Guru Viking Podcast

In this interview I am once again joined by Dr Jay Sanguinetti, Research Professor at the University of Arizona, Assistant Director at the Center for Consciousness Studies, and co-director of the SEMA Lab with Shinzen Young. In this episode, Dr Sanguinetti reveals his personal secrets for optimal brain function and cognitive high performance that enable him to perform at his intellectual best. Jay also gives us deep dive phenomenological reports of accessing boundary-less states of meditation, experiencing the unraveling of his self identification, and how self-administered brain stimulation in tandem with Dr Jeffrey Martin’s Finder’s Course and close 1-1 coaching with Shinzen Young radically expedited these processes. Jay also shares how his spiritual epiphanies have transformed his communication strategies with his staff and mentees, and explains the power of vulnerability in optimising decision making. … Video version at: www.guruviking.com 
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru

In this interview I am joined by Guo Gu, Chan Buddhist teacher, author, and scholar of Buddhism. Guo Gu shares stories of his early training under the mysterious hermit Gūang Qìn, who’s siddhi powers were sought after by locals for healing and divination. Guo Gu also details his decades as the attendee and disciple monk of Chan Master Sheng Yen, including examples of Master Sheng Yen’s unusual and sometimes painful teaching methods, and shares how a powerful practice brought about Guo Gu’s stream entry in a moment of profound repentance. Guo Gu compares the powerful spiritual presences of his teachers, reflects on the means of acquiring siddhi and why Chan Buddhism deemphasises such powers, and shares the power of humility as a path to enlightenment. … www.guruviking.com Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
 … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:55 - Childhood training under the hermit Master Gūang Qìn 11:15 - Meeting Master Sheng Yen and other masters 17:03

Had an enjoyable and wide-ranging conversation with Connor Beaton of the popular 'ManTalks' podcast: From Connor's shownotes: 'This was one hell of a conversation. Steve and I cover wide ground, but the central hub of our talk is the state of modern masculinity. What are men asking about? What are they rejecting? What are they loving, losing, and leaving behind? What are men choosing? So yeah. Only light questions in this episode. Listen in for some brilliant insight from a brilliant guest.' 00:00 - ‘Tell us a story about a defining moment in your life’ 07:34 - ‘What is the state of men today?’ 11:25 - Sweeping statements 15:07 - What men think about 18:02 - Why are men questioning relationship? 27:24 - Navigating choice and finding your way 36:15 - Grief and praise 38:45 - Death and the self-contraction 40:58 - How to get out of the head and into the body Find Conor at: https://www.youtube.com/c/ManTalks Find Steve at: www.guruviking.com

In this episode special guest Dr Jud Brewer - pioneering psychiatrist, neurosciencist, and New York Times best-selling author - joins the ongoing conversation featuring: 

- Shinzen Young, meditation teacher and neuroscience research consultant
 - Chelsey Fasano, a Columbia University neuroscience student 
- Dr Jay Sanguinetti, Assistant Director for the Center for Consciousness Studies and Research Professor at the University of New Mexico In this episode Dr Brewer gives a fascinating summary of his ground-breaking work, and shares his wildest secret dream for the future of neuroscience and humanity at large. Dr Sanguinetti and Shinzen reveal the latest science in their lab, and dialogue with Dr Brewer about pseudo-arhats and the power of conditioning. The panel also map the 4 noble truths using the latest neuroscience theories, debate the pros and cons of including subjective experience in serious research, explore how to translate academic language into common parlance, and raise serious concerns abou

In this episode I am once again joined by Delson Armstrong, spiritual teacher and star student of Bhante Vimalaramsi. In this interview, Delson recalls tales of unusual spiritual mentors, including an Indian cobbler who taught Delson to read peoples’ karma, unlocking the ability to see not only others’ past lives, but also their future fate. Delson engages in a detailed discussion of how to acquire, refine, and master siddhi, aka special powers, discusses his own encounters with entities while on dark retreat, reveals his experience with the yogas of dream and sleep, and offers advice on dealing with periods of karmic reckoning. Delson also describes the 31 planes of existence, from the Brahma Lokas to the Hell Realms, and shares his opinion on figures such as Mara, Patanjali, and Jesus Christ. …

 Video version at: https://www.guruviking.com/ep127-siddha-tales-delson-armstrong-2/ 
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:56 - T

