Guru Viking Podcast

In this episode I am joined by Dr Johannes Niederhauser, philosopher and Founder of Halkyon Philosophy Academy. Dr Niederhauser recalls his childhood pursuit of a classical education, early interest in ancient languages, and training as a philosopher at Kings College London and the University of Warwick. Dr Niederhauser considers the problems with religious conversion, reflects on the differences between heritage religious and convert religious attitudes, and considers whether meaning can be actively chosen. Dr Niederhauser also critiques Traditionalist writers Julius Evola (1898–1974) and René Guénon (1886–1951), comments on philosopher of history Oswald Spengler (1880-1936), and challenges popular misunderstandings about critical thinking. … Also available on Youtube , iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:49 - Childhood and classical education 04:34 - Folk Catholicism 05:15 - Johannes’ father 07:19 - Living in Jordan and Syria 12:08 - Fundamentalism seeks supremacy over history 14:59 - Johannes’ character as a boy 18:21 - Learning ancient languages to gain access to secret knowledge 21:17 - Laissez-faire parenting style 23:52 - Gap year in Canada 26:38 - Undergraduate study in philosophy, politics, and economics 29:00 - Masters degree at Kings College London 29:41 - PhD at Warwick, the UK centre for continental philosophy 34:21 - Did Johannes’ world view change? 35:29 - Steppenwolf 38:14 - Plato’s Cave and Edward Bernays 42:25 - Civil liberties as a simulation of freedom 44:08 - This is not critical thinking 46:09 - Is religious conversion to Buddhism possible? 47:19 - “Friends of the European spirit” 52:17 - Johannes on Julius Evola 53:15 - Problems with conversion to Catholicism 55:21 - Approaching Buddhism with humility 56:21 - The metaphysical supermarket 57:21 - Goethe’s transformative appropriation 58:26 - After the death of Christianity 01:00:18 - You cannot choose what is meaningful 01:02:52 - Nolan’s Odyssey 01:05:03 - In praise of alienation 01:05:55 -A contemplative reading exercise for Plato’s Cave 01:07:54 - Different types of conversion 01:09:24 - Contrived meaning-making 01:09:57 - Spengler and embracing the metaphysical supermarket 01:14:59 - Critique of Spengler 10:18:17 - The human spirit needs resistance 01:20:17 - The prescription 01:21:47 - Hegel’s freedom of spirit 01:23:18 - Spengler universalises his own position 01:23:42 - Collingwood and Guénon 01:24:34 - Two options for the world 01:25:59 - Darwinism and the selfish gene 01:28:04 - Contemplating Dōgen 01:30:07 - Mindfulness is slave morality 01:30:55 - Keep calm and carry on 01:33:46 - Faust is everything 01:36:46 - How to practice 
… Find out more about Dr. Johannes Niederhauser: - https://www.youtube.com/c/ClassicalPhilosophy - https://halkyonacademy.com/ … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James If you value the podcast and would like to support its continued production, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/guruviking.

In this episode I am once joined by Christiana Polites for a bonus episode to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of her independent publishing house, Sky Press Publications. Christiana recounts the origin of Sky Press Publications, her ongoing collaboration with Dr Nida Chengatsang, and reveals why their venture has never had a coherent business plan. Christiana takes us through the entire catalogue with anecdotes and reflections about the publishing and reception of books such as “Karmamudra: The Yoga of Bliss” and “Foundations of Vajrayana Buddhism: A Guide to Yuthok's Healing Path”. Christiana also gives her advice for assembling and leading creative teams and reflects on the future of religious publishing. … Also available on Youtube , iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:51 - A love of books 03:40 - Founding Sky Press Books with Nida Chenagtsang 07:36 - No business plan 10:16 - Print on demand strategy 12:26 - Dual mission of Sky Press Books 14:53 - Moral aim of the karmamudra book 17:25 - Showing Karmamudra: The Yoga of Bliss 18:14 - Medical perspective gives context to Buddhist teaching 20:32 - Religion and culture 22:22 - Criticism of the karmamudra book 24:00 - “Mirror of Light” book tour anecdotes 25:41 - Weapon of Light: Introduction to Ati Yoga Meditation 26:28 - Nejang: Tibetan Self-Healing Yoga 30:19 - Surprisingly powerful practice 31:40 - Nejang vs tsa lung trulkhor movements 33:50 - Foundations of Sowa Rigpa: A Guide to the Root Tantra of Tibetan Medicine  36:18 - Working with Dr Ben Joffe 39:03 - Reflections on building a team 42:38 - Systems that support the vision 44:18 - Supporters and benefactors 47:17 - How does Sky Press fit into the dharma publishing scene? 49:30 - Let Meditation Be Thy Medicine: The Timeless Healing Wisdom of Tibet 50:50 - Foundations of Vajrayana Buddhism: A Guide to Yuthok's Healing Path 52:44 - Translations into foreign languages 53:48 - Using books for home retreat 55:30 - A Guide to Kunye and the External Therapies of Sowa Rigpa 56:40 - The Flight of the Garuda 58:02 - The Sowa Rigpa Journal, including Steve’s article 59:16 - Thoughts about book collecting 01:00:30 - Advice for those who wish to self publish 01:01:40 - The next decade of Sky Press Publications 01:04:47 - Audiobooks, music, and the arts 01:05:34 - Preserving Tibetan teachings 
… Previous episodes with Christiana Polites: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=polites Find out more about Christiana Polites: - https://skypresspublications.com/ - https://www.yangchenma.org/christiana - https://purelandfarms.com/teachers … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James If you value the podcast and would like to support its continued production, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/guruviking.

