Ah! Dharma reflections based on the words of Anyen Rinpoche

Exploring the Innermost Essence of the Vast Compassionate Heart

Covetousness and Wishing Harm on Others

Aug 21

Posted by SarahJ in 4 Mind Turnings, Karma, Mindfulness, Personal Transformation, Uncategorized | 23 Comments

Patrul Rinpoche describes covetousness and wishing harm on others as the first two of three mental acts to be avoided. Within coveting, he includes even the slightest thoughts about gaining the possessions of others. Possessions can be considered not only material wealth but also accomplishments, status, relationships, or power. Wishing harm on others is more than hoping for something negative to befall our perceived enemy. We may also rejoice when something bad happens to them, or become disgruntled when something good happens to them.

Covetousness and wishing harm on others seem to go hand in hand. They bring to mind words like greed, envy, jealousy, malice, competition, rivalry and resentment. These all imply a strong sense of self-attachment and the placement of one’s own needs and desires above those of others. Hope and fear govern these actions – where is the equanimity?

The false belief characteristic of coveting is that acquiring one thing or another will bring happiness, security, or validation of who we think we are. We all know too well the feeling of wanting something so badly, finally getting that precious thing, and then the inevitable letdown afterwards. There is always something else, one more thing and if we could just have that, then we will be happy. We are habitually seeking happiness outside of ourselves through external means, rather than realizing that true happiness is found within. Worldly happiness is fleeting at best and shackles us to samsara.

Taking joy in the misfortune of others, aka Schadenfreude, may be a reflection of our uncomfortable self esteem issues, which are lessened when we see others suffering along with us, or “instead” of us. Others hardship sets us apart and seems to confirm our specialness. We may have adverse feelings towards others because we perceive that they have slighted us in some way. Or perhaps in judging others we have come to the conclusion that they are deserving or undeserving. Either way, we are setting ourselves apart and wanting to be special. It seems to be rather the opposite of compassion!

Cultivating appreciation of our current situation is important. With proper understanding of and belief in karma, we can be certain that our own and others ever changing situation is the result of causes and conditions based upon the actions of one’s body, speech and mind. We can also reflect upon the unsatisfactory nature of samsara, the inevitable suffering of all sentient beings. Rinpoche has advised us to frequently reflect upon impermanence.


In what situations do you have a tendency to find yourself coveting or wishing harm on others? What methods do you use to develop satisfaction and appreciation of your own circumstance?

Metta,
Sarah

Harsh Speech and Worthless Chatter

Aug 11

Posted by SarahJ in Benefitting Others, Mindful speech, Mindfulness, Momentary Buddhahood, Uncategorized | 16 Comments

The last two of the four verbal acts to be avoided, as described in Words of My Perfect Teacher by Patrul Rinpoche, are harsh speech and worthless chatter. The meaning behind these two is fairly self-evident. Harsh speech is disrespectful and insulting to others, such as pointing out another flaws – physical or otherwise. Worthless chatter is distracting to others and may include gossip or speaking without a purpose. As we have seen in the previous actions to be abandoned, performing these actions to the detriment of a spiritual teacher or the Sangha is the most serious transgression.

Many times we feel a powerful need to express our feelings or opinions about one thing or another. We could have an uncomfortable amount of activity in the mind and think that if we could just share it with someone else, we would feel better. And yet we have all been on the receiving end of these verbal eruptions, with the accompanying distress and energy depletion which can be passed on. Many times when we feel the need to vent, it may be better to say nothing at all. Rather take the time to consider not only your own motivation, but also the potential impact on the other person.

In his book Momentary Buddhahood, Rinpoche quotes a Tibetan proverb which says “Speech is like a lamb’s fleece, while the mind is like a vat of poison.” Rinpoche is pointing out an alternative extreme we can easily fall into. We can become so focused on outer conduct (such as our speech) that we overlook our inner conduct. If our outer conduct creates the appearance of a kind, diligent, compassionate individual, but our inner conduct is actually is one of strong anger, desire or ignorance we are being inauthentic. We should strive to keep our inner and outer conduct congruent and purposeful through mindfulness and self-examination.

We are all connected and our words are powerful. An entire Sangha’s accumulation of merit can be diminished by one individual’s distracting, aimless or caustic talk. Can you think of an instance in your own life where you became acutely aware of the power of your own words? What examples are there of the negative or positive influence of one individual’s words upon many other people?

In the Dharma,
Sarah

Sowing Discord

Aug 3

Posted by SarahJ in Benefitting Others, Mindful speech, Mindfulness, Personal Transformation, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

The second verbal act to be avoided is sowing discord, either secretly or openly. Creating conflict within a Sangha through sowing discord may be the most detrimental example. The importance of the Sangha in relation to the Buddha and the Dharma cannot be understated. It is within the Sangha that the teachings of the Buddha have been passed down and continue to be practiced.

