Episode 27 of Redesigning The Dharma by Sahaja Soma features a conversation with Dr. Ian Baker, an experienced scholar, explorer, and author specializing in Vajrayana Buddhism. They discuss Dr. Baker's transformative journey into pilgrimage, beginning with his initial exposure to Asian culture and Tibetan Buddhism during college.
The conversation delves into the significance of pilgrimage in spiritual practice, including the concepts of outer, inner, and secret pilgrimage in the Tibetan tradition. Dr. Baker shares insights from his extensive experiences leading pilgrimages to sacred sites across the Himalayas, Bhutan, India, and beyond. They also explore contemporary pilgrimages, blending traditional practices with modern exploration, and the importance of cultivating a pilgrim’s mindset.
Episode Highlights:
- 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Ian Baker
- 05:43 The Hidden Lands and Spiritual Practices
- 08:48 Integrating Stillness and Movement
- 15:38 The Concept of Outer, Inner, and Secret Pilgrimage
- 26:50 Embracing Discomfort and Exploration
- 32:42 The Hero's Journey and Ego Death
- 34:14 Psychedelics, Religious Traditions, and Cultural Exchange On The Silk Road
- 47:53 Pilgrim's Mindset vs. Tourist Mindset
- 51:32 Mongolia vs Bhutan vs India & Upcoming Offerings
Guest Bio:
Designated by the National Geographic Society as one of 7 “Explorers for the Millennium,” Ian Baker is an anthropologist, historian and author of multiple books on Tibetan and Himalayan art, culture and environment including The Heart of the World: A Journey to the Last Secret Place, Celestial Gallery, The Tibetan of Art of Healing, and The Dalai Lama’s Secret Temple, a collaborative work with His Holiness The Dalai Lama that illuminates Tantric Buddhist meditation practices.
He completed graduate work at the University of Oxford and received his PhD after extensive fieldwork in Myanmar among contemporary practitioners of Buddhist alchemy. He subsequently worked with tantric Buddhist adepts in Bhutan, leading to his critically acclaimed book, Tibetan Yoga: Principles and Practices.
Ian is an executive board member of Himalayan Consensus Institute and serves internationally as a consultant and lecturer in environmental and cultural heritage conservation. From 2011 until 2016 he collaborated with London’s Wellcome Trust, curating an exhibition of Himalayan art entitled ‘Tibet’s Secret Temple: Body, Mind and Meditation in Tantric Buddhism’ to which he also contributed texts, photography, and film.
Ian leads pilgrimages and scheduled travel seminars in India, Tibet, and Bhutan with The Vajra Path, Caravanza, and on his own. He has also designed and conducted academic travel programs in Tibet, Bhutan, and Nepal for Smithsonian Institution, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and National Geographic Society. Through the Hidden Lands Trust, he works actively to preserve indigenous cultures and ecosystems in the eastern Himalayas, based on local models of environmental conservation that ensure sustained benefit to local communities.
DR. IAN BAKER’S WEBSITE
EXPLORE INNER AND OUTER JOURNEYS WITH THE VAJRA PATH
ART PILGRIMAGES WITH CARAVANSA
CONNECT WITH IAN ON SOCIAL
REACH OUT VIA EMAIL
