Live From the Heart

The following is extracted from a twitter conversation between Jetsunma and a young student:

Student: Precious Teacher, what do you think of micronationalism? http://tinyurl.com/3jhywnb

Jetsunma: To be completely honest, sounds like a bunch of white guys pushing things and their boundaries around again. And breaking stuff like reefs and shoals, wrong. We need more caretakers, not buyers of Earth.

Student: It’s a hobby of mine and one that I try to operate by using the dharma, and a political stand for the poor and environment.

Jetsunma: How so?

Student: I try to be compassionate to all there, and help all the people I know from it, especially those who have problems in their lives.

Jetsunma: You could do that anyway…do you have lots of resources? Do people already live there? If so and you would only “help” them if you are President or King it is an ego trip and you have no right to put others in your personal domain. That would be a baby dictator on a huge ego trip. Do your subjects pay taxes? Do you? This seems silly. Maybe build a virtual world you can control. Had to be honest.

Student: No, it’s nearly just me and another once in a while. No taxes, no money is spent and virtual worlds cost money to own – money I don’t have or can use.

Jetsunma: As long as you don’t inflate your ego or hurt anyone (you can’t buy a video game?) Then let your time be better spent. Plant a tree.

Student: I can’t buy the ones used to build virtual worlds, I’m 16. And, that sounds like a good project for us to do, yes. Thank you, Jetsunma, Precious Teacher.

Jetsunma: Didn’t realize you were a teen. OK I get it. You are feeling around for your world. OK. Better to cleanse and re-plant the world. Feed birds. Just help! You sound smart, look around and see what needs doing. Plant, pick up trash, pray for the earth. Help homeless animals, find no kill centers. Collect blankets and tarps for homeless. Cans of food for hungry. You have a good heart, you can do so much good if you don’t do “la-la land.” Get out of your head, live from the heart! Be a community angel. You know, a few nails and a hammer just might fix your neighbor’s fence. USA government does not take proper care of her people. You can help!

Student: Thank you, I will do exactly that! All that which you have said, I will work to do.

Jetsunma: Hugs and big smiles!

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo.  All rights reserved


Start with Kindness: Cultivating Faith

From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

When we see His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachings, I cannot help seeing how His Holiness loves all, respects all religions and faith, and gently insists our true responsibility and work is kindness, tolerance, loving spirit, ethics, compassion, etc. His Holiness also states that dogma is less important. Oddly, although I so love lineage for its unbroken method, I also teach exactly that. What I am truly adamant about is Bodhicitta, or compassion.

I am sad to see there are so many in every in every faith that don’t appreciate the value of starting the path with kindness. I’ve found if there is no compassion, no Bodhicitta, there is no progress to make. It is pride that stops us, allows us to claim progress when there clearly is none. Progress is indicated by change and developing good qualities. Yet we see blustering haters with huge egos insist their way is the only way, and having graced the praying world with their sermons for 30 years! 40! Sat at the feet of Who-ha and Ding-dong and found the religion they can live with. It suits their agenda. I can only imagine how much ego and pride it takes to do that. In faith, no one should ever have an agenda. What, you want to wear gold lame’ and your choice of the women or men? Or wear robes and be as ordinary as you please. Or dress like a farmer and insist that is your claim to correct view. Is this the “Kabuki Theatre” of faith? We show our progress by demonstrating our loving qualities and truthful method. Claiming you are the real deal while being the judge, jury and executioner does not qualify. That is hatred and ignorance. Opinions are only opinions and should never be considered truth. We must never rigidly adhere to that, particularly when there is no kindness and love.

I feel, for instance for Waylon at Elephant Journal and a former blogger. Here is a war that is so petty it would be funny if not true. $1.00 – a dollar- to keep the journal afloat. The ex-blogger takes up wars and takes this one as a cause. Like Waylon is not supposed to pay bills and keep it going. Ridiculous. Small minds love small things, my mom said. She was actually quite correct. What do you sleep in? Your own poo-poo? The leakage of your neurotic notions? Why not gain a good heart and healthy mind and altruism to benefit all sentient beings?

