In this episode I am once again joined by Mary Shutan: author, occultist, and spiritual teacher.

Mary discusses her new book “Shadow Work for the Soul”, shares her lifelong fascination with the psychological power of dark fairytales, and explains the function of social masks and personae.

Mary remarks on a notable increase in spiritual emergencies, a rise in nihilism and the “dark feminine”, and offers advice for those facing spiritual crisis.

Mary then takes a deep dive into shadow work, challenges common misconceptions, and offers surprising reflections on both new age masculine-feminine trends and “The Work” of Byron Katie.

Mary also reveals how to perceive the shadow in popular culture, warns about the danger of spiritual bypass, and explains how to identify and disarm the ego defences to go beyond one’s limitations.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep294-shadow-work-for-the-soul-mary-shutan

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


…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

01:03 - An notable increase in spiritual emergencies

03:51 - Nihilism and other trends on the increase

05:30 - Collective shadows and the dark feminine

07:25 - How to work with nihilism

08:27 - Mary’s advice for those in spiritual crisis

09:39 - The psychological power of myths and fairy tales

11:26 - What can myths and fairy tales teach us?

12:19 - Archetypes and mythic figures

13:18 - Princess and the Pea and Sisyphus

15:21 - Seeing oneself reflected in myths and fairy tales

16:50 - Trauma isolates

18:00 - What is the shadow?

19:43 - What is shadow work?

20:08 - How concepts change when they become mainstream

21:36 - The evolution of acupuncture

23:51 - Limitations of the pop-culture version of shadow work

26:58 - Comments on Byron Katie and “The Work”

31:27 - The healthy ego and ego defences

33:33 - How to identify the ego’s defence mechanisms

34:33 - Intellectualisation vs embodiment

35:32 - Superiority/inferiority loop

37:09 - The world as a mirror

40:02 - Pop culture and politics

41:29 - Dangers of spiritual bypass

45:50 - Masks, personae, and perfectionism

47:36 - The importance of mentors

48:47 - Self enquiry traps and the dangers of labels

50:47 - Identifying with spiritual attainments

53:30 - When did Mary call off the search?

55:35 - Letting go of the high-achiever identity

58:03 - Anima, animus, and the masculine-feminine continuum

59:34 - Masculine and feminine dynamics in the occult

01:02:13 - Identifying collective shadows through pop culture figures

01:04:12- Today’s cultural focus on narcissism

01:05:41 - Noting your personal reactions to celebrity

01:06:02 - The cultural phenomenon of Taylor Swift

01:08:36 - Shadows of light

01:10:02 - Dark feminine rising

01:10:56 - Why “dark feminine?”

01:12:48 - How do we emerge from times of change?

01:14:48 - Mary’s view of the future

…

Previous episode with Mary Shutan:

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

To find out more about Mary Shutan, visit:

- http://maryshutan.com/

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

In this episode I am once again joined by Khandro Kunzang Dechen Chodron, teacher of Tibetan Buddhism and executive director of Saraswati Bhawan Publications.

Khandro Kunzang reveals her experience as a spiritual consort to a Tibetan lama, and shares her understanding of this controversial practice.

Khandro Kunzang recalls how she became a consort, details her extensive preparations, and explains the coarse and subtle body yogas involved.

Khandro Kunzang also discusses the use of consort practice for life extension, how to respond if a guru suggests you become his consort, and why it is that she is now talking publicly about this hitherto secret practice.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep293-secrets-of-consort-practice-khandro-kunzang-dechen-chodron-3

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

00:48 - The graduated path

04:28 - The fruition of Dzogchen and Ati Yoga

05:41 - The effortless path

06:34 - Dzogchen mistakes

07:40 - Is a 3 year retreat necessary?

08:42 - Personalised retreat with guru

09:32 - Signs of accomplishment on retreat

14:31 - Secret training with Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche

16:03 - Jealousy of Tibetan students

17:33 - Pure Dzogchen vs gradual path

21:04 - How do I know my practice is working?

23:50 - The ultimate test of practice

25:30 - Lama Dawa’s terminal cancer and yogic death

31:17 - The practice of yogic dying

33:11 - Physiological signs of tukdam

34:07 - Death of Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche

35:42 - Miraculous behaviour of Lama Dawa’s relics

37:42 - Difficulties and challenges during Lama Dawa’s end of life

42:08 - Personal restoration during the pandemic

42:48 - The ultimate teaching

43:25 - Displacing grief to keep the show on the road

46:48 - When to begin consort practice?

