Introduction

Charlie Awbery is a meditation teacher and a longtime Vajrayana practitioner. In 2002 they were ordained in the non-monastic Aro gTer lineage. Informed mostly by traditional Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism their practice consisted of yidam, yogic song, chod, psycho-physical yogas, and solitary retreats. Aside from Buddhist practice they have trained in Gestalt psychotherapy and have worked in mental health services and international human rights organizations. After twenty-five years in traditional Vajrayana, they decided to co-found Evolving Ground - a community for contemporary Vajrayana practice. In this episode we speak about the difference between Sutric & Tantric view, the vehicles of Buddhism & their different endpoints, why the Sutric view can be problematic for householders, different perspectives on awakening, the Evolving Ground meditation community, integrating emptiness & form practices, and learning from transmission.