The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #428 - 01MAR25

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Bob Noha, co-editor of and contributor to Aikido – The Art of Transformation: The Life & Teachings of Robert Nadeau, published recently by Park Street Press, a division of Inner Traditions. A widely influential figure in the development of Aikido in America, Robert Nadeau is known as one of the few American direct disciples of Aikido’s founder Morihei Ueshiba O-sensei. Now an 8th dan Aikido master teacher, Nadeau has taught generations of students, and several have become prominent teachers in their own right. However, he has never written about his life or philosophy, always reserving his most pointed lessons for those who practice with him in person.

This book tells the story of Robert Nadeau’s life journey and his distinctive approach to teaching Aikido as a way to access the inner energetic aspects of the art, a transformational approach with universal applications in daily life, even for non-Aikidoists. The authors explore Nadeau’s early interest in martial arts and all things spiritual as a teenager in California in the 1950s, his seminal training under Morihei Ueshiba at Aikido Hombu Dojo in Tokyo in the 1960s, and the following six decades of training, experimenting, refining, and teaching as he worked to introduce Aikido to the wider world, even beyond the traditional dojo. They lay out Nadeau’s core concepts, describe his simple-but-effective practices for personal development, and convey his time-tested approach to the inner training at the heart of Aikido in a very accessible way. They also include first-person accounts from Nadeau’s students, including Dan Millman, Richard Strozzi-Heckler, Peter Ralston, and Renée Gregorio, who recall their personal experiences of training with him, retell conversations with him, and describe insights and lessons learned, sharing how he affected their lives, sometimes quite profoundly.

Bob Noha, 6th Dan, began practicing Aikido in 1966 in Mountain View and shortly thereafter began training with Robert Nadeau Sensei, which started a lifelong friendship. Bob opened the first Aikido school in the Washington, DC, area in 1970 and taught arrest/restraint tactics to US Military Police at Andrews Air Force Base in 1974. Then, in 1975, he established the first Aikido school in Buffalo, New York. He founded Aikido of Petaluma in 1983 and continues to serve as its chief instructor. Bob traveled to Japan to further deepen his Aikido training in 1998, 1999, and 2006. In addition, he is also a devoted student and teacher of t’ai chi and has a background in several other martial arts.

More information about Robert Nadeau and Bob Noha's work can be found at:

 
Robert Nadeau on Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org,

 
Aikido of Petaluma website: www.aikidopetaluma.com,

 
Aikido – The Art of Transformation website: www.nadeaushihan.com.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #427 - 15FEB25

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Lama Lhanang Rinpoche and Mordy Levine, authors of The Beginner’s Guide to Karma – How to Live with Less Negativity & More Peace, published recently by New World Library. Twenty-six centuries ago, the Buddha fleshed out the universal law of the spiritual realm: karma. The law of karma holds that our actions, our words, and even our thoughts inevitably produce effects that return to us in some form — in this lifetime or a future one. Today, most Westerners have a passing familiarity with the concept of karma, which amounts to “what goes around comes around.” This is true as far as it goes, but it merely scratches the surface of a complex and fascinating topic.

In The Beginner’s Guide to Karma, Lama Lhanang Rinpoche and Mordy Levine encourage readers to forget what they’ve heard about karma and look at the subject afresh. Delving into Buddhist scripture and tradition, the authors give a comprehensive outline of karma that incorporates psychology, ethics, and metaphysics. Using everyday language and real-life examples, they clear away myths, illustrate how karma works in daily life, and offer daily practices to build positive karma. The Beginner’s Guide to Karma neatly sums up the Buddhist worldview and makes a compelling case for Buddhism as a way of life that nurtures compassion, joy, and inner peace in an uncertain world.

Born in the Amdo region of historic Tibet, Lama Lhanang Rinpoche received a traditional monastic education and later studied under several respected Tibetan lamas. Today, he teaches Vajrayana Buddhism at the Jigme Lingpa Center in San Diego, California, where he lives with his wife and child. Mordy Levine is an entrepreneur, a meditation teacher, and the president of the Jigme Lingpa Center. He also created the Meditation Pro Series, a meditation program designed to alleviate chronic health issues. He lives in Rancho Santa Fe, California, with his wife, Elizabeth.


More information about Lama Lhanang Rinpoche and Mordy Levine's work can be found at:

 
Jigme Lingpa Center website: www.buddhistsandiego.com,

 
Institute for Balance and Movement website: www.mordylevine.com,

 
The Beginners Guide to Karma at New World Library: newworldlibrary.com.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #426 - 01FEB25

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Roger Jackson, author of Saraha – Poet of Blissful Awareness, published this year by Shambhala as part of its Lives of the Masters series. Saraha, “the Archer,” was a mysterious but influential tenth-century Indian Buddhist tantric adept who expressed his spiritual realization in mystic songs (dohas) that are enlightening, shocking, and confounding by turns. Saraha’s poetic verses served as a basis for the exposition, in Tibet, of mahamudra, the great-seal meditation on the nature of mind that permeates every tradition of Buddhism on the Tibetan plateau. This is the first book to attempt a thorough treatment of the context, life, works, poetics, and teachings of Saraha.

