Category: Buddhism
Video: Robert Thurman and Matthew Fox: Cultivating Peace in Difficult Times (Part 2)
In part two of this historic conversation, Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman and Christian theologian Rev. Matthew Fox discuss their experience as monastics in their respective traditions, and what we can learn from societies throughout history that have been largely peaceful. Referencing the great teachers who have influenced them, they dive into a thoughtful and often humorous examination of how we might cultivate peace in our time. Robert Thurman is the co-founder of Tibet House U.S., bestselling author, and recognized worldwide as an authority on religion, spirituality, Asian history, Tibetan Buddhism, and the Dalai Lama. Matthew Fox is an expert on Christian mysticism and Creation Spirituality and the bestselling author of The Coming of the Cosmic Christ. This talk takes place at the Sacred Stream Center, a school for consciousness studies in Berkeley, CA.
Podcast: Episode 45: Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche: Part 2
In the conclusion of this two-part interview, Laura Chandler continues her conversation with Buddhist teacher and the founder of Nangten Menlang Buddhist Medical Center, Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche. Tulku Lobsang is the recognized reincarnation of the great Tibetan Buddhist master Tulku Nyentse. At age 17, he escaped Tibet, was caught, and after spending time in a Chinese prison, successfully escaped to Nepal.
In this episode, Tulku Lobsang explains how discovering true happiness within yourself is the wisdom of Buddhism, and offers an important teaching from Machig Labdrön, Tibetan Buddhism’s great female yogini. He also shares his thoughts on the future of Buddhism and his upcoming teachings in Europe and the U.S.
Video: Robert Thurman and Matthew Fox: Cultivating Peace in Difficult Times (Part 1)
In this historic discussion, Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman and Christian theologian Rev. Matthew Fox examine the difficulties of our times, and offer thoughtful and sometimes humorous ways of cultivating peace individually and collectively. In this segment, Bob and Matt talk about what led them to their respective spiritual paths and how they have navigated the obstacles along the way. Robert Thurman is the co-founder of Tibet House U.S., bestselling author, and recognized worldwide as an authority on religion, spirituality, Asian history, Tibetan Buddhism, and the Dalai Lama. Matthew Fox is an expert on Christian mysticism and Creation Spirituality and the bestselling author of The Coming of the Cosmic Christ.
Special Announcement: Wisdom in Exile Conference 2018: Preserving the Wisdom of Tibetan Buddhism
We’ve been working all spring and summer with Embodied Philosophy and Tibet House US to bring speakers together for the free online conference, Wisdom in Exile, which will be held October 5-7, 2018. The focus of the conference will be preserving the wisdom of Tibetan Buddhism, which has been practiced in exile for over half a century.
Podcast: Episode 44: Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche: Part 1
On this episode, Laura Chandler speaks with Tibetan Buddhist teacher and founder of Nangten Menlang Buddhist Medical Center, Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche. Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche was born to a farming family in Tibet in 1976. He entered the Sowa Monastery at age six, and at age eleven, he went to the Nangzi Bön Monastery, where he studied Dzogchen. Tulku Lobsang was identified by the oracle of Tibet as the incarnation of the master teacher, Tulku Nyentse, and at age thirteen he was enthroned as the eighth incarnation of this master teacher. Tulku Lobsang has received teachings in all of the Tibetan Buddhist traditions, and teaches and lectures throughout the world on the subjects of Tibetan Medicine, Buddhism, and Astrology.
Blog: Finding Common Ground: A Meeting of Christianity and Buddhism
By Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.
Last year I was asked to give a review for the cover of The Lotus and the Rose, a new book by Matthew Fox and Lama Tsomo. The book is the result of a series of workshops they’ve taught together that focus on the relationship between Christian and Buddhist teachings. I was so drawn in by the new perspectives they offer, particularly about Christianity, that I almost missed the most significant aspect of the book; it is a collaboration between two belief systems.
Podcast: Episode 43: Buddhist Perspectives on Death
This episode features a talk by Isa Gucciardi, Finding Meaning in Loss, which she gave at the Reimagine End of Life Conference in Berkeley, CA. In this thoughtful and uplifting talk, Isa encourages us to create the spaciousness required to truly be with the experience of loss, grief, and even death. She examines ways of navigating loss, and explores Buddhist perspectives on theme, while also offering practices that will help us approach death, our own and those we love, with awareness and grace.
Blog: Driving Lessons: Zen and the Art of Road Rage Maintenance
By Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.
