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Desire Causes Suffering: Full Length Video Teaching

December 22, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is a full length video teaching offered by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo at Kunzang Palyul Choling:

We are suffering because of the desire in our minds. Meditation, and the other practices of the Buddha pacify the mind and bring happiness. The only one who can do this for us is ourselves. To look outside ourselves for solutions, only leads to more unhappiness. Take advantage of what you have in your hands, and use the teachings of Buddha to make your life better.

Like Vibes With Like

December 22, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

From The Spiritual Path: A Compilation of Teachings by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

Let’s say that your immediate family consists of four people, so you have a particular karma with three others. Those three all have both negative and positive karmic seeds coming to the surface, just as you do. When you four came together, you did so because certain karma was ripening. You could not marry; a child could not be born to you, unless that particular karma was ripening in your mindstream, and in someone else’s. When this karma comes together, it has a kind of interactive characteristic. Like tends to attract or “vibe with” like.

Perhaps you have some horrible negative karma associated with cruelty to animals. You may have a child, or there may be someone else in your family, who has a similar negative karma. Though you won’t understand why, it is likely that something will happen to reinforce the catalyzing effect of your relationship. For instance, you might get a dog that both of you abuse. Or you might develop a terrible animosity toward animals that you would not have experienced so overwhelmingly, if you had not been with that particular person. In your past, you also have karma of being kind to animals. And had you come together with a person with strong kind-to-animals karma, that relationship might have catalyzed something completely different. Let’s say that you have a period of intense anger: the karma of anger is coming to the surface. If you let yourself fall into that anger, really wallow in it, then you will tend to ripen still more anger from the deeper past, and those bubbles will continue to come forward. On a superficial level, the anger will seem to feed on itself. You will feel compelled to be angry.

But suppose you do everything you can to overcome your anger. Though angry at someone, you tell yourself: “This person is suffering just as all sentient beings are, and doesn’t really mean to act that way.” If you truly try to circumvent the anger by reasoning it out, what will happen? Instead of having more anger ripen and come forward, you will ripen a different kind of karma. Perhaps the karma of clear thought. Basically, you can prevent future ripenings of negative karma by taking hold of yourself at any given point. You have a precious human rebirth; you have the Dharma; and you can think logically. You are able to choose how to cope with any anger that arises.

When some people have an unpleasant feeling, such as anger, hatred, or grief, they habitually cover it over. If they become angry, for example, they say, “I feel only love.” Or: “There is only love.” This is like slapping a Band-Aid on an ulcer, which only continues to ripen and grow deeper. By plastering one thought on top of another, you actually link them together. And what happens? Either your anger and hatred will remain inflamed on an underlying level (a frequent result), or you may ripen the karma of delusion. Your mind will be very unclear. Those who use such methods over a long period of time become deeply set in delusion. It seems as if they have gone somewhere else, and one is tempted to ask, “Are you still in there? Anybody home?” There are just too many layers of Band-Aids. What you need is to examine the contents of your mindstream. And begin to view your own mind as something you can work with, something you can take responsibility for.

Create a Deep Storehouse of Merit: Full Length Video Teaching

December 21, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is a full length video teaching offered by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo at Kunzang Palyul Choling:

Our merit is not as solid as we often believe it to be. Often we can find ourselves very far away from where we were just a few minutes ago. This affects our lives, our death, our rebirth and our enlightenment. It is the result of our karma – our decisions or non-decisions everyday. If we are fortunate, we have a Lama whose merit is deep enough that they can point out to us where our mind has gone and bring us back home.

Go Beyond Safety to Live: Full Length Video Teaching

December 20, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is a full length video teaching offered by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo at Kunzang Palyul Choling:

Using the example of Mandarava whose love for her Guru and the path was so strong that even a rock could not hold her from that – Jetsunma talks about the western belief that we should be in control at all times. This renders us unable to truly love. We will benefit from allowing that love and passion to be our guide.

Where is the Heart?

December 20, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

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

You need to determine for yourself, “Did I choose this to be what it is? And have I gone through the entire process? And do I know what I’m thinking? Or not.” It is not about being true to the guru. It’s not like you’re married and can’t go out with anybody else. It’s not like that. Being true to yourself: you have this opportunity. Let this be the one arena in which you do not do the little neurotic dance. Let this be the one area in which you accept the responsibility of watching the relationship with one’s teacher as though one were watching a display of one’s own mind on an external projection thing, like a TV. Able to learn about oneself, able to determine.

And so this experience, then, the relationship with one’s teacher, becomes extremely useful and extremely pure. There is no exerting of one will over the other. That’s not what’s happening here. It is the development of a pure understanding, free of the usual habitual tendency and contrivance that we engage in. We all do this. We all do this. I even find myself doing this. Sometimes I’ll think, “Oh, god, it’s been too long since I’ve called my teacher. I’ve gotta call him.” That’s so ridiculous, so ridiculous to think like that. And then also to think, “Oh, maybe he’ll be mad at me when I call him. Maybe it’s been too long.” It’s so ridiculous. Completely ridiculous. Because instead you should be asking yourself, “In my continuum, in my mindstream, where is my teacher? What is that? Where is the light of my heart? Is it there? Is it free to be exactly what it can be? Or have I superimposed all of my ideas about relationships on it? Is it time now, in a natural way, do I need to hear the voice of my teacher? Do I need to feel that connection again? Do I need to tell him that his efforts with me have not been wasteful, that I am carrying on his wishes, that I’m doing my best to please him by benefiting sentient beings?” Something like that. Where is the light of my life? That’s the true relationship in there. It doesn’t matter what you do on the outside.

