Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

When Alejandro Anastasio was a child, he wanted to grow up to be a Jedi Knight. Instead, he grew into a popular inspirational speaker, Buddhist teacher and martial artist. Luke Skywalker would be proud. As AlejAndro says, on his website, “You can do a lot with one hand!” He likes to joke “need a hand?”

He’s a Vajrayana teacher, but “don’t call me Rinpoche” — one of the much needed new Vajrayana teachers trained in the west. He is the current director of the Boise Dharma Center in Idaho. His dedication to his own teacher Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche is epic, and his stories of his teacher are heart-warming.

I’ve been impressed by this courageous, compassionate and inspiring teacher for a long while. It took a few months to finally arrange an interview, but well worth the wait. I discovered a sparkling gem of a role model — especially for children in his martial arts teacher role — a one-handed hero who set out to bring happiness to the lives of many people. It’s no surprise he was a finalist in the Toastmaster World Championship of public speaking in 2014, or that he is invited to speak around the world. He’s funny, quirky, happy, and wise. Oh, and did I mention he’s a third degree black belt?

Although the interview ran long, his stories are so engaging, and he is so eloquent, I didn’t have the heart to edit them, so we’ve broken this into two parts. Here, starting in part one, is our interview with one of the most interesting new generation Vajrayana teachers in North America. [For a more formal biography, see “About AlejAndro Anastasio” and “About Boise Dharma Centre” at the end of this interview.]

Tell us a little about your journey from Roman Catholic to Tibetan Buddhist.

I was actually born and raised Roman Catholic. I attended private Catholic school for 13 years. However, during that time my father always had a statue of Buddha in our house. I currently have the statue he had while I was growing up on my personal shrine in my home. Though my father raised us on superheroes and science fiction he also loved to watch David Carradine as Kwai Chang Caine in the television series Kung Fu. This was truly my first experience with anything Buddhist. This laid seed that later sprouted into both my connection to Buddhism and the martial arts. To add to this was how much my brothers and I enjoyed watching “Kung Fu Theatre” after Saturday morning cartoons. It may sound strange but this was my first real introduction to Buddhism.

Shaolin Monks and Martial Arts

But it wasn’t until my late 20s and 30s when I was studying and teaching Aikido in Boise, Idaho that I really started to acquire my deep interest for Buddhism. In 1999 a group of traveling Shaolin Monks came to the United States. They were touring the world sharing their culture, building Sand Mandalas, and spreading the Teaching of Buddha’s Compassion. I had a very profound experience listening to one of them speak. I attended an open invitation to visit with the Monks where I was given a Mala by one of them. It is still the mala I use to this very day.

The following year one of my early martial arts instructors, great mentor, and dear friend Teja Bell Sensei, who is a 4^th Degree black belt in Aikido and Zen Priest, started getting me deeper into Zen Buddhism. Once, while I was in California doing some Aikido training, Teja asked me if I wanted to attend a performance by a group of Shaolin Monks. They were demonstrating their Martial Art skills, the power of their chi, debating, and offering a performance explaining the time Bodhidharma first came to the Shaolin Temple.

Bowing with One Hand

Again I had another powerful experience. During part of the performance when they were sharing a story of Bodhidharma, of the origins of why the monks bow with one hand. Since I was born without my left hand — and only bow with one hand — I experienced a profound connection on seeing this gesture. There was something about Shaolin Monks bowing with one hand. My visceral experience was so powerful thatTeja Bell Sensei (and Zen Priest) leaned over to me and asked, “something very special there for you AlejAndro?”

But it was not until 2002 that I truly found my devotion to Tibetan Buddhism and my Root Teacher Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche. I had been running a full time professional Aikido school and working part time when my father was diagnosed with lung cancer. One day he told us and then nine months later he died. Watching my father die of cancer and experiencing how much it hurt my mother and family was the condition of incredible suffering. I was suffering more at this time than any other time in my life. Watching my father die, taking care of my mother, running a full time martial school, and having a part time job was taking it’s toll to say the least.

“I do not want to suffer anymore!”

It was at this time a nine year old girl in my martial art school said, “Sensei… You do not look very good. What do you want right now?” After a moment of deep reflection I said, “I do not want to suffer anymore!” She then told me a Tibetan Monk was coming to Boise to teach that night across the street from her house. Somewhere through all my suffering I had a moment of what seemed like the echo of a memory. I remember hearing the Dharma could end all of your suffering. I put my high ranked students in charge for the rest of the night and immediately left for the teaching.

That night I attended. That night changed my life forever. That night I met my teacher and from that point on I have suffered less and less. That night I had found Buddhism.

Please tell us about your teacher.

Mostly I like to share the humorous stories or the profound experiences of my time with my teacher. In many cases they are one in the same. And in all do fairness I must say my best experiences are humorous — and the lessons learned are profound. I would like to share three experiences that have deeply solidified my relationship as a student to my Vajra Master Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche. The first one I will share is to offer a little more depth and detail about how I found Buddhism, and meeting my Teacher for the first time.

As I mentioned at the time I met my teacher I was suffering deeply, more profoundly than at any other time in my life. I could go into greater detail but I think it is enough to say I almost saw no way out of my situation. I was on a downward spiral of despair with no end insight. Or so it seemed. When I look back on this time I am so viscerally aware of how negatively powerful it can be to spin the wheel of suffering to the point of losing control.

“I must have looked like a lost child”

I can only image what I looked like to my teacher as I virtually kicked down the door. I must have looked like a lost child frantically searching for something important. I knew what I had lost but was not sure how to find it. “Where or when did I lose my happiness and how could I find it?”

I just remember bursting through the doors of this house where the Teachings were to be held. I did not even knock or ask who lived there or who was in charge. I just pulled up, walked up to the location, and walked in the house. I was not even aware I was over an hour early for the Teaching.

Little did I know the Rinpoche sitting on the floor would end up being my Varja Master. I looked around desperately and then saw him looking right at me. He had the strangest look on his face; he was staring right at me. As he started to speak his expression ever so slightly changed.

“What are you doing here?” he asked. Now it is important for me to share that he said those words as if I was a crazy person. To hear those words with the expression of, “what are you even doing here” on his face took me right out of the moment. The moment was on the edge of surreal.

In that moment I could only answer the question. My heart opened; I looked right into his eyes and said, ”I do not want to suffer anymore!” And I meant it from the bottom of my heart. He then smiled with a kindness I will never forget and said, “Good. Sit down.”

Since that moment in November 2002 I have never left his side. Over these past years I have come to realize the quality of truly wanting to end my own suffering. When I look back on that moment, I realize my teacher could see my own sincere intention to end my suffering. My Teacher laughs every time I tell that story in front of him.

Relaxing in the Sun by a Creek

Our United States sangha started looking for land to buy so our Teacher would have a more permanent place to teach. Often when Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche came to Boise, Idaho to teach, we would take a few days and go look at land for sale. This was everything from just raw land to an unused Christian Missionary School and even a small hot spring resort. On one visit we were looking at some land in the Boise Front Foothills with a few of our Sangha members and the real estate agent. The grass was green, the Idaho sunlight was on the edge hot, and the hills rolled like soft waves of water.

As the group of us took in the view, the real estate agent asked if we were ready to see other parts of the property. As we started to walk my Teacher leaned toward me and asked if I could see the small rolling hill to our left. I said yes. Then he said, “when I count to three I want you to run with as fast you can until both of us get over that hill. “Do you understand?” I again said yes. As the real estate agent was spouting off tidbits of useful information about the property my teacher started to count. When he said three we both started to run as fast as we could. I am sure our sangha and the agent were confused. We crested the small hilltop and started to descend into this beautiful little valley. There was a small creek of delicately running water and a wooden fence with a very large male bull just on the other side. As we paused to take in the moment, my teacher said we should go and sit by the water.

“You are always so busy!”
He said, “AlejAndro please sit down and take off your shirt. Sit in the sun with me and relax. You are always doing so much and are so busy. I want you now to just feel the sun, lay back, and relax.” And so we laid there in the sun not saying a word to one another enjoying the warmth of the sun.

Then he said, “now take off your shoes and put your feet in the water.” As we both sat there with our shirts off and our feet in the water I had a very calm and open feeling to me. “How about we play in the mud like children?”

My only response to this was, “OK.” And so we did. We started to move mud around with our feet redirecting the small creek that was our playground. “I have an idea,” he said. Let’s build a small dam.” Our hands and feet were covered with mud. Then, he said, “I have a better idea, let’s build a Stupa!” In a very short amount of time Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche and I were sitting looking and this very small and slightly lopsided Stupa made of mud.

“How do you feel right now AlejAndro?” He asked.

“I feel content and free,” was my sincere reply.

“Good AlejAndro! This is how I want you to feel most of the time.”

As we walked back to meet with the small group of people we left behind I began to think about how long we might of been gone. Then I started to think what they might be thinking. I worried about how upset they might be that we left them. But then I remembered the great time I just had with my teacher and his request I feel content and free. As I settled back into that feeling, Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche said, as if reading my mind, “good AlejAndro… Good!”

We both laughed as we joined the others.

The Beginning (or End) of a Rainbow

We were having a three-day retreat in a small town about two hours north of Boise, Idaho. Our first Autumn Retreat! It was held at one of our sangha member’s cabin just outside of McCall, Idaho. It was to be quiet and secluded, and our Teacher would teach to us for three days. I was excited to say the least. Many sangha members had left early to go and clean the cabin and get everything ready. I had to work late and was not getting there until the day of retreat. As much as I wanted to go early that was not how my karma was to unfold.

While I was getting ready to leave work I got a call for one of the sangha members at the cabin. She told me that our teacher had to take a latter flight and was arriving in Boise within the hour. She said you are the only on in Boise right now who can go pick him up and bring him here! If someone here leaves right now we will not even be close to his arrival time. So I said I would get him. She told me how fortunate it was I had to work on this day so I could pick up our beloved Teacher.

As I left work I stopped off at home to grab my bags and then headed over to the airport to pick up my Teacher. I was as excited as a young child getting ready to see their hero. This is actually not too far from the truth.

Everything went pretty smoothly. Auspicious is the commonly used word when favorable conditions all line up in a row. Traffic was easy and smooth, mostly green lights, and I found a close parking spot. My Teacher’s flight arrived right on time. As soon as I arrived at the welcoming area I could see him walking toward me. I bowed to greet him, he passed me his small bag as he pulled his carry-on luggage. He asked me if it was just us two on the almost 3 hour drive. I replied, “yes,” with a big ear-splitting grin. As we were talking and walking toward the main doors to leave the airport I had no idea what was about to happen.

The automatic doors opened as we stepped outside and were immediately stopped in our tracks by one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. I was completely stunned. Out of the corner of my eye I could see my Teacher standing completely still with the wide-eyed stare of realization. I followed his lead and started reciting mantras. My Teacher recited something — to this day I still do not know what it was. I can only image how we must have looked.

How do I describe it. It was either the beginning or the end of a rainbow. I have never seen anything like it before that moment or since that moment. I have seen many beautiful natural things and many, many rainbows, but nothing like this

There was a circular column of rainbow about ten feet in front of us shooting straight up into the sky. Or was it dropping straight down onto the earth? I could not tell. It was as large as a city bus was round. It had this effervescent almost moist shimmering glow to it — like light refracting off a diamond, creating numerous rainbows but it was much more visceral and three-dimensional.

For a moment I could not believe what I was seeing. Rainbows do not look like that. As I looked up the column I followed it up for as far as I could see. I was assuming at some point I would see where the “bow” in the rainbow began. But it simply went straight up into the sky.

I am not sure how long we chanted or even stood there. But as soon as the rainbow started to fade my teacher’s chanting did too. And as powerful as walking into that moment was, it has now ended. I looked at my teacher. He looked at me. We grabbed our bags and starting walking.

Now I know why they say there is a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

You seem to have many things on the go. Teaching, motivational speaking, martial arts, you’re an artist. How do you manage it all? 

If you search for me online you do find a lot of different things. Yes, I am an authorized Dharma Teacher under the guidance of Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche and the Dzogchen Lineage, and head teacher of the Boise Dharma Center (boisedharmacenter.org). I am also an international speaker. I have spoken in Finland, Estonia, Austria, Czech Republic, Singapore, Malaysia, and across the United States. I speak, usually with humor about the benefits of not having two hands. I know that may seem like an odd thing to hear but I do get 50% off all manicures.

My teacher supports my positive speaking direction and intention. He has told me that I am so happy with my one-handed life it lifts people. You can see more of me at OneHandSpeaks.com.

AlejAndro motivates kids (video):

One thing I really value is my youth empowerment speaking engagements. My professional speaking is really about sharing inspiration through humor — and a steady undercurrent of Dharma.

As a small part of my speaking career I have a one-handed superhero-speaking persona. I grew up as a fan of science fiction and superheroes. That was a big deal when I was a kid, who grew up with one hand. Superheroes gave me a lot of hope. I feel all superheroes offer hope and inspiration. This was just what I needed as a kid. And now, as an adult.

I have created my own one-handed superhero, my villains, my universe, and my storyline. I even have my superhero and all the villains illustrated and on my superhero speaking website at theguardianofhope.com. My superhero, my universe, my mission, the villains, and the storyline all have a Dharma overtone.

Why a Superhero?

Once my teacher asked me what I wanted to be when I was a kid. I told him I wanted to be a Jedi Knight. He said before that? I told him I wanted to be a superhero. He asked me to tell him about my dream as a child. I told him how much I wanted to be a superhero to help people. I explained how super heroes inspired and helped me when I was a child. I visualized being a superhero.

My teacher said, “You should practice dharma with the same enthusiasm, sincerity, and intense visualization. You should want to be free from suffering and want to help to free others from suffering. Buddha’s power is more than all the superheroes and Jedi combined.”

This was at the time a very cool, yet odd, teaching for me. After that moment I started to pay attention whenever I got excited about superheroes and Jedi Knights. I realized this is actually a powerful form of visualization and I should apply this to my Dharma practice. As strange as it may seem, this has been incredibly powerful for me.

I honor my Teacher’s skillful means for helping and teaching me in ways that work for who I am as a person.

Part 2 of the Interview>>

Part 2 Interview: Alejandro Anastasio, Martial Arts and Dharma Teacher, Sees a Special Relationship Between Martial Arts and Buddhism: Dharma in Action

About AlejAndro Anastasio

AlejAndro Anastasio is an authorized Dharma teacher who has studied Buddhism for the past 14 years under the direction of his root teacher, H.E. Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche. He has attended numerous weeklong retreats with Khenpo Rinpoche, including the 2012, 2013, and 2016 Dzogchen Lineage One Month Internship, where he received instructions and blessings to teach. AlejAndro has taught Buddhism in four countries and teaches often in the United States. AlejAndro’s Dharma teachings are simple, deep and humorous, with a focus on application in one’s daily life. He is currently the director of the Boise Dharma Center in Boise, Idaho.

About Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche

Excerpted from Dzogchenlineage.com: Great Perfection of Wisdom lineage holder Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche was born in Tibet, where he began training in Buddhism at the age of five at the Dzogchen Monastery. He has been recognized as the reincarnation of enlightened Tibetan master Gedun Chopel, who is the emanation of Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of the Buddha’s Wisdom. He received the transmissions and teachings of the Sutras, Tantras and Shastras from forty-two Buddhist masters and the complete empowerments and instruction of the Dzogchen Tantras from his root masters Khenchen Padma Tsewang, Drupchen Chatral Chochyab, and Guru Dechen Namdrol.

He studied and taught for ten years at the Dzogchen Shri Singha Five Sciences University the five major sciences of Fine Arts, Medicine, Linguistics, Philosophy, and Buddhism, as well as the five minor sciences of Poetics, Synonymy, Prosody, Drama, and Astrology. For seven years he meditated in the Siltrom Mountain caves in the Holy Dzogchen area of Tibet, under difficult conditions, with little food and only a few tattered clothes. During that time, he recited millions of mantras and was directly granted the blessings of Buddha Shakyamuni, Padmasambhava, Shri Singha, Bodhisattva Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara and Tara. Continuously he studies and practices with diligence, as well as being patient, disciplined, and generous to others. He is always radiating wonderful blessings and healing powers of wisdom to all beings and all elements.

Rinpoche is the thirty-third holder of the Dzogchen lineage, lama of Dzogchen Monastery, a Professor of the Dzogchen Shri Singha University, Spiritual Leader of Dzogchen Shri Singha International, Founder of the Dzogchen Shri Singha Dharma Centers, and Director of Dzogchen Shri Singha International Charitable Organizations. He has written more than thirty books on the five major sciences. He currently teaches Dharma and gives practice training to thousands of students, in more than forty countries around the world.

About Boise Dharma Centre

AlejAndro: “The Boise Dharma Center (BDC) is located in Boise, Idaho USA. We have been operating and offering classes, retreats, and workshops for over 14 years. I have had the honor and privilege of being with the BDC since we formally became a sangha under Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche. We are a small center offering Dzogchen Vajrayana teachings. We have the great fortune of having an Authentic Dzogchen Sacred Shine Set put together by our Teacher. Additionally, I have been collecting smaller Buddha Statues for the last 16 years and have over 1100 total that stand at the BDC. We have a lot of younger people in our centre with a good mix of ages overall. In general we go deep and have a lot of laughter.

Some Relevant Links

www.OneHandSpeaks.com

www.TheGuardianOfHope.com

www.BoiseDharmaCenter.org

www.IdahoMoldavite.com

www.TheAlejAndroCorporation.com

www.AlejAndroAnastasio.com

www.BlueMoonKnits.com

The post One Hand Speaks: Dharma Teacher AlejAndro Anastasio Speaks with Buddha Weekly About His Life as an Authorized Vajrayana Teacher, Inspirational Speaker, Martial Artist and One-Handed Superhero appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

In part one of our interview with dynamic Dharma Teacher AlejAndro Anastasio, he revealed how he came to Buddhism, how martial arts influenced his practice, and how mhe met his own teacher Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche. (Part 1 of this interview here>>)

As we continued to speak, AlejAndro —the director of the Boise Dharma Centre in Idaho — elaborated on the importance of martial arts in his practice, and why teaching Dharma (and martial arts) to children is so important. And, of course, more on his greatest inspiration, his teacher

BW: Are martial arts another interest, or is does it play a role in your Dharma practice?

I am a third degree black belt in Aikido and have two other Black belts in Karate and Jujitsu. I owned and operated a full time professional martial school for ten years. I actually lived in my school. That is where my teacher would teach for the next few years after we first met in Boise, Idaho.

Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche really likes Aikido. He came to watch a number of my classes and many kid classes. When I go on my yearly 5-week internship with my teacher he often asks has me to teach Aikido to the other students on retreat.

Once he asked me to describe Aikido to him in just one sentence. I said, “it is Dharma in motion.” Then he said for me to say it in a different way. “Tactile practice in compassion,” was my response. In a very real way my martial art practice compliments my Dharma work as much as my Dharma work and practice compliments my martial art practice.

For me there is a very special relationship in the Martial Arts and the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha. There is a deep connection between the Martial Arts and Buddhism that goes back to when the Monk Bodhidharma left India for China in about 549 A.D. and stayed at the Shaolin Temple.

BW: We first met because you made beautiful silver mala counters for me when I was doing a counting retreat. Tell us about how that started?

Yes, I make small runs of high quality Buddhist supplies. I make mala counters. I also make some malas and offer many types of bhum counters. All this revolves around counting mantra recitations.

As a Vajrayana practitioner specific amounts of recitations are simply part of our practice. Tracking them properly and accurately is critically important.

I was having trouble finding long-term accurate mala counters to track my recitations. I searched online buying what I could find. High quality was not as hard to find as accurate. I wanted more variety in sizes and colors with quality sterling silver parts that would last the test of time. After paying good money for counters that were either too lose or too tight, would often break apart way to soon, and would only work at looking good, I decided to make my own. After much trial and error and some inventing I started to create mala counter that were sterling silver, had variety in cord color and in sizes, and had very good tension over long periods of time and usage.

BW: Your students asked you to make counters for them?

Yes, my students started to ask if they could buy some from me. As the requests kept coming in I started to make more. At some point I decided to expand to help and support the Buddhist practice of others. I spent some time gathering my supplies and building products. Then I put a website together  and got on etsy.com. I currently offer my supplies to all practitioners in a global market. I do this as a way to support and enhance the practice of fellow Buddhists and as a way to express my artistic qualities.

BW: How to you bring this all together, the public speaking, Dharma teaching, martial arts and mala craft?

I am very fortunate to be able to have some creativity, beneficial speaking skills, and a strong body.

To have the karmic overtones to enjoy life with one hand is truly a blessing to share.

It is an interesting life to live as a professional speaker, a martial artist, an artist who builds Buddhist supplies, and be the director and authorized Dharma teacher of the Boise Dharma Center. At the root of all of this is Buddhism. The one aspect that unites these multiple personalities is the Dharma. All these facets of my life may seems very different. But at the core of all that I do, express, and share truly has to do with my true desire to end my suffering and to be a condition to helps other be free from suffering and the causes of suffering. I could not be who I am right now without Buddhism and the guidance of my Vajra Master Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche. 

BW: When did you first begin to formally teach Dharma and martial arts to children?

Back in 2004 I was asked if I would be willing to teach Buddhism to kids in the Hidden Springs community near Boise, Idaho. A member of our sangha lived there and also had two of her children in my Aikido kids classes. I asked my Teacher if it would be okay for me to teach an ongoing kids class and he said, “yes AlejAndro! Do it!”

I taught 5-8 year olds for about thirty minutes and them to 9-14 year olds for the next 45 minutes. This was held at the sangha member’s house. As it grew it started to become quite the event. It was very well attended with many children. The parents were all from the Hidden Springs Community and it had quite the family feel. Adults would bring food and refreshments and enjoyed each other’s company as I taught to their children. Many of the parents started to attend the kid’s classes. They often said to me how much they learned listening to Buddhist teachings for children as they were easy to understand and profound.

This was a very special time and memory for me as a Dharma Teacher. Having my beginning start with a children class means a lot to me. Over the next ten years I have often held classes just for kids when there was a need or demand. We even had a “Buddha for Kids” teaching taught by Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche at my Aikido school. To this day children are always welcome at the Boise Dharma Center.

BW: You are director of Boise Dharma Center. Tell us about your Sangha’s activities. You

The Boise Dharma Center (BDC) is located in Boise, Idaho USA. We have been operating and offering classes, retreats, and workshops for over 14 years. I have had the honor and privilege of being with the BDC since we formally became a sangha under Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche. We are a small center offering Dzogchen Vajrayana teachings. We have the great fortune of having an Authentic Dzogchen Sacred Shine Set put together by our Teacher. Additionally, I have been collecting smaller Buddha Statues for the last 16 years and have over 1100 total that stand at the BDC. We have a lot of younger people in our center with a good mix of ages overall. In general we go deep and have a lot of laughter.

One of the main areas of teaching topics I offer at the BDC is the awareness of the practice of practice. We cover many topics at the BDC such as meditation, visualization, purification, prostration practice, mantra recitation, and deep scholastic study. In saying all of that it is the teaching on sincere practice that is taught often by me. My Teacher would often say, “if you want sincere result you must have sincere practice. “Convenient practice yields convenient result.”

I have personally taken this to heart. Once a student asked me what is means to practice with sincerity. As I was sharing with them what I have experienced they ever so kindly interrupted and reframed their question to, “how do you practice with sincerity.” It was at that time I started to contemplate what it means to practice with sincerity. At some point I thought that even practice takes practice. It takes practice to sit for long periods of time. It takes practice to be able to say mantras and sit for long periods of time. It takes practice to visualize deeply while reciting mantra and sitting for long periods of time. Sometimes you just need to practice your practice. Then practicing with sincerity has a stronger foundation to plant, root, and grow.

BW: What are the main areas of practice?

Two areas of focus I enjoy teaching are the practice of Purification and the power of positive thinking (or sometimes referred to as pure thinking). I am inspired to teach on purification as it is something I have practiced deeply with profound results. I have a special connection to Vajrasattva and appreciate the visualization of the Dzogchen Lineage and Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche. Often our Teacher reminds us “there is no negative karma that you cannot purify.” I find this statement very liberating and it resonates with me. Additionally, I experience many people who want to bring their suffering to an end. What better way to help people than to teach the power of purification?

I also appreciate teaching on the power of thinking. If one does not believe thinking has power it is hard to believe positive thinking has more power. If one does not believe positive thinking has power it is hard to believe Bodhicitta has even more power. Our teacher has taught us to realize the power of our thinking.

Spending my entire life with one hand has allowed me to really look at my thinking and how powerful it is. Growing up I had a lot of obstacles dealing with the negative thinking of other imposed on me. Because some people thought things were impossible for a one-handed kid does not mean it is true or I should believe it. When I was very young I decided it was me who was going to decide if something was possible or not. I have accomplished many things in this one-handed life.

So much of it has to do with the power of my thinking. Thinking has unlimited power. If the quality of your thinking has limitations, self doubt, or the “I can’t” attitude you give unlimitedly powerful powerlessness to your reality and the reality you are creating.

So much of my Dharma teaching and personal professional speaking is about the power of our thinking to overcome our perceived and preconceived limitations. It is how I think about my one-handed life that has allowed me to earn three black belts and run a professional Aikido school. It is the power of my thinking that allowed me to ride my bicycle from Seattle to Chicago, be ranked top 20 in the United States in collegiate pocket billiards, and accomplish many other things in this one-handed life. Even to show a 5-year child how I tie my shoes has incredible merit. When people see how happy I am in my one-handed body it helps them and inspires them to be happy in the their body.

(Part 1 of this interview here>>)

One Hand Speaks: Dharma Teacher AlejAndro Anastasio Speaks with Buddha Weekly About His Life as an Authorized Vajrayana Teacher, Inspirational Speaker, Martial Artist and One-Handed Superhero

Inset: Tibetan Buddhist Master Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche (excerpt from dzogchenlineage.org)

Great Perfection of Wisdom lineage holder Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche was born in Tibet, where he began training in Buddhism at the age of five at the Dzogchen Monastery. He has been recognized as the reincarnation of enlightened Tibetan master Gedun Chopel, who is the emanation of Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of the Buddha’s Wisdom. He received the transmissions and teachings of the Sutras, Tantras and Shastras from forty-two Buddhist masters and the complete empowerments and instruction of the Dzogchen Tantras from his root masters Khenchen Padma Tsewang, Drupchen Chatral Chochyab, and Guru Dechen Namdrol.

He studied and taught for ten years at the Dzogchen Shri Singha Five Sciences University the five major sciences of Fine Arts, Medicine, Linguistics, Philosophy, and Buddhism, as well as the five minor sciences of Poetics, Synonymy, Prosody, Drama, and Astrology. For seven years he meditated in the Siltrom Mountain caves in the Holy Dzogchen area of Tibet, under difficult conditions, with little food and only a few tattered clothes. During that time, he recited millions of mantras and was directly granted the blessings of Buddha Shakyamuni, Padmasambhava, Shri Singha, Bodhisattva Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara and Tara. Continuously he studies and practices with diligence, as well as being patient, disciplined, and generous to others. He is always radiating wonderful blessings and healing powers of wisdom to all beings and all elements.

Rinpoche is the thirty-third holder of the Dzogchen lineage, lama of Dzogchen Monastery, a Professor of the Dzogchen Shri Singha University, Spiritual Leader of Dzogchen Shri Singha International, Founder of the Dzogchen Shri Singha Dharma Centers, and Director of Dzogchen Shri Singha International Charitable Organizations. He has written more than thirty books on the five major sciences. He currently teaches Dharma and gives practice training to thousands of students, in more than forty countries around the world.

About AlejAndro Anastasio

AlejAndro Anastasio is an authorized Dharma teacher who has studied Buddhism for the past 14 years under the direction of his root teacher, H.E. Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche. He has attended numerous weeklong retreats with Khenpo Rinpoche, including the 2012, 2013, and 2016 Dzogchen Lineage One Month Internship, where he received instructions and blessings to teach. AlejAndro has taught Buddhism in four countries and teaches often in the United States. AlejAndro’s Dharma teachings are simple, deep and humorous, with a focus on application in one’s daily life. He is currently the director of the Boise Dharma Center in Boise, Idaho.

AlejAndro is also a life long professional artist and internationally renowned inspirational speaker. Currently he works for the Bureau of Reclamation as a graphic designer but also travels the world inspiring and entertaining people with his storytelling and professional speaking about living life with one hand. In 2014 He was a semi finalist in the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking and offered a TEDx Talk in 2015 and will again in 2017. With a focus on youth empowerment he has shared his entertaining and enlightening message of the power of our thinking and the ability to turn adversity into unlimited power with audiences of all ages across seven countries.

Some Relevant Links

www.OneHandSpeaks.com

www.TheGuardianOfHope.com

www.BoiseDharmaCenter.org

www.IdahoMoldavite.com

www.TheAlejAndroCorporation.com

www.AlejAndroAnastasio.com

www.BlueMoonKnits.com

The post Part 2 Interview: Alejandro Anastasio, Martial Arts and Dharma Teacher, Sees a Special Relationship Between Martial Arts and Buddhism: Dharma in Action appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

In the second of a new video series, Venerable Acharya Zasep Tulku Rinpoche answers a question from a student about loss of a loved one:

What advice would you give for a student who is dealing with the loss of a loved one?

