Author and Spiritual Teacher Ken McLeod studied Tibetan Buddhism with Kalu Rinpoche for many years...
...but after landing abruptly in Los Angeles with the responsibility to teach and run a center, and following Kalu’s death, he had to reckon with the fact that he was teaching ancient practices that did not work for him and were often too complex for the needs of the Western student. This forced Ken to reevaluate his path, what brought him to spiritual practice in the first place (and what brings others to it as well), and led him outside the lines of teaching traditional Buddhism, and to what he describes broadly as showing others how to listen.
In this interview, Ken shares about this challenging journey, the unique perspective of what he calls Pragmatic Buddhism, and what it really means to be a teacher. He also reframes spiritual practice not as something to do to make one’s life better, but as a fundamental calling, one that despite the difficulty that can come along the way, cannot be turned away from in the pursuit of radical freedom.
We have extremely complex lives and so what people are craving in their spiritual lives is simplicity.
A Mind Unfettered is an in-depth interview with author and spiritual teacher Ken McLeod about teaching outside the lines of traditional Buddhism, the unique perspective of Pragmatic Buddhism and what it means to be a teacher. To enjoy A Mind Unfettered , you need to join Conscious Life. By registering for a 14-day free trial you will also have complete access to the entire platform via our website and mobile applications. After 14 days paid membership will begin and you can easily cancel at any time in by logging in and going to www.consciouslife.com/my-account.