Practicing Kindness and the Dharma Warrior: YouTube video teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo
Month: January 2016
Astrology for 1/9/2016
1/9/2016 Saturday by Norma
Today you’re required to be your most formal self. Dress as conservatively as possible and perform each duty as required. Men and women are in harmony and help each other in many ways. If you own a uniform signifying your position, wear it and behave in a dignified manner; someone may be standing nearby with a camera! Stephen Hawking said, “I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road.” Be cautious. It’s a good day to use proceeds from a loan and money that changes hands is well spent. Fun is serious today, health is improving, and the best action is behind the scenes.
The astrology post affects everyone differently, based on individual horoscopes. Look to see where this message affects your life!
Astrology for 1/8/2016
1/8/2016 Friday by Norma
Hard or serious news comes and an old love is once again in the picture. It’s important to be patient, remain quiet, listen and avoid the temptation to run away from something requiring your attention. Time spent patiently now will be rewarded in the future. Shakespeare said, “He also serves who stands and waits.” Nervous tension is a factor so be patient with others and yourself. Exercise is important today, and travel for matters of significance may be necessary. What’s good? Signing documents, wrapping up a past affairs, increasing health and behind-the-scenes supporters.
The astrology post affects everyone differently, based on individual horoscopes. Look to see where this message affects your life!
Lead Your Mind to A Pristine Point
From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo (@jalpalyul)
Our minds have been under the influence of delusion since the beginning of time. The function of concentration is to gain control of our minds. Having gained control of the mind we can then steer it in a virtuous direction. Without mind training this is not possible. Without training the mind will continue to be like “monkey mind” that drags one around in an unstable way. This is very detrimental to one’s path. Because of that we have indulged in negative actions. These actions lead to unwanted suffering. Therefore if we wish to succeed on the path we must learn to transform and gain control of our minds.
Like a donkey, the mind must be led in a virtuous direction and used as method as one would ride a horse. One cannot allow the mind simply to wander. The mind’s habit is to wander wherever, and acts like a monkey, distracted and hyper, enjoying shiny things! When you make real progress, you should be able to place the mind at a pristine point easily and well. Until one attains that point, it is necessary to progress step-by-step. One must build a house with stable walls by building a perfect stable foundation. This is the way pure Lamas do, and we, of course must follow!
© Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo
Who Needs Refuge?
The following is an excerpt from a teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo called “Faults of Cyclic Existence”
How is the understanding of compassion a clarifying thought as well as a motivating thought? How is it a clarifying thought? Now here is where the profound connection with refuge comes into play. Not only does the compassion motivate us to take refuge, but it makes us think it through very clearly. If we utilize it, it does.
When we enter onto the path of the Buddhadharma, we take refuge in the outer refuge of Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, the inner refuge of lama, yidam, khandro, and the secret refuge of the channels, winds and fluids. When we actually enter into this refuge, which for our purposes now are the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, Triple Gem refuge, we must define why it must be arranged the way it is. Why is it organized the way it is? For instance, if it’s true that all sentient beings are suffering but they wish to be happy and they are mostly suffering due to desire and the confusion about issues concerning desire, if that’s what the Buddha said, then why don’t we just kind of sit down and have a therapeutic session of insight so that we can isolate for ourselves what it is that we actually want.And maybe then we can go and get it. If all sentient beings are really suffering and we’re really unhappy and we’re trying to be happy, why don’t we just have an insight of some kind and go for it!? Why don’t we do that? Well, because you’ve done that before. You’ve done that before. You do it all the time to greater or lesser degree, according to your capacity and your habitual tendency. In fact, we do that all of the time. We feel a need. We feel desire. We feel something. Something is moving that locomotive down the track. What is it? So we sit down and we try to center ourselves or we get busy and allow thoughts to come up. Each one of us has a characteristic way to deal with things. Maybe we’ll do a little journaling, we’ll do a little art, we’ll do a little music, we’ll do a little whatever, take a walk and try to center ourselves, and figure out what’s going on. Well, we’ll come up with something. You always come up with something
Now we’re going to figure out, “Oh , if I don’t get with the great love of my life pretty soon…, That’s what it is, I know that’s what it is.” So now you’re on to the next adventure. Or you may ask yourself,“What is it that’s troubling me? What is it that’s troubling me?” And you sit down and you’re reaching inside and using all this psychological technique and you’re going, “Oh it’s my mother!!! My mother didn’t love me!!” Each of these are valid. I’m not saying that these are not issues in your life. I’m not saying that these are not valid things to think about, but I am saying that there is some confusion there in that you are looking at the superficial causes for discomfort, but not the deeper ones.
