This Very Moment

In this episode, musician and visual artist Devendra Banhart sits down with Ivan Bercholz for an intimate conversation about how Buddhist practice, books, and subculture have shaped his life and work, leading him to This Very Moment.
From his early years of skateboarding (before it was cool) to his segue into indie-folk music, Devendra has always leaned into counterculture, providing the perfect foundation to esotericism and the Buddhadharma. Raised in a spiritual home, Devendra’s parents practiced and studied with a Hindu teacher; however, through his own exploration and experience, he discovered that the Buddhist teachings are the one true support for his life, art, and music. With honesty, depth, and humor, Devendra describes his interactions with his root teacher, Neten Chokling Rinpoche, as well as Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, which pushed him to go beyond doubt, hardship, and insecurity both as an artist and a practitioner. Through winding storytelling, Devendra shares his deep appreciation of the universal spiritual principles that he’s encountered through books, teachers, and music, while returning again and again to his personal devotion to the Buddhist teachings.
Watch this interview or read the episode show notes at shambhala.com/podcast.
Timestamps
00:00 Devendra Banhart on Spirituality, Music & Creative Life
09:04 Religion, Culture & Finding Community
15:38 Skateboarding, Freedom & Everyday Joy
21:14 Stage Fright, Performing & Substances in Music
27:51 The Sacrifices of a Creative Life
34:00 Why Spiritual Certainty Can Be Dangerous
39:36 Laurie Anderson and Other Influences
54:00 Performing Against My Will & Working with Fear
01:03:46 Lamas Are Superheroes

In this intimate conversation, eminent Tibetan Buddhist master and scholar Ringu Tulku Rinpoche traces his extraordinary life shaped by exile, rigorous study, a lifetime of practice and teaching across cultures, leading him to this very moment.
He describes his early years studying and practicing under Khenpo Tsöndrü, the Sixteenth Karmapa, and his main teacher Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, as well as a variety of teachers from the Kagyu Nyingma, Geluk, and Sakya traditions lending to his rimé (nonsectarian) training. Rinpoche also highlights two major lay influences: Professor N. C. Sinha, who shaped his understanding of history and ethics, and Freda Bedi, who nurtured his English, cross-cultural awareness, and early teaching activity.
Reminiscing on his early education, Rinpoche describes his experiences studying at the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies in Sarnath and later his unanticipated 8-year appointment translating textbooks into Tibetan for the education department in Sikkim, followed by 17 years of teaching Tibetan Language and Literature at the college level before “retiring” and continuing his teaching internationally.
Since 1990, Rinpoche has been traveling and teaching Buddhism at over 50 universities, institutes, and Buddhist centers in Europe, Australia, Asia, and North America, as well as participating in interfaith dialogues and academic conferences, making him a true nomad and advocate of the nonsectarian impulse.
Watch this interview or read the episode show notes at shambhala.com/podcast.
*Photo of Rinpoche courtesy of Gerry McCulloch.
Timestamps
00:00:38 – Growing up in Kham
00:05:19 – Early memories and inspiration
00:12:27 – Meeting his root guru, Digo Khyentse Rinpoche
00:25:32 – The friendship between Khyentse Rinpoche and the 16th Karmapa
00:27:41 – Non-Buddhist influences (Professor N. C. Sinha and Freda Bedi)
00:32:32 – The transition from student to teacher
00:41:06 – Teaching internationally
00:54:09 – The production of the Lazy Lama Looks at Buddhist Meditation book series
00:57:15 – Current projects and activities
01:03:50 – The most important teaching
Books by the Author
Path to Buddhahood: Teachings on Gampopa’s Jewel Ornament of Liberation
The Ri-me Philosophy of Jamgön Kongtrul the Great: A Study of the Buddhist Lineages of Tibet
Confusion Arises as Wisdom: Gampopa’s Heart Advice on the Path of
Daring Steps: Traversing the Path of the Buddha
Mind Training

