# Ep337: Guru Ghostwriting & Tantric Retreat - Dr Ben Joffe

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/guru-viking-podcast-1161340/ep337-guru-ghostwriting-tantric-retreat-dr-ben-joffe
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/guru-viking-podcast-1161340/ep337-guru-ghostwriting-tantric-retreat-dr-ben-joffe.md
Podcast: [Guru Viking Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/guru-viking-podcast-1161340)
Published: 2025-12-12T14:01:03+00:00
Episode link: https://soundcloud.com/guruviking/ep337-guru-ghostwriting-tantric-retreat-dr-ben-joffe
Audio file: https://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/2228121983-guruviking-ep337-guru-ghostwriting-tantric-retreat-dr-ben-joffe.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/guru-viking-podcast-1161340/episodes/ep337-guru-ghostwriting-tantric-retreat-dr-ben-joffe
Duration seconds: 9306

## Resource

In this interview I am once again joined by Dr Ben Joffe, anthropologist, occultist, and scholar practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism. Ben reveals the industry convention of guru ghostwriting in which spiritual teachers employ one or a team of writers to produce their dharma books, explains his collaborative process with Nida Chenagtsang on their latest Vajrayana book, and sheds light on his own editorial process. Ben discusses whether a scholar should have practice experience before translating religious texts, considers whether historical inaccuracies debunk the spiritual value of Buddhist scriptures, and raises questions about the origin of terma treasure texts. Ben also compares the Yuthok Nyinthig retreat format to the Abramelin Ritual of Western Occultism, details the signs of success in tantric practice, and shares Yuthok’s promise to appear in bodily form to practitioners with sufficient devotion and attainment. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep337-guru-ghostwriting-tantric-retreat-dr-ben-joffe Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast’. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:12 - Ghostwriting for gurus 08:03 - Lamas often don’t write their books 10:24 - Ben’s editorial process 18:32 - Is guru ghostwriting a dirty secret? 19:17 - Vajrayana jargon vs a felt sense 29:56 - What is a scholar practitioner? 37:39 - Ben’s retreat experiences 41:13 - Did Yuthok the Elder really exist? 50:06 - Anachronisms and retroactive attribution in Tibetan historiography 51:57 - Origins of the Tibetan medical tantras (rgyud bzhi) 58:08 - Terma treasure texts: mystical revelation or an editorial process? 01:02:08 - Why have Western scholars been hesitant to question terma texts? 01:05:04 - Does critical scholarship debunk Buddhism? 01:10…

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## Transcript

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