Guru Viking Podcast

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

Mary explains her activities as a modern spirit worker, reveals how to form and maintain working relationships with spirits, details the difference between spirit pacts and contracts, and warns about the unintended consequences of making deals with unknown beings.

Mary explores the problems associated with using the word “shaman”, offers a critique of modern shamanism training courses, and explains why many people who pursue shamanism would be better suited to a religious orientation to animism.

Mary also reveals her own aborted attempt at the infamous Abramelin ritual, details the resultant fallout and years of recovery, and reflects on the impact of magickal practice on mental and physical health.

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Full episode link in bio.

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


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01:00 - What is a modern spiritual worker?

02:20 - Why Mary doesn’t like to use the word “shaman”

02:44 - Mary’s problems with Core Shamanism

04:31 - Shamanism and patriarchy

05:34 - Why Mary doesn’t call herself a shaman

07:54 - Core Shamanism, Christian conditioning, and legacies of colonisation

10:58 - Anthropologists as shamanic teachers

13:21 - Training in Core Shamanism

15:41 - Critique of Core Shamanism and wounded healers

18:43 - Post-colonial critiques of modern shamanism

20:00 - Some people really want animism

21:42 - When shamanism goes wrong

22:33 - Cherry-picking shamanism and reconstruction

23:47 - Discernment and tainted gnosis

24:22 - Words have energy and the need for respect

26:36 - Mary uses the word “shaman” in her business and books

27:33 - Pervasive Christian conditioning

28:30 - Patriarchy in shamanism

29:38 - Pop-shamanism vs direct experience

30:55 - 20 years of teaching shamanism

32:16 - People don’t believe in spirits any more

34:04 - Modernity and scientism

37:06 - Modernity and shamanism

40:40 - Martin Prechtel engaging with indigenous shamanism

43:06 - Indigeneity and the routes to become a shaman

46:52 - What Mary tells people who feel called to shamanism?

49:05 - Conflating personal religious practice with professionalising

49:53 - How to get started in animism

52:55 - Which spirits and entities does Mary work with?

55:27 - Spirit relations

57:42 - Mary’s way of relating to spirits

59:33 - Spirit communication in dreams and through rituals

01:00:27 - Spirits who come to Mary

01:01:23 - Spirit contracts

01:03:56 - Spirit ID and the danger of spirit contracts

01:04:53 - The Buddha in Sri Lanka

01:06:35 - Be careful what you wish for

01:07:31 - Spirit Lawyering

01:07:52 - Healthy skepticism when dealing with spirits

01:10:00 - Cultural misunderstandings about spirits

01:11:21 - Don’t make a pact with a spirit

01:12:29 - Warning about spirit contracts

01:13:18 - Pact vs contract

01:16:41 - Mary’s training in Western Occultism and time in the Void

01:20:14 - Mary’s spiritual crisis

01:24:17 - Orienting to the Dark Feminine

01:27:09 - Two attempts at the Abramelin ritual

01:29:16 - Abandoning the 18-month Abramelin ritual

01:29:50 - How did Mary exit the ritual?

01:30:48 - Magick and mental health

01:32:36 - Psychotherapists for magicians

01:33:32 - Struggles with the Golden Dawn and pivoting to shamanism

01:38:24 - Christian monks did magick

01:38:55 - Giving up seeking

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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 joined by Johan Hausen, Taoist teacher, translator, Chinese medicine practitioner, and founder of Purple Cloud Press.

Johan shares his life story from years of competitive Tae Kwon Do, through his travels and travails in China in search of a master, and to his eventual training and discipleship in the Wu Dang mountains.

Johan reflects on his years learning Classical and spoken Chinese, considers the challenges of translating ancient literature for modern readers, and reveals the unique metaphors and analogies used in textual descriptions of Internal Alchemy.

Johan also describes the Taoist quest for immortality, explains his research into the dantien and the mineralogy of cinnabar, and recounts stories of his own encounters with spiritually advanced beings.

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

...

Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro

00:57 - Admiration for Mattias Daly

02:56 - Learning Chinese to better learn Taoism

04:53 - How Johan learned Classical vs Spoken Chinese

08:11 - Language is about communication

08:47 - Should we consult living masters about textual translation problems?

10:24 - Metaphors and analogies used in Internal Alchemy

12:53 - Why are there different ideas about the dantian?

14:12 - Is the dantian constructed or inherent?

16:12 - Elixir fields?

17:37 - Johan’s research on the mineralogy of cinnabar using Chinese texts

18:04 - The old alchemists’ surprisingly good understanding of organic chemistry

20:56 - Johan’s childhood and training in Tae Kwon Do

22:47 - Johan’s competitive Tae Kwon Do career of over 100 fights

25:18 - Injury and travel to China for healing

26:24 - Travelling to China at 20 years old to train Shaolin kung fu

28:48 0 Training methods of Shaolin kung fu

30:35 - Demystifying the myths of Shaolin training

33:08 - Recovery routine

34:26 - Illness and leaving China

36:15 - Returning to Germany and feelings of failure

37:47 - Leaving a film course in London to train in the Wu Dang mountains

40:32 - Meeting Li Shifu at the Five Immortals Temple

41:54 - Curriculum at the Five Immortals Temple

43:08 - Studying acupuncture and dedication to learning

44:19 - Years of study under Li Shifu and joining the lineage

47:26 - Struggles with being treated as a foreigner in China

50:50 - Growing resentment and leaving China

55:26 - Johan’s Dragon Gate Lineage

56:28 - The quest for immortality

58:53 - Details about Taoist Immortals

01:00:34 - Difficulty of becoming an Immortal

01:02:10 - Consolation prize if you fail to achieve immortality

01:03:38 - Ethical rules of the Dragon Gate Lineage

01:04:59 - A typical daily practice routine

01:06:47 - Singing the scriptures to communicate to spirits

01:09:26 - Taoist patron spirit of Wudang

01:14:45 - The remarkable qualities of Li Shifu

01:15:52 - Praise is bad in traditional Chinese teaching

01:17:05 - Is Li Shifu an Immortal?

01:18:02 - Johan’s reverence for his teacher

01:19:29 - Explaining culture clashes to Lif Shifu

01:20:33 - Is charisma and spiritual power inherent or cultivated?

01:24:45 - Li Shifu does not have attained disciples

01:26:05 - Is it really possible to achieve success in Taoism, or is it mostly just natural talent?

01:33:11 - Using gifted practitioners as inspiration

01:34:18 - Purple Cloud Press

01:35:56 - Johan’s goal to create community and preserve texts

01:37:09 - Search for location and funds


To find out more about Johan Hausen, visit:

- https://purplecloudinstitute.com/about-us/who-we-are-2/

…

For more interviews, videos, and more visit.

- www.guruviking.com

…

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

This trialogue continues a series of discussion exploring the latest interdisciplinary research into tantric completion stage practices such as yogas of dream, sleep, and death.

Dr Tawni Tidwell is a biocultural anthropologist and doctor of traditional Tibetan medicine.

Dr Michael Sheehy is the Director of Research at the Contemplative Sciences Center at the University of Virginia.

Dr Julian Schott is an Indologist, Tibetologist, and assistant professor at the University of Vienna.

Dr Tidwell leads a deep-dive into the mysterious death practices of tantric yoga, the post-mortem state of suspended animation called tukdam, and the history of scientific investigation into these phenomena.

Dr Sheehy explores the implications of tantric death practices on current scientific models of the body, Dr Schott reflects on Buddhist vs Cartesian notions of consciousness, and Dr Tidwell explains the cultural sensitivities of working with Himalayan gurus.

The panel also discuss the importance of osel - clear light awareness - in completion stage practices, the relationship between nonduality and transformation, and consider new research directions on the cutting edge of contemplative neuroscience.

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

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01:37 - Recap previously discussed themes

02:30 - Research in tukdam and yogic dying

05:17 - Researching dying spiritual masters

09:27 - Recruiting Tibetan monastics

10:33 - Cultural dynamics around studying tukdam

12:32 - Early phases & baseline measures

13:23 - Collaboration with the Russian Academy of Science

14:39 - What could tukdam contribute to science?

