“Look to your experience in dreams to know how you will fare in death. Look to your experience of sleep to discover whether or not you are truly awake." - Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, an esteemed teacher in the Bon Buddhist tradition of Tibet, joins us to discuss the importance of sleep in relation to the spiritual path. Since we spend nearly a third of our lives asleep, the focus on sleep and dream practice becomes of utmost important for those practitioners that want to make the best of the time they have. Listen in to find out more about the Bon tradition, the dissolution of the sense of self during sleep, and the way that dream practices can contribute to greater awareness during both sleep and death. This is part 1 of a two-part series.

A video creation I found on youtube sets a lecture by Alan Watts upon a background of ambient music, along with a visual image of Watts.  There are many uploaded videos of Watts on youtube.  What interests me about this one is the visual image - Watts has been (crudely) animated.  The video's description states: "Alan Watts, master philosopher brought to life with modern technology."

After I got over the creepiness of the video, I began to wonder what Alan Watts would think of being resurrected through technology.  I'm not very familiar with his philosophy, but I do know he has explored the idea of the past and history to some extent - the whole notion that "the tail does not wag the dog," or that the past does not need to determine our future.  Yet, we watch videos and listen to audio clips made in the past... on the one hand they are past events, preserved.  On the other hand, when played by us in our own time, they take on a quality of being present, or they are present events.

This video contains the lecture given by Watts, but I feel its new form (a youtube video) changes it in a way that makes it possible for it to be seen as something else. What that something is, I am not sure.  Kitschy laughs?  A creative expression of Watts' philosophy?

I'm interested to see what others think about it.

Here is the link for the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgqWzM7ckTk

-s-

[Herewith are my last journal entries, mostly verbatim instead of summarized, as I have been wont to do before.]

27 June 2008

Spent last night tossing, turning & hunting a little mouse that was munching on the pop-tart I’d gotten myself for the morning. [The rest of the story: I was mortified that it kept making noise, thinking it was keeping the other guys up. Nope, it turns out, just me. The cheeky little bastard had kept quiet and still when I picked up my bike helmet (which had the pop tart in it) to see if it was under there, not thinking to look inside. Eventually, carrying the helmet out of my room to put it out of reach, the little pest dropped out through a vent and ran for it.]

And just as I was getting ready to go, I saw I had a flat–and I’d managed to leave my tire irons behind somehow!

But I’m in good spirits now. A hostel staffer gave me his tire irons and I fixed the flat handily. The bead jack worked perfectly too.

So I’m at a KOA campsite in Pescadero with a restaurant where I await a huge salad with salmon. [Ed. note: these "campsites" are so loaded with luxury they might as well call them "split-log hotels." I have nothing against travelers enjoying those amenities, but why call them "campsites?"] Tempting to go with the burger & fries option as I’m starved but some vegetable matter does sound appealing.

I also seem to have mislaid my sharpener–I may be forced to return to a pen! Oh, wait, there it is in my pocket. [95% of all my stress in life is summed up right there.]

The Internet at the hostel was unusably bad. Satellite, so impossibly slow, and the interface seemed to be 100% web-based and actively evil. When I tried to load up Skype, the machine seemed to be trying to bring up Hotmail (?!).

Oh, and again with the headwind today! Not nearly as annoying on the trike, but still I can even verify it now, lots of tall grasses, pointed directly at me. Sheesh.

[Herewith are my last journal entries, mostly verbatim instead of summarized, as I have been wont to do before.]

26 June

Back on the road again! It took two false starts, but I did 50+ miles today and climbed over 3000 feet! The worst of it was King’s Mountain Road. Much of that twisty torture was spent in bottom gear, grinding away at 3 mph or less. It literally would have been faster to walk–but probably not pushing 80 lbs. or so of trike and gear.

Drivers were uniformly courteous, even friendly. At one point I waved at a van as I was piling along some ascent, and I could see only the passenger’s hand–throwing horns. Implicit message: I rock! That’s right, I do. You betta respect.

After the hell (in effort only) of King’s Mountain, I ran into a motorcyclist who persuaded me to just take Highway 1 instead of Stage Road, as the guy in the bike shop had suggested when I was starting my day. Unfortunately the motorbike guy also held forth on the “problem” presented by Mexicans, Chinese, and other immigrants. He claimed to be a liberal at one point–I wonder how that change happens. I tried to listen for his needs, which was enough for me to keep my cool externally but not much else. [Upon reflection, that encounter was about as creepy as any I had in the whole trip.]