In this episode I am joined by Christiana Polites, practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism, long time collaborator of Tibetan spiritual teacher Nida Chenagtsang, and founder of Sky Press Books, Pure Land Farms, the Sowa Rigpa Institute, and more. Christiana recalls her privileged upbringing in Manhattan, New York; her education in comparative religions at Harvard University; and her deep involvement in the 90s New York yoga scene. Christiana talks about her discipleship under and collaborations with Nida Chenagtsang, reflects on the tantric guru-disciple relationship, and considers the trend of asking one’s guru for advice about life choices. Christiana shares her own journey to personal empowerment and self-direction, why working closely with a guru requires adaptability, and gives a potted history of the many religious and cultural organisations she has founded. … Also available on Youtube , iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 02:42 - Upbringing in Manhattan 05:54 - Beginnings of spiritual questioning 06:50 - History of religions class 09:08 - New York yoga in the 90s 10:55 - Spiritual side of yoga in the 90s 13:00 - Body bliss 16:37 - Quitting yoga overnight 22:05 - Studying comparative religions at Harvard 25:55 - Influential professors and deciding against academia 28:43 - Areas of study 30:18 - Life-changing 3 months in Bodhgaya 32:46 - A survey of the 3 yanas 35:02 - Connecting with Tibetan Buddhism 37:52 - Gradual vs sudden awakening 39:42 - Constitutional type vs karma 41:03 - Pros and cons of kapha/bad kan constitution 42:38 - Character change vs peak experiences 44:49 - Fruits of the path 45:47 - Adaptability and working with Dr Nida 47:52 - Dr Nida’s spontaneous creativity 49:28 - Life after Harvard, further study of Tibetan Buddhism, and Chinese medicine studies 52:14 - Gurus in Colorado 53:22 - Decision not to study @ Naropa 53:42 - When did Christiana become a Buddhist? 55:25 - Plant medicines and meeting Dr Nida 01:01:26 - Taoist medicine studies in China 01:05:33 - Asking Dr Nida for advice and founding Yanchenma Healing Arts 01:10:47 - Culture of asking the guru for life advice 01:13:37 - Becoming personally empowered and the burden of logistics 01:20:40 - Healthy separation 01:22:48 - Having a dharma centre 01:24:13 - Reflections on the guru-disciple relationship with Dr Nida 01:30:43 - What motivates Christiana’s practice? 01:34:48 - Basic teachings vs advanced practices 01:40:03 - Founding Sky Press Publications 01:48:02 - Founding the Sowa Rigpa Institute 01:50:17 - Founding Yangchenma Arts and Music with Simone Giuliani 01:52:51 - An auspicious year 01:54:55 - An unusual sangha 
… Find out more about Christiana Polites: - https://skypresspublications.com/ - https://www.yangchenma.org/christiana - https://purelandfarms.com/teachers … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James If you value the podcast and would like to support its continued production, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/guruviking.

