This Very Moment

In this episode of This Very Moment we are joined with Larry Mermelstein, a longtime student of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and a founding member of the Nalanda Translation Committee. Born in Pennsylvania and raised in Rochester, New York, Larry recalls growing up in a Jewish household with mixed religious observance. His father, raised Orthodox with a Hasidic grandfather, described himself as a “non...

In this episode of This Very Moment, we sit down with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, a revered master of the Bön tradition of Tibet. Rinpoche traces the distinctive qualities of Bön, from Dzogchen to astrology, cosmology, and elemental practices. Though often misunderstood and overshadowed, Bön’s core teachings share a common ground with Buddhist traditions, particularly the Nyingma tradition with Dzogc...

Episode 7 of This Very Moment features Zen teacher, meditator, and author Diane Musho Hamilton in a rich conversation about learning to be with life as it is. Diane shares how early encounters with loss and grief left her existentially overwrought. Despite being raised in a family with strong spiritual roots in the Mormon tradition and surrounded by a nurturing natural landscape, she felt that lif...

In this episode, musician and visual artist Devendra Banhart sits down with Ivan Bercholz for an intimate conversation about how Buddhist practice, books, and subculture have shaped his life and work, leading him to This Very Moment . From his early years of skateboarding (before it was cool) to his segue into indie-folk music, Devendra has always leaned into counterculture, providing the perfect...

In this intimate conversation, eminent Tibetan Buddhist master and scholar Ringu Tulku Rinpoche traces his extraordinary life shaped by exile, rigorous study, a lifetime of practice and teaching across cultures, leading him to this very moment. He describes his early years studying and practicing under Khenpo Tsöndrü, the Sixteenth Karmapa, and his main teacher Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, as well as...

This episode features author, theologist, and Community Dharma Leader, Pamela Ayo Yetunde . Hear about Ayo’s upbringing and early roots in the church and Black Christian community, and how her love of music and poetry spawned a deep appreciation of the spiritual and symbolic elements hidden within artistic compositions. Ayo discusses influential figures, authors, and musicians from Gandhi, bell ho...

This episode features Dungzin Garab Dorje Rinpoche , the son and dharma heir of his father, Thinley Norbu Rinpoche . Learn about his upbringing and early introductions to the deepest layers of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. From his early studies to empowerments and teachings from some of the most revered Buddhist masters, Rinpoche shares stories about how the Buddhadharma took root in his heart,...

Join Ivan and Sara Bercholz (co-owners of Shambhala Publications) in conversation with the renowned yoga teaching couple Richard Freeman and Mary Taylor . From the ‘60s music scene to transcendental philosophy, Eastern thought, holistic psychology, and integrated health, through their first discoveries of yoga and meditation and travels to India and Iran, we get a glimpse into the early experience...

In this inaugural episode, Ivan Bercholz (co-owner of Shambhala Publications) queries John Canti, a founding member of the Padmakara Translation Group , about the path that has led him to This Very Moment . We learn about John’s family lineage and childhood, his spiritual roots and early skepticism toward religion, as well as the pivotal moments that led him to embrace Buddhist teachings . He refl...

In this inaugural episode, Ivan Bercholz (co-owner of Shambhala Publications) queries John Canti, a founding member of the Padmakara Translation Group , about the path that has led him to This Very Moment . We learn about John’s family lineage and childhood, his spiritual roots and early skepticism toward religion, as well as the pivotal moments that led him to embrace Buddhist teachings . He refl...