Posts

Growing Happiness

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Happiness is of so many varieties. What if we named all plants as "Happiness"? We will eventually discover that some happinesses that we cultivate will be pretty but poisonous, and others will be nourishing or have healing qualities. Some forms of happiness will become tall, stately and long-lived, sheltering many, while other forms will fold up and wilt at the slightest touch. We can choose now what seeds we will plant and how we might care for them so that the best forms of happiness arise. ~ Domo Geshe Rinpoche ~~~ "Es gibt so viele Arten von Glück. Wie wäre es, wenn wir alle Pflanzen 'Glück' nennen würden? Wir würden letztendlich herausfinden, dass einige der kultivieren Glücke ziemlich giftig sind, andere werden sich als nahrhaft oder heilsam herausstellen. Einige Formen des Glücks werden groß, stattlich und langlebig sein und vielen Schutz gewähren, während andere bei der kleinsten Berührung zurückweichen und welken. Wir können jetzt entsch...

Compassion: Our Most Important Possession

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Compassion is the most important subject to study, meditate on and practice. Compassion is actually the only subject that is only achieved by using our own will power and correct effort. It is the only dharmic understanding that cannot be bestowed. To a certain extent, you can be blessed into certain levels of wisdom, but the one thing that cannot be granted to you is deep compassion. We must each struggle to arise it. It is the most important realization and if we fail, we cannot become aligned with enlightened mind. ~ Domo Geshe Rinpoche ~~~~ "Mitgefühl ist das Allerwichtigste, das man studieren, praktizieren und über das man meditieren sollte. Tatsächlich ist Mitgefühl die einzige Sache, die man nur erreichen kann, indem man die eigene Willenskraft und korrekte Anstrengung einsetzt. Es ist das einzige Verständnis des Dharma, das nicht übertragen werden kann. Bis zu einem gewissen Punkt kannst Du Segnungen für gewisse Stufen der Weisheit erhalten, aber das e...

Flowering of Tibetan Scholarship

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Where is joy when you are sad? Where is sadness when you are joyful? The flowering of Great Atisha’s activities was through the establishment of the Kadampa Geshes, who then spread out throughout Tibet, teaching after Atishas passing around 1050AD. The result of his Buddha activities actually happened in his students, and the students of his students, isn’t that so? Drontompa, a direct student of Atisha, established the Tibetan Kadampa tradition, which became the Sarpa, or new transmission. Out of that, came the Sakya, Kagyu, and eventually the Gelug lineages established by various enlightened teachers. This was really the beginning of scholarship in Tibet, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the teachings and preservation of the early scriptures of Buddhas message. Wherever Kadampa Geshes gathered together and debated, Buddhist scholarship blossomed. There are many stories about ordinary people making efforts to go where Geshes were teaching and becoming real...

Cold Feet and Hot Flashes in Tantric Practice

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It is a logical impossibility to own anything that is illusory. Thank goodness for the Madyamika Prasangika view! hee hee! Biological heat is change.... biological cold signifies stasis. In the deep practices of Tantra, feeling heat in the body during meditation is considered to be a good sign of change and transformation of energies. Experiencing cold without the natural causes could signify temporary diminishing life force issues or lack of care for the body through habitual mental distraction. Long term issues with biological experiences of cold should be addressed through meditation to improve life force, perhaps long life practices such as White Tara. ~ Domo Geshe Rinpoche ~~~~~ "Biologische Hitze ist Veränderung... biologische Kälte deutet auf Stillstand hin. In den tiefen tantrischen Praktiken wird es als ein gutes Anzeichen für Veränderung und Transformation von Energie angesehen, wenn man während der Meditation Hitze im Körper verspürt. Wenn man ohne nat...

Stories We Tell Ourselves About Anger

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At first, it is difficult to recognize disturbing emotions. One important reason is because you are experiencing it. While in the midst of it, you and that disturbing emotion are no different! It would be like trying to see your eyeball with your other eyeball without looking in a mirror. Like that, it is not easy to recognize becau se you are totally involved. We can repair this by being vigilant and seeing disturbances in their true nasty form as soon as they arise, and not later that night. Some Buddhist traditions teach the technique of naming negative emotions as an important part of their practices. Beginning practitioners usually have many justifications and stories that they tell themselves about why they use anger or other strong difficult emotions in a positive way. If this was actually true, and, (for example), anger really is positive, then why don’t mature practitioners rely on that strategy? If it is so good, it stands to reason that as you become a ...

Compassionate Chanting

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For capable practitioners, her or his compassionate power of chanting of mantra and recitation of prayers can dramatically change the environment of a troubled space. The influence of mantra can either/both cleanse and empower the surroundings, people or even objects. It is important to understand that this ability can only come with authentic transformation of the practitioner and not simply an opening to gain powers. This is Tantric dharma! ~ Domo Geshe Rinpoche ~~~~ Die mitfühlende Kraft des Mantragesangs oder der Gebetsrezitation durch fähige Übende kann eine schwieriges Umfeld dramatisch verändern. Der Einfluss des Mantras kann die Umgebung, Menschen oder sogar Dinge sowohl reinigen wie auch mit Kraft ausstatten. Es ist wichtig zu verstehen, dass diese Fähigkeit nur durch authentische Transformation des Übenden entstehen kann und nicht einfach eine Öffnung ist, um Macht zu gewinnen. Dies ist tantrisches Dharma!" - Domo Geshe Rinpoche ---

Displacing Perfection

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Regarding the path of preparation to the awakened state, the delusions are displacing perfection. Practicing the delusions will never result in discovering perfection. ~ Domo Geshe Rinpoche ~~~ "Was den vorbereitenden Pfad zum erwachten Zustand betrifft, so verdrängen die Täuschungen dort die Vollkommenheit. Täuschungen zu praktizieren wird niemals zur Entdeckung der Vollkommenheit führen." - Domo Geshe Rinpoche -- Teaching Dharma advances the view of karma in order to improve it. Each day has a special meditation to sample new views of the intricacies of root, rot and rejoice karma.