The Wisdom Seat Podcast

Michael Carroll sits down with Chris Kayser, who has been earning a living as an actor in the Atlanta area for over 40 years. Most recently he performed in a play about death and has been coming to terms with his own cancer diagnosis. He and Michael discuss how both acting and death can bring us vividly into the present, and the role that mindfulness plays on the stage and in life.

From: https://www.alliancetheatre.org/blog/chris-kayser-beloved-atlanta-actor-has-died/

"It is with broken hearts that the Alliance shares the news that beloved Atlanta actor Chris Kayser p...

Michael Carroll sits down with Dr. Michael Baime, founder of The Penn Program for Mindfulness to talk about how applying mindfulness helps both patients and doctors manage stress and heal through sharing an authentic human connection.

https://www.pennmedicine.org/services/mindfulness?redirect=1&referrer=pennmed&source=fsu

https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/people/michael-baime

This episode was originally produced by Applied Mindfulness Training as part of their Mindful Voices series. Learn more at https://www.appliedmindfulnesstraining.org

Ron is CEO at Continental Sales lots-4-less, a discount store on the South Side of Chicago. Started by Ron's father in 1965, the store has gained a loyal customer base and sees upwards of 1000 sales a day. Ron and Michael discuss the thrill of treasure hunting and the company's values, which include mindfulness, community, and joy.

This episode was originally produced by Applied Mindfulness Training as part of their Mindful Voices series. Learn more at https://www.appliedmindfulnesstraining.org

Michael talks with Jacqueline Gallo, Chief Operating Officer of Whitcraft Group, about how applying mindfulness at work helps weather change, make tough leadership decisions, and even see around corners. They also discuss Whitcraft's highly successful prison work release program.

This episode was originally produced by Applied Mindfulness Training as part of their Mindful Voices series. Learn more at https://www.appliedmindfulnesstraining.org

Susan Piver is a Buddhist teacher, New York Times bestselling author and founder of the Open Heart Project, a community of support for living an awakened life.

Michael sits down with his long-time friend, Susan Piver to talk about community, creativity, pain, loneliness, and other things we're afraid of. They also discuss how applying mindfulness impacts how we run a business, how we teach, and how we learn. 

This episode was originally produced by Applied Mindfulness Training as part of their Mindful Voices series. Learn more at https://www.appliedmindfulnesstraining.org

A Mindful Gathering - August 2025 Ever wonder what you're actually saying when you chant "Om" or mumble through "Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha"? Join us for a fascinating conversation with Dr. Varun Khanna, who studied traditional Sanskrit grammar in India and earned his PhD from Cambridge. We explore how ancient practitioners understood Sanskrit as vibrations that directly create experience, break down the real meanings behind familiar mantras, and discuss Dr. Khanna's mission to democratize Sanskrit learning through his "Sanskrit for Mere Mortals" platform - making these ancient wisdom traditions accessible to everyone regardless of background.

Learn...

In this episode of The Wisdom Seat podcast, we have a conversation exploring the dynamic tension between ancient Vajrayana Buddhist teachings and modern life. What does it mean to genuinely practice Vajrayana in the context of our digital, fast-paced, and often fragmented 21st-century world? How can we show up? How can we help?   The Progress Paradox book by Gregg Easterbrook    

Anam Thubten spoke in 2023 at the Philadelphia Shambhala Center. 

He emphasized the path of the Bodhisattva.

Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche
Resting in the True Nature of Mind: Essential Meditation Instructions
Commentary on a text by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

In 2019, we were deeply honored to host Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche for a special teaching event in the Swarthmore Friends Meeting house. This rare visit from one of Tibetan Buddhism's most respected teachers included a public talk, reception, and a tour of historic Philadelphia.

Essential Meditation Instructions
Rinpoche presented a profound teaching titled "Resting in the True Nature of Mind: Essential Meditation Instructions" - a commentary on a text by Dilgo Khyentse...

