Creativity, Spirituality & Making a Buck with David Nichtern

Blending together Bhakti and Buddhism, best of friends Krishna Das and David Nichtern discuss the gradual cultivation of practice and finding your ‘niche’ within the dharma.Join the Wisdom & Wellbeing Week 1 Intensive with Krishna Das & Nina Rao | January 3 - 10, 2026 | Click to Learn MoreThis episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.In this episode, David and Krishna Das thoughtfully explore:Leaning into the dharma and gradually planting seeds of spiritual practice Giving oneself fully to whatever one is doing in daily life and in practiceDeepening concentration and devotion in the Bhakti yoga traditionUsing the breath as an anchor for mindfulnessThe story of Hanuman and how he represents the strength to remove obstaclesThe Amitabha Mantra, a powerful Buddhist tool for purificationKrishna Das’ reflections on a bucket list: seeking out more stability, remembrance, and selfless serviceStability, clarity, and emotional resilience as the byproducts of mindfulness meditationHonoring the diversity of spiritual paths and listening deeply to what resonates with the individual soulAbout Krishna Das:Layering traditional Hindu kirtan with instantly accessible melodies and modern instrumentation, Grammy nominee Krishna Das has been called yoga’s “rock star.” With a remarkably soulful voice that touches the deepest chord in even the most casual listener, Krishna Das – known to friends, family, and fans as simply KD – has taken the call-and-response chanting out of yoga centers and into concert halls, becoming a worldwide icon and the best-selling chant artist of all time. His album ‘Live Ananda’ (released January 2012) was nominated for a Grammy in the Best New Age album category.KD spent the late ’60s traveling across the country as a student of Ram Dass, and in August 1970, he finally made the journey to India, which led him to Ram Dass’ own beloved guru, Neem Karoli Baba, known to most as Maharaj-ji. Krishna Das now travels the world sharing his kirtan practice and wonderful stories of his life, of Maharaji-ji, of his life on the Path and discusses bringing chanting into our lives through retreats and workshops. To date, KD has released 15 well-received albums, most recently Trust in the Heart released in October 2017.Join Krishna Das in Boone, North Carolina this August for the fourth annual Ram Dass Legacy Summer Mountain Retreat.MORE INFORMATION and OFFERINGS VISIT: https://krishnadas.com/ KRISHNA DAS ON SOCIAL: FACEBOOK: facebook.com/KrishnaDasMusic INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/krishnadasmusic YOUTUBE: / krishnadasmusic X: @krishnadas #KrishnaDasAbout David Nichtern:David Nichtern, founder of Dharma Moon, is a senior Buddhist teacher who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He was one of the initial American students of renowned meditation master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and studied closely with him soon after his arrival in the United States in 1970. He is also a business consultant with companies creating a variety of offerings integrating meditation in a larger health and well-being context. David is also a multiple Grammy-nominated and Emmy award-winning musician. David’s journey has crisscrossed with the Maharaji/Ram Dass sangha for decades. He has produced multiple Krishna Das albums and frequently joins the Bhaktettes live on guitar. He considers himself to be a first cousin and honorary member of the Bhakti community.Head over to DharmaMoon to sign up for The Body of Meditation Teacher Training Course, starting July 10th, 2025.“There’s not spiritual life and worldly life, there’s just your life—you’ve got to live it. If you don’t develop some inner strength, will, and direction in daily things, when you sit down on the mat it’s not going to be any different. How you sit is how you live, and how you live is how you sit.” – Krishna DasSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Old friends Sharon Salzberg and David Nichtern meet to discuss the calamity of misplaced faith and the expansion that can come from individualized social action.Join Sharon's Upcoming Course with Tricycle to uncover your Buddhist Personality TypeThis episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This week on the CSM podcast, David and Sharon have a thought-provoking conversation about:Expanding the definition of social action to include art and genuine spiritual practiceLooking deeper into the root cause of social problemsAttempting to bring Buddhist teachings into a democracyMisplaced faith and the three root poisons in Buddhism - Grasping, Aversion, and DelusionPurification: going beyond awareness and into the elbow grease required for actually changing negative patternsThe building blocks