Buddhist Geeks

Hokai Sobol is a teacher in the Shingon tradition of Japanese Vajrayana and a long time mentor to the Buddhist Geeks team. In this talk from the 2014 Buddhist Geeks Conference, Hokai speaks about the relationship between imagination and Buddhism. He explains why imagination is important to spiritual practice, he gives examples of the creative process found in Buddhist tradition, and he presents an examination of the state of contemporary Buddhist Art. Episode Links: www.Hokai.info Hokai on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/hokaisobol )

John F. Simon is a visual artist and software programmer. In this talk from the 2014 Buddhist Geeks Conference, John shares how he uses the simple act of drawing as a powerful contemplative practice. Detailing the process and growth he’s experienced from daily drawing, he examines how his artistic practice has led to a spiritual practice that in turn feeds back into his creative process. Episode Links: www.iclock.com Every Icon Project ( http://www.numeral.com/eicon.html )

Katherine MacLean, PhD. is an academically trained research scientist and meditation practitioner with a long-standing interest in the brain, consciousness and the science of well-being. As a postdoctoral research fellow and faculty member at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, she worked on the largest study to date combining psychedelics and meditation. Her research on psilocybin and personality change suggests that psychedelic medicines may play an important role in enhancing mental health and promoting openness and creativity throughout the lifespan. In this talk from the 2014 Buddhist Geeks Conference, Katherine presents her experience of studying psychedelics. She shares personal travel stories of mystical experiences in the Himalayas, research results from facilities around the world, and potential therapies for the injured and dying using psilocybin, MDMA, and other psychedelics. A proponent of psychedelic use for therapy and mental health, Katherine encourages the audience to rethink whatever preconceived ideas they might have about the skillful use of psychedelics. Episode Links: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine ( http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/psychiatry/ ) The Secular Buddhist Episode 84: Psilocybin and Openness ( http://www.thesecularbuddhist.com/episode_084.php ) C-Realm Episode 411: The Strange, Fuzzy, Fat Brick of Everything ( http://c-realm.com/podcasts/crealm/411-the-strange-fuzzy-fat-brick-of-everything/ )

Lama Karma (Justin Wall) graduated from Columbia University with degrees in Religious Studies and Literature and has been practicing Buddhism for over 12 years. He completed two traditional three-year retreats under the direction of Lama Norlha Rinpoche at Kagyu Thubten Choling Monastery in New York, studying and practicing in the Karma Kagyu, Shangpa Kagyu and Nyingma Traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. In this talk from the 2014 Buddhist Geeks Conference, Lama Karma describes the gap between the modern mindfulness movement and the Mahamudra tradition. He argues that the presentation of secular mindfulness teachings without the context of Buddhist tradition can lead practitioners to mistakes resulting in harmful dualistic perception. He then presents a framework in which these mistakes of secular mindfulness can be addressed through the Mahamudra teachings. Episode Links: Milarepa Dzong Retreat Center ( http://www.mocd.org )

Noah Levine, author of Dharma Punx and Against The Stream, is a Buddhist teacher, author and counselor. He is trained to teach by Jack Kornfield of Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, CA, holds a masters degree in counseling psychology from CIIS, and has studied with many prominent teachers in both the Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist traditions. In this talk from the 2014 Buddhist Geeks Conference, Noah describes the benefits of a Buddhist oriented addiction recovery path. Telling the story of his personal experience with addiction recovery, he relates how The Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path filled in the gaps he experienced in the twelve step system. Noah then shares how he has helped others with a Buddhist oriented recovery path, and encourages the audience to make themselves and their sanghas places of refuge for those in addiction recovery. Episode Links: www.RefugeRecovery.org Refuge Recovery: A Buddhist Path to Recovering from Addiction ( http://amzn.to/1t6lcAo ) Against the Stream Buddhist Meditation Society ( http://www.againstthestream.org )

Theo Horesh is a social entrepreneur, philosopher, and author of two books of global social psychology. He has been meditating for over 25 years and has spent the last 10 intensively studying the world. He has recently begun reporting on the collective traumas in global trouble spots for the Journal of Conflict Resolution and Elephant Journal. In this talk from the 2014 Buddhist Geeks Conference, Theo discusses the themes behind his book Convergence: The Globalization of Mind. While describing various challenges and opportunities that come with globalization, he shares a vision of greater mindfulness needed to help navigate the sophisticated global civilization that is emerging in modern times. Episode Links: Convergence: The Globalization of Mind ( http://amzn.to/1DNr47q )

David Loy is a professor, writer, and Zen teacher. He is especially concerned about social and ecological issues, and believes there is an important parallel between what Buddhism says about our personal predicament and our collective predicament today in relation to the rest of the biosphere. In the second part of the keynote address David gave at the 2013 Buddhist Geeks Conference, he argues that our species needs an evolution of our cultural story if we are to survive the many changes we face. By understanding we are part of the ecosphere rather than apart from it, David hopes humanity can wake up enough to become a collective bodhisattva of the biosphere. This is part two of a two part series. Listen to part one: The Cosmos Wakes Up. Episode Links: www.davidloy.org PLANETARY ( http://www.weareplanetary.com ) The Universe Story ( http://amzn.to/1DNqYN0 )

