Guru Viking Podcast

In this episode I am joined by Myriam Szabo, also known as Ngakma Yumma Mudra: dancer, producer, model, teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, and founder of the international Danza Duende Network.

Ngakma Yumma Mudra describes the path of the body, what it means to practice the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta through movement, and how to contact the blissful nature of mind with dance.

Ngakma Yumma Mudra reveals how she guides students to transform habitual tendencies into new expressions, how to read others, and why it is so easy to become stuck in the 6 realms.

Ngakma Yumma Mudra also discusses dance as art, how to infuse technique with goodness, and reflects on what it takes to be a true artist.

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Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep322-dharma-of-dance-ngakma-yumma-mudra

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

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Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro

00:54 - Path of the body

02:28 - Dancing without choreography

04:40 - Mindfulness of the body and the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta

07:25 - Empathy and reading others

13:11 - Art, technique, and the Path of the artist

16:15 - The Man Who Cried

20:53 - Structure and flow

22:27 - Working with students through dance

23:32 - Infuse technique with goodness

24:08 - Transforming habitual tendencies

26:06 - Bridging students’ technique into art

30:56 - First thought, best thought

35:49 - Blissful nature of mind

37:22 - Expressing bodhicitta

40:55 - Opening a fan of possibilities

42:09 - Getting stuck in the 6 realms

49:32 - All true Buddhist masters are unique

51:17 - Cleansing technique

53:47 - Attracting mostly women

56:06 - Trajectory as a teacher

01:00:29 - Whirling

01:03:36 - Attracting students

01:06:53 - Sequel plans

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To find our more about Ngakma Yumma Mudra visit:

- https://www.danzaduende.org/yumma-bio-en.htm

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 John Myrdhin Reynolds, also known as Lama Vajranatha: writer, teacher, translator, and scholar/practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. 

John shares his own decades of contact with the Bon religion, reveals its doctrines and practices, and gives a detailed history of its transmission in the West.

John traces the automythos of Bon, compares it to historical evidence and Buddhist accounts, and addresses the common critique that Bon is merely plagiarised Buddhism.

John also addresses misconceptions about the history of religion in Tibet, explains how to successfully practice multiple religious lineages, and reveals various means of attaining siddhi power through ritual and meditation.

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Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep321-tibetan-bon-lama-vajranatha

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

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Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro

00:53 - Bon vs Buddhism

01:35 - First contact with Bon and subsequent involvement

06:17 - Namkhai Norbu’s nationalism and promotion of Bon

06:44 - 2 authentic Dzogchen lineages

07:45 - Bon Dzogchen

09:10 - Later transmission period and folk religion syncretism

12:03 - Old Bon vs New Bon

13:06 - Bon’s automythos

14:11 - Snellgrove’s “9 Ways of Bon”

16:37 - Bonpo refugee community in India

18:08 - Reprinting of Bonpo texts in exile

19:31 - Gene Smith’s text preservation work

22:25 - Election of Lungtok Tenpai Nyima as the 33rd Menri Trizin

24:35 - Dalai Lama’s recognition of Bon as the fifth Tibetan school

26:39 - Bon scriptures

28:38 - Are gter ma authentic?

32:17 - Personal contact post-1959 and T Lobsang Rampa

33:27 - Academic work on Bon

34:44 - Geshe Tenzin Wangyal comes to the West

40:03 - Lopon’s interest in translations and USA activities

43:46 - New Age sponsorship of Bon

45:31 - Further USA activities

48:02 - Search for a Bon HQ in Europe + gtum mo studies

51:20 - Guinness sponsor a Bonpo HQ in Europe, blocked by aristocrats over Sogyal scandal

56:11 - Tenzin Wangyal’s USA activities and influx of Bon teachers

58:48 - Geshe Wangyal, Jeffrey Hopkins, and Robert Thurman

59:32 - Jeffrey Hopkin’s influence on Buddhist Studies

01:02:38 - Popularity of podcasts

01:04:11 - Samten Karmay

01:05:27 - Bon vs Buddhism & the question of plagiarism

01:07:34 - Bonpo one-upmanship?