If we were to look more deeply,, we would discover that the underlying cause of all suffering is desire, and that we’re real, real, real confused about this whole issue. So we examine the path and examine the teachings a little bit further. And we find that the Buddha has taught us that samsara is actually made up of the things that potentially make us suffer. That is to say that the first step or connection with samsara, that is the wheel of death and rebirth, is based on the idea, the first gossamer thin assumption or idea, of self-nature as being inherently real. Why does that happen? That happens because it can. End of subject. It’s one of the potentials in the great ground of primordial nature which contains within it all potentials. So this has happened. We have considered ourselves separate.
In order to consider one’s self as self nature separate, other has to be external. In order for other to be external, it has to be determined. In order for it to be determined, we have to react toward it. There has to be a reaction toward it with acceptance or rejection. You cannot see something without registering acceptance or rejection, or the combination of the two, which is neutrality. Neutrality is not lack of reaction. It is a combination of reactions. So we cannot experience anything as outside ourselves without some sort of reaction. And once that has happened, we react toward everything with hope and fear.
So everything in samsara is then built from that original structure of the idea of self nature being inherently real and at this point one’s self is determined, and other becomes external. We split into subjective-objective reality. Everything in samsara, every kind of perception with the senses, anything that we take in with our eyes, our ears, our tongues, anything that senses, comes from, at the root, that original construct, that original assumption of self-nature as being inherently real. So everything in samsara is built of that. That is to say that nothing that we experience now, nothing that we have ever experienced, is separate from the realm of desire. So literally, everything within samsara is potentially cause for more suffering.
Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Norbu Lhamo All rights reserved
Astrology for 1/7/2016
1/7/2016 Thursday by Norma
Look for a surprise early today. A hard working person needs to take time off, rest, and honor the urge to jump the fence or fly the coop. The jingle “You deserve a break today” was made for today. Home, family and women are helpful in giving you an exit strategy. A secret plan is developing steadily whether or not you are aware of it. A foregone conclusion is reconsidered, and some backtracking is in order. Feeling spied on? You probably are, so don’t behave or speak in a reckless manner. What’s good today? A sense of freedom, the end of a serious matter and the ability to do what you want for a change! Plus inspiration, where none existed before.
The astrology post affects each person differently, based on individual horoscopes. Look to see where
this message affects your life!
Astrology for 1/6/2016
1/6/2016 Wednesday by Norma
If it seems things are going backward today it’s because they are. Lose your keys, forget your project, redo something you already did! It’s that kind of day. A brand new idea takes you down a dead end, so avoid new decisions and stick with prior plans for best results. This is a good time to do things you’ve postponed, fix things that need fixing and bask in the good health that is promised. Frank Gannon said, “Sooner or later everyone sits down to a banquet of consequences.” Notice what needs to be adjusted and get busy. It’s a happy day, good for travel. Delays are unexpectedly fun.
The astrology post affects everyone differently, based on individual horoscopes. Look to see where this message affects your life!
Astrology for 1/5/2016
1/5/2016 Tuesday by Norma
Feeling irritable? Forget it! This is a great day to move forward with a health procedure, to plan the details of your life, to organize things and to be hypnotized. Mysticism plays a role in the day: dream your wildest dreams and they step up to assist you! Anonymous said, “I want this to work,” and set out on a seemingly impossible quest, which did, indeed, work. Decide what you want to work and it will. A transformation is taking place, let it happen. Elsewhere, it’s a good day to go for a drive and get lost, to wrap up a long term project, to confer with friends and to think of what the future holds for you. Finish your New Year’s Resolutions!
The astrology post affects everyone differently, based on individual horoscopes. Look to see where this message impacts your life!
Astrology for 1/4/2016
1/4/2016 Monday by Norma
Private matters, secrets, are discussed today. Don’t be bothered if you are not invited to a meeting. Remember the things you don’t want publicized and you’ll be sensitive to others’ feelings. A transformation is happening. Gabriel Garcia Marquez said, “Human beings are not born once and for all on the day of their birth, but life obliges them over and over to give birth to themselves.” Prepare to be reborn in some way. Of course this involves letting go of an old way of being. Go for it! The best energy of the day involves clear thinking about yourself, what you want to happen and what you’re will to do to achieve this. Health matters improve, conversation is fun and someone has your back!
The daily astrology post affects everyone differently, depending on individual horoscopes. Look to see
where this message touches your life!
Astrology for 1/3/2016
1/3/2016 Sunday by Norma
Spend special time with your partner and listen carefully to concerns. Reassurance is necessary along with declarations of support. Be decisive with someone who is indecisive. During the day the energy changes and you know exactly what you’re doing. When this moment arrives, get busy! Avoid reviewing a decision once it’s made, you’ll undercut yourself. Happiness lies in small things today. Wolfgang von Goethe said, “One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and, if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words.”
The astrology post affects everyone differently, depending on individual horoscopes. Look to see where this message impacts your life!