See, faith and love are not about you. You don’t own truth. And you are not entitled to spew your false view or nastiness all over others. We can see, if you do, how flawed your practice must be. No good results! Yet here the grand proselytizer continues to offer others their lack of wisdom – while whining and strutting. We call this the “king baby” syndrome. Baby needs his milk, and must be coddled. Oh, don’t argue. “King baby” is ruthless as he feels he is a “king” above all. In my heart it seems to me that when I bow it is to the Three Precious Jewels, my Root Lama, Lord Buddha, Guru Padmasambhava. Not to needy ordinary people with way too much to say, and no love to back it up. I will not bend my knee to judgment and hate. I do not honor the needs of “king baby.” He is ordinary and he is a useless fool. All about actual pride in the pain inflicted. But he doesn’t matter. You do! You have the Buddha seed, and still have the time to grow it well. How can I help? All my life is about helping. Tell me what I can do to guide your path.

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo.  All rights reserved

Coming to Our Senses

From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

Hello All. We were worried that we would have to keep Barrymore (Carolina red bone coonhound) at our rescue. He is the strongest dog we’ve ever rescued. He is a monster hound. We think he has been crated a lot when young. He is clumsy, unable to read his environment hyper, doesn’t know how to play or relate. Here is the kicker- he doesn’t know to use his nose! His brain was made to sniff ground, to locate prey etc. He sniffs high, like that’s all he had from his kennel. We have been trying to help him use his nose, as I am sure it will re-boot his brain and instincts. We hide things low. He smells up. If he smells at all!

So far a Kong toy works best. We can put yummy meat in the middle and pack both sides tightly with vegetables, which he won’t work for. At first he couldn’t figure it out. Now he goes till it is gone! Next we will put lines of gravy or butter that he must sniff to get the prize. Next we buy raccoon piss and teach him how his nose works. I feel that his brain will unscramble. Last night he sat for two hours utterly calm and focused on sniffing out and eating his Kong, veggies and all!

I think he is an emotional wreck because he is not using his greatest sense and is unaware and confused. Fearful, like a blind child in a totally new, scary and huge environment. I feel for him. Even wonder if he was a medical test dog. He is not used to human eyes. Makes me want to cry for the cruelty we blissfully and ignorantly force animals to endure with no conscience at all. So you know I can’t give up on him. He has probably suffered more than most of us. Then he was to die after it all. So I will not give up on Barry’s fabulous heritage, nor will I permit him to live one more day without family, comfort and love. OM MANI PEDME HUNG!

It will take time and love. And soon, raccoon pee, which will likely do the trick. Won’t that be a day? When his natural intelligence again shines in his eyes because his nose is doing the job? Wow. Will I cry? Yep. Buckets. I believe that all sentient beings are inherently equal in nature. We all want to be happy, and are pretty clueless how to be happy, or create the causes for happiness. We are all equally Buddha, from the kings and queens down to the lowest worm. We are a little like Barrymore, I think. We just don’t see. And won’t shut up (baying) so we can see. Stop making so much noise. Use your innate capability and acquired method to work your own mind! Then we can all open our eyes and see the universe as it truly is. Breathtaking.

OM TARA TUTTARE TURE SOHA!

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo.  All rights reserved

Practical Advice on Giving Rise to Love

From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

I feel as Buddhists we should not waste time making judgments about others. No grudges, no hate, no excuses.

As Dharma practitioners we should deepen in Bodhicitta and wisdom and abandon self-absorption and hatred. Or quit whining about your life.

As Buddhists, we must endeavor to help and love others, not just ourselves. Serve so others don’t suffer. Just love.

If we give nothing to anyone, do not respect others, need attention, are uncaring about other’s feelings and hearts, we are not Buddhists.

Never ruminate or whine if you are judged and slandered. Apply the antidote as the Buddha taught! Empathy and compassion for all!

As His Holiness the Dalai Lama teaches: one needn’t be Buddhist to practice ordinary human kindness for a better world.

Americans love to eat out, go out to movies, and then eat more. Fix a healthy meal at home and play chess. Take the money saved and feed the poor.

We must abandon the ivory tower of preening ourselves with big words and pride. Climb down and do anything to help all beings!

Bodhicitta arises when we contemplate the conditions and sufferings of all beings! In private, in our inner space, love is born!

On our way to a lovely meal and evening out, we pass the homeless, a mangy, starving dog, a bully beating a child. We don’t even slow down.

Humility is hard. We start by allowing others their dignity. We continue when we see it was never ours to allow. Ice the cake with generosity.

Humility is hard. First we lift all others above our own heads. Then we recognize the Buddha in them. The icing on the cake is love.

To all of you who earnestly seek awakening and the birth of Bodhicitta I love you! Weak or strong I raise you up. I am your servant!

