Astrology for 3/8/2016

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3/8/2016 Tuesday by Norma

Pay attention to a dream or intuition this morning, it’s helpful. Hospitals, physicians and medicine are highlighted. Take instructions from licensed practitioners and sidestep alternative therapies for the time being. If you feel bogged down or overwhelmed, ask for help. A pleasant, good-natured and efficient person is at your service! Avoid the tendency to be hard on yourself (“I should be able to do this, what’s wrong with me?”). Be patient if you are incarcerated, hospitalized or in a jam, help is nearby. It is actually possible to work your way out of trouble today. Singing, chanting, painting, visualizing, and dreaming are all helpful and effective.

The astrology post affects everyone differently, depending on individual horoscopes. Look to see which area of your life is affected by this message!

The Nature of Dreams

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The following is from a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo in response to a question:

Questioner: What do you think dreams are? Are dreams a mirror of daily consciousness? Is there anything to do with them?

Jetsunma:

A great question! And more than one way to look at it. Physicists are beginning to recognize dreams as a glimpse into other probable realities that we are connected to. And that maybe these dimensions are all mind. They are getting close.

I say all realities are a Bardo in that we seem to be passing through them, and “Bardo” means passage. Dreams are as real as any other state, no more, no less. What you bring back from a dream may well be significant, in that on a subconscious level you want to remember it. That can be on the emotional level where we tend to sort out info and take what we need. Other dreams can be sorting info from the future, present and past. If we glimpse a future probability we might see it as prophetic. From the past? Some sort of processing. About the present, we puzzle and organize. And try to fill in the blank bits according to our preconceived notions. However, all concepts, waking or dreaming, are our fabrication of karma. We, the seer, the dreamer, the objects we “see,” the probable uncountable endless realities, the entire cosmos, inner and outer, are all empty of self nature! Like in quantum physics we are beginning to see that all is fundamental space, that even atoms and molecules are space! All inherently empty.

It is that trickster, the habitually confused ego, trying to run the show. So we cannot see the void ground of nature. The ego does not allow for that, as its purpose is opposed to the very idea. Ego argues with primordial emptiness. Yet without it there would be no dream. Just uncontrived unborn and yet spontaneously liberated space. It’s really not so scary. And quite relaxing to see all as impermanent and free.

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo.  All rights reserved

Astrology for 3/7/2016

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3/7/2016 Monday by Norma

Friends and groups are supportive and it’s a good day to set new goals. The news from afar is annoying and everyone is speaking too loudly. Lower the volume if you wish to make an impact. Mark Twain said, “The right word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a rightly timed pause.” Notice those who have nothing to say, they know the most. Elsewhere, people are more than happy to help out- to type your report, to fix your car, to do any job for you so spread the work around. The tone of the times is Piscean, with an emphasis on healing, creativity, water and sensitivity. Someone can solve a problem you didn’t know you had.

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

The Importance of Deepening: Expanding Our Efforts on the Path

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The following teaching is from a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

Many practitioners on the path of Buddhadharma do not realize that one must continually make progress. You don’t land, then sit.

Having realized we must make progress in Buddhism, Vajrayana requires empowerment, lung, and commentary. These are the blessings needed.

When students grow dull in their practice it is because they are not making further progress. If we don’t grow, we are stagnant which does no good. There are many stories in Tibet of ordinary people going to extraordinary trouble, and traveling great distances to receive one precious Empowerment and practicing that one deity and mantra their whole lives with great devotion, as it took so much effort to obtain. And because of that they made much progress with that one simple puja.

Here in the USA it isn’t that way. First, it is easy to go anywhere. Secondly, we, in our culture are not raised with such faith. And nothing in our culture supports it. So we must continually support ourselves by continual instruction, stage by stage progression, until the most advanced atiyoga, to dzogchen. We need the continual stimulation. We all must grow, or our hearts and minds become hard and stiff and we do not enhance our qualities, we do not give rise to bodhicitta. We do not increase in the concerned activity of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Then anger, pride, jealousy and ignorance come creeping in.

So we must make a continually expanding effort. We should seek empowerment, and learn different practices. We should do retreat to go deeper and deeper until we both enjoy and feel happy in our practice. Then we will not be inclined toward poor qualities, judgment of others etc. We will be less inclined to be mean or cruel to any being. We will also, then have grown as human beings – kinder, more generous and loving. We will have grown up at last.

A little Dharma for your Monday evening!

OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA!

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo.  All rights reserved

Astrology for 3/6/2016

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3/6/2016 Sunday by Norma

A hidden matter comes to light today, eliciting strong feelings that seem to require action, but do not act. A higher power steps in and handles the matter, so don’t feel you need to. Pearl Buck said, “Every great mistake has a halfway moment, a split second when it can be recalled and perhaps remedied.” A mistake can be remedied and set straight without further ado. What’s good today? Friends are wonderful, groups are great, work is progressing nicely and a long term project is coming to fruition. Talk is surprisingly fun, along with driving around and learning new things.

