In this interview I am joined by Mike Crowley, Buddhist Lama, musician/composer, and author of ’Secret Drugs of Buddhism: Psychedelic Sacraments and the Origins of the Vajrayana’.

We learn about Mike’s childhood as the son of a psychopath, and his extensive experimentation with all manner of drugs and psychoactive substances.

Mike recalls his encounters with Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and his 7 year apprenticeship with Lama Yungdrung which eventually resulted in Mike becoming a lama himself. Mike reveals details of his training and experiences practicing the yogas of Naropa including dream yoga, tummo, and more.

Mike lays out his argument that psychedelic sacrament was an essential part of Buddhist Vajrayana, discussing symbolism in sacred art, references in hagiographical accounts, and artefacts of psychedelic use in modern practice forms.

Mike also discusses how to transform negative emotion into wisdom, and compares Taoist inner alchemy to the inner yogas of Tibet.

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Video version at: https://www.guruviking.com/ep111-mike-crowley-secret-drugs-of-buddhism/

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

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Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro

01:05 - Upcoming books and memoirs

05:17 - Growing up with a psychopathic father

07:45 - Extensive drug and psychedelic experimentation

09:52 - A life-changing vision of Indra’s net

14:53 - Mike’s understanding of the fifth precept

18:41 - Meeting Chogyam Trungpa and studying with Lama Yungdrung

21:37 - Hippy vs vajrayana psychedelic use

25:12 - Drug use in Buddhism

34:34 - 7 year training apprenticeship with Lama Yungdrung and becoming a lama

45:22 - Tummo, dream yoga, and the 6 Yogas of Naropa

56:16 - Learning Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese

01:01:47 - Tummo and pranayama as psychedelic substitutes?

01:07:18 - Longchenpa’s psychedelic ganacharka

01:10:13 - Tantric deities emerging from psychedelic experience

01:27:45 - To those who doubt the use of psychedelics in Buddhism

01:32:37 - Implications for vajrayana practitioners who have been practicing without psychedelics

01:35:39 - Transforming negative emotions into wisdom energy

01:42:07 - Taoist drugs, and comparing Taoist alchemy with Tibetan inner yogas

01:53:24 - Mike demonstrates some of his musical instruments

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Buy ‘Secret Drugs of Buddhism’:

- https://synergeticpress.com/catalog/secret-drugs-of-buddhism-psychedelic-sacraments-and-the-origins-of-the-vajrayana/

To find our more about Mike, visit:

- http://amritadzong.com/AD_LamaMike.html

- https://www.facebook.com/SecretDrugs/

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For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James