Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

Thanksgiving Memories

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From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

Tomorrow is a day for gratitude and Thanksgiving. And people eat. We used to stuff pumpkins with chestnut and fresh bread (homemade) spinach etc instead of turkey as young vegetarians. All grown or bought locally. I had a hand turned flower mill, ground cornmeal, wheat flour soy, etc from flour to grits. Even pastry flour!

I once LOVED cooking. But making the kitchen functional, shopping, saving vegetable stock for healthy soup, the profound connected part was my favorite. I always looked for ways to put a little wheat germ or soy flour a la Adelle Davis in everything. Picked wild greens, gardened, we ate healthy for nothing!

Mmmmm – we made wild huckleberry pie and cobbler. I made my own jams and jellies. In particular, our own Cherries with one or two pits put back. They give a complimentary almond flavor.

We had a dairy cow, made yogurt, butter, cheese, soft and wheels of hard. Like parmesan I learned so much! We cut felled wood for heat.

Those were such beautiful days. I could go on…. Those were the happiest days.

Goodnight, that was your bedtime story, Beloveds! Sweet dreams!

© Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

Feeling Down? Advice for the Path

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From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

Feeling depression is a sign to stop, look, and listen, evaluate, also a sign that one has become too self-absorbed. Give to others!

No matter how one rationalizes, rage and anger are another way to say hate. Begin change by loving!

My main focus on twitter is to teach Dharma, to connect with friends, and enjoy the many different cultures. I don’t care for argument and fighting. I do care to discuss in a calm way with the intention that all parties walk away with a gift.

Put on your boots and gloves and weed your Spiritual garden. You may not like what you see there! Pull it up by the root.

© Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

Don’t Remain Trapped by Habitual Tendency

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From http://www.polyvore.com/best_2009/collection?id=41015

From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

Looking forward to Khenpo Tenzin Norgay’s visit and teaching. I admire and like him so much! He is not into politics and is pure. He seems to have no ego issues and is not one to climb on other’s backs. He is very kind, much Bodhicitta, respectful, never rude. I don’t like rudeness at all. I never have. And if I myself am rude (mostly accidental) I really take myself to task, examine my view. It is best to do that quickly before habit sets in. Anyway, why waste one’s time yammering if one has nothing useful to say? Shut the old pie-hole and practice kindness, and do no harm.

There are so many versions of Dharma now. We have tasters, who sample and take only what they like to heart. Thus they make up their own religion. There are those who talk day and night about how enlightened they are, thus demonstrating they are ordinary. Then the ones who collect Dharma as one collects stuff. Mainly to strut and fluff up their resume, showing they have a very shallow understanding of the point of Dharma.

And there are those who in a sociopathic way like to destroy; people, lineages, Sangha, method and result. No reason, other than they enjoy the power and the drama, the calamity, the pain – it makes one feel potent, important. Sad to say they will have an awful bardo and rebirth experience. One then continues wandering through the realms and suffering of samsara endlessly, as crazed as a bee in a jar.

Why smash your head on the jar over and over again? Better to work the path with character, purity, kind intention devoid of pride and anger. Then there will be actual progress, and depth.

© Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

Guru – Condensed Essence of the Path

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From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo (@jalpalyul) on November 21, 2010

In Tibetan Vajrayana one absolutely needs a Guru. It is the Guru that ripens and turns the mind. One cannot learn Tantra from books.  If the mind is not matured, purified through empowerment, there is no chance for ultimate benefit. Empowerment empowers the student to practice. Without these blessings one’s understanding of Dharma is shallow and there is not much faith. Not much benefit.

Without a Guru, one can talk Dharma only in a shallow way, and the result is merely intellectual.  There is no view. If you practice without a qualified Guru you will do exactly as you want, and end up with exactly what you have – obscured mind.

In Empowerment the student connects with a Lineage of ripening, unbroken from the source. If the ripening has no past, it has no future

The Guru in Vajrayana is the main source of refuge, as Guru is the condensed essence of the Three Precious Jewels.  The three jewels are Buddha, Dharma and Sangha (spiritual community). The Lama represents all three.  All are needed.

To hang out and simply discuss Dharma, to endlessly pontificate from no source is useless. The mind becomes hard, and ego grows. This is not to say that one should not read and study; this is essential. Still, the Guru is the actual guide, and again, if enlightenment is the goal, Guru is the source.  The Tulku system is based on that. It is based on an unbroken Lineage of accomplishment beginning with the source of the cycle being taught.

© Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

Pearls of Wisdom

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From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

I’ve found if there is bitter enmity that all suffer. The best thing to do is just walk away, agree to disagree.

For one’s physical and emotional health abandon conflict. If the other parties do not follow suit protect oneself. And walk away.

The best way to have happiness that is stable is to spend your life in Compassionate activity, helping others with no thought of reward.

Prayer every day is absolutely essential for mental relaxation. As is meditation, contemplation, making offerings.

