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Category Archives: Uncategorized
Bringing fear of coronavirus (and all other fears) onto the path Part 7: Advice from Situ Rinpoche: “Don’t panic. Don’t give up.”
A few days ago Guru Vajradhara Tai Situ Rinpoche shared advice about how to manage our safety and our fears and remember the dharma during the covid-19 pandemic, which continues to escalate. This video, embedded below, has been widely shared … Continue reading
Posted in Back to the World, Uncategorized
Tagged coronavirus, Situ Rinpoche
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Bringing fear of coronavirus (and all other fears) onto the path Part 6: Pinch me, I must be dreaming
With our routines upended by this week’s public health efforts to contain the coronavirus-covid-19 pandemic, this may be a good time to revisit the profound Buddhist teaching that all our experience is ultimately no more real, solid, lasting or reliable … Continue reading
Posted in Back to the World, Uncategorized
Tagged dream, illness, impermanence
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Bringing fear of coronavirus (and all other fears) onto the path Part 5: Timely advice from contemporary masters
A vintage dharma quote popped up in my Facebook feed this morning with what turns out to be an excellent suggestion for constructive use of our social distancing time now that covid-19 has been declared a global pandemic and we … Continue reading
Posted in Back to the World, Uncategorized
Tagged impermanence, meditation, Mingyur Rinpoche
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Bringing fear of coronavirus (and all other fears) onto the path Part 4: “If it is better for me to be ill…”
It turns out that our old friend from the 14th century, Togme Zangpo, the author of The 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva, had something to say about how to deal with fear of coronavirus (and all other illnesses) in the … Continue reading
Posted in 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva, Back to the World, Uncategorized
Tagged 37 Practices, impermanence, tonglen
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Bringing fear of coronavirus (and all other fears) onto the path Part 3: How to live and how to die
In addition to “others first,” another important resource the mind training tradition offers us is a set of specific practices for empowering both our life and our death (point 5 of the 7 points of mind training, Great Path of … Continue reading
Posted in Back to the World, Uncategorized
Tagged ego-clinging, impermanence, mind training
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Bringing fear of coronavirus (and all other fears) onto the path Part 2: Mind training in two words
When Lama Karma Samten taught the seven points of mind training at Palpung Thubten Choling Monastery in 2016, he began by summing up the entire path of mind training in two words: “Others first.” The worst thing about fear is … Continue reading
Posted in Back to the World, Uncategorized
Tagged mind training, tonglen
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Bringing fear of coronavirus (and all other fears) onto the path: Part 1: The four ends
It’s March 2020 and coronavirus, along with its associated illness, covid-19 (corona virus disease of 2019, has appeared on the scene in the last few weeks, overtaking headlines in the midst of a volatile presidential primary season; and inspiring widespread … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged 37 Practices, fear, impermanence, Mr. Pig
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OPL 12.1: Refuge, vows, and renunciation
We tackled a tricky topic head on in the chapter 8 refuge class, and based on feedback from a few participants, I wanted to clarify why I included it and what value it may have for modern-day lay practitioners once … Continue reading
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Bringing procrastination to the path
In 2013, Lama Jamdron gave a seminar at KTC called “Bringing Distraction and Procrastination to the Path.” It was a great topic, and I was reminded of it this week when the New York Times ran an article on why … Continue reading
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Tagged distraction, efficiency
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OPL9: Chapter 5: the suffering of samsara
The title may tempt you to skip this chapter — who wants to hear more about suffering! Indeed, Gampopa’s Ornament of Precious Liberation includes vivid descriptions of the six realms of samsaric existence as places we could be reborn into, … Continue reading
Posted in Gampopa OPL, Uncategorized
Tagged Gampopa OPL, samsara
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