Can something keep you alive and slowly wear you down at the same time? That paradox is the starting point of Vibe with Venerables Episode 28, where Venerable Dr. Juewei explores aging, impermanence, identity, and what it truly means to be human.
In this session, she explores the First Realization from the Sutra of the Eight Realizations of Great Beings through aging bodies, anxious minds, and constant change. She also shares a deeply personal existential question that arose during her preparation: “How many times must I die and be reborn before I can wake up to the true nature of our existence?”
Using vivid metaphors like oxygen, stacked stones, candle flames, and real grass versus fake grass, Venerable Dr. Juewei shows why suffering isn’t a mistake, why clinging to a fixed self creates stress, and why community matters more than ever.
The Bodhisattva path, she reminds us, is not about escaping reality but fearlessly facing it. Awakening begins by looking directly at impermanence, uncertainty, and suffering, without turning away.
This episode might make you laugh, think, and even question your relationship with grass.
References
Sūtra of the Eight Realizations of Great Beings
A Prayer for the People Who Transcribe Sutras and Hear the Dharma
Donation
This series is freely offered by Buddhism.net. If you’d like, you may make a donation directly to Venerable Juewei at the Nan Tien Institute.
We thank you for dāna, the practice of cultivating generosity.
