In this episode, I host a dialogue between Brad Warner, Zen teacher, Youtuber, and best-selling author of “Hardcore Zen”; and Shozan Jack Haubner, ex-Zen Monk, Youtuber, and prize winning author of the memoir “Zen Confidential: Confessions of a Wayward Monk”.

Brad and Jack explore their own journeys as writers, the humorous and confessional elements in their work, and the complications of writing about real life events that involve other people.

Brad and Jack reflect on what they see as the politicisation of American Zen, describe how religious institutions can compromise their principles when faced with financial and political pressure, and explain their own efforts on Youtube and elsewhere to challenge hegemony and encourage a return to essential Zen.

Brad and Jack also discuss facing criticism as public figures, consider some of their more controversial videos and views, and reveal how they stay centred amidst the polarising forces of today’s internet and social media world.

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Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep271-zen-confessions-brad-warner-shozan-jack-haubner

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

01:10 - Radical self disclosure

02:49 - Why Brad began writing about Zen

05:59 - Hardcore Zen and success

06:48 - Noah Levine’s Dharma Punx

07:50 - Jack’s initial Zen writing

10:43 - Complications of being ordained

12:34 - When people find out

13:40 - Protecting others’ identity

16:29 - Compromise thru affiliation with Zen organisations

18:08 - Selling meditation as a product

21:03 - Austrian Zen and hard retreat

22:44 - Mainstream mindfulness

23:37 - Wearing Zen robes

24:55 - Why Brad stopped teaching in the USA

25:45 - Hostility in NYC

27:50 - Zen apprenticeship and closing the doors

30:53 - Boomer hippy ideals vs real Zen

31:45 - US Zen hegemony

35:11 - Politicised Zen and 80s televangelists

36:20 - Bullying and fixed views

37:25 - Sasaki Roshi’s scandal and encounters with boutique Zen teachers

39:02 - Politicisation of US Zen

41:07 - Financial pressure and running an institution

44:59 - Brad on Sasaki Roshi

47:16 - Sweeping Zen

48:08 - Challenging socio-political trends in American Zen

50:08 - Hijacking Zen

56:06 - The Jack Kornfield problem

59:20 - Attacked from both sides

01:01:16 - Right wing Zen

01:03:54 - Demonising the other side and facing your shadow

01:09:40 - Abuse and pushing your buttons

01:12:10 - Being too nice

01:13:28 - Self-justification

01:14:57 - Co-opting Zen

01:16:09 - Sasaki beats a lazy student

01:19:06 - The danger of Zen practice

01:23:06 - Patron priest corruption

01:24:58 - Dealing with negative feedback on social media

01:33:24 - Internet radicalisation and keeping your head

01:38:52 - Watching your equilibrium

01:39:49 - Jordan Peterson vs Zen

01:43:07 - Teachings vs entertainment

01:46:00 - Why Rinzai is evil and Soto sucks

Previous episode with Brad Warner:

- www.guruviking.com/podcast/155-hardcore-zen-brad-warner

Previous episodes with Shozan Jack Haubner:

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

…

To find out more about Brad Warner, visit:

- http://hardcorezen.info/

- https://www.youtube.com/c/HardcoreZen

To find our more about Shozan Jack Haubner, visit:

- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt9Q74t3o7AUCJ_bKTc5CgA

…

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, Nepal, I am joined by Jina Kusala, originally from Norway and now a wandering Theravada monk.

Jina tells the story of his traumatic childhood, the mental suffering and instability it caused, and how the Buddhist path provided a means to reckon with the pain.

Jina shares encounters with religious leaders such as Mingyur Rinpoche, recounts meeting previous podcast guest Bhante Jason and reflects on the profound time he spent under Bhante’s instruction.

Jina recalls his Himalayan wanderings and cave retreats, discusses the power of the 4 foundations of mindfulness, details the differences between Hīnayāna and Vajrayāna realisations, and explains why with incremental progress one may aim for sainthood.

