Episode 501: Faith Beyond Belief and Doubt: The “F” Word
In this episode, Elizabeth takes us on a journey through the term ‘faith.' We may assume we know what faith is, but most of us have never truly explored its nuance or spectrum of meanings. We often use the term faith to refer to: dogma, fundamentalism, doctrine, confidence, devotion, conviction, just to name a few. In the context of contemporary culture, there are those who suggest that we replace the world faith with spirituality, but Elizabeth requests us not to write-off faith so glibly. Faith carries with it the undeniable tension between our search for security and the limits of our ability to know. Faith keeps us connected to the heart of the human condition.
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Episode 405. Bearing Witness
In episode 405, Elizabeth tells the classic Buddhist story of Avaloketeshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion. She asks us to contemplate this story carefully, adding, “because something similar could happen to you.
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Episode 404. Looking for Permanence: When Does Bread Become Toast?
In previous episodes we engaged in the liberating practice of looking and not finding, as we searched for something singular or independent. In this episode, Elizabeth explores the topic of permanence - the 3rd in this triad of classical Middle Way inquiries.
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Episode 403: The Self: Into the Watery Depths
In episode 403, “Into the Watery Depths,” we will continue on with our theme: The Self: Walking the Middle Way Path, by introducing the second Century spiritual genius, Nagarjuna. Nagarjuna is considered the father of the Middle Way school, because he was responsible for re-energizing and clarifying the authentic meaning of the Prajnaparamita (Transcendent Wisdom) Sutras, which are concerned with accurately discerning reality.
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Episode 402: The Self: Mind and Its World
In this podcast Elizabeth introduces us to the Buddha’s most essential insight: “dependent arising,’”and leads us through a classic Middle Way investigation: “Can you locate where your mind ends and where the world begins?” leading us to a deeper understanding of mind and its world.
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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.
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Life is Rich!: Sacred World - Through the Eyes of Prajnaparamita
Our life - our world - can be rich…and it can also be a bitch. We walk the terrain of multiple - maybe infinite - grounds. We move in and out of these overlapping spaces.They are not geographical territories, but rather various ways we encounter our human condition as our mind and its world engage in the playful exchange we call, ‘experience.’
In this episode, I would like to invite you to walk the terrain of four grounds with me.the haunted ground; the playground; the training ground; and the sacred ground.
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Episode 304: Where is “the” World?: Sacred World-Through the Eyes of Prajnaparamita
What do you see when you think about the world?
You might picture a rainforest or desert, You might envision people pushing their way through a crowded subway terminal on their way to work. You might imagine a household or a war zone.
You might think to yourself: “the world is a mess,” or feel touched by the beauty of this place and the beings that inhabit it.
Where exactly is “the” world?
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Episode 303: Sacred World: The Shimmering Apparition
In Open Question Podcast Episode 303, Sacred World: The Shimmering Apparition, Elizabeth explores the power of words and what it means to go beyond them in the tradition of Prajnaparamita.
"Words ground us in our quest for meaning, and give us avenues for communication with others. As a lover of words, I want to pay tribute to this shimmering apparition we call language.
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Episode 302: Sacred World: Awakening Natural Intelligence
When we honestly assess our human condition, we find that our aspiration for wellbeing can be selfishly driven.
We often fail to connect the dots between our innermost longing and the way we move through life. To bring our actions together with our true intentions requires discernment, or prajna, in Sanskrit. Prajna is an inherent resource - but if we don’t recognize, develop, and use it, it will remain dormant.
The question we need to ask ourselves is: “How do we wake it up?”
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Episode 301: Sacred World: Through the Eyes of Prajnaparamita
Most spiritual traditions offer teachings on “sacred world” - the promise of a life beyond struggle - the search for a place of ease. This is a noble human quest. And yet, the ‘sacred' often seems to be a place other than where we find ourselves now. How do we reconcile the tension between the spiritual and temporal aspects of life? This is our conundrum. And presents us with a genuine opportunity to explore something crucial to our human being.
