In this edition, we welcome renowned Buddhist scholar and teacher, Thupten Jinpa, Ph.D., as he answers audience questions following a recent talk at the Sacred Stream. An excerpt from this compelling conversation can be heard in Episode 125: Thupten Jinpa: Part 1: Making Friends with our Minds.

In this thoughtful Q&A session, Jinpa shares deep insights on parenting, cultivating compassion amidst adversity, navigating difficult emotions, and facing death with clarity and courage. Drawing on decades of experience, he also recounts a powerful and personal story of his childhood escape from Tibet and the hardships he faced growing up in exile in India.

Since 1985, Jinpa has served as the principal English translator for His Holiness the Dalai Lama, translating and editing more than ten of the Dalai Lama’s books, along with several acclaimed works of his own. He is the Board Chair of the Mind & Life Institute, founder and president of the Compassion Institute, and a visiting research scholar at the Stanford Institute for Neuro-Innovation and Translational Neurosciences.

On this episode, we are sharing an excerpt from a recent talk at the Sacred Stream by esteemed author, former Tibetan Buddhist monk, and renowned Buddhist teacher, Thupten Jinpa, Ph.D. Jinpa has been the principal English translator for the Dalai Lama since 1985 and has translated and edited more than ten of his books, along with writing several of his own. He serves as the Board Chair of the Mind & Life Institute, is the founder and president of the Compassion Institute, and is a visiting research scholar at the Stanford Institute for Neuro-Innovation and Translational Neurosciences. In this insightful talk, Jinpa explores the importance of befriending our minds—an essential practice for navigating challenges and fostering a more joyful, fulfilling life. He has written and lectured extensively on Lojong, the Tibetan practice of Mind Training, and offers wisdom that is both practical and deeply transformative.

On this episode of the Sacred Stream Radio podcast, Laura speaks with couples therapist and author of Fire It Up: Four Secrets to Reigniting Intimacy and Joy in Your Relationship, Carolyn Sharp. Carolyn leads relationships retreats throughout the country and has over twenty-five years of experience helping people build vital, vibrant, and secure functioning relationships. Early in her career she was a social worker in the foster care system and later became the Clinical Director of the YMCA’s Mental Health programs before going into private practice. Today, Carolyn combines her passion for helping people with her widespread experience to assist people in creating the healthiest and happiest relationships possible.

On this episode of the Sacred Stream Radio podcast, Laura speaks with Dr. Simon Ruffell. Simon is a psychiatrist and the founder and CEO of Onaya Science, an organization that conducts research into the effects of psychedelic plant medicine ceremonies on body, mind, and spirit. Onaya also offers a Psychedelic Mentorship Training program. Simon follows a collaborative approach to research that combines tradition with science, emphasizing the importance of listening to indigenous healers and including them in every step of the research process. Currently, Onaya is engaged in an ongoing five-year study of plant medicines for military veterans suffering from trauma. Onaya continues to develop research-backed programs and resources that combine traditional and modern models of care, with a commitment to holistic healing and interethnic collaboration for the benefit of individuals, communities, and the more-than-human world.

You can learn more about Simon and Onaya at onaya.io.

On this episode, Laura reflects on some of the highlights from interviews over the past year. Featured guests include Maria Guidice, best-selling author and founder/former CEO of Hot Studio; Fritz Clay, founder of Fostering Connections; Lauren Markham, journalist and best-selling author of A Map of Future Ruins; and Henry Shukman, Zen master and author of Original Love. Thank you for listening, liking, reviewing, and subscribing!

For more information about these guests, you can visit their websites: hotstudio.com, hairplay.com, laurenmarkham.info, and henryshukman.com.

On this episode of the Sacred Stream Radio podcast, Laura is joined by poet, author, and Zen master, Henry Shukman. Henry is the author of two recent books, Original Love: The Four Inns on the Path of Awakening, and the memoir, One Blade of Grass. He is also co-founder of the single-path meditation app The Way, founder of the Original Love meditation program, and spiritual director emeritus at Mountain Cloud Zen Center. Original Love is a new approach to the ancient path of meditation. It is a broad meditation training based primarily on traditional teachings of Zen and Early Buddhism. Through finding the intrinsic lovingness, energy, peace and joy that are already within us, even if they sometimes feel hidden, we can grow as more clear-sighted and open-hearted beings. On this episode, Henry and Laura talk about the practical benefits of meditation, his idea behind original love, and his fascinating path towards awakening.

Learn more about Henry at henryshukman.com. And get The Way app at thewayapp.com.

This episode is taken from a recent live stream event with Isa and Laura. Isa is an author and the Founding Director of the Sacred Stream. Today they are talking about finding your spiritual path. We are all spiritual beings, but in our everyday lives, it’s easy to forget that we have a spirit that needs to be recognized, listened to, and nourished. Laura and Isa discuss the importance of prioritizing our spirits and finding a spiritual path that supports us. Whether it’s a religious practice, spending time in nature, quiet contemplation, music, or the simple practice of being kind, we each have our own path to tending to our spirit. In this discussion, they explore how to know what path to take, recognizing what is true for us, and how to care for our spirits in a time fraught with division, distraction, and disinformation.

Isa and Laura are the co-founders of the Foundation of the Sacred Stream. They have co-written several books including Coming to Peace and the soon to be released, Depth Hypnosis: A Path to Healing, Power, and Transformation.

Lauren Markham, journalist and author of A Map of Future Ruins: On Borders and Belonging, is the guest on this episode. Lauren’s latest book draws on her career reporting on migration and the issues asylum seekers face in the US and abroad. It centers around the story of the fire that burned down the largest refugee camp in Europe on the island of Lesvos, Greece, and the six young Afghan refugees accused of arson in spite of scant evidence. It takes us deep into causes of migration and offers thoughtful ideas for more humane approaches to dealing with the issues. Lauren’s book turns the journalist lens on herself as she questions the effectiveness of her vocation in making change, and explores her own Greek identity and the journey of her grandmother who immigrated to the US as a young woman. Lauren and Laura’s conversation is at once informative, insightful, and compassionate, with a little bit of the mystical thrown in.