We are pleased to offer a selection of free recordings of talks by Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel. Simply press play and enjoy.

Dharma in the West

 

Elizabeth shares her inquiry into what we want to carry forward as the culture of Dharma comes to the West. She offers that the Buddha’s teachings of The Middle Way, which she describes as “a practice of resting in open inquiry,” serve to guide us in this process of “looking deeply” at what we’ve inherited. Most important, she suggests, is to identify what is “timeless and placeless” about the Dharma, rather than contrast various cultural differences. (86 mins.)

 

Enter the Circle of Dogs

 

Elizabeth explores a profound Kadampa teaching that exposes the pain experienced by the ego when grasping or clinging to one’s identity, and, in contrast, the freedom and confidence that can arise from realizing there is no inherent truth to identity. In this riveting exploration of what we might call “identity crisis” in the West, she identifies the difference between the humility that comes from a genuine falling away of ego-grasping, versus the “ego of low self-esteem.” (84 mins.)

 

Loving Even More … After Grief and Loss

 

Elizabeth describes brokenhearted-ness as seeing the nature of impermanence vividly, and discusses why heartbreak and loss are critical for a practitioner. The “sting” of loss can create an open heart and mind, and rather than collapse under life’s challenges, we can rouse ourselves to “love even more” by acknowledging impermanence and developing appreciation for what it teaches us. (64 mins.)

Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel has studied and practiced the buddhadharma for over thirty years under the guidance of her root teacher Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. After meeting Rinpoche in Nepal in 1986, she became his first Western student. While raising their son, Dungse Jampal Norbu, and accomplishing her own practice path, Elizabeth has also been intimately involved with Rinpoche’s work in bringing Buddhist wisdom to the West and the development of Mangala Shri Bhuti. Elizabeth has an academic background in both Anthropology and Buddhist Studies, but her learning is also grounded in practice.

elizabeth-mattis-namgyel-portrait

After spending six years in retreat, Rinpoche appointed Elizabeth as one of the Retreat Masters at Longchen Jigme Samten Ling, Mangala Shri Bhuti’s retreat center in southern Colorado. Elizabeth delights in wrestling with difficult and juicy “koans” that tend to plague modern day practitioners, while still maintaining a deep respect for the ancient tradition of her lineage. She has edited two of Rinpoche’s books — It’s Up to You and Light Comes Through — and has written two books of her own, The Power of an Open Question and The Logic of Faith. An accomplished teacher in her own right, Elizabeth teaches yearly programs at MSB center and travels widely giving teachings in the US and abroad. 

In 2019, Elizabeth established her own nonprofit called the Middle Way Initiative and hosts a regular podcast called The Open Question Podcast. Join Elizabeth’s mailing list, or visit her website to learn more about her activity, podcasts, books and more.

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