Compassion | Tibetan Buddhist Altar

Practical Advice on Giving Rise to Love

December 16, 2011February 26, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

I feel as Buddhists we should not waste time making judgments about others. No grudges, no hate, no excuses.

As Dharma practitioners we should deepen in Bodhicitta and wisdom and abandon self-absorption and hatred. Or quit whining about your life.

As Buddhists, we must endeavor to help and love others, not just ourselves. Serve so others don’t suffer. Just love.

If we give nothing to anyone, do not respect others, need attention, are uncaring about other’s feelings and hearts, we are not Buddhists.

Never ruminate or whine if you are judged and slandered. Apply the antidote as the Buddha taught! Empathy and compassion for all!

As His Holiness the Dalai Lama teaches: one needn’t be Buddhist to practice ordinary human kindness for a better world.

Americans love to eat out, go out to movies, and then eat more. Fix a healthy meal at home and play chess. Take the money saved and feed the poor.

We must abandon the ivory tower of preening ourselves with big words and pride. Climb down and do anything to help all beings!

Bodhicitta arises when we contemplate the conditions and sufferings of all beings! In private, in our inner space, love is born!

On our way to a lovely meal and evening out, we pass the homeless, a mangy, starving dog, a bully beating a child. We don’t even slow down.

Humility is hard. We start by allowing others their dignity. We continue when we see it was never ours to allow. Ice the cake with generosity.

Humility is hard. First we lift all others above our own heads. Then we recognize the Buddha in them. The icing on the cake is love.

To all of you who earnestly seek awakening and the birth of Bodhicitta I love you! Weak or strong I raise you up. I am your servant!

Finding a New Well Within

February 24, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

Things are splendid these days. And I am thrilled to be able to say so at last! We have endured some terrible times, to put it mildly. But now the light at the end of this tunnel is clearly visible.

Have any of you gone through horrible stuff that seems unending? It is hard to stay centered, hard to not be afraid, it is debilitating, ruins your health, etc. When the end can be seen it feels like liberation from chains and shackles being removed, although it really takes time to heal. I thought when some relief came I’d bounce right back. Not so. Takes time passing, medical help, counseling, learning to see yourself as whole, good, worthy, etc. I’m working on this, and I want to reach out to all and tell you if you are violated and attacked, your person or vocation, it will end. Nothing is permanent! You will recover! You can get help, emotional support, medical support, legal help, and you should nurture yourself, give yourself the love and self-respect you have lost. It is still in there somewhere, I believe.

As for myself I don’t feel I will ever the same. I will be well, but a different but it will have to be a new well. After so much hate and abuse it is not possible to be your “old self” again. It is damaged. So a new inner person must emerge. Again, it is still oneself. But changed. I feel, for me it will make me stronger. Must deal with bitterness, grief, rage, self hatred, feelings of betrayal, of being violated. That done we are free again to craft a good, wholesome, valuable life. One of benefit.

I want it all back, and will do all it takes to be well and real in every way! Thanks for listening!

This Precious Opportunity – What Causes Are You Creating?

February 17, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

Sometimes I surf twitter to see what’s up, who is where and what is going on. It is really interesting to find new friends, people with similar interests or those with news.

There is one thing I have noticed and is fairly common. Here I see people who are amazingly rude or cruel, abusive. Then after that they turn around and whine about how people are mean to them. There seems to be no awareness of cause and effect. No thinking in full equations, or understanding “if this then that.”

Then, of course there are so many who “get it” but don’t live it and swear therefore that compassion and simple kindness is not helpful to them. It reminds me of people who practice Dharma and re-work the methods Buddha taught, and then cry when Dharma does not “work” for them. Or they remain unchanged, their minds hard as stone. I often wish to reach out and help them understand or show them how to apply method correctly. It doesn’t work though – most that practice like that have so much pride they cannot hear. So much ego-cherishing they don’t want to transform one bit. Yet they suffer due to their habit and qualities.

