What happens when you meditate? Do you loose track of time only to hear the sound of the ending bell? Or does your mind wander and you wonder how it is possible to bring it back to the object of your meditation? Or do you sometimes begin to doze off or even fall asleep? Here […]
A Precious Human Life
Here are two nice verses on a precious human life. The first one is from the Dalai Lama. A Precious Human Life Every day, think as you wake up: “Today I am fortunate to have woken up. I am alive, I have a precious human life. I am not going to waste it. I am […]
Clouds Do Not Change The Sky
Lama Tsultrim Allione is one of the many Tibetan Buddhist teachers that I read regularly in Tricycle, Shambhala Sun, and Buddhadharma magazines. Her writings are as clear and easy to understand as the cloudless sky. According to the Tara Mandala website, she was one of the first American women to be ordained as a Tibetan […]
Giving And Receiving
Many years ago, while listening to a talk by Pema Chodron, I heard her say something about a Tibetan practice called tonglen. A loose translation of tonglen is “giving and receiving.” Even a couple of years ago, I attended a concert in Oakland, California in which one of the artists played the piano and sang […]
The Fuel For Enlightened Awareness
These words of wisdom chosen by Lama Surya Das tells us that our meditative awareness starts as a small flame and then becomes the fuel for enlightened awareness. Jigme Lingpa was a Tibetan master who lived in the 18th century. He is known as a discoverer of ancient text and passing on the tradition of […]
Wisdom Teachings Come From Everywhere
These words of wisdom from Lama Surya Das attempt to answer the question, “What is wisdom?” Lama Surya Das was born Jeffrey Miller in Brooklyn, New York and became a lama after studying in the Tibetan tradition for more than 20 years. He teaches the wisdom of dzogchen – a Tibetan word that means Great […]
When The Iron Bird Flies
This is one of my favorite quotes of all times: “When the iron bird flies and horses run on wheels, the Tibetan people will be scattered like ants across the face of the earth.“ ~ Guru Padmasambhava of Tibet, 8th Century I first saw this quote at the Museum of Asian Art about 20 years […]
Depth Of Enlightenment
This quote is taken directly from The Dude and the Zen Master by Roshi Bernie Glassman and Jeff Bridges on page 108. Bernie talks about how the depth of enlightenment of a person is related to whom they serve. BERNIE: Shakyamuni Buddha said that everything and everyone, as they are, are enlightened. On the other […]
Meditation Practices For Our Aging Population
The meditations practiced by the Tum-mo monks of Tibet can inspire meditation practices for our aging population. Dr. Herbert Benson‘s research with Tibetan monks revealed that they could reduce their oxygen consumption and increase their body heat beyond anything we in the West could imagine. Dr. Benson is the founder of the relaxation response. This […]
.jpg)
You must be logged in to post a comment.