Through video teachings, guided meditations, and curated readings, these trainings will take you on a remarkable journey, helping you to see your happiness and your suffering anew, with greater clarity. The central message of these teachings is simple: Take a good look within and realize you can awaken. Anne C. Klein—renowned teacher, translator, and professor—will guide you into the truth of this message with her masterful, deeply inspiring, insightful, and compassionate teachings.

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Karl Brunnhölzl: Sounds of Innate Freedom: Volume 3 (#164)

Posted June 30, 2023

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, features the return of special guest Karl Brunnhölzl, MD, PhD. Karl was originally trained as a physician. He received his systematic training in Tibetan language and Buddhist philosophy and practice at the Marpa Institute for Translators, founded by Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, as well as the Nitartha Institute, founded by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. Since 1989 he has been a translator and interpreter of Tibetan and English. Karl is a senior teacher and translator in the Nalandabodhi community of Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, as well as at Nitartha Institute. He is the author and translator of numerous texts. Currently, he is working on the Seventh Karmapa’s compilation of Indian Mahamudra works.

In this episode, host Daniel Aitken and Karl discuss:

his latest translation work, the third volume in the Sounds of Innate Freedom series,
the four symbolic terms of Saraha,
their connection to the four yogas of mahāmudrā,
and much more!

Remember to subscribe to the Wisdom Podcast for more great conversations on Buddhism, meditation, and mindfulness. And please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show—it’s a great support to us and it helps other people find the podcast. Thank you!

Extra Content

Explore the latest volume in the series, Sounds of Innate Freedom: The Indian Texts of Mahāmudrā, Volume 2, released in May 2024.

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Geshe Tenzin Namdak: Freedom Through Correct Knowing (#163)

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Khandro Kunga Bumma: Bodhicitta, Happiness, and Interdependence (#165)

Wisdom Dharma Chat | Khandro Tsering Kunga Bum-Ma – June 2023

Please enjoy this unedited recording of our Wisdom Dharma Chat with Khandro la. During this Wisdom Dharma Chat host, Daniel Aitken, and Khandro la discuss how to keep your practice fresh, bodhicitta, and the natural quality of the mind, and much more!

Khandro La’s Bio.
Essence that embodies the three refuges,
Kind root lama,
Crown ornament never apart from the top of my head,
Bestow blessings of all that is wished for!
Welcomed by these auspicious pleasing words,
Now I will share the substance:
I am Khandro Tsering Kunga Bum-ma,
My birthplace in a gathering of farmers and nomads.
From age seven I sought to understand the causality of nomadic farmers.
Although I found joy in the meaning of interdependence and isolated retreat,
My parent’s village was lacking education for me.
When looking at outer objects and the mind inside
Some marvelous bliss, clarity and non-thought directly arose.
Various experiences and realizations dawned unimpeded in the mind.
Principal of all divine protectresses of the Victorious One’s teachings,
Glorious Queen, Palden Lhamo Maksor[1]—I saw her joyful face!
She said, “You must go to unfamiliar places at uncertain times.”
I received a promise to grant me prophecies and to continuously take me under her care.
From then on, conceptual fixations collapsed.
In unpredictable ways I visited the sacred sites and the Jowo shrine in Lhasa.
I then went to the great monastic seat of Tashi Lhunpo.
Due to poor sustenance and clothing, I suffered all sorts of struggles.
While on the pilgrimage path, I met an old hermit-sage.
He said in order to revive the Fifth Dalai Lama’s twenty-five hidden teachings,
I must meet the most exalted Dalai Lama.
In that way he bestowed many prophecies,
And gave me provisions and money for the journey.
On the journey, at Mount Kailash and other places,
Within the blissful expanse of illusory relative appearances,
I encountered some spiritual guides such as Jigme Lingpa.
They granted me introduction to the heart essence of the Great Perfection.
Thus, my being was blessed through karma, aspirations, and interdependence.
I received the pith instructions for liberating unfavorable negative circumstances.
As prophesized by deities and lamas, through hardships and trials,
In 1994 I arrived in Swayambu, Nepal.
Sickened by contaminated food, I was afflicted by unbearable suffering.
In that state, pure visions and various other apparent phenomena appeared as perceptions.
Barely surviving, I made it to Dharamsala, in the noble land of India.
How I was received at Nèlen by some heartless staff!
While being denied an audience with His Holiness, a lot of time was lost.
Receiving mistreatment and scorn, this illusory body was filled with illness.
At a time when I was slightly better,
By the power of various prophesies of deities and lamas,
And help given by some spiritual friends,
I got the good fortune, the opportunity to meet the Dalai Lama.
For many years a deity had sometimes taken me over.
I didn’t know who it was, and I didn’t know what to do about it.
At the end of meeting the Great Vajradhara, the Victorious Dalai Lama,
The Protectors Tseringma and Tenma entered me.
I was then authorized and enthroned as the official government oracle of Tseringma and Tenma.
I received uncommon, profound pith instructions from His Holiness on Lama, Yidam, Khandro and Protectors.
Particularly, His Holiness proclaimed I have a special karmic connection with the secret hidden pure visions of the 5th Dalai Lama,
And he authorized me as the Doctrine-holder of those teachings.
The Dalai Lama said I am a self-occurring yogini,
And gave me empowerments, transmissions, and pith instructions.
For ten years I exerted myself earnestly in meditating on approach and accomplishment on what I received from him.
For more than twenty years I received teachings from the King of Victorious Ones, Vajradhara Dalai Lama,
And empowerments, transmissions, and pith instructions on the great scriptures and so forth
Directly from various great masters of all Tibetan Buddhist lineages.
I applied myself for a long time in listening, contemplation, meditation, accomplishment, and the activities.
Realizing emptiness, compassion naturally dawned, and I arrived at faith.
May the undeceiving ocean of the three roots grant auspiciousness!