50:37 - Authentic consort practice is very rare

52:01 - Classic consort stories

53:41 - Abusive lamas and gurus who claim expertise in consort practice

55:10 - The support role of a guru’s consort

56:50 - An “activity consort”

58:19 - Preparing to be Lama Dawa’s consort

59:13 - Using a consort to extend your life

01:00:59 - Using pipes to open the urethra

01:04:49 - Training to purify the lower chakras and draw in the essence fluid

01:06:49 - Working with the thigle drops

01:07:17 - Using eros to experience emptiness

01:08:20 - Consort practice is not romantic

01:08:49 - Extreme consort practice

01:10:06 - Unresolved traumas in consort practice

01:11:05 - Is vajrolī mudrā really possible?

01:13:22 - Jñānamudrā and self practice

1:17:06 - Test your lama if he suggests consort practice

01:20:48 - Why talk openly about secret consort practice?

01:21:24 - Disrobing as a nun to engage in tantric practice

01:23:17 - Seeing your teacher as a living Buddha

01:24:16 - Motives for marrying Lama Dawa


…

Previous episodes with Khandro Kunzang Dechen Chodron:

- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=khandro%20kunzang

To find our more about Khandro Kunzang Dechen Chodron, visit:

- https://www.phurbathinleyling.org/khandro-kunzang/

In this episode I once again host a dialogue between Daniel Ingram and Delson Armstrong.

Daniel Ingram is an independent Buddhist writer, author of ‘Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha’, and co-founder of the Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium (EPRC).

Delson Armstrong is a spiritual teacher, author of ’A Mind Without Craving’, and founder of the Freedom of Mind foundation.

Daniel offers his response to Delson’s recent renunciations, warns about the power of self hypnosis, and explains why it is so common for people to revise their enlightenment claims.

Delson considers how it was that he mistook the nature of his spiritual achievements, considers the impact of his renunciation on his practice community and students, and looks ahead to his own future as a teacher and guide.

Daniel and Delson address criticisms they have both received for their revisions of important Buddhist doctrines such as the 4 path model of awakening, comment on gatekeeping and fundamentalism in Buddhism, and consider whether advances in contemplative neuroscience may pose a serious threat to traditional religions and their institutions.

…

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify.

…

01:51 - The situation

04:36 - Daniel’s response to Delson’s renunciation

07:14 - Early schism in Buddhism

08:20 - Does Daniel feel vindicated?

09:42 - Delson reflects on what he has learned from Daniel

12:34 - The snake has shed its skin

13:29 - Profound not simple

14:26 - Neurodiversity and the spiritual path

16:54 - Hypnotising yourself into believing you’re enlightened

19:17 - How did Delson get his enlightenment wrong?

22:22 - Social factors

24:13 - A gradual process

25:06 - Gatekeepin in Buddhism

27:35 - Jack Kornfield and Christopher Titmuss

30:51 - Social influence on perceptions of spiritual progress

33:35 - Relationships

35:21 - The World Without Sin

38:43 - Can you ever go back? Spoiling the party

40:38 - Delson on negative reactions from his community

43:57 - Attached to models, experiences, and perfection?

46:17 - Stages of development

47:17 - Leading with vulnerability

48:45 - A different type of practitioner

49:55 - The appeal of Vajrayāna

52:21 - Specific criticisms of Daniel and Delson

54:19 - Why do Daniel & Delson revise Buddhism?

56:43 - Delson's critics

59:51 - Transference and counter-transference

01:01:18 - Tantric guru yoga

01:01:47 - When your guru disappoints

01:02:05 - Bhikkhu Anālayo and Daniel's other critics

01:02:27 - Neuroscience and religious orthodoxy

01:06:34 - Will neuroscience destroy Buddhism?

01:10:24 - Praise for the Theravāda

01:11:45 - Theravādan exceptionalism

01:12:37 - Validating or defeating religion?

01:15:43 - Finders’ Course and retrenchment to orthodoxy

01:17:57 - Delson on contemplative neuroscience

01:20:39 - What does Daniel think will next happen to Delson?

