In the final episode, we explore how to integrate what we’ve learned about interdependence over the course of this season into our lives and put it into practice. How can we implement some of the teachings from the image of the Wheel of Life? We are all in this together. There is no other way. It’s time to wake up to this reality and act accordingly. This episode features pastoral counselor, teacher, and author Pamela Ayo Yetunde. AWAKEN season 5 is hosted by singer, songwriter, and artist Deven...
Oct 07, 2025•33 min•Season 5Ep. 8
The interconnected relationship between artist and viewer is what gives art its meaning and power. Art can capture ideas that are difficult to express in words and make them more understandable. How do artists reflect and deepen our understanding of interdependence? For centuries people have turned to the image of the Wheel of Life to better understand cause and effect and the very nature of existence. The section of the Wheel depicting the human realm is the focus of this episode’s exploration ...
Sep 30, 2025•20 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Technology isn’t inherently good or bad—it’s all about how we use it. At its best it can reveal hidden truths, build community, and serve as a tool for living. How can we navigate the increasingly interconnected relationship between technology and humanity in ways that harness its beneficial potential? For centuries people have turned to the image of the Wheel of Life to better understand cause and effect and the very nature of existence. The section of the Wheel depicting the human realm is the...
Sep 23, 2025•27 min•Season 5Ep. 6
Our bodies may be the single most tangible reminder of interdependence. But good health isn’t just related to physical functioning—there are emotional and social components as well. What can a holistic perspective on health offer us? And how do our relationships relate to our well-being? For centuries people have turned to the image of the Wheel of Life to better understand cause and effect and the very nature of existence. The section of the Wheel depicting the hell realm is the focus of this e...
Sep 16, 2025•27 min•Season 5Ep. 5
One of the places we see interdependence at play most clearly is in the natural world. Within our interconnected relationship to the environment comes the potential for humans to sustain great beauty but also create great harm. What does it look like to live in mutual reciprocity with the Earth in small but meaningful ways? For centuries people have turned to the image of the Wheel of Life to better understand cause and effect and the very nature of existence. The section of the Wheel depicting ...
Sep 09, 2025•25 min•Season 5Ep. 4
For centuries people have turned to the image of the Wheel of Life to better understand cause and effect and the very nature of existence. The section of the Wheel depicting the hungry ghost realm is the focus of this episode’s exploration of community. This episode features journalist and author A.J. Jacobs. AWAKEN season 5 is hosted by singer, songwriter, and artist Devendra Banhart. Other guests in this episode include social scientist, physician, and professor Nicholas Christakis, professor ...
Sep 02, 2025•26 min•Season 5Ep. 3
We may think interdependence is something that needs to be found, but it’s already right here, existing among the people we know and interact with on a regular basis. Our capacity to form mutually supportive relationships is a human drive deeply written in our bodies. What does it look like to seize upon and celebrate those connections? For centuries people have turned to the image of the Wheel of Life to better understand cause and effect and the very nature of existence. The section of the Whe...
Aug 26, 2025•22 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Interdependence is so foundational to every aspect of our lives that it can be easy to miss. But what happens when we truly wake up to the reality that everyone and everything is interconnected? For centuries people have turned to the image of the Wheel of Life to better understand cause and effect and the very nature of existence. How do the teachings of the Wheel still apply to our world today? AWAKEN season 5 is hosted by singer, songwriter, and artist Devendra Banhart. Guests featured in thi...
Aug 19, 2025•23 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Welcome to Season 5 of AWAKEN—a Webby Honoree podcast about the dynamic path to enlightenment and what it means to “wake up.” This season explores interdependence, a fundamental concept in Buddhism and in life that describes the mutual dependence of everything and experience. Hosted by singer, songwriter, and artist Devendra Banhart, the series focuses on a painting of the Wheel of Life from the Rubin Museum’s collection to see what it can teach us about the interconnected nature of existence. E...
Jul 29, 2025•2 min
We might want to believe that there is a definitive end—a clear point where some patterns have died and new ones have been born—but in fact, we are always in a process of realization. It’s a continuous cycle of forgetting and remembering to let go of expectations and remain open to each moment. It might seem small but these shifts in awareness have the potential to be completely transformative. AWAKEN Season 4 is hosted by actress and filmmaker Isabella Rossellini. Guests featured in this episod...
