Dharma Glimpses with Judy Lief

[This episode originally aired on July 11, 2023] Today I’d like to explore the problem of becoming an adult • the world of children is filled with magic and fantasy and stories, with vivid perceptions and playfulness • but as we grow up we’re supposed to get over all that, and develop adult-like qualities • gradually, year-by-year, the magical world of childhood fades away • yet many of the great spiritual masters say what we really need ...

[This episode originally aired on June 27, 2023] The attitude that’s encouraged whenever we embark on a spiritual journey is not to approach it simply as a means of self improvement, but to switch our normal way of operating so that we are thinking about others • traditionally this is talked about as beginning by raising bodhichitta and ending by dedicating the merit • when we sit down to practice meditation, or to begin any project, we start by connecting with tendern...

[This episode originally aired on June 13, 2023] The feeling of loneliness, which is familiar to many of us, can be a very vulnerable and slightly threatening feeling • Trungpa Rinpoche emphasized the value of relating to loneliness as well as the value of being in community • he said that without relating with your loneliness, you can’t really be in community in a way that’s healthy; it can just be people leaning on one another, and can therefore be knocked over very ...

[This episode originally aired on May 30, 2023] When the Buddha spoke of being “a son or daughter of noble family,” what was he referring to? • in India, where the Buddha taught, there was a caste system with very clear distinctions between the noble castes, the less noble castes, and the untouchables • the closest thing in many Western societies is being born into wealth or being born into poverty • with extreme wealth comes access to extreme power; you b...

[This episode originally aired on May 16, 2023] I find it inspiring to discover wisdom in the midst of so many ordinary stories, even simple children's stories • the Wizard of Oz is one such story • the main character is Dorothy, whose life changes completely when she is swept up in a tornado and lands in a magical place called Oz • there she embarks on a journey of discovery, accompanied by her little dog Toto and three companions: a scarecrow, who is loo...

[This episode originally aired on May 2, 2023] Today we are exploring four traditional methods or practices we can use to awaken our enlightened genes • the first method is cultivating loving kindness, or maitri, which is a key theme in the mahayana; it is connected with the wish that all beings be happy, and that includes you • the second method is cultivating compassion, or karuna • while loving kindness looks into the nature of happiness, compassion loo...

[This episode originally aired on April 18, 2023] Buddhists are always talking about awakening, but what does that actually mean? • Trungpa Rinpoche taught that what is being awakened are our "enlightened genes" — a term which implies that awakening is somewhat natural, somewhat part of our makeup • sometimes Tibetans use the analogy of an acorn: if you try to get an oak tree by planting a bean seed, it will never work; but if you plant an acorn, you get an oak tree, ...

[This episode originally aired on April 4, 2023] Meditation practice doesn’t happen in a vacuum; it happens in the context of our life, and our life situations can vary tremendously • in extreme situations it can be easy to lose our connection to practice • one extreme is when our situation is really cozy and going really well • the other extreme, which I would like to focus on here, is when our lives take a dramatic turn and we are faced with dire si...

[This episode originally aired on March 21, 2023] The teachings of the Buddha are often divided into three components: intelligence or discriminating awareness; discipline; and meditation • there can be so much emphasis on sitting practice that there is less discussion of the importance of cultivating knowledge and discipline — what it actually takes to put the teachings into action in our everyday life • being able to observe what is going on with some precision and ...

[This episode originally aired on March 7, 2023] It may seem odd to talk about the benefits of “don't know mind” in a tradition that places such value on learning and on study • it also may seem odd because in the Buddhist tradition there is a great deal of discussion about ignorance and delusion, and the harm that comes from lack of knowledge, lack of awareness, lack of critical thinking • so how is don't know mind different from delusory mind or ignorance? • the main...

[This episode originally aired on February 21, 2023] Is there a way to make a sane relationship with our bad deeds and our regrets, to learn from them and to move on from them? • it's not easy to face up to all that we've done; it's not easy to find a way between wallowing in guilt and evading responsibility • in the Buddhist monastic traditions, there is a practice that addresses this issue • it's assumed that over time we can't avoid causing harm, but this pra...

[This episode originally aired on February 7, 2023] Early Buddhist meditators spent quite a lot of time alone in retreat in remote, rugged areas • as a result, they were very much in tune with the the five basic elements of earth, water, fire, wind, and space • they observed that everything inside is mirrored by what is outside, and everything outside is mirrored by what is inside • we can observe these elements for ourselves, and we can emulate...

[This episode originally aired on January 24, 2023] Through infusing mindfulness awareness into our everyday actions, we can invoke or evoke a magical quality to existence, a natural wisdom, which is known as “drala” • there's a famous line from the movie Field of Dreams that's often repeated: “If you build it, they will come” • in some ways, through our mindfulness and awareness, we're building a world that will attract this magical quality, this natural wisdom&...