01:23:23 - Maturing as a spiritual explorer

01:26:33 - Attachment styles & kalyāṇa-mittatā

01:28:40 - Loss of enthusiasm for practice in advanced practitioners

01:31:18 - Micro-renunciations and disgust for the quest

01:33:42 - When spiritual teachers lose their faith

0135:28 - How Delson keeps his interest in teaching

01:38:20 - Why Daniel decided not to become a teacher

01:40:32 - Delson’s closing remarks

01:40:45 - Daniel’s closing remarks

01:41:04 - Praise for the religious orthodoxy

01:42:21 - Acknowledging critics

01:43:17 - Disagreeing with grace and respect

…

Previous dialogue between Daniel and Delson:

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znX6w6shQ7c

Previous episodes with Daniel:

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

Previous episodes with Delson:

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

To find out more about Daniel, visit:

- https://theeprc.org/

- integrateddaniel.info

To find out more about Delson, visit:

- https://www.delsonarmstrong.com/

- https://www.youtube.com/@delson999

- https://www.freedom-of-mind.org/

www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

In this interview I am once again joined by Ron Serrano long time meditation practitioner, contemplative neuroscience subject, and co-founder of the online meditation group Dharmachanics.

Ron gives a summary of the major studies in contemplative neuroscience in the last several years, in many of which he was a key subject. Ron explains several historical and ongoing studies including Dr Jud Brewer’s landmark Yale University study into the default mode network, hypotheses about the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and the sense of self, and the promise of brain scan technology and real-time neurofeedback devices to fast-track enlightenment.

Ron also draws from his experience leading the online meditation group Dharmachanics to offer insight into the typical trajectory towards transformative spiritual experiences, patterns of development in meditators, and how he responds when somebody claims they are enlightened.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep291-neuroscience-of-enlightenment-ron-serrano-2

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

01:04 - Reflections on life and practice 2020

02:37 - Growth of the Dharmachanics online sangha

03:19 - Dharmachanics discussion group about Guru Viking Podcast

03:50 - Sangha is the toughest of the three jewels

04:51 - Patterns of development for meditators

05:59 - The typical trajectory towards awakening

08:48 - How to relate to special meditation experiences

12:34 - Testing enlightenment

13:37 - Ron’s history of participation in contemplative neuroscience

14:09 - Primary subject for Dr Jud Brewer’s landmark study at Yale University

16:26 - The PCC and the no-self

18:24 - Developing the brain scan technology and equipment

19:31 - The accelerating power of real-time meditation feedback

22:18 - How 2020 derailed contemplative neuroscience

23:38 - Ron on commercially available brainwave-feedback products

26:59 - How neuroscience studies really work

28:01 - Debate with Daniel Ingram

28:44 - Daniel’s contributions to contemplative neuroscience

29:41 - A gold standard phenomenology and technological Harvard study

32:43 - A comprehensive blueprint of the enlightened mind

34:54 - 2 major brain networks

26:56 - Secrecy and hidden players

39:15 - A treasure trove of data

40:32 - The holy grail of contemplative neuroscience

41:38 - Why Ron is pessimistic about finding neuro-correlates of awakening

43:14 - The blessing and curse of the Dalai Lama brand

46:08 - Politics and why neuroscientists need the Dalai Lama’s

47:47 - Will neuroscience render religious teachers obsolete?

49:38 - Will AI replace meditation teachers?

50:35 - What will happen to religion if neuroscience cracks the enlightenment code?

52:32 - A history of disruption

54:05 - Does astronomy offer a historical parallel to contemplative neuroscience?

55:46 - The costly problem of data analysis

58:14 - Can this technology be weaponised?

01:00:48 - Technology dependency

01:01:25 - Addictive meditation technology

01:04:39 - Ron reflects on Steve and the podcast

…

Previous episode with Ron Serrano:

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

To find out more about Ron Serrano, visit:

- https://www.facebook.com/groups/Dharmachanics/


For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

In this episode I am once again joined by Delson Armstrong, spiritual teacher, meditation virtuoso, and author of ‘A Mind Without Craving’.

In this interview, Delson responds to criticism and answers questions about his recent renunciation of attainments and revision of the Buddhist 4 path enlightenment model. Delson reflects on the pros and cons of questioning established religious doctrines and on the role of direct experience in challenging fixed views.

