Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

Give Rise to the Bodhicitta

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Have you thought about the welfare of sentient beings today? Remembered those hungry, sick, old, grieving, warring, without hope?

After contemplating the suffering beings in cyclic existence, have you felt mercy, compassion, concern, sadness, grief, a wish to help?

Have you wondered at the meat on your plate? The suffering of the animal? We want the animal’s fur, skin, meat, have you considered this?

Have you seen human beings sleeping in the street? Homeless, addicted, dysfunctional, addled? Families that have lost everything?

Have you seen dogs and cats, family pets, dropped off at a shelter because they are inconvenient? And then killed for the same reason?

Have you seen slaughterhouses? The look on a pet’s face when it knows it is being sent to die? The terrible suffering of animals?

Have you seen the heinous nature of war? The suffering of people returning home shattered? The horror of nations torn apart by hate and war?

Has it bothered you that women in some countries are mutilated to be pleasing to the men? Women treated as property, worse than cattle?

If these things have bothered you, maybe caused a tear, if you see and are moved- MAYBE, just maybe you are ready to learn to pray.

If you ache for the confusion and suffering of beings, if you cannot bear to see such suffering, Maybe, just maybe- compassion lives in you.

Are you ready to dedicate yourself in this and every future life to heal suffering in all forms? Maybe, maybe you gave rise to the Bodhicitta.

What is Dewachen?

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Buddha Amitaba - Dewachen

From The Spiritual Path:  A Compilation of Teachings by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

When you pray to be reborn in Dewachen, what do you really mean? In the ultimate view, Dewachen is the celestial mandala of the Lord Amitabha. Lord Amitabha is a Dharmakaya Buddha. Thus Dewachen is Dharmakaya awareness or the Dharmakaya view—the pure, uncontrived, primordial-wisdom view, free of all conceptualization. To be reborn in Dewachen really means to experience the natural Dharmakaya state—the state that has no limitation. Dharmakaya has no consideration of self and other, no separation between form and formless. To awaken in that state is not to become a transformed or translucent ego. Please understand that if you want to become a better person, you want, somehow, to become transformed. You want to be a Buddha. Then people will say, “Look, there’s a Buddha!” Can you see the difference between that attitude and the experience of pure nature, suchness, free of all idea of ego?

Do you still practice with an idea about what you will be? That very you consists of and maintains incorrect view. When you pray to be reborn in Dewachen—make no mistake about it—you are praying for the death of your ego. Eternal life implies the belief in self-nature as an eternal reality. Someone who believes in eternal life, consciously or unconsciously, is on a path without the understanding that if ego did survive forever, it would only insure the continuation of suffering. Such a path is not workable. If your secret prayer is somehow to become a transformed ego, if you are using Dharma words to disguise your wish to remain intact as a self, then you are asking to continue on the wheel of cyclic death and rebirth, the wheel of suffering, the wheel of samsara.

© Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo

You Are

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You are the Light of my life

The beat of my heart

The breath of my body

The song of my speech

The rapture of my mind I love you.

You are the core of my Samaya

The truth of my accomplishment

The nectar of my mind

The warrior of my method

The bearer of my LOVE

You are my blazing one

You are beloved Sun

You are a candle light

To warm me through the night

You are my feast, my Fire

You are my SHINING ONE

You make me come undone

You dance within my sight

You make me feel it right

You make me see your face

I see it when you move about

I’ll be your friend I’ll shout you out!

I’ll get you there

If you can go.

© Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo

Root Teacher

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From The Spiritual Path:  A Compilation of Teachings by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

Perception, or revelation, varies according to the capability of one’s own mind. A mind dulled by obstacles and obscurations can go to a holy place, hear a holy teaching, even bow to a holy one—and walk away unaffected. The mind that is quickened and ready can come and drink, perhaps not understanding what it has drunk, but at least knowing that this is true nourishment. The mind that is truly realized can perceive that upon every atom there are Buddhas beyond counting; that one’s own Root Teacher is the Dharmakaya Buddha come at last; that Guru Rinpoche is the emanation of pure compassion who made all of this possible; and that He has entered, in many forms, into all levels of cyclic existence. Such a mind can understand that every sound is the voice of the Precious Guru, that every breath of air is the movement of His teachings.

