The Wisdom Podcast

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features Heidi I. Köppl, translator and interpreter for Tibetan lamas such as Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche and Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, and editor-in-chief of Tara’s Triple Excellence Online Meditation Program. Heidi translated at the Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery in Nepal for more than a decade and has been a faculty member at the Kathmandu University Centre for Buddhist Studies. Heidi has a degree in Tibetology from the University of Copenhagen, and has translated works such as Illuminating the Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva and Establishing Appearances as Divine. Heidi and host Daniel Aitken discuss Heidi’s interest in the East and guidance from Heinrich Harrer; ‘coming home’ to Kathmandu, meeting Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche and Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche; Nyingma master Rongzom Chökyi Zangpo’s view on pure appearances; Mahayoga tantric philosophy of emptiness in light of Madhyamika interpretations; over-asserting appearances and the roots of duality; the terma foundations of Tara’s Triple Excellence Online Meditation Program, and its graduated daily practice of the path; and much more! Be sure to check out Heidi’s upcoming events and teachings at dharmasun.org/calendar including From Kindfulness to Pure Perception, a workshop taking place July 30 & 31, 2022 from 9 to 10am EDT (New York). This workshop explores the two mindsets of seeing how kindfulness can be the basis for pure perception, and experiencing the felt sense of our own innate kindfulness and pure perception. You can also find Tara’s Triple Excellence Online Meditation Program which starts with a free 12-day course at dharmasun.org/tte. 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 Heidi I. Köppl: Roots of Duality (#145) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features Karma Trinlay Rinpoche, a highly accomplished Buddhist teacher and meditation master. Born in 1975 to an American mother and French Father, and recognized by His Holiness the 16th Karmapa, Rinpoche is the first reincarnated Westerner of French and American origin to be recognized in the Karma Kagyu tradition of Vajrayāna Buddhism.  In 1978 he started the traditional training of tulkus under the guidance of the Venerable Kalu Rinpoche in India.  A charismatic speaker, Rinpoche is respected for his lucid mind and diligence in both study and practice. He has taught in Buddhist centers and universities throughout the world.  Throughout this podcast, Rinpoche and Daniel discuss: Rinpoche’s family and identification as a tulku; meeting H.H. the 16th Karmapa and the foundations of H.H.’s Dharma community in Europe; growing up under the direct guidance of Kalu Rinpoche; an overview and personal perspectives of the tulku institution; Rinpoche’s simultaneous Buddhist and Western education in the French Alps; and 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 it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Karma Trinlay Rinpoche: Life as a Tulku (#144) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

Explore the evolution of supervision in Buddhist oral tradition and the significance of self-reliance. Delve into the storehouse consciousness and insight practice in Buddhism. Discover the art of oral tradition in early Buddhist texts and the challenges of accurate transmission. Unveil the integrity of Buddhist teachings transmission and the transformative power of oral transmission.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features poet, writer, and Sanbo Zen teacher Henry Shukman.  Henry is Guiding Teacher at Mountain Cloud Zen Center in Santa Fe, studying primarily with Joan Rieck Roshi, John Gaynor, Ruben Habito Roshi, and continuing his training under Yamada Ryo’un Roshi. He also trained in mindfulness practice with Shinzen Young, and has published nine books to date, including fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. He writes regularly for Tricycle, The New York Times, and other publications, most recently having published his memoir One Blade of Grass. He and host Daniel Aitken discuss: his path to Zen, starting on a beach in Argentina; connecting words with practice in koans and early Chinese poetry; Dōgen’s work and the collection Moon In A Dewdrop; building a foundation for Zen with mindfulness and love; connecting with nature and the vanishing self; the books of Yamada Koun; and 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 it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Henry Shukman: Radical Simplicity (#142) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features contemporary Tibetan artist Rabkar Wangchuk. Traditionally trained, Rabkar studied for seventeen years at Gyudmed Tantric University, where he also received training in Tibetan thangka painting and arts. After moving to the West, Rabkar’s style has continued evolving into its own unique form, bringing humor and a depth of meditative searching and self-awareness to the work. We’ll be celebrating the launch of Rabkar’s first solo exhibit, Mystery of Life, which includes his colorful pop-art acrylic paintings, mineral pigment on silk pieces, and 3D installations.  In this episode, Rabkar and Daniel discuss Rabkar’s youth in South India, balancing family and monastic life; being selected for the artisan path and his apprenticeship in the tantric arts; the role of art and artistic training in Buddhist contexts; his architectural projects and other works with the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA); traditional Tibetan painting materials and techniques and contemporary influences; Rabkar’s journey in life and work leading to his current show, Mystery of Life;  and 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 it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Rabkar Wangchuk: Mystery of Life (#141) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features special guest His Eminence the 12th Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche as he and host Daniel Aitken celebrate the launch of Rinpoche’s most recent book, Mahāmudrā: A Practical Guide. H.E. Gharwang Rinpoche was born into the Sikkimese Royal Court and was recognized by H.H. the 16th Karmapa as the incarnation of the Gharwang Tulku. Rinpoche is the supreme