Awaken

Can letting go into death be the ultimate act of awakening? In this episode we explore how the process of dying can be an act of truly living. We speak with hospice and palliative medicine physician and author BJ Miller, who discusses his first encounter with death, facing his own mortality as a triple amputee, and what it means to have a good death. To start, BJ responds to a four-foot-tall sculpture of the fierce protector Vajrabhairava. Enormous and terrifying, he embodies the power and wisdom that can help us conquer our greatest attachment—life—and our ultimate fear—its cessation. Dr. BJ Miller is a longtime hospice and palliative medicine physician. He currently sees patients and families via telehealth through Mettle Health, a company he co-founded with the aim to provide holistic care for individuals and families who need help navigating the practical, emotional,and existential issues that come with serious illness and disability. Led by his own experiences as a patient, BJ advocates for the roles of our senses, community,and presence in designing a better ending. His interests are in working across disciplines to affect broad-based culture change, as well as furthering the message that suffering, illness, and dying are intrinsic aspects of life.BJ has given over 100 talks on the topics of death, dying, palliative care,and the intersection of healthcare with design. Visit the podcast webpage to see the art that inspired this episode, read a transcript, donate, and more: https://rubinmuseum.org/mediacenter/dying-is-living-with-palliative-care-doctor-bj-miller-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.

Remarkable experiences can inspire, but without integration, they can also bring a sense of alienation. What role does integration play in the process of awakening? In this episode, we speak with Patricia James, a Medicine Woman of Seminole tribe heritage who has been formally trained in the Cheyenne tradition as a Priest and a Pipe Carrier, which means that she is a steward of a sacred pipe and the religious ceremonies for which it is used. To begin, Patricia considers a sculpture of an intertwined pair of lovers, Guhyasamaja and Sparshavajra, which represent the concept of nonduality, the idea that everything is interconnected. This artwork represents the union of apparently opposing forces often expressed in Tibetan Buddhist art as a sexual union of male and female, or compassion and wisdom, the combination of which are necessary for elevating consciousness toward awakening. Visit the podcast webpage to see the art that inspired this episode, read a transcript, donate, and more: https://rubinmuseum.org/mediacenter/integration-with-medicine-woman-patricia-james-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.

For most, deep and lasting enlightenment doesn’t come in an instant. When considering how to navigate a path of study and self-inquiry, what is important? Psychologist, author and teacher of meditation Tara Brach shares her own story of how her life took an unexpected turn, what it was like to find her own path as both a student and teacher of Buddhism, and how her spiritual journey led to one of radical acceptance and compassion. Tara responds to a sculpture of Gautama Budda who holds his hands in a gesture of teaching known as the dharmachakra mudra, indicating the act of instruction. It originally signified the Buddha’s first teaching when he symbolically turned the wheel of the Dharma. Tara Brach is the founder and guiding teacher of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington. She is the author of several books—including the international best-selling Radical Acceptance, True Refuge, Radical Compassion, and Trusting the Gold—and her popular weekly podcast is downloaded over three million times each month. Along with Jack Kornfield, Tara leads the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program (MMTCP), serving participants from around the world. Tara’s teachings blend Western psychology and Eastern spiritual practices, mindful attention to our inner life, and a full, compassionate engagement with our world. https://www.tarabrach.com Visit the podcast webpage to see the art that inspired this episode, read a transcript, donate, and more: https://rubinmuseum.org/mediacenter/finding-a-path-with-meditation-teacher-tara-brach-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.

Is it possible to bridge the sacred with everyday, ordinary life? In this episode, we speak with artist Tsherin Sherpa, whose work suggests that the sacred and mundane are not separate, but inseparable. He shares his story of being trained by his father in the art of traditional thangka painting, discovering his own artistic voice as a contemporary artist, and how he finds potential for awakening in the simple moments of life, like enjoying a cup of coffee. Tsherin begins by introducing us to the painting, Protector, one of his artworks shown in the exhibition, AWAKEN: A Tibetan Buddhist Journey Towards Enlightenment, in which he abstracts an image of a deity in search of its essence. Visit the podcast webpage to see the art that inspired this episode, read a transcript, donate, and more: https://rubinmuseum.org/mediacenter/bridging-the-sacred-and-mundane-with-artist-tsherin-sherpa-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.