This in depth teaching on the practice and performance of visualization during meditative states Robert A.F. Thurman provides a practical roadmap for those from any religious, cultural or economic background to apply the tools from the esoteric traditions of Buddhist tantra to understand and reduce suffering on all levels.

Opening this week’s teaching with an introduction of the subtle energy systems found in Vajrayana Buddhism and Hindu Shaivism Professor Thurman details the transformational power of imaginative visualization when guided by an experienced, qualified teacher.

Continuing the discussion begun in last week’s episode on Buddhist Psychonauts this episode includes an overview of Nine Point Breath Meditation as taught by Dr. Nida Chenagtsang, introductions to Buddhist Tantra, the Karma Sutra, the history of Theravada and the diverse meditation traditions of India, China and South East Asia, and a frank presentation of so-called “crazy wisdom” by Robert Thurman shedding much needed philosophical light upon the ethical lapses which occur due to milsleading teachers’ and misled students’ misunderstandings of the nature of ultimate and causal realities described by the Buddha and his great successors.

The second half of this week’s episode begins with a short explanation of the Mādhyamaka Centrist or Middle Way perspective and the experiential methods of teaching of emptiness, compassion and relativity found in the writings of Tsongkhapa, Asanga and Nagarjuna.

This week’s poetry segment Gary Gach reads the poetry of W. S. Merwin.

Pharmacopeia of Visualization : Tantra, Sex and Meditation – Ep. 190 Photo by Matt Briney on Unsplash

Gary Gregory Gach is an author, translator, and editor living in San Francisco. A dynamic speaker and teacher in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village Community of Enga