Self-honesty

Revealing the Hidden Faults: by Longchen Rabjam

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The following is respectfully quoted from “Drops of Nectar” compiled by Ngagyur Nyingma Institute:

Vajra Song:

Instructions for Rousing Myself: Longchen Rabjam

Namo Guru Bhaya! Feeling truly wearied by the worldly experiences of myself and others, at Orgyen Dzong, I, “The Yogi of Various Kinds of Self-Liberation”, Longchen Rabjam (1308-1363), roused myself with this song of advice.

Chapter 1
Revealing the Hidden Faults

The great ship of the primordial wisdom of vast compassion
Liberates all beings without exception from the ocean of cyclic
existence.
I bow to the feet of the glorious protector, the sacred guru
Who has gone to the precious continent, peaceful and
immaculate.

The ocean of samsara is extremely difficult to cross;
With its raging waves of birth, old age, sickness and death.
It is hard to escape from the boundlessly deep.
To you confused ones who are floundering here I offer these
suggestions from my heart!

Without applying these suggestions to dig out hidden faults,
There will be no time to cast off all your unwholesome
behavior.
Without looking back into your inner mind,
There will be no time to see your negative faults.
Therefore, today I offer these suggestions from my heart!
Keep this in mind. It is beneficial spiritual advice.

Even if you live in solitude, you can become more accustomed
to depending on others;
If you are not free from the eight worldly concerns and the
distractions of this life,
You can become someone who appears to benefit others while
pervertedly benefiting himself.
Consider whether you can get by with such conduct!

By abiding in solitude, the Victorious Ones of the past attained enlightenment
And even former practitioners of the dharma achieved
accomplishment,
But you are completely distracted.
Consider whether you can get by with such conduct!

Not recognizing all material wealth, fame, glory, and valuable
possessions as magical illusions
And deceptive obstacles to accomplishment,
It’s like you are receiving something from one person and
giving it to another.
Consider whether you can get by with such conduct!

Not recognizing as manifold demons of distraction and illusion
All kinds of business with many different people,
you think that babbling platitudes about the dharma will
benefit others.
Consider whether you can get by with such conduct!

Being uncertain about exactly where you are heading,
You gather material wealth, build castles on dung heaps and so on.
Reckoning that you will live there forever, you take illusory
appearances to be real.
Do you think such conduct will suffice?

Failing to tame and stabilize your own mind,
But hoping to tame and stabilize the minds of others,
You will experience incessant suffering and torment.
Do you think such conduct is good enough?

Never applying yourself to the actual essence,
While day and night making great efforts for this life is a great mistake.
Such childish and imprudent ones are objects of the noble
beings’ smiles and laughter.
Consider whether you can get by with such conduct!

When a group of many aimless ones have gathered,
Distracted teachers and students fetter one another.
This is like making an aimless search for a guesthouse.
Clinging to never-ending appearances of magical illusion
As happiness and bliss, you lose the enlightened path to liberation
And feel no weariness toward cyclic existence.
Do you think such conduct is good enough?

This year is the dwelling ground of the Female Fire-Hog,
And twelve years from now will be the ground of the Male Iron-Dog, when
Foreign invasion is prophesied. Yet you make no effort to escape.
Do you think such conduct will suffice?

From all directions, war and strife will increase,
People will become intolerant and there will be many types of destruction,
But you are not trying to find the precious hidden land.
Consider whether you can get by with such conduct!

Even if you always perform good deeds without deceit,
Since there won’t be time to complete this, both inside and out,
The foundation of purposeless suffering will be uninterrupted.
Do you think such conduct is good enough?

Remaining in solitude in the mountains, but acting like you
were on the edge of a city,
Accustomed to countless meetings and gatherings,
You become completely careless and your occupations never end.
Consider whether you can get by with such conduct!

Although you mentally renounce this life, you cannot let it go;
Although you dismantle deluded ego clinging, it doesn’t fall apart;
Even remaining alone in the mountains, you’ll find no occasion for solitude
Do you think you can get by with that kind of conduct!

Although with words you talk about needing nothing, you
pursue food and clothing;
Although you speak of the impermanence of life, you’re still
not mindful of death;
Even remaining in solitude to practice, you’re still distracted by
entertainment.
Consider whether you can get by with such conduct!

Despite talking about the delusion of ordinary life, you chase
the eight worldly concerns;
Despite talking about the pointlessness of illusory appearances,
you still find a lot to do;
Although you say all things are equal, you maintain your partiality.
Do you think that kind of conduct will suffice?

