Teachers

Root Teacher

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From The Spiritual Path:  A Compilation of Teachings by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

Perception, or revelation, varies according to the capability of one’s own mind. A mind dulled by obstacles and obscurations can go to a holy place, hear a holy teaching, even bow to a holy one—and walk away unaffected. The mind that is quickened and ready can come and drink, perhaps not understanding what it has drunk, but at least knowing that this is true nourishment. The mind that is truly realized can perceive that upon every atom there are Buddhas beyond counting; that one’s own Root Teacher is the Dharmakaya Buddha come at last; that Guru Rinpoche is the emanation of pure compassion who made all of this possible; and that He has entered, in many forms, into all levels of cyclic existence. Such a mind can understand that every sound is the voice of the Precious Guru, that every breath of air is the movement of His teachings.

Any revelation that purifies the mind of duality and delusion, bringing forth the nectar of compassion from deep within you is the Precious Guru appearing once again. Any path such as Vajrayana, which leads to enlightenment in a definable, reliable way—is itself the appearance of the Precious Guru. If you achieve realization in this lifetime, that is Guru Rinpoche. If you hear a teaching, which brings enlightenment closer, that is Guru Rinpoche. If compassion is born in your heart so that you will spend your life practicing and praying for others and discovering within yourself all-pervading compassion, that is Guru Rinpoche. He is the Guru of compassion, the Guru of boundless light, the Guru of great love, the Guru of supreme medicine. He is the voice, the body, the mind, the heart, and the very embodiment of the all-pervading, compassionate nature of Dharmakaya. He continues to appear in a form that is accessible and real in every culture. He simply is. He is present within you now. Even as you read this, you can feel His presence. You can see Him in every part of your life. Strive at every moment to birth Him in your mind and heart. Pray never to be separate from the Three Precious Jewels and always, in every breath of air, to encounter the Precious Guru.

If you sincerely wish to end suffering in this and all other worlds, sincerely wish to root out the causes of suffering in your own mind, the Guru is active within you. In that sincere wish, He is calling you. Because of that sincerity, you will see Him. You will see Him even physically, for you will surely find an excellent and perfect Teacher. As Guru Rinpoche said, “I will come as your Teacher.” If your heart is pure and sincere, the Guru will appear before you.

In Vajrayana, even if your teacher is not enlightened, you can attain realization through pure faith, provided you seek only that which will cleanse all non-virtue from your mind, which will reveal the true, uncontrived face of Dharmakaya as your own face, and if you deeply wish to end the suffering of all sentient beings. Then your Teacher, even unrealized, will act upon you as Nirmanakaya Buddha. If with pure intention you accomplish your part of the bargain, you will find that your teacher is in fact Nirmanakaya Buddha. Your job is only to keep your heart pure. If you do not practice, if you deceive yourself in your practice, if you do not practice sincerely, or if you practice for the wrong reasons, not only have you accomplished nothing but you are only fooling yourself, for you will never see that precious face.

What is available to you now is the realization of the Precious Guru. He is the medicine for all ills, the end of suffering. He appears on this earth by the virtue of primordial nature and uncontrived mind. His virtue and nature are such that they are constantly revealed. They are all-pervasive. That is the truth of the Precious Guru. He appears upon the earth time and time again, in whatever form the karma of beings requires. He is food and drink, available the moment you feel hunger and thirst. He brings you the path to supreme enlightenment. He abides in all aspects of that path: the Teacher, the Sangha, and the Dharma. You cannot cut Him out of your mind, but you can ignore Him. Yet even after that, the moment you turn around, He is there.

I hope that this is helpful to you. If it can inspire even a little devotion in your heart and mind, it is worthwhile. Great devotion is necessary on this path, but we are too stiff most of the time. Do you remember the story of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples? That was an act of devotion, the perfect act of a Bodhisattva. We should all serve each other. We should care for others more than we care for ourselves. Devotion is the softener of hearts. It causes pride to be purified. It washes away the stiffness that accompanies egocentricity. Pure devotion itself can be a cause for realization. We should all engage in such holy activity, embodying the Precious Guru. Then, washing the feet of all sentient beings, we will finally understand our own true face.

© Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo

Method

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Tulku Migyur Dorje
Tulku Migyur Dorje

A teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

It is essential to keep at one’s practice daily. But also keep progressing, accomplishing each stage before moving to the next.

Starting with contemplation of the Four Thoughts, Ngundro, Three Roots, Tsa-Lung, Togyal and Trekchod. This method assures progress and good rebirth.  All these, the Treasures of the path, are best learned within one’s Lineage, under the guidance of a truly accomplished Master.

All these teachings and more are conferred at the Palyul Retreat Center in New York. Soup to nuts! And we are guided now by His Holiness Karma Kuchen and the Heart Sons.

It is difficult to have these profound teachings all in one place. The month long retreat in New York every Summer is not to be missed. Concise!

And there we have fully accomplished Masters to teach and ripen our minds. How extraordinary, pure Lineage transmission here in the US for all!

For more information about Palyul Summer Retreat, visit Palyul.org

Star Child

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Bright, shining

Star child

Tripping, dancing

In the light

Who are you?

I am

The lover; the beloved.

The father and the child.

The voice and the song.

The kingdom is mine!

Playfully, joyfully fathered by

All that is

I am born

Into glory!

I am glory!

Born to soar,

I hold in my hand

The seed and the fruit of forever

What a joy to cherish

This moment.

Forever-now.

To see in myself

The promise.

The song of love, sung

By me, for me.

Born in light

I am light;

Dazzling!

Pure, perfect crystalline

Light.

Becoming, multiplying, forever.

I am bathed

In exquisite joy –

Always.

One with Infinity

Star child!

By Alyce Mulloy

© Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo

Using Twitter to Bring Love & Stop Hate

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I am so happy to see #stop the hate moving with the speed of #LOVE and #LIGHT!  RT and keep it going!

Twitterverse is the perfect place for kindness and loving support! So #stop the hate!

Friends made in Twitterverse are true treasures. So much #LOVE is shared so #stop the hate!

When hateful people cause heartache cut them off or read them the news. #stop the hate!

When people rant with hateful views, invite them to change or shut up. And #stop the hate!

When you see Tweets filled with hate and slander, tell them you stand up for #LOVE and #stop the hate!

When Twitterverse is used for negativity and slander and meanness we ALL lose! So #stop the hate!

#Stop the hate. And #BRING THE LOVE!  We have the power, let’s use it!

Some people are ill, and live and breathe to hate. Show them a better way and #stop the hate!

Some people are chronic haters, and rage is all they know. You need not join them! #stop the hate! #BRING THE LOVE!

It is difficult to reform a hater. They are broken inside. But you are not, so #stop the hate! #BRING THE LOVE!

Will you foul your own nest? Excrete where you eat? #stop the hate! #BRING THE LOVE!

Did you ever think the people would have the power? Together we can #stop the hate! And #BRING THE LOVE!

Feed a starving world! Heal the people! Now is the time, here is the place! #BRING THE LOVE! And #stop the hate!

Let’s refuse to accept hate! And honor only love! Keep it going! #stop the hate! #BRING THE LOVE!

Let’s have a revolution of compassion! #stop the hate! #BRING THE LOVE! RT!

The Life, Death, and Liberation of Ani Palchen

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Thank you one and all for having prayer and recitation with us. While we are grieving dear Ani’s loss, the comfort of your presence is strong.

We are greatly sorry to lose her. But hers was a noble life, with merit, Bodhicitta and unbroken Samaya. We honor her.

Venerable Ani Palchen was a woman of faith and virtue. She never had a mean word to say. She made people feel welcome and loved.

I loved her. We all did. Do. While our hearts are heavy we rejoice that her Sangha, her Lineage, her family, and her Guru were there.

Not all will die a noble, auspicious death free of suffering. Not all will instantly be reborn in Dewachen. Not all are so loved.

She will be cremated in full robes, adorned with incense and flowers. The pure smoke will please the Buddhas, as did she.