Roger Jackson is Professor Emeritus of Asian Studies and Religion at Carleton College. He has nearly 50 years of experience with the study and practice of Buddhism, particularly in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. His special interests include Indian and Tibetan Buddhist philosophy, meditation, and ritual; Buddhist religious poetry; religion and society in Sri Lanka; the study of mysticism; and contemporary Buddhist thought. Roger is a highly respected and beloved scholar, Dharma teacher, and writer. He has authored many scholarly books and articles, and is a frequent contributor to Lion’s Roar, Buddhadharma, and Tricycle magazines.

More information about Roger Jackson's work can be found at:

 
Saraha at Shambhala Publications: www.shambhala.com,

 
Roger Jackson at Lion's Roar: www.lionsroar.com,

 
Roger Jackson at Tricycle: tricycle.org,

 
Roger Jackson at Carleton College: apps.carleton.edu,

 
Roger Jackson on The Mystical Positivist #398: mysticalpositivist.blogspot.com,

 
Roger Jackson on The Mystical Positivist #348: mysticalpositivist.blogspot.com.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #425 - 16NOV24

• Podcast:
  

This week on The Mystical Positivist, hosts Stuart Goodnick and Rob Schmidt feature two episodes from the Western Baul Podcast Series recorded earlier this year. In the first hour we present the talk, Cultivating Transparency: Realizing the Emptiness of the Stories You Tell Yourself, and in the second hour we present the talk, Languaging Nonduality. The podcast descriptions are as follows:

Cultivating Transparency: Realizing the Emptiness of the Stories You Tell Yourself
We could say that all we know about ourselves cognitively are stories we tell ourselves. These are not necessarily obvious to us because they play so constantly. We respond to the universe through the stories that filter our experience. How do we work with this since we can’t think ourselves out of this box? Transparency hints at a different way of relating to stories. Many stories we identify with are cultural views. Stories in and of themselves are not a problem; they are a feature of what it is to be human. It’s when we hold onto stories that they capture our energy and attention so we don’t come back to the present and to the next event gifted to us by the universe. Transparency involves listening, seeing, generosity of spirit to others and ourselves, without reactivity to a story. This is not trivial work and a tool we have is self-observation, which is an energetic and not an analytical act. One feature of mature practice is relaxation of the tense form of attention we compulsively hold. This can allow for humor and for different kinds of spaces or chambers to be created. Belief is an emotional relationship with a lie. When a story turns into a belief, we can’t put it down. Resistance manifests differently in the three centers that are discussed in the Gurdjieff work. It is a rich vein to mine to reclaim energy of attention we’ve invested in story. Conscious suffering is the willingness to be present with resistance. Practice can be seen as an offering rather than as a story with an agenda to wake up. Creativity is an end in itself, the universe doing what it most wants to do. When not bound by our stories, we can accept the universe’s invitations to engage in higher work.is a Western spiritual tradition founded by George Gurdjieff, a mystic of Greek and Armenian origin who taught in Russia, Europe, and America and died in 1949. The system he developed out of his own spiritual search, which is shrouded in mystery, is completely unique and geared toward working with a modern mindset of “waking sleep” in the West. The Fourth Way Tradition has been considered by some to be humorless and dogmatically committed to a rigid system of practices and ideas, but this ignores Gurdjieff’s own flexibility ranging from playfulness to penetrating compassion. Today’s speakers are dharma heirs of Tayu Meditation Center’s founder Robert Daniel Ennis, whose teachings were anchored in the Fourth Way but ranged widely beyond that source material. 

Languaging Nonduality
Grounded practice gives us direct experience of the pervasiveness of the mechanical, identified mind. Before we have direct experience of something, linguistic representations are ineffective at transmitting what it is. There is a distinction between results and practice. A teaching can be the result of practice, such as loving our neighbor, but we may consider it as a practice that we are unable to embody without having cultivated the necessary quality of being. Seeing the world as non-dual is a result, not a practice. When nonduality is taken as an intellectual proposition, mind pastes over experience and co-opts the spiritual process, which is not realization. There are poets like Ursula Le Guin who use language to “point at the moon” or the sacred. There has to be some work with mind for the intuition and depth of nonduality to take root and inform all aspects of our lives. We may not be in a new paradigm of spiritual practice, but we are in a new paradigm of access to information and teachings. Nonduality is one way among others to talk about reality. Different spiritual approaches work for different people. For many, something has to be dislodged from its static position around the heart. There’s truth to being non-dual and to being dual, which is paradoxical and indicative of a greater mystery. We can be grateful for language that brings our attention to something bigger than the small self. It’s not words but the carrier wave, where someone is coming from, that transmits what words point to. It’s helpful to hang out with people who share spiritual intention. Everyone doesn’t need to be involved in formal spiritual practice; lives are equally valid.

