It wouldn't be bad if you didn't have statues, but it has become
indispensable to have Buddhist texts which deal with the structured path to
train our mind. If you have Buddhist texts, read them for yourselves and to
friends who visit. That way you can help others to understand Buddhist
ideas. For instance, it is interesting to read Milarepa's life story and
songs. We find in them many enlightening lessons. Buddha's image alone will
not purify us of karmic obscuration.... It is very important to study the
scriptures. They are not to be just stacked up on the altar. They must be
cultivated in our mind. ...[we] take great interest in having the symbolic
representations of Buddha's body, speech and mind. I feel it is more
important to acquire and read scriptures, the symbolic representations of
his speech. You can pay homage to them, you can make offerings to them;
above all, you should study them.

--from "Generous Wisdom: Commentaries by H.H. the Dalai Lama XIV on the
Jatakamala" translated by Tenzin Dorjee edited by Dexter Roberts



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Is karma really so hard to see in operation? Don’t we only have to look back
at our own lives to see clearly the consequences of some of our actions?
When we upset or hurt someone, didn’t it rebound on us? Were we not left
with a bitter and dark memory, and the shadows of self-disgust? That memory
and those shadows are karma. Our habits and our fears too are also due to
karma, the results of our past actions, words, and thoughts. If we examine
our actions, and become really mindful of them, we will see that there is a
pattern that repeats itself. Whenever we act negatively, it leads to pain
and suffering; whenever we act positively, it eventually results in
happiness.


Sogyal Rinpoche

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meditation is bringing the mind back home, and this is first achieved
through the practice of mindfulness.

Once an old woman came to Buddha and asked him how to meditate. He told her
to remain aware of every movement of her hands as she drew water from the
well, knowing that if she did, she would soon find herself in that state of
alert and spacious calm that is meditation.



Sogyal Rinpoche




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Evoking the power of compassion in us is not always easy. I find myself that
the simplest ways are the best and the most direct. Every day, life gives us
innumerable chances to open our hearts, if we can only take them. An old
woman passes you with a sad and lonely face and two heavy plastic bags full
of shopping she can hardly carry. Switch on a television, and there on the
news is a mother in Beirut kneeling above the body of her murdered son, or
an old grandmother in Moscow pointing to the thin soup that is her only
food. . . .

Any one of these sights could open the eyes of your heart to the fact of
vast suffering in the world. Let it. Don’t waste the love and grief it
arouses. In the moment you feel compassion welling up in you, don’t brush it
aside, don’t shrug it off and try quickly to return to “normal,” don’t be
afraid of your feeling or be embarrassed by it, and don’t allow yourself to
be distracted from it. Be vulnerable: Use that quick, bright uprush of
compassion—focus on it, go deep into your heart and meditate on it, develop
it, enhance and deepen it. By doing this you will realize how blind you have
been to suffering.

All beings, everywhere, suffer; let your heart go out to them all in
spontaneous and immeasurable compassion.


Sogyal Rinpoche


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Open people ask me: “How long should I meditate? And when? Should I practice
twenty minutes in the morning and in the evening, or is it better to do
several short practices during the day?” Yes, it is good to meditate for
twenty minutes, though that is not to say that twenty minutes is the limit.
I have not found in the scriptures any reference to twenty minutes; I think
it is a notion that has been contrived in the West, and I call it Meditation
Western Standard Time.

The point is not how long you meditate; the point is whether the practice
actually brings you to a certain state of mindfulness and presence, where
you are a little open and able to connect with your heart essence. And five
minutes of wakeful sitting practice is of far greater value than twenty
minutes of dozing!


Sogyal Rinpoche

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Because in our culture we overvalue the intellect, we imagine that to become
enlightened demands extraordinary intelligence. In fact, many kinds of
cleverness are just further obscurations. There is a Tibetan saying: “If you
are too clever, you could miss the point entirely.”

Patrul Rinpoche said: “The logical mind seems interesting, but it is the
seed of delusion.” People can become obsessed with their own theories and
miss the point of everything. In Tibet we say: “Theories are like patches on
a coat, one day they just wear off.”


Sogyal Rinpoche

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----- Original Message -----

From: ardhyryadi@...

To: tibetanbuddhistgroup@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Friday, February 16, 2007 8:46 PM

Subject: [TBG] Tibetan calendar for year 2007

Namaste,

 

Does anyone knows where to download the new tibetan calendar for year 2007?

 

Rgds,

 

Ardhyryadi

Tashi Deleg! I wish all a Happy New Year!

