(Written and inspired by the joy of HH Dalai Lama's 86th birthday.)

An excerpt: "Things are going well for me, Mother.  I am in good health and enthusiastic in my work.  Intellectual, imaginative, stimulating, virtuous and joyous is this path; I am profoundly appreciative to you for providing me with the life force that has enabled me to journey upon it.   

Always I am reminded of the precious foundations of well-being and confidence your love and compassion birthed in me, and which have continued to blossom with purpose and clarity in the years since.  For you, dear one, my enduring gratitude . . . " (Length: 12 minutes)

Written by Mark Winwood of the Chenrezig Project. Accompanied by music composed and performed by the renowned SF Bay-area musician Bobby Vega.

Most Westerners equate Mind with thinking, but in Buddhism it is acknowledged to be vastly more . . . Mind is the entire spectrum of our inner experiences: thoughts, feelings, perceptions, consciousness, subconsciousness, unconsciousness. It is our perceiver, translator, reflector and mirror.

Without it there is nothing . . . within it is everything.

To begin a meditation practice is to embark on a journey,  an adventure of sorts, during which we learn how to observe --  and best 'use' -- our Mind.  (Length: 10 minutes)

Written by Mark Winwood of the Chenrezig Project, accompanied by music composed and performed by the renowned SF Bay-area musician Bobby Vega.

Buddhist practice leads us to see that our mind is beyond precious and teaches us how to tend to it, learning to discern those states of mind that are unwholesome or harmful and those that are beneficial.  Once identified, we choose -- hopefully wisely -- which to let pass and which to nourish.

This is the animated structure of beneficial Karmic activity. To understand, embrace and engage with its workings will, in both the short- and long-terms, transform one's life. (Length: 10 minutes)

Presented by Mark Winwood of the Chenrezig Project, accompanied by music composed and performed by the renowned SF Bay-area musician Bobby Vega (joined by the Turtle Island String Quartet).

On the eve of Saka Dawa, the full moon day on which Siddhartha's birth, enlightenment and passing into Parinirvana upon his death are joyously celebrated in Tibetan Buddhist communities and among practitioners world-wide, here is a heartfelt dispatch to him . . . along with a request. (Length: 14 minutes)

Presented by Mark Winwood of the Chenrezig Project, accompanied by music composed and performed by the renowned SF Bay-area musician Bobby Vega.

The Dharma path is one of grace; teachings are everywhere. Be curious, remain humble. Read, watch and listen carefully . . . learn from everyone and everything and continue doing so while maintaining your sense of humor.

You already have all you'll ever need -- lace up your traveling shoes and get on with it . . . in short order you'll be walking differently upon the Earth. (Length: 9 minutes)

Presented by Mark Winwood of the Chenrezig Project, accompanied by music composed and performed by the renowned SF Bay-area musician Bobby Vega.

She is within each and every step you take . . . She guides you toward moments of clarity and wisdom, helping to free you when you are confused and distracted. She is safety . . . She is brilliance . . . She is fearlessness . . . She is your wisest self, your very best mind, your kindest heart . . . She is Awakening . . . She is Precious . . . She is You. (Length: 7 minutes)

Written by Mark Winwood of the Chenrezig Project; with music composed and performed by the renowned SF Bay-area musician Bobby Vega in collaboration with Chris Rossbach.

They are the Coastal Redwoods, aka Sequoia Sempervirens -- native to the American West, living among the clouds and foggy canyons of the Pacific coastal mountains.  Bunyan-esque and virtually indestructible (except by human loggers and their saw mills), they are perhaps our most noble Dharma teachers.  (Length: 13 minutes)

Shared here by Mark Winwood of the Chenrezig Project, with music composed and performed by the renowned SF Bay-area musician Bobby Vega.

For your consideration: If you would receive great wealth to forget all the Dharma you've ever learned and/or experienced . . .  your insights and understandings, knowledge and practices . . . all of it, every bit . . . and by so doing slip back into the mind you had before first encountering the Dharma . . . might you do it?   (Length: 12 minutes)

Written and presented by Mark Winwood of the Chenrezig Project, with music composed and performed by the renowned SF Bay-area musician Bobby Vega.

We live in a world of often-forgettable sound bites: advertising jingles, political slogans, song verses, news headlines, tweets, jargon, etc. Here is a message we believe is significantly worth remembering, it comes from the 8th century Indian master, Shantideva . . .   (Length: 10 minutes)

Written and presented by Mark Winwood of the Chenrezig Project, with music composed and performed by the renowned SF Bay-area musician Bobby Vega.