The Kind Heartfulness Podcast

Gomde
  • 5.0 (1)
  • BUDDHISM
  • UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY
The Kind Heartfulness Podcast

The Kind Heartfulness podcast arose from the wisdom of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche in concert with the activities Rangjung Yeshe Gomde Austria-Germany. Each year many brilliant Buddhist teachers, scholars and sublime meditators grace the programs and seminars of our meditation center nestled atop the beautiful hillside above Scharnstein Austria. Therefore, this podcast is a way to share some of their insight and wisdom with you. In each episode we will explore the inner reaches of the heart, the mind, and the very nature of reality. We are in the process of establishing a fully accredited university, so in that spirit, we will have as our guests some of the greatest living Buddhist philosophers currently teaching in major universities. This will be presented in an accessible manner that is interesting, entertaining and enlightening for everyone who is curious. Please join us on our journey as we explore, with an open heart and an inquisitive mind, the very essence of what it means to be human. Your host: Erric Solomon. Each episode is hosted by Erric Solomon, a noted author, Buddhist teacher and meditator. Erric is the co-author with Phakchok Rinpoche of Radically Happy: A user’s guide to the mind.

  1. MAR 24

    Buddhist Temptation: What Buddhism is offering to the world

    Once again, we have the great honor to have Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche as our guest. In this episode, Rinpoche talks about why Buddhism is so appealing in today’s world, the confluence of Buddhist philosophy and modern science, and what we can do to ensure Buddhism is able to continue to thrive. Rinpoche, recently inaugurated a spectacular new temple in Lubini, the birthplace of Buddha. It was selected the 9th most important place to visit in 2025 by the New York Times. Rinpoche explains why he felt it was so important to build this temple, a lifelong aspiration of his. Some of his answers might surprise you.

    35 min

  2. FEB 22

    Neural Nirvana: The Neuroscience of Meditation and Spirituality

    Our guest this month is the neuroscientist Dr. Clifford Saron, one of the world’s leading scholars of the tangible effects of mediation. We have a free and wide-ranging conversation about meditation, science, objectivity and spirituality from a pioneer in the field of neuroscience and contemplative science. Clifford Saron, PhD, is a Research Scientist at the Center for Mind and Brain Institute at the University of California–Davis.  Cliff has had a long-standing interest in the effects of contemplative practice on physiology and behavior. In the early 1990s, he conducted field research investigating Tibetan Buddhist mind training under the auspices of the office of H.H. the Dalai Lama. Cliff directs the Shamatha Project, a multidisciplinary longitudinal investigation of the effects of intensive meditation on physiological and psychological processes central to well-being. His research team is investigating how meditation experience may mitigate the effects of the pandemic on chronic stress and cellular aging, as well as examining consequences of compassion vs. mindfulness training on engagement with suffering. Cliff also studies sensory processing and integration in children with autism spectrum disorders to better understand how these children experience their everyday sensory environments.  You can find out more about his work at https://mindbrain.ucdavis.edu/people/clifford-saron and his lab at http://saronlab.ucdavis.edu/