lineage holder of the Whispered Lineage of the Zurmang Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. As head of the Zurmang Kagyu School, Rinpoche is the spiritual leader of monasteries and nunneries in Tibet, India, Nepal, and Bhutan. In this episode, H.E. Gharwang Rinpoche and Daniel discuss the story behind the new book and its unique structure; a verse that encapsulates the essence of the book’s teachings; what it means to tame the mind; renunciation in terms of our relationship with others; the connection between mahāmudrā and non-attachment; defining the word mahāmudrā; faith and devotion in mahāmudrā practice; and 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 it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Mahāmudrā: A Practical Guide (#140) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features an interview with special guest Matthew Kapstein Ph.D., Numata Professor of Buddhist Studies at the University of Chicago, director of Tibetan Studies at the École Pratique des Hautes Études Paris, and co-editor of the online Oxford Bibliographies of Buddhism. His numerous publications include Buddhism Between Tibet and China, Reason’s Traces,  Contributions to the Cultural History of Early Tibet, and The Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism. Matthew Kapstein and host Daniel Aitken discuss Matthew’s fascinating introduction to the languages, landscape, and philosophy of Asia; his pivotal journey to India and Nepal in the early 1970’s, meeting Lama Yeshe, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and Zina Rachevsky; Sanskrit and Tibetan language learning on the ground in Nepal, India, and the United States; studying with masters such as Kalu Rinpoche, Chögyam Trungpa, Dudjom Rinpoche, the 16th Karmapa Rangjung Dorje, and Khenpo Sangye Tenzin; Matthew’s pursuits in Western philosophy as well as Madhyamaka traditions such as Mipham Rinpoche’s; the seminal Tibetan King Gesar epic; and 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 it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Matthew Kapstein: The Reluctant Professor (#139) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features Shaila Catherine, who has been practicing meditation since 1980, with more than eight years of accumulated silent retreat experience. She has taught insight meditation since 1996 in the U.S. and internationally, dedicating several years to studying with masters in India, Nepal, and Thailand. She is the founder of Bodhi Courses—an online Dhamma classroom, and Insight Meditation South Bay—a Buddhist meditation center in Silicon Valley. Shaila has completed a one-year intensive meditation retreat and trained in jhana, metta, samadhi, and vipassana practices. Shaila is also the author of Beyond Distraction, Focused and Fearless: A Meditator’s Guide to States of Deep Joy, Calm, and Clarity, and Wisdom Wide and Deep: A Practical Handbook for Mastering Jhāna and Vipassanā. In this episode, host Daniel Aitken and Shaila discuss  what distraction and intention mean for meditators at every level of experience; ‘wholesomeness’ and mental states rooted in greed, hate, and delusion; mindfulness, the construction of identity, and recognizing conditioning; realistic strategies for overcoming restlessness and distraction as presented in her new book Beyond Distraction; her experience with deep meditative states and practical wisdom we can apply now; shifting habitual patterns and thoughts by identifying and examining them gently; wisely approaching concentration and the joyful cultivation of insight;  and 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 it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Shaila Catherine: Beyond Distraction (#138) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features an interview with host Daniel Aitken and special guests Venerable Robina and Venerable Chokyi, discussing their work with the Liberation Prison Project. The Liberation Prison Project offers spiritual advice and teachings, as well as Dharma books and materials, to people in prison interested in exploring, studying, and practicing Buddhism. Since 1996 the project has supported the Buddhist practice of over 20,000 men and women in prisons around the world to transform their lives. Daniel discusses with Ven. Robina and Ven. Chokyi: the foundation and development of the Liberation Prison Project; moving examples of prisoner experiences; the Tibetan astrological calendar, pilgrimage, and other fundraising efforts; Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s book Enjoy Life Liberated from the Inner Prison how students provide support to prisoners through the Project; a new opportunity in the Liberation Prison Project Director role; and 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 it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Venerable Robina and Venerable Chokyi: Liberation Prison Project (#137) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features an interview with Daniel A. Hirshberg, who earned a PhD from Harvard University in 2012 and was associate professor in the Department of Classics, Philosophy, & Religion at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Since recording this podcast, Dan left his tenured professorship to found SŌTERIC.  In this episode, host Daniel Aitken and Dan discuss Dan’s path to the academic Dharma world through studying with Professor Jan Willis, Naropa University, and study and practice in Asia; studies with Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche’s Nalandabodhi Community and the Nitartha Shedra curriculum; Dan’s engagement in historical studies of the influential Nyingma teacher Nyangrel (Nyangrel Nyima Özer, c.1124–1192), King Trisong Detsen, and the Padmasambhava lineage and lore; the foundation and culture of the terma/tertön tradition and the sacred world throughout Tibetan history and into today; practical perspectives on the future of Buddhist literary traditions in the modern age, and the nature of validation in authentic teachings; modern contemplative research and application through secular pedagogical techniques; Dan’s recent book, Remembering the Lotus-Born: Padmasambhava in the History of Tibet’s Golden Age; and 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 it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you! The post Daniel A. Hirshberg: Nyingma Lore and Lineage (#136) appeared first on The Wisdom Experience.