Dharmakaya Arising

Just Ordinary

2012-01-20T18:33:00.003Z

It is the ordinary confused mind that perceives sensory appearances to be something other than oneself. It is the ordinary confused mind that believes in meditation and making an effort.

- Longchenpa

Dzogchen View of the Four Noble Truths - Part II

2012-01-14T23:08:00.001Z

Here's Part II from the Khenpos:

Dzogchen View of the Four Noble Truths

2012-01-12T14:09:00.004Z

Greetings in 2012! Here's a great video clip from the Khenpos:

The Four Noble Truths

2011-12-25T12:16:00.004Z

Best of holidays!

Mind Spontaneously Lucid & Pure

2011-12-20T16:49:00.004Z

Q: How can we be enlightened to the nature of things and our minds attain lucid purity?

Tao-shin replies: Neither by trying to meditate on Buddha, nor by trying to grab hold of the mind, nor by seeing the mind, nor by analyzing the mind, nor by reflection, nor by discernment, nor by dispersing confusion, but through identification with the natural rhythms of things. Don't force anything to go. Don't force anything to stay. Finally abiding in the one sole purity, the mind spontaneously becomes lucid and pure.

Some people can see clearly that the mind is lucid and pure like a bright mirror. Some need a year of practice and then the mind becomes lucid and pure. Others need three or five years and then the mind is lucid and pure. Or some can attain enlightenment by being taught by someone else. Or some can attain enlightenment without ever being taught. The Nirvana Sutra says: "The nature of the mind of beings is like a pearl which falls into the water. The water is muddy so the pearl becomes hidden. When the water is pure, the pearl is revealed."

- Tao-shin (580-651)
Daily Zen

Only a Thought

2011-12-14T18:11:00.001Z

“Remember that a thought is only a fleeting conjunction of myriad factors and circumstances. It does not exist by itself. When a thought arises, recognize its empty nature. It will immediately lose its power to elicit the next thought. And the chain of delusion will be broken.” - H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

In the Depths of Practice

2011-11-26T19:58:00.001Z

In the depths of practice, is there silence?
In the depths of practice, is there quietude?
In the depths of practice, is there an ocean of infinite compassion?

In the depths of practice, there is silence.
In the depths of practice, there is quietude.
In the depths of practice, there is an ocean of infinite compassion.

Simplicity of Heart

2011-11-09T15:49:00.004Z

"If you endeavor to embrace the Way through much learning, the Way will not be understood. If you observe the Way through simplicity of heart, great indeed is this Way."

-Sutra of Forty Two Chapters

Dzogchen While Listening to Music

2011-11-03T16:32:00.003Z

Emaho! This is good. This is great. Take a look and celebrate! Enjoy this one - I did.

Dzogchen while listening to music from James Low on Vimeo.

Only a Thought Away

2011-10-19T20:52:00.003+01:00

It's comforting to know that one's Root Lama is only a thought away:

“Do not fixate on the body of the guru. The body has no significance. Do not think that when the guru’s body is not here, the guru is not present. That is not the case at all, because the mind is utterly beyond death. The stupa is my heart’s essence and it will always remain so.”

- Garchen Rinpoche

Cultivating Meditation

2011-10-18T00:12:00.003+01:00

Oh yes, I like this teaching by Matthieu Ricard. Watch it.

Self-Liberation!

2011-10-06T10:26:00.010+01:00

Because of the rain against my window this morning I woke up early, so I started reading Self-Liberation Through Seeing with Naked Awareness translated by John Reynolds. This is a great book. It presents teachings by Guru Rinpoche and it strikes at the heart essence of being.

Here’s one of my favorite quotes:

"The process of meditation and the one who meditates are not two different things."

I savor this passage because startles my awareness beyond concept or intellect. It's direct. And you can find it here!

Boundless Compassion for All Sentient Beings

2011-10-02T13:40:00.006+01:00

Garchen Rinpoche is coming to the West of Ireland - to Dzogchen Beara in Co. Cork in October. If you want to see the frution of the dharma path and a living Buddha, see him:

Seeing Your Lama Again

2011-09-28T09:58:00.002+01:00

This is a very moving clip of an old lama who walks hundreds of miles again to see the reincarnation of his old master.

Dharma in the East & West

2011-09-15T22:39:00.006+01:00

This interview with Tsoknyi Rinpoche at the Garrison Institute really brings home the differences of how the Buddha dharma is taught in the East versus the West. It also reveals how Westerners have very different temperaments.

Red Tara Dancing

2011-09-14T10:58:00.004+01:00

I found an excellent video clip of a dakini dancing the Kurukulla dance. It’s great to see her shooting her arrows, subduing kleshas and unhindered emotions. Click here!

In an Instant

2011-09-09T15:38:00.002+01:00

One instant is eternity;
When you see through this one instant,
You see through the one who sees.

- Wu-men (1183-1260)

Flying Mystics

2011-09-03T10:28:00.000+01:00

Last night, I stumbled upon a youtube clip on Flying Mystics of Tibetan Buddhism. This is a video clip from the Oglethorpe University, museum of art in Atlanta. It shows brilliant flying yogis, yoginis, and lamas in tangkas and art.

Easing into the Day

2011-08-26T09:44:00.003+01:00

Birds are flying this morning. They fill this room of imagination as I sip my first coffee of the day, and ease into the awareness. Sunshine prevails. Rain prevails. Wind prevails. Life prevails.

Meditation

2011-08-21T11:30:00.004+01:00

Sentient beings are not enlightened because they don’t meditate. Yogis are not enlightened because they meditate.

- Old Kagyupa Master

Seeing Through

2011-07-28T09:54:00.003+01:00

One instant is eternity;
When you see through this one instant,
You see through the one who sees.

-Wu-men 1183-1260

On This Bardo

2011-07-20T11:20:00.003+01:00

On this bardo, between birth and death,
I see our rivers ebb and flow,
I see samsara and nirvana, and know
each of us as precious wish-fulfilling jewels

relaxing

at last, to see our own buddha natures,
and I see no effort at all
as clouds pass through blue skies.