In this interview I am joined by Jack Haubner, prize winning author of the memoirs Zen Confidential: Confessions of a Wayward Monk; and Single White Monk: Tales of Death, Failure, and Bad Sex. In this interview Jack shares his early spiritual openings, his strict Catholic upbringing, subsequent break from Christianity, and discovery of Buddhism. Jack reveals his complex relationship with his first Zen mentor, describes the development of his personal meditation practice, and recounts his initial meetings with renowned and latterly infamous spiritual teacher Joshu Sasaki Roshi. Jack went on to become the head monk of Sasaki’s monastery, a role which he occupied during the widely publicised sexual misconduct allegations made against the aged abbot, who was then in his hundreds. Jack reflects on the decades long open secret of Sasaki’s conduct within the Zen community, and discusses the widespread and complex fallout of a charismatic religious leader’s fall from grace. … Video version: https://www.guruvi

In this episode I host a third dialogue between Dhammarato and Daniel Ingram, this time on the vipassana meditation method of the highly influential Burmese monk Mahasi Sayadaw. While Daniel’s own path has been deeply informed by the Mahasi Method, Dhammarato has critiqued it as incomplete - particularly as it has been applied by the American Vipassana movements that it influenced. In this episode Daniel and Dhammarato share their own experiences of the method, reflect on its changes from Mahasi to U Pandita to America, and reveal rarely seen teachings from Mahasi’s own writings. Daniel and Dhammarato also debate different approaches to working with meditation hinderances, compare the results of Mahasi practitioners to those of fire kasina meditation and Culadasa’s ‘Mind Illuminated’ school, and address topics such as the Dark Night, Stream Entry, and perennialism. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/ep125-the-mahasi-debate-dhammarato-daniel-ingram/ 
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotif

In this interview I am joined by Rupert Spira: a teacher of the direct path method of Advaita, and an internationally acclaimed ceramic artist. In this episode Rupert discusses his childhood in British boarding school, his disenchantment with science, and his discovery of spirituality. Rupert explains how his decision to pursue a career in pottery caused a rift with his father, and reveals the profound significance of their subsequent reconciliation many years later. Rupert recounts his intensive apprenticeship with the Zen Master-like British studio potter Michaela Cardew, and shares the essence of his artistic process as it expresses both in ceramics and in his work as a teacher of nonduality. Rupert also discusses personality cults in the arts and spirituality, the seductiveness of adulation as a spiritual teacher, the apparent conflict between beauty and truth, and why awakening so often still the artistic impulse but can also liberate it. … https://www.guruviking.com/ep124-art-of-awakening-ru

In this interview I am joined by Anthony Metivier, author and memory expert who’s life was unexpectedly transformed by the meditation practice of memorising long form Sanskrit texts. Anthony recounts his childhood of familial chaos and extreme religion, and how a psychotic break at university saw him wrestle with his mental health for years while self-medicating with anti-psychotic drugs and alcohol. A lifelong meditator, Anthony shares how applying his world-class memory skills to the practice of memorising and reciting long-form Sanskrit texts caused a series of profound spiritual experiences that revolutionised his perception of reality. Now a world-renowned memory educator, Anthony also reveals his daily routine for optimal mental performance, and shares insights into the role of memory in identity formation and in spiritual awakening. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/ep123-master-of-memory-anthony-metivier/ Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. …

In this episode I am joined by Leigh Brasington, Buddhist meditation teacher to discuss his new book ‘Dependent Origination and Emptiness: SODAPI’. Leigh lifts the lid on his writing process, including how he overcame severe writer’s block to complete the book that his students had been asking for years, and shares his reasoning for making the book free. Leigh reveals why he considers the dependent origination to be at the heart of the Buddha’s teaching, and traces different interpretations of the doctrine throughout the Buddhist literature. Leigh draws on the works of Nagarjuna to discuss emptiness, and levels a critique of the teaching of reincarnation which he calls an ‘immortality project’. Leigh explains why he translates ‘dukkha’ as the hippy slang word ‘bummer’, how he came up with the acronym SODAPI - Streams of Dependently Arising Phenomena Interacting, and offers medium and long term strategy advice for how to practice this powerful method to achieve the liberation of promised in Buddhism. …

