The Wisdom Podcast

Welcome to the third episode of our celebratory Blazing Splendor Wisdom Podcast series! This episode was recorded earlier this year as a live Wisdom Dharma Chat where host Daniel Aitken was joined by special guest, Tsoknyi Rinpoche. During this episode, Rinpoche shares deep insights from his father, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche’s teachings, along with personal anecdotes in celebration of the release of the collector’s edition of Blazing Splendor. You’ll hear Daniel and Rinpoche discuss:  Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche’s dual role in Rinpoche’s life as parent and teacher; Rinpoche’s handshake method, and his unique style of teaching; the most valuable teaching and advice that Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche gave to Rinpoche; and  much more!  Mentioned in this episode: Tsoknyi Rinpoche’s course https://tsoknyirinpoche.org/fully-being/   Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Tsoknyi Rinpoche: Insights from My Father and Teacher, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche (#196) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

In this second episode of our celebratory Blazing Splendor Wisdom Podcast Series host Daniel Aitken is joined by Erik Pema Kunsang. Enjoy hearing Erik share profound experiences with Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche in “Timeless Teachings with Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche,” including a story he’s never shared before.   During this episode, Daniel and Erik discuss: how Rinpoche led him to the realization of the mind’s true nature; Rinpoche’s unique teaching methods; his diverse skills and humility; the enduring influence Rinpoche has had on Erik and countless others; and so much more.   Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and helps other people find the podcast. Thank you!   The post Erik Pema Kunsang: Timeless Teachings with Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche (#195) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