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo.  All rights reserved

Valentine’s Day Message: Not “Be Mine” – but “Be Yourself”

From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

Tomorrow is that day, Valentine. Most people think about romance. I will be having a “Happy Loner’s Day” instead. At this point in my life this is exactly as I want it.

This time of year lovely things do happen, weddings, engagements, romantic beginnings – roses and chocolate and the diamonds! Rings! Jewels! The funny thing is how these lovely heartfelt gifts have such a high price tag. It is the expectation part. The jewelry and gifts often are meant to brand your partner as yours. You wear the same rings, therefore – commitment. I believe in family and commitment in relationships – but not the branding kind.

I think it pays to contemplate this whole “romance” thing. Romance is fun. It is hormonal. We are wired to connect to the genes. Studies show compatible genetics are often paired or attracted to each other. It can be very compelling. In general, however, that compelling part doesn’t last. So more important than the ring is the friendship. Often when there is great passion it is difficult when it naturally ages into comfortable love. Maybe we forgot the friendship part. Or forgot to think what you both will do as friends when the bedroom is actually a place to sleep.

To honor a new, (or aging) love think about your partner with empathy and compassion. Try hard not to judge. Try not to make your lover over into your “creature” or creation. Learn about them rather than demanding from them. We are people, on this relative level. Not toys, or objects to complete someone’s world. Many lovers do not talk about goals; like will we have kids? Will we give them a faith that we can join? Will we support each other if the relationship changes? What about money? Will we help each other get ahead? And the signs, do we read them? Is my love selfish? Am I? What secret motivation does the partner have? What are mine? In other words, there is more to it than rings and roses. There are ever-deepening layers in which love lives, and in which it can grow.

As we celebrate the day for Lovers, remember love is not a toy. It is a path to travel with great respect joy, and compassion. And if you end up raising your family with your best friend, like two comfy old slippers, you are blessed. You two have grabbed the brass ring in love. Respect, love, understanding, that is the prize. Please consider this when you “Put a ring on it.” Look your love in the eye and promise a life of caring and a life of love. Happy Valentine’s Day to all. You know those candy hearts? NEW MESSAGE: not “Be mine.” “Be yourself.” LOVE.

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo.  All rights reserved

We Are the Ones

It seems, these days, that the world is divided up in slices, like a pie. There are those who build, create, heal, teach, add and love. Then there are those who break it down, destroy, hate, blow their egos up, hurt others, lie and bring harm. Of course, there are also those who are themselves victims, hurt, alone, afraid, undone and suffering.

This has for me been a time of truly awakening to the suffering of the world. I had always believed in the underlying good in humans. I still do, but more in the sense that all beings are themselves the seed of Buddha. In the last three years of my life I have seen more hate, more meanness, more corruption then I ever did growing up, and that was bad!

This is to me heartbreaking. Those who love and care are terribly outnumbered. Those who would beat up the whole world for fun are too many. I cannot understand hating for entertainment. Is it too much to ask for that haters leave us to our own choices? Many of us choose a path that involves morality and ethical behavior. To the hate side, that is not cool. To the caring side there is no love without ethics and morals.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama teaches the value of dialogue. I agree – to a point. When we dialogue and are only greeted with rage and rant there is nothing to work with. The two sides have very different goals. The haters love confusion, delusion, harm, chaos, destruction. The caring ones want a good result; plenty for all, loving kindness, a bright and giving society – basically to make this world a better, more loving place by having been here. Since we cannot take anything with us but our own karma, we give it all for the sake of all beings. The ignorant do not understand – a huge funeral, crypt, whatever, to inflate ego does no good at all. It is our deeds that speak the loudest.

I have this idea, for instance, of offering my body to feed polar bears, since we have nearly destroyed them. My Lineage will likely not allow. But it is my dream to have my body fed to a mother sow and her cubs. It may save their lives. Who cares if the ego is treasured? It is nothing, and healing hunger is something. I had a dream that I would be allowed to do that. I was so happy to do it.

Who are you, then? A caring one? A hating one? A victim? A BEAR??? This is one lonely planet we must all share, like that pie. What is your goal? What do you hope to accomplish?

My profound wish is to nurture and benefit this world and all sentient beings. I want to die on my feet trying. I want to hold the world in my arms. May I feed the hungry, clothe the poor, save the animals from suffering, and teach the young and the lost. And when I die, may I bring life again by offering my body. Can you understand that? Why waste anything when there is so much NEED? Why play ego games when there is so much at stake? Give it all. You have nothing to lose. Make a difference. Be a mensch. Grow up and love like everything depended on you. Because it DOES.

