Almost Dzogchen

Every Day!

2010-11-18T21:55:00.003-07:00

So it has been awhile since I have written on this blog. Time to get back working!
While I have away, I have been spending more time in practice.

So after some time of being away, Here is the most important message to write!

Whatever is your practice...do it everyday. Do not stop! It is only with daily repetition that what we have learned become part of who we are and what can be. You can read lots of books, attend innumerable teachings, take all the empowerments/initiations, but you will not accomplish anything in this life without putting it into daily practice.

Learn one practice and do it everyday for 40 days.....then check and see what results have come.

Many Dharma Blessings,
Geoff

Supercharging Your Merit

2008-12-01T23:14:00.002-07:00

Supercharging Your Merit

Here are three great ways to “Super-Charge” positive merit . this is what to do to give even greater power and force to your positive actions, words, and thinking:

1. Energize your intention beforehand – just as no real intention weakens the merit, increasing the power of your intention multiples the power

2. Repeat frequently – It is said that repeating a given behavior (whether it is a thought, statements, or an action) will reinforce and strengthen it power and force.

3. Dedicate the merit – It is said that merit not dedicated is easily lost but that merit which is dedicated is disburse and remains forever.

Many Dharma Blessings,
Geoff

Happy Losar

2008-02-07T16:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Losar:

http://tseringschool.org/losar/index.html

Many Dharma Blessings

Geoff

Butter in Milk

2008-01-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

The awakened mind is present.
Like butter in milk
It cannot be found.
Churn the mind with meditative comtemplation.

Raw milk contains butter. However, if you look for it, you will not find it there. Once you churn the milk, the butter will settle to the bottom of the container.

Similarly, within us is an awakened and enlightened mind. However deeply you search, you will not find it. With the process of meditation, the enlightened mind solidifies and materializes.

If you want butter, churn raw milk.

If you want an enlightened mind, meditate.

State Sponsored Killing

2008-01-21T16:37:00.000-07:00

As a practicitioner of Buddhism, I vow to avoid killing. This not only applies to humans but also animals, insects, and all sentient beings (that which has a thinking mind). Since the the greater discussion of the promise is the not subject of this writing, I only want to emphasize that I realize that I cannot avoid all killing. For example, just mowing my lawn surely is killing some bugs within my yard. The purpose of a “promise” to avoid an action is done with the best effort possible given the circumstances. Just let this one sit for now.

The purpose of this writing is to bring up the matter of State sponsored killings – otherwise known as the death penalty. I had just come across a mention of a man who had been sentenced to death in Arkansas and been held in prison for over 12 years. The reference mentioned that the man had subsequently become Buddhist (Zen) .

Despite letters and requests from many people including a Zen Buddhist Roshi, the governor of Arkansas, a former Baptist priest, had not only refused to stop the killing but rather moved the date up some 6 weeks.

So I thought to myself! “Wow I wonder if this is the same guy who is now running for president of the United States under the Republican ticket, Mike Huckabee.”

Yup! Its him. Here is a wonderful write up on the whole situation as it played out for Jusan Fudo Sifu Frankie Parker as documented by his spiritual advisor Rev. Ven. Kobutsu Malone. (Incidently, I spent some time with Rev. Malone some years back while attending a Buddhism In America conference. He is doing amazing work with prisoners especially at Sing Sing in New York.)

http://www.engaged-zen.org/articles/Kobutsu-Death_Row_Practice.html

The ability of a person to condemn someone to death amazes me. It especially amazes me that someone who has allegedly been trained in teachings of Jesus Christ could ever find this acceptable. Here we have someone who was ordained as a priest – the Baptist Church. What is wrong with this picture, eh?

Now he is running for President. His strongest supporters call themselves Christians. I guess I am just confused where Jesus condoned killing. Upon looking up some information on the New Testament, I could find no support for such. (If you want some references which seem to indicate Jesus’ recorded statements, try Matthew 5:21-22, Matthew 5:39-39)

Clearly there are many references to the authority to kill in the Old Testament. I personally think that Christians would do well to dispose of the Old Testament and stick with the teachings of their guide, Jesus.

In the mean time, I think that ones official ordination within a church surely does not mean that they understand a spiritual life. I am far from a priest of a Christian church and even I know that someone with the love and compassion of Jesus Christ would never support killing. (By the way, Huckabee still supports State Sponsored killing saying that it is a necessary part of our criminal justice system).

Spending our Savings

2007-12-07T15:30:00.000-07:00

This morning I was sent an article from the Christian Science Monitor (csmonitor.com – China Cracks Down on NGO, December 6, 2007 ) about Chinese crack down on NGOs (nongovernment organizations)within China. This article along with a related article uncovered the manipulative approach of Chinese officials in dealing with these NGO.

The first point was that China began aggressively shutting down many NGOs within the country most notably this summer. It appears that they are concerned about them getting out of the control of the government and concerned about them providing information contrary to how China wants to world to view them. (So much for the truth, eh?) Anyway, it appears that China is preparing for the Olympics and has decided that controlling information and appearance is of greater benefit than trying to really resolve their problems. Let us pretend that the problems do not exist and then they will go away, right?

So where do we fit into this? Here is what I see. In the United States, we are receiving a great economic benefit from letting China do what they want. China continues to buy lots of national debt securities and thereby finance our country’s overspending. We continue to buy billions of dollars of goods made in China to support our never ending desire for more and more goods. A big screen tv is not good enough so we go buy a new flat screen tv. Now it needs to be HD ready.

I feel as if we, as a society, are generally willing to overlook China’s mistreatment of their citizens and abuse of their environment so long as we receive a benefit from them. We tend to overlook their grossly unjust and inhumane activities, which are being done in order to feed our spending and acquisition addictions.

From a Buddhist view, we in the United States especially received this wonderful and advantageous life as the result of good actions in past lives. Sounds great, huh? However, here is the kicker. We are spending our karma savings. We are doing little or nothing as a society to reinvest in the account. It is easy to see that we can soon deplete the good karma savings account and end up with a negative balance.

Not participating in the depletion of the karmic savings and always doing good in order to increase our positive karmic savings accounts has great benefits for this life and especially for future lives.

Next time you walk into the store to purchase, consider if your purchases are depleting your karmic savings or adding to it. If the product you buy are unneeded and produced by inhumane systems, you are in fact supporting their actions. I would contend that you are depleting your account. If your purchase supports sustainable communities and living, you are likely contributing to the overall well-being of people. As a result, your purchase would be actually adding to your karmic savings account.

And if in doubt, just say “No thanks!”

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Does God Exist

2007-10-19T00:14:00.000-06:00

Last Sunday, I attended a ‘debate’ between a Western philosopher and Christian minister entitled “Does God Exist? A Debate” held at the Salt Lake Downtown Library.

I was amazed at the attendance. The turnout for a Sunday afternoon event in Downtown SLC was rather impressive. There were die-hard atheist. There were christians. there were Mormons (mind you I am not trying to separate members of Church of Latter Day Saints from Christians but here in SL we do see a separation of the members so I mention them separately).

the Debate was a “debate.” I am not sure that this is my choice of dialogue to work through a matter. My problem with the set up is likely a personal one. I attended in order to listen to and understand the alternative points of View to better understand each side’s View. Unfortunately, I think that the set up of a debate is arranged for each side to compete to Win. This does not allow each side to best explain their View. It is set up to best try to win.

Despite the flaws in the arrangement (at least from my perspective). I did enjoy and learn from the presentation.

Towards the end of the debate, there was an opportunity to ask questions from the audience. Mind you, most of the members of the audience who asked questions were more interested in telling the panel their opinion. Their questions were mostly secondary to expounding their opinion.

The second to the last question was probably the best question. “ Which one of you is likely to give in to the others side in the end?”

The Christian minister “ I cannot ever stop my faith. I pray that my friend on the other side comes to know God.” There is no changing him here.

The philosopher “I know that reason is on my side. I will never believe and think that my colleague will someday realize that his belief is not true.” Again, there is not breaking here, as well.

I think that this summarized the entire debate. Either one believes or one does not believe.

So I asked the last question of the afternoon. My question had two parts.

“Let us assume that God does not exist. Is there anything wrong about a community or society constructing such a God for the purpose of providing guidance to it members.”

Part two, “Let us assume that God does exist. Is there anything wrong with someone living a moral and ethical life without believing and worshiping him?”

First the philosopher answered saying that he found nothing inherently bad about creating a God for a good cause. In fact, in his opinion, that is exactly what societies’ throughout the world have in fact done. He did not respond to the second part of the question.

The Christian minister responded saying that making up a God would be very dangerous because they would be living a lie. As far as not believing in God where God exists, it is one one of the God’s primary demands that we worship and honor him. This would be a big problem.

My View: If God exists, he or she does not need my worship. Being all powerful and all knowing, God would not ‘need’ anything from me. If God does does not exist, then creating God for the purpose of providing a tool for people to live their lives would not seem to be inherently bad. It is only when different beliefs conflict and fight as to who is right that the problems would surface.

Letter From Chatral Rinpoche

2007-09-27T16:38:00.000-06:00

I just received the letter from Lama Osel in Brazil. He asked me to please post this important message from Chatral Rinpoche to students of Vajrayana Buddhism as well as teachers and organizers of centers. This was also published in the Taiwanese newspaper “China Times,” on Sunday April 22, 2007 on page A1.

It appears that there are many abusing their alleged connection to Chatral Rinpoche in order to attract power, money, and influence. They are claiming to have a “special connection” which they then misuse and abuse. (I am not surprised!) This letter was written and published in Taiwan, for primarily the Taiwanese community. However, I find it appropriate for this Declaration to the West as well. Second, while Chatral Rinpoche has not spoken of those abusing and misusing the names of other great masters, the Declaration can be applied to them as well.

The letter is attached as it was translated into English. For the benefit of anyone who wants to read, I have rewritten (with minor corrections in the translation) below for easy reading:

Declaration

a) I wish to say a few important guidelines with regard to misuse of my humble name by different Buddhist monks, yogis, and lamas – those who are either visiting Taiwan or [have] settled down in southeast Asia in different countries despite of my repeated appeal to everyone. It is a matter of big surprise for me that several Buddhist Lamas whom I have never even met in my lifetime nor never given them any teachings, are also using my humble name continuously for their personal monetary benefit which is an extreme matter of shame and a big fraud. Wearing monk’s robes, cheating, and misleading lay people are a serious crime and breaks all Buddha’s principal Vows. [You are] sowing serious [negative] Karma for yourself and at the same time ruining Buddhism. I feel sorry for such gross negative activities by [these] Buddhist lamas, khenpos, yogis, and monks residing abroad. I strongly object to those who are using my name directly or indirectly by any means.

My constant guidelines and advice to all persons [whether he is a] reincarnated lama, yogi, khenpo or ordinary monk, with whom I happen to meet from day to day, are always same and are [stated] below:

1. If you are a serious Buddhist student and Dzogpa Chenpo (Dzogchen) practicitioners, one should spend your life in retreat with minimum comfort and giving up all luxuries of attachment.
2. Do not waste your time in touring all foreign countries including Taiwan – [this] is fruitless.
3. Do not beg for donations [using] different excuses such as construction of a big monastery, stupa, zangdokpalri, or bumtsog; big offerings; or setting up a new Buddhist center.
4. Do not sell out Dzogpz Chenpo under different pretext for your own personal benefit.
5. Always be humble and do not try to expose yourself in front of others even though you may have [some] knowledge [of] Buddhism.
6. Do not cheat others in the name of Dzogchpa Chenpo by giving initiations or teachings which you have never received from a legitimate high lama or Guru and [have] not done practice by yourself.
7. Finally, I myself never have [even the]slightest desire to visit any foreign country nor have I any specific reason [to do so].

b. In the past, I have experienced several occasions, that despite my unwillingness and objection, reincarnate lamas, yogis, khenpos and monks who have come to see me are taking photographs with me by force under different pretexts. Due to electronic supremacy, people are coming with different types of electronic equipment so as to record my voice or photograph me, which are not easy to detect by people of my age.

c. Hence, I [hereby] notify all the Buddhist followers all over the world, do not, I repeat, do not believe the person who is possessing such photographs or are making false claims that he or she is my student in the past or present. Please do not believe [them] on just showing a photograph, video, [or others items with me]. Therefore, I, the undersigned with full consent, reject such types of false claims made by different Buddhist centers, monasteries, institutes, reincarnate lamas, khenpos, yogis, and ordinary monks henceforth.

In conclusion, once again, I sincerely appeal to all Buddhist followers all over the world and Buddhist Centers including the people who are taking interest in Buddhism religion; kindly take note of my above cited humble declaration and suggestions. After seeing this article in newspapers, I hope [that] everyone would clearly understand me and my personal opinion hereafter.

Dated April 19, 2007

Thanking you,

Declaration by Chatral Sangay Dorje

We are constantly faced with false teachers and false practicitioners here and throughout the world. You have a teacher? Check his authority and lineage closely. there are many fakes out there. It seems that we in the United States are willing to follow just about anyone if we like what they are saying - as if this means what they are saying must be true. It also plays well with the all too many self-help experts who make up all kind of stuff and then find amny who openly follow them. It is almost like, if you make it up and it sounds good, you can sell it! I guess those who follow get what they deserve.

I take Chatral Rinpoche’s advice to heart and remind myself to focus on my daily practice with no expectation of fame, fortune, praise, or recognition.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Protests In Myanmar (Burma)

2007-09-25T17:22:00.000-06:00

Anyone who has read the news or check international activities on the web has surely become aware of the amazing peaceful protest taking place in Myanmar (Burma) over the last week. See for example Herald Tribune (http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/09/24/news/myanmar.php) or
Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/burma/story/0,,2176613,00.html).

I pray for the safety of all the people of this country and for the removal of this despicable military government. It has taken the efforts of tens of thousands of Buddhist monks peacefully protesting to raise the attention of the world to this country’s terrible regime.

Of interesting note is the acts of the Buddhist monks leading the protest with no more than begging bowls in hand and chants of love and compassion in their hearts. Even the military can be brought down with love and compassion outpouring from such thousands.

I read one article likening their methods to Matin Luther King and Mahatma Ghandhi. Actually, world press, this is Buddhist practices in action. We as Buddhist learn that we should stand up against injustice but should refrain from harming another person in doing so.

May the ways of peaceful and nonviolent resistance prevail.

Please say prayers of support and protection to these peaceful warriors.

(there is an interesting sideline to this matter related to China and its support (again) of a despicable regime….but you can look up that matter for yourself if you chose.)

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Focusing on What is Truly Important

2007-09-19T12:03:00.000-06:00

As I mentioned in my previous posting, last month was wonderful with having great teachers staying with me. It is what they do and how they act that is the greatest teaching for me.

Lama Osel would get up every morning and practice for hours before doing anything else for the day. While I never asked him this, I get the feeling that once the daily practice is complete for the day, whatever else happens that day is just “extra.”

What do I mean by this “extra?” Our practice and meditation is what provides the fuel for not only this day but also our future (including future lives but we won’t get into this here). Fully fueled up every morning gives us the opportunity to the most good for that day and plants the seeds for even greater things in the future.

One morning, after we had both completed our practices, we were sitting there just talking. As I look around to the representations and photographs of great teachers in my meditation room, I realized that every one of these masters had been GREAT PRACTICITIONERS. No matter what ever they had done in their lives, their example as practicitioners always stood out.

This was the common thread passing through each and every one of them. Biographies of these teachers always recount the importance of their time in practice – every single day.
First and foremost, each one was a practicitioner who put their practices first!

While I have always tried to practice every day, I do not feel that I put the emphasis on its daily importance. As the result of Lama Osel’s example and the realization that great masters are always daily practicitioners first, I have adjust each day to put my practice as the only Must Do Today item. I promise to never miss a day of practice. Nothing else could ever be as important.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Misunderstandings and Objections to Buddhism

2007-09-18T18:25:00.000-06:00

This last month was one of those great times where I had the opportunity to spend time with great Tibetan Buddhist teachers. Khenpo Choga Rinpoche (Dzogchen Monastery) spent a week here and Lama Osel (Shechen Monastery) had stayed the previous two weeks here. I feel completely blessed and fortunate. I feel that no matter how long I study and train in Buddhism, I will never reach a tenth of their wisdom and depth of their practice….however, I will keep trying.

Khenpo Choga Rinpoche posed a very interesting question while he was here. He asked “What are the major obstacles and misunderstanding of Buddhism here in the West?” I started to write down them and share them with him. However, I thought it might be helpful to put them down here. If there is anyone out there who would like to add to this list please write.

While I definitely know very little about the wisdom and essence of Buddhism, I feel somewhat comfortable with responding to all of the following items. I would like to keep this writing short so I am not going to go into detail explanations here. Maybe in the future, I will.

First, here is my list of objections/problems I hear from Westerners:

- No God
- It’s a foreign religion (Asian and Indian based)
- Its confusing
- Bad examples: False teachers and false practicitioners

Second, here is my list of matters related to Buddhism which are misunderstood in the West:

- No self: you are saying that I do not exist?
- Rebirth/reincarnation and past lives
- Nonattachment (really misunderstood even by lots of Western Buddhist!)
- Loving All beings
- Deities within Tibetan Buddhism
- Prostrations
- The importance of a teacher
- Nonviolence/ not harming others no matter what
- Attention to death and dying
- Attention to suffering in our lives

If you have anything to add, let me know. Also, if anyone reads this and would like a explanation of any of these, let me know. It’s a great way for me to know what to add in the future.

Many Dharma Blessings, Geoff

The Devil Inside Us

2007-09-18T00:21:00.000-06:00

On a recent “This American Life” episode ( www.thislife.org), an Iraq veteran faces the demon of Iraqi Muslims that remains with him long after returning to the United States.

He so openly discusses his anxiety and wishes to harm even innocent Muslims that he sees on his college campus. So what does he do? He joins the Muslim Student Association and becomes one of the biggest supporters in the association. His thinking, it appears, did not seem to change overnight. It took some time for his entrenched thinking patterns to be replaced with a new view of the Muslims.

First, I would like to comment that this was an amazing story of what one person did in order to change his thinking when he realized that the old pattern was deluded. He took action to change his thinking. Mind you, it does not sound like this was easy, especially due to the high level of anxiety within him. Sam Slaven should be on national speaking circuit.

Second, the entire episode of was about the “devil” inside us, which cause us to do things (or not do things). Even if we are able to rationally consider the best action or think before we speak, we regularly follow the devil inside us.

We have a very simple explanation for this. The patterns have been learned from past actions, words, and thoughts. Every time we repeat it, we are reinforcing the negative pattern and in fact create additional seeds for it to be repeated more in the future.

In the 37-Practices of a Bodhisattva, verses 20 and 21, remind us this effect whether it is associated to aversion (anger, hatred, disgust, etc) or desire (lust, craving, greed):

Verse 20

If anger that dwells in our heart lies neglected, and, turning instead to our external foes,
we try to destroy them and even kill thousands, then thousands of others will plague us still more.
So seeing this action is not the solution, let us muster the forces of mercy and love.
Turn inwards and tame the wild flow of our mind-stream -- the Sons of the Buddhas all practice this way

Verse 21

Indulging in objects our senses run after and drinking salt water are one and the same:
the more we partake, for our own satisfaction, the more our desire and thirst for them grow.
Then, when we conceive a compulsive attraction towards whatever object our senses desire, abandon it quickly without hesitation -- the Sons of the Buddhas all practice this way.

Third, there is a very unfortunate result of conflicts such as what is now taking place in Iraq. The American soldiers, it seems, feel anger and anxiety at the site of a Muslim and likely any Iraqi. Likewise, I am sure that the Iraqis feel anger and anxiety at the sight of an American soldier and likely any Westerner. So how can you ever expect them to let go of these habitual patterns of arising emotions? Its not like we can enroll every Iraqi into the Western Students Association and its not like we can enroll every American soldier into a Muslim Student Association for each one of them to correct their wrong thinking.

I don’t have the answer for this one. I do now realize that there is no peaceful resolution to this conflict based on the views and emotions currently arising in thinking of both sides.

I sure wish that our leaders had studied Verse 20 before embarking on the act of annihilating Iraq. We are now stuck with results. Now what?

Forbearance

2007-08-05T12:18:00.000-06:00

As part of the traditional methods of forbearing anger, I wanted to write down three approaches from Mahamudra Sutra. Until I fully purify negative imprints, I am certain that negative and difficult situations will arise.

It is good for me to remind myself of these methods as well as other interim steps to keep me in check. When we will know that we no longer need these techniques? When there are no longer problem situations and difficult people coming up in your life.

So here are the three methods:

1 Withstand – Remember that getting angry hurts you and can be the circumstance to result in others suffering and anger.
2 Realize It is All Empty –Realize that everything is empty of inherit existence and depend on causes and condition. Bottomline, there is actually nothing and no one independently there, its all coming from you! As I have been taught, this one is the most difficult but the most complete. It is very difficult to get angry no less remain angry at something which we realize does not truly exist.
3 Realize Everything that is happening to us is the result of our past actions.

For number 1, I am reminded of my teacher Khenpo Choga Rinpoche likening getting angry to jumping off the roof of a 2-story house. What would happen if you were to jump or fall off the rood of a 2-story house?

If you fall off such a roof, you are likely to get hurt. Right?

So likewise, when you get angry, you definitely hurt yourself. So don’t jump! Further even if someone is trying to “help” you go off the roof, you must resist! Likewise, if someone or something is trying to “help” you to get angry; resist – Just like what you would do if they were trying to help you off the roof.

For number 2, I am not sure that you can get there intellectually. The times where I have been able to see the world in this way, it was not intellectual. It was experiential.

For number 3, it is good to consider this when we have time to contemplate a situation or someone's actions against us. Even though I cannot recall what I ever did to create the circumstance for the problem to surface for me, it is often helpful to know that it is definitely me that sowed the seeds that are now sprouting – weeds and all.

Oh! One reminder that somehow seems appropriate to add here. We can change the past (or at least our view of the past which changes the past). We can change the future by our thoughts, words, and actions right now.

However, we cannot change the present! We are stuck with what is happening right now. No matter how much we might want things to be different, we cannot change the present. So deal with it as compassionately as one can. Your future depends on it! Promise!

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Destroying Buddhism

2007-07-03T17:32:00.000-06:00

If you haven’t read yet, then you can now know that our kind Chinese friends in Tibet, at the Samye Monastery have forcibly destroyed a 30-foot gold and copper statue of Guru Rinpoche.
According to the official report, the statue violated some kind of “new rule” put in place this year by the Chinese. One report says that it is about about erecting statues must have a permit. Other sources say it is about religious items put in place by people that are not registered members of the facility.
Either way, it’s just a bunch of bullshit created by the occupying forces. As I see it, this recent action is directly related to the fact that China has miscalculated the results of their own actions of opening up Tibet to all of the Chinese.
When you have an autocratic government, you face the result of rule sometimes called “The rule of unforeseen consequences.”
Like when they invaded Tibet, the Chinese indirectly spread Vajrayana Buddhism throughout the world. It is like trying to get rid of a puddle of water by throwing a huge stone in. You might get rid of some of the water in the puddle but the water splashes all over the place. Vajrayana Masters are now found throughout the world disseminating Buddhism in every continent.
Now, China has decided to turn Lhasa into China’s Disneyland. What they did not anticipate is the millions of the visitors would go back home with more than pretty pictures and souvenirs. They have become interested in the Buddha-Dharma.
“Oh shit?” the Communist party thinks. “Now what are we going to do?”
Too late guys. The cat is out. The end of the Communist party is likely within the next 20 years. Some outside force will not destroy China’s Communism. It will be destroyed from within China. And watch out when it happens!