You see, if one is kind and generous, compassionate toward others, develops empathy, is humble – that will work if practiced long and well. Then the same kinds of good people are attracted to the kind practitioner. On the other hand if one has the habit of self-serving meanness with the intention to harm and hurt others you can bet your life that karma will play out in an exacting way. One will draw the same kind of people, mean spirited and self- serving. That is why people remain, then, unhappy with what they end up with in life. If one is harmful to others the karma ripens in the next life rather than this one; it is almost impossible to recognize the truth when someone is cruel to you. You earned it. Maybe this life, maybe in a future life it will appear with no warning or apparent reason. So it is necessary to practice Dharma correctly and to purify the defilements of mind, heart, and body. If not done there is no result, no true recognition of awakening as opposed to dream walking within one’s own mindstream, or karmic bubble, if you like. Still an ordinary sentient being caught in the net of Samsara.

Some think developing Bodhicitta is for beginners. Ridiculous and ignorant. Some think purifying inner poisons is only for those “less evolved” just Dharma nobodys – so beneath your “highness!” Could not be more wrong than that. It is a trap to avoid completely.

Compassion, or Bodhicitta, and Wisdom, or recognition and view are the two legs upon which Dharma stand. If one does not accomplish both there will be no precious awakening any time soon. These are the hallmarks of success in Dharma; this is recognition. This is what Buddha taught. And the Buddhas are those who have crossed the ocean of Samsara, and went to that other shore. At that time they return for our sake. EH MA HO!

You must work the path, as we never know when the opportunity will be taken away. Soon I’ll be offering Phowa for a young man who just died of a heart attack at age 20. 20 yrs old. So take this life, turn it around, practice Buddha Dharma well! It is your precious life, and the brass ring, the gold ring is the awakening. You have been given the teaching. Work out your Liberation for all our sakes!

Walking the Talk When Times are Tough

February 16, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

Want to let you know my new rescue Barrymore is – um – making progress. I have never seen such panic and abandonment issue in my life. Pitiful boy, barks constantly unless he has company, whines the rest of the time. He fears being left alone in a box. He does not understand houses or stairs. He is out of control. I can see why they wanted him put down. We are working him. Dr “Vet” gives Valium and another new anxiety med.

He doesn’t rest unless every light is out. His poor body is frazzled. We are also doing holistic care, homeopathy, pulsatilla and aconite. My heart bleeds for this guy. I want all you rescue people to know I will not give up or abandon him.

He cannot blend with my pekingese’s at all. No dog issues; he just can’t see them, steps on everything. Not blind or deaf, I tested him myself.

Here is a question for you veterinary experts out there: If Barry were human I’d feel he has ADD and bi-polar rapid cycle. Any one seen this in dogs? At any rate, he is exercised, I have a farm with good fences and plenty of room, he Tesla and Ricco run for hours and have adventures in the grove.

He will not be a quick fix. But with such fear I am even more dogged (pun) to help him. I feel that way about the neediest ones. Gotta fix them, then let them go to forever homes. I’m wondering- he is happiest with other larger dogs. When he bonds with the pack I don’t know if he can tolerate another abandonment. We will see. Riggs is committed totally. This dog is gorgeous, great lines, sleek and postures very well. A hunter would love this one. But many hunters don’t treat their dogs well. Like- if they don’t catch animals they don’t eat.

Compassion is not easy. When we see something like this it would be so pleasant to walk away. Let someone else handle it. I can’t do that. How could I live with myself? Anyone else would have him put down. But I won’t. I will stick with him. As will Riggs. Sometimes it is hard to do the right thing. But there are so many suffering sentient beings, we just have to start now! There are plenty of needy beings and no reason to wait. So it is work. Duh, so is life! Anyone’s! So dig in and help. Dear Barrymore has decimated his bachelor pad. That’s OK. Stuff can be fixed, or bought. Barrymore is one cherished life, not replaceable. He will die and be reborn, like us all. Meanwhile, he is one precious life. I love life, and compassion. This is a no quitting zone!

www.tarasbabies.org

OM MANI PEDME HUNG!

