Lama Alan Wallace: Śamatha and Vipaśyanā: Part 1 (#217)
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In this episode, previously recorded as a Wisdom Dharma Chat, host Daniel Aitken welcomes back Lama Alan Wallace to discuss the newest release, Śamatha and Vipaśyanā: An Anthology of Pith Instructions. Lama Alan trained for many years as a monk in Buddhist monasteries in India and Switzerland. He has taught Buddhist theory and practice in Europe and America since 1976 and has served as interpreter for numerous Tibetan scholars and contemplatives, including H. H. the Dalai Lama. He has edited, translated, authored, and contributed to more than forty books on Tibetan Buddhism, medicine, language, and culture, and the interface between science and religion. He is also the founder of the Center for Contemplative Research (CCR), which now has retreat center locations in Crestone, Colorado, and in Castellina Marittima, Italy. This conversation delves into Lama Alan’s journey in Tibetan Buddhism, the teachings he received from his gurus, and the path to achieving irreversible transformation through the cultivation of bodhicitta and śamatha meditation. They discuss the complementarity of Western science’s technological advances and Buddhist contemplative practices, highlighting the value of genuine mental cultivation in addressing modern challenges.
In this episode, Lama Alan and Daniel also discuss:
- the significance of the recently released volume Śamatha and Vipaśyanā;
- Lama Alan’s early inspirations and teachings with Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey;
- Western and Eastern perspectives on the mind;
- the need for a revolution in understanding the mind; and
- much more!
This is part 1 of a two-part series on the release of this volume. Be sure to check out part two featuring fellow Eva Natanya, coming soon to The Wisdom Podcast.
Wisdom Podcast listeners are invited to save 20% off Śamatha and Vipaśyanā with code WPODSAV through November 15.
The views and opinions expressed on this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Wisdom Publications or any entities they represent.
About the Interviewee
B. Alan Wallace is president of the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies. He trained for many years as a monk in Buddhist monasteries in India and Switzerland. He has taught Buddhist theory and practice in Europe and America since 1976 and has served as interpreter for numerous Tibetan scholars and contemplatives, including H. H. the Dalai Lama. After graduating summa cum laude from Amherst College, where he studied physics and the philosophy of science, he earned his MA and PhD in religious studies at Stanford University. He has edited, translated, authored, and contributed to more than forty books on Tibetan Buddhism, medicine, language, and culture, and the interface between science and religion.
Alan is also the founder of the Center for Contemplative Research (CCR), which now has retreat center locations in Crestone, Colorado, and in Castellina Marittima, Italy. A new center is also being established in New Zealand. The CCR is dedicated to researching the role and methods of the ancient contemplative practices of Shamatha and Vipashyana, and their involvement in mental health and wellbeing, as well as their role in fathoming the nature and origins of human consciousness.
The CCR vision builds on the results of the Shamatha Project. It is guided by a Scientific Advisory Board that includes the Nobel Prize-winning physicist and biologist Steven Chu (Stanford University), neuroscientist and clinical psychologist David Presti (UC Berkeley), theoretical physicist Marcelo Gleiser (Director of the Institute for Cross-Disciplinary Engagement at Dartmouth College), and philosopher Michel Bitbol (Director of Research at the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique). Cognitive scientists at the University of Pisa, the University of Trent, and the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa are committed to conducting research in collaboration with the CCR.
For an introduction, listen to The Nature of Reality: A Dialogue Between a Buddhist Scholar and a Theoretical Physicist. In this public dialogue, Alan Wallace and Sean Carroll, a world-renowned theoretical physicist and best-selling author, discussed the nature of reality from spiritual and scientific viewpoints.