Sarwa Mangalam
May all be Auspicious!
Namdrol Tsepal


From the Buddhist point of view, being in a depressed state, in a state of
discouragement, is seen as a kind of extreme that can clearly be an obstacle
to taking the steps necessary to accomplish one's goals. A state of
self-hatred is even far more extreme than simply being discouraged, and this
can be very, very dangerous. For those engaged in Buddhist practice, the
antidote to self-hatred would be to reflect upon the fact that all beings,
including oneself, have Buddha Nature--the seed or potential for perfection,
full Enlightenment--no matter how weak or poor or deprived one's present
situation may be. So those people involved in Buddhist practice who suffer
from self-hatred or self-loathing should avoid contemplating the suffering
nature of existence or the underlying unsatisfactory nature of existence,
and instead they should concentrate more on the positive aspects of one's
existence, such as appreciating the tremendous potential that lies within
oneself as a human being. And by reflecting upon these opportunities and
potentials, they will be able to increase their sense of worth and
confidence in themselves.

--from "The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living" by His Holiness the
Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler, M.D.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Let’s not take doubts with exaggerated seriousness, or let them grow out of
proportion, so that we become black-and-white or fanatical about them. What
we need to learn is how slowly to change our culturally conditioned and
passionate involvement with doubt into a free, humorous, and compassionate
one. This means giving doubts time, and giving ourselves time to find
answers to our questions that are not merely intellectual or “philosophical”
but living and real and genuine and workable.

Doubts cannot resolve themselves immediately; but if we are patient, a space
can be created within us in which doubts can be carefully and objectively
examined, unraveled, dissolved, and healed. What we lack, especially in this
culture, is the right, undistracted, and richly spacious environment of the
mind, which can be created only through sustained meditation practice, and
in which insights can be given the chance slowly to mature and ripen.


Sogyal Rinpoche
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Those who have been through the near-death experience have reported a
startling range of aftereffects and changes. One woman said:

The things that I felt slowly were a very heightened sense of love, the
ability to communicate love, the ability to find joy and pleasures in the
smallest and most insignificant things about me. . . . I developed a great
compassion for people that were ill and facing death and I wanted so much to
let them know, to somehow make them aware that the dying process was nothing
more than an extension of one’s life.

Sogyal Rinpoche
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When we have prayed and aspired and hungered for the truth for a long time,
for many, many lives, and when our karma has become sufficiently purified, a
kind of miracle takes place. And this miracle, if we can understand and use
it, can lead to the ending of ignorance forever: The inner teacher, who has
been with us always, manifests in the form of the “outer teacher,” who,
almost as if by magic, we actually encounter. This is the most important
encounter of any lifetime.


Sogyal Rinpoche

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Body lying flat on a last bed,
Voices whispering a few last words,
Mind watching a final memory glide past:
When will that drama come for you?

VIITH DALAI LAMA

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Karma means that whatever we do, with our bodies, speech, or minds, will
have a corresponding result. Each action, even the smallest, is pregnant
with its consequences. It is said by the masters that even a little poison
can cause death, and even a tiny seed can become a huge tree. And as Buddha
said: “Do not overlook negative actions merely because they are small;
however small a spark may be, it can burn down a haystack as big as a
mountain.”

Similarly he said: “Do not overlook tiny good actions, thinking they are of
no benefit even tiny drops of water in the end will fill a huge vessel.”

Karma does not decay like external things, or ever become inoperative. It
cannot be destroyed “by time, fire, or water.” Its power will never
disappear, until it is ripened.

Sogyal Rinpoche

_________________________________________________________________
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The initial period of deity yoga is called prior approximation because one
is accustoming to a deity through becoming closer and closer to its state,
whereupon the deity grants the feat, either directly or in the sense of
bestowing a capacity to the mind. Actually effecting the achievement of
feats is done by way of carrying out prescribed burnt offerings or
repetition of mantra, etc., after the approximation has been completed.
These feats are then used for the welfare of others in the third stage,
which involves activities of

(1)  pacification such as overcoming plague or relieving others of demons,
(2)  increase of lifespan, intelligence, wealth, and so forth,
(3)  control of resources, persons harmful to others' welfare, etc., and
(4) ferocity, such as expelling or confusing harmful beings.

--from "Deity Yoga in Action and Performance Tantra"  by His Holiness the
Dalai Lama, Tsong-ka-pa, and Jeffrey Hopkins, published by Snow Lion
Publications


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Buddha summons us to a different kind of doubt, “like analyzing gold,
scorching, cutting and rubbing it to test its purity.” For this form of
doubt really exposes us to the truth if we follow it to the end, but we have
neither the insight, the courage, nor the training. We have been schooled in
a sterile addiction to contradiction that has robbed us repeatedly of all
real openness to any more expansive and ennobling truth.

