Stages of the Path, pt. 2 - The Great Refusal

Welcome to the second episode of The Freedom Place podcast! This is a platform for distributing interviews with and teachings of American-born sage Traktung Khepa.

Today's recording is from a teaching that was given on Sunday, June 2nd, 2019 at Tsogyelgar near Ann Arbor, Michigan. This teaching was part 2 of the Stages of the Path, continuing the from the prior episode. Rinpoche describes this talk as a LamRim teaching, which encompasses the stages of the path from beginning to the end.

This is part 2 that addresses:

- The Great Refusal - a decision to not take part in any harmful actions whether personal, political, spiritual, or otherwise and the importance of this step with regard to one's spiritual path
- the importance of analyzing teachers and teachings with discernment
- choosing a path that you can actually practice
- to discipline the mind and pay attention in order to love
- to embrace not knowing and insecurity because we need to look again and again since we're not already enlightened
- that authentic gurus love to be questioned about the path

And 2 questions at the end:
1. A comparison between Nisargardatta Maharaj's method of focusing on the feeling of "I am" and then going beyond with the tantric practice of Generation Phase deity yoga and the quality of devotion in practice

2. "Ki Ki So So Pagyalo" at the end of Sang incense offering - a practice to raise the spirit

Feel free to leave comments or questions below or send them to [e-mail]

The intro music is "Devotion" by David Modica and the outro music is "Song to a Pigeon Goddess Girl" by Honey Rain.

https://www.traktungkhepa.com/