Buddhist Geeks

David Frenette is a senior teacher in the Centering Prayer movement–a contemplative Christian practice that was designed by Father Thomas Keating. He’s also the spiritual director at the Center for Contemplative Living in Denver, and the author of The Path of Centering Prayer: Deepening Your Experience of God. In this episode, David describes the similarities and differences between Buddhist and Christian practice, the benefit of surrender, and the Christian Contemplative tenet of “the God within serves the God in other people.” This is part two of a two-part series. Episode Links: The Path of Centering Prayer: Deepening Your Experience of God ( http://amzn.to/VFpGRY ) Incarnational Contemplation ( http://www.incarnationalcontemplation.com ) Center for Contemplative Living in Denver ( http://www.contemplativeoutreach-co.org )

David Frenette is a senior teacher in the Centering Prayer movement–a contemplative Christian practice that was designed by Father Thomas Keating. He’s also the spiritual director at the Center for Contemplative Living in Denver, and the author of The Path of Centering Prayer: Deepening Your Experience of God. In this episode, David describes his path from Zen to Christianity and how he uses the practice of Centering Prayer to deepen his experience of God. This is part one of a two part series. Episode Links: The Path of Centering Prayer: Deepening Your Experience of God ( http://amzn.to/VFpGRY ) Incarnational Contemplation ( http://www.incarnationalcontemplation.com ) Center for Contemplative Living in Denver ( http://www.contemplativeoutreach-co.org )

In this episode, taken from the Buddhist Geeks Conference 2012, Daniel Ingram talks about the ways that contemplatives could learn from the Naturalists. The Naturalists excelled in meticulous exploration, descriptive science, and classification. Their example can serve as the foundation for the next step in contemplative advancement, where the vast spectrum of inner experience, could be described and cataloged in an entirely new way. Episode Links: Daniel Ingram ( http://www.integrateddaniel.info ) Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha ( http://amzn.to/Ri7No5 )

Willoughby Britton, contemplative scientist and neuroscience researcher, spoke at the Buddhist Geeks Conference 2012 about mixing Dharma with scientific enterprise. Scientific research of meditation is undoubtedly one of the forces behind the proliferation of the Dharma, and offers much promise as a “Dharma technology”. However, Britton asserts that significant challenges remain before we can harness the full power of scientific enterprise. Episode Links: Willoughby Britton at Brown University ( http://research.brown.edu/myresearch/Willoughby_Britton ) Britton Lab ( http://www.brittonlab.com )

In this episode, taken from the Buddhist Geeks Conference in 2012, Martine Batchelor explores the process of grasping and its amplifying/exaggerating effects. She also goes into how meditation can help us to de-grasp/release our holding thus allowing for a more creative engagement and creative response. Episode Links: www.martinebatchelor.org

What is the message of Buddhism today? Self-improvement? A fulfilling life? An understanding of the mysteries of the human condition? How does McLuhan’s famous dictum “the medium is the message” apply now that people are connecting with Buddhism in radically different ways? In this episode, taken from the Buddhist Geeks Conference in 2012, Ken McLeod explores how McLuhan’s famous dictum “the medium is the message” might apply to Buddhism. Episode Links: Unfettered Mind ( www.unfetteredmind.org )

Richard Eskow is a writer, consultant, and musician, who is a senior fellow with a public policy group. In this episode, Richard discusses with host Vincent Horn a recent article he wrote for Tricycle Magazine called DNA Sutra. For the piece he had his DNA analyzed to have his ancestry traced all the way back to the “first mother”. He describes how the process has led him to a greater understanding of karma, the conditions that connect himself with his adversaries, and his greater connection to all of humanity. Episode Links: DNA Sutra ( http://www.tricycle.com/feature/dna-sutra ) 23andme ( https://www.23andme.com ) Tricycle Magazine ( http://www.tricycle.com )

David Vago, an instructor of psychology at Harvard Medical School, has held the position of Senior Research Coordinator for the Mind & Life Institute, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fostering dialogue and research at the highest possible level between modern science and the great living contemplative traditions. In this episode David relates how his personal mindfulness practice has integrated with his professional scientific research. He talks about the thriving community of scientists interested in mindfulness that has taken root in contemporary academia and research, and he highlights some current projects and lines of inquiry that have benefited from this uniquely supportive atmosphere. Episode Links: www.ContemplativeNeurosciences.com Mind and Life Institute ( http://www.mindandlife.org ) The Dark Night Project ( http://bit.ly/1gc7P2j ) Mapping the Mindful Brain ( http://bit.ly/1gc7Weo ) Contemplative Mind in Life ( http://contemplativemind.wordpress.com )

Seth Greenland is an author, playwright, and screenwriter. For two seasons he was a writer-producer on the Emmy-nominated HBO series Big Love. His latest novel, The Angry Buddhist, is the story of an ex-policeman seeking guidance from an online Buddhist teacher. The novel is currently in development with Showtime as a possible series for the network with Greenland writing and producing. In this episode Greenland speaks with host Vincent Horn about the book, what messages he hopes to convey with the Showtime series, and how Buddhism is making its way further into the pop culture landscape. Episode Links: www.sethgreenland.com The Angry Buddhist ( http://amzn.to/MX4OSI ) Showtime Develops ‘Angry Buddhist’ Series ( http://www.deadline.com/2012/04/showtime-develops-angry-buddhist-series )

