(cc) By Crystl "The following information was originally published by the Zen Center of Los Angeles and was found in one of their fine books, entitled “To
The next article in the series of Rinpoche's recent teachings on 'Training the Mind in Compassion has just been published, called The Heart of the Practice of Lojong.
(Part 2 of Against Empathy.) Empathy—what a beautiful surrogate for the disempowered. –Jan Slaby Western x-buddhism prides itself on being an exemplary supplier of a supposedly much-needed salve to contemporary social and interpersonal conflict: empathy. But according to Jan Slaby anything approaching a robust sense of empathy–literally feeling another’s pain–would require an untenable concept of
His Eminence Ling Rinpoche and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, India, 2012. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is continuing teachings and transmissions on the 18 Great Lam-Rim Commentaries at the request of His Eminence Ling Rinpoche. This year’s teaching event will take
Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana I have only been practicing Ashtanga Yoga for a tiny amount of time but there is no doubt it feels that this is what I should be doing. Yesterday I had a wonderful led class in the evening. It was the first time I was so concentrated in my practice, no wandering mind, no random thoughts, no distractions. Just me on my mat, breathing Ujjayi breath, feeding the fire inside, trying to keep my internal body locks (Bandhas) and practicing the sequence of asanas. It was the first time I got so further into most of the asanas and the time completely flew by.What also felt great was that my teacher helped me turning my to the side at Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana. I have no problem holding my leg straight to the front but I do have trouble when I have to turn either right or left. But yesterday I did it with a little help from my teacher. Each and every time my teacher adjusts me or helps me with an asana I get a lesson. I learn that little by little my body goes further and whatever seemed yesterday’s dream is today’s reality. /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Κανονικός πίνακας"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
On Oct 17th Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave a teaching on lam-rim which was live-streamed and is now available to watch on the FPMT YouTube channel.
In Tibetan Buddhism the idea of compassion is talked about by using the idea of "Bodhicitta." Bodhicitta actually means compassion, but for Westerners, the idea of compassion is often that the "haves" give to the "have-nots." There is a sense of one person having or being in a position to give, and another one being
Tenzin Ösel Hita greeting Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Ven. Pemba Sherpa in the background, Land of Medicine Buddha, California, September 21, 2013. Photo by Chris Majors. Read to FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche by Tenzin Ösel Hita, the recognized reincarnation of FPMT founder
Some of the monks of Dhakpo Khangtsen.June 2013: Lama Zopa Rinpoche Bodhichitta Fund was very happy to offer US$21,058 to Sera Je Dhakpo Khangtsen for the building of new rooms for the monks. Dhakpo Khangtsen remains one of the poorest Khangtsens
Zen – A Cognition to the Mind by Pho Nguyet is a guide to the practice of Sudden Enlightened Zen and the steps that will lead there. This is also recognized as the “Purification of Mind”. This is explained in the foreword by Bhikku Bodhi: “Purification of mind as understood in the Buddha’s teaching is the sustained endeavor to cleanse
In the “Diamond Approach” of A. H. Almaas, there are many similarities, yet profound and important differences between this path and Buddhism, perhaps particularly Theravadan Buddhism. Almaas envisions, and speaks from his experience, of “something” beyond “the void” or “emptiness” of traditional Buddhism—that which he calls “Essence” or “Being.” When Almaas speaks of “Essence” or
Mantra can be understood as: 1. the deity. Every mantra we recite emanates one deity. These deities then work for the benefit of beings 2. offerings. When the light rays radiate out from the mantra rosary during creation-stage visualization, each ray of light bears an offering goddess. Each of these hundreds of thousands
Free Library with thousands of PDF e-books on spiritual, religious and spiritual topics
Mandala’s new issue features FPMT spiritual director Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s tour of FPMT centers in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong during February-March 2013. For our online edition, we’ve collected some of our favorite photos from the tour, which you can
Since Mahayana bodhicitta surpasses every virtuous state of mind of the non-buddhists, the sravakas, and the pratyekabuddhas, it is therefore praised by the guru buddhas -- The Jewel Lamp: A Praise to Bodhicitta Khunu Rinpoche
the most powerful symbol for any yogi.. check this for its meaning... www.sivananda.org/teachings/philosophy/om.html
This Autumn, Sogyal Rinpoche will teach spontaneously and directly on understanding the mind and meditation, continuing in the spirit of the extraordinary teachings he gave in Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam and other places this Spring.
Lama On Tour posted a photo: Project Day at Bartołty Retreat Center in Poland. Lama Ole Nydahl and Tomek Lehnert are working together on correspondence. www.bartolty.buddyzm.pl/buddyzm.html
www.saylluiiis.com
Mandala spoke with Ven. George Churinoff in early February 2013 between his classes as a visiting instructor at Maitripa College in Portland, Oregon, U.S. Mandala: What is the benefit of in-depth Buddhist study? Ven. George Churinoff: All of our lamas, almost without exception, have great
Free Library with thousands of PDF e-books on spiritual, religious and spiritual topics
This is a guest-post by an author who wishes to remain anonymous, who recently contacted me through a mutual friend. Having covered in this blog matters of interest concerning the transmission of Buddhism in the West and particularly the UK, this though-provoking article is pertinent, so I am happy to share it here with my
Ordinarily we try to keep good things such as happiness, success and prosperity for ourselves, while we prefer to give to others all the things we don’t want. However, the bodhisattva attitude is the complete opposite.