Tunitas Creek Drive was a whole different adventure. Bike Shop Guy had suggested it as safe, and it even looked [on the map] to be a fun descent. Motorcycle Guy didn’t like the various blind turns, which were many, but I wanted a more direct route, so off I went.

I thik BSG forgot to consider my trike’s lacking the Big Shock Absorbers [standing on the pedals]. The road surface looked like an airfield that had taken heavy bombardment. I could go fast on the seemingly random repaired stretches but soon had to hit the brakes. I poured water on them during a break–it sizzled right off, they were so hot.

Tunitas did turn tamer after a while, letting on to houses and organic farms. I slowed down and stopped for a cute cat, but it fled my weird machine.

Anyway, I got to Highway 1, now more south than I had originally planned, and struck out for Pigeon Point. BSG had warned me off part of it, concerned that the berm was inadequate for a trike. It ws fine, though. I find I need less room with the trike, as my control of the tracking is much more precise–seeing where the wheels are is much easier. I don’t feel the need for a lot of allowance for weaving, since a bump against one tire affects my course but little.

The last few miles were a bit of fatigue-torture, but eventually the lighthouse popped into view. And they had beds available!

Not only that, i had a great evening’s conversation and got to share a hot tub (against California tradition, in swim suits) with a couple of touring bikers from Berkeley: C– and S–. It was more good conversation, and a stunning view of the fog-covered ocean with the lighthouse beam playing through it.

My apologies for yet another “quick update,” I actually have a few pages in my paper journal to transcribe yet.

My journey ended in something of a hurry as Amtrak had seats available for 24 July or 16 August, and I wanted to get back sooner rather than later. A 40-hour train trip and 3-hour bus ride (with 1 hour of sleep altogether), I was back in Vancouver. I saw the most incredibly exciting roller-derby game Saturday night (great hitting, refs all over the players like white on rice, super-deft skating, and sudden death overtime!), have rested up, and am feeling excited about life. Today begins my networking for a new job and first thing in the morning I saw an article about a restorative justice initiative right in this neighbourhood! A good sign.

Now to fix my laptop, which I managed to lobotomize on my first day here.

Melvin McLeod, Editor-in-Chief of the Shambhala Sun and Buddhadharma magazines, concludes his conversation with us, this time discussing the inevitable tensions that arise in Buddhist media. These tensions center primarily around going deep vs. spreading wide. Listen in to hear how these magazines find the middle ground between condemning Buddhism to the irrelevant on the one hand (too much depth) and selling out on the other (too much breadth). Also at the end Melvin shares the specific ways that their publications are looking to integrate new media technologies into their projects. Exciting times! This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to part 1, Peering Under the Hood of Buddhist Media.

Melvin McLeod, Editor-in-Chief of the Shambhala Sun and Buddhadharma magazines, concludes his conversation with us, this time discussing the inevitable tensions that arise in Buddhist media. These tensions center primarily around going deep vs. spreading wide. Listen in to hear how these magazines find the middle ground between condemning Buddhism to the irrelevant on the one hand (too much depth) and selling out on the other (too much breadth). Also at the end Melvin shares the specific ways that their publications are looking to integrate new media technologies into their projects. Exciting times! This is part 2 of a two-part series. Listen to part 1, Peering Under the Hood of Buddhist Media.

"Buddhism offers the most profound critique or criticism of life imaginable in it's analysis of the role of ego, and of the nature of samsara, as well as in its basic doctrine of emptiness. There could hardly be a more profound critique of life then to say that neither your nor it exists." - Melvin McLeod Melvin McLeod, Editor-in-Chief of the Shambhala Sun and Buddhadharma magazines, joins us to share his perspective on the differences and similarities that Buddhist media sources have with more traditional media. Listen in to find out more about the philosophical underpinnings of a publication that has at it's heart a commitment to the teachings of non-ego. This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, The Inevitable Tension: Going Deep vs. Spreading Wide.