Gary Weber has been a scientist, military officer, senior executive in industry and academia, and is the author of the book Happiness Beyond Thought: A Practical Guide to Awakening. He has practiced Zen meditation, yoga, and philosophy for more than thirty-five years. In 1998, after over 20 thousand hours of various contemplative practices, his thoughts stopped (or very nearly so). We speak with him about what it has been like since then, experiencing nearly no self-referential thoughts or emotions. We also speak with Weber about how he is working with scientists to bring enlightenment to the Facebook Generation. Episode Links: Happiness Beyond Thought: A Practical Guide to Awakening ( http://www.happiness-beyond-thought.com/thebook/thebook.html ) Happiness Beyond Thought Blog ( http://happinessbeyondthought.blogspot.com ) Mapping the Mindful Brain ( http://bit.ly/1gc7Weo )

Dr. Judson Brewer is an assistant professor at Yale in psychiatry and a contemplative scientist studying the effects of meditation on the brain. He and his colleagues believe they have found a way to use FMRI to give meditators real time feedback on their mindfulness practice. This feedback has led to increased efficacy and efficiency in mindfulness practice. Since making these discoveries, Brewer has joined the Contemplative Development Mapping Project in hopes of creating a common language between meditation traditions to more easily discern progress in meditation practice. In this episode, Brewer describes to Vincent Horn how his work in addiction treatment led to these discoveries. They discuss the difficulty in objectively marking progress on the path to awakening, how that led to his participation in the Contemplative Development Mapping Project, and how using FMRI to understand mindfulness practice may eventually affect Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. Episode Links: The Dark Night Project ( http://bit.ly/1gc7P2j )

Keith Martin-Smith is an author, martial artist, and ordained Zen priest. His latest book is “A Heart Blown Open”, the biography of his teacher Jun Po Denis Kelly Roshi. In this episode, Vincent Horn talks with Keith about the book and Jun Po’s “Mondo Zen” approach, which aims to join the path of awakening with emotional maturity. Episode Links: www.keithmartinsmith.com A Heart Blown Open ( http://amzn.to/1gc7Ins ) Mondo Zen ( http://www.mondozen.org )

John Peacock is a scholar and Associate Director of The Oxford Mindfulness Centre. His studies of the earliest Buddhist writings have revealed to him a very human Buddha and a very different Buddhism than we know today. In a conversation with Hokai Sobol, Peacock describes the historical Buddha as a very practical teacher and a radical social reformer. He cites passages of the earliest writings that describe a very human and emotional Buddha that enjoyed satire. He calls the Buddha the “First Psychologist” and relates to him as a teacher who was more interested in practical psychology than philosophy. This is Part 1 of a 2 part series. Episode Links: Oxford Mindfulness Center ( http://oxfordmindfulness.org ) Hokai Sobol | 21st Century Dharma ( http://www.hokai.info ) Sutta Nipata ( http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/snp/index.html ) Ariyapariyesana Sutta ( http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.026.than.html )

Jane McGonigal is an author and game designer who wants to change the world through gaming. In this second part of a presentation recorded during the 2011 Buddhist Geeks Conference, she shares the details about games where people are going into the world and using gamer virtues for real life good. From better community organizing, to solutions for regional famine, to possible treatments for cancer, McGonigal and her gamers are changing the world one epic win at a time. She concludes the presentation by inviting to the stage her twin sister Kelly McGonigal. Together they give the audience an inside look at the ongoing conversation the sisters have had about the possible convergence of gaming and Buddhist practice. This is part two of a two part series. Episode Links: www.janemcgonigal.com Awakening is an Epic Win [video] ( youtu.be/uI46wbjrVc0 ) Reality is Broken ( amzn.to/1gc7qgv ) Fold It ( http://fold.it/portal/ ) Ground Crew ( http://gameful.org/groups/groundcrew/forum/ ) Evoke ( http://www.urgentevoke.com ) Living Compassion ( http://www.livingcompassion.org )

Jane McGonigal is an author and game designer who describes herself as “23% Buddhist, 77% geek.” She begins the presentation, originally given at the 2011 Buddhist Geeks Conference, by asking three questions: Do Buddhists and Game Designers share goals? Do Buddhists and Game Designers share methods? Could Buddhists and Game Designers share practices? She then shares some fascinating insights into the measured benefits of gaming, after which she has the audience join her in a game of “massive multiplayer thumb wrestling.” Jane closes her talk by drawing some striking parallels between the goals and benefits of gaming with the goals and benefits of Buddhist practice. This is part 1 of a 2 part series. Listen to part 2 (airing next week). Episode Links: www.janemcgonigal.com Awakening is an Epic Win [video] ( https://youtu.be/uI46wbjrVc0 ) Reality is Broken ( http://amzn.to/1gc7qgv )