The Kind Heartfulness Podcast

Erric Solomon
  • 5.0 (2)
  • BUDDHISM
  • UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY

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 13

    Beyond the Brain: Amy Cohen Varela on Sense Making, Consciousness, Kindness, and the ESRI Legacy of Enaction.

    What happens when we stop seeing the mind as a computer and start seeing it as an emergent, relational system? In this episode, Erric sits down with Amy Cohen Varela, Chairperson of Mind & Life Europe, to discuss the past, present, and future of contemplative science. Recorded following their meeting at the European Summer Research Institute (ESRI) at Gomde, this episode moves beyond the "history" of the Mind & Life Institute to explore what these teachings mean for us today. Amy shares her unique perspective on: • The Origin Story: Witnessing the first meeting in Dharamsala between Francisco Varela and the Dalai Lama. • Enactivism Today: Why the "mind-as-computer" metaphor fails and how consciousness truly emerges. • The Science of Kindness: How "Ethical Know-How" turns abstract philosophy into a lived, compassionate presence in the world. Join us for an Amy-centric look at the intersection of deep science and the kind heart. Amy Cohen Varela is Chairperson of the Mind & Life Europe Board and involved with Mind and Life since its inception. She is also a clinical psychologist specialized in psychodynamic therapy and philosophy. Amy studied comparative literature at Brown and Columbia Universities before moving to Paris in the early '80s, where she received her degree in clinical psychology at the University of Paris 7, with a specialty in psychodynamic theory and practice, and in parallel, completed psychoanalytic training. Click https://mindandlife-europe.org/european-summer-research-institute-esri/ for information about the next ESRI at Gomde in Austria You can find more about Mind & Life Europe at: https://mindandlife-europe.org/

    58 min

  2. FEB 1

    A Home for Kindful Wisdom with Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche

    Welcome to another episode of the Kind Heartfulness podcast, where we explore the path of living with an open heart and a wise mind. Today we have the distinct honor of welcoming back a very special guest, Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. Rinpoche joins us to share a truly vast and inspiring vision. He has recently overseen the acquisition of the historic Kremsegg Castle in Austria—a magnificent 'antique' of European culture—with the intention of transforming it into a University and School dedicated to Kindful Wisdom. In this conversation, Rinpoche explains why he believes the 21st century requires a 'compound' of high-level modern education and ancient spiritual depth. We dive into his new terminology, 'Kindful Wisdom'—the union of the supreme method of a kind heart and the highest intelligence of wisdom. We'll also discuss: • Why intelligence without a kind heart can be dangerous for our world. • How this school aims to be a global home for scientists, technologists, business leaders, and people of all faiths. • And even a beautiful reflection on how respecting 'antiques' and culture can help us reduce the 'trash' and pollution on our planet. This is more than just a talk about a new building; it's a roadmap for how we can all work together to achieve harmony and oneness. Please join Erric for this heartfelt conversation with Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche. During the podcast, Rinpoche invites us to contribute to the success of this incredibly important new venture. Offers of help or non-monetary donations (such as antique furniture) can be sent to  kindfulwisdom@gmail.com . Monetary contributions can be made at https://www.betterplace.org/en/projects/170511-schloss-kremsegg-a-home-for-kindful-wisdom For more information about Rinpoche and his projects more generally you are invited to follow this link: https://shedrub.org/

    46 min

  3. 05/27/2025

    Buddha and Bach with Cellist Barbara Bogatin

    Today on the Kind Heartfulness Podcast, we're honored to welcome Barbara Bogatin — a world-class cellist and long-time practitioner of Buddhist meditation. A member of the San Francisco Symphony since 1994, Barbara's musical career has taken her from the stages of the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera to intimate chamber ensembles across the world. But Barbara's path is more than music. She's also a dedicated student of Buddhism, with over three decades of Vipassana practice and deep study of the Dharma. Her lifelong meditation practice deeply informs not just how she plays, but how she lives — and teaches. Together with her husband, neuroscientist Clifford Saron, she leads workshops like "The Buddha, the Brain, and Bach," weaving together insights from Buddhist contemplative traditions, neuroscience, and the art of performance. In today's episode, Barbara reflects on how mindfulness and Dharma practice have shaped her as a musician, a teacher, and a human being — and how we can all bring more presence and compassion into our own lives. You can find out more about Barbara at here website: https://www.barbarabogatin.com/home Scroll down the page to find out about her upcoming workshops such as The Buddha, the Brain and Bach or Mindfulness for Musicians.

    51 min

  4. 04/23/2025

    Dynamic Dharma: How Modern Meditators Are Shaping Buddhism with Dr. Ana Christina Lopes

    In Tibetan Buddhism, lineage is everything — a sacred thread connecting teacher to student across generations. But what happens when modern meditators enter the mix? Anthropologist and Buddhist practitioner Dr. Ana Christina Lopes joins us to explore how tradition evolves when it meets real lives and real practice. Is lineage just about preserving the past, or can it also be a living, creative force? Tune in as we unpack how today's practitioners are not only inheriting the Dharma, but actively reshaping it. Dr. Ana Cristina focuses on the translation and study of sūtras, particularly the Buddhāvataṃsakasūtra.  Ana Cristina received her PhD in Anthropology from the University of Sao Paulo and her MA in Buddhist Studies from Columbia University. She studied Classical Tibetan as part of her PhD research, in postdocs at Columbia and Harvard universities, and at the Rangjung Yeshe Institute. Ana Cristina was faculty at University of Virginia and UNC-Greensboro. She also taught at RYI-Austria and Stanford University, where she is Visiting Fellow at the Center for South Asia. She is the author of Tibetan Buddhism in Diaspora: Cultural re-signification in practice and institutions (Routledge, 2015)

    43 min

  5. 03/24/2025

    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

  6. 02/22/2025

    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

  7. 01/13/2025

    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

  8. 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
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Ratings & Reviews

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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.

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