Satisfied Buddhist - Domo Geshe Rinpoche

We can put emphasis on our positive spiritual qualities and ideals that we already hold, and wish to focus on them to the exclusion of developing other qualities that perhaps it is time for us to know. It’s easy to relate to our own admire d special values, or notice the lack of those same values in others. Some people become chronic complainers, while others become stronger in their chosen values, correctly remaining steady in a world of contradictory ideals. However, it would be wrong to solidify at this point; there still are numerous Buddhist values which we have not yet been introduced to, even if we have been a practitioner for many, many lives in the Buddhist tradition. So, our present values do not fully reflect the values of the Buddha. In other words, we are walking the path of the Buddha in some ways, and in other ways, we are not walking the path of the Buddha. We might object to that by feeling it is either one way or the other. Either I am a Buddhist and walking the...

It is human nature to be attracted to like-minded people… perhaps so that we can complain how bad others are, isn’t that so? Hee hee. We might wish to remain isolated and only be influenced by those who think the same way we do; only then c an we remain sturdy in our values. So, the rock ‘n rollers gather together this side, while clog dancers are over there thinking that life is all about clog dancing. However, it often happens that spiritual people are unattracted to seek a community of like-minded people. Even within choices of other spiritual groups, (which is quite varied in this world), folks move from one to another looking for their specific slice of like-minded people. Upon arriving there, they wish to forever remain in ease like a big down comforter; they have at last found a place where they feel comfy! However, should your like-minded values be Buddhism, instead of finding a nice, soft, comfortable quilt comforter to lie down with and rest; as soon as you have arrived, ...

Whether we have the good fortune to be Buddhist again in future lives or not, may we never let go of the deep values which are the ways of the Buddha. For that reason, we pray and meditate on the continuity of our practice to ensure that w e find our way back to a living and vibrant society that holds our values, and go on from that point. ~ Domo Geshe Rinpoche ~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Egal ob wir in zukünftigen Leben das große Glück haben werden wieder Buddhist zu sein oder nicht, mögen wir niemals die tiefen Werte loslassen, welche die Wege des Buddhas sind. Aus diesem Grund beten und meditieren wir für die Fortsetzung unserer Praxis, um sicher zu gehen, dass wir unseren Weg in eine lebendige und dynamische Gesellschaft zurückfinden, die unsere Werte teilt und zum Ausgangspunkt dafür wird." - Domo Geshe Rinpoche --- Trying to penetrate illusion only works when one is firmly holding the handle of the sword instead of the blade. This is the Manjushri method of wisdom dharma....

What a beautiful sunny day! So many of us live in colder climes and now have a greater awareness about our lack of vitamin D during the winter months, isn't that so? I now feel concerned that I’m not going to get enough vitamin D because there’s not enough daylight hours but I've also lost an important relationship with the sun, and replaced it as a source of nutrient vitamin D. In a way, that ’s sad, because I kind of liked the other relationship better. It flipped from being the source of light and joy, a symbol of lightness of being, (our kind of traditional relationship with the sun), to this instigator of vitamin D. In some ways, perhaps we have also lost confidence in our relationship with the five senses while studying the intricacies of the mind in Buddhism. We are told that trusting the senses may not be the most beneficial way to understand reality. Although certainly a relationship remains, we are told that there’s something else that we should really want. So, ...

" Everything costs something... war, love, food, public infrastructure, peace, education... everything! How the statistics of that cost are manipulated is pure politics! By giving weight to certain statistics while withholding others costs can make even the cost of beneficial programs or attitudes seem intolerable. Logic and compassion are common sense partners in considering the many kinds of cos ts we as individuals or as a society are willing to spend: time, money, change in attitudes, shift in power and so much more. Don't let politics ruin your life! ~ Domo Geshe Rinpoche ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Alles kostet etwas... der Krieg, die Liebe, Essen, die öffentliche Infrastruktur, der Frieden, Bildung... alles! Wie die Statistiken dieser Kosten manipuliert werden ist reine Politiksache! Indem man bestimmte Statistiken überbewertet und andere zurückhält können selbst die Kosten von wohltätigen Programmen oder Einstellungen unakzeptabel erscheinen. Logik und Mitgefühl sin...

Edges always define the center. Radical social and philosophical concepts serve the middle ground of culture by showing where we might choose not to participate. However, the Middle Way of Buddhism is different; rather than finding a safe p osition in the center, it is defined by an active and cultivated rejection of the extremes of nhilism and permanentism. Its logical system is organized to discover what is real is based on what is rejected rather than what is accepted. ~ Domo Geshe Rinpoche ~~~~~~~ "Die Mitte wird immer durch die Ränder definiert. Radikale soziale und philosophische Konzepte helfen der Mitte einer Kultur, indem sie das aufzeigen, woran wir vielleicht nicht teilnehmen wollen. Der mittlere Weg im Buddhismus ist jedoch etwas anderes: anstatt einen sicheren Ort in der Mitte zu finden ist er durch eine aktive und kultivierte Ablehnung der Extreme des Nihilismus und Permanentisums gekennzeichnet. Sein logisches System ist derart organisiert, dass man anhand des...