Courtesy Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art

AWAKEN Podcast
Season 5
Launched: August 19, 2025

The Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art is excited to launch their fifth season of AWAKEN—a Webby Honoree podcast about the dynamic path to enlightenment and what it means to “wake up.” This season explores interdependence, a fundamental concept in Buddhism and in life that describes the mutual dependence of everything and experience. Hosted by singer, songwriter, and artist Devendra Banhart, the series focuses on a painting of the Wheel of Life from the Rubin Museum’s collection to see what it can teach us about the interconnected nature of existence. Experts in the realms of art, social science, Buddhism, and more illuminate how greater awareness of interdependence can be the wake up call that motivates actions for a better world.

Trailer voices in order of appearance: associate professor of Buddhism and East Asian religions Annabella Pitkin; Tibetan physician, scholar, and founder and medical director of the Sowa Rigpa Institute Dr. Nida Chenagtsang; singer, songwriter, and artist Devendra Banhart; social scientist, physician, and professor Nicholas A. Christakis; pastoral counselor, teacher, and author Pamela Ayo Yetunde.

New episodes will drop every Tuesday on their website and wherever you listen to podcasts.

To learn more and start listening, click here.