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Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep270-wandering-monk-jina-kusala

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

00:56 - Background and recent travels in the Himalayas

01:40 - How to work with hardship

03:09 - Upbringing in Norway and traumatic childhood

04:30 - Healing trauma

06:21 - Redeeming trauma and helping others

07:42 - Chasing satisfaction

10:22 - Finishing high school and seeking

13:25 - Discerning the wholesome vs unwholesome

14:46 - First encounter with Buddhism in Norway

15:44 - Travel to Sri Lanka and attempts at meditation

17:17 - Jina suggests a location change

17:57 - Meeting Bhante Jason

19:19 - Sophisticated use of the 4 Foundations of Mindfulness

22:46 - Entering the 4 jhānas, clearing emotional blockages,

23:34 - Mechanism of gaining insight

24:31 - The Buddhist path in brief

24:59 - 3 kinds of delusion

25:35 - The 4 noble truths

29:14 - When the mind lets go

31:55 - Leaving Bhante Jason’s hermitage

35:21 - Making Jina’s broken mind functional

38:25 - A scripture parade

38:45 - A period of chaos and profound uncertainty

40:05- Stabilising and improvement of functionality

40:59 - Interpersonal difficulties and wounds of mistrust

42:52 - Manifestation of unprocessed trauma

43:55 - Becoming a cure for trauma

44:53 - Himalayan Buddhism as Jungian shadow work

45:49 - Jina’s karmic background with Himalayan Buddhism

47:02 - Differences between the realisations of early vs later Buddhist forms

49:16 - Formless states vs true nirvāṇa

52:25 - A private meeting with Mingyur Rinpoche and 5 month retreat in caves

54:40 - Plans for India

55:21 - Reflections on the wandering life

57:05 - Developing intuition and accessing the magical mind

58:59 - Reflections on the path, meaning, and ennobling character

01:00:43 - Learning from your mistakes

01:02:29 - Incremental improvement

01:02:32 - Aiming for sainthood

…

Kathmandu Interviews playlist:

- https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlkzlKFgdknwvU82dU487LhF_mF4AkGek&si=gFGJpi-fnLtxeyZ5

Previous Episode with Bhante Jason:

- https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep12-bhante-jason-guru-viking-interviews

…

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ and ‘Meditation’ by Steve James

In this episode I am once again joined by Damo Mitchell author, teacher, and student of the internal arts of Asia including Tai Chi and Daoist Inner Alchemy.

Damo draws on his background in the qi arts, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Western psychology to reveal the causes and symptoms of various types of qi and meditation related problems, including dragon sickness, nihilism and depression, scorched nervous system, entity possession, and more.

Damo explains the two most common triggers for qi illnesses, expresses warnings about working with spirits and reservations about tantric practices of deity and guru yoga, and differentiates true meditation from mere mental cultivation.

Damo shares his own spiritual encounters, considers whether or not it is wise to explain mystical experiences to students, and offers recommendations for those facing energetic or existential upset.

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Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

01:03 - Damo comments on Dr Willoughby Britton’s work

03:04 - Is meditation dangerous?

04:31 - Mediation vs qigong illnesses

06:15 - The illness threshold

07:06 - Why qigong illnesses are common

07:38 - Hunting sensation and hyper-stimulation of the nervous system

11:12 - Releasing the nerves

11:45 - Teachers who disclose vs those who withhold

1534 - Making progress or losing ground?

19:19 - Combining Eastern and Western psychological methods

23:00 - Meditation vs mere mental work

26:27 - Fascination with one’s own psychology

27:12 - Damo’s definition of mental illness

28:07 - Is mental work a preliminary to or distraction from meditation?

30:39 - Chinese terms for meditation vs mental work

32:23 - Comparisons with Patanjali’s 8 limbs of yoga

34:10 - Identity attachment

34:55 - Why teaching hurts your training

35:55 - Freedom vs negligence as a teacher

38:01 - Psychiatry vs traditional medical and religious models

41:03 - Two common triggers for qi deviations

42:34 - The dangers of going inside

43:32 - Qi side effects

44:14 - Advice for qigong teachers

45:19 - Scorching the nervous system

46:37 - Dragon sickness

47:43 - A case of dragon sickness that ended in suicide

50:04 - 5 types of qigong illness

51:38 - Entering into fire to encourage demons

52:39 - Nihilism from meditation

53:05 - Poison fire infecting the heart

54:19 - Criticism of sexual practice

58:06 - Contamination of the heart mind

01:00:25 - Love in the spiritual arts

01:01:49 - Demon possession or psychological disorder?

