Samsara Audio: A Conversation with Vivid Void

Things have been quiet at Samsara Audio lately.

That project began merely as an experiment, so I moved it to the back burner during June to prioritize my writing here at Samsara Diagnostics (and my piece on 'spiritual flesh' over at Logos). While I stand by that decision, I've also been looking for opportunities to get back into the swing of things at Samsara Audio.

Samsara Audio is back, and I have a treat for you – a stimulating conversation with the mystic, writer, and overcomer of self -- Vivid Void.

Gabe at Vivid Void graciously accepted a podcast invite from a nobody like myself, and this conversation turned out to be incredibly fruitful. You can enjoy it on YouTube, or you can listen on any major podcasting platform. Hopefully, there will be a second one in the works in the future.

Some ideas which really stood out to me from our conversation --

1. Gabe observes that nothing can be 'occulted' in our age anymore, which is another way of saying that no knowledge can be hidden behind any ritual today. This situation of universal access to ideas ignores the fact that some people aren't ready to assimilate certain pieces of knowledge. Humans used to have a sense that one needs to work up to an idea or ascend to it gradually through a series of stages, and we moderns have mostly lost this.
   
   I've explored a similar idea from a slightly different angle in a recent piece, but this topic will continue to come up here at Samsara Diagnostics, as I think it's of vital importance.
2. I asked Gabe head on – what does he mean by the word 'spiritual?' This question is rarely asked, I think, and Gabe's answer was fascinating. He described the spiritual as "the metaphysical pre-condition of experience."
   
   There is a conditioning or structuring of experience which exceeds the ability of metaphysics to describe because it's constitutive of the metaphysical task itself. I brought up the Zen philosopher Keiji Nishitani, who I've written about in the past, and I think it would be worth continuing to explore this definition of the spiritual. I'm planning a Nishitani piece as well for the not-so distant future.
3. Gabe also spoke about the superiority of Christian symbols for Westerners. I didn't expect to hear this from him, actually. He commented that Christian symbols are a more effective path for Westerners to follow in their spiritual or mystical practice than Eastern symbols are. Christianity connects with the cultural, political, and philosophical mileu of the Westerner differently.
   
   My work also takes up that theme, and even asks about what conceptual tools the Christian tradition brings to the table which other traditions, such as Buddhism, have failed to produce, especially as regards political and economic liberation.

Don't miss this great interview! If you have any thoughts or comments, shoot me an email or use my Contact page. I also love when people tweet at me on Twitter. Thanks for listening, friends! Keep an eye out for Friday's piece this week, as it builds on this conversation I had with Vivid Void.