In the place of our contemporary nihilistic form of doubt I would ask you to
put what I call a “noble doubt,” the kind that is an integral part of the
path toward enlightenment. The vast truth of the mystical teachings handed
down to us is not something that our endangered world can afford to dismiss.
Instead of doubting them, why don’t we doubt ourselves: our ignorance, our
assumption that we understand everything already, our grasping and evasion,
our passion for so-called explanations of reality that have about them
nothing of the awe-inspiring and all-encompassing wisdom of what the
masters, the messengers of Reality, have told us?



Sogyal Rinpoche

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We may say, and even half-believe, that compassion is marvelous, but in
practice our actions are deeply uncompassionate and bring us and others
mostly frustration and distress, and not the happiness we are all seeking.

Isn’t it absurd that we all long for happiness, yet nearly all our actions
and feelings lead us directly away from that happiness?

What do we imagine will make us happy? A canny, self-seeking, resourceful
selfishness, the selfish protection of ego, which can as we all know, make
us at moments extremely brutal. But in fact the complete reverse is true:
Self-grasping and self-cherishing are seen, when you really look at them, to
be the root of all harm to others, and also of all harm to ourselves.



Sogyal Rinpoche




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sometimes people think that when they meditate there should be no thoughts
and emotions at all; and when thoughts and emotions do arise, they become
annoyed and exasperated with themselves and think they have failed. Nothing
could be further from the truth. There is a Tibetan saying: “It’s a tall
order to ask for meat without bones, and tea without leaves.” As long as you
have a mind, you will have thoughts and emotions.


Sogyal Rinpoche


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whatever our lives are like, our buddha nature is always there. And it is
always perfect. We say that not even the buddhas can improve it in their
infinite wisdom, nor can sentient beings spoil it in their seemingly
infinite confusion.

Our true nature could be compared to the sky, and the confusion of the
ordinary mind to clouds. Some days the sky is completely obscured by clouds.
When we are down on the ground, looking up, it is very difficult to believe
that there is anything else there but clouds. Yet we have only to fly in a
plane to discover above the clouds a limitless expanse of clear blue sky.
From up there, the clouds we assumed were everything seem so small and so
far away down below.

We should always try to remember: The clouds are not the sky and do not
“belong” to it. They only hang there and pass by in their slightly
ridiculous and nondependent fashion. And they can never stain or mark the
sky in any way.


Sogyal Rinpoche

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Action is being truly observant of your own thoughts, good or bad, looking
into the true nature of whatever thoughts may arise, neither tracing the
past nor inviting the future, neither allowing any clinging to experiences
of joy, nor being overcome by sad situations. In so doing, you try to reach
and remain in the state of great equilibrium, where all good and bad, peace
and distress, are devoid of true identity.


DUDJOM RINPOCHE

_________________________________________________________________
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Hi,

This is Nikhil Gangoli from Pune India.

Frankly I have joined this group partly to promote my website
http://www.eastern-philosophy-and-meditation.com/

Buddhism and Zen are some of the subjects dealt with in the website.

I have been fascinated by Buddhism as it contains so many skillful
means (upayas) to attain enlightenment. On one hand you have Theravada
Buddhism which stresses self effort and ridding the mind of
defilements. It is a strenuous and difficult path

Whereas in Zen the founder of Zen in China Bodhidharma said that,
"This very mind is the Buddha. It is a more relaxed and accepting
philosophy and much more to my taste as I am frequently very
self-critical and the last thing I need is for someone to tell me that
I need to change myself.

If you really take the statement that the very mind is the Buddha to
heart you will change in your attitude to yourself. You will witness
the mind with respect and reverence and without trying to change it.
Paradoxically it is just this attitude that opens up the possibility
of change as your impulses have room to play themselves out and then
you are free of them. I have experienced this in my life.

The philosophy of Mahayana Buddhism has been praised by Alan Watts as
perhaps the most mature philosophy dealing with the Ultimate. Alan
Watts says that Buddhism is not a set of rules and not even primarily
a doctrine. It is a collection of methods to attain enlightenment and
it takes the form of a dialogue between the spiritual aspirant and the
master. The Buddhist sutras should be read keeping this in mind. What
has been written was said with a view to helping one individual in his
quest for enlightenment keeping his individual requirements in mind.

Anyway visit this page on a Buddhism. It is one of my better articles
and it deals with a powerful method to attain stillness of mind and peace
http://www.eastern-philosophy-and-meditation.com/buddhism-IV.html

I would welcome comments on this post and on the article. Along with
promotion of my site I am also looking to benefit in my practice and
understanding of Buddhism through joining this group and would welcome
constructive criticism

regards

Nikhil

Hello Tashi Deleg!

