March, 2011 | Tibetan Buddhist Altar

Astrology

March 27, 2011 by Norma

3/27/2011 Sunday

If you get through the early part of today without a disagreement or being misunderstood, count yourself as lucky. The tide turns toward evening, and you start having fun. Any medical issue resolves well, and you’re quite sensitive and creative. A hunch or intuitive perception about a problem is very accurate. Exercise is excellent today, especially swimming. You have become sensitized to others in a new way, and your ability to detect and understand people’s difficulties has really expanded. Someone lets you know that they are aware of all you’ve been through, and this is a great comfort to you. A new form of beauty is present in the world; you can see it. Spend time enjoying art, music, poetry, or any form of creativity that interests you. Do something that relaxes and inspires you. Have fun. This has been an intense time. Joe Namath said, “When you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun. And when you have fun, you can do amazing things.”

The daily astrology post affects everyone. Because individual charts vary, the circumstances outlined in the post will affect people differently. Some will feel this energy in the personal arena, some in finances, some with children or family, some in work and so forth. There are many departments of life. Look to see where the dynamic affects you!

One World: Let the People Speak

March 26, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

Today I have a down mood. Watching what is happening worldwide is hard to take. Japan hiding info we need, in the Middle East giving more than we can use. Everywhere there are terrible events and dramas.

One theme I see is secretiveness by those in power. Any info we get is from regular people. I sincerely hope our government is asking questions, someone has to. So I guess I am worrying a lot. Worry is useless unless it spurs one to action. As in praying, or offering some relief. I work at Prayer, but I wish I could stop the wars, leaking nukes etc. One person cannot manage very much. But governments and groups of people can. That is why it is so hard to hear about these issues. They are fixable, but we refuse to change ourselves, our views, and so then government will not change. Government is us. Even if we feel impotent, we are the people and government should be serving our interests. We have lost our way, governments now work for themselves and are therefore hard to trust. We aren’t getting news. We are getting propaganda from hierarchies who are in self- protection mode. We are playing games with our planet and the sentient beings who live here. This is wrong, unethical and immoral. Government is a good example, but not the only one. For business and institutions to keep secrets and do wrong without consequence is not acceptable.

We must speak out and demand information about everything that affects planet earth. Especially things like ecological disasters which eventually affect us all. We are world citizens and we have the right to know! Secrets lead to disaffected people, disempowered. So nothing changes and the people never get to speak. This does not work for planet earth and her people. We have ideas that should be allowed to see the light of day! We aren’t stupid, we actually think and create. And so we must think of a way through this habit. What are we thinking?! Let the people in! Let us speak!

Prayers for Venerable Gyaltrul Rinpoche

March 26, 2011 by anisonam

We received the following communication from the sangha of Venerable Gyaltrul Rinpoche, one of Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo’s root teachers. At Jetsunma’s request we are sharing this information with you:

Dear Students and Friends of Ven. Gyatrul Rinpoche,

While Ven. Yangthang Rinpoche was at ODD, he was consulted about what practices would be best to enhance and extend Ven. Gyatrul Rinpoche’s life and general state of health. He indicated that if 10 million Vajrakilaya mantras were accumulated in the next year that that effort may have a significant effect on Rinpoche’s life span, removing obstacles to his health and well-being. Surely this is an outcome we all wish for and here is a proposed method that we can contribute to and help make it happen.

While 10 million seems like a big number, if at least 40 people can accomplish 1000 mantras per day that would yield more than 25,000 per month, per person…or 1,000,000 per month for the group….and then in 10 months, 10 million can be accomplished. If one uses the short Dudjom Tersar daily practice of Vajrakilaya accumulation of 1000 mantras may require just 20-30 minutes per day. So consider that! But you can also do more or less according to your time.

Additionally, our sanghas can gather as a group at the centers, and prayers will be requested from monks & nuns in monasteries in Tibet, Nepal & India. But if we, the students, can collectively accomplish this, then we can be certain that we have fulfilled Yangthang Rinpoche’s guidance and anything more will serve to bolster our accumulation.

Gyatrul Rinpoche gave this outreach effort his support as it will involve many of the sangha and will help him as well as remove obstacles to all of our lives and practice. He said “Excellent. Go for it. This clears everyones obstacles–it’s a collective karma anyway, so go ahead and begin”.

Please reply to this email indicating what you can commit to accomplishing. If many of us can do 1000 per day that would result in a minimum of 25,000 per month. If you feel like you can do more, that is also fine, and of course, if you prefer to commit to a lower number, that is fine as well. Once a month we will send a reminder email out to which you can send in your monthly totals so we can keep track and keep you posted.