In this interview I am joined by Thupten Phuntsok, Buddhist teacher who, after 21 years as a monk in the Gelugpa order, disrobed to live the life of a lay person in New York City. Phuntsok describes his childhood in Haiti, and the awakening of his desire to become Christ-like and dedicate his life to spiritual contemplation. Phuntsok shares his subsequent explorations in Western Esotericism, Indian yoga, and Tibetan Buddhism including studies under Rato Rinpoche and Geshe Lobsang Tharchin. Phuntsok also shares his views on the dysfunctions of modern sexuality, the scholastic emphasis of his Gelugpa training, the 6 Yogas of Naropa, and reveals the surprising reasons why after two decades he chose to leave the monastic life behind. … 

Video version at: https://www.guruviking.com/ep121-leaving-monasticism-thupten-phuntsok/ 
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:49 - Childhood spiritual leanings 03:21 - Why Phuntsok did not becom

I was recently interviewed on Shane Hanner’s ‘Humint’ podcast. We talk about meditation, Dzogchen, embodiment, trauma, and more… https://www.guruviking.com/guru-viking-on-the-humint-podcast/ 00:00 - Steve’s background 09:55 - Steve’s practice 14:00 - Shane on meditation 18:13 - Shane’s background and Dzogchen studies 21:32 - Realising rigpa 25:24 - What motivated Shane’s spiritual seeking? 27:40 - Shane’s search for meaning 30:35 - The War of Art 33:16 - Why meditate? 40:14 - Steve’s daily process 42:35 - What is embodiment 45:32 - Trauma and meditation 52:30 - Embodiment and relationships Check out Shane’s other interviews at: https://linktr.ee/shanehanner You can find me at: www.guruviking.com

In this episode I am joined by Delson Armstrong, spiritual teacher and star student of Bhante Vimalaramsi, who’s senior student David Johnson has said ‘Delson Armstrong has mastered every practice we have given him. He is the most amazing student we have ever seen.’ In this interview, Delson recalls his early life training in the Himalayas where he mastered the system of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, attaining to all of its highest states of Samadhi; attained all 6 levels of Kriya Yoga under three separate lineages; studied Sanskrit; and was exposed to practices of Shaiva Tantra through students of Osho. Delson shares his subsequent explorations of Buddhism, including Mahamudra, Dzogchen, and the TWIM practice of Bhante Vimalaramsi. Delson recounts and contrasts his experiences accomplishing the 8 jhanas, attaining the 4 levels of Buddhist awakening, and realising Rigpa. Delson also reveals yogic feats such as recalling past lives and entering into a type of suspended animation called nirodha-samāpatti for up

In this episode we consider the effect of meditation practice and classical enlightenment on sexuality, as we continue the ongoing conversation between:

 - Shinzen Young, meditation teacher and neuroscience research consultant
 - Chelsey Fasano, a Columbia University neuroscience student 
- Dr Jay Sanguinetti, Assistant Director for the Center for Consciousness Studies and Research Professor at the University of New Mexico We recall Leigh Brasington’s statements in episode 115 that many of his students experience states of meditative absorption as erotic in nature, and we consider Chelsey’s observation that Leigh’s brain scans in these absorption states resemble images of the brain during orgasm. I contrast early Buddhist scriptural statements which state that it is impossible for enlightened people to have sexual intercourse with later, highly sexual accounts of enlightened masters such as ‘The Saint of 5000 Women’, Drukpa Kunley, and Rinzai saint and erotic poet Ikkyū Sōjun, and pose the question, ‘Wha

In this episode I am once again joined by Henry Shukman, award-winning poet, Zen teacher, and author of ‘One Blade of Grass; a Zen memoir’.  In this interview Henry discusses the dangers of early spiritual openings, reflects on personality changes after awakening, and questions the complexifying of enlightenment in such activities as the yogas of dream and sleep. Henry also shares his own journey rediscovering the power of community as crucible, how to navigate religious trauma, and offers his thoughts on a viable formula for Zen in America.
 …

 Video version at: https://www.guruviking.com/ep118-henry-shukman-3-zen-the-crucible/ 
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:43 - What’s it all about? 05:29 - Early openings can cause trouble 11:24 - Self as a seed 15:54 - What happens to the self after awakening? 20:31 - Personality changes after awakening 27:14 - Zen and sleep yoga 31:06 - Complexifying enlightenment 34:32 - Nondu