The word Sangha means community – we all share a common goal of learning and practicing the Dharma in order to benefit sentient beings. Rinpoche has admonished us on numerous occasions to treat each other like a loving family, showing kindness, consideration and respect to one another. Harmony and cooperation are essential, and by relying upon each other we improve ourselves. When we practice together, our capacity is amplified.

Many times, sowing discord can be unintentional – a result of speaking before we think. Once again our indispensable old friend mindfulness is necessary. Once again Rinpoche’s advice to examine our motivation before speaking is key. What are we trying to accomplish with these words? What effect could our words have on others? Are we creating harmony or conflict with our words? Is this the right time and the right person to discuss this issue with?

Should another Sangha member say something which is upsetting to us, we can use the opportunity to work on our own afflictive emotions. This may well be our very best Dharma friend!

Let us reflect on the importance of harmony with our spiritual sisters and brothers. We have a very precious Sangha, we are all so very blessed to have each other to practice with.

Love you all,
Sarah

Lying

Jul 28

Posted by SarahJ in Global Community, Karma, Mindful speech, Mindfulness, Personal Transformation | 14 Comments

In “ The Words of My Perfect Teacher” , Patrul Rinpoche describes three types of lying, a verbal action to be avoided. Ordinary lies are those that are made with the intention of deceiving others with false speech. Major lies are those that have “the most devastatingly misleading consequences” – lies about the Dharma. An example would be telling someone that karma doesn’t matter, because it’s all empty anyways. Phoney lama’s lies are those concerning having made attainments or abilities and qualities which one does not have. This speaks to the importance of thorough and proper examination of a spiritual friend.

Ordinary lies may be one of the most common negative actions. The usual motivation behind false speech is to deceive others in order to protect our own interests. Perhaps we exaggerate the facts when talking to someone, hoping to be impressive. Or we might not say what we really think about a subject, to avoid disagreement, criticism, or our own discomfort. We may be avoiding the consequences of telling the truth.

But what about when the motivation behind a lie is to benefit others? The intention behind this sort of a lie is still deception, but the motivation could be considered virtuous. In the Lotus Sutra, there is a story of a man who lies to his children to get them to come out of a burning house. He chooses this course of action because the children are playing intently and have disregarded his warning. Surely this is an example of justified false speech?

Skillful means comes to mind when considering the story of the burning house. The one who lied was in a position of greater knowledge, who purposefully took this action for the benefit of others. Additionally, the truth was told once the danger had passed. One might consider this a selfless act, accumulating the negative karma oneself, in order to benefit other beings. On the other hand, this rationalization could be used to justify quite a bit of untruths! Careful self examination, examination of the circumstances, and setting a proper intention are undoubtedly essential. What do you think about lies told to benefit others?

By practicing being truthful to others, being false with yourself becomes difficult. Honesty allows us to become more genuine, more open, more peaceful, which benefits everyone!

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Sexual Misconduct

Jul 21

Posted by SarahJ in Global Community, Karma, Mindfulness, Personal Transformation, Teachings | 17 Comments

Each of the ten actions to be avoided correspondingly are the cause for suffering. These actions are interrelated in both their motivation (the three poisons of anger, attachment, and ignorance) and their result (suffering, accumulation of negative karma). Moreover, these negative actions are compounding; avoiding one facilitates the avoiding of another, and engaging in one concedes the next. For example, if one has stolen something with trickery, lying was likely involved – both lying and stealing are both actions to be avoided. It’s easy to see how one can lead to another, and keeping one makes it easier to keep another.

The third physical action to be avoided as described by Patrul Rinpoche in “Words of My Perfect Teacher” is sexual misconduct. Of course, monks and nuns with full vows are expected to refrain from sex altogether. Householders are expected to follow an appropriate ethic for restricted behavior.

We could think of sexual misconduct in the same three ways as we did previously about taking what is not given: by violence, manipulation, or deceit.  Compelling others to break their own vows is the most serious type of sexual misconduct. The intention behind our action is of primary importance – proper sexual conduct includes mutual consent by those not already committed to other individuals, with the expression of love, devotion and respect.

How we conduct ourselves sexually is a reflection of how we conduct ourselves in all areas of our life – our sexual energy is primal. Sexual misconduct is significant enough to require its specific identification in the actions to be avoided!

In our culture sexual messages run rampant –media saturation with sexuality (sex sells!), objectification of sexual partners (arm candy! tool! meat market!) and so on. What examples of subtle sexual misconduct can you think of? Are there examples of things that appear to be sexual misconduct on the surface, but upon further scrutiny, could be considered proper?

