Tibetan Buddhist Altar

Astrology for 7/27/2017

July 27, 2017 by Norma

7/27/2017 Thursday by Norma

The ebullient Sun/Mars connection promises people charging around enthusiastically, big smiles, happily taking care of business. Pleasant conversation is the norm and the right word to the right person opens the door to a new opportunity. Be generous and speak to everyone you meet today, give others your time and attention. A partnership is slowly being squeezed into a different shape and something that seems to be dwindling, is, for the time being. Winston Churchill said, “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” It is time for the next step. A cheerful frame of mind is the gift of the day, and hard work leads to happy encounters with others..

What Really Matters

July 26, 2017 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is an excerpt from a teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo called “Love Now, Dzogchen Later”

You should read stories about lamas in the past, stories of the saints, where lamas in the past have gone into retreat or gone to their teachers and said, “I really want to accomplish Dharma. I’m ready. I want to accomplish Dharma right now. So what will I do?” And the lama would say, “Take some retreat. Go into the cave and practice a certain mantra.” And time and time again students would go to the caves and would practice mantra. And they would come back out and they would say to the lama, “I’ve practiced this mantra and yet I don’t seem to have any result.” “Well,” lama says, “then you need three million more. Go back into the cave and practice some more.” And then again more advice. “Well I’ve not been able to practice any Dharma. Not given rise to realization although I’ve said mantra repeatedly.” Then the lama would give some other advice. “Well, go back and accomplish the bodhicitta. Accomplish the motivation.”

There are just uncountable stories like that of these great saints who struggled like you do, like we do, to accomplish their practice. And they didn’t go and get promoted every year. They had to accomplish the underpinnings, the basics, before they could move on to the next level. And it’s according to the lama’s wisdom. The lama would be able to see whether that accomplishment had really happened. And there are also many stories of disciples who would come to the lama after practicing in a cave some time or practicing in some kind of retreat, and they would say to the lama, “I have accomplished this.” And the lama would say, “See ya. Keep trying. Go back. Another three years for you.” Because that’s not what you say to your lama.

So, uncountable stories, uncountable stories that seem completely ridiculous and irrelevant in this time because of the experience that we’re having. But I’m telling you that they are not irrelevant. It’s something for each of us to take personal responsibility to study. And I really think that some of the elder monks and nuns should take on the responsibility of studying the lives of these saints and then reporting on them to other students. Maybe we could take turns giving some classes on that.

But just to go every summer and say, “I have Dzogchen. I must be okay to die now.” Or something like that, you know? Thinking that, you know, somehow magical thinking. You’ve got the bumpa on the head and you’re just set to go. I’m afraid not. I wish that it were so. There is no bumpa on this planet that is hard enough. I mean how many times has His Holiness said that without giving rise to Guru Yoga, to true devotion, you know, egoless devotion, the lama could literally bang you on the head with the bumpa until it was dented and you are too, and there wouldn’t be much value. Even though the lama had practiced. Even though it had been an unbroken chain all the way down to the original source of the teaching. Because in our practice there is a call and response. The lama gives the blessing; the student is invited to respond accordingly. It’s in the call and response connection that the growth occurs. It isn’t really what the guy above you tells you to do that makes you grow.

Our concern should always be loving concern for the welfare of sentient beings. If we are so puffed up with our own view of ourselves that we cannot bother ourselves to be of benefit to sentient beings; we cannot rouse ourselves to do something that will bring benefit to all sentient beings; we cannot bring ourselves to study on the suffering of humans, of animals—these being the two that we can mainly see on this planet— and to bring some relief, let alone worry about sentient beings in other realms that we cannot see and know are suffering,… We can’t even be bothered to look at human beings and animals. But we are going to sit there and do secret teachings, and look at others and wonder why they can’t do the same. Not appropriate. Not appropriate at all, and no benefit. No benefit.

Astrology for 7/26/2017

July 26, 2017 by Norma

7/26/2017 Wednesday by Norma

Work is highlighted today so get cracking! Blow through the details of life and tidy up what needs to be tidied. Out of toilet paper, nothing in the fridge, need to schedule an appointment or book travel? Make the calls. Physical energy is high; go for a walk, run or hike when the work is done. A feeling of relief and happiness after a disappointment is palpable. Turn your attention toward the people who hold you in high regard and peace is on the table. Ignore noise. P.J. O’Rourke said, “In the Third World, honk your horn under the following circumstances: 1. When anything blocks the road. 2. When anything doesn’t. 3. When anything might. 4. At red lights. 5. At green lights. 5. At all other times.” Have a laugh at life today.

Astrology for 7/25/2017

July 25, 2017 by Norma

7/25/2017 Tuesday by Norma

The Sun and Mars travel in tandem today and people are a force to be reckoned with. It’s time to stand on your dignity, to know what you will and will not tolerate and to set the appropriate boundaries. Don’t nitpick during this critical moment. “You owe me $14 from last September,” is not the thing to say as the lines are drawn that end a partnership. Be as generous as possible in all your dealings. William Hazlin said, “To great evils we submit; we resent little provocations.” What’s good today? A new future that generates enthusiasm, an open door, cheerful conversation, exuberance replacing lassitude, and the energy to move forward!

Essential Motivation

July 25, 2017 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is an excerpt from a teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo called “Love Now, Dzogchen Later”

Ngondro purifies the five senses to such a degree that many of the gross defilements. The ones that you meet up in your life where you are happily going along the road of life and you get punched in the face by karma. Those obstacles. You know. They purify some of that and they keep that sort of thing from happening or they make it happen more benignly pacified is the idea. And then accumulation of the Three Roots stabilizes the mind. Begins to ripen the mind. At that time we are trying to accomplish the Vajra confidence of the deities, their very pure qualities. Their ability to establish virtue. Their ability to accomplish view. All of these things are accomplished through this recitation. But nowadays, we don’t even have to do that. We go to Tsa Lung. And we don’t even have to finish Tsa Lung. Then we can go to Trekchod, and then we can go to Togyal. I think that is right. We don’t really have to graduate. And you have to ask yourself at this point. What has changed? Did His Holiness change?

I think of His Holiness like the Copper Mountain. Our perception of the Copper Colored Mountain may change. It may be connected to our own capability but does the Copper Colored Mountain ever change? No. It is absolutely empty of self-nature and yet spontaneously accomplished. Figure that one out. So, there is no fault here. The fault is not with His Holiness. His Holiness made a decision based on the times and I understand his decision. It is not for me to agree or disagree, but I absolutely understand what his method is. But the thing that I want to express to you is that it puts the responsibility on us. To accomplish when we are not with His Holiness what we have to accomplish in order to make what he is teaching us next worthwhile.

One of the worst things that I have seen happen, that is a terrible result, and indeed it is not unusual in the sense that it is different from the way the world is acting now. But still I have to say that it is not a good result and that is that most people on the path blow right by giving rise to the Bodhicitta. Giving rise to the great compassion, to the way that actually is the very essence of awakening. The Bodhicitta. Now, His Holiness always teaches about Bodhicitta. He never denies an opportunity. Never abandons an opportunity. He teaches about the Bodhicitta every time. Like for instance when he starts to give a teaching or he starts to do a practice, often he will remind us to establish our motivation and the Khenpos will always say that we must establish our motivation or that we must understand that we are hearing this teaching not just to hang out here or that we are doing some practice not just because we are bored or for some other self-oriented reason. But the only valid, righteous and appropriate motivation to accomplish Dharma is for the liberation and salvation of all sentient beings. So, we can repeat that back. We’ve heard this so many times. And we can say if I say to you, “Why are you doing this practice?” You’ll say, “Oh, liberation and salvation of all sentient beings.” We’ve heard this so many times that we can parrot it back. Sort of like a Malaccan Cockatoo or an African Gray. But have we really given rise to the Bodhicitta? Have we really accomplished it? Have we worked really clean? Thank you! Somebody said no. I appreciate that. You know? Have we worked cleanly and purely with our motivation? Do we tutor ourselves on our motivation everyday, every moment? And when we have choices to make, do we reestablish the motivation so that we can make the correct choices by saying, “Thus for the sake of sentient beings, I will open this altar, close this altar, pray, circumambulate, do my practice, study some Dharma. Benefit sentient beings in some way. Feed the hungry. Heal the sick. Walk a dog.“ Anything! Anything. Do we remind ourselves that that is our reason for taking our next breath? That other than giving rise to compassion, giving rise to the mind of Bodhicitta which by the way, is the pure awakened state, our primordial wisdom nature, that that is the reason for anything that we do. And should remain so. And if we do not have the proper karma to be born in a monastery amongst many learned monks and nuns and many learned Khenpos, and lamas and Rinpoches, then we must accept that as our karma. And shouldn’t leave ourselves to say, “Oh those poor guys. They have to work for years trying to accomplish some Dharma and all they get is a couple of maroon colored sheets and a rug. And you know, they just stay there in the Monastery. And gee, I get to hang out here in America with cars, and TVs, and you know, stuff. I have a great house. And I can buy another car if I want. And you know there are so many things that I can do do do. And have have have have. And yet I get some Dzogchen. Whoopee! I must be the most fabulous person in the world. “

Unfortunately, our response to being given this great blessing is a little more like the whoopee part than it is the honest internal watchfulness that makes us ask ourselves, “Have I given rise to the Bodhicitta? Have I accomplished good qualities?” I mean when you practice the root deities, the Three Roots you accumulate so many repetitions of the mantra and you put so much energy into visualizing their different hand held implements and even their posture, which means something. The handheld implement and the posture are the very display of the deities’ excellent qualities and activities. So, we practice many repetitions of the mantra of the root deity. And we think now we have accomplished the qualities of the root deity. What are the qualities of the root qualities of the root deity? We study the hand implements. We study the posture, and we begin to inhabit those qualities. We begin to display those qualities. We accept those qualities. We habituate towards those qualities and even one of the qualities that we habituate toward is Vajra pride.

Vajra pride which is different from American pride. American pride is the bullshit that knocks you off the path. Vajra pride is the confidence in the method. Confidence in the method through meditating on Shunyata and giving rise to the deity. And so there is the confidence. Not having practiced mantra like that. Not having gone through those different accomplishments, we instead have given rise to ordinary pride. And ordinary pride is stupid pride. It tells us to argue with the elder sangha members, lamas, and Khenpos, thinking that we know better, or to make up our own religion. Or to just do it the way we want to, or to just self cherish. To meditate on self-cherishing, ego cherishing, which is giving rise to the ordinary pride and back to that ordinary cycle. But when we accomplish the deity, something different rises up. And then when we move on to the other levels, we move on with Vajra confidence and unshakeable Bodhicitta – compassion.

Now, when that foundation is properly laid, and we have properly practiced Bodhicitta, and we have properly accumulated mantra and we have purified our senses through the Ngondro, then when we are introduced to Dzogchen. The mind is matured. The blessing of the lama, particularly if we have accomplished purely the accumulation of Vajra Guru mantra within the context of Guru Yoga in Ngondro. And what is it, 1.5 million of those? Or 1.2, I forget. Huh? 1.2? Thank you. She knows but did you do it? Oh see! Yeah. So, after you accomplish that many Vajra Guru mantras in the context of Guru Yoga, you have changed. Your capability is different.

We Were Born to Do This

July 24, 2017 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is a message recorded on June 1, 2013 as a message from Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo to her students (audio file below):

This really has been the hardest time of our lives as a sangha, because we don’t know what the future is going to be. We don’t know whether we will stay together.

A sangha is a precious thing. It has to stay together. It’s like a family. When it is broken something precious is lost. It is tragic.

I just want to speak to my sangha, because right now we don’t have a building that we can use the way we normally would, but I want to remind you that we still have the land. So, don’t abandon it. We are coming back online pretty darn soon. Not soon tomorrow, not even soon next year, but soon. And it will be progressively better and better and better. So don’t give up. I haven’t. I would live in a tent if I had to, as long as I had a fence for my dogs.

I just want to say that we have to make this the best effort of our lives. We cannot say, “Oh I pay this much every month, and so I shouldn’t have to pay any more.” Or I pay this much every year, or whatever. You can’t say that and think that’s enough. It’s not. Not right now. That was enough before, and we counted on you. If you didn’t help us in the way that we’d agreed on way back in the past, then we wouldn’t have anything.

This was a group of people that stuck together for a long time; learned to love each other. Then of course because they are sentient beings, they learned to argue with each other. And as usual, we don’t even realize that we are doing it.

I hope to get your attention. I have had a hard time getting your attention lately. It is like trying to herd cats. And of course we all know that is impossible, because cats are cats. Could you not be a cat for a while, and learn how to work for the larger group, for the group of sentient beings that we are and the group of sentient beings that we serve? To work for all sentient beings ultimately. If we could just get back there, everything would come back. It is cause and effect.

We have been too selfish. I have broken it up the best I could by just giving everything away. Have you noticed? Many of you don’t even know. I hope you will pay attention. I hope you will wake up.

I am glad that people are having weddings and family things. I’m glad for all of you. I don’t have any of those things in my life at this point, but I am glad for all of you.

At this part of my life I feel like I have got to keep moving forward or it’s all on me. The truth of the matter is that no one person can do it, and it’s not all on me. So you have to help me figure this out. I am actually working hard every day. Not just sitting here trying to think it out. But talking to people who might be able to help us. So help me. I have helped you over the years. Why can’t you help me? Amen.

I hope you hear me. We were made to do this. I hope you hear me. We were born to do this, and it is hard, but I hope you hear me.

You can hear the message here: Messsage From Jetsunna

Astrology for 7/24/2017

July 24, 2017 by Norma

7/24/2017 Monday by Norma

It’s a happy, sunny time and a great day to push forward with your most ambitious project. Four planets in Leo practically guarantee success, provided you do not look outside yourself for counsel. It’s time for the leader to make decisions, not time for a community vote. Why? The best ideas reside in a single person and that one alone is qualified to direct others right now. Accordingly, send your most senior person to any meeting, not a junior associate. Napoleon Bonaparte said, “A leader is a dealer in hope.” An unsuccessful partnership is coming apart and it’s best to let it go, unless both sides are willing to change and compromise. Exciting opportunities present themselves suddenly, take them and don’t look back. If you feel that life is getting better, you are right.

Astrology for 7/23/2017

July 23, 2017 by Norma

7/23/2017 Sunday by Norma

The new moon in Leo marks a brand new time with brand new opportunities. Make a fresh start with whatever you’re doing and think big! The Sun, Moon and Mars in magnificent Leo urge you to put your best foot forward, wear your sharpest outfit and wow everyone! Wherever you go, go in style. This is a great day to shine, fly flags from the front door, watch parades, go to plays or musical performances. Danny Kaye said, “Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.” Keep your eyes on your own activities and leave others to theirs. The only way to spoil this nice day is to compare yourself with others and hurt your own feelings.

Kaliyuga – Pay Attention

July 23, 2017July 22, 2017 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is an excerpt from a teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo called “Love Now, Dzogchen Later”

Remember I used to give this old teaching years ago about how being enlightened doesn’t mean you are suddenly too stupid to catch a cab?. Remember I used to? You know that suddenly you don’t become blissed out somehow. His Holiness personified that.

When I went to India, I stayed there for a while. His Holiness used to have this white car that looked like a beetle, a Volkswagen, on steroids, you know, kind of kind of roundish and puffed out like it had muscles. And that was his car, and he would drive it. And he was very spontaneous, very different from the way he is here in America, like terribly spontaneous. Like one morning he came to my house, looked in the window(there is only a cloth covering the window), and it was like 5:30 a.m. “Ahkon Lhamo! Wake up! We’re going to town!” “Okay, alright. We’re going to town.” So, we went to town. We bought stuff, went shopping. And he said, “You Americans, you like shopping, uh? I just want to go back to bed. I didn’t say that to him, but you know. So he was like that. And we would drive. He would do a lot of driving. His favorite thing was to drive his car. And when he would drive, he would talk excitedly. And his hands would be all over the place. If you’ve ever been in a car in India, the traffic is so terrifying. But you know, hey you can steer my ship anytime you want to. So, he’s driving the car. He’s talking. And His Holiness when he talks, he has like a funny accent lisp thing where he spits if he’s talking really excitedly. So I’m in the back and I’m getting showers of blessing. And I’m thinking what is this fabulous karma I have that I’m in the back seat with His Holiness getting this shower of blessings; and I was just holy spit all over me. So I was really happy. I didn’t have my coffee that morning, but that worked. So I knew him well enough to know that he didn’t change his ways very easily, even though he is spontaneous. He is flexible. He is awake.

It was hard for me to understand how he could go from being very protective of Dzogchen to suddenly handing it out year after year. And it made me think a lot. And I thought, ‘That is His Holiness telling us these truly are degenerate times. And that in these times, there is so much spiritual sickness that only the most powerful medicine can work. The most powerful Dharma medicine can work.’ And of course there are the teachings that Guru Rinpoche himself has given that said that in the future in times of great darkness Dzogchen would be the method that would cut through darkness. And so I thought to myself, ‘You know, most people may not be thinking that, may not realize that. But that’s what his giving this out means. That this is something important, something to pay attention to.’

And then I began to,… Well, I talked about it with my teachers. I talked about it with other lamas that I had been connected to at that time, and studied on it myself a great deal and realized that at the monastery there is shedra and there is a different subject in every year of shedra. It’s kind of like in a college where you have a semester; then you wait a year and then you have a semester. And it’s kind of like that. So when you’re ready, between the times that you are entered into a specific solid learning semester, they have the elder monks and other Khenpos and other lamas that are constantly there at the monastery keep the monks in line and keep them progressing. They don’t let them get out of control. They don’t let them get sloppy. They don’t let them get, you know, non-virtuous. They don’t let them lose their way. They watch them. It’s a communal family that works well together so that students can progress from year to year. And even that is different from the old days, and I mean the old days when in order to progress to the next step, you had to accomplish the step before. In other words, if you were given Ngӧndro to do, you had to complete your Ngӧndro.

Nowadays you get promoted whether you complete it or not. And it is a dangerous position in one way. Well, it’s not dangerous because you have His Holiness’ blessing; but it is a dangerous position in one way because you don’t have time to do the five accumulations, and they are so important. They are so important. That many Vajra Guru mantras, that many prostrations, that many vows of Bodhicitta, that many Vajrasattva, that many of all the countables, the mandala offering. They are so needed to stabilize the path. So needed to stabilize one’s mind. And to go on to the next phase before finishing the baby steps is a difficult thing to do. And the reason why it is happening now is because these are difficult times. It’s a rather explosive combination, don’t you see? Difficult times and not having the underpinning that you need.

And then after Ngӧndro, students would usually practice the Three Roots and that would mean you would have the Lama deity, the Yidam deity, the Dakini deity and protectors. And for the Three Roots, Lama, Yidam and Dakini, you would have to do 100,000 accumulations of each. Bare minimum. Usually it was a million of each mantra. And that’s what they call accomplishing mantra, when you do like a gazillion of them. Nowadays we think it means accomplishing mantra when we say I’ve done this mantra. I do it everyday. Therefore I have accomplished it. How many have you actually done? 25,000. I’m sorry. I don’t think so. Back in the old days, it was more like 100,000 or a million, depending on how the lama taught you to practice.

Astrology for 7/22/2017

July 22, 2017 by Norma

7/22/2017 Saturday by Norma

Discuss your deepest feelings with others and you will be shot down. It’s best to remain in quiet, neutral territory. “Nice day, isn’t it?” Is a good response to, “How is your problem going?” A parade or display of importance should not be dismissed, congratulate a winner and compliment good behavior. Be as sensitive to others’ pride as you are to your own today. Frank A. Clark said, “Gossip needn’t be false to be evil-there’s a lot of truth that shouldn’t be passed around.” This is an excellent day to go for a drive, a picnic or a family reunion. If you’ve been under the weather or feeling weak, your strength returns. Time spent outdoors is excellent and conversation, letters, emails, texts and phone calls bring happiness. Reach out to those who matter to you!