Even if you sit down to accomplish the natural state, present
worldly concerns deceive you;
Even practicing the Dharma of your own free will, external
influences mislead you;
Whatever you do, day and night you are beguiled by illusion.
Consider whether you can get by with such conduct!

Although you ponder everything, this is not the essence.
Whatever you do lacks meaning and is a cause for suffering.
Abandon everything in an empty place without people.
If you could go today itself, this would be best!

Since there is nothing nearer than oneself,
I give this useful advice out of pity,
Listen, you virtuous-minded one who desires liberation!
If you heed these suggestions it will always be virtuous!

At the outset, the virtue is to abandon your present worldly activities.
In the middle, the virtue is to discard entertainment in solitary retreat.
In the end, the virtue is to achieve exhaustion in the natural state.
Ease in this present life and happiness in the future is the
intention of this advice!

I compose this advice by myself and for myself
To encourage others as well I offer this instruction.
It will be excellent if both others and I listen carefully!
Please pursue this excellent permanent aim from today!

From the Vajra Song of Instructions for Rousing Myself, this completes the first chapter of exposing one’s hidden faults.

The Suffering of Suffering

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

If , after some long time you cannot let go – ranting, raving and wailing for a year or more, that is called the suffering of suffering in Buddhism and can never be cured by hate, rage, or accusations.

Let it go, I do. The pain is yours, and only you can fix it, through compassion and self honesty. At least be honest with yourself!

There is treatment for PTSD, why make others deal with your pain because you won’t? You’ll feel better. To ruminate over pain is not helpful. Don’t you want to be free?

© copyright Jetsunma Ahkon Norbu Lhamo All rights reserved.

How to Generate Meritorious Activity

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The following is a full length teaching offered by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

 

Every religion has a concept of what is considered compassionate or virtuous. What we find is that often we “look” compassionate instead of deepeing in our practice of Vajrayana. This generates the ultimate result of enlightenment.

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo.  All rights reserved

You Can Make a Better Future: Full Length Video Teaching

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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.

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Norbu Lhamo.  All rights reserved

Attain Your Potential

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

Haha! Someone made my day today. I’ve been described as a rigid, Lineage-loving, “tow the line” Buddhist, and I couldn’t be more delighted! These same folks used to say I wasn’t real Palyul, or a real Buddhist, that my throne and crown were faked, and I was never really enthroned. Even with the video, papers, real throne and real crown and real cape. It is a riot!

I guess it shows if someone wants to hate, they will find a way and a reason. This is why lies and slander are so hurtful. It is mostly not true, and there is an agenda of hate or envy. Both are strong non-virtues, and mean spirited. The lesson here is hypocrisy and cowardice. It is so easy to judge and prey on another behind a computer, a wall of safety, maybe far away. Haters deliver lies, have few ethics and no compassion.

But they probably wouldn’t do it without the computer. If we look into each other’s eyes and hearts we see human suffering. Look deeper, we see ourselves. Some people have a lot of feelings around failure, having not contributed much. That is changeable. We can still do good works. There is no reason to play the failure tape over repeatedly in our thinking until it rots into hate. Just don’t compare yourself with anyone – period, end of story. And it looks pathetic if you do that and then flip into announcing your “realization” or that there is no true Enlightenment other than your own “take” on it, or your squirrely thinking will make the grade, somehow.

Just get out there and benefit sentient beings. They are real, and are crying. Feed the poor, love, heal, animal rescue, care for homeless, it is all here for you to do. So get out there. After you wash the feet and warm the tummies and offer comfort, you aren’t dead yet. The disenfranchised need you…us.

I will offer a grand Christmas this year: dinner, care, and a tiny gift for all. Then I’m broke. And happy! Come out with us! #OccupyLOVE #OWS

Be real. Be real. Then no one can call you anything but necessary. Because you (we) have seen their eyes, and there is the truth. They are us. We are them. And no Bodhisattva can be free or happy until we care for, and love them. Our brothers, our sisters, all. This is the way, and the secret. Love. Yes, love. Until you are empty. Then you have attained your potential.

