Guru Viking Podcast

Dr Willoughby Britton, Associate Professor at Brown University, discusses her journey from a fascination with consciousness to studying meditation. She shares insights on the risks of dismantling one's sense of self, the overlaps between spiritual experiences and mental illness, the neurobiology of attention, and the hidden religious messaging in mindfulness techniques.

Lama Glenn Mullin, a spiritual teacher and author, dives into the mysterious Kālacakra Tantra's history and esoteric characteristics. He recounts memories of the Dalai Lama's public Kālacakra empowerment and discusses the subtle body yogas, prophecies of Śambhala, and mass public initiations' pros and cons.

Dr. Justin Sledge, a philosophy and religion professor focused on Western Esotericism and founder of the Esoterica YouTube channel, shares insights from his working-class upbringing in Mississippi. He discusses the barriers within academia, critiques elitism, and advocates for accessible education, especially through platforms like YouTube. Dr. Sledge emphasizes the significance of language learning in understanding ancient texts and presents a refreshing perspective on enlightenment, suggesting that simplicity may lead to a more fulfilling life.

In this episode I am join by Steve Donoghue, writer, nationally published book critic, and popular Youtuber. Steve details his remarkable daily routine in which he sleeps 90 minutes a night and devotes vast amounts of time to reading and writing. He recalls his Jesuit education and reveals the intellectual doctrines at the heart of the religious order famed for its rigour and learning. Steve reflects on the healing power of high states of concentration, the art of memory and how to train it, and considers the threats posed to human attention by social media and smartphones. Steve considers strategies for more effective reading, how to grapple with difficult texts, and how to engage in criticism without losing appreciation. Steve also offers his views on religion, shares his fasciation for religious writing, and expresses his passion for the Gospel of Luke and the works of Erasmus and St Augustine. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep247-a-life-in-reading-steve-donoghue Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:03 - Background and career in book reviewing 03:54 - A Jesuit education 06:28 - The brain is a muscle 09:50 - Learning and reading Ancient Greek and Latin 13:15 - A breakthrough moment in Latin 15:48 - Steve’s favourite Latin authors 18:06 - Common misunderstandings about memorisation 20:06 - What is the point of memorisation? 21:46 - Can memory be trained? 23:22 - Memory palaces and other ancient memory techniques 25:51 - Advice for those who wish to improve memory 27:01 - 21st century attacks on human attention 28:29 - A simple test of concentration 32:00 - The healing power of concentration 33:26 - People don’t know what they’re missing 37:18 - Experiences of transcendence and intrinsic reward 38:47 - The value of boredom and rest 42:00 - Meditation as rest taken too far? 44:02 - Generational changes in attention 46:08 - Meditation as attention training 47:00 - Steve’s amazing sleep and reading schedule 52:39 - Sleeping 90 minutes a night 55:19 - The joy of starting a new book 57:20 - Grappling with a text 59:27 - Sub-vocalising slows you down 01:03:32 - Difficulties in discussion religion 01:04:36 - Steve’s view on religion 01:06:00 - Steve’s admiration for religious people 01:11:37 - Steve’s fascination with religious writing and texts 01:14:52 - Philosophers are priests 01:15:29 - Faith based on texts? 01:17:07 - The danger of criticism without appreciation 01:22:07 - Reluctance to examine scripture 01:23:01 - Cynical critics 01:24:28 - A Christian meme of losing one’s faith 01:30:36 - The thrill of engaging with religious texts even without belief 01:32:37 - Following the thread 01:33:05 - The Gospel of Luke 01:34:10 - Steve’s love for St Augustine and Erasus 01:36:36 - Luke vs the other Gospels 01:38:25 - St Augustine’s Confessions 01:40:40 - In Praise of Folly and mocking religious hypocrisy 01:45:40 - Concluding remarks on faith and religion … To find out more about Steve Donoghue, visit: - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1B9FfvVLRt8s6scUa79oag - https://www.stevedonoghue.com/ … 
For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

