The following is from a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:
Death comes to us all, often sooner than we know. Prepare for death. If you have accomplished Phowa then death is not frightening, and can be noble and of benefit. Leave with no debt unpaid, and practice. Death will be in the heart of the Primordial Mother.
One can practice Amitaba Buddha, and at the time of passing to Dharmakaya Buddha, the practice will be the connection. OM AH MI DEWA HRI!
Either way, if dying, renounce all, for not one grain of rice will go with you. This is not a time to pick apart the world, or hurt anyone.
These are the teachings as given by my Lineage, Palyul.
If death is chaotic and fearful, unprepared or cruelly, there is unimaginable suffering in the Bardo of death. Always attend your mind. Leave some worthy act of compassion, keep the mind loving and peaceful. Life is as short as a cup of water travelling down a waterfall, and as fast.
The following is a message from Gyaltrul Rinpoche to Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo and her sangha given on November 11, 2011:
VGR to JAL 11.11.11
In November 2011 Venerable Gyaltrul Rinpoche offered the following spontaneous teaching about Jetsunma at a sangha gathering at Tashi Choling in Oregon.
Gyaltrul Rinpoche began by asking Jetsunma’s student who was in attendance at the gathering to stand and to convey this message to Jetsunma.
“You opened your center. Then you bought a house, and then you invited Holiness Penor Rinpoche. Then you sponsored the whole Rinchen Terzod, and invited so many high lamas.
You got really sick, but still you are upholding that center. Right now you miss Holiness, but it doesn’t matter. I heard that you offered your center to two tulkus who are His Holiness’ successors. You are the servant. You have merit. In that way you succeeded in growing your center. Now you have the merit to offer it to Holiness’ successors – two tulkus and the whole lineage. You gave everything to them purely, cleanly, and without attachment. You don’t make claims. You dedicated that merit to sentient beings to cleanse obscurations. Thank you so much. This is the way of dharma, not just the way of “mine.” The way of “mine” is, “We need to practice.” Mine is “We need to generate merit and cleanse obscurations.” That’s mine. You took a big step that is opposite of the American brain. You didn’t say “mine.” You said that according to Buddha it belongs to sentient beings. It is the Buddha’s offering for sentient beings. You dedicated it. Thank you so much.
Speaking to the student, Gyaltrul Rinpoche continued.
Students at the center need to maintain it for sentient beings. Note what your teacher His Holiness did. At the same time follow what Jetsunma did. She offered the center and everything back to the lineage for your benefit. Now you have to maintain it. Don’t crack. Don’t damage it. How do you crack it? How do you damage it? By the breaking of samaya. By fighting. This is “my” way, your way, this way, that way. Whose way? His Holiness’ way. Your way as a human being is Holiness’ way. Penor Rinpoche is Holiness. As non human beings it is Shakyamuni Buddha’s Way, Guru Rinpoche’s Way.
Through the whole Rinchen Terzod you got the whole lineage. You guys need to maintain that benefit for all the sentient beings that are connected with you. You have to open up for them, as much as you can for sentient beings. Not only for him that you like or her that you like or not, but for all sentient beings, even bugs. Do according to Shakyamuni, according to Guru Rinpoche and according to your root lama, Penor. We don’t have anything to be ashamed of with the wonderful way of our root lama, the Dalai Lama. Follow that example. I pray for you guys.
Right now we have the amazing fortune in this life and next life to offer some benefit for others. Almost nobody has that kind of merit. Therefore don’t forget how fortunate, how lucky we are. This is our luck, all of our fortune. Therefore don’t throw away your luck. Don’t throw away your merit. Continue. There are lots of obstacles up and down, but try. Be patient. Be more compassionate for sentient beings. We have this opportunity only one time – this time. If we lose this one, we won’t get another. Recognize this. Try that. Tell all the centers that this is my request. Thank you. Tashi Deleg.
