Pema Dragpa’s early attraction to Buddhism

Pema Dragpa is a dharma teacher, author, and ordained Tibetan Buddhist 
Lama. He graduated with honors in Philosophy and Religious Studies from New York University in 2002. 

Since 2004, Dragpa has served as a resident teacher at Padma Samye Ling, a meditation retreat center founded by the Nyingma Dzogchen masters, Ven. Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Ven. Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche. In 2010, he was formally ordained as a Lama by the Venerable Khenpo Rinpoches. 

He is also a senior editor of more than 25 books on Buddhist philosophy and the author of An Integral View of Tibetan Buddhism: Preserving Lineage Wisdom in the 21st Century.

Dragpa regularly travels to lead Padmasambhava Buddhist Center events, where he bridges traditional Tibetan wisdom with contemporary approaches to meditation and the path of awakening.

In this episode, we discuss an integral approach & developmental stage, balancing spirituality & money, disagreements with Ken Wilber, unity in diversity & the shadow of Integral, core tenets of Vajrayana Buddhism, the intersection of politics & spirituality, and so much more.

🔗[Links & resources] 🔗

• An Integral View of Tibetan Buddhism: Preserving Lineage Wisdom in the 21st Century by Pema Dragpa
• Listen to Pema Dragpa’s dharma talks
• Padmasambhava Buddhist Center
• Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche
• Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche
• John Churchill on the Elevating Consciousness Podcast
• Ken Wilber

🕰️[Time stamps] 🕰️

0:00 - Introduction 
3:32 - Pema Dragpa’s journey into Tibetan Buddhism 
7:20 - A deep taste of samsara and the impact of the Khenpo Rinpoches 
16:18 - The monastic vs the householder path 
18:51 - Balancing spirituality with money and practical concerns 
26:56 - Unpacking the Integral view/stage  
33:01 - Disagreements with Ken Wilber (Is Vajrayana Integral?)
43:26 - An integrative approach to transformation
47:47 - Unity in diversity and the shadow of Integral 
56:36 - John Churchill’s Sacred Humanism
59:33 - There is no definitive answer, system, or theory (experimenting in fail-safe mode) 
1:09:31 - The importance of communities of practice & syncing up with lineage wisdom  
1:15:49 - Be wary of a Purtian Dharma
1:16:34 -  The core tenets and frames of Vajrayana Buddhism 
1:24:11 - Pema shares a Tibetan prayer 
1:28:54 - We need more ways of being in touch (healthy integrative mode) 
1:32:04 - The importance of going deep in one tradition 
1:33:17 - The fourth turnings of Buddhism simplified 
1:34:09 - The perfect practice for a degenerative age 
1:42:24 - Do we need more politically engaged spiritual teachers?
1:47:53 - Making change at a meso scale 
1:50:56 - Integral, the notion of absolute truth & freedom from samsara  
1:57:32 - Final message

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