Many have failed their ordination. Have lost their path. Not Venerable Ani, who honored Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha as well as her Tsawei Lama.

Therefore she did not die an ordinary death, as promised. And now remains in the Pureland Dewachen.

We pray for her swift rebirth; that she find Dharma quickly in that life. And lead others to liberation. I myself will look for her.

Feeding Wildlife in the Winter

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Bird Feeders
I thought I’d share some of my #wildlife endeavors. First a healthier suet recipe, guaranteed to help little birdies make it through cold.

Melt a jar of peanut butter and a tub of lard together, mix thoroughly, add rolled oats, cornmeal and birdseed until desired. Can add

Leftover nuts, cereals like Cheerios, a little sugar, and pack it into pound size tubs, freeze till hard. Unmold using hot water

And store blocks of suet in freezer. I offer it in a fly-thru feeder type. It will draw cold hungry ones from all around.

I also provide squirrel food blocks on the ground, sold in stores. They get corn and peanut butter too.

For the deer I provide planted forage, corn and apples. And fresh salt mineral blocks each season.

The best seeds for little birds in winter is Black Oil Sunflower seed, for the oil. For finches, Nyger seed.

If you can maintain an unfrozen water source, please do. Many birds die for lack of drinkable water in winter. I have a running stream.

Your larger birds, starlings, crows, etc will, oddly enough, eat small bite dog kibble, cheap brand w/GRAIN as main ingredient.

Isn’t good for your dog, they aren’t engineered for it. But larger birds are and they like the extra fat and protein in the winter.

My son made me the perfect bird feeder. He found an old disker or harrow, up-ended it and tied it to a tree. Viola! 6-level fly-thru feeder!

You can be creative with bird feeders and housing. I’ve been collecting and using all kinds of homemade stuff! Really fun.

Around here we have all kinds of oddball houses and feeders as well as bought stuff. Birds nest in almost anything with the right hole.

I hope you all enjoy helping the critters as much as I do. And there are many choices to help with. Love to hear some of your ideas!

Enlightened Activity

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An excerpt from a teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo from the Dakini Workshop

Enlightened activity is considered consistent with the nature of the dakini in that it arises from pure spaciousness and does not remain fixed or absorbed in the mind of duality.  What arises, arises effortlessly and spontaneously and is spontaneously complete because the basis of that emanation is the Buddha nature, free of distinction, free of contrivance, free of duality, free of ego clinging.

What arises in an uncontrived way from the sphere of truth without clinging, without fixation is pure enlightened activity.  Pure enlightened activity always results in perfect result, perfect meaning or enlightened result.  From the point of view of practitioners, from the point of view of those who have not established themselves firmly in the view, activity appears in a myriad of ways and we attach meaning to that activity. What we see then, when we see that activity, is only our meaning.  We do not see the activity.  Therefore, when one holds to and one views the enlightened activity that is consistent with the dakini nature and when one sees that compassionate activity from the point of view of duality and distinction, one will always see ones own mind.  Therefore that activity will be seductive in the way that our minds seduce us, that activity will be meaningful in the way that our minds deduce meaning, that activity will be objectionable in the way that our minds object and that activity will be confusing in the way that our minds are confused.  That is what we see.

Yet, in striving to attain a deeper understanding of this enlightened activity we have no other recourse other than to achieve realization ourselves.  We have to.  That is the only way to reach any kind of understanding.  And we are beaten over the head with our own minds because our own minds are flashed back at us. We see our mind constantly.  We are relentlessly seduced with our own stupidity.  We are browbeaten with our own inconsistencies until at some point, eventually, because this is an effortless process, because it is natural, because it arises from the uncontrived state, because it is our nature, this intensified process of putrefaction will putrefy itself into pureness effortlessly.

Well, it will not seem effortless on your part, exactly.  But that is because the mind is still clinging to perceptual experience.  The mind is in that continuum.   The consciousness is there.  That is what the perception is.  But try to remember that all that is being viewed is our own confusion.  That is all that is being seen.  It is very much like the symbolic image of the peacock – the bird with big feathers –who eats poisoned things and ends up with this beautiful plumage.  To some degree, that is what our practice looks like.  We just eat ourselves and eat ourselves and keep on consuming this thing that we see that arises only from our mind until finally at some point we can achieve a glimpse of the pure basis of that.  At that point, the pure basis of that is understood to be effortless.  It is understood to arise from the sphere of truth and complete itself instantly.  It is understood in its nature, but while we revolve in confusion we cannot feel that way.

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo.  All rights reserved

The Importance of Following an Accomplished Teacher

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His Holiness Karma Kuchen Rinpoche
His Holiness Karma Kuchen Rinpoche

The lucky one is (s)he who has spiritual discrimination. A clear sign that one has made progress on the path. There’s so much empty jargon.  Many people pass around their learned and personal wisdom, which indeed, is precious and to be respected. It’s progress!  Spiritual discrimination is seeing the difference between that communal sharing and an accomplished and qualified Guru to follow.  The entire spiritual community is strong, and growing, yearning, expressing, sharing, and loving! Hurray! Yet we must find a true Master.

I see the Lamas of Palyul, for instance. Taught and trained, profound and accomplished Lineage Masters, only here to enlighten us. These great Lamas live and die to liberate sentient beings from the sufferings of Samsara, return life after life for that alone.  That is something different from the great ocean of seekers, thinkers, poets, philosophers that we meet online and in life.

In Vajrayana we hear: “Why cross the ocean of suffering in a ship captained by one who has not yet themselves made the journey?”  Or “Why invest in a belief that has not produced even one fully Enlightened Buddha?”  Or “why travel a path not yet even one century old, and one cannot see the result?” If a man creates his own path, should YOU follow?  If we do not know the value of their path, not having seen the result, why go there? Why cross in a ship untested? Maybe it is flawed!  So we are advised to practice method and follow Lineage tested and proven over centuries and traceable lifetimes.

I read a claim by a man that he had changed Yoga to make a way to get enlightened immediately. The man looked middle age. Big ego. It is so much better to share one’s insights freely, love each other, learn from each other, but discriminate on path and guru. Or else we just have a bunch of well meaning sweeties walking around in spiritual circles, blind leading blind. It is kinda silly, especially when there are Buddhas and Bodhisattvas taking rebirth consciously, solely for the sake of all beings. That’s cosmic Love!

Not just talking heads, yada yada. A Guru must provide method to attain, or what good are they? You can’t talk your way to Liberation!  Sweet, loving, syrupy, flattering words are wonderful to see and taste. But are not the food of the Sublime Awakening!

If a “teacher” butters you up with flattery, pretty words, crazy promises, or says their blessing ALONE will Liberate-RUN! They are politicians!  They flatter and cajole for their own egocentric reasons. You will yourself receive no benefit at all. Except for a swollen puffed up ego.

The path of results, of Liberation requires daily effort, practice, mindfulness, and compassion, constantly developing! A living path!  A true path, like Vajrayana requires that you CHANGE. Utterly, completely- as we are awakening to Buddhahood. Old ways are abandoned. That old ego’s gotta go to make real progress! It ain’t for sissies. If one has been spiritual for 20 years and remains the same, there is no benefit.

Are you willing to change? Learn something new? Take a giant step that may -WILL rock your world? That is the student I value most.  We cannot remain the same, in our comfort zone, no new intake, same old spiritual mumblings and hope to attain Buddhahood.

If you were my own sweet babe in my arms, I would not teach you different. There is a lot to buy and sell, but nourishment is RARE!  Your true nature is the fundamental ground, Primordial Luminosity. You are Buddha! Do not throw yourself away! Awaken! AWAKEN to your Nature!  Lord Buddha said as He left this world: “I have given you METHOD! Now work out your own Liberation!” And that is exactly how it is.

