Dynamic Dharma: How Modern Meditators Are Shaping Buddhism with Dr. Ana Christina Lopes
In Tibetan Buddhism, lineage is everything — a sacred thread connecting teacher to student across generations. But what happens when modern meditators enter the mix? Anthropologist and Buddhist practitioner Dr. Ana Christina Lopes joins us to explore how tradition evolves when it meets real lives and real practice. Is lineage just about preserving the past, or can it also be a living, creative force? Tune in as we unpack how today’s practitioners are not only inheriting the Dharma, but actively reshaping it. Dr. Ana Cristina focuses on the translation and study of sūtras, particularly the Buddhāvataṃsakasūtra. Ana Cristina received her PhD in Anthropology from the University of Sao Paulo and her MA in Buddhist Studies from Columbia University. She studied Classical Tibetan as part of her PhD research, in postdocs at Columbia and Harvard universities, and at the Rangjung Yeshe Institute. Ana Cristina was faculty at University of Virginia and UNC-Greensboro. She also taught at RYI-Austria and Stanford University, where she is Visiting Fellow at the Center for South Asia. She is the author of Tibetan Buddhism in Diaspora: Cultural re-signification in practice and institutions (Routledge, 2015)
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Buddhist Temptation: What Buddhism is offering to the world
Once again, we have the great honor to have Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche as our guest. In this episode, Rinpoche talks about why Buddhism is so appealing in today’s world, the confluence of Buddhist philosophy and modern science, and what we can do to ensure Buddhism is able to continue to thrive. Rinpoche, recently inaugurated a spectacular new temple in Lubini, the birthplace of Buddha. It was selected the 9th most important place to visit in 2025 by the New York Times. Rinpoche explains why he felt it was so important to build this temple, a lifelong aspiration of his. Some of his answers might surprise you.
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Neural Nirvana: The Neuroscience of Meditation and Spirituality
Our guest this month is the neuroscientist Dr. Clifford Saron, one of the world’s leading scholars of the tangible effects of mediation. We have a free and wide-ranging conversation about meditation, science, objectivity and spirituality from a pioneer in the field of neuroscience and contemplative science. Clifford Saron, PhD, is a Research Scientist at the Center for Mind and Brain Institute at the University of California–Davis. Cliff has had a long-standing interest in the effects of contemplative practice on physiology and behavior. In the early 1990s, he conducted field research investigating Tibetan Buddhist mind training under the auspices of the office of H.H. the Dalai Lama. Cliff directs the Shamatha Project, a multidisciplinary longitudinal investigation of the effects of intensive meditation on physiological and psychological processes central to well-being. His research team is investigating how meditation experience may mitigate the effects of the pandemic on chronic stress and cellular aging, as well as examining consequences of compassion vs. mindfulness training on engagement with suffering. Cliff also studies sensory processing and integration in children with autism spectrum disorders to better understand how these children experience their everyday sensory environments. You can find out more about his work at https://mindbrain.ucdavis.edu/people/clifford-saron and his lab at http://saronlab.ucdavis.edu/
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Tukdam: The Practice of Awakening at the Moment of Death
In this episode, Dr. Tawni Tidwell shares the latest research into the meditative state of Tukdam. Tukdam is the practice of realizing mind's innermost essence at the moment of death. Pratcitioner's who die in the Tukdam state exhibit minimal signs of bodily decomposition, sometimes for weeks. Tawni Tidwell is a biocultural anthropologist (PhD 2017, Emory University) and Tibetan medical doctor (Kachupa degree 2015, Qinghai University Tibetan Medical College). She is currently a Research Assistant Professor at the Center for Healthy Minds of University of Wisconsin-Madison. Tawni’s research facilitates bridges across the Western scientific tradition and Tibetan medical tradition along with their attendant epistemologies and ontologies. Previously, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the Austrian Academy of Sciences and University of Vienna, where her work focused on pharmacological innovations in Tibetan medicine and training practices for medicine compounding. Her doctoral work detailed the entrainment process for learning Tibetan medical diagnostics of Tibetan medical conceptions of cancer and related metabolic disorders. She is currently the Science Lead for Field Study of the Physiology of Meditation Practitioners and the Tukdam Meditative State (FMed/Tukdam Study) and serves as Principal Investigator for both the North American COVID-19 Tibetan Medical Observational Study (NACTMOS) and the Examining Individual Differences in Contemplative Practice Response Project (ExamID-Biome). Her published works focus on diagnostic/treatment paradigms, pharmacological synergies, and cultural practices for wellbeing and resilience. She maintains a private clinical practice in Madison, Wisconsin and Vienna, Austria. You can learn more about her work at: www.centerhealthyminds.org/about/people/tawni-tidwell. You can learn more about the Tukdam Study at: centerhealthyminds.org/science/studies/the-field-study-of-long-term-meditation-practitioners.
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How to keep peace during holiday season
In this episode, host Erric Solomon is joined by Gomde team member and mental health professional Birgit Meiche to explore how to approach the holiday season with greater ease and mindfulness. Together, they delve into practical strategies for managing family dynamics, dealing with stress, and responding skillfully to challenging conversations—like when a relative’s controversial opinions threaten to spark tension. Drawing on Buddhist-inspired wisdom and Birgit’s mental health expertise, they discuss how to stay grounded, cultivate compassion, and transform potentially difficult moments into opportunities for deeper connection. Tune in for insights on making your holiday gatherings more harmonious, meaningful, and enjoyable for everyone.
The Kind Heartfulness podcast arose from the wisdom of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche in concert with the activities Rangjung Yeshe Gomde Austria-Germany. Each year many brilliant Buddhist teachers, scholars and sublime meditators grace the programs and seminars of our meditation center nestled atop the beautiful hillside above Scharnstein Austria. Therefore, this podcast is a way to share some of their insight and wisdom with you.
In each episode we will explore the inner reaches of the heart, the mind, and the very nature of reality. We are in the process of establishing a fully accredited university, so in that spirit, we will have as our guests some of the greatest living Buddhist philosophers currently teaching in major universities. This will be presented in an accessible manner that is interesting, entertaining and enlightening for everyone who is curious. Please join us on our journey as we explore, with an open heart and an inquisitive mind, the very essence of what it means to be human.
Your host: Erric Solomon.
Each episode is hosted by Erric Solomon, a noted author, Buddhist teacher and meditator. Erric is the co-author with Phakchok Rinpoche of Radically Happy: A user’s guide to the mind.
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