Open Question

OQ 702 - What Am I Looking At?

Elizabeth has a curious encounter at the local post office, which ignites a profound inquiry into what keeps us from the nature of appearance.

OQ 701 - The Great Escape

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 specta

OQ 603 - DISRUPTION!

Elizabeth explores absolute bodhicitta through the story of the 11th century spiritual quest of Naropa. His training, under Mahasiddha Tilopa, illustrates the necessity o

OQ 602 - Sujata's Offering

In the context of a recent pilgrimage in India, Elizabeth opens up the topic of "engaged" bodhicitta and the six paramitas. She weaves in the story of Sujata, the young w

OQ 601 - Across The Valley

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 towar

OQ 505 - Looking Into the World

In this episode Elizabeth reflects upon the provocative poem by renowned Buddhist teacher, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, entitled, "Looking Into the World." "It's not a cozy

OQ 504 - Hook And Ring

Devotion is one of the many expressions of faith. When understood clearly, devotion can hasten the process of awakening for the student on the spiritual path, ripening an

OQ 503 - The Ineffable

All great spiritual lineages point us back to that which defies concept and language. Authentic practitioners describe awakening as being touched by a sense of awe, overc

OQ 502 - Hail The Impossible!

At 7:15 am on August 7th, 1974, 1,300 feet above a gathering crowd, French high wire artist, Philip Petit, renowned for his unauthorized public stunts, stepped onto a 131

OQ 501 - The F Word

In this episode, Elizabeth takes us on a journey through the term 'faith.' We may assume we know what faith is, but most of us have never truly explored its nuance or spe

OQ 405 - The Self: Bearing Witness

Elizabeth shares the classic Buddhist narrative of Avaloketeshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, and asks us to contemplate the story carefully, adding, "because someth

OQ 404 - The Self: When Does Bread Become Toast?

In previous episodes we engaged in the liberating practice of looking and not finding, as we searched for something singular or independent. In this episode, Elizabeth ex

OQ 403 - The Self: Into The Watery Depths

Continuing with the theme - The Self: Walking the Middle Way Path, we meet the 2nd Century spiritual genius, Nagarjuna, who is considered the father of the Middle Way sch

OQ 402 - The Self: Mind and Its World

The most intimate relationship you will ever have is the relationship you have with your SELF! Ironically, when looking for a singular, permanent or autonomous self, all

OQ 401 - The Self: Beyond Existence and Extinction

Many of us can recall our earliest encounters with the quandary of death. As children, we possess a natural longing to make sense of the world; to find explanations for t

OQ 305 - Sacred World: Life is Rich!

Our life - our world - can be rich…and it can also be a bitch.  We walk the terrain of multiple - maybe infinite - grounds.  We move in and out of these overlapping space

OQ 304 - Sacred World: Where is "THE" World?

What do you see when you think about the world? You might picture a rainforest or desert. You might envision a crowded subway terminal. You might imagine a household or a

OQ 303 - Sacred World: The Shimmering Apparition

In Open Question 303, Elizabeth explores the power of words and what it means to go beyond them in the tradition of Prajnaparamita.

OQ 302 - Sacred World: Awakening Natural Intelligence

The Buddha Nature teachings of Mahayana Buddhism reason that all beings possess natural intelligence. We can observe in ourselves and others that the instinct for wellbei

OQ 301 - Sacred World: Through the Eyes of Prajnaparamita

Most spiritual traditions offer teachings on "sacred world"-the promise of a life beyond struggle-the search for a place of ease. This is a noble human quest. And yet, th