Satisfied Buddhist - Domo Geshe Rinpoche

All Buddhists pray to the inhabitants of the great realms of learning and progress such as the pure lands of the Buddhas and the bodhisattvas, in their realms, requesting release of the practitioner from the suffering human realm experience, isn't that so? These realms are visualized in Tantric practice and are described so the meditator can make connections to the Buddha and guidance beings associated with the Great Path to perfection of that higher realm. Enlightened beings that emanate into this world to benefit those living under the acknowledged imperfect conditions here encourage people to not think this world is a final destiny of their evolution. As I have said in a previous column, science is now agreeing with Buddhism regarding the nature of physical reality. Science is now beginning the exploration of the interface between consciousness and the world. For example, the erratic behavior of an electron stabilizes due to perception and has location, otherwise it only rem...

Since we need to address some of the concerns regarding the subject of the innate view most often reserved for scholars I have asked some of my students to comment. Below are some of their answers. Perhaps you agree, disagree, or have not given it much thought, which is probably where they are in their reasoning. Following that are some very short passages regarding the correct Buddhist intellectually held view that is the reason the students are complaining. After that, I will present another model for understanding the view, although I am personally quite fond of the classic view presentation. Student: “ What I hear Rinpoche saying is that the argument is valid, but the analogy or language, the description that is used here, does not really resonate with us. I am saying that we do not think about things as wood and fire and water. We think about things as bones and blood or atoms and quarks. ” Student: “ We do believe that we are here as entities. We do believe it all the ti...

You have an obligation to examine the various elements of the human realm innate view and how that relates to the primary message of how you believe you are alive. I will use two different methods to discover truths about how we are alive that will be described in a later column. In order to do that in a meaningful way we need to begin that discovery, by continuing to demystify the gripping anxiety that many people feel toward subjects as scholarly as the Buddhist descriptions of the innate view. Let us begin by remembering that an innate view would be, by definition, one that is not held by force of will power. In other words, you cannot hang onto it by thinking about it because it is not held by the intellect. It is also not held by remembering an innate view either as “ These are the kinds of things that I believe in, me and my fellows ,” or that you remember like a memory of your innate view. None of these is called an innate view by definition. Therefore, it must be a hidde...

Part 5 of a series. This technique uses the mnemonic HOPE to help us remember a valuable technique. The last part of this is E for enthusiasm. A cultivated enthusiasm within the practice here allows you and trains or compels you to push away the negative by applying a positive protective shield. The enthusiasm in this process of dynamic, proactive hope will cause you to push away any negativity still surrounding the situation. Like a protection, the surrounding situation of minor negativity is now being pushed away. You are not only making a clear space that is free of this obstacle but also clearing away everything associated with the obstacle that may be holding it to the situation. In addition, you are pushing away any negative thinking on your part, such as, “ Oh, it probably did not do any good, but anyway, I tried .” Push it away. Push it away with the power of enthusiasm for the best outcome of success. Any negative thinking, such as, “ Oh, maybe tomorrow it will be di...

Part 4 of a series. The third part of HOPE is P for perseverance. Any pleasure that we might receive by the anticipation of success in ordinary hope is modified by fear. There is a heaviness of vacillation with a finer energetic oscillation, between hope and fear, which creates a different state of mind called worry. It is an absolute method used to harm your ability to get the desired outcome. The negative energy of worry gives the additional ammunition brought into hope creating even further doubts that the outcome will be successful. This is where we need to get out our own big six-shooter. Worry weakens positive outcome. In its best form, hope is pretty sure that you are going to get the desired outcome with only a small amount of doubt. However, fear is a big doubt so we need to reduce and eventually eliminate doubt. Now, here is where we affirm and strengthen the mind of auspiciousness. The mind of auspiciousness holds space for the best outcome to arise without waverin...

Part 3 of a series. No matter how dense the stone, we will be capable of suffusing it, going through to the far edges of that object and filling it, even if it is a stone. After suffusion with white light, the second step is to marinade the obstacle in white liquid light. In space before us, we saturate this object that is the obstacle in energetic form. This is done by marinating it, which allows the mind of the yogi to arise in a different energetic quality. Marinating with intense white light, so thick it is nectar, fills from the bottom up, whereas suffusing has a penetrating by light quality. Remembering that this is the obstacle to the success, we strongly light marinade it allowing it to penetrate by remaining for some time. While you are marinating this obstacle, you are also holding the mind of auspiciousness so that the qualities of that meditation are reaching deep into the obstacle and holding it there for some time. I hope many will be able to destroy every obstacl...

Part 2 of a series. Using the mnemonic of HOPE to remember the technique for proactive wishing we now look at overcoming the obstacles. As described in part one, we are now holding a dynamic energetic that can support the wish/hope. Now we apply to this high energetic, several different valuations and very little else, meaning we should do it in a concentrated manner. It is also important to maintain a focused mind of open abundance, what I have always called a mind of auspiciousness. This is a certain energetic holding, that allows space for the highest outcome to arise without allowing the mind to pick up difficulties and “enliven” or infect further the problem. At this point, we are literally acting as the energetic support, through various bodies such as inner and outer energetic bodies, mental functions cooperating toward highest outcome, as well as motivationally holding success. This explanation will be expanded a bit later. So, what chakras, which system and what color i...