Ah! Dharma reflections based on the words of Anyen Rinpoche

Exploring the Innermost Essence of the Vast Compassionate Heart

Posts Tagged Bodhichitta

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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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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Medicine Buddha Monlam

Jun 2

Posted by Anyen Rinpoche in Anyen Rinpoche Biography, Benefitting Others, Bodhichitta, Global Community, medicine buddha, Personal Transformation, Teachings | 2 Comments

We are so thrilled to be hosting the second annual Medicine Buddha Monlam this weekend in Denver!  For all of you who aren’t able to join us, we’ll be practicing from 7:30 am to 6 pm during the day, and then again in the evenings.  We’ll be meeting Saturday, Sunday and Monday.   Feel free to join in from where ever you are!   And we hope many more of you will be able to join us in person next year!

Here’s an offering for each of you…Medicine Buddha wallpaper for your computer!

http://www.fpmt-osel.org/gallery/medicine.htm

May all beings benefit!

Allison

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For the Benefit of Others

May 26

Posted by Anyen Rinpoche in 4 Mind Turnings, Anyen Rinpoche Biography, Benefitting Others, Bodhichitta, Personal Transformation, Teachings | 4 Comments

One of the quintessential truths of the Vajrayana path is whatever we do for the benefit of others also indirectly benefits ourselves.  This teaching is called “accomplishing the two benefits.”  Thus, it is through reaching out to others and doing our best to help them through pain, suffering and difficulty–or even on occasions of happiness–that we also find happiness.  Despite the focus on individualism we have in Western culture, I think it is still most people’s experience emotionally that this is true.

Practices such as Medicine Buddha (which we are planning to practice intensively at the Medicine Buddha Monlam starting June 4 in Drnver) have us focus on and pray to alleviate all of the myriad sufferings in the world.  Additionally practices such as Tonglen instruct us to aspire to take on those experiences of suffering ourselves.  It is amazing how mentally and emotionally content we feel when we spend time focusing on the troubles of others and praying for their dissolution.

Western culture has a wonderful focus on actual service to benefit others, through the offering of our own time, money and effort.  Buddhist culture has an additional focus on cultivating bodhichitta and compassion, that we might one day be able to directly take on the sufferings of others so that they may not have to experience pain and hardship.  As practitioners, we are most benefitted by taking up both these kinds of activity–actual work as well as aspiration that is other-focused.

How are you working to train in both of these types of activity in your own life? We’d love to hear from you!

We will be excited to have Anyen Rinpoche back in Colorado for the Medicine Buddha Monlam the weekend after next.  Hope to see you all there!

Allison

www.anyenrinpoche.com

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Bodhichitta in Action

May 17

Posted by Anyen Rinpoche in Anyen Rinpoche Biography, Benefitting Others, Bodhichitta, Global Community, Teachings | 8 Comments

Sometimes we don’t feel like reaching out to other people…sometimes all we want to do is stay at home with the door shut!  There are so many aspects of our modern lives that make it difficult to reach out to others.  Or maybe I should say, that make it easier for us not to reach out to others.   I’m sure you can add to my list–but text messaging and internet shopping are huge ones.  Add video games onto that.  And how about  telecommuniting…?  Which I also love, by the way.  There are just so many ways to stay inside of ourselves and not venture out into the realm of humanity.

We are actually constructing a world where, one day, we may not ever have to interact with another human being.  What would that be like?   Or perhaps you think my view is too extreme.  We are simply making choices to limit who we interact with.

Is modern technology enhancing our lives?  Yes, obviously.  No one could say that technology is a negative thing in and of itself.  But what are we losing as a result of constructing a world that enables us all to be introverts?

One thing is for sure.   In our modern world, we lose many chances to practice bodhichitta in action.  We have fewer chances to brighten someone’s day by giving them a smile, a kind word, or a hand.  We also lose the chance to practice patience, to deal with difficulties face to face, and to become better at human relationships.  We lose chances to become more skillful at intimacy and friendship.