Delson comments on a recently leaked interview, shares his current position on Bhante Vimalaramsi and his TWIM meditation method, and compares Buddhism to traditional yoga.

Delson also recalls his own training in Kriya yoga, details the features of the particular lineage which he has begun to teach, and reveals methods of working with karma, chakras, and forgiveness.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep290-answering-critics-kriya-yoga-delson-armstrong

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

01:00 - Responses to Delson renouncing his spiritual attainments

02:56 - Criticism of Delson

04:08 - Has Delson abandoned the 10 fetter model and the 4 attainments?

05:18 - Delson’s leaked interview

07:58 - Breach of trust and betrayal of friendship

09:32 - Why redefine the Buddhist doctrines rather than reassess oneself?

12:46 - Delson’s experience vs cultural consensus

13:50 - Is Buddhist doctrine beyond cultural?

16:25 - Going beyond maps and Integral Theory

17:35 - Challenging fundamentalism and fixed views

18:43 - The jīvanmukta and other mystical traditions

20:22 - Transcending doctrinal chains of imprisonment

21:37 - Daniel Ingram’s revisions

23:07 - Delsonism vs Buddhism

24:44 - Should Delson leave the traditions alone?

26:09 - The role of tradition and Delson’s contribution

27:31 - Comments on TWIM

28:32 - Drawing on different traditions

30:03 - Current view

32:05 - Delson’s current opinion on TWIM and Bhante Vimalaramsi

36:26 - Delson’s training in Kriya yoga

40:16 - Which Kriya yoga lineage does Delson teach?

42:17 - Anyone can do Kriya yoga

44:09 - Short learning curve to samadhi

45:03 - Relaxing into awakening

46:39 - What is the point of the jhanas?

48:13 - Chakras and siddhi powers

51:37 - Deities and chakras

53:26 - The Yoga Sutras on siddhi power

55:07 - Karmic acceleration and misconceptions about chakra work

58:00 - How to release karma

01:00:03 - Kriya yoga approach to work with chakras

01:00:34 - The power of forgiveness

01:01:51 - TWIM vs Kriya, Yoga vs Buddhism

01:07:37 - Delson’s recent experience teaching Kriya yoga

01:11:35 - Initiation in Kriya yoga and tantra

01:15:51 - Secrecy as a marketing tool

01:17:17 - Delson reflects on his teaching career

01:19:23 - Scientific tests on Delson, can he still meditate?

`
…

Watch previous episodes with Delson Armstrong:

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

Find out more about Delson Armstrong:

- Personal Site: https://www.delsonarmstrong.com/

- YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@delson999

- Delson's Foundation: https://www.freedom-of-mind.org/

…

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

In this episode I am joined by Dr. William Rory Dickson an associate professor of Islamic Religion and Culture at The University of Winnipeg and author of “Dissolving into Being: The Wisdom of Sufi Philosophy”.

Professor Dickson takes a deep dive into the life and works of Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī (1207-1273 AD), a 13th century Sufi poet whose works have become famous all around the world.

Professor Dickson recounts the fascinating life of Rūmī, including his flight from Mongol invasion, his education in Islamic law, his life-changing encounter with the wild, mystical dervish Shams-i Tabrīzī, and his far-reaching legacy in Asia and beyond.

Professor Dickson also explains the anti-Rūmī movements within modern Islam, challenges criticism of Coleman Barks’ popular renderings of Rūmī’s verse, and explores the controversial Sufi metaphors of intoxication by wine and passionate desire to describe the practitioner’s relationship with God.