15:52 - American mortician shocked

18:40 - Biological aspects of tukdam

20:53 - Funding and reliance on Russian equipment

22:14 - What happens to the body after death

23:25 - Tukdam documentary

25:39 - Future direction for the project

27:15 - Skepticism about the project and growing body of evidence

30:45 - Siloed scientific disciples

31:22 - Catholic saints and attained mystics from other traditions

32:16 - Fundraising

33:05 - New learnings about the body and reflections on the Self

34:17 - The death process as a series of dissolutions

37:22 - Tracking heat, oxygenation, fluid movement, and visual imagery

44:27 - Buddhist vs Cartesian notions of consciousness

46:56 - Different tukdam methods across lineages

49:18 - Evan Thompson's theories of consciousness

51:24 - We can die in different ways

54:56 - Methodologically rich ways to attain wisdom

57:41 - The soteriological essence of Buddhism

01:01:35 - Human transformation and experiences of the edge

01:04:02 - Exaltation

01:05:03 - How do tantric techniques lead to tukdam?

01:09:04 - Tummo & vajra recitation to control subtle energies

01:10:41 - Dream, orgasm, and death

01:13:26 - Tukdam is counter-rational and challenges scientific reductionism

01:17:28 - The personal impact of witnessing tukdam

01:19:38 - Tantra is radical

01:20:38 - Julian quotes the Hevajra Tantra

01:22:40 - Can tukdam candidates be studied before death?

01:25:40 - Aggregate or sudden?

01:27:25 - Understanding osel, nondual awareness, and NDE

01:30:08 - Clear light sleep

01:33:04 - Challenging reductionistic paradigms

01:35:11 - The importance of nondual awareness

01:37:53 - Sentience and yeshe

01:41:44 - Exalted form in co-creation with consciousness

01:43:31 - Steve comments on scientific reductionist materialism

01:44:19 - What measurements has the project recorded?

01:47:04 - Julian’s closing remarks

01:47:31 - Tawni’s closing remarks

01:48:57 - Michael’s closing remarks

Previous panel discussion:

- https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep305-neuroscience-of-dream-yoga-dr-michael-sheehy-dr-tawni-tidwell-dr-julian-schott

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

I was recently interviewed by  ⁨@gabikoyenov⁩ about a wide range of topics for his podcast.

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Gabi's shownotes:

In this enlightening episode, I'm joined by Steve James, known as Guru Viking, who delves into his unique life experiences and the genesis of his intriguing persona. Steve shares insights from living on a boat, his personal religious exploration, and the profound impact of martial arts on his approach to discipline and personal growth. He highlights key influences in his life, including the significant impact of Bruce Lee. Additionally he explains his movement the Movement Koan Method, which helps in navigating emotional and physical tensions through joint nourishing movements.

Throughout our discussion, Steve explores the deeper layers of emotional pain, the risks of forced emotional exploration, and the benefits of an inquiry-based approach to meditation. He offers a critical look at the limits of meditation, the potential dangers of psychedelics, and the current state of spirituality in the Western world, providing historical perspectives and personal reflections on navigating modern challenges with ancient wisdom.

The episode concludes with Steve's thoughts on the concept of self and enlightenment, describing spiritual experiences as moments of 'sacred ordinariness.' This conversation is packed with insights for anyone interested in the intersections of spirituality, personal development, and modern life challenges. Tune in for a thought-provoking journey with Guru Viking on The Gabi Koyenov Podcast.

