The Middle Way Initiative Newsletter: March 2023
Message from Elizabeth
Dear Friends,
Our first Open Question Live event in 2023 will be with my dear friend Pema Chödrön, on March 25 “How We Live is How We Die.” We are looking forward to discussing existence and extinction, and the notion of self in the Buddha’s Middle Way tradition.
What does that statement mean to Pema? How do we integrate a better understanding of the relationship between life and death in our own practice? We hope to hear from Pema about her new book entitled, How We Live is How We Die. Below is a link to Pema’s new book and an audiobook sample.
I also hope you will listen to my first podcast this year entitled “The Self: Beyond Existence and Extinction.” If one were to ask, “What did the Buddha teach?”, it would be accurate to reply, “The Middle Way”. Middle Way wisdom challenges the unexamined assumptions we have about things, what the Buddha called ‘extreme views.’ In this podcast episode I introduce the meaning of ‘extremes' and the 'Middle Way' in the context of living and dying.
Love,
Elizabeth
Book:
Pema Chodron, How We Live is How We Die (2022 Shambhala Publications)
Click to see book >>
Audio:
Click to listen to an audiobook sample >>
How We Live is How We Die” with Pema Chödrön & Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel
March 25, 1pm USA MT via Zoom. English with Portuguese simulcast translation.
Please join us on March 25th at 1pm Mountain Time for our first Open Question Live Conversation for 2023, How We Live Is How We Die with Pema Chödrön.
We encourage you to register early because space is limited for this event and tickets may sell out.
We look forward to a conversation with Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel and Pema Chödrön as they discuss existence and extinction, and the notion of self in the Buddha’s Middle Way tradition. What does that statement mean to her? How do we integrate a better understanding of the relationship between life and death in our own practice? We hope to hear from Pema about her new book entitled, How We Live is How We Die.
Open Question Podcast Episode 401: “The Self: Beyond Existence and Extinction”
If one were to ask, “What did the Buddha teach?, it would be accurate to reply, “The Middle Way. Middle Way wisdom challenges the unexamined assumptions we have about things, what the Buddha called ‘extreme views.’ In this podcast Elizabeth introduces the meaning of ‘extremes' and the 'Middle Way' in the context of living and dying.
Living Dharma: What Does It Mean to Be Yourself
Date: Apr 15, 2023 | Livestream
The relationship we have with our self is arguably the most intimate relationship in our life, and one most of us grapple with. In the Buddha’s Middle Way tradition, the practice of looking and not finding the self is one of the most liberating and surprising aspects of the path. Curiously, the clarity that emerges from searching for a self guides our understanding of “what it truly means to be our self!”
Phuntsok Choling invites you to join Elizabeth and the Mangala Shri Bhuti community, for a day of teachings, guided meditation, and conversation in regards to the self in the context of the Buddha’s Middle Way.