In the first episode of this celebratory series of episodes, Wisdom Podcast host Daniel Aitken is joined by Marcia Binder Schmidt, one of the editors of Blazing Splendor and a student of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. During this episode, she and Daniel discuss  how she began to practice Tibetan Buddhism; her impactful first meeting with Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche; how the book Blazing Splendor came to be;  her involvement in preserving Rinpoche’s teachings through books; and so much more.   Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Marcia Binder Schmidt: Meeting Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche (#194) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, a distinguished teacher and meditation master in the Bön tradition of Tibet, dives deep into the fascinating realm of dream yoga. He shares personal stories of his journey and how this unique practice can transform waking life and enhance spiritual growth. The conversation emphasizes the importance of sleep, REM cycles for emotional processing, and maintaining awareness in both dreams and reality. Rinpoche offers actionable insights for improving dream engagement, making this a must-listen for anyone interested in harnessing the power of their subconscious.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat features special guest, H. E. Khangser Rinpoche. At the age of five, H.E. Khangser Rinpoche was recognized as the eighth reincarnation of Khangser Rinpoche. By 2005, he had earned both the Geshe Lharampa degree and a doctorate in tantra, both with the highest honors in the top division. In 2023, Rinpoche came in line to one day become the Gaden Tripa, the supreme head of the Gelug lineage, which is considered the largest school in Tibetan Buddhism. In this episode, host Daniel Aitken and Rinpoche discuss: his book A Monk’s Guide to Finding Joy; the importance of creating happiness from within; healthy versus unhealthy desires; the value of self-reliance while avoiding the pitfalls of pride; and much more! Wisdom Podcast listeners are invited to save 20% off A Monk’s Guide to Finding Joy with code WPOD2JOY through the end of August.   Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post H. E. Khangser Rinpoche: A Monk’s Guide to Finding Joy (#192) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat features special guest, Thupten Jinpa. Since 1985, Jinpa has been the principal translator to the Dalai Lama, accompanying him to the United States, Canada, and Europe. He is an accomplished author and translator. His Wisdom Publications credits include the Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics series, multiple titles in The Library of Tibetan Classics series, the Wisdom Academy courses Tsongkhapa’s Madhyamaka, How The Mind Works, and much more. In this episode host Daniel Aitken and Jinpa discuss: his upcoming Wisdom Academy course Mind Training and the related book; the benefits of lojong and how he uses it in his daily life;  the power of mantra;  how to take a proactive stance with your emotions and self-awareness; and much more! Wisdom Podcast listeners are invited to save $100 off Mind Training with code WPODMIND. Additionally, listeners can save 40% on Jinpa’s previous Wisdom Academy courses, Tsongkhapa’s Madhyamaka and How the Mind Works with code WPODJINPA through August 12.   Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Thupten Jinpa: Mind Training (#191) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This special rerelease episode of the Wisdom Podcast features Jeffrey Hopkins. Jeffrey started meditating while at Harvard and then, inspired by Thoreau and W. Somerset Maugham, spent time in a cabin in the woods in Vermont. He was Professor Emeritus of Tibetan Buddhist Studies at the University of Virginia, where he taught Tibetan Studies and Tibetan language for more than thirty years. He received a BA magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1963, trained for five years at the Lamaist Buddhist Monastery of America (now the Tibetan Buddhist Learning Center) in New Jersey, and received a PhD in Buddhist Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1973. From 1979 to 1989 he served as His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s chief interpreter into English on lecture tours in the U.S., Canada, Southeast Asia, Great Britain, and Switzerland. He has published numerous books, including Meditation on Emptiness, a seminal work of English language scholarship on Tibetan Madhyamaka thought, as well as translations of works by Tsongkhapa, Dolpopa, and His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. At the University of Virginia, he founded programs in Buddhist Studies and Tibetan Studies and served as Director of the Center for South Asian Studies for twelve years. Sadly, Jeffrey Hopkins passed away on July 1, 2024, at the age of 83. Prior to his passing, Jeffery was working with Wisdom to deliver an updated edition of Meditation on Emptiness with new forwards from His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Donald S. Lopez Jr. This edition is scheduled for release in 2025 and is available for preorder now. “Throughout the course of his remarkable career, Prof. Hopkins translated over fifty books, and it was an especially great honor for Wisdom to publish his groundbreaking book Meditation on Emptiness back in 1983. In addition to his extensive body of written work, he was also a mentor to a generation of Tibetan Buddhist scholars. His legacy thus lives on not only through his many books but also through countless students worldwide. We join the Buddhist community of scholars and practitioners who are reflecting on Prof. Hopkins’ life and work with both deep regret for this great loss and immense gratitude for his invaluable contributions. Wisdom celebrates Jeffrey‘s amazing contributions, certainly to our own success, but even more so to the spiritual development of the human community. He will be dearly missed and not soon forgotten.” —Daniel Aitken, Wisdom Publications CEO and Publisher In this episode, Daniel and Jeffrey discuss: his process for developing various meditative practices without any formal knowledge of Buddhism; his experience with Geshe Wangyal and Geshe Sopa in Madison, Wisconsin, and how these two great teachers inspired him to begin delving into the intellectual exercise of Buddhist philosophy and guided him in his study and practice; how he began translating for the Dalai Lama, and how working with the Dalai Lama influenced Jeffrey’s thinking and translation; his thoughts on emptiness and the challenging experience and practice of having Lyme Disease; and much more! Mentioned in this episode: Uma Institute for Tibetan Studies  Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Jeffrey Hopkins: In Remembrance: The Life of a Buddhist Scholar (#190) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features Dr. Joanne Cacciatore. Dr. Jo has a deep relationship with grief and bereavement. She is herself a bereaved mother: her newborn daughter died on July 27, 1994, and that single tragic moment catapulted her unwillingly onto the reluctant path of traumatic grief. For more than two decades, she’s devoted herself to direct practice with grief, helping traumatically bereaved people on six continents. She’s also been researching and writing about grief as a professor at Arizona State University and director of the Graduate Certificate in Trauma and Bereavement program there. She is the founder of an international nongovernmental organization, the MISS Foundation, dedicated to providing multiple forms of support to families experiencing the death of a child at any age and from any cause, and since 1996 has directed the foundation’s family services and clinical education programs. Additionally, she is the founder of the Selah Carefarm, which was featured on Oprah Winfrey and Prince Harry’s Apple TV docuseries, The Me You Can’t See. Her work has been featured in major media sources such as People and Newsweek magazines, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, CNN, National Public Radio, and the Los Angeles Times. She is the author of the award-winning best-seller Bearing the Unbearable.  In this episode, host Daniel Aitken and Dr. Jo discuss: her bestselling book Bearing the Unbearable and the new companion journal; the process and benefits of journaling; the benefits of meditation and self-care; her work with the Selah Carefarm and the benefits we can learn from animals; the impact grief plays in our lives; and much more!   Additional Content: Read up on the double-blind experiment mentioned in the episode Learn more about the Selah House care-farm at https://www.missfoundation.org/selah-carefarm/ Follow Dr. Joanne Cacciatore’s current work on her website and on Facebook.   The views and opinions expressed on this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Wisdom Publications or any entities they represent. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Dr. Joanne Cacciatore: Embracing Grief: Meditation, Journaling, and Self-Reflection (#189) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features H. E. Khangser Rinpoche. At the age of five, H. E. Khangser Rinpoche was recognized as the eighth reincarnation of Khangser Rinpoche. By 2005, he had earned both the Geshe Lharampa degree and a doctorate in tantra, both with the highest honors in the top division. Rinpoche is a great scholar who has achieved mastery in both the Gelug and Nyingma Buddhist traditions. In 2023, Rinpoche came in line to one day become the Gaden Tripa, the supreme head of the Gelug lineage, which is considered the largest school in Tibetan Buddhism.  In this episode, host Daniel Aitken and Rinpoche discuss: his book A Monk’s Guide to Finding Joy; the seventh Khangser Rinpoche and the search for the Dalai Lama; becoming a recognized Tulku and the importance of past life memories; the importance of debate and reasoning in Buddhist philosophy; and much more! Be sure to keep up with Rinpoche’s work and events: Facebook and Instagram @KhangserRinpocheOfficial  via website: us.dipkar.com email: us@dipkar.com   Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post H. E. Khangser Rinpoche: Rebirth, Meditation, and the Path to Joy (#188) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat features special guest, Klaus-Dieter Mathes and Péter-Dániel Szántó. Klaus-Dieter Mathes earned his doctorate at Marburg University, and is a Professor of Buddhist Studies at the University of Hong Kong. He previously worked as a research fellow and lecturer at the Asia Africa Institute at the University of Hamburg, Germany, and as a Professor of Tibetology and Buddhist Studies at the University of Vienna, Austria. His research in progress deals with the Indian origins of Tibetan Mahāmudrā traditions. Péter-Dániel Szántó started his studies at ELTE Budapest. He read for a DPhil in Oxford, where he also held two junior research fellowships. He is currently an associate professor at ELTE Budapest, where he is also head of the Department of Tibetan and Buddhist Studies. His main research areas include esoteric Buddhism, Mahāyāna Buddhism, Sanskrit belles-lettres, and medieval South Asian history. In this episode host, Daniel Aitken, and our guests discuss: the latest volume in the Studies in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism series, Saraha’s Spontaneous Songs; the language of Saraha’s songs, Apabhraṃśa and spontaneity; the structure and role of commentaries in understanding the text; the importance of meditation and its relation to Sahaja; and much more!   Remember to subscribe to theWisdom Podcastfor more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Klaus-Dieter Mathes and Péter-Dániel Szántó: ⁠Saraha’s Spontaneous Songs (#187) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.