Our Extra-Ordinary Heart

Our Extra-Ordinary Heart

From Earth Dreams: Zen Buddhism and the Soul of the World by Amy Kisei

February 8, 2026 · 29 min

About this episode

The episode explores the concept of the extra-ordinary heart in Buddhism and its relevance in today's world.

Greetings Friends, I have been reflecting on one of the simplest and perhaps most profound teachings in the Buddhist tradition— the teaching of our extra-ordinary heart. Our extra-ordinary heart is the aspect of our being that doesn’t die, and isn’t born. That isn’t dependent on us but is a deep refuge and resource—one that we know and rely on all the time. One that we also see demonstrated and embodied in our communities, on the world stage, in the people we love and care about. We are living in a time in this country that feels like we are going backward in many respects. Where state-enforced violence has entered our communities, and families are being separated, detained and deported at an unprecedented rate. While our human hearts break, fear, grieve, feel deeply, love and desire—which is beautiful and painful, and part of what makes this experience of being human. We, together, have an extra-ordinary heart—that is boundless in it’s nature and is always abiding right here . This heart isn’t separate from the very experience of being human, it is intrinsic to our nature. So we too can practice recognizing and abiding in this heart. We too can embody these qualities and let…

People in this episode

Host: Amy Kisei

Topics covered

  • Buddhism
  • spirituality
  • human experience
  • compassion
  • community

Keywords

  • extra-ordinary heart
  • Buddhism
  • boundless love
  • Four Divine Abodes
  • spirituality

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Amitabha Buddha

More episodes of Earth Dreams: Zen Buddhism and the Soul of the World

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Earth Dreams: Zen Buddhism and the Soul of the World podcast page.