Bodhicitta

Love is the Medicine: Quotes from Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

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

No true Dharma Master behaves with rage, hate, ranting, self- importance. These are signs of mental instability, a character flaw. Never follow such a one as that.

One should rest with a peaceful and loving mind. Even wrathful emanating Buddhas manifest solely out of the wish to liberate beings.

Respect kindly all religions that teach loving kindness, and have no respect for envy and jealousy. Never follow hate.

No being incapable of controlling their own mind or developing ethics and a loving character can ever be a Master. First we must have accomplishment.

If we develop a good heart we will progress to true compassion, and awaken Bodhicitta. This is the way of the Buddha’s method.

The way of loving kindness is what is to be accepted. Love! The benefit is clear. Rage, hate are the way of chaos and darkness – to be rejected.

In short: if one has nothing of value to say, only that which is impure defilement, avoid them. They are masters of the dark. Of no use.

Always walk in peace and beauty; in grace and love, speak only truth and you will be blessed. Where we are, let there be light.

Hate is the last refuge of the ignorant. Love is the medicine. Compassion is the gift of the awakened ones.

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Norbu Lhamo.  All rights reserved

Two Steps Forward…

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

Many of my followers know I’ve been stalked and harassed in some cruel and unthinkable ways – and recently I’ve made great progress with The PTSD. But it is often two steps forward, then 1.5 steps back. I just don’t have my life back. Days like today I wonder if I’ll ever recover completely.

I’ve always felt my life had such potential. How do I get it back? I’m still a good teacher, but I feel panic in public, and have Irritable Bowel Syndrome now. Sometimes I feel completely beaten. The man is in prison now, but there is no assurance he will stay there, and even now his friends carry on. But I am unaware of his friends having any violent past as has the stalker.

Want to stay strong and carry on. Some days are good, as they once were. Some days it is just too damned Hard. Fear is a mind and life killer. OM MANI PEDME HUNG

21 Homages to Tara: Commentary on Verse 3 Khenpo Tenzin Norgay

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Thupten Shedrub Gyatso, who was a Tulku  in one of the Palyul Monasteries, wrote this commentary.  His present incarnation, Rago Chogtrul currently lives in Tibet.

Translation by Khenpo Tenzin Norgey ~ Spring, 2004,
Palyul Retreat Center, Mc Donough, NY USA ~Wood Monkey Year 2131

Homage to you, the golden lady
Whose hand is adorned with a blue lotus,
You are the lord of the domain of the activities of generosity,
Diligence, austerity, tranquility, patience and meditation.

The third praise is to Sonam Thobkyedma,Tib the “Yellow Lady of Good Fortune”.  She is beautiful; her skin is the color of pure gold glittering in the early morning sun.  Her left hand is adorned with a blue lotus, upon which sits a gem that bestows all wishes.  She is the lord of the Bodhisattvas’[i]sphere of activity, which encompasses the transcendent perfections of generosity, patience, diligence, ethics, tranquility, wisdom, and meditation.  Austerity, (in this context) is ethics, and tranquility is wisdom and meditation.  We pay homage to the unchallengeable lady who has the ten powers: the power over life, the power over mind, the power over wealth, the power over action, the power over birth, the power over inclination, the power over aspiration, the power over miracles, the power over primordial wisdom, and the power over dharma.  The outer meaning is that she has attained the completion of the six perfections, in just one meditation.  The inner meaning is that her singular meditation is like a lotus, free from the flaw of adherence to subject and object, and is endowed with the completion of the six perfections.


[i] Bodhisattva skt ~ One who has generated bodhicitta and seeks enlightenment for the benefit of others.

The Four Immeasurables by Venerable Gyaltrul Rinpoche

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The following is an excerpt from a public talk given by Venerable Gyaltrul Rinpoche:

What is the benefit of taking refuge in a great teacher such as Buddha? Why would we want to do that? Is it so we can become more worldly, have more worldly power and develop worldly qualities? Actually, it’s for just the opposite reason. If we take refuge in a great spiritual teacher and follow a true spiritual path, we will achieve happiness, and many obstacles in our life will be removed. But the most important point to consider is the way that refuge affects our mind and prepares us for future lifetimes. The duration of this life is a very short period of time. Rather than be concerned with this life alone, it is far more important to think about endless time and what happens after this life.

This is why we take refuge in a spiritual guide, and why we should do it without any doubt, with a mind that is single-pointedly aware of the qualities and accomplishments of that object of refuge. It is important to recognize what those qualities and accomplishments are, and to understand that exactly that is what we wish to actualize, and will actualize, if we follow the path our object of refuge presents to us. So, without a lazy, slothful attitude, and without any doubts, we must follow an object of refuge.

At the same time, we must consider that up until now, throughout all of our past lifetimes, we have tried to accomplish our own purpose, focusing only on our self, but we haven’t been able to accomplish even that. Wouldn’t it be wiser to exchange self for others and focus on how to be of benefit to others? If we think in this way, and exchange our self-cherishing attitude for the wish to benefit others, automatically we benefit our self. This is really the only way to benefit our self. By thinking of others, automatically we experience happiness.

To work for the welfare of others, we must first of all have the aspiration, the wish to do so. In this wishing, we must first develop a sense of the equality of all that lives; we must recognize that all beings are truly equal. Then we must develop love for them all equally, compassion for them all equally, and joy for them all equally. When we are able to develop these four qualities—equanimity, love, compassion, and joy—we can then engage in practices in our daily life to actually bring benefit to beings, practices such as generosity, patience, ethics, perseverance, concentration, wisdom, and so forth.