01:03:51 - How entity possession happens

01:06:27 - Lighting up the body

01:07:22 - A story about possession

01:08:58 - Seeking contact with entities through Falun Gong and tantra

01:11:56 - Don’t trust spirits

01:15:07 - Evolution away from shamanism

01:17:15 - Tulkus, dead gurus, and terma

01:20:05 - The cult of Avalokiteśvara and the Dalai Lama

01:21:07 - Risks associated with contacting ascended masters

01:23:42 - Reflections on deity yoga

01:25:15 - Quan Yin worship and personification of deities

01:27:52 - Premature ejaculation and sexual imbalances

01:31:36 - Damo’s mystical experience in a Bhutanese temple

01:35:19 - Questioning one’s own position

01:36:39 - Kundalini syndrome vs qi sickness

01:38:40 - What is kundalini syndrome?

01:39:55 - Commenting on Gopi Krishna’s kundalini account

01:41:26 - Karmic illnesses

01:43:39 - Pilgrimage and confession

01:44:30 - How to fix qi deviations

01:46:28 - Complicated cases and overpowering the incorrect patterns

01:47:22 - How extreme cases develop

01:48:43 - Scaremongering and the value of lineage

01:52:02 - Combining psychedelics with qigong practices

01:55:24 - Potency and risk

…

Previous episode with Damo Mitchell:

- https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep174-daoist-inner-alchemy-damo-mitchell

To find out more about Damo Mitchell, visit:

- https://damomitchell.com/

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

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

Khandro Kunzang recalls her childhood samadhi experiences and communications with animal spirits, her meetings with great gurus, and her own path of mystical experiences.

Khandro Kunzang recounts stories about Lama Dawa and Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche including tales of mirror divination, precognitive dreams, chulen mastery, and other yogic feats.

Khandro Kunzang also explains how to work with terror and collapse of the Self, how to hold a place in one’s practice for uncertainty, and the importance of the student’s capacity when working with a guru.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep268-sitting-with-terror-khandro-kunzang-dechen-chodron

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

00:52 - Early life and connection to nature

03:06 - Exposure to Eastern religion and samadhi experiences

05:38 - Powerful experience with a Buddha statue at 14 years old

08:07 - Initial Buddhist seeking

09:44 - Involvement in New Age

10:03 - Transformative resonance with Yeshe Tsogyal’s biography

12:42 - Collapse of the Self structure

14:11 - Active Buddhist involvement

16:31 - Taking refuge and life falling apart

18:34 - All in for Dharma

20:29 - Meeting Lama Dawa and open discussion of the spirit realm

26:29 - Karmic affinity with Lama Dawa

28:16 - Invitation to meet Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche

29:59 - Accompanying Lama Dawa on a 9 month tour

33:10 - The influence of Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

34:10 - Childhood communication with nature spirits and interest in environmental activism

38:20 - Dreams of guardian angel / dharma protector

40:42 - Feelings of alienation and other awakening experiences

44:58 - Past life as a Kagyu retreat master

47:00 - New Age interpretations

50:17 - Time as a sound healer

53:00 - More than mere appearances

54:13 - Trauma and the subtle body

55:52 - Lama Dawa’s yogic emphasis on experience

58:42 - Lama Dawa’s criticisms of scholars

59:55 - Bad death of a geshe

01:00:29 - Lama Dawa’s skill in debate

01:02:06 - Disillusionment with scholarship and social status

01:03:25 - Using the body to process trauma and “stuff” on retreat

01:05:21 - Intense experiences on retreat

01:07:18 - Discipline and music

01:09:08 - Constructive criticism and student capacity

01:11:27 - History of Lama Dawa and Kunzang Dorje Rinpoche

01:18:40 - Mastery of stone chulen and other yogic feats

01:23:12 - Mirror divination and other prognostication

01:31:21 - Living with a collapsed Self

01:33:16 - Sitting with terror and holding the place for uncertainty

01:36:14 - Working with the edge


…

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

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

…

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

In this episode I am joined by Gilbert M Gutierrez, Chan Buddhism teacher and a dharma heir of Master Sheng Yen.

