Guru Viking Podcast

In this episode I am once joined by Christiana Polites for a bonus episode to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of her independent publishing house, Sky Press Publications.

Christiana recounts the origin of Sky Press Publications, her ongoing collaboration with Dr Nida Chengatsang, and reveals why their venture has never had a coherent business plan.

Christiana takes us through the entire catalogue with anecdotes and reflections about the publishing and reception of books such as “Karmamudra: The Yoga of Bliss” and “Foundations of Vajrayana Buddhism: A Guide to Yuthok's Healing Path”.

Christiana also gives her advice for assembling and leading creative teams and reflects on the future of religious publishing.

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Also available on Youtube , iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

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Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
00:51 - A love of books
03:40 - Founding Sky Press Books with Nida Chenagtsang
07:36 - No business plan
10:16 - Print on demand strategy
12:26 - Dual mission of Sky Press Books
14:53 - Moral aim of the karmamudra book
17:25 - Showing Karmamudra: The Yoga of Bliss
18:14 - Medical perspective gives context to Buddhist teaching
20:32 - Religion and culture
22:22 - Criticism of the karmamudra book
24:00 - “Mirror of Light” book tour anecdotes
25:41 - Weapon of Light: Introduction to Ati Yoga Meditation
26:28 - Nejang: Tibetan Self-Healing Yoga
30:19 - Surprisingly powerful practice
31:40 - Nejang vs tsa lung trulkhor movements
33:50 - Foundations of Sowa Rigpa: A Guide to the Root Tantra of Tibetan Medicine 
36:18 - Working with Dr Ben Joffe
39:03 - Reflections on building a team
42:38 - Systems that support the vision
44:18 - Supporters and benefactors
47:17 - How does Sky Press fit into the dharma publishing scene?
49:30 - Let Meditation Be Thy Medicine: The Timeless Healing Wisdom of Tibet
50:50 - Foundations of Vajrayana Buddhism: A Guide to Yuthok's Healing Path
52:44 - Translations into foreign languages
53:48 - Using books for home retreat
55:30 - A Guide to Kunye and the External Therapies of Sowa Rigpa
56:40 - The Flight of the Garuda
58:02 - The Sowa Rigpa Journal, including Steve’s article
59:16 - Thoughts about book collecting
01:00:30 - Advice for those who wish to self publish
01:01:40 - The next decade of Sky Press Publications
01:04:47 - Audiobooks, music, and the arts
01:05:34 - Preserving Tibetan teachings

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Previous episodes with Christiana Polites:
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=polites

Find out more about Christiana Polites:
- https://skypresspublications.com/
- https://www.yangchenma.org/christiana
- https://purelandfarms.com/teachers

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For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

If you value the podcast and would like to support its continued production, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/guruviking.

In this episode I am joined by Christiana Polites, practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism, long time collaborator of Tibetan spiritual teacher Nida Chenagtsang, and founder of Sky Press Books, Pure Land Farms, the Sowa Rigpa Institute, and more.

Christiana recalls her privileged upbringing in Manhattan, New York; her education in comparative religions at Harvard University; and her deep involvement in the 90s New York yoga scene.

Christiana talks about her discipleship under and collaborations with Nida Chenagtsang, reflects on the tantric guru-disciple relationship, and considers the trend of asking one’s guru for advice about life choices.

Christiana shares her own journey to personal empowerment and self-direction, why working closely with a guru requires adaptability, and gives a potted history of the many religious and cultural organisations she has founded.

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Also available on Youtube , iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

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Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
02:42 - Upbringing in Manhattan
05:54 - Beginnings of spiritual questioning
06:50 - History of religions class
09:08 - New York yoga in the 90s
10:55 - Spiritual side of yoga in the 90s
13:00 - Body bliss
16:37 - Quitting yoga overnight
22:05 - Studying comparative religions at Harvard
25:55 - Influential professors and deciding against academia
28:43 - Areas of study
30:18 - Life-changing 3 months in Bodhgaya
32:46 - A survey of the 3 yanas
35:02 - Connecting with Tibetan Buddhism
37:52 - Gradual vs sudden awakening
39:42 - Constitutional type vs karma
41:03 - Pros and cons of kapha/bad kan constitution
42:38 - Character change vs peak experiences
44:49 - Fruits of the path
45:47 - Adaptability and working with Dr Nida
47:52 - Dr Nida’s spontaneous creativity
49:28 - Life after Harvard, further study of Tibetan Buddhism, and Chinese medicine studies
52:14 - Gurus in Colorado
53:22 - Decision not to study @ Naropa
53:42 - When did Christiana become a Buddhist?
55:25 - Plant medicines and meeting Dr Nida
01:01:26 - Taoist medicine studies in China
01:05:33 - Asking Dr Nida for advice and founding Yanchenma Healing Arts
01:10:47 - Culture of asking the guru for life advice
01:13:37 - Becoming personally empowered and the burden of logistics
01:20:40 - Healthy separation
01:22:48 - Having a dharma centre
01:24:13 - Reflections on the guru-disciple relationship with Dr Nida
01:30:43 - What motivates Christiana’s practice?
01:34:48 - Basic teachings vs advanced practices
01:40:03 - Founding Sky Press Publications
01:48:02 - Founding the Sowa Rigpa Institute
01:50:17 - Founding Yangchenma Arts and Music with Simone Giuliani
01:52:51 - An auspicious year
01:54:55 - An unusual sangha

