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 tradi...
Jun 03, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 140
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...
May 20, 2022•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 139
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 compl...
May 16, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 138
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 20,00...
Apr 25, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 137
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 Wil...
Apr 22, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 136
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features an interview with Dr. Alejandro Chaoul , who has studied Tibetan yoga for thirty years with the tradition’s greatest masters, including Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche and Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. Dr. Chaoul and host Daniel Aitken explore Tsa Lung Trul Khor (“channel/wind obstacle-clearing techniques”) yoga practice and its place in Dzogchen meditation; the practice of “Body Buddhism,” integrating the body with the mind and breath; the benefits of purification ...
Mar 18, 2022•50 min•Ep. 135
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast , recorded live at the 2021 Serenity Ridge Dialogues features a conversation between H. H. the 42nd Sakya Trizin, Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, & B. Alan Wallace , moderated by Daniel Aitken. Topics discussed include body, breath, mind, and the nature of consciousness in scientific and spiritual paradigms; views on the source of mind and the influence of the brain; integration of science and spirituality in the understanding of the nature of the mind; intr...
Mar 04, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 134
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast , recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat , features a discussion with special guests Venerable Bhikkhu Anālayo and Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. Ven. Anālayo, Rinpoche, and host Daniel Aitken discuss many Buddhist ideas and practices, comparing what different Buddhist traditions have to say about them, including how the Buddha practiced; understanding mindfulness across different Buddhist traditions; the difference between mindfulness and awareness and how we transla...
Jan 21, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 133
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features an interview with Alexander Berzin. Alex is a translator and teacher of Tibetan Buddhism. A prolific author and translator, he has published seventeen books and is also the founder of StudyBuddhism.com , an extensive source of authentic Buddhist teachings, presented in a down-to-earth and practical way. Alex and host Daniel Aitken discuss his journey into Buddhism, which started with practicing yoga at thirteen; how he was impacted by meeting the Dalai...
Dec 17, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 132
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features an interview with Pamela Weiss . Pamela is the author of A Bigger Sky: Awakening a Fierce Feminine Buddhism , a teacher in the Insight tradition, and has received Dharma transmission from Teah Strozer at the Brooklyn Zen Center . Pamela and host Daniel Aitken discuss how she found Buddhism through illness, and the vital role of self-compassion on her path; key ideas in Zen, such as the practice of “just sitting,” and Pamela’s own journey and insights w...
Dec 03, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 131
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast , recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat , features an interview with Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche—teacher, filmmaker, writer, and founder of several nonprofit initiatives including 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha . This episode was a special launch celebration for the 84000 app . Rinpoche and host Daniel Aitken discuss the importance and challenges of translating the Buddha’s words, how we should think about the Buddha’s original teachings, how Buddhis...
Nov 19, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 130
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast , recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat , features an interview with special guest Karl Brunnhölzl , celebrating the launch of his book Milarepa’s Kungfu . In this episode, Karl and host Daniel Aitken discuss the origin of the book’s unusual title, what inspired Karl to create this book, why the text explored in the book is so important, exploring the meaning of view, meditation, and conduct, the important role of devotion in practice, shock as a teaching tool,...
Nov 05, 2021•55 min•Ep. 129
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features an interview with Achariya Doug Qapel Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei, both trained in the Karma Kagyu lineage. They follow the tradition of the late Namgyal Rinpoche, a pioneer weaving together Eastern and Western traditions. Qapel and Catherine Sensei teach meditation and act as spiritual mentors to students internationally and at their retreat center in British Columbia, Canada. This interview features stories about their lineages, Namgyal Rin...
Nov 02, 2021•53 min•Ep. 128
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast , recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features an interview with David Nichtern , a senior Buddhist teacher, meditation guide, Emmy award–winning composer and musician, and founder of Dharma Moon . David is the author of two books with Wisdom: Awakening from the Daydream and Creativity, Spirituality, and Making a Buck . In this episode, David and host Daniel Aitken explore the theme of the sword of prajna, or wisdom, including various translations of the wor...
Oct 22, 2021•54 min•Ep. 127
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features an interview with Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo. Tenzin Palmo is a bhikṣuṇī in the Drukpa lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and a brilliant teacher who is able to touch the hearts of many with her presence, her profound understanding of the Dharma, and its relevance and application in daily life. Tenzin Palmo is an author and founder of the Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery in Himachal Pradesh, India. She also spent twelve years living and practicing in...
Sep 24, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 126
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast , recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat , features a conversation with Sensei Koshin Paley Ellison . Koshin is an author, Zen teacher, Jungian psychotherapist, and certified chaplaincy educator. Koshin and host Daniel Aitken discuss the Commit-to-Sit: 90-Day Commitment to Practice he ran earlier this year; his most recent book, Wholehearted ; his wisdom for making all of life a place of practice, from the bedsides of the dying, to intimate relationships, and to...
Sep 03, 2021•56 min•Ep. 125
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast , recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features a conversation with beloved teacher Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. Rinpoche and host Daniel Aitken discuss practice during lockdown (this episode was recorded in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic), working with anxiety and stress, how to choose which teachings to follow, how to understand the nature of your mind, how Rinpoche structures his teachings for his students, and much more. Rinpoche is the author of several b...