What is a Drala Landing Pad?     In this episode of the Wisdom Seat podcast, Bill Moriarty, Michael Carroll, and the community delve into the concept of dralas. They discuss the idea of 'Drala landing pads,' the intersections of personal experience and the phenomenal world, and how these interactions can invoke a form of non-dual awareness. The conversation explores various aspects of Drala practice, such as mindfulness, respect for the world, non-deception, and the sacredness embedded in the mundane. The discussion also touches on the role of ritual and natural settings in invoking Drala, and compares the concept to other tr...

This is audio from a video discussion - see this video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/eFpLpjmPNxc

Bill Moriarty talks with Lama Lodro Lhamo at the Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (KTD) monastery in Woodstock, New York. We discuss the importance of this place as the seat of the Karmapa in North America, and Lama Lodro's path to serving as first woman president of KTD. 
KTD: https://kagyu.org/

Visit us at The Wisdom Seat: https://www.thewisdomseat.org/

In this episode of the Wisdom Seat Podcast, Bill Moriarty talks with esteemed literary agent Stephanie Tade, founder of The Tade Agency, shares her remarkable journey in the publishing industry. Stephanie, known for representing notable and varied figures like the Dalai Lama, Mindy Pelz, and Joan Halifax provides a comprehensive look into the roles and challenges of literary agents. She discusses the evolving landscapes of book publishing, book deals, and the complexities of rights and the self-publishing route. Stephanie also delves into the impact of audiobooks and digital platforms, offering her personal reading preferences and anecdotes, such as almost...

In this Wisdom Seat podcast episode, the focus is on co-founder Matt DiRodio as he prepares to embark on a 3 Year Retreat in the Tibetan Buddhist Kagyu lineage starting in August 2024. The episode features a detailed discussion from a recent Wisdom Seat community gathering, where Matt explains the history, structure, and personal motivations behind his retreat. Listeners gain insights into the retreat's practices and preparations. Matt's commitment to awakening and the support of his family and community are emphasized, providing a deep dive into the spiritual and practical aspects of this intensive retreat experience.

Support Matt directly...

On April 9, 2024, Anam Thubten visited Philadelphia, PA to give a talk.

This event was put together by local students of Anam Thubten including Sunisa Manning, Ada Kase, and Geoff Matis. Anam Thubten was hosted by Germantown Friends Meeting to speak about nonviolence.

https://dharmata.org

The Wisdom Seat helped by providing audio equipment and running sound for the event. We were able to to provide, with Anam Thubten's permission, this recording of the talk.

Welcome to another episode of The Wisdom Seat podcast. On today's episode, we are diving into the origins of The Wisdom Seat. I talk with Michael Carroll and Matt DiRodio, the two founders, about what brought them together, and what their original vision was. Then we'll hear about the encouragement and almost command from senior lineage holders to them that they must preserve the teachings of Trungpa Rinpoche. So, they began to invite and host teachers...and how an unintended community has begun growing.

Some notes mentioned in this episode:

Here are some l...

Podcast episode 13. Orchestrating Insight: A Discussion on Sharing Buddhist Teachings

Bill Moriarty and Michael Carroll discuss how to approach becoming a teacher, and what that even means.

Notes from this show:

The Vagrant and the poet

W. Blythe Miller, Phd.

https://sangha.live/teachers/lama-willa-miller-bio/

While Willa, in this article, does not speak to the "5 point Mahamudra practice" formulated by Gampopa, here is a section from the text depicting Gampopa's conversation with Phagmo Drupa that set the foundation for the practice:

https://drukpa.org/our-forefathers...

This is a special one. Anam Thubten recently came and led a retreat at The Wisdom Seat in Pennsylvania in September, 2023. He generously agreed to a 1:1 podcast interview with me after the retreat.

There was a sense of celebration throughout the weekend, and afterward Anam Thubten suggested we discuss joy in Buddhism.

Anam Thubten mentions the practice of Chod during our talk and so we want to provide you with some links.

Anam Thubten's organization: https://dharmata.org/

Anam Thubten's recent book that discussed Chod: https://www.shambhala.com/into-the-haunted-ground-9817.html<...

Board member of The Wisdom Seat, and longtime practitioner Richard Driscoll tells his very personal story of becoming a Buddhist under the guidance of Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche.