David Loy is a professor, writer, and Zen teacher in the Sanbo Kyodan tradition of Japanese Zen Buddhism. He lectures nationally and internationally on various topics, focusing primarily on the encounter between Buddhism and modernity: what each can learn from the other. In the first part of the keynote address David gave at the 2013 Buddhist Geeks Conference, he presents a social narrative that features a living Cosmos waking up to itself. He explains how humanity needs to create a new global story as an alternative to some of our most common cultural stories, like Social Darwinism. This is part one of a two part series. Listen to part two: Bodhisattva of the Biosphere. Episode Links: www.davidloy.org PLANETARY ( http://www.weareplanetary.com ) The Universe Story ( http://amzn.to/1DNqYN0 )

Jessica Morey is the Executive Director of Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (iBme). Before joining iBme, Jessica worked in clean energy and climate policy and finance. Her published works range from the chapter “Ordinary Awakening” in Blue Jean Buddha to Conflict Resolution of the Boruca Hydro-Energy Project: Renewable Energy Production in Costa Rica. In this conversation with host Vincent Horn, Jessica describes her experience with Inward Bound Mindfulness Education (iBme) and its roots with the Insight Meditation tradition. They talk about the impact of mindfulness education on teens, the resurgence of relational forms of mindfulness with younger generations, and how these kids are focusing on integration over transcendence. Episode Links: Inward Bound Mindfulness Education ( http://ibme.info )

Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a neuropsychologist, Senior Fellow of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, and New York Times best-selling author. He’s been an invited speaker at Oxford, Stanford, and Harvard, and taught in meditation centers worldwide. In the conclusion to his 2013 Buddhist Geeks Conference keynote address, Rick answers questions from the audience and leads them through the HEAL exercise, a process which trains the brain to reprogram its natural negativity bias towards the positive. This is part two of a two part series. Listen to part one: Practicing with the Brain in Mind. Episode Links: www.RickHanson.net

Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is a neuropsychologist, Senior Fellow of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, and New York Times best-selling author. He’s been an invited speaker at Oxford, Stanford, and Harvard, and taught in meditation centers worldwide. In this first part of the keynote address Rick presented at the 2013 Buddhist Geeks Conference, he explores the intersection between dharma practice and neuroscience. Rick explains the basic mechanisms of brain change, the power of mindfulness, how to activate the neural networks of self-compassion, how to tap the hidden power of everyday experiences to grow happiness and other inner strengths in your brain, and why our planet needs us to take charge of our Stone Age brains in the 21st century. This is part one of a two part series. Listen to part two: How to HEAL the Brain’s Negativity Bias. Episode Links: www.RickHanson.net

Stephen Batchelor is a contemporary Buddhist teacher and writer, best known for his secular or agnostic approach to Buddhism. He considers Buddhism to be a constantly evolving culture of awakening rather than a religious system based on immutable dogmas and beliefs. In this episode taken from the Buddhist Geeks Conference in 2012, Stephen delivers the second part of his keynote address on the importance of imagination in Buddhist practice. He encourages the audience to view the Buddhist path as an artform to be practiced, the Self as a project to be realized, and the Four Noble Truths as Four Noble Tasks that are a process and not just a set of beliefs. This is part two of a two part series. Listen to part one: Buddhism and the Art of Imagining. Episode Links: www.StephenBatchelor.org

Stephen Batchelor is a contemporary Buddhist teacher and writer, best known for his secular or agnostic approach to Buddhism. He considers Buddhism to be a constantly evolving culture of awakening rather than a religious system based on immutable dogmas and beliefs. In this episode taken from the 2012 Buddhist Geeks Conference, Stephen delivers a keynote address on the importance, with Buddhist practice, of combining technical skill with imagination. Drawing comparisons between mindfulness practice and photography, Stephen presents meditation as the cultivation of a skill to see the sublime in every moment. He shares his view that imagination is crucial to the translation of the dharma to new cultures, and he challenges modern Buddhism to finally develop a view on Buddhist Aesthetics. This is part one of a two part series. Listen to part two: Cultivating a Democracy of the Imagination. Episode Links: www.StephenBatchelor.org

Scott Snibbe is a pioneering digital artist and entrepreneur whose work includes interactive apps, videos, and installations. He practices in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and his art is frequently informed by his spiritual practice. In this episode, Scott joins host Vincent Horn for an intimate conversation about Scott’s art & contemplative practice. As Scott describes his art infused childhood and the transition from Christian Science to Tibetan Buddhism, they touch on the source of creativity, the use of symbol in art and religion, and using the understanding of Emptiness as a creative tool. Episode Links: www.Snibbe.com Biophilia, the First App in MoMA’s Collection ( http://bit.ly/1DNpL8v ) Scott Snibbe on Twitter ( https://twitter.com/snibbe )

Trudy Goodman is Executive Director and Founder of InsightLA, a non-profit organization for vipassana meditation training and secular mindfulness education. She teaches extensively in the field of meditation and psychotherapy at conferences and retreats nationwide. In this episode, Trudy joins hosts Vincent and Emily Horn to discuss the difference between Buddhist training and secular mindfulness education. The trio talk about what it means to teach mindfulness separate from Buddhism, how it’s being done at InsightLA, and how mindfulness may be the new American religion. Episode Links: InsightLA ( http://www.insightla.org ) Trudy Goodman