Lopon Yudron Wangmo, an American teacher of Tibetan Buddhism and author, shares her enlightening spiritual journey. She discusses her experiences under various spiritual gurus and reflects on her challenges with ADHD during meditation. Lopon critiques shamatha practice while explaining Dzogchen and its insights. She shares her transformative solo retreat experiences and highlights the risks of psychological regression in three-year retreats. With an emphasis on the value of sincere practice, she encourages listeners to seek reliable teachers.
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Make Dharma Audiobooks Slow And Conversational
Do prefer conversational, slower audiobooks for Dharma so listeners can absorb teachings during daily tasks.
Lopon Yudron Wangmo recommends pacing and pauses rather than fast, standard audiobook narration.
insights INSIGHT
Orality And Text Are Complementary Traditions
Early Tibetan texts mixed oral and written cultures, so reading aloud had social and ritual value.
Lopon suggests recordings for modern multitaskers extend that living tradition in new forms.
question_answer ANECDOTE
The Window That Revealed Presence
Lopon describes Lama Tarchin Rinpoche staying perfectly present when a window suddenly slammed behind him.
She used that spontaneous event to illustrate authentic, steady presence in great teachers.
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In this episode, I am once again joined by Lopon Yudron Wangmo, American teacher of Tibetan Buddhism and author of several books including, her most recent, “Clearing the Way to Awakening”.
Lopon Yudron Wangmo shares stories of her discipleships under various spiritual gurus such as Lama Tharchin, recalls her memories of the California Vajrayāna scene, and remarks on the qualities she has observed in realised masters.
Lopon Yudron Wangmo reflects on her ADHD struggles with concentration in meditation, offers a critique of śamatha practice, and shares her own relationship to the dialectic between effort and rest.
Lopon Yudron Wangmo explains how Dzogchen works, shares her experiences in extended solo retreat, and warns about the possibility of psychological regression during Tibetan Buddhist 3-year retreat.
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Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep325-my-spiritual-journey-lopon-yudron-wangmo-3
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
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Topics include:
00:00 - Intro
00:58 - New audiobook of “Clearing the Way to Awakening”
06:34 - Text and oral cultures in Tibet
09:44 - Ngondro workbook
11:58 - Discipleship under various Tibetan Lamas
15:09 - Attraction to Vajrayāna
15:20 - Memories of Lama Tharchin
22:53 - 3 year retreat
25:28 - Solo retreats
26:09 - Longchen Nyingthig practice
27:00 - Desire for practice and further retreats
29:15 - Evidence of attainment
32:51 - The nature of mind and the 6 bardos
34:29 - Lama Tharchin’s spaciousness
36:26 - Dzogchen vs Mindfulness
39:28 - Critique of śamatha meditation
41:43 - Effortful practice vs Dzogchen
45:01 - Rewards of a life of practice
46:18 - Uncontrived resting
48:05 - How Dzogchen works
54:21 - Practicing in old age
56:05 - Production-line teaching style
58:21 - Regression to childlike state in 3 year retreat
59:00 - Peak experiences and being good enough
01:00:22 - The California Vajrayāna scene
01:03:52 - Encouragement to practice Vajrayāna
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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
Guru Viking Podcast 