Jeff Fortuna, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, Chuck Knapp

If we take just a bit of time to contemplate our varied experiences of love, we’ll notice that this seemingly simple and attractive notion is actually a highly complex spectrum of phenomena. I’m currently preparing a conference presentation on love, and it’s such a subjective, profound, and vast topic that it’s not at all easy to wrap my mind around where and how to jump in. However, what is not confusing is the way Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche talks about love. And importantly, he speaks to how we can discern and cultivate experiences of love that lead away from confusion, toward more happiness and harmony in our world.  

The beauty of these teachings is that they not only help us as individuals, but given the increasing interconnectedness of our world, they will be of benefit for our relationships, communities, and for the world as a whole. As he so clearly points out, at this time in our history, the need to do all we can for humankind at all levels cannot be overstated.   

Be sure to listen to Podcast below named “Why Tsewa Now?”

This podcast is the first of a two-part series of Rinpoche’s teachings on tsewa, a Tibetan term which most closely translates to “love” in English. This follows our last entry which was an excerpt from his book Training In Tenderness: A Guide to Tsewa, the Openness of Heart That Can Change the World.  

If love is an aspect of life in which you find any value, and in which you’d like to gain more clarity, you’ll really appreciate the intelligence of Rinpoche’s gentle and open-hearted teachings. 

Happy Listening, 

Chuck Knapp  

Dzigar Kongtrul

Dzigar Kongtrul grew up in a monastic environment and received extensive training in all aspects of Buddhist doctrine. In 1989, he moved to the United States with his family, and in 1990, he began a five-year tenure as a professor of Buddhist philosophy at Naropa University. He also founded Mangala Shri Bhuti, his own teaching organization, during this period. He has established a mountain retreat center, Longchen Jigme Samten Ling, in southern Colorado. He has a large sangha of students, including Pema Chödrön. Rinpoche travels widely throughout the world teaching and furthering his own education.