The Root Teacher: Cutting Through Concepts and Giving Rise to Compassion

December 16, 2011February 12, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

It never ceases to amaze me how many meditators and Buddhists continuously argue that altruism and compassionate activity are not part of the Buddha Dharma. And that one need not develop virtuous qualities or purify in any way. That one need not do charitable good works or even offer even ordinary human kindness. In Vajrayana Buddhism conduct is just as important, and going beyond that one must pacify their inner poisons. So this is harmful thinking and will only muddy the waters. There is a kind of arrogance that has students thinking there is simply no work to be done on the path whatsoever. Or worse, that one has learned many intellectual concepts about Dharma (and can quote them over and over) so that one is “locked in” to their own learning and intellectualism and cannot see they have totally lost their way.

Then there are those who have decided that the practice of Guru Yoga is not necessary to achieve liberation. Not so. Guru Yoga is the heart essence of Vajrayana. Compassion and altruism are the very heart of Buddhism. If one tries to change that one is no longer practicing the Vajra path. If one guts the Dharma as it was passed purely from Guru to disciple there is a terrible breakage of the Buddha’s great intention as re-installed by Guru Padmasambhava when he brought Vajrayana to Tibet.

Now the newest “fad” (sad) in Vajrayana is to throw out the Tulkus and Lineage Masters entirely. How then, would the teachings and traditional wang transmissions be passed on? From student to student based on their promise to keep it free of defilement? That is a joke, if you know American Pride and self love. Have you seen what passes for wholesome Dharma on the internet? Some pure ones are there. Mostly there are self-serving people looking for adoration and praise while offering nothing.

There are many who feel one can truly understand Dharma from books. Books and traditional text is needed and most be studied. However the Guru, the very root of accomplishment is the greatest necessity in order to achieve any result. And it isn’t enough to repeat like a parrot the quotes of one’s teacher. How shallow! One uses only the quotes one likes best. You know, that fit the old lifestyle, and are hip.

Re-making the Dharma is the most heinous breakage of samaya with the Three Jewels, and with the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions. Upon bringing Tantrayana; Vajrayana to Tibet, Guru Padmasambhava said “I will appear as your Root Guru, and will remain as you call for me.” How does one do away with that blessing, that method, so sacred? Not without consequences, and dire ones at that. It is like feasting with a hollow gutted corpse, instead of sitting to the feast as the bride of the precious Guru in honor and dignity. Unwavering in pure love!

And how does one tear the heart out of Dharma by having no pure intention, just another bloated ego to feed. Without Bodhicitta there is no Dharma recognizable to any Buddha! The two precious eyes of Buddhadharma, Mahayana, are wisdom and compassion. If one neglects kindness and compassion one has forgotten the instruction of every qualified Guru since Guru Padma at the beginning of every teaching or empowerment: motivation. “This I do for the liberation and salvation of all sentient beings from the endless wheel of death and rebirth.” This is why we practice Buddhism – to benefit all sentient beings. This can never change until all beings are liberated.

If one has to climb up over the corpses of those weaker to feel special or precious, if this sticks here in the west in these modern times, we really are at the crossroads, where blessings are lost; where corruption is the flavor of the times. And we are lost, utterly lost. We cannot allow this. One should follow the Root Guru purely – even at the cost of one’s very life. I take this seriously. So I will never stop, never shut up. Plot against me? Okay. But I will never stop preserving the Dharma for the future. I will never break Guru Padmasambhava’s great blessing. I am for you, beloveds as He is. Until all are free!

The Test

February 12, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

An excerpt from a teaching called The Dharma of Technology by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

You should come to respect the root of Dharma, which is bodhicitta or compassion, as the most profound teaching at whatever level you are practicing. You should come to understand that if you accomplish only that, then you have a right to wear your robes and you have a right to call yourself a Buddhist. But it is by far the most difficult of all of the vows. You have to think about compassion like this.

If you can pass this test, then you have accomplished Dharma, even if you don’t know how to do a single mudra or ring a bell, even if you don’t have any arms or legs to do it. Here is the test. Ask yourself, “If Lord Buddha Amitabha came to me right now, giving me an opportunity and saying, ‘I’m going to make you a deal. You could take on all the suffering of all the six realms, every bit of suffering that every sentient being carries, meaning that you have to take on and absorb all the causes of their suffering – hatred, greed and ignorance, desire. I can give you that, and you could take all of that onto yourself and absorb it completely so that you will suffer endlessly in the most extreme, horrible way until time has run out and in doing that there would be no more suffering in the six realms.’” Would you do it?