The Western Baul Podcast Series features talks by practitioners of the Western Baul path. Topics are intended to offer something of educational, inspirational, and practical value to anyone drawn to the spiritual path. For Western Bauls, practice is not a matter of philosophy but is expressed in everyday affairs, service to others, and music and song. There is the recognition that all spiritual traditions have examples of those who have realized that there is no separate self to substantiate—though one will always exist in form—and that “There is only God” or oneness with creation. Western Bauls, as named by Lee Lozowick (1943-2010), an American spiritual Master who taught in the US, Europe, and India and who was known for his radical dharma, humor, and integrity, are kin to the Bauls of Bengal, India, with whom he shared an essential resonance and friendship. Lee’s spiritual lineage includes Yogi Ramsuratkumar and Swami Papa Ramdas.

Rob Schmidt and Stuart Goodnick are the spiritual directors of Tayu Meditation Center. Rob has made contributions to the practice of anthropological archaeology and currently runs Tayu’s spiritual bookstore in Sebastopol, California, Many Rivers Books & Tea. Stuart is an engineer in a Fortune 500 company and plays the shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute) as a spiritual practice.

More information about Tayu Meditation Center can be found at:

Many Rivers Books and Tea Website: www.manyriversbooks.com,

Western Baul Podcast Website: westernbaul.org.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #424 - 09NOV24

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show we feature a prerecorded conversation with OM C. Parkin on the challenges and paradoxes around languaging Non-Duality and how to tune into the silence between the words when engaging with a sacred text.

OM C. Parkin is a renowned European wisdom teacher and the founder of the mystery school, Enneallionce, and Gut Saunstorf, a modern monastery. His books also include Intelligence of Awakening - Navigating the Wisdom Path, The Birth of the Lion, and The Digital Age - A Critical View from a Wisdom Perspective.

OM embodies in his work the link between Eastern non-duality and Christian mysticism, of depth psychology and philosophy, beyond the limits of religions and confessions. He often references the tradition of Advaita Vedanta, which has been revived in the 20th century by Shri Ramana Maharshi, Shri H.W.L. Poonja, the American Gangaji, and others. OM acts in the tradition of these teachers and by being rooted in early Christian teaching. His work in the tradition of silence can be described by three functions: teacher (of wisdom), healer (of the soul), seer (of the heart). He has been supporting people to find their true nature for more than 30 years and founded the modern Satsang movement in Europe.

More information about OM C. Parkin's work can be found at:

OM C. Parkin website: www.om-c-parkin.com,

Gut Saunstorf website: www.kloster-saunstorf.de,

OM C. Parkin at Gateways Books & Tapes: www.gatewaysbooksandtapes.com,

OM C. Parkin previously on The Mystical Positivist on 27JAN24: mysticalpositivist.blogspot.com,

OM C. Parkin previously on The Mystical Positivist on 24SEP22: mysticalpositivist.blogspot.com.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #423 - 12OCT24

Podcast:

This week on the show we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Ken McLeod, Buddhist teacher and author the recently released book, The Magic of Vajrayana. In today’s conversation, we discuss Ken’s recent English translation of The Diamond Sutra from the Tibetan and his development of a new commentary. The Diamond Sutra is one of the most influential early Mahayana sutras that has been central to a number of Buddhist traditions such as Chan and Zen. It describes a way of being and acting that is not mediated by the conceptual mind. Ken’s approach to his translation and his upcoming commentary is less about understanding the meaning of The Diamond Sutra and more about how to engage with the text so that its magic can infuse and inform the Being of the practitioner.

One of the more innovative Buddhist teachers today, Ken McLeod is known for his clear explanations, poetic translations, and pragmatic approach to practice. He is one of the first generation of Western teachers in the Tibetan tradition and one of the few to be authorized to transmit the full scope of these teachings to students. In particular, his approach resonates strongly with those whose path lies outside established institutions.

After graduating with a degree in mathematics, Ken cycled across Europe to Istanbul and then continued his journey overland to India. In 1970 he met his principal teacher Kalu Rinpoche at his monastery near Darjeeling. There Ken began a study and practice in Tibetan Buddhism that lasted more than twenty years. He completed the traditional three-year retreat program two times, translated for many teachers, and helped set up Buddhist centers in Canada and the United States. After his teacher's passing, Ken moved away from the hierarchical structures of Asian Buddhism to explore new approaches.