In this episode I am once again joined by Samuel Bercholz, a senior teacher in the Nyingma and Kagyu lineages of Tibetan Buddhism, founder of Shambala publications, and author of “Rude Awakenings:An Unconventional Guide to the Buddhist Path”. Sam reflects on the controversial behaviour of his guru, Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chogyam Trungpa; explores the uneasy relationship between enlightenment and morality; and reports Thinley Norbu Rinpoche’s enthusiasm for cleaning and toilet hygiene. Sam explains why he believes that the ground of meditation is hopelessness, shares his own past skepticism about Buddhist doctrines of awakening, and discusses the pros and cons of publicising one’s spiritual attainments. Sam also recounts times when his gurus demonstrated omniscience and other siddhi powers, muses about a special sense of humour that comes with spiritual realisation, and reveals the centrality of working with spirits and other beings in Indo-Tibetan Tantra. … Also available on Youtube , iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:11 - High octane gurus 02:33 - Guru trends, edgy vs nice 04:07 - Dzogchen madness 05:45 - Things happen 07:43 - How lies become truth 10:04 - Claiming enlightenment 13:41 - Why meditate? 18:29 - Meditation and hopelessness 20:20 - Skepticism about the path 24:08 - Realising hopelessness 25:23 - From depression to liberation 26:18 - The middle way 29:09 - No problem amidst problems 32:29 - No more working hard 35:27 - Guru relationship vs personal practice 38:09 - Chod practice 39:46 - Ngondro, the preliminary practices 40:45 - Is more practice better? 44:13 - The mind of the 16th Karmapa 45:02 - Enlightened humour 47:46 - The cosmic joke 49:32 - Concepts about enlightenment 51:56 - Thiney Norbu Rinpoche’s fanaticism about cleaning and toilet practice 53:38 - Enlightenment vs moral development 55:20 - The ālaya, all-ground 55:59 - Wrathful and peaceful deities 59:04 - Spiritual bliss 01:00:32 - Esoteric and drop the scientific method 01:01:11 - Morality and gurus 01:03:30 - Vinaya is based on human error 01:05:00 - Vajrayana morality 01:06:06 - Why people hate Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche 01:09:02 - The Merwin incident 01:09:35 - Trungpa slept with his students 01:11:59 - Does Trungpa’s bad reputation bother Sam? 01:14:20 - Why Sam wrote Rude Awakenings 01:15:38 - Building an enlightened society 01:16:39 - Why Trungpa’s enlightened society crumbled 01:17:36 - Guided Tour of Hell 01:18:54 - Guru omniscience and psychic powers 01:23:06 - Thinley Norbu Rinpoche’s omniscience 01:25:53 - ESP and entity contact in Tantra 01:28:37 - Why Buddhist Tantra is failing 01:29:36 - Working with spirits 01:32:09 - Emphasising the Indo-Tibetan link 01:33:16 - Narpoa, Tilopa, and Padmasambhava To purchase “Rude Awakenings: vist: - https://www.shambhala.com/rude-awakenings.html For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James If you value the podcast and would like to support its continued production, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/guruviking.

In this episode I am once again joined by Alan Chapman, British writer, occultist, and spiritual teacher. In episode 370, Alan shared a prophecy and predicted that a major disaster would occur in New York on the 11th of September 2026. No such disaster occurred. In this episode, Alan wrestles with the implications of his failed prediction; confronts the possible suffering he may have caused others; and shares his experiences before, during, and after the predicted day Alan explores the concept of the false prophet, considers whether or not he is one, and describes Satanism as a force of accusation against God. Alan also reflects on conscious reputation destruction for spiritual growth, compares Crowley with Christ, and warns about the danger of using prophecy for personal gain. … Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics Include: 00:00 - Intro 01:01 - Alan’s failed prediction 02:17 - Passing on the curse 03:36 - Despite best intentions 06:09 - Accusing God 07:28 - Is Alan a false prophet? 10:01 - A deeper sin 11:01 - Using prophecy for personal gain 13:16 - Satan and the Satanic 15:41 - Catastrophes and the nature of God 22:48 - What is justice? 