Susan Piver is a Buddhist teacher, New York Times bestselling author and founder of the Open Heart Project, a community of support for living an awakened life.

Michael sits down with his long-time friend, Susan Piver to talk about community, creativity, pain, loneliness, and other things we're afraid of. They also discuss how applying mindfulness impacts how we run a business, how we teach, and how we learn. 

 

This episode was originally produced by Applied Mindfulness Training as part of their Mindful Voices series. Learn more at https://www.appliedmindfulnesstraining.org

 

A Mindful Gathering - August 2025 Ever wonder what you're actually saying when you chant "Om" or mumble through "Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha"? Join us for a fascinating conversation with Dr. Varun Khanna, who studied traditional Sanskrit grammar in India and earned his PhD from Cambridge. We explore how ancient practitioners understood Sanskrit as vibrations that directly create experience, break down the real meanings behind familiar mantras, and discuss Dr. Khanna's mission to democratize Sanskrit learning through his "Sanskrit for Mere Mortals" platform - making these ancient wisdom traditions accessible to everyone regardless of background.

Learn more at https://www.sanskritformeremortals.com/

Bill, Sagar, Varun

 

 

Welcome to another episode of The Wisdom Seat podcast. On today's episode, we are diving into the origins of The Wisdom Seat. I talk with Michael Carroll and Matt DiRodio, the two founders, about what brought them together, and what their original vision was. Then we'll hear about the encouragement and almost command from senior lineage holders to them that they must preserve the teachings of Trungpa Rinpoche. So, they began to invite and host teachers...and how an unintended community has begun growing.

 

Some notes mentioned in this episode:

Here are some links that could be included in the show notes for additional context on people, books, organizations and places mentioned:

Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche:

https://www.chronicleproject.com/

Ringo Tulku:


https://bodhicharya.org/ringu-tulku/

The Wisdom Seat:


https://www.wisdomseat.org/

Profound Treasury Retreat Program:
https://profoundtreasury.org/

Pendle Hill

https://pendlehill.org

Isgro Pastries

https://www.isgropastries.com/

Swarthmore College:


https://www.swarthmore.edu/

Corina Benner

https://www.corinabenner.com

David Nichtern

https://davidnichtern.com

Some books by Chögyam Trungpa:


• Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism
• The Myth of Freedom

• Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior

Podcast episode 13. Orchestrating Insight: A Discussion on Sharing Buddhist Teachings

Bill Moriarty and Michael Carroll discuss how to approach becoming a teacher, and what that even means.

Notes from this show:

The Vagrant and the poet

W. Blythe Miller, Phd.

https://sangha.live/teachers/lama-willa-miller-bio/

While Willa, in this article, does not speak to the "5 point Mahamudra practice" formulated by Gampopa, here is a section from the text depicting Gampopa's conversation with Phagmo Drupa that set the foundation for the practice:

https://drukpa.org/our-forefathers/phagmo-drupa/

Gampopa said to Phagmo Drupa: …You go to mountainous areas and so on, congenial places where disenchantment can be produced and experience can develop. There you arouse the mind thinking, "For the purposes of sentient beings, I will attain Buddhahood". You meditate on your body as the deity. You meditate on the guru over your crown. Then, not letting your mind be spoiled with thoughts, not altering this mind—because it is nothing whatsoever—in any way at all, set yourself in clarity which is pure, vividly present, clean-clear, wide-awake!

Later, Phagmo Drupa formalized this instruction into the 5 point Mahamudra – from another text:Phagmo Drupa said: First, meditate on enlightenment mind; Meditate on the yidam deity; Meditate on the holy guru; Meditate on Mahāmudrā; Afterwards, seal it with dedication

Jigme Phuntsok quote:

I came all the way from the Snow Land of Tibet to the US. I find myself now in a place that can be called the second land of Shambhala. In fact, the actual kingdom of Shambhala is one of the five great sacred places according to the Buddhist doctrines. These five sacred places are: 1) Bodh Gaya, the sacred place located at the center of this world where all buddhas of the three times will attain full awakening; 2) Mount Wutai, the Five-Peaked Mountain in China, the sacred place of the east where Lord Manjushri now dwells; 3) Mount Potala, the sacred place of the south where noble Avalokiteshvara actually resides; 4) Copper-Colored Mountain or Oddiyana, the sacred place of the west, the Land of Dakinis, where Guru Padmasambhava abides; and 5) Shambhala, the sacred place of the north.

https://khenposodargye.org/content/uploads/2023/12/A-Journey-to-the-West-1-English-20231223.pdf

This is a special one. Anam Thubten recently came and led a retreat at The Wisdom Seat in Pennsylvania in September, 2023. He generously agreed to a 1:1 podcast interview with me after the retreat.