Dec 17, 2024•36 min•Season 4Ep. 8
What does it look like to put what we’ve learned about non-attachment into practice? In this episode, all the guests in the series share their practices for working through their attachments and moving toward a more open relationship to oneself and life as a whole. Ultimately, it’s not about having no attachments—that’s almost impossible—but bringing presence and awareness to each moment. AWAKEN Season 4 is hosted by actress and filmmaker Isabella Rossellini. Guests featured in this episode incl...
Dec 17, 2024•35 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Freedom from attachment doesn’t require leaving home and renouncing all our ties to family and friends like the Buddha did. It’s something that is available to all of us, in each moment, in everyday life. Letting go of expectations and self-imposed identities can create space to tune into what’s truly important and follow a path that feels authentic and meaningful. AWAKEN Season 4 is hosted by actress and filmmaker Isabella Rossellini. Guests featured in this episode include poet and filmmaker F...
Dec 10, 2024•26 min•Season 4Ep. 6
How does non-attachment awaken us to our interdependence? We cannot exist without each other and the world around us. When we recognize this fact, not only do we free ourselves from self-focus and feel more connected, but we start to notice the extraordinary in the ordinary and recognize our collective responsibility to care for one another and our world. AWAKEN Season 4 is hosted by actress and filmmaker Isabella Rossellini. Guests featured in this episode include chef Reem Assil, Founder and D...
Dec 03, 2024•29 min•Season 4Ep. 5
The concept of non-attachment seems particularly confounding in the context of love. How can we not be attached to the people closest to our hearts? It’s not about loving or not loving, but rather how we love. Openness and compassion are the foundation for not only loving without expectations and conditions but also loving in service of one another. AWAKEN Season 4 is hosted by actress and filmmaker Isabella Rossellini. Guests featured in this episode include Founder and Director of the Center f...
Nov 26, 2024•32 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Many of the challenges that arise with attachment are related to the ego: who you think you are and how you think others should feel about you. By holding onto our sense of self too tightly, we end up seeing ourselves as alone and separate from one another. How can loosening our grip on the ego help us step into the fundamental truth of our interconnectedness? AWAKEN Season 4 is hosted by actress and filmmaker Isabella Rossellini. Guests featured in this episode include Founder and Director of t...
Nov 19, 2024•27 min•Season 4Ep. 3
It’s almost impossible to have no attachments. So what does non-attachment actually mean? Depending on the context, it can be easily misunderstood. But from the Buddhist perspective, it’s not about letting go of what we hold dear—it’s about releasing attachments to outcomes, points of view, and expectations that keep us from fully engaging with life. AWAKEN Season 4 is hosted by actress and filmmaker Isabella Rossellini. Guests featured in this episode include poet and filmmaker Fatimah Asghar, ...
Nov 12, 2024•32 min•Season 4Ep. 2
To understand non-attachment, we first have to understand attachment. It’s a fundamental part of the human experience. We cling not only to what makes us feel good but also to our identities, beliefs, and expectations of how things should be. But how does attachment function in our lives? And how can bringing greater awareness to it help shift our perspective of ourselves and the world? AWAKEN Season 4 is hosted by actress and filmmaker Isabella Rossellini. Guests featured in this episode includ...
Nov 12, 2024•27 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Welcome to Season 4 of AWAKEN—a Webby Honoree podcast about the dynamic path to enlightenment and what it means to “wake up.” Hosted by actress and filmmaker Isabella Rossellini, this season delves into the complex Buddhist concept of attachment and explores how the practice of letting go of preconceived ideas, beliefs, and idenities can transform our experience of the world. Trailer voices in order of appearance: Founder and Director of the Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madi...
Oct 22, 2024•3 min
Everyone has spent time wondering about it, but no one can say for sure: What happens after we die? In the last episode of the season, all of the guests in the series consider this question and consider how believing or not believing in the afterlife impacts how they live. If death is simply a transition from one state to the next, then how do we imagine life after? View the artwork discussed in this episode, beginning at 14:45. Read about this artwork , learn more about the Rubin, donate, and m...
Nov 14, 2023•27 min•Season 3Ep. 8
One thing is for certain: one day you will die. But what happens when you die? And how does knowledge of your inevitable death impact how you live now? In this episode, all the guests in the series reflect on these questions and consider how grappling with our mortality is part of what makes us human. View the artwork discussed in this episode, beginning at 18:07. Read about this artwork , learn more about the Rubin, donate, and more. AWAKEN Season 3 is hosted by singer and songwriter Falu. Gues...
Nov 07, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 7
If faced with bravery and awareness, conflict can bring great insight into what is right or needed. From the Buddhist perspective, it’s not the conflict itself that matters, but how we react to it. Because if we are too guarded, protecting ourselves from the difficult emotions that come with conflict, we might miss out on the opportunity for growth and new possibilities. View the artwork discussed in this episode, beginning at 25:07. Read about this artwork, learn more about the Rubin, donate, a...