I believe I have saw a full year Tibetan Calendar for the full year in Snow
Lion Publication web site.  As I have not check in details if it is for this
year.... You might want to check it out.


Sarwa Mangalam
May all be Auspicious!
Namdrol Tsepal


>From: "Ross M. W. Bennetts" <ross.bennetts@...>
>Reply-To: tibetanbuddhistgroup@yahoogroups.com
>To: <tibetanbuddhistgroup@yahoogroups.com>
>Subject: RE: [TBG] Re:Tibetan calendar for year 2007
>Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2007 15:38:10 +1100
>
>It looks like they are in the process of updating this one:
>
>http://buddhism.kalachakranet.org/calendar.html
>
>I checked again today and it now has Feb-May 2007.
>
>Keep watching, it will probably grow as the year progresses.
>
>
>
>Ross M. W. Bennetts
>
>Webmaster
>
>FPMT Radio
>
>  <http://www.kunkyab.org/> www.kunkyab.org
>
>Email:  <mailto:ross.bennetts@...> ross.bennetts@...
>
>   Or :   <mailto:ross.bennetts@...> ross.bennetts@...
>
>Y!M: rossbennetts
>
>Phone: +61 412 42 1478
>
>
>
>
>

_________________________________________________________________
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Shangri-La, the yearned-for and fabled paradise. View beautiful natural
scenery and mysterious lamaseries,sanctuaries of Tibetan Buddhism.
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plateau.
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..when we ask, what is the substantial cause of the material universe way
back in the early history of the universe, we trace it back to the space
particles which transform into the elements of this manifest universe. And
then we can ask whether those space particles have an ultimate beginning.
The answer is no. They are beginningless. Where other philosophical systems
maintain that the original cause was God, Buddha suggested the alternative
that there aren't any ultimate causes. The world is beginningless. Then the
question would be: Why is it beginningless? And the answer is, it is just
nature. There is no reason. Matter is just matter.

Now we have a problem: What accounts for the evolution of the universe as we
know it? What accounts for the loose particles in space forming into the
universe that is apparent to us? Why did it go through orderly processes of
change? Buddhists would say there is a condition which makes it possible,
and we speak of that condition as the awareness of sentient beings.

--from "Consciousness at the Crossroads: Conversations with the Dalai Lama
on Brain Science and Buddhism" edited by Zara Houshmand, Robert B.
Livingston, and B. Alan Wallace, published by Snow Lion Publications

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can think of the nature of mind like a mirror, with five different
powers or “wisdoms.” Its openness and vastness is the “wisdom of
all-encompassing space,” the womb of compassion. Its capacity to reflect in
precise detail whatever comes before it is the “mirrorlike wisdom.” Its
fundamental lack of any bias toward any impression is the “equalizing
wisdom.” Its ability to distinguish clearly, without confusing in any way
the various different phenomena that arise, is the “wisdom of discernment.”
And its potential of having everything already accomplished, perfected, and
spontaneously present is the “all-accomplishing wisdom.”



Sogyal Rinpoche

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For meditation to happen, calm and auspicious conditions have to be created.
Before we have mastery over our minds, we need first to calm their
environment.
At the moment, our minds are like a candle flame: unstable, flickering,
constantly changing, fanned by the violent winds of our thoughts and
emotions. The flame will burn steadily only when we can calm the air around
it; so we can only begin to glimpse and rest in the nature of mind when we
have stilled the turbulence of our thoughts and emotions. On the other hand,
once we have found a stability in our meditation, noises and disturbances of
every kind will have far less impact.



Sogyal Rinpoche




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The beginner’s mind is an open mind, an empty mind, a ready mind, and if we
really listen with a beginner’s mind, we might really begin to hear. For if
we listen with a silent mind, as free as possible from the clamor of
preconceived ideas, a possibility will be created for the truth of the
teachings to pierce us, and for the meaning of life and death to become
increasingly and startlingly clear.

My master Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche said: “The more and more you listen, the
more and more you hear; the more and more you hear, the deeper and deeper
your understanding becomes.”



Sogyal Rinpoche


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gradually, as you remain open and mindful, and use a technique to focus your
mind more and more, your negativity will slowly be defused; you begin to
feel well in your own skin, or, as the French say, ętre bien dans sa peau
(“well in your own skin”). From this comes release and a profound ease. I
think of this practice as the most effective form of therapy and
self-healing.