00:00 Introduction to Steve James

00:24 Podcast Purpose and Audience Engagement

00:51 The Origin of Guru Viking

03:19 Living on a Boat

04:51 Insights from Memorable Guests

06:32 Steve's Personal Religious Journey

11:35 Influence of Martial Arts

17:14 Impactful Books and Wisdom Literature

24:13 Developing Discipline and Motivation

29:02 Bruce Lee's Influence

33:55 Movement Koan Method

44:09 Understanding Habitual Tension and Stress

44:21 The Deeper Layers of Emotional Pain

44:47 The Risks of Forced Emotional Exploration

45:29 Inquiry-Based Approach to Meditation

47:08 The Limits of Meditation and Need for Professional Help

47:29 Modern Spirituality and Healing

48:02 The Dangers of Psychedelics

48:42 Exploring the State of Spirituality in the Western World

49:04 Historical Perspectives and Personal Reflections

59:18 The Concept of Self and Enlightenment

01:15:21 Spiritual Experiences and Sacred Ordinariness

01:24:31 Podcast Reflections and Future Plans

In this episode, I am once again joined by Dhammarato: a lineage teacher in the Thai Buddhist tradition. 

Dhammarato critiques Western and Asian Buddhist forms, including the Mahasi method, and addresses misconceptions about stream entry.

Dhammarato comments on The Shorter Discourse to Mālunkyāputta, explains why the Buddha refused to teach on certain metaphysical subjects, challenges reincarnation, and questions mettā bhāvanā.

Dhammarato also presents his understanding of the Buddha’s true teachings, how to find a guru, and reflects on his own training under Ajahn Po.

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Also available on Youtube - search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

...

01:52 - Reflecting on 80 years of life

02:36 - Western Buddhism

03:02 - Buddhism with a lot of baggage

04:42 - Buddhism’s inferior spread in the West

05:25 - Alan Watts was more Christian than Zen

06:33 - Steve reads a sutta

09:12 - The imponderables and what the Buddha left undeclared

10:06 - Reincarnation is not part of the teachings

12:29 - Dhammarato on the 4 noble truths

13:23- Enlightenment is immediately available

14:08 - Right samadhi

15:18 - How to be free of suffering

15:33 - Buddha only taught one practice: ānāpānasati

17:28 - The noble mind

19:50 - The four noble truths are the only teaching

20:35 - Life is not suffering

21:48 - The Mahasi method is wrong

22:13 - The 16 stages of insight is a misguided model

23:18 - Western Buddhism is a ripoff

26:37 - Magical teachings and the folly of attainments

28:21 - Mahasi attainments vs what the Buddha taught

29:09 - Avoid these aspects of Western Buddhist meditation

30:16 - Mettā bhāvanā is not a teachings

32:44 - How to become a meditation teacher

34:02 - 5 ways to gain the Dhamma

35:15 - Critique of meditation retreats

37:28 - Buddha’s path is easy

40:44 - Attainments and mutual validation

42:03 - Peoples don’t see their greed

44:03 - Don’t brag about attainments

44:30 - How to know is someone is enlightened

49:32 - Huge understandings about stream entry

57:48 - Why do people claim stream entry?

01:00:37 - Christian Buddhism

01:02:33- How to demonstrate attainments

01:05:45 - How to expose fake stream enterers

01:08:52 - Meditation teacher trainings

01:10:37 - Certificates and the Wizard of Oz

01:18:11 - What are teacher trainings good for?

01:22:24 - How to become a good teacher

01:23:57 - Don’t train under a lay man for money

- Discord: https://discord.gg/epphTGY

- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjxg5GJFsRqnS-YLTzyrjLQ

For more visit.

- www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

In this episode, I am once again joined by Lopon Yudron Wangmo, American teacher of Tibetan Buddhism and author of several books including her recent “Clearing the Way to Awakening”.

Lopon Yudron Wangmo shares the story of her life, her childhood with a spiritualist mother, anecdotes of childhood psychic explorations in automatic writing and other techniques, and reflects on whether psychic abilities are inherent or cultivated.

Lopon Yudron Wangmo recounts how she became a radical lesbian feminist at university, details the social and theoretical aspects of that movement and time, and reveals the surprising choices she made when relating to male Tibetan teachers as a feminist.

Lopon Yudron Wangmo also discusses the pitfalls of performing death rites such as phowa for others, explains why she does not emphasise her feminism and politics in her dharma teaching, and considers the healing power of reparenting by taking the guru as a father figure.

