Speaker: Dungse Jampal Norbu. Dungse-la explores service from the perspective of the Dharma, reminding us that we have a responsibility to apply our good merit and skills through service to others. The proper motivation for this is not guilt or self-importance, but interaction with the world through bodhicitta and a growing freedom from our habitual patterns through the practice of service.

Speaker: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. This previously recorded LINK talk was given by Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche at the Guna Institute in Bir, India on May 16, 2011. Rinpoche talks about the necessity of some suffering in developing a happy and cheerful mind that has stability. He goes on to discuss how to experience the growth that comes from this kind of suffering.

Speaker: Dungse Jampal Norbu. Dungse-la reflects on what it means to orient ourself toward enlightenment, from the moment we wake up in the morning. Gratitude for our precious human birth, the Dharma, and even things we enjoy like tea and coffee, uplifts us and cuts through the tendency toward cynicism. When our mood is affected by an experience we don't like, it can be an opportunity to analyze our self-grasping and practice compassion for others. He touches on many topics, including death practice, guilt, privilege and merit.

Speaker: Joe Wilson. Joe suggests that cultivating a scholarly understanding of Tibetan Buddhism can ground and enrich our contemplative and meditative practices. There are subtle nuances involved in translating Sanskrit and Tibetan words into English. Appreciating these nuances can lead us to clarify the meanings of commonly-used terms like "dharma," "sangha," and "dzogchen." To make our aspirations more precise and deepen our connections to the Three Jewels, it is useful to contemplate what we mean when we take "refuge" in them. By studying the system of Tibetan Buddhism, and the scholars and practitioners who developed and transmitted it to us, we can cultivate a deeper appreciation for the blessings of our connection to the Longchen Nyingtik lineage, to our guru, and to our Sangha.

Speaker: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. This previously-recorded Personal Link was given by Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche to the local Sangha on October 21, 2001 at Phuntsok Choling in Ward, Colorado. Rinpoche explores the two general tendencies of either over-managing or mismanaging our lives.

Speaker: Sarah Thompson. Sarah describes how self-reflecting enables us to cultivate merit, self-confidence, appreciation, gratitude, and trust in our ability to progress on the path. Self-reflection allows us to recognize that our connection with the Dharma, the lineage, the Sangha, and Rinpoche could have arisen only through merit gained in this or previous lifetimes. Recognizing this merit builds confidence to work with the conditions that arise in life, which in turn enables us to continue to accumulate merit and to progress on the path.

Speaker: Dungse Jampal Norbu. Dungse-la explores the defects of cyclical samsara and how disillusionment is an important seed for our commitment to the path of transformation rather than just hoping for change. This requires moving beyond our comfort zone, like we do when on pilgrimage. Dungse-la shares his New Year's resolutions.

Speaker: Vanessa Waxman. Vanessa reflects on the importance of putting the Dharma at the center of one's life, applying its wisdom and skillful means throughout our everyday experiences. To fully commit to the Dharma, it is necessary to shift from fitting practice into our life to fitting our life into our practice. In addition to being aware of the truth, cause and cessation of suffering, we need to put the path to ending suffering into practice. Doing so requires perseverance, devotion and patience. It requires us to contemplate deeply the Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind toward the Dharma. And it requires us to practice vigilant introspection, being aware of our mind's activities and applying the remedies that will pacify confusion and generate clarity and wisdom.

Speaker: Jim Kinkaid. Jim speaks about how writing poetry has enriched his connection to the Dharma. It is a vehicle to stay mindful, to contemplate, to express devotion, to enliven and strengthen his practice, and to share with the Sangha. Jim reads several of his poems and explains the sources of his inspiration to write.

Speaker: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. Rinpoche gives a New Year's Day talk with prayers for deep peace in the world during this time of war, conflicts, corruption, and refugee crises, including reflections on the spirit of the bodhisattva who lives to benefit all sentient beings.