Now lets step back to the destruction of this great statue – which incidentally was constructed with money from two very wealthy Chinese families (not Tibetan). You see the Chinese are scared about all of this!

You might think that it would be appropriate to get angry but read below first:

I think that it was Nargajuna who said that:
Even if they destroy Buddhist texts, sacred objects, or statues; these are only just representations of the Buddhism.
However, if you allow yourself to get angry or upset – namely allow any such action to destroy your peace of mind, then it is you that have destroyed to true Buddha. You have destroyed the Buddha-Dharma.

So even when someone harms such sacred items, we must pray for them. For those of us that have a Christian background, I think we have another version of this “God, forgive them for they know not what they have done. “

Sound familiar?

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Oh by the way if you want to read about the events at Samye, here are two links:

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=46,4291,0,0,1,0

http://www.savetibet.org/news/newsitem.php?id=1144

Dealing with Irritating People

2007-06-07T17:36:00.000-06:00

The following has been slightly modified from a letter I wrote a friend who was having difficulty with a family member who was irritating my friend. My friend asked me for advice about how best to handle the situation. Here is what I wrote them:

I recently took a 30-hour training on the Patience chapter of “The Way of a Bodhisattva” by Shantideva (Chapter 6). Once I started studying these teachings, irritating people and situations began to DISAPPEAR! And now have almost completely disappeared. I have outlined and highlighted some of the verses which are of particular importance when faced with apparent irritating people.

I ask you to just remember this:

There is no evil as great as anger. There is no practice as beneficial as Patience (from the second verse). Every time someone becomes irritating to you or gets jealous or angry at you, see it as an opportunity to be Patience. Then quietly thank them for providing you this wonderful opportunity to be Patience. This will change your life!! Almost overnight!

This can be a radical change in your view of “irritating” people. It is best to hear oral transmissions and explanations. I suggest that you seek out such transmission from an authentic and lineage holding teracher.

If you have time read the highlighted sections and commentary below. You can absolutely work with other’s anger and jealousy if you want. You will not only benefit you but also the other person and all sentient beings.

The practice of Patience is Transformative. Beyond belief when you start doing it full time.

By the way, thank you for providing me the opportunity to really look deep into this chapter. I had to spend time looking for the right parts and then write a short explanation. I definitely benefited from the task.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

The Way of the Bodhisattva by Shantideva
Chapter 6 Patience
Verses 98 – 107

"98. Praise and so on distract me and remove my disillusionment with the cycle of existence. They stir up jealousy toward gifted people, and anger at their success."

When we are praised, we begin to feel that this life of ours is not so bad. As a result of this, we stop working towards our own awakening. it is with our disgust with this temporary life (of samsara) that we step on the path to awaken for the benefit of all beings.

Second, when we are praised, we actually become addicted to the praise and addicted to wanting more of what others have (jealousy and envy).

"99. Therefore, are those conspiring to destroy my reputation and so forth not protecting me from falling into hell?"

It is true that we should see those that torment us as truly our protectors. They are protecting us from living our life in ways that would eventually lead us into harmful future lives such as in one of the Hell Realms.

"100. The bondage of acquisition and honor is unfitting for me who seeks liberation. How can I hate those who are freeing me from bondage?"

If you seek liberation from this samsaric existence, if you seek to truly be of the greatest assistance to all beings, then you must become a Buddha! Fully Awaken! In order to become a Buddha, you must train in loving all beings and finally see all beings as truly Buddhas. When you begin to see all as Buddhas, then you are getting close.

"101. How can I hate those who, as if due to the Buddha’s blessing, block the gate as I seek to enter suffering?

"102. It is wrong to feel anger toward someone, thinking that person impedes my merit. As there is no austerity equal to patience, shall I not abide in that?"

It is the result of practicing patience that we open up to world of awakening. If you become angry, you harm yourself, you destroy aeons of merit, you get closer to living in hell. Patience “closes” the door to hell.

"103. If on account of my own fault I do not practice patience here, then I myself have created an obstacle when grounds for merit have been presented."

If you do not practice patience, you are losing the opportunity to gain great merit. You have been presented with the great opportunity to practice patience. Do not become your own obstacle when the opportunity presents itself. If you become upset or angry, you are contributing to more unhappiness in your world. I will promise that the world will become even worse for you the more you are unhappy.

"104. If one thing does not exist without another, and does exist when the other is present, then that other thing is its cause. How can that be called a hindrance?"

This one is really difficult as it relates to the highest view of karma - cause and effect. Reflecting on this: look to the TRUE cause of your anger. Second, Look to the cause of your patience which is a great merit.

First we consider the first part. If your sister, for example, is the CAUSE of your unhappiness, then EVERYTIME you and others see her, then they MUST become angry or unhappy. If it does not happen everytime THEN THEY (your sister in this case) CANNOT be the cause of unhappiness.

So what is the cause? What is always there when you are unhappy or angry?
It is you! You are the cause of your unhappiness and anger! it is not coming from the other person. It is coming from you. If it was coming from them, then it would ALWAYS happen. And likewise, if they were gone, you would never be angry or unhappy.

The final sentence is looking back to previous verses talking about. They are giving you with the opportunity to practice Patience. You cannot ever practice patience without an irritating person in your life.

Bottomline: An irritating person is the CAUSE of your Patience. They are the cause of Patience which is the greatest Practice to awaken.

Let this one settle in. It is really hard for me to understand - no less to explain because it is so foreign for us to see an irritating person as being the cause of something good for us.

"105. For a beggar is not a hindrance to generosity at the time of alms giving; and when a person who bestows an ordination arrives, he is not called a hindrance to the ordination."

So this will help understand the previous verse. A beggar is the cause of our generosity, yes? If no one ever needed anything, we would never have an opportunity to be generous.
Giving to people who have no needs is sort of worthless.

Likewise, a master who give vows to someone, is not looked upon as a hinderance to ordination. These are two examples of other situations where the person who is the cause of a good action are more easily seen as the cause.

It is very difficult to seek irritating people as a benefit to us. It can help to see that they are no different from a ordination master (who gives you initiations) or from a beggar (for generosity).

As a Bodhisattva, we are always looking for opportunities to practice: Whether it be generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, meditation or wisdom. they all provide the soil for our awakening and the fertilizer for our merit.

"106. Beggars are easy to meet in the world, but harm doers are difficult to find, for when I do no wrong no one will wrong me."

Continuing the example, Shantideva notes that beggars are plentiful. However, those that are irritating become rare. Become rare? Yes! As the teachings on this chapter point out, as you become more patient with those around us, as you reduce finding situations which cause you to suffer and become angry back, YOU will find that irritating people will disappear from your life.

It will become increasingly more difficult to find irritating people and situations.
Can this really happen? I am here to tell you that it truly works.

"107. Therefore, since my adversary assists me in my Bodhisattva way of life, I should long for him/her like a treasure discovered in the house and acquired without effort."

This is the most radical part of this section of verses! Why? Because if you really can see that an irritating person is the CAUSE of your patience, you will find that those people are to be worshipped.

A Daily Practice for Anyone Who Wants One!

2007-05-16T22:55:00.000-06:00

My daughter is working this summer at a local and wonderful bakery here in Salt Lake. I went over there tonight to see her and have something to eat (by the way – the food at the Avenues Bakery is great!).

So anyway, I walk in and come across a fellow Buddhist practicitioner who had previously asked me for a suggested a basic daily practice. Since we had not ever gotten together for me to provide her with a practice, we decided that now was a great time put it together. The great part, for me, is that I did not have advance warning to think about the perfect daily basic practice. I pulled it together right from the heart!

So I just started to write out a daily practice. Maybe it is my deluded thinking - which is very likely if you know me – However, I am still really happy with what I wrote down while my soup awaited me.

It might be worthless but I decided to put it down here for my own future benefit. I am getting older and at some point, I am likely to loose my memory. So as long as the blog remains on the web, I can look it up and remind myself of what I need to do. Assuming that I can find it on the web.

So here it is:

1) Get on your Seat – find a time every day to sit down – same time every day is the best and it’s a great way to get some discipline. Set a place in to sit everyday. Start with maybe just 15 minutes – you can extend this as time goes by but the most important thing is to do it every single day. Got it? Don’t do 2 hours one day and then nothing for the next week. Such inconsistency will accomplish nothing.

2) Settle your Body, quite your words, and relax your thinking (your mind, if you prefer) – After sitting down, it is time to rest into your time to practice. I lik to start with my feet and move up my body. Go from your feet to your ankles to calves, to your knees. Eventually you get to your head where I work on each sensual intake separately. My mouth, my nose, my face, my ears, my eyes, the forehead, my crown chakra. If I am lucky, I come out of this practice calm and ready to go into deeper practice.

3) Purify your channels – I did not put this one down tonight because sitting in the restaurant was not the best place to teach someone how to do the 9-Wind Cleansing. But if you know what this is, do it at this time. It is the process to cleanse out negative energies of hatred/anger/aversion (the first three), the negative energies of desire/greed/attachment (the second three), and the negative energies of ignorance/delusion/wrong thinking (the final three). They are stored in your left channel, right channel, and central channel respectively (reverse the first two for women – it’s a mirror image).

4) Shamata – Meditate using your breath as the focus of your thinking. I like Khenpo Choga Rinpoche’s suggestion to do three (3) sets of seven for a total of 21. This is to train our mind in one-pointed focus and attention. Many texts or teachers say that if your mind wanders, you are suppose to start over. However, I feel that if we were really honest with this “rule,” we would never get through all 21 breaths. So don’t be too hard on your self. Just do the best that you can. With time, it seems that there is improvement. Maybe I will be able to get all 21 done without distraction before I die. By the way, the reason we work on this is because it helps with all of the rest of the practice. The better we have trained our mind to focus, the greater the power and force our practice will have.

5) Take Refuge in your Teachers/Guides – Whoever you regard as your teacher or teachers, place them in front of you. Visualization seem strange but it is amazingly powerful. I think that you should put whomever you regard as your teacher/guide/advisor. In fact, I load up every single teacher that I have or have had in front in front of me. There is no reason to leave any of them out. Jesus, Ghandhi, Buddha, our living teachers, our grand parents, put them all there. If they can help me, I don’t want to leave them out. For a Buddhist, we take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, The teachers are the Buddha. They are the messengers of the path to awakening (the Dharma). There are others that are traveling the same path (the Sangha).

6) Offering to your Teacher - Visualize wonderful and magnificant things of beauty and offer these to your teachers. We do this to practice the generosity of giving all to them. We are training to realize that there is nothing in this world as sacred and great as the teachings to reach full awakening. Everything we have, everything that we would like to have, see, or hold can never compare with the sacredness and importance of the teachings. We therefore, offer all that we can imagine to our teachers.

7) Purify your Mind/thinking. Recall a situation over the last say 24 hours that you regret which might be an action, something that you said, or simply something that you thought – This is the purification practice but taken to a very personal level. Rather than dealing with it on a conceptual level we are bringing it right down to the real thing: Something that you really did, said, or thought.
a. Confess it in front of your teachers and guides including deities if you practice with such practices.
b. Regret it.
c. Promise not to do this again for a set period of time. If you can only commit for a few hours, then do this. If you are prepared to do forever, that is even better but mean it!
d. Commit to do something, anything, that you feel is appropriate to make amends – Its your confession, create your own amends. Maybe it is simply to give a homeless person 50 cents. Maybe you should let someone cut in front of you on the freeway and you are happy to let them in. You have to decide what you should do. (By the way, after you have completed the task let go go of your regret! You are done with it. Let it be over!)

8) Rejoice in your good deeds. Recall a good action, words, or thought over the last 24 hours – take your pick and hopefully you can find something.
a. Rejoice in whatever you have recalled
b. Dedicate the merit of this to all sentient beings, don’t keep it for only yourself.

9) Consider those that are suffering. Think of someone you know who is suffering right now or a group of people that are suffering – this is the arousal of the mind of Bodhicitta if you want the formal term for this part of the practice.
a. Wish that they be free from suffering (this is compassion)
b. Wish that they be happy (this is love/loving-kindness)
c. Wish that they never be separated from the unchangeable and indestructible happiness/bliss (this is Joy)
d. Wish that that they remain forever in equanimity beyond hope and fear (this is equanimity).

10) Ask your teachers to remain with you for the day – This is where you can place your teachers in your heart (heart chakra). They can stay and guide you throughout the day. Anytime you need their assistance, they are there to help.

11) Spreading the light of love and compassion - Once your teachers have been safely place in you heart chakra, we can then visualize waves of light coming from our heart chakra. The rainbow of lights are in the colors of blue, green, red, yellow, and white (representing the 5 Buddha families, their attributes, and wisdoms), the rays of light pass through the world spreading love, compassion, and enlightened prayers to all beings. With some practice, such visualizations become more and more a reality that you are truly sending waves out to the entire world and all beings.

12) Rejoice in whatever merit you have accumulated through today’s practice – You can increase this bundle by rejoicing all the merit created by all sentient beings and accumulated by all enlightened beings in the past, present, and future. Load up the pile of merit.

13) Give the Merit away for the swift awakening (aka the Enlightenment) of all sentient beings – If you keep all this merit for yourself, you will lose it in a single moment of anger, greed, pride, envy, or ignorance. So give it away and then it will never be lost. This is for certain.

14) Close your practice and Smile – Keep your piece of your mind. When you mess up: reflect on the error, regret, forgive yourself, and get back to being that wonderful and amazing person that you are.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Masters Consider Anger

2007-05-16T07:30:00.000-06:00

For this posting, I am mostly going to quote some of my most favorite words and lessons on anger from great Masters whom I regard as my teachers along my path to hopefully and eventually awaken. I have a long long way to go so I need to repeat often. I hope that eventually all of this really sinks in and become part of my wisdom.

Patrul Rinpoche ( 1808-1887) in “The Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones - The Practice of View, Meditation, and Action – A Discourse Virtuous in the Beginning, Middle, and End” (no. 35) writes (Padmakara Translation Group):

Overcome your enemy, hatred, with the weapon of love;
Protect your family, the beings of the six realms, with the skillful means of compassion;
Harvest from the field of devotion the crop of experience and realization.
Consumating your life’s work, recite the six-syllable mantra (Om Mani Padme Hung).

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910-1991) composed a commentary on this great work, writing:

It is said that there is no greater evil than hatred and no greater virtue than patience. While a single moment of anger destroys countless aeons of merit and leads to unmitigated suffering in the hell realms, patience toward those who harm you and the sincere wish to bring them happiness will bring you swiftly onto the path taken by all the Buddhas.

There is no better way to deal with enemies than to feel great love for them, realizing that in former lives they have been your loving parents….

The great Indian Master Shantideva (8th century) wrote an entire chapter in the Bodhicharyavatara (The Way of the Bodhisattva) on Patience (Chapter 6). The entire chapter is really about eliminating anger through the application of patience. However, I won’t type out the entire Chapter here. You can go buy a great copy of this text from numerous sources. I have taken the following verses from the translation of the Padmakara Translation Group:

[6:3] Those tormented by the pain of anger
will never know tranquility of mind –
Strangers they will be to every pleasure;
Sleep departs them, they can never rest.

Here as elsewhere in the chapter, we are reminded that it is the person who is angry who shall surely suffer.

[6:39] If those who are like wanton children
Are by nature prone to injure others,
What point is there in being angry –
[For this is] like resenting fire for its heat?

[6:40] And if their faults are fleeting and contingent,
If living beings are by nature wholesome,
It’s likewise senseless to resent them –
[Might] as well be angry at the sky for having clouds?

I love these lines. Verse 39 says to me that if the person is evil at their core, then how can we be angry for them being who they are. Verse 40 says to me that if a person is good but had a fault that is only temporary, it would be senseless to resent them, as well.

And my all-time favorite verse of the entire Bodhicharyavatara:

[6:41] Although indeed it is the stick that hurts me,
I am angry at the one [who is holding it], striking me,
But he is driven and impelled by anger –
So it is his wrath I should resent [and not the person].

For me this always reminds me that I should not get angry at the person for whatever they have done to harm me. Rather I should resent the negative emotion that has engulfed their thinking. In this case the verse refers to his wrath (anger) but it could just as easily been his greed, envy, pride, or ignorance. Being angry at the person is just not getting to the source of the problem.

This whole chapter is worth memorizing. In fact the whole text by Shantideva is worthy to put to memory, contemplation, and reflection. My wonderful and gracious teacher Khenpo Choga Rinpoche has begun preparing a comprehensive commentary. You can obtain the introduction and first five chapters here.

Next, I offer Verse 20 from the equally powerful and great writing from the magnificent Gyalse Togme (1295-1369) know in English as “37-Practices of a Bodhisattva. The translation I am using here is that of Dr. C.T. Dorji from Bhutan. I like this translation because it seems to be the most authentic direct translation of the Tibetan:

If anger that dwells in our hearts lies neglected
And, turning instead to our external foes,
We try to destroy them and even kill thousands,
Then thousands of others will plague us still more.
So seeing this action is not the solution,
Let us muster the forces of mercy and love.
Turn inwards and tame the wild flow of our thinking –
The Sons of the Buddhas all practice this way.

Destroying our external foes – even killing them – will never solve the anger within. Rather it is the negative emotion within us that is the true enemy to be eliminated.

I pray that I and all beings can someday turn our focus on these internal enemies and stop looking to the external foes as if they were the cause of our pain and suffering.

Finally, I would like to recount one of my favorite teachings on anger from my teacher, Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche:

[Khenpo-la] If you were standing on a balcony and someone told you to jump, would you do it? Why not? What would you do if they tried to ‘help’ you off the balcony?

[Response] I wouldn’t jump. I would not jump because I would surely be hurt. Even if someone tried to help me off the balcony, I would resist, in order to avoiding harming myself.

[Khenpo-la] Anger will surely harm you just like falling from the balcony. This, I promise you! So likewise, if someone tries to make you angry, no matter what, you should do everything you can to avoid the anger. Exactly like you would to use all of your mite to avoid going over the balcony.

May you avoid falling off the balconies whether by choice or with the assistance of others.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

More Thoughts on Anger

2007-05-15T23:27:00.000-06:00

Tonight I just went over to a good friend’s house. This friend is feeling upset about an unfortunate breakup. This friend is Buddhist. However, despite being Buddhist, my friend told me that it was actually beneficial to feel angry. It was GOOD for them to feel upset.

What?

Where had this come from and where did they learn this? My friend told me that they are quite certain that the Dali Lama gets angry - like, at the Chinese!

What?

I still contend that the Dali Lama does not feel anger towards the Chinese.

So I came home thinking about this support of Anger…again! At least for me, our Western thinking continues to think that there is some benefit and value to anger. I am confident in saying that there is no good from anger. None. Nada!

However, people just look at me like I am crazy. This thinking is contagious. It is so entrenched in our society and education system that I realize I do not have the ability to even persuade a single person that they just might be mistaken.

I would like sign out of this angry society. I will be happy to retreat into my isolated meditation cave and let everyone, at least for the time being, get angry and hate each other. I am not interested in joining in.

After I have hopefully come to some level of stability to not be affect by such anger, I promise to come out and try to help. But right now, I see lots of people that are thinking that it is good to get angry.

My next writing, which I am separating in order to avoid having a paper too long will talk on the Masters words on Anger. For those that might doubt that the “Anger is Good” Club is correct and might be looking for some support against anger, you might enjoy reading it.

However, if you are part of the Anger is Good Club (the AGC), I might suggest that you don’t bother to read the writing entitled Masters Consider Anger. I do not want to try to convince that you might be mistaken.

I am not sure that joining AGC is a good idea. I know that I am trying to get me off their recruitment list.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Remembering to Sit

2007-05-12T10:20:00.000-06:00

Everyday seems to go by so quickly. It is very easy to have the whole day pass by without taking the time to sit and reflect. However, my teachers and all great masters repeatedly remind us that there are not results without meditation.

There are lots of good reasons to make meditation part of each day. Do you want to have peace and happiness for yourself? Do you want to be of aid to others? Do you want a calm and content thinking? Then sit every day!

How about downsides? Can you think of any? So far I have only heard of one. It takes some time. Any more? Look deeply. I bet you cannot find another.

There are some items of advice that I have adopted to assist me. First, I regard meditation/sitting the most important thing that I do every day. I have placed it number 1 priority. Second, I follow the advice to set the time of day to sit. I have a set time. Further, I have a set place. This is when I take my seat and meditate. If for some reason, I cannot sit at this place and at that time, I will think of it often until I am able to sit.

Hearing teachings plants the seeds of our awakening.

Contemplating these teachings (a form of meditation of its own) provides the nourishment for the seeds of enlightenment to sprout.

Sitting in calm meditation provides the nourishment for the awakened mind to blossom.

I find the greatest obstacle to continuing my sitting practice are those times when repeated sitting seems to be having no effect. Sometimes I go for weeks without any noticeable results. It is easy to start wondering if I am just wasting my time. At these times, it is only my discipline to keep sitting that keeps me showing up. Then in one instant, in one sitting, I can gain a glimpse of the other side. I like to think that I am experiencing a bit of what it would be like to be total free of the delusions of samsara ( the world that has been fabricated by my grasping and confused thinking). Maybe this too is just deluded thinking. However, these small glimpses and the small breakthroughs provide the inspiration to keep returning to my seat and to my practice.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Building a Community for Buddhists

2007-04-30T23:38:00.000-06:00

I just read a wonderful statement on Buddhism that I think all us western practicitioners should consider. The comments were written in the article entitled “Forum: Diversity and Divisions in American Buddhism,” in the winter 2006 Issue of “Buddhadharma,” (page 55-56).

Writing on behalf of the magazine, the moderator writes:

“Traditionally, churches have provided a much broader array of services and methods of observance for people than many American Buddhist groups, which see themselves as meditation centers aimed at personal practice. Traditional churches, including many in the Buddhist world, offer rituals and rites of passage such as weddings and funerals; religious practices that range from silent reflection to singing, chanting, and movements; social events; and pastoral care, such as caring for the sick, elderly, and those in crisis. Have some Buddhists rejected religiosity and cultural practices to such an extent that they have cut themselves off from the fuller role that spirituality can play in people’s lives?”

I think this is a very important matter. It has caused me to consider what we do here in Salt Lake City at Dzogchen Samye Ling. After a long discussion with one of the other members of our Sangha, we have decided to start building a community that is found within more ‘traditional’ church organizations.

I think that there are many benefits to such activities including building a sense of belonging, helping members and others out in the community, and providing the ‘refuge of sangha’ as is part of the formal taking refuge.

I think it is time to starting building the community of sangha members and get out of the 100% ‘on my own program.’

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Additional Thoughts on Buddhism in the West

2007-04-27T18:36:00.000-06:00

In “The Monk and the Philosopher” by Matthieu Ricard and Jean-François Revel, Matthieu Ricard states in the last chapter:

"It is no good expecting that Buddhism in the West will be practiced as it was in the East, and the lifestyle of monks and hermits in particular is unlikely to become as widespread here as it is in many Buddhist countries. Nevertheless, Buddhism seems to be able to provide the means necessary to instill in all of us a degree of inner peace. It is not a question of creating a Western form of Buddhism, reduced to an insipid ‘lite’ version by numerous concessions to everyone’s wants, but of using Buddhism’s fundamental truths in such a way that the potential for perfection we all have within us can be actualized."

I definitely cannot say it better myself.