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Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep309-my-radical-life-lopon-yudron-wangmo-2

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

…

01:08 - Yudron’s unusual spiritualist, new age mother

03:50 - Lawyer father

04:57 - Early attraction to Tibetan Buddhism

06:19 - Likelihood of past life connections

07:11 - Early interests in environmentalism and solar energy

08:51 - Psychic readings, automatic writing, and hands-on healing

10:06 - Are psychic powers gifts or can they be cultivated?

12:09 - More stories of Yudron’s psychic mother

14:28 - Yudron reflects on her mother’s final years and death

17:06 - Performing phowa and other death practices for others

18:21 - Remarkable death of Yudron’s father

19:28 - Affluent background affords opportunities for spiritual seeking

21:27 - Going to university and becoming a radical lesbian feminist

22:54 - Impressed by Yeshe Tsogyal’s life story and other female practitioners

25:34 - Letting go of radical feminism to pursue the dharma

26:21 - Relating to male Tibetan teachers as a feminist

27:26 - What attracted Yudron to radical lesbian feminism

30:40 - Today’s backlash against feminism

33:00 - Conflicting theoretical and philosophical approaches to radical feminism

35:11 - United in building woman power

37:12 - Working on anger and Vajrakīlāya practice

41:27 - Giving up female chauvinism and relating to male Tibetan lamas

43:49 - Stories of great female practitioners

44:24 - Being typecast as an angry feminist

45:24 - Why Yudron doesn’t criticise Tibetan culture

46:02 - Rage about abuse of women by Lamas

46:33 - Yudron’s desire to teach pure dharma and not mix in her politics

49:43 - Why Yudron didn’t challenge her lamas with feminist ideas

5149 - The lama as a father figure, reparenting, and the influence of Yudron’s lamas

54:10 - Dropping one’s storyline and going beyond trivialities

55:48 - Motivated to counteract abusive lamas

58:05 - Americans are discouraged from teaching Tibetan Buddhism

58:51 - What to look for in a dharma teacher

01:00:55 - Sycophants vs finding the inner lama

01:02:27 - Fading interest in Tibetan Buddhism

01:03:26 - Dharma teachers should be full time

01:04:16 - The ideal amount of money and pastoralist rhythms

01:05:34 - Two extremes of converts

01:07:22 - Becoming soft

01:08:26 - Dharma teachers vs mindfulness teachers

01:09:53 - Yudron reflects on Theravada meditation and the appeal of Sharon Salzberg

01:11:35 - Prophecies of an impending dark age

01:12:38 - Simplifying dharma teaching

01:15:36 - Yudron asks for Steve’s opinion

01:16:43 - Ben Joffe and relating with spirits

01:17:36 - Steve reflects on the five perfections

01:18:38 - Yudron on the pros and cons of ritual

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Previous episode with Lopon Yudron Wangmo:

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

To find our more about Lopon Yudron Wangmo, visit:

- https://www.yudronwangmo.com/

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 Stephen Snyder, meditation teacher and author, and Mark Mininberg, Zen master and dharma heir to Bernie Glassman.

Stephen and Mark discuss their new podcast interview series, “Anatomy of Awakening”, in which they engage in peer-to-peer trialogue with other teachers of enlightenment.

Stephen and Mark reveal why they chose the teachers they have featured, the degree to which various claims to spiritual attainment played a part in their selection, and how they navigated conversations with teachers from other Buddhist sects.

Stephen and Mark reflect on the increase in meditation teachers who claim spiritual awakening, recall their own trainings in Zen communities in which discussion of enlightenment was taboo, and emphasise the need for rigorous training under an experienced guide.

Stephen and Mark also warn about teachers who overestimate their abilities, offer suggestions to aspiring gurus, and emphasis the whole body commitment required to truly attain Buddhist awakening.

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Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep308-anatomy-of-awakening-stephen-snyder-mark-mininberg

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


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Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

01:12 - Anatomy of Awakening

03:12 - How did Stephen and Mark decide which teachers to interview?

