Welcome to the sixth 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. My name is Greg Kaminsky and I'm honored and blessed to be your host. I've been a student of Traktung Khepa for a little more than 2 years and I can attest that he is the most authentic teacher I've ever met. It is with great anticipation and joy that we have begun preparing a series of recordings, both teachings and interviews, to share with a larger audience. In this extraordinary interview, t.k. talks about the pre-preliminaries of Tantric practice and the way to approach the considerations that are foundational to an esoteric path. He stresses over and over how not contemplating these considerations deeply enough to break through the inertia of habits of daily life often causes issues for practitioners later on the path. What is being discussed here is an alchemical contemplation that engages the intellect, emotions, and conduct, in that order, to truly understand the object of contemplation. If one were to truly contemplate the considerations of precious human birth, impermanence, the law of cause and effect, and that delusion will not end until one consciously puts an end to it, then, theoretically, most obstructions and hindrances to practice and realization would be cut through like a hot knife through butter. t.k. also expresses how the masters and adepts of every esoteric tradition recognize this form of contemplation as the starting point of the path. 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 "Blue Flame" from Just a Tourist's wonderful brand new album entitled "Ruined for Business," 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/