When you hear me say this, you are going to say yes. You get carried away with emotions. But if Lord Buddha Amitabha really appeared to you, red and sitting on his lotus, and he really said that to you and he showed you the condensed suffering of all the six realms and you knew that the six realms of cyclic existence appear to be like an endless ocean, and have been going on for uncountable eons, then if you had to accept all that suffering onto yourself, knowing that your mind had to change from the nice thing that you think it is now into a monster filled with hatred, greed and ignorance from all the six realms, but in doing that all of the six realms would be emptied, would you do it? If you were shown this horrible poison of suffering, this cauldron, this endless sea of suffering and Lord Buddha said to you, “Eat it for their sake and become for an uncountable amount of eons a horrible thing suffering in agony for their sake.” Would you do it? Would you open your mouth and start eating? More than that, would you be happy about it? Would you be able to do that?

You should try it sometime. You should test yourself in that way by really thinking that it is possible. Would you take on every bit of the suffering? Would you become so grossly misshapen and ugly because of the grossness of all of that suffering? Would you become so unrecognizable to what you are now? Would you be willing to do that, knowing that as a result there would be nothing in the six realms of cyclic existence except for you? There would be nothing. There would be no more suffering. The karma of all of those minds, uncountable minds would be purified so that they were free of desire, free of all karma. Would you bite the big one?

If you think that you would do that, then you know less about yourself than you think. But to accomplish Dharma you have to get to that point where you would gladly, joyfully, willingly start to eat an ocean of suffering for their sake.

Taras Babies Animal Welfare

February 10, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

How to Deal With Hate

January 25, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

I’ve been asked by a young follower what to do about anger and hate. First, forgive yourself, as you are a young lady, and growing up is in truth a time of wild emotions, a time of exploring them. Hormones fly around, and we are not so able to control either one. However, start now to learn about emotions.

Even if someone is mean to you think about this: all sentient beings wish to be happy. Even if they act out, they are trying to make themselves happy by being negative. They don’t understand how to be happy so they try abusive behavior to feel powerful.

Now think about this: All beings want to be happy but they are mostly suffering with a few bright spots here and there. When people suffer they often strike out at others. But really, they are unhappy and insecure. Perhaps their parents didn’t teach them courtesy and ethics. Maybe something awful has happened to them and they take it out on others. But always they are insecure, and maybe jealous of you. Even adults can act out violently when they are insecure and jealous. So the first step is to understand they are suffering, want to be happy, and don’t know how.

It never helps to be nasty back. It is bad for you and them, and makes things worse. Instead, apply an antidote. If they say cruel things, pray for them to be happy (and leave you alone!) Don’t take their hate personally. They are very unhappy and need help. You must be as kind as possible even when they are horrible.

Remember they are basically the same as you. You also want to be happy and bravely asked how! You are moving forward and they are stuck in hate still. So think, “I am so blessed to know what to do.” Then think, “the haters do not know what to do.”

When you understand that, you can have some compassion for them. You can see you have grown up quite a bit by praying for your enemies. They have not come as far as you on the path, so you have compassion. You are developing the virtue of human kindness by tolerating with understanding why they do as they do. So it is important not to react to hate. Let it be as it is. You aren’t doing the hating anymore.

Whatever happens is their problem not yours. When they hurt you, let it run off you like water off a duck’s back. Be the good, mature, kind young lady like you know you can be! In the end it doesn’t matter what they do, it matters what you do! Your job now is to build compassion and character as you grow. If you do, you will naturally draw to yourself good friends, and people of quality!

You are seeing the face of suffering, and their opinions are worthless. Suffering drives them. Let loving kindness drive you to happiness!