I want to add to this a list of daily items that are necessary to make any progress along the path as a Buddhist practicitioners (courtesy of Lama Marut):

- Have a Daily meditation practice
- Check your ethics regularly each day
- Help someone at least once a day
- Study some spiritual text daily
- Get some kind of exercise to keep ones juices flowing

Sounds like a good start for Western Buddhism.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

A Test to Our Practice

2007-04-26T09:57:00.000-06:00

So here is the test. If you are practicing and working to purify your stream of thinking, I am going to guess that you have hit this hurdle. If you have not hit it, watch out because it is likely coming your way soon!

When we begin to have a better understanding of Karma, cause and effect, we start to understand that IF I DO NOT WANT TO SUFFER, I CANNOT EVER BE THE BASIS FOR OTHERS TO SUFFER. So if you do not like people being upset, mad, or angry at us THEN we cannot ever get mad, upset, or angry at others.

This is nothing unique to Buddhism, mind you. It is really just the law behind “you reap what you sow.”

So the day comes. We start off thinking “Today I will be only be compassion – only doing that which helps others not to suffer. I will refrain from getting mad, upset, or angry with anyone. Afterall getting upset at others will harm me and is the basis for them to suffer.”

So you start off the day. Getting on the freeway, a driver doesn’t let you in. “Hmm! Okay I won’t get upset. I will only wish them to not suffer and be happy. I won’t get upset.” So far so good!

Then we get to the office. For some reason this day, everyone seems to have arrived early! I have to park in the back 40. On top of that it looks like it just might rain and I did not bring an umbrella. It is not going to be fun running to my car in the rain for my lunch appointment! But hey, no problem I am just going to wish everyone not to suffer right?

Stepping into the office. It seems that everyone I am coming in contact with has decided that today is the day to complain to Geoff! At some point, usually after the third or fourth enconter, I begin to lose my “faith” in this whole compassion thing.

I started off the day with only good thoughts of compassion to all beings. I did not get upset at the drivers on the freeway. I did not get upset that I had to park a mile away from the office. I did not get upset at the first few who were totally rude in the office.

However, there is a point where none of seems to be working. I accepted compassion. I accepted karma. I applied the methods during the first part of the day and all that I ‘got’ in return was the wrath from everyone I came into contact with.

Its very easy to consider that none of this works. In the current situation, it might even look like my compassion only sent me lots of grief!

This is the moment of the test! What is coming your way, is not based on the actions from just this morning. You have been building up stuff for lifetimes. One morning of being nice is not going to instantaneously result in everyone being your best friends. Trust me on this.

The test is to maintain faith in the law of Karma. (In fact the difficult situations you are now facing are really testimony to the law of Karma but this is next to impossible to consider at this moment). The test is a challenge. Can you still remain compassionate when the fourth rude person enters your space?

I have recently had a situation like this come up. The difference is that it was coming over many weeks. There have definitely been times when I have wondered “what the hell is going on here. I started feeling that it was time to stop being all this good stuff and start telling people what I really was feeling!”

Then all of a sudden, I realized that this was the whole point! I had not truly applied compassion to my thinking. I was acting with compassion. I was refraining from saying negative things. However, I was definitely thinking without compassionate. Wow! I wasn’t there yet!

The second part to remember is that there is a ‘thermal lag’ to the whole thing. Thermal lag is the term used (or at least the term I use) to explain how the sun is at its hottest right at noon but it is usually around 3pm that the day it the hottest. There is a delay. Its not instantaneous.

Recently, I was having coffee with a friend who has been likewise struggling with some issues in life. Despite trying everything he could to set things right, all that seemed to be coming up was more problems!

As I looked around, I saw planters which had recently been weeded. New small plants had been put in the planter where last week there were just weeds. Additionally, wild flower seeds had been put in the middle.

Now when I come back in a week or two, we all hope to see the small plants flourishing and see the beginning of a nice wild flower area. But it is very likely that we will see lots of new weeds coming back. Some of the small plants are likely to be withered even maybe dead. If the gardener was to take a short-term view on the whole thing, he is likely to conclude “Its hopeless. I removed all the weeds. Planted these nice plants and put in wild flowers. All I am getting is more weeds! I give up!”

However, anyone who has ever worked in a garden knows that you have not removed all future weeds just by removing the weed that were present on one weekend. The seeds of new weeds were already present in the soil. Further, there are also new seeds being blown in from the surroundings.

The immediate results of new weeds is not the result of the recent weeding. They were already there. If one wants a clean beautiful planter, one must continually attend to it. New weeds must be removed, ideally early on before they really take root and start producing more seeds.

In the mean time the results of our plantings will be begin to come forth. It just does not happen overnight overnight. (or in one morning of being kind).

I write this to remind myself. When shit happens, I sometimes just need to remind myself that I still need to do only good. Good only creates good! Bad will surely create bad! There just might be a thermal lag!

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Looking For Love in all the Wrong Places

2007-04-19T00:05:00.000-06:00

I have been listening to some wonderful teachings from Lama Sumati Marut recently. Google him if you want. He is marvelous at presenting essential Buddha-Dharma teachings in ways that resonate with my Western deluded mind.

He has distilled the ways that we in the West try to find happiness. He has categorized them into 5 categories:

1) Money and things
2) A Job
3) Relationships
4) Entertainment (including all that stuff from use of drugs to tv and sex)
5) Physical appearance

Each one of these, are going to fail as providing lasting happiness. They can provide temporary satisfaction but will ultimately result as the source of suffering if we try to rely on them for happiness.

Each are impermanent and consequently subject to constant change.

Each one in their own way are more or less our unspoken sources of “Refuge” that we try to take shelter.

So where should we go for refuge?

Oh by the way, once you remove your expectations, we can have everything that we need including lots of everything if that really works for. No one is saying that one must be poor, jobless, without friends, bored, and fat to awaken!

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Buddhism in America: An Overlooked Consideration

2007-02-22T11:12:00.000-07:00

Watch out for the wrath of hate! How will we respond?

I recently listened to a public radio program on religious intolerance in the United States. The springboard for conversation was a new book focusing on the attack of homosexuals by fundamental Christian groups and most notably the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas – the authors of the “God Hates America (http://www.godhatesamerica.com/index.html) and its other ‘Hate’ sites.

Clearly, I could talk to the perversion of Christian teachings and the Bible (would anybody really think that the Old Testament is a guide to how one should live their life?). I could talk about the Buddhist teachings on negative thinking such as hate (negative thinking – including hate – 100% causes our suffering and is the condition of others suffering).

However, I want to point out a warning to us Buddhist Practicitioners here in the United States. Right now, we are off the radar screen of fundamentalist hate groups. As Buddhism grows within the United States, we are going to find more and more attention directed towards our practices and us! As Practicitioners, our actions and behavior will be increasingly scrutinized. Every Practicitioners actions will be looked at as a statement to the merits or the condemnation of Buddhism!

One of the points made during the public radio discussion of hate groups is their need to create a “bad seed” which can then be looked upon by groups. The “bad seed” is then alleged to be the reason why things are not going well. In the community, in the country, and in the whole world! As Buddhism grows in the United States, we can easily become target of their wrath.

We can become the new poster child for the “God Fearing” crowd. For now, I think we fall way behind, gays, illegal immigrants, and Muslims as the boogieman that is out to destroy these community’s view of the world.

How will we respond? Can we remain in equanimity and filled with love and compassion toward all beings – including those with so much hate directed towards us?

I can see that I must quickly train and purify my negative thinking now. It is in this way that I can help all sentient beings as well as hopefully becoming an example of Buddhism in action. All of our actions will be judged. Every one of us will be held to standards almost impossible to be met.

I feel that noting examples of good action is helpful for me to recall. One such amazing example is that of the Amish Community in Pennsylvania following the killing of 5 Amish children on October 2, 2006. The Amish community reached out to the killer’s family and even attended his funeral. While this was not done to spread good message about Mennonites, it definitely did so. Their actions speak louder than any printed text. We all grew a little more respect for this peaceful and compassionate community.

There are numerous examples including the forgiveness of Chris Williams here in Salt Lake City whose car was hit by a 17-year old boy who under the influence of alcohol. Chris Williams’ pregnant wife and two of their children were killed the evening of Friday February 9, 2006 in the accident. As a committed member of the LDS faith, he is exemplary in his thoughts and actions. Three days after the tragic accident and less than 24 hours after his release from the hospital, Chris is forgiving the 17-year old! Wow! I could only hope to be so compassionate. I aspire to be as forgiving. In fact, the future of Buddhism in America will depend on us practicitioners to do such.

As more scrutiny is placed on Buddhist Practicitioners, it will be up to us to weather the storm and act with love and compassion to all sentient beings – even those that will hate us, even those that will harm us, and even those that beat us.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

The Four Immeasurables as Antidotes

2007-02-08T13:28:00.000-07:00

Compassion - I want all sentient beings to free from suffering and negative thinking.
Love - I want all sentient beings to have happiness and positive thinking.
Joy - I want all sentient beings to never be separated from the sublime joy, beyond delusion and illusion
Equanimity - I want all sentient being to live in equanimity, beyond fear and hope.

Most of us practicitioners know this prayer or a variation of it. It is commonly called the Bodhicitta Prayer bringing forth the Four Immeasurable powers of love, compassion, joy, and equanimity.

As my teachers have taught me, they are called the Four Immeasurables because they are inexhaustible within our thinking. Namely, when one holds these wishes in our thinking, our capability to generate them grows exponentially. There is an inexhaustible well of good and positive wishes that can grow to ultimately fill every thinking moment. This is way of a Bodhisattva.

I just came across a discussion that reminded me of the Four Immeasurables as antidotes to negative thinking/emotions. So here they are:

Desire/Attachment – the antidote to wanting something, to wanting to hold on to something, can be Love. Whatever is the object of our desire and attachment, we offer to all sentient beings with the wish they all sentient beings can be happy.

Anger/Hatred – the antidote to wanting to avoid something or pushing something away from us can be Compassion. Whatever is unpleasant and anger provoking we take on for all sentient beings with the wish that they be free from suffering.

Jealousy/Envy – The antidote to feeling envious of others success and good fortune can be wish for Joy. Whatever good fortune others have, we wish that their happiness remain unending and continue. We rejoice in all sentient beings good fortune and happiness.

Pride – the antidote to feeling superior and prideful compared to others is equanimity. We see that all sentient beings have the Awakened Nature naturally present within their hearts and their entire being. We regard all sentient beings as naturally Buddhas within and serve all with love, compassion, and wish for joy with no exception.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Looking into a Problem

2006-12-21T10:34:00.000-07:00

When it looks like everyone is lined up against you....Maybe it is time to get on the other side!

Another Life? (Now?)

2006-10-26T17:20:00.000-06:00

Recently I listened to a presentation on a relatively new internet based place to live called Second Life (secondlife.com). So what is all of this about? I got on the site earlier today to see what it was all about.

After creating a name and making a few choices you are given the opportunity to join in the internet world for free. As I understand it, you can set up businesses, buy and sell real estate, interact with others, and even sell products.

Before you are allowed to sign on, you are given information on the six violations, which can get you banned from this world. They are intolerance (of others based on race, religion, gender, etc), harassment , assault, disclosure (or namely the lack thereof), indecency, and disturbing the peace (my favorite). It kind of like the basic rules of this world.

I sometimes like to refer to our lives as one big 3-D interactive video game. It looks like we are getting closer and closer to creating such through the internet. Sure there are limitations. One must use an external computer and a keyboard to do things. The projections are presented on my computer screen and is a far cry away from truly wrapping completely around me.

I did not spend enough time on there to fully understand what was going on. However, I did search ‘places.’ I typed in “Buddhism” and found some amazing sites. There is a wonderful Medicine Buddha monastery and a Green Tara retreat center. One can enter the facilities, sit on cushions, capture thangka paintings for future viewing, and get teachings on some of the deities. The most wonderful part is that the creators offer everything for free. There is no charge on anything at the sites. Truly Buddhists!

Combine this entry into a retreat center with the possibility of obtaining recorded and even live teachings…..we end up up a virtual Buddhist retreat. Not too sure what to think about all of this….

I originally entered the Second Life site prepared to comment negatively about living on the internet. I ended up finding meaningful locations and considering the benefits in the future in transmitting the Buddha-Dharma.

It would actually be easy to speak negatively on this alternate “world.” I now realize that just like this life, we can choose beneficial sites and work or go hang out in the darkest and evil places we can imagine.

It is all in our hands – or actually our thinking.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Looking Within

2006-10-24T22:24:00.000-06:00

Recently I have been listening to the teachings of a number of Western Vajrayana Trainied Buddhist. There is something to be said about those who have grown up within my world and can bring the Buddha-Dharma to me in ways that connect with my world.

There are simply cultural and societal issues which Western teachers can bridge. I look forward to the day when the Buddha-Dharma has some fully realized teachers from Western roots.

There are definitely cultural differences which make it difficult for Asian masters to relate to a Western audience. I think that the great Masters are 100% accurate when it comes to one on one interaction. When they get into group environments, the cultural differences do affect their ability to relate to the group.

One of the big differences in our worlds is the natural focus of our attention. We in the West are more outer directed. When we start talking about disturbing emotions, we immediately start thinking about people around us. When teachers talk about result karma, we immediately think about others. We start thinking about some poor unfortunate child somewhere.

While this is far from my most eloquent writing, I felt that it needed to be stated as fast as I could write it:

We need to stop thinking about how the teaching apply to others. We need to seei how the teachings relate to us. How they relate to you!

The teachings of Buddha and all great masters are communicated for us to apply to ourselves.

If I could tell one thing about us Westerners to the great Buddhist Masters coming from Tibet, I would tell then to watch out for those questions from us that are directed about others. Turn the question around and focus on the person asking the question. If they are unwilling to look at themselves (ourselves), then the teacher should not even bother to answer the question. Why? Because as soon as we are outer directed, we have completely missed the point.

Even when it comes to others suffering, we are still only able to deal with our response and our actions to others. How the other person feels, is not for us to determine. From a Buddhist View, they are a Bodhisattva who has manifested in pain only to provide us an opportunity to respond with love and compassion. It is not for us to decide why. We only need to decide how to respond to the suffering we see….and act compassionately.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

When Bad Things Happen to Good People

2006-10-23T16:31:00.000-06:00

One of the most common issues that comes up during discussions of karma – cause and effect (or cause and result) is how can seemingly good people suffer such negative consequences. Likewise, we could be asking why success and fortune come to someone who is seemingly such a “bad person.”

Mind you, when it really comes down to it, there is no one that is 100% bad. Even the most vicious people had someone who loved them, had someone that they helped and did good. But this is the subject of this talk. It is just important to mentioned this so that we do not get confused and think that I am saying that there is anyone who is a bad person. There are people who tend to do really terrible things. But the Buddhist View is that they are not a bad person. They are a person who is trapped with misunderstanding and confusion as to how to gain happiness and avoid suffering.

I recently have been studying a new book released on the preliminary practice (Ngondro) of the Dudjom Lingpa New Treasure. The commentary composed by Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche is entitled “A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar.” As part of the Ngondro, there is the standard contemplation on the four foundations of Buddhist practice: Precious Human Birth, Impermanence, Karma, and Nature of Suffering.

In speaking on Karma, Rinpoche writes:
“From a lack of understanding about the order of cause and result, some may wonder why there are those who make the effort to abandon negativity in this life and accumulate virtue but still experience suffering. Then there are those who have no faith or confidence in the karma of cause and result [presumably doing bad things], yet who are happy and successful in this life. Because of this, if one thinks that the karma of cause and result is therefore untrue, this is a sign of not knowing the order of cause and result, owing to the strength of non-believing nihilist habit. Some people who abandon negativity and accumulate virtue but still suffer in this life are cleansing the suffering from previous lives. This is said by sublime beings to be a sign that in the future they will no longer need to experience this suffering. Then there are those who are fearlessly accruing negativity in this life and yet experience very positive happy phenomena. This is exhaustible virtue, which is the result of small virtuous causes accumulated in previous lives. Once the result of virtue is used up, they again must follow whatever negative causes they have created from previous lives.”

Rinpoche continues by reminding us that the seeds planted through our actions, words, thoughts in this life may not ripen in this lifetime. They will surely be experienced in future lifetimes. This goes for both negative karma and positive karma. We are reminded that once the seeds are planted, the result will occur sometime in the future when the conditions are right.

Buddhist teachings do have methods for Purifying karmic seeds before they come forth. The purification process as I have been explained is discussed in “Purifying our Negative Actions, Words, and Thinking.”

This has all been said before, I am only restating what my teachers have said much better than me. However, here is something that I think might help us in dealing with understanding karma: As we contemplate the karma of cause and result, it is best that we look primarily to ourselves. It is very easy to redirect our attention to some hypothetical child somewhere in the world. However, when it really comes down to it, I really do not know about their life.

It is not for me to figure out their karma or try to reconcile apparent injustices of another person’s life…especially a hypothetical child somewhere in the world. If someone is suffering and there is something that I can do to help, then I can offer help, assistance, love and compassion.

The focus of Buddhist training is to train our mind. To study, contemplate and meditate within our lives. Situations that arise for us are the opportunities to practice what we have been taught. Others who are suffering are opportunities to offer help and assistance with love and compassion.

Through training and practice, I can become a more loving and compassionate person. These positive qualities are then applied to assist all sentient beings.

If we can look at each situation that arises a opportunity to do good, as Khenpo Choga Rinpoche often says and approach negative circumstances with love and compassion, we can truly improve the lives of all sentient beings as well as assure fruitful results for us as well.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Life is Impermanent

2006-10-21T11:41:00.000-06:00

“Some infants still crawling meet with death. Some youths meet with death. For some, death comes when they are old, frail, and decrepit. Others may not even have the opportunity to take medicine….There are many conditions for death. The power of life is comparative weak, like a butter lamp in a windstorm. Even today at this very moment, death can happen suddenly. By this time tomorrow, you could already be reborn as an animal with horns or with a beak. The time of death is extremely uncertain as well as the future of your rebirth.” From “Words of My Perfect Teacher” by Paltrul Rinpoche.

Wow! That one really hit me! I try to be aware that life is impermanent and that we do not know when death may come. I try to understand that our mind continues. I try to contemplate that I will (most likely) be reborn in future lives. However, it all seems quite foreign and strange.

I may die even at this moment. Before my body is even laid to rest, before distant friends and relatives are even made aware of my death, before others read these words; I may already be reborn in another life. I could already have been born a baby animal living in some far away field. I might be cold, hungry, scared, and confused. I will have lost the opportunity to train in the Dharma.

Then again, with training and practice, tomorrow at this time, I could be traveling on to a pure land or heavenly realm with great Bodhisattva by my side….

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Remaining like a Piece of Wood

2006-09-08T14:33:00.000-06:00

Today, I had to replace one of the front headlights on my car. In the process of removing the old light bulb, the wire bracket, which holds the light bulb in place, fell into the undercarriage of the bumper. “Hmm! Okay, now what am I going to do? Even after I replace the light bulb, I will need that part to hold it in place. This wire bracket turns out to be a very important little part.”

My immediate response was ‘Oh, Shit!’ But then I stopped. Took a pause, and began looking for the part.

So what do we do with the little inconveniences, the small obstacles, which arise during the day? Is there a way to avoid these occurrences from ruining a wonderful day?

Buddhism has much to say on these kinds of situation. In fact, these situations are a large part of our daily practice opportunities: how to deal with the arising of a disturbing emotion. . In the case of the missing bracket, I immediately felt frustration which could have moved to anger and grown into rage.

There are many approaches to avoiding disturbing emotion from imprisoning our thinking. Applying a method to avoid, eliminate or dissipate a negative emotion before it grows must be learnt and applied. In time, I think that we become more familiar with the methods. Training allows us to apply the methods without even having to think about it

One of my favorite techniques is what to do once we become aware that a disturbing emotion has arisen: “Do Nothing.” Don’t say anything, don’t take any action, just sit still until the disturbing emotion passes: Be like a piece of wood!

I came across the term again in the transcript of a talk by the Dalai Lama. However, the teaching was first given to me by Khenpo Choga Rinpoche back in 2001: “Sometimes a disturbing emotion begins to arise. It is best to stop and do nothing!”

Situations seem to come up daily that could turn into obstacles. Sometimes, I am able to work through them without any problem. Other times, especially when I am in a rush or have unrealistic expectations, I can feel the frustration arising. It is at these times when I remember to become a piece of wood.

The Dalai Lama reminds us when anger begins to arise, remain like a piece of wood. When we begin to experience attachment or desire for an object, remain like a piece of wood. When we feel like bragging or we feel like criticizing another, remain like a piece of wood.

As a child, my parents taught me that if I ever felt angry, I should stop and count to ten before I said or did anything. The essence of this is the same, I think. However, I feel that the Buddhist training is more refined. We should remain like a piece of wood until that disturbing emotion has passed. Whether this takes 2 seconds or 2 hours, we remain like a piece of wood…for as longs as it takes.

Fortunately, when it came to the lost bracket, I caught the frustration arising quickly. I think I stopped for 3-4 seconds. I smiled and then decided that my headlight replacement project just took on a new dimension. It was going to take longer than the 5 minutes I had expected. But that was fine now. Whatever time it took, I was up to the challenge.

I caught a glimpse of the bracket in a place where I could not reach. I got a long stick and moved the bracket to a place that I could reach with my hand. I retrieved the part, put it back on, and completed installing the new headlight. Assignment accomplished!

And the best part: I stayed happy and felt satisfied that I had completed the project..

As stated in The Buddha Path: “May I never abandon Dharma Practice. May I never surrender to obstacles.”

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Changing the View on the Telescope

2006-08-28T21:58:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite short examples comes from Khenpo Choga Rinpoche talking about small changes made to our thinking.

Often times, us Westerners want to make ‘overnight’ changes to our whole life when things do not seem to be going right. We quit our jobs, leave our spouse, radically alter our diets, and jump into new spiritual practices looking for immediate change.

Khenpo Choga Rinpoche likes to remind us that small changes have big effects over a long period of time. Khenpo-la likens it to a very small change in the direction of a telescope. When you look out into space, the view turns out to be millions of miles away.

We are reminded that very small changes when maintained make millions of miles change in our destiny and future lives.

Keep up with the daily small changes.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Clearing/Cleansing the 9 Dead Winds

2006-08-28T15:12:00.000-06:00

As part of the beginning of many meditative Vajrayana Practices and especially first thing in the morning, I have been taught that we should Clear or Cleanse the 9 Dead Winds. This exercised is included in the first part of our practice along with calming the mind, taking refuge in the Three Jewels, and setting our intention. It is the second step of the “Buddha Path Practice.”

I have been taught many different ways to do the clearing/cleansing practice. The differences are really based on the complexity of the procedure and the approaches adopted by certain centers and teachers. All seem to accomplish the same result. Over the years, I have found it enjoyable to learn the different ways noting the subtle differences in each method.

Rather than trying to explain one or more of the actual procedures, I would suggest that you seek the advice of a teacher or the student of Vajrayana Buddhism to show you their method. There are many different ways to do. Here, I just want to focus on what rather than how.

While oftentimes not mentioned by many teachers and texts, it should be noted that the channels are reverse for men and women. Since I am a man, I will explain for male order. Just note that for women the left and right channels are the mirror image and as such are reversed. It should be noted that the reason for this is related to Tantric unions - teachings which are way beyond my level of knowledge and training.

Our bodies and our speech are tools to aid in the training of our mind/thinking. Khenpo Choga Rinpoche says that our body can support and help 25%. Our speech, namely what we say, can support and help 50%. Until we remove all negative thinking and emotions, we use our bodies and our speech to support our mind training. In this preliminary exercise, we are using our bodies to help with cleansing the three poisons (desire, aversion, ignorance).

Each channel (left, right, and central) is cleansed 3 times. The repetition is the opportunity to cleanse three levels of each poison (or negative emotion) with the help of the channels and our bodies. We begin with the most gross level, followed by the more subtle level, and the finally most subtle level.

As I do the Cleansing, I note the following (remember they are reversed for women):

(1) Left Channel (Skt. lalana; Tib. kyangma) is red in color. Lalana is used to purify the negative winds of hate, anger and aversion. The cleansing breath out the left nostril (exit point of the left channel) cleanses the following (from stronger to softer and subtler forms of the emotion):
Hatred - 1st cleansing breath of lalana: cleanse all hatred
Anger - 2nd cleansing breath of lalana, cleanse all anger
Aversion – 3rd cleansing breath of the lalana, cleanse all aversions

(2) Right Channel (Skt. rasana; Tib. roma) is white in color. Rasana channel is used to purify the negative winds of cravings, desire, and attraction. The cleansing breath out the right nostril (exit point of the right channel) cleanses the following:
Cravings – 1st cleansing breath of the Rasana, cleanse all cravings
Desires – 2nd cleansing breath of the Rasana, cleanse all selfish desires
Attractions – 3rd cleansing breath of the Rasana, cleanse all attractions

(3) Central Channel (Skt. awaduti; Tib. uma) is sky blue in color. Awaduti channel is used to purify the negative winds of wrong views, confusion, and ignorance. The cleansing breath travels out a point between ones’ eyebrows but physically travels out both nostrils (at least for us beginners) as follows:
Wrong Views - 1st cleansing breath of the Awaduti, cleanse and clear all wrong views which we hold
Confusion – 2nd cleansing breath of the Awaduti, cleanse all confusion
Ignorance – 3rd cleansing breath of the Awaduti, cleanse all ignorance

Some methods go through a complete set of left, right, central and then repeat two more time (threes sets in all). When you consider that the first cleansing of each channel is to cleanse at the most gross-level of the emotion, I can see the reasoning in this approach as well. The first set cleanses the gross level emotion, the second set cleanses a more subtle level, and the third set cleanses the most subtle level. In every case we are cleansing nine in all and the order can just change.

Upon completion of the Cleansing of the 9-Dead Winds, I enter into a short period of meditation to focus my mind and thinking one-pointedly. It is after focusing my mind and thinking that I can then begin recitation of a practice. Hopefully my mind is free of distractions, I am focused, mindful, and attentive.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

If In Doubt; ASK!

2006-08-22T16:17:00.000-06:00

Question and Answer Time

Maybe I have already mentioned this before. Maybe I have not. However, I just came a brief note in my Dharma Text that said “Remember Question and Answer to Remove Doubts.”

So I figured, this would be a great time to remind myself (and anyone who cared to read) about the importance of Q&A during teachings.

First a little background: I have had many wonderful Vajrayana teachers pass through our home. Many great teachings have blessed us here. Generally, those in attendance are extremely polite. Upon the completion of the teachings, most teachers will open up to questions. Most of the time there is silence!

No one has any questions? Nothing? Everything was perfectly clear? Everyone understand everything? No doubts, no confusion, no uncertainty?

Many of the Tibetan Teachers are not sure what to think of the lack of questions.

Following my teacher Khenpo Choga Rinpoche’s words on the subject, I like to remind those in attendance of the importance and significance of the question and answer period of a teaching.

For me the teaching begins with calming our body, speech and mind. We then follow this with setting our aspiration to listen and learn for the benefit of all sentient beings. We then listen to the Dharma talk. This is followed with an opportunity to ask questions. The teachings conclude with a dedication of merit to all sentient beings. This is the short list of the steps involved in a teaching.

Once the talk is completed, we should reflect on what has been said and determine what questions arise in our thinking.

It is extremely important that we ask any questions that have arisen related to the teachings. The questions can be to seek clarification. They can be to question the accuracy. They can be to express doubt that what has been said is true. This is absolutely the time to raise any and all doubts. This is not considered disrespectful. In fact, if you have sincere doubt, it is respectful to express these doubts so that they can removed.

Based on my experience, when the teachers say that they can eliminate all doubt and remove all confusion to the teachings, they mean it. However, you must ask!! Do not expect the teacher to read your mind and uncover your questions and doubts.

I have never seen a Tibetan teacher get upset or offended as the result of a question about the teachings. (I have seen them scold a student for asking a question that had nothing to do with the teachings or for asking an “academic” question.)

It is clear when someone asks a question if they really seek advice. Further, it also seems obvious when someone asks a question to look or sound important. Trust me, at least with Khenpo Choga Rinpoche, don’t bother to ask these kind of questions. You will not get the response you expected and he will likely turn the question back on you.

Oh! One last thing, if you ever come across a teacher that discourages you from raising doubts, who discourages questioning what has been taught, or belittles someone who asks such questions…..BEWARE! It is likely that you are not in the presence of an authentic teacher. Run as fast and as far away as you can!

So keep asking your question and raising your doubts. Trust me, the teachers can handle it!

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Veggies and The Five Colors

2006-07-28T22:05:00.000-06:00

I have seen a number of connections between the primary colors of Vajrayana Buddhism. However, today’s connection was just too fun.

I bought a bottle of juice from a company called Kagome. The juice tastes great. I will buy again. What really interested me was the little tag on the bottle that I discovered when I went to open it up at home.

They have a beautifully designed first page (and back page as well) showing the five food colors. The point of their design is to flag “Eat Your Colors Every Day To Stay Healthy and Fit.” And what are these colors?
Blue, Green, Red, Yellow, and White (my order from the Dzogchen Shri Singha flag)

Yeah I know it’s a stretch but I love the connection so I am going to say that again Vajrayana Buddhist had it together and right a long time ago.

Blue, incidently also covers purple.
Yellow also covers orange.

The point of the colors is that we all would be much healthier if we ate from the color “wheel” each and every day. Kagome’s report on Nature’s Color Wheel.

The connection is this, these are the colors of the five Buddha families.
East: White
South: Yellow
West: Red
North: Green
Center: Blue

I am sure that there is a great master somewhere in Tibet that could give us the explanation. Until then, I suggest that we all still try to eat from all the Buddha Families everyday. (I think that the benefit is even greater than what Kagome ever contemplated)

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Ram Yam Kham Om Ah Hung

2006-07-23T16:38:00.000-06:00

Within the final section of the Buddha Path’s Preliminaries are blessing and purification Mantras. These Mantra are in the language of Sanskrit. While Tibetans write the blessings in Tibetan script, the Mantras are still in Sanskrit.

Mantras contain power and energy, which vibrate through our bodies and expand out to the surrounding world. When we recite sacred Mantras, they support our mind and thinking. A Mantra, when repeated with full attention and focus actually can have affect on all of our body. The resonance of the Mantras can affect us deep inside. I know that when I have attend retreats or group practices with Vajrayana practictioners; some of my greatest feelings of calmness and inner-peace come from after an extended repetition of a Sacred Mantra. Whatever had been trapping my mind and thinking before then seemed to melt away and I was left in a state of knowing that everything was perfect exactly how is was. No worries. No fears. No planning. Just Present!

There has been some research on the affects of sound and vibrations on plants and animals including humans. It seems that most agree that vibrations and sounds can calm, encourage growth, excite, aid in healing, etc. The practice of Mantra recitation within Tibetan Buddhism is consistent with these scientific findings. There is nothing mysterious about the affect of Mantras – as we are now beginning to scientifically uncover.

The explanation of the Mantras written below, follow the teachings from my Nyingma teachers, most notably Khenpo Choga Rinpoche, Khenpo Sonam, and Lama Osel. While you can likely find other explanations, I sometime question the information found on sources such as the internet as possibly being incorrect or partially incorrect.

RAM YAM KHAM

This is a general and very common purification Mantra. Often found at the beginning of many Tibetan Sadhanas (practice texts.)

Ram is the seed syllable representing fire and red in color – Purifying through burning up all impurities.
Yam is the seed syllable representing air and typically blue in color – Purifying through blowing away impurities.
Kham is the seed syllable representing water and typically white in color – Purifying by washing away all impurities.

Combined we are purifying with fire, water, and air. In this case we are purifying through our speech and our visualizations to all of the immediate surroundings in which we are practicing. As an extension, We are also purifying ourself, others and all surroundings for as far as we can visualize.

OM AH HUNG

This is the resonance of purity of Body, Speech, and Mind.
OM – White in color (like water) and focused at the crown chakra is the sound vibration to purify the body.
AH – Red in color (like fire) and focused at the throat chakra is the sound vibration to purify speech.
HUNG – Blue in color (like the sky/air) and focused at the heart chakra is the sound vibration to purify the mind and thinking.

Through such repetition of the mantra, we are purifying our body, our speech, and our mind. We then maintain the purity of body, speech, and mind at the very least to our practice and ideally beyond to all of the future It is up to us to maintain pure conduct and commitments to maintain the purity.

OM SWABHAWA SHUDDA SARWA DHARMA SWABHAWA SHUDDO HONG

This is a great Mantra. It can be called the Mantra of Pure Nature or the Mantra of the Purity of Dharmata.

OM is the opening seed syllable which contains all sounds and vibrations within Sanskrit. If you look into explanations, my teachers explain that the sound is actually extended out to sound something like “Oh Ah A Mm…!”

SWABHAWA –.Means “nature,” the essence.
SHUDDA - Means “pure,” naturally and intrinsically pure
SARWA – Means “all,” as nothing is left out.
DHARMA – Here Dharma means “things”

So far, the Mantra in a very abbreviated way says “All Things are Naturally Pure.”

SWABHAWA – Again, “nature”
SHUDDO – Again, “pure.” This time the pronunciation is modified when combined with “A Hum” (note I do not know Sanskrit so I can only repeat what I have been told).
HONG – “A Hum” here refers to the embodiment of something. Something is the extension of its nature.

The Mantra essentially says that “All things are naturally and in their essence naturally pure. All things are the embodiment (expression) of this natural purity.”

Therefore, since they are naturally pure, our purification is only to remove impurities from the “surface” and allow the natural purity to shine forth.

As my teachers have explained, our greatest obstacle in Pure View is our own failing to recognize the purity of all things which is already naturally present. I think that the greatest affect of this Mantra is on training our mind to recognize this naturally present purity of all things.

I would like to conclude with the translation of a autobiographical verses written by Chatral Rinpoche, which apply the Ram Yam Kham is a wonderful way:

The three qualities of ethics, samadhi and insight,
Untainted and proven through direct perception,
Like dry moss, free from the dampness of pretentious falsehood,
I consumed in the space of blazing fire jvala ram.

A religious façade, the jumble of materialism and Dharma,
I surely knew was not the friend of effective practice.
So I tossed the dry ashes of deceit and insensitivity
To the wind from the mountaintop, as the letter yam.

Funds given for the living and the dead, a hindrance to freedom,
And the schemes to collect, hoard and invest them to build sacred objects,
I resolved to cleanse away with the clear stream
Of renunciation, detachment and revulsion, as the element kham.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Study Method as taught by the Dzogchen Shri Singha Shedra

2006-07-21T17:48:00.000-06:00

Khenpo Choga Rinpoche of Dzogchen Monastery and Dzogchen Shri Singha Shedra provided us with the study method used at his Shedra. It is a wonderful method to apply to one’s own studies whether they are related to Buddhism or otherwise.

Essentially when one is studying any text (or body of teachings), Khenpo-la pointed out that each one of these items must be addressed:

1. GPS of the teaching: How does this particular teaching fit within the overall cycle of teachings.
2. What is the subject and the topic
3. What is the immediate benefit of the teaching
4. What is the long term benefit.
5. How do the above relate to each other
6. Provide a word by word explanation.
7. What is the essential meaning
8. What are possible questions or doubts: philosophical, logical, practical, scientific, linguistic, etc. arguments and provide the rebuttals.
9. How should one apply in daily life - not only what one should do but also how to overcome obstacles.
10. Provide Stories or example of the teachings applications.

Women in Vajrayana Buddhism

2006-07-20T23:40:00.000-06:00

I have the sneaking suspicion that the real power of Vajrayana Buddhism is in the hands of the Women.

Us guys just run around trying to figure it all out (well there are a few who are let in)

Geoff

Remembering the Words of Guru Rinpoche

2006-07-18T14:13:00.000-06:00

“Though my view is higher than the sky, my conduct (and actions) is finer than barley flour.”

No anger, no fear, no regrets. This is what comes to mind regarding the current situation facing the world. There comes a time when one must stand up to evil forces and do what is necessary to subdue them.

I wish there was a way such evil could be could be eliminated without the loss and destruction of human lives.

No anger: the actions should be taken without anger and hate. It can be done with the same attitude that we have when removing weeds from a garden. It is likely that I will kill some living organism. I did not intent to kill them. However, it will and does happen.

No fear: The removal should be done with no fear of the repercussions. This needs to be done and it is being done now. As soon as ones decides what needs to be done, it is a matter of fearlessly going forth.

No regrets: When taking such action whether it is to remove weapons from terrorist group or weeds from your garden, it is best to fully accept ones responsibility for our actions. No matter what the outcome is, one should hold no regrets. You did what you needed to do.

Finally, I would want to remember, the words of Guru Rinpoche and be most careful with my actions… Then do what needs to be done.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

A prayer to Open our Mind

2006-07-13T21:51:00.000-06:00

The Great Sun of Wisdom Prayer

Namo Buddhas of all directions,
please open my mind.

Namo Bodhisattvas of the ten Bhumis,
please awaken my love.

Namo Gurus of the three Dzogchen Lineages,
please awaken my wisdom.

Namo Dewas of the four Tantras,
please awaken my compassion.

Namo Dakinis of the three realms,
please awaken my power.

The beginning prayer of the Learning Practice of the Buddha Path gives us the opportunity to open our hearts and minds to the innate love, wisdom, compassion, and power within.

In order to call up the positive energies within us, we call on deities, yidams, enlightened masters, etc. Each verse shall be briefly explained in order to aid in the prayer and its visualizations.

Namo, as discussed before, is Sanskrit for “I pay my respect and homage to…”

Namo Buddhas of all directions, please open my mind. In this first line, we are calling all Buddhas of all directions to please open our minds. Buddhas here refers to all those fully awakened beings. Their presence is always with us. They are always surrounding us, always protecting us, and always guiding us. Traditionally, whenever there is a reference to all directions, these directions are summarized as ten directions: the 4 coordinate directions (east, south, west, north or similarly front, right side, behind, left-side), the four directions in between (southeast, southwest, northwest, and northeast), and finally above and below. In total this is 10. As an extension of this, each directional ‘point’ then expands into the 10 directions as well. Each one of these points further expands into 10 points and so forth. Finally, all space is filled unendingly with points of light representing the countless Buddhas.

Namo Bodhisattvas of the ten Bhumis, please awaken my love. Bodhisattvas are regarded as the ‘sons of Buddhas.’ Bodhisattvas are present within the human realm as well as appearing in other forms to assist with our awakening. A bodhisattva, briefly stated, is one who pledges to remain in the samsaric world to assist all sentient being to fully awaken.

The 10 Bhumis (Tib. sa bcu) are the traditional levels of Bodhisattva:
1. The Joyus (Tib. rab-tu dga’-ba, Skt. Pramudita)
2. The Immaculate (Tib. Dri ma med pa, Skt. Vimala)
3. The Light Giving / The Illuminating (Tib. ‘od byed, Skt. Prahakari)
4. The Radiant / The Flamming (Tib. ‘od phro ba, Skt. Arcismati)
5. The Hard to Conquer (Tib. sbyang dka’-ba, Skt. Sudurjaya)
6. The Manifest / The Presencing / The Face-to-Face (Tib. mngon-du byed-pa, Skt. Abhimukhi)
7. The Far-Reaching / The Far-Going (Tib. ring-du song-ba, Skt. Durangama)
8. The Unmoving / Immoveable / Unswerving (Tib. mi-gYo ba, Skt. Acala)
9. The Excellent Knower / Great Discernment (Tib. legs-pai blo-gros, Skt. Sadhumati)
10. The Cloud of Dharma (Tib. chos-kyi sprin-pa, Skt Dharmamegha)

Within Vajrayana, practices and teachings will often refer to the 5 Stages of Realization (also known as the 5 Paths). These 5 Paths are further broken down into 37-Branches and are an integral part of the Sutra Vehicle of Vajrayana. The 5 paths (and the 37-Branches) appear in the latter portion of the Sutra section of the Buddha Path and will be discussed there.

For now, it is interesting to note that a first level Bodhisattva is attained at the third level of the 5 Paths which is after the completion of 22 of the 37-branches. It is interesting that many great masters, in their biographies, are referred to as “clearly attaining the first level of Bodhisattva.” So being a Bodhisattva at even the first level is considered of great merit and results from great learning, contemplation, and training.

Namo Gurus of the three Dzogchen Lineages, please awaken my wisdom. Gurus refer to present and former lineage masters of the Dzogchen lineages. The three Dzogchen lineages refer to the Bodhisattva lineage, the Longchen Nyingthig lineage, and the Khadro Nyingthig lineage. Each carry a body of teachings, practices, and levels of realization unique to their respective path which all ultimately link at their final result of full awakening to our Buddha-Nature.

Namo Dewas of the four Tantras, please awaken my compassion. Dewas (Tib. lha) refer to wisdom deities associated with the 6,400,000 Tantras. These Tantras are initially divided into the four divisions, which are:

1. Active – Kriya Tantras. These are action based with emphasis on practices using our body and speech.
2. Elaborate – Ubhaya / Carya. Here is an interim stage where conduct is based on those of Active (the previous division) and View is based on Yoga-Tantra (the following division).
3. Yoga – Yoga-Tantras emphasize contemplative practices of meditation.
4. Supreme – These are the category of unsurpassable Tantras of skillful means and discriminative awareness. Further, this division is divided into Mahayoga, Anuyoga, and Atiyoga (Dzogchen).

Namo Dakinis of the three realms, please awaken my power. Dakinis are the female “sky-dancers” who carry out enlightened activity and guide us along our path of practice. The Three realms in which these sky-dancers inhabit are Desire Realm, Form Realm, and the Formless Realm. The Desire Realm includes the Six Realms which appear in other parts of the practices: God, Demi-Gods, Human, Animal, Hungry-Ghosts, and Hell realms. Form and Formless Realms are additional realms of Gods. Mind you, when Vajrayana Buddhist refer to being born in one of the God Realms, it is quite different from the concept of a permanent Heaven commonly found in Christianity and many other religious traditions. Within the God Realms, a being is still subject to impermanence and karmic residues which propel one back into other realms upon their deaths.

With the completion of this prayer, using our full attention and thinking, we have open our mind and the energies of love, wisdom, compassion and power to fully awakening.

As a guide to our training and learning, we call upon the powers and mind of Manjurshri in the following portion of the Learning Practice.

Looking for Opportunities to Help

2006-07-11T23:19:00.000-06:00

The world is a wonderful place…for sure. So many things are screwed up! We can never run out of people and situations to help out.

Do you realize that if everything always went your way, if you never ran into obstacles, if you always succeeded at every situation, there would be absolutely no reason for you to ever learn anything. You would in fact already know everything that you needed to know.

I think that each one of our lives would be rather boring. Its kind of like one of those car rides at amusement parks where no matter what you do, you can’t crash. Where you cannot get off track. As soon you are old enough to realize that you cannot mess up….you get really bored.

So, as we become increasingly aware of the problems throughout the world, we are increasingly given opportunities to make a difference.

These last 3 days, I have faced the usual number of problems and obstacles. However, I have somehow not taken any of it personal. In fact I feel like I am running around looking for problems to work on – well at least ones that I think I can make a difference. There are plenty of big stuff with which I will never be able to do much. The trick is to find the ones that are small enough to help out.

Keep looking for those problems. Trying to help fix problems: Its the best place for all of us to spend our time.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Focusing on Practice While We Still Can

2006-07-07T16:01:00.000-06:00

Tulku Thondup in his book “Peaceful Death / Joyful Rebirth” writes about the importance on making progress while we still can….namely, in this lifetime (and presumably while we have the mental capacity to practice).

Tulku Thondup, in his writings, says that once we have died, there is a period of time (one of the Bardos) when our mind is acutely aware and open. However, because we lack a physical body to ‘ground’ our thinking, we have a very difficult time with staying focused.

While we inhabit a human body, we have a much better ability to focus even though we are not as aware and open. The same body that provides more stability is also a handicap to our ability to modify and alter our thinking.

So once we die, we have a greater ability to alter our thinking and direct our future path but we must rely on our practices done while we were alive to establish focus. The more training and development during our life, the greater background and tools we have to call on once we die.

Tulku Thondup emphasizes that the time of death and the interim periods prior to taking rebirth are extremely important junctures on our path. Preparation through practice and mental stabilization have untold benefit after we have died.

We all have the opportunity to use our time and energies now for the benefit of all sentient beings including us.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Becoming Accustom to Positive, Aware, and Open Thinking

2006-07-06T14:41:00.000-06:00

I have mentioned before scientific research on meditation and contemplative practices. I was recently reminded about the importance of a daily practice to replace negative and destructive thinking with positive, aware, and open thinking. Research on the brain functions not only give credence to Buddha-Dharma methods but are also explaining why such practices work.

Khenpo Choga Rinpoche has often reminded me that it is very important to repeat my meditative and contemplative practices often. Repeatedly he reminds me that initially we learn (through hearing, studying, reading). Next through practice, we become familiar and accustom to the essence of the Dharma-teachings. Finally by “sitting” (meditative practices) with our experience, the essence of the Dharma become an integral part of our being.

When it comes to destructive/negative thinking (aka emotions), I see the benefits of practices come in two waves. The first is on those situations where we think before we respond. The second is on the immediate responses to a situation.

The first level of success, from training and practice, comes from interrupting a pattern. We are given methods to interrupt negative responses, thinking, and emotions to situations throughout most practices. Within the Buddha Path, my daily practice text, there are methods and reminders throughout. This is the thinking method applied to stop a pattern before we get caught up in a negative path. Hopefully I interrupt a pattern before I am caught up in negative thoughts which can result in negative actions if left unchecked.

We all hold habitual patterns that can raise their ugly head when confronted with the right circumstances. From what I see, whether these patterns have been formed in this life or have been carried over from a past life is not so very important. A negative/harmful habitual pattern, no matter its origin, is to be eliminated.

The second level of success is much more subtle and long-time coming. This second wave is when we eliminate the patterns completely from our thinking. The negative response is no longer available. This is where a negative emotion does not even arise when faced with a situation. In traditional teachings, my teachers have referred to this as burning all the seeds of negative thinking from us. For example, once the seeds of jealousy are completely burned, it is not possible to become jealous. No matter what situation arises, we can no longer elicit that emotion.

From what I have experienced, these changes in habitual patterns happen very slowly. There is no quick fix especially when it comes to the immediate response mechanisms. I feel that we can only have affect on these after only with many hours of practice. The changes occur slowly and almost without detection to us. My best measure comes from my teacher, Khenpo Choga Rinpoche, who is most willing to access my small successes and huge failings. I still have a very long way to go. (There are still lots of seeds of negative thinking within me, I fear!)

I am not trained in Western science. (In fact, I sometimes think that I am not trained in anything really.) However, I do come across items of interest from the scientific community. Recently I came across a discussion on reactive emotions. It seems that neuroscience has identified two primary ways that we respond to situations.