Gyaltrul Rinpoche, Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo and His Holiness Penor Rinpoche
Gyaltrul Rinpoche, Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo and His Holiness Penor Rinpoche

Guru Rinpoche & the Inner Work of Vajrayana

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In Dharma, one of the most important jobs we have is to fight and pacify our inner poisons. They are our inner demons, and that is the work.  At the same time we must enrich and grow our virtue, our good qualities. This is a mirror to the way Guru Padmasambhava entered Tibet.

When Guru entered Tibet he was met with Demons and local demi-gods. The Bon religion existed there and these demons were associated.  Guru Rinpoche defeated all of them with debate and miraculous powers, including flying above them. He won over some demons and made them holy protectors. Those unwilling to be oath bound were destroyed.

Then Guru Padmasambhava could enter Tibet. There he gathered translators and worked.  Guru Rinpoche translated Dharma from Sanskrit to Tibetan. Due to His power, purity and virtue Tibet became a great land of Dharma.

We must do the same thing in our own minds. Conquer our own demons and make the way for Dharma to take root. Then move forward and develop.

So Dharma is not a bland tutti-frutti faith and path. Vajrayana is meant to change one’s habits, non-virtues, so it is powerful. It can cut!

Vajrayana is potent, and should not be mixed with anything else. It cannot be changed or it loses its potency. And I can tell you it is not for the weak. It requires self-honesty and pure intention. It requires us to abandon the mentality of materialism and ordinary view.

Self-honesty can be brutal. Ask ANY recovering alcoholic. We are all addicts to samsara. We like the hit, the buzz, all of it.  So there is real inner work to be done. Can’t just sit and contrive “blissing out”- anyone can do that. The idea is this IS relative reality.

We ARE experiencing old age, sickness and death. So there MUST be a remedy SO POWERFUL to awaken us to Buddhahood! It ain’t Kansas anymore.

Spiritually we must break lifetimes of habit and confusion! That takes work, a dedicated life.  That is why Guru Padmasambava said Vajrayana is the right way for THIS time called Kaliyuga, the time of degeneration. And Enlightenment is more easily gained. As samsara is thick, so is the door of Liberation more firmly opened to those who work it.

This is the essence of THIS method. If you were my very own babe I would not, could not tell you different. This is the wisdom and clarity of the great Bodhicitta, the milk of awakening. From the very heart of Dharma, the Precious Guru, it is offered to you.

Om AH HUNG BENZAR GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG! Samaya EH MA HO.

Advice for the Vajrayana Practitioner

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When following the path of Vajrayana, there are steps one must take just as they are. They are the technology, or method.

Method must be accomplished as taught in each Lineage. If you mix it up, or combine with other methods there will be no result.

Some people sample Buddhism and mix it up with Hinduism, New Ageism, shamanism, etc. all are fine but Vajrayana should NEVER be mixed.

Vajrayana Masters say this constantly. If mixed with other views purity and potency are watered down, so no benefit. Samaya is ruined.

Practitioners are constantly warned to follow step by step until true realization. If one simply dabbles, Vajrayana is not for you.

Each step is practiced until accomplished for the benefit of sentient beings- it is said one is of benefit when enlightened.

Many people through ordinary human kindness can be helpful; but not like a Buddha, Supreme Guide.

Until one reaches tenth Bhumi level, one can still fall to the lower realms, revolving in confusion and lost in delusion, how sad.

To say Enlightenment is not possible, or is irrelevant is false Dharma. Even if one means well, this is spiraling downward.

Please abandon such wrong view and wrong activity, you are harming others! This is not kind. Not what Buddha taught.

Guru Rinpoche the peerless Vajra Master taught like this; that with intense practice one can attain realization in this life. EMAHO!

NEVER abandon that promise made by Guru Padmasambava at the very cost of your life! It is the great hope of humankind.

These are the sacred unalterable truths of Dharma, of Tantric Buddhism, and if polluted, are polluted for all

This is why Lineage is essential; to hold and confer the Dharma in pure succession, untainted, from a pure Lineage Master!

Following the path of Vajrayana purely, one will never be duped, or confused, the way is as straight as an arrow!

May pure Dharma, even in these dark times always be available to the sea of beings as vast as the sky! May we never abandon Bodhicitta!

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