Most of the time people have a hard time giving away things to others which they themselves really like. Yes, we buy a present for someone and then we give that away. But something that you have bought for yourself often has more attachments to it and therefore is harder to give away. But in essence, it is just energy and energy needs to flow to be healthy.
Misapprehension of language only perpetuates our confused, dualistic perception of reality and thereby leads us away from the realization the single taste of reality. Contrary to this, when language is infused with skillful means, it becomes a vehicle for liberation.
Life is indeed dreamlike. So dreamlike that we often cruise through our days barely aware of what is really going on. Then suddenly someone we knew, someone we loved or hated or acknowledged at least, as existing, even if only on the fringes of our world is gone. They are no more; phoof!
I had heard the day before that Tulku Urgyen, a great Dzogchen master, would be offering a special long life empowerment to Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, a contemporary and also a great Dzogchen practitioner, who had not been well for some time.
Giving our attention to this huge unknown, which we call death can help us to open another door into the even greater mysterious cavern of, what we call, our life. Which in turn, can point us at last, towards the greatest of all mysteries; that of our awareness.
Writing is for another. Like talking, speech is for the other. May this white space surrogate for the natural appearance of thought, uncensored. In bygone years, mother’s vision took upon a likeness of ‘white space’. Her thoughts took flight. They were like wings of creative energy, expressed without pause, without censorship.
Everyone speaks to everyone here. But the words. The words are different. The words are angels, each carrying soul and kindness between beings, sprinkling a transformative beauty from their wings. When I returned, I couldn’t help but wonder of a world where words are used in this way.
All life has intrinsic value, irrespective of it’s value to humans, Norwegian Philosopher Arne Næss said. He believed that the environmental crisis of the 20th century had arisen due to the lack of acknowledgement in our modern societies concerning the value of the natural world as a whole and through a process of falling in love with the world, the wish to protect the environment itself would come naturally.
The loss of the feminine features and energy is a serious problem in our society. The society we live in today is shaped by masculine aspects that impose a patriarchal culture based on race, power game, rationalism and success based on strength.
We were getting close to our destination, and everyone started to show signs of excitement. The nuns chatting at half a dozen- reminiscing stories of His Holiness’s annual teachings this time last year. As we approached Lower Dharamsala we passed the Tibet College of Tibetan Medicine, the Menzi Kang.
We need the leaders of all religions to be involved. It’s very important that religious leaders, politicians, business people, and industrialists have a genuine dialogue. I think everybody will care, if not for other reasons, then at least for his or her future descendants.
Christopher Judges takes a hard look at democracy and what moves in the current political climate around the world.
It is as if the house of human civilisation is on fire and a few of the inhabitants are trying to yell to the others that the house is burning. The other people hear it but would rather ignore it since it seems like a hassle to put it out, and would rather just continue what they are doing.
An interview with Peter Oudshoorn about his very interesting task of reconstructing the first large-scale Buddhist monastery in Nepal.
Engaged Buddhism is not a separate school from others; it is more of an interpretation of social commitment that appears in all trends of contemporary Buddhism. It emphases the unity needed between the inner work and the work in the world, the social action as deep compassion, the result of a deep understanding of reality, their dynamics and mutual causalities.
There is no copyright on the tendency to be close-minded, shutting off reason and empathy. It can unfold within the mind of anyone.
The resulting arrogance, and the aggressive and abusive behavior that the fundamentalist attitude breeds, can be changed by opening our hearts with kindness and freeing our minds through insight.
This election has caused me to spend time deeply reflecting on my own life choices and beliefs, and a deep question has been continually weighing on my mind: Why don’t more loving, intelligent people work harder to eliminate Big Money’s negative influence on almost every sphere of human activity?
I hold all life sacred. From Mother Earth and her life-giving bounty, to all creatures great and small. However cows, like dogs, have had a symbiotic relationship with mankind as long as both have been in contact with each other. After all, dogs are known as mans best friend and for good reason. Yet cows hold a special place alongside humanity.
As practitioners of a spiritual practice, we have to be like a lighthouse. We just shine the great bright light of our true identity out into the world so that others can see their own inner light. A lighthouse doesn’t judge, label, or distinguish; it just shines out its light.
“How real are the deities? Well… How real is your suffering?” This deserves to be contemplated. Until we realize the emptiness of all experience, appearances, and phenomena, whether they be positive or negative, we have to play by their rules, the rules of the conventional world.
Meditation develops one’s open-mindness, sensitivity and appreciation, while enhancing one’s ability to stay focused and engaged with more challenging experiences. Wouldn’t meditators of all traditions therefore have a key role in contributing to solutions for the difficulties the world is now facing?
The debate is open.