of real mindfulness and incorporating many different practicesKali Yuga, considering the state of the world, and trying to remain optimistic Understanding the consequences of our actions and our role in the collectiveHow we relate to unchosen suffering and chosen suffering Sign up for Dharma Moon’s Summer 100-Hour Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training Course with David Nichtern, starting June 13th. Or, for a shortened version, join Dharma Moon for an Introductory Weekend Course on the Path of Meditation and Mindfulness.About Sharon Salzberg:Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She is one of the first to bring mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation to mainstream American culture over 45 years ago, inspiring generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers. Sharon is co-founder of The Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA, and the author of twelve books, including the New York Times bestseller, Real Happiness, now in its second edition, and her seminal work, Lovingkindness. Her podcast, The Metta Hour, has amassed five million downloads and features interviews with thought leaders from the mindfulness movement and beyond. Learn more about Sharon and her books at www.sharonsalzberg.comAbout David Nichtern:David Nichtern, founder of Dharma Moon, is a senior Buddhist teacher who has been practicing and teaching meditation for over 40 years. He was one of the initial American students of renowned meditation master Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and studied closely with him soon after his arrival in the United States in 1970. He is also a business consultant with companies creating a variety of offerings integrating meditation in a larger health and well-being context. David is also a multiple Grammy-nominated and Emmy award-winning musician. David’s journey has crisscrossed with the Maharaji/Ram Dass sangha for decades. He has produced multiple Krishna Das albums and frequently joins the Bhaktettes live on guitar. He considers himself to be a first cousin and honorary member of the Bhakti community."There's this saying going around that action absorbs anxiety. If you're feeling really anxious, uptight, take action. Action might not mean marching, signing a petition, or vocalizing, it may mean helping your neighbor." – Sharon SalzbergSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Meditation teacher, Susan Piver, joins David Nichtern to share her profound and ever-evolving connection to The Heart Sutra.Learn about the heart and mind of practice with David Nichtern and Krishna Das in an upcoming free online talk! Register HERE.In this episode, David Nichtern and Susan Piver explore:The many variations of The Heart Sutra and why it deeply inspires SusanFocusing on the sound of the words in The Heart Sutra, not just the meaning of the words Considering how a sutra can transform an environment and how an environment can transform a sutra The inseparability of meaning, sound, and atmosphere within the Heart Sutra A reading of The Heart Sutra from Susan Piver Tying our daily lives back to some form of study or practiceEmptiness as the main theme of The Heart Sutra, and of the Buddhist arena in general Why Buddhist emptiness is not nihilism but an expansive, liberating insightThe transformative value of being around someone wise with skillful meansAbout Susan Piver:Susan Piver has an international reputation as an exceptionally skillful meditation teacher. She teaches workshops and speaks on mindfulness, innovation, communication, relationships, and creativity. Susan has been a student of Buddhism since 1995, graduated from a Buddhist seminary in 2004, and was authorized to teach meditation in 2005. In 2012, she founded The Open Heart Project, the world’s largest online-only meditation center. Susan is also a New York Times bestselling author. Her most recent book, Inexplicable Joy: On the Heart Sutra, is now available. You can keep up with Susan on Instagram or on her website.Join Susan for a 10-day Heart Sutra meditation retreat this August, 2025 “Emptiness sounds like everything’s dead, but empty doesn’t mean that. It means empty of separate existence. You are here due to causes and conditions. You did not get here in a space capsule. So, emptiness could be expressed more accurately as the great expanse, fullness, complete fullness.” – Susan PiverSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Facing the obstacles on a spiritual path, Lama Rod Owens, David Nichtern, and Michael Kammers, discuss the seven sorrows of the new saint.Grab Lama Rod’s new book, The New Saints: From Broken Hearts to Spiritual WarriorsIn this episode, David, Michael and Lama Rod chat about:Realizing that liberation is driven by uncomfortable