288. Peter Fenner

Peter is a leader in the Western adaptation of Buddhist wisdom. He is a pioneer in the new field of nondual psychotherapy. He was a celibate monk in the Tibetan Buddhist traditions for nine years. He has a Ph.D. in the philosophical psychology of Mahayana Buddhism and has held teaching positions at universities in Australia and the USA. He has taught workshops at Naropa University, the California Institute for Integral Studies, Omega Institute, and other centers, and given invited presentations at JFK University, Saybrook College, Stanford Medical School, Columbia University, and internationally. Peter’s way of teaching is known for its dynamic and engaging deconstruction of all fixed frames of reference that block entry to unconditioned awareness, and for the purity and depth of natural, uncontrived silence that emerges in his work. He also has a unique capacity for sharing the skills and states of his transmission in a way that others can easily understand and begin to replicate the nondual transmission. Books: Radiant Mind - Teachings and Practices to Awaken Unconditioned Awareness (Audio) Radiant Mind - Awakening Unconditioned Awareness (Book) Realizing Unconditioned Awareness Sacred Mirror: Nondual Wisdom and Psychotherapy (Omega Books) The Edge of Certainty: Dilemmas on the Buddhist Path ESSENTIAL WISDOM TEACHINGS Websites: nondualtraining.com peterfenner.com wisdom.org Transcript of this interview Interview recorded 4/18/2015 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:04:07 - Distinguishing between intellectual understanding and direct experience 00:08:19 - Sourceless Bliss 00:12:35 - The Progressive Development of Experience 00:16:29 - Starting at the End 00:20:59 - Cultivating Peace and Serenity Amidst Difficulties 00:25:16 - The Paradoxical Nature of Non-Doing and Non-Dualism 00:29:40 - The Purity of Resting in Awareness 00:33:49 - The Purpose of Meditation 00:37:05 - The Practice of Doing Nothing 00:40:22 - Not Knowing and Presence 00:44:17 - The Ground of Subjectivity 00:47:26 - The Mystery of Awareness and Non-Duality 00:51:14 - Diversity of Non-Dual Approaches 00:54:39 - Neuroplasticity and the Nature of Enlightenment 00:58:35 - The Expansiveness of Enlightenment 01:02:03 - Resting as pure awareness in any state 01:05:39 - Collective Psychological Problems 01:09:15 - Dissolving Hidden Baggage and Flowing Life 01:13:00 - Exploring Devotion and Awareness 01:16:57 - The Concept of the Mind Stream 01:20:34 - Finding Inspiration in the Lineage 01:24:26 - Regaining the Natural State 01:28:19 - Embodiment and Integration 01:32:07 - Retreat in India and Nepal 01:35:49 - Nutty People and Spirituality 01:39:33 - Appreciating What We Have 01:43:18 - A Lifelong Passion 01:46:29 - Holding Up the Stick 01:50:09 - The Structure of the Course: Three Workshops 01:53:17 - Future Topics