In 1990, he founded Unfettered Mind in Los Angeles. His approach of one-on-one consultations roiled the Buddhist world in the early '90s, but was quickly recognized as a viable way to teach and guide students in the West. He made individual interviews a central feature of the many retreats he taught in California, New Mexico, and British Columbia. Through numerous small groups in Southern California, he developed the materials that became the encyclopedic meditation manual, Wake Up to Your Life.

Now retired from formal teaching, he lives in Northern California where he hikes and writes. His writings and translations include The Great Path of Awakening (1987), Wake Up to Your Life (2001), An Arrow to the Heart (2007), Reflections on Silver River (2014), A Trackless Path (2017), and The Magic of Vajrayana (2022), as well as a corpus of articles and translations in Tricycle and other Buddhist magazines.

More information about Ken McLeod's work can be found at:

 
Unfettered Mind website: www.unfetteredmind.org.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #422 - 14SEP24

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Moss Campion aka Peter Cohen, author the newly released book, Blindspot: Through the Wormhole of Science and Religion. Blindspot exposes the unseen distinctions that exist among the ways that people seek the Big Answers to the questions posed by life, the universe, and everything. When most people speak about God or Truth or the Divine, Campion asserts, they aren’t actually talking about anything divine or godly at all – whether they are believers, unbelievers or undecided. Whatever their posture toward these matters, they betray an almost universal “unseeingness” about what the entire spiritual enterprise is actually about – its rules, codes, even its final aim. They are blind to what the great sages of the world’s religious and philosophical traditions have pointed to forever – which also happen to converge with the discoveries of contemporary science as it grapples with the nature of consciousness.

At its core, this book is about the blind spot that prevents us from knowing who we are. In revealing this obliviousness, the author dives into the perspective that is commonly known as “nonduality,” the principle that lies at the core of all world Wisdom traditions, including the scientific ones. The reasons for what Campion has dubbed “Blindspot” may be understandable, yet as he shows in brilliant, and often humorous detail, its costs to the individual, to humanity in general, to the planet as a whole, are high, indeed. In a word, confusion. In another word, suffering.

Moss Campion is a qualified commentator, having immersed himself in the mystery of consciousness all his life, both in the context of his personal circumstances and also in his work with patients in the hospital setting. Along the way he studied with many esteemed teachers and guides, in both the animal and plant kingdoms.

While growing up on the mist-shrouded coast of Maine, Moss Campion would eagerly await the arrival of Halloween all year long, already demonstrating a strong interest in the mystical side of life. Even as he later worked in fields as varied as music, skiing, nursing, and journalism, he continued his involvement with spiritual teachings, studying with a number of esteemed teachers and mentors. He holds a masters degree in journalism and has collected numerous credits in specialized magazines. His biography of the Bavarian sage Lothar Weichert was published in Germany. Along the way he received awards and fellowships from University of Michigan, University of Colorado, and the Ucross Foundation.

More information about Moss Campion's work can be found at:

 
Moss Campion's website: mosscampion.com.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #421 - 20APR24

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show we feature feature a pre-recorded conversation with Ken McLeod, Buddhist teacher and author the newly released book, The Magic of Vajrayana. In today’s conversation, we unpack a compelling quote from Ian McGilchrist’s book, The Matter with Things:

If you had set out to destroy the happiness and stability of a people, it would have been hard to improve on our current formula: remove yourself as far as possible from the natural world; repudiate the continuity of your culture; believe you are wise enough to do whatever you happen to want and not only get away with it, but have a right to it—and a right to silence those who disagree; minimise the role played by a common body of belief; actively attack and dismantle every social structure as a potential source of oppression; reject the idea of a transcendent set of values.

One of the more innovative Buddhist teachers today, Ken McLeod is known for his clear explanations, poetic translations, and pragmatic approach to practice. He is one of the first generation of Western teachers in the Tibetan tradition and one of the few to be authorized to transmit the full scope of these teachings to students. In particular, his approach resonates strongly with those whose path lies outside established institutions.

After graduating with a degree in mathematics, Ken cycled across Europe to Istanbul and then continued his journey overland to India. In 1970 he met his principal teacher Kalu Rinpoche at his monastery near Darjeeling. There Ken began a study and practice in Tibetan Buddhism that lasted more than twenty years. He completed the traditional three-year retreat program two times, translated for many teachers, and helped set up Buddhist centers in Canada and the United States. After his teacher's passing, Ken moved away from the hierarchical structures of Asian Buddhism to explore new approaches.

In 1990, he founded Unfettered Mind in Los Angeles. His approach of one-on-one consultations roiled the Buddhist world in the early '90s, but was quickly recognized as a viable way to teach and guide students in the West. He made individual interviews a central feature of the many retreats he taught in California, New Mexico, and British Columbia. Through numerous small groups in Southern California, he developed the materials that became the encyclopedic meditation manual, Wake Up to Your Life.

