Buddhist Geeks

Lawrence Levy is a student of Segyu Rinpoche and a former CFO and board member at Pixar Animation Studios. He left his role as an executive at Pixar in 2000 to pursue a study of religion and philosophy, which led him to Buddhism.In this episode, Lawrence speaks with host Rohan Gunatillake about working at Pixar, the lessons he learned at the company, and how he has applied those lessons to building the Buddhist organization the Juniper Foundation.Episode Links:Juniper Foundation ( http://www.juniperpath.org )Awakening the Mind ( http://www.juniperpath.org/works/A7614E/Awakening+the+Mind/ )Pixar ( http://www.pixar.com )See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Get full access to Buddhist Geeks at www.buddhistgeeks.org/subscribe

John F. Simon is a visual artist and software programmer whose work can be found in prominent museum collections such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. He was also one of the app designers on the world’s first app album, from Björk, called Biophilia.In this episode we speak with John about his long-standing search for the source of creativity, and how that search has led him to explore a contemplative Buddhist practice. During the discussion with host Vincent Horn, John describes the strategy he uses to search for the source of his creativity and the parallels his strategy shares with meditation teacher Daniel Ingram’s progress of insight map.Episode Links:www.iclock.comJohn’s profile at the Gering & Lopez Gallery ( http://www.geringlopez.com/artists/john-f-simon-jr )Björk’s Biophilia ( http://bjork.com/#/past/discography/biophilia )See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Get full access to Buddhist Geeks at www.buddhistgeeks.org/subscribe

Buddhist Geeks Vincent Horn and Rohan Gunatillake conclude their interview for the KGNU public radio program Sacred Lines by further discussing the intersections between Buddhism and Technology. From the efficacy of mindfulness apps to the ubiquitous question of duality, the Geeks explore what it means to be Buddhist in a technologically advanced world.This is part two of a two part series.Episode Links:CU’s Center for Media, Religion, and Culture ( cmrc.colorado.edu/about )KGNU ( www.kgnu.org )buddhify ( buddhify.com )See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Get full access to Buddhist Geeks at www.buddhistgeeks.org/subscribe

In a recent interview for the KGNU public radio program Sacred Lines, Buddhist Geeks Vincent Horn and Rohan Gunatillake have a discussion about what it means to be a modern Buddhist practitioner, how technology can complement Buddhist practice, and how geekery and meditation meld. They use the Buddhist Geeks project and buddhify mobile app as illustrations of how they’re experimenting with these various topics.This is part one of a two part series.Episode Links:CU’s Center for Media, Religion, and Culture ( http://cmrc.colorado.edu/about )KGNU ( http://www.kgnu.org )buddhify ( http://buddhify.com )See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Get full access to Buddhist Geeks at www.buddhistgeeks.org/subscribe

Jonathan Blow is an indie game designer most well known for his time-bending game Braid. In this episode we conclude our conversation with Jonathan by exploring his upcoming game, The Witness, as well as his in-depth exploration of non-duality.This is part 2 of a two part series. Listen to part 1, Quantum Gaming.Episode Links:The Witness ( http://the-witness.net )Myst ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myst )Nondualism ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nondualism )On Being ( http://www.onbeing.org )See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Get full access to Buddhist Geeks at www.buddhistgeeks.org/subscribe

Jonathan Blow is an indie game designer most well known for his time-bending game Braid. In this episode Jonathan describes his journey from a kid fascinated with playing video games in arcades to a game developer concerned with game design as a spiritual practice.This is part one of a two part series.Episode Links:Braid ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braid_(video_game) )The Witness ( http://the-witness.net )See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Get full access to Buddhist Geeks at www.buddhistgeeks.org/subscribe

Michaël Harboun wants to design products that find a balance between inner contemplation and external technology. In this conversation we explore things like transpersonal social networks and speak about the way that gaming can be contemplative (Michael would like to simply call video games “experiences”). We also discuss the idea of “Contemplative Design”, how it works, and how it can lead to innovation in consumer products.This is part two of a two part series.Episode Links:www.MichaelHarboun.comTranscendenz ( https://vimeo.com/25771444 )www.IDEO.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Get full access to Buddhist Geeks at www.buddhistgeeks.org/subscribe

“We can only see what we’ve become conscious of.” – Michaël HarbounMichaël Harboun wants to design products that find a balance between inner contemplation and external technology. The concept video for his augmented reality project Transcendenz illustrates the positive potential of finding such a balance.In this episode Michaël and host Vincent Horn discuss the philosophical goals of Transcendenz, the fact and fiction of the current state of some of the technologies portrayed in the concept video–like augmented reality and computer brain interfaces–and finally the way that Buddhist thought has influenced this project.This is part one of a two part series.Episode Links:www.MichaelHarboun.comTranscendenz ( https://vimeo.com/25771444 )www.IDEO.comThomas Nagel’s Bat Experiment ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Nagel )Augmented Reality ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_reality )Google’s Project Glass ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Glass )Emotiv ( http://emotiv.com )InteraXon : Thought Controlled Computing ( http://www.interaxon.ca )Elliot Hedman ( http://www.buildempathy.com )See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Get full access to Buddhist Geeks at www.buddhistgeeks.org/subscribe

David Frenette is a senior teacher in the Centering Prayer movement–a contemplative Christian practice that was designed by Father Thomas Keating. He’s also the spiritual director at the Center for Contemplative Living in Denver, and the author of The Path of Centering Prayer: Deepening Your Experience of God.In this episode, David describes the similarities and differences between Buddhist and Christian practice, the benefit of surrender, and the Christian Contemplative tenet of “the God within serves the God in other people.”This is part two of a two-part series.Episode Links:The Path of Centering Prayer: Deepening Your Experience of God ( http://amzn.to/VFpGRY )Incarnational Contemplation ( http://www.incarnationalcontemplation.com )Center for Contemplative Living in Denver ( http://www.contemplativeoutreach-co.org )See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Get full access to Buddhist Geeks at www.buddhistgeeks.org/subscribe

David Frenette is a senior teacher in the Centering Prayer movement–a contemplative Christian practice that was designed by Father Thomas Keating. He’s also the spiritual director at the Center for Contemplative Living in Denver, and the author of The Path of Centering Prayer: Deepening Your Experience of God.In this episode, David describes his path from Zen to Christianity and how he uses the practice of Centering Prayer to deepen his experience of God.This is part one of a two part series.Episode Links:The Path of Centering Prayer: Deepening Your Experience of God ( http://amzn.to/VFpGRY )Incarnational Contemplation ( http://www.incarnationalcontemplation.com )Center for Contemplative Living in Denver ( http://www.contemplativeoutreach-co.org )See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. Get full access to Buddhist Geeks at www.buddhistgeeks.org/subscribe