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JANUARY 2026 NEWSLETTER
IN THIS NEWSLETTER: • From The Wisdom Seat • The Wisdom Seat Events • Programs To Consider • Wisdom's Melody • A Teaching Happy 2026! Looking back at 2025: Together we gathered for 26 events this past year - not even counting our weekly Wednesday evening meditations. Our podcast was downloaded 2,215 times, and our blog posts were read 5,989 times. Thank you for showing up, listening, and practicing together. Our sangha spans the globe. While 26% of us are in Pe
Dec 22, 2025
Ron Rojas and Michael Carroll - CEO at Continental Sales
View this episode's page on Libsyn Ron is CEO at Continental Sales lots-4-less, a discount store on the South Side of Chicago. Started by Ron's father in 1965, the store has gained a loyal customer base and sees upwards of 1000 sales a day. Ron and Michael discuss the thrill of treasure hunting and the company's values, which include mindfulness, community, and joy. This episode was originally produced by Applied Mindfulness Training as part of their Mindful Voices series. Le
Dec 13, 2025
A Mindful Gathering with Irini Rockwell
Exploring the Five Wisdom Energies with Irini Rockwell On December 11, 2025, The Wisdom Seat welcomed Irini Rockwell for an exploration of the Five Wisdom Energies, a Buddhist framework for understanding personality, emotions, and relationships in everyday life. Irini, who has been teaching for over 40 years and founded the Five Wisdoms Institute , introduced each energy's characteristics. She emphasized recognizing and aligning with each energy's wisdom aspects while working
Dec 11, 2025
The Wisdom Seat Fall 2025 Retreat
The Wisdom Seat 2025 Fall Retreat brought together practitioners for eight days at Karma Triyana Dharmachakra monastery in the Catskill Mountains for a deep dive into mindfulness-awareness meditation. Led by Michael Carroll and supported by The Wisdom Seat staff, the retreat combined 6–7 hours of daily shrine room practice with breath and body relaxation, outdoor walking meditation, readings from Buddhist texts, Dharma talks, and both group and individual meditation instructi
Dec 1, 2025
DECEMBER 2025 NEWSLETTER
IN THIS NEWSLETTER: • From The Wisdom Seat • The Wisdom Seat Events • Programs To Consider • A Teaching When we pause and reflect on our lives, we most likely can recall dozens of friends and loved ones who brought color, joy and surprise to our lives: a kind-hearted cafeteria worker or quirky teenage boyfriend; a rambunctious canine or hilarious roommate; a trusted boss or loving parent. Such memories can bring smiles and tears. Chances are many of those we
Nov 30, 2025
Jacqueline Gallo - Chief Operating Officer of Whitcraft Group
View this episode's page on Libsyn Michael talks with Jacqueline Gallo, Chief Operating Officer of Whitcraft Group, about how applying mindfulness at work helps weather change, make tough leadership decisions, and even see around corners. They also discuss Whitcraft's highly successful prison work release program. This episode was originally produced by Applied Mindfulness Training as part of their Mindful Voices series. Learn more at https://www.appliedmindfulnesstraining.or
Nov 29, 2025
Susan Piver - New York Times bestselling author and founder of the Open Heart Project
View this episode's page on Libsyn Susan Piver is a Buddhist teacher, New York Times bestselling author and founder of the Open Heart Project, a community of support for living an awakened life. Michael sits down with his long-time friend, Susan Piver to talk about community, creativity, pain, loneliness, and other things we're afraid of. They also discuss how applying mindfulness impacts how we run a business, how we teach, and how we learn. This episode was originally produ
Nov 18, 2025
Nowness: A Community Discussion on Trungpa Rinpoche's Teaching
On November 18, 2025, The Wisdom Seat gathered for a community discussion exploring Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's teaching on nowness from chapter 11 of Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior . Board President Bill Moriarty facilitated the conversation, inviting everyone to share their reflections, questions, and insights on this foundational teaching. This session was not recorded. Trungpa Rinpoche writes: "The way to experience nowness is to realize that this very moment, t
Nov 18, 2025
Journey to Golok: Film Screening with Anam Thubten
On Sunday, November 9, 2025, The Wisdom Seat welcomed over 60 guests to the Swarthmore Friends Meeting House for an unforgettable premiere of "Journey to Golok: Takyak Pilgrimage." The event brought together dharma practitioners, curious seekers, and members of the local community for an evening that bridged continents and centuries of spiritual wisdom. Renowned Tibetan Buddhist teacher Anam Thubten opened the evening with a heartfelt introduction, sharing personal memories o
Nov 9, 2025
November 2025 NEWSLETTER
IN THIS NEWSLETTER: • From The Wisdom Seat • The Wisdom Seat Events • Programs To Consider • A Teaching The seasons are changing in earnest here in Pennsylvania. We are in the bardo (or “interval”) between summer and winter, complete with golden, red, and brown leaves, carved pumpkins, and Halloween decorations. This shift is a reminder that everything is in motion, constantly changing. Our regular online meditation group has been reading and contemplating Pema
Oct 29, 2025
Dilgo Khentsye Rinpoche - Celebration and Discussion
At this month's Mindful Gathering, I presented on Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche's life, his influence on American Buddhism, and connection to The Wisdom Seat. Born in 1910 in eastern Tibet, he spent 13 years in solitary retreat before being called to teach.