There was a sense of celebration throughout the weekend, and afterward Anam Thubten suggested we discuss joy in Buddhism.

Anam Thubten mentions the practice of Chod during our talk and so we want to provide you with some links.

Anam Thubten's organization: https://dharmata.org/

Anam Thubten's recent book that discussed Chod: https://www.shambhala.com/into-the-haunted-ground-9817.html

I hope you enjoy this discussion.

- Bill Moriarty from The Wisdom Seat

Board member of The Wisdom Seat, and longtime practitioner Richard Driscoll tells his very personal story of becoming a Buddhist under the guidance of Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche.

Learn more about Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche's life here: https://rinpoche.com/

Visit us at: https://www.thewisdomseat.org/

Tsunma Tenzin Dasel, born Lisa V. Blake, became a Tibetan Buddhist nun at mid-life after a career in education and social justice. Her interest in a spiritual life began early in her life through a love of the outdoors and questioning the suffering she witnessed around her. This led to a search for deeper meaning and purpose and formal study of meditation in the Buddhist tradition, culminating in enrolling in theological seminary and becoming ordained by His Holiness Dalai Lama as a Tibetan Buddhist nun in 2017.   
 
She is spiritual director of Tashi Gatsel Ling in Maine and former attendant to Jetsunma Palmo Rinpoche, (author of four books, including Heroic Heart: A Commentary on the 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva). She is co-director of the Alliance of Non-Himalayan Nuns (ANHN). She travels widely leading meditation workshops and retreats in the US and internationally, where she is appreciated for her warmth, humbleness, and sense of humor.

She gave this talk at our shrine room, Pawo Khandro Ling, in Pennsylvania in April, 2023.

Phakchok Rinpoche

Pendle Hill, Wallingford, PA

 

We were pleased to host our first event for Phakchok Rinpoche in 2015.

Rinpoche gave a talk titled "Transforming Confusion into Wisdom: The Path of Buddhist Meditation in Everyday Life."

 

https://www.thewisdomseat.org/post/phakchok-rinpoche

https://phakchokrinpoche.org/

 

 

Bill Moriarty talks with Michael Carroll, Matt DiRodio, and Jacqui Merrell to ask: why would someone go on a meditation retreat? How do you choose one? Are they all different?

I hope this is of benefit for you.

Michael will be leading a 2 week retreat in July, 2023. 

Check us out at The Wisdom Seat 

Bill Moriarty interviews Michael Carroll to discuss how he takes care of his home which is filled with art, objects, thangkas, family life, events... it's a lot. 

For anyone lucky enough to visit Michael's home, you know it is very beautifully laid out and accommodating. He and his wife regularly host visiting Buddhist teachers, and community events, and they do so with tremendous effort.

 

Flower Arranging
https://www.lionsroar.com/unconditional-beauty-january-2013/

Richard F. Lack
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_F._Lack

The Brandywine School
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandywine_School 

Woodrow Blagg
https://www.mutualart.com/Artist/Woodrow-Blagg/FF3FC3A3F898AF24 

Steve McCurry
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_McCurry 

The Wisdom Seat
https://www.thewisdomseat.org

We were honored to host Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche in May of 2018 for a talk at Swarthmore College and a reception.

Rinpoche presented teachings from his new book: Training in Tenderness: Buddhist Teachings on Tsewa, the Radical Openness of Heart That Can Change the World.

Visit this post for more information and photos from this visit.

This podcast is entirely supported by donations from our community 

 

We were pleased to host Phakchok Rinpoche and Erric Solomon for several days in November, 2018. Visit this post for more information and photos from this visit.

Your donation helps directly support The Wisdom Seat Podcast

We presented a talk and book signing at the Philadelphia Ethical Society for their book, Radically Happy https://radicallyhappy.org/. 

East meets West in this fresh, modern take on a timeless challenge: how to find contentment and meaning in life.

