Best Bodhicitta Podcasts (2025)

Speaker: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. This previously-recorded LINK was the second teaching of a weekend program that was given to the Naropa University student body by Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche and Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel in October 2012. In Part 2, Rinpoche gave detailed instructions on shamatha meditation including the five (5) obstacles and the ei…

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Breeze of Simplicity: Part 1 (Link #774) 1:10:38

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25d ago1:10:38

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Speaker: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. This previously-recorded LINK was the first teaching of a weekend program that was given to the Naropa University student body by Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche and Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel in October 2012. Part 1 included an introduction to shamatha and calm abiding as a practice that Buddhism offers to the world at la…

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The Questions We Must Ask (Link #773) 22:27

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Speaker: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. This is a recorded reading of notes taken from a LINK talk given by Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche on September 14, 2025.By Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche

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Bodhicitta (Link #772) 1:06:46

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Speaker: Bob Reid. Following up on two LINKs from August 2024, Bob talks about the four immeasurables practice with a focus on loving-kindness. He describes loving-kindness as the sense of care, warmth and tenderness that we feel towards others in our life as well as to ourselves. He goes on to explain how it is the care towards oneself that is par…

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Compassion Without Limit: Talk 1, Part 2 of 2 (Link #771) 50:52

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Speaker: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. This two-hour talk, originally given on September 14, 2024 to an online, European audience was split into two parts for rebroadcast on August 24 and 31, 2025. In this second part, Rinpoche explains that as we begin to have some objectivity towards our suffering and recognize the causes of it, we can find a tremend…

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Compassion Without Limit: Talk 1, Part 1 of 2 (Link #770) 55:04

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Speaker: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. This two-hour talk, originally given on September 14, 2024 to an online, European audience was split into two parts for rebroadcast on August 24 and 31, 2025. In this first part, Rinpoche begins by saying that in order to cultivate compassion, we must first recognize, open up to and understand our own suffering. T…

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Blessings Galore (Link #769) 1:00:28

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Speaker: Michael Velasco. Michael recounts the early days of becoming a student of Mangala Shri Bhuti, and a series of auspicious coincidences he encountered before meeting his teacher. Unsuspecting of what was to come, Michael shares how he has been the beneficiary of myriad opportunities to fully enter the path including pilgrimages, living in In…

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When We Look in the Mirror, the One Thing We Don't Want to See is an Ordinary Human Being (Link #768) 1:04:57

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Speaker: Joey Waxman. Joey reflects on Rinpoche's book, It's Up to You, asking why we resist seeing ourselves as ordinary. We cling to self-importance seeking comfort, resources, and reputation while fearing loss, discomfort, or criticism. This clinging arises from the belief in a fixed self. If dismantled, we uncover our Buddha-nature, which is th…

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Principles of Bodhicitta (Link #767) 54:38

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Speaker: Dungse Jampal Norbu. Dungse Jampal Norbu examines how we let go of holding onto principles and concepts in order to enter into an authentic relationship with how things appear, and therefore act from a place of harmony. Investment in our personal principles and ideas can become neurotic, preventing us from relating with a flexible frame of…

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Everything Is Habit (Link #766) 1:02:54

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Speaker: Polly Banerjee-Gallagher. Polly explores how deeply-rooted habits can block our ability to appreciate the blessings of practice. Drawing from Rinpoche's book Diligence and teachings from the 2023 Shedra, Polly discusses the four key factors shaping positive and negative habits. She explains their fluid and dynamic nature and our power to c…

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The Vajrayana Art of Joie de Vivre (Link #765) 1:33:29

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Speaker: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. In this LINK, originally given on February 5, 2017 from Crestone, Colorado, Rinpoche explains how we can cultivate happiness though the practice of bodhicitta and serving others.By Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche

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Where Is My Home? (Link #764) 1:02:32

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Speaker: Scott Gallagher. Scott describes how he accommodates the powerful imagery and energy of a space like Tara Dzong, where he was recently in retreat. He shares how he normally thinks of himself as a solitary being on the path with a small view, but his experiences have revealed a much larger world that is available to him. In retreat, Scott r…

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The Bodhisattva Vow: A Daily Practice (Link #763) 1:02:37

