Tibetan Buddhist Altar

How We See Enlightenment

February 9, 2017 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

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

If Guru Rinpoche is the Nirmanakaya form of the Buddha, we should also think that he is Enlightenment itself, that what we are seeing is merely the tip of the iceberg. It’s the way in which that function of enlightenment appears in the world. Is it always so? Does enlightenment appear in the world? Why does it? What is it when it appears in the world and what is it when it doesn’t appear in the world? What is it, actually?

Very hard to describe what enlightenment actually is. Because when we describe enlightenment, it’s like looking at the sky through a tiny peephole. You can’t really get what it is. You might be able to see the spaciousness of it. You might even be able to hook into a star. You might even be able to describe color and the way the star glimmers. But from looking through a peephole, you simply cannot understand what the sky is. It’s impossible. And from our point of view, it is impossible to understand what enlightenment is by looking as we do through our little peephole.

We can only understand enlightenment really in terms of what it is not. We can understand, for instance, that enlightenment is the state free of conceptualization. We can understand that it is a state free of contrivance. We can understand that it is a state unlimited by ordinary view, ordinary perception. But we can’t really understand what else there is. In fact if you described “some thing else,” you’ve lost the pristine nature of enlightenment, because if you do that, you are conceptualizing. You are limiting, and you are contriving, an image or an experience. That’s the way our minds work. That’s the only way that we have.

When the Buddha described himself, he described himself as being “awake”. Simply that. We can’t even understand what that means because we immediately want to say, “Awake to what? And what were you asleep in before?” We try to understand in those ways. It’s either/or, black or white. Our minds hook on to something. And for that reason, we cannot fully and completely understand enlightenment.

In short, enlightenment has been described as the primordial wisdom state, that state which is like luminosity. But it isn’t luminosity because when we think of luminosity, we think of light and light is “some thing.” This state called enlightenment is not a thing at all. It is beyond “thing-ness” and “no thing-ness.” It is beyond form and formless. It is beyond self and other. It is beyond up and down. It is beyond hot and cold. It is beyond dark and light.

Astrology for 2/9/2017

February 9, 2017 by Norma

2/9/2017 Thursday by Norma

Groups are having an absolutely wonderful time expressing shared viewpoints and unity of purpose. A leader appears today, someone who is able to win hearts and bring diverse perspectives into focus. Watch for this person. A message comes that unifies opposing thinking, giving people something to be in favor of, rather than something to be against. Richard Branson said, “I have enjoyed life a lot more by saying yes than by saying no.” This is an energetic time and the busier you are the happier you’ll be. Unexpected friendship blossoms, people you’ve lost touch with re-appear and genuine progress is possible today. Avoid bothering someone who is unavailable, you’ll regret it; allow those who don’t want to participate their privacy.

Extraordinary Blessings

February 8, 2017 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

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

One of the main practices that we have to do in order to make progress on the path is Guru Yoga. There are many ways to practice Guru Yoga. There is a tremendous focus on Guru Yoga in the preliminary practice or Ngondro phase, and then as you move into the different forms of practice in the intermediate and advanced stages, there is still a great deal of focus on Guru Rinpoche, and there is still a great deal of dependence on the Natural Blessing that is transmitted from his miraculous compassion.

Guru Rinpoche is considered to be the Nirmanakaya form, that is the body or the form that one sees in physical existence. He incarnated into physical existence, and when he appeared on the earth, he was in solid form. According to the history of his life, he was not born. He did not have a mother. He appeared in the middle of a lake on a lotus and he did not appear as an infant, but as a young child. And when he left, he didn’t die; his body didn’t cease to function. He was seen to rise up into the sky and leave.

So his activity, his display, is considered to be extraordinary, not ordinary. It isn’t like what we usually see. We do not usually see that kind of event. None of us has managed to be born on a lotus in the middle of the lake. Most of us have mothers. I have a mother. If any of you don’t have a mother, please let me know. I’d like to meet you, get to know you.

Probably, when we die, our bodies will do the ordinary thing which is “die.” Perhaps a few of us will do something wonderful, but my guess is that we’ll die. It’s very rare to be born as a young child on a lotus, or rise up into the sky and leave. We don’t usually see that kind of display. And so from that, we can understand that he is, in fact, the physical display of enlightenment.

It’s so easy for us to look at Guru Rinpoche, to think about his teachings, to think about what he has accomplished and think, “Oh, there was a great man that was born sometime, and he did this thing”, to think of Guru Rinpoche in a superficial way. So when we practice, our practice is deluded really, and it’s kind of confused or even defiled, if you will, by our thinking, “What kind of man was he? What was he really like? What did he look like?” I look at his statue and I think, “Gee he had a funny little mustache.” We have those kinds of thoughts. We can’t help but think like that. We think as ordinary people do. We look at each other in ordinary ways. We’ve learned to evaluate things in that way.

