Dharma Thoughts

Buddhism, meditation

[kadampalife]

Saying bye bye to the painful, limited self

Saying bye bye to the painful, limited self

I thought I’d look at some examples of the ghosts in the cellar, especially those we thought we had already dealt with but then they raise their spooky heads again (carrying on from this article).  For example, I was talking to someone recently who thought he had totally gotten over an ex-boyfriend. He was feeling very content, but then, out of the blue, just idly swiping through Instagram, an…

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Happpy TSOG Day 

Tsongkhapa, crown ornament of the scholars of the Land of the Snows, You are Avalokiteshvara, the treasury of unobservable compassion, Manjushri, the supreme stainless wisdom, And Vajrapani, the destroyer of the hosts of maras; O Losang Dragpa I request you, please grant your blessings.

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Happy Protector Day 

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Wish to be free from suffering and problems permanently

Each and every living being has the sincere wish to avoid all suffering and problems permanently. Normally we try to do this by using external methods, but no matter how successful we are from a worldly point of view - no matter how materially wealthy, powerful or highly respected we become - we shall never find permanent liberation from suffering and problems. In reality, all the problems we experience day to day come from our self-cherishing and self-grasping - misconceptions that exaggerate our own importance. However, because we do not understand this, we usually blame others for our problems, and this just makes them worse. from these two basic misconceptions arise all our other delusions, such as anger and attachment, causing us to experience endless problems.

Modern Buddhism ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

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We need to put Buddha's teachings into practice

Through studying many Buddhist text we may become a renowned scholar; but if we do not put Buddha's teachings into practice, our understanding of Buddhism will remain hollow, with no power to solve our own or others' problems. Expecting intellectual understanding of Buddhist texts alone to solve our problems is like a sick person hoping to cure his or her illness through merely reading medical instructions without actually taking the medicine. As Buddhist Master Shantideva says:

"We need to put Buddha's teachings, the Dharma into practice Because nothing can be accomplished just by reading words. A sick man will never be cured of his illness through merely reading  medical instructions!"

Modern Buddhism ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

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We are like servants to our mind

Normally we say 'I created such and such', or 'He or she created such and such', but the actual creator of everything is the mind. We are like servants of our mind; whenever it wants to do something, we have to do it without and choice. Since beginningless time until now we have been under the control of our mind, without any freedom; but if we sincerely practise the instructions given in this book we can reverse this situation and gain control over our mind. Only then shall we have real freedom.

Modern Buddhism ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

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There is no creator other than mind

Buddha taught that the mind has the power to create all pleasant and unpleasant objects. The world is the results of the karma, or actions, of the beings who inhabit it. A pure world is the result of pure actions and an impure world is the result of impure actions. Since all actions are created by mind, ultimately everything, including the world itself, is created by mind. There is no creator other than the mind.

Modern Buddhism ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

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When Things Go Wrong

When things go wrong in our life and we encounter difficult situations, we tend to regard the situation itself as our problem, but in reality whatever problems we experience come from the side of the mind. If we were to respond to difficult situations with a positive or peaceful mind they would not be problems for us; indeed, we may even come to regard them as challenges or opportunities for growth and development. Problems arise only if we respond to difficulties with a negative state of mind. Therefore, if we want to be free from problems, we must transform our mind.

 Modern Buddhism ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyats

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Happiness and Suffering are States of Mind

In recent years our knowledge of modern technology has increased considerably, and as a result we have witnessed remarkable material progress, but there has not been a corresponding increase in human happiness. There is no less suffering in the world today, and there are no fewer problems. Indeed, it might be said that there are now more problems and greater dangers than ever before. This shows that the cause of happiness and the solution to our problems do not lie in knowledge of material things. Happiness and suffering are states of mind and so their main causes are not to be found outside the mind.If we want to be truly happy and free from suffering, we must learn how to control our mind.

Modern Buddhism ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

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By my riding the horse of virtue, Directing it along correct paths with the reins of dedication, And urging it with the whip of joyous effort, May all beings reach the city of great liberation.

Living Meaningfully, Dying Joyfully ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso

[self-assassin]

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Dealing with suffering

Happy Vajrayogini Day :-) This transcendent Buddha of Wisdom is all about helping us destroy our suffering at its root, in the course of one short lifetime.

We don’t like suffering, at least I don’t. Strange how much time we spend, then, dwelling on our own suffering each day.

Geshe Kelsang has said it is meaningless to think about our own suffering unless we want to develop renunciation, the…

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In The New Kadampa Tradition we are celebrating Vajrayogini Day Today

HO This ocean of tsog offering of uncontaminated nectar Blessed by concentration,mantra and mudra, I offer to please the powerful assembly of powerful Dakinis OM AH HUM Delighted by enjoying this magnificent objects of desire EH MA HO Please bestow the Dakini attainment

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Buddha Avalokiteshvara

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Buddha said that every action we perform leaves an imprint on our very subtle mind, and each imprint eventually gives rise to its own effect. Our mind is like a field, and performing actions is like sowing seeds in that field. Virtuous, or positive, actions sow seeds of future happiness and non-virtuous, or negative, actions sow seeds of future suffering. the seeds we have sown in the past remain dormant until the conditions necessary for their ripening come together. In some cases this can be many lifetimes after the original action was performed.

Living Meaningfully, Dying Joyfully ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso