Ep223: The Spiritual Odyssey of Freda Bedi - Naomi Levine 3

Interviews
Written By Guru Viking

Naomi Levine discusses the life of Freda Bedi, born in 1911 and also known as Sister Palmo; activist, radical, and the first Western woman to take full ordination in Tibetan Buddhism.

Available on Youtube, iTunes, SoundCloud & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

In this interview, Naomi discusses the life of Freda Bedi, born in 1911 and also known as Sister Palmo; activist, radical, and the first Western woman to take full ordination in Tibetan Buddhism.

Naomi recounts Freda’s upbringing, education at Oxford University, controversial marriage to the communist activist BPL Bedi, flight from Nazi Germany, and arrival in India.

Naomi describes Freda’s conversion to Buddhism, ordination, and founding of the ‘Young Lama’s Homeschool’, where she taught English to young Tulkus such as Chogyam Trungpa, Ringu, Thupten Zopa, Chokyi Nyima, and more. 

Naomi also discusses Freda’s religious practice, the remarkable circumstances of her death, and shares the accounts of Buddhist lamas who ascribe to Freda high spiritual attainments.

00:00 - Intro
01:13 - Writing about Freda Bedi 
06:00 - The extraordinary death of Freda Bedi 
10:56 - Living through remarkable times 
12:30 - Born in a working class family
13:06 - Time at Oxford University
14:34 - Marrying Baba Pyare Lal ‘BPL’ Bedi
16:02 - Participation in Gandhi’s freedom movement
17:36 - Childhood meditation 
20:41 - Flight from Nazi Germany 
21:57 - Trouble in Kashmir 
26:04 - Learning meditation under Sayadaw U Titthila  and experiencing shunyata
27:14 - Friendship with Indira Gandhi and refugee work in Assam 
29:02 - Founding the Young Lama’s Homeschool
31:01 - Convincing 16th Karmapa to travel to the West
33:31 - First Western woman to attain enlightenment?
35:01 - Didi Contractor on Freda Bedi 
40:36 - Why is Freda Bedi not better known?
45:33 - Turbulent times and war
44:57 - Complexity and charisma 
46:42 - How did Freda Bedi penetrate elite political and religious circles?
51:36- Ayang Rinpoche on Freda Bedi’s death 
54:40 - Freda Bedi’s Marxism
58:27 - Ambiguities and motherhood 
01:01:20 - The home life of great humanitarians
01:04:30 -  BPL Bedi’s miraculous healing powers 
01:09:32 - Freda Bedi’s spiritual and meditation practices 
01:17:09 - Audio recording of Freda Bedi 
01:35:44 - Kabir’s intention to make a film about Freda Bedi 
01:36:16 - Naomi’s great admiration for Freda Bedi

Guru Viking
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