As a teacher, the thing I hate worst in the world is the student that does a whole lot of this, and none of this. It’s not in there. It’s not happening. I mean, boys and girls, I hate to tell you, most of the teachers and myself included, were not born under a rock. They know the difference. So where is the heart? That’s what it’s really about, isn’t it? Where is the heart?

In that way, if you practice purely in that way–and I found this to be truth for me–I know that this is true personally on a deep level. If I practice like that, then my teacher teaches me constantly, whether he is here or not. My teacher teaches me through you, constantly. Don’t even go there! Thinking that now you’re going to be a teacher! Don’t even think it! I saw that little “Oh, yeah, I can do that!” No, it’s true, my teacher teaches me through you. I get to see, I learn so much, through you. I watch how your minds play with things. I watch how you respond to things. I watch how you let go, how you get caught up, and I learn about myself, of course. Of course. And I also learn about the power of the Three Precious Jewels. I have watched them transform lives–unbelievable. Unbelievable!

Dharma For Today – Outside the Box: Full Length Video Teaching

December 19, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is a full length video teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo offered at Kunzang Palyul Choling:

The times are getting darker, and in order to benefit beings we need to come up with creative ways of reaching them. One of those ways is the 24-hour prayer vigil – an American Drupchen. Another is mantra in music. His Holiness Penor Rinpoche has said “mantra is indestructible” – so those who hear it receive blessings no matter how unusual.

Dharmakaya

December 19, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

665121387_fk49q-S — Guru Rinpoche Rainbow Body

From The Spiritual Path: A Compilation of Teachings by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

It is not enough to visualize the form of a teacher or lama, thinking that you see only a man or a woman. Such a shallow perception does not put you in touch with what is truly happening. In fact, it causes virtually all the value and function of the lama to be lost to you. Guru Rinpoche comes to us as a direct emanation of the Dharmakaya Buddha, Amitabha. The nature of Amitabha is non-dual. The Dharmakaya is clear, crystalline, uncontrived. It is mind as it is—without limitation or conceptualization of any kind.

This is difficult to understand because we have never had a direct experience of our essential nature. Even our moments of deepest meditation—of what we might call Samadhi—are merely intermediate stages, not to be misconstrued as the ultimate, true realization that occurs when one reaches liberation from all conceptualization. The nature of mind is much like a crystal: clear and uncontrived. It has no sense of self and other. Its nature is such that it can reflect all forms of emanation, and there is nothing that is separate from that all-pervading mind. From that nature, Guru Rinpoche is born. Guru Rinpoche can be understood as a form of the Dharmakaya that is visible to our eyes. He can also be understood, more correctly, as the result of the all-pervading compassion of that mind. If it were possible for the Dharmakaya to reveal itself in some form, that form would be, and is, Guru Rinpoche.

The nature of Dharmakaya is compassion, but not as we usually think of it. Humans generally understand compassion to be directed toward a certain object, for example: “I feel compassion for you.” In our language, that means, “I am sorry for you.” True compassion, in the nature of mind—in Dharmakaya—is quite different. It is objectless. It is not directed toward any specific other, and thus it is all pervading. Why is it not directed toward any specific other? Because in the nature of true mind there is no other. If this all-pervading nature, in its non-dual reality, considers that there is no other, then it must fully embrace and never keep itself away from any object. That is true compassion because it is unconditional.

Such compassion cannot be earned or bought; nor can it be destroyed. It is the nature of the primordial mind. There is nothing you can do to distance yourself from this mind, which is your true nature. You can cover it up by developing thoughts of duality, contrivance, and judgment. You can create so much non-virtue that you fail to perceive that nature, but you cannot distance yourself from it. It is still your nature, unaltered and indestructible. That which is seemingly far away is therefore quite close; in fact, it is non-dual with all that you are.

You Can Make a Better Future: Full Length Video Teaching

December 18, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is a full length video teachings offered by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo at Kunzang Palyul Choling:

Every minute counts. Every mantra counts. Every time you engage in self-honesty, it will bring benefit beyond measure. Every time you are compassionate toward others, you insure a better future.

A Place of Refuge

December 17, 2011December 17, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

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

Tashi Delek! I have been invited to take refuge in retreat land in New York by Palyul,where I can do retreat. William L Cassidy will be free. My family and I, land and accomplishment are now unsafe. Palyulis my faith, life and conviction His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, His Holiness Karma Kuchen, His Holiness Ngawang Tenzin, and Muksang Rinpoche have been kind to me. I will go underground for safety while Cassidy is loose.

OM TARE TUTARE TURE PUNYE PUSHTIM AH YOU PUSHTIM KURU YE SOHA

Bringing Virtue Into Your Life: Full Length Video Teaching

December 17, 2011 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is a full length video teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo offered at Kunzang Palyul Choling:

The narcotic of samsara encourages us to believe that we will stay the same forever. Self-honesty tells us differently. Jetsunma helps us see the reality of impermanence and karma in our lives. Living a life of virtue will bring us ultimate happiness.