A sacred space for everyone
Prince of power this is the hour
This is the time when you must shine
I see it on your face, in your mind
You awaken right on time
To honor our Guru, our Lord Sublime.
You alone are well prepared
This time would come, you were aware
He gave you his essence with such care
I would have known Him anywhere.
You mixed your minds like water and wine
I hear His song in your mind.
Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo. All rights reserved
The following is from a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:
How comes this one?
He speaks no truth to me.
Nor to the visions I do see, he has nothing.
And if only he could see it so-
Maybe time will let him go.
I do grieve, not for hurtful misdeeds,
But, for flowers and hours of beauty, relentless bliss at the fiery tent.
I can’t resent
I’ll always follow…
OM AH HUNG BENZAR GURU PEDMA SIDDHI HUNG
Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo. All rights reserved
On July 17th Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo learned of a pekingese named “Gary” who had been dumped at a shelter. His hair was matted, his nails overgrown, his muscles atrophied from being kenneled without adequate exercise. He had scars from cigarette burns, and it was later discovered his jaw had been broken and never healed properly. Jetsunma immediately committed to adopting him.
With the help of Ani Kunzang from Tara’s Babies and Ani Pema arrangements were made for Harry to receive necessary veterinary care before joining Jetsunma’s “pack.” On July 31st, having recovered from a contagious respiratory infection, Harry arrived at Jetsunma’s home so weak he had difficulty walking.
Today, nourished by all the love and support…
May all beings be free of suffering!
OM MANI PEDME HUNG
The following is from a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:
An incense offering to be made first thing every morning with the purest intention and incense.
“This pure supreme incense, which bears the scent of pure moral self-discipline, by the blessings of mantra, mudra and samadhi.
Is offered to the realms of the buddhas. May this fragrant incense completely please and satisfy the ocean-like assembly of buddhas!
NAMA SARWA TATHAGATA BENZA DUPE PRATITSA PUDZA MEGHA SAMUDRA SA PHA RA NA SAMAYE AH HUNG”
This is a sacred way to begin the practice or start one’s day. One can also offer morning tea or coffee with ring finger on right hand, flicking the substance with finger in all directions with mindfulness.
Sadly it is often the case that practitioners perform a session every day, then forget to carry it forward, to bear it always. One way to antidote that is making morning offerings, and placing the Tsawei Lama above the crown of one’s head. Carrying that samaya is beautiful. Every moment think the Lama lights your way, protective and enlightening all.
To ready for sleep , the Lama descends through the central channel into the heart chakra where the Lama is enthroned on the lotus throne in the heart. From there, Tsawei Lama radiates compassion and wisdom all through the night. Upon awakening move Lama up to above the head, and there Tsawei Lama remains and blesses us all.
One may recite mantra before placing Tsawei Lama above head and on heart. And signs may occur. Like: auspicious dreams or other miraculous visions!
Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo. All rights reserved
The following is from a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:
Of course, all sentient beings are equal in nature. I pick my battles by what I can do! Those that argue this usually do nothing at all!
I wish I could save every sentient being instantly. I do my part, do for pets and parrots, give to National Wildlife Society regularly, and work hard to re-build my clear-cut land to wholesome habitat. What can you do? Yes, chickens, parrots, and gossips full of hate are the same, and I love and pray for all. Worms too.
Do what you can! Benefit through compassion, stop cruelty, give to charity and get a job so you can.
Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo. All rights reserved
by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo
An excerpt from a Teaching called “How Buddhists Think”
The Buddha’s first teaching dealt with what is now called “The Four Noble Truths.” This is the basis for everything he taught later. If it is not understood, then Buddhism will not be understood.
The Buddha taught that cyclic existence, the entire cycle of death and rebirth with all its phenomena, is pervaded by suffering. If you disagree with that, just look at a newspaper. Most people’s lives are affected by war, by hunger, by old age; we will all experience sickness and death. Other forms of sentient life have similar suffering, and it also pervades their lives.
The Buddha does not deny that some happiness exists. Is there not joy in the drug-like process of falling in love, in loving relationships, in the birth of a child, in acquiring wealth, in seeing and having beautiful things, in enjoying nature and simply feeling good on a good day?
But there is a form of suffering that we all share: every joy has a point of termination. The Buddha taught that all things are impermanent. Short-term loves break our hearts when they fail to endure. Then we revert to our habitual loneliness, anger, and unhappiness. Even life-long loves and marriages end in separation.
The bottom-line cause of suffering, the Buddha taught, is desire. And what causes desire to arise? At a point so unimaginably long ago that it’s called “time out of mind,” there arose the idea of self-nature as inherently real and as separate from “other.” This fixation on the duality of subject and object is the persistent skeletal structure for all experience. Until you achieve realization, all the experiences you have derive from this misperception.
Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo. All rights reserved
The following is from a twitter conversation between Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo and one of her followers:
Questioner:
Yet peace must begin with self: smrti, samadhi, prajna. Paradox or universal elegance?
I mean, am I missing something, or isn’t this dynamic at the very core of engaged Buddhism in the 21st century?
Jetsunma:
Yes, I do think you are missing something. There are outer, inner, and secret views. Outer we must practice altruism. Inwardly one must practice Buddhism for the sake of Liberating all beings ultimately. Secretly, one must awaken Bodhicitta, and understand that all appearances are fundamentally empty of self nature, there is no object or subject. Yet we are operating with relative view and there is suffering to be healed. Our very nature is Buddha, and that is the Bodhicitta. We must actively engage yet be fully aware of emptiness, and train the mind.
Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo. All rights reserved
The following is from a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:
I personally know a story about a young lady who took robes of ordination as an Ani years ago. Deep habitual tendencies caused her to fall off her path and break the vows very seriously, more than once. As a lay woman she continued the pattern, there was so much rage in her, the events seemed neurotic, obsessive. She was determined to ruin her Teacher, as she imagined the downfall was her Teacher’s fault. The breakage seemed to spiral and worsen until she lost friends, and suffered terribly, as did the ones she attacked. It was a terrible mess! But she went to other Lamas and asked for advice, and to become their student. All told her she must return to her own Tsawei Lama and make amends.
How terribly difficult when so much damage to so many had been done. But she persisted. Correcting lies, doing purifying practice, applying the proper antidotes. She went to retreat and was welcomed and treated kindly. Her Guru had already taken her back. Except for one elder Lama who, when she served tea, poured it on the ground and said “you may not serve me!” as he himself had witnessed what she’d done personally, and had known the effect on all. She accepted and bowed low, wondering why everyone didn’t treat her just the same. But it was through that Lama’s activity she was instantly able to see the depth of her betrayal and was able to make confession without leaving out any details at all. She was given kind instruction from His Holiness Palyul Karma Kuchen Rinpoche and is now taking advanced teachings, much happier and her mind continues to be freed from the imprisonment of the cycle of hatred, greed and ignorance. Stage by stage she grows more free!
She repeatedly asked why she was so compelled, so intensely obsessed with harming her Teacher and Dharma. The answer, repeatedly, was a real kicker. In past lives she had made up her own path and convinced (skillfully) others to follow and practice what she taught. So in this life, although she is skillful and brilliant, it was impossible for her to keep the robes of the Buddha or to follow the path of Buddhism nicely or purely. It will take time to repair, but she is diligently applying herself. She was instructed to tell truth always and make an unshakable commitment to never behave that way again.
There is always a way to purify mistakes, but so much better to never make them in the first place. To try to teach a made-up path that causes downfall for others results in great mental instability and even insanity. Emotional equilibrium is lost. And it continues into future lives. Suffering of others is experienced by the false teacher. You will always know them by their current lives and experience. Sadly, still ignorant, they cannot see it for themselves. Karma is real, if you believe it or not. And you are experiencing it right now, and will continue until Supreme Enlightenment.
One more thing. I am so proud of her. And love her so deeply, she is a miracle.
Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo. All rights reserved
The following is from a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo from Palyul Ling Retreat Center in upstate New York:
From the three syllables in the Lama Guru’s three places white, red, and blue light rays emerge.
OM…the white ray from Guru’s head to the disciple’s head, blessing one’s body.
AH…The red ray from the Lama Guru’s throat blesses and purifies the disciple’s speech.
Then HUNG….the blue ray from the Guru Lama’s heart pours forth to mix with the disciple’s heart.
The precious Tantric Initiations are just so! In this way blessings and ripening are conferred from Guru to student directly, like milk from mother to child. May the precious Guru remain and the Lineage and transmissions remain unbroken for countless aeons, and may all without exception be Liberated from suffering!
May Palyul remain the perfect source of refuge and stainless Dharma activity in the world!
Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo. All rights reserved
From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:
Nothing referred to as “precisely” or “exactly” is anything other than conceptual proliferation. These subtleties can only be truly understood with Guru-disciple transmission, maturing mind with Empowerment, directly. It is necessary to receive pointing-out instruction from an awakened “Sublime Being,” fully qualified. Too much talk about emptiness or primordial view is no good, misleading. All such talk leads to concepts, one becomes deluded.
The problem is this: After direct transmission, empowerment, and instruction, one must experience empty nature for oneself. If one talks or preaches endlessly about emptiness, there is no direct experience, the secret transmission is lost. If one adheres to such false talk, putting trust in such false teaching, they will be lost, like blind leading blind. To cross the ocean of suffering, one must have a perfect ship (method) and a flawless captain (Guru Buddha) who has crossed many times.
This teaching is without the stain of pride, and in the spirit of loving kindness, may we all accomplish.
Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo. All rights reserved