Gilbert recounts his early childhood mystical and meditation experiences, his deep-dive into closed-door internal martial arts and nei gong systems, and the special abilities he both witnessed and unlocked.

Gilbert describes the unusual circumstances leading up to meeting Taiwanese Chan master Master Sheng Yen, and how an arduous meditation retreat and a powerful encounter with Quan Yin changed his life forever.

Gilbert also discusses exorcisms, ghosts, and vexing spirits, and tells stories of the pitfalls of using spiritual healing to sustain terminally ill patients.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep267-american-chan-master-gilbertm-gutierrez

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

00:52 - Childhood bardo memories

03:28 - Early meditation experiences

06:05 - A “roaming” Catholic and asking questions

10:26 - Studies at UCLA

11:37 - Studying closed-door martial arts systems

12:44 - Chinese master vs Japanese karateka

15:23 - Things are not as they appear

17:45 - Visionary experiences across time

19:37 - Nāgārjuna’s refutation of time and space

20:32 - True meaning of “no thought”

24:27 - The first level of Chan practice

25:53 - Nei gong studies and building chi

29:07 - Developing Wu Nien and related abilities

33:13 - Demonstrating abilities

34:52 - Meeting a qigong master and becoming his successor

39:52 - Healing abilities of the master

42:32 - Meeting masters and cracking the code

44:15 - Asking why we practice

45:33 - The dangers of using entities to empower your practice

50:39 - Meeting Master Sheng Yen

54:01 - Master Sheng Yen psychically anticipates meet Gilbert

58:59 - Suffering at first retreat with Master Sheng Yen

01:02:44 - Prostrating to Quan Yin and finding life’s purpose

01:06:37 - Metta, Karuna, and Henry Shukman

01:08:44 - Unconditional compassion

01:11:21 - True meaning of the Heart Sutra

01:18:45 - Moving from qigong to Chan

01:25:57 - Exorcisms, ghosts, and vexing spirits

01:29:42 - Buddha-perception and seeing other realms

01:31:10 - How do the Buddhas see the world?

01:35:33 - A vision of Quan Yin


…

To find our more about Gilbert M Gutierrez, visit:

- https://www.youtube.com/@chanmindwork/playlists 

- https://mind-work.mn.co/  

- https://riversidechan.org/   

…

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

In this episode, I host a dialogue between Guo Gu, Chan Buddhist teacher and scholar and author of ‘Silent Illumination: A Chan Buddhist Path to Natural Awakening’, and Meido Roshi, Rinzai Zen Abbot of Korinji Monastery and author of ‘Hidden Zen: Practices for Sudden Awakening and Embodied Realisation’.

Guo Gu and Meido Roshi reflect on their long friendship, recall their first meeting in 1989 at a meditation retreat led by Master Sheng Yen, and extol the virtues of dharma friendship.

They challenge common misconceptions about awakening, explain how to train the body in Chan and Zen practice, and reveal the suprising results of an integrated body-mind.

They also describe the enlightened field of a true master, the power of being close to one’s teacher, and how to master energy, time, and space.

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Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep266-meeting-of-masters-guo-gu-meido-roshi

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

00:58 - Meido and Guo Gu reflect on their friendship since 1989

08:20 - What is a dharma friend?

11:36 - Sharing experiences in Chan vs Zen

14:28 - Half baked experiences and marking history

16:25 - Keeping a practice journal

20:16 - Dreaming about Master Sheng Yen

24:30 - Developing as a teacher

28:30 - Embodying the master

31:04 - Master Sheng Yen’s sharp humour and private sarcasm

34:01 - Face to face training and being an attendant

35:55 - Drawbacks of online training

39:22 - The teacher as friend

41:46 - Dharma projections

43:16 - The resonant field of a master

47:42 - Embodied practice and interdependence of being

51:47 - The power of the retreat container

52:39 - The silent influence of one’s practice

57:33 - Learned bodily aptitude

58:39 - How to train the body

01:01:44 - Content and clear

01:04:32 - Mastering energy, time, and space

01:06:57 - Everyone is different

01:09:33 - The body-supporting experience

01:10:46 - Working with injuries

01:13:47 - Zazen emerges organically

01:15:20 - How to use the teacher’s influence

01:17:09 - Learning to let go

01:20:39 - “Put it down”

