Timeless Wisdom To Remedy Extreme Thinking

In this episode, Elizabeth explores the third aspect of bodhicitta: absolute bodhicitta. She uses the story of the 11th century Mahasiddha, Tilopa, and his disciple, Naropa, to illustrate the necessity of disrupting delusion in the context of spiritual awakening. At the heart of it all lies a deep exploration of the meaning and experience of what is real.

In this episode, Elizabeth opens up the topic of ‘engaged’ bodhicitta focusing on generosity. She weaves her experience of her recent trip to India with the story of Sujata, the young woman remembered for reviving Prince Siddhartha after his six years of austerities. Sujata offered him a bowl of sweet milk-rice, reviving his body with energy, enabling him to make his way to the Bodhi Tree, to attain enlightenment and become the Buddha. What happens when we conspire together to release generosity into life?

In episode 601, Across the Valley, Elizabeth uses the analogy of two communities situated on opposite sides of the valley where she lives to consider our tendencies towards fundamentalism and rightness. “What happens” she asks, “when everyone feels absolutely right?” The Bodhisattva Vow is a commitment to create connection with others, without bias, by looking inward at the mechanisms of reification, and then applying the Buddha’s Middle Way Beyond The Extremes.