The Mystical Positivist: November 2019

Saturday, November 30, 2019

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #343 - 30NOV19

Podcast:

This week on the show we present a conversation pre-recorded on November 29th, 2019 with OM C. Parkin. OM C. Parkin studied psychology, but dropped out of university studies after three years, because it gave him no real insight into human nature. In parallel, he worked intensely on the spiritual traditions of Sufism and the Enneagram as a mirror of the cosmos, especially the human psyche. In 1990, at the age of 27, he suffered a serious car accident, crossed the threshold of death, and woke up again to life, egolessly. Shortly thereafter, he met his spiritual teacher Gangaji, who helped him process his transformation, which cut through the everyday world of experience. Gangaji sent OM to her own teacher H. W. L. Poonja, a direct disciple of Ramana Maharshi, who gave OM his spiritual name.

OM has been teaching orally and in writing ever since, accompanying people in their search for truth and self-knowledge at spiritual events (Darshan). In addition, he is the author of a variety of books, writings and articles, including the recent English publications of The Digital Age, The Birth of the Lion – Non-Duality as a Way of Life, and Intelligence of Awakening – Navigating the Wisdom Path.

OM founded the first major German-speaking mystery school of the present time in the '90s. Since 2010, the school is located at Gut Saunstorf, a splendidly restored historic manor house near the Hanseatic city of Wismar, that has been known as the "Ort der Stille" (Place of Stillness). As a modern monastery, it is also open as a retreat for people who are on the inner path.

OM C. Parkin's spiritual teaching, also referred to as Inner Science, is based on the Eastern Advaita tradition (teaching of non-duality--the best-known representative of this tradition in the West is Ramana Maharshi). This teaching also encompasses Western experiential paths (e. g. Christian Mysticism, Georges I. Gurdjieff: The Fourth Way) as well as modern psychological and psychotherapeutic methods. The goal is self-knowledge through inner work, which ultimately leads to the realization of the true human nature. OM is also preparing for an American tour in October of 2020.

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

OM C. Parkin on the Gut Saunstorf website: www.om-c-parkin.com
OM C. Parkin on YouTube: www.youtube.com
OM C. Parkin on AdvaitaMedia: www.advaitamedia.com

Saturday, November 9, 2019

The Mystical Positivist - Radio Show #342 - 09NOV19

Podcast:

This week on the show we converse in the studio with Ken McLeod, founder and director of UnfetteredMind.org, a website offering resources on practical Buddhism. Ken trained in the Tibetan Buddha-dharma, translated for his teacher Kalu Rinpoche, and has written books that translate and comment on Tibetan texts. His books include A Trackless Path, Reflections on Silver River, An Arrow to the Heart, and Wake Up To Your Life. Ken’s work focuses upon making the Buddha’s teachings relevant and accessible to western practitioners.

In today's spirited conversation we discuss Ken's project to convey the flavor of Tibetan Buddhist practice to a Western audience and context, the ontological status of deities in the Vajrayana Deity practice, the use of reason in the Mystical endeavor, how modalities of practice need to align with the primary means by which different pratitioners relate to the world, and much more.

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

Unfettered Mind website: www.unfetteredmind.org
Ken McLeod's Blog: musingsbyken.blogspot.com
Unfettered Mind Podcasts: itunes.apple.com

"The Mystical Positivist" Radio Show

The Mystical Positivist is a weekly radio show on KOWS-LP FM 107.3 Occidental, CA, and on the web at KOWS-LP Live Feed, Saturdays from 4 - 6pm PST. Coming up on The Mystical Positivist:

April 20: A pre-recorded conversation with Ken McLeod, Buddhist teacher and author of the newly released book, The Magic of Vajrayana. In this conversation, we plan to explore a compelling quote from Ian McGilchrist's 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.