Sogyal Rinpoche

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Every single negative thing we have ever thought or done has ultimately
arisen from our grasping at a false self, and our cherishing of that false
self, making it the dearest and most important element in our lives. All
those negative thoughts, emotions, desires, and actions that are the cause
of our negative karma are engendered by self-grasping and self-cherishing.
They are the dark, powerful magnet that attracts to us, life after life,
every obstacle, every misfortune, every anguish, every disaster, and so they
are the root cause of all the sufferings of samsara.


Sogyal Rinpoche

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http://www.lamayeshe.com/talktous/newsletter/e-letter2-07.shtml

Dear All,

I'm new to this group (relatively new to Buddhism as well) and I have
been attempting to practice Vajrayana Buddhism on my own using text
and CD materials as a means of teaching. I have come to the
realization, however, that there are "holes" in my practice which I
feel can only be addressed from receiving direct "in-the-flesh,
"face-to-face" teaching and hopefully empowerments from a lineage
teacher. The only consideration is that I live in central NJ (USA) and
am unable to travel long distances due to physical limitations. As a
result I need to locate a gompa in my area where this would be
possible. I checked in phone directories, local newspapers (section on
religious services0, etc. but there are no listings that I can find.
Your collective assistance is greatly appreciated.

May all be at peace.

John

Suppose... you try to convert someone from another religion to the Buddhist
religion, and you argue with them trying to convince them of the inferiority
of their position. And suppose you do not succeed, suppose they do not
become Buddhist. On the one hand, you have failed in your task, and on the
other hand, you may have weakened the trust they have in their own religion,
so that they may come to doubt their own faith. What have you accomplished
by all this? It is of no use. When we come into contact with the followers
of different religions, we should not argue. Instead, we should advise them
to follow their own beliefs as sincerely and as truthfully as possible. For
if they do so, they will no doubt reap certain benefits. Of this there is no
doubt. Even in the immediate future, they will be able to achieve more
happiness and more satisfaction.

....When I meet the followers of different religions, I always praise them,
for it is enough, it is sufficient, that they are following the moral
teachings that are emphasized in every religion. It is enough, as I
mentioned earlier, that they are trying to become better human beings. This
in itself is very good and worthy of praise.

--from "Answers: Discussions with Western Buddhists" by the Dalai Lama,
edited by Jose Ignacio Cabezon, published by Snow Lion Publications




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is important to reflect calmly, again and again, that death is real and
comes without warning.

Don’t be like the pigeon in the Tibetan proverb: He spends all night fussing
about, making his bed, and dawn comes up before he has even had time to go
to sleep.


Sogyal Rinpoche

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Realizing the View subtly but completely transforms your vision of
everything. More and more, I have come to realize how thoughts and concepts
are all that block us from always being, quite simply, in the absolute. Now
I see clearly why the masters so often say: “Try hard not to create too much
hope and fear,” for they only engender more mental gossip. When the View is
there, thoughts are seen for what they truly are: fleeting and transparent,
and only relative. You see through everything directly, as if you had X-ray
eyes. You do not cling to thoughts and emotions or reject them; you welcome
them all within the vast embrace of Rigpa. The things you took so seriously
before—ambitions, plans, expectations, doubts, and passions—no longer have
any deep and anxious hold on you, for the View has helped you to see the
futility and pointlessness of them all, and born in you a spirit of true
renunciation.

Sogyal Rinpoche




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Devotion is the purest, quickest, and simplest way to realize the nature of
mind and all things. As we progress in it, the process reveals itself as
wonderfully interdependent: We, from our side, try continually to generate
devotion, which itself generates glimpses of the nature of mind, and these
glimpses only enhance and deepen our devotion to the master who is inspiring
us. So in the end devotion springs out of wisdom: devotion and the living
experience of the nature of mind become inseparable and inspire each other.


Sogyal Rinpoche


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What is our life but a dance of transient forms? Isn’t everything always
changing? Doesn’t everything we have done in the past seem like a dream now?
The friends we grew up with, the childhood haunts, those views and opinions
we once held with such single-minded passion: We have left them all behind.
Now, at this moment, reading this book seems vividly real to you. Even this
page will soon be only a memory.


Sogyal Rinpoche

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When you practice meditation, rather than “watching” the breath, let
yourself gradually identify with it, as if you were becoming it. Slowly the
breath, the breather, and the breathing become one; duality and separation
dissolve.

You will find that this very simple process of mindfulness filters your
thoughts and emotions. Then, as if you were shedding an old skin, something
is peeled off and freed.


Sogyal Rinpoche

_________________________________________________________________
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Subscribe to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dharmaeventsny
And monitor what's going on in tri-state area through there, NYC is a very
active center of just about everything, so be ready to travel there, i would
think you should be able to from just about any point in NJ.
See what you have most connection to, most importantly.
And yes it is true that every book tells you, there is no vajrayana buddhist
practice without connection to a realized lama in "face-to-face" kind of
way, so do not give up and may the blessings be with you.