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Speaker: Jennifer Shippee. Jennifer expounds on how all sentient beings, without exception, are connected in their desire to be happy and to avoid the pain of suffering. Jennifer invites us to contemplate equanimity, loving-kindness, compassion, and sympathetic joy on a daily basis. By establishing a deep familiarity with the bodhisattva vow and th…

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Birth, Death, Practicality and Devotion: The Dharma in My Everyday Life (Link #762) 58:21

4M ago58:21

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Speaker: Sarah Ellsworth. Sarah shares how the Dharma informs and enriches her work as a nurse and midwife. Although shift work and long hours can make it challenging to maintain a consistent meditation practice, her professional life offers profound opportunities for spiritual growth. She reflects on how her contemplations of the Four Thoughts tha…

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Pilgrimage in Tibet (Link #761) 52:21

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Speaker: Katherine Teahen. Katherine recounts the sights and sounds of a pilgrimage she made to Tibet thirty years ago, reflecting on how the journey profoundly transformed her relationship with the Dharma. Drawing from her journal entries written during the trip, she offers a vivid portrayal of the sacred sites she visited. Her time spent in caves…

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Unshakable Confidence (Link #760) 55:32

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Speaker: Dungse Jampal Norbu. Dungse-la shares open questions he is exploring on how to develop genuine confidence in our own direct experience of life in a world full of contrasting information. He describes the complexity of making a commitment to the path amidst contemporary discourses overloaded with opinions. Rather than providing answers, he …

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Finding a Path Through the World (Link #759) 52:56

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Speaker: Bill Bothwell. Fresh out of retreat, Bill shares his journey from a young poet and songwriter to his encounter with the Buddhadharma and becoming a student of Choygam Trungpa Rinpoche. Taking to heart Rinpoche's instruction that working within society is a necessity on the spiritual path, Bill became a lawyer. He recollects the essential t…

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Time, Trauma, Travel and Love: Reflections of an Aging Practitioner (Link #758) 1:00:42

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Speaker: Vaishali Mamgain. Referring to herself as a "brainiac" who is more comfortable with wisdom than compassion, Vaishali shares how she used to approach the Dharma as a mental exercise. In her recent travels to Sri Lanka, surrounded by beauty and kind and humble people, she learned the value of simple ways of being. This experience opened up a…

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Joseph Goldstein: Q & A 1:11:38

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(Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center) A variety of interesting dharma topicsBy Joseph Goldstein

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Bodhicitta (Link #757) 1:13:46

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Speaker: Bob Reid. Bob delves into the Four Immeasurables: loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity as the foundation for arousing bodhicitta, the altruistic intention to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. Drawing from the Mahayana tradition, Bob explores how these boundless qualities open the heart and mind to …

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Opening to Life As It Is: Not Hiding from the Heartbreak (Link #756) 54:10

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Speaker: Morgan Starr. Morgan describes how navigating personal challenges has allowed him to explore the idea of turning toward suffering rather than avoiding it. Leaning into grief and heartbreak rather than resisting or numbing it has opened the door to compassion, presence, and growth. He recalls a sense of sacredness and wonder he felt in earl…

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Cultivating Choice (Link #755) 54:27

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Speaker: Dungse Jampal Norbu. This LINK was originally given on August 2, 2015. In this talk, Dungse-la describes how careful introspection coupled with the study of karma cultivates choice, changes perceptions, clears habitual tendencies and creates one's environment.By Dungse Jampal Norbu

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Connecting the Dots: Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha at Home and Abroad (Link #754) 54:07

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Speaker: Stanton Dossett. Stanton contemplates the phrase, ‘connecting the dots’, used by Rinpoche in his book The Intelligent Heart. The first dot is suffering. For Stanton, it is only with the aid of daily practice that the dots become connectable, and the relationship between self-importance and negative karma can be understood. When walking one…

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Joseph Goldstein: Why Meditate (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 1:01:15

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(Spirit Rock Meditation Center)By Joseph Goldstein

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Opportunites for Study and Practice (Link #753) 49:12

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Speaker: Deborah Crouse. Deborah expresses her gratitude for the many resources that are available for practice and study and for the way Rinpoche has organized MSB to support his students. Some examples include the Study and Practice Representatives, Lobpons and Khenchungs who lead classes year round. She recalls Rinpoche saying that the point of …

