Traveling in Bardo with Ann Tashi Slater

Traveling in Bardo with Ann Tashi Slater

Author: Tricycle: The Buddhist Review September 10, 2025 Duration: 57:49
In Tibetan Buddhism, the bardo is a between-state. While the term is usually associated with the passage from death to rebirth, it can also refer to the journey from birth to death—as well as the various transitional states we encounter along the way. According to writer and Tricycle contributing editor Ann Tashi Slater, Tibetan bardo teachings can transform the way we live—and help us find lasting happiness in a world defined by impermanence. In her new book, Traveling in Bardo: The Art of Living in an Impermanent World, Slater explores how bardo wisdom can help us navigate change and transition with greater acceptance and creativity. In this episode of Tricycle Talks, Tricycle’s editor-in-chief, James Shaheen, sits down with Slater to discuss the legends surrounding the bardo teachings, her own experience of illness and how it paralleled the bardo journey, how what we pay attention to determines the nature of our reality, and how the Tibetan Book of the Dead can teach us how to live.

In a world full of noise, Tricycle Talks offers a different kind of conversation. This podcast from the team at Tricycle: The Buddhist Review sits down with insightful teachers, authors, and practitioners to explore how ancient wisdom meets modern complexity. Host James Shaheen, the magazine's editor-in-chief, guides these discussions with a curious and grounded presence, often joined by co-host Sharon Salzberg for the "Life As It Is" series, which focuses on integrating practice into daily routines. What you'll hear isn't abstract theory, but tangible reflections on navigating life's big questions-from dealing with anxiety and loss to cultivating compassion and clarity in a distracted age. Each episode feels like a thoughtful dialogue, peeling back layers on meditation, ethics, and what it means to live an examined life. It’s a natural extension of the award-winning work Tricycle is known for, translating the depth of Buddhist thought into accessible, personal audio. Listening to this podcast provides a pause, a moment to reflect alongside voices who have dedicated their lives to the path, offering practical insights that resonate long after the conversation ends.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Tricycle Talks
Podcast Episodes
Buddhist Masters of Modern China with Benjamin Brose [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:12
Benjamin Brose is Professor of Buddhist and Chinese Studies and chair of the department of Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Michigan. His new book, Buddhist Masters of Modern China: The Lives and Legacie…
The Greek King and the Buddhist Monk with Maria Heim [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:12
The Questions of Milinda is one of the most renowned texts within Theravada Buddhism—and one of the most translated Buddhist texts around the world. The text follows a transformational philosophical dialogue between the…
Remembering Our Belonging with Sebene Selassie [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:18
As someone who has been living with cancer for nearly two decades, Sebene Selassie is no stranger to being with suffering. In her work as a writer and dharma teacher, Selassie focuses on how we can tap into a deeper sens…
Buddhist Poet Ocean Vuong on Failure, Redemption, and Second Chances [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:41
For poet Ocean Vuong, the act of writing is inextricably linked to his Zen Buddhist practice. In a previous episode of Life As It Is, he told Tricycle’s editor-in-chief, James Shaheen, and meditation teacher Sharon Salzb…
Breathing Mindfulness with Sarah Shaw [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:36
Over the course of the last hundred years, breathing mindfulness has become the most popular method of meditation around the world. Yet its history remains largely unrecorded. In her new book, Breathing Mindfulness: Disc…
How to Stay Engaged without Burning Out with Daisy Hernández [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:09
For the next few episodes of Life As It Is, Tricycle’s editor-in-chief, James Shaheen, and meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg will be talking about specific themes that have been coming up in their practice, with a parti…
The Edge of Language with Arthur Sze [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:24
For poet and translator Arthur Sze, poetry offers a way to ask difficult questions without any expectation of an answer. “It helps us slow down, hear clearly, see deeply, and envision what matters most in our lives,” he…
Classroom Mindfulness Put to the Test with Emma Varvaloucas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:08
Emma Varvaloucas is the executive director of the Progress Network, a nonprofit media organization that aims to take a constructive approach to solving some of our most intractable problems. In her article in the Februar…
The Grieving Body with Mary-Frances O'Connor [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:44
Grief is often thought of as a psychological phenomenon. Yet loss also has a profound impact on our bodies, often affecting our cardiovascular, endocrine, and immune systems. As a Professor of Clinical Psychology and Psy…
A Journey through Buddhist History with Donald S. Lopez Jr. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:15
Donald S. Lopez Jr. is the Arthur E. Link Distinguished University Professor of Buddhist and Tibetan Studies in the Department of Asian Languages and Cultures at the University of Michigan and a longtime Tricycle contrib…