Indeed, we are the ones we have been waiting for, as our President says. There is no one else. Be kind while you can. It has always been up to you, to us – all. Choose. Then walk your talk.

OM MANI PEDME HUNG!

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo.  All rights reserved

You Can Start a War … Can You Stop It?

We are having some upsets in my house … But it’s all impermanent.

I have found if one stays totally centered, not letting confusion, sadness, or anger etc run the show it clears it out. Even if others insist on fighting, hurting, etc it is far better to ignore than to engage. I like to think of Kyabje His Holiness Penor Rinpoche seated on a throne above the crown of my head, blessing and protecting. And he appears as the Primordial Dharmakaya Guru Rinpoche, perfectly stable.

I also have always, since childhood, had a place in my heart I call my calm center. If I remain there, the undisturbed uncontrived state is like a soothing balm for a weary heart. When I was a child I practically lived there when there was trouble at home. And I’m still here!

It is always difficult to know why certain personality types prefer rage, hurtful behavior, vulgarity, etc as it brings no comfort or benefit and actually makes the mind more and more inflamed with bad qualities. In every religion or path it is taught that human kindness and respect are the right method. It is healthy for mind and body, and keeps us in a more joyful and reverent place; with right thought and right activity. So there really is no other choice if one is serious on the path. At some point one must take their activity and intention to task! And learn to look within to put our own house in order. Try to think of others first, be kind and giving, and happiness will follow.

Remember: you have the power to create war and conflict. Anyone does. The real issue is do you have the power to stop?

©Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo

Are We REALLY Kind?

An excerpt from a teaching called True Motivation for Kindess by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

In the Mahayana vehicle the Buddha teaches us that we should be more concerned for the welfare of sentient beings than we should for our own welfare. If we examine ourselves carefully, however, we understand that that is not a natural way for us to behave. The survival of self has always been our primary concern, and the habit or strong habitual tendency of preserving the ego is so deeply ingrained we do not actually understand how frequently we engage in it.

Now you might disagree, thinking, “Well, I was very kind to my family yesterday, and I was kind and generous to my friends last week. I even gave some things away.” If you think like that, think again. The only way that you can remember when you were kind is by comparison to other times. This means that there has to be a hefty measure of time when you were not kind, to be able to compare the two.

If we were truly bodhisattvas here solely to benefit sentient beings, the activity of kindness would be so all-pervasive and natural we wouldn’t be able to discriminate it. One would not know that one was kind. If someone were to say to you, “You’re really kind. Your whole life is kindness,” one would say, “Really?” because one wouldn’t know. There would be nothing to compare it to.

When we look at our kindness truthfully, we often find out it is all about us, and for the most part has very little to do with anyone else. This is a hard truth to face, but it must be faced in order to discover what the Buddha is talking about when he speaks of kindness toward all sentient beings.

Self-examination often leads us to the decision to be a kind person. When your decision is about being a kind person, however, there is actually very little true caring for the welfare of sentient beings. What you are really trying to do is to find yourself, or to like yourself, or to label yourself, to discriminate between self and other and to continue the continuum of egocentricity. When a person decides to be kind, they do so because they want to be a certain way or they want to present themselves a certain way, but generally it’s all about them.

The Buddha teaches us that when we wish to embody the virtue of compassion — when we actually decide to be kind — we should do so for very logical reasons. First, we should study cyclic existence, the cycle of death and rebirth well enough to see its faults. One of the main faults of cyclic existence is that everyone who is born will die. Coupled with this is that during the entire time you’re alive until you start to age or become extremely sick you forget that simple fact, and you do not act appropriately.

We’re all going to experience death. But the way you’re thinking now and the way you act the rest of the day will demonstrate that you’re not thinking like that. You will act like a person who does not remember his or her own death. Because the other thing that you learn about your death is that when you die you can’t take anything with you, not a thing — except the condition, or karma, or habitual tendency of your mind.

Knowing you can only take the habitual tendency of your mind with you when you die, are you going to act appropriately the rest of the day? No way. For the rest of the day, the rest of the week, we will try to accumulate as much approval as possible. “I’m going to make people like me; I’m going to make people proud. I’m going to get love. I’m going to do anything I can — lie, cheat, steal — I’ll put on an act, pretend. I’ll mask my true feelings and do anything just to get a little bit of approval. Who cares if that creates a habit of grasping? Who cares if I take only for me and don’t much care what happens to anyone else? I need that approval, that love.”