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Facing Death: Part Two (Link #752) 58:24

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Speaker: Deborah Haynes. In this second installment on the topic of death, Deborah recounts many losses experienced throughout her life. These include the recent death of her spouse and her son's current, terminal illness. These encounters with suffering and impermanence inform her Dharma path and animate her daily practice. Deborah's Buddhist path…

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Overcoming Obstacles Through Longing (Link #751) 27:26

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Speaker: Dungse Jampal Norbu. Dungse-la reminds us to review the eighteen freedoms and advantages and ascertain whether we are meeting them in our lives. If we find that we are lacking any, then we can strive to overcome the obstacles that prevent them from being present. Pointing to Milarepa as an example, Dungse-la emphasizes that it was his long…

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Dharma Fellowship: A Gateway to Joy (Link #750) 51:29

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Speaker: Ani Nyima Dolma. Ani shares some of her daily positivity practices, prayers and readings, including a gratitude mala for those who are or have been in her life. This has proven to be an uplifting morning alternative to waking in rushed anxiety thinking of all the things that need to be done. She goes on to share details about the new, MSB …

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The Magic of Three: Practice, Patience and Persistence (Link #749) 59:13

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Speaker: Meryl Yoss. Meryl describes in detail the three foundational pillars of her life as a student of the Venerable Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche: practice, patience, and persistence. She covers a wide range of the techniques and tools of her practice, and in the process uncovers deep wisdoms of the Dharma. In preparing for the talk, Meryl also shar…

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Relying on the Three Jewels in Life and Death (Link #748) 1:04:14

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Speaker: Stephanie Kindberg-Velasco. As a hospice caregiver and death doula, Stephanie shares her experiences being with those who transition from this life, and the profundity of relying on the Three Jewels in the process. She offers resources to prepare for our own end of life and those of our loved ones such as the Advance Directive for Consciou…

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Diligence (Link #747) 1:04:35

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Speaker: Paddy McCarthy. Paddy discusses the introduction to Rinpoche's latest book: Diligence: The Joyful Endeavor of the Buddhist Path. In Buddhist thought, laziness is defined as internal hindrances that prevent us from achieving what we truly desire. It manifests in three forms: attachment to rest, attachment to distractions, and self-denigrati…

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My Doubt and I (Link #746) 54:27

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Speaker: Abra Havens. Abra shares how doubt has played a pivotal role in her life, specifically in relation to religion. Having been raised as a Jehovah's Witness with a devout mother and non-believing father, the seeds of doubt were planted early for Abra. Becoming liberated from her childhood religion as an adult felt liberating and empowering, b…

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Four Solaces (Link #745) 1:11:34

8M ago1:11:34

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Speaker: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. This LINK was originally given at Longchen Jigme Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado on October 4, 2015. In this talk, Rinpoche examines the Four Solaces of the Kadampa: placing deep trust and finding solace in the Dharma, using the minimum resources to support yourself, placing your trust in "the cave" or in the so…

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Power of Mind (Link #744) 51:54

8M ago51:54

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Speaker: Maki Okabayashi. Maki-san offers her reflections on how the power of our mind can move us in a positive direction. We engage the outer world with our body, speech and mind, but the mind is the driving force behind it all. In order to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts in our lives, we must learn how our mind holds power over us through …

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The Intention to Return (Link #743) 1:04:12

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Speaker: Dungse Jampal Norbu. Dungse-la stresses the importance of aspiration to navigate life's circumstances and work with them in an uplifted manner. For example, when we get lost in our daily activities, not moving in any particular direction, he advises us to apply ourselves to a meaningful goal, or aspiration. In this way all our intentions c…

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Buddha's Advocate Part 2: Know Thyself and Phenomena Too (Link #742) 56:47

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Speaker: Suzy Greanias. Suzy delves into the two truths, the worldly relative truth and the supreme ultimate truth, which are the framework in which the Buddha taught. As Buddhists, we are familiar with the words of the Heart Sutra, "Form is emptiness, emptiness is form", but rather than understanding their profound inseparability, many of us have …

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A Bodhisattva Has Only One Wish (Link #741) 55:55

