Ep3: Buddhist Army Chaplain – Keith McKenzie
In this interview I talk with Keith McKenzie. Keith is a meditation teacher and Buddhist chaplain for the British Armed Forces and works extensively with veterans in retreats and ongoing community projects.
We discuss Keith’s career as an elite soldier in the Parachute Regiment of the British army, and how severe PTSD ended Keith’s 22 years in the fire service and led to heavy substance abuse and years of suffering.
We learn how a profound spiritual experience altered the direction of Keith’s life and saw him immerse in meditation and Buddhism, discovering tools to stabilise his mind and heal his trauma – tools that he now shares in his work with veterans through his charity Sadaya.
Update: Keith passed away peacefully on November 11th 2021 surrounded by friends and family.
Topics include:
– The importance of credibility and life experience
– Keith’s time as a hippy in Holland in the 70s before joining the army
– The urge to search and Keith’s childhood experiences of religion
– How early childhood challenges influenced Keith’s desire to be the best and prove he wasn’t weak
– Keith’s career in the elite Parachute Regiment Pathfinders of the British Army
– SAS selection and being shot
– How 22 years in the fire service was vastly more traumatic than his time in the army and led to severe PTSD
– Complex PTSD and how initial trauma can set a pattern of recurring retraumatisation
– Karma and character formation
– How the negative consequences of one’s mistakes are actually an opportunity to repair karma
– Nightmares are dreams trying to tell us something
– Why it’s useful to see challenges in life as an opportunity to pay off negative karma
– How Keith’s view of karma sets him free from blaming others and blaming himself
– Meditation as a tool for use in daily life
– Why meditation is like going to the gym, but application in real life is the main event
– How Keith uses mindful awareness to deal with difficult experiences
– Mistaken ideas about karma and why it isn’t about self blame
– How Keith teaches forgiveness through debate and not meditation techniques
– Why being a human being is a great opportunity but can lead to difficulties
– How severe PTSD ended Keith’s time in the fire service and saw him spend time in a psychiatric ward
– The limits of therapy as a cure and why Keith turned to heavy drinking and drugs
– How a powerful spiritual experience radically changed the course of Keith’s life
– Quitting drinking, drugs, and smoking all in one day
– Keith’s jumps into meditation with 8+ hours of intensive practice a day in a Buddhist monastery
– The importance of personal practice and why Keith still meditates for 3 hours every day
– Meeting Lama Yeshe, the abbot of Samye Ling Monastery, and experiencing his presence and intuitive power
– Lama Yeshe’s surprising advice to Keith
– Meditation retreats vs real life service
– Why Keith longs to go on extended retreat but chooses to serve veterans instead
– Does mediation lead to a muted, dull emotional life?
– Keith’s personal meditation practice
– Practical techniques to relieve pain and suffering
– Keith’s work with veterans and those suffering with PTSD
– What happens on Keith’s retreats and the unique needs of veterans
– Keith’s passion to give veterans tools to stabilise their minds so they can reclaim their lives
– Why Keith isn’t interested in converting people and instead supports people to find their own sense of meaning
– Working with Keith
Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James