Two : Obstacles to Practicing Meditation The second of the seven main points is an explanation of the eight obstacles or mistaken states of mind that can prevent us from meditating properly. Agitation. The first obstacle is agitation. Here mind becomes very active with wanting or disliking something. The mind then goes on and on […]
Seven points on meditation
Published in Buddhism Today Volume 1 & 2, 1996 The purpose of meditation is to realize the true nature of mind, the achievement of Buddhahood. Mind is the basis for both our present experiences of conditioned existence and of enlightenment. Enlightenment is realizing mind’s true nature, whereas ordinary life is unaware of this nature. How […]
Meditation
From A Talk Given By Shamar Rimpoche In Los Angeles On October 4, 2002 There are two levels of benefit experienced by the practitioner of meditation. The first benefit is the immediate improvement in the conditions of daily life. The practice of meditation leads to a mind that is more peaceful, more tranquil and more […]
The Seven Points of Mind Training of Atisha
Part II III. To transform all unfavourable circumstances ino path of the Buddha To transform the unfavorable conditions, we must first be aware of karma, the law of cause and effect. We make use of the unfavorable conditions or obstacles as the object of meditation (bodhicitta relative) in the same way that we did it […]
The Seven Points of Mind Training of Atisha
Translated from the French titled, ‘Lodjong’ from Dhagpo Kagyu Ling “Easy to explain, but very difficult to realize” The Seven Points of Mind Training is at the heart of the Sutra and Tantra teachings in the Mahayana tradition; they are the skilful means of practice. The Indian sage, Atisha, composed the text later introduced in […]
Mastering the mind
This is an extract of teachings given by Shamar Rimpoche. This section of the teaching was preceded by Rinpoche’s explanation of the reasons for practice (why we meditate) and the required conditions that we need to get together in order to practice various types of meditation. The following teachings define the two stages of meditation […]
The Mahamudra Way – Ngondro, the Preliminary Practices
The Ngondro practice is very important for purifying negative karma and to generate wisdom. Actually, our main practice is Mahamudra, but you cannot practice Mahamudra without the purification or the blessing. In this context, the “Preliminary Practices” are most essential. You are in samsara now, and as long as you remain so, you will experience […]
Refuge in The Three Jewels
For a better understanding of taking refuge in the three jewels – the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha, we need to know something about Samsara, to begin with. For it is this cyclic existence of total dissatisfaction that we wish ourselves to be sheltered from. Broadly speaking, there are two aspects to Samsara. There […]
The three main approaches in buddhism – An introduction
In Buddhism it is pointed out that our present state of mind is conditioned by previous actions. This is always true, regardless of which realm of existence one is born into. Different kinds of existence come about as a result of the infallible law of cause and effect. The mind is the origin of all […]
No Need for Too Much Tradition
Some Western practitioners view Tibetan Buddhism to consist of Dharma practice mixed in part with Tibetan tradition. Often, they cannot distinguish between the two. It is very important to know the difference between tradition and the Dharma. The biographies of Milarepa, Marpa, and Gampopa relate only the pure Dharma. Everything about these great Kagyu masters […]