Meditation, Emotions & Body Language

with Jack Kornfield and Paul Ekman

Buddhist meditation teacher Jack Kornfield and psychologist Paul Ekman meet to explore what scientists and psychologists now understand about meditation, the mind and our emotional states, and how recent scientific studies compare with what spiritual masters have studied and learned over the centuries. As we learn to look into our own minds and into other people’s faces we gain new insights on the many subtle ways we communicate, to ourselves and to others.

Food for the Soul

with Huston Smith and Ram Dass

Internationally-renowned scholar of world religions, Huston Smith joins spiritual guru Ram Dass, author of “Be Here Now”, to share thoughts on consciousness, mortality, psychedelics and hope.

Healing, Family & Community

with Sobonfu Some and Rachel Naomi Remen

African healer Sobonfu Some meets author and medical doctor Rachel Naomi Remen to discuss topics such as the ways in which emotions cause illness, and how broken families can heal with the help of community.

The Monk & The Rabbi

with Brother David Steindl-Rast and Rabbi Larry Kushner

Benedictine Brother David Steindl-Rast and Rabbi Larry Kushner explore the depths of religious fundamentalism, mystical experience and the power of gratitude and forgiveness.

Transformation and Mindfulness

with Dr. Jon Kabat Zinn and Michael Murphy

Dr. Kabat-Zinn is the founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He is a meditation teacher and author of three books- “Wherever You Go, There you Are”, “Full Catastrophe Living” and recently, “Coming to Our Senses.” Michael Murphy is the founder of Esalen Institute and author of “Golf in the Kingdom”, “The Future of the Body”. and numerous other books. This program presents a variety of practices for developing awareness and mindfulness, practices which can not only heal our bodies and minds, but also, as we will hear, our troubled planet. Their discussion is full of inspiration, practical advice and lots of laughter.

Zen and the Art of African Initiation

with Malidoma Some and Joan Halifax

Joan Halifax, Buddhist teacher, author and abbot of Upaya Zen Monastery in Santa Fe, talks about initiation with African shaman, healer and diviner, Malidoma Some. Malidoma suggests that people in the West suffer from “sickness of the soul.” He joins Roshi Joan in a fascinating conversation about the ways we can heal this sickness, as well as the unexpressed grief in our culture. In this program, we discover the secrets of an African initiation and the power of Buddhist vows with two people who walk between the worlds of East and West, of Magic and Meditation.

Compassion in Action

with Robert Thurman and Dr. Larry Brilliant

Dr. Robert Thurman, Professor of Indo-Buddhist studies at Columbia University, inspiring teacher, lecturer and author of twelve books, discusses the fruition of spiritual practice – our work in the world, with Dr. Larry Brilliant , the epidemiologist who founded the SEVA Foundation, which has returned sight to over two million indigenous people in South America and Asia with free cataract operations. Dr. Brilliant headed the medical team which stamped out small pox in India in the 1970’s. Today he is back in India working on the spreading polio epidemic. This program will discuss the practice of Compassion in our personal and worldly lives. How is a spiritual practice, whatever it may be, taken into the larger society in a useful way?

The Heart of Islam

A Conversation with Shaykh Ahmed Sidi Kostas

Islam is arguably the most misunderstood and feared religion in the world today. Yet, few people know th at sufism, the mystical branch of Islam, much like the core teachings of Christianity, is built around the concept of Love – Divine Love and love for all Creation. From the ecstatic bliss of the whirling dervishes to the multi-layered mystical poetry of Jalaluddin Rumi, sufism has recently become more well- known in the west, as a practice which promotes tolerance and acceptance among all peoples and faiths.

Shakyh Ahmed Sidi Kostas, a Moroccan sufi of the Qadiri Order and a senior official in the Moroccan Ministry of Islamic Affairs, joins Bokara for a unique one-on-one lunch discussion, exploring a number of engaging topics from a sufi perspective, including justice, the veil and “Divine intoxication”.

Myths, Money and Meaning

with Jacob Needleman and Dr. Angeles Arrien

Myths are no joking matter. Myths inspire our very actions and give each of us a sense of meaning, both in our individual lives and in the lives of our culture and society as a whole. In this program, philosopher and author Jacob Needleman, and anthropologist Angeles Arrien join Bokara for an exploration the myths surrounding money, time and meaning in American society today.

In this lively discussion, several other core American myths, including consumption, pleasure and happiness are discussed and contrasted with the dominant myths of America’s founding fathers, as well as the dominant myths that operate in other cultures.

The Taoist and the Activist

with Dr. Benjamin Tong and Julia Butterfly Hill

In this program, Taoist professor and psychologist Dr. Benjamin Tong meets environmental activist Julia Butterfly Hill, the world’s most famous “tree-sitter”. Julia became an international symbol of environmental activism by living for over two years high atop an old-growth redwood tree in northern California, a tree she named “Luna”, which she ultimately saved from destruction.

Meeting for the first time, these two guests share thoughts on subjects ranging from compassion and attachment, to anger and finally, Nature as a spiritual path. In this unique lunch conversation, witness the contemplative tradition of Taoism, alongside the committed, activist approach of today’s environmental movement.

Peace through Dialogue

with Bishop William E. Swing and Professor Abdul Aziz Said

This unique, timely program brings together two internationally – renowned leaders in conflict resolution – one Muslim and one Christian, to discuss the possibilities for inter-faith dialogue and peace. Professor Abdul Aziz Said is the Director of the Center for Global Peace at American University, who meets here for the first time, Episcopal Bishop William E. Swing, Director of United Religions Initiative, an international inter-faith peace program.

Our Place in the Cosmos

with Brain Swimme, PhD and Dr. Mary Evelyn Tucker

Over a colorful Chinese chicken salad, host Bokara Legendre takes on some of the “big questions” about human existence and our role and purpose in the cosmos. What is the scientific explanation of the creation of the universe? Is western science’s so-called “quantum vacuum”, just another “creation myth”, and if so, how does it compare with the creation myths of other societies and belief systems? As guides on this existential journey through the cosmos, Bokara is joined by mathematical cosmologist Brian Swimme, PhD, and professor of world religions, Dr. Mary Evelyn Tucker.

God is Everywhere… and Nowhere

with Swami Chidanand Saraswati and Wes Nisker

Celebrating her penchant for bringing interesting people from different traditions together for the first time over lunch, host Bokara Legendre invites a Hindu Swami from the Himalayas who believes in a pantheon of Gods, to meet an American Buddhist teacher who follows the non-theistic spiritual path of emptiness. Witness two teachers from two very different cultures and traditions share their insights on the core concepts of religious faith.