Compassion for All Sentient Beings

2011-05-21T21:41:00.006+01:00

Good evening! This video clip by Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi is powerful in its simplicity:

Roaming the Hills

2011-04-24T22:38:00.006+01:00

Amid a thousand clouds and streams
There's an idle person somewhere
Roaming the hills during the day
Sleeping below cliffs at night
Suddenly passing springs and autumns
At peace no earthly burdens
Happy clinging to nothing
Still like a river in fall

-Han shan

My Dream-Like Form

2011-04-20T20:01:00.002+01:00

"My Dream-like Form
Appeared to dream-like beings
to lead them through dream-like teachings
that leads them to dream-like Enlightenment."

For Those Moments of Stillness

2011-04-05T07:35:00.002+01:00

Good. Morning. This is a quick note before finishing off my coffee, before going to Spiddal to see Ringu Tulku who will teach on Mahamudra – a profound teaching which possesses many layers of insight and epiphany. And the weather is good. The coffee is good. And it’s all systems go for the Buddha, the Dharma, and Sangha, for the Lama, Yidam, and Dakini, and for those moments of stillness.

Working with the Light

2011-03-02T22:16:00.001Z

Ah, this teaching by Vaughan-Lee gives me pause:

Passing Through

2011-02-15T22:15:00.003Z

If you want to perceive

And understand objectively,
Just don't allow yourself
To be confused by people.
Detach from whatever you
Find inside or outside yourself.
Detach from religion,
Tradition, and society,
And only then will you
Attain liberation.
When you are not
Entangled in things,
You pass through
Freely to autonomy.

- Linji (d. 867)

Practicing the Great Perfection

2011-02-09T22:58:00.005Z

Your present, naked awareness--

Unspoiled by thoughts of past, present, or future,

Not fettered by mind grasping to so-called "meditation"

Nor falling into a pervasive blankness of so-called "non-meditation"

The natural state nakedly sustained,

Is the practice of Great Perfection.

-Jigdral Yeshe Dorje (Dudjom Rinpoche)

Dakinis Dancing Through Space

2011-01-25T19:25:00.003Z

Here's a great video clip of Thinley Norbu's dancers moving through the vast expanse.

Easing into the Early Morning

2011-01-09T09:51:00.005Z

Easing into this morning I am with my mug of coffee, sunshine, and the guru rinpoche mantra permeating the room. And speaking of dharma, last night, at one o’ clock in the morning, at first, waking up to switch back on a power switch in the house, I started to read more of Tulku Urgyen’s As It Is. This is a very profound dharma text. Here are a few highlights that grabbed me in the early hours:

Thoughts invoke concepts, and concepts create duality, and duality, in turn, perpetuates samsara.
The vast spacious Buddha nature prevails the same within all of us but because of our thoughts – our obstacles – we can’t see our own Nature of Mind.
Emptiness and Awareness (cognizance) as one manifest Nirmanakaya or as Lao Tzu would say, “The Mother of Ten Thousand Things.”
We are like individual houses, where the space within the room (dharmakaya) is the same, and yet the four walls gives us the impression that we are separate. We are not because our nature is the same.
When we go into the bardo, our own awareness manifests as the six lamps of Tögal or as the deities, depending on our perceptions in that instance.

Whew! I am almost done with this text. It has helped me on many different levels - in my daily sadhanas and in my moments of relaxing. Now, within a a day or so, I'll go on to volume II.

Where am I?

2010-12-28T17:21:00.004Z

Where am I if there is no “I”? If I have no “I” is it merely my karmic imprints that bring me back to the six realms of existence? And if I have no “I” do I realize that I should belong anywhere, or even come back as a sentient being or as a bodhisattva to help others? Moreover, if I have no “I” how do I realize that “I am” in some form to bring me back?

When we die and our bodies drop away, we lose our brain and mental faculties – we lose our language, our culture, our memories to identify others, and even our ability to identify our sense of Self. This is a physiological reality when someone has Alzheimer or some kind of brain damage. Thus, when this happens, “Where am I?”

I know that when the great Lamas pass away, and eventually return, their mindstreams can manifest in several incarnations at the same time. I always hear that this lama is the mind emanation of the Great Kongtrul Rinpoche, or that lama is the speech emanation of the Great Khyentse Rinpoche, or that this rinpoche is the body emanation of some great yogi long gone. I guess this makes more sense in the context of the mindstream not being attached to an “I” or a personality from a previous incarnation. Therefore, ultimately, are we mere karmic mindstreams? imprints, and it’s these imprints that guide as along to help all sentient beings.

And now the question is asked: "Who am I?"

Soothing

2010-12-14T21:02:00.006Z

Watching a video clip of Khyentse Rinpoche in France and Belgium from 1976 to 1990 I am. And the sound track is by Ani Choying Drolma, and I find her opening prayer very soothing as photos of Khyentse Rinpoche stream along. I am spellbound.

Knowing Emptiness

2010-12-12T10:09:00.013Z

Last night, after reading a few more paragraphs from As It Is by Tulku Urgyen, I was amazed by the idea of emptiness being like the vast expanse, and yet to be fully cognizant within this expanse. He says that Buddha nature is empty and yet miraculously cognizant. How can this be? To be cognizant is to be knowing. But who is knowing?

Here is the standard definition of cognizant:

Being fully aware or having knowledge of something.

Yes, Tulku Urgyen says that one is knowing or cognizant within the vast expanse. However, when I pass away there’s no way I could have knowledge of an "I," for instance, because all references to me are gone along with my body, my brain cells, my cultural identity, and even my references to family have fallen away. And to say that there’s a "Me" creates a duality: “I” and “Other.” How does this work? Maybe it’s as if my “knowing” or my mindstream merges with all things? Or maybe all of this can’t be conceptualized or understood with my intellect, and it's simply better to fall asleep at night with the ineffable.

Sustaining Rigpa

2010-11-18T10:00:00.008Z

All that is necessary is to allow the recognition of original wakefulness to be sustained for three seconds. The scriptures describe it as the length of time it takes to wave the long sleeve of a Tibetan robe or a white scarf three times in the air. If we can do this, we can attain complete stability during the post-death state.