Personally, I love to shop on the internet.  I love those websites where I can compare every gadget that is similar to the one I want, literally hundreds of choices at my finger tips.  But in light of this, I’m also glad I have Dharma.   Dharma is the perfect compliment to modern technology.  It keeps us grounded, human and in relationship to others.  It reminds us that the difficult situations are worth engaging in, and that it enriches us to give our time and energy to others.  This weekend at our sangha garage sale, we all enjoyed the hard work–and doing that hard work together.  I heard people comment on it more than once.  That made the event successful!  Thanks to everyone who pitched in, and especially Ananda, who pitched in the most.

One more plug for the Monlam–register now!

http://www.anyenrinpoche.com/menla.html

How have you put Bodhichitta into action today?

Allison

www.anyenrinpoche.com

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Longchen Rabjam

May 3

Posted by AnyenRinpoche in Anyen Rinpoche Biography, Benefitting Others, Bodhichitta, Mindfulness, Personal Transformation | 8 Comments

First of all, Happy Birthday, Rinpoche!  May your life be long and free of obstacles, and your dharma activity continually increase!

This weekend, many of us were lucky to hear Anyen Rinpoche’s commentary on a text by Longchen Rabjam called “30 Piece of Heart Advice” in Santa Fe.  This short text, Rinpoche told us, contains Longchenpa’s vision for the path of the Secret Mantrayana.  Indeed, we had the opportunity to discuss almost every aspect of the path as we heard commentary on the thirty verses.  There are some nice translations of these verses here:

http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Teachings_on_Longchenpa%27s_Advice_from_the_Heart

Longchenpa is one of the greatest yogis in the history of Tantric Buddhism.  The incredible hardship he undertook to attain realization in one lifetime, and the vast realization that he expressed in his texts and vajra songs stand out as marvelous gems for us to admire and aspire to.  Longchenpa’s relationship to his spiritual teacher, Lama Kumarantza, is also an example of giving oneself wholly to the teacher.  How marvelous to hear commentary on his teachings!   Here’s some more about Longchenpa’s life and vast Dharma activity:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longchenpa

One particularly interesting conversation that came up during the talks was around a piece of advice in which Longchenpa told us to avoid intimacy and hostility, and to relate to all beings impartially through our speech and actions.  One student in attendance, Louise, asked Rinpoche how we are to make sense of such advice, when our culture places such importance on intimacy.

Rinpoche’s answer wss that intimacy in Western Culture (as opposed to the Buddhist idea) is often ego-driven; it is us wanting something from another person because we do not know how to deal with our own minds or our own emotions.   In other words, intimacy can be a utilitarian expression.  Rinpoche said that whenever we attempt to use a relationship for our own purpose or to get something for ourselves, we complicate the relationship, and this results in conflicts between ourselves and our loved ones.

From the Buddhist point of view ( here, embodied by Longchenpa’s words), impartiality (in other words, seeing all beings as equal)  enables us to achieve authentic intimacy.  When we engage in the relationship without trying to get something for ourselves, relationships are more simple and easy.  With the ego out of the way, we have more insight into what to say or not say to a particular person.  We know when to move closer and when to back away.  Anyen Rinpoche also said to develop intimacy in a Buddhist way, we should discern who is a proper person to attempt intimacy with, and examine our words before we speak to another.   We should share our hearts and minds in situations in situations where our words won’t harm or cause pain to another.  We should speak directly to those whom we trust and have built a deep relationship, who will understand and respect our words.    Following these ideas, Rinpoche said, we will achieve harmony in our closer as well as our distant relationships.

Monlam plans are going well…hope to see some of you there!