Any revelation that purifies the mind of duality and delusion, bringing forth the nectar of compassion from deep within you is the Precious Guru appearing once again. Any path such as Vajrayana, which leads to enlightenment in a definable, reliable way—is itself the appearance of the Precious Guru. If you achieve realization in this lifetime, that is Guru Rinpoche. If you hear a teaching, which brings enlightenment closer, that is Guru Rinpoche. If compassion is born in your heart so that you will spend your life practicing and praying for others and discovering within yourself all-pervading compassion, that is Guru Rinpoche. He is the Guru of compassion, the Guru of boundless light, the Guru of great love, the Guru of supreme medicine. He is the voice, the body, the mind, the heart, and the very embodiment of the all-pervading, compassionate nature of Dharmakaya. He continues to appear in a form that is accessible and real in every culture. He simply is. He is present within you now. Even as you read this, you can feel His presence. You can see Him in every part of your life. Strive at every moment to birth Him in your mind and heart. Pray never to be separate from the Three Precious Jewels and always, in every breath of air, to encounter the Precious Guru.

If you sincerely wish to end suffering in this and all other worlds, sincerely wish to root out the causes of suffering in your own mind, the Guru is active within you. In that sincere wish, He is calling you. Because of that sincerity, you will see Him. You will see Him even physically, for you will surely find an excellent and perfect Teacher. As Guru Rinpoche said, “I will come as your Teacher.” If your heart is pure and sincere, the Guru will appear before you.

In Vajrayana, even if your teacher is not enlightened, you can attain realization through pure faith, provided you seek only that which will cleanse all non-virtue from your mind, which will reveal the true, uncontrived face of Dharmakaya as your own face, and if you deeply wish to end the suffering of all sentient beings. Then your Teacher, even unrealized, will act upon you as Nirmanakaya Buddha. If with pure intention you accomplish your part of the bargain, you will find that your teacher is in fact Nirmanakaya Buddha. Your job is only to keep your heart pure. If you do not practice, if you deceive yourself in your practice, if you do not practice sincerely, or if you practice for the wrong reasons, not only have you accomplished nothing but you are only fooling yourself, for you will never see that precious face.

What is available to you now is the realization of the Precious Guru. He is the medicine for all ills, the end of suffering. He appears on this earth by the virtue of primordial nature and uncontrived mind. His virtue and nature are such that they are constantly revealed. They are all-pervasive. That is the truth of the Precious Guru. He appears upon the earth time and time again, in whatever form the karma of beings requires. He is food and drink, available the moment you feel hunger and thirst. He brings you the path to supreme enlightenment. He abides in all aspects of that path: the Teacher, the Sangha, and the Dharma. You cannot cut Him out of your mind, but you can ignore Him. Yet even after that, the moment you turn around, He is there.

I hope that this is helpful to you. If it can inspire even a little devotion in your heart and mind, it is worthwhile. Great devotion is necessary on this path, but we are too stiff most of the time. Do you remember the story of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples? That was an act of devotion, the perfect act of a Bodhisattva. We should all serve each other. We should care for others more than we care for ourselves. Devotion is the softener of hearts. It causes pride to be purified. It washes away the stiffness that accompanies egocentricity. Pure devotion itself can be a cause for realization. We should all engage in such holy activity, embodying the Precious Guru. Then, washing the feet of all sentient beings, we will finally understand our own true face.

© Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo

Walking the Talk

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cardinal in winter

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.

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Norbu Lhamo.  All rights reserved

Online Support for Dharma Practice

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Guru Rinpoche
Guru Rinpoche

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

www.stupas.org – beautiful images and descriptions of Stupas

Method

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Tulku Migyur Dorje
Tulku Migyur Dorje

A teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

It is essential to keep at one’s practice daily. But also keep progressing, accomplishing each stage before moving to the next.

Starting with contemplation of the Four Thoughts, Ngundro, Three Roots, Tsa-Lung, Togyal and Trekchod. This method assures progress and good rebirth.  All these, the Treasures of the path, are best learned within one’s Lineage, under the guidance of a truly accomplished Master.

All these teachings and more are conferred at the Palyul Retreat Center in New York. Soup to nuts! And we are guided now by His Holiness Karma Kuchen and the Heart Sons.

It is difficult to have these profound teachings all in one place. The month long retreat in New York every Summer is not to be missed. Concise!

And there we have fully accomplished Masters to teach and ripen our minds. How extraordinary, pure Lineage transmission here in the US for all!

For more information about Palyul Summer Retreat, visit Palyul.org

Star Child

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FoxNeutronArtwork

Bright, shining

Star child

Tripping, dancing

In the light

Who are you?

I am

The lover; the beloved.

The father and the child.

The voice and the song.

The kingdom is mine!

Playfully, joyfully fathered by

All that is

I am born

Into glory!

I am glory!

Born to soar,

I hold in my hand

The seed and the fruit of forever

What a joy to cherish

This moment.

Forever-now.

To see in myself

The promise.

The song of love, sung

By me, for me.

Born in light

I am light;

Dazzling!

Pure, perfect crystalline

Light.

Becoming, multiplying, forever.

I am bathed

In exquisite joy –

Always.

One with Infinity

Star child!