"Buddhism offers the most profound critique or criticism of life imaginable in it's analysis of the role of ego, and of the nature of samsara, as well as in its basic doctrine of emptiness. There could hardly be a more profound critique of life then to say that neither your nor it exists." - Melvin McLeod Melvin McLeod, Editor-in-Chief of the Shambhala Sun and Buddhadharma magazines, joins us to share his perspective on the differences and similarities that Buddhist media sources have with more traditional media. Listen in to find out more about the philosophical underpinnings of a publication that has at it's heart a commitment to the teachings of non-ego. This is part 1 of a two-part series. Listen to part 2, The Inevitable Tension: Going Deep vs. Spreading Wide (airing next week).

In his new book The Engaged Spiritual Life: A Buddhist Approach to Transforming Ourselves and the World, Donald Rothberg sets out ten basic principles for socially engaged spiritual life. He shared these with us this last weekend. (I believe he co-wrote these ten with a partner, but her name escapes me). Resisting the urge to make my own comments, I wanted to offer them for your own consideration and contemplation, with a few words that Rothberg added during the retreat:

1) Establishing Your Own Ethical Guidelines on the personal, relational, and collective levels.
2) Mindfulness practice both on the cushion and off- honest relationship to what is happening in the moment.
3) Clarifying motivation/ Setting intentions
4) Opening to pain and suffering (ie unpleasant, uncomfortable, unsatisfactory conditions), first on the cushion and then off.
5) Balancing the care of self and of other (note: the traditional pali word for "equanimity" is UPEKA- meaning balance)
6) Open mindedness "Not knowing and keeping going"
7) Interdependence/Interbeing the honest contemplation and eventual understanding of our integral relationship to the people around us, our environment, and the whole world.
8) Transforming anger (and the negative emotions) these emotions are our strength as well as poisons. how do we transform them into skillful action? (hating anger is not so wise, wha?)
9) Acting from a place of equanimity
10) Deep commitment to action without attachment to outcome (as one Sri Lankan (?) activist said: "What we need is a five hundred year plan for social reform!")