Venerable Zasep Rinpoche is spiritual director of many temples, meditation centres and retreat centres in Australia, the United States and Canada. (Bio below)

Full ten minute video:

Transcript of Venerable Zasep Rinpoche’s Response

Yes, I do have advice for dealing with the loss of a loved one. We all, at some parts of our life, some stages of our life, we — all of us — have to deal with loss of a loved one.

I say that, the first time, when you lose a loved one, you go into shock. Then, at some point, you start grieving. First, when you go into shock, you need help. What you really need is help of friends, spiritual friends, and teachers or Sangha.

You could do meditation on loving kindness for the loved one who’s no longer with you. And, also, you could do some Sadhana practice, mantras — like Om Mani Padme Hum — mantra of Chenrezig, mantra of Amitabha Buddha — Om Amitabha Hrih — and do your daily practice and meditation. It will be very helpful.

When you first go into shock, you feel very lonely, as well, that’s why you need help. Then, at some point, when the shock is over, you start grieving. Grieving can come, and go, and come again, sometimes can go on for months and months, even years, several years — depends on the individual.

You feel your grief mentally and physically. You might need help or counselling. You need help from a Dharma teacher or spiritual friend. Then you need to meditate. Meditate on the suffering or loneliness, the suffering of loss of loved ones, and impermanence. It is important to “go back” to the Lamrim. Lamrim teachings are very powerful, very helpful, and profound psychology.

One needs to realize that we all lose loved ones, sooner or later, and we die ourselves. When we die, our friends feel the same way. They lost a friend. So this is impermanence. Once you understand impermanence, you feel a little better.

Sometimes when you lose a loved one, you feel not only grief, but anger. They’re upset and angry. They feel guilt. So that anger, grief and guilt is happening for some people. Not everybody, of course.

Some people feel angry. First they’re angry with themselves, because they feel guilty. They think, Oh I should have saved… maybe I could have saved… maybe I could have done this, could have done that. I didn’t do that. So now you’re disappointed with yourself, upset with yourself, and feel guilty.

Another part of grieving, you could feel angry. You feel angry with the person who is deceased, like mother or brother or uncle, or maybe wife, you feel — how could you die? How could you leave me here? You’re gone now. I’m alive and I’m suffering.

Thats very sad, because, actually from a Tibetan Buddhist point of view, one should not get angry, because that person who is deceased, he or she doesn’t have a choice. Unless that person committed suicide. And, even if they committed suicide, who wants to commit suicide? You must have so much suffering, unbearable suffering.

You have to let it go, and forgive. When a person dies, he or she has suffered a lot. They had no choice. They didn’t do it deliberately. They didn’t abandon you. Those people who feel angry, I think they’re very confused. That’s why they’re angry. Or sometimes, they’re a bit self-centred.

From my point of view it’s a bit self-centred if you are angry. Because, “I want you to be with me. Now, you’re not with me. I am abandoned.” It’s all about me and I.

Instead of feeling angry, you should feel sorry. “I lost you, you’re gone, I wish you have good rebirth. I pray for you, for the journey and rebirth, and if possible born in the Buddha Land, Pure Land.” We need to change our attitude. It’s hard for someone who is confused and angry. But we need to educate them.

For grieving, your question about how to deal with grieving — grieving is a long process. Again, as I said before, Lamrim practice, study Lamrim, meditate on impermanence, on death and dying, ongoing prayers, and meditations on loving kindness. You could dedicate the merit of your daily practice, daily meditation, dedicate for the deceased. Then, you feel better.

Other things you can do: you can make offerings to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Make beautiful offerings like butter lamp or candles, food, and water, and so forth. Make offerings. Daily, or weekly, every seven days (since the deceased passed away) for the next forty-nine days.

According to Mahayana Buddhist tradition, we make offerings every day, or, especially every seven days, until the forty-ninth day. Also, you can do the offering annually.

Also, you can do retreats, meditation retreat, mantra retreat. You could also go on a spiritual pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya, the place where Buddha was Enlightened.  You could go to Varanasi, the place where Buddha gave his first teaching. Do a pilgrimage trip, and dedicate for the deceased.

This is a long process. Simple answer for dealing with bereavement is to meditate on loving kindness. I think that is the best.

About Archarya Zasep Tulku Rinpoche

Rinpoche is popularly known for his approachable teaching style, strong humor and teachings based on a long lineage of great lamas. His own gurus included the most celebrated of Gelug teachers: His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, His Holiness Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, Venerable Geshe Thupten Wanggyel, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, Venerable Lati Rinpoche, Venerable Tara Tulku Rinpoche and Venerable Khalkha Jetsun Dampa Rinpoche.

Rinpoche is spiritual director of many temples, meditation centres and retreat centres in Australia, the United States and Canada. He was first invited to teach in Australia by Lama Thubten Yeshe in 1976.

More on Zasep Tulku Rinpoche>>

The post Video Advice from the Buddhist Teachers on Bereavement: Advice for Someone Dealing with the Loss of a Loved One. appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

In our first interview with a Bön tradition teacher, the charismatic Geshe Chaphur Rinpoche frankly discusses the ways in which Bon school differs from the other five Schools in Tibet — and how it is also similar in many ways. Practices such as Ngondro, Refuge, and many others are similar. Chaphur Rinpoche is the director of the Gyalshen Institute in the San Francisco Bay Area.

We asked Rinpoche eight interesting questions, everything from practices, to history, to Dzogchen. In  his own words, the eminent teacher described the Bon tradition.

Bon Recognized as One of the Six Traditions of Tibet

Bön is recognized historically as one of the six great traditions of Tibet, which include (alphabetically): Bon (Bönpo), Gelugpa, Kyagyu, Jonangpa, Nyingmapa, Sakyapa.

In a letter from the Dalai Lama to the Bön Foundation, His Holiness wrote: “We Tibetans regard Bön as the ancient, indigenous religious and cultural tradition of our ancestors, which is the source and embodiment of many aspects of the Tibetan way of life.” [1]

Interview

BW: Please tell us a little bit about your personal background, Rinpoche.

Chaphur Rinpoche: I was born in the Chaphur Lama Lineage in the Amdo region of Tibet. When I was nine years old I went to Nangzhig Monastery and became a monk. At the age ten I went to Bongya Monastery in northern Tibet, learned basic Tibetan arts such as calligraphy, poetry and astrology from His Eminence Bongya Rinpoche.

When I was very young, H.E. Bongya Rinpoche recognized me as a Bönpo Master. His hope was for me to continue to stay at Bongya Monastery and one day take over the responsibility of running the monastery. However my brother, Chaphur Khunzang Rinpoche, felt if I took over the responsibility of the monastery that I would not have the opportunity to continue my studies. He then sent me to join Menri Monastery in India to continue my studies towards a Geshe degree under His Holiness the 33rd Menri Trizin Rinpoche and H.E. Menri Lopon Rinpoche. I studied at Menri for around 16 years, graduating with a Geshe degree in 2008.

Following my time at Menri, I completed a year of personal meditation and retreat. My teacher Bongya Rinpoche still hoped I would return to Tibet. However, circumstances brought me to the United States in 2010, where I settled and began studying English in the Los Angeles. In 2011, I founded Gyalshen Institute in San Francisco Bay Area.

BW: Can you tell us a little bit about Bön and Bön’s founder Buddha Tonpa Shenrab

Chaphur Rinpoche: Bön is the indigenous religion of the ancient Tibetan people. Our tradition holds that it was founded over 10,000 years ago by Buddha Tonpa Shenrab in Zhang Zhung, a kingdom later absorbed into Tibet during the eighth century C.E. When he first came to the Tibetan region, Tonpa Shenrab brought with him basic Yungdrung Bön teachings, divination, astrology, rituals and medicine that are still observed to this day. Most of the original Bön texts were translated into Tibetan from the Zhang Zhung language.

Tonpa Shenrab was born in a palace in the pure realm of Olmo Lung Ring, the birthplace of all enlightened beings. He became a monk at the age of thirty-one, renouncing the material world and cyclic existence. Through his great deeds and offerings to the Enlightened Ones of the Ten Directions, Buddha Tonpa Shenrab was blessed as the six robes and five objects of a monk descended upon him. Thus, he instituted the Bön monks’ rules and practices which are still in observance today.

When Tonpa Shenrab came to Tibet which, according to the well known 20th century Buddhist scholar Gedun Chophel, was at that time called Bön. He blessed Tibet and its people, sharing many teachings, ceremonies and religious dances that are distinctly Bön in origin. The most important change he introduced was to eliminate animal sacrifices. At that time, the local practice was to sacrifice animals in order to appease spirits responsible for causing sickness and misfortune. Tonpa Shenrab taught them they could offer red torma and white torma in place of animals. In this way, Tonpa Shenrab established the peaceful enlightened Yungdrung Bön tradition.

In the ensuing centuries, the word Bön as a geographical term became Bod, then Bote. When Bote was translated into English, it became Tibet.

BW: Can you tell us how Bön is distinct and unique from other Tibetan traditions?

Chaphur Rinpoche: In my opinion, many Bönpo practices and meditations are unique,  most especially the Bön Five Element practice. In Bön tradition, all the universe is made up of five elements. In fact, our body is composed of five elements (earth, water, fire, wind and space). These five are expressed within us through the interconnection of flesh, blood, heat, breath, and consciousness. They are connected to the five organs: liver, kidneys, spleen, lungs and heart. Those organs are in turn, connected to the five poisons; attachment, jealousy, ignorance, pride, and anger.

The five poisons can in turn be transformed into the five wisdoms: emptiness, mirror-like wisdom, wisdom of equality, discriminating wisdom, and all-accomplishing wisdom. The transformation of the five poisons into the five wisdoms is the basis of spiritual practice.

Each element also has its own corresponding spiritual deity. All sentient beings are connected with their inner, their outer (environmental), as well as the natural form of each element. In this way, Bön developed distinctly, I believe.

BW: Can you contrast that with some ways in which Bön has some similar concepts to the other four traditions?

Chaphur Rinpoche: Like Nyingma, the oldest school of Indian-based Buddhism in Tibet, the Bön lineage has Nine Ways (Yana), culminating in Sutra (Dho); the Path of Renunciation; Tantra (Ngak), the Path of Transformation; and Dzogchen, the Path of Liberation. These were taught by Buddha Tonpa Shenrab in the kingdom of Zhang Zhung. Buddha Tonpa Shenrab’s instructions are all preserved within 177 volumes in the Bön Canon.

The view, meditation, and practice of Dzogchen are similar in Bön and Nyingma, while the Sutra view, meditation and practice are most similar in Bön, Sakya and Gelugpa teachings. But the traditions were transmitted through different lineage masters; Bön originated with Buddha Tonpa Shenrab.

According to Yungdrung Bön teaching, if we are going to do Dzogchen practice, we must first do Ngöndro, or preliminary practices, which include Guru Yoga, Refuge, Bodhichitta, Confession, Mandala, and the Three Heart Mantra recitations, 100,000 times each.

Also, there are many Chö (also sometimes written as Chöd) practices. In Yungdrung Bön, these can be either peaceful, enriching, powerful or wrathful practices. The Khadro Sang Chö, or The Secret Chö of the Khadro, is part of the powerful classification of Chö practices. Through devotion, diligence in our practice, and the blessings of the khadro, we can obtain the external, internal and secret benefits of Chö practice such as removing obstacles, illness and danger, cutting the emotional affliction of attachment, and gaining an absolute confidence in the vast and open view.

BW: What are the Bön beliefs on rebirth and karma?

Chaphur Rinpoche: Karma means actions of consciousness, or actions of our mind. We cannot say when the conscious stream of our mind actually started. As Buddha Tonpa Shenrab said in Tibetan, “Khorwa Thokma Mepa Ne,” or beginningless samsara. In the Bön tradition, when our physical body dies, our karmic consciousness does not end, but continues on through the Bardo, or intermediate state, to the next life. The physical body is changed, but the inner consciousness is continually reborn. This life is the result of our previous life, and our future lives are dependent on this very moment, in this present life. That is why we believe meditation and practice will bring good results in the future. These are the Bön beliefs on rebirth and karma.

BW: You teach at Gyalshen Institute in California. From your 2016 schedule, you also teach around the world? How has Bön been received Internationally?

Chaphur Rinpoche: I teach mainly at Gyalshen Institute in California. I also travel to many different countries to teach and help people worldwide. Bön practitioners are increasing in number more and more around the world. In ancient times, many people didn’t really understand what Bön was. Unfortunately, many misunderstandings were repeated from bad information over time, often due to political or other worldly interests that had nothing to do with actual spiritual practices in Bön. In modern times there is an increased understanding in people, a greater openness of the mind, across the world. More and more, practitioners with this increased awakening are seeking out the ancient and powerful teachings of Buddha Tonpa Shenrab.

BW: Tell us a little about the Gyalshen Institute, its mission and retreat centre project.

Chaphur Rinpoche: Gyalshen Institute’s mission is to preserve the culture and traditions of Zhang Zhung and Tibet. Teachings at the center include a variety of retreats and classes on meditation and practice following the Bön tradition.

The Tibetan Translator program offers Tibetan language courses. I have also established Gyalshen Publications to facilitate the translation and publishing of important Bön texts from the volumes of the Bön Canon.

Future plans for Gyalshen Institute involve establishing the Gyalshen Retreat Center. Plans for the center include a teaching complex for short and long term individual and group retreats, a library for the translation and study of sacred Bön texts, a fine arts studio and a long-term residential housing community for Bön practitioners.

BW: What is the relationship of student-teacher in Bön? Is it similar to other Tibetan traditions?

Chaphur Rinpoche: I think the student-teacher relationship is similar to that found in all Buddhist traditions. In Bön, the relationship between student and teacher is a very special one. Both teacher and student must be of the right mind and must have a karmic connection. The relationship of the student and teacher cannot be one that is forced or developed. If one has that karma, the connection between the teacher and student will happen spontaneously. Although, that is not to say it is a relationship without effort. Dharma practice is difficult and requires much diligence and dedication.

Once realized, the relationship of student and teacher is one which never dissolves, never ceases. It is a true heart to heart connection, the most important aspect of this connection being trust. Without the development of trust, there is no connection.

The student-teacher relationship cannot be viewed in terms of something to be proven or some sort of reward to be attained. Just as in practice, the relationship between student and teacher is empty, and should not be contemplated with too much desire-attachment, or over-thinking of the mind.

BW: Please tell us about your books.

I have written two books in Tibetan. One, a poetry book and one on Tibet and Zhang Zhung history. Currently I am preparing a new book in English, “The Path of Finding Yourself”. I am hoping it will be published in the near future.

For more information on Bon or Gyalshen Institute visit

English   www.gyalshen.org

Tibetan   www.gyalshenbondra.com

NOTE

[1] The Bon Foundation Website has a photo image of the letter from HH the Dalai Lama here>>

The post BW Interview: Bön Teacher Chaphur Rinpoche Explains How Bön is Different, and Similar, to the Five Buddhist Schools in Tibet appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

The very learned and respected Gelek Rimpoche passed away today at 6am, as announced on the Jewel Heart website. [1] Born in Tibet in 1939, the great teacher spread the Dharma through his profound teachings, wonderful books and videos online. He was famous for his prodigious memory, penetrating insight and wisdom. The founder of Jewel Heart International, Rimpoche was a teacher of impeccable lineage, respected by students and teachers around the world.

From an interview in Mandala magazine, he describes his own background:

“I have been recognized as the incarnation of one of the Gyuto Tantric College abbots called Tashi Namgyal. I believe I was recognized by the late Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo – the famous Pabongka. I studied at Drepung Monastery from the age of 4 until I was 20. I completed my geshe studies in that time. I’m from the Gelugpa tradition and am a student of Kyabje Trijang and Ling Rinpoche, as well as a little bit of Song Rinpoche, too.”

Later, he was director of Tibet House in Delhi India and a radio host in India. His radio interviews of over 1000 people documented the history of the fall of Tibet. His teachers directed him to move to the West to teach in the late 1970s.

He is among the last generation of great teachers to have brought teachings to the world after the invasion of Tibet in 1959. He is best known, perhaps, for his approachable teachings to Western practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism.

He founded Jewel Heart in 1988 and has brought teachings to students in person, by video and through books and digital teachings. He is well known for his national bestseller Good Life, Good Death. He became a U.S. citizen.

His collection of teachings, carefully preserved in a digital archive by Jewel Heart, reveal a teacher of vast learning. His videos and video workshops are also popular, and lately his series, “Sundays with Gelek Rimpoche” broadcast at 11am on Sundays to a wide audience.

Even for those who never met Gelek Rimpoche, the sense of loss is especially deep. The lineage of teachings he transmitted were very carefully preserved by him. Through him, and other great teachers in the West today, we feel connected to the very great masters from Tibet’s long past.

The tributes to Gelek Rimpoche are pouring in on the Jewel Heart site, with comments from his many students and notable teachers. >>

Venerable Thubten Chodron gave this tribute:

I received word of Rinpoche’s passing. Losing a lama is one of the most difficult experiences I’ve gone through, in part because it brings home just how remarkably fortunate I’ve been to meet a true Dharma teacher who can guide me. I’m always amazed that somehow little ol’ me created the cause for such fortune, And now my teacher gone.

But our lamas are never gone. They reside in our hearts forever in the form of the teachings and guidance they’ve given us. We can turn to that at any time to help guide our thoughts, words, and actions. Plus our daily practice of guru yoga and reciting a glance meditation on the lamrim renews our contact with them every day. Our teachers taught us, they believed in our ability to practice the path and to become kinder and more compassionate people. And now that Rinpoche’s physical manifestation is no longer here, out of respect and love for him, we must step up and carry on his work of cultivating wisdom and compassion in our own hearts and in the world. All of you are like light beams radiating from Rinpoche’s heart, carrying the message of the Dharma into the world by how you live your life and how you continue sharing the Dharma with others.

So please support and love each other as you grieve together and go forward to awakening together.

With love,

Ven. Chodron

Some of his many teachings, 35 in in digital form, can be found on the Jewel Heart site>>

There can be no doubt that this great teacher made use of every day and every night to further the Dharma.

This life, you must know
as the tiny splash of a raindrop.

A thing of beauty that disappears
as it comes into being.

Therefore, set your goal.
Make use of every day and every night.

– Tibetan Prayer by Tsongkhapa –

NOTES

[1] Jewel Heart Website 

[2] Mandala Magazine interview May 1999

The post A Great Teacher Has Passed: The Learned and Inspiring Gelek Rimpoche of Jewel Heart International Passed Away appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

“If being a woman is an inspiration, use it. If it is an obstacle, try not to be bothered by it.” — Jetsun Khandro Rinpoche.

“I feel that there could always be more female Buddhist role models and teachers,” said Lama Acharya Dr. Shannon Young when we asked her to comment on a Buddha Weekly poll that indicated 92.3 percent of respondents felt there were not enough female teachers. She added, “I am grateful for the strong women who have been the trailblazers in the western adoption of Buddhism, but I would like to see more women in leadership positions in traditionally Buddhist countries as well.” [FULL Interview with Lama Shannon Young inset below.]

One such trailblazer, Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo (Diane Perry) took Female Buddha Tara’s vow as her own: “I took the vow to attain enlightenment in a female body.” [5] She adds, “Even Tibetan masters are beginning to realize, if you want real devotion and focus, you have to look to the nuns.”

Does Buddhism Really Embrace the Female Divine?

Mahayana Buddhism embraces the Female Enlightened Manifestation (Is F.E.M. too cute an acronym?). Most Mahayana Buddhists revere Female Enlightened Manifestations — Guan Yin, Tara, Vajrayogini, Palden Lhamo, Yeshe Tsogyal, and many other aspects of divine wisdom. It’s safe to say Enlightened Goddess Tara became the most popular of these, in part because of her resounding promise to “always be born as a woman” and in part because she, like a mother, would do anything to protect her children. [4] (For more on Tara as the rescuer, and her activities in modern life, see this earlier BW feature>>)

“Lord Buddha had prophesied that Arya Tara would manifest as a woman and would benefit living beings in this form,” explained Venerable Choje Lama Phunstock. “Actually, there is no difference between men and women, but there are less manifestations of women who engage in Bodhisattva activities than men.”

Venerable Phunstock may be right — there do seem to be correspondingly fewer women teachers. But, is this changing for the better? We decided to ask these questions of students (internet poll, results in this feature) and also the teachers —  including an interview with Lama Archarya Dr. Shannon Young (Biography at end of feature). [Watch for a full teacher profile interview of Lama Dr. Young in February..]

Poll: 92.3 percent Say Not Enough Female Teachers

In a survey conducted by Buddha Weekly (February 2017, see note below), 88 percent of respondents said they practice a female Buddha, Bodhisattva or Yidam, while — amongst  the same respondents — 92.3 percent indicated that there weren’t enough female teachers. To be fair, 57.7 percent voted “No, but it’s getting better” — but it still begs the question: in Mahayana Buddhism, whose practitioners honor the Enlightened Feminine so overwhelmingly, why are there not enough female teachers? Or are there?

When we asked Lama Dr. Shannon Young (of the Dzogchen lineage) this question, she diplomatically answered:

 “I think it does matter to have the diversity of leadership in today’s world. This is why I am very proud that four of the eight lamas that I was authorized with are women. Two of us are from the US and the other two are from Asia.”

Sangye Khandro, a well known teacher in Vajrayana Buddhism, supports this view. She said, “The notion that Vajrayana is male-oriented is mistaken.” [1]

Long List of Great Female Teachers

This seems to be confirmed by the long list list of famous female Buddhist teachers practicing today. According to one respondent to our poll, among the most famous female teachers are:

“Pema Chödrön, Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, Ven. Thubten Chödron, Sangye Khandro, Lama Yeshe Dechen Wangmo, Judith Lief, Jan Bays, Chozen Roshi,  Joan Halifax, Roshi Joko Beck,  Pat O’Hara,  Enkyo Roshi, Wendy Nakao, Roshi Geri Larkin and many, many more whose faces I can see but whose names I can’t recall.”

Historically, perhaps the most famous female teacher was Machik Labdron, who founded an entire lineage based on precious Chod practices.

Today’s dynamic and precious teachers, such as Pema Chodron certainly represent great role models who embody the “wisdom” of the Female Enlightened. Just a quick look at her book titles provokes a deep thought, titles such as When Things Fall Apart, Start Where We Are, and Places that Scare You.

In When Things Fall Apart she provokes the vastness of the wisdom voyage with:

“Embarking on the spiritual journey is like getting into a very small boat and setting out on the ocean to search for unknown lands.”

Scary stuff? Maybe. But it speaks to the depth of Buddhist Wisdom. It also evokes the “scary” wisdom of the wild Enlightened Dakini, iconic of the Divine Feminine in Buddhism.

Video of Pema Chodron: The Importance of Teachers:

Indeed, we do have many well-known, wise, and wonderful female teachers. Lama Shannon Young said that her teacher actively encouraged her to become a teacher:

“My teacher is Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche. He sincerely believes that the best way you can benefit beings is by teaching them the Dharma and he believes that people of different cultures should be taught by members of their own culture. From my first teachings with him, he was always encouraging every student to aspire to become a teacher.”

Poll: 88 percent Practice Female Manifestations

In Mahayana equal emphasis is placed on male and female aspects — representing compassion and wisdom, respectively. Both are vital and equal on the journey to Enlightened mind. Classically, Compassion is represented by Male manifestations (especially Chenrezig or Avalokiteshvara), while Wisdom (understanding Emptiness) is symbolized in the Feminine (especially Tara or Prajnaparamita or the elusive Enlightened Dakini).

Lama Dr. Shannon Young puts it this way:

“Female manifestations are important as they help transform a practitioners’ mind from narrow, ego-centric notions of self and identity to something more inclusive and powerful. We can then begin to realize our innate love, compassion, and wisdom.”

It would not be incorrect to say that practice is incomplete without both compassion and wisdom, male and female manifestations. In advanced practices, the manifestations are often visualized as consorts (both in union) to symbolize this profound truth — and both equally important.

Tara and the “A List” Female Enlightened Manifestations

Before diving into the big topic of female teachers in Buddhism, it’s useful to point to those shining examples of Wisdom in female form. The Female Buddhas are “A list” manifestations, not supporting consorts.

“If Bodhicitta is the basis of both the Mahayana and Vajrayana path then the basis of cultivating Bodhicitta is remembering the kindness of a mother,” explains Lama Dr. Shannon Young. “Invoking the blessings, love, and compassion of Tara, being the great Mother, is essential as support for increasing one’s own intention of enlightened wisdom, which is Bodhicitta.”

For these reasons, Tara is called the Mother of All Buddhas. The same can be said of Prajnaparamita, Vajrayogini, and other Female Enlightened Manifestations. Since Wisdom realizing emptiness must be embraced to reach the lofty goal of Enlightenment, it can be said that the female manifestations, representing wisdom, are the Mothers of all the Buddhas and Bodhiasattvas. (For more on this, see this previous extensive feature on Tara>>)

How important are the Female Enlightened Manifestations? “Arya Tara was the main Yidam of the great past sages and saints Nagarjuna, Atisha, and Chandragomin,” writes Venerable Lama Phunstock. “She was also one of the main Yidams of many most renowned Tibetan Lamas, specifically of the First Gyalwa Karmapa, Düsum Khyenpa, who had five Yidams that accorded with the five aspects of enlightened activity. Arya Tara represents the aspect of speech and the elimination of obstacles. The First Karmapa’s other Yidams were Vajrayogini, Chakrasamvara, Gyalwa Gyatso who is Red Chenrezig, and Hayagriva. If we whole-heartedly supplicate Arya Tara and ask her to help us overcome our problems, then we will succeed and, until solved completely, our problems will not affect us as strongly.” Of the First Karmapa’s meditational deities, two of the most important were female — Tara and Vajrayogini.

Lama Shannon Young punctuates the importance of all forms of the Enlightened: “Boundless love, compassion, and wisdom will always manifest in various forms in order to benefit beings.”

Mahayana and Vajrayana are Not Male Oriented?

If you equate gender equality to the importance of female Enlightened Buddhas and Yidams, you would have to conclude Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism are unbiased and inclusive. Without question, the majority of Vajrayana and Mahayana Buddhists practice a Female Buddha — 88 percent in our poll — most notably beloved Mother Tara or Guan Yin, and for Highest Yoga Tantra practices, Vajrayogini or Vajravarahi, Palden Lhamo and others.

So, is Buddhism sexist? A search online reveals many opinions that seem to affirm that label. Yet, it seems unlikely in the context of Shakyamuni Buddha’s trail-blazing, and the vast array of Female Enlightened Manifestations practiced.

Shakyamuni Buddha “was the first religious Teacher who gave religious freedom to women,” writes Venerable K. Shri Dhammananda Maha Thera. “Before the Buddha… women were not even allowed to enter any temple or recite any religious scripture.”

Shakyamauni Buddha was also born as a woman many times in past lives according to the Jakarta Tales. Venerable Thera writes: “The Buddha Himself was born as a woman on several occasions during His previous births in Samsara.”

“I disagree with blaming sexism on Tibetan Buddhism,” said well-known teacher Sangye Khandro. “During my years among Tibetans, I have not been disadvantaged on account of being female — just the opposite. From the very beginning, I was given every opportunity to learn, sometimes even more so than men!”

In our February 2017 poll, only 12 percent indicated their main teacher was female, while 31 percent  received teachings from female teachers occasionally, and 19 percent  received teachings “many times”. Only 3.8 percent  said the “never” received teachings from a female teacher. This does support accessibility of teachings from female teachers.

Enough Female Teachers in Buddhism?

Sangye Khandro spoke about sexism: “Your question about sexism makes me think of a visit I made to Larung Gar, Eastern Tibet, where there is a large, thriving practice community I certainly didn’t see any patriarchal Buddhism there. It has more Khenmos [female abbots] than Khenpos [male abbots]. The female practitioners run the show. The head lama for those tens of thousands of practitioners is Khandro-ma Ani Mumtso, a nun. She’s the one who gives the empowerments for all the transmissions. No one has a problem with that. It’s a given that women can teach men there.”

In our poll we didn’t ask about sexism, and it was clear there were a lot of teaching opportunities with female lamas. What was equally clear was that the majority of respondents practice Female Enlightened Buddhas. An overwhelming 88 percent said they practice Female Buddhas regularly, and only 8 percent  said they did not. (Four percent  indicated they’d rather not say).

Full Interview with Lama Dr. Shannon Young

BW:  From your perspective as a teacher, are there enough female Buddhist teachers? Does it matter? Why?

I feel that there could always be more female Buddhist role models and teachers. I am grateful for the strong women who have been the trailblazers in the western adoption of Buddhism, but I would like to see more women in leadership positions in traditionally Buddhist countries as well. I think it does matter to have the diversity of leadership in today’s world. This is why I am very proud that four of the eight lamas that I was authorized with are women. Two of us are from the US and the other two are from Asia.