    1h 4m

  3. JAN 13

    Tukdam: The Practice of Awakening at the Moment of Death

    In this episode, Dr. Tawni Tidwell shares the latest research into the meditative state of Tukdam. Tukdam is the practice of realizing mind's innermost essence at the moment of death. Pratcitioner's who die in the Tukdam state exhibit minimal signs of bodily decomposition, sometimes for weeks. Tawni Tidwell is a biocultural anthropologist (PhD 2017, Emory University) and Tibetan medical doctor (Kachupa degree 2015, Qinghai University Tibetan Medical College). She is currently a Research Assistant Professor at the Center for Healthy Minds of University of Wisconsin-Madison. Tawni’s research facilitates bridges across the Western scientific tradition and Tibetan medical tradition along with their attendant epistemologies and ontologies. Previously, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the Austrian Academy of Sciences and University of Vienna, where her work focused on pharmacological innovations in Tibetan medicine and training practices for medicine compounding. Her doctoral work detailed the entrainment process for learning Tibetan medical diagnostics of Tibetan medical conceptions of cancer and related metabolic disorders. She is currently the Science Lead for Field Study of the Physiology of Meditation Practitioners and the Tukdam Meditative State (FMed/Tukdam Study) and serves as Principal Investigator for both the North American COVID-19 Tibetan Medical Observational Study (NACTMOS) and the Examining Individual Differences in Contemplative Practice Response Project (ExamID-Biome). Her published works focus on diagnostic/treatment paradigms, pharmacological synergies, and cultural practices for wellbeing and resilience. She maintains a private clinical practice in Madison, Wisconsin and Vienna, Austria. You can learn more about her work at: www.centerhealthyminds.org/about/people/tawni-tidwell. You can learn more about the Tukdam Study at: centerhealthyminds.org/science/studies/the-field-study-of-long-term-meditation-practitioners.

    52 min

  4. 12/08/2024

    How to keep peace during holiday season

    In this episode, host Erric Solomon is joined by Gomde team member and mental health professional Birgit Meiche to explore how to approach the holiday season with greater ease and mindfulness. Together, they delve into practical strategies for managing family dynamics, dealing with stress, and responding skillfully to challenging conversations—like when a relative’s controversial opinions threaten to spark tension. Drawing on Buddhist-inspired wisdom and Birgit’s mental health expertise, they discuss how to stay grounded, cultivate compassion, and transform potentially difficult moments into opportunities for deeper connection. Tune in for insights on making your holiday gatherings more harmonious, meaningful, and enjoyable for everyone.

    46 min

  5. 11/04/2024

    AI mind: The Artificial Intelligence search for machine consciousness

    AI is everywhere: it’s the hottest technology, this year’s fastest way to make money in the stock market, a new way to write, do research, make eye popping designs. But are we close to having machines that are conscious? In one sense, the search for the basis of consciousness is also vital part of Buddhist practice and realization.  In this episode, join Buddhist scholar, Professor John Dunne, and our host, yogi/technologist Erric Solomon, as they explore the promise and implications of AI. John D. Dunne (PhD 1999, Harvard University)  holds the Distinguished Chair in Contemplative Humanities, an endowed position created through the Center for Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.  He is also distinguished professor in the Department of Asian Languages & Cultures, where he currently serves as department Chair. You can learn more about his work at https://www.johnddunne.net/.

    1 hr

  6. 10/05/2024

    Thriving in the Light of Death — Caring for others and preparing yourself

    We try not to think about death, often until it's we have no choice. A loved one begins to pass, or we receive a difficult diagnosis from the doctor. In the Buddhist teachings, death is the ultimate opportunity for profound spiritual transformation. Join Author and teacher Kirsten Deleo as we explore how to best take care of ourselves and our loved ones during this important time of transition, whether Buddhist practitioners or not. Kirsten DeLeo is a long time Tibetan Buddhist practitioner, meditation teacher and author of "Present Through The End. A Caring Companion's Guide for Accompanying the Dying." Kirsten pioneered one of the first training programs in contemplative end-of-life care called 'Authentic Presence'. She currently supports the development of Buddhist chaplaincy in Europe. Kirsten lives near Dzogchen Beara, a Buddhist Meditation Centre in the West of Ireland where she teaches and also supports people faced with a terminal illness or loss. To find out more about Kirsten, visit: kirstendeleo.com Links to Kirsten’s book in German and Dutch German https://edition-steinrich.de/buch/ganz-da-sein-wenn-ein-leben-endet/ Dutch https://gottmer.nl/product/ik-ben-bij-je/

    43 min

  7. 09/02/2024

    The Most Important Thing to Know - Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche

    Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche unfolds the key to living, especially valuable in today’s modern, chaotic, fast paced world. Erric begins by asking Rinpoche, “What is the most important thing to know?” Rinpoche leads us through a pithy, vital explanation that anyone, struggling to thrive in modern life, will want to hear.  About Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche is a world-renowned teacher and meditation master in the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. He was born in Tibet in 1951 as the oldest son of his mother Kunsang Dechen, a devoted Buddhist practitioner, and his father Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, an accomplished master of Buddhist meditation. As a young child, Chökyi Nyima—“Sun of the Dharma”—was recognized as the 7th incarnation of the Tibetan meditation master Gar Drubchen. In 1959 Rinpoche’s family fled to India where Rinpoche spent his youth studying under some of Tibetan Buddhism’s most illustrious masters, such as His Holiness the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa, Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche, Khunu Lama Tenzin Gyaltsen, and his father, Kyabje Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. In 1974, Rinpoche left India to join his parents in Kathmandu, Nepal, where he assisted them in establishing Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery. Upon its completion in 1976, H.H. the Karmapa enthroned Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche as the monastery’s abbot. To this day, Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling remains the heart of Rinpoche’s ever-growing mandala of activity.

    23 min

  8. 08/04/2024

    Compassion can Help with Everything - Dr Erika Rosenberg

    In Buddhist practice is based on compassion, and so there are a body of practices devoted to it. But what is compassion really? How do we know we have it? Compassion isn’t a thing that you gather but a way of being in the world. In this episode, Dr. Erika Rosenberg discusses with Erric what the basis of compassion is, how it helps with every aspect of our lives, and gives practical, experientially focused exercises to help us have more compassion. Compassion is a revolution, both in how we view the world and its potentially radical effect on our world.   Erika Rosenberg, Ph.D. is a scientist, author, and educator who seeks to help people understand themselves and one another better, connect with one another, find peace and joy in life, and suffer less. Erika is a co-creator of the Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) program at Stanford University, Founding Faculty at The Compassion Institute, and faculty at The Nyingma Institute, Berkeley. Erika has taught at places as diverse as Google, Inc., Lerab Ling Monastery, LucasFilm, Upaya Zen Center, Esalen Institute, and Burning Man. She volunteers in psychedelic harm reduction and psychedelic integration through such programs as the Zendo Project and the Psychedelic Sangha, NYC.  Dr. Rosenberg’s work focuses on the study of emotion, emotion expression and contemplative science. At the Center for Mind and Brain at UC Davis, Erika Rosenberg is a member of the Saron Lab, which conducts multi-disciplinary, pathbreaking research in contemplative science. Erika is an expert in human facial expressions and the Facial Action Coding System, with clients in academia, industry, and the arts, worldwide. Her books include What the Face Reveals (with Paul Ekman, now in its 3rd edition) and the widely used Introductory Psychology text, Psychology: Perspectives & Connections, now in its 6th edition). Dr. Rosenberg’s published scientific work on facial expression span basic affective science on research on emotional processes, social psychological research on facial expression recognition, studies of the effects of meditation on emotional behavior, and health psychological risk factors for heart disease. You can find out more about her at www.erikarosenberg.com

    1h 2m
See All (19)

About

The Kind Heartfulness podcast arose from the wisdom of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche in concert with the activities Rangjung Yeshe Gomde Austria-Germany. Each year many brilliant Buddhist teachers, scholars and sublime meditators grace the programs and seminars of our meditation center nestled atop the beautiful hillside above Scharnstein Austria. Therefore, this podcast is a way to share some of their insight and wisdom with you. In each episode we will explore the inner reaches of the heart, the mind, and the very nature of reality. We are in the process of establishing a fully accredited university, so in that spirit, we will have as our guests some of the greatest living Buddhist philosophers currently teaching in major universities. This will be presented in an accessible manner that is interesting, entertaining and enlightening for everyone who is curious. Please join us on our journey as we explore, with an open heart and an inquisitive mind, the very essence of what it means to be human. Your host: Erric Solomon. Each episode is hosted by Erric Solomon, a noted author, Buddhist teacher and meditator. Erric is the co-author with Phakchok Rinpoche of Radically Happy: A user’s guide to the mind.

Information

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada