September, 2016 | Tibetan Buddhist Altar

Can You Take It With You?

September 4, 2016 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is an excerpt from a teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo called “The Bodhisattva Ideal”

Our consciousness sees everything as being solid. And it’s so odd, isn’t it, because seven years ago we were completely different. If you think about what you looked like ten years ago, twenty years ago… Don’t take my word for it, bring out the pictures. You look completely different. I look completely different. I’m sure you do also. So even though we have a sense of self-nature being inherently real and solid and very permanent, still we are this very impermanent condition that thinks of itself only in a certain regard. But when we first meet with the path we are taught that all things are impermanent and we are led to a study of that.

The study should look like this. We understand in this way: When we are born, we are born drawing on the karma of our previous existences, and that scenario is catalyzed by the environment around us. Whatever karmic potentials are within our mindstream are then ripened and matured and brought forward due to certain catalytic events in our environment. Then beyond that, we continue to habituate ourselves. We have certain propensities due to our karmic flavor, if you will. These certain propensities look like habitual tendencies and they are, in fact, habitual tendencies. One person may have a great habit toward generosity and look for ways to engineer their life going on the track of generosity, compassion. Another person may have the habit of self-absorption and angerand regard only their own feelings, not taking into account the feelings of others in the environment, being very self-absorbed and wishing that others would help them, would be of benefit to them. That kind of selfishness becomes, then, a deep habit and very difficult to break. So another person may have that kind of habit.

Unfortunately there are sentient beings with many different kinds of karma. One may have had the habit pattern through many lifetimes of creating this habitual tendency of harming others, or hurting others, or killing others. The kinds of animals that are, by their type, predators, are actually beings who have within them the habitual tendency of killing, and they manifest as predators due to that habitual tendency. So we come in with certain kinds of habits, and then we tend to reinforce them throughout the course of our lives.

According to this teaching that the Buddha has given us about impermanence, we understand that there is nothing, not one thing, that we can accomplish or accumulate during the course of our lifetime that we can take with us at the time of our death. Meaning this: Let’s say that we accumulate a great deal of money. Let’s say that in the past we have been very generous to others and so we have the karma of being able to manifest money fairly easily. Many people do. It’s that simple. It’s due to having been generous in the past. This element of money coming into one’s life is like greased lightning. It just really comes in very easily.

So, if that’s the case, then let’s say during this lifetime we spend a great deal of time making a lot of money and yet, even though we had the habit of being very generous in the past, somehow the impact of receiving so much money in this lifetime is a shock.. It reminds me of the story about the man who is making lots of money with computers these days. He came from nowhere, Mr. Computer Geek, and then suddenly he’s a multi-billionaire. It seems, from everything that I have read about him, that he is shocked and he just doesn’t get it. To have several billion dollars that you can get your hands on if you really need to, and then to think that you need to make more before you can be generous is really an unusual way to think. I mean how many billions can you spend in one lifetime?

So for somebody like that, obviously he was very kind and generous in the past, but here he has been hit with this amazing shock of money just flying into his pocket. Now he is in danger of making the mistake of spending his energy and his opportunity increasing that money without increasing the generosity, and therefore in the future he will not have the same results, because none of that money that he’s making now is going to go with him. This is the Buddha’s teaching, that we cannot take even one sesame seed’s worth of our accumulated wealth with us when we go into the bardo.

But, according to the Buddha’s teachings also, supposing we were to make the choice of being extraordinarily generous and using our wealth to make the world a better place, to benefit others, to support others who are in need, that sort of thing. Then we can take this habitual tendency of generosity, this karmic potential,. with us into the next life by virtue of the fact that we have given so much to others and been so kind and generous, because it isn’t measurable like a sesame seed. It is the karma of one’s mindstream. It is the habitual tendency of our consciousness, and that does go into the next life. These are the Buddha’s teachings: We actually have the opportunity to create benefit in this life that does last into the next life; but it’s nothing material, nothing that we can ever create in samsara, that will go with us. Nothing that has weight, size, dimension. Nothing we can hold. Nothing material. Only the habits of our mind. So these are the teachings that we receive when we first come to Dharma.

Astrology for 9/4/2016

September 4, 2016 by Norma

9/4/2016 Sunday by Norma

An early morning issue is quickly resolved and then you can go back to sleep. Avoid the tendency to bring work home from the office or to ruminate on health issues or other problems. Instead set things aside and spend time relaxing with loved ones. A change of scenery solves many worries today, and a pleasant companion is a must! Compliments are required and complaints are a no-no. Bertrand Russell said, “The good life, as I conceive it, is a happy life. I do not mean that if you are good you will
be happy-I mean that if you are happy you will be good.”

The astrology post affects everyone differently, depending on individual horoscopes. Look to see how this message reflects your life today!

Awareness of Change

September 3, 2016 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is an excerpt from a teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo called “The Bodhisattva Ideal”

One of the main thoughts that one hears when one begins to turn the mind toward Dharma is the idea of impermanence. Now when we hear that all things are impermanent, we take this just as it sounds. We know from our own experience that all things are impermanent, or at least we know that roughly. We know that if we buy ourselves a quart of milk that the quart of milk will either sour or be used up. We know that if we buy a car or a color TV or something like that, that eventually the car or the color TV will break down. Then we’ll have to buy another one and go through the entire process again. We also know that what is young becomes old, much to our dismay, and that no matter what we do, what we do only works temporarily—what was young becomes old. We also learn that what is high will become low; what is low will become high. What is brought together will separate; what is separate will be brought together again. These aspects of the idea of impermanence we don’t really hold to; we don’t really understand very well. We try to have a more superficial view of impermanence because the idea is painful. It’s not our favorite concept.

When the Buddha taught us about impermanence, he taught us about impermanence as a way to understand the faults of samsara, and as a way to understand how suffering is all-pervasive. Again, as human beings, we like to ignore the idea of suffering. Of course, when we are suffering and we can feel it very deeply, it’s pretty hard to ignore, but when we are feeling pretty and feeling comfortable, the idea of suffering becomes sort of distant and cloudy. When we feel up, in a way, we have mixed feelings. We feel as though it’s always going to be this way and life is pretty good. But then, by the same token, we’re afraid to feel too up, because we know if we feel too up we’re going to have too far to fall. It’s odd. We have this neurotic capacity for seeing the truth, and yet using it against ourselves or hiding it from ourselves. It’s like we know, but we close our eyes because we don’t want to know.

So this particular suffering of samsara becomes to us somewhat hidden; and actually the hiding of this particular truth leads us to many disappointments. For instance, in the case let’s say, of meeting someone that you love very much, meeting a loved one and coming together with that loved one in some capacity. Perhaps if it is a romantic relationship, and there is a coming together in marriage or something of that nature. If it is the coming together of a parent and child such as in the birth of a child, then the parent sees the child and the child sees the parent. The parent, being the elder, has the capacity to perhaps recognize something very familiar about that child, or to feel that this isn’t a new acquaintance, that there is a deep and profound connectionwith this child.

Sometimes people will meet each other in a very casual way and will become instant allies and best friends. I know that’s happened to each one of us at some point in our lives. It certainly has happened to me. You meet someone and suddenly this person becomes your ally, your friend, someone who is really a helper to you and who understands; and it feels as though you have been friends for a very long time.

So in each of these cases, when we have these wonderful meetings that bring us so much joy, at that point we like very much to forget that that joy is impermanent. Yet, everything we know and everything we’ve seen teaches us and leads us to believe that everything is impermanent. We have seen that even in the case of romantic relationships that result in marriage. Should that marriage go really well, then ultimately the bond will be separated through death. And we know that in the case of parents and child, no matter how close the parent and child are when they are younger, the relationship will evolve and change. In some cases the relationship becomes very distant, unfortunately. In other cases where that does not occur, then even when the relationship between parent and child stays loving and has mutual concern in it, still eventually one will leave the other. There will be the separation of death. The separation of death always happens. Even within that experience of togetherness, there is so much change that you can literally say that two people who married in their twenties are not the same people that are together in their sixties and seventies. They look completely different. There are worlds of difference between a twenty-five year old and a sixty year old. There is a vast amount of experiential living and maturity that has occurred. That person at twenty is quite different when they reach sixty, very different.