In Radically Happy, a meditating Silicon Valley entrepreneur teams up with a young, insightful, and traditionally educated Tibetan Rinpoche. Together they present a path to radical happiness—a sense of well-being that you can access anytime but especially when things are not so great. Using mindfulness techniques and accessible meditations, personal stories and scientific studies, you'll get to know your own mind and experience how a slight shift  in your perspective can create a radical shift in your life.

The Radically Happy program has been carefully developed over several years by Phakchok Rinpoche and Erric Solomon. They wrote a book which draws on their own personal experience both as happiness practitioners and teachers, Radically Happy will benefit anyone who is struggling to keep a balance in life between work and family, coping with the fast pace of daily life, managing a career and at the same time aspiring to flourish and grow: intellectually, emotionally and spiritually.

The activities of Phakchok Rinpoche: https://www.phakchokrinpoche.org

In this episode of The Wisdom Seat podcast, we have a conversation exploring the dynamic tension between ancient Vajrayana Buddhist teachings and modern life. What does it mean to genuinely practice Vajrayana in the context of our digital, fast-paced, and often fragmented 21st-century world? How can we show up? How can we help?   The Progress Paradox book by Gregg Easterbrook    

Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel
Women, Wisdom and The Buddhist Path: The awakening of feminine energy in modern times

Feminine wisdom or prajnaparamita in Sanskrit is considered the very foundation of all the teachings and practice lineages of the Buddha. You might say that such feminine wisdom is the very heart of awakening, offering us insight into our mind, reality and our relationship to the world around us. But how can the prajnaparamita teachings help us engage the challenges of the modern world – especially during these times of rapid social change, technological innovation and cultural upheaval? During this teaching, Elizabeth Namgyel will present how the Buddhist path offers the opportunity to examine our lives gently and wisely and release the liberating insight of prajnaparamita.

This recording was made online on June 4 2020.

More information: https://www.thewisdomseat.org/post/elizabeth-mattis-namgyel

Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel's website

Your donation helps directly support The Wisdom Seat Podcast

The Tibetan Buddhist Vajrayana path emphasizes devotion where the relationship between the student & the teacher grows throughout the entirety of the path cultivating compassion, wisdom and ultimately enlightenment. Yet, such devotion is well beyond blind faith or celebrity worship where the student and teacher share a deep appreciation of lineage and reality itself. 

During this session, Ringu Tulku discusses how to cultivate a discerning attitude to avoid the potential pitfalls of devotion and how mindfulness-awareness meditation plays a central in expressing our intelligent heart.

This talk took place on October 5, 2019 at the Whittier Room at Swarthmore Quaker Meeting.

Visit this post for more information and photos of this visit.

https://bodhicharya.org/ringu-tulku/

Michael Carroll & Bill Moriarty discuss regret, and Matt DiRodio adds some music.

Your donation helps directly support The Wisdom Seat Podcast

Visit us at thewisdomseat.org

Our first episode! Bill talks to Michael Carroll about why it is so difficult to describe the awakened state. Matt adds some improvised music.

Visit us at thewisdomseat.org

Your donation helps directly support The Wisdom Seat Podcast

Anam Thubten spoke in 2023 at the Philadelphia Shambhala Center. 

He emphasized the path of the Bodhisattva.

Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche
Resting in the True Nature of Mind: Essential Meditation Instructions
Commentary on a text by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

In 2019, we were deeply honored to host Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche for a special teaching event in the Swarthmore Friends Meeting house. This rare visit from one of Tibetan Buddhism's most respected teachers included a public talk, reception, and a tour of historic Philadelphia.

Essential Meditation Instructions
Rinpoche presented a profound teaching titled "Resting in the True Nature of Mind: Essential Meditation Instructions" - a commentary on a text by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

During this invaluable session, Rinpoche shared instructions on:
Accessing and becoming familiar with our mind's true nature
Essential steps and pith instructions for experiencing the mind's essence
Establishing the correct meditative view
Working skillfully with arising thoughts
Developing confidence in our mind's inherent wisdom qualities

These teachings, based on a poem-text by the late Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (one of the foremost 20th-century Tibetan Buddhist masters), offer invaluable guidance for both new and experienced meditators.

Introdution by Alison Driscoll

 

What is a Drala Landing Pad?     In this episode of the Wisdom Seat podcast, Bill Moriarty, Michael Carroll, and the community delve into the concept of dralas. They discuss the idea of 'Drala landing pads,' the intersections of personal experience and the phenomenal world, and how these interactions can invoke a form of non-dual awareness. The conversation explores various aspects of Drala practice, such as mindfulness, respect for the world, non-deception, and the sacredness embedded in the mundane. The discussion also touches on the role of ritual and natural settings in invoking Drala, and compares the concept to other traditions, including Christian 'grace' and Japanese tea practices. The episode emphasizes the importance of treating the world with reverence to provoke wisdom, prosperity, and an awakened state.  