--------------------------------------
Sherab Gyatso
sherabgyatso@...
http://360.yahoo.com/gurupemasiddhihum
--------------------------------------



----- Original Message -----
From: John Pellecchia
To: tibetanbuddhistgroup@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2007 4:27 AM
Subject: [TBG] New here and need assistance


Dear All,

I'm new to this group (relatively new to Buddhism as well) and I have
been attempting to practice Vajrayana Buddhism on my own using text
and CD materials as a means of teaching. I have come to the
realization, however, that there are "holes" in my practice which I
feel can only be addressed from receiving direct "in-the-flesh,
"face-to-face" teaching and hopefully empowerments from a lineage
teacher. The only consideration is that I live in central NJ (USA) and
am unable to travel long distances due to physical limitations. As a
result I need to locate a gompa in my area where this would be
possible. I checked in phone directories, local newspapers (section on
religious services0, etc. but there are no listings that I can find.
Your collective assistance is greatly appreciated.

May all be at peace.

John

Just a silly idea, but you could freeze the water in
the bowl, and then offer it to your guru. I think this
would work just fine, a little different, but if the
intention is present, I think it would be great.

Tom

--- ardhyryadi@... wrote:

> Dear all,
>
> In some tradition, mine is from liberation in your
> hand by Pabongkha Rinpoche, it is said not to offer
> an empty waterbowl to a guru or Buddha, and also not
> overflowing it with water, or fill in too little
> water. How if we want to offer the waterbowl itself?
>  from the view of Gelug tradition, would that create
> positive causes or not? Should we offer an empty new
> waterbowl, or fill it with water?
>
> Rgds
>
> Ardhy Ryadi
> www.geocities.com/thelamrimchenmo
>




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This discussion is turning from sincere to silly. As is stated in the 1st
line of the reply. So, why not guard one self from that?

You don't need to offer anything in any special way, you only do offering in
order to gain merit, no one needs your offering, Buddha does not, Guru does
not, Guru inseparable from Buddha does not.
Offering arranged on the altar are all representations of our inner attitude
of offering, they are outward manifestations of our practice, in a way of
meager display, they are a meditation to. So many practitioners are able to
"open altar" in the morning and go through motions or organizing offerings
there and then "close altar" in the evening and clean it up.

In regards to particulars of how to pour water, how much of it, what should
be the distance to the rim of the bowl, how far bowls should be from one
another and how straight the line of them should be, all these are good and
important particulars. However mental attitude and thoughts of not holding
back, recognizing preciousness of liberating teachings and offering all that
can possibly be offered, that is the offering and if attempted can be done
without bowl, water or even altar. Because Buddhas permeate all ten
directions at all times. And understanding that Lama is realized in a way to
embody Buddha's Speech and Mind is a very helpful unselfish thought.

By the way, I more or less do not believe that there is a special lineage
for offering bows of water on altar as in Gelug, or Sakya, or Kagyu, or
Nyingma in particular. Way offerings are arranged is more cultural in a way
of being particular to India - Tibet, here on this general level, with the
eight offerings coming from Indian tradition and substitution of the
particular offerings with rice, any grain, any precious substance or water
to be understood as a possibility, because of as already mentioned symbolic
nature of the ceremony. Tibet as a source of all main rivers of Asia is
known as a place with most amazing water and flowers, so in a way there,
water is said to be of such a quality that it becomes very precious
substance, just because of it's taste and purity.

Can put anything in the bowl, a cookie, a flower, a bit of water and offer
it up, mental attitude is of importance and if you are in some, any way not
happy as to how precisely you are performing this, then meditate on how many
sentient beings never encounter liberating Dharma, and never even understand
about mental attitude of offering to the three jewels.

--------------------------------------
Sherab Gyatso
sherabgyatso@...
http://360.yahoo.com/gurupemasiddhihum
--------------------------------------


----- Original Message -----
From: tom talylor
To: tibetanbuddhistgroup@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2007 11:27 AM
Subject: Re: [TBG] offering a waterbowl to a guru


Just a silly idea, but you could freeze the water in
the bowl, and then offer it to your guru. I think this
would work just fine, a little different, but if the
intention is present, I think it would be great.

