A sacred space for everyone
The following is a full length teaching offered by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:
Every religion has a concept of what is considered compassionate or virtuous. What we find is that often we “look” compassionate instead of deepeing in our practice of Vajrayana. This generates the ultimate result of enlightenment.
Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo. All rights reserved
An excerpt from a teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo called Turning Adversity Into Felicity
Many people experience fear. Confidence in your practice and confidence in your prayers to the guru, these things relax the mind and subdue fears. So my suggestion is to practice in that way and to begin to cultivate the kind of confidence necessary to have the mind be more relaxed and calmer. Everything about us, everything about our practice and everything about our lives in general tends to go better if the mind is not tense and tightly constricted. If it is more spacious and relaxed, all of our perceptual processes, every aspect of our lives tends to go better.
We can take this understanding one step further. If in our lives we meet with a frightening obstacle—a health obstacle, an obstacle to our finances or to our living situation or something like that—our tendency, of course, is to tighten up and become tense and constricted. Actually, you should know that when obstacles are rising, if our minds become tight and tense and constricted, the obstacles tend to rise with more venom, and to be much more difficult to handle.
In a way, if our minds are tense like that, it’s as though we are leaving ourselves open for obstacles to arise and bring all their friends with them. It’s simply that when the mind is churned up it makes everything very fluid, and when obstacles are rising, that fluidity may not be the best thing. That fluidity tends to make things ripen and catalyze very quickly.
The best thing to do instead, is to allow the mind to perceive the empty nature of all circumstances, to meditate on emptiness, and to see misfortune and fortune as being inherently the same in their nature. That doesn’t mean you have to like misfortune as much as you like fortune. Nobody likes it as much, and nobody feels that way. But still, if you can begin to take steps towards meditating on the inherently empty nature of both phenomena, there is a lightness and a spaciousness that occurs within the mind that allows things to relax, that allows whatever obstacles that are arising to dissipate naturally.
When you begin to learn a little bit more about the nature of mind, you will come to understand that our perceptual process, our minds and the ego structure that reacts to any kind of fortune or misfortune—are all inherently empty in their nature. As we begin to give rise to that awareness and meditate on that, the nature of experience actually begins to change. Clearly, in times of great trouble many, many practitioners have found that if they avoid the temptation to say, “Now I’m having problems, best I get busy trying to correct them,” and become more active, but instead, go more deeply into practice and actually rely on meditation as a solution, sometimes just backing off from the situation and relaxing the mind will cause the situation to arise much differently. And that’s including, and even especially, physical sickness.
All sufferings have their roots in cause and effect, and most can be immediately traced to the way that we perceive and the way that we react. Although it doesn’t seem like that when circumstances are really slapping us in the face, if we can sit quietly and meditate and have confidence in our practice, have confidence in the blessing of the Guru, have confidence in the blessings of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, then in this way many of the obstacles in our lives naturally begin to dissipate. Many people have worked through tremendous personal obstacles by relying completely on their meditation, and they come out ever so much stronger.
© Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo
The following is from a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:
You can only know the result of the path when you have actually accomplished the path. Your life demonstrates result. The mirror.
It is easy to be deluded by the circus in one’s head. Awakening is inexplicable, too many words aren’t needed.
A foundation must be well laid before the house can actually be even dreamed of.
When the three accomplishments are complete, ground, path and fruit, then all are known as a great primordial spontaneous array.
That is the way.
Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo. All rights reserved
The following is from a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:
Looks like I may be on the move again. I do listen to my experts. And I am still transforming into my own superhero.
Evidently it ain’t over yet, too bad for us all. But I am braver and stronger.
When you disappear to avoid a stalker, they often go quiet. But they never forget. Neither should we. Feel safe by taking care of you.
It’s all I can say. Leave your life or work. Whatever, you have the right to save yourself. Survival is necessary to do anyone any good.
I believe in the rights of women and family – period. No one will take care of you like you. No proper laws are in place. No one considers women as important as men. Even if the woman contributes to society and the man is a total creep. She still loses. But she will always have the power to get it back.
In fact if we change the law we can change the world. Think of it – fair to women. No beatings. No stalking. No men who impregnate women and leave them with no help. No living in fear, rape, incest – world worth living in. It’s up to us. No one else gives a rat’s ass about women’s safety. Certainly not Judge Titus. How does he look at his family and know other families are at risk?
Dunno. Just know I can’t. I now advocate for women. Those who are upright and real, not goldbrickers. I don’t know how to afford this running life. But it will be OK somehow. I know because I feed homeless, rescue animals, feed and house birds, etc, the 99%.
So merit and karma prevail. And love. Love prevails, always, like water rushing over rock.
I’m with you, I love you. I love us. Be safe, do what it takes!
Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo. All rights reserved
The following is an email from Norma Byrne, who writes our Daily Astrology Posts:
Dear Jetsunma,
I was just thinking about you in my practice and had the idea to tell you
this.
You are fortunate to have all those 8th house planets, because it makes you
like a Scorpio. The good part is that Scorpios grow stronger in adversity.