This is audio from a video discussion - see this video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/eFpLpjmPNxc

Bill Moriarty talks with Lama Lodro Lhamo at the Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (KTD) monastery in Woodstock, New York. We discuss the importance of this place as the seat of the Karmapa in North America, and Lama Lodro's path to serving as first woman president of KTD. 
KTD: https://kagyu.org/

Visit us at The Wisdom Seat: https://www.thewisdomseat.org/

 

 

 

In this episode of the Wisdom Seat Podcast, Bill Moriarty talks with esteemed literary agent Stephanie Tade, founder of The Tade Agency, shares her remarkable journey in the publishing industry. Stephanie, known for representing notable and varied figures like the Dalai Lama, Mindy Pelz, and Joan Halifax provides a comprehensive look into the roles and challenges of literary agents. She discusses the evolving landscapes of book publishing, book deals, and the complexities of rights and the self-publishing route. Stephanie also delves into the impact of audiobooks and digital platforms, offering her personal reading preferences and anecdotes, such as almost hosting the Dalai Lama for dinner.

She recommends the following books:

• Fast Like a Girl: A Woman's Guide to Using the Healing Power of Fasting to Burn Fat, Boost Energy, and Balance Hormones by Dr. Mindy Pelz
• Good Energy by Casey Means
• Creation and Completion by Jamgon Kongtrul
• Fiber Fueled: The Plant-Based Gut Health Program for Losing Weight, Restoring Your Health, and Optimizing Your Microbiome by Will Bulsiewicz MD

For more insights, visit thewisdomseat.org

 

In this Wisdom Seat podcast episode, the focus is on co-founder Matt DiRodio as he prepares to embark on a 3 Year Retreat in the Tibetan Buddhist Kagyu lineage starting in August 2024. The episode features a detailed discussion from a recent Wisdom Seat community gathering, where Matt explains the history, structure, and personal motivations behind his retreat. Listeners gain insights into the retreat's practices and preparations. Matt's commitment to awakening and the support of his family and community are emphasized, providing a deep dive into the spiritual and practical aspects of this intensive retreat experience.

Support Matt directly in this retreat here: https://donorbox.org/matt-dirodio-3-year-retreat

On April 9, 2024, Anam Thubten visited Philadelphia, PA to give a talk.

This event was put together by local students of Anam Thubten including Sunisa Manning, Ada Kase, and Geoff Matis. Anam Thubten was hosted by Germantown Friends Meeting to speak about nonviolence.

https://dharmata.org

The Wisdom Seat helped by providing audio equipment and running sound for the event. We were able to to provide, with Anam Thubten's permission, this recording of the talk.

Michael talks with Jacqueline Gallo, Chief Operating Officer of Whitcraft Group, about how applying mindfulness at work helps weather change, make tough leadership decisions, and even see around corners. They also discuss Whitcraft's highly successful prison work release program.

This episode was originally produced by Applied Mindfulness Training as part of their Mindful Voices series. Learn more at https://www.appliedmindfulnesstraining.org

 

Ron is CEO at Continental Sales lots-4-less, a discount store on the South Side of Chicago. Started by Ron's father in 1965, the store has gained a loyal customer base and sees upwards of 1000 sales a day. Ron and Michael discuss the thrill of treasure hunting and the company's values, which include mindfulness, community, and joy.

This episode was originally produced by Applied Mindfulness Training as part of their Mindful Voices series. Learn more at https://www.appliedmindfulnesstraining.org

 

Michael Carroll sits down with Dr. Michael Baime, founder of The Penn Program for Mindfulness to talk about how applying mindfulness helps both patients and doctors manage stress and heal through sharing an authentic human connection.

https://www.pennmedicine.org/services/mindfulness?redirect=1&referrer=pennmed&source=fsu

https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/people/michael-baime

 

This episode was originally produced by Applied Mindfulness Training as part of their Mindful Voices series. Learn more at https://www.appliedmindfulnesstraining.org

 

Michael Carroll sits down with Chris Kayser, who has been earning a living as an actor in the Atlanta area for over 40 years. Most recently he performed in a play about death and has been coming to terms with his own cancer diagnosis. He and Michael discuss how both acting and death can bring us vividly into the present, and the role that mindfulness plays on the stage and in life.