- Tulku Urgyen

Three seconds in rigpa is all it takes at the moment of death to achieve enlightenment. Yep. This is all it takes according to the great Dzogchen master Tulku Urgyen in his precious book, As It Is. If I recognize my own Buddha nature at the moment of my Death, and can sustain it for three seconds, then there’s a chance of achieving enlightenment. If I can merge my own child luminosity (the path) with the Mother luminosity (the ground) there is a possibility. And in some ways I find this humorous, that an entire lifetime of practice, and dharma and sadhanas comes down to three seconds of seeing one’s own Buddha nature and being liberated. Emaho!

Finding Its Natural Course

2010-11-09T16:00:00.000Z

effortlessly
like a river
moving

over smooth stones
this I am
this I am not

letting go
resting
relaxing

vast expanse
as concepts
float away on still waters

Being a Bodhisattva

2010-11-01T23:16:00.020Z

Answering the Lama's Bell

2010-10-20T09:46:00.001+01:00

For James

Your life floats on a dream

Knowing that it all seems

As tangible as a sweet flower

In that moment in that hour

I see you answering the lama’s bell

Leaving us and saying farewell

Going to the Copper-Colored land

Where your Buddhas and Dakinis stand

Where you practice the dharma

For it’s your infinite bliss and karma

Of being our Vajra Brother and Friend

With your last breath – a sweet ineffable end

Amazing

2010-10-06T19:39:00.005+01:00

The Awakened Mind is the actual state of everything.

This is a wonderful pithy quote by Longchenpa from his text Choying Dzod. It’s vast. It’s amazing. It’s like ineffable blue skies. It knows no boundaries.

Black Dakini Arising

2010-09-28T20:08:00.003+01:00

Walking into the humble chapel in the village of Montsegur yesterday, I was very surprised to find the Black Madonna looking right at me. She was beautiful. She was radiant. She was the golden Grail. She was the Black Dakini streaming infinitely into awareness.

I didn't know that she was at Montsegur. This is the second time she has crossed my path in France. What a blessing - an epiphany!

Light of the Mind

2010-09-15T10:01:00.001+01:00

Off on a quest I am to see into the life of things, to visit the Dordogne: to see Dudjom Rinpoche’s house settled quietly in the woods. On a quest I am to see ancient horses painted in caves. On a quest I am to visit Cathar Grail country in the South of France: to see Montsegur on the mountain.

I journey to see the Light of the Mind.

Seeing the Radiant Brow

2010-08-28T11:05:00.003+01:00

Interesting enough, as I am looking for the Kuntuzangpo prayer this morning, I stumble across the old Lama, Khenchen Sherab Palden Rinpoche. He’s in meditation in this black and white photo.

And now I go back twenty years to that day he gave teachings at a house in San Francisco. I see him in the living room, with his jet-black hair, and how he glows from the inside out. I see his radiant brow. It’s one of those moments I shall always remember, and truly one that personifies fruition. And I wish him a wonderful rebirth, and again strong activity in the Buddha, Dharma & Sangha.

Remembering the Vajra Guru Mantra

2010-08-12T10:40:00.015+01:00

This morning, as I sit here with my coffee, and ease into the day, I remember the Vajra Guru Mantra:

Om Ah Hung Vajra Guru Pema Siddhi Hung

This comes from Thrangu Rinpoche’s website. There’s an in-depth explanation of the mantra, a dialog between Guru Rinpoche and Yeshe Tsogyal, and how reciting this mantra is of great benefit in these times of change. Check it out.

Meeting the Marvelous

2010-07-27T08:16:00.020+01:00

Last night, I finished reading Togden Shakya Shri - The Life and Liberation of a Tibetan Yogin. What a wonderful book. It’s filled with page after page of inspiring and magical biography, with pith instructions that encourage the reader to look at the nature of their own mind, and it’s a text filled with miracles. From the very beginning Togden Shakya Shri was surrounded by the miraculous: brilliant circular rainbows followed him, petals fell from the skies, and the dakinis with orange eyebrows visited him in visions. And Togden Shakya Shri liberated hundreds of his students by giving pointing out instructions, and aiding them to see the Great Perfection.

Throughout his life, Togden Shakya Shri remained an active yogi going into retreat caves, practicing for years at a time, and even leaving his footprints in stone. And he even met the great Masters such as Jamyang Khyentsé Wangpo and Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Tayé, and he corresponded with them by letters revealing the depths of his realization and insight. And finally he remained a wandering yogi who still found time to be a householder and raise a family. Whew!

If you look at the book cover of this biography you can see very life like picture of him. He’s very tangible, as if he was sitting in a chair in front of you. E Ma Ho!

Seeing Khenpo Karpo in Spain

2010-07-09T08:58:00.005+01:00

Good morning. I’m up early enough because my internal time clock is still on Spanish time, which is one hour ahead. I slept in, but I am still one hour early. Go figure.

Seeing one’s root lama, Khenpo Karpo, in Spain was a great blessing. It enabled me to recharge and deepen my practice. It helped me to focus in new areas and embrace new activities. And it truly aided me in seeing into the life of things.

Khenpo Karpo looked in good form. He looked healthy, steadfast, and very present in the room.

In chatting with Khenpo, he was very happy when I told him that a group of us met every Thursday to practice the sadhanas he gave us years ago. And in the moment I told him, he emitted an ineffable golden light. Such are the activities of a great yogi.

Easing into Simplicity

2010-06-19T10:28:00.014+01:00

Good morning. I start my morning with this pithy passage by Khenpo Ngwang Palzang. He was a great Dzogchen Master in his time. He was also the lama of Bomta Khenpo who, in turn, was Khenpo Karpo’s teacher.

Dzogchen is extremely simple, but not easy.

- Khenpo Ngawang Palzang

In this passage, it’s the “not easy” part that I can relate to, and, of course, its simplicity escapes me.

Wandering Kleshas

2010-06-16T10:43:00.003+01:00

Good morning. I’m up early enough in solitude sitting here with my coffee, easing into the awareness. Max and the cats have been sorted. And now I look at my wandering kleshas –

Traditional teachings tell us that one sign of progress in meditation practice is that our kleshas diminish. Kleshas are the strong conflicting emotions that spin off and heighten when we get caught by aversion and attraction.