Tom

--- ardhyryadi@... wrote:

> Dear all,
>
> In some tradition, mine is from liberation in your
> hand by Pabongkha Rinpoche, it is said not to offer
> an empty waterbowl to a guru or Buddha, and also not
> overflowing it with water, or fill in too little
> water. How if we want to offer the waterbowl itself?
> from the view of Gelug tradition, would that create
> positive causes or not? Should we offer an empty new
> waterbowl, or fill it with water?
>
> Rgds
>
> Ardhy Ryadi
> www.geocities.com/thelamrimchenmo

If we could practice like Milarepa did, then lack of food would not bother
us as ether.
All offerings done with pure heart are meritorous, for sure.

----- Original Message -----
From: ardhyryadi@...
To: tibetanbuddhistgroup@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2007 3:09 AM
Subject: [TBG] Re: offering a waterbowl to a guru


Actually, a Rinpoche from gomang monastery will come to our city. My friend
is busy with thinking of what to offer, he came with an idea of buying a set
of waterbowl, and offer the bowl set, still wrapped in a box, to the
Rinpoche. I said that offering empty bowl is not a good cause for
accumulating merit. And i refer to the book "liberation in our hand" , but
my friend insist that he offers the new waterbowl sincerely, and that would
be just fine.

I refer to  the story of Milarepa who offer empty copper pan to Marpa which
is certainly not an auspicious offering. Although Milarepa is so sincere in
offering the empty copper pan, Milarepa has to suffer lack of food during
his meditation.

If mental attitude would suffice in itself for offering empty waterbowl,
then i'd tell him so.

Rgds

Ardhy
www.geocities.com/thelamrimchenmo



Re: offering a waterbowl to a guru
Posted by: "Sherab Gyatso" sherabgyatso@...   gurupemasiddhihum
Tue Mar 13, 2007 1:05 pm (PST)
This discussion is turning from sincere to silly. As is stated in the 1st
line of the reply. So, why not guard one self from that?

You don't need to offer anything in any special way, you only do offering in
order to gain merit, no one needs your offering, Buddha does not, Guru does
not, Guru inseparable from Buddha does not.
Offering arranged on the altar are all representations of our inner attitude
of offering, they are outward manifestations of our practice, in a way of
meager display, they are a meditation to. So many practitioners are able to
"open altar" in the morning and go through motions or organizing offerings
there and then "close altar" in the evening and clean it up.

In regards to particulars of how to pour water, how much of it, what should
be the distance to the rim of the bowl, how far bowls should be from one
another and how straight the line of them should be, all these are good and
important particulars. However mental attitude and thoughts of not holding
back, recognizing preciousness of liberating teachings and offering all that
can possibly be offered, that is the offering and if attempted can be done
without bowl, water or even altar. Because Buddhas permeate all ten
directions at all times. And understanding that Lama is realized in a way to
embody Buddha's Speech and Mind is a very helpful unselfish thought.

By the way, I more or less do not believe that there is a special lineage
for offering bows of water on altar as in Gelug, or Sakya, or Kagyu, or
Nyingma in particular. Way offerings are arranged is more cultural in a way
of being particular to India - Tibet, here on this general level, with the
eight offerings coming from Indian tradition and substitution of the
particular offerings with rice, any grain, any precious substance or water
to be understood as a possibility, because of as already mentioned symbolic
nature of the ceremony. Tibet as a source of all main rivers of Asia is
known as a place with most amazing water and flowers, so in a way there,
water is said to be of such a quality that it becomes very precious
substance, just because of it's taste and purity.

Can put anything in the bowl, a cookie, a flower, a bit of water and offer
it up, mental attitude is of importance and if you are in some, any way not
happy as to how precisely you are performing this, then meditate on how many
sentient beings never encounter liberating Dharma, and never even understand
about mental attitude of offering to the three jewels.

--------------------------------------
Sherab Gyatso
sherabgyatso@...
http://360.yahoo.com/gurupemasiddhihum

Only a Buddha has extinguished all faults and gained all attainments.
Therefore, one should mentally go for refuge to a Buddha, praise him with
speech, and respect him physically. One should enter the teaching of such a
being.

A Buddha's abandonment of defects is of three types: good, complete, and
irreversible. Good abandonment involves overcoming obstructions through
their antidotes, not just through withdrawing from those activities.
Complete abandonment is not trifling, forsaking only some afflictions or
just the manifest afflictions, but forsaking all obstructions. Irreversible
abandonment overcomes the seeds of afflictions and other obstructions in
such a way that defects will never arise again, even when conditions
favourable to them are present.

--from "Tantra in Tibet"  by H.H. the Dalai Lama, Tsong-ka-pa and Jeffrey
Hopkins, published by Snow Lion Publications





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sit quietly. From the depths of your heart, invoke in the sky in front of
you the embodiment of the truth in the person of your master, a saint, or an
enlightened being.