BW: What inspired you to become a teacher?

My teacher is Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche. He sincerely believes that the best way you can benefit beings is by teaching them the Dharma and he believes that people of different cultures should be taught by members of their own culture. From my first teachings with him, he was always encouraging every student to aspire to become a teacher.

BW: Do you feel there are enough opportunities for women to become Buddhist teachers? If not, what can be done about it?

I definitely think there could be more, but I also think it depends on the lineage or program. Candidly I think that in my lineage there are plenty of opportunities. But I think in the public sphere, the notion of female Buddhist teachers and Lamas needs to be more widely embraced. Especially in terms of authority.

BW: What do the female Enlightened Deities represent?

Boundless love, compassion, and wisdom will always manifest in various forms in order to benefit beings.

BW: Why are Female manifestations important?

Female manifestations are important as they help transform a practitioners’ mind from narrow, ego-centric notions of self and identity to something more inclusive and powerful. We can then begin to realize our innate love, compassion, and wisdom.

BW: Tara is iconic of the Female Enlightened. What does She represent?

If Bodhicitta is the basis of both the Mahayana and Vajrayana path then the basis of cultivating Bodhicitta is remembering the kindness of a mother. Invoking the blessings, love, and compassion of Tara, being the great Mother, is essential as support for increasing one’s own intention of enlightened wisdom, which is Bodhicitta.

Lama Biography — Venerable Archarya Lama Shiwa Dr. Shannon Young

Venerable Archarya Lama Shiwa, Dr. Shannon Young, Pema Shiwa Tso, is an authorized Lama and Dharma Teacher in the Dzogchen Lineage of Buddhism. Shannon received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2001 and has been a practicing Pharmacist for over 16 years. She first studied with her root teacher His Eminence Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche in 2003 and for over 13 years has studied and practiced with Rinpoche while helping establish the Dzogchen Retreat Center, USA. and the Dzogchen Shri Singha Foundation.

Lama Shannon graduated from seven Dzogchen Lineage Internships along with many seasonal retreats. In 2014, Lama Shannon also received an advanced degree of Tantra Practitioner at the first Dzogchen Lineage Internship commencement ceremony at the Dzogchen Retreat Center USA. In the same year, Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche authorized Lama Shannon, along with eight other Lamas, as a Venerable Archarya Lama. The Lamas were selected through a dynamic process of divination, prayer, Rinpoche’s 10-year evaluation, and a majority vote of the 2014 Dzogchen Lineage Internship Sangha.

Lama Shannon has taught many students in public teaching events, weekend workshops, and tutoring during Dzogchen Lineage Internships. Following her teacher’s aspirations, Lama Shannon has dedicated her life to practicing and teaching the Dharma, serving as a Director on the the Board of the Dzogchen Shri Singha Foundation, and recently, founding One Path Outreach, a humanitarian aid organization which just completed their second medical mission in remote villages of Tibet.

Lama Shannon  a devoted wife and mother who also helped establish the Dzogchen Children’s Association which supports Dzogchen Sangha parents to integrate a modern daily life that is centered on teaching Dharma and engaging in Dharma activities. Lama Shannon aspires to continue to fulfill her teacher’s aspirations to teach and heal others while establishing a stable Dharma system throughout the world that benefits all beings.

About the Buddha Weekly Poll

The Buddha Weekly poll consisted of four questions and was an unscientific internet poll kept live for one week in February 2017. Although the response rate was high, the nature of the questions and the media would not be considered as accurate as blind polls from marketing companies. Never-the-less, the results are reasonable and likely reflect the broader opinions of Mahayana Buddhists. Do you disagree? Comment below.

NOTE

[1] Dakini Power page on Sangye Khandro

[2] Tantra in the West, Tricycle article, interviewing Sangye Khandro

[3] Buddhism and Women, by Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda Maha Thera

[4] Noble Green Tara, Venerable Choje Lama Phunstock

[5] Ten Tibetn Buddhist Women You Need to Know, Elephant Journal

The post Female Enlightened Manifestations and Female Teachers and Lamas — Wisdom in Action; Reader Poll and Interview with Lama Shannon Young appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

In the seventh in a new video series, “Advice from the Teachers”, the Venerable Acharya Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, Spiritual Head of Gaden for the West Centers, answers a student’s question:

What advice would you give to a student for keeping motivated and excited about daily practice?

Rinpoche explains the importance of regular daily practice, inspired by meditating on impermanence. He strongly advises study of the lives of the great Yogis and Yoginis, and also study of the Lamrim teachings to help inspire enthusiasm.

Full transcript below video. Play video here:

Transcript:

“This is a good question. I would say, in order to have good motivation, first you have to study Dharma, study Lamrim. You have to learn, and you have to know, the importance of Dharma practice in every day life. And the benefit of Dharma practice in every day life.

Continuity, ongoing, is very important. It’s like a river, or say a creek. If it’s always running, it will help the area, the valley I would say. It will keep the moisture along the bank of the river. Plants and trees, flowers and so forth will grow. Also, animals will be there. They come to the water.

Like that, if you are always practicing — doesn’t matter how much — the continuity will be there, the moisture is there. Then, there’s ongoing merit, virtues always growing! Then, when you have more time, more energy, it will be easier to resume, because you are always practicing.

Instead of practicing for awhile, then stop, then start all over again. That would take time, and it will be harder. That’s why continuity is very important.. For that reason, motivation and understanding the daily practice, and continuity is very important. You need that motivation.

As I said, in order for you to have the motivation, you have to understand the benefit of Dharma practice. That’s why one should study Lamrim.

Also, there are other [ways] to generate motivation. Study the life stories of previous masters — previous great Yogis and Yoginis ­— who did so much practice. They accomplished Dharma realization. So, when you read the life stories of great masters, Yogis and Yoginis, and Gurus, then, it will give you inspiration and motivation to do the practice.

Another motivation to practice Dharma is to meditate on impermanence of life. And this is mentioned in the Lamrim teachings. According to the Kadam and Gelug tradition, it says that at the beginning of our Dharma practice, or at the beginning of our meditation, if you concentrate a little bit on the impermanence of life, including death and dying, that will give you motivation to do Dharma practice, because you realize life is very transient, life is short. So, Dharma practice is the most valuable thing, and everything else is secondary. That makes you thin, ‘I should practice Dharma.’

Why? Because Dharma practice is always helpful. Dharma practice is the path to Enlightenment. So, Dharma practice is the most valuable thing. Everything else is secondary.

Think a little bit about the impermanence of life. Of death and dying. All the time, people are dying. See what’s happening in the world — there’s so much suffering, people are dying everywhere to illness, disease, calamities, natural disasters, wars, and so forth. When you think about it like that, it makes you think, ‘I should practice more Dharma.’

Also, end of our life, towards death, Dharma practice is also very important. Some people might think ‘What is the purpose of practicing Dharma at the end of your life. Your life has ended, anyways.’ That sort of thinking is wrong thinking, because, especially when your life is ending, when you are dying, there are different kinds of Dharma practice. There are Dharma practices especially for Death and Dying, such as Phowa practice, meditation on compassion and love, devotional practice, Guru Yoga, these are very important at the time of death so that the Gurus will guide us, our Yidam deities will guide us, at the time of death. And Phowa practice helps us to move on. Instead of going to the Bardo, and being confused, instead we can ‘eject our consciousness’ straight to the Pure Land. And that is why meditation on impermanence is very important. It gives you the motivation.

To motivate Dharma, I would say meditation on impermanence is very beneficial.”

Next week, in Buddhist Advice Video 8, Venerable Zasep Rinpoche answers the student question:

“What practical advice would you give to new students to purify their mental defilements and bad karma? Can you speak about Vajrasattva Purification?”

Previous Videos:

Video 1: Advice for Students on Karma>>

Video 2: Advice for Students dealing with loss of a loved one>>

Video 3: Advice for Students coping with memory loss, Alzheimers or early dementia>>

Video 4: Advice for Students coping with the loss of a beloved pet>>

Video 5: Advice for Students coping with aggressive illnesses such as cancer, looking for supportive practices>>

Video 6: Advice for the New Student to Buddhism>>

About Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche

Rinpoche is popularly known for his approachable teaching style, strong humor and teachings based on a long lineage of great lamas. His own gurus included the most celebrated of Gelug teachers: His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, His Holiness Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, Venerable Geshe Thupten Wanggyel, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, Venerable Lati Rinpoche, Venerable Tara Tulku Rinpoche and Venerable Khalkha Jetsun Dampa Rinpoche.

Rinpoche is spiritual director of many temples, meditation centres and retreat centres in Australia, the United States and Canada. He was first invited to teach in Australia by Lama Thubten Yeshe in 1976.

More on Zasep Tulku Rinpoche>>

Gaden for the West Meditation Centres

Australia

• Vajra Ling, Uralla, N.S.W.
• Losang Gyalwa Mandala, Sydney, N.S.W.
• Tenzing Ling Centre, Quamaa, N.S.W.
• Dorje Ling Retreat Centre, Lorina Valley, Tasmania

Canada

• Chittamani Mahayana Buddhist Meditation Centre, Ottawa, Ontario
• Gaden Choling, Toronto, Ontario
• Medicine Buddha Centre, Calgary, Alberta
• Potala Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Centre, Thunder Bay,Ontario
• Tashi Choling, Nelson, B. C.
• Zuru Ling Society, Vancouver, B.C.

United States

• Golden Blue Lotus Tara Meditation Center, Moscow, Idaho
• TsongKhapa Center, Kalamazoo, Michigan
• Vajrayogini Center, Seattle, Washington

The post Buddhist Teacher Advice Video 7: Keeping Motivated in Your Daily Practice, Answered by Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

There is something very special about the Buddhist Retreat. We all look forward to our first (or next) retreat, but hectic modern life makes it very difficult for many of us. Who can take six weeks or three months off work (and away from family!) to do intensive remote retreat in the mountains? How do you explain to your significant other that you need to be away from the family for a month to three months? If you are self employed, but not idly rich, it will never happen. If you are employed, you’d need a very understanding employer. Not to mention a husband or wife who is beyond very understanding.

Based on this it would seem that only the rich or retired could afford the luxury or a formal long-term retreat. Yet, it is said that even lay Buddhists should do one major retreat before they die.

From a previous feature in Buddha Weekly: “In Zen Buddhism, silent retreat is a very important practice. In Vajrayana Buddhist practice — where much of the practice is designed to help us transform “ordinary perceptions” — the extensive practice and mantra retreat is considered a must, at least once in a practitioner’s lifetime.”

Problem is, in accordance with unpredictable impermanence, we could die anytime. If we wait until we retire, or wait until we can afford it, or wait for our families grow up (leaving us more time?) — it might be too late. And, all that stress might kill us.

There is a solution to our dilemma. Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, a teacher very in touch with Western lifestyle and needs, recommends a home working retreat. During a Vajrayogini weekend teaching, he suggested just how to do it.  Before discussing the how, it’s important to discuss the “why” it’s important.

Please also see our previous feature “Buddhist Home Retreat: What the Teachers Say”>>

Why Retreat is Important

Most of the great masters — from Shakyamuni Buddha to Lama Tsongkhapa and Milarepa —developed realizations through meditation that involved withdrawing entirely from mundane life for a period of intense reflection; Shakyamuni, famously, under the Bodhi tree, Milarepa walled up in his cave, Lama Tsonkhapa performing a million mandalas while working his arm to bloody tatters (he was so poor, he used a stone as a mandala plate). In those days, often this was possible due to sponsors who supported renunciates and monks. That isn’t as likely in a modern, fast-paced world.

Still, without withdrawal from daily life for a period of intense reflection, the realizations are elusive. Some of us, the lucky ones, save holidays and money for those long three month (or even just six week) retreats. We also have to bank a lot of karma-points with our spouse and families to justify a phones-off retreat.

Home Retreat — The Need for “Time and Space”

Can’t get away from the picking up the kids at school? Can’t take time off work? Can’t afford a couple thousand a week for retreat accommodations on a modern, formal retreat? Home Retreat might be the interim solution, allowing you the “time and space” needed to develop “limitless compassion and wisdom.”

In a teaching in Spain in 1983, the Most Venerable Lama Thubten Yeshe said:

“Why is retreat important? In order for our spirituality, pure morality, wisdom, single-pointed concentration and insight into reality to grow, we need time and space. The normal twentieth-century environment does not give us this. It induces either distraction or sluggishness, and retreat can take us beyond both. As human beings, we have the potential for unlimited growth, for limitless compassion and wisdom, bodhicitta and the six perfections. So retreat is very important in expediting this.”

Home Retreat: A How To

Home retreat does not replace the teaching retreat or the remote retreat. Yet, according to the Venerable Zasep Rinpoche (asked by the author of this teacher during a teaching weekend), it is helpful to your practice. There are some basic guidelines that would apply to any home retreat. We should treat the home retreat the same way as we do a remote non-working retreat, meaning — when doing your practice you must do so with the full intensity of a “real retreat. When you have to go back “to work” and to the family, you basically hit a virtual pause button. On your next session (usually at least twice a day) you “unpause” and continue where you left off, trying to stay in full retreat frame of mind.

Although Venerable Zasep Rinpoche is a teacher of the Vajrayana tradition, some core principals would probably apply to any school:

1. Time — You need to commit as much time as possible each day to a home retreat, ideally at least two long sessions per day, morning and evening. If you can’t manage three-five hours a day, by giving up TV and other activities, you aren’t ready for the commitment.
2. Consistency — You should practice at the same times each day, and for the same duration each day until it becomes a habit
3. Goal — You should have a goal, either time goal (six hours a day for three months), or, in the case of mantra retreat, by counting mantras. For example, 3 months silent contemplation, three hours morning, three hours, night. Or, for a 100,000 mantra retreat you keep going however many days it takes, also three hours a night.
4. To maintain the retreat, you can never miss a session. If you committed to three hours morning and three hours evening for three months, if you miss one day, you basically start again. Even if you are sick or tired, you try to push your way through, even half-heartedly. The key is not to miss a session.
5. Separate mundane and retreat: coach family and friends to not disturb you during your regular hours of retreat.
6. Even if you have spare time “left over” after your three hours of retreat (and after the kids are in bed and other obligations are met), spend your time only on Dharma activities: studying sutra, reading the Buddhist commentaries, watching Buddhist documentaries.
7. Create Importance: Make Dharma retreat time your one fundamental, unchangeable component of the day. Perform family and work obligations as necessary, but use all leisure time for Dharma study or activity (in other words, no TV, no night at the movies.) The goal is to bring the feeling of retreat into as much of your day as possible during the length of your retreat.
8. Format: Follow your teacher’s guidance on format. Usually Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels will begin most sessions, and Dedicating the Merit might finish each session. In Vajrayana there might be the mandatory long sadhana, followed by mantra counting. In other traditions, there might be silent meditation.
9. Exercise: Even in format retreats, the participants alternate some activity with contemplation. This is important for health reasons. During retreat time, however, try to make exercise Dharma practice. For example, walking mindfulness meditation.

Recommendations specific to Vajrayana Practice

In addition to the above suggestions, a Vajrayana counting retreat might also add some additional recommendations:

1. Your retreat at home should be treated as seriously as a “remote” retreat. This means you set up a cushion (seat) in one place, always returning only to that seat when you resume your retreat. You never count time or mantras performed off the cushion. It’s good to do a mindfulness walking session, or mantras while bird watching, but you don’t count either of these to your committed session.
2. With Vajrayana you normally will perform the sadhana (guided meditation/visualization ) twice (one per session) plus your mantras. Normally, if there is a long version, you always use the long one.
3. Normally you must set up physical offerings (to reinforce the “visualized” offerings), which would consist of torma cakes, the eight sensory offerings, and for higher tantra the inner offering.
4. You normally set up an altar with an image of the meditational deity, ideally a Dharma book and offerings. The altar should not be moved until the retreat is finished.
5. Usually, for Vajrayana retreats you’d undertake the practice of your “Yidam” (heart meditation emanation of Enlightenment) but if you do not have initiations, you can undertake a Shakyamuni Buddha, Green Tara or Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig) sadhana and mantra retreat. These three do not require initiation as long as you visualize the Yidam in front of you — instead of yourself as the Yidam.

As an example, please see the suggestions below for a retreat that does not require special permissions or initiations, for Green Tara, the “activity of compassion.”

Example Retreat: Green Tara Retreat — the Mother of All Retreats

Green Tara (Drolma in Tibetan), often described as the Mother of All Buddhas, is a suitable meditational deity for any retreat and for any person. Tara is accessible to everyone. You could say, a Tara Retreat is the Mother of All Retreats. (Sadhana below)

“Tara is without a doubt the most beloved female deity in Tibetan Buddhism, revered for Her swiftness in helping those who rely on her,” writes the most Venerable Achayra Zasep Tulku Rinpoche in his recent book Tara in the Palm of Your Hand. “She has been described as a Buddha for our modern age, a sublime personification of compassion and wisdom in female form at a time when sorrow and suffering seem to be increasing everywhere.”

It is, perhaps, the fact that Tara represents enlightened activity that endears Her to Her endless followers.  “Tara represents enlightened activity,” Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron writes in How to Free Your Mind: Tara the Liberator. “Tara is an emanation of bliss and emptiness… By appearing to us in this physical form of Tara, the wisdom of bliss and emptiness of all Buddhas inspires us to cultivate constructive attitudes and actions.”

With Tara as our retreat inspiration, we are stimulated to right conduct, right speech and other “actions” that generate merits, and we find ourselves averse to actions that might generate negative karma. This is why, no matter how busy modern life becomes, a regular retreat in Green Tara can be a beneficial practice.

For those unable to find formal retreat opportunities, a private weekend of solitary contemplation is still helpful, as is regular practice. Or, as described above, a longer retreat committing to two sessions a day. When the opportunity arises, try to attend teachings or actual retreat on Green Tara.

“Of all the Buddhas, Tara is the most accessible,” explained Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche in Tara in the Palm of Your Hand. The venerable teacher points out both temporal benefits and ultimate benefits in his commentary on Tara practice. “When you practice Tara you become closer to Her and can feel Her motherly love; you feel well-loved and nurtured by the most beautiful Mother of All Buddhas.”

Tara, the Mother of All Buddhas

Tara is often called the Mother of All Buddhas of all times. This can be understood in many ways. One way to understand the affectionate title of Mama Tara is in Her role as the embodiment of Wisdom Compassion Activity.  Tara is green, connoting wind and activity, because she is the “Swift One.” In the 21 Praises to Tara, She (in one of Her forms) is described as: “the Swift One, the Heroine, Whose eyes are like an instant flash of lightning…” In this way, the Swift One, The Rescuer Tara comes to the aid of those in need, like a mother protecting her children.

“Tara can be understood on many different levels,” explained Thubten Chodron. She explained Tara can be understood at three levels:

• as a person who became an Enlightened Buddha
• as a manifestation of awakened qualities
• as our own Buddha Nature (Buddha Potential) in its future fully purified and evolved form.

“Her female form represents wisdom, the essential element needed to remove the ignorance that misconstrues reality and is the root of our suffering,” wrote Thubten Chodron in How to Free Your Mind: Tara the Liberator. “Thus she is called ‘the mother of all Buddhas,’ for the wisdom realizing reality that she embodies gives birth to full enlightenment, the state of freedom from self-grasping ignorance and its attendant, self-centeredness.”

Like a Mother, Tara cares for us, and supports us. “Aspirations made in the presence of Green Tara may easily grow into results, and requests made to Her may be quickly actualized,” wrote Thubton Chodron. “We are energized to create the causes for happiness, and to eliminate interferences in our Dharma practice.

Below: Part 1 of a series of videos from Thubton Chodron on Tara (taped during a Tara Retreat).

Retreat and the Stages

“Dharma experiences come only when you put yourself in a Dharma situation,” said Lama Yeshe in a 1983 teaching in Spain. “The first stage of your spiritual growth occurs during your first retreat. The second stage happens in your second retreat; the third stage in your third…and so on. Spiritual growth is not an intellectual thing. It has to be organic. It is beyond the intellectual; it has to become your own experience.”

Retreats are, by definition, Dharma situations, with minimal distractions, and they are certainly experiential rather than intellectual. Lama Yeshe had this advice for students in retreat: ” Successful retreat demands discipline. The fundamental discipline is living ethically in pure morality. On that basis you need to follow a strict schedule and avoid all outside activity. You should not meet with other people or talk nonsense. Best, of course, is to maintain silence for the duration of your retreat and not meet people at all.”

Green Tara’s Mantra

Like Tara Herself, Her mantra is accessible to everyone. Benefits of Tara practice and Tara’s mantra arise quickly. Those who find time for daily practice, and those with empowerment, benefit even more quickly.

Nearly every Tibetan grew up with a morning recitation of Tara’s 21 Praises and Her mantra is common. Tibetan Buddhists, even those without initiation into Tara, often chant Tara’s mantra, especially when they are afraid, or in need of protection.

“I myself have had many experiences of the power of Tara, starting from when I was a boy in Tibet,” wrote Zasep Tulku Rinpoche in Tara in the Palm of Your Hand. “I, along with my attendant, were riding on a mountain path. Suddenly, we came across a mother bear with three cubs. She turned on us as if to attack. My grandmother quickly recited Tara’s mantra. Instantly the bear turned her back on us and ambled off…”

Tara’s mantra is

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha

Retreat Sadhana

A sadhana is a “guided meditation” that ensures all elements of good meritorious practice are included. These are normally the “seven limbs” of practice.

Tara Visualization

The next step in visualization of Tara would be formal Vajrayana meditation—which actively uses our minds on a near epic scale, and has been proven to enhance intelligence and concentration. Research has proven the cognitive benefits of Vajrayana visualization. (Please see our feature: Science: Research Proves Vajrayana Meditation Techniques Improve Cognitive Performance.)

To benefit from visualization, while chanting the mantras, build more and more complex visualizations, beginning with Tara’s elegant beauty and important attributes, and progressively increasing the image in detail. The easiest approach is to study an image of Tara, preferably an ironically correct one—since very aspect of the visualization means something.

Your teacher, may give you a proper meditation, but if you have not yet formalized your practice you can think in these terms: Tara is a beautiful young deity, youthful, perhaps sixteen visually—certainly youthful and timeless—of emerald color. Her right hand is in the gesture of supreme generosity, hand open to give blessings, with thumb and index touching and the other three fingers outstretched. The touching fingers represent the union of Wisdom and Compassion. The three remaining fingers represent the three jewels: Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. In this hand She lightly holds the stem of an uptala flower, a blue Lotus.

Her left hand is at her heart, in the gesture of bestowing refuge in the three jewels. This mudra (hand gesture) also incorporates the gesture of protection, of fearlessness. This time Her thumb and ring finger are connecting in the Wisdom-Compassion loop. She is saying, “come, I’ll protect you.” In this hand, too, is the stem of an uptala flower. There are three blooms, one open, one half open, one just about to open, representing the Buddhas of the past, present and future.

She is adorned in the most precious ornaments, and seated in an aura of spectacular light. On Her head is a five-sided crown, depicting the five Dhani Buddhas. Above that, are ornaments, rainbow lights, wish-fulfilling gems. And surmounting all, is Her own Guru, Amitabha Buddha, the Buddha of Infinite Light, glowing red.

Her legs are Her most significant attributes. One is drawn in, showing her mastery and enlightenment. Her other is outstretched, in a gesture that appears to indicate She’s ready to leap up to our aid. She sits on a moon cushion, which arises on top of a Lotus.

In more advanced visualizations, at Her heart is her precious seed syllable, TAM (see below), radiating green light, sending out blessing energy to all beings in the universe.

Basic Practice Without Empowerment

Tara can be practiced by anyone, any time. She is all-inclusive. Although empowerments and initiations help advance our progress with Tara, none is required.

A good basic daily practice, if you are not yet being instructed by a qualified teacher, would normally include:

• Taking refuge in the Three Jewels: Buddha (Enlightened one), Dharma (Enlightened teachings) and Sangha (the community supporting the Enlightened)
• An offering: water bowls, or just a mentally visualized offering, or more elaborate if preferred (provided physical offerings do not derive from theft, greed, or any negativitiy)
• Four immeasurables: wishes for all beings to be happy, not to suffer and dwell in equanimity
• Seven-limb practice: a seven limb prayer that re-affirms a good practice of praise, offering, declaration of non-virtues, request for Tara to remain as your teacher, request that Tara teach the Dharma, and a dedication of the merit to the cause for enlightenment.

These basic practices, together, take five minutes, to which you might add the above visualization and mantra practices.

Here are some basic words/thoughts that frame the above practice:

Refuge

Until I reach enlightenment, I take refuge in the Three Jewels: the Buddhas, the Dharma and the Sangha. By the merit of practicing generosity and other perfections, may I attain Enlightement in order to benefit all beings.

Offerings

Mentally visualize seven or eight bowls of water. Or, actually fill up seven or eight bowls of water and offer them mentally. You can supplement the blessing by reciting Tara’s mantra, or, alternately, “Om Ah Hum”. For a more elaborate offering, you could add the meditation in our feature, “Water Bowl Offerings as an Antidote to Attachment”, where the bowls are visualized as the eight traditional sense offerings: water for drinking, water for washing, flowers for the eye senses, incense for the smell sense, butter lamps for illumination, perfume, food for the taste sense, and music for the sound sense. More here>>

Four Immeasurables 

May all beings have happiness and its causes,

May they never have suffering or its causes.

May they constantly dwell in joy transcending sorrow;

May they dwell in equal love for both near and far.

Seven Limbs

To You Venerable Arya Tara, with my body, speech and mind, I respectfully prostrate.

I offer flowers, incense, butter lamps, perfume, food, music and a vast collection of offerings, both actually set out and emanated through wisdom and imagination.

I declare all my non-virtuous acts since beginningless time.

I rejoice in the virtuous merit accumulated by Holy and ordinary beings.

I request You turn the wheel of Dharma.

I beseech You to remain until samsara ends. Please, with your boundless compassion, look upon all beings drowning in the ocean of suffering.

May whatever merit I have accumulated be transformed into the cause for Enlightenment so that I may help all sentient beings.

Mantra

Visualize Tara as described above — in front of you if you do not have initiation — and then focus mindfully on the spoken mantra, repeating it in a low voice, over and over. For a normal practice you might repeat 108 times. For a retreat, your goal is normally 100,000 total, in three months or so in a home retreat format (for example).

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Svaha

Pronounced

Ohm Tah-ray Tew-Tah-ray Tew-rey Svah-ha.

In Tibetan:

Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha

Final Dedication

If you have a formal practice from a teacher there will be more steps. Otherwise, close off with the all-important final dedication:

I dedicate the merit of this practice to the cause for enlightenment, for the benefit of all beings.

21 Praises

Optionally, include the 21 Praises to Tara. Around the world, many people begin and end their day with Tara’s twenty-one praises. This practice has been credited with many benefits, including protection from harm, prosperity, and swift progress on the path of enlightenment.

It can be beneficial to chant this in the world’s oldest known language—Sanskrit. The nuances of this practice, the originating sounds, is similar to mantra practice. In Sanskrit:

Om namah spukasam namah Taraye mi Tara

1 Namas Tare Ture vire

kshanair dyuti nibhekshane

trailokya nat ha vaktrabja

vikasat kesharobhave

 

2 Namah shata sharac chandra

sampurna patalanane

Tara sahasra nikara

prahasat kira noj jvale

 

3 Namah kanaka nilabja

pani padma vibhu shite

dana virya tapah shanti

titik sha dhyana gochare

 

4 Namas tat hagatosh nisha

vijayananta charini

ashesha paramita prapta

jina putra nishevite

 

5 Namas Tuttara Hum kara

puritasha dig antare

sapta loka kramakranti

asheshak arshanak shame

 

6 Namah shakranala Brahma

marud vishvesh varachite

bhuta vetala gand harva

gana yaksha puras krte

 

7 Namas trad iti phat kara

para yantra pramardani

praty alid ha pada nyase

shik hi jvalakulek shane

 

8 Namas Ture maha ghore

mara vira vinashani

bhrku ti krta vaktrabja

sarva shatrum nishudani

 

9 Namas tri ratna mudranka

hrdyanguli vibhushite

bhu shitashesha dik chakra

nikara sva Karakule

 

10 Namah pramudita topa

muku ta kshipta malini

hasat prahasat Tuttare

mara loka vashamkari

 

11 Namah samanta bhu pala

patalakarshana kshame

chalat bhrku ti hum kara

sarvapada vimoch ani

 

12 Namah shikhanda kandendu

muku tabha ranojjvale

Amitabha jata bhara

bhasvare kirana dhruve

 

13 Namah kalpanta hutabhug

jvala malan Tara sthite

alidha muditabandha

ripu chakra vinashani

 

14 Namah kara talaghata

charana hata bhu tale

bhrkuti krta Hum kara

sapta patala bhedini

 

15 Namah shive shubhe shante

shanta nirvana gochare

svaha pranava samyukte

maha papaka na shani

 

16 Namah pramudi tabandha

ripu gatra vabhedini

dashakshara pada nyashe

vidya Hum kara dipite

 

17 Namas Ture pada ghata

Hum karakara bijite

meru mandara kailasa

bhuvana traya chalini

 

18 Namah sura sarakara

harinika karast hite

Tara dvir ukta Phat kara

ashesha visha nashani

 

19 Namah sura ganadh yaksha

sura kimnara sevite

abandha mudita bhoga

kali duhs vapna nashani

 

20 Namah chandrarka sampurna

nayana dyuti bhas vare

hara dvir ukta Tuttare

vishama jvara nashani

 

21 Namas tri tattva vinyasa

shiva shakti saman vite

graha vetala yakshaugha

nashani pravare Ture

 

21 Praises to Tara in English

The praises do lose some of the “mystery” and intensity and sheer sound-power in English, but the intention and praise is maintained. Many people chant the praise in English:

1 Homage to you, Tara, the swift heroine,

Whose eyes are like an instant flash of lightning,

Whose water-born face arises from the blooming lotus

Of Avalokiteshvara, protector of the three worlds.