Now retired from formal teaching, he lives in Northern California where he hikes and writes. His writings and translations include The Great Path of Awakening (1987), Wake Up to Your Life (2001), An Arrow to the Heart (2007), Reflections on Silver River (2014), A Trackless Path (2017), and The Magic of Vajrayana (2022), as well as a corpus of articles and translations in Tricycle and other Buddhist magazines.


More information about Ken McLeod's work can be found at:

 
Unfettered Mind website: www.unfetteredmind.org.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #420 - 02MAR24

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show, we present a pre-recorded conversation with Sessei Meg Levie, head priest of Stone Creek Zen Center in Graton, CA. She assumed this role in April 2022, succeeding Dojin Emerson and Korin Pokorny, who had served in the role since 2014. Sessei serves with Founding Teacher Jisho Warner to offer the Dharma through talks, classes, individual practice discussion and other programs. Among the topics we address are what draws people to Zen practice, the role of ritual in practice, the importance of nature practices in the current situation, and the impact of emerging AI technology and Buddhist practice.

Sessei Meg Levie, Head Priest, lived and trained at the San Francisco Zen Center and also has had a career teaching mindfulness and emotional intelligence in Silicon Valley and beyond. She received ordination as a Zen priest in 2003 from Tenshin Reb Anderson and held the position of shuso (head student) in 2007. She has studied Buddhism in Thailand and Japan, and for several years served as the teacher for the Bolinas branch of the Mountain Source Sangha. Since 2008 Meg has taught mindfulness and emotional intelligence in business, primarily through the Search Inside Yourself program created at Google. She holds an AB in English Literature from Stanford University and an MA from the University of Texas at Austin.

More information about Sessei Meg Levie's work can be found at:

Stone Creek Zen Center Website: stonecreekzencenter.org,

Sessei Meg Levie at the SF Zen Center: www.youtube.com.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #419 - 17FEB24

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show, we present a pre-recorded conversation with John Friedlander, author of Recentering SETH: Teachings from a Multidimensional Entity on Living Gracefully and Skillfully in a World You Create But Do Not Control. The Seth books, channeled by the late Jane Roberts in the 1970s, galvanized a whole generation of spiritual explorers. The entity known as Seth turned familiar mystical concepts into a radically new framework and introduced a unique understanding of how we create our own reality with our conscious beliefs.

After nearly five decades exploring Seth's ideas, John Friedlander has reframed the groundbreaking Seth teachings, recentering them in the awareness that all consciousness expands in all directions. He synthesizes Sethian teachings with an eclectic variety of concepts and influences, from aura reading, healing, and interpersonal engagement to Buddhism and reincarnation to conscious dying and nondual awareness. He reveals how you do create your own reality, but that no one controls reality, which is spontaneous and surprisingly creative.

John Friedlander holds degrees from Duke University and Harvard Law School. He began a formal meditation practice in 1970 and was introduced to Seth's books in 1972. A Member of Jane Robert's original Seth classes in Elmira in 1974, he also studied psychic meditation and aura reading with Lewis Bostwick beginning in 1973. The coauthor of 3 other books, The Practical Psychic, Psychic Development, and Psychic Psychology, he lives in Saline, Michigan.

More information about John Friedlander's work can be found at:

John Friedlander's Website: psychicpsychology.org.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #418 - 10FEB24

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show, we present a pre-recorded conversation with Rawn Clark, author of A Bardon Companion: A Practical Companion for the Student of Franz Bardon's System of Hermetic Initiation. The Franz Bardon series of books on Magical Arts, Initiation into Hermetics (IIH), The Practice of Magical Evocation (PME), and The Key to the True Qabalah (KTQ), are considered by many as the most lucid and actionable written material on Hermetic practice. Initiation into Hermetics consists of a short introduction on theory and ten detailed lessons on practice covering work on the Mental, Astral, and Physical bodies. These lessons progress from very basic mental concentration and thought control practices through to advanced exploration of elemental and planetary realms and the merging with Unity.

In A Bardon Companion, Rawn Clark combines two versions of his commentaries for each of the ten steps in IIH, additional commentaries on PME and KTQ, as well as years of correspondence with students of the Bardon system. It is an essential guide for anyone interested in exploring the Bardon system of Hermetics.

Rawn Clark is a writer and video producer who dedicates his work to magical practice in general and providing support material for practitioners of the Bardon system. He began pursuing Bardon's system of Hermetic Initiation in the early 1980s at the age of 25. Years later he became involved in online blogging and discussion groups surrounding the Bardon work. He has emerged as one of the leading mentors for this system. His writings are clear, practical, and leavened with a gentle touch and humor. His work dispels many of the misconceptions associated with esoteric practice and makes the Bardon system available to anyone willing to put in the necessary consistent effort.