[1] ‘Queen Pāravatī’, also Shri Devi. A wrathful form of Palden Lhamo.
This particular deity is the main protector of the Dalai Lamas.

Wisdom Dharma Chat | Thupten Jinpa

Please enjoy this unedited recording of our Wisdom Dharma Chat with Thupten Jinpa. During this Wisdom Dharma Chat host, Daniel Aitken, and Jinpa-la discussed his latest translation work in the Library of Tibetan Classics series, Stages of the Path and the Oral Transmission, his upcoming Wisdom Academy course, How the Mind Works, the completion of the Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics series with the release of Volume 4, Philosophical Topics, this August, and much more!

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Geshe Tenzin Namdak: Freedom Through Correct Knowing (#163)

Posted May 26, 2023

This episode of the Wisdom Podcast features Geshe Tenzin Namdak. After completing his university studies in Hydrology, Geshe la worked as an environmental researcher in the Netherlands. He began studying Buddhism at Maitreya Institute and was eventually ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama before completing the 20-year Geshe degree at Sera Jey monastic university in India, as well as the traditional one-year Vajrayana study program at Gyume Tantric College. Currently, he is the resident teacher at Jamyang Buddhist Centre, London, and teaches worldwide. As part of The Sera Jey Monastic University Translation Department, Geshe la edited and translated Khedrup Je’s commentary on Dharmakīrti’s Seven Treatises on Valid Cognition, published as Freedom Through Correct Knowing.

In this episode, host Daniel Aitken and Geshe la discuss:

His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s inspiration and blessings for the Sera Jey Monastic University Translation Department;
translation and topics covered in Khedrup Je’s commentary on Dharmakīrti’s Seven Treatises on Valid Cognition, published as Freedom Through Correct Knowing;
pedagogy, epistemology, and logic studies in the Geshe curriculum at Sera Jey;
the practical application of Buddhist epistemology and logic to the path of enlightenment;
Pramānavārttika and the practical purposes of debate in the Tibetan monastic tradition;
the Wisdom Academy online course, Freedom Through Correct Knowing;
and much more!

Previous Episode

Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche and Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche: Dharma in the Modern World (#162)

Next Episode

Karl Brunnhölzl: Sounds of Innate Freedom: Volume 3 (#164)

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Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche and Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche: Dharma in the Modern World (#162)

Posted May 15, 2023

In this episode of the Wisdom Podcast, Wisdom CEO Daniel Aitken interviews renowned teachers Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche and Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. This conversation heralded the beginning of the 2020 Serenity Ridge Dialogues, an online summit exploring the intersection of spirituality and science.

In this episode, Daniel and the two Rinpoches discuss many facets of Dharma practice in the modern world, including:

Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche’s inspiration for starting the Dialogues
What motivated the Rinpoches to start engaging in conversations about the mind with neuroscientists
What the Rinpoches would study if they had their own neuroscience labs
What about Buddhism uniquely places it in a position to engage with science
What the term “Buddhist sciences” really means
and much more!