- Pema Chodron

Oh yes, looking at my kleshas, my strong emotions: I see them clearly, and how real they seem. I don’t necessarily ride along with them anymore, but they do surface when I am in solitude. They even catch me by surprise at times. They loom. Then I want to retreat, to go deeper into the dharma and the sadhanas. This isn’t easy.

Being a Modern Day Buddha

2010-06-06T11:06:00.003+01:00

I shall start this day with a great quote from basketball coach John Wooden. In some way, this passage is imbued with realization of a Modern Day Buddha:

“Be true to yourself. Make each day a masterpiece. Help others. Drink deeply from good books. Make friendship a fine art. Build a shelter against a rainy day.”

Yes, be true to yourself, listen to your inner promptings, and find what works for you on an innate level. Make each day masterpiece of great beauty and insight, and then offer it to all sentient beings. Help others the best you can. And find a good book: to find the dharma by the great yogis and lamas, by the Buddha. Make friendship a fine art, treat your friends as precious jewels. And finally, build a shelter for a rainy day to shelter yourself and others without effort.

Arising Avalokiteshvara

2010-06-03T20:01:00.004+01:00

This is a beautiful mantra - only enhanced by Ani Choying Drolma. It purifies the infinite.

Finding Unexpected Precious Teachings

2010-05-30T16:51:00.003+01:00

Now this is an unexpected find. This is rare footage of Dudjom Rinpoche giving a teaching on Guru Rinpoche:

Sipping Coffee Before Flying

2010-05-27T07:06:00.003+01:00

Well, in a few minutes, I'm off to Spiddal to hear the dharma, to see the lama, and to embrace the sangha. Hopefully Dzigar Kongtrul will be in good form, and the lineage will be like a live current of insight and meditation.

And my coffee helps me see into the life of things!

Finding an Old Lama Again

2010-05-26T00:12:00.007+01:00

Well, here is some wonderful video footage of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche from a thousand years ago. This video contains rare footage of Khyentse Rinpoche and Tulku Urgyen together for the last time. Also, if you look closely you'll see a Lama who will be with us in just a few days.

Dancing Dakinis

2010-05-11T10:43:00.005+01:00

Sometimes we find Dakinis in the most unexpected places. We see aspects of Yeshe Tsogyal and Tara manifest in unexpected moments:

Shining in Meditation

2010-04-20T09:38:00.006+01:00

By day the sun shines,
And the warrior in his armor shines.
By night the moon shines,
And the master shines in meditation.
But day and night
The one who is awake
Shines in the radiance of the spirit.

- Buddha in the Dhammapada

This passage from Daily Zen is lovely. To see the Buddha, "The one who is awake" sitting in stillness, radiating ineffably in the vast of expanse, brings peace this morning.

Easing into this Morning

2010-04-03T10:17:00.006+01:00

Ah, as I ease into this morning with my coffee, sitting here at my desk, I remember Khenpo Karpo with a simple but powerful prayer:

PÄL DEN TSA WA’I LA MA RIN PO CHE
Glorious Root Lama, Precious One,

DAG GI CHI WOR PE MA’I DEN SHUG LA
Residing on a lotus and moon above my head

KA’ DRIN CHEN PO’I GO NE JE ZUNG TE
I pray that you take me in your care with your great kindness:

KU SUNG T’UG KYI NGÖ DRUB TSÄL DU SÖL
Grant me the accomplishments of Body, Speech and Mind.

Finding Lama Lena

2010-03-28T00:01:00.004Z

Years ago, in the 1990s, Lama Wangdor gave teachings at Lena's house in San Francisco, now she's teaching in her own right. Take a look:

Watching an Enthronement

2010-03-21T10:29:00.005Z

Yesterday I watched the enthronement ceremony of Ani Tenzin Palmo by the head of the Drukpa sect. Nuns brought her precious relics to hold on the top of her crown; they gave her white katas, and even a red hat that resembled an origami bird for the top of her head. It was a lovely ceremony to watch. Here’s the first part:

As I read more of her book, Cave in the Snow, I wonder if she has attained realization in a woman’s body, which was her declaration at the beginning of the book? Of course, true Buddhas never tell you that they have attained realization; they hide it. They permeate a room with their Buddha nature, but they never come right out and say that they have it. It’s usually after the fact, when they manifest their rainbow bodies or stories surface of their miracles, such as leaving their footprints in stone, that you get an idea of their being.

Reading Tenzin Palmo's Cave in the Snow

2010-03-20T09:12:00.008Z

Last night, reading more of Cave in the Snow by Tenzin Palmo, I realized how long a journey it's been in the dharma since reading her book many years ago. For instance, her devotion to her Lama, and how this was an individual she knew in many lifetimes. This now strikes a chord with me because of my strong connection to Khenpo Karpo. This now resonates with me on such a deep level. Also, when Tenzin Palmo declares that it’s important not to get caught up in siddhis or the by product of intense dharma practice – even bliss, because the ultimate realization is the realization of your own Buddha nature which transcends Samsara and Nirvana. This is true.

Tenzin Palmo spent 15 years in meditation retreat, in a cave, and she was one of the first Western women to do so. And now she teaches all over the world, and raises funds for her nunneries. Let me see where she is teaching next: she is teaching somewhere near Bir, India.

The website, Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery dedicated to Tenzin Palmo’s nuns is quiet impressive with its layout, design, ease of navigation, and lovely photographs of the practitioners. They seem so focused on the dharma.

By comparison to a yogini who did fifteen years of retreat in a cave, it’s difficult being a dharma practitioner at times. I sit doing Shyiné or lhaktong, but at times I fall asleep. I sit doing my precious Three Roots, but at times I get distracted. And I sit reading my dharma texts, but at times I forget. Such is karma!

Waking Up

2010-03-10T10:26:00.002Z

Here’s an excellent quote from Daily Zen:

“Are you a god?”
“No, Brahman, I am not a god.”
“Then an angel?”
“No, indeed, Brahman.”
“A spirit then?”
“No, I am not a spirit.”
“Then what are you?”
“I am awake.”

