Unfettered Questions
By Ken McLeod
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Podcast Description
Unfettered Questions is a series of informal Q&A sessions with Buddhist teacher Ken McLeod. These sessions are recorded and each week one question is posted on iTunes. The questions cover a wide range: practice challenges; mixing practice with daily life; better understanding of Buddhist texts, teachings, or points of philosophy; and application of practice in culture, ethics, politics and so on. These are not academic discussions. They are personal, practical discussions, in which the questioner and Ken explore the question together. To our knowledge, this is the first resource on the web where people can regularly hear teacher-student interactions on Buddhist practice. For podcasts of Ken McLeod’s classes and retreats, look up Unfettered Mind in the iTunes Music Store.
| Name | Description | Released | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1 |
UQ 119: How do I bring attention into my life? | How do I bring attention into my life and stabilize it? – Brian, Studio City, CA | 11/17/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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2 |
UQ 118: Where do reactive patterns go? | When you release a reactive pattern, where does it go? – Roger, Northfield, VT | 11/4/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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3 |
UQ 117: How do I meditate without energy? | How do I work with a dramatic loss of energy while meditating? – Steve, Durango, CO | 10/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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4 |
UQ 116: How can one open to shame? | How can one open to the shame that’s at the core of addiction? – Jim, Columbus, OH | 10/22/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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5 |
UQ 115: How do I work with emotions? | What are some helpful practices for working with emotions? – Helen, Davis, CA | 9/16/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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6 |
UQ 114: How can I practice Mahamudra-Dzogchen? | How can I practice Mahamudra-Dzogchen? – Tamar, North Dakota | 9/10/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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7 |
UQ113: How can meditation practice help me with my panic attacks? | How can meditation practice help me with my panic attacks? - Jason, Albuquerque, NM | 9/3/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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8 |
UQ 112: Should I combine different practices? | What is your advice about combining two different practices from two different teachers? – Leslie, Alberta, Canada | 8/23/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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9 |
UQ 111: How do I transform depression? | How can I use the 4 Immeasurables practice to transform depression into joy? – Elizabeth, Ontario, Canada | 6/18/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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10 |
UQ 110: Am I doing the primary practice correctly? | Am I doing the primary practice correctly? – Linda, Tybee Island, GA | 5/7/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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11 |
UQ 109: How do I work with sound or music? | Please explain the practice of working with sound or music. – Linda, Tybee Island, GA | 4/30/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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12 |
UQ 108: How does transforming emotional energy into attention work? | How does transforming emotional energy into attention work? – Cristina, Romania | 4/9/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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13 |
UQ 107: How can meditation help me with my pornography addiction? | How can meditation help me with my pornography addiction? – Sherman, Atlanta, GA | 3/26/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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14 |
UQ 106: How can I understand what my body is saying to me? | How can I understand what my body is saying to me? - Mike, Hollywood Hills, CA | 3/12/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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15 |
UQ 105: How do you reconcile anatta – non-selfhood – with ordinary friendship and love? | How do you reconcile anatta – non-selfhood – with ordinary friendship and love? – Ernesto, Montreal, Canada | 2/26/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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16 |
UQ 104: What do I do if I’ve hit the core of a pattern? | What do I do if I’ve hit the core of a pattern? – Leslie, Alberta, Canada | 2/18/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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17 |
UQ 103: How does one find direction in practice without a teacher? | How does one find direction in practice without a teacher? – Caroline, Toronto, Canada | 1/29/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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18 |
UQ 102: How do I meet conflict and confrontation effectively? | How do I meet conflict and confrontation effectively? – Kenesha, Toronto, Canada | 12/30/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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19 |
UQ 101: What does it mean to “combine Kadampa and Mahamudra”? | What does it mean to “combine Kadampa and Mahamudra”? – Janet, Pacifica, CA | 12/11/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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20 |
UQ 100: Can one develop the qualities of a teacher through meditation? | What are the qualities of a teacher, and can these be developed via one’s practice? – Leslie, Canada | 12/4/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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21 |
UQ 99: Can one completely eliminate a habituated pattern? | Can one completely eliminate a habituated pattern? – Kareem, Los Angeles, CA | 10/30/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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22 |
UQ 98: What compels me to act ethically? | Why should I feel compelled to act ethically and compassionately and not with indifference? – Matthias, Luxembourg | 10/14/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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23 |