Please feel free to forward to other practitioners.

Orgyen Dorje Den

2244 Santa Clara Ave

Alameda, CA 94501

Email: [email protected]

For those who do not have the Vajrakilaya Empowerment but wish to offer prayers in support of the long life of Gyaltrul Rinpoche, Jetsunma has said the 7 Line Prayer may be accumulated. You may also see the Long Life Prayer for Gyaltrul Rinpoche.

Astrology

March 26, 2011 by Norma

3/26/2011 Saturday

Be quite careful how you approach others today. You are enthusiastic, and others are formal, inflexible and inclined toward conservatism. If you push too hard, you’ll be pushed back. Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “Be sincere; be brief; be seated.” This is excellent advice for today. Be careful. If you act precipitately, you could actually offend both sides of a negotiation, not unlike a cop called to a domestic dispute who becomes the target of aggression. Tiptoe into situations and be respectful of everyone. If you are the one who is taking offense, if the shoe is on the other foot, calm down and consider others’ deepest wishes. Today the mediator’s suggestions are all wrong and can actually make the situation worse. What to do? Relax and enjoy life. Take a break. Artists are especially creative, and all forms of entertainment are favorable. Plus, your friends still love you!

Astrology

March 25, 2011 by Norma

3/25/2011 Friday

An excellent idea kicks off the day. Grab your inspiration and run with it! If someone takes offense at your enthusiasm, consider that they may not feel well. Be sympathetic, but keep going. Love is favored, and machines and groups are friendly. An excellent group or friendship brings happiness. Don’t isolate yourself; spend time with others, and you’ll have fun. Widen your circle as opposed to limiting your circle. Legal matters are successfully resolved, and a tricky situation can be worked out. The law is fair, impartial, and good today. Activity is still the most important component in the environment. If you are taking it easy, you will be left behind. “To everything there is a season,” says the bible, and this is the season for action. Be strong; ask more of yourself in terms of what you can do. This is a time of growth. See yourself as the engine that pulls the train of your life, not the caboose!

Ghost Stories and Understanding Karma

December 16, 2011March 24, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

From a series of tweets between Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo and two of her followers, Michelle9647 and Seedsdown:

Michelle asked Jetsunma about ghosts after sharing a video of a “ghostly image” she had seen online. She asked Jetsunma if she had ever had an encounter.

Jetsunma: Yes. Some seem to be repetitive emotional “bodies”. Others seem to be temporary thinning of other dimensional systems.

Seedsdown: Demons you mean? There are those too!

Jetsunma: There are demons. But they aren’t ghosts.

Michelle: Are some of the classes of demons subject to the thinning dimensional systems?

Jetsunma: Maybe, but I think hell-beings are there due to Karma. The heinous crimes especially – cause and effect. Not a god punishing us. If that doesn’t fly, think about this: do we have nightmares? They are our own emotions being worked through in a display. In that way at time of death all emotions, concepts appear outwardly, jumbled in time. If we are haters, that is one hellish appearance. If greedy, another hell. We are drawn to repeat our own habitual tendencies. Like draws like. So we are attracted to what we know in the Bardo. As many hell-dreams as there are “dreamers” to “dream” them. That is why it is so precious to awaken. As Buddha did.

Michelle: Just a thought. If mankind was to wake up one day and live a life of love and the karma is purified, what then happens to the demons?

Jetsunma: Very good question. It is very difficult to change habits in a hell realm, but it can be done, must be done. In the same way it is so difficult to let go of the addiction to samsara when living. Or to wake up from a dream. We must accumulate a storehouse of merit and virtue to draw from. It is like money in the bank, simply stated.

Was that clear enough for twitter? Any more questions?

Michelle: I’ve heard stories of great beings taming the demons. How is this done if merit is needed, because I do believe these stories to be true.

Jetsunma: Those stories are true. The merit of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas is so great it can transform all through Bodhicitta, thereby transforming the habit and non-virtue of hell beings. That is the power of many lifetimes living compassion and love. So don’t waste time.

Sometimes, demons (hell beings) can affect the world we know. They are powerful in their laser like focus on hate. Some remain in one habitual place, like a haunting. Some want to return to their old ways desperately. I once knew an alcoholic (raging!) and three pitiful demons possessed him, trying to get their mouths and noses where his were. They were trying to smell and drink the liquor he always stank of. So the poor gent’s craving was magnified three times! So disgusting to see!