25:44 - New Atheism, rejecting God, and subverting trust in God 27:06 - Why did Alan share his prediction when he knew better? 32:46 - Giving advice and the absence of God 34:32 - Taking full responsibility 37:56 - Peoples’ reactions to Alan’s failed prediction 39:21 - Personal gain and false prophets 40:36 - What if the prediction had come true? 42:50 - Alan’s experience before, during, and after the predicted day 47:07 - Consciously destroying one’s reputation 50:04 - Death of possibilities 51:01 - Puncturing idealisation of Alan 52:21 - Is death of reputation liberating? 56:44 - Pythagoras and the way of blame 59:22 - Crowley’s reputation destruction 01:04:44 - Christ as the archetype of reputation destruction 01:07:46 - Crowley’s character traits 01:12:54 - Christ vs Crowley 01:17:03 - Growth of the Soul 01:17:13 - Alan sums up what he thinks happened to him 01:19:52 - Prophecy vs prediction 01:21:44 - 4D chess 01:25:24 - Negative consequences of Alan’s failed prediction 01:26:46 - For what Alan takes responsibility 01:29:23 - Alan’s distress 01:31:01 - Demonstrating the nature of Satan 01:32:40 - Alan’s courses … Previous episodes with Alan Chapman:  - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=chapman To find our more about Alan Chapman visit: - https://barbarouswords.com/ For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

In this episode I am joined by Jessica Messenger psychic, occultist and founder of a new occult bookshop, CraftHaus, in the city of Derby, England. Jessica recalls her idyllic childhood in the Midlands of England, her early affinity for the weird and metaphysical, and how a life changing experience at age 17 drove her to a lifelong study of the occult. Jessica discusses psychic gifts, mediumship, tarot, ritual, and descries how she used chaos magic to radically change her financial situation. Jessica also talks about the inspiration behind starting her occult bookshop, reflects on the importance of community, and shares stories of entity encounters and visitations. … Also available on Youtube , iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:53 - Opening an occult bookstore 03:47 - Downloading ideas from spirit 05:29 - Jessica’s idyllic childhood 07:25 - An affinity for the weird and metaphysical 08:01 - Early experiments with potions and magick 09:33 - A life changing supernatural experience at age 17 14:35 - Driven to explore the occult 16:18 - Internet occult communities 18:10 - Finding a deeper spirituality in a toxic relationship 20:23 - Trauma and connecting with the spirit world 21:06 - Premonition about ex-partner’s death 23:38 - Finding herself exiting a toxic relationship 25:57 - Everything you need is within 27:51 - Learning to trust intuition 29:42 - Two sources of intuition 32:57 - Working with guides 33:46 - Years of secret occult practice 34:33 - Exploring Tarot cards 36:10 - Shame around occult practice 36:19 - Worry about the opinions of others 37:47 - Ongoing learning and mentoring others 39:33 - Chaos magick practice 41:01 - Wealth magick and radical financial gain 43:30 - Is wealth magick stealing? 45:11 - Podcasts and books 47:55 - Icons and idols 49:51 - Me-too era and mistrust of public figures 50:54 - Meditation practice 52:40 - Evolution of Jessica’s meditation practice 53:08 - Trance mediumship 55:17 - Physical sensations of spirit contact 55:40 - Psychic self defence and magickal protection 59:49 - Going beyond fear 01:01:04 - Entity encounters 01:02:15 - Visitations 01:03:29 - What do entities want? 01:05:29 - Personal lore and natural psychics 01:07:00 - Sharing magick in a relationship 01:10:17 - A hub for alternative lifestyle communities 01:13:14 - A magickal experience in the shop 01:17:13 - Using magick and psychic abilities to help others 01:20:34 - Finding CraftHaus Occult 01:22:15 - Concluding remarks 
… Find out more about Jessica Messenger: - https://crafthausderby.com/ … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James If you value the podcast and would like to support its continued production, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/guruviking.

