Tibetan Buddhism: The Elegant Mind

Most Westerners equate Mind with thinking, but in Buddhism it is acknowledged to be vastly more . . . Mind is the entire spectrum of our inner experiences: thoughts, feelings, perceptions, consciousness, subconsciousness, unconsciousness. It is our perceiver, translator, reflector and mirror.

Without it there is nothing . . . within it is everything.

To begin a meditation practice is to embark on a journey, an adventure of sorts, during which we learn how to observe -- and best 'use' -- our Mind. (Length: 10 minutes)

Written by Mark Winwood of the Chenrezig Project, accompanied by music composed and performed by the renowned SF Bay-area musician Bobby Vega.

Reflections on Buddhist Dharma, Indra’s Jewel Net and the Trees with which we share our planet . . . as metaphor for the vast intra-connectedness of phenomena, ideas and life.

Since all things are intimately -- and infinitely -- intertwined with one another, every action is echoed throughout time and space, creating a butterfly effect across the cosmos . . . and practically, within each moment of our experience(s).

Let your contemplative imagination take wing . . .

(Length: 14 minutes)

Written by Mark Winwood and presented here by Kathy Ambrose, both of the Chenrezig Project. Accompanying music composed and performed by the renowned San Francisco Bay-area musician Bobby Vega, joined by the Turtle Island String Quartet.

In this broadcast, the Chenrezig Project's Mark Winwood touches upon some of the how's and why's of Dharma-esque eating, including vegetarianism and traditional time(s) to take our meals. Featured is a wide-ranging interview with the owner/proprietors -- who are master raw food aficionados -- of Longevity Foods, a local (Duvall) vegan health food store and eatery. (Length: 56 minutes)

-- Note: This podcast was originally broadcast as an "Elegant Mind" episode on KAPY Valley Radio 104.9 FM, a community radio station serving the lower Snoqualmie River Valley of western Washington State. It includes commentary as well a musical ode to the "French Chef" Julia Child, composed and performed by Bobby Vega. Enjoy!

"Tonglen" is a Tibetan term that implies 'exchanging oneself with others’.

It refers to a meditation practice found in Himalayan/Mahayana Buddhism which allows the awakening of genuine compassion. "Tong" translates as 'giving or sending', and "len" as 'receiving or taking.'

Tonglen practice is experiential; it gradually wears away our habitually obsessive grasping at a false sense of self (e.g., stubborn ego fixation / relentless identification with the personality).

Through meditative visualization(s), Tonglen effectively reverses our familiar pattern of avoiding suffering and seeking pleasure. As this occurs, we finally liberate ourselves from the deeply rooted -- and destructive -- prison of selfishness.

(Length: 45 minutes. Included herein: Tonglen discussion followed by a guided meditation which begins at approximately 20 minutes.)

Written and shared here by Mark Winwood of the Chenrezig Project ([email protected]).

We live in a world of often-forgettable sound bites: advertising jingles, political slogans, song verses, news headlines, tweets, jargon, etc. Here is a message we believe is significantly worth remembering, it comes from the 8th century Indian master, Shantideva . . . (Length: 10 minutes)

Written and presented by Mark Winwood of the Chenrezig Project, with music composed and performed by the renowned SF Bay-area musician Bobby Vega.