UQ 97: Why does meditation increase attention? | Why does meditation increase attention? – Kareem, Los Angeles, CA | 10/1/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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24 |
UQ 96: How does “magnetization” work in conflict resolution? | How does “magnetization” work in conflict resolution? – Ann, New Zealand | 9/18/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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25 |
UQ 95: What good does dedication do? | What does the dedication of activity signify? – Sharon, San Francisco, CA | 8/25/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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26 |
UQ 94: How do you live true to your heart? | How do you live true to your heart and true to your mind at the same time? – Sharon, San Diego | 8/14/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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27 |
UQ 93: How can my meditation practice help me cope with terrible nightmares? | How can my meditation practice help me cope with terrible nightmares? – Annet, Netherlands | 8/7/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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28 |
UQ 92: What’s the relationship between writing and clear-minded seeing? | What’s the relationship between writing and the clear-minded seeing that comes through the “perfection of wisdom”? – Erik, Ann Arbor, MI | 7/22/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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29 |
UQ 91: How do I deal with the fear of death? | What meditation practice can help me work with my fear of death? – Elena, Los Angeles, CA | 5/29/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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30 |
UQ 90: Is karma the result of previous lives or one’s current life? | Is karma the result of previous lives or one’s current life? – David, Santa Barbara, CA | 5/15/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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31 |
UQ 89: Can one be drunk and still have realization experiences? | Can one be drunk and still have realization experiences? – Gary, Northern California | 5/6/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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32 |
UQ 88: Can taking the bodhisattva vow help me develop awakening mind? | I question whether I really have the capacity to take on the Bodhisattva Vow, and I wonder if it can help me develop awakening mind. - Janet, Pacifica, California | 2/20/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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33 |
UQ 87: How do I resolve imbalances as a result of my role as a group leader? | I’m sensing imbalances in my role as a group leader but can’t figure out whether my practice would tell me to drop this role and move on, or not. What to do? - Leslie, Canada | 2/10/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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34 |
UQ 86: How do I work with rampant thinking during mantra practice? | I have a solid mantra practice but a non-stop stream of thoughts runs rampantly through it, which is very distressing. - Rick, Providence, RI | 1/28/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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35 |
UQ 85: How can I navigate the disorientation and the openness in my life? | How can I navigate the disorientation and the openness in my life that have been created by dismantling patterns in my practice? - Caroline, England | 1/27/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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36 |
UQ 84: How would you contrast resting in attention vs stability in attention? | How would you contrast the practice of resting and returning, versus the practice of cultivating stability of attention? - Mike, Germany | 1/21/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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37 |
UQ 83: How do I deal with likes and dislikes? | Regarding the use of mantras, prayers and dedications – some I like, some I don’t; so what do I do? - Mark, Calgary, Canada | 1/9/09 | Free | View In iTunes |
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38 |
UQ 82: How do I balance daily and larger concerns? | How can I find a balance between being involved in daily life and taking the larger, detached perspective? - Jim, Holland, MI | 12/30/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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39 |
UQ 81: How do I refresh my practice? | My old approach to practice no longer works for me but I don’t know how to find a new one. - Leslie, Brooklyn, NY | 12/17/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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40 |
UQ 80: How can I question without falling into discursiveness? | My cerebral approach to practice results in doubt. How can I make it more feeling, and question in a way that isn’t counter-productive? - Vic, Knoxville, TN | 12/12/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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41 |
UQ 79: What are the benefits of a three year retreat? | What are the benefits of a three year retreat, especially within the Western lifestyle? - James, Santa Rosa, CA | 12/2/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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42 |
UQ 78: Where do all the qualities of the self go? | If meditation practice rids one of a sense of self, then where do all its qualities go? - Alan, Tacoma, Washington | 11/25/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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43 |
UQ 77: What are the reasons for leaving a teacher? | What are the reasons for leaving a teacher? - Troy, South Korea | 11/20/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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44 |
UQ 76: What role do the Four Maras play in the process of dismantling reactive patterns? | What role do the Four Maras play in the process of dismantling reactive patterns? - Maia, Goleta, CA | 11/12/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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45 |
UQ 75: Is there such a thing as burning off bad karma? | Is there such a thing as burning off bad karma? - Dana, Los Angeles, CA | 11/7/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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46 |