I want to thank everyone at DIY for supporting me in my retreat with Donald Rothberg last week. Special thanks to Rachel Lewis and Brian Williams, to Westcoast Dharma, and to Donald Rothberg himself for coming to town to share his work on meditation and social action.
The weekend was rather intense for me, and I suspect for others. Apparently Westcoast Dharma retreats are usually conducted in silence, but this one (fittingly) required that we act and interact in sometimes very exposing ways. I found that being amidst a community that I did not know, I was more challenged by having to do the work than I would have expected (after all, I am supposed to be a mahayana buddhist, seeking the enlightenment of al beings, as well as a Shambhala warrior, brave enough to step up to the chalenge). The first practice where we were asked to work in pairs I opted out, out of fear and discomfort. But eventually I realized that this is the work we are really talking about when we discuss Buddhist social engagement! I find the loneliness of meditation rather easy compared to the personal exposure of social engagement, but if we want to bring our practice from the cushion to the world (as many of us really want to do) we will need to learn to be honest with each other just as we need to learn to be honest with ourselves when we sit in meditation. Maybe that is the first and only step when it comes down to it. The Bodhisattva is not always nice, but she or he is always, always genuine.
I think the root of Buddhist social engagement (meditation in action, as it has been called) is bringing the discoveries we make on the cushion into our daily lives. Rothberg asked us at the beginnning of the retreat how will we enact the wisdom we discover through practicing the Dharma, on a personal, social, and organizatiional level? These three levels go hand in hand (in hand), as it turns out, and though I have heard the news before, I believe it has finally hit home that this his how we do it. For real! When I think of social activism, I usually think of something outside of my personal quest for happiness and wisdom. There are the actions I take upon myself to improve my own life- meditation, self-care, education, friendships- and then there are the social actions I strive to realize- public action, social commentary, philosophical discourse, political choices. Rothberg, like may others, rejects a difference between these words, and insists that the only way to bring real change on the larger level is to start with the changes we enact within our own hearts and minds. 
This is not to say that we should only sit in meditation or strive for our own enlightenment before we dare give anyone a helping hand or good advice. I don't believe there is anything to stop a practitioner from being as socally active as they feel the can. If we are going to wait until we have everything right, we will be waiting a long long long long long time. At the same time, it seems as though Buddhist social action is not simply proclaiming the five precepts or the eightfold path from the rooftops, or demanding that our governments and society conform to the ideals of virture that we as Buddhists have come to appreciate. It is no secret that we see many dedicated social activists who will act out of grasping or violence in their search for peace and justice. Not to mention the questionable ways in which we (and I do mean WE) can sometimes treat our own selves and our loved-ones when the stress of trying to change the world for the better gets to us. To be the change we want to see is absolutely critical to social action, and to do so with an appreciation of how difficult that can and will be for everyone involved is what makes us Buddhist. (remember the first noble truth ... not the "first noble maybe"). Forgiveness of ourselves and others for not being completely liberated yet seems like a skillful first step to the whole scenerio.
Rothberg began with comments about the individual path of Buddhist practice, and the suggestion that if we look closely we may find that our meditation tends toward getting what we want for ourselves. Even when we engage in social action, don't we al get diverted from the thought "what is best for our world?", and succomb to the battle for getting what we want? I have seen myself begin many a battle with the thought, "I want justice for z, y, or x!", and end up with "I want those in power to do it MY way!" Though my intentions may have started off strong, something goes wrong along the way. Anyone else ever experience this?
In the west we are super-priviledged human beings. We hardly realize it, most of the time, but when we are practicing away, worried about our romantic disappointments, middleclass discontent, and fear for our children and neighborhoods, we are forgeting the 3/4 of the world who won't eat tonight; Who are living in constant danger of being disappeared, having their families destroyed, dying from disease that could easily be cured were they to have even half of the luxury that we in Canada and the USA enjoy. This is not meant to be a guilt trip or accusation. It is the way we live and the way the human mind works. there is no demand for us to reject or refuse to enjoy the privlidges that we are so blessed with! Indeed, in my own experience, this is a foolish pursuit. HH the 17th Karmapa once refered to western practitioners as people who "live like Gods". We have the power to change the world in our actions, and the power to feed and heal millions, or to destroy them, in the simple activities of our daily lives. Keeping that in mind is important, no?
It would be hard not to go one for hours regarding the experiences of this retreat, but I wanted to share the following considerations, which I have been contemplating this week, guided by Rothberg's own trinity of individual, social, and collective engagement and practice:
1) We always start with the self, as usual. What is my own practice really doing for me? What am I aspiring to? What am I practicing and how do I see that benefiting my own peace, happiness, wisdom, and liberation? Am I stronger, or weaker? Am I more at peace, or more needy, more annoyed, more deluded? I have practiced the Bodhisattva ideal in very wrong ways over the years, trying to drown out my own desires with the repetition of phrases about all sentient beings and on and on. But when push comes to shove, each of us are guided by our own desire for happiness and freedom from pain. So, what about that? Those Bodhisattva teachings that guide us to regard the well-being of all beings actually stem from the claim (or, if you are luckier and more skilled that I, the realization) that it is in seeking the hainess of others we gain happiness ourselves. So, what does that really mean? HH the Dalai Lama says that the bodhisattva (who vows not to attain perfect liberation until all beings everywhere are enlightened) is actually one of the most selfish of beings, but also the smartest, because she or he gains greater liberation from suffering by attnding to the needs of others. That in contrast to my own experience of self-sacrifice and self-denial, supposedly for the benefit of others. If you don't enjoy your life, chances are no one else will either! Hmmm, eh?
There is also the practical aspect of individual practice to be considered. If you wish to benefit others, you will need great resources yourself. Burn-out in social workers of any variety comes from pushing ourselves to far for our own good. If we get involved with Big Ideas, and strive to realize them, without taking the steps that allow us to be striong enough, we will end up with resentment and exhaustion. Never condemn yourself for practicing peace, stability, and above all, joy and love, for yourself first. This is the only way any of us will ever find the strength to do it for real, you know?
2) Bringing the practice to your social circle. Your community. Making changes ona national or world scale is important, yes, but how do we treat our own friends and loved ones? Just as walking meditation is a bridge between sitting still and meditating in every moment of our lives, practice with regards your family and community is important. Can we think of ways to act in our community with the same sort of strength and wisdom that we act with ourselves on the cushion? Giving people space to express themselves. Being honest in expressing ourselves to them. Practicing some sort of integrity of communication and action with the people around us. Just as individuals make the world- deluded or wise, ignorant or awake- we are most directly effective within the community that surrounds us. use that as a starting point, and see what comes of it.
3) Seeking to bring it to the greater realm. We do a lot more than vote as members of a democratic nation. Many of us are directly involved in groups who seek to change the systems we guide our country and our world by. Bringing some stability of mind and wisdom into those interactions also matters very deeply. What are our collective modes of being? (Rothberg brough up the Irish tradition of "keening"- when the women of a particular community gather and wail loudly at the passing of a member of their community. what do we have that resembles this? what do we do together? how could we develop more and wiser ways of public mourning and celebration?) The workings of organizations that seek top change the world is also a direct and important part of the practice. Laerning ways to be with each other, to hear each other, and to resolve difficult situations within an organization means more to the world than the ideald that organization might display to the public.