The first method used by the brain travels immediately from our sense to the amygdala, a walnut-sized region within the depths of each hemisphere of the brain. This region of the brain which bypasses the so-called thinking brain functions. Scientist consider this brain function as the key to the “fight or flight” responses. Its most noted responses are associated with immediate danger which triggers fear. As I see it, this region is the key to our automatic habitual responses to a situation triggering fear, anger, jealously, desire, etc.

In the second method, our brain processes information through the frontal lobes and hippocampus regions of the brain as well as others. Through this method, our response is processed before we react. There seems to be a delay between the circumstance and the reaction.

So why do I bring this up? For me, I feel that it very well explains the two waves of benefits from mediation and contemplative practices. Initially through practice and familiarization, we can work on brain processing situations. We can interrupt negative responses and “chose” a positive response.

With years of practice, we then begin to work on the short cut amygdala process of the brain. Many scientist consider this immediate response mechanism of the brain as hard-wired into the brain. As such, only recently has there be any studies on the ability for someone to modify this brain process. I see modifying these ‘automatic processes’ as the great benefit of long-term and frequent practice.

I know of no other way for us to modify our thinking process other than spending the time with practice. There are no quick fixes. We have spent lifetimes building habitual patterns. They take time to redirect and correct.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff Kaessner

Tibetan Calendar Available for Download

2006-06-06T13:01:00.000-06:00

Recently I received this wonderful Tibetan Calendar Program. It works great and provides great information on each day for daily practices, Duchens (the four especially auspicious days of the year), dakini days, dharmapala days, etc.

Download from here and follow the simple instructions. I is very simple to load and access: http://members.toast.net/overbeck/tib_down.html

The Tibetan calendar is a lunar calendar. Every Tibetan month there are special practices days for particular practices including, dharmapala day, dakini day, Guru Rinpoche day, Medicine Buddha Day, etc. Additionally, each full and new moon are considered special practice days. On top of this we have the annual anniversaries of special days including birth of Buddha, birth of Guru Rinpoche, etc.

All of these days are normally difficult to track since they are all tracked on a lunar calendar. Even calendars sold here in the United States with Tibetan photos or sacred paintings (thangkas) fail to list even the most sacred Tibetan anniversaries. My guess is that calendar making companies use the exact same calendars with exactly the same information regardless of what the photos are. Some day, someone should make a Tibetan Calendar with the nice photos that contains information for us practicitioners (Anyone want to help me put this together?)...Until then we can buy or little pocket calendar from Rigpa or use the computer version that I have linked here.

Hope you find this helpful. Oh by the way, if you are a Vajrayana Practicitioner, please note the significance of this Sunday, June 11, 2006. It is Saga Dawa Duchen. I will write some on this sacred day before Sunday.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Geoff

Dissolution of This Life

2006-06-05T20:09:00.000-06:00

Recently a very close friend called to talk about his father. At 95, it seems that he is fading away. As the result of our conversation, I offered to write down briefly the teachings on dying that I have been given over the years and supplemented from some source books that I have on the matter.

Tibetans in general and Nyingma Buddhist of Tibet in particular have extensive teachings on what we call dying and death. Tibetans begin with an understanding from a young age that we are not just this life. We are not this body. Death and dying do not have the same connotations as we in the West think. The term used in Tibet for dying is more accurately translated as “moving forward.”

This present life is one in a long continuum of births and deaths. The transition from this life into our eventual rebirth is a critical juncture and is regarded as both sacred and extremely important. Attending to the dying is focused on the person rather than focusing on our self-directed sadness. During the dying process, one is commonly visited by family, neighbors, friend and spiritual guides.

Leading up to and even beyond the point where we take our last in-breath can be called the dying process. This process of separation of our thinking mind from the current life and bodies can be swift or can be extended.

All Nyingma Masters emphasize that during the dying process and after death, we must be very courteous with what we say. Sensitivity increases even though outside responses may seem to fade. We should not only speak kind, loving and compassionate words, but also we should say these words in gentle and loving voices. No harsh language or disturbing voices.

The dying process, I think, would be better described as the dissolution process: Initially we go through the dissolution of outer senses and the elements of this world and this life. Following the outer dissolution, the individual will begin what has been called the inner dissolutions.

The dissolution of the outer elements commonly follow a pattern of (a) earth dissolving into water; (b) water dissolving into fire; (c) fire dissolving into air; and finally (d) air dissolving into space.

It is important to know that leading up to the final dissolution process, all elements begin to weaken. There are interim periods of being hot to being cold; from feeling thirsty to feeling wet, from feeling confused/dull to feeling extremely sensitive to all outside stimuli; and from having a hard time breathing to feeling extremely airy.

Earth dissolves into Water

The first stage of final dissolution is the dissolution of the earth element. The teachings say that the dissolution of each element starts with an initial intensification of the element before it full dissolves. After the initial feelings of heaviness and weightiness, the earth element dissolves into water. During this time one’s solidity begins to fade. One begins to feel very liquid-like – our firm and solid feelings disappear. The sense of visual and mental clarity begin to dull. Our bodies may lose some of its brightness and glow.

Water dissolves into Fire

Initially one will feel saturated with water. one will then experience dryness of skin, dryness of the mouth, eyes, and nasal passages. Blood and lymph circulation will slow. One will feel very thirsty. The Feelings to react to external stimuli will begin to fade. It might appear that the person is unable to respond to things going on around them. Senses will become dull and we may become indifferent to many things going on around us.

Fire dissolves into Air

Initially we may feel extremely hot, as if one is going to burn up in a fire. This is followed by the fire element dissolving and the feeling of being cold. No matter how warm it is and how many covers one has; the person will still feel cold. At this time it is common for the sense of smell to deteriorate. The person will begin to be unable to distinguish and differentiate outside information coming through their senses. We are beginning to full separate from our body senses.

Air Dissolves into Space

While air dissolve into space, the traditional teachings say that “air dissolves into consciousness and consciousness dissolves into space.” So actually there is this interim step of consciousness.

One initially feels that there are strong winds or breezes in the room. Subsequently, one begins to have lightness in breathing. In-breaths shorten. Out breaths are slow and extend. The dying person loses motivation and sense of being within this world. What we think of as the life-force is very light. Breathing becomes very slow and delayed. It is likely that the person will lose the desire to eat. The sense of taste has dissolved. Dissolution of air into consciousness is likened to a candle which is almost out. The flame is very small and faint. It has very little energy left burning.

Upon the final dissolution of air into consciousness and then to space, one stops breathing. In our modern medical world, we regard this as the moment of death. However, “inner respiration” continues for another 20 minutes. It is after the cessation of inner respiration that the dying person can no longer return to this life.

Full separation of our thinking mind from our physical bodies is completed after completion of the inner dissolution. The teachings on this process are quite comprehensive. However, they are typically noticeable to a trained Master.

As an attendant to the dying, we are advised to support the person. Provide comfort and understanding. We want to aid them in their transition with immeasurable compassion and love.

Many Dharma Blessings

Geoff

Watching the Future Unfold

2006-05-20T11:28:00.000-06:00

My root teacher just came through Salt Lake City. It seems like years since I had the opportunity to really talk to him one-on-one in the ways that I had in some years past.

The time was wonderful because I was able to understand where he was headed. Khenpo Choga Rinpoche has begun to build his legacy which he has unrelently followed.

Khenpo Choga Rinpoche really and truly wants ALL sentient beings to be free from suffering and the causes of suffering. He wants ALL sentient beings to have happiness and the causes of happiness.

When you have this as ones objective and not just some nice slogan to repeat within prayers, you have amazing power. When everything you do fits within the context of your mission, you cannot stop and you become the living advertisement for your plan.

So this is one of the greatest lessons I took away from Khenpo Choga Rinpoche’s short visit to Salt Lake City: Set your true plan and follow it. Realize that there will be unexpected obstacles and unexpected successes. But no matter what, one stays the course. Never surrender to obstacles. Never abandon your plan no matter what may arise.

I have seen the future unfolding and I rejoice.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

My Thoughts Become My Future

2006-05-04T11:58:00.000-06:00

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
(author unknown)

All actions begin with a thought. This thought when investigated has power behind it. This power or energy could be looked at as either positive, neutral, or negative. Clearly this is a simplification but it works for the purpose of discussion.

The power of each thought leaves an imprint within our mind and future. We could say that we all recognize that a thought when repeated often becomes eventually a habit. However, each thought, on its own, has momentum of its own. This propelling power exist well before such a thought becomes a habit.

How do we know if a thought (and eventually words and actions which follow) have positive, neutral, or negative karma? I want to give the best sacred advice I have been given:

If a thought, word, or action is done for our own benefit, then it is harmful (negative).
If a thought, word, or action is done for others benefit, then it is beneficial (positive).

All of our suffering, without exception,
Is the result from our wish to please ourselves.
The thoughts and actions that benefit others
Give birth to Supreme Enlightenment.
Give up our selfish desires and shameful neglect of our suffering kin,
Replace thoughts of self with concern for others.
This is the way of the Bodhisattva.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Purifying Negative Karma

2006-04-27T17:59:00.000-06:00

I had earlier written about karma and rebirth. These concepts in Vajrayana Buddhism are very much connected. In my opinion, we cannot understand, no less accept, karma without understanding rebirth.

Karma is cause and effect. Nothing mysterious or strange. It is just simply the word used in Sanskrit to explain the direct connection between the what we do, say, and think to the results. Helpful actions result in creating positive karma. Harmful actions result in creating negative karma

Rebirth is critical because karma with us to future lives. Its not over when we die. Whatever we have done, said and thought not only has an impact on this lifetime but also our future lifetimes.

When we are born, we carry the karma from past lives. So even if we live a pure life from this birth, we can still have unfortunate circumstances arise. These are the result of karmic seeds planted from past lives.

So the question always comes up. Do we have any choice? Will we ultimately suffer the consequences of every harmful act, word, and thought we have ever had from this life as well as all past lives? Fortunately, the answer we can delete negative karma before it sprouts. Yes we do have a choice.

We can purify negative karma. Either karma is purified or it will come to fruition. The same is true when it comes to positive karma as well. Good deeds always have positive results.

Khenpo Choga Rinpoche teaches that the best way to purify negative karma is through our positive thinking, positive words, and positive actions. He is always emphasizing the positive thinking as the start. “Positive thinking” is a tricky matter because there has been so much overuse of the concept by many self-help gurus. When we say it, it has a little different meaning.

First, we need to explain what is meant by thinking. In any situation, we can choose how we think. This moment to moment thinking is to which Khenpo Choga speaks. He says every fraction of a second, we have new thought. We cannot have two thoughts at the same moment. Only one. So in each moment the choice is to maintain positive/beneficial thinking.

Positive thinking from a Buddhist perspective can be summarize into 5 kinds:

Renunciation – Renouncing our self directed, self-focused desires and aversions to the material world.
Compassion – Wish for all sentient being to be free from suffering
Faith – Faith in teachings that lead to awakening
Love – Wish for all sentient beings to be happy.
Wisdom – Awareness with egoless effort to beneficial activity in every situation.

All starts with our thinking and our intentions. The focus of Buddha’s teachings are always place on our intentions and what we are thinking.

Traditionally, a formal way to delete negative karma is with purification practices such as that of Vajrasattva. Simply stated there are 4 “powers” to be applied. First, we call on the power of support from deity or deities manifesting positive attributes. Second, we use the power of regret – regret of the negative actions, words, and thinking we have done in the past. Third, we apply the power of promise – promise to never do such again. Finally, we apply the power of practice – The practice of positive, helpful and beneficial deeds with our body, our speech, and our minds (thinking).

Khenpo Choga Rinpoche’s teachings on deleting negative karma (with positive thinking) goes to the heart of even a purification practice. We can sit down and follow steps 1,2, and 3, however, the real work comes when we get off our seat and set into the world of unpredictable situations. Can we really keep our promise to never do negative actions and have negative thinking? Can we maintain the intention to help all sentient beings be free from suffering and have happiness?

It all comes back to positive thinking…in any situation…in every situation….in every moment.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Seeing Everything as Naturally Perfect

2006-04-26T11:45:00.000-06:00

Within Vajrayana Buddhism, there are many interim steps to gaining confidence, knowledge and wisdom. They have been constructed by great masters and great centers of Buddhist learning in order to aid us in the development of the Ultimate View.

From what I have been told, it is within the Nyingma – Dzogchen Lineage that the masters provide a glimpse of this ultimate view. Not that we are prepared or capable of maintaining the view, but we are given a glimpse of the result.

Part of this View is to see everything as Perfect – to see the natural purity and perfection of all appearances. Within the Buddha Path Practice we find this View expounded in many places. Within the Concluding Practices, under the Thirteen Sign of a True Practicitioner we recite:

I will think of all situations positively
I will perceive all appearances purely
I will live my daily life joyfully

Rather than beating ourselves up for falling from this View, I try to recall these words often during the day. Combined with a one-minute meditation of letting everything be exactly how it is, I try to return to the spacious and open thinking mind.

Sometimes it remains for a while. Sometimes is vanishes with the next daily challenge. I still work to bring my mind back to this spacious mind and relaxed, pure, clear, and free.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Karma and Past Lives

2006-04-18T15:04:00.000-06:00

Recently I listened to a conversation about karma and how could a small child suffer injuries from the fall-out of a bombing.

I wanted to explain how my teachers have helped me with this question combined with some reflection on why this question (in varying ways) always seems to come up.

Karma is simply cause and effect. There is nothing cosmic or supernatural about the concept in Buddhism. For us Buddhist, to deny cause and effect is just as absurd as to deny gravity. Whether you acknowledge its existence or not, you are still subject to it.

A simple example: if we drop a large brick on our bare foot, we are going to experience pain! There is no supernatural force at hand: dropping a brick on one’s foot (the cause) results in pain (the effect). That’s karma!

The difficulty comes when we start working with the notion of karma (karmic imprints) from past lives. As Vajrayana Buddhist, we subscribe to the View that we have lived many lives. Karma – positive, neutral, and negative is what we get to carry from each life. Its our only baggage.

We do not carry our possessions, our bodies, or a soul from a past life, however, we do carry with us our karma. Karma may have immediate effects such as in the case of the pain from dropping the brick. Karma may have a slightly delayed effect such as failing to get a desire job as the result of having a criminal record. Karma may have a longer delayed effect such as being born in a wealthy family as the result of being extremely generous in a past life. It is all still just cause and effect.

The Buddhist View extends this cause and effect into future lives. We do not wipe the slate clean when we die. In fact it is our karma that propels us from one life to the next. This is the part that is difficult to accept as we begin to work with Buddhist teachings.

From a Buddhist perspective, the small child who gets caught in a war, carries karma from past lives. You might ask what did such a person do in a past life to have to face these painful consequences? You could likewise ask what a very fortunate child did in their past life to be so very fortunate?

Shakyamuni Buddha had repeated said that the karma which creates our current life and current situation is way too intertwined and interconnected for us to ever unravel and figure out. Besides, there is no value in trying to figure it out, anyway.

Shakyamuni Buddha likened the situation to someone being shot with an arrow. You come upon the injured person. You could spend your time trying to figure out what the arrow is made of, who shot it, why they shot it; etc. In the mean time the injured person may die. It is better to remove the arrow and attend the injured person. We should focus on helping.

Teachings on karma, I feel, are to remind us that you cannot get away with anything. Cause and effect are infallible - whether you like it or not! Second, we are reminded that no good deed is ever too small. No negative act is overlooked.

Why is karma so difficult to accept? I feel there are three main reason:

(1) We would like to think that we can sometimes get away with things. If you ever took a caramel candy out of one of those big candy bins when you were a child, you would like to think that you got away with it since you were not caught.

(2) We like the notion of an innocent baby at birth. To accept karma from past lives means that a newborn child carries with them karmic imprints from past lives. They are not, as many Western thinkers would contend, a “clean slate.”

(3) One needs to understand rebirth. We need to understand and accept that we have had many lives and will continue to be reborn in future lives (until we attain Enlightenment…but this is a whole different subject).

So karma for Buddhist is indisputable. We cannot avoid the direct connection between cause and effect. Even if the effect is delayed.

While we may not ever understand why certain things happen to us or others. We are well advised to know that it was not just “bad luck.” Then we need to focus on doing what we can to help.

There are other subtopics to this matter I would like to get into in the future including: Purifying Negative Karma, Creating Positive Karma, Moral Conduct, the path of a Bodhisattva, and the reason for practice and Enlightenment.

For now however, I will just conclude with the wish:

May you be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May you have happiness and the causes of happiness.
May you never be separated from the unchangeable happiness beyond delusion and illusion.
May you live in equanimity.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Authentic Guides and Our Daily Practice

2006-03-29T11:29:00.000-07:00

We just had the wonderful gift of having a great Lama stay with us for over two weeks. One of the best discussion I had with him addressed teachers, especially teachers available to us here in the West.

The conclusion: Watch out! Most of those who travel to the West are not what they claim. Most add lots of titles and designations to their resume when they pass through customs.

I have had the opportunity to meet some great masters including Chatral Rinpoche at his retreat home in Nepal. I know that there is a marketable difference in the pace and presence of someone with this level of practice and wisdom. Despite meeting such a great master, I am not going to trust my own judgement when it comes to the authenticity or qualities of a teacher.

Lama-la emphasized the importance of practice over getting more and more teachings. So for now, I shall continue my daily practice.

By the way, we are experiencing a solar eclipse today (March 29, 2006) so the karmic effects of all our thoughts, words, and deeds are multiplied 100,000 times. Best to do good and practice.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Respect for other Practicitioners and Sanghas

2006-03-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

Just remember, we should only say good things to
others Practicitioners and Sanghas. Only say good things
about their Sangha, their center, and their teachers.
(My teacher would have my head if I were to speak negatively about another Sangha!)

Review 32 of the 37-Practices of a Bodhisattva:

While speaking of others, the force of delusion may
cause us to dwell on the flaws they possess.
Should we find fault with a Bodhisattva, our own own
reputation will suffer instead.
Avoid the mistake of disparaging others who have
entered upon the Mahayana's great path.
We should only speak of our own faults - the Sons of
the Buddhas all practice this way.

Just remember, how the Dalai Lama speaks about the
Chinese dispite what they have done to his country.

No matter what others do, we can always wish them the very
best success in following their chosen path to
practice.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Teacher Verses Student

2006-03-09T08:37:00.000-07:00

During a discussion with Lama Osel yesterday, I caught a glimpse of one reason why all great teachers see themselves as students of the Buddha-Dharma and not as a teacher.

I seems that if I have the attitude “I am a Teacher,” I would focus my attention on how I need to fix everybody and everything around me.

If I hold the attitude “I am just a student,” I will always focus my attention on how I need to correct myself in every situation.

Clearly, the second attitude is that of a Buddha-Dharma practicitioner.

Happy Guru Rinpoche Day!

Geoff

2006-03-03T17:45:00.000-07:00

Why is My Life so Precious?

So okay. My teachers keep telling me that I have this “precious” human life and that I need to use effectively now. There is no time to waste! After all, when can I ever hope to have this opportunity again!

Well, sometimes my life feels precious. Much of the time, it does not seem so very precious. My body hurts. I get sick. People get mad at me. I get upset at them. I become frustrated, disappointed, confused, lost, or scared. It is very easy to not be so very happy with this life. It is easy to see how much better my life could be if only…[fill in whatever you want].

So the traditional teachings repeat again and again what is meant by “this Precious Human Birth/Life.” You will find it in chapter 1 paragraph 4 of Shantideva’s Bodhicharyavatara written in the 8th Century:

These freedoms and advantages are extremely difficult to obtain.
Since I have gained the opportunity to accomplish that which is meaningful for a person,
If I do not practice what is beneficial like this come about later?
How will a perfect opportunity like this come about later?

You will find it in the 37-Practices of a Bodhisattva written by Thogme Zangpo in the 13th Century:

This sound human body endowed with full leisure --
an excellent vessel rare to be found --
since now we’ve obtained one in no way deficient,….

You will find in the Ngondros such as under Longchen Nyingthig as well as throughout many sacred texts and practices of all lineages of Vajrayana Buddhism.

Every time, we hear about the (8) Freedoms and (10) Advantages which in total are referred as “human body endowed with full leisure” it reinforces our understanding this precious human birth.

However, this academic understanding is just the beginning. Why is it so special?

Recently, I have been reflecting on teachings and writing from Robert Thurman’s Infinite Light. Dr. Thurman in Chapter 4, begins by recounting how we eventually find that nothing that we temporarily posses ultimately belongs to us…including even our thoughts, our memories, and our body. They are all impermanent.

All that remains is the residual imprints from our past actions, words, and thinking which propel us into future realms according to these natural tendencies. If we are constantly grasping for more and more, we might materialize such tendencies by being hard-wired with large grasping claws such as a lobster. We may manifest as a venomous snake as the result of continued poisonous acts in this life.

Within such a future life, we no longer have any choice. These tendencies are now hard-wired into our being for that life. Further, it becomes increasingly difficult to propel oneself back towards a human birth once one falls into a lower realm of existence. We fail to even have the ability to aspire to human existence.

Dr. Thurman points out the unique feature of human life is that there is far more flexibility in living. We are far less hard-wired into a living pattern. We have the freedom and flexibility to learn, study, and train. We have the ability to make choices including the choice to rid oneself of negative thinking and actions including the 5 Poisons of Desire, Attachment, Pride, Jealousy, and Ignorance.

So this is the Preciousness. We have the ability to make choices. As the result of making these choices, we can transcend the entrapments of re-birth. We can fully awaken because we have the ability to train, practice, and correct our actions and thinking. I appreciated his comment that we are more ‘soft-wired’ than other species and beings. As a result, we have the ability to Evolve. The vulnerability of the human condition is its greatest advantage (and responsibility.)

Consequently, we are constantly reminded “Don’t waste this rare opportunity! It won’t last and every moment wasted cannot be regained.” Once this life is over and you are at the mercy of the imprints from all of your past, its too late.

Spend your time wisely while you have the time, the freedoms and advantages of this precious human form of being. Otherwise, you just might find yourself living at the bottom of the sea with a hard shell as your home!

Offering to the Triple Gem

2006-02-24T15:27:00.000-07:00

Here is a short and simple prayer/blessing from Tibetan Buddhism which can be done before meals. It’s a small but valuable way to bring the mind of Buddha-Dharma good thinking into our daily activities. (You can choose to do in English, in Tibetan, or translate into the language of your choice)

All of my Nyingma Teachers seem to do this same prayer. I cannot comment on other lineages of Vajrayana Buddhism. Maybe they do the same blessing and then maybe not.

Offering to the Triple Gem

The Excellent Teacher, the Precious Buddha;
The Excellent Protector, the Precious Dharma;
The Excellent Companion Guides, the Precious Sangha;
The Refuges, the Triple Gem, we make offerings.

With our associates, in all our successive lives,
May we not be separated from the Triple Gem;
By the power of continually making offerings to the Triple Gem,
May the blessings of the Triple Gem enter us.

Ton-pa La-med Sangye Rinpoche
Kyob-pa La-med Dam-cho Rinpoche
Dren-pa La-med Ge-dun Rinpoche
Kyab-ne Kon-chog Sum la Ch’od-pa Bul

Dag-sok Khor-che Tshe-rab Tham-ched Du
Kon-chog Sum-dang Nam-yang Mi-dral Zhing
Kon-chog Sum-po Gyun-du Ch’od-pe Thu
Kon-chog Sum-gyi Chin-lab Jug-par Shog

Blessing prior to meals. Can be done before eating at anytime in any place.

A Wild World: What Can I Do?