contradictionsThe seven great sorrows of the new saintLeaving people behind on a spiritual journeyOffering space to paradoxes in order to find claritySupport on the Boddhisatva pathFocusing our energy on ourselvesPrayer as an imperative part of spiritual workBeing relevant and speaking the language of the timesTeachers who inspired and helped Lama RodBeing yourself and using your own qualities to help othersCommitment to a reduction of violenceGetting active in getting freeAbout Lama Rod Owens:Lama Rod Owens is a Black Buddhist Southern Queen. An international influencer with a Master of Divinity degree in Buddhist Studies from Harvard Divinity School with a focus on the intersection of social change, identity, and spiritual practice. Author of Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation through Anger and co-author of Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love and Liberation, his teachings center on freedom, self-expression, and radical self-care. Highly sought after for talks, retreats, and workshops, his mission is showing you how to heal and free yourself. A leading voice in a new generation of Buddhist teachers with over 11 years of experience, Lama Rod is highly respected among his peers and the communities that he serves. From these intersections, he creates a platform that’s very natural, engaging, and inclusive.For current offerings and programs, click here. “The whole project of The New Saints was to delve into the frustrations of paradox, of contradictions. One of the things that deepens our suffering is our attempt to make everything make sense. That’s how we get trapped in delusion, trying to make it make sense when instead we are trying to transcend it.” – Lama Rod OwensSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ethan Nichtern, author of 'Confidence,' discusses vulnerability, truth, and the current political environment with his dad. They explore the concept of real confidence, imposter syndrome, and the importance of authenticity. Touching on sadness as a response to the world, they delve into the Eight Worldly Winds and the power of tuning into inner knowing.

Highlighting the intersection between love and awareness, Rhonda V. Magee joins David to discuss real change in a culture of separation.This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/beherenow and get on your way to being your best self.This time on the CSM podcast, David and Rhonda converse about: Rhonda’s background and personal definition of loveReal change through love, inspiration and a sense of connectionThe inter-being of mindfulness and mettaThe principle of loving everyone and telling the truthWhat happens when truth is met with resistance or denialLiving in a time where we have constant reminders of fear and angerHow our culture has reduced us and objectified usIntergenerational phenomena and walking through many phases of lifeWhat we leave behind for the next generation and what we can learn from youthReal and perceived differencesDeepening our own well-being so that we can be there for othersJoin David Nichtern for a free online talk on teaching mindfulness and the role of the teacher, Tuesday, May 28th, 2024 at 6:00 PM: FREE ONLINE TALKAbout Rhonda V. Magee:Rhonda V. Magee is a Professor of Law at the University of San Francisco and a leading mindfulness teacher and practice innovator with a focus on applying mindfulness to the hardest challenges of our times. She is an internationally-recognized teacher, guide and mentor, focused on integrating mindfulness into higher education, law and social change work. A prolific author, she draws on law and legal history to weave storytelling, poetry, analysis and practices into inspiration for changing how we think, act and live better together in a rapidly changing world. Keep up with Rhonda on her website or on social media.“I fully believe, for most of us, especially in the West, grounding in a quality of love and care as how we experience awareness is pretty important because we have so much healing to do. We’ve been so alienated from ourselves, each other, from the planet.” – Rhonda V. MageeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ramin Nazer and David Nichtern explore the individual’s place in an ever-changing and technologically-advancing world.