This Very Moment Episode 6: Devendra Banhart

March 15, 2026

This Very Moment
Episode 6: Skepticism, Skateboarding, and Samadhi with Devendra Banhart

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Show Notes

In this episode, musician and visual artist Devendra Banhart sits down with Ivan Bercholz for an intimate conversation about how Buddhist practice, books, and subculture have shaped his life and work, leading him to This Very Moment.

From his early years of skateboarding (before it was cool) to his segue into indie-folk music, Devendra has always leaned into counterculture, providing the perfect foundation to esotericism and the Buddhadharma. Raised in a spiritual home, Devendra’s parents practiced and studied with a Hindu teacher; however, through his own exploration and experience, he discovered that the Buddhist teachings are the one true support for his life, art, and music. With honesty, depth, and humor, Devendra describes his interactions with his root teacher, Neten Chokling Rinpoche, as well as Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, which pushed him to go beyond doubt, hardship, and insecurity both as an artist and a practitioner. Through winding storytelling, Devendra shares his deep appreciation of the universal spiritual principles that he’s encountered through books, teachers, and music, while returning again and again to his personal devotion to the Buddhist teachings.

About the Interviewee

Devendra Obi Banhart is an American singer-songwriter and visual artist best known for his late 2000s albums Niño Rojo, Cripple Crow, and Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon. Devendra was born in Houston and grew up in Venezuela and California. Often considered a leader in the freak folk impulse, Devendra’s art and music are described as poetic, experimental, and whimsical with reflective emotionality. Learn more about Devendra and his music at https://devendrabanhart.com/