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The Talk

Dr. Miles Neale is a contemplative psychotherapist based in New York and one of the leading voices of the current generation of Buddhist teachers.

Miles coined the term “McMindfulness,” to address the problem we have in society of “cherry-picked teachings from ancient, mostly threatened, wisdom cultures and mass-marketed them as consumerist goods.” While there are certainly benefits to providing soft-entry points, we’re ultimately diluting teachings and robbing ourselves of a deeper spiritual experience.

His book, Gradual Awakening, provides a practical training manual of 30 ancient contemplative insights and meditative practices drawn from the Tibetan Buddhist Path. He makes it accessible for the Western mind, while at the same time, staying true to the ancient teachings and practices.

In this week’s conversation we went explored:

• The problem of McMindfulness
• Why practicing certain things doesn’t make sense until you prepare yourself before
• How to organise your spiritual practice effectively
• Core principles to orient your life around
• Transcendence vs Embodiment – why both are needed
• A map that guarantees progress

Favourite Quote:

“In other words, transcendence isn’t the destination but a necessary stop to unburden fixation, so we can return to ordinary life with open minds and warmer hearts. Or, as Godwin put it, “Breaking out is only as important as how we break back in.”

Relevant Links:

• Gradual Awakening
• Advances in Contemplative Psychotherapy
• The Two-Year Contemplative Studies Program