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenowThis time on CSM, we hear about: Technological advancement and the collective mindSci-Fi and fear vs. hope for the futureThe unsustainability of blissEternalism and the hellscape of pointlessnessThe dystopia of A.I and ChatGPTSafe zones versus growth zonesCreativity and trying to guess what the world wants to seeCreating a balance in a chaotic worldThe fundamental experiences that ground usPsychedelics as a liberating disruptionSimulations, robots, and ‘I am-ness’The dynamics of polarityAbout Ramin Nazer:Ramin Nazer is a multi-talented artist, podcaster, comedian, game creator and musician based out of LA. He is best known for his consistent stream of unique, psychedelic-spiritual, bite-sized art for the social media age, as well as his podcast, with comedian Shane Mauss, Mind Under Matter, where they take a hilarious and scientific approach to human behavior. You can tap into Ramin’s steady flow of art on his Instagram, tap into his solo podcast Rainbow Brainskull, and peer into his myriad offerings at RaminNazer.com.“According to Buddhism, the solution is you maintain your status as a human being who has ups and downs, who has lungs, and disappointments, yet there’s a seed of real depth of wisdom and understanding and compassion in it. You bypass the God realms.” – David NichternSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Discussing his experience with panic attacks, Dan Harris describes the tools that have helped him move from resistance to acceptance.Today's podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/beherenowIn this episode, David and Dan dive into:How Dan went from experiencing panic attacks to finding meditationDan’s definition of happinessStabilizing our well-beingThe compounding effect of meditation practiceNavigating difficult external experiencesWorking on a loving-kindness practicePith instructions from spiritual teachersAllowing feelings instead of resistingThe fear of death and all pervasive sufferingTemporal experiences and observing the pause of timeImpermanence and not taking everything so seriouslyEquanimity and looking at our emotions as passing weatherGrab your copy of the 10th-anniversary edition of Dan's book, 10% Happier, HERE to learn more about the benefits of meditation in his life.About Dan Harris:Dan Harris is an author, podcaster, and a retired American journalist for ABC News. He was an anchor for Nightline and co-anchor of the weekend edition of Good Morning America. After an on-air panic attack, Dan dedicated himself to meditation and spreading the word about its benefits. His “10% Happier” podcasts feature interviews with other meditators. Dan’s book, 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Really Works – a True Story, was published in March 2014.“Panic is just a set of physical sensations, which as a panic sufferer, I have experienced countless times and always survived. So, it’s okay, just let it go. Let the sensations be there, it’s okay to feel it. What is making it worse is my resistance to it.” – Dan HarrisSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Examining the interplay between mind and body, neuroscientist Dr. Sarà King and David Nichtern talk trauma, dream-work, and the sense of self.David and Dr. Sarà traverse these topics:Dr. Sarà’s research on generational trauma and ancestral intelligenceThe autonomic nervous system and how trauma is stored in the bodyFight, Flight, Freeze, Faint, and gauging if a situation is safe or dangerousHow contemplative practices can modulate the trauma responseWhat the parasympathetic nervous system is responsible forHow we create personal narrativesNeuroscience and quantum energyDr. Sarà’s own journey to liberation from traumaCo-Creating our own reality with the universeDreams, trips, bardos and beyondDr. Sarà’s work in creating a map of awarenessThe relationship between biometrics and story-tellingAI, cosmology, and merging biosynthetic beings with human consciousness“There is this real delicate dance and interplay that’s happening between the mind and the body to construct a sense of self, me, I, at any given moment.” – Dr. Sará KingAbout Dr. Sará King:Dr. Sará King is a UCLA-trained neuroscientist, political and learning scientist, social entrepreneur, public speaker, and yoga and mindfulness meditation instructor. She has over 20 years of experience as a research scientist, and specializes in the study of the relationship between mindfulness, complementary alternative medicine, and social justice. She is the scientific consultant for Peace in Schools, a dharma teacher with Presence Collective, a Postdoctoral Fellow in Neurology, and the founder of MindHeart Consulting, a scientific consultancy offering seminars, research and development, and trauma healing circles.Keep up with Dr. King on Instagram or HEREJoin Ethan Nichtern and Shelly Tygielski on January 9th for a free online event: "Right Livelihood: What Capitalism Can Learn From Buddhism"See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rabbi Dr. Jay Michaelson and David Nichtern discuss mindfulness, mysticism, and more, including the intersection of psychedelics and spirituality, the sweet spot between contemplative practice and engaged activism, and generational shifts of awareness.