2006-02-23T21:19:00.000-07:00

I was recently given the Summer of 1993 issue of “Foreign Affairs” Journal. The lead article by Samuel P. Huntington entitled “The Clash of Civilizations.”

Huntington’s thesis is that future major conflicts will be based on clashes based cultures, religions, and societies. He continues to explain that these wars of civilizations are more significant because they are not based on political idealogy but rather deep-seated self-defining traits and characteristics.

The next issue of “Foreign Affairs” had a whole collection of articles by numerous important writers disputing Huntington’s position.

That was 1993. Its now 2006 and we are facing huge clashes of guess what? Yep civilizations! (Personally, I think that he is right)

So even if we do not participate in the negative actions ourselves, we still must live within the world filled with such violence. So what can we do?

Teachings from my teachers of Buddhism have spoken of this risk. In fact, one of the key Promises (Samaya) of Vajrayana Buddhism is to avoid disparaging other religions and religious practices. This should be extended to other’s cultures and traditions, as well.

Within the 37-Practices of a Bodhisattva (#13), Thogme Zangpo writes:

Although we are not guilty of any offence and never have harmed anyone in our life
If someone deluded should threaten to kill us because he is crazed with a tormented mind,
Then mercifully wishing for him not to suffer further misfortune because of his state,
Selflessly take on the effects of his actions - the Sons of the Buddhas all practise this way.

This speaks of us fully accepting their acts in order to avoid causing them to suffer.

When negative thinking does arise, I am reminded to remember that it is the way of a Bodhisattva to destroy our internal foe.

I may reduce the negative actions around the world, I may not. However, at the least I can avoid contributing with my own negative thinking, words, and acts.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Devotion to Your Teacher

2006-02-21T22:29:00.000-07:00

Just a short reminder.

Under traditional teachings of Vajrayana Buddhism, there are three ways to honor your teacher:

The first, is by offering material goods such as gifts, clothing, airplanes, and money.

The second, and of greater value, is to offer assistance and help your teacher.

The greatest way to honor your teacher is the third way: Doing the practices he has taught you!

Here is the interesting part. The third is less likely to be known by others. It is also the one that requires the greatest acceptance of our teacher's advice.

I have watched many of us getting close to a teacher and then focusing our attention on giving goods, giving money, and offering help....but doing little or no practice.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Burning Tiger Skins And Protesting Cartoons

2006-02-21T21:52:00.000-07:00

Two simultaneous religious driven activities are taking place in the world right now.

About three weeks ago, the Dalai Lama completed his teachings on the Kalachakra in India. As reported by many animal rights groups, he took this opportunity to denounce the use of tiger skins by Buddhist Practicitioners. He passionately spoke of the tragedy of killing endangered animals, most notably tigers. Tigers are being killed in India and the skins are being smuggled into Tibet to be sold for rugs, coats, and decorations.

Within a week, Tibetans throughout Tibet, Nepal, and India began destroying all animal fur, especially tiger skin, items. Monasteries held bonfires to destroy them. As the result, much of trade in skins has stopped. There is no market for illegal traders.*

Now in other parts of the world we see aggressive protests against cartoons that were published in some newspapers. The protests are not limited to protest and aggressive actions against the publisher. The protesters are destroying Embassies and businesses associated with the countries where the cartoons were published. Again this is based on a religious edict.

So we can look at both of these situations s being similar. However, they are very very different. The first one has only good intentions and has positive results. The second has negative intentions and has negative consequences.

I am not here to judge religious practices but I think I am going to stick with the practices of Buddhism.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

*footnote: It was reported this last weekend that the Chinese have now outlawed the burning of skins in Tibet. Those caught doing so shall be arrested as being in collusion with the Dalai Lama. Nine have been arrest in one area on the first day. The government of China….get a life! I think that they should have more important problems to work with than Tibetans burning their tiger skins in order to support the survival of the species.

Protect our Thinking

2006-01-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

So Lama Osel from the Shechen Monastery and Shechen Brasil just arrived last night.
We had a wonderful day gong from a Tibetan restaurant to the LDS Temple Square, to the State Capital and to Costco.

I was reminded by Lama Osel that no matter what we are doing, we are always in an opportunity to practice by watching our mind and our actions.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Watch out for the Word Traps!

2006-01-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

One of the difficulties we have with Buddhism here in the United States, in my opinion, is language.

As in the case of the lineage of Buddhism that I follow, Vajrayana, its original source is contained in Tibetan texts and transmissions. While there are still limitations and misunderstandings even in Tibetan, the misunderstandings can grow exponentially when the teachings and concepts are translated into another language.

We as practicitioners must be especially careful not to apply “strict” English definitions to critical term translated from Tibetan, Sanskrit, Pali, or other languages. We must take the time to look deeper into what is meant. Why? The translated word can create obstacles, confusion, and resistance to the teachings.

A few examples are helpful. Look at the word “renunciation.” In English, my dictionary says “The act of giving up a right, title, or possession; renouncing.” Further looking at “renouncing.” I find “to declare that one gives up; give up entirely.”

This can be very misleading. Many people ask me about this, especially non-Buddhist practicitioners. They have heard or read that Buddhist renounce the world and everything close to them. Immediately, they find this displeasing and discount Buddhism because of this.

However, the term renunciation is the common translation of two different Tibetan words: (1) nges ‘byung and (2) spang-ba. Most of the time teachers and teachings are referring to nges ‘byung.(pronounce “nejung”) As Khenpo Sonam explained to me, nejung is the mental liberation or transformation to be free from the craving for mundane values including fame, praise, wealth, objects, etc. It is this transformation that results from fully realizing and confirming that these cravings are the source of cyclical existence and suffering. It is not the physical separation from objects, things, and people.

The bottom line is that I can still live in my house, love my wife and children, buy CD’s and still practice nejung. Hearing that we must “renounce” the samsaric world is very different when I realize that they are referring to giving up the craving for mundane values and things. I now understand that they are telling me to give up expectation that the world can provide me with things that will make me happy.

Example 2: A favorite example of mine is the word “love.” As in “I promise to love all sentient beings.” (My wife had a difficult time with this one!-especially being Brasilian).

Most commonly “love” is the translation of the Tibetan term “byams-pa” or “byams pa chen-po” (Great love). In Tibetan this term means the wish for others to enjoy happiness. In the case of Great love (byampa chenpo) it is the altruistic mental attitude to wish all sentient being to enjoy happiness, to be happy.

So looking at what is meant by the Tibetan term byampa, there are two big confusions that we have here. First, it is possible to “love” all beings because it does not mean that we want to sleep with them. It means that we want them to be happy.

Second, it is not possible to love an object under the Tibetan term byampa. We cannot love a house, a job, a picture, etc. in the Tibetan use of the word. It is absurd to think “I want my house to be happy” or “I want that picture to enjoy happiness.”

I will never forget Khenpo Choga Rinpoche laughing with his entire body when someone in a teaching said that they “loved” their new car.
He said “Reeeaaally? You love your car? You want your car to be happy?” and just start to laugh and laugh.

There are many of these misunderstandings and limitations to translations. I do not feel that there is a simple answer to surmounting the errors. Unfortunately for now, I just need to spend time learning the meaning of teachings, deconstruct the terms translated, and not get stuck on the words being used.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Sharpening the Sword

2006-01-05T16:15:00.000-07:00

Khenpo Sonam completed teachings on Patrul Rinpoche’s text on the Bodhicharyavatara (The Way of the Bodhisattva) last week. His focus on practice and taking the vows of a Bodhisattva were really wonderful. Accepting these vows, we learned, are to be considered very carefully before agreeing to take the vows.

As always, teachers always focus on the importance of listening (learning), contemplating, and meditating on the teachings. Khenpo Sonam emphasized the importance of contemplation one of the evenings.

Listening to the teachings can be likened to being given training on the use and the methods to sharpen our Dharma Sword.

Contemplation is the sharpening of the sword. It is where we attend to the tools we have be given to refine and sharpen them.

Meditation is the time to actually put our Dharma Sword to use to cut through delusion, negative emotions, and obstacles as they arise.

Khenpo Sonam spent time explaining that the contemplation time is critical to sharpen our skills. It is very much like practicing and training time for any endeavor. Then we are fully prepared to put our finely sharpened sword to use whenever a situation arises.

There is no way to go from learning/listening to application. One must train and practice in preparation of the time when we need to use what we have learned.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Living in Seclusion (37 Practices of a Bodhisattva Number 3)

2005-12-30T19:16:00.000-07:00

"Withdrawing completely from things that excite us,
Our mental disturbances slowly decline.
And ridding our mind of directionless wandering,
Attention in virtue will surely increase.
As wisdom shines clearer, the world comes in focus,
Our confidence grows in Dharma we’ve learned.
Live all alone far away in seclusion
The Sons of the Buddhas all practice this way."

Hmm! So what is this all about? In the second stanza we were told to leave our homes, here in the third, we are advised to live in seclusion. So what gives?

I will recall teachings on this stanza. The essence of this stanza, like the previous stanza, is rather harsh. Togmay Songpo tells us that it is best if we live in seclusion – away from society and other people. First, I want to mention why this would be advised.

The initial stages of the practice of a bodhisattva are mixed with many opportunities to break our vows. As Khenpo Sonam taught it is the vow of the Bodhisattva to refrain from negative thinking. As stated in the first line of this stanza, when we withdraw completely from those things that “excite us” our negative thoughts naturally decline. It is through avoidance of the triggers that we can attain some stability in our thinking swiftly. Otherwise, we are faced with a much more challenging task.

Browsing through fashion magazines, for many, will give rise to many unproductive emotions. For some, it may give rise to desire. For others, it may be jealousy. Still others, it may be anger.

My teachers have taught me that there are 84,000 afflictive emotions. However, they can all be bundled into 5 primary negative emotions:

(1) Desire/Attachment
(2) Hatred/Anger
(3) Jealousy
(4) Pride
(5) Ignorance/Wrong Thinking

As a Bodhisattva, we vow to never allow these negative emotions to rise in our minds.

Initially, we must exert much effort to even lessen the arising of these emotions. We must catch them arising and apply methods to rid them from our mind. The most basic method is to change our focus. Change the channel.

When we see the disgusting on TV, we change the station. Turn on a nice comedy sitcom. It is at this level that Gyalse Togme tells us to live in seclusion.

For many of us, it is not realistic for us to abandon our homes, leave our friends and family, and live in seclusion. At least not without, causing much hardship and difficulties for others.

Lama Osel, told me that it is not so very important that you physically go into seclusion if you can put your mind into seclusion. Physically going into seclusion is support for our minds and thinking. However, it is not mandatory or necessary.

In the second section, we are advised to not have our mind (and thinking) wandering directionless. The result is attention on virtue will increase. To focus on the practices and teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha keeps my thinking from wandering without direction.

As we avoid harmful thoughts and increase our meritous thinking, wisdom shines within us and the truth of the world comes in focus. We begin to see the world as it truly is…with wisdom.

While is not possible for me to go into physical seclusion, it is possible for me to place my mind into seclusion. To go on retreat from the those things which give rise to negative emotions/ negative thinking.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

So What is Behind Your Fits?

2005-12-28T23:22:00.000-07:00

Khenpo Sonam is here giving teachings on Patrul Rinpoche’s Chod Jug Gom Rim, a step by step manual on practice for the Way of the Bodhisattva.

Tuesday evening Khenpo Sonam told us the story of a Tibetan logger and his son. It seems that every morning, Tashi use to go up in the local mountain and cut down some trees and bring them back home. Unfortunately, one day he carelessly got in the way of a falling tree. The tree hit him and he died up in the forest.

Tsering, his son, depended on his father and was very concerned when he failed to return that afternoon. He went up in the mountain to look for his father only to find him dead under a tree. Tsering was very sad, but he was also very angry. He became very very angry at the tree.

The anger grew to becoming angry at all the trees. So from then on, whenever and wherever, he saw a tree he would become very angry. You can imagine that he spend a large portion of his life being angry.

Like Tsering, we all have things that give rise to anger and negative thinking. Whether these things are people, situations, or trees; they are all just as ridiculous.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

The Object of My Attention

2005-12-23T21:42:00.000-07:00

Wow!

So I finally got it today. I was listening to Diane Rhems program on the recap of the news for the last week. As I was listening to the recap and comments by the news correspondences, I think I finally asked the right question:

Why are we so focused on what is going on in Iraq?

Okay so the US wiped out their government. The US wiped out their infrastructure. The US opened up the country to civil conflict. This is a problem. But why are we here in the United States so focused on this ongoing conflict.

The world population is at about 6.58 billion. Iraq represents some 0.395% (about 26 million) of the world population. It’s a significant population but not worth some 80% of the news media and US government’s attention. What’s going on with the balance of the 99.605% of the world population. Are they doing okay?

So here it where it comes down. We focus on the “issue of the week.” Sometimes it is issue of the day. In this case, maybe it should be called issue of the year or maybe issue of this presidency. It the long run this is just a blip in the world history as well as the history of the US.

I realize that there are US troops in Iraq. I realize that it is going to be very difficult to figure out how our government is going to get out of there….especially because I am sure that the planners cannot figure out what we are doing there now. Afterall, the US government took out their government. Now the country is going through the process to work through internal issues between various groups who want to protect there own interests.

I do not think that the United States can solve their problems. Maybe we can keep the hostility down. Maybe not.

So I think that I will stop listening to reports of this matter. It is a waste of my time to think any further on this matter. There are far greater issues for me to be focus. That will include all 6.58 billion human beings and countless numbers of animals and other beings in this Universe.

Bottom line for me is choose what I pay attention to and not permit the story of the day to control my thinking and focus.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Taking the Lower Seat

2005-12-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

I just came across one of my favorite stories about Paltrul Rinpoche (1808-1887).

At one point n his life, he took on the role of attending to an elderly widow nomad. During such times, he would go by his given name and not his Dharma name of Paltrul. Paltrul Rinpoche would clean for her, cook for her, pack her things, and help her get around.

One day, upon arriving in a new city, Paltrul Rinpoche had told her that he needed to be excused for a few hours because he had some things to attend to. She agreed and let him go take care of whatever it was that he had to do.

Not long after this she heard that a great yogi had just arrived in town and would be giving teachings that afternoon at the Monastery. Quickly she got herself ready and headed to the Monastery to receive the teachings. She was excited but disappointed that Paltrul Rinpoche would not be around to go with her.

To her surprise, when she arrived at the Monastery, it was none other than her attendant that was in fact the great teacher…Paltrul Rinpoche.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Integrating the Teachings of Dzogchen into our Society

2005-12-19T20:49:00.000-07:00

There is a constant challenge out there for Dzogchen. That is how do you integrate Dzogchen into the West.

There are some that have abandoned the basic methods of Vajrayana Buddhism. There are others that have held steadfast to the traditions of Tibet. I am far from an expert on this matter.

But I can promise you that if we think that everyone needs to dress up like Tibetan monks and repeat practices in Tibetan, it will never take hold in the United States. I am certain that the day will never come when a large percentage of the US population will ever be doing this. I do pray that the day will come when the essence of the Buddha-Dharma is embraced by a large majority of westerners. That, in my opinion, is possible.

So I am supportive of blending the essence of Vajrayana teachings into our society. We need to embrace the culture of our homeland and work within the system as it exists.

Chogyal Namkhai Norbu in “Dzogchen – The Self-Perfected State” States:

“…the truth is that for a Western to practice a teaching that comes from Tibet there is NO NEED for that person to become like a Tibetan. On the contrary, it is of fundamental importance for him to know how to integrate that teaching with his own culture in order to be able to communicate it, in its essential form, to other Westerners.”

The trick is to have some Western teachers who can do just that. Until that time, we are probably stuck with importing some of culture with the Dharma.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Giving up the Comforts of Home

2005-12-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

37 Practices of a Bodhisattva Number 2

“Remaining too long in one place, our attraction to loved ones upsets us,
We are tossed in its wake.
The flames of our anger towards those who annoy us consume what good merit we have gained in the past.
The darkness of closed-minded thinking dims our outlook,
We lose vivid sight of what’s right and what’s wrong.
We must give up our home and set forth from our country-
The sons of the Buddhas all practice this way.”

It is important for us to remember that the stages of practice go from that which is focused on entering the path, which always begins with renunciation. Eventually we move on to more subtle obstacles including thoughts as they arise. But first one needs to work the big issues.

So where in the first stanza, we told to study, contemplate, and meditate on the Dharma, here we are advised to leave our homes and the environments, which can most easily cause negative emotions to arise.

He breaks down the difficulties which arise into the traditional three poison: desire/attachment; anger/hatred, and ignorance/wrong understanding. Remaining with our loved ones puts us close to objects of desire and attachment. Remaining in our town puts us close to those who might be the objects of anger and frustration. The comforts and familiarity of our home towns can result in closed-mind thinking just by its nature of being familiar and normal.

It is for this reason that Gyalse Togme states that we must leave our homes. His advice is rather harsh on those of us choosing the path of a Bodhisattva.

More often than not, writers on this stanza like to soften what has been said.
Khenpo Sonam told us in a retreat that it means exactly what is said. Leave your home needs to be done according to the author. However, Khenpo Sonam also said that he did not necessary agree with this being mandatory in order to progress along the Path.

In such a case, we can attempt to do the best that we can. Retreats away from your home are a temporary way. Letting go of our attachments is another approach. The intent is to give the objects/people, which become the conditions for negative emotions.

Buddhism is not about fundamental rules. Just because one teacher advises his students to follow a certain instruction, does not mean that everyone who is Buddhist should follow such an instruction 800 years later.

It is helpful to note that author studied under the Kadampa masters who insisted on living a strict monastic life. The Nyingma schools, in general, never accepted this. I personally admire teachers who lived part of the world including having a wife, children, and homes. This includes Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Dudjom Rinpoche, and Chatral Rinpoche.

This is not meant as an apology. I can overlook the strict nature of this stanza. For me, I might agree that leaving everything behind is the best and likely the most expedient approach, but I will follow my teachers who have told me that it is not the only approach.

Mentally letting go, for me is necessary. Physically leaving is optional.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Happy Holidays To All!

2005-12-12T19:24:00.000-07:00

Today on our local public radio program, they had an hour about the controversy about whether one should say “Happy Holidays” or say “Merry Christmas.”

Hmm! Why is this an issue, I thought? As I listened to the program, I learned that there is apparently some backlash for being politically correct in saying “Happy Holidays!” It seems that some followers of Christianity find this offensive to them because the Holiday Season for them is all about celebrating the Birth of Jesus Christ.

It seems to me that that wishing well in a greetings should you be directed to the celebrations of the one we are greeting. If I am greeting someone that is Jewish around Hanukah, I will say “Happy Hanukah.”

When it is close to the Tibetan New Year (which is a time for celebration for Tibetans) I say “Happy Losar.”

If I am uncertain of someone’s religious practices, I think that “Happy Holidays” is very appropriate and courteous. I am not assuming anything except that they recognize that for all of us in the United States, we can consider the break in the normal schedule as holidays.

Tolerance is something we use a little more of.

Happy Holidays!

Geoff

Pain and Suffering

2005-12-01T19:02:00.000-07:00

We often speak of pain and suffering in a single breath. I think this might come form our legal system where we hear about law suits for “pain and suffering” However, I then looked up the words in a few different dictionaries and found that they are often used a synonyms. There seems to be little differentiation.

I think that there is a significant difference between the two at least from a Buddhist perspective. First I want to define the “common” definitions that I came across:

Pain - An unpleasant sensation occurring in varying degrees of severity as a consequence of injury, disease, or emotional disorder.

Suffering – The condition of being in pain or the enduring of pain, trouble, or distress.

The way I see it, pain is physical experience. Suffering is our judgement of the pain. Just because we feel pain does not necessarily mean that we will suffer.

Pain can be actually followed by euphoria if the circumstances are such. An example: my daughter plays competitive soccer. Its amazing the amount of pain she can happily endure when she is in the middle of a soccer game. I would say that while she is in fact experiencing a physical Pain, there is not “Suffering.” However, if her brother runs into to her later that day, my daughter will scream “Adam! That REALLY hurt!” suffering from the injury.

Other examples more extreme can be found around the world. I watched a program of painful ceremonies around the world recently. In one Peruvian town, they break up into two separate groups and proceed to fight each other to rid “evil spirits. ” They individual fights draw blood and cause much pain. However, the participants smile during the event and hug and smile after they are done. There is definitely physical pain here but no suffering because they have a greater purpose behind the pain. Consequently, in this case, pain = happiness

We may not be able to avoid pain but we can avoid suffering. Suffering is a subjective decision of our thinking.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

The Fix-It Man in the Manufacturing Shop

2005-11-30T23:01:00.000-07:00

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of “Flow” and other wonderful books wrote about an industrial shop worker he interviewed. He tells about the worker as being a wonderful example of his concept he has termed Flow. This worker’s single responsibility in the shop is to fix machinery that is malfunctioning or broken.

Rather than this worker becoming upset at a broken piece of machinery, he actually becomes focused and intrigued. When interviewed, the worker says that he finds each malfunction as a challenge. Its an opportunity to investigate what is wrong and fix the problem. The more difficult and challenging the problem, the more this worker focuses on the situation.

Mihaly relates this to the efforts of such workers as auto mechanics. He found that the best auto mechanics are typically very quiet when they are at work. They are completely focused on the work at hand. They tend to lose track of time and become “lost” in the task at hand.

I would like to suggest that this attention to the broken machine mentioned by the industrial shop employee is Exactly the same thing that Vajrayana Buddhist talk about when they teach the approach to our own problems and obstacles.

The fix-it man does not experience disappointment or anger. He is only focused on solving and fixing the problem.

I have recalled this story when something in my house has broken, like a toilet. Toilet repair is not one of my specialties. But rather than getting upset at the situation, if I can see the broken toilet as an opportunity to face a challenge and successfully solve it, then I end up finding the repair job enjoyable.

So to when we are faced with other malfunctions in our life, we can make the problem an opportunity to focus in on the situation. We put our attention on problem at hand and take action the best that we can. There are no negative thoughts r emotions, just excitement about the opportunity to get to work.

For me this is part of putting Buddhist teachings into practice at during my daily life. There always seem to be plenty of opportunities to “practice.”

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Monasteries, Universities, and Retreats

2005-11-29T21:58:00.000-07:00

While it does not seem to be a common discussion within the Tibetan Buddhist community, there seems to be three primary different systems of study found within Tibetan Buddhism. There is the Monastery System, the University System, and the Retreat System.

Under the monastery system, a member becomes a monk, or an ani in the case of a woman. Training includes linguistics, rituals, art, monastery care, and eventually Tantric practices.

Within the university system, the structure of study is focused on academic analysis and understanding. Students begin with Pratimoksha, move on to Madhyamika and Prajnaparamita, and complete with the secret Tantras and practices.

Finally under the retreat system, the methods progress from outer preliminary practice of Ngondro, move on to various Tantric practices, and complete with esoteric Tantric practices of Atiyoga.

I think that it is a wonderful structure to provide a path for different constituencies and personal capabilities.

One of the matters of which I feel we should be aware, is that the form of teaching from a teacher could significantly differ depending on where the teacher’s primary source of study comes from.

A monastic teacher is going to emphasize structure and rituals associated with a practice. A university teacher is going to work with the philosophical methods and Views. A Retreat teacher is going to emphasize personal experience and realization.

I have received teachings from all three kinds of teachers. Each can absolutely take you along the path, they just have very different approaches. Rather than shutting out the value of a given teacher, be aware that the teacher may be approaching teachings from a different perspective depending on their background.