More information about Rawn Clark's work can be found at:

Rawn Clark's YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com,

A Bardon Companion on Amazon: www.amazon.com,

Franz Bardon on Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #417 - 03FEB24

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show, we present a pre-recorded conversation with Terje Tonne, author of the newly published book, Rodney Collin: a man who wished to do something with his life, from Karnak Press. Rodney Collin, a key figure in the history of esoteric thought and the Fourth Way tradition, is best known for his seminal works, The Theory of Celestial Influence, and The Theory of Eternal Life. This ground-breaking biography provides a wealth of information including Collin's close relationship to Peter Ouspensky and a detailed account of the events leading up to Ouspensky's death. The book goes on to describe the years that followed for Collin, his group activities in Mexico, his search for historical traces of The Work, and his mysterious death in Cusco, Peru, at the young age of 47.

Terje Tonne came into contact with Gurdjieff's ideas in the early 1970s. Together with his wife, he has led a group in Oslo for 35 years. He has had a long and close relationship with professor Merideth Thring, George Cornelius, and Joyce Collin-Smith.

He is the author of The Gurdjieff Puzzle Now (2001 - Gateways Books) and Werr sich verliert, derfindet sich (Random House, GmbH). Tonne is a retired conservator with expertise in fire damaged paintings.

More information about Terje Tonne's work can be found at:

Terje Tonne in The Gurdjieff International Review: www.gurdjieff.org,

Terje Tonne at Karnak Press: tofathomthegist.com.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #416 - 27JAN24

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show we feature a recording of a live video stream with OM C. Parkin kicking off his new online series, Meeting with Teachers – Navigating the Wisdom Path. In this first installment, the Mystical Positivist hosts converse with OM about his book, The Birth of the Lion, as well as many profound aspects of his teachings on inner stillness.

OM C. Parkin is a renowned European wisdom teacher and the founder of the mystery school, Enneallionce, and Gut Saunstorf, a modern monastery. His books also include Intelligence of Awakening - Navigating the Wisdom Path, The Birth of the Lion, and The Digital Age - A Critical View from a Wisdom Perspective.

OM embodies in his work the link between Eastern non-duality and Christian mysticism, of depth psychology and philosophy, beyond the limits of religions and confessions. He often references the tradition of Advaita Vedanta, which has been revived in the 20th century by Shri Ramana Maharshi, Shri H.W.L. Poonja, the American Gangaji, and others. OM acts in the tradition of these teachers and by being rooted in early Christian teaching. His work in the tradition of silence can be described by three functions: teacher (of wisdom), healer (of the soul), seer (of the heart). He has been supporting people to find their true nature for more than 30 years and founded the modern Satsang movement in Europe.

More information about OM C. Parkin's work can be found at:

Meeting with Teachers YouTube Feed: www.youtube.com,

OM C. Parkin website: www.om-c-parkin.com,

OM C. Parkin at Gateways Books & Tapes: www.gatewaysbooksandtapes.com,

OM C. Parkin previously on The Mystical Positivist: mysticalpositivist.blogspot.com.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #415 - 20JAN24

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Theresa Dintino, co-author of the newly published ebook, The Oscan Oracle: from the Ancient Janarra of the Moon. In this wide ranging and remarkable conversation, we discuss her latest book, the nature of lineage, Dagara Stick Divination as a way to connect people to their true lineages, cultural appropriation and ways to hold and practice an indigenous tradition, and the ethics of divination and interaction with non-corporeal beings.

Theresa Dintino is the author of nine books and serves as a guide and spiritual mentor to many. While attempting to reclaim and restore her ancestral medicine lineage, the Italian Strega tradition, Dintino was surprised to be “claimed” by the West African Dagara tradition of stick divination. Honored by this invitation, Dintino pursued it, and in 2011 was initiated into this potent form of divination. Besides her family and daughter, this turned out to be the greatest gift of her life.

Stick divination helped Dintino find her way back to her own lineage and enables her to help others find and restore theirs. This beautiful practice of Dagara stick divination continues to offer countless gifts. In multiple divination sessions, Dintino was taught about the spiritual membranes that protect, nurture, and inform lifesystems.

More information about Theresa Dintino's work can be found at:

Strega Tree Divination website: stregatree.com,

The Ritual Goddess website: ritualgoddess.com,

Nasty Women Writers website: www.nastywomenwriters.com.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #414 - 16DEC23

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show, we present a pre-recorded conversation with Robin Bloor about his latest book, Gurdjieff & Kundabuffer – Food for the Moon. Bloor writes: “The idea that mankind is ‘food for the moon’ seems, when you first encounter the idea, to be ridiculous. Nevertheless, it may well be so… To understand this theory, one needs on the one hand, to examine it from a scientific perspective, and on the other, to study Beelzebub’s Tales deeply to uncover what Gurdjieff says about it and also what he relates about the implanting of the organ Kundabuffer in Man – and the subsequent consequences of its remarkable properties.”