01:12:44 - How to practice different lineages simultaneously

01:18:50 - Namkhai Norbu’s independent status

01:21:16 - Supernatural powers of Bonpo lamas and other spiritual beings

01:24:53 - Chatral Rinpoche’s siddhi powers and the possibility of miracles

01:27:24 - How to attain siddhi powers

01:30:32 - Tibetan vs gter ma in the rest of the world

01:33:06 - Accidental gter ma

01:35:39 - Misconceptions about the history of religion in Tibet

01:37:32 - Animal sacrifice and gtor ma

01:41:40 - Lithuanian’s unusual religious heritage

01:45:44 - Spiritual relations in India and Tibet

…

Previous episodes with John Myrdhin Reynolds:

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

To find our more about John Myrdhin Reynolds visit:

- https://vajranatha.com/

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

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

Dr Joffe leads a deep dive into the topic of divination, explores its underlying mechanisms and practical methods, and compares different cultural understandings of the practice.

Dr Joffe details his understanding of the tarot as a scholar and reader, shares his advice for those who wish to learn the system, and reveals how to use tarot for information gathering, sorcery, and magickal workings.

Dr Joffe also reflects on his own journey as a tarot reader, addresses criticisms that tarot and other psychic methods are exploitative, and considers the uneasy relationship between divination and licensed counselling.

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Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep320-divination-tarot-dr-ben-joffe

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

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Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

02:12 - What is divination?

06:08 - Synchronicity and randomness

09:37 - Dependent origination

14:34 - Ben’s extensive study of divination

22:13 - Mechanistic vs intuitive

29:17 - Scrying and establishing parameters

34:56 - Childhood divination

39:59 - What should divination mean for the client?

41:50 - Addiction to divination

43:50 - Cold reading and choosing a question

48:45 - Ben’s recounts his own history as a diviner

01:20:43 - Structure of the tarot

01:27:16 - How to read tarot

01:48:38 - Tarot reading mistakes

01:53:46 - Tibetan butter lamp divination

01:57:11 - Collaboration vs cold reading

02:02:10 - Studying the history of tarot

02:06:58 - 6 reasons to engage with tarot

02:09:22 - Critique of modern, inclusive decks

02:12:43 - Bad omens and gatekeeping

02:20:17 - Is tarot exploitative pseudo-counselling?

02:47:23 - Why not just become a counsellor?

02:54:19 - Is tarot over-psychologised?

02:55:25 - Ben reflects on his recurring clients

03:01:11 - The power of the right question

03:07:39 - Shaman and tarot reader as therapy-adjacent

03:13:18 - Does clairvoyance actually have value?

03:16:16 - Caution about taking life advice from Buddhist lamas

03:21:44 - Wild West of Tiktok diviners

03:22:49 - Anti-divination laws

03:29:14 - Tibetan and Buddhist divination


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Previous episodes with Dr Ben Joffe:

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

To find out more about Dr Ben Joffe, visit:

- https://perfumedskull.com/

- http://www.skypressbooks.com/

…

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

In this episode I am joined by Ray Russell, founder of Tartarus Press and, as R.B. Russell, the author of the newly published T. Lobsang Rampa And Other Characters of Questionable Faith, the first definitive biography of T Lobsang Rampa.

Ray shares the life story of Rampa, born Cyril Henry Hoskin in 1910, who claimed to have been possessed by the consciousness of a Tibetan Lama. Rampa’s books were best sellers in the mid 20th century and, though debunked by specialists at the time, are credited for bringing awareness to Tibetan Buddhism and serving as the initial inspiration for the careers of several notable Tibetologists.

Ray reveals the truth of Rampa’s origins, his various assumed identities, his ascent to international fame, the consequences of his exposure by the press, and the surprising reasons for his ongoing popularity.

Ray also reflects on the mystery of faith, the psychological payoffs from belief in hoaxes and conspiracy theories, and what motivates some authors to represent fiction as fact.

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Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/p319-mystery-of-t-lobsang-rampa-rb-russell

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


…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

01:10 - A look at the book

02:32 - Childhood exposure to world religions

04:31 - The New Age and the question of faith

07:04 - Denying scientific facts

08:04 - Mystical experiences

09:22 - Alan Moore and belief in magick

10:16 - Meaning and comfort from myths and religions

10:56 - Crowley

11:22 - Incredulity and fascination

13:04 - Suspension of disbelief and religious conversion

14:27 - Nutrients of meaning and comfort

15:39 - Facing death

17:26 - Does everyone have faith in something?

19:01 - Secular religion?