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Find out more about Christiana Polites:
- https://skypresspublications.com/
- https://www.yangchenma.org/christiana
- https://purelandfarms.com/teachers

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For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

If you value the podcast and would like to support its continued production, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/guruviking.

In this episode I am once again joined by Samuel Bercholz, a senior teacher in the Nyingma and Kagyu lineages of Tibetan Buddhism, founder of Shambala publications, and author of “Rude Awakenings:An Unconventional Guide to the Buddhist Path”.

Sam reflects on the controversial behaviour of his guru, Tibetan Buddhist teacher Chogyam Trungpa; explores the uneasy relationship between enlightenment and morality; and reports Thinley Norbu Rinpoche’s enthusiasm for cleaning and toilet hygiene.

Sam explains why he believes that the ground of meditation is hopelessness, shares his own past skepticism about Buddhist doctrines of awakening, and discusses the pros and cons of publicising one’s spiritual attainments.

Sam also recounts times when his gurus demonstrated omniscience and other siddhi powers, muses about a special sense of humour that comes with spiritual realisation, and reveals the centrality of working with spirits and other beings in Indo-Tibetan Tantra.

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Also available on Youtube , iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

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Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
01:11 - High octane gurus
02:33 - Guru trends, edgy vs nice
04:07 - Dzogchen madness
05:45 - Things happen
07:43 - How lies become truth
10:04 - Claiming enlightenment
13:41 - Why meditate?
18:29 - Meditation and hopelessness
20:20 - Skepticism about the path
24:08 - Realising hopelessness
25:23 - From depression to liberation
26:18 - The middle way
29:09 - No problem amidst problems
32:29 - No more working hard
35:27 - Guru relationship vs personal practice
38:09 - Chod practice
39:46 - Ngondro, the preliminary practices
40:45 - Is more practice better?
44:13 - The mind of the 16th Karmapa
45:02 - Enlightened humour
47:46 - The cosmic joke
49:32 - Concepts about enlightenment
51:56 - Thiney Norbu Rinpoche’s fanaticism about cleaning and toilet practice
53:38 - Enlightenment vs moral development
55:20 - The ālaya, all-ground
55:59 - Wrathful and peaceful deities
59:04 - Spiritual bliss
01:00:32 - Esoteric and drop the scientific method
01:01:11 - Morality and gurus
01:03:30 - Vinaya is based on human error
01:05:00 - Vajrayana morality
01:06:06 - Why people hate Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche
01:09:02 - The Merwin incident
01:09:35 - Trungpa slept with his students
01:11:59 - Does Trungpa’s bad reputation bother Sam?
01:14:20 - Why Sam wrote Rude Awakenings
01:15:38 - Building an enlightened society
01:16:39 - Why Trungpa’s enlightened society crumbled
01:17:36 - Guided Tour of Hell
01:18:54 - Guru omniscience and psychic powers
01:23:06 - Thinley Norbu Rinpoche’s omniscience
01:25:53 - ESP and entity contact in Tantra
01:28:37 - Why Buddhist Tantra is failing
01:29:36 - Working with spirits
01:32:09 - Emphasising the Indo-Tibetan link
01:33:16 - Narpoa, Tilopa, and Padmasambhava

To purchase “Rude Awakenings: vist:
- https://www.shambhala.com/rude-awakenings.html

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

If you value the podcast and would like to support its continued production, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/guruviking.

In this episode I am once again joined by Alan Chapman, British writer, occultist, and spiritual teacher.

In episode 370, Alan shared a prophecy and predicted that a major disaster would occur in New York on the 11th of September 2026. No such disaster occurred.

In this episode, Alan wrestles with the implications of his failed prediction; confronts the possible suffering he may have caused others; and shares his experiences before, during, and after the predicted day

Alan explores the concept of the false prophet, considers whether or not he is one, and describes Satanism as a force of accusation against God.

