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Open Question: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel
How do we navigate our lives in the midst of uncertainty? How do we bring our deepest intentions together with our actions? What is the purpose of spirituality? How can we accommodate both the beauty and the pain of life?These questions may never find a definitive answer,but they are questions to live by. At OQ we feel that if you have a genuine question you should explore it, continue to ask it, and then pay attention. I am Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel, a Buddhist student and teacher. Please join me as I share some intimate and rich dialogues with accomplished practitioners of diverse wisdom lineages.To learn more please visit: https://www.elizabethmattisnamgyel.com/oqpodcast
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- Apr 17, 202622 min
OQ 702 - What Am I Looking At?
Elizabeth has a curious encounter at the local post office, which ignites a profound inquiry into what keeps us from the nature of appearance.
- Feb 10, 202623 min
OQ 701 - The Great Escape
In episode 701, Elizabeth takes us through a classical teaching on the 12 links of dependent origination, which explores the genesis of our confusion, the dazzling spectacle of samsara, and how we can free ourselves from it. "When we feel confused about why we are practicing" she suggests, "just look at the wheel of becoming and it will remind you that there is nothing mystical about liberation. It is very matter-of-fact and within our reach."
- Sep 2, 202524 min
OQ 603 - DISRUPTION!
Elizabeth explores absolute bodhicitta through the story of the 11th century spiritual quest of Naropa. His training, under Mahasiddha Tilopa, illustrates the necessity of disrupting delusion in the context of spiritual awakening. At the heart of it all lies a deep examination of the meaning and experience of what is real.
- May 8, 202522 min
OQ 602 - Sujata's Offering
In the context of a recent pilgrimage in India, Elizabeth opens up the topic of "engaged" bodhicitta and the six paramitas. She weaves in the story of Sujata, the young woman known for generously offering a bowl of sweet milk-rice to Siddhartha who was debilitated after years of austerities. Revived and refocused, Siddhartha then made his way to the shade of a pipal tree and attained enlightenment, becoming The Buddha. Join the pilgrimage and explore India's conspiracy of great giving.
- Feb 14, 202523 min
OQ 601 - Across The Valley
In episode 601, Across the Valley, Elizabeth uses the analogy of two communities situated on opposite sides of the valley where she lives to consider our tendencies towards fundamentalism and rightness. "What happens" she asks, "when everyone feels absolutely right?" The Bodhisattva Vow is a commitment to create connection with others, without bias, by looking inward at the mechanisms of reification, and then applying the Buddha's Middle Way Beyond The Extremes.
- Dec 4, 202422 min
OQ 505 - Looking Into the World
In this episode Elizabeth reflects upon the provocative poem by renowned Buddhist teacher, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, entitled, "Looking Into the World." "It's not a cozy poem," she says, "It's an incantation to NOT trust, a reflection on loneliness, and a tribute to the freedom and confidence that comes from standing on our own two feet." You have to put your familiar views aside to explore this one!
- Sep 21, 202423 min
OQ 504 - Hook And Ring
Devotion is one of the many expressions of faith. When understood clearly, devotion can hasten the process of awakening for the student on the spiritual path, ripening and maturing them in a simple and direct way. Elizabeth brings us through various definitions of devotion, explores devotion as an experience, and considers the cultural and interpersonal challenges that can arise through misunderstanding the nature of the teacher/student dynamic.
- Jul 6, 202419 min
OQ 503 - The Ineffable
All great spiritual lineages point us back to that which defies concept and language. Authentic practitioners describe awakening as being touched by a sense of awe, overcome by the beauty, fierceness and power of being. To be in AWE is a natural human experience. Ironically, so is the discomfort that leaves us restless with the experience, making it almost impossible to bear. Our inability to bear the ineffable gives rise to dualism and our conflict with faith.
About Open Question
How do we navigate our lives in the midst of uncertainty? How do we bring our deepest intentions together with our actions? What is the purpose of spirituality? How can we accommodate both the beauty and the pain of life?These questions may never find a definitive answer,but they are questions to live by. At OQ we feel that if you have a genuine question you should explore it, continue to ask it, and then pay attention. I am Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel, a Buddhist student and teacher. Please join me as I share some intimate and rich dialogues with accomplished practitioners of diverse wisdom lineages.To learn more please visit: https://www.elizabethmattisnamgyel.com/oqpodcast
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