The Vajra Path
Comparative & Cross-Cultural Perspectives On The Contemporary Evolution Of Tantric Buddhism
with Dr. Ian Baker, Cultural Anthropologist & Explorer | One-Year Course
Comparative & Cross-Cultural Perspectives On The Contemporary Evolution Of Tantric Buddhism
These are the recordings for a 6-part course presented by the cultural anthropologist & explorer, Dr Ian Baker, which took place live over 2023.
Each Module is a stand-alone seminar though the sequence of 6 seminars is constructed by Dr Baker as an integrated one-year’s course.
This course presents contemporary perspectives on esoteric Buddhist practices that developed at the crossroads of multiple religious and yogic traditions.
Using the template of ‘Six Yogas in Nine Months,’ we will unpack the history and evolution of the so-called tantric ‘completion stage’ (nispannakrama), in the context of a tradition arguably in radical transformation.
After examining the roots of Vajrayāna Buddhism, we will explore alternative perspectives on human embodiment and their expression within yogic practices of ‘ascetic heat’ (Wtapas) and somatic incandescence (tummo).
How are these qualities cultivated and what are the results? What light can contemporary science shed on historical conceptions of the ‘vajra body’ as a locus of transformative experience?
From Noetic Fire, the course will progress through additional tantric completion stage yogas – nonlocal embodiment (Illusory Body), partnered union (Karmamudrā), clear light, dreamwork, and lucid death (Powa and Bardo Yoga) – drawing on contemporary developments in quantum science, aesthetic theory, and related disciplines, towards a renewed understanding of one of the most comprehensive systems of human transformation.
Each module of this one-year course consists of 90-minute presentations followed by 60 minutes of interactive discussion.
To access the course it must be done each module individually by using the ‘Watch Recording’ buttons below.
About the teacher
Dr. Ian Baker is a distinguished anthropologist and cultural historian with advanced degrees from the University of Oxford and the University of Strathclyde. Recognized by National Geographic as one of seven ‘Explorers for the Millennium,’ he has conducted extensive field research in Tibet’s Tsangpo Gorge region, specifically in Beyul Pemakö, the ‘hidden land arrayed like lotuses.’
Baker has authored seven critically acclaimed books on Himalayan and Tibetan cultural history, environment, art, and medicine, and contributed to various academic publications on subjects like yoga, sacred geography, and entheogenic substance use in Buddhism. Having studied under prominent Tibetan Buddhist luminaries, such as Chatral Sangye Dorje Rinpoche, Dudjom Jigdral Dorje Rinpoche, and Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, he also co-founded The Vajra Path with Dr. Nida Chenagtsang. This platform is dedicated to presenting Vajrayāna Buddhism in the contemporary world, merging ancient wisdom with modern perspectives.
Module 1: From Yoga Sutras to Yoga Tantras
Module 2: Noetic Heat
Module 3: Skillful Union
Module 4: Nonlocal Embodiment & Entangled Light
Module 5: Dreamwork
Module 6: Death, Dying, and Liminality
“Our minds have no real or absolute boundaries; on the contrary, we are part of an infinite field of intelligence that extends beyond space and time into realities we have yet to comprehend. The beyul and their dakini emissaries are traces of the original world, inviting us to open to the abiding mystery at the heart of all experience, the inseparability that infuses every action, thought and intention.”
[Epilogue: The Veils of Paradise, footnote 6].
Sliding Scale Fees & Bursary Requests
The CCN operates a policy of sliding scale charges for its courses – in order that all may benefit from the courses available. Please contact David if you require support or a full bursary for this course: [email protected]
Accessing the Course
There are no more live sessions in this course. To access the recordings please use the ‘Watch Recording’ buttons above. Each module is accessed individually.
If you joined any of the sessions live, the link to the recording can be found in your inbox, please check your spam folder just in case.
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