UNCOVERAGE - Episode 1 - Shangri La

Una Morera was raised in the largest community of Buddhists in America, led by the enigmatic and outrageous Chögyam Trungpa, Rinpoche, in Boulder, Colorado.

Escaping Tibet in 1959, Trungpa Rinpoche made his way to America to teach the dharma and surround himself with Western students.

Right after Una was born her mother met Trungpa Rinpoche, and four years later, her mother would join his thriving community in Colorado.

Responsible for introducing meditation to the West, Trungpa Rinpoche was also responsible for his own brand of self-proclaimed crazy wisdom, which included drinking to excess, having sex with his students, and pushing the limits of conventionality.

Growing up in this community, Una witnessed the birth of a secret society of dharma practitioners who, with Trungpa Rinpoche’s help, created a deadly environment of sexual predation, classism, and blind assent.

Una learned the teachings of the dharma and the actions of dharma students were two very different things.

This is a story about discovering who she really is after a lifetime of living and breathing a spiritual path based on ancient secrets and modern deceptions.

Credits: Our theme music is performed and produced by Ryder Cooley and the Dust Bowl Faeries. Buy their music at dustbowlfaeries.com

Written and produced by Una Morera

Logo Art Direction by Jaime Lamond

Special thanks to Mike Schoonmaker

Special thanks to Dean Haspiel and Eric Leven

The excerpt of Trungpa Rinpoche is from the Chronicle Project. Find out more at Chronicleproject.com

Dedicated to Daniel Dalseth

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