 

2 Homage to you, Tara, whose face is like

One hundred full autumn moons gathered together,

Blazing with the expanding light

Of a thousand stars assembled.

 

3 Homage to you, Tara, born from a golden-blue lotus,

Whose hands are beautifully adorned with lotus flowers,

You who are the embodiment of giving, joyous effort, asceticism,

Pacification, patience, concentration, and all objects of practice.

 

4 Homage to you, Tara, the crown pinnacle of those thus gone,

Whose deeds overcome infinite evils,

Who have attained transcendent perfections without exception,

And upon whom the sons of the Victorious Ones rely.

 

5 Homage to you, Tara, who with the letters TUTTARA and HUM

Fill the (realms of) desire, direction, and space,

Whose feet trample on the seven worlds,

And who are able to draw all beings to you.

 

6 Homage to you, Tara, venerated by Indra,

Agni, Brahma, Vayu, and Ishvara,

And praised by the assembly of spirits,

raised corpses,
Gandharvas, and all yakshas.

 

7 Homage to you, Tara, whose TRAT and PHAT

Destroy entirely the magical wheels of others.

With your right leg bent and left outstretched and pressing,

You burn intensely within a whirl of fire.

 

8 Homage to you, Tara, the great fearful one,

Whose letter TURE destroys the mighty demons completely,

Who with a wrathful expression on your water-born face

Slay all enemies without an exception.

 

9 Homage to you, Tara, whose fingers adorn your heart

With the gesture of the sublime precious three;

Adorned with a wheel striking all directions without exception

With the totality of your own rays of light.

 

10 Homage to you, Tara, whose radiant crown ornament,

Joyful and magnificent, extends a garland of light,

And who, by your laughter of TUTTARA,

Conquer the demons and all of the worlds.

 

11 Homage to you, Tara, who are able to invoke

The entire assembly of local protectors,

Whose wrathful expression fiercely shakes,

Rescuing the impoverished through the letter HUM.

 

12 Homage to you, Tara, whose crown is adorned

With the crescent moon, wearing ornaments exceedingly bright;

From your hair knot the buddha Amitabha

Radiates eternally with great beams of light.

 

13 Homage to you, Tara, who dwell within a blazing garland

That resembles the fire at the end of this world age;

Surrounded by joy, you sit with your right leg extended

And left withdrawn, completely destroying all the masses of enemies.

 

14 Homage to you, Tara, with hand on the ground by your side,

Pressing your heel and stamping your foot on the earth;

With a wrathful glance from your eyes you subdue

All seven levels through the syllable HUM.

 

15 Homage to you, Tara, O happy, virtuous, and peaceful one,

The very object of practice, passed beyond sorrow.

You are perfectly endowed with SOHA and OM,

Overcoming completely all the great evils.

 

16 Homage to you, Tara, surrounded by the joyous ones,

You completely subdue the bodies of all enemies;

Your speech is adorned with the ten syllables,

And you rescue all through the knowledge-letter HUM.

 

17 Homage to you, Tara, stamping your feet and proclaiming TURE.

Your seed-syllable itself in the aspect of HUM

Causes Meru, Mandhara, and the Vindhya mountains

And all the three worlds to tremble and shake.

 

18 Homage to you, Tara, who hold in your hand

The hare-marked moon like the celestial ocean.

By uttering TARA twice and the letter PHAT

You dispel all poisons without an exception.

 

19 Homage to you, Tara, upon whom the kings of the assembled gods,

The gods themselves, and all kinnaras rely;

Whose magnificent armor gives joy to all,

You who dispel all disputes and bad dreams.

 

20 Homage to you, Tara, whose two eyes – the sun and the moon –

Radiate an excellent, illuminating light;

By uttering HARA twice and TUTTARA,

You dispel all violent epidemic disease.

 

21 Homage to you, Tara, adorned by the three suchnesses,

Perfectly endowed with the power of serenity,

You who destroy the host of evil spirits, raised corpses, and yakshas,

O TURE, most excellent and sublime!

 

The post How a Home Retreat Helps Busy People Manage Time and Save Money; How to Do It, and Why it is Necessary appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

In the ninth in a Buddhist practice video series, “Advice from the Teachers”, the Venerable Acharya Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, Spiritual Head of Gaden for the West Centers, answers a student’s question [play video below]:

What advice do you have for advanced students for their daily practice when they are too busy? Can you merge practices to simplify?

[Transcript below video]

Background: The student asking the question had received many initiations and commitments over the years and wanted to simplify, or even combine practices without giving up commitments or breaking vows. He also had several commitment practices with Guru Yoga, wanted to know how to simplify.

Rinpoche, in his answer emphasized the importance of commitment — “either do … or don’t do” that’s up to you — but if you do, he advised focusing intensely on the Yidam practice, while still undertaking other commitments in more concise form.

Note: For a schedule of Zasep Rinpoche’s teachings, see the end of this feature.

Play video here:

Transcript

Zasep Tulku Rinpoche: “Senior students should do daily practice. Do the minimum practice, if you are having some difficulties. At the same time, it is important to choose one practice as a main practice.

Let’s say you have your particular deity, what we call Yidam, or principal deity, a deity you feel very connected to. So, you choose one as a main Yidam. Do that practice, spend more time on that. Do that practice, sadhana, mantras. Then, other mantras, as a minimum commitment. I think that would be good.

You cannot do one mantra, trying to make it as a sort of substitute for all the other mantras [and practice commitments], thinking in your mind: ‘Well, all the Buddhas are One. A lot these Buddhas are emanations of Prajnaparamita, or, let’s say, Chenrezig, or Tara, so therefore why not just say one mantra to be substitute for other mantras.’

You can’t really do that because you don’t have permission. You know, we can think about things like that, trying to debate in our mind, or trying to justify. It doesn’t really work like that.

You either do the mantra properly — or don’t do. That’s how it works.”

Student asked a clarifying question: “What if you have a commitment to do several types of practice, like Six Session Guru Yoga, Vajrayogini Sadhana and Yamantaka Sadhana?”

“Six session guru yoga is a commitment after receiving initiation in a higher yoga tantra like Yamantaka, or let’s say Guhyasamaja. That is a commitment, one has to do. One must do that.

Then, there is a little bit of guru yoga practice in Chittimani Tara practice, long sadhana; there is a little bit of guru yoga practice in Vajrayogini, long Sadhana. I would say make those practices shorter. You can make it very concise. Short. [Except for your Yidam Practice. That, you keep long.]

You see, in the short sadhanas, there is almost none. Maybe there’s a few words, a few lines about Guru Yoga. Very concise. So you can make it that way. Make it very concise.

But — you can’t completely escape all those Guru Yogas. You can make it very short. Concise.”

Next: In Part 10 of this Series, students ask Rinpoche the question: “What advice do you have for students who have difficulties visualizing their Yidam to improve clarity and stabilization? How do you pick a personal Yidam for your practice?”

PREVIOUS BUDDHA WEEKLY ADVICE FROM THE TEACHERS VIDEOS:

Video 1: Advice for Students on Karma>>

Video 2: Advice for Students dealing with loss of a loved one>>

Video 3: Advice for Students coping with memory loss, Alzheimers or early dementia>>

Video 4: Advice for Students coping with the loss of a beloved pet>>

Video 5: Advice for Students coping with aggressive illnesses such as cancer, looking for supportive practices>>

Video 6: Advice for the New Student to Buddhism>>

Video 7: Advice for Keeping Motivated in Your Daily Practice>>

Video 8: Purifying Negative Karma>>

Video 9: Advice for Advanced Vajrayana Students on Managing Commitments>>

Teaching Schedule of Zasep Tulku Rinpoche

Mongolia

Zasep Rinpoche is currently in Mongolia on an extended round of teachings

Vancouver, Canada

Rinpoche will be teaching at Zuru Ling, Vancouver in April: “Zuru Ling is extremely pleased to announce that our precious teacher Acharya Zasep Tulku Rinpoche will be teaching in Vancouver in April 2017:

• How to do personal retreat, setting up an altar and torma making. Wednesday April 26th, 2017 starting at 7 til 9 pm.
• Green Tara Initiation – Friday 28th April starting at 7 til 9 pm.
• Black Manjushri Initiation – Saturday 29th April 2 til 4 pm.
• Teaching on healing and protection of the Black Manjushri practise – Sunday 30th April starting 10 am til 4 pm.
• Information: Zuru Ling website>>

Toronto, Canada

Rinpoche will be at Gaden Choling in Toronto, Canada in May for two weeks. Times are yet to be announced, but dates and teachings are set as:

• Mahamudra teachings: Saturday, May 20th
• Lama Chopa Guru Yoga: Sunday May 21st
• Hayagriva Highest Yoga Tantra Initiation: Thursday, May 25th
• Green Tara: Friday, May 26th
• Black Manjushri: Saturday May 27th and Sunday May 28th
• Information to be posted soon at Gaden Choling website>>

About Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche

Rinpoche is popularly known for his approachable teaching style, strong humor and teachings based on a long lineage of great lamas. His own gurus included the most celebrated of Gelug teachers: His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, His Holiness Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, Venerable Geshe Thupten Wanggyel, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, Venerable Lati Rinpoche, Venerable Tara Tulku Rinpoche and Venerable Khalkha Jetsun Dampa Rinpoche.

Rinpoche is spiritual director of many temples, meditation centres and retreat centres in Australia, the United States and Canada. He was first invited to teach in Australia by Lama Thubten Yeshe in 1976.

More on Zasep Tulku Rinpoche>>

Gaden for the West Meditation Centres

Australia

• Vajra Ling, Uralla, N.S.W.
• Losang Gyalwa Mandala, Sydney, N.S.W.
• Tenzing Ling Centre, Quamaa, N.S.W.
• Dorje Ling Retreat Centre, Lorina Valley, Tasmania

Canada

• Chittamani Mahayana Buddhist Meditation Centre, Ottawa, Ontario
• Gaden Choling, Toronto, Ontario
• Medicine Buddha Centre, Calgary, Alberta
• Potala Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Centre, Thunder Bay,Ontario
• Tashi Choling, Nelson, B. C.
• Zuru Ling Society, Vancouver, B.C.

United States

• Golden Blue Lotus Tara Meditation Center, Moscow, Idaho
• TsongKhapa Center, Kalamazoo, Michigan
• Vajrayogini Center, Seattle, Washington

The post Video Buddhist Advice 9: How Can Advanced Vajrayana Students Simplify and Manage Commitments and Practice? Answered by Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

Geshe Thubten Sherab, an accomplished and well respected teacher with FPMT,  kindly agreed to a short interview with Buddha Weekly during a teaching visit to Lama Yeshe Ling in Ontario Canada. Although trained rigorously in monasteries, Geshe is known for his skillful approach to teaching in the west, emphasizing “the most important thing is to try to integrate ones study and practice.”[1]

Geshe Sherab feels it is important to preserve traditional ways, while skillfully teaching with an understanding of Western Culture:

“We also need to understand Western culture and psychology so that we, as Geshes, can be more effective and bring more benefit. However, we should not take too many liberties in changing the traditional ways of doing things, just because it doesn’t suit the Westerners’ way or because they don’t like it. We should always think of the long-term benefit as opposed to simply short-term results.”

Lama Sherab travels widely to teach at FPMT centres , but teaches regularly at Thubten Norbu Ling in Sante Fe, New Mexico. Some of his teaching topics are: “Vajrasattva Practice”, “Enlightened Courage”, and “Seeing Things as They Really Are”.  While at Lama Yeshe Ling, his teaching topics were “Stages of the Path to Enlightenment” and Lama Tsongkhapa. Some of Geshe’s audio teachings can be played here>>

The Rigorous Life of a Monk

Lama Sherab “was born in 1967 in a very small village in the western part of Nepal.” As a young boy, he became a monk at Kopan Monestary — years away from family, and a rigorous study day from 5:30am to 9:30pm. “When I was a teenager, as any normal teenager, I struggled a lot, not knowing whether it was best for me to continue or to disrobe. But then, just before I went to Sera, I made the strong decision that being a monk continuously was how I was going to spend my life.” He went on to even more intense studied at Sera Je.

Geshe Sherab studied with some of the great Geshes and Lamas: “like Geshe Jampa Gyatso and Geshe Doga who came to Kopan to teach, as well as the late Geshe Jampa, and of course Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Lama Lhundrup and Geshe Lama Konchog, as well as H.E. Khensur Rinpoche Losang Tsering, H.E. Jangtse Choje Rinpoche Losang Tenzin and H.E. Khensur Rinpoche Losang Delek.. They are my main root gurus, and I have great respect for them; they were role models for me and inspired me to study.” [1]

In the interview, he kindly shared his experiences with the intense rigor of study at Sera Je— practice, memorization, debate school, meditation, again 5:30am until late at night. He highlighted importance of Lama Tsongkhapa practice and “Stages of the Path to Enlightenment”, the subject of his teaching in March 2017 at Lama Yeshe Ling.

Interview

1. You taught on Lama Tsongkhapa meditation practice.  Why are Lama Tsongkhapa practices so valued by modern Buddhists?

Geshe Sherab: Lama TzongKhapa is known sometimes as the second Buddha and second Nagarjuna. No other Tibetan master or holy being has contributed to dharma as much he did through his writing, example, inspiration and practices. Also Lama TzongKhapa is known as manifestation of Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara, and Varjapani. So practicing Lama TzongKhapa Guru Yoga is equivalent to practicing the sadhana or practice of all those three deities.

2. You also taught the “Stages of the Path to Enlightenment”. What are some of the key stages and methods you covered?

Geshe Sherab: I cover precious human rebirth, death and impermanence, renunciation, bodhichitta and emptiness.

3. You were accepted as a monk by Lama Yeshe at Kopan Monestary at a very young age. What is life like for the young monk in a monastery?

The life for young monk like any young boy in boarding school. Of course many monks could not see their parents for few years as they live too far away. It is not easy for both parents and the young monk but that is part of training.

Lots of discipline and studies but not much time to relax and enjoy. So, it is tough and many will drop the robe. Starts the day at 5.30am to go to bed at around 9-10pm.

4. Who were some of your teachers?

H.H.Dalai Lama, H.E. Jangtse Choje Rinpoche, late H.E. Khensur Losang Tsering,H.E. Khensur Losang Delek, Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche are the main teachers.

My other teachers included H.H.Sakya Trizin Rinpoche, late Chodon Rinpoche, late Dema Locho Rinpoche, late Dulgo Khentse Rinpoche, late Paglung Rinpoche, late Ugen Tseten Rinpoche,late Khensur Lama Lhundup, late Geshe Losang Jampa, late Geshe Jampa Gyatso, Geshe Doga.

5. You studied at Sera Je Monastery for the Geshe degree starting in 1987. Why did you decide to work towards the Geshe degree?

Geshe Sherab: I went to Sera to study further but not necessarily to become a Geshe. But once I was close to finishing my study I thought of taking Geshe exams.

6. What was a typical day or week like at Sera Je for a student working towards a Geshe degree?

Geshe Sherab: 5.30-7 am puja, 7-9 am memorization, 9-11.30 am debate class, 11.45 am lunch, 12.30-5 pm rest time, receiving teachings from teachers, and self studies, 5 pm dinner, 6-9.30 pm evening debate class, 9.30- 10 or 11 pm to recite and repeat what has been memorized. Every Tuesday is off day.

7. How does teaching to Western students differ from how you might teach both monastics and lay people in Nepal?

Geshe Sherab: Yes, since it is different culture and psychology, the method has to be little different. In essence it is same but we have to present slightly differently.

Geshe Sherab teaching video:

8. For Westerners, especially, is it more difficult to teach integration of study and practice, or integration of Dharma with daily life? How do you approach this?

It is different for different students. Some students are more interested in studies and philosophy but not much interested in practice. Some other are more interested in practice, but not much studies.

So I encourage all students to integrate both studies and practice together. We cannot ignore either of them. Practice means both meditation on cushion as well integrating the Dharma with our every day or daily life.

Life at Sera Je Monastery

Geshe Sherab:  “Within Sera Je Monastery there are two divisions for study. For young monks of age of 7 to 18, they attend the Sera Je School which provides general modern education with subjects such as English, Mathematics, Science and Arts in addition to Tibetan Grammar, Buddhist Philosophy etc. At the moment there are around five to six hundred students in the school from grade 1-12.

Once they have graduated from the school, they proceed to join the Monastery’s main University to study Buddhist Philosophy in more detail. The system of study in Sera Je is similar to that of Nalanda Monastery in ancient India. Nalanda was the largest Monastery and university in India for the study of Buddhism during its peak. The Monastery produced many great masters and practitioners such as Nagarjuna, Shantideva and Dharmakirti, to mention just a few. This system involves debating in order to understand the texts correctly, to dispel any misconceptions or misunderstanding of the subject and particularly to help to understand their essential points.” [2]

There are five great scriptures studied in Monastic University: Abhiddharma Kosha, Parmanavartika, Abhisamaya Aalamkara, Madhyamika, Madhyamika. Gesehe Sherab explains: “It takes at least 16 years of intensive studies to complete these five great scriptures. There are 13 grades within the University. The first seven grades require a year of study in each grade. 2 to 3 years for the eighth grade, 3 to 4 years for the ninth grade, 2 to 4 years for the tenth grade and eleventh grades and several years for the final twelfth and thirteenth grades.” [2]

Daily Schedule of a Typical Monk:

Geshe Sherab described the typical day of a monk at Sera Jay, clearly a life of dedication and hard work:

“A typical daily schedule of a monk in Sera Je:

5.00 am Wake up and wash.
5.30 am Morning prayers. Breakfast will be served during prayer session if there is any sponsor.
7.30 to 9.00 am Memorizing prayers and scriptures.
9.00 to 10.00 am Debating class.
10.00 to 10.30 am Chanting Sutras and reciting prayers as preliminary practices as well as to eliminate obstacles toward one’s study and practices.
10.30 to 11.30 am Debating class.
11.30 to 12.30 pm Lunch with prayers and dedications for sponsors and all sentient beings.
12.30 to 1.00 pm Break time.
1.00 to 2.00 pm Receiving teachings from teachers.
2.00 to 4.00 pm Homework. Reading, reflecting and discussing on the subjects, covered particularly by the teacher on that day.
4.00 to 5.00 pm Receiving teaching from teachers.
5.00 to 5.30 pm Dinner with prayers.
5.30 to 6.00 pm Break time.
6.00 to 7.00 pm Evening debating class.
7.00 to 8.30/9.00 pm Prayers and meditation. Reciting Heart Sutra, 21 Tara praises many times and reciting many other prayers as preliminary practices and to eliminate obstacles toward one’s study and practices.
9.00 to 10/11.00 pm Debating class (Some of the monks will continue until midnight or 1 am).
10/11.00 to 12.00 mn Reciting the prayers and scriptures which have been memorized so that one does not forget.
12.00mn Bed time but many monks will study till 1 or 2 am.” [2]

LINKS

Geshe Thubten Sherab website

Lama Yeshe Ling in Ontario Canada>>

NOTES

[1] Biography on Geshe Sherab website>>

[2] “Life in Sera Je Monastery” from FPMT website>>

The post BW Interview with Geshe Thubten Sherab: Skillfully Teaching Traditional Tibetan Buddhism for Western Students appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

In the second of a new Buddha Weekly Video Series, three students ask a teacher about foundation practices, Medicine Buddha, Black Manjushri and healing practices for the self and others.

Question 1: “Even if you haven’t finished foundation practices, are there benefits to doing practices such as Tara and Medicine Buddha?”

Question 2: “Do you recommend Medicine Buddha or Black Manjushri practice for healing? Or is it good to have both. If you’re healthy should you go for Black Manjushri initiation?”

Question 3: “Can you do healing for others? Does the person have to be with you in the room for you to do the healing?”

Answered by Venerable Acharya Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, Spiritual Director of Gaden for the West, with meditation centers in Canada, Australia and the United States.

Play video here [full transcript below]:

Transcript:

Student Question: “Even if you haven’t finished foundation practices, are there benefits to doing practices such as Tara and Medicine Buddha?”

Answer Zasep Rinpoche

“Certain amount of is there, definitely. It will. Any deity yoga, Medicine Buddha, Tara, Kalachakra. Doesn’t matter. As long as you have strong faith and devotion, there is lots of benefit. I mean, results.

“When I talk about foundation practices — these foundation practices, like Refuge, Guru Yoga, Mandala offering, Vajrasattva practice [purification] — they are the same foundation for all the different deity yogas. You don’t have to do again, and again. [Laughing] Another set. Another set. You don’t have to do 100,000 Vajrasattva mantras five times! Or ten times. You don’t have to. Once you’ve done the sets of foundation practice, you’re good!

“Unless you’re doing a three year retreat. It’s different. In the Gelugpa tradition, in our lineage, you do three year retreat. Then you have  to do — there’s actually more foundation practices. One is called the water offerings. You have to offer 100,000 water bowls. You have to make a little statue [Tsa Tsas], in  a mold, 100,000 times. Also you have to do fire puja for Vajradaka. You burn sesame, black sesame seeds, 100,000 times. Then, you do another deity called Samaya Vajra. Another 100,000.

In Gelug tradition, if you are doing, say, Vajrayogini or Yamantaka, three year retreat, you have to eight foundation practices — each of them 100,000. So, actually, in order to do a three-year retreat, it almost takes three years to finish the first, foundations. So, you end up doing a six-year retreat. It’s very auspicious.

If you are a Yogi, or a Nun, or you are retired, then you’ve got time, you know? [Laughs.] Or, you don’t have other commitments, obligations and responsibilities, then, go and do retreat. Six years, whatever.

One of my students, a Mongolian Lama, he did four year retreat in the Gobi desert. He’s the first Mongolian Lama to do three or four year retreat after Communism, after Soviet Union collapsed. Another student is doing a three-year retreat in Australia. Now, he’s finished first year. Two more years to go.

Student Question: “Do you recommend Medicine Buddha or Black Manjushri practice for healing? Or is it good to have both. If you’re healthy should you go for Black Manjushri initiation?” [Black Manjushri is renowned for effectiveness with serious illnesses such as cancer and HIV.]

Answer Zasep Rinpoche

“I think, if you’re healthy at the moment, I would say just practice Medicine Buddha. Generally speaking. For healing, its really good. Medicine Buddha’s good.

Student: “And, do not go for Manjushri initiation?”

Answer Zasep Rinpoche

“I’m not saying don’t take Manjushri initiation. But, you don’t have to do both practices. Unless you have lots of time. [Laughs.] Or, you take initiation and do the practice in the future. When it’s necessary.

Or, especially — healing for others.

You mentioned this morning about healing for others, right? So, I should say a little a bit about healing for others. See, the thing is, Black Manjushri practice, Medicine Buddha practice, Hayagriva practice — all of those are very beneficial for healing for others. And, we should do it for others, right? Especially while we’re healthy, ourselves, then we should do others. If we’re not healthy, how can we do healing for other people? So, it’s really important, now, it’s never too early, to do the healing for others.

What you do is, you either tell the person, ‘I’m doing this healing practice for you, maybe you could to the mantra, we do it together. You can coach and guide — go through the practice. Or, if the person is not sure, not clear, not ready for this kind of mantra and visualization — but, seeking help, right? — then you can do it for the person.

You visualize yourself as Black Manjushri or Medicine Buddha and do the mantra. And visualize light coming from your heart, and going towards the person, descending into his or her body, and giving lots of energy — purifying the sickness. You do the healing. Also, you can do hands-on healing. If you do some kind of healing work, healing modalities — you can do hands-on healing, acupuncture, moxibustion, massage — and then say the mantras, combine together. It can be very beneficial.

Student: “Does the person have to be with you in the room for you to do the healing?

Answer Zasep Rinpoche

“No, no. You don’t have to be in the same room. You can do it from a distance. It would be nice, it’s good, if possible, to be one-to-one, face-to-face — it would be more powerful. But, if that’s not possible, you can still do healing from a distances. Far away, on the other side of the world. With prayers, there’s no distance, right? It works. Doesn’t matter.

We pray for all sentient beings.”

Next, week Zasep Rinpoche responds to a student question on Guru Yoga.

Zasep Tulku Rinpoche wil be teaching in Toronto, Canada in May 2017

Rinpoche will be at Gaden Choling in Toronto, Canada in May for two weeks.

• Mahamudra teachings: Saturday, May 20th, 10am to 5pm
• Lama Chopa Guru Yoga: Sunday May 21st, 10am to 5pm
• Hayagriva Highest Yoga Tantra Initiation: Thursday, May 25th, 7pm to 9pm
• Green Tara: Friday, May 26th, 7pm to 9pm
• Black Manjushri Initiation: Saturday May 27th 2-5pm
• Black Manjushri Practice and Commentary (requires initiation) Sunday May 28th, 10am-5pm
• Information to be posted soon at Gaden Choling website>>

ABOUT VENERABLE ZASEP TULKU RINPOCHE

Rinpoche is popularly known for his approachable teaching style, strong humor and teachings based on a long lineage of great lamas. His own gurus included the most celebrated of Gelug teachers: His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, His Holiness Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, Venerable Geshe Thupten Wanggyel, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, Venerable Lati Rinpoche, Venerable Tara Tulku Rinpoche and Venerable Khalkha Jetsun Dampa Rinpoche.

Rinpoche is spiritual director of many temples, meditation centres and retreat centres in Australia, the United States and Canada. He was first invited to teach in Australia by Lama Thubten Yeshe in 1976.

More on Zasep Tulku Rinpoche>>

Gaden for the West Meditation Centres

Australia

• Vajra Ling, Uralla, N.S.W.
• Losang Gyalwa Mandala, Sydney, N.S.W.
• Tenzing Ling Centre, Quamaa, N.S.W.
• Dorje Ling Retreat Centre, Lorina Valley, Tasmania

Canada

• Chittamani Mahayana Buddhist Meditation Centre, Ottawa, Ontario
• Gaden Choling, Toronto, Ontario
• Medicine Buddha Centre, Calgary, Alberta
• Potala Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Centre, Thunder Bay,Ontario
• Tashi Choling, Nelson, B. C.
• Zuru Ling Society, Vancouver, B.C.

United States

• Golden Blue Lotus Tara Meditation Center, Moscow, Idaho
• TsongKhapa Center, Kalamazoo, Michigan
• Vajrayogini Center, Seattle, Washington

The post Healing and Foundation Practices Video: Learning from the Teachers Video Series with Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

The stirring beat of many drums and a festive rise of musical voices broke the serene silence of a sunny and warm Saturday morning on sparkling Georgian Bay.

In a nice surprise for the many attendees of a much-anticipated Mahamudra retreat, Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche—an internationally respected Buddhist teacher—was joyously “drummed in” by people from the local native community. Kathy Hopson, who helped organize, explained: “it is customary to Drum in an Elder or Healer out of Respect.”

[Due to a new teaching event on Mahamudra scheduled May 20, 2017 at Gaden Choling, Toronto with Venerable Zasep Rinpoche, this previous feature is “republished” — reporting on “notes” from the last Mahamudra teaching event in Ontario. Zasep Rinpoche is the author of two books, including Tara in the Palm of Your Hand, and is spiritual director of the many Gaden for the West centres.]

The row of drummers accompanied a smiling Rinpoche into the hotel, down the halls to our meditation room, drumming and chanting the entire way. Guests in their hotel rooms must have wondered what was happening.

The crowd in the full-capacity conference room heard the approaching drums, echoing down the halls like a rhythmic heartbeat, and the lovely rising voices of the singers. They continued to drum as Rinpoche crossed the room to the altar, where he would make his prostrations to the Buddha.

Kathy Hopson explained the context of the singing. As Rinpoche entered “we sang the Creation Song, singing of All life, Mother Earth, Father Sky, Water, Fire, Grandfather Moon, Gradfather Rocks and All Earth Birds and Animals.”

This was not the first time Rinpoche was drummed in by native singers and drummers. Previous events in both Nelson, British Columbia and Ontario began with drumming.

A Full House of Meditators

“It’s wonderful there are so many people here in this beautiful place, on this beautiful day for this teaching on Mahamudra,” began Zasep Tulku Rinpoche. (Read Rinpoche’s biography here>>)

Some in the audience were past students, others might have come out of curiosity to see a well-known Buddhist teacher. Several families attended, with well-behaved children along for the experience. The large gathering was quiet and respectful, so much so that during mindfulness practice it was easy to simply focus on the breath. During contemplative moments, the only sound might be birds, muffled yet audible through the windows.