19:55 - Encountering T Lobsang Rampa

21:04 - Discovering Rampa’s fraud

22:19 - Third Eye (1956)

23:13 - Possessed by the consciousness of a Tibetan Lama

24:42 - Erich von Däniken’s clever approach

26:47 - Becoming first Dr KuanSuo and then T Lobsang Rampa

31:09 - Never coming out of character

34:28 - Inspiration for converts and scholars of Tibet Buddhism

36:00 - The Dalai Lama’s thanks to Rampa

36:45 - Liar, delusional, or the Son of God?

38:06 - Reactions among the inner circle

40:38 - Transmigration revealed too late

42:22 - Independent vs institutionally validated miracles

44:44 - Rampa’s theosophical ideas

46:52 - Mistakes in the Third Eye

47:53 - Nostalgia for childhood

49:24 - Which miracles to believe?

50:11 - Tibetologists on Rampa

52:34 - Carlos Castaneda

54:04 - Raynor Winn’s “The Salt Path” controversy

55:45 - Anger at Rampa

57:35 - Crop circles

59:29 - Tartarus Press and Arthur Machen

01:01:30 - Why “Tartarus"

01:03:09 - The Great God Pan and other Machen writing

…

Buy Ray’s book here:

- http://tartaruspress.com/russell-rampa.html

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

In this episode I am joined by Victor Shiryaev a teacher of Buddhist and modern meditation and somatic practices.

Victor recounts his childhood in the Soviet Union, early underground exposure to the New Age, and subsequent study of Avaita Vedānta and Ken Wilber’s Integral Theory.

Victor details his discipleship under American mindfulness teacher Shinzen Young, reflects on the tension between tradition and innovation, and shares stories of his own awakening experiences.

Victor also lays out his disagreements with Shinzen Young’s approach, critiques the Pragmatic Dharma’s use of maps and stages, and presents his own understanding of the spiritual experiences to be expected on the road to awakening and beyond.

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Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep318-modern-mindfulness-victor-shiryaev

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


…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

00:56 - Childhood in the Soviet Union

02:24 - Exposure to the New Age and psychotherapy

07:15 - Studying Chinese History at university

08:07 - Advaita Vedānta and Ken Wilber

09:18 - Unity experience

10:21 - Altered states and psychic phenomena

13:14 - Personal crisis

14:52 - Awakening in Myanmar

17:19 - “I know what I have is working”

19:17 - Meeting Shinzen Young and adopting his model

24:50 - Observational statistics

27:29 - Studying with Shinzen

29:27 - Divorce and launching meditation teaching career

31:00 - Finding a path thru crisis

37:10 - Writing a letter to nature

42:48 - Finding purpose in spirituality

44:15 - Victor’s teaching approach and activities

48:58 - Why go deeper in practice?

51:17 - Creating a culture of openness

58:33 - Shinzen & Ken Wilber vs Victor

01:05:16 - Being a clear conduit

01:19:32 - I am not a Buddhist teacher

01:12:40 - Experience vs faith

01:15:58 - Disagreements with Shinzen

01:17:43 - Disagreements with Theravāda

01:19:32 - Shinzen’s modernism and scientism

01:25:19 - Steve’s understanding of Shinzen

01:28:15 - Victor’s update on Shinzen’s scientism

01:30:50 - Heretics and reformers

01:33:39 - Fundamentalism and the world-centred view

01:30:39 - A world-centred view is also fundamentalist

01:42:50 - Victor on the Pragmatic Dharma movement

01:46:55 - Hypocrisy of Pragmatic Dharma

01:49:29 - Traditional vs modern practitioners

01:58:13 - Critique of maps and stages

02:06:18 - First stage: thoughts to presence

02:09:41 - Second stage: all experience is consciousness

02:12:09 - One taste

02:13:38 - Intimacy with all things

02:15:26 - The consciousness trap

02:18:18 - We shape our experience

02:19:10 - The pregnant void

02:22:32 - Victor’s view of the path

To find out more about Victor Shiryaev, visit:

- https://victorshiryaev.co/

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For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

In this episode I host a dialogue between Lama Glenn Mullin and Oded Rahav about the magic of the Dead Sea.

Oded shares how he fell in love with the Dead Sea, the power of story and the arts in communicating important messages, and why he believes water is a sacred medium.

Glenn reveals the power of sacred places and how they are formed through a combination of geomantic features and human spiritual activity.

Glenn and Oded explore the history of the Dead Sea region, trace 10000 years of Western mysticism, and discuss how the area may hold the keys to peace in the region.

