Tibetan Buddhist Altar

The Bodhisattva Vow

September 5, 2011August 8, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is the Bodhisattva Vow Ceremony as recited daily at Palyul Ling in New York, from the Nam Cho Daily Practice:

Gaining the Attention of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas Prior to Taking the Bodhisattva Vow

All buddhas who reside in the ten directions, transcendent accomplished conquerors,

All great bodhisattvas who dwell on the tenth bhumi, and

All gurus, great vajra holders–

Please turn your attention towards me!

Taking Refuge Prior to Taking the Bodhisattva Vow

Until the heart of enlightenment is realized,

I take refuge in all the buddhas.

In the dharma and the and the assembly

Of bodhisattvas, similarly I go for refuge!

Recite three times

Taking the Actual Bodhisattva Vow

Just as the sugatas of the past

Have aroused the awakened mind of bodhicitta,

And trained in the way of the bodhisattvas

To gradually accomplish the stages of development,

Similarly, for the benefit and purpose of beings,

By awakening the bodhicitta

And training in the conduct of the bodhisattvas,

I shall gradually practice the levels of training.

Rejoicing in Having Taken the Bodhisattva Vow for the Sake of All Sentient Beings

Today my life has become meaningful;

The meaning of this human existence is now realized.

Today I am reborn in the family of the buddhas

And have become an heir of the enlightened ones!

Now, no matter what occurs hereafter,

My activities will be in conscientious accordance with my family,

And I shall never engage in conduct that could

Possibly sully this faultless noble family!

Like a blind man finding a precious jewel

From amidst a heap of refuse,

Similarly, this occasion is such

That today I have given rise to the awakened mind.

Today, before all of my objects of refuge,

All beings and all those who have gone beyond,

I call to bear witness as guests of this occasion,

Where all devas, titans, and other join together to rejoice!

The precious, supreme bodhicitta:

If unborn, may it arise;

If generated, may it never diminish;

And may it remain ever-increasing!

Never without bodhicitta,

Absorbed in the conduct of the awakened ones,

And being held fast by all of the buddhas,

May all demonic activities be fully abandoned!

May all the bodhisattvas

Accomplish their altruistic intention to fulfill the needs of beings!

Whatever intention these protectors may have,

May it be realized for the purpose of those beings!

May all sentient beings be endowed with bliss!

May all the lower realms be permanently empty!

May all the bodhisattvas, on whatever stage they abide,

Fully accomplish all their aspirations!

Has the excitement hit yet? Something’s coming your way, and if it already happened, no problem. It’s unavoidable, and when it’s over something will be resolved. Issues from the past continue to pop up. This is an excellent day to travel, assuming you made your plans in advance. Someone can give you news that is really pleasing and fills a gap in your knowledge. “Big Picture” thinking is available and it’s as though you’re looking at life from a vast perspective. You can see exactly where you’re going, similar to looking at a street map. Two blocks, turn left and there’s your destination. Happiness is in the picture, and love is on the map. Take it, and forget the problems. They’ll still be here tomorrow. C.W. Metcalf said, “Take your work seriously but yourself lightly.”

The daily astrology post affects everyone. Because individual charts vary, the circumstances outlined in the post will affect people differently. Some will feel this energy in the personal arena, some in finances, some with children or family, some in work and so forth. There are many departments of life. Look to see where the dynamic affects you!

Training the Mind

August 7, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is from a twitter conversation between Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo and one of her followers:

Questioner:

Yet peace must begin with self: smrti, samadhi, prajna. Paradox or universal elegance?
I mean, am I missing something, or isn’t this dynamic at the very core of engaged Buddhism in the 21st century?

Jetsunma:

Yes, I do think you are missing something. There are outer, inner, and secret views. Outer we must practice altruism. Inwardly one must practice Buddhism for the sake of Liberating all beings ultimately. Secretly, one must awaken Bodhicitta, and understand that all appearances are fundamentally empty of self nature, there is no object or subject. Yet we are operating with relative view and there is suffering to be healed. Our very nature is Buddha, and that is the Bodhicitta. We must actively engage yet be fully aware of emptiness, and train the mind.