#OccupyDC #OWS #PEACE÷Occupation #PALYUL

 © Jetsunma Ahkon Norbu Lhamo

 

Willingness and Bodhicitta

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The following is an excerpt from a teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo called “Your Treasure is Heart”

How do you practice this Bodhichitta?  In the beginning, the most important posture is to start from where you are.  That is your time and space grid,   That’s your place, your posture, your “now.”  You have to start there.  Now that may seem like restating the obvious.  “Of course you’re going to start from where you are, oh queen of the department of redundancy.” But most people never start exactly where they are, with that kind of self-honesty, being genuine on their path. No baloney.  No games.  You look and see what your habit patterns are and what your practice has been.  You really look inside yourself and see what your qualities are and face them honestly. It’s not necessarily going to be good news.  Some of it will be good, but not all of it.  Trust me on this.  You look at it the way a child looks at a world it doesn’t have the capacity to conceptualize.

When we look at something, we judge it immediately.  We don’t know how to look at something without judgement. When a child looks at the world, it looks at the world with a sense of wonder.  In a way, it has no idea what it’s looking at.  I read about a perfect example of this in a book.  For instance, a one-year-old child, playing in their yard  might stop dead in their tracks because they can feel a vibration, but they have no idea where it’s coming from. They don’t even know where to look.  And suddenly they just look up and see this thing. They don’t know it’s a plane.  They point, go “uh uh uh” you know. It’s shining and it’s moving; and they remain completely absorbed in it until it reaches the end of the sky.  And then it’s gone and they just go “wow!” in baby talk of course, whatever their particular way of describing that is. Just two years later, by the time the child is three-years-old, they are going to hear the noise, know where to look, look up at the sky and go “airplane,”  and then go back to whatever they were doing.  That wonder, that freedom to reinterpret, to actually see everything, is gone.  Literally, from that point on, they never see another airplane.  It’s like that with all of our ideas and concepts, particularly these subtle concepts about ourselves and about love.

We have very little understanding about how to look at ourselves and to see ourselves fresh and new, so that we can determine how to give rise to the Bodhichitta within our lives.  That takes a great degree of self-honesty.  If you are not willing to see yourself, whatever poop you have produced, and whatever negative habitual tendencies you have, as well as, and equally with your good qualities, there is no way to actually know yourself.  You’ll be like the three-year-old who says, “Oh, airplane.” From the moment that unwillingness occurs, you never see yourself again, not ever.

So here’s the trick.  Be willing, in an honest way, to really look at yourself and see where you are, and from that point, you can freely and honestly begin to practice the Bodhichitta.  That is a very important first step.

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo.  All rights reserved

Happy New Year!

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Happy New Year to all my friends and followers! I hope all celebrations are delightful and safe. At the end of the yearly cycle I like to quietly think of what there is to accomplish this upcoming year. What to change, what to accept on a personal level. I also consider what is to be done in my vocation, our Temple, how to benefit sentient beings. And then I make aspirational and wishing prayers. Light a butter lamp.

One of the first efforts on the path of Vajrayana Buddhism is to make aspirational prayers. This deepens resolve, and sets the tone for the rest of one’s experience. Wishing prayers can be made up by oneself, and there are many in our tradition. These prayers should have goals. The goals are always altruistic in tone, such as a wishing prayer for the health of a sick person, or for world peace.

This begins the focus on Bodhicitta and on ordinary human kindness. Like an object being sent to the moon, where the settings of the launch determine where the landing occurs. These aspirational prayers are seeds, a focus aid, a determination, a choice we must make well, before we proceed. They help determine our result.

An extension of these beginning prayers is the combination of aspiration and mindfulness. Such as: as I walk thru this door, may all sentient beings enter the Door to Liberation. And: as I eat this food may all beings be nourished by the nectar of Dharma. As I give this clothing to the poor may all beings in every life have warmth and clothing. As I wash my clothes may all beings be purified by the precious intention of Vajrasattva and be free. As I study may all be able to perfectly learn Dharma, free of obstacles. As I go to work, may the labor I do be a blessing for all those W/O a way to feed their family. As I walk this road may all beings be blessed with strong legs and arms. As I progress on the path may all beings progress as well. So I hope you get the idea.

What is valuable is training in mindfulness and the habit of altruism and kindness. Many of us are unaware of surroundings most of the time, are not mindful. We do not notice if we go through a door or drive somewhere or have supper. What is the taste? What roads were traveled? Mindfulness is the method by which we achieve self-honesty, by which we learn to perceive deeply… and to attain the gift of kindness. We give rise to the Bodhicitta because we, finally, begin to understand the condition and fault of Samsara and the suffering of all beings. Therefore we learn to recognize the need for ordinary human kindness, and the ultimate need for all sentient beings to be liberated and free of cyclic existence. To be Liberated from pain and suffering in all forms. And ultimately to enter into the awareness and awakening of the precious goal, Buddhahood!