In the Dharma,

Sarah

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Taking what is not given

Jul 5

Posted by Anyen Rinpoche in Anyen Rinpoche Biography, Bodhichitta, Global Community, Karma, Mindfulness, Personal Transformation, Teachings | 9 Comments

From Patrul Rinpoche’s Words of My Perfect Teacher, the section on the ordinary or outer preliminaries, in the second section of the chapter called “Actions, Cause & Effect,” Patrul Rinpoche describes the second physical action to be avoided: taking what is not given.

There are three ways that we can take what isn’t given: by force, by stealth, or by trickery.   The examples given in the text are common sensical.  Taking by force is to confiscate property or overpower in order to take someone’s wealth (a land grab after a coup, for example); taking by stealth is to take secretly (burglary); taking by trickery is to lie or deceive someone into giving their property (in a business deal, for example).

I actually think there are other ways that we take from others, that go beyond these examples.  For example, we sometimes take what isn’t give through trickery when we manipulate another person emotionally, so that we can get what we want.  Maybe there are other ways you can think of that we take what isn’t given (although we may go slightly outside the realm of pure physical actions).

Patrul Rinpoche’s chapter is pertinent to modern practitioners in that it points out how obsessed we are with “money and calculations.”  We are so obsessed that we will still die deluded, he says.  We also lie and cheat others for our own financial benefit, whether doing business or otherwise.

Patrul Rinpoche says, “Nothing could be more effective than trade and commerce for piling up endless harmful actions and thorougly corrupting you.”   Any thoughts about this?

Anyen Rinpoche tells each and every one of us that we must find a way to bring the Dharma into our work life, as in every other part of our life.  How do we reconcile this instruction with the reality of 21st century life, where each and every one of us must play a part in commerce?

Bodhichitta anyone?

Looking forward to the retreat this week!  Allison

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Taking Life

Jun 28

Posted by Anyen Rinpoche in Benefitting Others, Karma, Mindfulness, Personal Transformation, Teachings | 31 Comments

From the Words of My Perfect Teacher, in the Chapter called “The Ordinary or Outer Preliminaries,” the section entitled “The Ten Negative Actions to be Avoided,” the first action to be avoided is taking life.  This is one of three physical acts that is included in this section.

Patrul Rinpoche says that we human beings spend our lives taking the lives of others “like ogres.”  Whether it be through eating the flesh of other beings killed to feed us; walking through a grassy meadow and crushing insects as we walk (a more modern example would be driving and killing insects as they hit the windshield of the car); or indirectly through eating the flesh of beings who have killed innumerable beings as their own sustenance, none of us is free from accumulating the karma of taking life.

The action of taking life is complete when it includes four elements: identifying the being to be killed is the basis of the action; wishing to kill is the intention; the actual killing is the execution of the action; the death of the animal is the completion of the act.

However, we can also describe it using the three elements that generally accrue karma: the intention, the act, and the rejoicing.  Even though we may not participate in the intention or the act of directly killing another being, we may still rejoice in its death if it benefits us in some way.  Also, Anyen Rinpoche had this comment to make about the idea of a neutral intention or action:  We may not have the wisdom to know whether our action is actually neutral or not; we may simply be overpowered by ignorance.  This could be another way that we delude ourselves.

Let us all contemplate or reflect on how we can lessen the accumulation of this karma; through regret and purification, a change in action, or any other way you can suggest.  When we sit nyungne, for example, we will all eat vegetarian food for a week.  Are there other small or large changes we can make in our lives to better abide by this precept?
Thanks for your comments!  Allison

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Contemplating Karma

Jun 23

Posted by Anyen Rinpoche in Uncategorized | 21 Comments

Summer greetings!

Anyen Rinpoche has instructed me to lead a series of contemplations on karma, and specifically, on the ten virtuous actions to be taken up and the ten negative actions to be abandoned.  Rinpoche hopes that our sangha will contemplate each one of these topics and engage in discussion on them, so that we will all be focusing our energy on a common theme no matter what we are doing or where we find ourselves this summer!

I’m going to be writing based on Patrul Rinpoche’s Words of my Perfect Teacher as well as other teachings I’ve received from Anyen Rinpoche on this topic.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761990275/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?ie=UTF8&cloe_id=c3247715-344f-4dc3-9450-8d4c02ecfca2&attrMsgId=LPWidget-A1&pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1570624127&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0VDGEFVSFKYGPMZ57GPN

Mindfulness training teaches us to be precise in the actions of our body, speech and mind.  This is also supported by faith in karma.  If all actions have corresponding results, it makes sense to focus our energy on how we engage with the world and with others.