From: https://www.alliancetheatre.org/blog/chris-kayser-beloved-atlanta-actor-has-died/

"It is with broken hearts that the Alliance shares the news that beloved Atlanta actor Chris Kayser passed away earlier today. Chris was a regular on our stages for four decades, including roles in A Christmas Carol for 22 years, 16 times as Ebenezer Scrooge.  How fitting that a show so focused on the virtues of generosity & community is the show he performed the most.  For those were the exact gifts he freely gave this Atlanta theatre community.  In addition to his work at the Alliance, he was a company member of the seminal Academy Theater for nine years and a resident artist with Georgia Shakespeare for 25 years. Chris also helped found Théâtre Du Rêve, a French language theater. With Théâtre Du Rêve, he was able to tour theater in France six times. He was cited with the Lexus Leader in the Arts award by the city of Atlanta. He has been named Best Actor by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Creative Loafing, and the Suzi Awards."
- December 3, 2024

This episode was originally produced by Applied Mindfulness Training as part of their Mindful Voices series. Learn more at https://www.appliedmindfulnesstraining.org

Andrew is a consultant at Bain & Company, a firm that provides advice to public, private, and non-profit organizations. He's also the president of Applied Mindfulness Training. Andrew and Michael talk shop about "what exactly does a consultant do?" and reminisce about Andrew's father Patton Hyman, founder of AMT and a close friend of Michael's.

This episode was originally produced by Applied Mindfulness Training as part of their Mindful Voices series. Learn more at https://www.appliedmindfulnesstraining.org

This episode was originally produced by Applied Mindfulness Training as part of their Mindful Voices series. Learn more at https://www.appliedmindfulnesstraining.org

 

Host Bill Moriarty introduces a 2019 public talk from Anam Thubten: "The Wisdom of Meditation and Everyday Life" in the Dzogchen tradition. Anam Thubten describes meditation with an object (breath, body sensations, mantras, ordinary objects, sound) and meditation without an object (open awareness: "rest in the natural state of your mind").

Anam Thubten grew up in Tibet and at an early age began to practice in the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Among his many teachers, his most formative guides were Lama Tsurlo, Khenpo Chopel, and Lama Garwang. He is the founder and spiritual advisor of Dharmata Foundation, teaching widely in the U.S. and abroad. He is also the author of various articles and books in both the Tibetan and English language. His books in English include: Choosing Compassion, No Self No Problem, Into the Haunted Ground, and The Citadel of Awareness. To view Anam Thubten's teaching and retreat schedule, please visit www.dharmata.org/events-calendar. Through the essential wisdom of Buddhism and his personal experience on the spiritual path, Anam Thubten brings alive the timeless teachings and invites everyone to participate. His collection of translations into English can be found at dharmatreasury.org.

https://dharmata.org/teachers/

 

Larry Mermelstein has been a close student of the Venerable Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche since 1971. He is a founding member and Executive Director of the Nalanda Translation Committee, a senior teacher in the Vajradhatu-Shambhala community, and a consultant for Shambhala Publications. He resides in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This interview was conducted in person by Joanna Rotté before a live audience at Sky Lake Shambhala Meditation Retreat Center in Rosendale, New York.   Audio equipment and assistance: Steve Gorn. Audio editing: Alec Simmons.   Sky Lake Shambhala Meditation Land Center https://skylake.shambhala.org/   Nalanda Translation Committee https://nalandatranslation.org/   The Wisdom Seat https://www.thewisdomseat.org/upcoming-events  

Michele Martin has two graduate degrees in literature from Yale University and has been a Buddhist practitioner in the Karma Kagyu lineage for over forty years. She is a founding board member of the Tibetan Buddhist Research Center and has spent more than thirty years studying with and translating for Tibetan lamas in Nepal and India. She is the author and translator of Music in the Sky: The Life, Art, and Teachings of the Seventeenth Karmapa, and translator of Gaining Certainty in the View. She divides her time between Woodstock, New York and Nepal

This interview was conducted in person by Joanna Rotté before a live audience at Sky Lake Shambhala Meditation Retreat Center in Rosendale, New York.

Audio equipment and assistance: Steve Gorn. Audio editing: Alec Simmons.