In this episode, filmed in London, England, I am once again joined by Delson Armstrong, spiritual teacher, meditation virtuoso, and author of ”A Mind Without Craving”. Delson recounts his recent close encounter with death in severe floods in Missouri. He recalls fighting for his life as ten feet of water filled his retreat cabin, and how he escaped with deep laceration in his foot. Delson describes the surprising consequences of this experience including what he calls a “crotchety old man” attitude towards spiritual practice as entertainment or escapism, symptoms of trauma, and a new perspective on meditation and enjoying life. Delson also talks about the dimension of spiritual luminosity, why he hasn’t meditated since the floods, his openness to a change in life direction, and the relationship between the will to live and the ego. … Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:01 - Delson’s close encounter with death 06:07 - Pure survival instinct 08:47 - Escaping the flood 12:25 - Recovery 13:45 - Becoming a “crotchety old man” about spirituality 14:39 - Loosh and the demiurge 16:43 - Impatience with spiritual entertainment 17:25 - What’s important when you die 17:55 - Delson and Steve sit in silence 23:12 - Luminosity and the thinking mind 26:29 - Delson’s experience of luminosity 31:49 - Spiritual practice as escapism and avoidance 36:28 - How to embrace the present moment 40:53 - Delson’s intention to live to the fullest 42:15 - Waves and the ocean 42:54 - The importance of the spiritual journey 47:38 - Is Delson traumatised? 51:51 - Jhana-assisted therapy? 55:07 - Why Delson hasn’t meditated since the flood 57:38 - The spiritual ego 01:01:04 - There was no God that came at the point of death 01:02:14 - Meditation just for fun 01:04:01 - Surrender and openness to change of life direction 01:06:58 - Might Delson give up teaching? 01:08:26 - How to completely give up ... Watch previous episodes with Delson Armstrong: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=delson Find out more about Delson Armstrong: - https://www.delsonarmstrong.com/events - https://delsonarmstrong.substack.com/ … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James If you value the podcast and would like to support its continued production, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/guruviking.

In this episode, filmed in the city of London, I am joined by Har-Prakash Khalsa, artist, meditation teacher, and senior student and archivist of American meditation teacher Shinzen Young. Har-Prakash takes a walk through London drawing on the sights and sounds of the environment to demonstrate meditation techniques and express his experience as an advanced meditator. Har-Prakash reflects on being an introvert, shares meditation strategies to work with pain and sensory overload, and recalls his early days studying with Shinzen Young. Har-Prakash also addresses common misconceptions about meditation and enlightenment, describes mystical experiences of cessation and nonduality, and emphasises the importance of adding psychological work to meditation practice. … Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics Include: 00:00 - Intro 00:51 - Har-Prakash’s experience of the world as a meditator 04:25 - How to see the world differently 06:13 - Har-Prakash’s experience of the self 09:03 - Different types of cessations 12:23 - Experiencing emptiness in real time 14:11 - First cessation + working with Shinzen Young 15:16 - Dance of sensory experience 16:09 - Are mystical experiences inevitable for meditators? 18:06 - So what? 19:31 - Being useful to others 19:50 - Introversion and overcoming overwhelm 20:46 - Alienation and becoming invulnerable 22:09 - How to practice in daily life 25:24 - From meditating to “being meditated” 27:19 - Noting and labelling practice 32:48 - Dissociation and fast noting 34:07 - Noting practice as avoidance 35:54 - The ultimate addiction 40:01 - Common misunderstandings about Shinzen’s system 41:01 - Background equanimity 44:03 - Simultaneous zoom in / zoom out for knee pain 49:30 - #1 misunderstanding about enlightenment 51:43 - Adding psychological work to mindfulness … To find our more about Har-Prakash Khalsa visit: - https://www.cultivatingthejewel.com/ For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

In this episode I am joined by Graham Nicholls, a leading teacher and writer of out of body experiences (OBE). Graham recalls his working class upbringing in London, his unusual schooling in a Marxist-Feminist school, and reflects at length about the British class system and its effect on his personal life and his work as a teacher. Graham details his occult explorations including contact with Goetia demons, mismatch with the chaos magic order the Illuminates of Thanateros (IOT), and explains his initiations and subsequent dark night of the soul. Graham also shares his unusual views on entities and the astral realm, considers the pros and cons of Wicca and other recently constructed traditions, and reflects on his ethos of scientific skepticism and experimentation. … Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics Include: 