Renunciation and Compassion

January 23, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

Two years before the parinirvana, Kyabje His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, my Guru told me he was no longer useful to sentient beings, that he would go. Shocked to my core I begged “please Holiness, we need you. We are not ready. Palyul is not ready; and you are our Father.” The heart sons came, and I know they must have begged also. To a living Buddha like His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, there is no reason to live if not liberating beings.

Actually I feel the same way. When I know my work is done, my usefulness is over, I too will want to go, and return swiftly to benefit sentient beings again. So it is with the way of the Bodhisattva. There is no attachment to the world per se. The world is beautiful, but also temporary, filled with cruelty and selfishness. Unkind. So it is like a costume party gone very wrong. There is no point in staying. The music stops, the balloons deflate, the food turns, there is nothing left, nothing but the dancing dead, dreaming. Renunciation is seeing this clearly and losing affection for the narcotic quality of samsara. Just that – seeing through the hallucination.

When the view is understood we recognize the empty nature of all phenomena, and of all beings. Each being, while lost in this dream, has within them the seed of Buddhahood. We have the seed, but have not awakened. So it is still a seed. When anyone tells you we are inherently awakened, they are deluded or fooling themselves. We have the seed but it is dormant. We have to grow it, ripen and mature it. When you see a worm on the ground, can you point at it and say “awaken! Now! Do it! It’s simple! No effort, all magic!” No, and you will look like a lunatic as well. The worm is, however equal in nature to every Buddha. The difference? The worm is still asleep, ignorant. No recognition. No ripening. No method no path. Someday, the worm in a different form will meet someone who has a connection to Dharma and will lead the way. Then Wormie will find the Guru and the path; method. And hopefully at that time will be in a form with a full array of faculties and the inclination to practice. There is no instant “Aha!” in recognition. In Dharma it is step by step, practice and accomplishment. For now, we must pray for them – the wormies. We must have the kindness to help them on their way…

We spend so much time in pride and arrogance pretending to be Guru or convincing others we are so accomplished. How does that help? It doesn’t. We need to awaken, feed the hungry, benefit beings. Then we have the power and heart to lay down the ego trip, stop explaining how enlightened and great we are, and show the great concern of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas for all beings of all shapes, colors, species – all. It is this great compassion, this awakened Bodhicitta that is the difference between wormies and Buddhas. Secretly there is no difference. It is the outer relative reality that is different. But wormie is still a worm; and we the elders of his great “cosmic” family. They are our children, brothers, sisters. Just as we walk the path we must do so by bringing every being with us.

Pith Advice – Learning to Discern

January 13, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

If someone tells you they are never wrong it usually means they usually are.

If someone tells you this is exactly how they meant things to turn out it usually means they are clueless about a lot!

If we boast a lot about our dharma practice we should remember the best practice is alone, and silent.

If a practitioner tells you their mind is completely pure, and says they abide in emptiness and light, ask them kindly to turn down the volume!

If a Dharma practitioner does nothing to benefit all sentient beings they are walking on one leg. Dharma is Wisdom and Compassion!

Put your energy into gathering not the goods of the world. Gather the gifts of Wisdom, Compassion and virtue. Only these have value.

If someone harms you and you become afraid, work with it. If you allow the fear you have allowed the suffering: they win!

We are equal in need, equal in nature, equal in love and loss. Therefore we should learn to have empathy and kindness.

We are equal in fault, equal in sorrow, equal in longing and sickness, and death. Therefore we should have empathy, and LOVE.

The great being atones for the suffering of others no matter the cause. A middling being atones for their own. A lesser being accepts no burden.

A great being cares for all beings equally. A middling being cares for family and friends, mostly. A lesser one cares for no one but self.

Paradox: a great being does not differentiate between high and low, having view. A middling being sorts out those differences. A small being uses all this to get what they want.

A lesser being walks the earth. A middling being examines the world. A great being takes wing and flies! The sky is for dancing.

Here in this land we must learn to empathize, to care, to love, to minister to each other, to feed, to heal; and most of all to fly!

Here on Earth we must learn and study our equality. To be without prejudice, to know each other’s suffering, to cherish culture and be color blind in spirit!

May the dirt on their feet be the crown on my head; may their suffering be only mine. May I wipe their eyes, and fill their hearts with LOVE.