UQ 74: What’s the difference between Mahamudra and Dzogchen? | What’s the difference between Mahamudra and Dzogchen, and how does one choose which to practice. – Guy, Los Angeles | 10/29/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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47 |
UQ 73: How do I open to my bleeding heart? | My practice is taking me into my bleeding heart, but opening to the wound is too scary: what do I do? – Lynea, Los Angeles | 10/22/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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48 |
UQ 72: If there is no self, then what reincarnates? | If there is no self, then what reincarnates? – Art, Los Angeles | 10/15/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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49 |
UQ 71: How do I experience regret? | How do I experience regret for bad behavior without falling into harsh self-judgment or paralyzing self-recrimination? – Guy, Los Angeles | 10/9/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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50 |
UQ 70: Is it better for one's practice to stay fully engaged with daily life? | Is it better for one’s practice to stay fully engaged with daily life or to withdraw from the world? – Art, Los Angeles | 10/1/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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51 |
UQ 69: Is it realistic to vow to save all beings? | In the Bodhisattva Vow, isn’t it unrealistic to vow to save all beings? – Santina, New Jersey | 9/24/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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52 |
UQ 68: What is the relationship between psychotherapy and waking up? | How does traditional psychotherapy support – and perhaps interfere with – waking up? – Lisa, Los Angeles | 9/17/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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53 |
UQ 67: What are deities? | What are deities? – Art, Los Angeles | 9/12/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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54 |
UQ 66: How do I learn from my illness? | In my practice, I keep trying and failing to learn the lesson that my chronic illness is trying to teach me. What’s going on? – Glenda, Daytona Beach | 9/3/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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55 |
UQ 65: What does it mean that "mind has no beginning"? What does it mean that “mind has no beginning”? | What does it mean that “mind has no beginning”? – Guy, Los Angeles | 8/28/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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56 |
UQ 64: What is the Dedication of Merit prayer about? | What is the Dedication of Merit prayer about? – Linda, Laguna Beach | 8/21/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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57 |
UQ 63: Why does Mahayana imply it's superior to Hinayana? | Mahayana implies that it’s superior to Hinayana – isn’t this a manifestation of pride? - Sharon, San Francisco | 8/13/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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58 |
UQ 62: Can one have a long-term practice without it changing their life? | How can someone have a serious, long term meditation practice, yet not necessarily experience significant change in their life? - Ryan, Baltimore | 8/5/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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59 |
UQ 61: Are dreams just the play of reactive patterns? | Is it true that dreams are just the play of reactive patterns, and we should “get over” any interest in dream content? - Maia, Goleta, California | 8/5/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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60 |
UQ 60: If one doesn't believe if reincarnation, how should they view karma and merit? | Karma and merit from past lives seem to explain how bad things happen to good people; but if one doesn’t believe in reincarnation, what then? - Linda, Laguna Beach | 7/25/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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61 |
UQ 59: How does your “pragmatic Buddhism” relate to a more traditional approach? | Could you explain how your “pragmatic approach” to Buddhism relates to a more traditional approach? - Ryan, Baltimore | 7/14/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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62 |
UQ 58: What are the differences between waking experience and lucid dreaming? | Is there any difference between the approach to waking experience and the approach to lucid dreaming? - Maia, Goleta CA | 7/14/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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63 |
UQ 57: What's meant by "the corrupted form of equanimity is manipulation?" | You’ve stated that the corrupted form of equanimity is manipulation – what does this mean? - Alex, North Carolina | 7/2/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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64 |
UQ 56: What is the remedy for lack of intention in one’s practice? | What is the remedy for lack of intention in one’s practice? - Bertrand, Morocco | 6/24/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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65 |
UQ 55: What does the term “root guru” mean? | What does the term “root guru” mean? - Sharon, San Francisco | 6/19/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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66 |
UQ 54: What are the wrathful deities? What are the wrathful deities? Sharon, San Francisco What are the wrathful deities? | What are the wrathful deities? - Sharon, San Francisco | 6/11/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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67 |
UQ 53: How can meditation help with clinical depression? | How can meditation help with clinical depression? - James, Santa Rosa | 6/6/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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68 |
UQ 52: How do I work with patterns? | How do I give expression to the changes brought about as a result of practice, when coming up against old patterns operating in the workplace and family? - Leslie, Canada | 6/6/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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69 |