Things that would kill other signs make them stronger. So the message is
that your old self has died and is being reborn as a new, stronger one. You
are doing the Scorpio thing right now. Yay! Go get em! The will to bring
yourself back to life after a “death” is powerful, and you are doing it.
I feel happy and proud to be your student.
Love,
Norma
The following is from a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:
Hi all! Still hiding, and all is going well. I’m making progress on my Health Rider, and I’ve started to learn self-defense.
What the law won’t do for me, I’ll do for myself. What other choice does this system give women?
I have a heavy bag, gloves etc. And I’m gonna be a warrior. I’m tired of feeling like a victim, or wronged, or weak. I would never attack someone who didn’t attack first. This training is to be sure 1) I don’t need it 2) I won’t fold. I feel stronger already, more confident. I feel tougher. This is great!
Wait for the law to do the right thing? This patriarchy? Don’t think so. So many women die while running. I will stand my ground. No one else will.
I once had every confidence in the government and it’s laws. No more. I trust myself. I feel I can be both healing and loving, and impossible to take down. What a combo for women!
And gals, we are forced to take this rout because there is no law for us. None. And the restraining orders? As if paper will stop a psychopath. My mother had one, but she always let him back. He’d buy candy and flowers. But the real reason is, she had no money and would have to go on welfare. One day he broke her nose with a glass ashtray. Once he threw an axe at my brother, missed and cleaved a tree my brother hid behind. One day he shot and nearly killed a man. He was crazy and dangerous and he got five years for attempted murder. So did they care about the wife and kids? No.
That won’t happen to me. Sometimes women know when trouble is coming. I have good intuition and I’ll depend on myself if others don’t believe me. I won’t accept any opinions. This is my life and I’m gonna save it.
It hurts to know the law doesn’t care. You all need to learn this. There are excellent classes, mentors, non lethal equipment. Or lethal as well with proper training and a license. Believe in yourself; in your worth. Even just living in urban cities can make you candy for some freak with a lot of hate. You don’t have to be candy. Get trained. Stay alive. Change the game. Be a force to be reckoned with.
See you soon. When I “emerge” I’ll be a warrior. Join me! For all our sakes.
Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo. All rights reserved
The following is a full length video teaching offered by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo at Kunzang Palyul Choling:
Having a Guru in your life is the best friend you have. They guide you through lfetimes until you reach enlightenment. Use them.
Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo. All rights reserved
The following is from a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:
Buddhism doesn’t need you, you need Buddhism. Lama doesn’t need you, you need Lama. There are many more students than teachers.
To climb Mt. Everest one needs a Sherpa (guide) to show the way. A map or book is useless. You can only trust a guide who has gone before.
If you have a dental cavity, you need a professional dentist: trained, credentials from school, with many patients and experience, not a mechanic with pliers.
If you are hungry and don’t know how to cook a book helps. But an educated cook will show you how to use it. It will be edible!
OK, so you have a blown tire, and all the tools. Jack, lug wrench, etc- but no one has ever taught you how. You still aren’t going anywhere.
Is your TV broke? Don’t leave it to a plumber to fix. The plumber may electrocute himself and your TV will look like shit.
If a child needs to blow his nose it won’t be the tissue that teaches. It will be the parent.
How many ways can I say this?
If you are getting fit, walking works. But the real deal is weights, resistance, warm up cool down, flexibility and you need to train with an accomplished trainer. (Clue – check their bodies). A couch potato simply won’t do.
Whatever your goal, make sure you don’t choose a slacker with an ego. Choose a teacher with a track record and credentials.
Spiritually, choose a Lineage and stay strong. Don’t dabble. Or quibble. For truth don’t choose a liar or cheat. Learn from their past and from your own mistakes. Gather merit, love yourself enough to do this right!
Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo. All rights reserved
The following is from a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:
I read a report that people naturally negative, hateful, and generally have no regard for others, often attract others of like mind. Then the haters begin to hate each other. Petty war ensues, and the groups split, hate grows. Eventually these folks, in sociopathic resonance feed each other’s hate, then all take turns hating and insulting each other. Once in a while someone wakes up and escapes it. Most not. And it is a shame.
Sure we all have some negativity and moody days. The proper practitioner will clean it up and move on. Maybe perform good works and balance the scales again. Others spiral down so quickly it is mind-boggling.
I saw a woman who outwardly seems all saintly who, when called on some crazy gobbledygook teaching went hateful, rabid, incredibly insulting. Never disagree with someone like that. The fangs and talons emerge: suddenly your beating heart is consumed. Chewed up and spit out. Kinda hard on a tender heart. Hard to watch. But bearable if you consider the source and totally ignore them.
You can learn to get by. I do. When someone tells me what’s going on with gossips or disrespect or hate…I just say, “Honey, talk to the hand. Or take it to the judge.” Either way. kindness is the way!
Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo. All rights reserved
The following is a full length video teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:
Empowerment comes directly from the stainless compassion of Guru Rinpoche himself. Allow yourself to be changed and ripened by this gift of compassion.
Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo. All rights reserved