By Alyce Mulloy

© Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo

Lunar Calendar Observances

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The following are the principal days in the Tibetan Lunar Calendar and the practices associated with those days:

8th Day- Medicine Buddha Practice

1st Qtr moon – White Tara Practice

10th Day – Guru Rinpoche Day / Shower of Blessings Tsog

15th Day – Amitabha Practice

Full Moon – Practitioner renews their vows and precepts.  A time to reaffirm and make confession. So Jong for the Ordained

2nd Qtr Moon – Green Tara Practice

25th Day – Dakini Day, Tsog Feast

29th Day – Dharma Protector Day

30th Day – Shakyamuni Buddha Practice

New Moon – Practitioner renews their vows and precepts.  A time to reaffirm and make confession. So Jong for the Ordained.

“From the Vajrayana or tantric point of view, the changes of the Sun and Mon produce a shift or change in the elements.  While there is a shift on the more physical or gross level (the physical elements of the body), there is also a shift on a more subtle level – a shift in the wisdom mind (potential enlightened mind).  This is sometimes referred to as the wind energy.  This subtle system, which is not material or physical, is related to the mind.  According to the Vajrayana practice, as we will gradually and eventually learn as we progress on the path, when all the different wind energies are channeled into what is known as the central or life channel, there is the experience of enlightened mind.  That is how practitioners enter into the state of indestructible Samadhi and other meditative states.  Related to that, on the occasion of the Full Moon, the 15th Moon, the 15th day, the right peripheral wind energy (also known as the white element) moves closest to the central channel.  On the day of the New Moon, the wind energy of the left peripheral channel (also known as the red element) comes closest to the central channel.  In general then, the lunar calendar is based on the motion of the Sun, Moon, and planets, and there is a definite relation of these cycles to the functioning of our subtle internal system.”

Above quote is from a teaching given by Ven. Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche

How to Make Offerings

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Meaning and Purpose

The basis for offering is the practice of “Generosity.”  Generosity helps us to be less self-cherishing and thereby more loving to others.  In the Buddhist tradition one makes offerings to the Three Precious Jewels, which are the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, and the Lama who embodies all three.  Offerings are a way of honoring the mind of Enlightenment and the seed potential within all of us to awaken to our true nature.  Also one makes offerings with joy and sincere appreciation for the countless blessings one has been given by one’s teachers who by their supreme generosity have given one the Path and a way to end one’s suffering.  The practice of offering is another way to acknowledge the boundless love and infinite compassion shown to us by all those who have attained Enlightenment solely for the benefit of sentient beings.

On a deeper level, the practice of offering can be done mentally where one offers everything one sees and experiences such as the beauty of fresh flowers, the wonderful scents in our world like freshly baked bread, the comfort one feels from being warm when it is cold outside, the taste of delicious food, and the happiness we feel when we see a friend we haven’t seen in a while.  As we walk through the mall, we can offer everything we see and experience, clothes, furniture, etc.  When one is practicing generosity in this way, it is also viewed as a way of renouncing our attachment to these worldly things that are impermanent anyway and only give us temporary happiness. This method of practice if cultivated becomes a potent way of accumulating merit and virtue that can then be offered for the benefit of sentient beings.

What to Offer

Generally, one offers the very best that can be obtained or that one has the means to offer.  If the offering is given sincerely from the heart, then even water that is offered  becomes a treasure.  Flowers, light, incense, perfume or sweet scent, pure water, a conch shell (symbolizes music), and food are traditional offerings.  Crystals, jewelry, malas, and money are also suitable offerings.

How to Make the Offering

As a Buddhist, upon entering the shrine room one makes three prostrations towards the altar.  Then one arouses the thought of Bodhicitta, which is the sincere wish or motivation to be of benefit to sentient beings by working to achieve enlightenment.  The offering is made on the lowest level of the altar or could be placed at the base or foot of the altar.  In the case of offering a mala, the mala should be placed on the foot of the image of the Buddha but never around the neck.  If offering a BLESSED mala, please note that once offered, the mala can never again be used for personal use.  The practice of offering is considered to be a virtuous act, so remember to dedicate the merit and offer it as well for the benefit of all sentient beings.

What Not to Offer

Generally it is best not to offer anything sour or bitter like lemons or limes.  Also one would not offer an image of the Buddha such as a statue or a photograph of the Buddha.

When to Make an Offering

Offerings can be made at anytime, however in the Tibetan lunar calendar, there are auspicious days when merit is increased that are traditionally observed by making offerings.  For example, the 10th Day or Guru Rinpoche Day, the 25th Day or Dakini Day, 10 Million Days (there are four during the year) which mark different events in the life of Shakyamuni Buddha, and Losar the Tibetan New Year.

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