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Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep289-mystic-poetry-of-rumi-professor-william-rory-dickson-3

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

01:25 - The life of Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī

03:39 - Neither universalist nor orthodox

05:09 - Rūmī, sharī’ah law, and radical Islam

07:08 - The range of Sufi expression over history

07:56 - The wandering dervishes

08:42 - Rūmī’s life-changing encounter with the radical dervish Shams-i Tabrīzī

09:56 - 3 stages of self-annihilation through love

11:14 - Shams-i Tabrīzī’s illicit alcohol use

13:36 - Rūmī’s spiritual poetry

16:13 - Rūmī’s explicit invectives

17:07 - Rūmī’s mystic father

19:08 - Mongol domination of Central Asia and Rūmī’s flight

21:29 - Rūmī’s colourful insults

22:52 - Challenging empty, orthodox religious forms

26:51 - Lack of nuance in the Rūmī wars

29:22 - Rūmī’s two major legacies

31:37 - The role of Sufi orders in different cultural contexts

33:48 - The anti-Sufis and a radical forgetting of Rūmī within Islam

35:37 - Coleman Barks and the Rūmī wars

37:23 - Criticism of Coleman Barks

39:06 - Coleman Barks was a Sufi

39:50 - Coleman Barks as an entry point

41:21 - The conundrum of translated literature

43:46 - How to communicate across cultures without losing the essence

45:12 - Rory’s enjoyment of Chogyam Trungpa

46:27 - Passionate desire and intoxication on wine

48:30 - Pre-Islamic Arab poetry, “gangster rap”

49:33 - Passionate love poetry

50:55 - Romantic streak in Arab culture

51:53 - Influence of Persian culture on Muslim mystic metaphors

52:46 - Sufism’s Neo-Platonism

55:50 - Remembering the One and Tantric practice

56:59 - Integrating the sensual and the spiritual

59:18 - Appreciation of pleasure as a vehicle to God

01:00:07 - Sufi sexuality and the paths of Jesus vs Mohammad

01:05:28 - Scandalous to orthodox Islam

01:07:48 - Knowing God directly

01:09:53 - Categorising God vs Sufi gnosis

01:11:18 - Executed Sufi master

01:11:54 - Is Sufism inappropriate?

01:13:26 - Wine in Sufism and Islam

01:17:39 - Love is brutal


…

Previous episodes with Professor William Rory Dickson:

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

To find our more about Professor William Rory Dickson, visit:

- https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/experts-guide/william-rory-dickson.html

- https://anqa.co.uk/publications/dissolving-being

…

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

In this episode I am once again joined by Naomi Levine, author, under her birth name Norma Levine, of several books including ‘The Miraculous 16th Karmapa’, ‘A Quest For The Hidden Lands’, and ‘Chronicles of Love and Death: My Years With The Last Spiritual King of Bhutan’.

In this interview, Naomi discusses her latest writing about the apocalyptic prophecies of the Kālacakra tantra, a Tibetan Buddhist scripture promoted by the Dalai Lama.

Naomi discusses the doctrine of the dark age known as the “Kali Yuga” including its origins, its signs and symptoms, and Buddhist ideas about its unfolding. Naomi tells the story of Shambala, a mystical kingdom ruled by enlightened, bodhisattva kings, and reveals the prophesied holy war which the Kālacakra tantra claims will see the Shambala army face off against barbarian hordes.

Naomi also discusses the surprising implications of the Dalai Lama’s mass Kālacakra initiation rituals, the role of stūpas and other religious monuments in geomantic magick, and how she personally deals with a sense of impending apocalypse.

…

https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep288-apocalypse-now-naomi-levine

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

…

Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro

01:18 - What is the Kali Yuga?

06:38 - Moral and environmental degeneration

10:14 - When did the Kali Yuga begin?

12:39 - Signs of the Kali Yuga and climate change

15:55 - Multi-dimensional reality and hidden lands

17:44 - Naomi’s pilgrimage to the hidden land of Pemako

20:42 - The Pure Lands in Buddhist cosmology

21:57 - The kingdom of Shambala

26:25 - Seeking Shambala

27:28 - The Kālacakra Tantra

30:28 - Prophecy of the battle of Shambala

33:42 - Good vs evil

35:26 - Does the Kālacakra refer to Islam?

37:42 - Why does the 14th Dalai Lama give Kālacakra initiations?

39:33 - Inner or outer battle?

43:01 - Tai Situ’s interest in the timespan between Buddhas

44:55 - Is Shambala just a myth?

46:09 - What is Shambala?