Theodore Tsaousidis, one of the event’s hosts, explained that aside from the beautiful scenery, this event was held in Owen Sound, Ontario “because there’s a lot of interest here.” He put the full capacity attendance in context: “It is natural for these teachings to seem like a new way of looking at life —the way Buddhism looks at how to investigate the meaning of life, and also how to engage life.” Theodore previously organized retreats in Owen Sound with Venerable Zasep Rinpoche, and is himself a visiting teacher at Gaden Choling in Toronto and Medicine Buddha Toronto.

Mahamudra “fits into life just as it is”

Simplicity of practice is one of the reasons Mahamudra is so popular. There are teachings and instructions, as Rinpoche was about to explain, but it can be practiced anywhere, anytime, in any environment (even if this day had turned out grey and cold). It fits into life, just as it is, with no added austerities or commitments. Mahamudra is famous for its ability to reduce stress, stir the joyful mind, and even as a healing practice.

Rinpoche said, “Our lives are so busy, and we have many questions, and our energies are here and there and unsettled—it’s not so easy to be in the present moment, to cultivate mindfulness.”

After the stirring entrance, meditators needed to “settle” their minds for the day of mindful meditations and profound teachings to follow. Rinpoche said, “We will do some praises to help us settle our minds into this present moment.”Rinpoche asked us to chant mantras to help us settle. “Mantra means ‘protection of mind’, protection of spirit, protection of consciousness. To protect the consciousness and mind we use mantras.

“When you chant a mantra it helps relax your body and mind. The mantra energy brings your spirit and consciousness to here, in the present moment. It can generate a peaceful and calming effect on our consciousness. Most of the time, mantras are uplifting, helping our mind go to the transcendental state of meditation, beyond worldly concerns.

“We like to think of mantra as your spiritual companion who supports your journey toward enlightenment.”

Compassion the Essence of the Teaching

When introducing the mantra of Avalokitesvara — Om Mani Padme Hum — Rinpoche stressed this mantra’s importance: “Compassion is the essence of the teaching of the Buddha… It’s important to view our world with a compassionate eye.” We also chanted Shakyamuni and Tara’s mantras.

What is Mahamudra?

Rinpoche introduced the series of five meditations to follow with an explanation of Mahamudra. “Mahamudra is a Sanskrit word. Maha is “great.” Usually mudra is like a gesture or hand gesture.” He used the example of sacred dance, where the entire body of the dancer becomes the mudra. “Here, the Mudra has a slightly different meaning.”

“Mahamudra is ultimately about trying to experience absolute truth.” Rinpoche explained we experience our lives in the sphere of relative truth. Mahamudra helps us explore “what we call absolute truth. Everything is one. Samsara, Nirvana are both part of oneness. Like day and night. There is no day without night. There is no summer without winter. There is no male without female. On the ultimate level reality is oneness, what we call shunyata, which literally means ’emptiness.’ Emptiness actually means voidness.”

Relative and Ultimate Mahamudra

Rinpoche explained that there are two experiences in Mahamudra: Vipassana and Shamatha. Vipassana corresponds with “ultimate Mahamudra” while Samatha helps us explore “relative Mahamudra.”

Shamatha is basically the practice of calming the mind through some form of single-pointed meditation—such as watching the breath. Vipassana literally means to see things as they really are. Rinpoche added, “In order to experience ultimate Vipassana Mahamudra, we start with conventional Mahamudra — Shamatha Mahamudra.”

Instructions in Shamatha Mahamudra

The retreat began with a guided meditation in Shamatha Mahamudra. “Shamatha Mahamudra is cultivating calm abiding mind, cultivating both calmness and awareness. Mindfulness.” Tranquility meditation helps overcome the day-to-day mind that never rests, always agitated by anxiety, regret, misery and a disturbing emotions.

For this practice Rinpoche instructed us to sit in a comfortable position, “however you feel comfortable. You can sit on a meditation cushion, a zabuton, you can sit on a bench, or on a chair. Please make yourself comfortable.” He emphasized the importance of keeping the back upright and straight. “Keep your back straight. That’s very necessary… This way you can breath properly.”

He instructed us in the mudra of meditative equipoise, and demonstrated the ideal seated position—vajra or lotus with hands in the mudra of meditative equipoise.

Why Mudra of Meditative Equipoise is Important

“This mudra is symbolic of oneness, like a circle, like the sun and the moon and the world,” Rinpoche explained, after instructing us to place our slightly cupped right hand inside our left, then creating an oval shape by joining the two thumbs.

In explaining the importance of this mudra, he reminded us of how we always keep our hands “busy, busy” always moving, pointing, waving, and texting on phones. “Today you see people holding iphones all the time. Even if they’re driving, they’re using their iphones. When they travel, as soon as the airplane lands they can’t wait, they’re already sending text messages. The hand is always busy, busy, busy.

“Here, we do this mudra to tell our body to ‘stop!’ What becomes important is mindfulness.”

He instructed us to try to breath only through the nose, and half-close our eyes, with head slightly tilted. He explained the entire seven point posture of Mahamudra, but then invited us to remain comfortable, not to force our posture.

The correct posture, if we are physically able to do so in comfort is called the Seven Dharmas posture, the seven aspects which bring mental focus. If the body is correctly settled, it will help calm the agitated mind, or its apparent opposite, invigorate the torpid mind:

1. First, sit on some kind of cushion. Rinpoche added that the ideal seated position, is the vajra position (also known as Lotus position)—as long as we can manage it without discomfort. He advised us not to worry if we had to use a chair, bench or support, but re-emphasized the straight back.
2. Next, we place our hands in the mudra of meditative equipoise, to stop our “busy hands.”
3. Spine as straight as possible without rigidity. Rinpoche explained that the subtle channels, winds and energies of our subtle bodies flow best if posture is straight.
4. Shoulders pushed back a bit, but relaxed. We are to be wakeful, yet not rigid.
5. Neck slightly bent forward (which tends to naturally happen when seated with a straight spine).
6. Touch tongue to the palate. This has a pragmatic purpose. As we relax our minds, saliva continues to flow and can fill our mouths, forcing us to swallow constantly. If the tongue touches the palate this isn’t an issue.
7. Rinpoche instructed us to mostly close our eyes, but not entirely. Closing the eyes completely can encourage a sleepy session. Open eyes are a little too distracting.

Anapanasati Meditation

Our first meditation was Anapanasati (sometimes pronounced Anapranasati), literally ‘mindfulness of breathing.’ Rinpoche explained, “Sati is mindfulness. Prana is breath. So we do mindfulness of breathing.”

Rinpoche guided the meditation in a gentle, soothing voice. “I would like you to now focus on your breath. Breathe in, long, and breathe out, long, breath in, long, breath out, long. When you breathe in, you can feel your abdomen rising. When you breathe out, your abdomen falling. Feel the sensation of your abdomen rising, and falling, as you breath in, cultivate mindfulness of breathing.”

Anapanasati, mindfulness of breath, helps cultivate the seven factors of awakening as defined the Anapanasati Sutta:

• sati (mindfulness)
• dhamma vicaya (analysis)
• viriya (persistence)
• piti (rapture)
• passadhi (serenity)
• samadhi (concentration)
• upekkha (equanimity)

Rinpoche said it can be thought of as a purifying, settling practice, “purifying our mind, purifying our body, purifying our karma. Mindfulness meditation is very beneficial. It is the bridge between body and mind. We focus on the breath, the bridge.”

Handling Distractions: the Ringing Phone Incident

As we meditated on the breath, growing more and more mindful — and relaxed — Rinpoche gently offered guidance: “Whenever your thoughts wander, or go somewhere else, looking and thinking, just make a mental note. Note that your mind is somewhere other than on the breath. Then, simply return to the breath.”

Ironically, a phone started ringing at this precise moment, followed by a flurry of “sorry, sorry, sorry” from the audience member who forgot to turn off the phone. Rinpoche didn’t miss a beat, continuing in his soothing voice, he coached us to keep us mindfully focused on the breath.

Preparation for Mahamudra

“Meditation is not something you can fully experience within a short time,” Rinpoche said, as a precursor to a dissertation on preparation for Mahamudra. “There is no instant realization. Today, people would like to have everything instant. If anything happens instantly, this experience may not necessarily be genuine… Like learning a craft, we have to learn how to do it properly, and practice. We need to invest conviction, motivation and effort. It takes time. We need to practice meditation diligently, and step by step. You shouldn’t feel discouraged when you don’t get instant results.”

Rinpoche cautioned, “Even if, in your mind, you don’t feel there is progress, even if you don’t feel something tangible, you are still moving forward step by step. When you turn back to look, you’ll be surprised how far you’ve come.”

“So, remember, when you meditate, it doesn’t matter if you see signs of progress, it is always beneficial. That’s why it’s important to have patience and perseverance.”

Obstacles in Meditation

Rinpoche prepared us for the various obstacles we might face in Mahamudra meditation. “There are two main obstacles. One is called the wandering mind or agitated mind. The other obstacle is dullness, or sleepiness. If you sit and relax you might find yourself getting sleepy. Why do we get sleepy? “Because, during the day, our minds are always busy, busy, busy. We don’t know how to relax our minds.” He gave the example of people who go for acupuncture or massage and fall asleep.

Rinpoche explained why we should value our obstacles. Obstacles are opportunities to practice, “they are blessings. So many obstacles in our lives turn into blessings.”

“The key thing is awareness. If your mind is wandering, as long as you remain aware, then it’s a good meditation. Even if you get sleepy, if you’re aware, if you notice it, then it’s beneficial.”

Part 2 Teachings on Mindfulness of Body, healing and dealing with anger>>

For Part 3, “Mindfulness of Feelings” please visit>>

Related: Video Ngondro Series (Foundation Practices) with H.E. Zasep Rinpoche:

Ngondro Video 1: Foundation Practices

Ngondro Video 2: The Truth of Suffering, and a Guided Meditation on Shakyamuni Buddha

Ngondro Video 3: Purifying the Obstacles of Dharma Practice

End Thoughts: Excerpt from Anapasati Sutta

Breathing in long, he discerns, ‘I am breathing in long’; or breathing out long, he discerns, ‘I am breathing out long.’ Or breathing in short, he discerns, ‘I am breathing in short’; or breathing out short, he discerns, ‘I am breathing out short.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in sensitive to the entire body.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out sensitive to the entire body.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe in calming bodily fabrication.’ He trains himself, ‘I will breathe out calming bodily fabrication.

Teachings in May, Toronto Canada at Gaden Choling

About Zasep Tulku Rinpoche

Rinpoche is the spiritual guide for Gaden for the West—with several meditation centres across Canada, Australia and the United States. He travels extensively, teaching several times each year in parts of Canada, Australia, the US and Mongolia. Rinpoche received many teachings and initiations from other great lamas, legendary teachers such as: Yongzin Trijang Rinpoche, His Holiness Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, Venerable Geshe Thupten Wanggyel, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, Venerable Lati Rinpoche, Venerable Tara Tulku Rinpoche and Venerable Khalkha Jetsun Dampa Rinpoche. (More about Zasep Tulku Rinpoche>>)

About Host Theodore Tsaousidis

Theodore Tsaousidis has been conscious of his spiritual journey from an early age. Born in a rural community in Greece surrounded by mountains and valleys, he was profoundly shaped by nature and the ancient tradition of village elders and healers. His connection to nature and the spirit world is an integral part of who he is – as is his dedication to the Zen training he has followed for 30 years. He is also blessed by the guidance of the Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche. His healing and shamanic sharing stem from, his cultural roots, personal experience. and Tibetan and Buddhist traditions. Theodore sees shamanism and meditation as a great alchemy for the healing of self and other.

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The post “Mahamudra is ultimately about trying to experience absolute truth” — and Helping Your Mind Get to Know Your Mind: Teaching Retreat Notes, Zasep Tulku Rinpoche appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

Lama Dr. Shannon Young — Dzogchen Lineage teacher, Doctor of Pharmacy, and loving wife and mother — advocates bringing “Dharma” into daily life. “My teacher has always said that the Pharmacy is my retreat cave,” she explains, referring to her “day job” as a Pharmacist. Lama Young is one of the rising new teachers who blend precious lineage tradition with modern Western culture.

Our previous story focused on the Female Enlightened and female teachers. In our previous story, Female Enlightened Manifestations and Female Teachers and Lamas (story here>>) — which featured five questions for Lama Dr. Shannon Young — she said,

“I think it does matter to have the diversity …  in today’s world. This is why I am very proud that four of the eight lamas that I was authorized with are women.”

At the time, we asked Lama Young  if she would consider answering a few more questions. Kindly, she agreed. [Full biography at the end of this story.]

Full Interview with Lama Dr. Shannon Young

BW: Your teacher Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche encouraged you to become a teacher, in part because he believes it’s beneficial to students to receive teachings from people of their own culture. What has been your experience with this? 

SRY: I think his approach is beyond brilliant because it is integrating both the timeless wisdom of a lineage with a unique cultural awareness. We must adapt to a culture while maintaining the realized, wisdom tradition. Ultimately we should be reaching for realized western teachers in the west.

BW: What are some of the differences in receiving teachings from a traditional Rinpoche from Tibet versus a teacher born, raised and authorized in the West?

SRY: I think it has to do with having similar frameworks and references. Of course a realized master is going to have the breadth and depth that even an authorized western teacher won’t. At the same time, having a teacher with a similar background can help bridge the gaps in assimilating the dharma.

BW: You are both a Doctor of Pharmacy and a Dharma Teacher? Do you find you bring your practice into your work? 

SRY: My teacher has always said that the Pharmacy is my retreat cave. He said that for the Dharma to really survive it must work within the daily realities of its practitioners.

So in my work I must bring love, compassion, and wisdom into every moment of thinking and acting. It actually brings a level of meaning to every task. Of course being in a field where you contact humans and their suffering its very powerful.

BW: Where do you teach?

SRY: I usually teach in local Dharma centers. Recently I led a weeklong retreat in Hawaii.

BW: How did you meet your teacher originally? 

SRY: I met him in Boise, Idaho in 2003 during one of his teaching tours.

BW: From your teaching topics, you seem to teach a form of “bringing the Dharma into daily life.” For example, “healthy lifestyle.” Can you elaborate on that a little?

SRY: The true health is really centered on having a stable and compassionate mind. We try to promote health based on moderation.

BW: Some of your teaching topics, such as non-waste economic system and free university education have a feeling of “cause”-oriented teaching: that is, right living, right livelihood and other Buddhist teachings brought into modern context. Do you advocate Dharma activity outside of the practice hall in support of causes such as non-waste economy? (Which lately has been described as “Ecodharma”).

SRY: I think loving, compassionate, and wise people should also bring that into other spheres, such as public policy. But we shouldn’t force our views on others through that policy.

We should help inform and elevate the debate. It’s important to be aware that we don’t become too rigid and controlling in trying to force ideologies together. The dharma should be inclusive and not serve short term political agendas.

BW: Can you elaborate on “non-waste” economic system as a teaching topic?  

SRY: It’s really about intention and having an inclusive long-term perspective. So much of our system is based on driving up consumption and many of our products are needlessly disposable. But it doesn’t stop there. So it’s looking at the thinking that drives this culture and transcending with one that isn’t about short-term gains at the expense of future generations.

BW: Do you bring technology into your teachings? For example, do you blog, use social media (in a Dharma context), use computers in the meditation hall? 

SRY: We are openly embracing platforms that can make the teachings more accessible. We use computers during teachings for taking notes and we also livestream many of our teachings and even use Skype for group teachings.

BW: What do you mean by “healthy lifestyle” as a teaching topic and what do you cover?

SRY: Beyond the obvious areas of plant-based diets, we also talk to the idea of “joyful moderation” which means that we don’t get to strict with certain restrictions—knowing when to have that piece of cake and not feel guilty about it. But the heart of being healthy is valuing this precious human life and taking care of ourselves in order to benefit all beings.

BW: We spoke about the Female Enlightened and women teachers in our last interview (story here>>). Do you find you teach differently to a group of female students, versus a mixed group?

SRY: You could say that the audience does influence the type of teaching, but we try to really focus on the mind and how we can transform our thinking. Of course a large group of one type of audience can influence the discussion, but we are ultimately trying to recognize our true nature.

BW: What is the one thing you hope people will take away from your teaching sessions?

SRY: That we are the heroes of our own lives. We can liberate ourselves from suffering and become Buddha in one life.

From our Previous Interview

BW:  From your perspective as a teacher, are there enough female Buddhist teachers? Does it matter? Why?

I feel that there could always be more female Buddhist role models and teachers. I am grateful for the strong women who have been the trailblazers in the western adoption of Buddhism, but I would like to see more women in leadership positions in traditionally Buddhist countries as well. I think it does matter to have the diversity of leadership in today’s world. This is why I am very proud that four of the eight lamas that I was authorized with are women. Two of us are from the US and the other two are from Asia.

BW: What inspired you to become a teacher?

My teacher is Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche. He sincerely believes that the best way you can benefit beings is by teaching them the Dharma and he believes that people of different cultures should be taught by members of their own culture. From my first teachings with him, he was always encouraging every student to aspire to become a teacher.

BW: Do you feel there are enough opportunities for women to become Buddhist teachers? If not, what can be done about it?

I definitely think there could be more, but I also think it depends on the lineage or program. Candidly I think that in my lineage there are plenty of opportunities. But I think in the public sphere, the notion of female Buddhist teachers and Lamas needs to be more widely embraced. Especially in terms of authority.

BW: What do the female Enlightened Deities represent?

Boundless love, compassion, and wisdom will always manifest in various forms in order to benefit beings.

BW: Why are Female manifestations important?

Female manifestations are important as they help transform a practitioners’ mind from narrow, ego-centric notions of self and identity to something more inclusive and powerful. We can then begin to realize our innate love, compassion, and wisdom.

BW: Tara is iconic of the Female Enlightened. What does She represent?

If Bodhicitta is the basis of both the Mahayana and Vajrayana path then the basis of cultivating Bodhicitta is remembering the kindness of a mother. Invoking the blessings, love, and compassion of Tara, being the great Mother, is essential as support for increasing one’s own intention of enlightened wisdom, which is Bodhicitta.

Lama Biography — Venerable Archarya Lama Shiwa Dr. Shannon Young

Venerable Archarya Lama Shiwa, Dr. Shannon Young, Pema Shiwa Tso, is an authorized Lama and Dharma Teacher in the Dzogchen Lineage of Buddhism. Shannon received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2001 and has been a practicing Pharmacist for over 16 years. She first studied with her root teacher His Eminence Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche in 2003 and for over 13 years has studied and practiced with Rinpoche while helping establish the Dzogchen Retreat Center, USA. and the Dzogchen Shri Singha Foundation.

Lama Shannon graduated from seven Dzogchen Lineage Internships along with many seasonal retreats. In 2014, Lama Shannon also received an advanced degree of Tantra Practitioner at the first Dzogchen Lineage Internship commencement ceremony at the Dzogchen Retreat Center USA. In the same year, Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche authorized Lama Shannon, along with eight other Lamas, as a Venerable Archarya Lama. The Lamas were selected through a dynamic process of divination, prayer, Rinpoche’s 10-year evaluation, and a majority vote of the 2014 Dzogchen Lineage Internship Sangha.

Lama Shannon has taught many students in public teaching events, weekend workshops, and tutoring during Dzogchen Lineage Internships. Following her teacher’s aspirations, Lama Shannon has dedicated her life to practicing and teaching the Dharma, serving as a Director on the the Board of the Dzogchen Shri Singha Foundation, and recently, founding One Path Outreach, a humanitarian aid organization which just completed their second medical mission in remote villages of Tibet.

Lama Shannon  a devoted wife and mother who also helped establish the Dzogchen Children’s Association which supports Dzogchen Sangha parents to integrate a modern daily life that is centered on teaching Dharma and engaging in Dharma activities. Lama Shannon aspires to continue to fulfill her teacher’s aspirations to teach and heal others while establishing a stable Dharma system throughout the world that benefits all beings.

Inset: Tibetan Buddhist Master Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche (excerpt from dzogchenlineage.org)

Great Perfection of Wisdom lineage holder Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche was born in Tibet, where he began training in Buddhism at the age of five at the Dzogchen Monastery. He has been recognized as the reincarnation of enlightened Tibetan master Gedun Chopel, who is the emanation of Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of the Buddha’s Wisdom. He received the transmissions and teachings of the Sutras, Tantras and Shastras from forty-two Buddhist masters and the complete empowerments and instruction of the Dzogchen Tantras from his root masters Khenchen Padma Tsewang, Drupchen Chatral Chochyab, and Guru Dechen Namdrol.

He studied and taught for ten years at the Dzogchen Shri Singha Five Sciences University the five major sciences of Fine Arts, Medicine, Linguistics, Philosophy, and Buddhism, as well as the five minor sciences of Poetics, Synonymy, Prosody, Drama, and Astrology. For seven years he meditated in the Siltrom Mountain caves in the Holy Dzogchen area of Tibet, under difficult conditions, with little food and only a few tattered clothes. During that time, he recited millions of mantras and was directly granted the blessings of Buddha Shakyamuni, Padmasambhava, Shri Singha, Bodhisattva Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara and Tara. Continuously he studies and practices with diligence, as well as being patient, disciplined, and generous to others. He is always radiating wonderful blessings and healing powers of wisdom to all beings and all elements.

Rinpoche is the thirty-third holder of the Dzogchen lineage, lama of Dzogchen Monastery, a Professor of the Dzogchen Shri Singha University, Spiritual Leader of Dzogchen Shri Singha International, Founder of the Dzogchen Shri Singha Dharma Centers, and Director of Dzogchen Shri Singha International Charitable Organizations. He has written more than thirty books on the five major sciences. He currently teaches Dharma and gives practice training to thousands of students, in more than forty countries around the world.

Previous related stories: Interview with teacher AlejAndro Anastasia, also a student of Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche

One Hand Speaks: Dharma Teacher AlejAndro Anastasio Speaks with Buddha Weekly About His Life as an Authorized Vajrayana Teacher, Inspirational Speaker, Martial Artist and One-Handed Superhero

Part 2 Interview: Alejandro Anastasio, Martial Arts and Dharma Teacher, Sees a Special Relationship Between Martial Arts and Buddhism: Dharma in Action

The post Interview Lama Dr. Shannon Young: Dzogchen teacher focuses on bringing Dharma practice into daily life and bridging heritage with modern life appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

Leonardo da Vinci is credited as saying, “While I thought that I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to die.” This may be a discouraging thought for some, but Buddhists view end-of-life meditation as an uplifting and powerful practice.

“Analysis of death is not for the sake of becoming fearful but to appreciate this precious lifetime.” — Dalai Lama [2]

Recently, at Gaden Choling Toronto, in a broad-ranging interview on many topics [1], I asked the most Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche “Why do Buddhists meditate on death?” This led to a spirited and helpful teaching, especially as I had recently experienced the passing of several family members in one year — long, lingering and painful passings.

Zasep Rinpoche’s answer encouraged me to research what other eminent teachers have to say about death meditation. I’ve brought together some teachings from the Buddha, the Dalai Lama, Stephen and Ondrea Levine, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ribur Rinpoche, and also some helpful guidelines from the Journal of Palliative Care. [For helpful suggestions for Palliative end-of-life caregivers specific to Buddhsits, see the last half of this article.]

Zasep Tulku Rinpoche: “Death can happen at any time… meditating on death is very helpful.”

“Meditating on death and dying is very important,” Zasep Rinpoche said. “Meditating on death and dying helps motivate Dharma practice. Life is too short. Death can happen at any time, you don’t know.”

“I’ve got maybe ten years, fifteen years, maybe twenty years. So, the time goes fast, but death’s going to happen sooner or later. So, meditating on death is very helpful to motivate Dharma practice.”

Rinpoche added that “meditating on death and dying is helpful for other people. For instance, you know someone is dying, like family members — or, maybe you work around people who are dying, like a palliative nurse or doctor — so it’s good to know more about how to be helpful in these times.” [The full transcript of the 2 hour interview with Zasep Rinpoche is featured here>>]

This brought to mind, the memorable words of Chagdud Rinpoche, a Tibetan lama:

“When you have to go to the bathroom, it’s too late to build a latrine.” [6]

Preparing to die, it could be said, is a key meditation and concept in Buddhism.

Stephen Levine: “We are all going to die… live as if the present year was our last”

Stephen and Ondrea Levine became well known for their book, A Year to Live, [3] “which explores the practice of living the present year as if it were our last.” Stephen famously wrote, “Death is just a change of lifestyles.”

Stephen passed away January 17, but so profound was his message, that he inspired many people to meditate and practice as if they had one year to live. In an interview in Tricycle Magazine [4] — in answer to the question ” Why is it important for us to think about dying?” — he replied:

“Because we are all going to die. If we could bring that reality into our heart, that would be a practice unto itself. The last time Ondrea and I spoke with the Dalai Lama, he asked us what were working on. I told him we were writing a book called A Year To Live, which explores the practice of living as if the present year were our last. He wondered whether people who started this practice would run amok. In other words, if they imagined the end was coming, wouldn’t they just grab a lady or a guy and a bottle of tequila and head for the beach? And that’s what we thought as well. But the truth is, when people know they are going to die, that last year is often the most loving, most conscious, and most caring — even under conditions of poor concentration, the side effects of medication, and so on. So don’t wait to die until you die. Start practicing now.”

Dalai Lama: “Facing Death and Dying Well”

As with everything, the Dalai Lama teaches out of an abundance of compassion. He also manages to sneak in a laugh, even on a talk about death. “Many people just want to forget about death, and then try to seek protection in alcohol.” (See Video “His Holiness the Dalai Lama talks about “Facing Death in a peaceful manner” Meridian Trust, embedded below) “There are two ways to deal with suffering and problems. The one, is simply to avoid the problem. That’s one way… The other way is, they look directly at the problem and analyze. And make it familiar to oneself.”

He explained that sickness and dying “are just a part of nature ­— a fact of life… There’s birth. So, logically, there’s death. So, that is part of our life, whether we like it or not.”

His Holiness explained that “sometimes through difficult experiences, sometimes life becomes more meaningful…” Facing and accepting death is one of these difficult experiences. “I notice that the elder generations, those people who lived through the second world war, that these people, their mental attitude becomes much stronger.” He described some suffering as “good lessons.”

“I think of my own experience. In one way, I lost my own country… and there is a lot of unhappiness and a lot of suffering… But through that I had an opportunity to meet different people… so, I think that experience enriched… those tragic experiences, also had good affect.”

Dalai Lama: “Be Mindful of Death”

In his book Advice on Dying, the Dalai Lama wrote: “It is crucial to be mindful of death — to contemplate that you will not remain long in this life. If you are not aware of death, you will fail to take advantage of this special human life that you have already attained. It is meaningful since, based on it, important effects can be accomplished.

“Analysis of death is not for the sake of becoming fearful but to appreciate this precious lifetime during which you can perform many important practices. Rather than being frightened, you need to reflect that when death comes, you will lose this good opportunity for practice. In this way contemplation of death will bring more energy to your practice.” [2]

Zasep Tulku Rinpoche: “Think about what is more important… more worthwhile”

The purpose, then, of death meditation is to inspire an “energy to practice” — even if just for ten minutes a day. In our interview with Zasep Rinpoche, he helpfully suggested: “So, think about what is more important for you. What is more worthwhile? Making another ten-minute phone call, or sending text messages, or meditating? Just schedule ten minutes in the morning, ten minutes in the evening, or fit in some mindfulness meditation during the day. Or, you can do walking meditation, standing meditation. Yes, there are some things you have to do. You have to talk on the phone and do text messages. But, you don’t have to be so busy that you can’t find time to meditate for ten minutes.

“Just last week I was on the street car and I saw this man, in his car, sending text messages, and smoking a cigarette, and also sipping on coffee. He was doing four things at the same time, driving, texting, smoking and drinking coffee. I thought to myself, Why? Isn’t that a bit stressful, trying to do four things at once? (laughs) I could see he was stressed out, that’s why he was smoking. Tired, that’s why he was drinking coffee.” Meditation on impermanence, on death, can help us reset our priorities.

Thich Nhat Hanh: “The notion of death cannot be applied to reality.”

The great teacher Thich Nhat Hanh presents a somewhat more optimistic take on analyzing death:

“When you look a cloud… and then later the cloud is not there. But, if you look deeply, you can see the cloud in the rain, and that is why it’s impossible for a cloud to die. A cloud can become rain, or snow, or ice, but a cloud cannot become nothing. And that is why the notion of death cannot be applied to reality. There is a transformation, there is a continuation, but you cannot say that there is death. Because in your mind, to die, means you suddenly become nothing. From someone, you suddenly become no one… When you can remove these notions, you are free and you have no fear.” [Source video embedded below.]

The Venerable monk also said, “The Buddha did not die. The Buddha only continued. By His Sangha, by His Dharma, you can touch Buddha in the here and the now.”

Einstein: “Past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.”