You may have read my article, “Driving with Bob,” which talks about the existential fun that is a feature of driving around with Robert Thurman. We have had many adventures behind the wheel, as I often volunteer to take him up and down the California coast to his various commitments when he is out West. It is always a pleasure for me to be able support him in this way, and, as I point out in the article, there is seldom a dull moment with Bob around. We did have a moment driving in traffic on the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge the last time he was in town that could have been a bit duller to my way of thinking.
Blog: Spiritual Maturity and Depth Hypnosis
By Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.
People often ask me if Depth Hypnosis is like psychotherapy. If psychotherapy is a process of identifying psychological disturbance and then talking about it, possibly while working with prescription drugs to reduce symptoms, then it cannot be said that Depth Hypnosis is psychotherapy. In Depth Hypnosis there is no process of diagnosis and no use of medication. Rather, it is more a process of inquiry and discovery – particularly about client experience that might be hidden or unknown.
In “The Ten Lessons of Psychedelic Psychotherapy, Rediscovered” Neal M. Goldsmith suggests that it might be more accurate to look at symptoms of imbalance such as anxiety and depression as an indicator of spiritual immaturity rather than as an indicator of psychological pathology. This is an intriguing idea – and certainly one that resonates with the practice of Depth Hypnosis.
Blog: Buddhism Offers a Solution to Hopelessness
By Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.
According to the World Health Organization, depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide and the epidemic of depression raging across the world will be the single biggest contributor to the overall burden of disease of all health conditions by 2030. Suicides by high profile personalities such as Robin Williams, Anthony Bourdain, and Kate Spade have triggered a widespread effort to understand what causes people to suffer so much that they find suicide to be a viable option.
When I first began practicing Buddhism, a teacher told me that everything is an illusion – so my suffering was an illusion. All I needed to do was to let go of the illusion of myself and the suffering would go away. This was not helpful. In my view, spiritual practice which encourages the student to “Just let go of the self!” or “Just let go of the pain!” is misguided.
On the Air: A Meeting of the Ways with Diane Solomon and Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D.: Stepping into Buddhist Principles
Diane Solomon, host of A Meeting of the Ways on KKUP, and Isa Gucciardi discuss stepping into Buddhist principles, upcoming events at the Sacred Stream Center, and more.
On the Air: Inner Truth Podcast Episode #001: Conflict As A Gateway To Peace with Isa Gucciardi
The Inner Truth podcast looks at the central questions of human life, what does it mean to be human, and how can we be fully alive? Inner Truth explores answers to these questions through ancient and contemporary spiritual wisdom along with insights from the fields of psychology, philosophy, and mythology. It also looks at the role of shamanism, meditation, and reconnection with nature as tributaries into the inner self, the wellspring of our inner source in knowledge.
In the premier episode, Inner Truth host David Newell catches up with Isa Gucciardi, Ph.D. – Founding Director and lead teacher of the Foundation of the Sacred Stream – to talk about conflict, the ways we can take steps to resolve it, and how it can be gateway to profound internal growth and healing.
Podcast: Episode 35: Robert Thurman: Dalai Lama, Man of Peace
On this edition of the Sacred Stream Radio Podcast, host Laura Chandler speaks with Buddhist thought leader and author Robert Thurman about his latest work, Man of Peace: The Illustrated Life Story of the Dalai Lama of Tibet. Catching up with the high-energy scholar is always a wild ride. In this candid episode, Laura chats with Bob on a trip down California Hwy 280, en route to his talk at Googleplex in Mountain View. He opens up about many topics including the Tibetan diaspora, Chinese history, contemporary politics, the role of the Dalai Lama in the world today, and his optimism about the future.
On The Air: Buddha at the Gas Pump Episode #424: Robert Thurman & Isa Gucciardi
Rick Archer created Buddha at the Gas Pump in the Fall of 2009 and has since interviewed countless spiritually awakening people, from the well-known to the unknown, and from a variety of backgrounds and traditions. He conducts a new interview each week in hopes to help ordinary people share their experience of awakening.
In this episode, Archer speaks with renowned Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman, author of Man of Peace: The Illustrated Life Story of the Dalai Lama of Tibet, and Depth Hypnosis creator Isa Gucciardi, author of Coming to Peace: Resolving Conflict Within Ourselves and With Others. This talk was recorded October 19, 2017 at the Science and Nonduality Conference.
Video: Perspectives on Empowerment in Buddhist & Shamanic Practice
Isa Gucciardi discusses the similarities and differences in initiatory power in shamanism and Buddhism. She explores the concepts of deity meditation, vajrayana practices, and working with power. Isa is the author of Coming to Peace, the Founding Director of the Foundation of the Sacred Stream, and the creator of the ground-breaking therapeutic model, Depth Hypnosis. This talk takes place at the Sacred Stream Center in Berkeley, CA.