01:25:40 - Delusion is baked into the body

01:31:24 - Mind and body conditioning

01:34:20 - Solving problems

01:36:40 - Integrating the body-mind

01:30:01 - The entire universe is the true human body

01:38:30 - Putting down awakening

01:39:11 - Effort vs allowing

01:40:47 - Concluding remarks

Previous episodes with Guo Gu:

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

Previous episode with Meido Roshi:

- https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep98-meido-roshi-hidden-zen

…

To find out more about Guo Gu, visit:

- https://guogulaoshi.com/

To find our more about Meido Roshi, visit:

- https://www.korinji.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 Duncan Barford, occult practitioner, counsellor, and author of ‘Occult Experiments in the Home’.

Duncan discusses his own journey into the occult including reality-bending experiments with Chaos Magick, invocation of his holy guardian angel, identifying and relating to entities, and meeting his long-time collaborator, the magician and spiritual teacher Alan Chapman.

Duncan recalls his first encounter with Daniel Ingram’s “Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha”. He explains how he combined Daniel’s approach with Western occult methods and rituals to attain arhatship for himself.

Duncan declared his enlightenment on the internet and began teaching awakening in a short-lived venture called “Open Enlightenment”. Duncan reflects on the strongly negative reactions that both his declaration and teaching project received.

Duncan also comments on demonic affliction, both his own experiences as well as those of recent podcast guest Mattias Daly, the influence of social class and geographic location, navigating kundalini crisis, the intersection of mysticism and magick.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep265-occult-experiments-duncan-barford

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

01:19 - Occult experiments in the home

02:38 - Duncan comments on Mattias Daly’s demonic affliction

04:34 - Demonic or kundalini awakening?

06:27 - - Duncan’s own kundalini crisis

08:44 - Seeking guidance from Tara Springett

11:39 - Identifying entities

14:19 - Duncan’s specialism in counselling those having unusual occult experiences

17:05 - Finding the best paradigm

19:38 - Does Duncan prescribe magickal practice?

21:50 - Spirituality vs everyday life

24:42 - Meeting Alan Chapman and sustained interest in the occult

26:59 - Invocation of the Holy Guardian Angel

27:57 - Encountering Daniel Ingram and bringing awakening back to magick

30:31 - Duncan’s childhood interest in the supernatural and strange

33:13 - Gothic horror and psychoanalysis

33:52 - Beginning to explore magickal practice

35:03 - Moving from intellect to feeling and emotion

36:32 - Abandoning a PhD, meditation frustration, and life crisis

44:12 - Encountering Chaos Magick and leaning to bend reality

46:26 - Envy of Daniel Ingram and reception in the Chaos Magick community

49:40 - Are mysticism and spirituality compatible with magick?

51:09 - Using magick to induce mystical experiences

52:44 - Declaring arhatship and attaining the four paths

57:45 - Powerful experience with Andrew Cohen

01:01:43 - Advice from Christopher Titmuss

01:03:50 - Dreaming of Gary Numan

01:05:25 - Is arhatship the end of enlightenment?

01:07:09 - Duncan asks Steve’s opinion

01:09:07 - Did Duncan and Alan keep pace in their awakening path?

01:10:03 - The 3 doors and awakening with visions

01:13:39 - Fire kasina retreat with Daniel Ingram

01:16:26 - Why did Duncan declare arhatship?

01:17:59 - Ego inflation through magickal practice

01:19:08 - Negative responses to declaration of enlightenment

01:19:54 - Failure of Open Enlightenment and the compulsion to share one’s awakening

01:24:49 - Is UK conducive to spiritual and magickal work?

01:27:27 - Reflections on being working class

01:28:33 - Travellers vs locals

01:29:15 - Comments on the spectrum of entities

01:31:09 - Discount code for the Baptist Head Compendium


…

To find our more about Duncan Barford, visit:

- https://www.duncanbarford.uk/

…

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

In this episode, filmed on location in Boudhanath, Kathmandu, I am joined by Naljorma Tsül'dzin, an internationally acclaimed performance artist and ordained apprentice in the Aro gTer sect of Tibetan Buddhism.

Tsül'dzin recalls her childhood in rural Ireland, early cultural and occult explorations, substance abuse and recovery, and her international career as a performance artist under the name “Kira O’Reilly”.