- Anguttara Nikaya

Yes, being awake, being a Buddha, realizing one’s own Buddha nature. And waking up from the dream, waking up from Samsara and Nirvana.

Overcoming Uncertainties

2010-02-07T15:39:00.001Z

Here’s an excellent quote from Daily Zen (DZ):

Overcome your uncertainties
And free yourself
From dwelling on sorrow.
If you delight in existence,
You will become a guide
To those who need you,
Revealing the path to many.

- Sutta Nipata

Buddhas Flying into the New Year

2010-02-01T19:25:00.003Z

The Buddhas fly into the new year, bringing great benefit and blessings. They come without hesitation into the rivers of Samsara. They come to help us all in a moments notice. They come to help us hold the sand in our hands during the sunniest days at the beach.

Remembering a Buddha

2010-01-22T22:40:00.005Z

My old karmic buddy passed away, so here's a bit of dharma in honor of such good man:

Buddhahood does not happen by being made to happen.
It is unsought and naturally indwelling, and so is spontaneously present. Rest nonconceptually in this effortless, naturally arising state.

Emaho, John!

Coming Again

2010-01-20T23:21:00.003Z

Buddhas come again and again for the sake of all sentient beings. They embody unconditional compassion and come in many hidden forms - sometimes they have strong hands to form white birds in flight.

Finding such a Buddha is such a blessing.

Preparing for the Journey

2010-01-18T01:39:00.003Z

As I stand at this threshold, and I am about to take the journey across the great water, I am thankful for the three jewels, family, and dear friends scattered all around the world. May the flying dakinis be with me.

Visiting Orgyen Dorje Den

2010-01-13T01:17:00.006Z

This past Sunday, I visited Orgyen Dorje Den sangha in Alameda, California. And what a large statue of Guru Rinpoche in the shrine room. Whew. It's the largest statue I've seen of Guru Rinpoche. And when I dropped in unannounced, it was my pleasure to attend a class on making tormas given by one of Gyatrul Rinpoche's senior students in Oregon.

If you're ever in Alameda, drop by. It's a lovely center.

Invoking Padampa Sangye's Refuge

2010-01-04T01:15:00.003Z

Emaho! This is how I shall start this new year. I shall invoke the great Chod practitioner:

Wishing to free wandering beings,
I shall always go for refuge
In Buddha, Dharma and Sangha,
Until attaining highest enlightenment.

O all Buddhas present here!
By persevering with wisdom and compassion,
I shall attain full enlightenment
For the sake of all sentient beings.

Inching Towards the New Year

2009-12-30T23:46:00.002Z

As I approach the New Year, I wonder what it will be like being back home and practicing the dharma again with the Sangha? It seems like several lifetimes ago.

Liberating Self

2009-11-24T06:03:00.002Z

It’s almost time for me to go to bed, and I just finished watching that Namkhai Norbu clip sent to me by John where he describes how the mind does not follow thoughts, even though the mind is aware of them. He says that this is Dzogchen, that this is self liberation because one isn’t enslaved by thoughts as they train through.

Emaho!

Pondering Dharma

2009-11-10T22:58:00.002Z

At this moment, so far away from home, I’m pondering the three jewels: the Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha. But now, ironically enough it doesn’t matter if I am at home or at the hinterlands of the world. My mind is Buddha. My speech is dharma, and my body is sangha. And even the great words of a great meditator come to mind:

If the meditator is able to use whatever occurs in his life as the Path, his body becomes a retreat hut.

- Jigme Lingpa

Carrying My Meditation Hut

2009-10-07T09:10:00.002+01:00

Patrul Rinpoche said to think of one's body as a meditation hut. Therefore I shall, and take this long journey, cross the Great Waters, and land on the shores of clear luminosity.

Pondering the Rime Movement

2009-09-24T16:48:00.008+01:00

This vast, lucid expanse gives me a moment of pause.

Easing into the Moment

2009-09-21T00:33:00.010+01:00

Ani Choying Drolma chants Guru Padmasambhava's Seven Line Prayer. She radiates this mantra everywhere - to every room, region, nation, and planet. She offers this prayer to all sentient beings.

Reflecting on Impermanence

2009-09-02T08:43:00.003+01:00

This morning as I write about my mind-streams of emotions, thoughts, and transitions, I can’t help but think about the dharma and reflect on the Impermanence of life:

Impermanence (Skt. anitya; Tib. mitakpa; Wyl. mi rtag pa) is of two kinds: the coarse impermanence of a given continuum and the subtle impermanence of momentary change. Reflection on impermanence is part of the so-called “four thoughts”, the outer or ordinary preliminaries.

Four Thoughts (Tib. lodok namshyi; Wyl. blo ldog rnam bzhi) — these are the four contemplations that turn the mind away from samsara, namely: 1) the difficulty of finding the freedoms and advantages, and 2) the impermanence of life, which turn the mind away from the concerns of this life; and the reflections on 3) the defects of samsara, and on 4) action (karma: cause and effect), which turn the mind away from our attitudes and conduct with respect to future lives.

To say the least I can contemplate the Four Thoughts, and how they move me away from the rivers of samsara. Thus, ironically Impermanence prevails – nothing lasts, nothing remains, and even this old body of mine will drop away when I least expect it. Amazing.

Reading the Mirror of Mindfulness

2009-08-24T10:11:00.003+01:00

As I continue reading the Mirror of Mindfulness by Tsele Rangdrol, I amazed at his clarity of mind and his descriptions of the bardo. He gives such detail of what happens when we drop our bodies at the moment of death. It's a great book. It should be read by everyone from all spiritual traditions as a guide for achieving liberation at the moment of the grand transition.

Being Mindful

2009-08-15T10:42:00.005+01:00

I’ve started reading Mirror of Mindfulness by Tsele Natsok Rangdrol for the first time. It’s a powerful text that discusses the bardos: the bardo of this life, the bardo of dying, the bardo of dharmata, and the bardo of becoming. And I now read a bit of this text before starting my preliminary practices in the morning, and I read a paragraph or two before falling asleep at night. This is a difficult book to find because it's out of print and it's restricted. Nonetheless, check with your teachers for guidance.

