David Nichtern: Mantra and the Power of Pure Sound
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On this episode of the Wisdom Podcast, host Daniel Aitken speaks with David Nichtern, celebrated musician and senior teacher in the lineage of renowned Tibetan Buddhist meditation master Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. David is also author of Awakening from the Daydream, published by Wisdom. In this fascinating conversation, you’ll hear Daniel and David discuss the idea of mantra and the spiritual capacity of sound. As both a practitioner and seasoned musician, David shares his thoughts on the transformative power of sound in both musical performance and mantra recitation, and mantra’s ability to protect and renew the mind in meditation. You’ll also hear David recount direct teachings he received on mantra, meditation and the “sound of silence” by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, as well as the relationship between sound and the other sense perceptions as understood within his tradition. Lastly, David discusses his upcoming book project on creativity and spirituality, and the practical wisdom of integrating both into a flourishing and productive life.
About the Interviewee
David Nichtern is a senior teacher in the lineage of renowned Tibetan Buddhist meditation master Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. David was one of the initial American students of Trungpa Rinpoche and studied closely with him soon after his arrival in the United States in 1970. David has been co-director of the Dharmadhatu Meditation Center (LA) and the Karme Choling Meditation Center (Vermont), as well as Director of Buddhist Practice and Study for OM Yoga (NYC) His work has been featured at The Huffington Post, and he leads meditation workshops around the world and online. David Nichtern is also a well-known composer, producer, and guitarist. A four-time Emmy winner and a two-time Grammy nominee, he is the founder of Dharma Moon and 5 Points Records. David has recorded and played with Stevie Wonder, Jerry Garcia, Lana Del Rey, Maria Muldaur, Paul Simon, and many others, and has also produced multiple records for and toured with Grammy-nominated kirtan performer Krishna Das.