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Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep317-dead-sea-magic-lama-glenn-mullin-oded-rahav

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

00:47 - Oded’s world record swim to save the Dead Sea

03:10 - The political complexity of the Dead Sea swim

04:11 - Falling in love with the Dead Sea

05:51 - Meeting Glenn Mullin

06:52 - How to build trust

08:08 - The powerful energy of sacred places

11:03 - The impact of humans on the earth

11:37 - Glenn talks about the Dead Sea

13:02 - How to relate to sacred places

14:19 - A great healing sea

14:55 - The Dalai Lama’s prophecy

15:39 - Saving the Dead Sea

16:48 - A potential peace initiative

18:45 - A million signatures

19:29 - Water is a scared medium

20:24 - Dead Sea stories

22:08 - Biological attributes of the Dead Sea

23:05 - Dead Sea is vanishing

23:38 - 4 main threats to the Dead Sea

27:55 - Water treating

28:55 - Practical solutions to political problems

30:03 - Power places and pilgrimage

32:03 - Magic of the Dead Sea

34:49 - Twin rivers and other initiatives

36:49 - Incentivising capitalism

38:00 - Poems about the Dead Sea

39:34 - Glenn’s history with the Dead Sea

40:27 - Arts initiatives

41:02 - More Dead Sea poetry

41:39 - 10000 years of Western mysticism

42:14 - Glenn’s message to listeners

43:36 - Oded’s invitation to listeners

45:41 - Geomancy vs human mystical infusion in creating sacred places

49:01 - Why save the Dead Sea?

50:04 - A future-oriented perspective

52:03 - How change happens

56:41 - Meditation caves next to the Dead Sea

57:34 - Meditation caves around the world

01:01:03 - Tibetan medicine and healing retreats

01:03:09 - Oded’s documentary

01:04:33 - Rheumatism and skin

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Previous episodes with Lama Glenn Mullin:

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

Find out more about Lama Glenn Mullin:

- http://www.glennmullin.com/

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

Find out more about Oded Rahav & the Dead Sea Guardians:

- https://deadseaguardians.org/team/


…

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

In this episode I am joined by Alex W, long term practitioner of Zen, Pragmatic Dharma, and Western Occultism.

Alex describes his journey from elite upbringing in Geneva; through NeoPlatonism, Zen practice, and magick; to advanced states of spiritual attainment and insight.

Alex tells stories of his discipleships under pragmatic dharma teacher Kenneth Folk and renowned occultist Alan Chapman and details the lead up to, and attainment and after effects of his own experience of enlightenment.

Alex recounts his successful operation of the Abramelin Ritual, a powerful kundalini awakening, and his ongoing encounters with spiritual beings such as Kālī Mā and Hecate.

…

https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep316-dharma-the-goddess-alex-w

