Text of the Month: Teaching on Madhyamaka with Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel

For our April Text of the Month, we welcomed Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel, who offered a teaching on An Adornment for the Ear to Delight Those of Sharp Intelligence. This text is a collection of notes by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo on the Middle Way, the bodhisattva path, and meditation.

In this session, Elizabeth focused on the four great arguments of Madhyamaka, core reasonings that challenge our habitual perception of reality. Drawing on decades of study and practice, she explored how these teachings can be approached not only as a philosophical view but as a way of questioning and engaging with our experience.

Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel has studied and practiced the Buddhadharma for over forty years under the guidance of her root teacher, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. She is the founder of The Middle Way Initiative, an educational nonprofit that offers teachings, retreats, and conversations grounded in the Middle Way tradition.