Einstein had a similar concept of “transformation” rather than “extinction.” After the death of a close friend, he wrote, in 1955: “Now he has departed from this strange world a little ahead of me. That means nothing. People like us, who believe in physics, know that the distinction between past, present, and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.” He later elaborated on this notion. ““Space and time are not conditions in which we live, they are modes in which we think.”

Einstein famously wrote, in The World As I See It (1933): “Enough for me the mystery of the eternity of life, and the inkling of the marvelous structure of reality, together with the single-hearted endeavor to comprehend a portion, be it ever so tiny, of the reason that manifests itself in nature.”

All carbon based life is made up of recycled material. Every atom in the universe is recycled. Nothing is every destroyed. Energy becomes matter becomes energy in an endless cycle. Of course that’s not the same as saying our “consciousness” continues after death, but it’s one reason scientists such as Einstein were supportive of many Buddhist concepts — and not fearful of their own deaths. The analysis of death, as suggested by the Dalai Lama, removes that fear.

VIDEO: Einstein “How I See the World”

Venerable Ribur Rinpoche: “people in the west don’t want to hear about impermanence and death “

One reason many Buddhist live fearlessly is a firm belief in the logical doctrine of rebirth, as partially described by Thich Nhat Hanh in his cloud analogy. Ribur Rinpoche — who, himself, lived day-by-day under threat of death under oppression in his Tibetan homeland for 23 years — explained why he thinks Westerners tend to fear death:

“In general people in the west don’t want to hear about impermanence and death… This is wrong. This is very wrong. At the time of death we don’t want to be sad… It is now, while we are alive, that we have to think about it. In this way, we have to think about it correctly, and to make the right preparation…” [“Death and Rebirth” embedded video below]

He explained the importance of this understanding. “If you don’t understand impermanence, you won’t be practicing anyway. You’ll think, oh yes, I have to practice Dharma, but I can do it tomorrow. Or day after tomorrow. Or next year. As Lama Tsongkhapa said ‘In this way, I say I can do it later, I can do it later, and then your whole life goes by.’ You won’t achieve anything. Therefore, you won’t be able to abandon the fantasies related to this life… Your mind will be trapped within the eight worldly dharmas.”

“There are no methods that will prevent me from dying. Definitely, I’m going to die. That is certain…” He explained that without an understanding of impermanence, karma and rebirth, there is no encouragement to practice morality.

Ondrea Levine: “I think our fear on dying is a loss of control… Those thoughts are your conditioning.”

In their book, A Year to Live Stephen and Ondrea Levine wrote extensively about the key benefit of meditating on death from a palliative point-of-view. Stephen himself recently passed, and Ondrea has cancer, so they speak with authority.

“There’s a great deal of fear of death,” Ondrea said in a LevineTalks Video (embedded below). “People think they can get rid of it… Of course there’s fear of death. I’m not really afraid of death and what comes after. Because of my practice, I know this body will die… but, I do have fear around the process of dying.”

“No one wants to be in pain. No one wants to lose control. I think our fear on dying is a loss of control. This is natural. This is a normal fear… because death is the unknown.” She spoke about how we can rely on our teachers, such as the Buddha, and gain comfort, but that ultimately we have to experience, in our own practice, something “larger than our own little minds. So, whatever your practice is, you have to practice to work on your fears.” She illustrated with mindfulness practice.

She emphasized that those fears, “those thoughts are not you. Those thoughts are your conditioning.” She suggested mindfulness as a helpful method. “Become mindful of the situation. Become mindful.” She illustrated with a trip to her own doctor for test results. “I just examine my body. I try to slow my breath down. I’m sitting in the waiting room, instead of distracting myself by reading magazines… Slow the breath down. In slowing it down, it calms the whole body.” Analyzing your own body and your own fears is “a skillful means of being open to the unpleasant.”

Deathbed Wishes: “I wish I had played… more.”

In an interview in Trycicle Magazine, Ondrea Levine said, “I think the greatest benefit of the year-to-live practice is the opportunity it provides to reassess our priorities. When we worked with people on their deathbed, we would often hear the following three complaints: I wish I had gotten divorced earlier; I wish I had taken a job for love of the work, not money; I wish I had played and enjoyed myself more. So the beauty of the practice is that we can evaluate our lives even before we are on our deathbed. If we are not living the life we wish to live, how can we change that now, while there is still time?

“I can say this, because I have cancer. And I know that once you get that diagnosis, no matter how much you already know, something happens, everything becomes much more real. Ironically, it brings greater permission to be fully alive. I find it very exciting.”

Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing: Caring for End-of-Life Buddhists

“Tibetan Buddhism is one of the fastest growing religions in the United States,” wrote Marilyn Smith-Stoner, PhD, RN in her helpful article on Palliative care for Buddhists in the Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing. She adds: “The care they request at the end of life is different in many aspects from traditional end-of-life care.”

This helpful guide, specifically written for Palliative caregivers, gave helpful insights for non-Buddhists who might be caring for a Buddhist: “In all Buddhist traditions, four fundamental contemplations compose the foundation of understanding and meditation: first, that a human rebirth is extremely precious and should be used to its highest spiritual potential; second, that all compounded phenomena are impermanent, and whoever is born is bound to die; third, that beings experience relative reality as compared to ultimate nature that arises interdependently with their own actions; fourth, that all beings suffer, and human beings suffer particularly from birth, sickness, old age, and death.”

Buddha: The Story of Krisha Gotami and the Mustard Seeds

In this helpful guide for Palliative caregivers, the author uses the commonly cited story of the Mustard Seeds:

“In all Buddhist traditions, four fundamental contemplations compose the foundation of understanding and meditation:[2] first, that a human rebirth is extremely precious and should be used to its highest spiritual potential; second, that all compounded phenomena are impermanent, and whoever is born is bound to die; third, that beings experience relative reality as compared to ultimate nature that arises interdependently with their own actions; fourth, that all beings suffer, and human beings suffer particularly from birth, sickness, old age, and death.”

From the Sacred Text “The Mustard Seed”:

Kisa Gotami repaired to the Buddha and cried: “Lord and Master, give me the medicine that will cure my boy.” The Buddha answered: “I want a handful of mustard-seed.” And when the girl in her joy promised to procure it, the Buddha added: “The mustard-seed must be taken from a house where no one has lost a child, husband, parent, or friend.” Poor Kisa Gotami now went from house to house, and the people pitied her and said: “Here is mustard-seed; take it!” But when she asked Did a son or daughter, a father or mother, die in your family?” They answered her: “Alas the living are few, but the dead are many. Do not remind us of our deepest grief.” And there was no house but some beloved one had died in it.

Kisa Gotami became weary and hopeless, and sat down at the wayside, watching the lights of the city, as they flickered up and were extinguished again. At last the darkness of the night reigned everywhere. And she considered the fate of men, that their lives flicker up and are extinguished. And she thought to herself: “How selfish am I in my grief! Death is common to all; yet in this valley of desolation there is a path that leads him to immortality who has surrendered all selfishness.” [10]

Tibetan Book of the Dead: “Describes the dying process in detail”

The Journal article cites the importance of palliative workers being familiar with the Tibetan Book of the Dead, and then goes on to summarize high-level understandings that might be comforting to the Buddhist facing end-of-life. Important, especially, is the definition of death, which in various traditions of Buddhism is quite different from the medical definition. Robert Thurman, the respected Tibetan Buddhist teacher, said the Tibetan Book of the Dead “organizes the experiences of the between—(Tibetan, bar-do) usually referring to the state between death and rebirth.” [11]

Leonard Cohen Narrates a Film on The Tibetan Book of the Dead (video):

The author instructs care-professionals from a Tibetan Buddhist point of view, “it is believed that the nexus of consciousness—at its most subtle level of cognizance and movement—can remain in the body for up to 3 days or longer, depending on the circumstances of death. If the body dies by accident or violence, if the body is undisturbed, or if certain rituals are performed to liberate it from the body, the consciousness may exit immediately. In these cases, the body is merely a corpse and nothing unusual needs to be considered. But, after a peaceful death, Tibetan Buddhists are exceptionally concerned about what happens to the body in the moments and days after death, and they try to ensure that the consciousness exits from the crown of the head.”

Helpfully, the article instructs care-givers to inquire who the patient’s teacher may be and cautions the teacher may live far away. The guide also mentions the practice of P’howa, which means “transference of consciousness” as part of the ongoing spiritual training. P’howa prayers may be recited for years prior to the actual time of death.”

Zasep Tulku Rinpoche: “You can do non-traditional Powa … for other people.”

In our extensive interview with Venerable Zasep Rinpoche we did have an opportunity to ask about Powa or P’howa. I asked, “Is Powa practice helpful for the dying (Transferring the Consciousness)?”

Zasep Rinpoche replied, helpfully: “Powa is a Tibetan word, it means “transferring the consciousness.” I usually say, not everybody should practice this. I don’t want to give people the wrong idea. We do Powa practice as a training. When you know you have some illness or you are dying, if you think death come soon, then it’s a good time to practice. But Powa requires instructions. In traditional Powa practice you have visualize chakras and channels and so on.”

For caregivers, however, Rinpoche had some special advice: “But, you can do a non-traditional Powa—mild Powa, a simple kind of Powa—for other people. Sort of guiding. I call it Powa for the West. For instance if you’re a family member, or in palliative care, and you talk to the patient, you might say as they are dying: ‘You know you are dying now. Let it go. You should go peacefully. As you go, imagine you are going to the Pure Land, or going into the Light, or into Eternal Bliss or Nirvana.’ You could call this kind of help, Powa for the West. It’s not traditional Powa.”

The Zen Master and the Cake

Rinpoche told a story—  illustrating the importance of a peaceful death — during the interview:

“I’ll tell you a story of a Zen Master. He was dying. And he told his attendant ‘Bring me my favorite cake!’ Rice cake. While he was munching the rice cake, his consciousness slipped away. He slipped away while enjoying his rice cake. In a way, this was a kind of Powa. He enjoyed his rice cake peacefully, and no sign of struggling, fear, worry, just passing the consciousness peacefully, happily.”

Venerable Thanissaro Bhikkhu: When dying, “meditation is the one thing that won’t abandon you”

Dying is the one thing we all will face. Buddhists are usually taught to spend their practice hours in one form or another of meditation: mindfulness, analytical mediation (such as on Death), and visualization.

When the time comes to die, explains Venerable Thanissaro Bhikku, meditation is the one thing that will not abandon you:

“What all this boils down to is that, as long as you are able to survive, meditation will improve the quality of your life, so that you can view pain and illness with equanimity and learn from them. When the time comes to go, when the doctors have to throw up their hands in helplessness, the skill you have been developing in your meditation is the one thing that won’t abandon you. It will enable you to handle your death with finesse. Even though we don’t like to think about it, death is going to come no matter what, so we should learn how to stare it down. Remember that a death well handled is one of the surest signs of a life well lived.” [9]

On a more optimistic note, the Venerable teacher told the story of how meditation help keep a woman with cancer alive:

“You should be very clear on one point: The purpose of meditation is to find happiness and well-being within the mind, independent of the body or other things going on outside. Your aim is to find something solid within that you can depend on no matter what happens to the body. If it so happens that through your meditation you are able to effect a physical cure, that’s all fine and good, and there have been many cases where meditation can have a remarkable effect on the body. My teacher had a student – a woman in her fifties – who was diagnosed with cancer more than 15 years ago. The doctors at the time gave her only a few months to live, and yet through her practice of meditation she is still alive today. She focused her practice on the theme that, ‘although her body may be sick, her mind doesn’t have to be.’ A few years ago I visited her in the hospital the day after she had had a kidney removed. She was sitting up in bed, bright and aware, as if nothing happened at all. I asked her if there was any pain, and she said yes, 24 hours a day, but that she didn’t let it make inroads on her mind.”

The Five Powers: Thought Transformation for a Happy Successful Death

Of course no one wants to die. Without question, we will die. In Buddhism, dying without fear, with peace, with a sense of “happiness” is a key teaching. To that end, the teaching on the Five Powers —similar to the Four Powers widely used in Purification practice — can be helpful. These are:

• The Power of Purification
• The Power of Intention
• The Power of Remorse
• The Power of Prayer
• The Power of Familiarity.

For Tibetan Buddhists, this will immediately resonate. Vajrasattva purification practice encompasses similar steps. In fact, daily Vajrasattva practice, keeps the practicing Vajaryana Buddhist ready for a fearless death (even a sudden, accidental or traumatic death.)

1. The First Power, the Power of Purificaiton is basically purification practice (whether focused on Vajrasattva or not.) These are “the 4 powers of regret, reliance, remedy and resolution; give up attachment to your possessions and make offerings of them; meditate upon refuge in the 3 Jewels, give rise to positive thoughts such as Bodhicitta; reaffirm your commitment to whatever spiritual goals and values you cultivated during your life.” [7]
2. The Second Power, The Power of Intention This power is mirrored in the Palliative Care Suggestions from the Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing article. The key is developing a strong resolution not to let your mind come under the sway of disturbing emotions, even in the face of pain and suffering, and remaining focused on altruism and Bodhichitta.
3. The Third Power: The Power or Remorse By meditating on these disturbing emotions, as with all focused meditation, we can make ourselves ready for them to “protect yourself from being overwhelmed by them.”
4. The Fourth Power: the Power of Prayer Making strong aspirations and reaffirming commitments not to become separated from the Dharma, Bodhichitta and the prayer to obtain fortunate rebirth in a situation suitable to continue practicing the Dharma.
5. The Fifth Power: the Power of Familiarity P’howa practice is one method to become “familiar” and practice for the time of death. “Taking and Giving” practice is also powerful, where we visualize and meditate on “taking on the suffering of other beings” and “giving our blessings” to other beings. For those not trained by a teacher in these methods, meditation on samsara, compassion, impermanence, and Emptiness.

Buddha: Palliative Care as Taught by the Buddha

“He who attends on the sick attends on me,” said the Blessed One, the Buddha. [8]

The Buddha taught extensively on nursing and caring for the sick and dying. On many occasions, Buddha personally cleaned and tended to dying people, personally washing out their puss and wounds, and staying with them, speaking the Dharma, as they passed.

“The Buddha has enumerated the qualities that should be present in a good nurse. He should be competent to administer the medicine, he should know what is agreeable to the patient and what is not. He should keep away what is disagreeable and give only what is agreeable to the patient. He should be benevolent and kind-hearted, he should perform his duties out of a sense of service and not just for the sake of remuneration (mettacitto gilanam upatthati no amisantaro). He should not feel repulsion towards saliva, phlegm, urine, stools, sores, etc. He should be capable of exhorting and stimulating the patient with noble ideas, with Dhamma talk (A.iii,144).” [8] 

For Care-Givers: Palliative Care Suggestions for Buddhist at End of Life

In the helpful care-givers article from the Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing, several useful suggestions are made. [Please see the full article, cited in our notes, for full details.]

In informing caregivers about the importance of a “peaceful” passing, suggestions included:

• Allow for uninterrupted periods for religious practice, and consider playing meditative audio recordings that are reassuring to the patient, such as mantra or sutra recitation where appropriate.
• Provide an altar with religious photos and relics and keep it in the line of vision of the patient.
• “Specifying who the patient would like to be present at the time of death. The preference may be for no one to be present, especially if family and friends are very emotional or unsupportive of the religious practices.”
• Importance of the attitude of caregivers and visitors: peaceful visits, turn phones off, be relaxed and peaceful.

The article emphasizes the importance of a peaceful environment several times and notes that managing disruptive or upset visitors might be important. During the dying process, the article suggests:

• Do not disturb the patient
• For Tibetan Buddhists especially, leave the body undisturbed for as long as practically possible after death. “Buddhists believe the dying process continues for 3–4 days after what is usually accepted as “dead.” Although many laws do not allow for the body to remain in a natural state for 3–4 days, remain mindful of this to be supportive as the family is approached about the death.”
• “You may want to help the patient sit up in order to practice, or to lie on the right side, which was the position of the Buddha at his death deceased has sometimes been reported as 100 days; however, in the Vajrayana.”

Of special note the author wrote: “the period for special rituals and prayers for the tradition, the period is generally 49 days. Although this may seem like a subtle difference, it is highly relevant in the provision of individualized bereavement services in hospice.”

NOTES

[1] Two hour interview with Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche at Gaden Choling, fall teaching session 2015, full interview to be published in Buddha Weekly.

[2] Advice on Dying: And Living a Better Life, Dalai Lama

[3] A Year to Live: How to Live This Year as If It Were Your Last, Publisher: Harmony; 1st edition (April 14 1998), ISBN-10: 0609801945, ISBN-13: 978-0609801949

[4] Tricycle Magazine: Interview with Stephen Levine

[5] Levine Talks website.

[6] Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing article: “End-of-Life Needs of Patients Who Practice Tibetan Buddhism”

[7] “A Buddhist Guide to Death, Dying and Suffering” — Urban Dharma.

[8] “Ministering to the Sick and Terminally Ill” by Lily de Silva, Urban Dharma

[9] “Using Meditation to Deal with Pain, Illness and Death” Venerable Thanissaro Bhikku, Urban Dharma.

[10] Sacred Text “The Mustard Seed”

[11] Open Culture “Leonard Cohen Narrates Film on The Tibetan Book of the Dead“

The post “Learning how to die” and “Why Meditating on Death May Bring Joy to Life”: What the Buddhist Teachers Say About End of Life, Dying, and Palliative Care appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

By Lee Kane

“On one level all our minds are connected,” said Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche in his introductory remarks at a weekend retreat dedicated to Lojong Seven-point mind training. “We are the creators of our suffering. Everything depends on mind.”

Lojong literally can translate as “mind training”— lo, mind; jong, training. Lojong is both thought provoking and thought-suspending, as the various meditations took participants from analytical meditation, through to Shunyata emptiness contemplation.

This feature teaching is based on a  special Lojong retreat — attended by the author — that took students deep into their own minds. Venerable Acharya Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, spiritual director of Gaden for the West, led seven separate meditations, each more thought-provoking than the previous. The meditation culminated in a very moving Tonglen healing “giving and taking” practice.

Preliminary Practices (Point One)

The teachings began with the traditional “point one” in Lojong — a teaching on the importance of preliminary practices such as prostrations, taking refuge, Vajrasattva practice, mindfulness meditation, and Guru Yoga. Venerable Zasep Rinpoche  joked, “Doing 100,000 full-body-to-floor prostrations sounds difficult, but it’s very good yoga. You will be very healthy after you finish!” And, of course, it is a remedy for pride and ego.

Each of the seven retreat meditations helped lead to an understanding of the seven important points of Lojong.

Lojong Mind Training

Rinpoche clarified that one of the many purposes of Lojong mind training is to “help us to heal and remove obstacles in our lives. It teaches us to turn these obstacles and challenges into objects of practice.”

He taught that anyone, of any faith system can succeed with Lojong—there is no prerequisite of practicing Buddhism, and clarified this when discussing the preliminary practices. For example, he said, “Taking refuge practice can be refuge in any faith object,” not necessarily the traditional Buddha, Dharma, Sangha refuge—if one is practicing Lojong as a non-Buddhist.

Seven Points of Lojong

The teaching was organized around the seven points of Lojong (see below for the 59 slogans, organized under the seven points, which are the dos and don’ts of Lojong according to the root text):

• Point 1: The preliminaries, which are the basis for dharma practice

• Point 2: The main practice, which is the training in bodhicitta

• Point 3: Transformation of bad circumstances into the way of Enlightenment

• Point 4: Showing the utilization of practice in one’s whole life

• Point 5: Evaluation of mind training

• Point 6: Disciplines of mind training

• Point 7: Guidelines of mind training.

Rinpoche led students through seven meditations to help anchor the mind in the concepts.

For example, in discussing the third point—”Transformation of bad circumstances into the way of Enlightenment” — he explained that “each obstacle is to be seen as an opportunity, rather than a problem.”

He also taught extensively on the importance of staying in the present moment. Problems are past or future. The present moment is not about problems. The problems you believe you had are those experienced in your history—which is now irrelevant to the present. The problems you worry about are part of a hypothetical future—which is not real and not in the present.

To illustrate, he explained with the concept of love. Love in the past is just a memory. It no longer is love. Love in the future is a desire or dream. It is not real. “Love in the present moment is the only true love.”

What is Mind?

Important analytical meditation topics included “What is mind?” and “Where is your mind?? — where Rinpoche challenged students to try to answer both nearly impossible questions. If that wasn’t enough for mental overload, the next session asked us to watch our own minds, mindfully.

Rinpoche’s meditation sessions included “watching the breath”, mindfulness meditation, an intense and challenging analytical session, shunyata emptiness contemplation, and tonglen—giving and taking.

Rinpoche assured students it was safe and beneficial to visualize taking in another’s suffering and giving up some of your own virtues in exchange. It is safe, he explained, to visualize taking in the suffering of a cancer patient, and giving them your own strength in return. In fact, it was a form of self-healing as well.

Tathagatagarbha and Buddha Mind

Rinpoche stressed the concept that mind has no beginning and no end. It never began, and it will never end. He explained the concepts of mind stream, karma and reincarnation and Buddha Mind.

Rinpoche described the different kinds of mind we might experience: indifferent mind, sinking (lazy) mind, virtuous mind, non virtuous mind, and Buddha Nature.

“All beings have Buddha Nature, Tathagatagarbha.” Insects, animals, humans, all have Buddha Nature. Tathagatagarbha, as explained the Sutra of the same name, means that every being can attain Buddhahood—a fundamental understanding in most schools of Mahayana. A key to understanding Buddha Nature is that it requires no cultivation—but rather uncovering or re-discovery.

“An unknown treasure exists under the home of a poor person that must be uncovered through removing obstructive dirt, yielding the treasure that always was there. Just as the treasure already exists and thus requires no further fashioning, so the matrix-of-one-gone-thus [i.e. the tathāgatagarbha], endowed with ultimate buddha qualities, already dwells within each sentient being and needs only to be freed from defilements” —Mountain Doctrine: Tibet’s Fundamental Treatise on Other-Emptiness and the Buddha Matrix, Jeffrey Hopkins, Snow Lion Publications.

Other sutras that teach Tathagatagarbha include Srimaladevi Simhanada Sutra, Mahaparinirvana Sutra, Angulimaliya Sutra, Lankavatara Sutra and Avatamsaka Sutra.

Lojong Root Text

The original Lojong practice is organized around seven points with 59 slogans, which are expanded on in various commentaries by great Buddhist teachers. The slogans are organized around the seven points explained in Rinpoche’s teaching.

Video teachings from Zasep Rilnpoche, from another weekend on Foundation Practices (which is Point One in the Lojong Root Text):

Translations vary, but the basic slogans are:

Point One: The preliminaries, which are the basis for dharma practice

Slogan 1. First, train in the preliminaries

• Maintain an awareness of the preciousness of human life.
• Be aware of the reality that life ends; death comes for everyone; Impermanence.
• Recall that whatever you do, whether virtuous or not, has a result; Karma.
• Contemplate that as long as you are too focused on self-importance and too caught up in thinking about how you are good or bad, you will experience suffering. Obsessing about getting what you want and avoiding what you don’t want does not result in happiness; Ego.

Point Two: The main practice, which is training in bodhicitta.

Sub Point: Absolute Bodhicitta

Slogan 2. Regard all dharmas as dreams; although experiences may seem solid, they are passing memories.

Slogan 3. Examine the nature of unborn awareness.

Slogan 4. Self-liberate even the antidote.

Slogan 5. Rest in the nature of alaya, the essence, the present moment.

Slogan 6. In postmeditation, be a child of illusion.

Sub-Point Relative Bodhicitta

Slogan 7. Sending and taking should be practiced alternately. These two should ride the breath (aka. practice Tonglen).

Slogan 8. Three objects, three poisons, three roots of virtue — The 3 objects are friends, enemies and neutrals. The 3 poisons are craving, aversion and indifference. The 3 roots of virtue are the remedies.

Slogan 9. In all activities, train with slogans.

Slogan 10. Begin the sequence of sending and taking with yourself.

Point Three: Transformation of Bad Circumstances into the Way of Enlightenment

Slogan 11. When the world is filled with evil, transform all mishaps into the path of bodhi.

Slogan 12. Drive all blames into one.

Slogan 13. Be grateful to everyone.

Slogan 14. Seeing confusion as the four kayas is unsurpassable shunyata protection.

The kayas are Dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, nirmanakaya, svabhavikakaya. Thoughts have no birthplace, thoughts are unceasing, thoughts are not solid, and these three characteristics are interconnected. Shunyata can be described as “complete openness.”

Slogan 15. Four practices are the best of methods.

The four practices are: accumulating merit, laying down evil deeds, offering to the dons, and offering to the dharmapalas.

Slogan 16. Whatever you meet unexpectedly, join with meditation.

Point Four: Showing the Utilization of Practice in One’s Whole Life

Slogan 17. Practice the five strengths, the condensed heart instructions.

The 5 strengths are: strong determination, familiarization, the positive seed, reproach, and aspiration.

Slogan 18. The mahayana instruction for ejection of consciousness at death is the five strengths: how you conduct yourself is important. When you are dying practice the 5 strengths.

Point Five: Evaluation of Mind Training

Slogan 19. All dharma agrees at one point — All Buddhist teachings are about lessening the ego, lessening one’s self-absorption.

Slogan 20. Of the two witnesses, hold the principal one — You know yourself better than anyone else knows you

Slogan 21. Always maintain only a joyful mind.

Slogan 22. If you can practice even when distracted, you are well trained.

Point Six: Disciplines of Mind Training

Slogan 23. Always abide by the three basic principles — Dedication to your practice, refraining from outrageous conduct, developing patience.

Slogan 24. Change your attitude, but remain natural.– Reduce ego clinging, but be yourself.

Slogan 25. Don’t talk about injured limbs — Don’t take pleasure contemplating others defects.

Slogan 26. Don’t ponder others — Don’t take pleasure contemplating others weaknesses.

Slogan 27. Work with the greatest defilements first — Work with your greatest obstacles first.

Slogan 28. Abandon any hope of fruition — Don’t get caught up in how you will be in the future, stay in the present moment.

Slogan 29. Abandon poisonous food.

Slogan 30. Don’t be so predictable — Don’t hold grudges.

Slogan 31. Don’t malign others.

Slogan 32. Don’t wait in ambush — Don’t wait for others weaknesses to show to attack them.

Slogan 33. Don’t bring things to a painful point — Don’t humiliate others.

Slogan 34. Don’t transfer the ox’s load to the cow — Take responsibility for yourself.

Slogan 35. Don’t try to be the fastest — Don’t compete with others.

Slogan 36. Don’t act with a twist — Do good deeds without scheming about benefiting yourself.

Slogan 37. Don’t turn gods into demons — Don’t use these slogans or your spirituality to increase your self-absorption

Slogan 38. Don’t seek others’ pain as the limbs of your own happiness.

Point Seven: Guidelines of Mind Training

Slogan 39. All activities should be done with one intention.

Slogan 40. Correct all wrongs with one intention.

Slogan 41. Two activities: one at the beginning, one at the end.

Slogan 42. Whichever of the two occurs, be patient.

Slogan 43. Observe these two, even at the risk of your life.

Slogan 44. Train in the three difficulties.

Slogan 45. Take on the three principal causes: the teacher, the dharma, the sangha.

Slogan 46. Pay heed that the three never wane: gratitude towards one’s teacher, appreciation of the dharma (teachings) and correct conduct.

Slogan 47. Keep the three inseparable: body, speech, and mind.

Slogan 48. Train without bias in all areas. It is crucial always to do this pervasively and wholeheartedly.

Slogan 49. Always meditate on whatever provokes resentment.

Slogan 50. Don’t be swayed by external circumstances.

Slogan 51. This time, practice the main points: others before self, dharma, and awakening compassion.

Slogan 52. Don’t misinterpret.

The six things that may be misinterpreted are patience, yearning, excitement, compassion, priorities and joy.

Slogan 53. Don’t vacillate (in your practice of LoJong).

Slogan 54. Train wholeheartedly.

Slogan 55. Liberate yourself by examining and analyzing: Know your own mind with honesty and fearlessness.

Slogan 56. Don’t wallow in self-pity.

Slogan 57. Don’t be jealous.

Slogan 58. Don’t be frivolous.

Slogan 59. Don’t expect applause.

The event was hosted in Toronto by Gaden Choling Toronto, Medicine Buddha Toronto and Snow Lion Canada with teacher Zasep Tulku Rinpoche and introduced by Theodore Tsaousidis.

About Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche

Rinpoche is the spiritual head of Gaden for the West, and many associated Buddhist Centres in Canada, the United States and Australia, including : Gaden Choling and Gaden Tashi Choling Retreat Centre. He is the author of Tara in the Palm of Your Hand, a precious teaching on the 21 Taras.

Rinpoche is a highly realized and internationally respected teacher of the Gelugpa Buddhism, one of the great Tibetan-born teachers, and the 13th incarnation of Lama Konchog Tenzin of Zuru Monastery. He founded Gaden Relief over twenty-five years ago, to help bring aid and donations to people in need in Mongolia, Tibet and India. Each year, he travels tirelessly around the world, teaching at many dharma centres—and, also bringing healing and aid to people in need.

