Reflections on My Path After Twenty Years (Link #586)

Speaker: Amalia Steinberg. Amalia contemplates the tendency to fall into nihilism and eternalism and offers skillful means to adopt the view of the middle way. The view of nhilism rejects the idea of cause and effect and engenders fear, anxiety, and clinging. The view of eternalism engenders a false sense of permanence and solidity that leads to fundamentalism. The middle way is not "halfway" between these two view; rather, it acknowledges the interdependence of all phenomena and offers the opportunity to exert agency. In acknowledging our deep connectedness with all beings and situations, it fosters respect, kindness, and an open heart.