The Intersection of Shamanism & Buddhism

In this talk, Isa Gucciardi discusses the commonalities and differences between shamanism and Buddhism. She covers topics such as the shamanic journey, meditation, universal power, compassion practices, and how they both function in the therapeutic model, Depth Hypnosis. Isa teaches the Shamans & Siddhas retreat with Robert Thurman at Tibet House’s Menla Mountain Retreat in upstate New York. This talk takes place at the Sacred Stream Center in Berkeley, CA.

[insight]

Thankyou for bringing light to the contrast between the two

[ShamanaMetaphysica]

Hello, thank you for this lecture... it helped me a lot. realizations came by listening to You . My first shamans call happened 7 years ago with near death experience then another near death and then mental hospital... after the last one i started the path of self transformation, discipline with daily meditation practice, lots of reading, mind mastery, knowledge of self and the Universe, i was going 8 fold path unconsciously, doing this for last 2 and a half years daily... 6 -7 months ago Universe blessed me with revelation of my path, and now i understand with your help that i'm a shaman who went the path of Buddha to combine those two in one path ... thank you, blessed be you and all your loved ones. Om Namo Buddhaya

[lincolnlaliberte]

I really enjoyed this talk and found the illumination of the intersection between shamanism and Buddhism helpful. Some commenters seemed to take issue with Isa's take on shamanism, but as someone who has studied with Maladome Some (among others) I find her right in step in her understanding and what she shares here. It would be great to have a longer format for her to go even more deeply into both disciplines, but in this format she ably conveys that she is a serious and studied practitioner of both. Thanks for sharing Sacred Stream!

[stewartthomas]

Truly blessed...Love your stuff kick on love it

[LindasDesk]

An interesting point of view. From personal experience I have a different point of view .im glad I listened in. Xo

[TibetHouseUS]

A wonderful talk! Many thanks Isa + See you at Menla soon! 🌱

[TheInnerMindEye]

Sublimely fascinating teaching that comprehensively connects these two spiritual paths with great clarity.
Thank you Isa!

[ASMRWhisperingSpirit]

So wonderful! How have I not found you and this channel before!:)

[nerilensmith]

Morning Sister Isa..om ah hung..r u doing a course soon ?

[susanfriendson]

Thank you Isa. This is clarifying and helpful.

[shamanverse]

Praise to your depth, clarity, and compassion. Gracias. This succinct presentation took my practice in both systems to a new level of maturation.

[KevinZimmerman]

I really liked this talk because as a practicing shamanistic person I think a lot about buddhism and how there does seem to be a divide between the two on a very fundamental level. Although I think you handled discussing shamanism very delicately, I would encourage you to look more broadly than just Michael Harner's neo-shamanism from the 60s, which does seem to be your groundwork of understanding. The cosmology of Lower, Middle, and Upper worlds is something he promoted in The Way of the Shaman and elsewhere as being universal but which is more of a generalization of many tribes. For example, the aboriginal dreamtime does not fit well into these three categories but rather seems to be more reminiscent of the ground luminosity you speak of in buddhism. On a more practical level, discussing shamanism as an umbrella practice really doesn't help listeners or viewers that much since any shaman you visit will not resemble that over-generalized caricature. So then what's the point of this generalization? Lastly, the claim that there isn't a focus on self development in shamanism is somewhat baffling to me. Integration--of the lessons gained in journey or elsewhere-- has always been a very important component in shamanism if not the most important aspect. I can hear in the questions of the audience that they came away from your talk with a scared or timid relationship with shamanic practices. I find this very disheartening to be honest. Shamanism seeks to bring balance and healing to individuals without the aspect of religion or us/them mentality. This talk seemed to exist only to further divide people. I would encourage people to check out Malidoma Some, Christina Pratt, and/or John Lockley to really get a feel for how shamanism looks like in a modern sense, outside the rigid sterility of Michael Harner's neo-shamanism.

[authenticwarriorradio]

I have many bones to pick with these generalizations.