Allison

www.anyenrinpoche.com

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Medicine Buddha Monlam

Apr 27

Posted by AnyenRinpoche in Anyen Rinpoche Biography, Benefitting Others, Bodhichitta, Teachings | 1 Comment

I am so excited to be in the midst of planning the second annual Medicine Buddha Monlam (prayer gathering) in Denver, Colorado, June 4-7.  The year has gone by quickly…I forgot how much there is to do to prepare for such a large event!

Medicine Buddha is a unique practice not only because it is one of the four most powerful practices that can be done for the benefit of others during the “degenerate” (otherwise known as the present) time, but also, because  it can be done by any practitioner regardless of experience.  All that is required is a genuine aspiration of love and compassion in the heart; this is the basis of the whole weekend of practice.  I would describe the essence of the Monlam as a time when practitioners of all faiths and backgrounds can come together and recite the Medicine Buddha sadhana composed by the great Nyingma master Ju Mipham, and focus our common intention of love, healing and peace on beings who are suffering throughout the world.  Although Monlams exist in India and Nepal (and traditionally, in Tibet), we are able to attend and support the tradition of a Monlam in America by joining this gathering!

Here’s an article published by Snow Lion on the Medicine Buddha Monlam:

http://www.snowlionpub.com/pages/N89_11.html

Last year, I think all the practitioners who attended had an amazing experience.  There was a feeling among the group that we could truly “move mountains,” that our prayers had transcended mere aspiration and were directly beneficial to others.   It is rare that we have the chance to feel our own prayers amplified so much–but having the energy of all the others in the group as a support was enough to cause a small seed of faith to sprout in even the most doubtful of beings.

This year, we hope that even more people will join us in Denver for the event.   We are able to coordinate housing for most people–last year, no one had to stay in a hotel as our local sangha hosted all the out of town visitors.  And, also, if you live in Denver and are able to host someone, please let us know.

More information is available here, as well as the link for registration:

http://www.anyenrinpoche.com/menla.html

We’re looking forward to seeing lots of you at the Monlam this summer.  And feel free to let others know about it–the more people we gather together, the more healing energy we will generate and build as a group!

Allison

www.anyenrinpoche.com

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Enlightened Activity

Apr 19

Posted by AnyenRinpoche in Anyen Rinpoche Biography, Benefitting Others, Bodhichitta, Personal Transformation, Teachings | 7 Comments

This weekend found us in Ottawa, listening to lovely and profound (not to mention practical) teachings on the 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva.  Thanks to David and Nadine, who took so much time to plan the weekend and also host us…as well as Mel and Kelly, who did lots of cooking, Howie, who took us for a walk (in case you are wondering, he’s a Chocolate Lab just like precious Khampa Dorje), and David’s sons, who joined us for music and songs at night.  Ottawa is a wonderful place to visit, full of kind people who often tell stories about bears.

One highlight (of many): we were delighted by the story of Anyen Rinpoche crawling into a wolf den as a child of seven or eight and coaxing out a cub, who then became his pet until the neighbors complained that it was eating the livestock…

I have reflected at length on enlightened activity, mostly through Rinpoche’s years of teachings and giving commentary on Entering the Way of a Bodhisattva.  Still, it is amazing how much you learn from hearing a talk that you think you already *knew* (maybe “think” being the operative word there).  The 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva start in the very beginning, with taking the 3 Jewels as refuge, contemplating on impermanence, and generating Bodhichitta…then move into taking up everyday action as an expression of relative bodhichitta by cutting through attachment, hope and fear towards individuals and the outer world…and then moves to ultimate bodhichitta, or cutting through the mind’s grasping completely.

We spent only 3 days on this text, while Rinpoche said that he had spent a full 100 days on it.  As a daily practice, he suggested that we work with one stanza at a time, reflecting on that stanza for a few days and attempting to work with it in daily life as well as on the cushion.    This seems like great advice that could be used not only for this text, but any text if we want to start our own home retreat!

I hope this inspires everyone to keep working on daily practice in an ever-deepening way!

Allison

www.anyenrinpoche.com

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