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

00:55 - Elite upbringing in Geneva

03:50 - Religious experiences in America

05:39 - Major surgery and turn towards spirituality

08:05 - Immersion in a Hindu religious group

10:25 - First spiritual experiences and power places

12:07 - Interest in philosophy and the Kyoto School

13:05 - Law school and studying mediaeval philosophy

15:52 - Entering Zen Buddhist practice with Deshimaru Taisen

18:14 - Finding a real Zen master & understanding Zen in Japan

21:55 - Observations about Japanese religiosity

24:09 - 1996 financial crisis and internship in law firm

24:58 - Connecting with advanced practitioners online

26:53 - Interest in Chan Buddhism

30:08 - Japan vs Chinese and Korean monasticism

32:15 - Plateau after 15 years of Zen

33:01 - Daniel Ingram & Kenneth Folk

39:09 - No-self experience

39:54 - Become a student of occultist Alan Chapman

45:25 - Scrying the Enochian Æthyrs

48:02 - Visions and esoteric Christianity

50:09 - Abramelin Ritual w/ Alan Chapman

53:50 - Meeting the Holy Guardian Angel

56:32 - Approaching enlightenment

01:02:38 - Achieving enlightenment

01:10:59 - Consequences of enlightenment

01:14:45 - Confirmation by Stuart Lachs

01:18:54 - Massive kundalini experience

01:22:21 - Loss of interest in spirituality

01:23:21 - Spirit encounters in Santeria

01:27:23 - Strategic presentations of Tibetan Buddhism

01:28:13 - Difficulties after awakening

01:29:52 - Post kundalini energetic development

01:31:56 - Loss of fear of death

01:33:15 - Breathwork

01:34:54 - Opening of psychic senses

01:37:40 - Powerful encounters with Kālī Mā

01:45:03 - Meeting other Dark Goddesses

01:48:27 - Synchronicities and initiations

01:49:20 - Alan Chapman’s Magia

01:53:26 - Adventures in Bali

02:03:14 - Chinese Internal Alchemy & Mattias Daly

02:05:25 - Nan Huai-Chin

02:07:31 - Energy rewires for 12 years after awakening

02:09:11 - Neoplatonist theurgy

02:12:31 - Reviving the Western spiritual tradition

02:12:53 - Instructed by Hecate to be interviewed

02:14:31 - Specialties of the Western tradition

02:17:00 - Sacred geography and local deities

02:20:27 - #1 problem in the West

02:23:11 - Karmic connections

02:24:34 - Fall from grace after awakening

02:26:16 - Divine beings care about authenticity

02:28:15 - Sequel plans

02:29:57 - Praise for the Guru Viking Podcast

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For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

I was recently interviewed by Jake and Alex from the ⁨@mysterycollege⁩ about a wide range of topics.

...

Mystery College Shownotes:

Join Steve James—host of the acclaimed Guru Viking Podcast and founder of the Movement Koan Method—as he sits down with Jake and Alex Leonhart at the Mystery College Podcast to share his remarkable spiritual journey. Discover Steve’s unique insights gained from years of contemplative study, teaching internationally, and leading retreats at renowned centers, including the upcoming program at the Omega Institute.

In this interview, Steve discusses:

-His personal path through various spiritual and contemplative traditions

-Lessons from years in practice, solitude, and also wilderness survival

-The genesis and philosophy behind the Movement Koan Method—a fusion of mindful movement and deep embodiment

-Practical advice on meditation and humility

Whether you’re a meditation practitioner, a movement enthusiast, or someone seeking wisdom for spiritual growth, Steve’s grounded and experiential teachings offer a wealth of inspiration.

Connect with Steve James:

Website: https://www.guruviking.com

Instagram: / guruviking

Movement Koan Method: https://www.guruviking.com/shop

Guru Viking Podcast: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast

In this episode I host a dialogue between Dr Caroline van Damme and Lama Justin von Bujdoss.

Dr Caroline Van Damme is an adult psychiatrist and family and systemic psychotherapist specialising in chronic psychotic disorders, and co-teacher of Buddhist guru and Sowa Rigpa doctor Nida Chenagtsang. 

Lama Justin von Bujdoss is an American Buddhist teacher, dark retreat yogi, founder and spiritual director of Yangti Yoga Retreat Center in Buckland Massachusetts, and author of ‘Modern Tantric Buddhism’.

Caroline and Justin discuss the risk of psychosis during extreme religious practices, consider the rewards and dangers of dark retreat, and describe the different forms of hallucination.

Caroline and Justin warn about engaging in advanced practices too soon, consider the pros and cons of spiritual ambition, and offer a mental health checklist for those considering intensive practice.

Caroline and Justin also reflect on their own biographies, share challenges they have faced, and recount anecdotes of religious psychosis.

…

Video version: www.guruviking.com

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

01:08 - Justin explains the practice of dark retreat

5:55 - What is the purpose of dark retreat?

06:50 - Obstacles during dark retreat

09:39 - Distracted and disturbed by experience

11:08 - Sensory deprivation induces psychosis and delusional ideation

12:41 - Auditory or visual?

13:16 - Hallucinations in dark retreat vs in schizophrenia

18:51 - Practice prerequisites to dark retreat

21:10 - The purpose of intensive practice contexts

22:42 - Trekchod is the best antidote

23:38 - Justin laments the rush to do advanced retreats and practices

24:35 - Lack of mental health crisis intervention skills in Buddhist sanghas

25:38 - The devastating consequences of psychosis

27:09 - Sensory deprivation as torture and the “White Room”

29:01 - Tantric context of dark retreat and other challenging experiences

31:34 - Gek sel literature and “set and setting”