The Lojong event was hosted in Toronto by Gaden Choling Toronto, Medicine Buddha Toronto and Snow Lion Canada with teacher Zasep Tulku Rinpoche and introduced by Theodore Tsaousidis.

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The post “Mind is the creator of our own happiness or suffering”—Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche teaches Lojong Seven-Point Mind Training appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

The writers and editors at Buddha Weekly wish Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche a very happy birthday — and many more. Our headline is a quote from the long-life prayer to Zasep Rinpoche composed by the illustrious Kyabje Trijang RInpoche at the request of Ponpo Nawang Losang.

The birthdays of any great Buddhist teacher should be celebrated — they have dedicated their lives to the Dharma — and especially the great lights who came out of Tibet, teachers of ancient lineage stretching back to  Shakyamuni Buddha (563 BCE – 483 BCE).

There is something special about Dharma preserved in the ancient land of Tibet — and the people who migrated from the high mountains. As Rinpoche explained in his Autobiography, A Tulku’s Journey from Tibet to Canada:

“To become who I am today, I began with many advantages. I was born into a loving, well-to-do family in an incredibly beautiful homeland rich in tradition, and I was given a rigorous spiritual education from highly realized Buddhist masters. Later on in my youth, I had a lot of suffering. I had to flee my homeland, I had to endure great hardship and loss as a refugee, and I had to adapt to a strange new world with values and customs so very different from the ones I had learned as a child. My experiences as a refugee faced with building a new life made me who I am today.”

For the full review of A Tulku’s Journey from Tibet to Canada (soon to be available in second edition paperback on Amazon), view here>>

Zasep Rinpoche’s teachers and gurus are of illustrious lineage. From the Buddha Weekly Review: “some of the most illustrious masters of the last century, who, besides the Dalai Lama and his Root Guru Trijang Rinpoche, included: Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, Tara Tulku Rinpoche, Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, Lati Rinpoche, and Guru Deva Rinpoche.”

Venerable Zasep Rinpoche is spiritual guide and founder for many meditation centres in Canada, the United States, Australia and also teaches in Mongolia and Mexico. He is fluent in more than one language and a popular teacher. He first began teaching in English in Australia, where he translated for Tibetan teachers at the invitation of Lama Yeshe.

H.H. the Dalai Lama, H.H. the Karmpa and H.H. Kyabje Ling Rinpoche — all in one year!

Later, in 1981, he came to Canada, where he now lives.  In an early “Interview with the Teachers” story in Buddha Weekly [Full interview here>>], Zasep Rinpoche described the fortunate circumstances that year, referring to the founding of Gaden Choling in Toronto:

“Gaden Choling is a very old centre… I came here in the autumn of 1981. When I arrived here, there was an auspicious event, something that had not happened before. Three great lamas arrived in Toronto at the same year.

H.H. the Dalai Lama came in October to Toronto for the first time. Then, H.H. the 16th Karmapa arrived in November. Then, my teacher, H.H. Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, he also arrived in November. All these things happened in the fall of 1981 in Toronto.

When I arrived here, we were so energized by these great lamas, that a group of dharma students of the Gelug tradition told me they were thinking of setting up a meditation centre here. They had been thinking about it for a couple of years. When H.H. Kyabje Ling Rinpoche arrived in November, we asked Rinpoche to give us a name. He gave the name Gaden Choling. Gaden Choling means joyful dharma land.”

Today, Gaden for the West is the umbrella organization for many meditation centres and a retreat centre in Nelson, B.C.

In Buddha Weekly’s review of A Tulku’s Journey from Tibet to Canada, we wrote: “Although it’s not meant to be high pace adventure, Zasep Rinpoche’s biography reads like a spiritual and physical adventure both. We follow a Tibetan Rinpoche forced to flee his invaded country, facing bombers and bandits, on a desperate journey to refugee status in Nepal, then on to India, Thailand, Australia, United States, and finally, citizenship in Canada. We first meet a boy, deeply devoted to his grandfather and grandmother and family; we relive his six-decade adventure from boy Tulku refugee, to a revered Guru and spiritual head of Vajrayana Buddhist centres in Australia, Canada and the United States.”

Immortal Rain

The Long Life Prayer of Venerable Zasep Tulku

By Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche

Wisdom of all the Buddhas,

Eternal adamantine nature,

Clad in the three maroon robes and displaying the marks of perfection,

Lobsang Gyalwa Tsedzin, benefactor of life,

Please grant the joyous occasion for the attainment of immortality,

Here and now!

Lobsang Tenzin Gyaltsen

Treasure of knowledge of Jamgon’s

Noble heritage and wish-fulfilling power,

Concerned solely with upholding the Dharma in both theory and practice,

You please all the infinite Buddhas immensely

Oh, learned propagator and holy teacher,

Please stay firmly with us.

The pure white light of your peerless wisdom

Reveals the bountiful jasmine garden of

Dharma’s precepts and training.

May your smile, like a full moon in a night in the autumn,

Shine undiminished until the end of existence.

Bodhisattva Lobsang Tenzin Gyaltsen,

Please remain firmly with us!

Though the pernicious mind like an elephant is difficult to tame,

You have controlled it with the sharp hook of mental alertness.

Never crossing beyond the rules of the Vinaya,

May you, Reverend Elder, truly live long!

Explaining in detail through exacting discernment

The lapis lazuli lineage of the Sutras and Tantras

In well-spoken rhymes of complete perfection,

May your melodious tones always proclaim the Scriptures

And grace the ears of us fortunate ones!

Thus the teachings of Father Jampal Nyingpo

Are like a wick in a lamp of refined molten gold.

May you through your life of purity and goodness

Be the one who raises its flame higher and higher

And ever remain steadfastly with us!

By the compassion of the Triple Gem and the Ocean of Conquerors,

By the power of the Dharma Protectors long trusted and honoured,

By the true strength of unequivocal causal interdependence,

May the purpose of this prayer be accomplished

Spontaneously and without hindrance!

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The post Happy Birthday Venerable Zasep Rinpoche: May the pure white light of your peerless wisdom shine undiminished until the end of existence appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

Meditation is the metaphorical transport vehicle on the journey towards Enlightenment. Mediation is a key practice within the Noble Eightfold Path, specifically: Right Concentration (samma samadhi) and Right Mindfulness (samma sati). But, no one ever said the only way to meditate was in the seated posture. Walking meditation actually teaches us to be in the present moment:

“Each step brings you back to the present moment, which is the only moment in which you can be alive.” — Thich Nhat Han

Thich Nhat Hanh, the great Zen teacher, explained: “Practising walking meditation is to practice meditation while you walk. You walk, and you do it as if you are the happiest person in the world. And, if you can do that, you succeed in walking meditation. Because we don’t set ourselves a goal, or a particular destination, so we don’t have to hurry, because there’s nothing there for us to get. Therefore, walking is not a means. It’s an end, by itself.”

Walking meditation — Ideal for busy people, sleep minds and long-lasting results

Buddha sat under the Bodhi Tree until he was Enlightened. In Buddhism, the word “sit” is virtually synonymous with meditation. However, in our transportation metaphor, you can have many vehicles: sitting, standing, walking, prone, active visualizing, — even sleeping (as we covered in our recent feature on Sleep Yoga>>)

It surprises some Buddhists that Buddha specifically taught the benefits of Walking Meditation in the “Discourse on Walking” (AN 5.29 PTS: A iii 29):

“Monks, there are these five benefits of walking up and down. What five?

One is fit for long journeys; one is fit for striving; one has little disease; that which is eaten, drunk, chewed, tasted, goes through proper digestion; the composure attained by walking up and down is long-lasting.

These, monks, are the five benefits of walking up and down.”

Confusing posture with a type of meditation

Seated meditation is not a type of meditation; it’s only a posture. Mindfulness is a type of meditation; but it can be performed while seated, standing, walking or lying down. Although, in Zen (specifically), Shikantaza is considered a type (it means “just sitting”), generally, most meditation types are exclusive of the posture.

Buddha mentioned walking in more than one sutra. In the Mindfulness Discourse, He famously said:

“Breathing in, I am aware of my whole body. Breathing out, I am aware of my whole body. Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I calm my body.’Moreover, when a practitioner walks, he is aware, ‘I am walking.’” — Discourse on the Four Establishments of Mindfulness

Buddha taught many types — mindfulness, calm abiding, insight, and much more (see list below) — but many Buddhists forget there are also different “postures” within these types. You can meditate on insight or mindfulness while seated in a yogic posture, seated in a chair, standing, lying down, sleeping — or walking. Some meditators, especially on long retreats, will mix up all of the poses. Others settle into just one that works for them — although on a retreat eighteen hours of sitting can be excruciating for people, especially those with arthritis or other health conditions.

Walking meditation is also good for you

“Walking meditation has many of the same benefits as sitting meditation,” explains Yuttadhammo Bhikku (video below.) “In the same way we do in sitting meditation, in walking meditation we try to keep the mind in the present moment.”

For hectic, stress-filled lives, and especially given modern sedentary lives — not enough exercise! — increasingly walking meditation is becoming the favourite “vehicle” or pose for modern meditators. Especially after forty minutes of formal “sitting”, a mindful walk can be a must. Some people, are even making walking meditation their main focus. You can still focus on breath, mindfulness of body or phenomena, calm abiding or insight while engaging in a measured, mindful walk. With a little experience, you can even take along the dog — at least for mindfulness practice.

For hectic, stress-filled lives, and especially given modern sedentary lives — not enough exercise! — increasingly walking meditation is becoming the favourite “vehicle” or pose for modern meditators. Especially after forty minutes of formal “sitting”, a mindful walk can be a must. Some people, are even making walking meditation their main focus. You can still focus on breath, mindfulness of body or phenomena, calm abiding or insight while engaging in a measured, mindful walk. With a little experience, you can even take along the dog — at least for mindfulness practice.

As Buddha Taught: “One is fit for long journeys; one is fit for striving; one has little disease; that which is eaten, drunk, chewed, tasted, goes through proper digestion; the composure attained by walking up and down is long-lasting.”

Yuttadhammo Bhikku explains: “Walking meditation has several benefits that are not found in sitting meditation.” He highlighted health and concentration (a side-benefit of improved health). “The second benefit is that it teaches us patience — because it is something done very slowly, repetitiously. It tests our patience.”

Yuttadhammo Bhikku teaching Walking Meditation:

A Walking Meditation How To

Thich Nhat Han, the Zen master, taught: “You walk, and you do it as if you are the happiest person in the world. And, if you can do that, you succeed in walking meditation. Because we don’t set ourselves a goal, or a particular destination, so we don’t have to hurry, because there’s nothing there for us to get. Therefore, walking is not a means. It’s an end, by itself.”

The simplest method is to adapt the oldest style of formal walking meditation, which has the meditator walking the same path back and forth, very slowly and deliberately. The goal is to be distraction-free and comfortable, walking slowly enough that you’re never out of breath, and on a path family enough that you’re not distracted.

The concept is a good one. The repetitive back and forth removes the “thinking” burden of planning your path, and the “distraction” issue of scenery. This is by no means the only method. Many walking meditation advocates (myself included) prefer to alternate with formal walking on a longer natural path. After all, we’re learning to stay in the present moment. Instead of mindfulness of body, here you can focus on mindfulness of surround phenomenon (passive observation and listening.)

Thich Nhat Hanh, the great Zen Master teaches Walking Meditation:

“Each step you make must make you happy, peaceful and serene,” Thich Nhat Hanh explained. “And each step brings you back to the present moment, which is the only moment in which you can be alive.”

The concept is a good one. The repetitive back and forth removes the “thinking” burden of planning your path, and the “distraction” issue of scenery. This is by no means the only method. Many walking meditation advocates (myself included) prefer to alternate with formal walking on a longer natural path. After all, we’re learning to stay in the present moment, and this can be very powerful if practiced in an environment where the present moment is changing. Simply, being aware is the practice.

For those who want to practice the older “forest-style” walking meditation, the instructions are:

1. Find a straight path (return to it daily) approximately 40 feet long (shorter is okay if you have small back yard), preferably level, with no bumps or obstacles. A wooden path was traditionally used in some temples (see picture) and retreat centres. Alternately, a sandy obstacle-free path in the woods. Avoid mosquitos and other obstacles, unless you wish this to be part of your mindfulness training.
2. Go barefoot, or with light non-distracting shoes/sandals.
3. Focus on your posture as you would in sitting — remain upright but not stiff, good posture but not rigid.
4. Half close your eyes — this is one of the reasons to use the repeating path so that you can move your thoughts within as you would in sitting meditation.
5. As with seated meditation, in formal walking you might use a single mudra, usually hands loosely on top of each other as you would in a seated posture (see images). This is to help prevent weaving and bobbing movements. It is also the mudra of meditative equipoise.
6. As with sitting, you choose your meditation: mindfulness of breath, or mindfulness of phenomenon (around you), or mindfulness of your body (focusing on your muscles as you move), or even analytical meditation.
7. Alternately, if you are Tibetan or Zen oriented, you could hold your Mala in front of your heart and count mantras as you walk (in place of mindfulness practice or breathing practice. This can count (depending on your teacher’s guidance) towards mantra counting retreats if done as formal practice.
8. Now, walk, back and forth, on the short path, but at a very SLOW measured pace. Try not to bob or weave (which can happen when walking quickly). Do not swing the arms as indicated in point 5 above. Your pace should be measured. You should aim for effortless grace. If you have arthritis or a dissability alter your gait to the best comfort zone.
9. When turning at the end of the path, don’t lurch around or swing around like a marching soldier — take short flat step turns in a very deliberate fashion to keep it formal and graceful.
10. Now, lose yourself in the present moment — of the object of your meditation — in the same way as you would for sitting. This can be breath — for example, one breath in for every four steps, and focusing perfectly on your breath going in and out — or mindfulness of phenomenon, where you might learn to listen for every sound around you (insects, birds, twigs cracking), or any meditation your prefer.
11. Alternately, if you have Tibetan sadhana practice memorized, for Vajrayana students you can actually practice Sadhanas with mudras as you walk.
12. Every few steps, check where you mind is. Keep yourself calm, centred and comfortable, but mindful.

Ben Griggs (video below) with some useful tips on walking meditation:

Thich Nhat Hanh — Walking Meditation

Thich Nhat Hanh is famous for his formal walking meditation sessions with students. There are many videos and photos of the great Zen teacher leading dozens of students on a walking session.

“When we practice walking meditation, we arrive in each moment. Our true home is in the present moment. When we enter the present moment deeply, our regrets and sorrows disappear, and we discover life with all its wonders. Breathing in, we say to ourselves, I have arrived. Breathing out, we say, I am home. When we do this we overcome dispersion and dwell peacefully in the present moment, which is the only moment for us to be alive.” — Thich Nhat Hanh

A formal teaching on Simple Mindfulness while walking from Thich Nhat Hanh:

Formal walking meditation according to Sutra

In walking meditation, it is generally taught to be mindful of the six part steps to walking. So, in this case, rather than being mindful of breath, thought, phenomenon, we focus on the movement of our feet. These are taught as:

1. One step: standing
2. Two-part step: lift and place
3. Three-part step: lift, move, place
4. four-part step: lay-up, lift, move, place
5. Five-part step: lay up lift, move, lower place
6. Six-part step: lay-up, lift, move, lower, touch, place.

The goal is to make walking very precise, almost robotic in repetitive motion, but very graceful.

Watch this video for an excellent explanation and demonstration:

NOTES

[1] “Cankama Sutta: Walking” (AN 5.29), translated from the Pali by Aggacitta Bhikkhu & Kumara Bhikkhu. Access to Insight (Legacy Edition), 2 November 2013.

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The post Cankama Sutta: Walking Meditation Sutra: put some mileage on your Buddhist practice with formal mindful walking appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

Namdrol Rinpoche’s charm is his down-to-earth style of teaching — very evident in the short video Experience Buddhism, below. Although short, the video contains profound insights:

“Our practice is not so much about faith. It’s not so much about prayer…The purpose of practice is to bring out the divinity in us.”

Namdrol Rinpoche is popular, in part, because he is an engaging teacher in both English and Mandarin Chinese. Recognized as a Tulku, Namdrol Rinpoche studied with teachers from Theravada, Mahayana and Tibetan Buddhist traditions. He was a lay Yogi at Kopan Monastery in Nepal for many years. Today, he is the spiritual director at Thekchen Choling temple in Singapore.

Namdrol Rinpoche teaching in Central New York

In September and October, Rinpoche will visit the Central New York area for teachings at Thekchen Choling Temple in Minoa. [Schedule below.] Here’s a quick glimpse, a five-minute video [full transcript below video] that introduces Buddhism and reveals his charismatic teaching style:

For more video teachings from Rinpoche, visit the Thekchen Choling YouTube Channel>>

Schedule of events during Rinpoche’s September/October teaching visit to New York:

Transcript of Video

“Buddhism emphasizes and lays it very foundations on equanimity. There is no difference between god and human and animal, rich person, poor person — everybody is fundamentally the same. That is the core teaching of Buddhism.”

Following is the announcement text for the Syracuse 2017 teaching event:

Public Schedule for Syracuse 2017

Singha Namdrol Rinpoche’s Teachings                                                      

About Rinpoche

Thekchen Choling Buddhist Temple is happy to announce the return of Buddhist master, Singha Namdrol Rinpoche, to the Syracuse area for a 4-week visit.  During this time, Rinpoche will offer a series of teachings and other Dharma activities for the general public.

Born in Singapore in 1974 to a Chinese Taoist family, Singha Namdrol Rinpoche is a “tulku,” the recognized reincarnation of a Buddhist master from Tibet.  Drawn to Buddhism from an early age, Rinpoche studied with teachers from the Theravada, Chinese Mahayana, and Tibetan Buddhist traditions. For many years he trained, not as a monk, but as a lay Tibetan Buddhist Yogi at Kopan Monastery in Nepal, before founding his own temple in Singapore in 2001.

A brilliant teacher fluent in English and Mandarin Chinese, Singha Namdrol Rinpoche is well known for his fresh, exciting, down-to-earth teaching style, as well as his practical wisdom and insightful humor.

Schedule of Teachings and Events

SEPT 14 (Thurs): Teaching & Film: “Many Lives, Many Lessons: How to Move Forward to a New and Better Life,” 6:30 pm, Manlius Public Library, Arkie Albanese Lane, Manlius, NY. (FREE)

SEPT 15 (Fri):  Guru Rinpoche Puja & Tsok Feast (Potluck): 6:30 pm, Thekchen Choling Temple, 109 East Avenue, Minoa, NY.

SEPT 16 (Sat): Lhamo Chundi Initiation: 11 am, Thekchen Choling Temple, 109 East Avenue, Minoa, NY, (Participants are asked to please be vegetarian the morning before the Initiation).    

SEPT 19 (Tues): Birthday Celebration of Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha: Thekchen Choling Temple, 109 East Avenue, Minoa, NY

11 am: Chinese Chanting: Offering to Buddha and Recitation of the Ksitigarbha Sutra (Part 1).

1:00 pm: Vegetarian Lunch

5:00 pm: Recitation of Ksitigarbha Sutra (Part 2)

6:30 pm: Vegetarian Dinner

7:30 pm: Recitation of the Ksitigarbha Sutra (Part 3) & Amitabha Sutra for the Salvation of all Beings

SEPT 20 (Wed): Teaching: “The Practice of Lhamo Chundi and Chanting of the Chundi Prayer” (English), 7:00 pm, Thekchen Choling Temple, 109 East Avenue, Minoa, NY

SEPT 23 (Sat): Incense Smoke Offering, 10 am, Whorrall Pavillion, Mill Run Park, Manlius

SEPT 26 (Tues): Chinese Chanting, 7:00 pm, Thekchen Choling Temple, 109 East Avenue, Minoa, NY (FREE)

SEPT 27 (Wed): Buddhist Teaching: “Why Wait for Happiness?” 6:30 pm, Manlius Public Library, Arkie Albanese Lane, Manlius, NY (FREE)

SEPT 29 – OCT 1 (Fri, Sat & Sun): “Be the Light: Amitabha Buddha Retreat”

FRIDAY: 9/29:  Temple:                                                                                                             

Registration: 6 pm -7 pm

Program: 7:00 pm                                                                                                                                          

 8:30 pm “Passing the Light” ceremony

SATURDAY: 9/30:  Temple                                                                                                                           

Morning Tea & check in: 8 am

Program: 9 am – 12 noon                                                                                                                                         

Lunch: 12 pm – 2 pm

Program: 2 pm to 5 pm                                                                                                                                                       

SUNDAY: 10/1:  Temple                                                                                                                        

Morning Tea & check in: 8 am

Program: 9 am – 12 pm                                                                                                                                       

Lunch 12 – 2pm

(Suggested donation for the Amitabha Retreat weekend: $100, includes tea & snacks, vegetarian lunch on Sat & Sun, and all materials. Sliding scale available).

OCT 3 (Tues): Mandarin Teaching: “The Purpose of Generosity & Offerings,” 7:00 pm, Thekchen Choling Temple, 109 East Avenue, Minoa, NY (English translation provided) (FREE)

OCT 4 (Wed):  Teaching: “A Spark of Light in the Darkest Moment: A Buddhist Perspective on Life,” 6:00 pm, Solvay Library, 615 Woods Rd, Solvay, NY 13209, (FREE)

OCT 5 (Thur): Lhamo Chundi Chanting (English), 7:00 pm, Thekchen Choling Temple, 109 East Avenue, Minoa, NY (FREE)

********************************************************

For more information about these events, contact Thekchen Choling Temple, menla108@yahoo.com or call: 315-480-1088.  Please be sure to visit our website at www.thek.us and look for us on Face Book.

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The post Video: “Experience Buddhism” with Namdrol Rinpoche “Buddhism emphasizes, and lays its very foundations on, equanimity.” appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

Anger is, unquestionably, the largest obstacle to Buddhist practice — and the most destructive — particularly in anger-prone modern times. Anger suppressed is unhealthy. Anger expressed inappropriately is dangerous. Zasep Rinpoche explains how in Buddhism there are “antidotes” to anger which are not only psychologically sound, they also bring peace and enhance our practice of compassion and Bodhichitta.

In our “Ask the teacher” advice series with the teachers, a student asked Ven. Zasep Rinpoche:

“How do I deal with my anger. Sometimes it consumes me and hurts others.”

In a concise, five-minute teaching, Rinpoche gives advice for this student, appropriate to anyone, and practices that help with our anger. The video ends with a wonderful Bodhichitta chant from amazing vocalist Yoko Dharma — not to be missed!

Full teaching video and mantra chanting here [Transcript below of the teaching.]:

Note

Yoko Dharma’s brilliant vocalization of Refuge in “the Three Jewels and the Four Immeasurables”  is used with her kind permission. Information on Yoko Dharma (or to download the track) please visit here>> 

Teaching transcript of Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche’s answer

“Anger is destructive mind. A person is angry, to himself or herself, or angry to others.

The nature of the anger is very unpleasant, uncomfortable, painful, restless, destructive. It hurts inside of you. It feels like your heart and your organs in your body are somehow heated up, and burning. Your blood in the body is running faster, going up to the head.

Some people when they get angry — their eyes are red, and their hands are shaking, and the voice changes. You know, you see the body language is changing — and it looks ugly! It looks unpleasant. So, anger is a very unpleasant thing! It makes other people uncomfortable.

Health issues from anger

Some people when they get angry — their eyes are red, and their hands are shaking, and the voice changes. You know, you see the body language is changing — and it looks ugly! It looks unpleasant. So, anger is a very unpleasant thing! It makes other people uncomfortable. It doesn’t look cool.

Anger actually destroys inner peace, destroys love, destroys compassion. Anger destroys virtues. Anger destroys ones own Dharma practice (if it’s not dedicated to the benefit of all sentient beings.)

According to medicine — traditional [Tibetan] medicine — says that anger weakens your heart. People who have lots of anger, most likely, they could have a heart attack [according to Tibetan traditional medicine]. [In Tibetan medicince] people who have lots of sorrow — it weakens your lungs.

Three steps: How do we deal with anger?

Now, how do we deal with anger? First thing, you have to recognize your anger. If you don’t recognize your anger, then you can’t deal with it. You have to acknowledge it. You have to say to yourself, “I am angry. I feel I am angry. I am angry. I have anger issues. Here, again, I am suffering from anger.”  You have to acknowledge it first.

The Buddha said, “First you must acknowledge whatever delusion is in you: anger, attachment or ignorance.” Those are the three main delusions. First, you acknowledge.

Then, the second step is you experience. Well, once you acknowledge it, you can experience. You can feel it.

The third step, you have to deal with that anger, then let it go.

So, how do deal with anger?

The mindful breathing antidote method

The method is first, you say “I’m angry, then, you focus your mind on the breath. You do anapranasatti. Do breathing meditation. That helps you to calm down. You take off, or release, the pressure from your heart. Do more breathing meditation.

Breathe in, out, in long, out long. Do, say, ten-minute breathing meditation. That would be good. Or twenty minutes, maybe.

If anger suddenly happens, say you’re on the subway or bus, or your workplace — we don’t have time to sit. What you do, is just have a little break. A two-minute break. Or, go for a walk. Or, just keep silent, and you feel your heart, and you do a little bit of breathing. A couple of minutes. Just breath in, out. That will help you to calm down. Take away the pressure.

Antidote for anger: Metta — love and compassion

Then, after that, you can do different kinds of practice. The antidote for anger, which is love. Ultimately, the antidote for anger is love and compassion.

It is hard to do meditation on love and compassion (Metta) when you are angry. First thing, it’s better to do breathing meditation. Then, do meditation on loving kindness.

When you become angry, you should see the effect of your anger. See what this anger is doing to you. This anger is destroying my inner peace. Think about the disadvantages of anger. I already mentioned them before, the disadvantages of anger. Right? Burning in your heart. And being uncomfortable, and so on and so forth. Think about all the disadvantages of anger. Then, you decide you don’t want to be angry anymore — and instead, you want to practice love.

If you are angry with yourself, instead you should practice love to yourself. Try to take care of yourself. Say to yourself, I want to learn how to love myself. And then, also, I would like to practice loving-kindness for others. Then, meditate on Bodhichitta.

We have extensive teachings on these meditations on loving kindness. Love and kindness. Metta and Karuna. Bodhichitta, in the Buddhist tradition.

So, as I said, the antidote for anger is love and Bodhichitta. Imagine,

“Everyone deserves love. Everyone wants love.”

Deep inside, everyone wants love. We want love, and we want to be loved. Therefore, I would like to practice loving-kindness.”

“Refuge” (in Tibetan) and Four Immeasurables Mantras: Chanting from Yoko Dharma

The teaching is followed by wonderful chanting by the amazing musical talent of Yoko Dharma, first chanting in Tibetan the Refuge in the Three Jewels (three times) (which should begin any meditation or practice) and then the singing the Four Immeasurables:

Sanggye Choedang Tshogkyi Chogname La

I take Refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma and the Supreme Sangha.

Jangchub Bardu Dagni Kyabsu Chi

Until I attain Enlightenment.

Daggi Jinsog Gyipeai Soenam Kyi

By the merit, I accumulate from practising generosity and the other perfections,

Drola Phenchir Sanggye Drub Par Shog

May I attain Enlightenment in order to benefit all living beings.

Namu Guru Byah

May all beings have happiness and its causes

Namo Buddha Ya

May all beings be freed from suffering and its causes

Namo Dharma Ya

May all beings constantly dwell in joy transcending sorrow

Namo Sangha Ya

May all beings dwell in equal love for those both close and distant.

ABOUT VENERABLE ZASEP TULKU RINPOCHE

Rinpoche is popularly known for his approachable teaching style, strong humor and teachings based on a long lineage of great lamas. His own gurus included the most celebrated of Gelug teachers: His Holiness Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, His Holiness Kyabje Ling Rinpoche, Venerable Geshe Thupten Wanggyel, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, Venerable Lati Rinpoche, Venerable Tara Tulku Rinpoche and Venerable Khalkha Jetsun Dampa Rinpoche.

Rinpoche is spiritual director of many temples, meditation centres and retreat centres in Australia, the United States and Canada. He was first invited to teach in Australia by Lama Thubten Yeshe in 1976.

More on Zasep Tulku Rinpoche>>

Gaden for the West Meditation Centres

Australia

• Vajra Ling, Uralla, N.S.W.
• Losang Gyalwa Mandala, Sydney, N.S.W.
• Tenzing Ling Centre, Quamaa, N.S.W.
• Dorje Ling Retreat Centre, Lorina Valley, Tasmania

Canada

• Chittamani Mahayana Buddhist Meditation Centre, Ottawa, Ontario
• Gaden Choling, Toronto, Ontario
• Medicine Buddha Centre, Calgary, Alberta
• Potala Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Centre, Thunder Bay,Ontario
• Tashi Choling, Nelson, B. C.
• Zuru Ling Society, Vancouver, B.C.

