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Buddhist Geeks
Buddhist Geeks is a weekly audio show that presents groundbreaking interviews and discussions with Buddhist teachers, scholars, and advanced practitioners. Combining ancient wisdom with modern technology, Buddhist Geeks aims to catalyze a community of practitioners committed to awakening. Discover the emerging face of Western Buddhism.
Everything on Buddhist Geeks is tied to awakening and to real practice. The "Geeks" don't want to "talk dharma" for the sake of flapping their gums and making themselves feel good. They want people to benefit concretely from the podcast, to be inspired in their practice, and to have humor while they go about the path.
The Buddhist Geek's conversations are with teachers, scholars, and practitioners at the leading edge of Buddhism in the West, as are the show's listeners.
"If you're trying to find your way as a young twenty-first-century Buddhist, don't miss this funny, sincere, NPR-esque podcast by three Gen-Y geeks from Boulder."
– What is Enlightenment? Magazine
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Buddhist Geeks is primarily supported by the generosity of our listeners.
Please visit our donate page [http://www.buddhadharma20.com/donate/]
to learn how you can help support this project.
Watch Buddhist Geeks Live - Tune
in to our live streaming page [http://live.buddhistgeeks.com]
to watch our discussions as they happen! And during interviews
participate in the dialogue by asking questions of the teacher and chatting
with fellow geeks... Our live schedule
[http://live.buddhistgeeks.com/calendar.html]
has up-to-date information on upcoming streaming events.
Updated: 1 day 6 hours ago
BG 102: Shinzen Young: The Hybrid Teacher
Shinzen Young, professional meditation
instructor and geek-extraordinaire, joins us today to share his unique
journey as a contemplative. From discontinuing his PhD studies to
become a full-time shingon practitioner to taking up Japanese Zen and
finally discovering the mindfulness practices originating from
Theravada Buddhism, Shinzen has gone deep with several contemplative
techniques. In addition to his training in the contemplative
traditions of the East, Shinzen took time to train himself to become a
relatively qualified mathematician and scientist so that he could one
day be poised to bring together the best of the East (contemplative
practice) with the best of the West (the scientific method). The
hybrid of which, he thinks will yield a comletely unique fusion.
Listen in to hear more from this incredibly gifted and incredibly geeky
meditation teacher.This is part 1 of a 3-part series. Listen to part 2 (airing next week).
Categories: integral
BG 101: Hollow Bones Zen
Jun Po Roshi, an American Zen Master in the Rinzai Zen
tradition, joins us again this week to discuss the limitations of
Japanese Zen as it enters contemporary American culture. He also
shares the way that his Hallow Bones Zen community has re-organized the
core teachings of the Buddha in their five training elements:1. Sacred stewardship2. Philosophical re-indoctrination3. Emotional maturity & integrity4. Conscious embodiment5. Genuine insightThese five training elements are a re-working and
re-presentation of the original 8-fold path, but one that was designed
specifically for our time and place. This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to part 1, Psychotropics and NeuroLinguistic Zen.
Categories: integral
BG 100: Psychotropics and NeuroLinguistic Zen
Jun Po Roshi, an American Zen Master in the Rinzai Zen
tradition, joins us to discuss his fascinating history with
psychotropic drugs, including a form of LSD, called Clear Light, that he helped to create and distribute a long time ago.We
also speak with him about his new form of Koan practice that uses
NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP) techniques to help anchor spiritual
realization in one's linguistic structures. This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, Hollow Bones Zen.
Categories: integral
BG 099: The Zen Tree Fort in the Sky
Ken Wilber coined the terms "ascending" and "descending" to describe two possible orientations to spiritual practice.
The ascending path has to do with transcending the world, leaving
samsara behind, and fusing with the infinite. The descending path has
to do with finding spirit in the world--in the midst of everyday life.
Both approaches are important, and both have been clearly highlighted
in Stuart Davis's journey as a Zen practitioner. Listen in to
hear Davis's radical flip-flop between these two approaches. Where
Davis once found himself sitting up in his "Zen tree fort in the sky" he
now finds that "the mystery" is most intimately connected with being a
father & husband. Lastly, Davis shares with us a very strange and
powerful connection he has with crows (yes, the animals), who apparently are an important
symbol in the Zen tradition. This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to part 1, Stuart Davis: Bodhisattva Rocker.
Categories: integral
BG 098: Stuart Davis: Bodhisattva Rocker
This week we're joined by prolific musician, artist,
writer, & comic Stuart Davis. Davis, a long-time Zen practitioner,
shares with us his background as a creative and the resulting unique
understanding that he has of the Bodhisattva's path. Specifically, we discuss his current creative projects, including a
language called IS that he is in the process of developing & and a
spiritual talk-show that he's hosting entitled Sex, God & Rock 'n
Roll.
We also cover the topic of re-incarnation, and the spiritual tutelage
he has received from his wife Marci. We hope you enjoy this interview
with one of the most creative, absurd, and hilarious Zen-artists we
know! This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, The Zen Tree Fort in the Sky.
Categories: integral
BG 097: The Dhamma Brothers: Vipassana Meditation in Prison
We are joined this week by Jenny Phillips, Director and Producer of the newly released documentary, The Dhamma Brothers. The Dhamma Brothers
gives an in-depth look at how a trial program of vipassana meditation
courses radically transforms the lives of inmates in a the
maximum-security prison facility in Alabama. In our interview
with Jenny we explore the story behind the film, her intentions for
creating it, and the potential ramifications of introducing these
powerful meditation practices into an environment where genuine
positive transformation is almost unheard of. Put another way we
discuss what happens when "East meets West, in the Deep South." To find out more about the movie and to watch the trailor please visit: www.dhammabrothers.com.