If we hold Guru Rinpoche in that regard, we miss the point. We think of a being that’s much like an ordinary being. We think of an event that is not so different from ordinary events. Man goes to Tibet, man teaches. Well, that’s happened before! So we don’t understand. We’re very shallow in our perception. And what happens then is that the transmission that comes to us, the blessing that comes to us through faith, the blessing that comes to us through practicing Guru Yoga is very minimal. And in fact, it’s an ordinary blessing. It is the ordinary blessing perhaps of having the opportunity to practice, and of actually having the practices in hand so that we can do them. Well, you could say that’s not exactly ordinary. Lot’s of people don’t have that blessing. And you’re right about that. But it’s a limited blessing. What we need beyond this opportunity, beyond the practice, is the ripening. And in order to have that, we must begin to understand the Nature of the Lama in a more profound way.

Astrology for 2/8/2017

February 8, 2017 by Norma

2/8/2017 Wednesday by Norma

An emotional display gets you into trouble early today- try to sleep through it. In fact set your feelings aside for the time being; acknowledge them, ask them to take a nap and put your brain in charge. You’ll be glad you did. The ability to speak in a diplomatic, all-inclusive manner is steadily growing and a setback must be avoided. Consider leaders negotiating a military détente: Someone yelling, “You bombed my house!” brings counter-accusations. “You took my cow!” Peace, not recrimination, is the point. (” Sorry I bombed your house, and here’s your cow.”) Montaigne said, “Silence, along with modesty, is a great aid to conversation.” Reconciliation is on the horizon, good friends and partners are at hand and opportunity appears in surprising places.

Who Is Guru Rinpoche?

February 7, 2017 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

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

When we think of Guru Rinpoche, we are thinking of an emanation that is very important in our tradition. Guru Rinpoche is considered to be the Nirmanakaya form of the Buddha. He is considered to be the next incarnation of Lord Buddha Shakyamuni. He is considered to be fully realized, fully enlightened. In our tradition, the Nyingma tradition, he is extremely important and focused on a great deal. All of our teachings come from him. All that we practice here in this center comes from Guru Rinpoche. There are other teachings that are practiced in the Nyingma tradition that come from other lamas. But everything that we practice that is of any consequence really has come from Guru Rinpoche. So he is like our mother and our father. He is the one that brought Vajrayana Buddhism to Tibet. He is the one that miraculously conceived of a kind of teaching that would be especially beneficial in this time, which is called the degenerate time. The teaching that he gives is extraordinary. It is meant to ripen the mind in a specific way that is very useful at a time when karma is very condensed, as it is said to be in Kaliyuga or the time of degeneration.

At this time, due to the Vajrayana practice, we can make great progress even though it’s a time of degeneration. It’s as though the potential is hotter and fuller and more condensed, more defined. And if we practice sincerely, we’ll make a great deal of progress.

Astrology for 2/7/2017

February 7, 2017 by Norma

2/7/2017 Tuesday by Norma

An informed person suggests an idea that is well received, telegraphing a new time of thoughtfulness. Listen carefully to the news and set aside your own feelings. Instead consider: Can this work? Get out your calculator and figure it out. Thoughtfulness and intelligence extract you from a perplexing situation, provided you use your head, (To think! Not as a battering ram!). You can’t make points by screaming louder than others, nope, won’t work. George Stanley Lee said, “America is a tune. It must be sung together.” What’s good today? A curious mix of thoughtfulness co-mingled with sensitivity that enables you to tiptoe through fraught situations and come out with consensus. Partnership, friendship and conversation are highlighted and love is downright fun today.

Taking On Suffering: Story of Maitriyogin and the Dog’s Pain

February 6, 2017 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is respectfully quoted from “Enlightened Courage” by His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche:

There is a story that one day, when Maitriyogin was teaching, a dog barked at someone, who, losing his temper, threw a stone at it. The dog was hit in the ribs and yelped. Feeling great sorrow for the animal, the teacher cried out and fell down from the throne. “This is taking things a bit too far,” thought his disciples. Knowing what was in their minds, Maitriyogin said, “Look here, at my ribs.” And on his body, exactly where the stone had hit the dog, he had a bruise. He had taken the suffering of the animal upon himself.

Astrology for 2/6/2017

February 6, 2017 by Norma

2/6/2017 Monday by Norma

Three planets in Aries are determined to make themselves seen and heard! If someone doesn’t understand, yell louder. Right? Not necessarily. Intelligent discussion makes a stronger impression, so ratchet down the noise and ratchet up the diplomatic skills. A breakthrough is possible today, a détente, where mutual understanding trumps mutual distrust: smile and lower your voice please. Try to understand what others want, not make them do what you want. A woman or child can say or do the thing that changes the nature of the exchange, creating good will. George Eliot said, “What do we live for if not to make life less difficult for each other.” This is an excellent day to engage in athletics, to run, walk, swim, row or bicycle everywhere. A new beginning goes well and group harmony is possible, provided everyone feels heard and included.