Generally, three things are necessary in order to create “strong” karma based on the actions of body, speech or mind.  We must have the motivation to engage in the action, we must actually engage in the action, and we must rejoice in the action.  When any of these are missing, we still accumulate karma, but the karma will not be *quite* as difficult to purify.

Confession and purification are what enable us to break down karma that we’ve already accumulated, or are about to accumulate.  The hundred syllable mantra and meditation on Vajrasattva are taught as primary ways that we purify karmic obscurations, but sincere regret from the heart works as well.  We need not worry that we don’t know enough about practice to practice purification.  All of us can sincerely regret negative actions once we recognize that we have engaged in negative activity.

Anger is said to be the greatest cause of accumulating negative karma, and the greatest cause of destroying the root of virtue that we accumulate through practice.   It requires a lot of our mental attention, since we tend to get angry even without even knowing it.  In some cases, we might even be angry for months or years without realizing it.   Anger hardens into resentment, and then manifests in all kinds of ways  and as all kinds of different emotional energy: frustration, passive-agressiveness, depression, rage….definitely a good reason to focus on the emotion of anger.

Additionally, our culture seems to be dominated by the expression of impatience–another form of anger.  Have you ever been in India?  That’s when you see how impatient you truly are…!

Patrul Rinpoche said:

You renounce evil and take up good, as in the teachings on cause and effect.

Your action follows the progression of the vehicles.

Through your perfect view, you are free from all clinging.

Peerless Teacher, at your feet I bow.

Please Pray for the Long Life of Khenchen Palden Sherab

Jun 17

Posted by Anyen Rinpoche in Uncategorized | 7 Comments

Dear Dharma Friends,

If you have a minute to spare, please join us in praying for the long life and health of the great Nyingma master Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche.  A special prayer has been composed for him, as follows:

LONGLIFE PRAYER FOR VENERABLE KHENCHEN PALDEN SHERAB RINPOCHE

OM GURU A YU SIDDHI HUNG HRI A MARANI JI VAN TE YE SWA HA

gdod nas khyab bdal ‘od gsal rdzogs pa che/

The primordial, all-pervading clear light nature of the great perfection,

ngo bo rang bzhin thugs rje’i dkyil ‘khor gzugs/

Mandala of authentic nature, clarity, and compassionate manifestation,

sku gsum rtsa gsum sangs rgyas pad+ma’i mthus/

Inseperable from the three kayas, three roots, Buddha and Guru Padmasambhava

mkhan po dpal ldan shes rab mchog gi sku/

By the power of this may the life of the Venerable Khenpo Palden Sherab remain firm,

bstan ‘gro’i dpal du bskal brgyar zhabs brtan shog/

Benifitting the Buddhadharma and sentient beings for one hundred aeons.

(Written with sublime best wishes by Tarthang Tulku at Pema Ling on the 18th day of the 2nd month of the Iron Monkey Year. Sarwa vi dza yentu)

Guru Yoga

Jun 14

Posted by Anyen Rinpoche in Anyen Rinpoche Biography, Bodhichitta, Personal Transformation, Teachings, Tibet | 3 Comments

There is something magical about the practice of Guru Yoga.  For those who do not know the history of this practice, it was taught by the great master Padmasambhava directly to his consort-heart student Yeshe Tsogyal just before he went to the land of the Copper-Colored Mountain, and left her behind in Tibet overwhelmed by grief and longing.

Following Yeshe Tsogyal’s example, we train in the Lama as an indivisible expression of Padmasambhava in order to receive his blessings, train in unfaltering faith and devotion, and train in one-pointedness that is an expression of profound shamatha, imbibed with glimpses of the uncontrived view.

Padmakara did an exquisite translation of Yeshe Tsogyal’s biography:

http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Lotus-Born-Enlightenment-Yeshe-Tsogyal/dp/1570625441/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276573664&sr=8-1

Guru Yoga is taught as part of the ngondro, but we are instructed to take up this practice daily for as long as we live.  In other words, it is the only of the series of 100,000 that we never complete.  Anyen Rinpoche emphasizes Guru Yoga as a daily practice, as do many other Nyingma masters.  Once, Gyatrul Rinpoche offered me this advice: If you are not taking up Guru Yoga on a daily basis, you are not engaging in an authentic practice of the Secret Mantrayana path.  I believe, through experience, that this is fundamentally true.

Indeed Guru Yoga is so effective, so magical, that if you do it on a daily basis you can feel the difference when you skip even one day.  There is a tangible lack of spiritual connection, a difficulty in touching one’s faith or generating bodhichitta.   For that reason, it has always been my favorite practice for many years now; a good one to focus on at any and every time, and helps us to face any obstacle or difficulty.  What a joy to practice!

We are so looking forward to the nyungne retreat and look forward to seeing you there!

Allison

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