Marpa, a great, enlightened being, established our Kagyupa teachings. He was the guru to Milarepa, the most famous Yogi of Tibet. The initiation given today is the Guru Yoga initiation of Marpa. The benefit of this initiation is mainly to ripen the seed of enlightenment that is within you. After you have received this initiation, […]
Once you connect genuinely with meditation practice, you will develop a true passion for it and your practice will begin to mature. If you do not understand the essence of meditation, it is because you have not properly experienced it. Only when you experience its essence does meditation really become interesting. Mind is not used […]
The term view means the right understanding of the Buddhist path. Meditation is the actual practice, and conduct is the discipline necessary to stay on the path. The view is a very profound guide to meditation. Without proper knowledge of the teachings, many obstacles can arise due to mistakes in the practice. Naturally, if you […]
Meditation is an extremely profound practice, and it becomes more and more so as one progresses. My advice to everyone is to start out simply – as simply as possible. Honestly, however, I must tell you that I feel inadequate to undertake the task of conveying the true experience of even the most fundamental form […]
An Interview with Shamar Rimpoche at Dhagpo Kagyu Ling, France (Edited – From KKÖ-INFO, a quarterly magazine of Karma Kagyu Austria.) Kkö-info: What is important to Dharma practitioners in the West? Rinpoche: In order to practice Buddhism it is most important to learn for yourself. There are different ways of approaching the Dharma. If a […]
In general when we practice the dharma and we commit ourselves to accomplishing positive actions we encounter obstacles and difficulties. This is due to the fact that our minds are laden with emotions. Of these negative emotions, the main one is pride which leads us to feel contempt for others (due to an over-estimation of […]
In general, there are two aspects to the Bodhisattva Vow. The first aspect is the wish, the intention, or aspiration of a bodhisattva. The second is the application of that intention or wish. The Application of the wish means to actualize, or to put the wish into action. The Bodhisattva Vow should be taken after […]
In as much as the Buddha’s teachings are extraordinarily profound and vast, it is immensely difficult to be a truly qualified teacher. To be genuinely competent requires the attainment of a level of understanding which apprehends the essence of enlightened mind in its entirety, and which is completely free of any erroneous supposition. Such an […]
Ground Knowledge of the Buddhist View on Facts 1. The Five Aggregates 2. The Eighteen Mental Seeds 3. The Twelve Sources of Sense, with the support of the Sautrantika Philosophy 4. The Twelve Links of Interdependence, with the support of Madhyamaka Philosophy (Middle Way Philosophy) 5. Karma & The Explanation of the Six Causes and […]
Taken from teaching on Phowa given at Bodhi Path Virginia, June 20, 2004. I would like to share a traditional teaching about how to cultivate good judgment. This is a teaching to help us trust our common sense and avoid being misled. The four reminders here apply to dharma as well as all aspects of […]