34:24 - Disastrous outcomes of Vipassana and other group retreats

38:19 - Mystical delusions and the manic state

41:59 - Consent, context, and the need for a guide

46:17 - Practice slowly, arrive quickly

46:51 - Extreme sports practitioners and disregard for tradition

50:24 - - Social pressure to avoid boredom

54:48 - A menu of spiritual materialism

57:10 - Outer, inner, and secret yidam practice

59:50 - Tilopa’s Six Nails

01:00:47 - Śamatha and raw-dogging

01:02:33 - Lojong

01:03:21 - Dream yoga and illusory body practice

01:05:14 - Walking meditation

01:05:28 - Frequency, duration, and intensity

01:08:21 - Spiritual ambition and Justin’s own training

01:13:10 - Ngondro and building a good foundation

01:14:12 - Bodhicitta as context

01:15:44 - A story of temporary insanity

01:17:29 - Health checklist for extreme spiritual adventures

01:20:17 - Dr Caroline’s difficult intake experience

01:22:02 - Spiritual bypass and the role of the teacher

01:24:13 - Long term relationships with patients and students

01:25:40 - John Welwood’s advocacy for psychotherapy

01:29:40 - Today’s lack of a long term relationship with the guru

01:35:22 - The power of relationship

01:40:00 - Justin’s concluding remarks

01:41:56 - Dr Caroline’s concluding remarks

…

Previous episodes with Lama Justin von Bujdoss:

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


Previous episodes with Dr Caroline van Damme:

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

…

Find out more about Lama Justin von Bujdoss:

- https://justinvonbujdoss.com/

- https://www.yangtiyoga.com/

Find out more about Dr Caroline van Damme:

- https://www.sowarigpainstitute.org/dr-caroline-van-damme

…

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

In this episode I am joined by Ani Pema, an American nun in the Tibetan Buddhist religion and former swami in the Siddha Yoga organisation.

Ani Pema recalls her childhood in Boise Idaho, her high flying career in fashion working for Vogue magazine, and how dissatisfaction with the American dream set her on a spiritual search.

Ani Pema details her sixteen years of close discipleship and ordination under the renowned Siddha Yoga guru Swami Muktananda, her transformative encounters with the 16th Karmapa, and her subsequent discipleship under Tibetan Buddhist teachers such as Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche and Namkhai Nyingpo.

Ani Pema also explains the powerful phenomena of shaktipat including the severe karmic consequences for its use, reflects on Western shaktipat gurus such as Rudi and Adi Da Samraj, and gives her heart advice for those who wish to follow the spiritual path.

…

Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep314-me-my-gurus-ani-pema

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


…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

01:06 - High flying fashion career

02:41 - Questioning the American dream

03:24 - Taking up yoga

04:02 - Meeting Swami Muktananda

04:55 - A precognitive vision

05:40 - Close study with Swami Muktananda in India

07:29 - Rigorous practice regime at the ashram

08:38 - Obliterating the self

11:02 - Muktananda as a vortex of energy

12:09 - A past life connection

14:47 - Swami Muktananda’s 1974 USA tour

19:17 - The serious karmic burden of giving shaktipat

20:09 - Attending the 16th Karmapa

22:02 - Leaving Muktananda’s organisation

22:55 - Becoming a disciple of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

24:24 - Becoming a disciple of Namkhai Nyingpo in Bhutan

26:03 - Working for Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche after he became famous

27:19 - You hire the guru to assassinate your ego

28:44 - Lichivi House

30:02 - Reflections on past gurus

31:23 - Rudi and shaktipat

32:28 - Adi Da’s ego and meeting with Swami Muktananda

36:33 - 4 methods of shaktipat

38:31 - Health consequences of offering shaktipat

40:25 - Dangers of unauthorised shaktipat

41:48 - Mind to mind transmission in Tibetan Buddhism

42:32 - 4-6hrs of chanting per day

43:24 - Celibacy and guru controversies

47:27 - Comparing 16th Karmapa with Swami Muktananda

49:19 - Kashmir Shaivism vs Tibetan Buddhism

50:39 - Depression after Swami Muktananda’s death

52:47 - Profound periods of purification

54:48 - Consequences of the spiritual path

56:23 - Do Tibetan teachers recognise Muktananda’s dharma?

59:18 - Meditation is beyond tradition

01:00:46 - Ani Pema reflects on her experience as a practitioner

01:03:55 - Ani Pema’s advice for practitioners

01:06:19 - Difficulties in following famous gurus

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To find out more about Ani Pema, visit:

- https://www.facebook.com/karen.schaefer

- https://dayananda-lifewithandafterbaba.blogspot.com/

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James