Oct 29, 2025
OCTOBER 2025 NEWSLETTER
IN THIS NEWSLETTER: • From The Wisdom Seat • The Wisdom Seat Events • Programs To Consider • A Teaching Our founders Matt DiRodio and Michael Carroll recently sat down together and edited The Wisdom Seat’s chant boo k which we use in our monthly nyinthuns and other events. Much appreciation for their work and dedication! So for those who participate in our nyinthuns, take note of the new version updated in September 2025. On September 11th our communities exper
Sep 29, 2025
2025 Refuge and Bodhisattva Vows Ceremony
By Alison Driscoll Hearing about the teachings before taking the vows The Refuge & Bodhisattva Vow ceremonies took place at Pawo Khandro Ling, The Wisdom Seat meditation hall, both live and online, on Sunday, September 28th. Capably led by Michael Carroll, as preceptor, the ceremonies were uplifted and inspiring. Michael spoke about the view, practice, and conduct of each of the Refuge and Bodhisattva vow and prior to the ceremony spoke with each of those who took one or the
Sep 28, 2025
Sanskrit for Mere Mortals - a conversation with Dr. Varun Khanna
View this episode's page on Libsyn A Mindful Gathering - August 2025 Ever wonder what you're actually saying when you chant "Om" or mumble through "Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha"? Join us for a fascinating conversation with Dr. Varun Khanna, who studied traditional Sanskrit grammar in India and earned his PhD from Cambridge. We explore how ancient practitioners understood Sanskrit as vibrations that directly create experience, break down the real meanings behind
Sep 1, 2025
SEPTEMBER 2025 NEWSLETTER
IN THIS NEWSLETTER: • From The Wisdom Seat • The Wisdom Seat Events • Programs To Consider • A Teaching At the end of the month The Wisdom Seat will be offering Refuge and Bodhisattva Vows. As many of you know these vows are a proclamation to formally claim one's identity as a Buddhist. Why would one want to take this leap? You might ask yourself "Who needs to join a religion?" Maybe in your study of buddhism you came across the teaching of "egolessness", so yo
Aug 31, 2025
Sanskrit for Mere Mortals
A Mindful Gathering with Dr. Varun Khanna Watch the recording: https://youtu.be/17XM3Gq2XxU Ever wonder what you're actually saying when you chant "Om" or mumble through "Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha"? Join us for a fascinating conversation with Dr. Varun Khanna, who studied traditional Sanskrit grammar in India and did his MPhil in Sanskrit and PhD in Hinduism at the University of Cambridge, UK . We explore how ancient practitioners understood Sanskrit as vibra
Aug 31, 2025
A message from The Wisdom Seat Board of Directors
Like all things, The Wisdom Seat is ever-changing, and we are writing today to start a dialogue with you, our community, about how we can best shape our organization to serve our precious sangha in the years ahead. Whether you consider Wisdom Seat your sangha, donate time or funds, come to events, or simply read our newsletter, we consider you to be part of The Wisdom Seat community, and we want to hear your voice. We will be soliciting your opinions and ideas in the weeks to
Aug 7, 2025
AUGUST 2025 NEWSLETTER
IN THIS NEWSLETTER: • From The Wisdom Seat • The Wisdom Seat Events • Programs To Consider • A Teaching OM GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA This is Sanskrit. I didn't know I've been chanting Sanskrit for years, and how important the language was to Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Did you know Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche often preferred his students go back to the original Sanskrit instead of using Tibetan terms? "He(CTR) even decided, whenever possible, to choos
Jul 31, 2025
Exploring the Four Immeasurables: A Deep Dive into Buddhist Teachings
A Mindful Gathering with Michael Carroll and Bill Moriarty Watch the full discussion below: (I didn't record this one in the usual way, so only the hosts' video is displayed. My mistake -Bill) In our Mindful Gathering of July, we had an open conversation about the Four Immeasurables: loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. This discussion featured insights from Michael, a long-time practitioner of Buddhism, who shared his personal connection to these tea
Jul 15, 2025
JULY 2025 NEWSLETTER
IN THIS NEWSLETTER: • From The Wisdom Seat • The Wisdom Seat Events • Programs To Consider • A Teaching I've just returned from being in a country where I couldn't speak the language. My wife, our 14-year-old, and I went to South Korea to visit our extended family. We spent two weeks traveling around and met about 15 relatives for the first time: aunts, uncles, grandparents, young cousins...and I couldn't converse with any of them. In Korean, I could only say yes
Jun 24, 2025
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