Guru Viking Podcast

By: Guru Viking
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  • Summary

  • The Guru Viking Podcast specializes in in-depth interviews with remarkable figures in the world of meditation, spirituality, and self development. Steve travels internationally teaching somatic practices and meditation, and leads explorations in contemplative, mystic, & relational realms.
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Episodes
  • Ep274: Poetry & the Sacred - Henry Shukman & John Brehm

    Ep274: Poetry & the Sacred - Henry Shukman & John Brehm
    Oct 4 2024
    In this episode I host a dialogue between Henry Shukman, British poet, Zen teacher, and author of ‘One Blade of Grass; a Zen memoir’; and John Brehm, American poet and author of ‘The Dharma of Poetry’. Henry and John share the story of their formations as poets, compare the similarities as well as the marked differences in their backgrounds, and reveal the powerful forces that inspire the creative process. Henry and John discuss the purpose and process of writing poetry, reflect on poetry as a means of contact with the sacred, and contrast the richness of poetry with attentional practices such as mindfulness and Zen. Henry and John also perform and discuss several of their poems, including “Walk the Talk”, “Swifts”, “Yahrzeit”, and “Finis Ter”. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep274-poetry-the-sacred-henry-shukman-john-brehm Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:56 - Henry’s early interest in poetry 03:45 - Poetry and spiritual practice 06:04 - What is it to be alive? 06:30 - Searching for the charge 06:51 - First profound experience of writing poetry 08:17 - Poetry that awakes 09:25 - John’s unliterary family background 12:00 - John’s psychedelic experiences in the 1970s 13:23 - Poetry as a way to evoke luminosity 14:37 - Contact with the sacred 15:11 - Henry reflects on John’s early life 15:57 - Henry’s unusual parents 17:23 - Inner freedom and childhood trauma 18:01 - Imagist and Tang dynasty poets 20:08 - The Beat poet and a different way of living 20:54 - Intimacy and rediscovering landscape 22:26 - Seeing beauty in the ordinary and discarded 24:41 - It’s about quality of attention 26:01 - Attracted to the neglected 29:25 - The curse of being a public poet 30:09 - No allies and no encouragement 32:01 - John’s first poetry teacher 33:08 - The audience 34:40 - Poetry only works without purpose 35:32 - Recognising the false note 36:54 - Henry’s process of composition and revision 38:24 - Great poets of the past as audience 39:43 - A R Ammons an writing for an audience 40:20 - Henry’s dream for his poetry 41:52 - The chore of mindfulness 43:09 - Remembering your True Self 43:31 - The sacred pause 44:28 - Temporary enlightenment 45:31 - Poetry is richer than mindfulness 47:28 - Beauty beyond mere mindfulness 49:28- Focusing on what you love 49:59 - Using language to go beyond language 50:54 - Autopoiesis and memetic fulfilment 53:25 - Poet as conduit 55:32 - Radical awakening 57:00 - Banishing the beautiful 58:13 - Seamus Heaney on poetry as redress 59:24 - Collective awakening of consciousness 01:00:20 - Reciprocity and post-medieval alienation 01:01:20 - Hospicing modernity 01:02:30 - Why publish poems? 01:04:27 - John reads “Walk the Talk” 01:06:03 - Reflecting on success as poets 01:09:08 - John reads “Swifts” 01:12:48 - Henry reads “Yahrzeit” 01:18:22 - Henry reads “Finis Ter” 01:19:26 - Appreciation and gratitude 
… Previous episodes with Henry Shukman: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=shukman 
 Previous episode with John Brehm: - https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep230-the-dharma-of-poetry-john-brehm … Find out more about Henry Shukman: - https://henryshukman.com/ - http://thewayapp.com/ Find out more about John Brehm: - https://www.johnbrehmpoet.com/ … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James
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    1 hr and 21 mins
  • Ep273: Spirit Conjuration - Dr Ben Joffe