Aug 27, 2021•58 min•Ep. 124
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast , recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat , features a conversation with renowned translator and scholar Robert Thurman. Dr. Thurman and host Daniel Aitken cover topics such as the not-self; the nature of nirvana; how we try to conceive ultimate reality and its true nature; understanding the importance of negation; and much more. Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a...
Aug 20, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 123
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast , recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat , features a conversation with renowned translator and scholar Vesna A. Wallace. She and host Daniel Aitken discuss the Kalachakra Tantra , including the subtle body in the Kalachakra, what makes the Kalachakra unique, and much more. Vesna teaches South Asian and Inner Asian religions and advanced Sanskrit courses in the Department of Religious Studies at UC Santa Barbara. Her two areas of specialization are Indian Buddhi...
Aug 13, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 122
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast , recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat , features a conversation with beloved teacher Guy Armstrong . He and host Daniel Aitken discuss many aspects of Guy’s journey into Dharma and his practice with many famous Theravadin masters, as well as themes of interest to Guy, like emptiness. Guy has been leading insight meditation retreats since 1984 in the United States, Europe, and Australia. He is the author of the Wisdom book Emptiness: A Practical Guide for Medi...
Aug 06, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 121
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat , features a conversation with Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche, the lineage holder of Shangpa Kagyu. Rinpoche and Daniel discuss what it means to be a lineage holder; how lineage helps preserve the Dharma; the difference between tradition and lineage; how to connect with a lineage; how to think about doubt in the practice; how and why renunciation is important for our lifelong practice, including how Rinpoche has applied the practice...
Jul 30, 2021•58 min•Ep. 120
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast , recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features a conversation with Ven. Sangye Khadro , a Tibetan Buddhist nun and author of the bestselling book How to Meditate: A Practical Guide . Ven. Khadro (Kathleen McDonald) tells us how she discovered Buddhism and how she wrote How to Meditate , including how she teaches meditation to Westerners who typically come to Buddhism in adulthood. She also describes different varieties of meditation and offers suggestions fo...
Jul 23, 2021•59 min•Ep. 119
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast , recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat , features a conversation with Lama Alan Wallace , author, scholar, president of the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies , and Founder, President, and Director of Contemplative Training at the Center for Contemplative Research. Lama Alan has also edited, translated, written, and contributed to more than forty books on Tibetan Buddhism, medicine, language, and culture, as well as the interface between science...
Jul 16, 2021•59 min•Ep. 118
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast , recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features a conversation with distinguished translator and scholar Donald S. Lopez Jr. Donald is the Arthur E. Link Distinguished University Professor of Buddhist and Tibetan Studies in the department of Asian languages and cultures at the University of Michigan. He is the author and translator of numerous books, including Beautiful Adornment of Mount Meru , Opening the Eye of New Awareness , and In the Forest of Faded Wi...
Jul 09, 2021•59 min•Ep. 117
In this episode of the Wisdom Podcast , host Daniel Aitken interviews artist and author Rima Fujita . You’ll hear about Rima’s upbringing in Japan and how she became Buddhist; a dream she had which helped her discover the ways she could support Tibet; how her friendship with His Holiness the Dalai Lama developed; dreams as a part of her creative process; the stories behind her new book with Wisdom, The Extraordinary Life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama ; and much more. Be sure to keep up with Rim...
Jul 02, 2021•52 min•Ep. 116
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features a conversation with writer, professor, and Wisdom author Christopher Ives. Chris has published two books with Wisdom: Zen on the Trail: Hiking as Pilgrimage and Meditations on the Trail: A Guidebook for Self-Discovery , which came out on May 11, 2021. In this conversation, Chris and host Daniel Aitken explore the idea at the heart of these two books: that the hiking trail and the spiritual path can often be one and the same. When we bring a certain pre...
Jun 25, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 115
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast , recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat , features a conversation with Lama Migmar Tseten. In this episode, we celebrated the launch of Lama Migmar’s first major book, The Play of Mahamudra . In it, Lama Migmar provides essential commentary on the mystical songs of the Indian Buddhist rebel-saint Virupa. One of the most celebrated tantric masters of Buddhist India, Virupa’s songs describe his realization of mahamudra , the ultimate nature of reality. Intimate a...
Jun 11, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 114
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast , recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features a conversation with Thupten Jinpa Langri , renowned scholar, translator, and interpreter for His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In this conversation, Jinpa gives wonderful advice on how to read Dharma texts and integrate them with your practice. He also discusses the art of memorization, which texts most need to be translated, the importance of chanting, and some advice to translators. Remember to subscribe to the Wis...
Jun 04, 2021•58 min•Ep. 113
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast , recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features a conversation with Sarah Harding, a translator and qualified lama in the Shangpa Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Sarah and host Daniel Aitken discuss many topics including her new book with Wisdom, Four Tibetan Lineages. In 1972, Sarah became a student and translator of Kalu Rinpoche (1905-1989), one of the first Tibetan masters to teach in the West. She works as a teacher, oral interpreter, and translator...
May 28, 2021•59 min•Ep. 112
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features a conversation with simplicity blogger and bestselling author Leo Babauta. Leo created Zen Habits, a Top 25 blog with over a million readers, when he started writing to chronicle and share what he’s learned while changing a number of habits, including waking early, losing weight, quitting smoking, becoming a runner, eliminating debt, and more. In this wide-ranging conversation, Leo shares some of his approaches t...
May 21, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 111
