21. IBP: Hokai Sobol on Buddhism by The Imperfect Buddha Podcast published on 2017-05-26T11:40:52Z Hokai Sobol joins us for an in-person chat in Trieste. Our conversation was a second attempt at a podcast episode and this time it all worked out and there was enough content to span two episodes. Before lunch, we discussed Buddhism in the West. After lunch we tackled the topic of mysticism and practice, which you can find out more about in part two. Hokai is welcoming questions and queries from listeners for a follow-up episode. So, if you have thoughts, questions or doubts after listening to either episode, please leave a comment or question below or on the Imperfect Buddha Twitter feed so that Hokai and I can discuss them. So who is he? Hokai is a practitioner, pathfinder and mentor. Besides guiding a local Buddhist group gathered in the Mandala Society of Croatia, he works with a number of individual practitioners around the globe whom he meets regularly over Skype for mentoring. Hokai proposes that deep practice can be pursued in the midst of one's life, as long as it is clearly distinguished from religious activities and therapeutic transactions. Both Stuart and I have benefited greatly from Hokai's approach to mentoring and exploring Buddhism as a pathway. This is his site if you'd like to find out more: www.hokai.info Music is provided by Vessel from the Young Echo collective. Find out more by visiting their site: http://youngecho.co.uk Genre Religion & Spirituality Comment by The Imperfect Buddha Podcast @user-535665776: That's one way of thinking about it but as a general principle, I'm not sure that division can work as the three take on specific characteristics in each approach. It might be better to think about how they would make sense within each approach in distinct ways. 2017-10-27T07:42:02Z Comment by Horse @emma-roy-627776455: I also found the religios, theraputic, and mystical distinction useful. Is this a reframing of the Buddha, dharma, and sangha distiction? Buddha would represent enlightenment/ mysticism, dharma would representing theraputic self improvement, and sangha would represent the religious community. 2017-10-26T19:52:13Z Comment by The Imperfect Buddha Podcast @derekvan-1: Thanks! 2017-05-31T09:03:46Z Comment by The Imperfect Buddha Podcast @emma-roy-627776455: Thanks! 2017-05-31T09:03:39Z Comment by derekvan @emma-roy-627776455: I am also interested in these categories. Can someone pursue all three, at the same time? Possible adverse consequences? I am certainly interested in community, have found therapeutic approaches beneficial, and am curious about the mystical path. Building off of Hokai's analogy, I can imagine a Catholic pursuing all three, if not simultaneously, then at least serially. 2017-05-30T19:43:18Z Comment by Emma Roy Excellent episode! Here’s my follow up question if it’s not too late: I appreciated the distinction between religious, therapeutic, and mystical paths to frame your conversation. However, the role of community was discussed only in terms of the religious or therapeutic contexts. Do either of you see a role for community on the mystical path? How does it, or could it, differ from other types of communities? What is your experience with this? 2017-05-29T17:01:39Z Comment by The Imperfect Buddha Podcast @thelion-facedguru: If not...? 2017-05-26T16:44:14Z Comment by The Lion-Faced Guru (Podcast) This better be good... 2017-05-26T16:32:44Z