Choices – Like a King or a Queen

February 5, 2017 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is an excerpt from a teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo called “Entering the Path”

It is not only in the beginning of the path that obstacles happen; they occur periodically throughout your experience of the path. They don’t end. They are like PMS. So each and every time obstacles arise, you have to simply support and nurture yourself. Go through it. Simply take yourself by the hand as if you were a child. Think of this as your kingdom, and you’re a good king or a queen. What should you do to responsibly negotiate yourself through this? You think like that.

Remember the first and most important point to consider: not to make it a big deal. Don’t get yourself all worked up. Try to keep your mind calm, because remember, the obstacles will ripen more quickly and more violently if the mind is excitable, emotional and violent, if it has so many ups and downs. So take yourself to a movie or something, you know, calm down and walk yourself through this. Remember that the biggest tool that you have right now is the accumulation of merit. Within the continuum of your mindstream there are cause-and-effect relationships that have not yet fully ripened. The causes are deeply embedded within your mind. Accumulate more merit and the more meritorious causes from the past will be drawn forth and will come to your rescue.

The name of the game is to pacify obstacles and to draw forth and accumulate as much merit as possible. The mind will become spacious so that we can awaken in incremental degrees to our own nature. To the degree that we begin to awaken to our nature, to that degree, obstacles will no longer affect us.

Upon attaining the Bodhisattva path and moving through that path to the higher bhumis, one is no longer susceptible in the same way to cause-and-effect relationships. They become pacified within the mindstream. They are still expressed in some way, to exhibit the normal characteristics of life. Yet the high level Bodhisattva is not hooked and condemned by these obstacles the way ordinary sentient beings are. These obstacles do not cause them to wander in samsara the way ordinary sentient beings do. So that’s what we have to look forward to. The name of the game is pacifying obstacles and bringing forth as much merit and opportunity as possible until that day happens. For this you can use the practices.

The moment you decide to be on the path and practice, you should immediately begin to accumulate the Seven-Line Prayer. Repeat it on a regular basis every day. That is a merit machine for you. Then as soon as possible, as soon as you have accumulated approximately 10,000, begin to practice Ngöndro or preliminary practice. The reason why it is set up that way is so that the mind can develop and open up to the primordial wisdom nature.

This is the opportunity that you have, and this is the method that you should use. Be your own best friend. Be a good king or queen. Be intelligent and responsible and think beneath the surface. Do not read the things on the surface any more. That’s for children; that’s not for you. You’re on the path now. Look deeper and see what’s happening. Antidote unhappiness with virtue because unhappiness is caused by non-virtue. Accumulate virtue to the degree that you can begin to experience the truly virtuous nature that is your nature. Because if that nature that you truly are were allowed to express itself unimpeded, the display of that nature is the very Bodhicitta or great compassion that we try so hard to emulate.

Your nature is in truth that great unequalled Bodhicitta. You are not a bag of non-virtue; you are suchness, you are that great kindness. When you practice in that way, it’s like cleaning a glass by which the sun can shine through, and the sun is your nature. But do not let your image of the sun be closed down or distorted because of your own habitual tendency to simply ride on the surface and do whatever you think seems right. For the first time, look deeper and understand cause-and-effect relationships. Implement the causes that will bring about happiness and freedom, and pacify, through suppression, those non-virtuous characteristics that will bring you unrest and suffering.

How does this suppression look? Not like faking it and pretending you don’t have these things. That is not suppressing, that is neurosis. That is acting inappropriately. Suppression means that you take the antidote, and you apply it through practice, through contemplation, through offering, through generosity, through kindness. Practicing these things is suppression because the mind remains firm and stable in the way of virtue rather than remaining caught up in amplifying non-virtue.

You are a creature of choices. Isn’t it amazing! A creature of choices! At every turn you can make choices. You cannot choose what experiences seem to come to you because the cause-and-effect relationships have already been laid out for them, but you can choose how to respond, and you can choose how to create future causes. And for this I am exceedingly glad. Choose well then, not like a child. Choose like a king or a queen— noble, thoughtful, educated and sound in your mind. Create the habit of virtue and you will create a kingdom of virtue that will be your life.

Astrology for 2/5/2017

February 5, 2017 by Norma

2/5/2017 Sunday by Norma

Communication is highlighted today. Pay special attention to the news and stay in touch with the people who are important to you. Everyone has something to say and valuable information is available, provided you’re paying attention. Communication has a powerful influence on you and others now, and the right word at the right time changes everything. Pay special attention to signs, notifications and announcements to avoid the danger of missing out on something special through inattention. Daniel Boorstin said, “Education is learning what you didn’t even know you didn’t know.” Timing is important today- when you go out the door matters as much as where you go. Ask around if you’re not sure,
someone will tell you. Activity and attention equal happiness today.