Claim OwnershipDharma Glimpses with Judy Lief
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© 2026 Dharma Glimpses with Judy Lief
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DHARMA GLIMPSES is an introduction to The Profound Treasury teachings of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, taught by Judy Lief. In these short, accessible talks, Judy invites listeners to explore the subtleties and delights of the Buddhist path of meditation and insight. She introduces listeners to some of the key ways that mark Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's unique and brilliant exposition of the dharma in the context of contemporary Western society.
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[This episode originally aired on April 18, 2023] Buddhists are always talking about awakening, but what does that actually mean? • Trungpa Rinpoche taught that what is being awakened are our "enlightened genes" — a term which implies that awakening is somewhat natural, somewhat part of our makeup • sometimes Tibetans use the analogy of an acorn: if you try to get an oak tree by planting a bean seed, it will never work; but if you plant an acorn, you get an oak tree, ...
[This episode originally aired on April 11, 2023] An important transition point on the Buddhist path occurs between the foundational stage, where we focus on our own development, and the mahayana tradition, where the focus is directed toward the cultivation of compassion and concern for others • what makes this vitally important transition possible is training in shamatha and vipashyana, or mindfulness and awareness • shamatha is about taming our mind; it is abou...
[This episode originally aired on April 4, 2023] Meditation practice doesn’t happen in a vacuum; it happens in the context of our life, and our life situations can vary tremendously • in extreme situations it can be easy to lose our connection to practice • one extreme is when our situation is really cozy and going really well • the other extreme, which I would like to focus on here, is when our lives take a dramatic turn and we are faced with dire si...
[This episode originally aired on March 28, 2023] Buddhism’s emphasis on facing the reality of suffering could lead to the perception that the Buddhist path is only focused on what's wrong; but the Buddha also taught how to free ourselves from suffering • facing the reality of suffering straightforwardly can actually be a tremendous relief • when I first encountered Buddhist teachings, I never went to a talk where people didn't just burst into laughter from time to time •&nb...
[This episode originally aired on March 21, 2023] The teachings of the Buddha are often divided into three components: intelligence or discriminating awareness; discipline; and meditation • there can be so much emphasis on sitting practice that there is less discussion of the importance of cultivating knowledge and discipline — what it actually takes to put the teachings into action in our everyday life • being able to observe what is going on with some precision and ...
[This episode originally aired on March 14, 2023] The great teacher Shantideva emphasized the importance of vigilance, of protecting our minds • at the same time, tremendous emphasis is placed on maintaining an open, welcoming mind • so what's the difference between vigilance and just closing our mind in a negative or unhelpful way? • one way of looking at this is to think of your mind as a house • inside your house are your children or m...
[This episode originally aired on March 7, 2023] It may seem odd to talk about the benefits of “don't know mind” in a tradition that places such value on learning and on study • it also may seem odd because in the Buddhist tradition there is a great deal of discussion about ignorance and delusion, and the harm that comes from lack of knowledge, lack of awareness, lack of critical thinking • so how is don't know mind different from delusory mind or ignorance? • the main...
[This episode originally aired on February 28, 2023] The Buddhist path includes many methods for reminding us to wake up — from our blurriness, our sleepiness, and the busyness and distractedness of life • it's easy to get lost in the woods; reminders help us find our way back to the path • traditionally there are what are called the four basic or fundamental reminders • the first reminder is acknowledging the amazing opportunity of having this human life, ...
[This episode originally aired on February 21, 2023] Is there a way to make a sane relationship with our bad deeds and our regrets, to learn from them and to move on from them? • it's not easy to face up to all that we've done; it's not easy to find a way between wallowing in guilt and evading responsibility • in the Buddhist monastic traditions, there is a practice that addresses this issue • it's assumed that over time we can't avoid causing harm, but this pra...
[This episode originally aired on February 14, 2023] Images of the Buddha sitting in meditation posture give the impression that the buddhist path is quiescent and still; but actually it's a very dynamic, ever-evolving, and important journey • personally, I connect this idea of journey with a sense of something within us that we have lost and are trying to get back to • I think of this missing thing as our “heart of hearts” • it’s as though we are g...
[This episode originally aired on February 7, 2023] Early Buddhist meditators spent quite a lot of time alone in retreat in remote, rugged areas • as a result, they were very much in tune with the the five basic elements of earth, water, fire, wind, and space • they observed that everything inside is mirrored by what is outside, and everything outside is mirrored by what is inside • we can observe these elements for ourselves, and we can emulate...
[This episode originally aired on January 31, 2023] A common idea about the spiritual path is that it is punctuated by gigantic breakthroughs, by big revelations • but many deep and important insights don't come in that way; they come in through glimpses • glimpses can be sudden or they can just kind of seep in; they are little openings or gateways into a sense of the whole • in some ways glimpses are similar to a jigsaw puzzle • we have all the...
[This episode originally aired on January 24, 2023] Through infusing mindfulness awareness into our everyday actions, we can invoke or evoke a magical quality to existence, a natural wisdom, which is known as “drala” • there's a famous line from the movie Field of Dreams that's often repeated: “If you build it, they will come” • in some ways, through our mindfulness and awareness, we're building a world that will attract this magical quality, this natural wisdom&...
[This episode originally aired on January 17, 2023] A large part of our reality involves talking, or working with our speech; it is one of the main ways we connect with our world • but our speech can also get us into a lot of trouble, including using it as a way of escaping from reality • Trungpa Rinpoche said that paying attention to speech is a way of paying attention to reality • but often we use speech just in the opposite way — as a way to avoid...
[This episode originally aired on January 10, 2023] The image of remaining like a log comes up in a number of different traditional Buddhist texts • think of a log rotting slowly in an ancient forest — it just lies there placidly, providing sustenance and a home for various critters as it gradually dissolves into the forest floor • sometimes remaining like a log is talked about in terms of vigilance: maintaining vigilance over one's mind and heart • u...
[This episode originally aired on January 3, 2023] In exploring the idea of transmission, we're looking into how the teachings are passed on, how the teachings are taught, and how the student can access the teachings • but what do we mean by transmission? • a helpful analogy is to think of music: you can learn to play all the notes in a song, but the music is not there • so what makes the actual music? • there's a famous jazz phrase: “it d...
[This episode originally aired on December 27, 2022] I'd like to introduce three simple short meditation practices that help us tune in to the rich and ongoing process of exchange that marks our lives altogether • we're always giving something out to the world and receiving something from it • we are affected by others and we affect others in so many ways; and we're also quite susceptible to the energies and the outpourings from those around us • in t...
[This episode originally aired on December 20, 2022] One of my favorite nursery rhymes contains quite a bit of wisdom: “Row row, row, row your boat gently down the stream; merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream” • if we think of the stream as a stream of teachings, then we could consider the Buddha as the source of the stream • from that beginning a great river continues to flow over thousands of years • where does this stream flow? It flows into an...
[This episode originally aired on January 15, 2024] The phrase, “When you lose your mind, come back” describes a lot of what happens in meditation: repeatedly losing our minds, and repeatedly bringing ourselves back • the moment we’ve noticed we’ve lost it is the moment we can return • what are we returning to? the simplicity of the present moment • another phrase Trungpa Rinpoche used quite a lot was, “Don’t think too much” • what are the...
[This episode originally aired on January 8, 2024] At our core is our tender heart, tinged with a touch of sadness • it is sweet and vulnerable • this soft spot may be deeply buried, but it is always there • even very simple or momentary experiences can connect us with this heart: you might watch a pair of swallows fly back and forth, over and over, bringing food to their hungry chicks, and something melts or softens in you • it is so beau...
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So much projection.