Escaping Samsara

Author: Nathan Thompson & Evgeny Dziatko

Escaping Sasra - Yoga and Meditation Podcast about practices that liberate us. Interviews with spiritual teachers from the yoga world and beyond. We are a group of friends dedicated to exploring the deep teachings of yoga and other spiritual traditions to see what unites them in their search for Truth and how each practitioner has danced with the Mystery. We want to learn from today's elders about their paths and experiences. What has worked, what hasn't and what is downright weird. From California psychedelic culture to Tantric Tibet we span the globe finding out what has helped people on their spiritual journey. We hope that it will be of benefit to our fellow truth seekers. OM
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Language: en

Genres: Religion & Spirituality, Spirituality

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Why I Ditched My Orange Robes (And What I Found in Vietnam) with Bante Panna
Sunday, 2 November, 2025

Bhante Panya tried the forest monk thing. He wore the Theravada robes in America, followed the Vinaya rules, and watched potential practitioners flee because he looked too foreign, too untouchable, too "religious icon" instead of accessible teacher. So he made a move that freaked out his ego: took Mahayana ordination in Taiwan, moved to Vietnam, and started asking uncomfortable questions about what Buddhism actually needs to look like in the West. This conversation gets real fast. We're talking about: **The stuff nobody mentions:** - How your friend group is a mirror of everything you hate about yourself - The terror of taking the bodhisattva vow - What happens when you sit next to someone who's actually realized - Why Theravada meditation might be technically superior but Mahayana community outreach hits different - How to fight the dark spots in your mind when you can't run to a cave - The difference between controlling your mind and just not reacting to it - Why unhealed childhood trauma is probably running your whole spiritual path * Bhante's books: https://www.amazon.com/Thoughtless-love-cultivation-Bhante-Panna https://www.amazon.com/touching-enlightenment-parable-distance-attachments-ebook Donations for Bhante: https://venmo.com/u/bhante --- *Escaping Samsara is a weekly podcast exploring authentic Buddhist and yogic practice. Subscribe on Substack (escapingsamsara.substack.com) for free articles, teachings, and more episodes!