The Questions We Must Ask (Link #773)

·22 min·2 clips

Jennifer Shippey reads her notes from a lost talk by Dzigar Kontramte, asking if enlightenment is just a cliché.

The episode is a 21-minute audio recording of Jennifer Shippey reading her notes from Dzigar Kontramte's Link Talk on September 14, 2025, which was lost due to technical issues. Rinpoche begins by expressing appreciation for the link and its team, then dives into teachings on impermanence and the pursuit of enlightenment. He questions whether enlightenment is a real, personal goal or merely a conceptual cliché adopted within a sangha. Rinpoche emphasizes the need for individual decision-making and sincerity, warning against self-deception and groupthink. He discusses the challenges of maintaining faith in a modern, atheistic environment, where life feels fleeting and priorities often misaligned. The talk addresses common excuses, such as feeling unique in facing obstacles compared to past masters, and urges listeners to own up to lack of sincerity. Rinpoche explores attachment to life and the body, prompting reflections on rebirth and the mind's journey after death. He ties this to deity yoga, asking if the deity is seen as a helper or a shared nature, and stresses the need for current practice and faith. The episode includes a Q&A section where Rinpoche answers questions on facing the end of life, embracing oneself as the lord of the mandala, and assessing readiness for death. He critiques a showbiz mindset in spiritual practice, advocating for quiet, authentic engagement. Throughout, Rinpoche calls for urgency, faith, and deep questioning to avoid wasting the opportunity of a precious human life.

As heard by us

A steady talk on impermanence, attachment, and the mind that has to travel on.

Dzigar Kontramte's Link Talk centers on a blunt, durable question: what happens when the thing one keeps trying to maintain is life itself. Jennifer Shippey reads notes from Rinpoche's September 14th, 2025 talk after the original recording was lost, and the teaching stays plain…

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Why you'd press play

You want a quiet jolt about impermanence, rebirth, and what you are still trying to keep.

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