47:35 - Shangri-La and Hilton’s “Lost Horizons”

48:28 - Chogyam Trungpa’s version of Shambala

51:50 - How geomancy and building stupas affect world events

52:48 - Stupas as geomantic magic

56:56 - Cancelling Jane Austen

57:52 - Dissolution of the elements

59:45 - Tukdam

01:01:47 - How Naomi responds to the end times

01:05:33 - The constantly shifting drama of world events

01:06:43 - Suggestion for non-Buddhists

01:07:48 - Naomi asks Steve’s opinion

01:09:14 - Prophecies of lamas and other mystics

01:10:09 - Apocalyptic thinking and displaced death anxiety

01:10:31 - Naomi’s attitude towards death

…

Previous episodes with Naomi Levine:

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

To find out more about Naomi Levine, visit:

- https://www.facebook.com/naomilevine111

- https://www.amazon.com/stores/Norma-Levine/author/B001K86LZ4?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

In this episode I am joined by Dr James Cooke, Oxford-trained neuroscientist, spiritual teacher, and author of “Dawn of Mind: How Matter Became Conscious and Alive”.

James recounts how, at aged 13, an existential crisis driven by fear of hell saw him emerge into a profound mystical opening. James shares the radical changes he experienced and traces his subsequent years spent exploring and integrating this spiritual breakthrough.

James recalls his improbable journey to winning a place at Oxford University, discusses the remarkable overlaps he found there between cutting-edge neuroscience and his own awakening, and reveals the social structures of elite education in the UK.

James details the arduous and often overlooked post-awakening work of surrendering egoic structures and releasing attachments, explains why enlightenment is both a gain and a loss, and reflects on the challenges of teaching nonduality as a natural mystic.

…

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

01:07 - Why did James write Dawn of Mind?

03:43 - Making consciousness science accessible

04:41 - Catholic upbringing, an overly conscientious child

05:49 - Disturbed by hell

06:38 - Existential rumination, a crisis of faith

08:27 - Spiritual awakening at age 13

09:54 - Aftermath of James’ awakening

12:59 - Life affirming vs death affirming phases of awakening

15:16 - Letting go of attachments

17:24 - What happened to James’ excessive conscientiousness?

20:00 - Two mistakes about the no-self

21:15 - Freedom from extremes, letting go

23:39 - The dissolving self

24:44 - Is therapy necessary?

26:44 - Meditation as a gradual path

27:15 - Meditation vs therapy

28:37 - Practice in life vs joining a monastery

30:11 - Can a natural mystic really teach others?

32:37 - Alienation through spiritual language

33:21 - Enlightenment as loss

34:27 - 3 types of spiritual teacher

36:30 - James’ profile as a teacher

37:47 - Self-aggrandising nondual teachers

38:38 - Spiritual influences

40:40 - Adyashanti & the end of suffering

42:08 - Buddhist progress of insight model

43:59 - Volatile teenage years

44:57 - Extreme somatic tension

36:25 - Difficult integration phase

47:39 - Oxford University, dealing with pressure

50:26 - How James got into Oxford against all odds

54:07 - Social context of elite education in the UK

56:52 - The Oxford wound

58:11 - The mystic’s mistake, post-awakening

01:00:15 - James’ research path at Oxford

01:01:39 - Opening a path for others + psychedelic experimentation

01:04:13 - James’ last psychedelic trip

01:05:12 - Working with Beliefs

01:07:29 - Unravelling resistance & faking it

01:10:40 - Is there an end to post-awakening work?

01:13:54 - James’ experience of intimate relationships

01:17:25 - Charlatans and why awakening can be off-putting for friends

01:19:30 - Alienating terminology

01:19:48 - Feeling isolated after awakening

01:20:33 - Mimicking awakening, the nondual teaching circuit

01:22:05 - Why did James wait so long to go public

01:25:57 - Reaction of James’ family

01:26:51 - Moral perfection

01:30:37 - Why James doesn’t like the word “enlightenment”

01:31:10 - The problem with “awakening”

01:32:31 - Language phases, changing the lingo

01:33:20 - The Borg and analogies for awakening

01:34:42 - Siddhi, intuition, supernatural powers

01:36:48 - Insecure rockstars, kundalini

01:38:39 - The language game

01:39:11 - Hearing voices, the dramatising brain

01:40:58 - World as a shared hallucination

01:42:45 - Does James suffer?