UQ 51: What relevance does dream yoga have to sleeping on one side or the other? | With regards to dream yoga, should women sleep on their left side and men on their right? Does this apply to dying? - Allonda, Louisiana | 5/23/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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70 |
UQ 50: What is your position on vegetarianism? | What is your position regarding vegetarianism and using products made from animals? - Thomas , Ohio | 5/15/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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71 |
UQ 49: What is the Buddhist perspective on sex? | Why does buddhism "tip-toe" around sex, the principle driving force for human actions? - Phil, Fort Worth, Texas | 5/6/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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72 |
UQ 48: What is working at the edge? | What do you mean by finding and working at the edge of practice? - Ann, New Zealand | 4/29/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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73 |
UQ 47: What is the Tibetan Buddhist perspective on merit? | What is the Tibetan Buddhist perspective of chanting to accumulate merit? - Dwain, Seattle, WA | 4/23/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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74 |
UQ 46: If I'm not struggling in my practice, is something wrong? | If I'm not struggling in my practice, is something wrong? - Meg, Toronto | 4/15/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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75 |
UQ 45: What do I do when my intention to be present is undermined? | What do I do when, in meditation, my intention to be present is undermined by my sense of self and my reactivity? - George, New York City | 4/1/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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76 |
UQ 44: Is there any purpose to practice beyond the cessation of suffering? | Is there any objective meaning and purpose to practice, beyond the cessation of my own and others' suffering? - Brian, Los Angeles | 3/26/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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77 |
UQ 43: What is mantra practice and how does it work? | What is mantra practice, how does it work, and how can I work with it in my yidam practice? - George, New York City | 3/19/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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78 |
UQ 42: How does one work with anger and other negative emotions? | How does one work with anger and other negative emotions as they come up, without suppressing them or acting them out? - George, Seattle | 3/13/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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79 |
UQ 41: How can I be more attentive to my immediate surroundings? | How can I be more attentive to my immediate surroundings? - Greta, Los Angeles | 3/4/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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80 |
UQ 40: What gives rise to hesitation when taking action? | In the samurai tradition, one must be prepared to lay down one’s life without a moment of hesitation. In my own life, there are some instances where I wouldn’t hesitate, but others where I would. What is it that gives rise to the hesitation? And how does this relate to practice? - Barry, Mexico | 2/27/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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81 |
UQ 39: What is meant by flattening bad thoughts, turning the mind inward, etc.? | I’ve been reading your translation of “The Great Path of Awakening” by Jamgon Kongtrul. In the mind training tradition, what is meant by flattening thoughts, and turning the mind inward rather than outward? How does this lead to a state of emptiness? - Labsang, Claremont | 2/19/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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82 |
UQ 38: What is the purpose of empowerments? | What is the purpose of the highest tantra empowerments? What do they do for the mind? - James, northern California | 2/14/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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83 |
UQ 37: What is meant by “all sentient beings are our mothers and fathers”? | What does it meant that “all sentient beings are in fact our own mothers and fathers from past lives”? I find this difficult to take literally. - Seth, Colorado | 2/7/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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84 |
UQ 36: What is the relationship between energy and thought in practice? | I’ve noticed that some practices stimulate physical and energy states, while others are more conducive to resting in non-thought. Which practices should I work with? And what’s the relationship between energy states and thought states in practice? - Lynea, Los Angeles | 1/30/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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85 |
UQ 35: How do I practice when ill? | How do I practice when ill? How do I work with the decreased energy? - Valerie, Washington | 1/23/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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86 |
UQ 34: How important is developing stable attention? | In my practice, I don’t have stable attention, yet as I sit with the coming and going of experience, I still have some good results. So, how important is developing stable, sustained attention? and does Shamatha play a role in your teachings? - Brian, Los Angeles | 1/16/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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87 |
UQ 33: What does it mean to act with "skillful means"? | In our interactions with others, there is the Bodhisattva Vow to liberate all sentient beings. And there is the suggestion that we not be attached to results. So should we worry about whether we’ve acted effectively? What does it mean to act with “skillful means”? - Joe, Los Angeles | 1/11/08 | Free | View In iTunes |
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88 |
UQ 32: Is it permissible just to rest and not cultivate attention? | Are there ever times where it’s permissible to not be cultivating attention and just space out in order to rest? - Steve, Los Angeles | 12/18/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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89 |
