Tibetan Buddhist Altar

Walking the Talk

December 11, 2011January 30, 2010 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

A red Cardinal sits on a snowy Pine bough, all fluffed up, right outside my window, looking in. Bet he’s cold. When I see nature in it beauty and suffering, I think of the Bodhicitta. How pith. How essential. There is no Enlightenment without it.

Often we see Dharma students discuss, pontificate, and indulge in masturbatory mental games. What a foolish waste of time. To give rise to Bodhicitta even if there is no knowledge of Sutras, Tantras, to offer one prayer, one crust of bread, one mantra is so precious…To save the life of or bring comfort to one sentient being is so much better than to love to hear yourself talk about Dharma.

When I see this Dharma-babble amongst those who do only that and have no heart for Bodhicitta, I feel sick and sad. How pitiful! We are taught “Like going to a continent of Precious Jewels and coming away empty handed. How pitiful!” They miss the point.

What benefit is there in a good old boy’s Dharma club where you sit around and compliment each other’s meaningfulness? A joke- And an unfortunate display of the shallowness of one’s practice. Everyone sees the shame of it except for the “fool on the hill” shouting. What ego, what pride, what ignorance drives one to distort the Dharma and its true value that way? Self cherishing, at the expense of others.

Give me one honest follower with a good heart, respect, compassion, and willingness to learn new and grow. I will do anything for that one. Show me a dried up bitter heart without Bodhicitta, and a rigid mind claiming to know Dharma- ‘scuse me while I laugh. And those who do more proclaiming their own glory in as many religious costumes as they can collect? What is the use?

When I’m not teaching I wear American clothes. Jeans. If my students cannot see me as Primordial Nature, well- there’s work to do. Dharma is unelaborated, uncontrived, free of conceptualization just as it is. Quit talking and judging and heal the heart. Thrill me.

Astrology

January 30, 2010 by Norma

1/30/10 Saturday

A fight is in the air! That person! That group! You or someone else is insistent on being “right” in a given situation, and nobody will back down. The sides seem so opposite each other that a middle ground seems unreachable. A group or friend is willing to be the “good guy” and give a little. Nice. Someone needs validation. Tell an upset person how much you care. Recount someone’s good qualities and activities. Someone needs a pat on the back, which may be the necessary component that ends a problem. “I like you” can be the tiebreaker and the deal maker. Shakespeare said “Who could refrain that had a heart to love and in that heart courage to make love known?” How about you?

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!

Astrology

January 29, 2010 by Norma

1/29/10 Friday

Moodiness is in the air. You want to stay home and sulk or be babied, that’s how you feel. Call your mother, or if that’s not possible call or contact someone who is nurturing. Feelings of insecurity abound. You worry about the past. Remember the Rubaiyat “The Moving finger Writes and, having writ, Moves on; nor all thy Piety nor wit Shall lure it back to cancel half a line, Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.” Later in the day you move out of this mode and have plenty of energy and confidence. Take on the issues that have bothered you, and debate someone or a group. You can win! Date night is fun. You go from being insecure to confident in one day.

Astrology

January 28, 2010 by Norma

1/28/10 Thursday

You want your feelings recognized and someone thinks you aren’t being rational. Pay attention to both sides of a situation. Each side must make concessions: one side to the need to be rational and the other side to the need to be respectful of feelings. Once this balance is achieved, you can make progress. Later, inspiration strikes. Watch what you feel moved to do late in the day…you are inspired and it works very well. Late night work is excellent. Your dreams will give you messages if you pay attention.

Astrology

January 27, 2010 by Norma

1/27/10 Wednesday

Not much is going on early in the day. You may have trouble getting going; forgetting things or needing to re-do things seems to hold you up for a while. In the afternoon a difficult emotional situation can present itself. At the same time an open door beckons. In every situation, look slightly away from the problem and the solution is there. A strong, benevolent and kind presence is in the background beckoning to you in an almost imperceptible way. Pay attention and you will be helped. Faith is crucial today.

Astrology

January 26, 2010 by Norma

1/26/10 Tuesday

Driving, chatting, or thinking may fill the early hours of the day. You feel like cruising, either mentally or physically. Your mind is working on something and you need the spaciousness created by motion. A problem needs to be solved and your rumination is helping come up with potential solutions. This is a day for brainstorming. Late in the day or tonight a surprise may knock the wind out of you either figuratively or literally, but afterwards you come up with a first rate idea.

Astrology

January 25, 2010 by Norma

1/25/10 Monday

The day begins with an overabundance of emotion and you want to talk about it! You may say something you are embarrassed about later. Once the emotional wave passes, your emotions and thinking are very stable. You come up with solid, well thought out plans for the future. Important people are impressed by the stability and common sense quality of your thinking. Your “gift of gab” seals the deal! Later in the day friends and groups are happy, supportive and loving.

