Timeless Wisdom To Remedy Extreme Thinking
The Middle Way Initiative is an educational nonprofit Buddhist organization that supports and encourages spirited conversation around the Buddha’s most essential teachings.
One Word for…
The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines
Awe
For Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel, teacher, author, and founder of The Middle Way Initiative, the #OneWord she would choose for The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines is awe.
She reflects on the connection between awe and the seed syllable ah, and on the sense of openness and wonder that can arise when we encounter something deeper than ordinary experience.
The Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines is now available to read freely in the 84000 Reading Room.
https://84000.co/reading-room
This video was created by the 84000 project. 84000 is dedicated to bringing the entire Tibetan Buddhist canon to the world —freely available to anyone, in any language, at any level of familiarity. Spanning roughly 230,000 pages of classical Tibetan, this ancient collection contains the recorded words of the Buddha and the commentaries of the great Buddhist masters. It is one of the most ambitious literary preservation projects of our time. Today, that work is expanding: into multiple languages, deeper public engagement, and thoughtful use of new technologies, ensuring these teachings remain a living source of wisdom for a changing world.
Elizabeth Mattis Namygel on Agency
Elizabeth discusses agency on the Treasuring the Feminine Symposium, hosted by Marcia Dechen Wangmo on the Prajna website. Elizabeth shares advice for young practitioners and takes us on a journey through philosophy, personal insights and advice that she has received from her own teachers.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Please join Elizabeth on Saturday, October 31, 2026 from 10am- 12pm MT USA for her third Open Question Podcast Forum, “Awakening to The Nature of Appearance.” In this group setting, Elizabeth will lead us in opening up and more deeply exploring her latest Open Question Podcast episode 703: “The Two Truths: Not Two, Not True”. This podcast forum will include guided meditation, teachings by Elizabeth, and a rich opportunity for discussion and questions.
In this Open Question Conversation, Elizabeth will engage with Thubten Chodron on the topic of living the dharma. Venerable Thubten Chodron is an author, teacher, and the founder and abbess of Sravasti Abbey, a pioneering Tibetan Buddhist training monastery for Western nuns and monks in the US. Venerable Chodron teaches worldwide and is known for her warm, practical, and humorous explanations of how to apply Buddhist teachings in daily life. She has published many books on Buddhist philosophy and meditation and assisted His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the writing and publication of The Library of Wisdom and Compassion, a ten-volume series of teachings on the Buddhist path.
We are happy to announce the pre-registration for the in-person event with Lama Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel, “Opening the Heart Sutra,” which will take place on November 14–15, 2026, in Florianópolis (SC), Brazil.
Limited spots available.
Registration: www.pazemente.com.br
OPEN QUESTION PODCAST: LATEST EPISODES
In episode 703, Elizabeth asks the question: "If the absolute nature is not to be found within the nature of appearances themselves, where else would we find it?”
Elizabeth has a curious encounter at the local post office, which ignites a profound inquiry into the nature of appearance.
In episode 701, Elizabeth takes us through a classical teaching on the 12 links of dependent origination, which explores the genesis of our confusion, the dazzling spectacle of samsara, and how we can free ourselves from it. “When we feel confused about why we are practicing” she suggests, “just look at the wheel of becoming and it will remind you that there is nothing mystical about liberation. It is very matter-of-fact and within our reach.”
RECENT EVENTS & RECORDINGS
Recordings available for OQ Live Conversation: “Supporting Our Teacher’s Vision” with Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel and Dolma Gunther.
Annual Teachings on the Three Yanas of Tibetan Buddhism
NSS is a nine-day annual program where Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, Dungse Jampal Norbu, and Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel offer teachings on the Three Yanas: Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. Together, these paths represent the complete structure of Tibetan Buddhism. The event is held at Phuntsok Choling in Ward, CO.
For this program, Dungse Jampal Norbu and Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel will join forces to share their enthusiasm for Lojong. The program will include teachings, guided meditations, and lively conversations.
Recommended reading for this program is The Intelligent Heart: A Guide to the Compassionate Life by Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche.
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