Tsül'dzin traces her history with the Aro gTer sect of Tibetan Buddhism, from first encounter to full ordination, reveals her religious robes and the reactions they provoke, and explains her ongoing fascination with the Great Stupa in Kathmandu.

Tsül'dzin also considers the intersection of art and religious expression, the tension between practice and performance, ritual and spectacle, and reflects on her long-standing work with Serbian conceptual and performance artist Marina Abramović.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep264-vajrayana-performance-art-naljorma-tsldzin

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

01:04 - Inspiring example of Jomo Samphel Dechen Rinpoche

06:30 - Working with body and physicality as a practitioner

09:34 - Childhood in Catholic rural Ireland

11:55 - The 80s goth scene

12:43 - Linda Montano’s insight on Tsül'dzin and subcultures

14:07 - Occult explorations

15:09 - Substance abuse and entering recovery

16:29 - Studying fine art at university

17:36 - Encountering the Aro gTer Buddhist sect

20:22 - Group practice format in the Aro gTer

22:44 - Attraction to the Aro gTer

23:37 - Internationally acclaimed performance art career

29:08 - Deepening Buddhist practice

30:47 - Ordination and Kathmandu

31:28 - Performance art and religious ritual

32:50 - Meeting Marina Abramović

35:25 - The Golden Bough and ritual as performance art

36:16 - Working with Marina Abramović

37:50 - Performing at Marina Abramović’ recent London retrospective at the Royal Academy of Art

39:16 - West/East influence

41:34 - Marina Abramović as a teacher

43:45 - Wearing religious robes

44:48 - Conversations arising from wearing robes in public

47:08 - Explaining the colour scheme

49:56 - Robes and participation

53:00 - Fasting and preparing for the 12-day Royal Academy performance

57:41 - Street Dog Care

58:43 - Reflecting on spiritual experiences

01:00:20 - Time and space

01:02:27 - Why spend so much time in Boudha?

01:06:22 - Practice vs spectacle

01:07:15 - Prostrations

01:08:08 - Art and the Aro gTer

01:09:44 - Secular vs religious art

01:12:04 - Disappointment with Western Buddhist art

01:14:08 - Recommendations for when visiting Boudha

01:14:36 - How to have impromptu conversations

…

Boudhanath Interviews playlist:

- https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlkzlKFgdknwvU82dU487LhF_mF4AkGek&si=gFGJpi-fnLtxeyZ5


…

To find our more about Naljorma Tsül'dzin, visit:

- https://www.instagram.com/naljormatsuldzin/

- https://www.kiraoreilly.com/

…

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 Mattias Daly, Taoist practitioner and translator of ‘Taoist Inner Alchemy’, published by Shambala.

Mattias tells the story of his affliction by a malevolent entity, a demon attached to his ancestral line for generations. Mattias details the progression of his symptoms and his terror as the being began to take deeper hold on his body and mind.

Mattias recounts several attempts at exorcism, working with ritualists from Taoist, Catholic, Tibetan Buddhist, Spiritualist, and Māori traditions in increasingly desperate attempts to rid himself of the entity.

Mattias also explains various theories of demonology, the steps he now takes to avoid contact with such forces, and reveals the surprising reasons why he is sharing his story now, for the first time in public.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep263-possessed-by-a-demon-mattias-daly-3

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


…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

01:02 - Arriving in New Zealand

03:49 - Searching for a mentor

04:23 - Intense and unusual spontaneous meditation experiences

11:48 - Teacher’s advice

13:02 - Extreme experiences reach a crescendo

14:54 - Martial movements and speaking in tongues

17:34 - Self healing powers

20:26 - Meeting a new Qi Gong teacher

26:01 - Lead up to the exorcism

35:06 - Exorcism #1: Taoist

37:33 - Failure of the exorcism

42:06 - Exorcism #2: Catholic

50:18 - Challenge to Mattias’ materialistic world view

55:03 - Return to meditation practice and involvement with Tibetan Buddhism

58:38 - The demon returns

01:02:13 - Teacher advises to stop practice

01:04:37 - Exorcism #3: Tibetan Buddhist

01:09:26 - Demon breaks through and takes possession of Mattias

01:13:33 - A deeper level of possession

01:15:47 - Isolation and worsening symptoms

01:20:20 - Exorcism #4: Spiritualism

01:24:14 - Fear of full possession

01:25:35 - Exorcism #5: Māori

01:38:06 - Māori tohunga’s explanation of the exorcism

01:49:03 - Origin of the demon and ancestral ties

01:50:54 - Why did the demon try to take possession of Mattias?

