The Freedom Place

In this recording, Traktung Rinpoche graciously discusses nothingness as the essence of reality.

We are blessed to have yet another sublime teaching to enlighten our minds. Enjoy!

One way that we approach the understanding of nothingness from a Western religious context is the conversion of St. Paul on the road to Damascus where he fell down and was blinded by brilliant light. Meister Eckhart’s description of this gives us some crucial insight into this Divine mystery:  

"Paul rose from the ground and with open eyes saw nothing. I think this text has a fourfold sense. One is that when he rose up from the ground with open eyes, he saw Nothing, and the Nothing was God; for when he saw God, he calls that Nothing. The second: when he got up, he saw nothing but God. The third: in all things he saw nothing but God. The fourth: when he saw God, he saw all things as nothing."[1]  

These four statements about what St. Paul meant are all correct and true simultaneously. This is what is meant and understood by Divine nothingness.
[1] Meister Eckhart, The Complete Mystical Works of Meister Eckhart, trans. Maurice O’C. Walshe (New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 2009), 137.

We are so grateful to be blessed with another episode of The Freedom Place Podcast in which Traktung Rinpoche graciously discusses identity and language.

Identity, while functional, is, in the light of truth, itself is a mistake. Language, while efficacious for navigating our mundane existence, is rooted in duality and, therefore, not sufficient to accurately describe reality.

Please enjoy!

Welcome to the sixteenth episode of The Freedom Place podcast featuring interviews with American-born sage, Traktung Khepa! For more information about t.k. and his work, visit https://www.TraktungKhepa.com.

"Hail Mary, Mother of God, teach me the heart, and your surrender."

In this interview, t.k. discusses the profound visions of Mary that he was blessed with and the manner in which these visits affected the course of his spiritual life. Originally recorded in April 2019, this podcast is a collection of four separate interviews. One of the major aspects discussed is the prayer that Mary gave to t.k. to recite one million times and then have five other men recite as well. This prayer's meaning is multilayered and t.k. spends considerable time teaching us how it works. Additionally, he shares how his mother, Jeane Kirkpatrick, also had visions of Mary. This was a mind-blowing and heart-melting interview that clocks in at almost 3 hours. Enjoy!

The outro music is "Consecration Prayer" from the Vessel of Love album by Servants of Mary, recorded in support of the recitation of Mary's prayer.

Welcome to the fifteenth episode of The Freedom Place podcast featuring interviews with American-born sage, Traktung Khepa. For more information about t.k. and his work, visit https://www.TraktungKhepa.com.

In this interview, t.k. answers questions sent in by a listener of the podcast. We love listener questions, so to have t.k. answer your questions in an upcoming episode, please send them to me, Greg Kaminsky, via Facebook Messenger, or email them to [email protected].

The questions answered in this episode are:

1. Is it possible to achieve liberation from the fetters of greed, hatred, and delusion in this lifetime? Is this level of freedom possible? If so, in what sense, and what are the most important means for achieving it?

2. A second question is about the importance of meditation. I have a career, children and a girlfriend. However, enlightenment is very important to me and I am interested in advice as to how I can best progress within my own circumstances. I have maybe 5 or 6 hours available a day during the week. How would that time best be spent if my goal is to progress towards freedom and awakening?

The intro music is "Devotion" by David Modica and the outro music is "As if in a dream." A haunting beautiful wisdom poem by Thinley Norbu Rinpoche that reminds us of the ephemeral quality of this appearance-emptiness we call our lives. It is sung by Tsochen Khandro and was recorded at Tsogyelgar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ3rzUm5gqk

Welcome to the 14th episode of The Freedom Place podcast featuring interviews with American-born sage, Traktung Khepa. For more information about t.k. and his work, visit https://www.TraktungKhepa.com.

In this interview, t.k. discusses breath. How does one work with breathing for spiritual work? What is the human subtle body and how does this process structure relate to breath? What are the inner and secret aspects of air that allow spiritual practitioners to access the life force? And many more questions are answered in this exceptional teaching provided by t.k.

If you have any additional questions or comments about what has been presented here, even if it's to ask for the name of or link to a source, please contact us at [email protected].

The intro music is "Devotion" by David Modica and the outro music is "Beyond Words" by Just A Tourist from their excellent album, "In the Woods of Nowhere" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yKIP7NtcOE.

Welcome to the 13th episode of The Freedom Place podcast featuring interviews with American-born sage, Traktung Khepa. For more information about t.k. and his work, visit https://www.TraktungKhepa.com.