Robin was born in 1951 in Liverpool, UK. He obtained a BSc in Mathematics at Nottingham University and took up a career in the computer industry, initially writing software. From 1989 onwards, he became a technology analyst and consultant. He has thus been a writer of a kind ever since. In 2002 he was awarded an honorary Ph.D. in Computer Science by Wolverhampton University in the UK. He currently resides in and works from Austin, Texas in the USA.

In 1988, Bloor met and became a pupil of Rina Hands. Rina was a one-time associate of J. G. Bennett, a student of Peter Ouspensky's, and later, a pupil of George Gurdjieff. Following Gurdjieff's death, she remained part of J. G. Bennett's group for a while. Subsequently, she formed groups both in London, where she lived, and in Bradford in the North of England - initially in conjunction with Madame Nott. She was an accomplished movements teacher and an inspirational group leader. She died in 1994 and is buried next to Jane Heap in a cemetery in North London.

Robin leads a regular group, The Austin Gurdjieff Society, in Austin, Texas. He produces a monthly newsletter, The Lost Herald, and runs the website, ToFathomTheGist.com. He also organizes multiple on-line study groups to Gurdjieff’s writings and Gurdjieff’s Objective Science. Robin has written or edited nine books about the Work including the To Fathom the Gist series and Gurdjieff’s Hydrogens – Volume 1: The Ray of Creation.

More information about Robin Bloor's work can be found at:

Austin Gurdjieff Society Website: austingurdjieffsociety.weebly.com,

To Fathom the Gist Website: www.tofathomthegist.com,

Robin Bloor on YouTube: YouTube.com,

The Lost Herald Website: The Lost Herald,

Robin Bloor's email address: robin.bloor @ gmail.com.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #413 - 17JUN23

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Ken McLeod, Buddhist teacher and author of the newly released book, The Magic of Vajrayana. In today’s conversation, we explore four ways of working in spiritual practice sometimes characterized by the archetypal forms of the King, the Warrior, the Magician, and the Lover. We discuss how these ways, Compassion, Will, Insight, and Ecstasy, can be brought into balance for a richer and more complete spiritual engagement with life.

One of the more innovative Buddhist teachers today, Ken McLeod is known for his clear explanations, poetic translations, and pragmatic approach to practice. He is one of the first generation of Western teachers in the Tibetan tradition and one of the few to be authorized to transmit the full scope of these teachings to students. In particular, his approach resonates strongly with those whose path lies outside established institutions.

After graduating with a degree in mathematics, Ken cycled across Europe to Istanbul and then continued his journey overland to India. In 1970 he met his principal teacher Kalu Rinpoche at his monastery near Darjeeling. There Ken began a study and practice in Tibetan Buddhism that lasted more than twenty years. He completed the traditional three-year retreat program two times, translated for many teachers, and helped set up Buddhist centers in Canada and the United States. After his teacher's passing, Ken moved away from the hierarchical structures of Asian Buddhism to explore new approaches.

In 1990, he founded Unfettered Mind in Los Angeles. His approach of one-on-one consultations roiled the Buddhist world in the early '90s, but was quickly recognized as a viable way to teach and guide students in the West. He made individual interviews a central feature of the many retreats he taught in California, New Mexico, and British Columbia. Through numerous small groups in Southern California, he developed the materials that became the encyclopedic meditation manual, Wake Up to Your Life.

Now retired from formal teaching, he lives in Northern California where he hikes and writes. His writings and translations include The Great Path of Awakening (1987), Wake Up to Your Life (2001), An Arrow to the Heart (2007), Reflections on Silver River (2014), A Trackless Path (2017), and The Magic of Vajrayana (2022), as well as a corpus of articles and translations in Tricycle and other Buddhist magazines.


More information about Ken McLeod's work can be found at:

 
Unfettered Mind website: www.unfetteredmind.org.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #412 - 18MAR23

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Ken McLeod, author of the newly released book, The Magic of Vajrayana. The Magic of Vajrayana weaves original translations of instructions, insightful commentary and context about key practices, and authentic personal experiences into a powerful transmission of this vibrant tradition of mystical practice.

One of the more innovative Buddhist teachers today, Ken McLeod is known for his clear explanations, poetic translations, and pragmatic approach to practice. He is one of the first generation of Western teachers in the Tibetan tradition and one of the few to be authorized to transmit the full scope of these teachings to students. In particular, his approach resonates strongly with those whose path lies outside established institutions.

After graduating with a degree in mathematics, Ken cycled across Europe to Istanbul and then continued his journey overland to India. In 1970 he met his principal teacher Kalu Rinpoche at his monastery near Darjeeling. There Ken began a study and practice in Tibetan Buddhism that lasted more than twenty years. He completed the traditional three-year retreat program two times, translated for many teachers, and helped set up Buddhist centers in Canada and the United States. After his teacher's passing, Ken moved away from the hierarchical structures of Asian Buddhism to explore new approaches.