05:43 - Are these teachers enlightened?

06:13 - Enlightenment doesn’t belong to anybody

07:36 - A synergy of awakening

08:21 - How can you even tell if someone is enlightened?

09:46 - Teachers who promote themselves as teaching awakening

10:16 - No teacher is flawless

10:56 - The danger of speaking openly about awakening

12:14 - Buddhism and awakening traditions are evolving in the West

14:54 - Why are more teachers claiming enlightenment?

16:29 - Changes in American Buddhism and the New Age since the 70s

18:15 - The lost virtue of humility

19:50 The Absolute awakens to Itself

20:49 - Going public with ones’s awakening

22:59 - Holding this life in reverence

24:05 - Signs of a mature practice

26:02 - Becoming a meditation teacher

28:11 - The true job of a teacher

30:47 - Teachers should not overestimate their level

34:35 - Ways to know you are in too deep as a teacher

35:45 - Teachers need teachers

37:50 - Is there any substitute for a 1-1 relationship with a teacher

39:54 - Humility and the truth a spouse sees

41:04 - People assume their teacher is perfect

41:47 - Mark’s conservative Zen training

43:00 - Customer services spirituality

45:08 - Holding a teacher in reverence

47:13 - The pitfalls of leadership by committee

49:51 - Awakening is a whole body commitment

54:29 - Surprises when meeting enlightenment teachers

57:20 - Peer to peer trialogues

58:12 - How to find the interview series

59:24 - Host and guest

01:00:14 - Praise for the Guru Viking Podcast


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Previous episodes with Stephen Snyder:

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

To purchase Anatomy of Awakening visit:

- https://awakeningdharma.org/anatomy-of-awakening/

GV Podcast receives no affiliate commission from your purchase.

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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 Justin von Bujdoss and Charlie Morley.

Justin and Charlie share their extensive experience as modern teachers of Vajrayana, compare notes on the state of Tantra in the West, and reflect on the responsibility of openly teaching previously restricted, esoteric practices.

Justin and Charlie wrestle with the tension between conserving traditional religious forms and innovating to meet today’s moral sensibilities and technological currents. They suggest changes they would like to see in both Asian Buddhist cultures and Western society, consider the pros and cons of long meditation retreats in today’s world, and call for hierarchical equality for women practitioners and teachers.

I invite Justin and Charlie to reveal the underlying principles that guide their desired reforms and consider the pitfalls of advocating change without awareness of one’s guiding rationale.

Justin and Charlie also discuss the role of neuroscience in the furthering of Buddhist understanding, reveal the potential trauma-healing power of dream yoga and dark retreat, and share their thoughts on the impact of fatherhood on one’s religious life.

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www.guruviking.com

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

01:52 - State of the Dharma in 2025

06:12 - Secret practices now widely available

09:37 - Whiteness and misogyny

10:02 - Why are secret practices openly taught?

11:49 - Conservatism is the achilles heel of the Karma Kagyu sect

12:23 - Controversy about online empowerments

14:32 - Understanding emptiness

16:00 - Dream empowerments

17:48 - Technology and survival of Buddhism

19:22 - Amulets of protection

21:16 - 4th turning of the wheel of Dharma

23:58 - Trauma, racism, and classism, refugees

25:54 - Working for the NYC Department of Corrections

28:41 - Potential of dream yoga and dark retreat for healing trauma

29:19 - Why don’t Tibetan lamas talk about trauma?

