Speaker: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. In a previously recorded LINK talk given on June 13, 2004 at Osel Ling in Crestone, Colorado, Rinpoche gives commentary on the text, “Vast As The Heavens, Deep As The Sea: Verses in Praise of Bodhicitta”.

Speaker: Jen Kern. Jen reflects on how we can liberate ourselves from shenpa–the raw, uncomfortable energy of self-clinging—by engaging fully and deeply in the practice of confession. The Lojong teachings encourage us to work on our strongest reactions first. To do so, we have to recognize and reflect on our shenpa, resolve to overcome it, and confess it in the presence of the Three Jewels. Although we might resist confessing because we fear the shame and guilt that may accompany it, we can overcome this fear by recognizing that shenpa, too, is impermanent; it is merely the expression of ego itself. We do not have to be critical of our emotions. Acknowledging this frees us to confess deeply and without self-aggression, cleansing our hearts and allowing bodhicitta to increase.

Speaker: Moni Banerjee-Lauritzen. Moni speaks movingly on how deeply she was affected by the death of her parents this year and how she drew from the wisdom of the Dharma to work with her grief and loss. Her understanding of grief deepened, and she sought wisdom from all three yanas for support: from the Hinayana, teachings on the selflessness of the person; from the Mahayana, teachings on emptiness, dependent origination, and bodhicitta; and from the Vajrayana, teachings on welcoming all experience as an opportunity to progress on the path.

Speaker: Ashveen Bucktowar. Ashveen speaks of the qualities that make service possible and beneficial. Service is altruistic activity that, if approached with the right attitude, can remedy self-cherishing. Whether it is done on behalf of our own vows, the sangha, the lineage, the Dharma, or all sentient beings, it is most beneficial when approached with clarity about our intentions and motivations, devotion and commitment to the vision, and measured expectations. Service invites us to be introspective, to stretch ourselves, to appreciate the blessings of the protectors and the lineage, and to cultivate community. The nettle plant serves as a symbol of all these qualities.

Speaker: Natasha Carter. Natasha explores how progressing as practitioners depends on how effectively we work with the ego. Clinging to the ego as real is the root of all suffering; liberation from samsara arises from learning to recognize that this clinging is dependently-originated and that the ego is illusory. To counteract the universal tendency to cater to the habitual self-cherishing mind of ego, the Dharma offers many remedies: analytical meditation, vigilant introspection, humor, vision, and the aspiration to free all beings from samsara.

Speaker: Bela Hatvany. Bela reflects on how his spiritual journey has unfolded over the course of his long life, nourished by books, by his experiences as an entrepreneur and philanthropist, by his spiritual friends, and by his meditation practice. He expresses reverence and gratitude for the “present” of being present in the present moment, for the systems of trust that humanity has built to support our world, for the opportunities to serve others, and for the teachings that have enabled him to refine his ability to distinguish the states of mind that arise in his awareness.

Speaker: Marcia Drake. Marcia recollects the poems, stories, fables, and novels that sparked her imagination as a child and teenager, and expresses appreciation for how they continue to inform her understanding of the dharma. Aesop’s fables, poems by Shelley, Longfellow, and R. L. Stevenson, and Dickens’ novel A Tale of Two Cities all echo the aspirations expressed by Shantideva in The Bodhisattvacharyavatara and evoke appreciation for impermanence and interdependent origination.

Speaker: Bob Reid. Bob explores the meaning, benefits, and practice of making aspirations. Since they take place in the mind, they are always available to all of us, and are unlimited in their scope. Rooted in humility, they are important because they help us to clarify and reinforce our intentions to benefit beings. Aspiration bodhicitta is the basis for all other bodhicitta practices; as one of the ten paramitas, aspiration is also related to application bodhicitta. Making aspirations creates karmic links, which are essential for bodhisattvas who wish to benefit all beings. Although the practice of making aspirations is a powerful way to accumulate merit, it may not seem to have any real benefit for others. This is not so. Aspirations transmit energy that can have an immediate and direct benefit to beings, even to who are unaware of them.

Speaker: Dungse Jampal Norbu. This LINK is an excerpt from a talk originally given on December 4th, 2021, at a three-day program called, “Lojong: Where Wisdon and Compassion Meet”. Dungse-la gives a history of Lojong with a focus on Chekawa Yeshe Dorje’s Seven Points of Mind Training and its numerous, available English translations. Developing bodhicitta, the intention to generate warmth and become enlightened for the benefit of all sentient beings, is at the core of the Lojong teachings. Dungse-la reviews foundational teachings of Buddhism and how they enable us to switch gears from the eight worldly concerns to the four immeasureables, where generating bodhicitta becomes a central aim of our life.

Speaker: Doug Larsen. Doug describes the challenges and blessings of living as a retreatant at Samten Ling. The physical, financial and social demands, and the spiritual gifts that come from the practices and from the energy of the land itself. He describes how HH Dilgo Khyentse first identified Samten Ling as the site to establish the Sangha, the interactions with the elements and animals on the land, and the daily rhythms of retreat life ordered by the lunar cycle.