I’m so happy she [Jetsunma] offered it, you know? It is amazing that way. She has freedom. So you have heard this example. You guys are working for the sentient beings. Don’t be proud working for yourself. Everybody is working hard.
Some of you guys came here today. Some didn’t come. One way – snow. One way -laziness. One way – excuse. One way is saving next life’s merit, and cleansing obscurations. We need to keep that savings. We don’t want to clear it out. We don’t want to save the merit too much. Therefore we need to save space.
Everybody is working so hard but I’m not embarrassed. I don’t have any regrets about it. I’m happy. The reason is not that I am happy using you guys in ten directions. I’m not satisfied that you guys are tortured. Look at Philip, how old his body is. And Ani here is an old lady. Everyone says these guys torture themselves from working so hard. The reason is to generate merit – purification. Anytime you have an opportunity, don’t ignore that opportunity. We don’t know how short our life is. You may think, “I’m not like that ugly old man. I’m quite handsome.” Anyway one day you are going to be cranky like me, ugly like me, a bozo like me. You will look like that. It’s not only me. I’m not the only one being punished from old age.
The nature of samsara is like that. We trust. You think samsara is trustable, even more than your boyfriend, more than your husband, more than your wife or girlfriend. You guys trust so much. I love you. This is the real reason for our shorter life that we have that idea. The bottom line is reaching another life. Everybody try. Help each other practice. Dedicate. Nothing is more useful or better. It all is temporary, but we have a chance, an opportunity.
You need to go. You guys need to go because there is snow, but try in the future. You have an opportunity. You have amazing good fortune. I’m not saying you are pretty or handsome or smarter. I’m not saying you’re richer. Being rich means nothing. Look at how rich Qadaffi was. All sentient beings are going to die, even Shakyamuni’s father and mother. When we read the history of Shakyamuni, do we think of Shakyamuni as a poor guy? No. Did he get drunk or crazy? No. Read that history carefully. I’m not asking you guys to become a nun or monk. Nun means nothing. Monk means nothing. If you follow Shakyamuni’s footsteps then yes, but lots of monks are about ritual. Lots of monks are samsara leaders. This is more cheating of Shakyamuni. Actually we are cheating ourselves.
It’s the same thing with Guru Rinpoche. Guru Rinpoche is not a poor guy. G. Rinpoche is not a poor guy. I’m not asking you to give up your position, or money or anything. But recognize first what is of benefit and what that means. What is good or bad? Check everything. Don’t jump over this.
Look at how many countries are fighting and for what? Power, money, and that kind of thing. You guys are smart. Look carefully. Don’t think its all Funky Rinpoche. “He’s dying. He’s losing his life.” Yeah. You are right. But it’s not only me. You too. I don’t have preparation so don’t follow me. Wake up. Stand up. You have an opportunity and you have the blessing of Holiness Dalai Lama, Dudjom Rinpoche, Penor Rinpoche, and the Karmapa. Sunshine shows your hand or behind or friend or whatever. You are not in the darkness. All dharmas – Hinayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana – everything is there blazing on you. At that time don’t go Qadaffi style. Don’t go down dark tunnels. Still your “bad” is showing. Therefore, everybody try. Don’t be smart. You want to be smart? Understand cause and effect. You need someone smart who can benefit you? Know who can help or harm you. That’s smart. You don’t need the scholar going blah, blah, blah. A hundred thousand pages you do for one second, but everything is blah blah blah. You don’t follow that meaning or result, or you don’t care. It’s just blah blah blah. Therefore everybody try.
Goodnight. We have snow, so I’m not going to blah no meaning. I don’t want to make obstacles for you.”
