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Showing posts from January 23, 2011

Any Action is Okay, plus Podcast: Buddhism in the Workplace

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The quantum shift of enlightenment returns us to our natural purity Any thought or action is acceptable and reasonable to the mind of the doer: a sexual predator, business person or an enlightened bodhisattva. We must work diligently to acquire the qualities present in the mind of a bodhisattva. We must protect others from the vulgar common sense of a predator. Business is a mixture of virtuous and non virtuous actions. That is why traditional Buddhism suggests that a worldly life of doing business is fraught with danger. However, I believe that it is a good training ground for potential bodhisattvas in the modern world. ~Domo Geshe Rinpoche ~~~ "Dem Geist des Ausübenden, sei er ein Sexualtäter, ein Geschäftsmann oder ein erleuchteter Bodhisattva, erscheint jeglicher Gedanke oder jegliche Handlung als akzeptabel und vernünftig. Wir müssen sorgfältig daran arbeiten, die Qualitäten zu erlangen, die im Geist eines Bodhisattvas vorhanden sind. Wir müssen andere vor dem vulgären, gewöh

Useless Buddhist Advice and Norbu House Update

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“Train always in the three general points.” This gives the purpose of the Seven Point Mind Training; reminding us of the commitments taken when we are serious about gaining the results of this practice. If we are not serious about this practice, this point will mean nothing. However, if we are interested, “train always in the three general points,” is meant to remind us strongly of the commitments of this particular practice. The first of the three general points is, do not violate the vows of mind training. Just as in refuge vow commitments, one of the commitments is to not give up refuge. Very cleverly, Geshe Chekawa has placed holding the vow itself as part of the vows. When doing strong mind training exercises, such as tonglen, or remembrance of death, we must also remember to keep all of our vows intact: monastic, tantric, refuge, and Bodhicitta vows, as well as lay vows. ~Domo Geshe Rinpoche ~~~ "" 'Übe Dich stets in den drei allgemeinen Punkten.' Dies ist die Z

Do Mind Training with the Buddha of Wisdom

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There are so many important views of bodhicitta, each gives a portion of a more vast vision. While studying Buddhist lojong, or mind training, remember that there is a good reason to receive Manjushri practice along with mind training. That is because Buddha Manjushri is associated with increasing mental capacities and learning, as well as penetrating wisdom to destroy the obstacles to the enlightened state. We must practice penetrating discernment, driving a sword of wisdom like a shish-ka-bob, right through our daily life activities and all the way to the surprising discovery of emptiness. We will need a very sharp, long, and enlightened sword of wisdom in order to do that. We must penetrate and permeate our daily life with higher mindfulness and higher discrimination so that we can acquire the knowledge of its essence with clarity. We request the blessings of Guru Manjushri to help us accomplish that important task. Therefore, mind training and Manjushri practice

Holding Space for Fellow Buddhists

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A tall tree has both height and depth! In the rush for success and status, do not sacrifice your potential for great depth of character. An important aspect of Buddhist life is "holding space", supporting others who are on the Path but are struggling. While learning higher discrimination to be capable of uncovering reality within our own minds, we must be careful not to belittle others for a less "advanced" view or "not being a good enough Buddhist", using our new found mental skills wrongly! While we ourselves are experiencing inner change, we know how much we need and appreciate a kind word from a fellow Buddhist, or a spiritual seeker of another path. Buddhist vajra brothers and sisters have an obligation to be gently supportive of each other; that is how the community of practitioners helps along the path. ~Domo Geshe Rinpoche ~~~ "Ein wichtiger Aspekt des Lebens als Buddhist ist, dass man einen 'sicheren Raum' für andere bereitstellt, die

Thinking About Buddhist Meditation Practice

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Learn enough about Buddhism to be a skillful teacher to your inner critic! May I suggest "Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand" by Je Pabonka Rinpoche. This is a Lam Rim text, the comprehensive guide to the teachings of the Buddha in the order that we need to gain Buddhist realizations. There are many Lam Rims texts out there favored by one lineage or another.. but Pabonka Rinpoche is famous for a no nonsense commentary that has been used by millions. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_53?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=liberation+in+the+palm+of+your+hand+pabongka+rinpoche&sprefix=liberation+in+the+palm+of+your+hand+pabongka+rinpoche ~Domo Geshe Rinpoche ~~~ "Lerne genug über den Buddhismus, damit Du ein guter Lehrer für Deinen inneren Kritiker sein kannst! Dürfte ich 'Befreiung in unseren Händen' von Je Pabongka Rinpoche vorschlagen. Dies ist ein Lam Rim Text, ein umfassender Führer für die Lehren des Buddha, in der notwendigen Reihenfo

Thinking with My Heart

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We cannot possibly be happy enough with the heaviness of an ordinary body and mind! The teachings of our historical Gautama Buddha did not belong to him but to the actual Buddha, meaning the awakened state. The Buddha did not transmit all of the awakened teachings. Why? ~Domo Geshe Rinpoche ~~~~ The Dharma will be fulfilled when all living beings are free. The wheel of dharma, set in motion will continue to turn. This is not the only world that Buddhas come to teach. Other realms and Buddhafields have different needs. This is also done by the awakened ones "People not ready until they finish the first step transformation" . We should not think that everything has been revealed, everything that is suitable to be worked with, with the capacity of human beings, has been fully revealed. So very much more! How skillful the Buddha was to not "overload" with too much unrelated information. The innate view of perceiving what is not real to be real inhibits the capacity to

War and Failed Relationships

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Do not practice war... nor the precursors of war! Do not practice anger.... nor the precursors of anger! do not practice irritation.... nor the precursors of irritation! Instead Practice peace.. and its cause: contentment Practice loving kindness.. and its cause: equanimity Practice joy... and its cause: compassion ~Domo Geshe Rinpoche ~~~ Today is first day of Yogic Healing training here at Joyful Path Meditation and Healing Center. Course runs for more than one year. Healers training from the inside out and the outside in! Because of our own pain in failed relationships, real empathy is possible to arise. As "experts" in the suffering of heartbreak and damaged relationships, we can relate to the suffering of others in their time of difficulty with others. However, this can only occur when we break free from watching our own suffering. This empathic comp assion sees that everyone is suffering at least as much as I am, and perhaps more! This form of compassion destroys