Episode 24 - Sam Bercholz Drops The Mic

"I may be crucified for this... but happily!"   Sam Bercholz is the Founder and Editor In Chief of Shambhala Publications, was an attendant, student, close friend and constant collaborator of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche's for the last 17 years of his life, publishing virtually Trungpa's entire literary catalog. He co-hosted a weekly public radio show with Alan Watts (produced by an Anton Lavey devotee), and Sam personally introduced Trungpa Rinpoche to Alan Watts ("Alan was Trunpa's literary hero.") He shares the details of their first meeting, and the bombshell first impression Alan Watts made on Trungpa Rinpoche ("That was a horrible disappointment"). Sam also made the introduction between renowned Zen Master Suzuki Roshi and Trungpa Rinpoche, which became a lifelong friendship between the two most significant Buddhist teachers in North American history. Sam also grew up with Alan Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Lex Hixon, was the original mover and shaker of the spiritual boom in the Bay Area in the late 1960's and 70's. He even hosted His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (considered the living Buddha of the last 100 years) on his only visit to North America in 1976. Sam tells mind-blowing stories of what it was like for him to be the "designated driver" for Trungpa Rinpoche's early acid tests with his students ("best job ever") and how Trungpa never appeared to be affected by the LSD or the alcohol intake. Sam shares (for the first time publicly) his feelings about the controversial offshoot Shambhala Buddhism, which he reveals was created years after Trungpa Rinpoche's death, without his personal blessing and against many of his students support. "I tried to stop Shambhala Buddhism from happening. I thought it was a mistake to create a new religion, because Trungpa Rinpoche was not into starting new religions."  Sam also shares about his relationship with legendary poet Jim Harrison, and towards the end of the podcast, fields questions from Jaymee's student Tim D'amico and his partner Lacee. "I had many meetings with Trungpa Rinpoche while he was taking a crap..." - Sam Bercholz *LOVE IS THE AUTHOR: produced, edited, and hosted by Jaymee Carpenter. *Recorded live on location: Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, CA.  *Opening/closing music: "Spinning Love" by Sam Cohen (30th Century Records) *Follow LITA on Instagram: @loveistheauthor LOVE IS THE AUTHOR: produced, edited, and hosted by Jaymee Carpenter. MGMT/INFO: [email protected]