    Ep273: Spirit Conjuration - Dr Ben Joffe
    Sep 27 2024
    In this interview I am once again joined by Dr Ben Joffe, anthropologist and scholar practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. Dr Joffe leads a deep dive into the Western magickal tradition of spirit conjuration, traces their diverse forms through the centuries, and considers the range of beings described, from the land sprites of localised traditions to the high angels of the Enochian system of Renaissance polymath John Dee. Dr Joffe reflects on the origin and changing usage of terms such as “demon” and “devil”, laments the prevalence of dangerously lax invocation practices, considers the cultural impact of the grimoire tradition, compares the systems of demonology found in world religions, and notes striking similarities between Buddhist tantric mystic Padmasambhava and King Solomon. Dr Joffe also shares his own occult experiences including tales of spirit contact, servitor creation, dream visitations from the recently deceased, and ritual workings in several magickal systems. ... Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:12 - Western Esotericism 04:42 - Spirit conjuration and the grimoire tradition 05:49 - Analysing spirit conjuration tropes in horror movies 09:46 - Diverse magical practice 10:51 - Professor Ronald Hutton’s history of Western Esotericism 12:05 - History of spirit conjuration from Ancient Egypt to today 14:49 - Mesopotamian laws against witchcraft 16:08 - The status of magick in the Abrahamic traditions 16:58 - Clerical underground of wizards 18:20 - Literacy and the power of a magickal book 21:03 - Prioritising of the book and of language itself 23:08 - Gathering one’s magickal tools 25:00 - Preparation is key 26:20 - Do spirits find humans repulsive? 30:29 - Self-purification and strategies for self-deification 31:24 - Similarities between Padmasambhava and King Solomon 32:43 - Dzamling Chi Sang and subjugating spirits 33:41 - The Testament of Solomon and subduing spirits 35:34 - Magick and frat-boy fantasy 37:47 - John Dee and the quest for knowledge 39:40 - Christian ceremonial magick and Jesus as a sorcerer 41:55 - Pre-Christian Pagan European spirit traditions 43:09 - Magick vs religion 45:12 - Hamlet and old spirit frameworks 48:03 - Arguments for and against the grimoire tradition 53:56 - Cultural impact of the grimoire tradition 56:05 - Wisdom of the past 58:33 - Different types of spirits and supernatural beings 01:02:33 - Muslim views of Iblīs (the devil) and djinn. 01:04:22 - Evil spirits in Christianity and Tibetan Buddhism 01:06:01 - Different ideas of the Devil 01:07:17 - What is a demon? 01:07:50 - Lazy demonology 01:15:05 - The perspective of nondual Tibetan tantra 01:18:31 - Limitations of dualistic cosmology 01:20:56 - Angels and pre-modern Christian views 01:25:03 - Why demons are useful for practical magick 01:27:47 - Ben’s personal reflections on working with spirits 01:31:17 - Rites of passage and creating servitors 01:33:00 - Ben explains the Goetia 01:34:16 - Ben reflects on his magickal career 01:36:45 - Summoning spirits at 12 years old 01:43:11 - ADHD approach to magick 01:44:09 - Ben recalls powerful, unexpected spirit contacts 02:00:51 Group corroboration 02:02:17 -Dream visitations from the recently deceased 02:04:56 - Are these experiences real? 02:07:30 - The social aspects of magickal practice 02:10:48 - Ben’s relationship with an invented spirit 02:15:42 - Wyatt the servitor 02:21:02 - Models of magick and questions of purity 02:29:09 - The two wolves inside of Ben 02:31:25 - Universal principles or relative frames? 02:34:33 - Artisanal magick and honing attention 02:36:18 - Is magickal training reliable? 
… Previous episodes with Dr Ben Joffe: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=joffe To find out more about Dr Ben Joffe, visit: - https://perfumedskull.com/ … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James
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    2 hrs and 40 mins
  • Ep272: Mystical Path of Sufism - Professor William Rory Dickson

    Ep272: Mystical Path of Sufism - Professor William Rory Dickson
    Sep 20 2024
    In this episode I am joined by Dr. William Rory Dickson an associate professor of Islamic Religion and Culture at The University of Winnipeg and author of “Dissolving into Being: The Wisdom of Sufi Philosophy”. Professor Dickson recalls his Christian upbringing, teenage atheism, and how powerful psychedelic experiences saw him embark on a religious search. Professor Dickson recounts his initial explorations of Tibetan Buddhism, his conversion to Islam, and how his dissatisfaction with conservative and Salafi revivalist trends saw him embrace the Sufi path. Professor Dickson also explains the history of Sufism; considers the influence of Ancient Egyptian, Persian, and Neo-Platonic thought; reflects on the role of language proficiency in the study of religions; and addresses common misconceptions about Sufism and Islam. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep272-mystical-path-of-sufism-professor-william-rory-dickson Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 00:59 - Upcoming book 01:42 - Religious upbringing 03:39 - Becoming a precocious atheist 04:36 - Late teen mystical experiences 05:29 - Rebellious teen years and interest in Japan 06:29 - Working as a social worker in child protection 07:57 - Drawn to academia 08:29 - Returning to graduate school in late 20s 09:58 - Becoming a professor 11:02 - Psychedelics as spiritual doorways 13:10 - Lessons from trauma 14:24 - Spiritual reading and engaging with Tibetan Buddhism 17:42 - Passion for reading 18:42 - From Tibetan Buddhism to Islam 20:44 - Dissatisfaction with local mosque Islam 22:50 - Friends and family reactions to conversion to Islam 23:52 - Involvement with Salafi Muslim revivalist movements 24:53 - First flush of fundamentalism 26:26 - Burning out, renewed spiritual exploration, and seeking a teacher 28:37 - Meeting Ngak’chang Rinpoche of the Aro gTer 31:32 - Gradual or sudden conversion to Islam? 32:23 - The role of Arabic language study 35:05 - Is source language study necessary to really understand and practice religions? 37:08 - Three idiots on an island 38:04 - Language skills and scholarship 40:21 - Decay of language skills in academia 41:59 - Shift from textual study to lived religion 44:56 - Elite vs popular Sufism 47:44 - Common misconceptions about Sufism and Islam 49:53 - Rich mystical philosophy and the post-colonial dilemma 51:17 - Meeting Sufi teachers and the question of Islamic identity 53:26 - Origin story of Sufism 57:515 - Historical perspective of Sufism and connections to Ancient Egypt, Neo-Platonism, and Persia 58:35 - Enoch as a progenitor of the mystical tradition 59:51 - Inner circle perspective 01:00:52 - Evolution and methods of Sufism 01:03:43 - Diversity of Sufi forms through cultural adaptation 01:06:28 - Ibn ‘Arabi 01:07:58 - Methods and metaphors 01:09:11 - Overwhelmed by the visceral presence of love 
… To find our more about Professor William Rory Dickson, visit: - https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/experts-guide/william-rory-dickson.html … For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - https://www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James
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    1 hr and 11 mins

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