Categories: integral
BG 096: The Particularities of Awakening
The Geeks of the Round Table are back, continuing our
discussion of Judy Lief's article Glimpses of Awakening. We speculate
on the language and culture surrounding enlightenment both here in the
West and in various countries in the East--including Japan, Burma, and
Thailand. We also speculate on how likely it is that people can have
initial breakthroughs in their practice (the first glimpses of
enlightenment) and how useful it would be to have an empirical,
longitudinal study that tracked these kind of breakthroughs. And if
you make it all the way to the end of this dialogue you'll hear
something that has a %99 chance of getting you enlightened, right there
on the spot. :::wink, wink:::This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to part 1, The Buzz Lightyear Model of Enlightenment: To Infinity and Beyond.
Categories: integral
BG 095: The Buzz Lightyear Model of Enlightenment: To Infinity and Beyond
In this episode we bring back the Geeks of the Round
Table segment. Joining us is one of our regulars Duff McDuffee, and a
new geek to the lineup, Mike LaTorra. Mike is the resident teacher of
the Soto Zen Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
During this conversation we discuss an article written by Shambhala
Acharaya Judy Lief entitled, Glimpses of Awakening. We discuss the
ideals surrounding awakening, and use the classic three trainings model
(of ethics, concentration, & wisdom) to explore what enlightenment
is about. This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2 (airing next week).
Categories: integral
BG 094: Horizontal and Vertical Enlightenment
Philosopher
and long-time Buddhist practitioner, Ken
Wilber, continues his discussion of the meditative terrain and of his
spiritual philosophy in general. He finishes off his discussion of the
meditative maps with an exploration of what it actual takes--both in
terms of time and effort--to master these various stages of
consciousness. He
also explains the difference between what he is now calling "horizontal
enlightenment" (which is basically everything we've explored up to this
point) and "vertical enlightenment" which encompasses other areas of
human development that can't been developed while on the cushion.
According to him the traditional notion of Buddhist enlightenment isn't
he be-all-end-all of human development. Finally,
if you're interested in learning more about Ken's most recent work, and
how it's being applied in the world visit the newly launched site,
www.IntegralLife.com This
is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to part 1, The Meditative Maps:
Happy Mornings and Dark Nights.
Categories: integral
BG 093: The Meditative Maps: Happy Mornings and Dark Nights
Philosopher and long-time Buddhist practitioner, Ken Wilber, shares with us a 10,000 foot view of the terrain of meditative experience. He describes several of the most common Buddhist maps and their progression, including the one presented in the Visuddhimagga (one of the most prevalent in the Theravada tradition), the 10 ox herding pictures in the Zen tradition, and the Anuttara Tantra from the Tibetan tradition.
He also gives an overview of the very difficult stages of practice called the Dark Nights. These are periods where after being plunged into a whole new experience of reality we have it stripped from us and feel like we have lost what was once discovered. Another meaning of the dark night has to do with dis-identifying with previous levels of consciousness, and the difficult journey of releasing our grasping and addiction to these lower levels.
This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, Horizontal and Vertical Enlightenment.
Categories: integral
BG 092: Buddhist Studies in the West
Dr. Jeffrey Hopkins, one of the most important figure in the development of Tibetan Buddhist Studies in the United States, joins us to discuss the importance of academic studies. We explore what Buddhist studies are like in the West, the relationship between being a scholar and practitioner, and the broader role that Buddhist academia plays in Western Buddhism.
This is part 2 of a two-part series Listen to part 1, The Practice Adventures of Dr. Jeffrey Hopkins.
Categories: integral
BG 091: The Practice Adventures of Dr. Jeffrey Hopkins
Today we speak with Dr. Jeffrey Hopkins, Professor Emeritus of Tibetan & Buddhist Studies at University of Virgina. Dr. Hopkins is a prolific translator--with 40 books translated in his career--and a committed meditation practitioner.
In this episode we ask him to share some of the details of his early practice. He shares with us his experience doing sky meditations and dark retreats, all of which he did before being exposed to Tibetan Buddhism. He also shares some of the details of his meeting the Dalai Lama and working with him on translating some of his books to English, as well as being his translator.
This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, Buddhist Studies in the West.
Categories: integral
BG 090: The Logistics of Being a Bodhisattva
Join us as we finish up our dialogue with Venerable Robina Courtin, the highly energetic Tibetan Nun, who some refer to as a "Dharma CEO". In this episode she continues to share the specific logistics behind her approach to balancing wisdom and compassion in today's world.
This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to part 1, Venerable Robina Courtin: Bodhisattva CEO.
Categories: integral
BG 089: Venerable Robina Courtin: Bodhisattva CEO
Join us this week as we converse with one of the most energetic and high-powered Nuns that we know, Venerable Robina Courtin. A long-time Nun in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, Robina shares with us the importance of approaching work in the world, from the "Bodhisattva perspective" while also maintaining a firm grounding in emptiness.
Listen in to find out more about the work that Robina does, and more importantly, how she approaches her work.
This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, The Logistics of Being a Bodhisattva.
Categories: integral
BG 088: Technology Makes our Delusion More Functional
We're joined again by CEO and Founder of Twine.com, and long-time Dzogchen practitioner, Nova Spivack. In this episode we discuss the short-comings of the Western traditions understanding and pursuit of consciousness, especially with regards to finding an ultimate particle in physics. We also explore the strengths and limitations of technology to aid in the process of awakening.
This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to part 1, Does the Web have Buddha Nature?
Categories: integral