Finally, there was much discussion about expectations and results, and I think it is a lesson for us all. Being able to act with energy and persistence, without attachment to the way we hope to see it fruit, is the most important bit of the game. Not the easiest part of the path, on any of the levels, and yet perhaps the most important no matter which direction you come from. Because acting in the hopes of getting what you want, whether it be for yourself, your friends, or for the world, is part of what leads us all to more stress. Can we learn to act with as much wisdom and compassion as we can, and yet not be attached to it turning out the way we want it? What if we through a revolution, and nobody came? Would it still be worth the effort?

I feel I'm fading, but I hope that I will hear some comments about this topic. How do you expand your Buddhist practice, no matter what it might be, into social and political action? What are the most important aspects of it for you?

as it goes...it is only a dream character that twists and turns in this dream. and this dream character is that ever persistent "me" with a story.

"i will get this some day" is me-mory at play.

identity, the sense of a separate self-centre, is memory manifest. whatever thought arises carries the content of either some past scene or some future imagining, and it's only in this appearing thought form that an individual, a "me", appears.

so “me” is always just a me-mory. there’s nothing to it but stored images, active patterns of stored energy that are brought to life by the light of attention. this "me" requires a timeline – it requires time to be born, time to thread its story of yesterdays woes. but time does not exist, and without past and future, without a starting point and a destination, there is no story, there is no "me" or anyone else for that matter.

does being here right now in this immediate instant require an identity? for functioning to carry on, for hearing, seeing, tasting, focusing, walking to carry on, does there need to be an identity with some sort of a story?

when time is recognized for what it is, a mental concept, a mode of thinking, the peace of simply being presents itself. Presence is absolutely free of all identity and the baggage that comes with it. thinking is story. thinking is time. thought is origin, progress, and destination. the whole personal story is contained in the movement of thought and has no reality apart from the movement of thought.

doubt is contained in thought. uncertainty is contained in thought. insecurity is contained in thought. elevation is contained in thought. from good to bad and back, from past to future, is all contained in thought.

the unchanging reality is not the appearance but rather the essence of all appearances. the appearance is relative. it's ever-changing. it's malleable. it's a seeming story. but the essence of all appearances, That is the common reality, That is the ground of security and certainty, That is the ground of fearlessness, acceptance, and effortless allowance. and That is all that is right here and right now, ever at rest, ever in peace, and always prior to the movement of thought. always prior to "me."

me-mory is time-bound. so let's let "me" rest in peace...here. now.

"In your mind's browser, clear your cache.
Now delete your history.
Now navigate to a blank web page."

Freedom always rests beyond "me"...it's a blank page ;)

"At any moment the Yellowstone caldera could blow up, wipe out %99 of the life on the surface of the planet, and probably all humans, and in our last minutes the degree of equanimity with which we face that prospect is the test of our dharmic fortitude and wisdom." - James Hughes In our final episode with professor James Hughes we tackle the less rosy side of Transhumanism, which has to do with massive existential threats and risks. Though there are many natural risks that could threaten humanity as a whole, including large asteriod collisions, gamma bursts, and super volcanoes, the Transhumanist recognize a whole host of other ways that we could threaten ourselves with advanced technologies. In addition to discussing these threats and all of the possible side traps on the way toward a more techno-utopian future, James ties these together with our understanding of the dharma. He argues that even in a techno-utopian future (assuming we make it), we will still have to deal with annica—the ever changing flow of reality. This is part 3 of a three-part series. Listen to part 1, Transhumanism and the Authentic Self and part 2, Cyborg Buddhas & Techno-Utopian Pure Lands!

