Satisfied Buddhist - Domo Geshe Rinpoche

Like other litigious societies, we have become over-doctored and looking for that magic pill to make us well and feel satisfied. Perhaps it would be better to consider stress, lack of closure to poor past relationships, anger or jealousy as causes for our poor health... and then correct our errors. ~ Domo Geshe Rinpoche ~ "Wie andere prozessfreudige Gesellschaften verlassen wir uns zu sehr darau f, medizinisch überversorgt zu werden und halten nach der magischen Pille Ausschau, die uns befriedigt und gesund macht. Vielleicht wäre es besser, Stress, unbewältigte Beziehungen, Wut oder Eifersucht als Ursachen für unsere schlechte Gesundheit in Betracht zu ziehen.... und dann unser Fehlverhalten zu korrigieren." - Domo Geshe Rinpoche --- Sharing happiness is actually what is done in the dharma practice of the first of the Four Great Wishes. This trains us to share our cultivated joy and not simply hold it as a personal possession. The second of the Great Wishes strong...

Many sensitive people have a problem being around the suffering of another because it is personally painful and mentally distressing. They cannot help the one that is suffering because they are in pain themselves. This is because as long as one carries seeds of suffering inside, the suffering of others will cause their own anguish to re-ignite. This is why the bodhisattvas extinguished their own s uffering to become capable of helping others. ~ Domo Geshe Rinpoche ~~~ "Für viele sensible Menschen ist es ein Problem in der Nähe von Leidenden zu sein weil es für sie persönlich schmerzhaft und eine geistige Qual ist. Sie können dem Leidenden nicht helfen weil sie selbst Schmerzen haben. Denn solange jemand die Samen des Leids in sich trägt wird durch das Leid von anderen seine eigene Pein neu angefacht. Deshalb haben die Bodhisattvas ihr eigenes Leiden ausgelöscht, um fähig zu werden, anderen zu helfen." - Domo Geshe Rinpoche --- Beaucoup de gens sensibles ont un problème face...

What could possibly motivate someone to renounce everything for the dharma? Before we think about that, let us define what renunciation means since spiritual teachers rarely use that word anymore. All Buddhist texts refer to renunciation as a high quality to work toward developing. Inept renunciation means rejecting what we need and want, and now we have to reluctantly give it up. Some will think that there is something that they really want to own that has to be given up even before they get it. Both of these meanings are untrue. Years ago a student sent me a frantic letter, “Rinpoche, I’m just so confused because I feel like I want to achieve enlightenment, however, what about Susie?” (Well, I don’t know Susie!! What about Susie?”) “I promised her that I would marry her, but if I should go for this enlightenment, then I have to renounce everything and what about Susie? She’s expecting this, and not only that, I was sort of expecting to have children! You telling us about all this ...

What could possibly motivate someone to renounce everything for the dharma? I know it has twelve letters, but somehow, renunciation has become a four-letter word for spiritual people. Because of that, teachers coming to the West rarely use the word renunciation anymore. Why is that? How can the lamas who arrive to teach about enlightenment, read from the old texts, (which is a lot about renunciation) and yet are concerned to mention renunciation? Could there be something about the word ‘renunciation’ that creates the opposite effect of the meanings of the texts to people in the West? Unskillful renunciation means to renounce what you already possess and now you have to give up. The other unskillful meaning is something you really want that has to be given up even before you get it. Both of these meanings are untrue and renunciation has a bad reputations in the West. A nameless student, one who was very interested in spiritual development sent me a frantic letter, “ Rinpoch...

In the previous column there were discussed some of the ways people make changes to become more receptive to truth. Taking ordination vows is an extreme example as well as deciding to dedicate the rest of ones life to a hermit’s existence or perhaps living in a cave. Others will seek vows such as bodhchitta vows to energetically bind themselves to achieve the transformed state. However, there are methods we can put in to practice even today and one is to simplify. We could make things easier by giving away what is not used, needed or enjoyed anymore so that there are fewer objects that we need to control, care for, think about or even dust regularly! Even today, I took a carload of things over to Goodwill, so I feel quite happy about that. Another way to simplify is to watch how we spend our precious leisure time and make quality time management decisions to begin or sustain a regular meditation practice. Another obstacle that often confronts sincere seekers is reading about the l...