00:00 - Intro 00:52 - Graham’s evolving understanding 03:04 - Personalised teaching style 05:45 - Graham’s working class upbringing in London 06:50 - Why Graham became internal 08:18 - Obsession with spiritual topics 09:47 - A childhood sense of destiny 12:31 - Positive and negative teacher reactions 15:32 - How would adult Graham understand a child like him? 17:00 - A strong father 18:40 - Reflections on being working class 22:49 - How class limit’s Graham’s spiritual teaching 26:02 - Cognitive dissonance and voting against your interests 28:39 - Addressing class from a spiritual context 29:40 - Diversity of London 30:11 - Graham’s Marxist-Feminist school 31:47 - Resistance to feminist and racist ideologies in school 37:31 - Reflecting on the purpose of Graham’s first book 38:53 - First encounter with a spiritual entity 42:45 - Unusual lack of fear 47:57 - Ethos against speculation and interpretation 48:11 - Fascination overrides fear 49:52 - Graham’s unusual opinion about dangers of OBE and entities 55:53 - Research into possession literature 58:39 - Do other teachers criticise Graham? 59:54 - Demons, djinn, and pre-Christian deities 01:05:20 - Graham’s interest in magick 01:07:59 - Joining the Oxford Golden Dawn 01:09:13 - Mismatch with the Illuminates of Thanateros (IOT) 01:13:01 - Experimentation with the Goetia 01:17:10 - Working with a Goetian entity 01:20:51 - Graham’s Goetia experience 01:21:14 - What motivated Graham’s magickal career? 01:23:07 - Pros and cons of Wicca 01:23:56 - Aleister Crowley’s writing 01:26:32 - HGA working and Graham’s 18.5 year initiation process 01:28:46 - Dark night of the soul and aftermath of initiation 01:30:59 - Trance work and accumulation of spiritual changes 01:33:35 - Doing magick properly 0101:34:26 - Dedicated OBE practice 01:37:14 - Willpower vs letting go 01:40:22 - Parental support of Graham’s magickal practice … To find our more about Graham Nicholls visit: - https://www.grahamnicholls.com/ For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

In this episode I am once again joined by Leigh Brasington, Buddhist meditation teacher and author of “Right Concentration, A Practical Guide to the Jhanas”. Leigh discusses his new book “Love, Compassion, Joy, Equanimity: The Brahma Viharas – Suttas, Stories, Practices, Hidden Gems” in which he delves into the Pali canon of Buddhist scripture to shed new light on how to understand and practice these potent meditations. Leigh gives detailed descriptions of each of the four brahma viharas. He draws from his decades of teaching experience, as well as scriptural and commentarial literature, to offer his best advice for how to utilise these methods in meditation practice. Leigh reveals how far the brahma viharas can take you towards enlightenment, reflects on the trivialisation of love in today’s culture, and I challenge Leigh to retire what I describe as a tired cliché of Western Buddhist pedagogy. … Episode link in bio. Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics Include: 00:00 - Intro 01:05 - Why Leigh wrote the book 05:50 - How far towards enlightenment can brahma vihara practice take you? 08:54 - Entering the jhanas with the brahma vhiaras 11:48 - Defining “brahma vihara” 13:41 - Paucity of sutta evidence to link the four attitudes with the term “brahma vihara” 14:12 - The Buddha did not invent the brahma viharas 16:43 - Using phrases is a much later development 18:14 - The pervading practice 19:51 - Ayya Khema’s metta practice method 22:32 - Steve’s brahma vihara story 25:46 - Real or fake? 28:19 - Brahma vihara as antidote practice 32:25 - Steve challenges Leigh on mudita claims 37:17 - Suttas do not teach mudita as appreciative joy 37:44 - Leigh’s disappointment in the English language 39:25 - How to practice appreciative joy 40:43 - Can we retire the cliche? 42:30 - Does the West lack the concept of appreciative joy? 44:13 - Metta, unconditional love 47:27 - Problems with “unconditional love” 47:54 - Trivialisation of love 50:34 - Attachment vs love 53:07 - How to practice metta in daily life 56:43 - How metta reduces personal suffering 59:17 - Less thinking, more loving 01:03:25 - Late night reading and being a night owl 01:04:15 - Karuna, compassion and kindness 01:07:42 - Compassion is active 01:10:40 - Do gooders and dumb compassion 01:14:52 - Compassion burnout 01:20:01 - Does compassion need results? 01:21:16 - Ambiguity of sickness 01:22:56 - Upekkha, equanimity 01:25:28 - Leigh’s stories of equanimity 01:32:54 - Equanimity vs apathy 01:36:14 - States, traits, and the equanimity range 01:39:12 - Antidote to freak out 01:43:32 - Bias and practicing equanimity with political enemies 01:45:47 - Exchanging self and other and reducing self clinging 01:49:10 - Will brahma vihara lead you to enlightenment? 01:54:17 - Leigh’s mahasiddha story 01:55:49 - The beauty of the metta sutta 01:57:40 - Leigh reads the metta sutta … Previous episodes with Leigh Brasington: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=brasington To find our more about Leigh Brasington visit: - http://www.leighb.com/ For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James