Explore ellevalentine's 1021 photos on Flickr!
The possibility of empathy is a western-buddhist dogma. Empathy, together with its near relative, compassion, may even be considered a necessary axiom of contemporary x-buddhist belief, whether in a secular, crypto, or traditional inflection. For, without the possibility of empathy and compassion, x-buddhism loses its ethical footing, its prime rationale for practice, and its very
Look at your authentic mind; this is the true view. If you seek a view other than mind, it is like a rich person searching for wealth, O physician monk. Do not clear away the faults of drowsiness and discursiveness; this is the true meditation. If you clear away the faults of drowsiness and discursiveness
§ 128. “Form, monks, is not-self. If form were the self, this form would not lend itself to dis-ease. It would be possible (to say) with regard to form, ‘Let my form be thus. Let my form not be thus.’ But precisely because form is not-self, this form lends itself to dis-ease. And it is
The Complete Works of Aristotle. Artistotle lived from 384-322 BCE. He was a Greek philosopher and is often referred to as the “first teacher” or the very “first true scientist.” His works cover a number of topics from politics, philosophy, metaphysics, logic, ethics, biology and more. Aristotle was the tutor of Alexander the Great and
Photo from HereI have been meaning to start a Mysore practice for a while now. Unfortunatelythe office I work is located at the other side of the town which takes me more than 1 hour to get there and I have to wake up every morning at 7(plus the yoga s...
Sati was the daughter of the high chief of Gods Daksha and married to Shiva. One day Daksha decided to throw a yagna (ritual sacrifice) and invited except for the couple since he despised Shiva. Sati got word of this and suggested to Shiva that they go anyway however Shiva, not wanting to incite her father’s anger, prefered not to. Sati was hurt by her father’s treatment and decided to go alone. Arriving there she got into an argument with her father in front of the guests something that made her feel humiliated. When her father tried to provoked her again she remained silent and decided she wanted to relinquish all family ties, telling her father this: “Since you have given me this body I no longer wish to be associated with it.” She walked past him and sat in a meditative seat on the ground, closed her eyes and fell into a trance. Going deep within herself she began to increase her inner fire through yogic exercises until her body burst into flames. When Shiva learned about Sati’s death he was devastated. He cut a tuft of his hair and beat it into the ground in the middle of the yagna. From there his fiercest Warrior popped, Virabhadra (Vira means hero and Bhadra friend). Virabhadra thrusted his way up through the earth from deep underground; this is the first aspect (Virabhadrasana I/Warrior I). Establishing his arrival for all to see he then opens his arms holding a sword in each arm (Virabhadrasana II/Warrior II). Moving swiftly and precisely, he takes his swords and cuts off Daksha’s head, (Virabhadrasana III/Warrior III). Shiva arrived at Daksha’s place to see the damage that Virabhadra caused. After this vengeful action, Shiva absorbs Virabhadra back into his own form and then he becomes known as Hare, the ravisher. His anger is gone but now he is filled with sorrow which turns to compassion when he sees the bloody work of Virabhradra. Shiva brings Daksha back to life giving his head the form of a goat. Overwhelmed by this generous gesture Daksha calls Shiva, Shankar, the kind and benevolent one, and bows in humility to Shiva Shankar. The other gods and goddesses follow his lead and honor Shiva. So the next time you find yourself doing a Warrior pose remember its origin.
Is it just me, or does American x-buddhism resemble Corporate America more and more with every passing day? Slick websites touting cutting-edge technology (in the service of The Dharma, of course). Packaging of meditation as a means, like deodorant and fresh breath, to increase happiness and effectiveness. Buddhist community as product: something to be had
Our true nature is to be. Be human. Simply. Free. Our natural essence is that of oneness with all. One with Nature and all living beings. Somewhere, most of us lost that. It is in this lifetime we need to uncover that again. This is our calling. The only really important thing to do in this life. How do we do that? How The post Easy Does It….. Be Gentle with Your Self. appeared first on The Way of Mantra.
“Two things are happening right now: one is that Western students have completed all the necessary training and have come out with the label of ‘qualified’ or ‘ready to teach.’ Then, there is the other side where, due to individual
Dear Friends, Lama Zopa Rinpoche has just finished retreat in a very holy place in northern India (see photo). Rinpoche is well and next stop is Mongolia for the 100,000,000 mani retreat. I would like to thank everyone very much
During Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s most recent visit to Tushita Meditation Centre in Dharamsala, India, Rinpoche gave the following advice to the Tushita cooks: I have been hearing from people that the food at Tushita is fantastic. Generally, they tell me