UQ 31:What practices include verbal interaction between people? | Meditation – especially Zen – is a solitary, mostly silent practice. Are there any traditional practices that include verbal interaction between individuals? - Patrick, Montreal | 12/18/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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90 |
UQ 30: What can I do about physical sensations during meditation? | I have an anxiety disorder, and during meditation I experience distinct physical sensations. Do you have any suggestions or explanations? - Bruce, Seattle | 12/18/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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91 |
UQ 29: What should the intention of a sangha be? | In my sangha experiences, I’ve noticed two opposing purposes: one is to enrich & deepen practice; the other is to enjoy the social interaction. What should the intention of a sangha be? - Joe, Los Angeles | 12/11/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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92 |
UQ 28: How do I work with the "I" that wants to know? | Since there’s ultimately nothing to know, then how do I work with the “I” that ceaselessly insists on knowing itself? - Patrick, Montreal | 12/5/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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93 |
UQ 27: I experience physical sensations after meditation. What's going on? | Following the meditation directions in your online Mahamudra lectures, I experience three distinct “shifts”: there’s a rest after each, plus the sensation that my heart is literally stopping, and also a feeling of refreshment. What’s going on? - Pat, California | 11/28/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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94 |
UQ 26: I find the experience of being 'no thing' threatening. How I can work with this? | The experience of being “no thing” is the essence of Buddhism, yet I find it traumatic to stay with this experience because it threatens my survival. Would you please speak about this? - Joe, Los Angeles | 11/24/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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95 |
UQ 25: What is the basis of the 6 Realms and the 5 Dakinis in your book? | In your book Wake Up To Your Life, you address the 6 Realms and the 5 Dakinis – what is their basis and origin? - Alex, Northern Virginia | 11/13/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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96 |
UQ 24: Who or what wakes up? Who or what makes the effort? | What does evolution hang upon? What does karma hang upon? Who or what wakes up? Who or what makes the effort? - Jeff, Colorado | 11/11/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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97 |
UQ 23: What should I do when life's difficulties make practice difficult? | What do I do when difficulties in my life manifest in my practice and make it difficult? - Michael, Seattle | 11/3/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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98 |
UQ 22: What is the purpose of secrecy in spiritual practice? | Where does the element of secrecy in spiritual practice come from and what purpose does it serve? - Bertrand, Moracco | 10/30/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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99 |
UQ 21: Is life really about creating good karma for a better rebirth? | Creating good karma now in order to have a better rebirth – is this really what life is about? What am I really trying to do with this life? - Sharon, San Francisco Bay area | 10/16/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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100 |
UQ 20: When we’re doing basic breath meditation, how do we work with what arises? | You say that we should experience what arises when we practice. When we’re doing basic breath meditation, how do we work with what arises? - Janaki, Los Angeles | 10/5/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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101 |
UQ 19: What is the relationship between practice, service and political engagement? | What is the relationship between practice, service and political engagement? - Thomas, Ohio | 9/20/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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102 |
UQ 18: How can I keep from getting lost in thoughts? | How do I recognize thoughts rather than identify with & get lost in them? - Kerry, Northern California | 9/13/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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103 |
UQ 17: Can you cultivate attention without a regular sitting practice? | How do you cultivate attention if you can’t keep a regular sitting practice? If you’ve developed stable attention in a non-sitting practice, can you engage in advanced meditation techniques? - Dave, California | 9/5/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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104 |
UQ 16: How can you tell when the mind is leading to appropriate action or patterned tendency? | You have advised, “in the face of confusion, go to the body.” But sometimes the body knows just what to do and other times it’s simply reactive. How can one discern when the mind of the body is leading us to appropriate action, and when it is overcome by the force of patterned tendency? Also, In Wake Up To Your Life, you refer to “purpose, method, effect & result”. In this context, what are the results of meditating on death and dying? - Thomas, Ohio | 8/27/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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105 |
UQ 15: Can I cultivate attention without a practice? | How would you recommend cultivating attention for those who can’t keep a regular sitting practice? Without having a sitting practice, can I still do advanced meditation practices in daily life? - Dave, California | 8/13/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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106 |
UQ 14: Is belief in reincarnation necessary? | Is a belief in reincarnation necessary for a serious Buddhist practice? - Art, California | 8/1/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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107 |
UQ 13:How can I avoid falling into patterns of empty routine? | My meditation practice has become mechanical and soulless – an empty duty. How do I keep my practice alive? I stopped sitting regularly after realizing that in actuality, practice is in every moment, that there’s no separation between sitting practice and daily life. Nevertheless, how can I resume a formal practice without falling into the same patterns of empty routine? - Bertrand, Morroco | 7/23/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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108 |