[JohnLeaf]

shamanism people are more healthy and active buddhist people are more perceptive on their reality.. i prefer shaminism with a litte bit of budhism

[Josytt]

How does this channel not have millions of subscribers? The answer is most of the world is dogmatic and unconscious ;-(

[OpenSourceCitizen]

@1:33 does anyone have a reference for ~"95% of every culture in history had shamanism"?

[deepdude]

How can I personally take Isa as a teacher or mentor or guide in my pursue of Buddhism practice. I want to be liberated from all the damages received from different froms of shamanism. Never been a fan of shamanism but I have been a victim for 14 years.
So I want to be able to freely and in a healthy way to go deeper in my Buddhism practice.
How can I be liberated and then benefit from Isa's wisdom??? I really need this with so much urgency.
Anyone could help?

[octohex]

shamanism could also be/is non dualistic in approach and understanding of the inner and outer universe acknowledging inner and outer energies spiritual energies and harmonizing and working towards union with the nature and unknown forces within the self and outside that it's almost one as could be known to be one as truth. Many shamanic traditions totally agrees with the schools of thought of buddhism in it's totality and is pointing to the same thing that is why even many shamans imbibe buddhist deities/teachers/gods/leaders in a syncretic form as well as buddhism has done so. It's only that buddhist culture evolved in a different setting catering to the situations of that historical landscape and setting that serves that spiritual landscape and specifically satiates that area of knowledge or perceptive time. The source of natural phenomenon and the creative forces and causative agent(s) are also extensively expressed and philosophically spiritually intellectually socially culturally ritually exhibited in adressing the core crux behind the physical forces and the force behind the forces. Although shamanic traditions are not strictly discplinary endeavors institutionalized and adhered in the purest sense it is the most sound foundation on which shamanic traditions are built similar to taoism that need not follow a rigid path to stay on the way or express in ways that's polarizing or differentiating between systems and classifying structures and objects mentally or physically in a finite way. Self development comes spontaneously without trying for achieving that goal or acknowledging there is any goal to be had and written down and work towards. The balance of power and equinamity equilibrium yin and yang is what shamans too strive for and live in seclusion and alms and selflessness and live on rations and compassion from their tribal members. There are social hierarchies similar to buddhist societies but blurred and that makes them accessible without any attachment of visual or social cues to even point they are spiritual leaders but moreso likely a community member. Shamans have since antiquity been good and bad leaders averting warfare and inculculating inner development individually so the community or the sangha could work in harmony as well as outside the tribe with other tribes and nations to work together with them and avoiding meaningless bloodshed and sharing materialistic as well as spiritual guidelines without hindering other's independence and sense of community of others for the cohesion and diversity of each nature and flow of energies as well as amass power for not so the greater good of the tribe or the world. In the same way the buddhist tradition the lamas as well as spiritual leaders have faltered as well as have set good standards for not just the buddhist community/tribe but whole of humanity and the sentient being and things of nature and immeasurable forces. Historically lamas or the monastic clergy of the buddhist tradition have also appointed kings and princes as well as have themselves been dharmarajas to further their political and spiritual agendas to expand their physical reach to further spiritual endeavors because inner transformation of themselves is not acceptable as well as inner world of the individuals of the world by propogating dogmatic views and emancipation of all beings and spreading the dharma so the world can know the truth by various means which could be controversial in nature. What is not of importance could be to know what is wrong and what to avoid but to strive for balance and stay by default in that position and these mundane questions of power struggle would not be seen inherently in these traditions because the question of power might well be a trivial or non trivial matter by how you look at it. In many shamanic cultures power is not something you can acquire or hold infinitely within you but you can only channel and transmute into other endeavours like helping the community and directing them in a way that works in maintaing the flow of power in a non linear way conciously with a sense of responsibilityy that comes from trusting the world, the universe the nature and the ways things are and to let go to change the world in an unnecessary way indulging in it that you stray from the path.

[rickdeckard]

whats the 17000 yr old system?
interestingly specific talk, though 'depth hypnosis' sounds like some Berkeley/Stanford/CIA/Esalen stuff

[markandeyadasa]

Why are people so infatuated with ism's and put things into neat boxes and separating them.