Ep337: Guru Ghostwriting & Tantric Retreat

In this interview I am once again joined by Dr Ben Joffe, anthropologist, occultist, and scholar practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism.

Ben reveals the industry convention of guru ghostwriting in which spiritual teachers employ one or a team of writers to produce their dharma books, explains his collaborative process with Nida Chenagtsang on their latest Vajrayana book, and sheds light on his own editorial process.

Ben discusses whether a scholar should have practice experience before translating religious texts, considers whether historical inaccuracies debunk the spiritual value of Buddhist scriptures, and raises questions about the origin of terma treasure texts.

Ben also compares the Yuthok Nyinthig retreat format to the Abramelin Ritual of Western Occultism, details the signs of success in tantric practice, and shares Yuthok’s promise to appear in bodily form to practitioners with sufficient devotion and attainment.

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Video version: guruviking.com/podcast/ep337-guru-ghostwriting…

Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

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Topics include:

- Intro
- Ghostwriting for gurus
- Lamas often don’t write their books
- Ben’s editorial process
- Is guru ghostwriting a dirty secret?
- Vajrayana jargon vs a felt sense
- What is a scholar practitioner?
- Ben’s retreat experiences
- Did Yuthok the Elder really exist?
- Anachronisms and retroactive attribution in Tibetan historiography
- Origins of the Tibetan medical tantras (rgyud bzhi)
- Terma treasure texts: mystical revelation or an editorial process?
- Why have Western scholars been hesitant to question terma texts?
- Does critical scholarship debunk Buddhism?
- Medicine Buddha ex machina
- Referring out
- Encountering Yuthok vs the Holy Guardian Angel in the Abramelin Ritual
- Special 7-day Yuthok ngondro
- Is Yuthok Nyingthig the best tantric system?
- The power of aspiration prayers
- How long does it take to become fully enlightened?
- Practice according to number, time, or signs
- Mythic resonance of lineage
- Signs of spiritual progress
- Ben comments on the Abramelin Ritual
- Sumton’s Yeshe Zung’s devotional prayer
- Yuthok as a Mighty Dead
- Do Yuthok’s promises cause ego inflation and delusion?
- Verifying dreams and spiritual signs
- How to connect with spiritual blessings
- What are blessings?
- Spiritual signs in the Jesuit tradition
- Ngondro as a hazing
- Do people expect to encounter Yuthok at Dr Nida’s retreats?
- Dr Nida’s approach vs traditional contexts
- Typical student profile and outcomes
- Permissive approach to tantric vows
- Pros and cons of laissez-faire tantric practice
- Charismatic founder stage  …

Previous episodes with Dr Ben Joffe:
- guruviking.com/search?q=joffe

Previous episodes with Dr Nida Chenagtsang:
- guruviking.com/search?q=nida
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To find out more about Dr Ben Joffe, visit:
- perfumedskull.com
- skypressbooks.com

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For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

Ep337: Guru Ghostwriting & Tantric Retreat - Dr Ben Joffe

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