View this post on Instagram

 

Walk the Talk Show with Waylon Lewis presents:

In this episode of Walk the Talk Show with Waylon Lewis, Elephant’s award-winning video and podcast series, Waylon talks with Buddhist teacher and fellow “Dharma Brat” Chandra Easton about her new book, Embodying Tara via Shambhala Publications.

Read an excerpt of her book right here on Elephant. They also speak about feminism in Buddhism, auspicious coincidence, and bring some understanding re what’s up with “deities” in the non-theistic tradition of Buddhism. 

Waylon: “So, why [write a whole book on] Tara?”

Chandra: “She is maybe one of the most beloved deities of the Tibetan people. As I say in my book, she’s like the Mother Mary is to Catholics.

She’s Mother Tara. She’s beloved and she’s powerful. I hear stories all the time from people new to Buddhadharma—new or old, that when they start to do her practice, things start happening that are unexplainable and I think they should remain in the realm of unexplainable. There’s something palpable about her energy.” 

A clip of our conversation: 

*Please note that this is a partial conversation. Only Subscribers get the full video conversation. Learn more.

“Religions—maybe this is a platitude—but they’re supposed to be talking about the same thing. You know: that we are love and that we’re here to love. Tara is that for me, embodies that. I feel like I can come back to her.” ~ Chandra Easton

Listen to the podcast: 

“I’ve started to really see how if I can replace spiraling thoughts with a mantra—when I meditate on her and when I connect with love—’cause really she is love and she’s our own Buddha Nature—all deities are our own essence, nature, so we’re coming home, right? But remembering that we’re here to love, not to be stuck in fear. And as long as I’m afraid I’m veiled from the love.

Fear can be good and useful at times, but if it’s a habitual fear or just looping thoughts, it gets us out of that state. Tara brings me back to that state and helps me interrupt the downward spiral, and that could be good for our lives.” ~ Chandra Easton

Want the rest of this convo? Find it here.

Reader Comment: “This awakened something in me and I’m very grateful to you both for this wonderful conversation.” ~ Lorna

~

Follow Candra Easton on Instagram for more inspiring posts or check out her website.

~ 

Get our (free) Talk Show newsletter:

You make what we do sustainable.

Follow Walk the Talk Show:

Simply by listening, watching, sharing…you may invest in your own life, help put a little more mindfulness into our world, and make sure we grow enough to keep doing this.

Subscribers get the full video and podcasts: Not a subscriber yet? That’s okay. Give it a try with our donation-based pass where you set the price. 

Want more? Check out last week’s
Walk the Talk Show episode:

https://www.elephantjournal.com/2024/01/julia-cameron-of-morning-pages-the-artists-way-fame-talks-guidance-with-waylon-lewis/