Welcome to the third episode of The Freedom Place podcast! This is a platform for distributing interviews with and teachings of Traktung Khepa. Spiritual adept, visionary, poet, farmer, Traktung Khepa is an American-born sage who has taught students in America, Europe, and Cuba since 1990. For 30 years he has guided Tsogyelgar, a contemplative community outside Ann Arbor, Michigan. Equally able to explore the most esoteric aspects and methods of the Tantric path or discuss Existentialism, Santeria, Alchemy, Political Philosophy, or Art History, t.k.’s style of teaching is immediate and relevant. As a child, t.k. traveled with his parents from Marrakesh to Istanbul exploring modern and ancient cultures, museums, churches, whirling dervishes, gypsy caves, healers in the Black Forest, and mysteries of Greek ruins. As a teen he had encounters with spiritual aspirants and adepts of every sort from Jesuit priests and Franciscan monks to Krishnamurti, 32nd degree Freemasons, Sufi and Zen masters and more. At the same time he picnicked on the White House lawn with Reagan and joked with Nixon and Kissinger as they played Happy Birthday for his mother on the piano. t.k’s lifelong passion for exploring spiritual traditions and life’s meaning has seamlessly melded with his profound realization accomplished through the non-monastic Tantric path. The Adept Thinley Norbu Rinpoche repeatedly encouraged him to share his wisdom and realization to, “Help Westerners clarify the inner meanings of Tantra without distortions.” t.k. lives outside Ann Arbor, Michigan with his family. Today's recording is from a teaching that was given on Sunday, June 9th, 2019 at Tsogyelgar near Ann Arbor, Michigan. This teaching addresses: Coming to perfect silence and stillness / passivity & discovery / samatha & vipassana / shine & lhatong / calm abiding & further seeing Rinpoche also discusses his comment, "Duality is mockery; difference is love," as another expression of Longchenpa's One Ground, Two Paths teaching. Feel free to leave comments or questions or send them to [email protected]. The intro music is "Devotion" by David Modica and the outro music is "Something of Silence" from Just a Tourist's brand new album, Ruined for Business, soon to be available where you buy music. The name of this podcast, The Freedom Place, is taken from one of t.k.'s poems: I am only love This room where I live is only mystery And here I will live with you Without beginning or end Without defining In this freedom place https://www.tsogyelgar.org/ http://www.traktungkhepa.com/ https://www.facebook.com/JustaTouristBand/