I am not big on rituals, so I have a personal aversion to the rules and regulation forms of Buddhism. I am susceptible to the intellectual analysis, so I am drawn to the university approaches. However, my own personal path is definitely most in-tune to the yogis of retreat practice. When I read biographies of lineage holders, I find myself most intrigued with the yogis who on the surface lived seemingly average lives or wandered as homeless beggars.

The most important point here is to be aware of your own path and follow that which works for you. Just make sure that who ever you follow is an authentic lineage holder. This is easiest when a teacher has completed studies through the monasteries and universities. Its somewhat more difficult when the teacher is from a retreat/yogic method.

Examining Our Own Faults

2005-11-23T15:42:00.000-07:00

I have recently reviewed teachings on 37-Practices of a Bodhisattva and found myself stuck on the Stanza in which Gyalse Togme reminds us to focus our attention on our own faults.

Stanza 31 of the 37-Practices of a Bodhisattva says:

Without making efforts to clearly analyze delusions we have and mistakes we commit,
We still may perform many non-Dharmic deeds even though outwardly practicing the Dharma,
For this reason, examine your mistakes and delusions, the faults we possess,
Then afterwards remove them completely-
Bodhisattvas all practice this way.

It’s a very concise teaching on where to focus our attention. As a practicitioner, I must continually remind myself to direct my attention to my own faults.

I may have the appearance of a Dharma practicitioner even fooling myself. I may remember advice of my teachers. I may recite practices, I may recall the words of teachings, however, if I fail to clearly analyze my delusions, faults, and mistakes; I am really just a false practicitioner.

Khenpo Choga Rinpoche says the essence of the teachings are to watch our thinking. Maintain positive thinking. Simply stated positive thinking can be summarized into the following five positive thinkings: Renunciation, Compassion, Faith, Loving-Kindness, and Wisdom.

The great and auspicious Padmasambhava had said “Though my View is as wide as all the Universe, My actions are as fine as powder [sand].”

Everywhere that I look, the essence of Buddhist practices is right in front of me. Watch our thinking and our minds above everything else. Each moment is a moment to be aware of our thinking, our words, and our actions.

Maybe once we have established some stabilization in our thinking, negative thinking, words, and actions disappear, however, it is not for my concern at this time. I have no stabilization and no realization ….just lots of delusions and mistakes to correct.

During a teaching this weekend from Khenpo Choga Rinpoche, he told us that when faced with others causing problems, we must first decide if we can help without loosing our own positive thinking. If taking action results in negative thinking in us, then it is better to do nothing. Because we can be of no true help if we have negative thinking.

For the last few days, I have been more aware of my thinking. Checking as emotions arise. I am reminded that I am of no help to others if my thinking is not positive and pure. I just continue to go back to checking my own delusions and mistakes.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Never Give Up!

2005-11-17T21:27:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful discussion this afternoon. My son, 15, is starting to see how deceitful, dishonest, and cruel the world really is. Its amazing the rationalization that people will go through to justify their self-serving actions.

There are a couple of things that I wanted to him know:

(1) Yes. People throughout the world are dishonest, deceitful, and cruel. In fact, Patrul Rinpoche said Don’t rely on anybody. Don’t trust anybody. However, Don’t stop trying to do what you can to make the world a better place starting with yourself and your immediate community.

(2) You cannot change the world. Yep! No matter what you do, you cannot expect to change even the thinking of one friend no less the world. However, Don’t stop trying to do what you can to make the world a better place starting with yourself and your immediate community.

(3) Give up any hope that your efforts will do any good. At Best, you can help 20%, the 80% is up to them. They have to do the hard work themselves. You cannot stop, really stop, anyone from doing what they want to do. Someone wants to kill themselves, sorry but if they are set on it, they will do it no matter what you do or say. However, Don’t stop trying to do what you can to make the world a better place starting with yourself and your immediate community.

(4) Focus on your actions not the results. You have 100% control of your actions, your words, and your thinking. You have very little influence on the actions, word, and thinking of others. To the extend that the results depend on anyone else, you are not in control of the results. However, Don’t stop trying to do what you can to make the world a better place starting with yourself and your immediate community.

(4) Never give up on doing good. Never. Even at the sake of your life. Never. Never, Give up!

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Every Moment Many Choices

2005-11-15T22:21:00.000-07:00

(The following is dedicated to someone close to me that made a bad choice. Fortunately, the results of his actions are not disastrous. However, I pray that the experience can be an opportunity to awaken even slightly and not the beginning of a pattern which could lead to an unfortunate future.)

At every moment we are constantly making choices. Our choices define the direction of our lives.

Repeated choices can quickly become a habit.

Let us say that sometime in your life, you began to act outrageously in order to gain attention. It might be how you dress, how you talk, what you do.

The outrageous behavior gains you attention. Before long many friends and acquaintances begin defining you based on this outrageous behavior. When the “crazy” plans hatch, you are the one that everyone brings in. When something happens, you are the one that everyone looks to first.

While I can say that you always have the ability to change because you have the ability to make different choices, its hard to believe. The most common response is something like “Well, I can’t help it. That is who I am.”

I am telling you that this is not you!

These are your habits. Your habits are not you!

You can have good habits. You can have bad habits. What you chose to do and what you chose to repeat are what become your habits. Before you know it your habitual patterns are controlling you. Stop before its too late!

Khenpo Choga Rinpoche has said that anything repeated becomes a habit. If you repeatedly get angry, you will soon become regarded as an angry person. If you are continually helpful, you will become a kind and helpful person. Looking back, at one time you were not likely an angry person but over time, one moment after another you became an a person who got angry. Now the habit controls you.

Within Buddhism, we slowly but surely begin to become aware of our thoughts. We begin to watch how we “automatically” react to situations. We first train in becoming aware of the emotions and thoughts as they occur. We train our awareness so that we can avoid reacting based on our habitual patterns.

Later we begin to work on removing the auto-reactions all together. Within Buddhism, even the initial reaction, the seemingly automatic response to a situation whether it be fear, disgust, anger, anxiety, etc. are looked upon as habits as well.

So what are we to do? First start paying attention to your thinking and emotions. Watch your immediate response to a situation. Don’t act on your emotions. Don’t automatically do what comes naturally. It is likely a habit

You want to become aware of your automatic reaction to situations. Then, at the very least, stop before you transition from the emotional response into negative action. Create a break. Stop before you act.

Second, consider the benefit of small changes in your thinking and choices. Take a distant view of your actions. It is like looking through a telescope. At the eye-piece, you might make a fractional alteration of its position. However, what you are now looking at, way out in space, is million of miles away from the previous trajectory.

Small changes in our choices can make big changes in our future.

If you make a bad choice in life. Then take action immediately to correct. Whatever you do, don’t repeat it. Don’t turn a bad choice into a bad habit. It’s a lot easier to modify your behavior before it becomes a habit.

Please take note. Before its too late!

May you be free from suffering. May you find unchangeable happiness and the causes of true happiness. I send my love to you.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Neuroscience Conference 2005 Reports on Meditation

2005-11-14T15:23:00.000-07:00

November 12-16, 2005, the Society of Neuroscience is holding its annual conference in Washington, DC. Within an estimated 31,000 of its 37,000 members in attendance, this is the place for presentation of cutting edge research findings for neuroscience (http://web.sfn.org/am2005/ )

A part of the conference presentations revolved around studies related to the effects of meditation on the physical and operation of our brain. The Dalai Lama was the keynote speaker for the conference on Saturday, November 12. His Holiness’ keynote was reportedly a standing-room only sell-out.

Prior to the Conference, the Mind and Life Institute had held its own conference in Washington, DC. Entitled Science and Clinical Applications of Meditation” (see http://www.mindandlife.org/ for information on this and other activities sponsored by this organization). I point this out for anyone who might want to uncover even more research on meditation than what was reported at the Neuroscience Conference.

I wanted to share the highlights reported from the Neuroscience Conference because of its importance to substantiating the benefits of meditation on the brain and ultimately the quality of one’s life. (Read the press releases from the conference at http://web.sfn.org/content/AboutSfN1/NewsReleases/index.html )

First, The presentation of the H.H. Dalai Lama. His Holiness discussed why this research is so important. He states that rather than “supporting” meditation, he emphasized ways to improve the quality of life and “to gain insight into the human psyche.” If in fact, contemplative traditions as the Dalai Lama refers to them, can be shown to improve the quality of life, he is very interested in learning how and why.

Second, he drew a comparison between science and Buddhism in it methods of verification. The Dalai Lama states that in Buddhism, there are three primary sources of knowledge – experience, reason, and testimony – with that of experience clearly being on the top of the Buddhist list. He then points out that empirical evidence should always be put above scriptural authority. Similarly science is always seeking empirical evidence to test theories and obtain new findings.

He completed his remarks by reminding them that in today’s world scientist are held in greater respect. He appealed to them to maintain high levels of ethical principles in their research.

I think that part of this was a call to keep doing the research as scientist despite political and society pressure.

The presentations reported by the Society of Neuroscience on meditation are summarized in one of the releases on their web site. I am just going to give a brief recap of the four presentations reported.

Alteration of the Brain Structure: Sara Lazar, PhD, Harvard Medical School, reported on research on western-style meditators. Based on research with 20 meditators and 15 non-meditators, they found increases in the size and thickness of the brain cortex. This portion of the brain is commonly associated with attention and sensory processing functions of the brain. Normally this portion of the brain reduces in size with age, however, meditation seems to not only stop this shrinkage but actually increases the cortex.

Comparison of Meditation and Sleep: Bruce F. O’Hara, PhD, reported on research being done at the University of Kentucky. The primary findings reported in the release shows that while both sleep and meditation have restorative effect on the brain’s functioning, meditation seem to immediately improve performance on a test called the Psychomotor Vigilance Task. They further reported that significant improvement was noted even with subjects that had no previous meditation experience. The improvements applied to everyone.

Effect of Meditation to Aid Complex Mental Processes: Richard Davidson, PhD reported on the findings of his research at the University of Wisconsin on long-term meditation practices. Dr. Davidson’s research is based on long-term meditators, mostly Tibetan monks, with over 10,000 hours of meditation. The researchers measured “gamma band rhythms” which are apparently brain patterns associated with higher mental activity.

The research shows increased abilities to focus and attention after a period of meditation. More importantly, the base line of an individual were higher in the long-term mediators. The research seems to show the changes in the ability of the brain function as the result of long-term meditation.

Meditation and the Ability to Stabilize the Thinking/Mind: Olivia Carter, PhD, of Harvard University reported on their study of 76 Tibetan Buddhist monks with 5-54 years of meditation experience. She presented their research on meditation effects measured through the perceptual rivalry test used to test consciousness and attention. The findings showed that the monks had a significantly greater ability to focus attention (4.1 seconds vs. 2.6 seconds with no suggestions made by the researchers). Second and probably more important, the research showed even greater significance in ability of monks over non-meditators to focus their attention when instructed to do so. While the results to date, do not prove an ability to alleviate depression or stress, they are reportedly consistent with monks’ claims that they can in fact direct their thinking towards “a positive and calm state.” More research will need to be completed before they can make any scientific claims about alleviating depression and stress.

In summary, it is really wonderful what is being reported here. The studies addressed both immediate benefits of meditation as well as long-term benefits of adopting meditation practices. The studies showed benefits for both western “part-time meditation as well increasing benefits of committed monks. The research showed measurable increases in our brain’s performance, long-term changes in the baseline abilities of our brains, and significant changes in the actual size of important brain regions.

There is lot to study here. For us meditation practicitioners, we welcome the research if only to confirm what we already believe to be true – from testimony and personal experience.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Purifying our Negative Actions, Words, and Thinking

2005-11-12T00:52:00.000-07:00

I am getting better about my actions and even my words. However, I still catch myself with negative thinking all the time. I think that my most common negative thinking is the frustration when things are not going the way I want them to go.

As a Vajrayana Buddhist student, I know that every negative thought (including emotions) carries with it some negative "consequences"...this is what we call karma.

Since I am regularly building up negative karma, it is important that I remember the Purification techniques expounded by Vajrayana meditation masters.

The Four Powers are a means to purify our negative karma.

The first power is the power of Support. We call on the power of the deity or deities to hear our confession. I personally use Vajrasattva, the “buddha” of purification, as the deity along with his consort. I do a short form of practice, which includes visualization, mantra recitation, and dissolution.

The second power is the power of Regret. We are called upon to fully and deeply regret all our negative actions, words, thoughts in this life as well as past lives. It is important to remember that we have lived many many lives and carry the karmic imprints from all these lives.

We must remember that the seeds of karma must be purified otherwise they will manifest at some point in our life - If not this life then in a future life. We definitely carry forward our karmic seeds from past lives in our stream of consciousness. The purification process is meant to purify negative karma before the conditions arise.

The third power is the power of Resolve - to never do again. As my teacher has told me, a promise carries much power. For every moment we keep a promise, we are creating good merit – good karma. If and when we break a promise, we again can purify the negative karma and make another promise.

Yeah I know this sound a little crazy. Its really funny because I use to have a big problem with the idea that we could do really bad things, confess them and then everything would be okay. Yeah right! However, within Buddhism, its not that simple. We must call on powers beyond us, truly regret our actions, and promise never to do again. Finally, we must commit to the fourth power as well.

The fourth power is the power of the Do Good. The most common translation for this is the power of the Antidote, but I prefer to use “Do Good.” What this means to me is to then purify our wrongs with doing what is good and meritous. I think that the best antidote is to do whatever I can at every moment to help all sentient beings be free from suffering and have happiness. And each day I have plenty of things to purify when I fail to everything I can. So I start over and try again for another day.

So, if you are like me, you would be asking, “Well, this all sounds nice but it is really hard to believe that these four powers have the power to purify. It does sound a little ridiculous.”

For me it took some really bad feelings and times before I actually put the four powers into Practice. Did it help? Are there really results?

I want to conclude by suggesting that you give it a try. Put it into practice. Try the practice of Vajrasattva and the four powers into practice for 10 days. When you practice, practice with complete faith and no doubt. See for yourself. If it helps you, then continue. If it does not help you, then stop.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Today is the Perfect Day!

2005-11-06T21:56:00.000-07:00

“Hoje é o dia Perfeito. Pode acreditar!”
“Today is the perfect day. Be sure!”

I am sitting here listening to “Um Dia Perfeito” by Falamansa. They are young Brasilian Forró band.(there web site is http://www.falamansa.art.br) I cannot help but be uplifted and filled with happiness when I listen to Forró Music.

Forró music has its roots in Northeast Brasil. It is an upbeat, extremely danceable beat with lyrics about love and happiness. Its about being so filled with love that there is no room for anything else.

For me, it’s great form of Buddhist music. It exudes with happiness and love. It encourages spontaneous singing and dancing.

I can easily see hundreds, even thousands, of people singing and dancing in the streets. Their bodies, voices, and minds so filled with love and happiness that there is no room for anger, greed, jealousy, or pride.

So Dance! Sing! Rejoice!

Today is the Perfect Day! Be Sure!

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Life is a Lot Easier Ever Since I Gave Up!

2005-11-04T10:20:00.000-07:00

I found this bumper sticker at a local store. Its on my refrigerator.

It is a little strange because on one hand it sounds very “uncompassionate and unloving” – very un-Buddhist. Yes?

Well it could. But, let me explain what it means to me. I want to start with a little back up on what reminded me about this slogan.

Over the last two days, I became over-whelmed (at least in my mind) with my assumed responsibility to fix a whole bunch of problems. I started to take on everyone’s problems. I started to have expectations that I would be able to fix everything. Before I knew it, I was nervous, anxious, and frustrated.

Then yesterday, I stopped by to see Lama Dawa. He is a wonderful lama from Pharping outside Kathmandu, Nepal. He has lived along side Chatral Rinpoche for many many years. He has spent about 16 years in retreats under the direction of Chatral Rinpoche. He is an amazing person.

All of a sudden everything that I had been loading up on myself just let go. The burden I was taking on to “fix the world” dropped and everything was just wonderful. I remembered “Oh, yeah! Just give it Up!”

I had been typing up the translated “The Heart Treasure of The Enlightened Ones,” over the last few evenings…but I was not really listening to what Patrul Rinpoche was telling me.

Sitting down with Lama Dawa for just a few moments brought everything to my mind. Verse 12 of The Heart Treasure says:

Though you explain, people miss the point or don’t believe you;
Though your motivation is truly altruistic, people think it’s not.
These days, when the crooked see the straight as crooked,
You cannot help anyone – give up any hope of that.

Here is the point. At every moment we aspire to (1) see the all appearances as pure, (2) constantly do whatever we can to help with love and compassion.

But in every situation, we cannot hold any expectation that anything we will do will really help. That is what we must give up on. We must remember to give up on the expectation that we can actually help. All we can do is keep showing up and doing what we can. The result of our activities to help, however, is out of my control.

So when I read “Life is a lot easier ever since I gave up,” I am talking about giving up on any expectations that I can really help. I can just showing up and doing what I can.

No expectations. No worries. No problems. Just opportunities to practice.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Patrul Rinpoche's Words of Advice

2005-11-02T22:01:00.000-07:00

Here is a portion of Patrul Rinpoche's Poem
Words of Advice to Myself:

Just sleep, eat, piss, shit.
There's nothing else in life that has to be done.

Don't get involved with other things:
They're not the point.

Keep a low profile,
Sleep.

In the triple universe
When you're lower than your company
You should take the low seat.

Should you happen to be the superior one,
Don't get arrogant.

There's no absolute need to have close friends;
You're better off just keeping to yourself.

When you're without any worldly or religious obligations,
Don't keep on longing to acquire some!

If you let go of everything—
Everything, everything—
That's the real point!

Many Dharma Blessings,
Geoff

Remembering the Defects of the Pot

2005-11-01T14:01:00.000-07:00

A favorite metaphor of mine is one that is related to what to avoid when one listens (as well as presumably reads) teachings. I have heard this many times from my teachers and have read them in numerous texts.

Know as the Defects of the Pots: The first defect is to listen like a pot turned upside down. The second defect is to listen like a cracked pot. The third defect is to listen like a pot containing poison. The fourth (at least added by my teacher) is to listen like a pot already full.

To listen like a pot turned upside down. If we listen like a pot turned upside down, then nothing goes in the pot. No matter how many teachings we hear no matter how many sacred texts we read, if nothing goes in, then we are wasting our time.

To listen like a cracked pot: If we listen like a cracked pot, then we hear but it does not stay. No matter how much we hear and read, we do not retain the teachings. They will do us no good.

To listen like a pot containing poison: If we listen like a pot containing poison, then the sacred teachings become contaminated. They are poisoned. No matter what we hear, the poison destroys and corrupts the sacred teachings. They will only do us harm.

To listen like a pot already full: If we listen like a pot which is already full, then no matter how much we listen there is no room for the teachings in our mind. No matter how many teachings we attend, if you think that you already know everything, you will never get the teachings.

These are easy to remember and easy for me to visualize. I try to always try to recall them before the start of teachings and before I read sacred teachings and texts.

Just see of your mind as a sacred vessel prepared to receive sacred nectar. Keep it upright, unbroken, uncontaminated, and spaceous.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Scientific Support of Mediation Benefits

2005-10-30T21:12:00.000-07:00

Starting back in 1987, The Dalai Lama has been hosting conferences of scientists in order to better understand the world and look into Buddhist teachings in relationship to western science. Underlying these efforts is the Dalai Lama’s contention that science can support many of the teachings and methods taught by the Buddhists for centuries.

My experience with Tibetan Lamas mirrors the Dalai Lama’s sentiments. They welcome scientific research. Everything from biological sciences to physics are being explored in relationship to Buddhist teachings.

Back in March 2000, the Dalai Lama held a conference looking at scientific research on the effects of destructive emotions. This conference is wonderfully summarized in the book “Destructive Emotions,” narrated by Daniel Goleman. A book I put on the “must read” list.

As the result of this conference, a scientific study ensued about the benefits of meditation. Using a functional MRI (fMRI), Dr Richard J. Davidson, PhD, began tests on monks and long term meditators. Their finding were beyond the western scientists’ expectations. The Tibetan Buddhists were not surprised in the least.

Based on the initial findings, scientific measurements of brain activity seemed to demonstrate that repeated periods of meditation significantly modified one’s brain activity. Long term meditation results in a happier person. (For detailed information see http://www.mindandlife.org regarding meditation, emotions, and neuroplasticity).

A number of science conferences being held in November around the country are scheduled to include the Dalai Lama. This includes an international neuroscience conference where His Holiness along with Dr Davidson and other researchers will present the findings of their ongoing research on meditation. Science seems to be supporting Buddhist teachings.

This is happening with some controversy from the small percentage of the scientific community.

I think that it is very interesting how this is creating an uproar among some scientist. Some of the controversy is being discounted as politically motivated by Chinese scientists. Other scientists are allegedly claiming that the findings are not thorough enough for presentation. However, I suspect that there are others also have hidden agendas. What would happen if they PROVE that Buddhist practices are true?

I think the controversy is a welcome event. First, the controversy is publicizing the conferences and the findings throughout many newspapers around the country. Second, it will likely spark for more research on the subject. Even if the research is being conducted in an attempt disprove the findings of Dr. Davidson, testing is welcome. Little do these scientist with hidden agendas realize that they are helping the researchers on meditation and Buddhism.

Throughout Buddhism, there is a tradition of questioning and challenging all teachings. Khenpo Choga Rinpoche has always said “If you have any doubts during my teachings, you should ask questions. There is no way to dispel your doubts and eliminate your confusion if you do not ask.”

Unlike many other spiritual practices, Buddhist has nothing to hide and welcomes challenges. Bring on the questions!

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

The Benefits of Anger?

2005-10-29T16:26:00.000-06:00

While I was waiting to have tires installed on my car today, I picked up a copy of "Ladies Home Journal." (I picked it up because there was an interview with former US President Bill Clinton. By the way, if we are going to change the rules of Presidency to allow Arnold to run, can we also change the rule to allow someone to serve a 3rd term?)

An article on Anger also appeared in the issue. I wanted to see what Ladies Journal would like to say on the subject. One of the points made in the article was that anger, when handled calmly, is good. Hmm! Anger is Good? Read on.

It seems that the western psychology world is confusing us with what some of them are saying. Anger is so much a part of our society, that I feel rather than discouraging anger they like to talk about "good anger vs bad anger."

On one hand the article talks about the dangers of anger. The article mentions the relationship between anger and our mental and physical health now being regularly studied and documented. Wonderful! Then later the article quotes a psychologist discussing how anger can be used to effectively as a call to action.

In Buddhism, anger and hatred are the most harmful pf the 5 negative emotions (desire, anger/hatred, ignorance, jealousy, and pride). A call to action is based on awareness. Anger is the negative emotion arising FROM not getting what we want or getting what we don't want. Seeing that something is not correct or needs changing is not anger. It is simply awareness of a situation. Granted, this is a subtle difference but extremely important to us. I can change something without ever feeling angry. This is certain.

Awareness + Acting on it = good.
Anger = not good
Anger + Acting on it = "super" not good!

The article concludes with some recommendations on allowing yourself to calm down, write down suggestions, and than present these to the other party. From our View, this psychologist is not talking about acting out of anger. He was talking about acting on the situation/circumstances which resulted in our anger arising. These are two very different situations and two very different states of mind.

It confused anger with awareness. The risk is that we end up in a society which encourages and supports anger instead of trying to eliminate it.

For me, I feel that this kind of discussion is very misleading. It is very easy to have readers walk away saying, "I read an article that said that anger is good for you." For me it is very easy for someone to conclude that anger is okay.

