Host Michael Taft speaks with Rin’dzin Pamo and Jared Janes about their new project, entitled “Evolving Ground,” which is a community of practitioners that seeks to reinterpret and revitalize Vajrayana practice in a contemporary Western context. Topics include: the failure of Tibetan Buddhism to adapt to Western culture, the importance of the worldview in practice, creating new language around meditation, cheese-filled dorje snacks, and much more.
Rin’dzin Pamo is a British born Vajrayana practitioner living in the US. They were an apprentice in the Aro gTér tradition of Tibetan Buddhism for twenty years and are an experienced Dzogchen meditator and mentor. Rin’dzin received the London School of Economics Fei Xiaotong prize for their Masters research on the Chinese tech industry. They worked on international development projects in India, Africa and the Middle East and as a program director for Amnesty International.
Rin’dzin writes at vajrayananow.com and tweets @_awbery_
Jared Janes is an American-born yogic practitioner living in Denver, Colorado. His early practice was influenced by pragmatic dharma, Unified Mindfulness, and The Mind Illuminated book. With the help of Rin’dzin, he transitioned into Vajrayana-inspired practice in early 2019. Jared’s career started in digital operations and management and he’s now a full-time consultant and podcast producer.
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I think the fact that Vajrayana has been indoctrinated and the fact that a kind of TMI focus or a prioritization of concentration practice may be a focus doesn’t get you to a contextual, maintained nondual tantric involvement in your life, relationships etc. (and an open natural mind experience beyond an imperative to quiet thinking) quite as well, doesn’t contradict the the fact that for example someone like me with an ADD type of intensity of fast rambling automatic thinking tendency a Shine remaining uninvolved view is not very accessible without a concentration practice, and I don’t think that means meditation or a historically and metasystematically informed Shine focus that is going for the results they are talking about wasn’t the right thing for me to do at this time, it feels very much like the right and fitting thing to do for me right now.
That doesn’t mean that I think this should be at the center, I mostly agree with what Rin’dzin and Jared are putting fourth and find it very valuable but it feels a little bit like an overcorrection regarding this aspect.
Thank you all for your work!