Buddhist Geeks

Latest Episodes:

The Mystery of the Mind: Ten Zen Questions Jul 21, 2015

Show notes

Dr. Susan Blackmore–a psychologist and long-time Zen practitioner–shares with us the discoveries that she made while writing her latest book, Ten Zen Questions. Listen in to find out what she discovered after many, many hours of asking questions, such as: “Am I conscious now?”, “What was I conscious of a moment ago?”, & “There is no time. What is memory?”
Also, listen in to hear how she feels this type of exploration, often called Koan training in the Zen Buddhist tradition, can illuminate and inform the traditional scientific study of consciousness.
Episode Links:
The Headless Way ( http://www.headless.org )
Ten Zen Blog ( http://tenzenbookblog.wordpress.com )
Dr. Susan Blackmore ( http://www.susanblackmore.co.uk )
Ten Zen Questions ( http://bit.ly/bxloL )
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The Dharma Overground Jul 21, 2015

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Daniel Ingram, Theravada meditation teacher, joins us today to discuss the online community he and Buddhist Geeks host, Vince Horn helped create, The Dharma Overground.

Daniel shares how the Dharma Overground has been a grand experiment in discussing practical, down-to-earth, and empowering dharma out in the open and the results of that experiment thus far.

This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to part 1, An Unusually Hardcore Dharma Book.

Episode Links:

The Dharma Overground ( http://www.dharmaoverground.org )
Interactive Buddha ( www.interactivebuddha.com )
Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha ( bit.ly/E1tF )

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An Unusually Hardcore Dharma Book Jul 21, 2015

Show notes

Daniel Ingram, a Theravada meditation teacher and one of our most popular guests, joins us again to discuss his recently published book, Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha. In discussing the book we dive into some of the more foundation distinctions he makes, including that of the three trainings. Daniel claims that the trainings in morality (or ethics), concentration (or meditation), and insight (or wisdom) are distinct trainings, each having their own unique gold standard. He explores each of these gold standards and pays particular attention to the gold standard of insight, which has to do with seeing the three characteristics of experience—impermanence, suffering, and not-self.

Listen in for some geeky, technical, and hard-hitting dharma from one of today’s little known, yet extremely profound, American dharma teachers.

This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, The Dharma Overground.

Episode Links:

Interactive Buddha ( http://www.interactivebuddha.com )
Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha ( http://bit.ly/E1tF )

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Western Buddhism: Megatrends & Scandals Jul 21, 2015

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Lama Sarah Harding, Tibetan translator and student of the late Kalu Rinpoche, joins us again to discuss some of the major trends in Western Buddhism. Having taught a class on “Buddhism in America” for the past several years, Sarah is uniquely positioned to share some key insights on this topic. We cap the conversation off discussing the regular, and unfortunate, occurrence of scandal within different Buddhist communities in the West, and what some of the major causes seem to be.
This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to part 1, The Traditional 3-Year Retreat: Intensive Training for a Nonexistent Job.
Episode Links:
Zen Masters: Dressing the Donkey with Bells and Scarves ( http://bit.ly/1TOEOYQ )
The Darker Side of Zen: Institutions Defining Reality ( http://bit.ly/1TOEOrF )
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The Traditional 3-Year Retreat: Intensive Training for a Nonexistent Job Jul 21, 2015

Show notes

Lama Sarah Harding, Tibetan translator and student of the late Kalu Rinpoche, joins us to discuss the experience of doing a traditional 3-year retreat in the Tibetan tradition. She was part of a small group of people, who in the mid 70’s did the first 3-year retreat held for Westerners.
Listen in to find out more about the practices one does during the traditional retreat, what the biggest challenges can be, and what the benefits are (especially when compared with shorter periods of practice).
This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, Western Buddhism: Megatrends & Scandals.
Episode Links:
Jamgon Kongtrul’s Retreat Manual ( http://bit.ly/3oIyzG )
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The Buddha Didn't Have a Credit Card Jul 21, 2015