29:55 - Cultural overlay, Tibetan identity, and religion

32:44 - Western calls for reform vs traditional Tibetan values

48:53 - Conservatism vs reform

51:43 - Real religion vs mere cultural overlay

52:31 - N vs 3-year retreat

58:14 - Different versions of ngondro

01:02:12 - Classical Indian approaches to tantra

01:03:12 - How to reform without losing the spirit of the religion

01:04:28 - The energy of the tradition

01:06:28 - Justin’s desire for social change in Vajrayana

01:08:41 - Wisdom keeper vs lineage holder

01:12:51 - 2-way revolution

01:14:20 - How to decide what should be changed vs what should be preserved

01:18:32 - Charlie’s collaboration with Choje Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche

01:22:05 - Charlie criticises misogyny in Tibetan Buddhism

01:23:50 - Transgender and non-binary people in Himalayan Buddhist contexts

01:27:49 - Religious traditions are diverse and evolving

01:30:11 - Yogis and practice results

01:33:41 - Fatherhood and Dharma

01:36:37 - Long retreats are not important if you can rest in rigpa

01:39:29 - Dharma Dads workshop

01:42:09 - How important is ordination?

01:43:31 - Why is ordination so emphasised?

01:46:04 - Justin almost became a monk

01:48:22 - Advice for parents

01:49:14 - Charlie reflects on impending fatherhood and not being a monk

01:50:38 - Steve’s concluding remarks

01:51:11 - Steve urges a deeper investigation into motives behind advocacy for change

01:52:01 - Culture and Dharma essence

01:53:01 - Charlie’s concluding remarks and encouragement for practitioners

01:54:04 - Justin’s concluding remarks

01:54:15 - Praise for Guru Viking Podcast, and encouragement to practitioners

…

Previous episodes with Justin:

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


Previous episode with Charlie:

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

…

Find out more about Justin:

- https://justinvonbujdoss.com/

Find out more about Charlie:

- http://www.charliemorley.com/

…

For more interviews:

- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

In this episode I am joined by Professor Mara Einstein, digital marketing critic; author and public speaker on cult brands and influencer scams; and tenured professor of media studies at Queens College (CUNY).

Mara discusses her latest book “Hoodwinked: How Marketers Use the Same Tactics as Cults”, warns about manipulative marketing techniques used in media and religions, details the 9 steps of cult recruitment, and shares case studies of religious marketing models.

Mara recalls her own life journey from an early interest in religions and cults, her path through academia studying religion and marketing, and her own discipleship under and subsequent disillusionment with spiritual teacher and political activist Marianne Williamson.

Mara also considers religion as a product, analyses stealth Buddhism and prosperity gospel preachers, and offers her own thoughts on how religious groups can market themselves more ethically.

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Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep306-marketing-tactics-of-religions-cults-prof-mara-einstein

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

…

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

01:08 - Hoodwinked,

01:21 - Religion as a product

02:17 - Early interest in religion and cults

03:36 - PhD about religion and policy

05:35 - Televangelists and the Passion of the Christ

06:52 - The Purpose Driven Church marketing

07:34 - The secularisation theory and why the US bucks the trend

08:13 - Joel Osteen vs Oprah Winfrey

09:34 - Why do secular organisations use religious themes?

11:41 - Cults and Multi-level marketing

13:14 - Brand cults such as Apple

14:46 - Marketing Hoodwinked

1536 - Social media vs television advertising

16:37 - Rage farming, increased anxiety, and becoming susceptible to messaging

20:20 - Brand purchases as expressions of individual identity

21:42 - Selling the sacred, how religion and marketing intersects

25:03 - Mara’s own religious journey through Judaism and the New Age

26:31 - Becoming a follower of Marianne Williamson

27:01 - Disillusioned by religion

27:13 - Studying evangelicals

27:58 - Interviewing Ralph White

28:29 - Mara analyses her own journey to becoming a follower of Marianne Williamson

32:00 - World Nutella Day

34:18 - Going deeper with Marianne Williamson

36:10 - 9 steps of cult recruitment

36:47 - Targeting the vulnerable

40:26 - Upselling and the Kabbalah Centre

42:02 - Love-bombing

43:14 - Tough love

44:34 - Creation of in and out groups

46:30 - Severe repercussions for leaving

47:22 - American Evangelism

49:33 - How should religions market themselves with integrity?

49:52 - “He Gets Us” and the Alpha Course

52:07 -2 year mission trips don’t work

52:41 - The best marketing is to live the message

54:49 - Shady marketing tactics to avoid

56:22 - Beware of panacea answers

57:02 - Beware the charismatic leader

57:56 - How would Mara advice a religious group to use marketing ethically?

