In this episode, Wendy speaks with Zen Buddhist teacher and author Roshi Joan Halifax. A pioneer in the field of end-of-life care, Roshi Joan was instrumental in developing the dialogue between science and Buddhism, and has been an advocate for engaged Buddhism, social activism, and compassion in response to today's crises. This conversation covers many topics, including:
- the birth of dialogues between the Dalai Lama and scientists;
- how our minds are "enactive";
- compassion as emergent and dependent on context;
- the trainable factors that set the stage for compassion;
- the importance of embodiment in health care;
- non-referential compassion;
- interdependence, compassion, and climate change;
- working with dying people;
- how letting go is safe;
- clinical use of psychedelics;
- and reflections on the field of contemplative science.
Full show notes and resources