In this interview I am joined by internationally renowned yoga teacher Angela Farmer. Angela recounts the story of her life in yoga, from her birth in 1939 pre-war England, to her studies under yoga guru BKS Iyengar, to her international teaching career spanning over fifty years. Angela reveals how after a decade of rigorous training under Iyengar, she broke away from strict asana practice to find her own path of listening to the body. Despite the resultant blacklisting by the yoga community, Angela uncovered a radically different way of practicing yoga. Angela also shares what it means to be receptive to life in the face of fear, trauma, and change, and offers her heart advice to women of all ages. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/ep117-angela-farmer-a-life-in-yoga/ Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:45 - Angela’s childhood during WW2 04:37 - Differences between girls’ and boys’ education 08:02 - Major child

In this interview I am joined by Greg Kaminsky, host of the Occult of Personality podcast and author of ‘Pronaos: Reflections on the Preliminary Practices of Buddhist Tantra’. In this episode, Greg details over twenty years of extensive occult studies, including his daily magickal practice regime, and reveals why an encounter with American born spiritual teacher Traktung Khepa Rinpoche, saw him leave the path of Western esotericism in favour of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Greg shares just why Traktung Rinpoche impressed him so much, and contrasts the view of magic and entity binding in the occult and Buddhist traditions. Greg also discusses his new book on ngondro, so-called preliminary practices involving hundreds of thousands of repetitions of special prayers and prostrations, and recounts the profound spiritual transformations that occurred when he himself took up this practice. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/ep116-greg-kaminsky-occult-of-personality/ Also available on Youtube, iTune

In this episode special guest Leigh Brasington, Buddhist meditation teacher and author of ‘Right Concentration, A Practical Guide to the Jhanas’, joins the ongoing conversation featuring: 

- Shinzen Young, meditation teacher and neuroscience research consultant
 - Chelsey Fasano, a Columbia University neuroscience student
 - Dr Jay Sanguinetti, Assistant Director for the Center for Consciousness Studies and Research Professor at the University of New Mexico In this episode Shinzen and Leigh engage in a detailed discussion about the variety of classifications of jhana in Buddhist scripture and the competing interpretations of them that exist today. They examine the contents and political context of 5th century text the Visuddhimagga and its author Buddhagosa and consider possible conflicts between its jhana system and the those of the Sutta and Abhidhamma literature. Chelsey reveals fascinating research on the neuroscience of pleasure and its relationship to meditational bliss, Jay shares the research o

n this episode I host a dialogue between Dhammarato and Daniel Ingram on the question ‘Lineage: Who May Teach The Authentic Dharma?’. Dhammarato is a lineage teacher in the Thai Buddhist tradition, a student of the meditation master Bikkhu Buddhadasa, and is known for his unique, 1-1 teaching style conducted over Skype. Daniel Ingram is an independent Buddhist author and co-founder of the Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium (EPRC), a multidisciplinary, multinational alliance of researchers, clinicians, and patrons who share a vision of bringing scientific methods and clinical sensibilities to the study of emergent phenomena. In this episode Dhammarato and Daniel offer various definitions of the word ‘lineage’ and debate the value of lineage authorisation as a qualification to teach the Buddhist religion. Dhammarato recalls his own monastic training in what he calls the ‘noble lineage’ under teachers such as a Ajahn Po and Bikkhu Buddhadasa and critiques the lack of authentic lineage in the West, w

In this interview, I am once again joined by Professor Arthur Versluis, a professor and Department Chair of Religious Studies in the College of Arts & Letters at Michigan State University, author of over 25 books on subjects ranging from Western esotericism, magic, Christian Theosophy, ancient mystery schools, and more. In this episode we discuss Arthur’s 2015 book, ‘American Gurus’ and trace the uniquely American cultural and philosophical factors that lead to the prevalence of independent spiritual teachers such as Adi Da, Andrew Cohen, and Ken Wilber. Arthur argues that a philosophy he calls immediatism is the key cultural force and traces its origins from Plato to Emerson to the 60s counter-culture and beyond. Arthur recounts personal meetings with figures such as Stephen Gaskins, Bill Ayers, and Bernadette Roberts as well as reflecting on his own affiliation with Tibetan Buddhism as both a practitioner and teacher. Arthur also shares his take on the psychedelic movement, the revolutionary politics of