Offering Blessings

2009-07-28T09:30:00.006+01:00

Yesterday I watched “Blessings” for the first time in my living room, and I found it very moving to see such dharma in fruition. “Blessings” is a beautiful and inspiring documentary on the Nuns of Nangchen in Tibet. These practitioners and yoginis are amazing; they practice day in and day out, they keep their monasteries and retreat huts steadfast. They are also great chod practitioners, meditators, and pithy instructors of the nature of mind. And finally, they practice for the sake of all sentient beings.

“Blessings” is the complete documentary about the Nuns of Nangchen, and their strong connection with Tsoknyi Rinpoche III. However, you can see a twenty minute video clip on Tsoknyi Rinpoche Pundarika website. See both. Buy the documentary, and I am sure you’ll gain infinite merit for doing so.

Calming the Mind

2009-07-26T07:40:00.003+01:00

Well, this morning I am ahead of the game. I already shaved, showered, and now I’m sipping my coffee while listening to Ani Choying Drolma.

We had a good, rich day of dharma teachings with Dzigar Kontrul Rinpoche. We looked at shamatha meditation techniques - using objects to focus the mind, using the breath to focus the mind, and even using the Buddha or a flower to quiet the mind. And it was a full house with people sitting on their cushions or chairs.

I am off again for a second day of teachings.

Running on Coffee

2009-07-25T07:20:00.001+01:00

Well, I’m having my coffee on the run as I prepare to head out the door to meet two lads for a lift. And from there, we’re off to see Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche who will teach who knows what and when. Nevertheless I hope he is truly inspired and alludes to the Great Perfection, to the Vajra heart essence, to the lucid expanse of sky.

Startling

2009-07-15T08:05:00.010+01:00

Mind’s Movements dissolve by themselves, like clouds in the sky; People of Tingri, in the mind there are no reference points.

These precious lines in The Hundred Verses of Advice by Padampa Sangye with commentaries by Dilgo Khyentse remind me of Longchenpa. These lines are pithy and startling. Emaho!

Here are Khyentse Rinpoche’s comments on this passage:

When the banks of clouds gather in the sky, the nature of the sky is not impaired. Nor, when they disperse, it is improved. The sky is made neither more vast or pure, nor less so. It is not changed or afflicted at all. The nature of mind is just the same. It is not altered by the arising of thoughts, nor by their disappearance. The essential nature of mind is emptiness. It’s natural expression is clarity.

Can you imagine not having your mind moved by arising thoughts – where all thoughts are self-liberated?! This is rigpa. This is the Great Perfection. This is pristine cognition. This is boundless compassion towards all sentient beings.

Dedicating One's Merit

2009-07-14T10:32:00.011+01:00

I’m reading Padampa Sangye’s classic The Hundred Verses of Advice with commentaries by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. What’s great about this text is that each verse can be read independently from the rest of the other verses, so last night I selected verses at random.

Here's an excellent commentary by Khyentse Rinpoche:

Mindfulness should guide all your actions and your spiritual endeavors. Whatever you do, always apply three essential points: undertake the action with the intention of doing so for the good of all beings; execute it with perfect concentration, free of attachment to concepts of subject, object, and action; and finally, dedicate the merit you have created to the enlightenment of all beings.

Ah, dedicating merit to all sentient beings!

Celebrating a New Lifetime

2009-07-04T10:17:00.001+01:00

Today is mom’s birthday... and I send her my love and infinite compassion, and pray that she will discover Buddhahood in her new lifetime.

Letting the Mind Rest as It Is

2009-06-07T11:49:00.012+01:00

I’m listening to Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche’s teaching on Khenpo Gangshar’s “Vomiting Gold.” At this point in the audio, he comments on dharma practitioners. Here are a few highlights:

As a practitioner of the dharma, do you have confidence in your practice at the point of your death?
When death arrives, do you have doubts? Nevertheless, one must inspire one’s self - encourage one’s self to bring forth nonconceptual awareness.

Do you practice impermanence?

How should one practice? Whenever a thought arises, one should embrace it with mindfulness.
We practice using our mind.

If we have a good thought, or a neutral thought, or a negative thought, we must just leave it as it is. This is called sustaining the nature of the thought, but ironically this is an act free from a sustainer, free from being sustained, or the act of sustaining.

Just letting the mind rest as it is.

This is a remarkable teaching where you can find a pithy, momentary insight, into the nature of your own mind. Emaho! You can find this audio and video of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche’s teaching at Dharmasun.org. It’s worth the download. It's worth the effort.

Flying

2009-05-27T08:11:00.003+01:00

I'm flying off to see Ringu Tulku Rinpoche in just a few minutes. He has come to Galway to teach the dharma, to give teachings, and to helps us see the nature of our own minds. He's also a good storyteller, so maybe he'll tell us one about Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. I'd like this very much!

Taking Delight in the Dharma

2009-05-09T11:18:00.018+01:00

Today, I read more from Taking Delight in the Dharma by Thrangu Rinpoche. I savored the first few pages – and it’s lovely. Here’s the opening:

Many among you have already started to practice the dharma. Some of you have practiced meditation a little; some of you have practiced quite a lot. But whether you are new to the dharma or experienced, if you realize how fortunate you are – if you see this good fortune for the good fortune that it is and are joyous about it – that is something that will help you in your meditation practice.

This passage by Thrangu strikes at the heart essence of my practice because it embodies motivation, intent, and view. It’s a catalyst for all my sadhanas.

Then Thrangu Rinpoche writes:

When the dharma spreads, there are two ways that you can gain an interest in it: either through faith or through intelligence.

Ah. Reading this dharma book helps me filter it through my remaining brain cells of intelligence, and then hopefully some of it stays with me. And I can see how dharma as boundless compassion works externally: how it alleviates suffering. Then my faith and refuge in my lama helps me ignite my devotion, which, at times, helps me be less conceptual, less cerebral. For now, I need both these dharma methods.