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

Cultivating Selfless Compassion: Looking Beyond the Symptoms of Suffering

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

When you develop the mind of compassion, you have to be careful how you develop that mind. If you examine yourself profoundly and honestly – and you have to be willing to be very honest with yourself – you may find that your goal is not really to benefit all sentient beings, but to be a kind person. There are worlds and universes of difference between these two goals. One is selfless: you truly wish to be of benefit to all sentient beings. The other is heading in the right direction, but ultimately it is not selfless because you wish that you could be a kind person. I hope that you can hear the difference between these two ideas. There are worlds of difference between them.

How does one cultivate the selfless goal and not fall unconsciously into the trap of ending up with the second goal? A good way to begin is to open our eyes and truly understand the nature of suffering. Why is there suffering in the world? Why is there suffering in the worlds unseen? If we don’t examine this idea, we might take what we see at face value. We might look at people in poor parts of town and say, “Oh they’re suffering because they’re poor.” We might look at people in different countries around the world and say, “Oh, they’re suffering because they’re hungry.” We might look at people in different situations and think we understand the nature of their suffering. But we’re looking at the symptom of their suffering. We’re looking at the fact that they are suffering, but we do still not understand why.

If we see that they are suffering – that some people are poor, some people are hungry, some people are old, some people are sick, and some people are dying — and do not probe to understand the reason for their suffering, we might fall into the trap of trying to do something about those apparent issues. There’s nothing wrong with doing something about those issues. In fact I hope you do, because human kindness – exemplary and virtuous human kindness – has to be part of this world, it has to be part of the activity that you, as Bodhisattvas, are involved in. But if you stop there, you will never succeed, because if you try to cure the symptom of suffering without going to the cause, it’s impossible. The suffering will simply pop up in new and different ways.

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo.  All rights reserved

Astrology for 3/5/2016

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3/5/2016 Saturday by Norma

A disappointment must be absorbed and bad treatment – either intentional or accidental- is possible. This triggers a flurry of your favorite comfort activity: watching football all day, eating everything in sight, or worse. Someone can help the situation provided you reach out. Ask the most stable person you know for advice or help and watch things improve. Sai Baba said, “Hands that help are holier than lips that pray.” What’s good today? Sympathy, healing, moving away from a problem and great friends!

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

Astrology for 3/4/2016

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3/4/2016 Friday by Norma

It’s important to know who is in charge today and grant that person’s wishes. Good fortune comes if you co-operate with powerful people and trouble ensues if you balk. Ferdinand I, Emperor of Austria said, “I am the Emperor, and I want dumplings.” Someone has the ability to make your dreams come true if you behave well. Avoid the tendency to sulk or complain about your health or feelings. Hard work
is rewarded, friends are fun and groups are supportive. Dumplings, anyone?

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

Mixing Milk With Water: Cultivating Qualities on the Path

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The following is from a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

Often when people begin practicing Buddhism it feels fresh and wonderful. But our expectations may be unreasonable. Often I hear that folks can’t “feel” devotion or compassion. Neither of these are a “feeling.” They are both method. Same with Emptiness. If we could “feel” it, it would not be emptiness, but some sort of contrivance. We seem to want to imagine it all, think about what it must be, rather than to see primordial nature just as it is. No amount of talk or even study can make that happen. We can discuss Guru Devotion with hearts as cold as ice. We can want to be “good” without ever being generous and kind. We can want to be anything that sounds great without doing the work, and then we are lost. That is very much like reading fitness books and dreaming of a fabulous new body without ever leaving the sofa and eating like a pig.

There is no bodhicitta without human compassion, as that is the display of it. There is no Guru Devotion without respect and view. And Guru Devotion is not a “feeling” but is based on a clear comprehension that the mind of the Guru and our own must mix like milk with water. This precludes judgment and hate, or putting down other Vajra bros and sistas because the mind of the Guru is as vast and clear as space. If we are hateful we are dishonoring the Vajra Master, who teaches us differently than that. If we do not take the trouble to master the qualities of the Three Roots we have broken samaya. No numbers of mantra repetitions will ever make up for quality and depth. No vow ever taken will ever make up for the absence of actually fulfilling that vow. If you are mean spirited, selfish and filled with arrogance you are not what you profess to be. And that is raw truth. Silly rabbit! Tricks are for kids!!!

OM AH HUNG BENZAR GURU PEDMA SIDDHI HUNG!

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo.  All rights reserved

Astrology for 3/3/2016

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3/3/2016 Thursday by Norma

It’s best to side with those in power today and offer respect to everyone of importance. Do not maintain an egalitarian attitude with someone you should defer to: do not behave like an American! (“We’re all the same”). A humble attitude will keep you safe and take you everywhere. Voltaire said, “It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong.” What’s good today? Happy friends who perk up your life, work projects that are going well, and a new trail that is being blazed right under your nose. Take a look!

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

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