01:54:11 - Care and safety around malevolent entities

01:59:19 - Contact with other entities

01:59:48 - Should you learn exorcism?

02:02:23 - Sleep schedule and dreams

02:03:16 - Chinese demonology

02:07:15 - Ghost sightings

02:10:38 - Why is Mattias sharing this story now?

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Watch the previous episodes with Mattias Daly:

- https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep244-taoist-adventures-mattias-daly

- https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep251-taoist-inner-alchemy-mattias-daly-2

To find our more about Mattias Daly, visit:

- https://www.shambhala.com/authors/a-f/mattias-daly.html

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For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- https://www.guruviking.com

…

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

In this episode, filmed on location in Boudhanath, Kathmandu, I am joined by Dorje, an American Vajrayana practitioner born in 1947.

Dorje recounts his childhood in the American South, his move to San Francisco in 1968, and his involvement in the early days of the gay liberation movement. He recalls the arrival of AIDS in 1981, the traumatic deaths of his close friends, and the impact of his own HIV diagnosis.

Dorje explains his conversion to Buddhism in the midst of a chaotic and stressful life, his 25 years as an ordained monk, the power of Yamantaka practice, and his understanding of the spiritual path.

Dorje also explores the deep relevance of the core teachings of Buddhism to his experience of the AIDS crisis, describes the rhythms of grief and death, and shares what he has learned about helping the dying.

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Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep262-life-of-liberation-dorje

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

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Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

01:03 - Dorje’s upbringing

02:07 - Dorje as a boy

02:59 - Career aspirations and becoming a lawyer

04:16 - Arriving in San Francisco in 1968

04:38 - Involvement in the civil rights movement

06:28 Early days of the gay liberation movement

09:13 - The Cockettes

11:48 - Gay political organising in Atlanta

14:02 - Arrival of AIDS in 1981

15:21 - Deaths of Dorje’s close friends

16:10 - Dorje’s HIV diagnosis

16:45 - Stages of grief

18:50 - Dorje’s HIV related legal and political work

20:39 - Activism vs realpolitik

23:06 - Encountering Buddhism

25:08 - Reading DT Suzuki and Evans-Wentz

25:46 - Shamata in a highly stressful of life

28:29 - Drawn to Tibetan Buddhism

30:39 - The life of the Buddha

33:57 - Modern insulation from sickness and death

36:14 - The Buddha’s quest for enlightenment

39:18 - 4 noble truths and the core of Buddhism

42:26 - How to develop wisdom

44:10 - The spiritual path

47:38 - Ordaining as a Buddhist monk

52:12 - The 3 jewels of refuge

54:05 - Challenges of living as a monk

56:14 - Moving to Nepal

57:48 - Why were some people slow to recognise the danger of HIV

01:02:25 - Helping the dying

01:03:27 - The rhythm of grief

01:06:43 - Actors and magicians

01:08:42 - Facing his own death

01:10:01 - The power of Yamantaka practice

01:12:10 - Living with an HIV diagnosis

01:17:06 - Leaving monasticism and solo retreat during Covid

01:19:28 - Aspiration to help those newly diagnosed with HIV

01:23:19 - How to help those with a new diagnosis

01:24:10 - Side effects of medication

01:25:31 - Climate change in Kathmandu

01:25:42 - Hippy trail and changing fashions

01:26:35 - Experimentation with psychedelics

01:27:51 - Unsung heroes of civil rights

01:28:53 - Dorje’s Great Stupa kora practice

01:30:07 - Compassion and the goal of practice

01:31:33 - Kora around the Great Stupa

01:32:34 - Developing compassion for others

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Boudhanath Interviews playlist:

- https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlkzlKFgdknwvU82dU487LhF_mF4AkGek&si=gFGJpi-fnLtxeyZ5


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For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James