Astrology

August 7, 2011 by Norma

An old love can reappear. Use this good time to express your feelings. Knowing that you care can really make a difference to someone. The story of the morose person who is transformed by a friendly gesture describes today. As the day progresses, you can become confused or lost. Take a nap, watch tv, chill. A home improvement project can take more of your energy than you want, and something can need fixing from the past. Romance is great, and men and authority figures could not be better. Don’t tackle problems today, if possible.. As Bob Edwards said “Don’t meet trouble halfway. It is quite capable of making the entire journey.” Relax.

Astrology

August 6, 2011 by Norma

Do not speak against a kind and good man or authoritiy figure, even though the temptation is present. Someone is working hard for the good of all. If you’re feeling cranky, write a letter and don’t send it. Don’t tease well meaning people. You feel like misbehaving today, but remember your karma. A very good person is trying to solve issues, so respect the efforts that are being made. On another front, if you drive somewhere you will get lost, lose directions, or else come at the wrong time or on the wrong day. Mistakes abound!. The open door lies in the direction of imagination, music, film, and relaxation. Respect the times, and don’t attempt anything brand new. Mercury is retrograde! Anonymous said, “Some people march to a different drummer-and some people polka!” You aren’t even on the same page as others, so take it easy.

Karma and Purification on the Path

August 5, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is from a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

I personally know a story about a young lady who took robes of ordination as an Ani years ago. Deep habitual tendencies caused her to fall off her path and break the vows very seriously, more than once. As a lay woman she continued the pattern, there was so much rage in her, the events seemed neurotic, obsessive. She was determined to ruin her Teacher, as she imagined the downfall was her Teacher’s fault. The breakage seemed to spiral and worsen until she lost friends, and suffered terribly, as did the ones she attacked. It was a terrible mess! But she went to other Lamas and asked for advice, and to become their student. All told her she must return to her own Tsawei Lama and make amends.

How terribly difficult when so much damage to so many had been done. But she persisted. Correcting lies, doing purifying practice, applying the proper antidotes. She went to retreat and was welcomed and treated kindly. Her Guru had already taken her back. Except for one elder Lama who, when she served tea, poured it on the ground and said “you may not serve me!” as he himself had witnessed what she’d done personally, and had known the effect on all. She accepted and bowed low, wondering why everyone didn’t treat her just the same. But it was through that Lama’s activity she was instantly able to see the depth of her betrayal and was able to make confession without leaving out any details at all. She was given kind instruction from His Holiness Palyul Karma Kuchen Rinpoche and is now taking advanced teachings, much happier and her mind continues to be freed from the imprisonment of the cycle of hatred, greed and ignorance. Stage by stage she grows more free!

She repeatedly asked why she was so compelled, so intensely obsessed with harming her Teacher and Dharma. The answer, repeatedly, was a real kicker. In past lives she had made up her own path and convinced (skillfully) others to follow and practice what she taught. So in this life, although she is skillful and brilliant, it was impossible for her to keep the robes of the Buddha or to follow the path of Buddhism nicely or purely. It will take time to repair, but she is diligently applying herself. She was instructed to tell truth always and make an unshakable commitment to never behave that way again.

There is always a way to purify mistakes, but so much better to never make them in the first place. To try to teach a made-up path that causes downfall for others results in great mental instability and even insanity. Emotional equilibrium is lost. And it continues into future lives. Suffering of others is experienced by the false teacher. You will always know them by their current lives and experience. Sadly, still ignorant, they cannot see it for themselves. Karma is real, if you believe it or not. And you are experiencing it right now, and will continue until Supreme Enlightenment.

One more thing. I am so proud of her. And love her so deeply, she is a miracle.

Cause and Effect: Examining Circumstances

August 5, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is an excerpt from a teaching by Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso on Ngondro, given at Kunzang Palyul Choling:

There is not one single sentient being who wishes to suffer. That is very obvious. Even scary animals, ghosts, and evil spirits don’t really mean to harm anybody. They are in search of some kind of happiness. They are looking for some kind of peace. An evil spirit or consciousness wanders here and there and creates some kind of problem for someone. Then that person becomes possessed by the evil spirit and there are lots of disturbances, all due to the search for happiness, but without knowing what the actual cause of happiness is. How can one really have actual happiness? How can one really have a peaceful life? How can one have a happier life? One has to understand the actual cause. Due to ignorance, all sentient beings do not know that. Each and every sentient being wishes for happiness, but not knowing the cause of happiness, all kinds of karma, actions, thoughts, and afflicted mind, arise and worldly things are done which result in problems and suffering.