Learn more about Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche's life here: https://rinpoche.com/

Visit us at: https://www.thewisdomseat.org/

Tsunma Tenzin Dasel, born Lisa V. Blake, became a Tibetan Buddhist nun at mid-life after a career in education and social justice. Her interest in a spiritual life began early in her life through a love of the outdoors and questioning the suffering she witnessed around her. This led to a search for deeper meaning and purpose and formal study of meditation in the Buddhist tradition, culminating in enrolling in theological seminary and becoming ordained by His Holiness Dalai Lama as a Tibetan Buddhist nun in 2017.   
 
She is spiritual director of Tashi Gatsel Ling in Maine and for...

Phakchok Rinpoche

Pendle Hill, Wallingford, PA

We were pleased to host our first event for Phakchok Rinpoche in 2015.

Rinpoche gave a talk titled "Transforming Confusion into Wisdom: The Path of Buddhist Meditation in Everyday Life."

https://www.thewisdomseat.org/post/phakchok-rinpoche

https://phakchokrinpoche.org/

Bill Moriarty talks with Michael Carroll, Matt DiRodio, and Jacqui Merrell to ask: why would someone go on a meditation retreat? How do you choose one? Are they all different?

I hope this is of benefit for you.

Michael will be leading a 2 week retreat in July, 2023. 

Check us out at The Wisdom Seat 

Bill Moriarty interviews Michael Carroll to discuss how he takes care of his home which is filled with art, objects, thangkas, family life, events... it's a lot. 

For anyone lucky enough to visit Michael's home, you know it is very beautifully laid out and accommodating. He and his wife regularly host visiting Buddhist teachers, and community events, and they do so with tremendous effort.

Flower Arranging
https://www.lionsroar.com/unconditional-beauty-january-2013/

Richard F. Lack
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_F._Lack

The Brandywine School
https://en...

We were honored to host Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche in May of 2018 for a talk at Swarthmore College and a reception.

Rinpoche presented teachings from his new book: Training in Tenderness: Buddhist Teachings on Tsewa, the Radical Openness of Heart That Can Change the World.

Visit this post for more information and photos from this visit.

This podcast is entirely supported by donations from our community 

We were pleased to host Phakchok Rinpoche and Erric Solomon for several days in November, 2018. Visit this post for more information and photos from this visit.

Your donation helps directly support The Wisdom Seat Podcast

We presented a talk and book signing at the Philadelphia Ethical Society for their book, Radically Happy https://radicallyhappy.org/. 

East meets West in this fresh, modern take on a timeless challenge: how to find contentment and meaning in life.

In Radically Happy, a meditating Silicon Valley entrepreneur teams up with a young, insightful, and traditionally e...

Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel
Women, Wisdom and The Buddhist Path: The awakening of feminine energy in modern times

Feminine wisdom or prajnaparamita in Sanskrit is considered the very foundation of all the teachings and practice lineages of the Buddha. You might say that such feminine wisdom is the very heart of awakening, offering us insight into our mind, reality and our relationship to the world around us. But how can the prajnaparamita teachings help us engage the challenges of the modern world – especially during these times of rapid social change, technological innovation and cultural upheaval? During this te...

Your donation helps directly support The Wisdom Seat Podcast

The Tibetan Buddhist Vajrayana path emphasizes devotion where the relationship between the student & the teacher grows throughout the entirety of the path cultivating compassion, wisdom and ultimately enlightenment. Yet, such devotion is well beyond blind faith or celebrity worship where the student and teacher share a deep appreciation of lineage and reality itself. 

During this session, Ringu Tulku discusses how to cultivate a discerning attitude to avoid the potential pitfalls of devotion and how mindfulness-awareness meditation plays a central in expressing our intelligent heart.

T...

Michael Carroll & Bill Moriarty discuss regret, and Matt DiRodio adds some music.

Your donation helps directly support The Wisdom Seat Podcast

Visit us at thewisdomseat.org

Our first episode! Bill talks to Michael Carroll about why it is so difficult to describe the awakened state. Matt adds some improvised music.

Visit us at thewisdomseat.org

Your donation helps directly support The Wisdom Seat Podcast