59:33 - Know your target audience

01:01:13 - The brilliance of Rick Warren’s consumer research driven marketing

01:02:47 - Is stealth Buddhism shady marketing?

01:04:44 - Bait and switch of secular mindfulness

01:06:34 - Capitalist meditation

01:07:42 - Is MBSR a bait and switch?

01:09:09 - Mara’s advice for those selling corporate mindfulness

01:10:15 - Transparency vs deception

01:12:23 - Make it ok to question and ok to leave

01:13:31 - Hoodwinked

01:14:15 - Pervasiveness of cults

01:15:13 - Influencers and a spectrum of cults

01:16:29 - Teal Swan and lifestyle marketing

01:17:21 - Anyone can be pulled into a cult

…

To find our more about Professor Mara Einstein, visit:

- https://www.drmaraeinstein.com/

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

This trialogue is the first in a series exploring the latest interdisciplinary research into tantric completion stage practices such as yogas of dream, sleep, and death.

Dr Michael Sheehy is the Director of Research at the Contemplative Sciences Center in the Department of Religious Studies in the University of Virginia.

Dr Tawni Tidwell is a biocultural anthropologist and doctor of traditional Tibetan medicine.

Dr Julian Schott is an Indologist, Tibetologist, and assistant professor at the University of Vienna.

Dr Sheehy shares his cutting edge research into the tantric completion stage yogas of dream and sleep, reveals the implication of new directions in neuroscience and micro-phenomenology, and warns of the danger of esoteric practices becoming extinct.

Dr Sheehy proposes a two-way split in the future of religious practice, Dr Tidwell reflects on the decline in the number of spiritual masters, and Dr Schott considers the real meaning of secrecy in Tibetan tantra.

Video version: www.guruviking.com

Topics include:

00:00 - Intro

01:22 - Current research about yogic practices of dream and sleep

02:46 - Overview of Tibet and Indian dream and sleep practices

04:15 - Michael’s scientific studies of yogic lucid dreaming practice

07:53 - Opening a 2-way channel of communication between dreamer and scientist

08:46 - Rigorous micro-phenomenology

10:04 - Comparisons with classic descriptions and prescriptions found in Tibetan dream manuals

11:34 - Dreams are unpredictable spaces

13:53 - Understanding lucidity

16:27 - Psychological flexibility, imaginal simulation, and somatic awareness

22:28 - The impact of dream yoga on daily life

23:59 - 6 similes of reality and dream yoga

26:26 - Lucid waking practices & the illusory body

29:45 - 2-fold practice curriculum of day and night

31:16 - A devastating pitfall

32:07 - New ways to amplify practice

35:38 - Designing virtual reality simulations for dream yoga exercises

39:49 - Intersections with psychedelic research

42:16 - 2 ways to approach contemplative practice

47:05 - Generating interdisciplinary hypotheses

48:14 - Utilising VR meditations as practice supports

52:37 - Drawing on traditional expertise

53:27 - Bringing traditional practice categories into neuroscience research

55:27 - Neuroscience as the next level of translation

59:40 - Michael challenges ahistorical perspectives; Tibetan tradition has been highly experimental

01:02:32 - Community-based partnerships

01:05:02 - What does it mean that a practice is “secret”?

01:07:01 - The body in tantric traditions and secularising tantra

01:09:33 - A 2-way split in the global culture of religious practice

01:12:10 - Esoteric traditions are in danger

01:16:56 - Bold experimentation is historically consonant with the tradition

01:18:23 - Great masters are decreasing in number

01:23:17 - Esoteric practices have a coherent logic

01:26:22 - Traditional practices have undergone evolution and change

01:28:36 - Ethics of scholar-practitioners

To find our more about the panel, visit:

- https://michaelrsheehy.com/

- https://centerhealthyminds.org/about/people/tawni-tidwell

- https://stb.univie.ac.at/en/about-us/team/julian-schott/user/schottj85/inum/1083/backpid/198178/

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:

- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James