I remember being in my twenties, and where I was and where I wasn’t. And I know that I am not the same as I was. I know that many of my understandings, beliefs, habits, even values have matured and changed. So it is impossible to think that we will remain in the same comfortable, stagnant condition for the rest of our lives, let alone the fact that we are all separated by death.

Astrology for 9/3/2016

September 3, 2016 by Norma

9/3/2016 Saturday by Norma

Love is in the air and diplomacy equals love today. Think of all the nice things you can say and offer them to those you meet along the way. Fearful, angry people are softened by kindness and problems seem to dissolve as the day progresses. Let this winding down happen and avoid the tendency to bring trouble back to life by ruminating on it. The Dhammapada says, “‘He insulted me, he hurt me, he defeated me, he robbed me.’ Those who think not such thoughts will be free from hate.'” A strong person is pivoting in a favorable direction, bit by bit. This is an excellent time to take a day trip, to sight-see, to look at beautiful things and to relax.

The astrology post affects each person differently, depending on individual horoscopes. Look to see how this message reflects your life today!

The Motivation of a Bodhisattva

September 2, 2016 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

As long as space endures, and as long as sentient beings exist.
May I, too, remain, to dispel the misery of the world. -Shantideva

The following is respectfully quoted from the Preface of “Enlightened Courage” by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche:

Bodhisattvas are those who seek enlightenment for the sake of all other beings. Their path is the way of selflessness whereby the mind is trained to go beyond its ordinary self-centered preoccupations and anxieties and learns, by gradual degrees, to place others at the focus of its interest and concern. This altruistic attitude forms the basis and heart of all the Buddha’s teaching of Mahayana, or Great Vehicle…

Astrology for 9/2/2016

September 2, 2016 by Norma

9/2/2016 Friday by Norma

If something you’re working on isn’t happening back off, no pushing. The door is closed for now. A tendency to worry combines with an urge to “do something big” today and that can create trouble. (“If I sell everything and move to India, my health will clear up.”) Illogical thinking should be avoided, but it’s so much fun that you want to keep planning fantastic, unworkable ventures. Plato said, “Everything that deceives may be said to enchant.” Laugh at yourself and get back to life’s mundane matters. Keep your eyes on what’s directly in front of you, rather than what’s far away. Fix the mailbox, tidy your office, balance your accounts, do the laundry. Happiness comes from cheerful interaction with partners, encouraging speech, and happiness that doesn’t depend on outcomes.

The astrology post affects everyone differently, depending on individual horoscopes. Look to see how this message reflects your life today!

Extraordinary Relationship

September 1, 2016 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is an excerpt from a teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo called “Neurotic Interaction to Guru Yoga”

If we rely purely on an emotional level, not much will come of the path. If we do not challenge ourselves to truly understand all of the thoughts that turn the mind (and you’ve been taught them many, many times. You can go back and re-listen to the teachings if you aren’t sure what they are), if we do not require of ourselves to really recognize this precious opportunity, we won’t get very far. And now the recognition has to go even deeper than that. Number one, understanding that the teacher is a spiritual ally, a spiritual friend—someone on whom you can depend as a spiritual guide or a spiritual friend—is a really important first realization. Secondarily, you must understand that this reality that you are looking at when you see your teacher, when you see the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha, is to be considered separate from ordinary samsaric cause and effect conditions, or separate from the wheel of death and rebirth, because this is all the result of the Buddha’s teaching which arises from the mind of enlightenment and, like a seed, it must always create a fruit that is appropriate to that seed. So if this reality rises from the mind of enlightenment, it results in enlightenment as well. The seed and the fruit are always consistent.

That being the case, this is understood as something different. Now, if you wish you can, like that Tibetan man with His Holiness Penor Rinpoche regarding his opinion on my enthronement (this student did not agree with His Holiness Penor Rinpoche’s recognition of Jetsunma) waste the opportunity by just playing out your little intellectual ‘here’s my idea, what’s your idea. I’ll see you as something equal to my common ordinary intellectual mind in the world. You know, I’ll see you as that.’ Or you can play the game where “O.K., you’re the Guru, so I’m going to call you the real thing, but in my heart, in my mind, I’m pretty much just going to keep doing exactly what I’m doing, but I’ll have a teacher,” rather than gathering oneself together in order to understand something about this primordial wisdom nature, rather than trying to move further on the path of accomplishing pure view, rather than utilizing the teacher as a way to untangle some of our neuroses and actually seeing the condition of our mind and how different that is from what the Buddha described when the Buddha said simply, “I am awake.” The Buddha didn’t say, “I’m different from you.” The Buddha didn’t say “I am better than you.” The Buddha said “I am awake.” Awake to that nature that is also your nature.

Now supposing that you could use the relationship with the teacher to puzzle that out, to work that out. It’s such a fine line how to you give rise to or at least, shall I say not suppress, not give rise to, conflicting thoughts that you may have. How can you not suppress them and still utilize the teacher faithfully in the best possible way? Not as something common and ordinary that is equal to your own conceptual proliferation because then you could do that with anything. We do that with all of our relationships. We do that with all of the areas in life that we work with. We have preconceived ideas that we play out in our lives. Why would the teacher be different then? Why would it be precious? What’s the value then of having a teacher?

So it becomes the student’s responsibility to harness their mind. It isn’t about going brain dead. It isn’t about suppressing your ideas and your thoughts and your feelings. It’s about recognition between what is ordinary, habitual, definitely part of birth and death cyclic existence, that which arises from ordinary cyclic existence, and always therefore results in more ordinary cyclic existence, or that which arises from the precious primordial awakened state that is also your nature, and therefore always results in that precious primordial state that is also your nature—enlightenment. You are the one that must make the distinction.

So the Buddha recommends this: Take a long time determining your relationship with your teacher. If at first you have an emotional reaction, that’s fine. You don’t just suppress that either, but don’t stop there. It’s a big mistake just to stop there, because otherwise you just stay in some kind of wacko bliss thing. You could get that wacko over a cute little puppy or something, or a new car, or a new honey. You gets lots more wacko about a new honey, don’t you? Way more wacko about that! So your responsibility then becomes the responsibility of recognition. You have determined that this teacher has the necessary qualities to give you what you need. You can travel on the path now. You can understand very clearly. The teacher has a way of explaining to you and you can understand. You can hear it. You mind is opening. It is ripening. It’s deepening. Your compassion is increasing. Something is happening here and you are able to determine that this is not ordinary because this didn’t come from ordinary experience.

You’re travelling the path of Dharma and this is precious. This teacher has hooked you onto the path of Dharma, placed your feet there, deepened and ripened your mind, provided for you all of the necessary accoutrements. Therefore this is precious. You then must determine that this is different for you. You see, it’s not up to the teacher to provide proof for you. It’s not up to the teacher to convince you. It’s up to you to determine for yourself. Take your time, do it right, move through all the foundational teachings and decide for yourself: Is this precious to me? Then if it is, treat it like it is.

Astrology for 9/1/2016

September 1, 2016 by Norma

9/1/2016 Thursday by Norma

Today’s solar eclipse in Virgo kicks off a new mode lasting approximately six months where work, organizational matters and health are highlighted. What you should do today is…nothing. Make no changes that haven’t already been made; tend to things that are already in the works. A stalemate continues for the next few days, after which a path opens and you know what to do. Thomas Fuller said, “Zeal without knowledge is fire without light.” Conversation and information expands your options and personal chats are fun. Partnership is favored, work projects are developing apace and political talk is best avoided. This is an unaccountably happy time and small projects are satisfying, enjoy it!

The astrology post affects everyone differently, depending on individual horoscopes. Look to see how this message reflects your life today!