What Is It We Are Doing with Our One Wild and Precious Life

·54 min·5 clips

A chronic migraine sufferer uses a brain magnet and asks what we're doing with our one wild and precious life.

The episode begins with the speaker explaining the talk's unusual genesis, triggered by a trip to India and personal health issues like chronic migraine treated with a magnet. They set the theme by asking what we are doing with our one wild and precious life, referencing Mary Oliver's poem. The speaker recounts a magical evening at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya, where a super blue blood moon appeared during a puja, symbolizing the convergence of conditions. They dedicate the talk to Bhante, a teacher who gave his life for the Dharma. The speaker aims to discuss three C's: conditions, conditioning, and conditionality, using diverse strands from their India experiences. They share a distressing Facebook video posted by an Indian order member, showing a Dalit man beaten to death in police custody, highlighting systemic injustice and despair within the community. In India, the speaker heard from Indian order members about the dangers and difficulties faced by Dalits, but also their joy and gratitude in practicing the Dharma. They describe how the Indian Triratna community works to improve Dalit lives through social and educational efforts. A story is told about an Indian doctor, Amita Mati, who faced caste-based resistance from her staff despite her promotions, illustrating deep-seated discrimination. The speaker reflects on the Buddha's meeting with a Brahmin at the Ajapala Nigrodha tree, where he taught that true status comes from deeds, not birth, a principle echoed in the Triratna order's spiritual hierarchy. They discuss research by Analayo on women in early Buddhism, suggesting that negative portrayals in the Pali canon may be later insertions, offering a more inclusive view. The speaker contrasts Theravada traditions based on birth with the Triratna approach based on spiritual maturity. They explore personal reflections on conditions, using examples like political shocks (Brexit, Trump) and personal changes to illustrate impermanence and cause-effect understanding. Margaret Atwood's mantra 'anything can happen at any time' is cited as a tool for awareness of changing conditions. The speaker encourages reflecting on how life would change if conditions shifted, using their own reliance on a partner as an example. They discuss a book by Atul Gawande on aging, highlighting how small factors like foot care can impact quality of life. The concept of 'dangerous unselfishness' from Martin Luther King is introduced, urging a letting go of entitlement around resources. The speaker mentions Sayadaw U Tejaniya's phrase about the mind not being ours but our responsibility, applying it to resources. They note a Facebook investor's view that no one deserves vast wealth, linking to movements for universal basic income. Expectations are examined, with examples from India like marriage pressures and train delays, relating them to craving and conditionality. The talk concludes with living a life for the Dharma through samprajanya (mindful comprehension), described as a spiritual rudder or compass. The speaker emphasizes Bhante's legacy and the international sangha's diversity, ending with a call to recognize conditions without being defined by them.

As heard by us

A winding Dharma talk links migraine, Buddhist history, and conditioning to the work of living more freely.

This single-episode review frames the talk as a reflective Dharma inquiry into how conditions shape a life without becoming the whole of identity.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Press play when your one wild and precious life needs a Buddhist question with room for an overexcitable brain and a migraine magnet.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Free Buddhist Audio