Episode notes
Guest host Sah D’Simone sits down with Sam Bercholz for a candid, funny, and deeply moving conversation on awakening amid the messiness of ordinary life.
Together, Sah and Sam explore deity practice, ecstatic dance, compassion without performance, basic goodness, and the foundations shared by Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana Buddhism. Sam also shares stories of his teachers, the natural world, political anxiety, humility, and the importance of not making oneself “somebody special.”
The conversation turns tenderly toward aging, death, rebirth, and how Buddhist practice can help us meet impermanence without giving in to hope, fear, or spiritual certainty. Through it all, Sam offers a simple orientation: Dharma is not about becoming holy. It is about being present, kind, and available to others.
Theirs is a conversation for fellow travelers seeking spaciousness, honesty, and a more awake way of living.
Watch this interview or read the episode show notes at shambhala.com/podcast.
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction & the Story Behind Rude Awakenings
03:57 Letting Go of Self & Awakening Compassion
18:32 Trump, Political Anger & Basic Goodness
27:05 The Three Paths of Buddhism
33:13 How Decades of Dharma Practice Change You
46:51 Mystical Encounters with Buddhist Masters
55:17 Sharing the Dharma & Staying Humble
1:00:40 Facing Death & Near-Death Experiences
1:04:48 Rebirth, the Bardo & What Comes After Death
1:11:23 Living Without Regrets & Preparing to Let Go
Books by Sam Bercholz