Infusing Western Life with Tibetan Buddhist Compassion
While a fundamental – and undeniably practical – notion of Buddhist thought, sometimes we forget . . . Blossoms bloom due to a series of conditions that bring about its blooming. Leaves dry and fall from due to conditions that cause them to do so. Blossoms do not bloom unconditioned; a leaf does not … Read more
Contrary to popular believe, Tibetan Buddhism is not an “inside” job. Sure, dedicated study and contemplation, sitting in meditation, visualization practices and other core Dharma methodologies usually take place indoors and are geared toward inner experiences, i.e., quieting down, focusing within, learning how the mind works, identifying beneficial thoughts and intentions, etc. Yes, there is … Read more
The Tibetan Buddhist path. Beautiful, Empowering. Challenging. Why challenging? Because it is difficult to learn something(s) new that will change you into someone who disagrees with the person you used to be. We’re just not “arranged” for that. Knee-jerk rejection and our lack of curiosity about the unknown are forms of self-defense. We’re defending the … Read more
“Klesha” is one of those Sanskrit words that identifies commonplace aspects of modern Western life. In Buddhist thought, kleshas are mental states that cloud the mind and manifest in unwholesome actions. They include mind states such as anxiety, fear, anger, jealousy, desire, agitation, arrogance, depression. (Do any of these sound familiar?) While familiarly accepted and … Read more
It’s a cloudy Sunday afternoon and here I am, in my place, doing what I’m doing as the Earth ball on which we exist spins through space at an incredible speed. My life, this mind’s current incarnation, has been a rich one, full of conventional highs and lows; I’m now sitting in my 65-year-old body, … Read more
Listen. Watch. Be aware. In time a different quality of being arises in you which is neither an aspect of your body, your feelings or your thoughts. It’s as if a different pillar of consciousness is gathering within you. Allow this to occur, and you will feel . . . no, you will know, more … Read more
“Oh, How I love my self, the essence of my self, the importance of my self.” How thoughtlessly simple this is . . . until our Dharma Eyes open. *** Self-centeredness is an archaic trait, rooted in territorial animal impulses and ignorance of reality beyond personal areas of experience. Most ancient tribes thought their tribe … Read more
It is Easter Sunday, and I’ve been speculating on the meaning of this day through the lens of Dharma perspectives. Thinking, in particular, of the idea of resurrection . . . of a perfect, eternal energy ascending from and through the harrowing trials and tribulations of mortal life. In my own Buddha-speak . . . … Read more
Today is April 1st . . . April Fools’ Day. A day for pranksters . . . practical jokes . . . hoaxes . . . phony stories . . . fakery . . . trickery . . . mis-directions . . . untruths . . . amusing mischief. While no one knows exactly where … Read more
Dharma teachings can be extremely simple, quite profound, and/or anything in-between. (Often they are all of these, simultaneously.) In hearing these teachings, full of empowering perspectives and insights, people often think or say to themselves something like: “Makes sense” . . . “Sounds good” . . . “But it’s so hard to do” . . … Read more