Awaken – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome to AWAKEN, a new podcast presented by the Rubin Museum of Art and hosted by acclaimed musician and performance artist Laurie Anderson. AWAKEN explores the dynamic path to enlightenment and what it means to “wake up.” In ten episodes we dive into the personal stories of guests who share how they’ve experienced a shift in their awareness, and as a result, their perspective on life. Hosted by Laurie Anderson. Episode guests (in order of appearance): Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, Tara Brach, Alok Vaid-Menon, Latham Thomas, BJ Miller.

Life can be chaotic. Do we really have to face it in order to taste enlightenment? In our first episode, we speak with comedian Aparna Nancherla about her own relationship to inner turmoil, from pushing discomfort away to the relief of acknowledging it. She shares what it was like growing up a child of immigrants, her journey to recovery from an eating disorder, and how her struggle with anxiety and depression found its way into her standup routine. To begin, Aparna engages with a contemporary painting by Tsherin Sherpa, titled Luxation 1. Luxation means dislocation or displacement, and across sixteen panels that depict fragments of a Buddhist deity, the painting references the cultural dislocation felt by the artist. Visit the podcast webpage to see the art that inspired this episode, read a transcript, donate, and more: https://rubinmuseum.org/mediacenter/facing-chaos-with-comedian-aparna-nancherla-awaken-podcast About the podcast: AWAKEN is a 10-episode series from the Rubin Museum of Art hosted by acclaimed musician and performance artist Laurie Anderson that explores the dynamic path to enlightenment and what it means to "wake up." Each episode dives into the personal stories of guests who share how they've experienced a shift in their awareness, and as a result, their perspective on life. From deep introspection to curious life-changing moments, awakening can take many forms, from the mundane to the sacred. Taking inspiration from the exhibition "Awaken: A Tibetan Buddhist Journey Toward Enlightenment," each story uses artworks as a jumping off point as we hear from authors, artists, wisdom bearers, and Buddhist teachers, because every journey is different.

What is enlightenment? What does it mean to be truly awake? Are you awake? Enlightenment can take many forms. In this final episode, we will look back at highlights from all our guests and consider enlightenment from Tibetan Buddhist perspective with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, a highly respected Tibetan Buddhist meditation teacher from the Kagyu tradition, one of the four main lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. This episode features Youngey Mingyur Rinpoche along with Aparna Nancherla, Alok Vaid-Menon, Tara Brach, Latham Thomas, Amanda Palmer, Lama Rod Owens, Tsherin Sherpa, BJ Miller, Patricia James, and host Laurie Anderson. Visit the podcast webpage to see the art that inspired this episode, read a transcript, donate, and more: https://rubinmuseum.org/mediacenter/awakening-with-mingyur-rinpoche-awaken-podcast About the podcast: AWAKEN is a 10-episode series from the Rubin Museum of Art hosted by acclaimed musician and performance artist Laurie Anderson that explores the dynamic path to enlightenment and what it means to "wake up." Each episode dives into the personal stories of guests who share how they've experienced a shift in their awareness, and as a result, their perspective on life. From deep introspection to curious life-changing moments, awakening can take many forms, from the mundane to the sacred. Taking inspiration from the exhibition "Awaken: A Tibetan Buddhist Journey Toward Enlightenment," each story uses artworks as a jumping off point as we hear from authors, artists, wisdom bearers, and Buddhist teachers, because every journey is different.

Welcome to Season 2 of AWAKEN—a Webby Honoree podcast about the dynamic path to enlightenment and what it means to “wake up.” In this new season hosted by singer and songwriter Raveena Aurora, Buddhist teachers, writers, artists, activists, and others use a Tibetan Buddhist mandala as a guide and share how they wrestle and learn from  five challenging emotions—anger, pride, attachment, envy, and ignorance.

AWAKEN Season 2 will launch on October 4, 2022.

Episode guests in order of appearance: Tracy Dennis, Mark Epstein, Raveena Aurora, Ruth Ozeki, Madame Gandhi, adrienne maree brown, and Ponlop Rinpoche.

Welcome to Season 2 of AWAKEN—a Webby Honoree podcast about the dynamic path to enlightenment and what it means to “wake up.” In this new season hosted by singer and songwriter Raveena Aurora, Buddhist teachers, writers, artists, activists, and others use a Tibetan Buddhist mandala as a guide and share how they wrestle and learn from  five challenging emotions—anger, pride, attachment, envy, and ignorance.