This event was co-produced with Ligmincha International, the Contemplative Sciences Center at the University of Virginia, and the Jung Center’s Mind Body Spirit Institute.

About the Interviewee

Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche is the founder and spiritual director of Ligmincha International and is a respected and beloved teacher and meditation master in the Bön tradition of Tibet. He has students in more than twenty-five countries, teaches around the world, and reaches thousands of students through his online programs. Trained as a Bön monk, Rinpoche now lives as a householder, allowing him to more fully relate to the needs and concerns of his students. Known for the depth of his wisdom and his unshakeable commitment to helping students recognize their true nature, he is the author of many books and online courses.

Born in the Himalayan border regions between Tibet and Nepal, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche is a rising star among the new generation of Tibetan Buddhist masters. His candid, often humorous accounts of his personal difficulties have endeared him to audiences around the world. His bestselling book The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness debuted on the New York Times Best Seller list.
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche Photograph by Kevin Sturm.

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Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi: Reading the Buddha’s Discourses in Pali (#161)

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Geshe Tenzin Namdak: Freedom Through Correct Knowing (#163)

Wisdom Dharma Chat | Geshe Tenzin Namdak – May 2023

Please enjoy this unedited recording of our Wisdom Dharma Chat with Geshe Namda. During this Wisdom Dharma Chat host, Daniel Aitken, and Geshe la will discuss his new Wisdom Academy course Freedom Through Correct Knowing, the book the course is based on, and much more!

Geshe Tenzin Namdak first worked as an environmental researcher, having graduated with a bachelor of science degree in hydrology. He took ordination from His Holiness the Dalai Lama before engaging in his formal studies in Buddhist philosophy and psychology at Sera Jey Monastic University. He completed the entire twenty-year geshe program at Sera Jey and the traditional one-year Vajrayāna study program at Gyüme Tantric College. Currently, he is the resident teacher at Jamyang Buddhist Centre, London, and teaches worldwide.

Wisdom Dharma Chat | H. E. Kalu Rinpoche – May 2023

Please enjoy this lightly edited recording of our Wisdom Dharma Chat with H. E. Kalu Rinpoche. During this Wisdom Dharma Chat host Daniel Aitken and Rinpoche discuss Rinpoche’s perspective on dharma in the modern world, Niguma Yoga, his upcoming Wisdom Academy course The Illusory Body and Mind (formerly titled Luminous Mind), and much more. This episode also contains a live yoga demonstration from Rinpoche.

The Illusory Body and Mind is open for enrollment. In this Wisdom Academy course, Rinpoche masterfully brings together his deep knowledge of Dharma and his clear, compassionate understanding of the challenges many of us face on the path to liberation.

Kalu Rinpoche is the Lineage Holder of Shangpa Kagyu. He was born in 1990 and recognized by H. H. the Dalai Lama and H. H. the 12th Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa. Kalu Rinpoche completed the traditional three-year retreat between January 2004 and September 2008. After graduating he traveled, gaining experience in the modern world, before returning to Sonada to give the full Shangpa transmission. Rinpoche continues to connect traditional Shagpa Kagyu teaching to a modern, digital world. His work makes these teachings accessible, ensuring they will remain available for generations to come.

Focusing on the illusory body and mind, this course features the teachings of the 11th-century dakini Niguma, one of the founders of the Shangpa school of Tibetan Buddhism. The course includes teachings on bardo practice, deity yoga, the nature of mind, practicing with the challenges of everyday life, the illusory body and mind meditation, and more. Rinpoche masterfully brings together his deep knowledge of Dharma and his clear, compassionate understanding of the challenges on the path to liberation.

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Longchenpa’s Sevenfold Mind Training: Practical Instructions for Entering Dzogchen

Longchenpa’s Sevenfold Mind Training

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Karl Brunnhölzl: Sounds of Innate Freedom: Volume 3 (#164)

Extra Content

Wisdom Dharma Chat | Khandro Tsering Kunga Bum-Ma – June 2023

The Dharma of Well-Being, Parts 1 and 2

The Dharma of Well-Being, Part 2

Wisdom Dharma Chat | Thupten Jinpa

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Geshe Tenzin Namdak: Freedom Through Correct Knowing (#163)

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Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche and Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche: Dharma in the Modern World (#162)

About the Interviewee

Wisdom Dharma Chat | Geshe Tenzin Namdak – May 2023

Wisdom Dharma Chat | H. E. Kalu Rinpoche – May 2023

The Illusory Body and Mind

The Illusory Body and Mind