We are delighted to share the recording of Episode 08 of Vibe with Venerables, where we get to talk “live” to Buddhist masters together.
Roshi Joan Halifax explores what it means to be a bodhisattva in today’s world of suffering, injustice, and environmental crisis. Drawing on teachings from Buddhism and neuroscience, she speaks on “charnel ground practice”—turning toward suffering with compassion and courage. Roshi Joan examines the bodhisattva path through seven transformative principles:
1️⃣ creating interconnected communities,
2️⃣ cultivating wise hope,
3️⃣ embracing radical uncertainty,
4️⃣ engaging fearlessly with suffering,
5️⃣ practicing universal compassion,
6️⃣ maintaining revolutionary joy,
7️⃣ imagination — a generosity of the heart and mind that is fundamentally free of narrow views.
Roshi Joan teaches us how to face suffering with an open heart, understanding that our actions matter beyond immediate outcomes, and recognizing our fundamental interconnectedness. By embodying these principles, practitioners can cultivate resilience, compassion, and a deeper understanding of our shared human experience.
The episode includes an opening prayer by Shantideva from “A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life”, a short guided meditation, Dharma talk, Q&A and ends with a short blessing and dedication of merit.
Donation
This series is freely offered by Buddhism.net. If you’d like, you may make a donation directly to Roshi’s Upaya Zen Center:
https://www.upaya.org/giving/upayas-general-fund/
We thank you for dāna, the practice of cultivating generosity.
