We must take empowered responsibility, skillful means, insight, awareness, make decisions with perspective and perform interconnected and compassionate actions beyond self-interest and fear, the fear of ourselves or self-doubt, fear of others, of the open space of possibilities, and beyond fear of action.
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.
We trade one rigid, constricting way of being for another rigid, constricting way of being. And because we call the new way spiritual practice, we may tell ourselves and others that this is great, this is better, this is how and who we want to be in our practice and in our life.
I’ve spent these early adult years pursuing a listless nostalgia for a wholeness I couldn’t remember how to articulate. Being in the presence of the Dalai Lama reminded me that I never needed to look further than my own mother, who has shown me selfless love from the beginning.
Who is Padmasambhava, the Guru Rinpoche, the Lotus Born? From where did he emerge, and how did his appearance transform the minds and landscape of the Himalayas? How does a man who walked in the shadows of mountains a thousand plus years ago, continue to leave traces of his steps today?
Eventually, the innate intelligent evolutionary energy freely flows through the human organism as the integrator and emanation point of primordial presence on this planet. This is the integration free from subject-object duality.
His coat was very dull, his eyes stared blankly into space and he barked continuously. The shelter staff asked me to please try to help calm him because he had been hysterically barking since he had arrived.
LEVEKUNST art of life is proud to share an excerpt from A Force for Good. An important book of visions for the world, personally given by the Dalai Lama to Daniel Goleman. The publication today coincides with the auspicious 80th birthday celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Enjoy!