One time one of our yogis on the hill was giving a lung, an oral transmission, of one very famous Dzogchen text. — Dzogchen is the mind training of the Ningmapa school. — He was, of course, reading it out and then he stopped and said, “You know, the problem with these kind of books... Continue Reading →
When we talk about stages on the path, in relationship to our meditation practice, we have a problem with the terminology. We tend to think of a staircase: We take the first step, and then we take the next step and the step after that. We think meditation practice is like being in an elevator.... Continue Reading →
Practicing discipline involves continually working to find space in our patterns, to find the gaps in the images we hold about ourselves. It also means finding the gaps in our ideas about others, releasing images that we hold about a manager, a coworker, a friend, or a partner. Let yourself become that space that welcomes... Continue Reading →
True consideration for others is not diplomacy, putting on a façade of smiles or polite conversation. It requires much energy and intelligence. It requires opening up our territory rather than marching into someone else’s territory. It requires not playing magnetizing or repelling games, not surrounding our territory with electric wire or magnets. Chögyam Trungpa
It is so basic in us to feel that things should go well for us, and that if we start to feel depressed, lonely, or inadequate, there’s been some kind of mistake or we’ve lost it. In reality, when you feel depressed, lonely, betrayed, or any unwanted feelings, this is an important moment on the... Continue Reading →
When we start being too impressed by the results of our work, we slowly come to the erroneous conviction that life is one large scoreboard where someone is listing the points to measure our worth. And before we are fully aware of it, we have sold our soul to the many grade-givers. That means we... Continue Reading →
Deep down, people long for a genuine connection with others. We have the desire to interact with others from a tender human heart. This longing becomes quite palpable when we are dealing directly with others, such as during a visit to the doctor’s office. We often wish that the doctors or nurses would relate to... Continue Reading →
The discovery that our failings are shared by many others allows us to begin to forgive ourselves. If, rather than being uniquely flawed, we simply share common human failings, then these failings aren't our fault. They simply result from the difficulty of being a human. We all act unskillfully at times. We all hurt others.... Continue Reading →
Attachment and love are similar in that both of them draw us to the other person. But in fact, these two emotions are quite different. When we're attached, we're drawn to someone because he or she meets our needs. In addition, there are lots of strings attached to our affection that we may or may... Continue Reading →
One idea that really hampers us is to believe that people get 'enlightened,' and then they’re that way forever and ever. We may have our moments, and if we get sick and have lots of things happening, we may fall back. But a person who practices consistently over years and years is more that way,... Continue Reading →
Over the years, I have come to realize that the greatest trap in our life is not success, popularity, or power, but self-rejection. Success, popularity, and power can indeed present a great temptation, but their seductive quality often comes from the way they are part of the much larger temptation to self-rejection. When we have... Continue Reading →
One of the greatest skills we can develop is the confidence to not relinquish our inner home when we hear the knock of anger at the door of our mind. We can learn to open the door, recognize with awareness what's happening, have compassion and balance, and not confuse the visiting mental state with who... Continue Reading →