Another time a little girl had cerebral palsy and I saw a bag like thing sucking from her lower brain. She had a mild case. When I removed it the doctors were amazed, said she had “grown out of it.” Easier to take I guess! It seemed they had a karmic bond, hurting each other life after life. When it came off it tried to go to me and was transformed, able to take a higher rebirth. Some are easy to deal with, others extremely difficult.

But we should never fear if we can help it. They love that. One can visualize oneself in a sphere of light to protect. Buddhists have more options, puja, smoke offering, mantra, deity generation. Eventually we get strong and naturally repel them.

Michelle: It makes one wonder how many of these conditions are more “beings” based than medical.

Jetsunma: Many more than we can imagine.

Michelle: What you just said was heartbreaking and for some reason it was also very freeing.

Jetsunma: Goes to show. We live in our own karmic stream, and our own awareness and view is the door to samsara and enlightenment both.

Message in a Banana

March 23, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

We are about to get heavy thunderstorms and lots of rain. Delightful! They should be fun. Which is good, I’ve been kinda down. Ho hum. So I asked for a sign, you know. And right on time there it is. In a banana. It may be Jesus, or blessed Mary:

But wow! As all things are impermanent I offer you this image. Too bad it is not long for this world. Well who is? I’m over ripe too, turning brown. And squishy. So how do we preserve this precious bit of fruity dogma? Eat it. Let it be one with your universe. That’s the ticket. Soon it will be brown anyway, no matter what. Oh well. I guess letting go is real. As is laughing till you fall down! Working on both now. I love to laugh, and don’t know what to do when people take themselves too seriously. Tickle? I don’t think I could do that, I’d bust out laughing.

It’s not that life is a joke, far from it. It is hard work and takes courage. But when you stop having fun and laughing you are a cooked goose and clowns will eat you. Or zombies. Now don’t go crazy like Batman’s Joker. (OMG just look at his lipstick!) Ladies, who can take advice from him! And oy, what’s with the hair? (Wash it homie!)

So once again the middle way is best. Not so puffed up, not so deflated. Have some fun! But don’t get so lost in it you forget who and what you are, and why you are here. We are here to help and to awaken. You can laugh or cry during either but never forget the suffering of all beings, or your true capacity.

EH MA HO!

OM MANI PEDME HUNG!

OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SO HA!

Server Maintenance Scheduled

March 23, 2011 by anisonam

Even digital data needs a home. We received the following message from our web host:

“The Bluehost System Administrators will physically move your server (containing the hosting account: tibetanbuddhistaltar.org) into the new data center between 9 PM, March 23rd and 5 AM March 24th (MDT), during low traffic periods. We will work to ensure you experience as little downtime as possible and, to that end, we will take the opportunity to perform any needed hardware maintenance or upgrades. We expect the process to take 1 to 3 hours.”

So if you try to check in and we aren’t there, don’t panic! Everything should be back up and running shortly.

Astrology

March 23, 2011March 23, 2011 by Norma

We are publishing the Astrology for Thursday a little early due to expected server maintenance overnight: https://www.tibetanbuddhistaltar.org/2011/03/server-maintenance-scheduled/

3/24/2011 Thursday

This is an excellent day for forward motion. You see the big picture, and you’re able to speak rationally to those who hold opposing viewpoints. They agree! Mediation is outstanding! If you disagree with someone, ask a third party to hear both sides and explain things. It will work. Directly opposing someone else, without mediation, won’t work as well. Enthusiasm, inspiration and an overarching confidence in the goodness of life bring happiness. Action is the name of the game, and a “go for it” quality is in the air. Foreign things and people are helpful, and big picture thinking solves problems. Think big and put things in perspective. M. N. Plano said, “Any comfortable American who is cynical of progress hasn’t pondered how life was for our ancestors. Any day that Cossacks haven’t burned your home should start out a happy one, overflowing with optimism.” How’s your house?

Astrology

March 23, 2011 by Norma

3/23/2011 Wednesday

A secret message is confusing and misleading. You think you’re about to receive something that you really want, and then it vanishes! Women and children are somewhat moody and difficult to understand. They need a rest, or maybe they need to visit a doctor. Don’t ignore symptoms; something could respond well to treatment. Surgery is good. Very aggressive means can solve problems. Norman Schwarzkopf said, “The truth of the matter is, we always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.” Set aside your qualms, and do what you need to do. Think before you act, however, since there’s a slight chance of too many people trying to solve the same problem. Prioritize and assign tasks. On a different front, friends and groups are very loving, and are there for each other. A group consensus is being built.