America's Bodhi Trees

America's Bodhi Trees

Author: chenrezigproject April 23, 2021 Duration: 12:38

They are the Coastal Redwoods, aka Sequoia Sempervirens -- native to the American West, living among the clouds and foggy canyons of the Pacific coastal mountains.  Bunyan-esque and virtually indestructible (except by human loggers and their saw mills), they are perhaps our most noble Dharma teachers.  (Length: 13 minutes)

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


Nestled within the broader conversations around spirituality, Tibetan Buddhism: The Elegant Mind offers a grounded space for exploring Himalayan Buddhist thought. This podcast emerges from the Chenrezig Project, a study group based in Boulder County, Colorado, and features a series of discussions and interviews that feel both timely and timeless. The focus here is on practical notions and methodologies, making the often profound teachings accessible to anyone-whether you're simply curious, have a budding interest, or are a long-time practitioner. You'll hear voices and perspectives primarily from the Pacific Northwest, though the insights resonate universally. The conversations avoid dense academic theory, instead aiming to illuminate how these ancient principles can inform a modern life. Tuning into this podcast is like joining a thoughtful, ongoing dialogue where complex ideas are unpacked with clarity and relevance. Host Mark Winwood and the Chenrezig Project facilitate these exchanges, ensuring each episode provides tangible reflections for daily contemplation and practice. It’s a resource for those seeking to understand the elegance and practicality of the Tibetan Buddhist mind, without requiring any prior expertise.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 71

Tibetan Buddhism: The Elegant Mind
Podcast Episodes
The Stupa at Chitray [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 8:44
Chitray is a tiny hamlet perched on a Himalayan ridge along the Sikkim-Nepal border. For one Western trekker, absorbing the 'effects' of sitting alongside its stupa early on a foggy morning, Chitray became one of the mos…
Puget Sound Sutra [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:33
It is said that Buddhas -- fully awakened beings -- may manifest in any place, at any time and in any form . . . even as a spiny urchin in the icy waters of the Pacific Northwest's Salish Sea. (Length: 8 minutes) Written…
The Empowering Wisdom of 'Emptiness' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:45
Consider: Emptiness -- that often referred to, generally misunderstood aspect of mind that is so often referred to in the Buddhist wisdom teachings . . . is anything but empty. It is within the limitless nature of emptin…
The Science(s) of Tibetan Buddhism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:16
One of the enduring Dharma discussions in the West centers around "What Is Buddhism -- Is it Science, Social Perspective or Religion?" In this broadcast, the Chenrezig Project's Mark Winwood examines the science within T…
Environmental Interdependence: Our Wetlands [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:30
In this broadcast, the Chenrezig Project's Mark Winwood welcomes Teresa Opolka, a local (Carnation) wetland ecologist/botanist. Teresa is the founder of the Aquatica Environmental Consulting group specializing in project…
16 Practical Guidelines for (Best) Living [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:00
Many of us are seeking to develop our innate capacity for compassion and wisdom in order to live a most happy, peaceful and beneficial life. The "16 Guidelines" are a simple and robust Tibetan Buddhism-sourced framework…
The Heart Sutra and Mechanics of Mind [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:51
Mind: every sentient being has one but very few understand -- or even think about -- how their mind works. In this broadcast, Mark Winwood of the Chenrezig Project shares the fundamental Buddhist wisdom teaching The Hear…
Overcoming Stubborn Self-Centeredness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:50
In this broadcast, the Chenrezig Project's Mark Winwood discusses aspects of two questions he was recently asked: (1) Why do you (meaning "us") do what you do regarding shared/engaged Dharma?, and (2) Understanding that…
The Experience of Dying and Death [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:01
Death awaits us all. In this broadcast, Mark Winwood of the Chenrezig Project discusses the Bardo Thodol (aka Tibetan Book of the Dead) and shares some of the Tibetan ideas of what death is as well as what occurs and is…
The Diamond Sutra: Inclusiveness and Impermanence [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:42
In this broadcast, the Chenrezig Project's Mark Winwood shares some of the fundamental aspects of one of Mahayana Buddhism's most revered (and studied) Prajnaparimta teachings, The Perfection of Wisdom that Cuts Like a D…