Ep346: Tantric Scholar-Practitioner - Christopher “Hareesh” Wallis
Freitag, 30. Januar 2026 · 1 h 51
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Shownotes
In this episode, I am joined by Dr Christopher “Hareesh” Wallis, a Sanskritist and scholar-practitioner of Classical Tantra.
Christopher recounts his unusual upbringing, early meetings with Osho and Muktananda, early shaktipat experiences, and powerful spiritual awakenings.
Christopher traces his educational journey under professors such as Douglas Brooks and Alexis G. J. S. Sanderson, offers his opinions about optimal pedagogy for Sanskrit language study, and questions lineage claims made in Tibetan Buddhism.
Christopher also considers the tension between religious faith and academic skepticism, explains why he thinks it is possible to receive spiritual benefit from corrupt gurus, and descries why he believes spiritual awakening leads to a deep trust in the unfolding of life.
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Video version: www.guruviking.com
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
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Topics include:
- Intro
- An unusual family of origin
- Mother’s conversion to Hinduism
- Meeting Osho and Swami Muktananda
- Awakening experience at 16 years old
- Attraction to Tantric Shaivism
- Academic training and intellectual infatuation
- Multiple teachers
- Seeing through intellectual ego
- Teenage rebellion and psychedelics
- Love of sci fi and fantasy
- Siddha yoga shaktipat
- Gurumayi Chidvilasananda
- Heart opening shaktipat
- Saint or psychopath?
- The guru’s shadow
- Transmission from a disgraced guru
- No single objective reality
- No doubts despite guru’s flaws
- Has Christopher missed the point?
- Parsing subjective certainty
- A belief but not really
- Innate intelligence and trusting the unfolding of life
- Harmonising with the pattern
- Don’t pretend to be more enlightened that you are
- The same awakening as the Buddha’s
- Waking up out of your tradition
- Agnosticism about reincarnation
- BA at Rochester
- Alexis G. J. S. Sanderson
- Great professors at Rochester
- Learning Sanskrit
- Art of translation
- Sanskrit pedagogy
- Christopher’s approach to teaching Sanskrit
- Why learn Sanskrit?
- Parallel primer method
- Does academia ruin religious faith?
- Mantra disillusionment
- Disillusionment with saints and siddhas
- Religious professors
- Debunking tantric lineage claims
- Did Tibetan Buddhists fabricated their lineages?
- Tantric Shaivism as a living tradition
- Is Christopher a lineage holder?
- Critique of lineage holders and lamas
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To find our more about Dr Wallis visit:
- hareesh.org
For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- guruviking.com
Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James