And finally Thrangu Rinpoche closes Taking Delight in the Dharma on a very auspicious note:

You have recognized that dharma is something that is actually beneficial for you, and that is a great fortune. You have encountered the dharma and you’ve realized that it is beneficial, so now that this has happened, if you can do a little bit of practice, it will be very helpful!

This is a precious little book. It's one you can carry in your side pocket - and read it in a moment of pause & lucidity.

Invoking Longchenpa

2009-05-03T10:28:00.006+01:00

Longchenpa comes to mind this morning. It’s amazing to read his profound and pithy teachings after 700 years. He was born in 1308. Here’s a passage that comes from Rigpa Shedra:

Longchenpa (Wyl. klong chen pa) - (1308-1364), also known as Longchen Rabjam, ‘Infinite, Vast Expanse of Space’, or Drimé Özer, was one of the most brilliant teachers of the Nyingma lineage. He systematized the Nyingma teachings in his ‘Seven Treasures’ and wrote extensively on Dzogchen. He transmitted the Longchen Nyingtik cycle of teachings and practice to Jikmé Lingpa, and it has since become one of the most widely practised of traditions.

And today, the great Nyingma lamas till transmit his teachings, which, in turn, joggles our awareness, making us look at what is conceptual reality and how intangible it is.

Throughout my blog, you can find some of my favorite Longchenpa quotes. Look for them. Savor them. And for a few moments in a lifetime, settle into the Vast Expanse of Infinite Awareness.

Flying Across the Skies

2009-04-26T10:16:00.001+01:00

It’s Sangha Day! Today, I’m getting ready to fly across the skies to Spideal to practice dharma, to see into the life of things, and hopefully not nod off in my chair. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in whatever form they wish to take – small, tall or squat. And I’ve been told that there will be 12 of us in all. Emaho!

Remaining in Tukdam

2009-04-12T22:14:00.006+01:00

Looking at Tsoknyi Rinpoche’s website, I read that the old yogini Sherab Zangmo passed away at 86. She remained in tukdam for six days. Here is how Thrangu Rinpoche describes tukdam in an interview:

What does it mean when some lamas remain in tukdam?

Generally speaking, tukdam comes about when someone has rested evenly in luminous wakefulness during his life, usually called samadhi, and occurs to the same degree as his experience. When he then passes away, there is what we call 'the mingling of the mother and child luminosities,' which means that the ground luminosity and the luminosity of that person's practice mingle indivisibly.

At that moment, the experience of luminous wakefulness is very strong and one simply remains in its composure naturally, meaning that high lamas or someone with deep experience and realization will naturally dissolve into or expand into this state of samadhi. When the ground luminosity dawns by itself, they recognize it, and then remain in equanimity - that is what is called 'remaining in tukdam.'

No doubt an ordinary person also experiences the ground luminosity, but because of not having trained in it during their life, they don't recognize this ground luminosity, and failing to recognize, they are therefore unable to remain in tukdam. On the other hand, great masters naturally mingle the mother and child luminosities, - in the very moment the ground luminosity unfolds within their direct experience, they acknowledge this basic state and remain in samadhi this is called 'remaining in tukdam.'

It’s amazing to think that Sherab Zangmo remained in tukdam for six days, mingling the ground and child luminosities. Emaho.

While sitting outside on the bench in the sunshine I kept Sherab Zangmo in my mindstream as much as possible... but knowing how realized she was, I am certain she’s busy elsewhere, and not needing my prayers. Still, I am sad she’s not on this planet, saying her powerful prayers for all sentient beings.

Embracing My Life as a Path

2009-04-06T10:54:00.006+01:00

This passage from Jigme Lingpa comes back to me this morning as I sip my coffee:

If the meditator is able to use whatever occurs in his life as the Path, his body becomes a retreat hut.

- Jigme Lingpa

I like it very much because it suggests that my entire life with each breath is a meditation. And it doesn’t matter if I am in meditation or post meditation.

And interestingly enough, I’ve looked up the definition of Post-meditation at the Rigpa shedra:

Post-meditation (Skt. pr.s.t.ha-labdha; Tib. jé tob; Wyl. rjes thob) - the periods in between formal sessions of meditation referred to as 'meditative equipoise' (mnyam bzhag), including ordinary activities such as eating and drinking, travelling, and sleeping.

What is formal meditation? If I sit down, and declare that I am now meditating, is this not another imposed artifice – another fabrication from my mind stream? And yet, if I set up no formalities, no rituals, no burning incense, and no chair or cushion to sit on, am I not at ease in true boundless meditation?

Remembering Crazy Wisdom

2009-03-31T09:49:00.009+01:00

The Dharma Sun website has two great video or audio clips by Chokyi Nyima, “Khenpo Gangshar’s Pith Instructions.” Khenpo Gangshar was the embodiment of wild enlightenment. And as far as I know, he was the root teacher of Thrangu Rinpoche and Chogyam Trungpa. Check out the website.

A blessing to Khenpo Gangshar wherever he may be!

Seeing Yeshe Tsogyal

2009-03-24T10:11:00.010Z

Over the past two days or so, my thoughts are on the dakinis and Yeshe Tsogyal... and thankfully my new DVDs by Bardor Tulku Rinpoche arrived yesterday, where he teaches and tells the story of the life of Yeshe Tsogyal. And I watched the first few minutes .... In the beginning, Bardor Tulku says that Yeshe Tsogyal is the queen of all the dakinis – the dakinis of the sky, earth and subterranean. I was very inspired by this, and, for me, this makes practice even more precious. Emaho!

Thus, for my part, I try to remember Guru Dakini in my preliminary practice every morning to see her in many forms. When I was thinking of cutting back on the number of mantras months ago for Yeshe Tsogyal, I had a dream where a dakini appeared and she was very lonely. And I took this as a sign that I needed to continue my Khandro sadhana with the same enthusiasm. So I will. So I shall.

Saying Good Bye

2009-03-17T10:30:00.003Z

Our yellow budgie rests at the bottom of her cage with her eyes barely open, barely clinging to this dream of existence. She will leave us soon. She will fly out of her cage into blue, infinite skies.

Days Later...

I find myself dedicating my practice to our simple yellow bird. If I don't, who will?