What is a mandala? Like many Tibetan Buddhist artworks, a mandala is a visual catalyst that can lead to awakening. In our first episode, we introduce the mandala, come to understand what it represents, and experience how it may be used as a guide for exploring ourselves, each other and the world. 

Guests featured in this episode include psychologist and neuroscientist Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, Buddhist teacher and psychotherapist Mark Epstein, Zen priest and author Ruth Ozeki, author and Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard, Buddhist teacher and scholar Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Buddhist teacher and author Sharon Salzberg, and student Nora Wood.

To read a transcript, learn more about the Mandala Lab, donate, and more: https://rubinmuseum.org/mediacenter/entering-the-mandala-awaken-podcast

Pride can be celebratory—a powerfully affirming emotion. But its dark side can bring a sense of supremacy. It can be so full of self-importance that there isn’t room for other views, other ways of life. It can even be a little lonely to be so rigid. In Buddhism, pride is one of the five afflictive emotions, or kleshas, that can cloud our understanding of the world, along with attachment, envy, anger, and ignorance. When we get curious about pride, ask questions, and move beyond certainty, what is welcomed in? In this episode, curiosity creates possibility. 

Guests featured in this episode include author and activist adrienne maree brown, psychologist and neuroscientist Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, author and teacher Ruth Ozeki, Buddhist teacher and scholar Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, author and Buddhist teacher Sharon Salzberg, and student Nora Wood. 

To read a transcript, learn more about the Mandala Lab, donate, and more: https://rubinmuseum.org/mediacenter/pride-awaken-podcast

From a psychological perspective, attachment is vital to the mental well-being of a developing human. But from the Buddhist viewpoint, attachment is the mind state that trips us up constantly. It’s the one that pulls us out of the present and into a state of longing for an imagined future or clinging to the past, leaving us with nothing but dissatisfaction. But what if we could release our grip and truly be in the moment?

AWAKEN Season 2 is hosted by singer and songwriter Raveena Aurora. Guests featured in this episode include author and activist adrienne maree brown, psychologist and neuroscientist Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, Buddhist teacher and psychotherapist Mark Epstein, author and teacher Ruth Ozeki, Buddhist teacher and scholar Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, and author and Buddhist teacher Sharon Salzberg.

To read a transcript, learn more about the Mandala Lab, donate, and more: https://rubinmuseum.org/mediacenter/attachment-awaken-podcast

No one wants to admit they are envious, yet in the age of social media, envy is a bitter taste in everyone's mouth from time to time. But envy dismantled can point you in the right direction and show you your heart’s desire. Can feelings of envy be transformed from an isolating experience to one that actually connects us?

AWAKEN Season 2 is hosted by singer and songwriter Raveena Aurora. Guests featured in this episode include psychologist and neuroscientist Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, artist and activist Madame Gandhi, Buddhist teacher and scholar Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Buddhist teacher and author Sharon Salzberg, and student Nora Wood. 

To read a transcript, learn more about the Mandala Lab, donate, and more: https://rubinmuseum.org/mediacenter/envy-awaken-podcast

We have all experienced anger from a very early age. In Buddhism, anger is one of the five afflictive emotions, or kleshas, that can cloud our understanding of the world, along with pride, envy, attachment, and ignorance. But if we pay attention to the emotion, can it transform to give us a sense of clarity, to help us see what is important?

AWAKEN Season 2 is hosted by singer and songwriter Raveena Aurora. Guests featured in this episode include psychologist and neuroscientist Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, Buddhist teacher and psychotherapist Mark Epstein, Buddhist teacher and scholar Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, renowned chef Eric Ripert, Buddhist teacher and author Sharon Salzberg, and student Nora Wood.

To read a transcript, learn more about the Mandala Lab, donate, and more: https://rubinmuseum.org/mediacenter/anger-awaken-podcast

While we often don’t think of ignorance as a feeling, its antidote, awareness, resides at the heart of the mandala. It may be the mind state most difficult to explain, yet it may be the most important, and more complex than meets the eye. If ignorance is used the right way, it can move us from a closed mind to an open one. Is awareness the key to awakening?

AWAKEN Season 2 is hosted by singer and songwriter Raveena Aurora. Guests featured in this episode include author and activist adrienne maree brown, psychologist and neuroscientist Tracy Dennis-Tiwary, author and teacher Ruth Ozeki, Buddhist teacher and scholar Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, and Buddhist teacher and author Sharon Salzberg.

To read a transcript, learn more about the Mandala Lab, donate, and more: https://rubinmuseum.org/mediacenter/ignorance-awaken-podcast