Show notes

Insight Meditation teacher, Diana Winston, joins us to discuss an extremely relevant topic: Buddhism & Money. We explore whether or not spirituality and money are incompatible (as they are often seen) and if not how they might go together.
Diana shares with us some of the original, though not so well known, teachings that the historical Buddha gave on money. She also discusses why both Buddhist teachers and practitioners should work with money and become familiar with it, and recounts her own journey with spiritual practice and money and how she has been able to bring the two together.
Episode Links:
The Dighajanu Sutta ( http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/an/an08/an08.054.than.html )
Hooked!: Buddhist Writings on Greed, Desire, and the Urge to Consume ( http://bit.ly/1IjV3V )
Wide Awake: Buddhism for the New Generation ( http://bit.ly/S7BlN )
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Different Types of Jhana: Sutta, Vishudimagga, & Vipassana Jul 21, 2015

Show notes

We continue our discussion with insight meditation teacher and author, Richard Shankman. In this episode we continue to dissect the different kinds of samadhi and their respective fruits–what in the Theravada tradition are called jhana (or “meditative absorption”). According to Shankman there are two ways of approaching the attainment of jhana, one as was taught in the original canonical texts of the Theravada, the Pali Suttas, and the other from the later commentaries on the Buddha’s teachings, the Vishudimagga. As a result we get two different forms of jhana–one called Sutta jhana and the other called Vishudimagga jhana. This two-fold understanding, though geeky, shines light on the different methods of practicing both samadhi and vipassana meditation and offers a unitary model for understanding the two together.

We also briefly touch on a term called “vipassana jhana,” which is used by notable Burmese and American insight meditation teachers, and relate the development of insight (via vipassana) to these two jhana systems. For those folks who have experience practicing or studying in the Theravada tradition you will likely find your understanding of the tradition deeply enriched. For those in other traditions you will almost certainly find this an interesting glimpse into the detailed intricacies of a one of the oldest Buddhist traditions of meditation.

This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to part 1, The Power of Samadhi.

Episode Links:

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The Power of Samadhi Jul 21, 2015

Show notes

Richard Shankman, a teacher in the insight meditation tradition and the author of the recently released book The Experience of Samadhi, joins us to discuss the various teachings and approaches to what in the Theravada tradition is called samadhi or concentration meditation.

During this episode Richard shares some of his personal background with samadhi practice and also explains two different forms of deep samadhi, called jhana in the Theravada tradition–one from the time of the Buddha as captured by the Pali Suttas and another which arouse hundreds of years later and which is captured in the authoritative text, the Visuddhimagga. Listen in to find out about these different forms of deep concentration and absorption, which are a hallmark of the Theravada tradition of Buddhism…

This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, Different Types of Jhana: Sutta, Vishudimagga, & Vipassana.

Episode Links:

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Vajrayana in Plain English Jul 21, 2015

Show notes

In this episode, we continue our dialogue with Shingon teacher Hokai Sobol. We begin our conversation by dropping a difficult question on Hokai, asking him how the Vajrayana traditions (both the Japanese and Tibetan) can maintain relevance in our post-modern and rapidly changing world. He suggests that we must develop a “Vajrayana in Plain English,” one that is germane to the particularities of this time and space.
And as the 1st generation of Buddhist teachers and leaders near retirement-age, now is the only time that we have to do so. Listen in to hear his take on making the Vajrayana not only more relevant, but on it becoming a pioneering force and cultural leader in today’s world. This includes the way that Buddhist teachings, practice, & even creative expressions are presented. It includes nothing less than a bold transformation of the tradition.
This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to part 1, Japanese Shingon: The True Word School.
Episode Links:
Hokai.info
Mindfulness in Plain English ( http://bit.ly/a7Z4L )
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Japanese Shingon: The True Word School Jul 21, 2015

Show notes

In this episode we are joined by one of our favorite Buddhist Geeks, Hokai Sobol. Hokai who is a teacher in the Shingon Buddhist tradition–a form of Vajrayana found in Japan–joins us today to speak about the Shingon school. Hokai shares with us a brief history of Shingon tradition and its main teacher Kukai, the artistic dimension of Shingon, and also begins to explain the basic teachings and practices of the lineage.
Similar to the Tibetan Vajrayana approaches Shingon harnesses things like mudras (gestures), mantras (sounds), and mandalas (visualizations)–which lines up with the three-fold Body, Speech, & Mind. Speaking about mantras specifically Hokai brings us through the three distinct dimensions of mantra practices and shows us how we can understand and practice with the basic mantra of “om”-“ah”-“hum.”
This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, Vajrayana in Plain English.
Episode Links:
Hokai.info
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