In this interview, t.k. discusses magic. What is magic? How is it practiced? What are the differences between wisdom magic and mundane magic? Additional highlights include a consideration of different approaches to practicing magic, why wisdom magic is much more powerful than magic performed without wisdom, sex magic, plant magic, and why it is only worthwhile pursuing a magical practice in the context of an authentic spiritual path. Now, I've been studying and practicing magic in a variety of contexts for the past 15 years or so. During that time, I've read innumerable books on the subject, performed countless rituals and meditations, and spoken with hundreds of teachers and other practitioners. However, after meeting t.k. and his friends, I witnessed and experienced magic of such an exquisite and sacred nature that it was truly astounding. And since then, the displays of this magical power I've been privy to have been reality-shattering in a number of ways. As a result, I've been wanting to record an interview with t.k. on this topic for more than 2 years. But I advise caution if you're someone that has ideas about how magic can serve you, what constitutes an authentic magical practice, or are a follower of Aleister Crowley, what is said here may come as a bit of a shock. But I implore you to listen with an open mind and accept my recommendation that what you're about to hear is the most accurate and wise exposition on the subject of magic that I've been blessed to encounter.

If you have any questions or comments about what has been presented here, even if it's to ask for the name of, or link to a source please contact us at [email protected].

The intro music is "Devotion" by David Modica and the outro music is "Unmade and Made" by Just A Tourist from their masterful album, "Sunlight Revealed." https://youtu.be/kIGU4AvHvQo

Welcome to the twelfth episode of The Freedom Place podcast featuring interviews with American-born sage, Traktung Khepa. I'm your host, Greg Kaminsky. For more information about t.k. and his work, visit https://www.TraktungKhepa.com.

In this interview, t.k. discusses meaning. What is meaning? Where can it be found? Does it come from outside us, do we create it, or is it found outside of relationality? In this conversation, t.k. presents meaning, not as a particular meaning of this or that, but meaningfulness itself as divinity. Please leave us questions or comments, or send them to [email protected].

The intro music is "Devotion" by David Modica and the outro music is "Ultimate View Meditation and Action" by Honey Rain. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qm1ViBRKpE&t=90s

https://www.traktungkhepa.com

Welcome to the eleventh episode of The Freedom Place podcast featuring interviews with American-born sage, Traktung Khepa. For more information about t.k. and his work, visit https://www.TraktungKhepa.com.

In this interview, t.k. discusses Socrates' ancient aphorism, "Know Thyself." He describes the way in which delusion arises as a process structure and how this process structure, mistakenly perceived as an individual (a subjective self in a world of objects) engages in unconscious lying in order to armor and protect itself. This self-lying is the pivot point for one who is on a spiritual path as the place where one can engage in the work of knowing thyself.

The intro music is "Devotion" by David Modica and the outro music is "Land of Unmaking" by Just a Tourist, from their album Narrow Canyons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w74JJlor0w

Welcome to the tenth episode of The Freedom Place podcast featuring interviews with American-born sage, Traktung Khepa. I'm your host, Greg Kaminsky. For more information about t.k. and his work, visit https://www.TraktungKhepa.com.

In this interview, t.k. discusses the notion of spiritual authority and the value of holding an attitude of questioning. One of the teachings here is that it is the quality and integrity of the spiritual teaching that invests the teacher with authority, not the other way around. Also, it is vitally important that students and those seeking to learn not accept what they are taught at face value, but deeply consider the teachings and then ask questions to ensure their understanding.

The intro music is "Devotion" by David Modica and the outro music is "How Will You Live?" by Just a Tourist from their excellent recent album, Ruined for Business. https://open.spotify.com/album/730Z2u5jv0wefNUcgIUH0t

Welcome to the ninth episode of The Freedom Place podcast featuring interviews with American-born sage, Traktung Khepa. I'm your host, Greg Kaminsky. For more information about t.k. and his work, visit https://www.TraktungKhepa.com.

In this interview, t.k. answers three questions sent in by a listener of the podcast. We'd love to make listener questions a regular feature, so to have t.k. answer your questions in an upcoming episode, please send them to me, Greg Kaminsky, via Facebook Messenger, or email them to [email protected].

The three questions answered today are:

1. If the theistic concept of God is wrong, what is holding Being in place?

2. If the theistic concept of God is wrong, how can you explain cause and effect?

3. Would you talk more about how the emptiness discovered in meditation is not a mere nothingness, a nihilist materialist version of emptiness?

The intro music is "Devotion" by David Modica and the outro music is "Six Questions - You Can Go Where You Please" by Honey Rain.