Service, Meditation, and Healing: Toet de Best's Remarkable Life
Release Date: 10/13/2023
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Life with a Lama Healer
Please join me in this episode with Andrea Velloso, a Brazilian filmmaker, producer, screenwriter, and visionary artist. In the early 1990s, Andrea met Lama Gangchen, who invited her to produce and direct a documentary exploring his teachings and the interdependence of the elements across diverse locations: the Andes Mountains, Tibet, and the Amazon. This collaboration led to the creation of the award-winning documentary , which delves into the Buddhist concept of "dependent arising" — the profound idea that all phenomena are interconnected and arise in relation to one another. In this...
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Morning Peace Meditation (with Lelia O’Connor)
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Hello friends, it's Lelia O”Connor I'm so grateful you’re here. With everything going on in our lives it’s easy to disconnect from our bodies and inner self. In today's meditation, we're going to reconnect with ourselves. I like to call it Connecting with our Inner Compass, that deep inner calm, inner knowing and inner wisdom that is available to all of us when we slow down, take some deep breaths and reconnect. So, get comfortable, take a deep breath and let's begin this inner journey of reconnection together. Be peaceful…be happy, Lelia Lelia...
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How to be Peaceful in times of Conflict
Life with a Lama Healer
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Transforming Mental Health: Dr. Rogier Hoenders and Lama Gangchen’s' Holistic Approach
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In this week's episode, we talk with Rogier Hoenders, an integrative psychiatrist and head of research and clinical affairs at the Centre for Integrative Psychiatry Lentis in Groningen, the Netherlands. Rogier shares his transformative experiences since meeting Lama Gangchen in 2004, including their global travels, conferences, and retreats that deeply influenced his holistic approach to mental health. Lama Gangchen taught Rogier the importance of seeing the positive in every situation and being open to the vast wisdom of traditional medicines, healing and spirituality. Lama Gangchen...
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Carmen's Symphony for Peace
Life with a Lama Healer
In this week's episode, we talk with Carmen Iodice, a super talented singer and musician with the United Peace Voices and the creator of the Mantra Symphony for Peace. Carmen shares her incredible journey from Gubbio, Italy where she first met Lama Gangchen in 1986. This meeting changed her life, leading her to combine her musical talents with spiritual practices to spread messages of peace and healing. We delve into Carmen's experiences and how Lama Gangchen nurtured her and others' talents, encouraging them to use their abilities for spiritual growth and for the benefit of others. Carmen...
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On the Road to Shambala with Cláudia Proushan
Life with a Lama Healer
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Life with a Lama Healer
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Dreams, Blessings, and Love: Betty Voon's Path with Lama Gangchen
Life with a Lama Healer
This week, we are delighted to have Betty Voon on the show, a native of Malaysia. Her journey with Lama Gangchen began in the 1990s at the age of 18. A year later, she sought Lama to be her teacher, initiating a lifelong commitment to studying and collaborating on foundation activities. Known for her kindness and patience, Betty contributed to translations, assisted sick patients visiting Lama, and played a role in Peace Media, collaborating with founder Sunny Koo on books and films promoting peace. Currently, she actively participates in the Malaysian Medicine Buddha Center in Kuala Lumpur....
info_outlineToet de Best, a lifelong resident of the picturesque Netherlands. Toet's life story is a tapestry woven with threads of spirituality, service, and profound connections. For over three decades, she traveled the world alongside Lama Gangchen, a journey that weaves an incredible tale of spiritual growth, self-discovery, and compassion.
As a dedicated volunteer, she played an instrumental role as the permanent Dutch translator for Lama Gangchen and co-founded the Lama Gangchen Foundation in Holland.
Toet's journey goes even deeper, beginning as a 9-year-old with a near-death experience that left her with existential questions about life's purpose, human suffering, and the disparities between wealth and poverty. Which led her to Tibetan Buddhism, where she discovered that the peaceful state she encountered during her near-death experience could also be found through meditation. Join us as we explore Toet de Best's extraordinary life, her adventures with Lama Gangchen, and the profound insights that have shaped her remarkable journey.
“There’s a Guru in all of us, Use an external Guru to unlock your inner Guru that is in your heart”
Listener Takeaways:
- Past Life Adventures and Friendships: Discover the mystical realms of past life connections and deep friendships that have woven through Toet's journey with Lama Gangchen.
- Lama's Sense of Humor: Explore Lama Gangchen's unique sense of humor, especially in the context of fashion, a facet of his personality that brought joy and lightness to their journey.
- Transcendental Experiences: Join us as Toet describes a transcendent moment where she saw the Buddha's head move, an encounter that confirmed the existence of other dimensions.
- Peaceful Passages with Lama: Hear about the deep sense of peace that Lama Gangchen brought to the final moments of individuals' lives when they shared their last breaths with him.
In the heart of Holland, Toet de Best did dwell,
A lifelong journey, with tales to tell.
She traveled the world with Lama Gangchen by her side,
A steadfast volunteer, her spirit open wide.
For three decades or more, their paths intertwined,
A Dutch translator, in Lama's presence she'd find.
Co-founder of a foundation, their mission clear,
To spread compassion, love, and lessen fear.
At nine years old, a near-death's gentle embrace,
A blissful moment, in a tranquil space.
A life of service, in causes altruistic and grand,
Toet de Best, a compassionate soul in this earthly land.
As we conclude this episode, we're reminded of the transformative power of spiritual connection and the profound influence of compassionate guides like Lama Gangchen. Toet de Best's journey serves as a testament to the enduring impact of spiritual exploration and the quest for profound inner peace.
TUNE into the next episode of Life with a Lama Healer, to hear more truly remarkable conversations about the life and times of Lama Gangchen Rinpoche.
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