Why pay attention to our habits?

September 5, 2011January 24, 2010 by Ani Aileen Williams

For those truly wishing for inspiring effect, it takes willingness for deep contemplation, which can lead to transformation. Transformation is not only for oneself, but for those who witness it. In other words, our transformation can set an example for others through inspiration, thus leading other people to their own transformations. This level of contemplation however requires self honesty and seriousness. Contemplation into our habits allows us to reflect upon our lives mission and self commitment to change, to benefit other. The text indicates that through the power of deep and profound contemplation, looking at habit close up and far away, enables a spiritual “power” to rise in us, “influencing others without their being aware of how it happens.”

This week’s question provoke the following hexagrams:
The original is Wind over Earth; 20
The expansion is Heaven over Fire; 13
The kernel is Earth over Earth; 2 BY WAY OF Mountain over Earth; 23

While we may not have the intention or motivation for our own transformations to impact others, they will. This is important to reflect upon because the laws of karma will place us in various environments, and our influences upon other people becomes critical to our own karma and spiritual practices and Path. Reflection and contemplation upon one’s habits is a transitional time, and can lead one to cultivate new, more beneficial habits. Ideally, we are motivated to always bring benefit in some way. This motivation comes from an inner strength to cultivate beneficial habits.

Something important to note when contemplating upon habits, is that generally speaking, one benefits most by being in fellowship. Why is this? It is through the power of interaction with other that the true test of habit presents itself, thus allowing the space and time to see one’s faults in order to change them. Therefore it really does further one to be engaged with fellowship; developing a perseverance for the Path.

We spend our lives endlessly in search of happiness, becoming tiresome. It is through a perseverance for the Path that we can reach our ultimate goal of enlightenment. A key to reaching this goal is constant evaluation of our habits, so yes, it is important to pay attention to them. Through this process we gain clarity and proper discernment. We need our spiritual friends for interaction and engagement, and we need our Teachers for guidance through troubled waters. Cultivating new habits brings breadth and purity to our character, enabling support and the ability to bear the obstacles that one will encounter along their spiritual journey.

Lastly, the ultimate outcome does not come by running away, rather, one must remain still with devotion. There are times to be active, and times to contemplate, and with the guidance of one’s Teacher, and spiritual friendships and fellowship, one can ride the ebb and flow of a turbulent ocean.

Have a wonderful week, enjoy your practices and contemplate deeply and profoundly upon your habits, because it is important, and it matters.

Learn more about the I Ching on the I Ching page!

Astrology

January 24, 2010 by Norma

1/24/10 Sunday

This is an interesting and complex day. Sympathy and compassion run high, and creativity is strong as is the desire to escape. Men and those in authority have a first rate chance to stabilize a group, to set up a partnership and to solve a long-standing problem effectively. There is a way out of a box and you have found it. Today you could have an “aha!” experience where you discover the answer to a puzzle. You could suddenly do something that works out very well. And then here is where you need to exercise caution. Buoyed up, excited about having just solved something, you could want to do MORE, to solve more issues. You feel as though you are “on a roll.” But the next issue you “solve” will be a mistake. Stop at one solution, don’t press for the second and all is well.

Online Support for Dharma Practice

September 5, 2011January 23, 2010 by Holly

Here are some online practice supports for Dharma students

Twitter

@ahkonlhamo – Musings and tweachings by Jetsunma

@kunzangpalyul – Kunzang Palyul Choling updates on practices, events, and other news

@palyulmedia – Updates about webcast teachings and teachings available at palyulproductions.org

@kpcstore – updates on new Dharma product arrivals at the Mani Jewel Store

www.tara.org – Find out about Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo, Kunzang Palyul Choling and its many activities and schedule of events, the Palyul Lineage, Buddhism and Buddhist Practices, and live broadcasts

www.PalyulMedia.Smugmug.com – A photo gallery of Lamas, Deities, and activities around Kunzang Palyul Choling and the Palyul family. Downloads are free. You can also order prints.

www.Ustream.tv/PalyulMedia – watch video teachings

www.youTube.com/KunzangPalyulCholing – watch short teachings and music clips

www.PalyulProductions.org – an online source for video DVDs, audio MP3s, audio CDs of teachings, practice books in book form or downloadable PDFs, as well as other Dharma supports.

www.JetsunmaMusic.com – Listen to Jetsunma’s music, read her poetic lyrics, and enjoy the music blog

Mandala Messenger – Sign up for KPC’s regular newsletter to find out about upcoming events and sangha news

www.kpcstore.org/– Online store for Dharma supports

KPC’s bookstore – Dharma books