Happy New year to all! Let’s make THIS YEAR the one that MAKES A DIFFERENCE!

OM BENZAR SATO HUNG!

OM MANI PEDME HUNG!

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

We Can Do It!

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From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

It is called neurotic obsession if for even one day one cannot cease rolling something around in the mind or gossiping/talking about it endlessly. It simply is not normal behavior. It defies reason that grown human beings would feel so impotent and empty that they obsess about a strong person.

If I were afflicted with an obsession like that I would most certainly turn the lens of judgment on myself. As a Buddhist we are taught to examine our own minds critically and with honesty. And that to constantly harp on and on putting down others is fundamentally unsound.

To follow someone by watching everything they do and then judge every single move is madness! And to gossip endlessly like hags over a fence is ridiculous to watch. To watch the hagglers turn around and boast at the depth of their practice is just stunning. It seems like insanity!

If their Practice were that deep they simply would not be afflicted with such profound obsession. At first I thought, as I studied this phenomenon, I felt it was based on hatred, and I still feel it is a factor. As time passes, I can feel it is much more complicated than that, and that the judgment and gossip is a sign that their lives are empty of other more normal qualities and abilities. I fear they are lonely, frightened, emotionally arrested people, quite pitiful. They seem to be powerless in their minds and in their lives. I feel the fixation is a way to deal with the sadness and fear, to fill up the great big hole they feel. So it starts as hate, then devolves to fixation, then one sees the neurotic obsession clearly. Is it obsessive/compulsive disorder? I don’t know, not a psychiatrist. And one would have to see their lives and speak with them for the whole story.

However, even a lay person can see that level of sickness and it is frightening. A person that fixated can be dangerous to their victim. There are no healthy judgment calls. They can ruin a person’s life for their own sick reasons. And if not treated can become violent and abusive. Obsessed people may indeed be capable of murder and other heinous crimes if not treated. They seek to be powerful by trying to dominate and control. They want their victim to feel pain and suffering and are prepared to deliver it to them. Most murders of women are by men they know and who fixate on them. So one can see how serious this issue is.

There is no quick or instant fix. Extensive therapy and medications are needed. And prayer and compassion as the afflicted are in pain. Obsession is an indication that there is a poverty of spirit, visible in their lives. And the fear they are too impotent to manage getting ahead. They see their victim as someone who has what they should have, an attitude of entitlement. They fear they cannot measure up. They fear the accomplishment and success of the victim as it shows up their own failures. They constantly compare themselves and their lives with the victim, and find themselves lacking.

It is ridiculous to compare oneself with others. Some will be greater, some will be lesser. It is on the relative level, but that is the level on which this game is played. What good does gossip, jealousy and hate do anyone? What part does this have with Buddhism? None whatsoever. If one wants to do nothing but gossip all day every day, fine by me. But please do not drag Dharma through the mud. Do your old hag gossip thing if you must but stop hurting others. This is wrong Dharma. No excuse for this hurtful behavior. Get the psychiatric help needed. Don’t be afraid to face your own demons, not others. You have work to do. For instance, try some Bodhicitta.

As for the victims, take yourself out of the picture. Turn your back and walk away. Pray for the tormentor, but from a great distance. Understand that this violation of your mind and spirit is not your doing. You do not deserve it. It is a sickness and it is not yours. See the obsessed from a psychological distance that you yourself build. See the sickness is not your burden to carry. The only way you can be hurt is if you buy into sickness as a world view – if you accept the harm done. If you have right view and intention, you can remain proud and strong. You are not the criminal here. So I say again walk away and never look back. You are greater than your tormentors. Heal yourself, build an inner wall to keep the harm out and walk on. You must have something special to be an “object”. Rock on! Do your thing. Savor your strength. Love yourself. See your life as a banquet. Sit down and feast. Let the violators eat the crumbs from your plate. They do not have plates of their own, and that is why they want to take you down. Don’t let them. This is your feast. Enjoy!

But pray for those looking for crumbs under your table. They are tragic lives, have compassion. And kick butt in your life. No one can do it for you and nobody can do it like you can. Stand strong in DHARMA! Only you can be you. ONLY YOU!

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

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