Taking Care in Pandemic: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche’s Reflections on Our Mental Priorities

It’s again our privilege to present another podcast with Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. This finds him in a conversation with Polly Banerjee Gallagher and Jack Gipple,  primarily focusing on how to work with our minds and relationships in this time of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Rinpoche had been scheduled to record with us long before the various social restrictions came into play, and we found ourselves thinking how fortunate it was that he was doing these teachings at precisely this time—right when we need help with thinking about how to ride this avalanche of novel and threatening experiences. There’s so much potential for fear, confusion, and of closing one’s heart toward others—all of which is exactly what Rinpoche addresses. To say the least, these teachings are as timely as they are accurate.

As I listened to Rinpoche talk, it was striking how powerful it is to hear someone speak with such clarity and wisdom, especially considering how fearful and polarized our world can feel. Particularly at the political level, our world’s accustomed to an “us and them” view. But beginning with our immediate relationships and extending to the entire planet, Rinpoche speaks to our complete interconnectedness, the reality of our world as actually “us and us.” His words are instructions, a prayer, and blessings.

Please join us in this prayer, that even though we find ourselves in a difficult time, we can collectively create environments that will foster the health and sanity of everyone—every nation, and of our planet as a whole. May this talk by Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche accomplish all that.