini is an author and blogger at TheNakedMonk.com, and a teacher of Mindful Reflection. He was a Tibetan Buddhist monk for 8 years before he left the monastic path and began referring to himself as an ex-Buddhist.
In this episode Stephen talks with host Vincent Horn about why he left his monastic order and what he learned from the experience. They discuss why people are drawn to formal religious orders and guru-disciple relationships, and Stephen describes possible alternatives to the guru-disciple dynamic that might be more appropriate for the modern world. Finally, after questioning the very existence of the historical Buddha, they discuss why the myth might be more important than the story of the historical man.
Episode Links:
The Naked Monk ( http://www.thenakedmonk.com )
“Sick Love” ( http://www.thenakedmonk.com/2013/01/14/sick-love/ )
“Zen Buddhists Distressed by Accusations Against Teacher” ( http://nyti.ms/12MlZgW )
The Novice ( http://amzn.to/12MlVxs )

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