Ep111: Secret Drugs of Buddhism - Mike Crowley
In this interview I am joined by Mike Crowley, Buddhist Lama, musician/composer, and author of ’Secret Drugs of Buddhism: Psychedelic Sacraments and the Origins of the Vajrayana’.
We learn about Mike’s childhood as the son of a psychopath, and his extensive experimentation with all manner of drugs and psychoactive substances.
Mike recalls his encounters with Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and his 7 year apprenticeship with Lama Yungdrung which eventually resulted in Mike becoming a lama himself. Mike reveals details of his training and experiences practicing the yogas of Naropa including dream yoga, tummo, and more.
Mike lays out his argument that psychedelic sacrament was an essential part of Buddhist Vajrayana, discussing symbolism in sacred art, references in hagiographical accounts, and artefacts of psychedelic use in modern practice forms.
Mike also discusses how to transform negative emotion into wisdom, and compares Taoist inner alchemy to the inner yogas of Tibet.
Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
Topics Include:
00:00 – Intro
01:05 – Upcoming books and memoirs
05:17 – Growing up with a psychopathic father
07:45 – Extensive drug and psychedelic experimentation
09:52 – A life-changing vision of Indra’s net
14:53 – Mike’s understanding of the fifth precept
18:41 – Meeting Chogyam Trungpa and studying with Lama Yungdrung
21:37 – Hippy vs vajrayana psychedelic use
25:12 – Drug use in Buddhism
34:34 – 7 year training apprenticeship with Lama Yungdrung and becoming a lama
45:22 – Tummo, dream yoga, and the 6 Yogas of Naropa
56:16 – Learning Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese
01:01:47 – Tummo and pranayama as psychedelic substitutes?
01:07:18 – Longchenpa’s psychedelic ganacharka
01:10:13 – Tantric deities emerging from psychedelic experience
01:27:45 – To those who doubt the use of psychedelics in Buddhism
01:32:37 – Implications for vajrayana practitioners who have been practicing without psychedelics
01:35:39 – Transforming negative emotions into wisdom energy
01:42:07 – Taoist drugs, and comparing Taoist alchemy with Tibetan inner yogas
01:53:24 – Mike demonstrates some of his musical instruments
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To find our more about Mike, visit:
Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James