Opening Dharma Access: Listening to BIPOC Teachers & Practitioners

DUNGSE JAMPAL NORBU is son and Dharma Heir of Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche in the Mangala Shri Bhuti community. His mother is Dharma teacher Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel.Dungse la has lived and traveled extensively in Asia, but spent much of his youth in Colorado. If you were to ask Dungse la how long he has been studying the Buddhist path, he would say, “Since I was born.”When Dungse la was still an infant, Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche instructed Kongtrul Rinpoche to train Dungse la to uphold and continue Kongtrul Rinpoche’s lineage, particularly that of Mangala Shri Bhuti.With the foundation of his life-long guidance and education from Kongtrul Rinpoche, Dungse la also teaches widely and engages in an annual 100-day retreat at Longchen Jigme Samten Ling. Dungse la’s anecdotal style and first-hand curiosity about how Buddhism relates to actual experience imbue his teaching with a fresh perspective, and reveal a natural wisdom and humorCheck out Dungse-la’s Dharma talks on the EveryBodhi Podcast.TODAY’S HOSTLAMA KARMA YESHE CHÖDRÖN is a scholar, teacher, and translator of Tibetan Buddhism at Rigpe Dorje Institute at Pullahari Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal and co-founder of Prajna Fire.In addition to Opening Dharma Access, Lama Yeshe co-hosts Prajna Sparks, a podcast for listening to, contemplating, and meditating on the Buddhadharma.Hear more about Lama Yeshe as ODA co-hosts Rev. Liên Shutt and Kaira Jewel Lingo interview them about their Dharma experiences as a practitioner and female-identified teacher of color. Lama Yeshe also shares with ODA this guided practice of tonglen and sacred creativity.Join the Prajna Fire global community and follow Lama Yeshe on Instagram @karmayeshechodron to learn more about their Dharma offerings.May all beings benefit!

La Sarmiento shares a meditation.

So many of us struggle to truly accept and understand ourselves, to find our own place of belonging and feeling at home in ourselves. In this intimate conversation between friends, La shares their powerful journey to fully loving and honoring themselves as a trans, immigrant, Filipinx, ukelele-playing dharma teacher and how they practice to transmit this dharma of radical self-acceptance, and resistance to oppression, to other BIPOC practitioners in the dharma world.To connect with La: www.lasarmiento.com, Instagram: @bodhila, Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BodhiLaPhoto Credit: Suzanne Kulperger

Venerable Thuần Tuệ, Abbess of Diệu Nhân Zen Monastery, shares a short meditation from a visit at Folsom Prison. For more info go to dieunhan.net

Venerable Thuần Tuệ, Abbess of Diệu Nhân Zen Monastery in Rescue, CA, is interviewed by Rev. Liên Shutt. They first met when Rev. Liên practiced at Trúc Lâm Zen Monastery in Đà Lạt, Vietnam in 2006-2007.We discussed happiness, Buddha Nature and relaxing into Tranquil Mind to connect to self,  others and all beings.Born in Vietnam, Venerable Thuần Tuệ was ordained in 1981 by Venerable Zen Master Thích Thanh Từ, Founder of the Trúc Lâm (Bamboo Forest) Zen lineage. She practiced at Bát Nhã Zen Monastery, Viên Chiếu Zen Monastery and Trúc Lâm Zen Monastery in Vietnam. Since 2012, she has traveled to England, Belgium, France, Germany, Canada, and many states in the U.S. to give Dharma talks and lead Zen retreats in mostly Vietnamese communities.Her books include Keys to Buddhism (Vietnamese & English. Translation with Huyen Bach & Rev. Thuy Liên Shutt - Publication 2011), Tâm Bình Thường (Publication 2016- in Vietnamese) and Từ Một Tâm Trong Lặng (Publication 2019 - in Vietnamese)For more info go to dieunhan.netThank you to Sister Phương Thiền and lay person Thanh Ngữ for their translation support.May this be for the benefit of all beings.

A guided meditation for practicing tong len, openhanded welcome, towards ourselves. Led by Lama Yeshe.HOST LAMA KARMA YESHE CHÖDRÖN is a scholar, teacher, and translator of Tibetan Buddhism at Rigpe Dorje Institute at Pullahari Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal and co-founder of Prajna Fire.Hear more about Lama Yeshe as ODA co-hosts Rev. Liên Shutt and Kaira Jewel Lingo interview her about her Dharma experiences as a practitioner and teacher of color here.In addition to Opening Dharma Access, Lama Yeshe co-hosts Prajna Sparks, a podcast for listening to, contemplating, and meditating on the Buddhadharma.Watch her on the Lion's Roar Podcast hosted by Mariana Restrepo, discussing the Vajrayana yidam practice of Chenrezig.Lama Yeshe also shares with ODA this guided practice of tonglen and sacred creativity as well as this guided practice of being love.Check out Lama Yeshe's articles published in Buddhadharma: The Practitioner's Guide, Lion's Roar Magazine, and Tricyle Magazine.Join the Prajna Fire global community and follow Lama Yeshe on Instagram @karmayeshechodron. Private spiritual counsel sessions with Lama Yeshe are available for online booking with immediate confirmation at Prajna Fire.May all beings benefit!

Kaira Jewel Lingo offers a guided practice. You can use this 15 minute guided meditation to help you come back to the present moment, to centre and ground yourself whenever you are feeling anxious, fearful or lost, distracted and confused.

LAMA KARMA YESHE CHÖDRÖN  is interviewed by the other two hosts, Rev. Liên Shutt & Kaira Jewel Lingo.  Find out how Tibetan Buddhism gave her a sense of belonging right from the start & how that's brought into her teachings.LAMA YESHE is a scholar, teacher, and translator of Tibetan Buddhism at Rigpe Dorje Institute at Pullahari Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal and co-founder of Prajna Fire.In addition to Opening Dharma Access, Lama Yeshe co-hosts Prajna Sparks, a podcast for listening to, contemplating, and meditating on the Buddhadharma.Hear more about Lama Yeshe as ODA co-hosts Rev. Liên Shutt and Kaira Jewel Lingo interview them about their Dharma experiences as a practitioner and female-identified teacher of color.Watch her on the Lion's Roar Podcast hosted by Mariana Restrepo, discussing the Vajrayana yidam practice of Chenrezig.Lama Yeshe also shares with ODA this guided practice of tonglen and sacred creativity as well as this guided practice of being love.Join the Prajna Fire global community and follow Lama Yeshe on Instagram @karmayeshechodron to learn more about their Dharma offerings.May all beings benefit!

Kaira Jewel Lingo is interviewed by the other two hosts, Rev. Liên Shutt & Lama Karma Yeshe Chödrön.  Find out how Plum Village Zen & North American Insight practices inform how she teaches.Find out more about Kaira Jewel at kairajewel.com

Rev. Liên Shutt  is interviewed by the other two hosts, Kaira Jewel Lingo & Lama Karma Yeshe Chödrön.  Find out how opening our awareness to differences is what transforms us. Lessons from her Soto Zen & North American Insight experiences guide her to make accessible & inclusive practices for all.Her latest offering for BIPOCs:  A Lotus Rising from MudConnect with Rev. Liên at AccessToZen.org