A continuation from, A Story From the Infinite Mind of the Gyalwang Karmapa: The two princes built a grass hut in the forest and lived there together. During the daytime they taught the dharma to animals and at night they meditated. One day, while meditating, the younger prince, Sun Moon, saw that the time had come for them to go and spread the dharma in their own country and in other places where it was still unknown…
This is the story of a retreat I did at Karme Choling in the winter of 1977. That retreat was a bone rattling experience for me, but I was too young at the time to fully appreciate how it was going to change my life. Well, here I am on the fortieth anniversary of that retreat, and it certainly did change my life, so it might worth sharing a bit of that story before I fade away.
I read a poem today It filled me with beauty And loving appreciation took hold But of what, wasn’t there. The words, oh such words… Read More »ON THE LIMEN OF POETIC BEING
The hawk that swooped from the poplar lifting a black baseball hat from my head looped back to his nest Drawing blood the next time,… Read More »HAWK SPEAK
Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is an intense practice, and it tends to attract people who are somewhat driven. You have to have a certain amount of passion to get on your mat each morning and sweat through a self-directed hour and a half of postures and actually enjoy the practice. But I’d like to clarify a few points, because Ashtanga sometimes takes a bad rap where it’s not deserved. Here are a few of the more common ones you may have heard.
In the story of Buddha’s death, his attendant Ananda kneels weeping at his side, face contorted in grief, golden robe darkening with tears. Ananda is… Read More »DOXOLOGY: THE FALLING LIGHT
We may like to think that we know what the mind is – we speak of it so casually, but how well do we really know this mind of ours? For some of us at times, our inner state can change, and moods can appear as if out of nowhere, but is it destined to be as random as that? What control can we have over our own experience? When it comes to the mind, I’m thinking now, some things should not be a complete mystery.
The origin of the beliefs that lie behind the Judaeo-Christian world-view and the political systems based on them are not well known. Jon Norris has done some important detective work to shed light on western traditions that are rarely questioned and sacred truths that are little more than superstition. Buddhadharma offers the West a path back to sanity, but time is of the essence.
Oh black drongo! Oh my friend and neighbor! You roamed in the front for days, You played on sideways for weeks. We gained familiarity and… Read More »FLIGHT OF A DRONGO
Heat and Sweat, and dust I know, And Bricks and Bricks and Bricks, Twenty years from now what will I have to show? Just Bricks… Read More »BRICKS AND BRICKS AND BRICKS
Goodness belongs to all, inherently. In fact, we are goodness itself, in our bones and in our heart. We possess natural warrior-ship, bravery and gentleness. However, we are often obscured from our own goodness and innate, warrior virtues; in such moments, we cannot see our goodness, and we do not feel it. The greatest task we could undertake in this life is to bring out our basic goodness and warriorship, to manifest truly and to be of service to others.
Hello again, lovely and deep bright Star readers!
There is much going on this month and I want to largely focus on one major cosmological dynamic happening: a Grand Cardinal Cross. I will move through some other points for the month, but that configuration, particularly the opposition between the Full Moon/Pluto in Capricorn and Sun/Mars in Cancer will get the most attention, as it is psychologically juicy.
Touch is such an important element in healing and also in our daily life. But how do we touch? One of the most important elements to touch in the right way is our mind, because if our mind is not in the right space, touch can become very different, even hurtful. Let’s look first at touching ourselves because if we do not know how to touch ourselves, then how can we touch others in the right way?
A very short poem about meditative/non-meditative experience. Maybe you will find it interesting.
Hot chemistry Subsides No regret Time passes Real love RemainsThe blind one Clings To subsidence The wise one Rejoices In realisation
Guru:
Heads up pride
Earth down humble
Not bought by money and fame
To you, ever eternal Guru Rinpoche
I give my fickle heart
And sing: Diamonds.
Vitebsky discusses the interrelatedness of human and animal fates. An apparently random animal death may signify one of two things: the approaching death of a human, or that the dead animal took the place of a human who would have died otherwise. When one woman’s brother-in-law hung himself, she recalled a jay that flew into her stove a few days ago and burned to death. She grasped the prescience of the burning jay in hindsight. If the dogs howl more than usual or a swarm of insects fly into your tent, something bad is coming.
It’s a moon which asks, do you get it? It’s time! Something will always be let go of with every full moon, as a natural time for something to come to a sense of completion, culmination, full awareness and a time well suited to let go of something that it is natural to let go of, as it has reached its time. What is greater can be welcomed and have freedom and space to give it’s song to you, and plant seeds in you and around you.
Enjoy this song dedicated to the Rimay Master, the teacher Orgyen Kusum Lingpa, based on an old melody and song from Van Morrison called Crazy Love. Arranged, performed and written by Tulku Sherab Dorje.
We may not call them addictions or think of them in that light and yet habits, what ever they may be, have a hold upon us. Addictions imply that we are not free, that we are not unfettered. Whether we are addicted to TV, to being in love, to running in the park, to smoking, to our mobile phones, to music, to anything whatsoever. Yes, we can even be addicted to meditation.
I stray into your rose garden and write perfumes you know me in your nose, your rose my words are dream of bees, thrill in… Read More »ROSE GARDEN