Today the spotlight is on the big picture and how to combine the heart with the head – or emotions with thinking and ideas. A word of caution – don’t get fixated on being right. There is a lot of energy available at this time to change social structures for the betterment of humanity. Any structural changes at this time will have a solid feel and a long-lasting impact. We live in a world where there is a need for loving, compassionate activity; and we are capable of choosing love and to be compassionate.~Jetsunma Ahkon Norbu Lhamo
The fighting energy of Mars is united with our emotions, the Moon today, so you maybe irritable: don’t flare up over small stuff. Expect to make personal adjustments and major self corrections concerning will, authority and pride, for the next few days. With the Sun entering Virgo you will have the opportunity to see what you need to change. Happy Birthday to all you Virgos who tend to be gifted in analysis, and practical application! As Jetsunma Ahkon Norbu Lhamo says, You need to begin to stabilize the mind by sensing the difference between your nature and your conceptualizations…
Today the Moon is Void of Course from 10.20 am EST USA until 12.57 pm. If you’re in another country check what that means for you time-wise. It’s best to avoid making major decisions or signing contracts during this time.
The following is an excerpt from a teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo called “Bringing Virtue Into Life”
We can live our lives as the walking dead, and then die, unprepared, like going to a continent filled with precious jewels and coming back empty-handed. Or, we can switch on the lights, face facts and do what it takes to negotiate the shoals of samsara, as painlessly as possible.
The Buddha teaches us that we should think of our lives as like a burning room and that the smoke is beginning to choke us, fill us up. And you know, if you’re in a burning room, eventually you’re going to get burned. It’s going to consume you, right? So think of ourselves as being in a burning room, and think that there is one door. That door is wide open to you. Do you get that? It is wide open to you. That door is the door of Dharma. There is one door by which to escape and you can walk out that door. You should think of the very doorway of that door as being your own root teacher. That is the implement, the tool, that you should use to get out of that room—your teacher, your practice, Dharma.
If you were in a burning room right now, and your skin was beginning to crackle and the smoke was beginning to overcome you, how would you think about that door? With fervent regard, the way we are instructed to think about our practice. That door would look pretty much like God to you! That door would look like the best thing you ever saw! Every breath of air that came through that door would be sweeter than anything you have ever known because that door is freedom.
You should think about your practice that way, because that is the way it is. That is the way it is. In samsara here, we are locked in a burning room and there is a door. And we have the great good fortune of not only seeing that door, but having the capacity to exit through that door. Not only that, but that door has a door sill that is friendly and helpful and appropriate for the size and shape of our bodies that will help us to exit that room comfortably. And that’s how we should think about our practice. Number one, wake up. Number two, get the big picture. Number three, act as though you were a sane and reasonable person, which most of us don’t. We don’t act like sane and reasonable people.
I’m not telling you anything you didn’t know. You know that life is impermanent. You know that you have suffered, and you know that you feel unable to really face all these things because it seems so hard to simply live a virtuous life. But I can tell you that it’s like anything else that you do as a friend for yourself that’s good for you, such as changing your diet to really nutritious food. At first when you do that, you know how it is. When you’re young, you can eat anything. You have a cast iron stomach. I mean the things I ate when I was young I can’t even look at now. Now I’m 45 years old and I have to eat right. If I don’t eat right, I don’t feel good.
But do you remember what it took to change into learning how to live well in that regard? To go from eating the food that I liked to eating the food that I have learned to like was hard, and I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t think I was up to it. And to go from the kind of activity that I engaged in when I was younger… Oh I could stay up all night if I wanted to, every night if I wanted to. I was blazing. I was a crazy girl. But now, if I don’t get a certain amount of sleep, the next day I’ve got bags down to my knees. You know, it’s horrible what life does to you! You look terrible and your whole face shows it. You feel awful. You feel like a dog. You feel worse than a dog.
So how did you feel when you had to change from those old habits to these new habits? At first it was painful. You didn’t want to do that. You didn’t want to change. When you learned that your body was going to fall down if you didn’t exercise, you started to exercise. At first, you hated it. You hated it. Nobody likes it when they first start to exercise. It’s painful. Your body doesn’t want to do that. But then when you finally do start to exercise, your body likes it and loves it and it feels good.
