Ep84: Hitchhiking in Samsara - Lama David Curtis
In this episode, I am joined by David Curtis, a Lama in the Shangpa-Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism and founder of the Tibetan Language Institute.
David reveals how a radically transformative experience of LSD led to his leaving a career in military intelligence to dedicate himself to spiritual exploration
We discuss David’s love for classical languages, the Western canon, and why conversion to Buddhism often includes a rejection of Western civilisation.
David tells of hitchhiking across Europe, entering a 3-year retreat under the direction of famous meditation master Kalu Rinpoche, and recounts his powerful experiences there practicing the 6 Yogas of Naropa.
Audio version of this podcast also available on iTunes and Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.
Topic outline:
0:00 – Intro
0:46 – Studying philosophy and meeting the Dalai Lama
8:55 – Vietnam, military intelligence, and a transformative experience with LSD
14:44 – David’s extensive LSD explorations
20:09 – What would David’s life have been like without LSD?
21:47 – Falling in love with the Greek Classics
25:02 – Why many American Buddhist converts rejected Western civilisation
30:39 – Beat Zen, Square Zen and religious conversion
39:09 – David’s advice for reading the Western canon
42:00 – ‘Hitchhiking in Samsara’, David’s way of life
58:00 – Stories from David’s 3-year retreat
1:11:49 – Love, wisdom, and power
1:16:10 – Archetypes and reification
1:28:27 – David’s significant intuitive and dream experiences
1:38:51 – Powerful experiences with the 6 Yogas of Naropa
1:44:50 – Out of body experiences with illusory body yoga
1:47:46 – The value of experiences on the spiritual path
1:55:12 – Final anecdote about entering the 3-year retreat
To find out more about Lama David Curtis, visit:
Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James