Try to visualize the master or buddha as alive and as radiant and
translucent as a rainbow.

If you have difficulty visualizing the master, imagine the embodiment of
truth simply as light, or try to feel his or her perfect presence there in
the sky before you. Let all the inspiration, joy, and awe you then feel take
the place of visualization. My master Dudjom Rinpoche used to say that it
does not matter if you cannot visualize; what is more important is to feel
the presence in your heart, and to know that this presence embodies the
blessings, compassion, energy, and wisdom of all the buddhas.

With deep devotion, merge your mind with the master’s, then rest your mind
in his or her wisdom mind.



Sogyal Rinpoche

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Life, as Buddha told us, is as brief as a lightning flash; yet, as
Wordsworth said: “The world is too much with us: Getting and spending, we
lay waste our powers.” It is that laying waste of our powers—that betrayal
of our essence, that abandonment of the miraculous chance that this life,
the natural bardo, gives us of knowing and embodying our enlightened
nature—that is perhaps the most heartbreaking thing about human life. What
the masters are essentially telling us is to stop fooling ourselves: What
will we have learned, if at the moment of death we do not know who we really
are?


Sogyal Rinpoche




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We must never forget that it is through our actions, words, and thoughts
that we have a choice. And if we choose to do so, we can put an end to
suffering and the causes of suffering, and help our true potential, our
buddha nature, to awaken in us. Until this buddha nature is completely
awakened and we are freed from our ignorance and merge with the deathless,
enlightened mind, there can be no end to the round of life and death. So,
the teachings tell us, if we do not assume the fullest possible
responsibility for ourselves now in this life, our suffering will go on not
only for a few lives but for thousands of lives.

It is this sobering knowledge that makes Buddhists consider that future
lives are more important even than this one, because there are many more
that await us in the future. This long-term vision governs how they live.
They know if we were to sacrifice the whole of eternity for this life, it
would be like spending our entire life savings on one drink, madly ignoring
the consequences.


Sogyal Rinpoche


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It may be surprising for the West to learn how very many incarnations there
have been in Tibet, and how the majority have been great masters, scholars,
authors, mystics, and saints who made an outstanding contribution both to
the teaching of Buddhism and to society. They played a central role in the
history of Tibet.

I believe that this process of incarnation is not limited to Tibet but can
occur in all countries and at all times. Throughout history there have been
people of artistic genius, spiritual strength, and humanitarian vision who
have helped the human race to go forward. I think of Gandhi, Einstein,
Abraham Lincoln, Mother Teresa, of Shakespeare, of Saint Francis, of
Beethoven and Michelangelo.

When Tibetans hear of such people, they immediately say they are
bodhisattvas. And whenever I hear of them, of their work and vision, I am
moved by the majesty of the vast evolutionary process of the buddhas and
masters that emanate to liberate beings and better the world.



Sogyal Rinpoche

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To realize what I call the wisdom of compassion is to see with complete
clarity its benefits, as well as the damage that its opposite has done to
us. We need to make a very clear distinction between what is in our ego’s
self-interest and what is in our ultimate interest; it is from mistaking one
for the other that all our suffering comes.

Self-grasping creates self-cherishing, which in turn creates an ingrained
aversion to harm and suffering. However, harm and suffering have no
objective existence; what gives them their existence and their power is only
our aversion to them. When you understand this, you understand then that it
is our aversion that attracts to us every negativity and obstacle that can
possibly happen to us, and fills our lives with nervous anxiety,
expectation, and fear.

Wear down that aversion by wearing down the self-grasping mind and its
attachment to a nonexistent self, and you will wear down any hold on you
that any obstacle and negativity can have. For how can you attack someone or
something that is just not there?


Sogyal Rinpoche

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-new meditators - those with no experience in meditation at all

-intermediate meditators - those who would like to get more comfortable with their practice

-experienced meditators - those who want to refine their inner work

-meditators who have not yet explored Tibetan Buddhist meditation

-- 

Hi John,

Check out "Distance Learning" on the following web
site.

http://www.rigpaus.org/

Rigpa's Distance Learning is a way for people who have
mobility limitations to get teachings.  You do have to
have some technology to support receiving the
teachings and taking instructions, but I have been
told that the courses are great.

Good luck.

Lois



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Don't get soaked.  Take a quick peek at the forecast
with the Yahoo! Search weather shortcut.
http://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/#loc_weather

H.H. th Dalai Lama will give public teachings in Lisbon.
3-day Teachings
September 13th, 14th , and 15th, 2007
You can read all the information in:

http://www.dalailamalisboa2007.com/homepage/en

Peace
Antonio