United States

• Golden Blue Lotus Tara Meditation Center, Moscow, Idaho
• TsongKhapa Center, Kalamazoo, Michigan
• Vajrayogini Center, Seattle, Washington

Note

Yoko Dharma’s brilliant vocalization of “The Refuge in the Three Jewels and The Four Immeasurables” is used with her kind permission. Information on Yoko Dharma (or to download the track) please visit here>> 

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The post Video: “How do I deal with my anger? Sometimes it consumes me and hurts others”: a Buddhist student asks teacher Ven. Zasep Tulku Rinpoche appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.

Originally written and published by Lee Kane of Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation. Copyright Buddha Weekly.

Who, or what is Tara that she can show us that Enlightenment is in the palm of our hand? Tara is without a doubt the most beloved female deity in Tibetan Buddhism, revered for her swiftness in helping those who rely on her.

She has been described as a Buddha for our modern age, a sublime personification of compassion and wisdom in female form at a time when sorrow and suffering seem to be increasing everywhere. Of all the Buddhas, Tara is the most accessible.

To explain who she is, what she is, and how she can show us the way to Enlightenment is to write of many things, of Western ideas about Buddhism and the Buddha, of Buddha Nature, of the spiritual path, of ideas about “reality” and of the place of faith in a world of rationalism and scientism, for all of these situate Tara and her practice. [Full teaching continues below.]

A 5000-word teaching excerpt from

Tara in the Palm of Your Hand

Used with permission of the author

Acharya Zasep Tulku Rinpoche

Spiritual Director of Gaden for the West

Note: Pictures, captions for pictures and the choice of pull out quotes is an editorial liberty. The book does not, for example, contain these highlighted pullouts. The book does contain numerous illustrations of the 21 Taras, but not the images contained in this feature. For more information on the book, see Amazon information page>>

What is Buddhism?

To begin, let us look at the question, what is Buddhism? Many people erroneously think that Buddhism is a religion similar to Christianity, Judaism, or Hinduism that worships a supreme being or supreme beings who are separate from humankind. But Buddhism is very different from such theistic religions, be they monotheistic or polytheistic. While some aspects of Buddhism, such as the existence of holy texts, sacred places, temples, an ordained Sangha, established rituals and a rigorous ethical code, may make it appear similar to a religion, it is more accurately described as a way of life that is based on teachings of the historical Buddha, who lived sometime between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE.

Buddhists do not worship the Buddha in the way that Christians worship God, as a supreme being with the power to grant them salvation or send them to eternal damnation. We do not attain Buddhahood or Enlightenment through divine grace; we attain it through persevering with practices that give us insight into our minds and the nature of reality. No one can become God, but by putting the Buddha’s teaching into practice, we can all become Buddhas. Attaining Buddhahood is the ultimate do-it-yourself project.

We begin the journey towards Enlightenment by going for refuge; we are seeking shelter from the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth that is Samsara. We take refuge in the Three Jewels, which are Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. When we take refuge in the Buddha, we are not taking refuge in the historical Buddha as a god-like figure, but as an exemplar of great compassion and wisdom; we are also taking refuge in the Buddha within us, in our own natural potential to become enlightened. The Dharma is the teachings that tell us how to realize that potential; we take refuge in the Dharma as the path. We take refuge in the Sangha as the community that helps us as we make our spiritual journey. The taking of refuge in the Three Jewels is in no way akin to the rite of Baptism in the Christian Church: we are not “born again.” Rather, taking refuge is more like a signal that we are ready to begin the work we must do with our minds in order to realize our own Buddha Nature.

Just as they do not understand that Buddhism is not a religion but a way of life, many people in the West do not understand who or what the Buddha is. They think the Buddha was just a man, born in India around 2500 years ago, who became a great teacher. While this is true, there is more: the historical Buddha is a man who became awake to  the true nature of reality and who taught others how to do the same. Buddha is actually a Sanskrit word meaning awakened or developed; the Tibetan equivalent is sang-gyey; sang means awakened and gyey means developed. Sang refers to awakening the consciousness or mind to see the true nature of reality; gyey refers to developing all the potential of our mind. Thus Buddha, sang-gyey, means the fully developed or awakened mind.

What is it to have an awakened mind? Just as when we wake from sleep to see the world around us, its sights, its sounds, its smells, so when we have awakened our minds, we see the true nature of reality. We see that nothing exists inherently; we see that everything is part of an endless web of interdependence and interconnection. We experience oneness.

Buddha Nature

Many people also erroneously think that the historical Buddha is the only Buddha; but according to Tibetan Buddhism, there are millions of Buddhas. As I have stated above, every sentient being can become enlightened. Indeed, Buddhahood is already within our mind, our consciousness.

The teachings of Mahayana Buddhism say that every sentient being has Buddha Nature, Tathagatagharba.

There are two kinds of Buddha Nature: primordial or natural, and changing, where our ordinary deluded mind transforms into the mind of a Buddha. The analogy of a river has been used to explain this: in one sense, just as a river is always the same river, we all have primordial Buddha Nature; in another sense, just as the water in that river is constantly changing, so can we change our present deluded mind into that of Buddha.

At present, our delusions obscure our Buddha Nature. Dharma practice, which helps us overcome afflictive emotions and develop positive states of mind, enables us to fully realize our Buddha Nature.

If we follow the path of Dharma, living in accordance with good moral principles, always being mindful and compassionate, then gradually our mind transforms into that of a Buddha. We become who and what we already are, primordially speaking. From this point of view, the subject of this book, the Buddha known as Arya Tara, is no different from us.

Tara is our idea of ourselves as a compassionate liberator become manifest. At the ultimate or Dharmakaya level, there is no difference between ourselves and Tara.

Her story, which I will tell in the next chapter, is that of an ordinary sentient being who practised with dedication and devotion until she achieved Enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. By following her path, by doing as she did, we too can transform our ordinary mind into a mind of Enlightenment. We can actually become Tara.

As Tara did, we develop the potential of our minds to attain full Enlightenment through meditation. Meditation is a process of focusing our mind on a virtuous object. The object can be external to us, such as a flower or an image of a Buddha, or it can be internal, such as our mind or our sense of self-identity. Objects of meditation do not have to be beautiful, like sunsets, flowers, or Buddha images. In fact, any object can be utilized as an object of meditation, even one we normally think of as ugly or disgusting.

There is a story about Asanga, a great Buddhist teacher from the fourth century CE who founded the Yogacara or Mind Only School of Tibetan Buddhism. He attained a realization of loving kindness through having a maggot as his object of meditation. For 12 years Asanga had been doing a solitary meditation retreat on Buddha Maitreya, the Buddha of Loving Kindness. Though Asanga devoutly wished to see Maitreya, Maitreya had not appeared to him. Asanga was ready to give up. With a heavy heart, he left his retreat. As he was walking along the road, he saw a dying dog being eaten by maggots; he was filled with compassion for the dog, and cut off a piece of his own flesh to feed it.

Then he decided to further ease the dog’s suffering by removing the maggots. But he suddenly had a realization: the maggots were sentient beings too, no different from the dog; there was no inherent difference between the dog and the maggots because all sentient beings have Buddha Nature. Both were worthy of compassion.

Initially, Asanga had been going to use his fingers to pluck the maggots from the dog, but now he was afraid he would hurt the maggots if he did that. So he decided to use his tongue. Kneeling by the dog, he bent his head down, ready to do what would seem to the ordinary person to be a completely repugnant act. As he bent his head towards the maggots, the dog and maggots suddenly disappeared; in their place was Maitreya. He told Asanga that the compassion Asanga had felt for both the dog and the maggots had so purified his Karma that he could now see him, Maitreya.

Karma is a Sanskrit word meaning action. It is sometimes spoken of as the law of cause and effect. The law of Karma says that our actions give rise to our experiences; virtuous actions ripen as happiness, nonvirtuous actions ripen as suffering. If we have a lot of negative Karma, it can be difficult for us to have spiritual realizations until we have purified it.

The story of Asanga illustrates how, because all sentient beings have Buddha Nature, everything, even a maggot, can become the cause and condition of Dharma realizations.

The idea of all sentient beings having Buddha Nature is foreign to much conventional Western thinking. In the West, we think and act as if there is a hierarchy of being, with humans on the top and non-human beings in progressively inferior ranks below. We think we humans are superior beings who have dominion over the natural world by divine right. We have established a hierarchy of worthiness in which a human is better than a dog and a dog is better than a maggot. However, as soon as we begin to accept that all sentient beings have Buddha Nature, we go about our lives differently; we are less quick to do harm, and more inspired to be kind. Through avoiding nonvirtuous actions and cultivating positive states of mind, we will make progress on the spiritual path.

Dependent Arising and Shunyata

The first teaching that the Buddha gave after he attained Enlightenment was on what are called the Four Noble Truths.

The four truths are: one, the truth of suffering; two, the cause of suffering; three, “true cessations,” or the possibility of going beyond suffering by eliminating its cause; and four, the true path, which is the path of Dharma.

Surely no one would deny the first truth that suffering exists: there is the obvious physical suffering of sickness, infirmity, and death, and there are the more subtle torments of endless dissatisfaction arising from a futile quest for lasting pleasure. Suffering has myriad forms, but, according to Buddha’s teaching, all suffering has the same root cause. The root cause of all suffering is our self-cherishing mind, which arises from our self-grasping, our deluded notion that we – and all other phenomena – exist inherently. But what is inherent existence? The term means that phenomena exist in their own right, independent of our perception, conceptualization, and categorization. If we believe in inherent existence, we believe that every phenomenon has some unalterable, unchanging essence. Mistaken though this belief in inherent existence is, it is a belief to which we have clung since beginningless time. The belief makes us feel separate from other sentient beings and leads us to act without compassion and wisdom to protect what we think of as our inherently existing selves. Self-grasping gives rise to egocentricity and selfishness. The belief in inherent existence is fundamental ignorance; it is the root delusion from which all our negative emotions arise.

But surely, we might argue, it is quite obvious that phenomena are real. And Buddhism might say, yes, they are, but not in the way we typically think of the realness of things.

The teachings of the Madhyamaka school of Tibetan Buddhism, which I espouse, are not solipsistic: they do not say that phenomena have no existence. Rather, the teachings exist as dependent-arising phenomena. This means they arise from causes, conditions, concepts.

As an illustration of this dependent arising, we can think of all the forces that have given rise to our body as it is at the present moment: our genetic inheritance, the places we have lived, the foods we have eaten, the exercise we have done, the health care to which we have access – all are factors. Even cultural concepts of bodily beauty and ugliness, strength and weakness, are part of the web of causes and conditions for the phenomenon we call our body. Our minds likewise lack inherent existence – the values and beliefs we hold, our stock of knowledge – depend on the culture in which we were raised, the ideas to which we have been exposed, and many other causes and conditions. Each phenomenon is part of a web of being with every other phenomenon. No phenomenon exists that is not dependent upon and related to another.

The essential interdependence and interrelatedness of all phenomena is dependent arising; the lack of inherent existence of all phenomena is Shunyata or emptiness. Dependent arising and Shunyata are inseparable qualities – you can’t have one without the other – but they are not the same; rather they exist relationally and simultaneously with each other. We speak of two truths in one, conventional truth and ultimate truth. Dependent arising is conventional truth, meaning all phenomena have causes and conditions. Shunyata is ultimate truth, meaning all phenomena are empty of inherent existence; through repeated meditation practice on the wisdom realizing Shunyata, we attain a direct realization of the inseparability of the two truths, conventional and ultimate: we experience that whatever arises dependently is also empty of inherent existence, and that whatever is empty of inherent existence also arises dependently.

In the Heart Sutra, which is also known as the Essence of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra, Shariputra, one of the chief disciples of the Buddha, asks “How should a son or daughter of the lineage  train who wishes to engage in the profound perfection of wisdom?”

Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Compassion, replies, “Form is empty, emptiness is form. Emptiness is not other than form; form also is not other than emptiness. Likewise, feeling, discrimination, compositional factors and consciousness are empty. Shariputra, like this, all phenomena are empty, having no characteristics.”

In other words, the phenomenal world is empty of inherent existence and every phenomenon is a dependent arising. When we experience a direct realization of Shunyata and dependent arising, we discover that our bodies, our minds, our selves are empty of inherent existence and arise co-dependently from moment to moment.

The Spiritual Path

The purpose of spiritual practice is to relieve suffering, initially our own, and then that of others. We begin by having compassion for ourselves, for our own suffering, for if we cannot help ourselves, how can we help others? The Buddha said, “Be gentle to yourself.” Once we develop compassion for ourselves, we begin to feel compassion for others, much as Asanga did with the maggots. Our heart opens, and we see and feel how we are all interconnected and interdependent. We could say that opening the heart in this way, to embrace all sentient beings, to experience oneness, is the essential practice of Buddhism.

In Tibetan Buddhism there are three paths, Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana. The motivation of a practitioner determines whether he or she is on the Hinayana or Mahayana path. Vajrayana is actually a division of Mahayana. A practitioner who wishes to achieve liberation from Samsara for him- or herself alone is on the Hinayana path. The wish is for Nirvana (nyang-day in Tibetan), which literally means a state beyond sorrow. The Hinayana path emphasizes right conduct. On the other hand, with the Mahayana path, the goal of meditation is to attain the mind of Enlightenment, to transform ourselves into a Buddha so that we can free all sentient beings trapped in the endless cycle of suffering that is Samsara. Right conduct remains important but other factors also come into play. In Tibetan Buddhism, this aspiration to attain the mind of Enlightenment can be accomplished in different ways. Within the higher sutra tradition of the Mahayana, the practitioner trains his or her mind in the three principal stages of the path, Renunciation, Bodhichitta, and the correct view of Shunyata, with the intent of becoming a Bodhisattva, one who works tirelessly for the benefit of others. In the Mahayana, sutra practices like Lamrim and Lojong are an essential foundation to Vajrayana, and are integrated with its esoteric practices. Vajrayana provides a method, that of deity yoga, for attaining Enlightenment in one lifetime and is known as the quick path. Through the faithful practice of deity yoga, we can quickly realize our own Buddha Nature. Using prayers, mantra recitation and visualizations, we transform our ordinary deluded mind into that of the deity. Traditionally, a practitioner must receive an initiation into the secret practice of deity yoga before he or she can begin to practise. However, although Tara is a tantric deity, and belongs to the Vajrayana, she is accessible to all.

There are four levels of Tantric practice. The Tara practices in this book are Kriya Yoga (Action Tantra), which is the lowest and most approachable level of tantric practice. Unique to the Gelug tradition, there is also the Anuttarayogatantra practice of Chittimani Tara, through which practice it is possible to gain Enlightenment in this very lifetime. I will be publishing a commentary on this practice at a later date.

The Power of Faith

Many Westerners have a difficult time believing that Buddhas like Tara are real. They say, “Granted, the historical Buddha may have existed, but there is no scientific proof that these other Buddhas exist. They are mere figments of the imagination.” At most, they will allow that Buddhas are projections of the mind. They may even think that Tibetan Buddhists are ignorant or backward to believe Buddhas are real. However, Buddhas exist in the same way that all phenomena exist, not inherently, but as dependent-related phenomena, arising from causes and conditions, name, parts, and imputation by mind. For Tibetan Buddhists and those who truly understand Shunyata and dependent arising, reality has room for Buddhas and other manifestations of spiritual energy. For them, Buddhas are always present; no place exists where there is no Buddha.

Indeed, even in the West, it is commonly acknowledged that if we believe something to be true, it is true for us. The mind is such a powerful instrument that faith can bring worlds into being. Faith expands reality.

Thus, if we believe that our mind can be transformed into a Buddha mind, if we practise deity yoga, and visualize Buddhas coming and going, then this is really going to happen. Our mind will bring Buddhas into reality. Lama Thubten Yeshe used to say, if we think about eating chocolate, then we are eating chocolate in our mind. If we think about becoming a Buddha strongly enough, then our mind becomes a Buddha mind. If you meditate on Tara with faith, the practice works. Slowly, surely, you become Tara. But faith is absolutely essential.

There is a story in the Lamrim, the Graduated Path to Enlightenment, about the power of faith. It was a time of famine in India, and many people were dying. An old woman went to her Guru and asked how she could stay alive. He told her to eat stones, and gave her a mantra to make the stones edible. The woman recited the mantra with great faith, and ate the stones. Her son, who was a monk, began to worry about his mother, and went home from his monastery to see her. He was amazed to find her well. When he asked her the secret, she told him the mantra she had been reciting. The son realized that his mother had not been reciting the mantra accurately, and gave her the correct mantra. However, the old woman lost faith in the power of her mantra, and neither it nor the correct mantra would work anymore. It is not the words themselves that give mantras their power; it is the faith with which the words are recited.

Another story, again about an old woman and her son, also speaks to the importance of faith. A man was about to make a pilgrimage to see some relics of Buddha; his old mother, who was very devout, asked him to bring back one of Buddha’s teeth. The man promised, and then promptly forgot. As he was returning home from his pilgrimage, he remembered his promise about the Buddha’s tooth. What to do? He quickly found an old dog’s tooth, and wrapped it in silk. When he arrived home, he gave the dog’s tooth to his mother, telling her it was the Buddha’s tooth. His delighted mother put the tooth on her shrine, and began doing prostrations to it. To the man’s amazement, the tooth began emanating light, just as a genuine relic might. The woman’s deep faith had brought about this miraculous event.

So many people in the West think that having a strong faith like the two old women in the above stories is a sign of ignorance, a mark of stupidity. Yet these same people are more than willing to put their unquestioning faith in science, believing what scientists tell them even if what they are told must be taken on faith. They say, “Scientists say it is so; therefore, it must be true.” They say, “There is scientific proof of this or that,” only to find out some years later that the ‘proof’ has been discredited.

Buddha, on the other hand, said “Don’t believe everything I say just because I am Buddha.” He encouraged intelligent questioning because he knew that if his teachings were put into practice, they would prove true; and indeed, over the past 2500 years, the efficacy of Dharma practice has been proven again and again.

The secret to doing the Tara practice successfully is simple: do not ask if Tara is real – just have faith that she is, and act accordingly. When you have faith that Tara is real, you will receive profound blessings, blessings that come ultimately not from somewhere or something outside yourself, but from your own compassion and wisdom, from your own Buddha Nature being actualized.

The Benefits of the Tara Practice

Belief in Tara as a fully enlightened being, daily recitation of her mantra, and faithful practice of one or more of her sadhanas will bring enormous benefits to the serious practitioner. The Tara practice has both temporal and ultimate benefits.

1. Temporal benefits

In our world today, we face many environmental and social problems such as global warming, pollution, the extinction of animal and plant species, scarcity of water, poverty, overpopulation, malnutrition and violence. Most people in the world do not have access to clean water, adequate and nutritious food, or basic healthcare. Education is denied to many. Women especially are oppressed in many parts of the world. Even in a developed country like Canada, people have many problems. They are stressed out from working too hard or from not being able to find work. Many develop stress-related health problems, or have addictions. Mental illness is said to affect one person in four in Canada. No doubt the same is true for other developed countries. How can the Tara practice possibly be of help? The short answer is that it works because it transforms our mind; in so doing, it helps us be the change that we want to see in the world. The Tara practice empowers us to act for positive change wisely and compassionately.

I have been teaching Dharma in the West for more than 35 years. In this time, I have seen many unhappy people. I have seen well-educated people who give the appearance of having successful lives but who are guilt-ridden, and suffer from low self-esteem and lack of self-confidence. I have met people with graduate degrees and impressive professional qualifications who nonetheless feel lacking in worth; they are often chronically depressed. The Tara practice is extremely powerful for generating good self-esteem and self-confidence through encouraging the development of divine pride, the belief in one’s potential to be Tara. The Tara practice is also helpful for people who were not loved as children, and who need to feel a mother’s love. Doing the Tara practice will help overcome childhood trauma, neglect, abuse, rejection and abandonment. Tara is the mother of all the Buddhas. When you practise Tara you become closer to her, and can feel her motherly love; you feel you are well-loved and nurtured by the most beautiful mother of all Buddhas. If Tara is good enough to be mother of all Buddhas, then she can certainly become a great mother for you, taking you into her loving care.

The practice of Tara brings other benefits. It is said in the prayer of the benefits of reciting the twenty-one praises to Tara, which I discuss in chapter 5, that those who wish for a child will attain a child. This benefit can be understood on different levels, mundane and spiritual. I have a wonderful story about how it happened at the mundane level. I have two students, a married couple, who desperately wanted a child, but who were having no luck conceiving. I prayed to Tara for them, and gave them a Tara initiation. I asked them to recite 100,000 Tara mantras. They had not even finished saying the mantras when the woman got pregnant; now they a have wonderful son. They are so grateful to Tara.

Another student, who lived in Canada, was very successful in her chosen profession, but was a little lonely for a life companion. This student was very devoted to Tara, and an extremely faithful practitioner. I advised her to ask Tara to help her meet someone. Sometime later, I was about to travel to Australia to give teachings to my downunder students; my Canadian student had a very strong feeling she should accompany me there. In Australia, she met and fell in love with one of my long-time Australian students who was also hoping for a life companion. The two got married, and now live in Canada. They are very grateful to Tara for blessing them with so much happiness.

I myself have had many experiences of the power of Tara, starting from when I was a boy in Tibet. When I was six or so, my grandmother and I, along with an attendant, were riding on a mountain path. Suddenly we came across a mother bear with three cubs. She turned on us as if to attack. My grandmother quickly recited Tara’s mantra. Instantly the bear turned her back on us and ambled off, following her three cubs, which were gambolling away. Just to be on the safe side, my grandmother continued reciting Tara’s mantra all afternoon.

Another time, while living in Toronto, I had parked my car, which had a picture of Tara in it, next to an apartment building. While I was away doing my errand, a concrete balcony on the building collapsed, crushing the two cars next to mine, but leaving mine intact, albeit dusty.

Yet another time, I was flying over Alaska’s Kodiak Islands en route to Asia. There was a lot of turbulence, so much, in fact, that people were screaming and praying. I visualized Tara and recited her mantra; the turbulence stopped, just like that.

Even more recently, when I was in Mongolia doing a 108-spring Chod retreat with three students of mine, I again experienced the power of Tara. During this retreat, we moved each day to a different site along the Kherlen River in northern Mongolia. We meditated and slept in yurts (circular Mongolian tents), which we had to set up and take down on a daily basis. One afternoon, just after we had set up, a fierce hailstorm arose; though it lasted only ten minutes, it was so powerful and destructive that it destroyed 15 yurts in the valley. I was alone inside the yurt we were using for meditation. The yurt was very small, maybe ten feet in diameter, and the storm almost blew it away.

I held onto the door frame, hoping the yurt would not collapse on me. My intuition told me to say Tara’s mantra; I prayed that she would keep the yurt from collapsing. The hailstones were so large, the size of quails’ eggs, that they bruised my hands. My students, who were outside, were covered with bruises from the hailstones. But thanks to Tara, the yurt remained standing. Later, the story of the Lama who saved the tent from collapsing spread among the Mongolian nomads. I became quite famous in the valley.

2. Ultimate benefits

The ultimate goal of Tara practice is to become a Buddha for the benefit of all sentient beings. Tara, like almost all other female Buddhas, is the embodiment of the enlightened wisdom of the Buddhas; other powerful female Buddhas like Vajrayogini, Kurukulle, Sarasvati, Machig Labdron, and Palden Lhamo are in fact different aspects of Tara. Green Tara is the most common Tara, but there are many, many forms of Tara. The twenty-one Taras celebrated in the twenty-one praises to Tara include Green Tara and twenty other Taras of different colours, each with her own special divine attributes and qualities.

Anyone can pray to Tara, even people who are not Buddhists. However, if you take refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, take a Tara initiation, and regularly practise a Tara sadhana, your prayers will be more beneficial. This book is a step in the right direction: through reading it attentively, you will get a deeper understanding of the meaning of Tara, and learn how to do the practices of the twenty-one Taras. You will in truth have Enlightenment in the palm of your hand.

Synopsis of Book

The above excerpt was a very thorough introductory teaching — literally the introduction to the book. The balance of the book contains amazing stories of Tara, a complete commentary on the 21 Taras in the Surya Gupta tradition, and the actual sadhanas, mantras and visualizations for each of the 21 Taras.

Description from the Amazon.com page:

Arya Tara is a fully enlightened being, a female Buddha, to whom Tibetan Buddhists are deeply devoted and on whom they rely for protection and inspiration. Tara has been described as the first feminist, who, according to one of the stories of her origin, having been told by her spiritual advisors to take rebirth as a man, vowed always to take rebirth as a woman. Her practice is, however, equally suitable for women and men. Tara has many manifestations, the best known of which are the twentyone Taras celebrated in the ancient prayer of the twenty-one praises to Tara. The praises pay homage to Tara’s enlightened activity, and the way she skillfully removes both outer and inner obstacles to spiritual attainment. Through daily recitation of the praises and a regular Tara sadhana practice, it is possible to develop an increasingly profound experience of the transformative energy of Tara and to become her ourselves. This guide, which is based on traditional texts, helps make Tara and her practice readily accessible to Westerners. The sadhanas of the twentyone Taras included in the guide are according to the Mahasiddha Surya Gupta tradition. Buddha Weekly Review: “For Tibetan Buddhists, Tara is probably the most popular meditational deity, and there are certainly many books on Tara the savior, the mother, the compassionate action of the Buddhas — beloved by millions of Buddhists. Without question, this tight, yet wonderfully detailed book stands apart, not only because it covers a unique Buddhist teaching — an ancient teaching that should be preserved — but because the author, His Eminence Zasep Rinpoche, engages the reader as if they were his students. “Venerable H.E. Zasep Tulku Rinpoche’s purpose was to preserve the teachings in a specific lineage, the Surya Gupta teachings and practice of the 21 Taras. It should be a complicated subject, particularly with all the very rich visualizations — must more detailed than other 21 Tara practices — but somehow Rinpoche manages to make everything clear, concise and complete in 164 pages. Original line drawings of each of the very richly detailed Taras make it easier, but it is the teachings that make this book a must buy for any Tibetan Buddhist who is devoted to Tara practice. “Rinpoche’s skill in simplifying, without “talking down” to students is legendary, cultivated through decades of teaching in Australia, US, and Canada.” From the Introduction: “Who, or what, is Tara that she can show us that Enlightenment is in the palm of our hand? Tara is without a doubt the most beloved female deity in Tibetan Buddhism, revered for her swiftness in helping those who rely on her. She has been described as a Buddha for our modern age, a sublime personification of compassion and wisdom in female form at a time when sorrow and suffering seem to be increasing everywhere. Of all the Buddhas, Tara is the most accessible. To explain who she is, what she is, and how she can show us the way to Enlightenment is to write of many things, of Western ideas about Buddhism and the Buddha, of Buddha Nature, of the spiritual path, of ideas about “reality” and of the place of faith in a world of rationalism and scientism, for all of these situate Tara and her practice… “… We do not attain Buddhahood or Enlightenment through divine grace; we attain it through persevering with practices that give us insight into our minds and the nature of reality. No one can become God, but by putting the Buddha’s teaching into practice, we can all become Buddhas. Attaining Buddhahood is the ultimate do-it-yourself project… “… every sentient being can become enlightened. Indeed, Buddhahood is already within our mind, our consciousness. The teachings of Mahayana Buddhism say that every sentient being has Buddha Nature, Tathagatagharba… “… As Tara did, we develop the potential of our minds to attain full Enlightenment through meditation. Meditation is a process of focusing our mind on a virtuous object.”

Info on Book

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Wind Horse Press (January 3, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0992055407
• ISBN-13: 978-0992055400
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.4 x 9 inches

Author Bio

The Venerable Acharya Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, a highly realized and internationally respected teacher of Gelugpa Buddhism, was born in Tibet in the province of Kham in 1948. He is currently spiritual head for Gaden for the West, with meditation centres in Canada, U.S. and Australia.

Zasep Tulku Rinpoche was recognized as the 13th incarnation of Lama Konchog Tenzin of Zuru Monastery. In 1959, during the Chinese invasion, he escaped from Tibet and continued his education for sixteen years in India under the tutelage of many of the greatest teachers of Mahayana Buddhism. In 1975, Zasep Rinpoche left India to study in Thailand where he joined the monks of a forest monastery. For eighteen months he studied and practiced with them. He then traveled to Australia and translated for Tibetan speaking Lamas for a number of years.

Since 1976 he has taught western Dharma students in Australia, Canada, and the United States and has developed Dharma centres in each of these countries. Rinpoche regularly visits these centres and offers extensive teachings, initiations and retreats which his many students enthusiastically attend. Zasep Rinpoche now resides in Nelson, BC, close to the Gaden for the West retreat centre (Gaden Tashi Choling Retreat).

In 1999, Rinpoche and his students created the Gaden for the West umbrella organization to more effectively support and nourish the study of Gelugpa Tibetan Buddhism in the West. He supports a number of Buddhist projects in Tibet, Mongolia and India through the non-profit society Gaden Relief.

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The post Tara Book excerpt and teaching: Who is Tara and how can She help us? An introduction to Tara, Karma, Shunyata, Dependent Arising, and Buddha Nature by Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche appeared first on Buddha Weekly: Buddhist Practices, Mindfulness, Meditation.