In this interview I am once again joined by John Maki Evans, teacher of Japanese swordsmanship and several esoteric spiritual disciplines, and author of ‘Kurikara: The Sword and the Serpent’. John discusses his time at Oxford University, his depression as a student, and why it took him years in a monastery and extensive training in Japan to undo the effects of academic study on his mind. John shares his insights into ‘The Subtle Art of a Cat’, a little known, centuries old Japanese text with a potent message about spiritual cultivation, true art, and complete spontaneity. John tells the story of the text and explores its hidden meanings, including how to maintain awareness during dynamic action, access freedom and flow, and move beyond self consciousness. John also reflects on his powerful near-death experience, the art of teaching, and how to harmonise the primal forces of Thanatos and Eros, death and desire. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep246-subtle-art-of-a-cat-john-maki-evans-2 

 Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:09 - Getting into Oxford University 04:30 - John’s experiences at Oxford University 07:57 - Struggles with depression 09:12 - Bad effect of Oxford on John’s mind 10:25 - Stultification and John’s personality 11:04 - Time at the monastery and releasing inner stuckness 13:26 - Time in Japan and developing a different personality 17:28 - How John learned Japanese 18:43 - Study arc for reading Japanese classics 21:19 - Gaining practice value from texts 23:37 - Accessing the real thing 27:22 - The Subtle Art of a Cat 33:17 - The polarising ego 35:14 - Spontaneity and beyond self consciousness 37:09 - Neti neti 39:12 - Spontaneous action and the spiritual side of martial arts 41:35 - Freedom and flow 43:09 - Maintaining awareness and complete spontaneity 45:47 - John’s life changing near-death experience 54:20 - Hara power, the unconscious, and the survival instinct 58:16 - True martial cultivation 01:00:06 - Common mistakes and hurting oneself 01:04:11 - Complete body-mind participation 01:05:43 - Evaluating quality of movement and being 01:07:46 - Duende and art 01:09:18 - England and the old white male 01:10:24 - Learning to be with Thanatos and Eros 01:12:39 - The Gate of Killing and Death 01:15:39 - Harmonising intuition and manipulation 01:16:16 - Egotism in the martial arts 01:18:00 - Becoming exposed and the art of teaching 01:21:39 - Letting go of feeling good … Previous episode with John Maki Evans: - https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep231-esoteric-arts-of-japan-john-maki-evans To find out more about John Maki Evans, visit: - https://www.battodo-fudokan.co.uk/ Read ‘The Subtle Art of a Cat’ - https://terebess.hu/zen/neko.pdf … 
For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Dr. Chencho Dorji shares challenges establishing modern psychiatry in Bhutan, involving patients possessed by ghosts and local avatars, and the role of religion in stigmatizing mental illness. He discusses rising mental illness rates, collaboration between modern medicine and traditional healers, and the need for greater integration of practices. Topics include training healthcare staff, community-based mental health services, traditional healing methods, and treating cases in remote areas.

From delinquency to Taoist practice, Mattias Daly shares his journey of seeking martial arts and meditation, tree slapping in China, exorcising demonic possession in New Zealand, the impact of UFC on traditional martial arts, and the importance of mentorship and authenticity in spiritual practice.

Explore the life of Karma Pakshi, from yogic training to political intrigues. Charles shares his journey from boarding school abuse to becoming a woodcarver. Discover his encounters with spiritual teachers, closed retreat challenges, and transformative experiences. Dive into the mystical footprints in Tibet and India, academic pursuits, and personal growth reflections.

Stephen Snyder discusses the importance of working with personality material post-awakening and the blindspots in Buddhism. He shares insights on fear and anger, healing core wounds, and converting the superego. Stephen reflects on leading meditation retreats, the impact of electronics on concentration, and the subtle power of taking a dharma name.

Dhammarato challenges misconceptions about meditation, warns against dangers of meditation retreats, and advocates for gentle and effective meditation practices. He shares stories of practitioners harming themselves, warns against extreme methods, and emphasizes the importance of gentle approach to meditation.