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Speaker: Nicholas Carter. Nick shares something Rinpoche told him on his 19th birthday: "Remember Nicholas, a bodhisattva has only one wish", but Rinpoche did not say what that wish was. Since then, Nick has come to learn that the path of the bodhisattva is a very personal path of discovery- discovery of the truth, in Sanskrit, "Dharma". We start w…

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Moments that Turn My Mind Toward the Dharma (Link #740) 54:47

9M ago54:47

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Speaker: Lindsay Heppner. Lindsay describes how everyday life provides her with meaningful opportunities for practice "on the spot", including tonglen, mantra recitation and shamata meditation. Recent natural disasters such as the earthquake in Tibet and the fires in Los Angeles, as well as past travels to India allowed her to feel acutely the suff…

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Contemplating the New Year (Link #739) 30:28

10M ago30:28

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Speaker: Dungse Jampal Norbu. Dungse-la shares his thoughts and advise for the new year ahead. For a fresh start, he underscores the importance of cultivating a positive mental attitude to counteract negativity. Looking forward to brighter horizons, he recommends setting aspirations for the year ahead. We must remind ourselves that despite how thin…

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Keeping the Aspiration (Link #738) 54:33

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Speaker: Sasha Dorje Meyerowitz. Sasha reflects on the idea of aspiration being connected to a deeper intelligence. Rather than being a plea we can express aspiration toward a particular outcome, giving that aspiration stronger form. By living daily through the eight worldly concerns and sitting with the suffering we experience, we can tune into ou…

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Joseph Goldstein: Q&R 1:03:39

10M ago1:03:39

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(Insight Meditation Society - Forest Refuge)By Joseph Goldstein

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Samten Ling History: Part 4 (Link #737) 1:07:52

10M ago1:07:52

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Speaker: Kelly Smith. Kelly shares more of the history of Longchen Jigme Samten Ling, MSB's long-term retreat center in Crestone, Colorado. This is an ongoing series wherein Kelly describes in great detail her personal memories of being present since the center's beginning in 1993. Kelly shares an especially touching story of caring for a squirrel …

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Reflections on Undertaking Retreat (Link #736) 1:07:52

10M ago1:07:52

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Speaker: Martha Asselin. Martha recalls her experiences in retreat ranging from durations of one weekend to six weeks, eight months and three years. Whether they were solitary or in group settings, retreats present an opportunity to let go of everyday distractions to observe and direct one's mind. Rinpoche guides us to view retreat as ideal for enc…

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Remembering Gratitude: Especially When Things are Falling Apart (Link #735) 1:01:26

10M ago1:01:26

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Speaker: Chris Parmentier. Chris shares how her experience with depression provided the opportunity to practice patience, mindfulness and loving-kindness for herself and others, while also helping to let go of judgmental concepts such as success and failure. The focus on and protection of a "real" self causes pain and suffering. It takes practice a…

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Fully Engaged (Link #734) 1:20:58

11M ago1:20:58

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Speaker: Dungse Jampal Norbu. Dungse-la describes how the spiritual life asks us to look inside of our mind to find peace from the constant grasping and rejection of things- "the eight worldly concerns" in Buddhism. We strive to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings, and learn that our own true happiness comes from wishing for…

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Three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma (Link #733) 1:08:16

11M ago1:08:16

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Speaker: Daniel Dranetz. Daniel reflects on the three turnings of the wheel of Dharma starting with the first turning and its central teaching on the four noble truths. As he considers the foundational teachings of each of the yanas and the eightfold path, he offers examples of human and animal suffering. Drawing on both his personal and profession…

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Letting Go of Self-Doubt (Link #732) 1:03:13

11M ago1:03:13

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Speaker: Deb Spragg. Deb explains how self-doubt or unworthiness can be an indicative of not trusting our own mind. In the same vein, seeking affirmation from others can distract us from developing our own wisdom and skillful means to see ourselves and others as equal. While self-doubt doesn't offer us real inner truth, awareness of how it manifest…

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The Eternal Smile (Link #731) 1:17:39

12M ago1:17:39

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Speaker: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. Rinpoche originally originally gave this teaching on February 2, 2014 in Crestone, Colorado. In this talk, Rinpoche speaks about the importance of cultivating maitri or unlimited friendliness toward oneself and others as a way to cheer ourselves up and experience a lightness of being, especially in times of diffic…