Elimination of anger does not mean that we stop taking action against injustice or wrongs. It does means that we avoid anger when we can. If anger arises, then do not take action when you are angry. It is not a call to be passive but to be aware and act with full awareness of the consequences of our actions.

So what are the benefits of anger?

To borrow the teaching of a past great master. "The only thing good about negative actions and emotions (in this case anger) is that they can be purified."

Maybe I will write on some of the methods of purification taught by my teachers tomorrow.

For today, I would just like someone reading this to know that anger is a negative emotion and has no place our awakened mind.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

49 Days After Dying

2005-10-27T10:42:00.000-06:00

Especially within the Nyingma School of Vajrayana Buddhism, much has been written by the masters on Bardo Instructions for dying and death. There are many very good books on these teachings. I especially like the detailed explanations and background information contained in Francesca Fremantle's "Luminous Emptiness."

However, what came to my mind yesterday after the passing of Elvis, our neighbor cat to whom we were so close, is some oral teachings I had received. These instructions were directed to those of us who remain behind and were close to them.

According to our Nyingma and particularly Dzogchen teachings, after death there is a period of transistion. For as long as forty nine days, the deceased may remain in this transistional period. During this time, the deceased will experience may unusual dimensions, sights, and sounds.

Upon separation of their mind essence from the body, they often times are unaware of their own death. They retain a "mental" body and can spend long periods of time living and wandering within the environments that they are familiar.

What I asked of my family is to be aware that Elvis may not be aware of his own death. He could be still trying to spend his time exactly as he did when he was in his body. Obviously this is can be very confusing because everything is different for him.

What we can do, is to be comforting and understanding. Because of this, I keep out his water and food. I occasionally open the front door to welcome him in and will let him out. I will treat our home as if he is still somewhere in the house.

I want him to be comforted as he goes through whatever transistions he may require. I will do all of this quietly and not make a big deal of it. Afterall, I live here in the United States and there are many that would think that I had completely lost it. (Well maybe I have but I don't want everyone to know it).

After the death of someone close to you, you have the opportunity to provide comfort and assurance to them as they go through the transistion periods. Help as you can. Hold only good thoughts for them and send love and compassion. Send prayers for their swift transistion into the pure lands of luminous light.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

A tribute to Elvis

2005-10-26T12:33:00.000-06:00

This morning we got a knock at the door. Our neighbors had come over to let us know that Elvis, their golden stripped cat, had past away in their front planter. We went over and inspected the situation. It looked like he was resting calmly on his side. It appears that he had died sometime early in the night.

Not long after our neighbors had moved in their house over two and a half years ago, Elvis had become part of our family as well. Our neighbors had another cat and a dog. Elvis did not seem to like enjoying the space with these other animals and decided that he would spend an increasing amount of time in our house. So while he was not our cat, he did live here most of the time.

I remember when Elvis started comming to stay. Every morning I wake up and go down to our Meditation room to do my morning practice. One morning while doing a mantra portion of the practice, I heard a screeching sound outside the door. I got up and found that Elvis was sitting at the door wanting to come in. It took about three more days before he decided to fully come in. Almost every morning thereafter, Elvis would come and sit with us during our morning practice. Then he would usually jump up on on of the couches in the meditation room and sleep for awhile. Elvis seemed to truly connect with something that was going on in the Dharma/Meditation room.

Elvis would travel around the immediate neighborhood. However, he was almost always the first to welcome me home from work. I think that he knew the sound of my car. Unless he was already inside the house, he would be waiting for me at the back gate and meow. He would then follow me into the house.

If he saw me sitting. Elvis always wanted to jump on my lap and moosh his paws into my clothes. When we would go out of town, sometimes for extended periods of time, he would be like glue by my side for the first few days after we returned. Elvis truly knew how to give love and was a wonderful friend to our whole family.

This afternoon, we are going to bury him in his own spot in the yard. We will perform a short ceremony for him, say our good byes and pray for his swift transistion into the pure land.

Elvis was always full of love and caring. I am certain that he had a connection to the Dharma and spent time benefiting from our practices. He also spent time with many masters who came to our home and gave teachings. Elvis was always around for the teachings. Most notably he took teachings from Khenpo Choga Rinpoche, Khenpo Sonam, and Tulku Choejor.

Elvis, we pray for you. Thank you for being part of our household. We will always love you and remember your kind heart.

Geoff

The Karmic Seeds of Our Thoughts, Words, Acts

2005-10-24T17:23:00.000-06:00

Karma is a term used regularly but understood rarely. I think that this is because we have adopted the term in the West to refer to some kind "destiny" This is not true.

During the question and answer times of retreats, its one of those "always comes up" subject. I want to talk today about a small subsection of the subject of karma. I want to look a little into karmic seeds.

Every thought, every word, every action carries with it own power. It's propelling momentum. Taking momentum from what was just before and leading to what is immediately ahead. Khenpo Choga Rinpoche calls karma the "Power of our thoughts - the power of our thinking." At every instance, we have the momentum from the previous moment. At that moment we create the momentum towards the next moment.

(I want to point out that in fact there is not truly a connection between one moment and the next moment. It is only the momentum. We connect one moment to another just like connecting one frame of movie film to the next. The film is made up of one still photo after another. It only appears that there is a connection which comes out as motion.)

We carry the results of all of our past within our thinking. Unless eliminated, that remains part of our thinking - our mind.

This is what it referred to as the karmic seeds. It is that imprint from all past, thoughts, words, and actions. They can be positive, negative, or neutral. Every moment we are experiencing the karma of the past and are creating the karma for the future.

A master once said "If you want to understand the present look to your past actions. If you want to know about the future, look to your present actions."

Karmic seeds will either come to fruitition or they may be purified. This is very important distinction in the View of Buddhism. Nothing is set in the future. There is no predetermined destiny. There is the tendency of a pattern but always changeable. Never confuse this one. Otherwise, you are caught into thinking that Buddhism teaches predetermmined destiny - It absolutely does not!

Whether positve, negative, or neutral, the karmic seeds will eventually come to fruition unless they are eliminated. There is no statue of limitation. No expiration date to these seeds. It is important to remember that this applies to the postive seeds as well as the negative seeds. So be assured, your good deeds will always produce good seeds. (Just don't burn them up with negative actions).

Depending on the situation, we can speak of karmic seeds being purified, burned up, eliminated, destroyed, pr an assortment of other metaphors. All these terms are referring to the same thing.

Purification of negative karmic seeds is approached in various levels of Vajrayana Buddhism according to its their View and methods. Many of the tantric practices of the inner tantras are to purify negative karmic seeds.

The practice of Vajrasattva has its primary purpose to purify of negative karmic seeds of our actions, words, and thoughts not only from this lifetime but also past lives. For most Vajrayana practictioners, the purification practice of Vajrasattva is part of every day's practice. It may be short or extensive but it is usually there.

In the next writing, I will try to led off with karma comming to fruition.

For this discussion, I want to just stay with the importance of remembering that karma is created by every moments actions, words, and deeds. This karma stays with us like seeds waiting for the the right conditions to sprout. There is no expiration. However, the negative karmic seeds can be burned up, eliminated, or purified. There is not predetermined destiny.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Cause, Condition and Circumstances

2005-10-23T15:45:00.000-06:00

I still remember the day when I finally "got" the difference between the cause and condition and was then able to start looking into their relationship. It was like looking at one of those 3-D pictures made popular by Magic Eye, Inc. You keep looking and looking at first they make not sense. Then, all of a sudden, the hidden picture "pops" out. It’s right there and was always there. You just could not see it. You could not see the pattern.

For me, there were times when someone would give me some long and complicated discussion on emotions and it would not stick. I could not see the pattern. I could not get the picture. Finally, the right question came up during a teaching and my teacher explained to us what they meant by Cause and what they meant by Condition and/or Circumstances.

Cause and condition are commonly referred in one breath in teachings on karma, emotions, problems in life, etc. It seems that many teachers assume we know what they mean when they use these terms. I have found that many including me, really did not know what they were talking about. I want to use the emotion of anger to explain the difference and connection between cause and condition.

Let us say that I am driving down the highway anxious to get to movie. I am not late but I am quite focused on getting there as soon as possible. So right at this moment I am neutral emotionally...maybe a little anxious and excited. It is time for me to get over into the exit lane of the highway when all of a sudden a large 18-wheeler truck comes flying down the right lane. On top of that there is a very slow vehicle that has just pulled in front of me. I can't get over and have to slow down in order to avoid rear-ending the car in front of me. I become angry at how all of these people are driving tonight.

Anger is the emotion. However, what are the causes and what are the conditions?
The conditions or circumstances (really interchangeable terms) are the fact that I am on the highway trying to change lanes when these other vehicles prevent me from doing what I want to do.

The Cause is my thinking. The cause is always our Mind - our thinking. This is the bottom line. Cause = My Thinking! The conditions, the circumstances set up the situation for the emotional seed within us to sprout.

Why? Because there is nothing automatic about a truck driving down the road or someone changing lanes that creates anger. My thinking is the cause of the anger. It arose from my thinking only. Many different emotions could have arisen as the result of these circumstances. I could have laughed. I could have felt sorry for the slow driver. I could have realized that I have waited to long to change lanes. Oops! The 18-wheeler might have been just minding his own business driving under the speed limit.

The anger I experienced was not automatic and not part of the conditions or circumstances. I caused the anger!

A very important addition: If no seed of anger had existed within me, it would have been impossible for me to get angry. I see this in application when I spend time with a Vajrayana master. It seems that no matter what happens, they do not get angry, for example. Many Westerners like to allege that this is because they are hiding the emotion. But I can testify from my observation that the seeds of anger were not there!

There are two very important points that I try to remember:
First, I am always the cause of my emotions and feelings.
Second, it is not possible to experience an emotion when the seed do not exist.

Mind training in Vajrayana Buddhism is all about increasing the seeds of positive emotions and burning up the seeds of negative emotion. There are practice and methods to do this as well as practice to deal with a negative emotion once it "sprout." that part is a whole separate discussion.

The teachings of Vajrayana meditation master regularly refer to the cause and conditions of emotions, the cause and conditions of a situation. Every time I hear this I always remind myself that the "cause" is my mind and my thinking. Then the discussion makes sense. Remind myself: Cause = My Thinking.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

The Importance of Repetition

2005-10-22T10:44:00.000-06:00

For my teachers within the Nyingma school of Vajrayana Buddhism, the preliminary practice (Ngondro) must be repeated many times before and student is considered ready to move on to other trainings and practices. The five sections of the preliminary are generally repeated at least 100,000 times.

This seems like a lot of repetition of the same thing. Afterall, I grew up in a culture where most of I would not even read all of my text books once, no less many times. In Buddhism, it is important to have more than just understanding. We must eventually get to the point where we realize. With time we establish stability with the realization until it become part of us.

I compare it to learning to drive a car. First we learn the rules. We spend time in training classes where the critical rules are repeatedly taught. One must absolutely know what a stop sign means or we really risk getting into real problems. Second, we then spend hours observing and practicing driving with an instructor followed by obtaining a drivers permit where we get more practice time. Eventually we are given the opportunity to obtain a drivers license after a written and driving exam.

Even then the training to be a competent driver does not stop there. Only after years of driving (hopefully) we become a competent driver. It is all of the small things that we learn and experience over time that provides us with the training to be a good driver.

The same is true in Buddhism. We cannot stop with reading a practice one time and then think that it is time to move on to something else. We must listen to teachings and learn a practice inside and out. Second, we need to have experience with the practice by working with the practice, contemplating what each sentence means. Finally, we need to gain stability in the realization of the practice with time and more repetition.

Hearing, reading, and studying a practice results in learning.
Contemplating the meaning of a practice and applying it results in experience.
Meditating on the practice results in realization.

So the repetition of a practice gives us the opportunity to fully learning the words and give us the opportunity to obtain some experience. There are stories of great masters who even at a young age were able to fully realize a teaching/practice and manifest signs of realization within a very very short period of time. However, it is probably not wise to think that we are part of this select group of masters.

I repeat my primary practice every day – at least once. It seems that every day, I learn or see something new that I had never understood before. This is even though I have done this particular practice daily for over three years.

Secondly, the teachings seem to have begun to become part of my thinking. All of a sudden something happens and I remember, “When I am troubled, I am happy to practice fearless peace.” Maybe, its working?

My teacher has told me that it is only over time that we can see if the practices are benefiting our minds and benefiting our thinking. I keep on training on the practice.

With repetition we are given the great opportunity to truly change our thinking. We are given the ability to remove our misunderstanding and the opportunity to be of great assistance to all sentient beings.

Many Dharma Blessing

Geoff

Different Paths for Different Thinking

2005-10-21T11:17:00.000-06:00

One of the most wonderful and yet most difficult parts of beginning a Buddhist Practice is chosing a path. I personally went through many hours of searching, reading, testing and questioning. I think that maybe here in the West, we need a Buddhist clearing center which provides a resource for all of the different primary paths. Unlike other parts of the world, there are just too many choices.

This is a problem for us in the West. In most of the countries where Buddhism is the primary practice, one's family and the community generally dictates where one would recieve Buddha-Dharma training. You did not have to decide.

For me, everything settled down and became quite simple when I finally met a master who took a personal interest in my practice. Khenpo Choga Rinpoche from the Dzogchen Monastery in Tibet provided me a simple starting practice and told me to keep doing this until he told me otherwise. Well, Okay, that's simple enough. Now all I needed to do was to spend the time each day with the practice and see where it lead me.

Interestingly, even within a specific lineage and within even a specific Monastery, there are many paths. It seems that there is a recognition by the Buddhist masters that there are many paths according to the sentiment and disposition of student. Shakyamuni Buddha taught that there were 84,000 different Sutra practices and 6.4 million Tantras all leading to awakening.

As in the case of the Dzogchen Monastery in Kham, Tibet. There are at least three primary practice "paths" emphasizing different Sutra and Tantra practices as one progresses. The Monastery itself has its own specific teaching curriculum ending up at the designation of a master being a Dorje Lhopon. The Dzogchen Shri Singha Shedra (University), it seems, has a more academic curriculum culminating at the designation of Khenpo. The Retreat Centers of Dzogchen has another path of training and study upon which one can be recognized as a Mahayogi or Mahasiddhi.

So there is not fixed and defined path or curriculum that everyone must follow. In fact it ultimately ends up being a very personal path associated with the teacher-student relationship. Once you establish a relationship with a true lineage holding teacher, you just hang on and stick with it.

Each one of us has the opportunity to fully awaken, to attain unchangeable and indestructible happiness, and to help all sentient being attain such happiness. So my suggestion for myself and for all others is to rely on the advice of a lineage holder. Embrace your teachers' guidance and follow with all of your heart.

May all have the opportunity and fortune to meet their teacher and have the discipline to follow their advice.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Commitment: Following Through on our Promises

2005-10-20T11:03:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I watch portions of the Senate hearings on Immigration Policies and Enforcement on C-Span TV. The most interesting part for me was the how each of the Seantors approaches the same set of issues from their own very specific set of concerns and beliefs.

The elder white haired statesman from Alabama was most concerned about why INS exceeded a cap on the number of Immigrants that the Congress had set for this category of visas. Issue: You should follow our rules: Spend your time enforcing the rules!

A certain Senator from Illinois then laid out a scenario about a Korean girl who had lived in the United States since the age of 2 and has been "illegal" for 14 years in the US. Now 17 years old, she has been accepted at Juliards. Upon an inquiry to INS by the Senator on behalf of the family, he has been advised that this girl must return back "home" to Korea. Issue: We need to work toward fixing such inequities and laws. Where the enforcement of a law results in unfair or unjust treatment, then make exceptions and change the law.

There are two very different views here.

The series of questions and answers continued on with each Senator's questioning reflecting their specific constiuents and issues.

I guess the system works. Through the process of each Senator working for what they feel is important and each Senator respresenting the sentiment of a percentage of the US population, the "will of the people" slowly but surely progresses.

The best representatives are those with a passion to follow throughon what they say they are going to do. We might not agree with their point of view but their determination and commitment to do what they need to do is commendable.

What has remained with me from watching this, is the reminder to follow through on my intentions and commitments. If I do not carry the responsibility to do what I promised, then who will?

The same rules apply to my commitment to my practices. So today, I renew my promise to
prevent negative thinking
never surrender to obstacles
never abandon my Dharma practice and
continuously help all beings to awaken.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

The Effect of Positive and Negative Thinking

2005-10-18T23:32:00.000-06:00

I recently came across a wonderful metaphor which seems to have stayed within my thinking (not that it always stops the frantic or negative thoughts form arising but it helps stop them from growing)

This actually comes from a teaching of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche on the "Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones by Paltrul Rinpoche."

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche reminds us that one negative thought, statement, or action while very small can be like a spark in dry grasses of a forest. That one small spark can burn down the entire forest.

Further, he reminds us that our good thinking may be small but is like a drop of water into a bucket when combined with many other drops soon fills the entire bucket.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Support for my Thinking

2005-10-13T16:53:00.000-06:00

Within most forms of Buddhism, there is training in meditation which instructs us to sit calmly. Our bodies are relaxed but stable in this meditative pose.

Within in many lineages of Buddhism, including Vajrayana, there is much time spent with the reciting of sadhanas (essentially practices) and mantras. Reciting are a large portion of Vajrayana practice.

The question is often asked why are the meditative sitting and the recitation of mantras important in Vajrayana practices.

As my teachers have told me, the importance is that the body and speech support the training of the mind (our thinking).

The body can support the mind and thinking 25%.
Our speech can support the mind and thinking 50%.

Since we are yet fully in control of our body, speech, and mind; we should take advantage of those activities which can help us progress in our practice and support our good and positive thinking.

When we recite mantras, we have the opportunity to focus our mind on the sacred sound of the mantras. I have been told that mantra actually means "protection" in Tibetan - mind protection. Reciting the mantras have been said to protect our thinking.

The protective nature of the mantra only occurs when we fully give our attention and intention to the recitation. Additionally, there are visualizations to be done with the mantras which adds further support to our thinking.

So you do not have a mantra? A very simple and effective mantra is available to everyone. It is the recitation of "Namo Buddhaya."

The term "Namo" is a sanskrit word of respect, "I pay my whole hearted respect to...." The use of "Buddhaya" is again sanskrit refering to Shakyamuni Buddha, as our teacher and guide, but also refering to the the fully awakened state, the original nature of our and all sentient beings' mind. So by reciting this mantra while sitting, we are focusing our mind on that fully awakened and peaceful mind and focusing on Shakyamuni Buddha whose words and teachings points us in the right direction to become fully awakened.

Namo Buddhaya,

Geoff

Taking a 10-second Break

2005-10-11T11:02:00.000-06:00

Negative emotions and their affect on us as well as those around us is an often discussed issue within Vajrayana Buddhism. There are many ways to deal with these. Everything from practices to completely eliminate them to various methods to stop and remove them once they arise.

One of my favorite is also a very simple method of meditation. We will can call it the 10-second awareness meditation (even though it could last 10 minutes, 30 minutes, or even longer). The method is very simple. It is not very difficult to do either.

So let's go back for some background. Meditation and meditative practices are a critical part of Buddhism. It is through meditation that we ultimately gain experience and realization of the teachings. The hard part, especially for us westerners, is to calm our thinking, to learn to focus for periods of time.

The 10-second meditation is meditation method to quickly calm the mind if even for a few seconds. Sometime this is all that is needed. Change focus and change the thinking's direction and pattern. I is meant to do throughout the day as often as possible.

One does the following. Stop everything that you are doing. Whether you are sitting at the kitchen table, waiting in a line, our lying down. Just stop all activity. Take a break. No talking. No movements. No worries. No pain. Do nothing. Even stop breathing in or out at first.

It is like putting yourself into a moment of "freeze." Then relax into that state.

Then slowly begin to breathe again. Listen to the sounds around you. Look at everything that is around you. Smell the fragrances in the air. Slowly go back to whatever it is that needs to be attended to. As much as possible remain in the calm mind that began in the meditative break.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It is good to practice this and do this often BEFORE you get caught in the start of nervous or anxious thinking. Its like everything else in life: You must practice first. It is necessary to have some stability and comfort with the method. Like learning a martial art, one must practice a strike many many times before one has to use it. Same here. Practice the 10-second meditation.

Over time, more and more time is spent within this calm state of mind. Less time is spent outside of this state. As Khenpo Choge Rinpoche once said, "When you find that all time is spent in the calm mind state....well, that is Enlightenment!"

What I fond most helpful is that it is very simple. You can do this almost anywhere (Not recommended to start it while doing things such as driving a car). With some practice, it can immediately Break a pattern that is beginning to arise.

(For those that want the term for what is being done here, it is going into the state of "Rigpa." I just was avoiding the technical terms.)

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Why do I practice?

2005-10-10T11:38:00.000-06:00

It seems there are many different reasons why we come come Buddhism.

"I want peace of mind."
"I am looking for a spiritual practice without all the guilt trappings."
"I want to get out of this rat race"
"I need to better deal with [ ] in my life." (You fill in the blank)

There are many reasons. Ultimately, I feel the reason is the same for everyone...as for all people and all spiritual paths:

"I want happiness. I do not want suffering."

The teachings and practices of Buddhism are a very direct approach to this wish. In fact from the very first teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha, he taught the path to be free of suffering and the path to true happiness.

Eventually, with some practice we move to:

"I want YOU to be free from suffering. I want YOU to be happy."

We discover that the path to our own happiness is by directing our actions, words, and thoughts towards continually helping all sentients beings to be happy and to be free from suffering. First, though, we need to calm our own thinking some.

Recently, I recieved an email from someone interested in learning more about Buddhism. They had commented that they just wanted to be free of the negative emotions that they often experienced. They were not so concerned with becoming Enlightened.

Here is the secret. Enlightenment really means to become Fully Awake. Once we are fully awake, we are free of suffering and are completely available to help all sentient beings be free of suffering and for them to have happiness.

Becoming fully awake is to become free of suffering and to fully aid all sentient beings to be happy. So it is the truly best wish for yourself and others to Fully Awaken: Enlightenment is in fact your goal.

So, now back to the first question. Why Do I practice?

To help all sentient beings Awaken: For all beings to have complete and unchangeable happiness and be free from suffering.

And how is the best way for me to accomplish this?

For me to become fully awakened so that I am able to help all beings.

When is the best time for me to Practice? Every moment and every thought, all day!

(I still have a long way to go, mind you)

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

My Wife is My Teacher

2005-10-04T18:01:00.000-06:00

Far from Enlightened, I travel through each day trying to keep my Buddhist - Dzogchen practices fresh in my mind. However, it takes very little to throw me off and set me right down in the middle of this crazy world.

For some years, I have attempted to keep track of my better thinkings, record the meaningful stories, and remember the valuable lessons. Better yet, I feel, is if I could just apply some of the wonderful teachings that I have received over the years from great teachers....Then I just go and get caught up in the shit of my daily life. Hmmm!

I think that my wife is definitely my best guide. I could never fool myselfinto thinking that I really "knew" anything to teach others because she always (softly) reminds me each time I am not thinking, speaking, or behaving in a compassionate and loving manner. You know, she can catch me in even the tiniest moment of anger or frustation. I really really try to hid these little fits and bursts but she knows.

She will say "You are getting mad."

"No, I am not. Everything is just fine! I was just asking ...." I respond.

But really....I was getting mad. Oops!

Well, Here we go. Hope that during the journey someone, somehow, somewhere, might enjoy the thoughts posted here.

Rather than attempting to expound on technical Dzogchen View and Dharma, here I am going to just lay out one Western Practicitioners (likley corrupted) views on what is going on.

Many Dharma Blessings