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Episode 209: The Beloved Community
Marc Andrus is the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California. His leadership is focused on key issues related to peace and justice, civil rights, and the environment. Bishop Andrus has just released a new book: Brothers in the Beloved Community: The Friendship of Thich Nhat Hanh and Martin Luther King Jr. In this interview, Elizabeth and Bishop Marc discuss the powerful connection between spirituality and activism, the nature of interdependence, and bodhisattvas in our world.
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Episode 208: Opening the Heart Sutra
In this episode, Elizabeth shares her love of the most quintessential text of Mahayana Buddhism: The Heart Sutra. She weaves her heartfelt comments through a musical composition of the text, performed by Chime Mattis. The episode is an insightful and devotional presentation that can be used for both practice and contemplation.
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Episode 207: Our Human Being
In this episode, Our Human Being, Elizabeth shares how, as electronic communication, machine intelligence and global culture become more a part of our world, she is feeling a deep personal need to examine and clarify what it means to be human. She brings her inquiry into the Buddhist context by questioning what the Buddha meant when he said that it is in the human realm that we have the great potential for awakening.
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Episode 206: Don't Be So Predictable
In this episode, Elizabeth and her son, Dungse Jampal Norbu, discuss his project the "Everybodhi Podcast". In his podcast, and this interview, Dungse Jampal offers a fresh and contemporary look at one of Mahayana Buddhism's seminal texts - "The Seven Points on Mind Training", or as it's more commonly known, Lojong. Elizabeth and Dungse la discuss several of Lojong's 59 pithy and playful slogans which were intended to challenge, open and counter our ordinary, habitual mind. It is easy to misinterpret these short slogans and misunderstand their sometimes provocative tone. Dungse Jampal shares his deeply reasoned appreciation of the many precious commentaries available to dharma students today.
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Episode 205: Science Magic Grace
In this episode, Elizabeth speaks with her dharma friend, Jakob Leschly, a long time practitioner, teacher and translator for Siddhartha’s Intent. They cover many topics in this conversation, including the differences between modern science and Buddhist science, the practice of critical inquiry and the challenges of looking at our own mind. At the heart of the discussion they share their experiences of the late master, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and his impact on their lives.
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Episode 204: These Dark Times
In episode 204, These Dark Times, Elizabeth explores the process of finding courage in the face of adversity. “It is only through looking life squarely in the face,” she says, “that we find liberation.” She reminds us that this world we try so desperately to secure, doesn’t ultimately lend itself to trustworthiness, and that, our relentless attempt to secure it, defines “samsara." Elizabeth suggests that there is another way of being in life that is empowered and courageous. However this approach, ironically, relies upon our ability to accept the frailty and poignancy of being human.
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Episode 203: Dwelling Place of the Ancestors
In this episode, Elizabeth speaks with Buddhist teacher and author, Judy Lief, about the future of Buddhism in the context of lineage in contemporary culture. Judy candidly shares her thoughts on creating welcoming dharma environments; the tension between innovation and tradition and the pre-conceptions of studentship, referring often to her own experiences with the Tibetan master, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
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Episode 202: Living Wisdom - Seagull on a Buoy
In this episode, Elizabeth explores the idea and experience of lineage. Lineage is an important part of human existence and culture. What we know and how we see life, has something to do with a continuum of worldview and experience that has been passed down to us. In the context of Buddhism, lineage keeps us in the boundary of our intention to connect with our innate wisdom. “Interfacing with a lineage as a living experience,” as she puts it “keeps us on the edge of continuous discovery.”
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Episode 201: Unconditional Well-Being
In the opening episode of Season Two of the Open Question podcast, Unconditional Wellbeing, Elizabeth speaks with her teacher, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche on the topic of the Buddhist training in patience as an extension of the practice of universal love. The unconditional wellbeing that the practice produces is based on developing confidence in yourself and your ability.
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