Alan also reflects on conscious reputation destruction for spiritual growth, compares Crowley with Christ, and warns about the danger of using prophecy for personal gain.

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Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

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Topics Include:

00:00 - Intro
01:01 - Alan’s failed prediction
02:17 - Passing on the curse
03:36 - Despite best intentions
06:09 - Accusing God
07:28 - Is Alan a false prophet?
10:01 - A deeper sin
11:01 - Using prophecy for personal gain
13:16 - Satan and the Satanic
15:41 - Catastrophes and the nature of God
22:48 - What is justice?
25:44 - New Atheism, rejecting God, and subverting trust in God
27:06 - Why did Alan share his prediction when he knew better?
32:46 - Giving advice and the absence of God
34:32 - Taking full responsibility
37:56 - Peoples’ reactions to Alan’s failed prediction
39:21 - Personal gain and false prophets
40:36 - What if the prediction had come true?
42:50 - Alan’s experience before, during, and after the predicted day
47:07 - Consciously destroying one’s reputation
50:04 - Death of possibilities
51:01 - Puncturing idealisation of Alan
52:21 - Is death of reputation liberating?
56:44 - Pythagoras and the way of blame
59:22 - Crowley’s reputation destruction
01:04:44 - Christ as the archetype of reputation destruction
01:07:46 - Crowley’s character traits
01:12:54 - Christ vs Crowley
01:17:03 - Growth of the Soul
01:17:13 - Alan sums up what he thinks happened to him
01:19:52 - Prophecy vs prediction
01:21:44 - 4D chess
01:25:24 - Negative consequences of Alan’s failed prediction
01:26:46 - For what Alan takes responsibility
01:29:23 - Alan’s distress
01:31:01 - Demonstrating the nature of Satan
01:32:40 - Alan’s courses

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Previous episodes with Alan Chapman: 
- https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=chapman

To find our more about Alan Chapman visit:
- https://barbarouswords.com/

For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

In this episode I am joined by Jessica Messenger psychic, occultist and founder of a new occult bookshop, CraftHaus, in the city of Derby, England.

Jessica recalls her idyllic childhood in the Midlands of England, her early affinity for the weird and metaphysical, and how a life changing experience at age 17 drove her to a lifelong study of the occult.

Jessica discusses psychic gifts, mediumship, tarot, ritual, and descries how she used chaos magic to radically change her financial situation.

Jessica also talks about the inspiration behind starting her occult bookshop, reflects on the importance of community, and shares stories of entity encounters and visitations.

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Also available on Youtube , iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’.

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Topics include:

00:00 - Intro
00:53 - Opening an occult bookstore
03:47 - Downloading ideas from spirit
05:29 - Jessica’s idyllic childhood
07:25 - An affinity for the weird and metaphysical
08:01 - Early experiments with potions and magick
09:33 - A life changing supernatural experience at age 17
14:35 - Driven to explore the occult
16:18 - Internet occult communities
18:10 - Finding a deeper spirituality in a toxic relationship
20:23 - Trauma and connecting with the spirit world
21:06 - Premonition about ex-partner’s death
23:38 - Finding herself exiting a toxic relationship
25:57 - Everything you need is within
27:51 - Learning to trust intuition
29:42 - Two sources of intuition
32:57 - Working with guides
33:46 - Years of secret occult practice
34:33 - Exploring Tarot cards
36:10 - Shame around occult practice
36:19 - Worry about the opinions of others
37:47 - Ongoing learning and mentoring others
39:33 - Chaos magick practice
41:01 - Wealth magick and radical financial gain
43:30 - Is wealth magick stealing?
45:11 - Podcasts and books
47:55 - Icons and idols
49:51 - Me-too era and mistrust of public figures
50:54 - Meditation practice
52:40 - Evolution of Jessica’s meditation practice
53:08 - Trance mediumship
55:17 - Physical sensations of spirit contact
55:40 - Psychic self defence and magickal protection
59:49 - Going beyond fear
01:01:04 - Entity encounters
01:02:15 - Visitations
01:03:29 - What do entities want?
01:05:29 - Personal lore and natural psychics
01:07:00 - Sharing magick in a relationship
01:10:17 - A hub for alternative lifestyle communities
01:13:14 - A magickal experience in the shop
01:17:13 - Using magick and psychic abilities to help others
01:20:34 - Finding CraftHaus Occult
01:22:15 - Concluding remarks

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Find out more about Jessica Messenger:
- https://crafthausderby.com/

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For more interviews, videos, and more visit:
- https://www.guruviking.com

Music ‘Deva Dasi’ by Steve James

If you value the podcast and would like to support its continued production, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/guruviking.