ahkon lhamo | Tibetan Buddhist Altar

Aspirational Prayer shared 12/2/09 via Twitter

I am thinking of so many, having lost their homes this year. And with children. With the holidays upon us- how painful! How to help?

As funding and housing and money dry up- where will the homeless go? How will they feel blessed this year? What can we do in our community?

The greatest gift now is to give rise to compassion in one’s mind. And then put it to work helping others. #Gifting, #Service-these are ways
I cannot be happy without helping others, we are not separate. I will always return for the liberation of ALL sentient beings.

May I be the last to obtain Supreme Liberation so I can aid all beings. May I see the bliss if their Liberation with my own eyes!

May I not become bored or weary of helping others, and be reborn to teach the Supreme Doctrine! I will move gently with respect and love.

May I be born as whatever is needed! As a cool stream, wholesome food, shelter and warmth, a soft pillow to rest the weary. Sun upon your face!

May I never abandon my sacred vows- not even for an instant. May Blessings and Love pour from my heart like a great river, unstoppable!

May all beings be free! May there be an end to suffering! May all beings be free! And none left behind. Samsara emptied from the depths!

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

Happiness is a habit to be cultivated from within. Our minds are habitual but like a rider on a horse you must direct it.

Like a gardener we must cultivate good qualities. Why follow anyone with poor habits and bad qualities?

Good qualities and habits: attitude of gratitude, generosity, compassion, selflessness, right thinking, understanding of cause and result…

Don’t get caught in the trap of judgment – criticism, whining, neediness, selfishness, sloth, greed, and mindless unhelpful chatter.

What is your work? Is it in line with your morality, beliefs, conscience, does it help others? Is it honest work? These things really matter

The mind really is like a muscle to be used and developed. But so is the heart. Ethics are extremely important!

We make peace within ourselves, it does not visit, we cannot catch it. When our elements are in balance we are peaceful.

Anger, violence, grasping, fearfulness, ignorance, hatred, constant desire- these are some habits that keep us unbalanced.

If we have poor habits and qualities we also have no self esteem. And we go further into the chaos of falsity and lies. Crazy!

In short; be a proper gardener! Pull the weeds of bad habit and quality and plant the seeds of loving kindness! You will BLOOM!

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