01:44:56 - Gross vs subtle suffering

01:45:52 - An experience of physical pain

01:47:08 - Meditative austerities vs life practice

01:50:46 - Trainings in equanimity

01:51:49 - Ideas in Dawn of Mind

01:53:20 - An instinct for empowerment


…

To find our more about James Cooke PhD, visit:

- https://www.drjamescooke.com/

- https://www.innerspaceinstitute.org/

…

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

In this episode, filmed on location in Kathmandu, I am joined by Radha Krishna Upadhyaya, an astrologer, clairvoyant, Kriya Yogi, & disciple of Tibetan Buddhist master Sakya Trizin.

Radha Krishna recalls his birth and childhood in Western Nepal, his traditional Brahmanical education & service to great saints, & initiation into his family’s Kuladevata lineage devoted to Mashta Devata.

Radha Krishna recounts details of his years in forest retreat, his practice of Kriya Yoga and Advaita Vedanta & the process of purifying the energy channels, & why an encounter with Sakya Trizin radically reoriented his life towards Buddhist practice.

Radha Krishna also discusses his own & his family’s history of siddhi powers, his encounters with spiritual beings & mysterious forest creatures, describes his unique astrological method, & shares five observations about the Westerners for whom he has provided divination services.

For an explanation of the timestamps, visit episode page at guruviking.com.

01:04 - Benefits of Kora

02:27 - Why make offerings

03:31 - Power of blessed places

05:07 - 4 types of liberation

05:56 - Brahmin birth & upbringing (Q)

06:33 - N

07:31 - E

09:26 - Astrological significance of Panditji’s birth (Q)

09:36 - N

11:05 - E

12:49 - Unusual childhood traits (Q)

13:10 - N

15:02 - E

16:49 - Coming of age & Brahmanical education (N)

17:20 - E

18:40 - Why was Panditji sent?

19:25 - Serving great saints (Q)

19:42 - N

21:55 - E

23:43 - Brahmanical curriculum (Q)

23:47 - N

25:09 - E

25:52 - Initiation into the family Kuladevata lineage (E)

26:59 - Details about the family Kuladevata lineage (Q)

27:23 - N

29:28 - E

30:18 - Receiving guidance from the deity (E)

31:18 - Rites of propitiation of Mashta Devata and the deity as source of knowledge (N)

32:41 - E

34:01 - The deity enters a devotee’s body as a chosen vessel (N)

35:26 - E

36:43 - Panditji’s siddha grandfather (N)

39:23 - E

41:16 - Stories of the power of Mashta Devata (E,N)

46:17 - A story of Śaṅkarācārya’s encounter with Panditji’s grandfather (N,E)

51:23 - Has Mashta Devata ever entered into Panditji? (Q)

51:35 - N

52:31 - E

53:29 - The desire for deeper spiritual practice & retreat (Q)

53:53 - N

57:37 - E

01:00:23 - Encounter with a mysterious forest creature (E)

01:01:31 - Living in the forest, family intervention, & fleeing marriage (N)

01:03:06 - E

01:05:10 - Who was the mysterious forest creature?

01:09:09 - 7 years wandering in India; study of Advaita Vedanta & Kriya Yoga (Q)

01:09:26 - N

01:12:51 - E

01:16:50 - Effects of this period of yogic practice (Q)

01:17:17 - N

01:20:05 - E

01:22:11 - Panditji’s unusual astrology method (Q)

01:22:17 - N

01:23:46 - E

01:26:23 - Sadhana-based astrology lineage (Q)

01:26:29 - N

01:27:26 - E

01:28:24 - Responsibilities & requirements for the siddha practitioner (Q)

01:28:39 - N

01:31:23 - E

01:34:13 - Miraculous siddhi powers of Kriya Yoga & meditation (Q)

01:34:57 - N

01:36:39 - E

01:39:51 - Therapist’s intuition vs perception of karma (N,E)

01:41:04 - Liberating a patient’s karma (Q)

01:41:09 - N

01:41:42 - E

01:42:09 - Meeting Sakya Trizin & a profound turn towards Buddhism (Q)

01:42:34 - N

01:44:13 - E

01:46:51 - Physical pain & other obstacles during inner yoga (Q)

01:47:24 - N

01:48:23 - E

01:49:13 - Why was Panditji open to Sakya Trizen & Buddhism? (Q)

01:49:50 - N

01:51:54 - E

01:53:52 - Gradual opening, despite social cost (N)

