Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel examines common misconceptions about Buddhist practice that can derail even the most seasoned practitioners. What is meditation practice? When are we genuinely practicing and when are we just going through the motions, caught in unexamined assumptions about practice? I often ask myself these questions so I don’t succumb to spiritual vagueness and [...]
About Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel
An Invitation
It doesn’t matter if you don’t know whom you’re praying to, says Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel. The very act of asking for help allows the heart to open and invite the world in. Buddhists tend to dismiss prayer, which perhaps isn’t surprising. After all, aren’t we trying to get away from putting the responsibility for our spiritual development on something outside of us? And if we [...]
Forum: The Beauty of Renunciation
Renunciation is about more than just doing without things. It’s the beautiful realization that you already have everything you need. Forum participants: Ajahn Amaro, Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, and Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel. Introduction by Koun Franz. My first attempt at Buddhist practice was an act of renunciation. I had been reading whatever Buddhist books I could find at my [...]
The Middle Way: Investigating Reality
When you look at things closely, says Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel, you discover the truth of dependent arising, the middle way between existence and nonexistence. The Madhyamika, or Middle Way teachings, lie at the heart of all the Buddha’s teachings. The Middle Way, when fully understood, refers to the unshakeable wisdom and confidence of buddha- hood. We might associate it [...]
Something to Believe In
While belief can be just dogma or preconception, it can also be a guiding polestar that gives us a sense of direction. Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyl on the power of belief to move us out of a small, self-focused world and into a bigger way of being. My friend Maryanne and I were riding our horses together across the high open desert of the San Luis Valley when she surprised me [...]
Forum: Long-term Retreat—The Challenges and Benefits
In this Buddhadharma Forum, Guy Armstrong, Elizabeth Mattish-Namgyel, and Geoffrey Shugen Arnold explain what to expect from going on a long-term Buddhist retreat. Introduction by Christine Skarda. Sometimes when I tell people that I live in retreat, they raise their eyebrows in amazement—or is it perhaps disapproval? I seldom go on to say that I have been doing this for [...]
About a Poem: Elizabeth Namgyel on Naomi Shihab Nye’s “The Art of Disappearing”
When they say Don’t I know you? say no. When they invite you to the party remember what parties are like before answering. Someone telling you in a loud voice they once wrote a poem. Greasy sausage balls on a paper plate. Then reply. If they say We should get together say why? It’s not that you don’t love them anymore. You’re trying to [...]
