In this interview I am once again joined by Dr Ben Joffe, anthropologist, occultist, and scholar practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism.

Ben reveals the industry convention of guru ghostwriting in which spiritual teachers employ one or a team of writers to produce their dharma books, explains his collaborative process with Nida Chenagtsang on their latest Vajrayana book, and sheds light on his own editorial process.

Ben discusses whether a scholar should have practice experience before translating religious texts, considers whether historical inaccuracies debunk the spiritual value of Buddhist scriptures, and raises questions about the origin of terma treasure texts.

Ben also compares the Yuthok Nyinthig retreat format to the Abramelin Ritual of Western Occultism, details the signs of success in tantric practice, and shares Yuthok’s promise to appear in bodily form to practitioners with sufficient devotion and attainment.

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Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep337-guru-ghostwriting-tantric-retreat-dr-ben-joffe

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

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Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

01:12 - Ghostwriting for gurus

08:03 - Lamas often don’t write their books

10:24 - Ben’s editorial process

18:32 - Is guru ghostwriting a dirty secret?

19:17 - Vajrayana jargon vs a felt sense

29:56 - What is a scholar practitioner?

37:39 - Ben’s retreat experiences

41:13 - Did Yuthok the Elder really exist?

50:06 - Anachronisms and retroactive attribution in Tibetan historiography

51:57 - Origins of the Tibetan medical tantras (rgyud bzhi)

58:08 - Terma treasure texts: mystical revelation or an editorial process?

01:02:08 - Why have Western scholars been hesitant to question terma texts?

01:05:04 - Does critical scholarship debunk Buddhism?

01:10:55 - Medicine Buddha ex machina

01:12:45 - Referring out

01:13:24 - Encountering Yuthok vs the Holy Guardian Angel in the Abramelin Ritual

01:20:10 - Special 7-day Yuthok ngondro

01:24:10 - Is Yuthok Nyingthig the best tantric system?

01:28:27 - The power of aspiration prayers

01:30:53 - How long does it take to become fully enlightened?

01:33:51 - Practice according to number, time, or signs

01:34:54 - Mythic resonance of lineage

01:36:33 - Signs of spiritual progress

01:41:35 - Ben comments on the Abramelin Ritual

01:43:59 - Sumton’s Yeshe Zung’s devotional prayer

01:46:50 - Yuthok as a Mighty Dead

01:48:47 - Do Yuthok’s promises cause ego inflation and delusion?

01:52:09 - Verifying dreams and spiritual signs

01:58:26 - How to connect with spiritual blessings

02:05:09 - What are blessings?

02:06:32 - Spiritual signs in the Jesuit tradition

02:08:49 - Ngondro as a hazing

02:10:55 - Do people expect to encounter Yuthok at Dr Nida’s retreats?

02:15:38 - Dr Nida’s approach vs traditional contexts

02:21:00 - Typical student profile and outcomes

02:29:28 - Permissive approach to tantric vows

02:32:37 - Pros and cons of laissez-faire tantric practice

02:33:28 - Charismatic founder stage 
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Previous episodes with Dr Ben Joffe:

- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=joffe

Previous episodes with Dr Nida Chenagtsang:

- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=nida

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To find out more about Dr Ben Joffe, visit:

- https://perfumedskull.com/

- http://www.skypressbooks.com/

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For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James