"At any moment the Yellowstone caldera could blow up, wipe out %99 of the life on the surface of the planet, and probably all humans, and in our last minutes the degree of equanimity with which we face that prospect is the test of our dharmic fortitude and wisdom." - James Hughes In our final episode with professor James Hughes we tackle the less rosy side of Transhumanism, which has to do with massive existential threats and risks. Though there are many natural risks that could threaten humanity as a whole, including large asteriod collisions, gamma bursts, and super volcanoes, the Transhumanist recognize a whole host of other ways that we could threaten ourselves with advanced technologies. In addition to discussing these threats and all of the possible side traps on the way toward a more techno-utopian future, James ties these together with our understanding of the dharma. He argues that even in a techno-utopian future (assuming we make it), we will still have to deal with annica—the ever changing flow of reality. This is part 3 of a three-part series. Listen to part 1, Transhumanism and the Authentic Self and part 2, Cyborg Buddhas & Techno-Utopian Pure Lands!

With radical advances in science in technology would it be possible for us to turn our world into a so-called, "Buddha Realm" or would it be more likely that we create some sort of God Realm, where awakening is discouraged because the conditions are so radically pleasant? And how specifically could these advances help us develop spiritually, on the path toward Buddhahood? This week, we discuss this and other questions with professor James Hughes, author of the upcoming book Cyborg Buddha. If you want to have your views regarding technology and it's relation to the Buddhist path challenged, please listen in! This is part 2 of a three-part series. Listen to part 1, Transhumanism and the Authentic Self and part 3, Existential Threats and Risks: We Can't Escape Impermanence!

With radical advances in science in technology would it be possible for us to turn our world into a so-called, "Buddha Realm" or would it be more likely that we create some sort of God Realm, where awakening is discouraged because the conditions are so radically pleasant? And how specifically could these advances help us develop spiritually, on the path toward Buddhahood? This week, we discuss this and other questions with professor James Hughes, author of the upcoming book Cyborg Buddha. If you want to have your views regarding technology and it's relation to the Buddhist path challenged, please listen in! This is part 2 of a three-part series. Listen to part 1, Transhumanism and the Authentic Self and part 3, Existential Threats and Risks: We Can't Escape Impermanence!

Hi folks,

Ran out of money, more or less, and took hyperspace again to get to my sister’s place here in Long Beach. Some exceptionally brutal and interesting riding down Salinas valley to avoid the Pacific Coast Highway closure from the Big Sur fire, on which, more later. Spending today recovering from the train ride and hard riding, and writing, and then I should be able to catch up. That will have to be the last update as far as travel, I’m afraid, since I can’t really afford anymore.

As it is, though, I’m whole and healthy except for a teeny bit of sunburn on my legs and a slightly down attitude. Talk again soon!

Dr. Gabor Mate's talk from the July 3, 2008 Awake in Action at the Shambhala Centre of Vancouver.

"The longer our lives, the more we'll have a chance to see that there's no self living them." - James Hughes What is Transhumanism and how is it related to Buddhist practice? Will technology enable us to radically extend our lifespans, help us control our thoughts and emotions, and bring about the potential to upload our consciousness into virtual reality spaces? And if so, what are the deeper implications for our contemplative traditions. Will these advances actually support the deepening of wisdom? According to professor James Hughes, a Buddhist practitioner and leading voice in the Transhumanist movement, these advances will enable us to deconstruct the notion and experience we have of an "authentic self" and will support the development of happiness, and the cessation of suffering. Listen in to find out how... This is part 1 of a three-part series. Listen to part 2, Cyborg Buddhas & Techno-Utopian Pure Lands! and part 3, Existential Threats and Risks: We Can't Escape Impermanence!

"The longer our lives, the more we'll have a chance to see that there's no self living them." - James Hughes What is Transhumanism and how is it related to Buddhist practice? Will technology enable us to radically extend our lifespans, help us control our thoughts and emotions, and bring about the potential to upload our consciousness into virtual reality spaces? And if so, what are the deeper implications for our contemplative traditions. Will these advances actually support the deepening of wisdom? According to professor James Hughes, a Buddhist practitioner and leading voice in the Transhumanist movement, these advances will enable us to deconstruct the notion and experience we have of an "authentic self" and will support the development of happiness, and the cessation of suffering. Listen in to find out how... This is part 1 of a three-part series. Listen to part 2, Cyborg Buddhas & Techno-Utopian Pure Lands! and part 3, Existential Threats and Risks: We Can't Escape Impermanence!