The other thing we’ll do is try to accumulate material goods for no good purpose other than that we want them. We forget we can’t take them with us. We don’t act like people who know that. We act like people who believe in some kind of hokey fairy tale or story that can’t possibly come true.

In cyclic existence we also suffer from the suffering of suffering. If we had a different kind of mind, we could see birth and death and our minds would be stable and spacious.  Perhaps these events wouldn’t bother us so much.

Unfortunately everything bothers us. Everything is something we react toward, because it is the nature of our mind to react toward everything with acceptance or rejection, hope and fear. What must come from that is hatred, greed and ignorance. We either hate something, or we want it, or we ignore it. Thus, we engage in the suffering of suffering. We not only experience death, we suffer because of our reaction to death. We not only experience separation, we suffer because of our reaction to separation.

So these are the faults of cyclic existence, and what else would you do other than practice a path that leads to the cessation of suffering? You could accumulate material goods, but what good will that do? Or you could continue the habit of being hateful. What good would that do? Or you could continue to grasp. What good would that do?

The Buddha teaches us that there is an end to suffering. That end is to exit cyclic existence; and in order to leave, one must achieve liberation, or enlightenment. Upon awakening to the enlightened state, one no longer revolves in cyclic existence, because one does not have the building blocks of death and rebirth which are based on the assumption of ego, or self-nature as being inherently real, and the reaction to phenomenal experiences. That is what cyclic existence actually is–that through that means one actually creates the karma of suffering and death, the endless experience or cycle we find ourselves in.

The Buddha teaches us that to attain enlightenment, to awaken to the primordial wisdom state, one no longer accumulates karma. In fact all of that perceptual experience is pacified, in that one finally awakens to and truly views the primordial wisdom nature. So there is an end to suffering. So, if you become a spiritual person in order to be something, you’re still clinging to ego and you’ll actually never attain enlightenment by awakening to the primordial wisdom nature.

And the Buddha teaches us that this can be done through the systematic pacification of hatred, greed and ignorance, the pacification of desire, through meditation, prayer, contemplation, study, through the pursuance of enlightened activity.

© Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

Kindness is Universal

An excerpt from a teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo from the Vow of Love series

To truly understand the mind of compassion is to understand suffering. To be willing to cultivate aspirational compassion and act in accordance with those aspirations, so that you fully intend to liberate your mind from the causes of suffering and fully intend to return in whatever form necessary in order to benefit beings.  In so doing, you’re on your way. Whether you call yourself a Buddhist or not, kindness is a universal term. No one’s got a corner on it. Compassion is not a word that the Buddha invented.

I am a Buddhist because I found this religion is the most useful way to benefit beings. This is my own determination. If you also determine this for yourself, then continue to do what you’re doing. Perhaps you’re heading towards studying Buddhism, or perhaps you are already studying it. But if you don’t want to become a Buddhist, that doesn’t let you off the hook! You still have to live a life of compassion.  No matter what path you’re following, compassion is the only way to realization. No matter whom you’re listening to, hatred, greed and ignorance are the causes for suffering. There is universality about all this. Whether you call yourself Buddhist or not, you still have a job to do. I suggest doing it by first cultivating the firm foundation of fervent aspiration to be of ultimate benefit, and by having the courage to look at the content and meaning of suffering and determining how best to overcome it.

© Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo

Aspirational Prayer

Feeding Birds in Dakini Valley
Feeding Birds in Dakini Valley

Aspirational Prayer shared 12/2/09 via Twitter

I am thinking of so many, having lost their homes this year. And with children. With the holidays upon us- how painful! How to help?

As funding and housing and money dry up- where will the homeless go? How will they feel blessed this year? What can we do in our community?

The greatest gift now is to give rise to compassion in one’s mind. And then put it to work helping others. #Gifting#Service-these are ways
I cannot be happy without helping others, we are not separate. I will always return for the liberation of ALL sentient beings.

May I be the last to obtain Supreme Liberation so I can aid all beings. May I see the bliss if their Liberation with my own eyes!

May I not become bored or weary of helping others, and be reborn to teach the Supreme Doctrine! I will move gently with respect and love.

May I be born as whatever is needed! As a cool stream, wholesome food, shelter and warmth, a soft pillow to rest the weary. Sun upon your face!

May I never abandon my sacred vows- not even for an instant. May Blessings and Love pour from my heart like a great river, unstoppable!

May all beings be free! May there be an end to suffering! May all beings be free! And none left behind. Samsara emptied from the depths!

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