Oct 31, 2023•34 min•Season 3Ep. 6
In Buddhism, morality isn’t just about avoiding harm but helping others. It comes down to taking responsibility for our actions. We can never truly know our morals until they are tested. But faced with that test, it can wake us up to new ways of thinking, being, and relating to one another in the world. View the artwork discussed in this episode, beginning at 20:58. Read about this artwork, learn more about the Rubin, donate, and more: https://rubinmuseum.org/mediacenter/life-after-morality-awak...
Oct 24, 2023•28 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Aspiration involves desire and ambition, whether it’s the pursuit of a new job or to be a better friend. It’s something that gives us a north star to move toward in our daily life. But what happens once we get there? And how can the Buddhist concept of attachment help us make sense of the inevitable ups and downs along the way? View the artwork discussed in this episode, beginning at 22:18. Read about this artwork, learn more about the Rubin, donate, and more . AWAKEN Season 3 is hosted by singe...
Oct 17, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Emotions aren’t just the feelings in the body—they reflect neurons firing in the brain, and from the Buddhist perspective, they offer opportunities for profound insight. When we hold too tightly to our emotions, we risk getting caught up in them. But when we step back and harness the power of simply observing them, there is great potential for transformation. View the artwork discussed in this episode, beginning at 22:07. Read about this artwork, learn more about the Rubin, donate, and more. AWA...
Oct 10, 2023•35 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Welcome to Season 3 of AWAKEN—a Webby Honoree podcast about the dynamic path to enlightenment and what it means to “wake up.” In this season, hosted by singer and songwriter Falu, artists, writers, scientists, poets, Buddhist teachers, and others delve into the notion of life after and explore how we navigate the key events and qualities of human life—birth, learning, emotion, aspiration, morality, conflict, and death—as well as grapple with the ultimate mystery: the afterlife. Everything is in ...
Oct 03, 2023•27 min•Season 3Ep. 1
It’s often in the most challenging moments that we learn the most about ourselves and others. Not only do we have the opportunity to rewire our brains, but we get to see things with newfound clarity. From the Buddhist and neuroscientific perspectives, learning is all about allowing for curiosity and openness. What does the process of learning have to teach us? View the artwork discussed in this episode, beginning at 18:50. Read about this artwork, learn more about the Rubin, donate, and more . A...
Oct 03, 2023•28 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Welcome to Season 3 of AWAKEN—a Webby Honoree podcast about the dynamic path to enlightenment and what it means to “wake up.” In this season hosted by singer and songwriter Falu, authors, musicians, poets, psychologists, Buddhist teachers, and others delve into the notion of life after and explore how we navigate the key events and qualities of human life—birth, learning, emotion, aspiration, morality, conflict, and death—as well as grapple with the ultimate mystery: the afterlife. Episode guest...
Aug 30, 2023•2 min
Because of the amazing response we received for AWAKEN Season 2, we wanted to extend the conversations about the five afflictive mind states we discuss in the series: Pride, Attachment, Envy, Anger, and Ignorance. In this episode, hosted by AWAKEN executive producer Tania Ketenjian, we have interwoven conversations from the Rubin’s BRAINWAVE®program series with neuroscientist Tracy Dennis-Tiwary’s understanding of the challenging emotions explored in the podcast. Guests include Bibi Bahrami, Dr....
Jan 25, 2023•52 min•Season 2Ep. 9
In this special bonus episode of AWAKEN, we turn the mic onto our host, singer and songwriter Raveena Aurora, to hear her own story of awakening. Listen to her reflect on growing up as a first generation American, inspirations for her music and creativity, her deep connection to the Rubin Museum, and how she navigates her own challenging emotions. To read a transcript, learn more about the Mandala Lab, donate, and more: https://rubinmuseum.org/mediacenter/bonus-episode-with-raveena-awaken-podcas...
Dec 23, 2022•18 min•Season 2Ep. 8
In this final episode, we return to the mandala, our visual guide on our path to awakening. We might survive without the wisdom we have gained by examining our emotions, but what is possible—for ourselves, our relationships, and our world—if we stay curious? AWAKEN Season 2 is hosted by singer and songwriter Raveena Aurora. Guests featured in this episode include psychologist and neuroscientist Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, Buddhist teacher and psychotherapist Mark Epstein, artist and activist Madame Gan...
Nov 08, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 7