Living a virtuous life is like that. The decision to live a virtuous life is painful at first because you have to face the facts, and the facts are you’re dying. You’re dying on the hoof, right now. The second fact is that if you engage in virtuous activity you’ll be happy, and if you engage in nonvirtuous activity, you will be unhappy. That is not something we want to face. We want to do what we do, effortlessly, la la la la la, like little children. We don’t want to examine ourselves. We don’t want to look at what we do, but once we have done that,I’ve found, and many of us who are practicing for some time now have found, that we come to love our practice. We come to deepen in it and truly love it. We come to love the life of Dharma. We come to love a life that is engaged in bringing benefit and happiness to others. We come to find out at last that we never, not for a moment, liked ourselves when we were living the other way, the nonvirtuous way, the no-brainer. We never liked ourselves. There was no self-esteem happening there at all.
So then my suggestion is that we get started. Go through it. Buck up little soldier! Do what it takes to stand up tall and open your heart and get the big picture. Once you do that and you start to engage in a virtuous life, your mind will be smoother, you will be happier. You will be happier. This I promise you.
In the meantime, because our minds work the way they do and because we can’t see the direct relationship between cause and effect, we have to listen to our teachers. There is no other choice. Our teachers have crossed the ocean of suffering, just as the Buddha has done. Crossed the ocean of suffering, and returned for our sake. Our teachers, having seen the further shore and having seen the journey there and back, have come back to bring us this understanding. Live this way. Bring your life to the pinnacle of what it can be, and hold it steady and grow up, because that’s what it takes to be happy.
Theme: Drawing on deep resources in difficult times
With the Moon moving past the planet of deep transformation and inner resources, Pluto, you can find out you about the strengths you didn’t know you had today! It’s a day to dive deeply in all ways. Try and pause before reacting to difficulty or challenges. It’s also an activity day for marrying physical activity with spirituality such as yoga, tai chi or any other physical form that engages the heart and mind. Action is movement with intelligence. What the world needs is more conscious movement, more action. B.K.S. Iyengar
Today and tomorrow are more challenging days emotionally so when the challenges do come be prepared as best you can. With the moon close to Pluto and Mars our emotional responses are especially tied to deep habits and fears. So try to separate what is yours and what is not before responding. Or be like a log as Shantideva recommends and don’t move! With the Sun in Leo, Venus in Libra and Jupiter in good aspect there are also many positive forces to draw upon today. My life is lived, and I have played the part that Fortune gave.~Virgil
The following is an excerpt from a teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo called “Bringing Virtue Into Life”
When you give money to the temple, do it because you need to, not because we need you to. Do it because you understand that you are the one that needs to practice the generosity. That’s your medicine.
Do not make the mistake of thinking that your root guru or your lama is the one that needs the temple. It’s completely false. It is not the lama that needs the temple. It’s the students that practice there. This is not my temple in Poolesville, Maryland. This is your temple in Poolesville, Maryland. You should take pride in its cleanliness. You should take pride in its prosperity. It should embarrass you when the bills are not paid here. It should embarrass you when things are not going well at the temple—when there is not enough participation, when we can’t find someone to cut the grass—because this is your temple. This is your house. Spiritually, you live here. This is for you. If you could just get that one small truth and take responsibility for your practice whether it’s the karma yoga of engaging in protecting your temple, propagating the teachings, making this place firm, pure and safe for others to come and practice, or whether it’s the meditational yoga of actually engaging in sit-down practice in order to benefit sentient beings, or both. Hopefully you’re doing both, because that’s what is needed.
There is a sense of being alone today so finding things that connect you to the greater whole, such as the natural environment, are helpful. There is more emphasis today on exploring the interior of your mind. Find a beautiful spot and rest for a moment or more. New ways of communicating beckon. Take advantage of learning opportunities offered to you at this time. To attain knowledge, add things everyday. To attain wisdom, remove things every day.~Lao Tzu