Waking Up Early

2009-03-09T08:48:00.000Z

Waking up early enough this morning to enjoy this mug of coffee, and listening to Ani Choying Drolma sing Guru Yoga. Sunlight prevails. Dakinis fly. And I carry the lama on the crown of my head!

Dropping One's Boundaries

2009-03-02T08:58:00.004Z

At death the net of the body is at last torn apart
Taking down the boundaries of one's retreat.

- Shabkar Tsogdruk Rangdrol

Let me look at Shabkar’s poem one more time – especially the last two lines. When my body drops away, I am no longer in retreat but a part of the vast lucid expanse. My sense of “I” drops away, my boundaries drop away, and ultimately my awareness expands into infinite skies. And yet, with all referentiality gone how do I know that I exist? It is said that there’s a continuity of awareness throughout infinite lifetimes when one reaches enlightenment. If so, what binds or keeps the awareness together in referentiality so it knows that it moves throughout these lifetimes? Emaho!

Resonating

2009-02-28T09:56:00.007Z

All sounds are the resonance of emptiness.
Thoughts are freed just as they arise.
At death the net of the body is at last torn apart
Taking down the boundaries of one's retreat.

- Shabkar Tsogdruk Rangdrol

I like this poem from Shabkar. It resonates with me. This poem comes from the internet but it starts its first line with "resonance of voidness" which doesn't suit me so I changed it to emptiness. Check out the original site.

Finding the Lost Attendant

2009-02-20T09:02:00.002Z

Last night I read more of Dilgo Khyentse’s autobiography, Brilliant Moon. In one chapter, Khandro Lhamo offers a few recollections of her husband. She tells the story of how Khyentse Rinpoche had an attendant named Achoe, who was very temperamental, and needed scolding by Rinpoche from time to time. Well, at one point, his attendant had enough of scolding and ran away to the vast terrain of Kham where no one could find him. He wandered alone, begging for alms, and did prayers in return. Thus, he found himself in a remote region with a group of nomads in a snowy terrain. Well, Khyentse Rinpoche wasn’t going to let go of his cantankerous friend so easily, so he decided to search for him without knowing where he was. And Khyentse Rinpoche found his old friend in the vast terrain with heavy snows by using his vast clairvoyance, and brought him back because he must have had a true affection for Achoe despite his temperament.

In retrospect, I am amazed how this story, plus many other recollections, by friends, students, and family reveal Khyentse Rinpoche's compassion, his spiritual insights, and his abilities as a terton. He was truly a treasure chest of dharma teachings.

Seeing Clearly

2009-02-10T10:08:00.005Z

Yesterday, while waiting in a long queue, I read Tsele Natsok Rangdrol’s The Matter of Heart where he discusses meditation, post meditation, and merely being in the moment regardless of stillness or activity of mind. It was very good. And this, in turn, now invokes two aspects of meditation. Here are two definitions that come from two good online dharma dictionaries:

Shamatha (Skt. Samatha; Tib. shyiné; Wyl. zhi gnas) or 'calm abiding' is also translated as ‘peacefully remaining’ or ‘tranquillity meditation’. Shama means ‘peace’, tha means ‘to dwell’ or ‘stability’. Shyi also means ‘peace’, né is ‘to abide’. There are two central meditation practices on the Buddhist path: calm abiding and clear seeing. The method of calm abiding is to work with the conceptual mind. When you are able to go beyond that and reach the domain of the wisdom of rigpa, it is called clear seeing or vipashyana [Skt.].

Vispashyana: insight, clear seeing, wider vision, clearly seen, analytical or special wisdom / insight, superior seeing, vipashyana, panoramic awareness, wider vision / perspective, penetrating insight. Syn lhag ger mthong ba, lhag par mthong ba, higher insight; penetrative insight/; higher insight, [vipashyana, Pali - vipassana]; special insight; 'sublime seeing' meditation; intense insight

Dreaming of Khyentse Rinpoche

2009-02-04T10:01:00.000Z

This morning I dreamt that I was walking along a street corner of San Francisco with Khyentse Rinpoche and two of his lama attendants who were helping him. Then my dream shifts, and I’m talking to Khyentse Rinpoche and bringing him a dharma book to sign. I, at first, bring him his autobiography to sign but he says that the other one, the thirty-seven verses of a Bodhisattva, is a better book. Khyentse Rinpoche sits in a chair as I sit right next to him on the floor. And it's good to see him again.

Bundling Obstacles

2009-01-26T10:47:00.004Z

I am bundling my obstacles and shipping them off into infinite space. I see them as large as whales and now I am sending them off to sea. I see them as tall as buildings, and wait for the earthquake of awareness to bring them down. Finally, I see them and I shatter them with the phet in practice and in moments of stillness.

Last night, as I lay in bed beneath the blankets, I called out to the lama. I called to him to help me overcome all obstacles, both external and internal. I called to him across the great plane of lucid expanse. And thankfully, I felt better afterward. And maybe my lama heard my call, and maybe he sent one simple prayer of aid in my direction.

Last night I read more of Brilliant Moon, the biography of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. He told a story of how one of his root lamas, Khyentse Chokyi Lodrö Rinpoche, saw apparitions or hidden beings, and how he was afraid of them at times. He said, in one instance, that Khyentse Chokyi Lodrö Rinpoche was afraid of a gelukpa protector, and asked Dilgo Rinpoche to manifest as Guru Rinpoche to repel this spirit. And he did. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche recited Guru Rinpoche’s powerful mantras. And this story made me think of how powerful Guru Rinpoche can be if he’s petitioned at the right moment. Emaho!

Helping Us to Live

2009-01-20T10:22:00.001Z

In all beginnings dwells a magic force
For guarding us and helping us to live.

- Hermann Hesse

Today, may the Bodhisattvas, Buddhas & Dakinis find their way across the great waters to watch over a new beginning – a new impulse in the world.

Soothing Samsara

2009-01-17T10:42:00.003Z

Good morning. Despite being in the human realm of samsara at the moment, I am here having my coffee, listening to Ani Choying Drolma, and abiding in peace of mind. Ah, the lucid expanse!