01:54:33 - E

01:56:23 - Impressed by Sakya Trizen (Q)

01:56:34 - N

01:57:08 - E

01:58:18 - Did Panditji stop being a Brahmin priest? (Q)

01:58:29 - N

01:59:35 - E

02:00:28 - Dramatic loss of social position (Q)

02:00:42 - N

02:01:40 - E

02:02:18 - Accomplishment in Buddhadharma (Q)

02:02:30 - N

02:02:59 - E

02:03:14 - Explanation of Panditji’s current astrology practice (Q)

02:03:53 - N

02:07:23 - E

02:14:37 - 5 observations about Westerners & Western culture (Q)

02:15:05 - N

02:18:19 - E

02:20:52 - Advice for Steve (Q)

02:21:08 - N

02:22:59 - E

During a recent trip to Nepal, I met with frequent podcast guest Lama Glenn Mullin, spiritual teacher, Tibetologist, and author of over 30 books on Buddhism.

Glenn was in Kathmandu to lead a group of over fifty pilgrims into tantric retreat in the nearby mountains and graciously agreed to film with me at various sacred sites before and after their retreat.

In this video, Glenn and I travel to Swayambhu Stūpa, a sacred monument venerated by both Buddhists and Hindus. First, we circumambulate the base of the hill. Then Glenn is joined by some of his students and ascends the hill to the main stūpa.

Along the way, Glenn explains the history of the site as well as the symbolism of its architecture, sacred statues, and inscriptions. Glenn also discusses Shaivite and Tantric Buddhist relations and their shared power centres, the three kāyas and the tulku tradition, and the use of psychoactive substances such as soma in spiritual practice.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep285-swayambhu-stpa-lama-glenn-mullin

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

01:10 - History of Swayambhu

04:07 - Recent development at Swayambhu

07:32 - Glenn jokes with the ladies of the cleaning team

09:29 - Legendary origins of the Tibetan people

10:52 - The Tamang people

11:28 - Maoist mountain guerrilla activities

14:51 - Je Tsongkhapa statue

15:28 - The death of the Buddha and the 8 Great Stūpas

16:54 - Glenn explains mantras of compassion, wisdom, and power

17:45 - Sang offerings and sang kilns

19:50 - On Bodhi trees

20:52 - Shaivite and Buddhist relationships and shared power centres

22:29 - Shiva Babas, chillum smoking, and use of drugs in spiritual practice

24:04 - 5 ways to generate clairvoyant power

24:38 - Buddhist use of mind-altering substances and sacraments

26:00 - Bengali masters in Swayambhu

26:56 - Religious exclusivity

29:01 - Use of substances such as soma in tantric Buddhism

31:08 - Nagi Gompa and Tulku Urgyen’s sons

33:10 - Circumambulating a perimeter stūpa

35:09 - The cultural significance of circumambulation

36:00 - Bönpo Triten Norbutse Monastery and dark retreat

37:02 - Teaching on the 3 kāyas

39:29 - Explanation of the tulku tradition

43:44 - Further explanation of the 3 kāyas in terms of method and enlightenment

46:53 - Meaning of offering butter lamps

48:45 - Glenn’s practice of giving money to beggars

51:10 - The monkey temple

52:05 - Exponential merit during Saga Dawa

53:52 - Ritualised scripture recitals

55:01 - Carving sacred mantras and symbols on slate

57:17 - The power of statues and temples

59:07 - The meaning of “Swayambhu”

01:01:11 - Explanation of stūpa design

01:02:36 - Explanation of dharmaśālās

01:05:10 - Buddhas past, present, and future; and the spread of Buddhism

01:10:14 - Teaching on the 5 animals

01:13:04 - Circumambulating the main stūpa

01:15:02 - Mantra and prayer offering site for protection of babies

01:16:14 - Teaching on the five elements and transforming emotions

01:18:07 - Challenging spiritual elitism

01:19:42 - Legends of previous Buddhas’ visits to Swayambhu

…

Previous episodes with Lama Glenn Mullin:

- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=glenn%20mullin


To find out more about Lama Glenn Mullin, visit:

- http://www.glennmullin.com/

- https://www.facebook.com/Maitripa.Glenn

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James


Thanks to Norbu Samphel for checking my translation of the Tibetan language section.