Compassion for others is developed by seeing that all living beings without exception, as long as they remain on the wheel of existence, exist in a state of suffering and discontent because they haven’t been able to realize the true nature of their own minds. Seeing them like this, suffering in all their different predicaments, we feel compassion for them. It is just how we would feel if our own child were to be thrown into prison and we would see him, or her, suffering there.

Love arises when we then develop the wish that these beings may be free from their suffering. For instance, we certainly feel compassion and pity for our child who is suffering in prison, but along with that we also have a strong desire that our child be liberated from that experience of suffering. That strong desire is love.

Then, the happiness we feel when we see others established in a state of permanent happiness or bliss is joy. We naturally feel joy when we see others happy and liberated from their suffering.

Finally, equanimity is the experience of compassion and love and joy for all living beings equally, without any partiality. For instance, if we have two children in jail, we feel the same about each of them, not loving one more than the other, not wanting one to be free of the condition of suffering more than the other. Exactly in this way, we must develop love and compassion equally for all living beings.

Compassion, love, joy, and equanimity are what is called “aspirational bodhichitta”, and because we have this for all living beings, which are limitless, these four qualities are called the “four immeasurables”. If we have them as a foundation, then any activity we engage in will be virtuous and positive. Actualizing our bodhichitta aspiration, putting it into action in our daily life, will produce powerful, positive results. But if we don’t have this foundation we won’t achieve the same results. Doing good things without compassion, love, joy, and equanimity simply doesn’t accomplish the same results at all. This point is extremely important.

 

Indestructible Compassion: Awakened Bodhicitta

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

This is the 23rd Anniversary of my Enthronement in the Palyul Lineage. My students celebrate this day, but me? Not so much.

Tulkus take rebirth for the sake of all beings. Not to play video games or ice skate! Ha! Most Tulkus come back with a mission. Pre-ordained, and ready for a life much different than most people would choose. When His Holiness Penor Rinpoche enthroned me, His Eminence Gyaltrul Rinpoche said to me: “Now you are in jail!” So true. As Palyul Lineage Holder, I have responsibilities that I would not have if not enthroned. I must propagate Dharma and protect Palyul from harm, which I have worked extremely hard to do. From corruption, from villains, con men, thieves, and have done my best at every fork and twist in the road. So I see this day as a marking of this life’s effort.

If there is merit, there will be more effort, and more lives of service. It is all that matters to me. Service. And when have we needed it more than we do now? Mother Earth is sick, crazy people and ideas abound, the older, experienced Bodhisattvas are passing, and Kaliyuga is upon us. So we must be prepared to keep on for the sake of those still revolving in samsara. The sick, hungry, those filled with rage, the deluded. The abused, the poor, and the jealous and ignorant. Each one is a Buddha, having the seed of Buddhahood. But most are asleep, locked in the dream that reflects their mind and their karma. It is for them I will return. May I be the last to cross to that state beyond, so I may be the one to see the end of all suffering. Everything is impermanent. I pray that all suffering is too.

From my deepest heart I dedicate all virtue in the three times, past, present and future, to that end. May all who are sick be healed. May all the poor, hungry, abused dysfunctional, homeless, unloved, without exception be healed. May all find the path of Dharma and love. May we end war, and give rise to ethics and peace.  Whatever merit I have ever gathered, and all I and my students have ever done, as well, be dedicated to the liberation and salvation of all!

OM GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Norbu Lhamo.  All rights reserved

Chickens and Worms

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

Of course, all sentient beings are equal in nature. I pick my battles by what I can do! Those that argue this usually do nothing at all!

I wish I could save every sentient being instantly. I do my part, do for pets and parrots, give to National Wildlife Society regularly, and work hard to re-build my clear-cut land to wholesome habitat. What can you do? Yes, chickens, parrots, and gossips full of hate are the same, and I love and pray for all. Worms too.

Do what you can! Benefit through compassion, stop cruelty, give to charity and get a job so you can.

www.garudaaviary.org

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo.  All rights reserved

 

 

 

 

 

The Bodhisattva Vow

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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!

Training the Mind

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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.

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo.  All rights reserved

Cause and Effect: Examining Circumstances

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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.

Generating the Motivation

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

Motherly sentient beings are spread throughout this universe.  As much as space has expanded, so sentient beings are extended throughout space.  We cannot perceive the edge of space, and in the same way, we cannot perceive the numbers of sentient beings.  Visualize the countless sentient beings that exist in this universe, and in the thousands and millions of other universes, which are also filled up with thousands and millions, countless, sentient beings.  Visualize and understand all sentient beings as one’s mother. And taking them as one’s mother, then generate compassion, realizing and experiencing the suffering of all sentient beings—all the different kinds of suffering, all the different kinds of obstacles, all the miserable lives.  Experience all these for oneself.  If one really tries to experience that, there is no way that one cannot generate compassion. You must generate compassion for all motherly sentient beings.  When you have compassion, then you really want to know how to help all these sentient beings. “How can I benefit these sentient beings?  I need some kind of energy, some kind of power.  I need all the qualities whereby I can benefit all sentient beings so that they can be liberated from cyclic existence, from the suffering of samsara.

When one has this strong desire to benefit sentient beings, then there is a way, a possibility, that one can give rise to the Bodhicitta, or the Awakening Mind. One thinks, “Now I need to get some kind of realization.  I really need some kind of power or energy or noble qualities or omniscient mind.  I really need to get enlightenment.  Otherwise how can I benefit all these sentient beings?  How can I help them?  How can I liberate them from cyclic existence?”

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