I think that Americans really don’t like to hear about suffering in the teachings. You like to hear only about having a happy and prosperous life, about enjoyment. You are always trying to find some kind of modern technology, some different way of doing things, because you are really trying to find happiness. Maybe if I climb a mountain, I can enjoy life more. Or no, maybe I’ll go bungee jumping! That may be more enjoyable and will bring some happiness. In that way, everybody is trying each and every thing just to experience happiness, just to experience some kind of peaceful mind. There are so many religions, so many masters, so many yogis who have appeared. When a Hindu teacher comes, then everybody goes there and listens to the yogi teaching about prana, some kind of breathing, some kind of meditation, because they think, “If I go to this teacher, maybe I can get some kind of solution so that I can be happier. Maybe I can have some kind of path. Maybe I can really get something so that I can maintain a happier life.”

So everyone does whatever we do 24 hours a day. And whatever we are doing, whatever we talk to people about, it’s all in search of peace and happiness. Not knowing the actual cause of happiness, one thinks something else may help, so one creates all kinds of karma, causing problems which ripen for oneself. It is like a reflection, or an echo when you shout in a cave. The same ego shouts back to you. When you look in the mirror and make a face, the image makes the same face back at you. In the same way, the actions one has done to other sentient beings, ripen back. This is the cause of samsara, or cyclic existence. Whatever peace or happiness is attained is very temporary and limited. While worldly peace and happiness is temporary and of short duration, at the same time, one experiences lots and lots of difficulties, lots and lots of problems. One experiences suffering and struggles very hard before one can have a little bit of peace and happiness.

So experience one’s own life and others’ lives. Sit aside and watch the universe, watch sentient beings. Watch how all these sentient beings fare. Everything is the result of one’s own karma or whatever action one has done. In this way, when one thinks about the suffering of sentient beings, then one could think, “How can I really apply some kind of method or practice so that I can become fully perfected, so that I may not have any more suffering—no miserable life, no birth, no death, no sickness, no old age? How can I get rid of all this?” There is a teaching which explains how one can really enter into a very strong practice, a practice which would produce results very fast, a practice which may have a very special skill, a special technique, so that one can have realization in this lifetime. If one could really generate Bodhicitta or Awakening Mind, then one would feel like he really needs to get enlightened.

astrology

August 5, 2011 by Norma

A serious and respectable person steadies a situation. Give honor and deference to those who are deserving. Someone has done a good job, and it’s important to mention their previous actions. Be prepared to listen to details of times past. You yourself could be reminded of something or pulled back to resolve an issue. Try not to become frustrated. A momentary indecision early in the day changes to a steady, confident mode of action. An almost perfect alignment of emotion, imagination and action comes together. An appeal to authority is productive if secret channels are used. Do nothing openly, except dress snappily and behave well. The action is all behind the scenes. If you “act up” in public, you’ll be embarrassed. Of course, as Doug Larsen says, “The only nice thing about being imperfect is the joy it brings to others.” If you mess up, be philosophical. You just made someone’s day.

Astrology

August 4, 2011 by Norma

A leader or a man makes a decision in the next few days that is based on solid reality. Do not be impatient with the slowness of the decision, it will be a good one. Make no effort to influence or hurry up the decision. An opportunity is at hand, and it needs to be considered carefully. A prestigious person is in the process of negotiating a partnership, and every piece needs to be in place. A sense of going backwards is apparent. Something must be re-done. Don’t sign contracts, and try not to buy anything of importance that you haven’t already settled on previously. Be especially cautious about brand new issues that arise, they will come to nothing. You will definitely be dealing with past errors. George Soros said, “There is no shame in being wrong, only in failing to correct our mistakes.”

Astrology

August 3, 2011 by Norma

If you wake up grumpy or moody today, let it pass Today’s a bit dicey, and you might find yourself in a squeeze play. A partner needs you, you want to be free to do your own thing, the boss expects something else, and home makes demands on you! What to do? Use your imagination! Go to the movies, sing a song, engage in visualization practices, or use your mind and rank order things. Mind and imagination are the open doors today. B.W. Proctor said “Oh , the summer night has a smile of light, and she sits on a sapphire throne.” Activities that work best today take you away from, rather than in to, tricky issues that arise. Escape!