In 1990, he founded Unfettered Mind in Los Angeles. His approach of one-on-one consultations roiled the Buddhist world in the early '90s, but was quickly recognized as a viable way to teach and guide students in the West. He made individual interviews a central feature of the many retreats he taught in California, New Mexico, and British Columbia. Through numerous small groups in Southern California, he developed the materials that became the encyclopedic meditation manual, Wake Up to Your Life.

Now retired from formal teaching, he lives in Northern California where he hikes and writes. His writings and translations include The Great Path of Awakening (1987), Wake Up to Your Life (2001), An Arrow to the Heart (2007), Reflections on Silver River (2014), A Trackless Path (2017), and The Magic of Vajrayana (2022), as well as a corpus of articles and translations in Tricycle and other Buddhist magazines.

After the main podcast conversation, we include a recording of a book event that Ken McLeod gave at Many Rivers Books & Tea in Sebastopol, CA, on March 23rd, 2023. The event includes an extended moderated question and answer segment with a live audience.

More information about Ken McLeod's work can be found at:

 
Unfettered Mind website: www.unfetteredmind.org.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #411 - 25FEB23

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Jason Shulman, author of the 6-book series, Practical Guides to Enlightenment, Awakening, and Healing. Jason is an American spiritual teacher whose original work springs from his Judaic and Buddhist background. He is the founder of A Society of Souls: The School for Nondual Healing and Awakening, based in the United States and the Netherlands. There he teaches the distinctive body of nondual work he has developed to awaken the human spirit: Nondual Healing, Impersonal Movement, and the Work of Return. Jason’s main concern has been to develop paths of healing the mind, body, and spirit based on his own understanding of the difficulties inherent in the human condition.

Through his studies and practice, Jason has developed a unique perspective on human consciousness and the nature of existence. His work seeks to translate this perspective into a replicable and clearly-delineated path for other seekers of truth to follow. He has been especially interested in applying personal spiritual work to methods of transforming society at large. To that end, he has created the MAGI Process, a nondual method of working with conflicts between people, institutions and governments. He is the author of numerous monographs and books, and several albums of his work as a singer and songwriter.

More information about Jason Schilman's work can be found at:

A Society of Souls website: www.societyofsouls.com,

The Foundation for Nonduality website: www.nonduality.us.com,

Nondual Healers Association website: nondualhealersassociation.org.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #410 - 18FEB23

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Bernardo Kastrup, philosopher and author of many books and essays including, The Idea of the World: A Multidisciplinary Argument for the Mental Nature of Reality and More Than Allegory: On Religious Myth, Truth, and Belief.

Bernardo Kastrup is the executive director of Essentia Foundation. His work has been leading the modern renaissance of metaphysical idealism, the notion that reality is essentially mental. He has a Ph.D. in philosophy (ontology, philosophy of mind) and another Ph.D. in computer engineering (reconfigurable computing, artificial intelligence). As a scientist, Bernardo has worked for the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the Philips Research Laboratories (where the 'Casimir Effect' of Quantum Field Theory was discovered). Formulated in detail in many academic papers and books, his ideas have been featured on Scientific American, the Institute of Art and Ideas, the Blog of the American Philosophical Association and Big Think, among others.

More information about Bernardo Kastrup's work can be found at:

Bernardo Kastrup's website: www.bernardokastrup.com,

Essentia Foundation website: www.essentiafoundation.org.

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #409 - 28JAN23

• Podcast:
  

This week on the show we feature a pre-recorded conversation with Carol Squire, Sufi Dervish, Fourth Way teacher, Transactional Analysis (TA) facilitator, Sound healer, Reiki Master, Leader, Woman, Mother and a student just like all of us.

Carol Squire is also the co-founder of the International Akhaldans 4th Way School begun with Akash Dharmaraj in India. Together, they have co-created a unique style of transmission of the Fourth Way work using the movements as a vehicle for Awakening and Transformation. Carol is a loving, compassionate human who cares deeply about the Work and does this work of transmission only because she loves it. Carol has been leading groups all over the world for the past 35 years, integrating Sufi practices and Transactional Analysis into her work with high profile corporate leaders, non-profit organizations, personal groups, individuals, and whoever asks to learn. She has taught the Gurdjieff Sacred Dances in India (including in the Osho Commune in Pune), Israel, Portugal, Ethiopia, Israel and in North America where she is now based. From Whidbey Akhaldans, her center on a beautiful island in Puget Sound, WA, she conducts on-going classes, workshops, weekend retreats, and offers residential opportunities for those who wish a longer exposure to the Akhaldans Way.

More information about Carol Squire's work can be found at:

Akhaldans website: akhaldans.org,

Caroil Squire on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com.