This episode features author, theologist, and Community Dharma Leader, Pamela Ayo Yetunde. Hear about Ayo’s upbringing and early roots in the church and Black Christian community, and how her love of music and poetry spawned a deep appreciation of the spiritual and symbolic elements hidden within artistic compositions. Ayo discusses influential figures, authors, and musicians from Gandhi, bell hooks, and Audre Lorde to American singer and songwriter, India Arie. In particular, she cites the pop icon Prince as having a significant influence on her life and work, underscored in her recent book Dearly Beloved: Prince, Spirituality and This Thing Called Life. All these early experiences and more ripened Ayo to explore the heartfelt dimensions of healing and spirituality, starting with the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh followed by Insight Meditation teacher Gil Fronsdal and her work early on with the Zen Hospice Project alongside beloved volunteer coordinator Eric Poché. The cumulation of these experiences and more are what brought her to This Very Moment.
In addition to discussing her life and work, this interview focuses on the intersection of music and spirituality, aligned with Ayo’s current exploration of theolyricology, a term coined by Ayo meaning “the study of song lyrics about God, gods, spirituality, and/or the divine.”
Watch this interview or read the episode show notes at shambhala.com/podcast.
Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction to Ayo Yetunde and her work
00:52 – Early life, church roots, and spiritual beginnings
06:10 – Music, poetry, and creative expression as formation
13:45 – Hospice work and being with death and grief
22:30 – Black Buddhist organizing and community building
32:05 – Editing Black and Buddhist and shaping collective voice
41:20 – Theolyricology: studying song lyrics about the divine
52:10 – Wisdom, practice, and sustaining spiritual life
01:06:40 – Closing reflections and where to find Ayo’s work
Books by the Author:
Casting Indra’s Net
Black and Buddhist

This episode features Dungzin Garab Dorje Rinpoche, the son and dharma heir of his father, Thinley Norbu Rinpoche. Learn about his upbringing and early introductions to the deepest layers of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. From his early studies to empowerments and teachings from some of the most revered Buddhist masters, Rinpoche shares stories about how the Buddhadharma took root in his heart, leading him to become a renowned throne holder in the Dudjom lineage in This Very Moment.
In this interview, Rinpoche recalls early memories of living and studying Buddhism in Darjeeling at Kangyur Rinpoche’s gompa as a young boy, followed by intensive study at Mindrolling and Palyul. He describes how his connection with his father developed as he matured. Slowly he began to witness his father’s teachings and the vision he had for him with more clarity, transforming their relationship from father and son to teacher and disciple. Likewise, he reminisces his remarkable familial connection with Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche (paternal grandfather) and Sonam Zangpo Rinpoche (maternal grandfather), as well as the challenges and auspicious connections required to build the Rangjung Woesel Choeling Monastery and his extensive dharma activities seen today.
Watch this interview or read the episode show notes at shambhala.com/podcast.
Timestamps
00:00 — Intro & guest overview: Garab Dorje Rinpoche, Throma Nagmo/Chöd, and his remarkable family lineage.
05:00 — Early life in Bhutan: strict upbringing, morning prayers, and how his father shaped his discipline.
20:00 — Entering monastic life: being sent to monastery/retreat settings, adapting to training, and first major influences.
30:00 — Formal studies & turning points: philosophy training, teachers, and the weight of responsibilities amid personal loss.
40:14 — Building for the sangha: renting land, plans for temples/hostels, and the Singapore fundraising story tied to his mother’s passing.
54:24 — Founding Throma lay groups: how and why he began organizing Throma/Krodhikali practice communities in Bhutan.
60:17 — Propagating Dudjom lineage today: vision for temples, nunneries, monastic education, and challenges like fewer young monks.
70:02 — Initiations explained: Root vs. Supreme Initiation, samaya commitments, and why practitioner cards are required.
80:00 — Teaching on the road + stories: traveling to students, benefits/miracles of practice, and reflections on lay vs. Dharma perspectives.

Join Ivan and Sara Bercholz (co-owners of Shambhala Publications) in conversation with the renowned yoga teaching couple Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor. From the ‘60s music scene to transcendental philosophy, Eastern thought, holistic psychology, and integrated health, through their first discoveries of yoga and meditation and travels to India and Iran, we get a glimpse into the early experiences that carried them forward to becoming the revered yoga practitioners and teachers that they are in This Very Moment.
In this interview we learn about Richard and Mary’s early upbringing and the environment that inspired them to embark on the spiritual path. With their signature warmth, hear how Richard and Mary found their way to the Buddhist and yogic tradition through the waves of hippy counterculture, revolt against the Vietnam War, and the growing tension in the Middle East. Learn about their early interactions with their teachers K. Pattabhi Jois and B.K.S. Iyengar, and the origin story of their relationship and how they became co-teachers.
Watch this interview or read the episode show notes at shambhala.com/podcast.
Timestamps
00:00 – Getting Started & Meet Richard and Mary
09:45 – How Breath Shapes Awareness
20:30 – Finding Balance Between Effort and Surrender
33:00 – The Mind-Body Connection in Practice
47:15 – Teachers, Mentors, and Keeping Yoga Real
59:20 – Relationships, Compassion, and Daily Life
1:12:10 – Emptiness, Wholeness, and Letting Go1:22:00 – Wrapping Up and Final Thoughts