Suffering in part is due to dualistic perception. In the view all is the Celestial Mandala of the yidam. Separation makes hope and fear.

All material things are illusory, impermanent. We cannot even take even one grain of rice at death. Put your practice as your true wealth.

Gratitude is the bread and water for one’s spirit! One must try to see the good in all. Or one’s spirit grows dark.

© Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

Dharma in the West

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From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo (@jalpalyul)

We must reach for a planet with no violence and no hate. We must learn to respect.  We are the western Tibetan Buddhist community. If we cannot display love and compassion, tolerance and understanding, who will?

From the first time the Buddha sat, he taught not to harm others.  The first turning of the dharma wheel – purify. Do no harm. The second turning – the Bodhicitta, both relative and ultimate.  The third turning of the dharma wheel – establish view – emptiness of phenomena, the nature of mind.

At any moment on earth there are always 80 great Mahasiddhas. Always pray and make offerings to Buddhas and Bodhisattvas!

In Mahayana the two “eyes” of method are relative bodhicitta and ultimate bodhicitta. Both are necessary and essential. One is like giving what is essentially built from samsara. The other, ultimate, arises from Buddhanature. If you could feed poor folks and care for them for the rest of their lives; if you were that rich; it would still be relative and ordinary, although fabulous! To attain supreme enlightenment and return to teach others how to exit samsara, that is the ultimate bodhicitta and the ultimate enlightenment. To return until all are liberated, this is the ultimate aspiration and result!

© Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

Let Me Go

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I live a life where I am speaking
And I’m trying SO HARD to speak the truth
Every day they say I’m lying
Oh no oh no LET ME GO

Oh sista I see you trying
But they will never let you show your light
Every day we see you dying
Oh no oh no LET ME GO

(Chorus)
Let me go into the fire
Let me dance into the Light
I am here, my Love my Father
Let me come to Your Sight

Wisdom Well that I carry
You my sisters bear as well
All the scars we have married
Oh no oh no LET ME GO

Wasted time and sullied promise
Will we ever push on through?
Sometimes don’t know why I bother
Oh no Oh no LET ME GO

Chorus (again)

Half the world is screaming War and
Half the world cries out for Peace
Don’t you dream of worlds of gentle wisdom?
Oh, oh no, LET ME GO.

Let me go to fields of ripening jewels
Let me go to where I can  be me
Let me see the light’s Mandala
Brother, Sister, LET IT BE

I was born in wisdom fire
Must return so I can breathe free
I am here, but can you find me
Oh no oh no let me BE!

Oh no no no Let me go.

© Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

Step by Step in Vajrayana

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From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo (@jalpalyul) on November 11, 2010

The Lama is used as a mirror-mind in Guru Yoga. If our view is clear without stain, we see the “face” of the Guru, and awaken to primordial wisdom.  If the mind is defiled, like with hatred and pride, there is no way to view the Guru’s nature and we are unable to awaken in Vajrayana.  If these statements bother you, examine what you may have missed. Guru Yoga? Prostrations? Mandala offerings? Vajrasattva? These are all meant to purify one’s mind.  Most every true Vajrayana practitioner will advise that one cannot miss even one step. The path is not easy.  One cannot just decide they are enlightened!

© Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo

How Far Will You Go?

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From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo (@jalpalyul) on November 11, 2010

In my experience anything can be used to propagate the Dharma – TV, radio, magazines, books, Internet blogs and Twitter. Ways to introduce Dharma are as plentiful as leaves on a tree. It depends on view, of course. The one with dirty glasses will never see well. The one who has dirty ears will not hear as well. The one who is ignorant will not accomplish well. The one with an oversized ego will not assimilate well and will lose their way due to pride and arrogance. Grasping will ensure there is nothing in the bank. The next life will be worse.

How can one’s mind not matter?  If it is view, relative mind will not be stable. If there is poverty of respect and love for all beings there is no result in Dharma.

You can tell a great deal by seeing someone’s past. A criminal always remains dangerous. A blow-hard tends to blow! No kindness there.

Buddhism is like a wedding cake, many levels. First level is purification of gross karma, the mindstream. Second level is intellectual and scholarly pursuit.  The top level is realization, awakening, result, and accomplishment.  The Bodhisattva or awakening being – this cannot be attained without Bodhicitta, and view of emptiness.

One may take exception, thinking they are unique and special, and have no ethics.  Buddhism is a philosophy of ethics. We build on ethics.  Personally I feel without ethics and compassion there is no realization. I myself practice self-honesty every day. I wish to face all poisons!  I feel that if one is unwilling to purify the poisons, and the karma of body, speech and mind, do not become Buddhist! We are change! And you must grow!

I wish you a life of joy, health and wealth!  I wish you a life of goals attained!  May you have long life and love!  Get it now as you accomplish method!  For all sentient beings.

© Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo

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