UQ 12: What differentiates the Bodhisattva vow from idealized longing? | What differentiates the Bodhisattva vow (“However innumerable sentient beings are, I vow to save them”) from the pitfall of idealized, spiritual longing (to be the most caring, most embracing, most understanding person you can be)? - Duane, Washington | 7/11/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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109 |
UQ 11: How do you dismantle patterns about one's self? | When you tell stories about yourself and you know that this is a reactive pattern, but you still act like the stories are real, what can you do to dismantle this? - Patricia, California | 7/3/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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110 |
UQ 10: What considerations should go into choosing a dharma path? | For lay Western students with limited resources and busy lives, can one accomplish very much on the Vajrayana path? Should mundane considerations – personal, social, financial, logistical, and so on – influence one’s choice of dharma path? - Labsang, California | 6/27/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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111 |
UQ 09: How does one work with the pain of doing internal work? | Please explain your recent statement that you wouldn’t wish the pain of doing internal work on anyone. How does one work with this pain? - Lisa, California | 6/18/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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112 |
UQ 08: Are the Four Immeasurables a way to non-self or self-cherishing? | In the 4 Immeasurables meditations, we start by wishing that we ourselves enjoy the benefits of the Immeasureables. But I’m uncomfortable with this – it’s too easy. Are these wishes the way to non-self or a way to solidify self-cherishing? - John, California | 6/12/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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113 |
UQ 07: Are doing the tantric visualizations necessary? | How important or valuable for mind training are the devotional practices given in tantric initiations? Is meditation alone an adequate practice to help us break emotional reactivity? - Sharon, California | 6/4/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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114 |
UQ 06: Explain shared and individual experience, awakening and conventional mind. | You say that there is no possibility of shared experience; there is only our own, individual experience. Would you explain this in the context of dependent origination? Also, please explain awakening mind and conventional mind in terms of practical application to meditation and everyday life. - Priscilla, California | 5/28/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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115 |
UQ 05: Are mind and experience the same? | In the Mahamudra practice for increasing capacity in meditation, I’m starting to understand that mind and experience are the same. Are they? - Chuck, California | 5/20/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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116 |
UQ 04: How do I know what practice sequence to follow? | I’m following the meditation sequence in your book Wake Up To Your Life and was about to start on the Death & Impermanence meditations when I heard the 4 Immeasureables podcasts and feel inspired to do them instead. Is it all right to do this? - Rich, New York | 5/14/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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117 |
UQ 03: What of sexual misconduct between teachers and students? | Would you speak to the subject of sexual misconduct by some highly regarded lamas toward their female practitioners? - Chutso, France | 5/2/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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118 |
UQ 02: How do I work with a sense of self during practice? | In my Mahamudra practice, regardless of how stable my experience is in various degrees of non-separation, somewhere there’s always a trace of self. What do I make of it? How do I work with it? - Janaki, California | 5/2/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
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119 |
UQ 01: How do I develop a practice that frees me from suffering? | Among Buddha's last words were: "Everything that comes together ends by falling apart. Work out your own freedom." How do I develop a practice that will free me from suffering? - Agnes, California | 5/2/07 | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 119 Episodes |
Customer Reviews
Unfettered Questions #11 Dismantling patterns
What Patricia described was very familiar, particularly in the follow-up question, and Ken’s response was very helpful. I think I had gotten to the point of beginning to harden, and while I had indeed, as he instructed, stopped at that point it was because I couldn’t take it, not because, as he described, I recognized that the hardening would only make the pattern stronger. It was more like giving up than recognizing limits — so my stopping brought on other issues, like guilt and feeling inadequate to the task. The shift from “ I can’t do this” to “I’ve reached my limit at this time” may seem subtle, but it’s huge. This is VERY helpful — thanks for guiding me to see this.
practical advice for those engaged in practice
By chance I happened on to McLeod's book Wake Up to Your Life and found for the first time a voice that led me to give buddhist practice a real try. Over a year later that voice via Unfettered Mind podcasts has assisted me greatly in sustaining some kind of daily practice. A large obstacle, however, is the absence of a teacher to answer questions. Unfettered Questions addresses this obstacle somewhat effectively by McLeod's answers to questions posed by students about the heart of a practice. As with his writings and classes/retreats on Unfettered Mind podcasts, Ken Mcleod's answers on Unfettered Questions are both informative and inspirational - his precise clarity can be taken to the cushion.
Very Enlightening
Easy to understand. Plain english explanations. Really causes me to think. I love this podcast!!!
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