We expect the teachings to solve all our problems; we expect to be provided with magical means to deal with our depressions, our aggressions, our sexual hangups. But to our surprise we begin to realize that this is not going to happen.It is very disappointing to realize that we must work on ourselves and our... Continue Reading →
The River Cannot Go Back by Kahlil Gibran "It is said that before entering the seaa river trembles with fear.She looks back at the path she has traveled,from the peaks of the mountains,the long winding road crossing forests and villages.And in front of her, she sees an ocean so vast,that to enter there seems nothing... Continue Reading →
...It also advises us to be positive with ourselves. Instead of getting frustrated with our faults we should appreciate the fact that we have recognized them. If we find a particular weakness, instead of thinking, “Oh my goodness, how terrible I have this weakness,” we should think, “How wonderful I have recognized my weakness.” We... Continue Reading →
All the things taking place around our world, all the irritations and all the problems, are crucial. Without others we cannot attain enlightenment—in fact, we cannot even tread on the path. If there is no noise outside during our sitting meditation, we cannot develop mindfulness. If we do not have aches and pains in the... Continue Reading →
If there is one skill that is not stressed very much, but is really needed, it is knowing how to fail. There is a Samuel Beckett quote that goes “Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” That quote is what will help you more than anything else in the next year, the next ten years, the... Continue Reading →
Pema Chödrön tells the story of when, having hit rock bottom, she asked her teacher what to do I thought I would tell you this little story about Naropa University’s founder, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and my very first one-on-one interview with him. This interview occurred during the time when my life was completely falling apart,... Continue Reading →
We usually think of failure as something that happens to us from the outside: We can’t get in a good relationship or we are in a relationship that ends painfully; we can’t get a job or we are fired from the job we have; or any number of ways in which things are not how... Continue Reading →
“I read of a Buddhist teacher who developed Alzheimer's. He had retired from teaching because his memory was unreliable, but he made one exception for a reunion of his former students. When he walked onto the stage, he forgot everything, even where he was and why. However, he was a skilled Buddhist and he... Continue Reading →
The Warrior Tradition: Conquering Fear BY CHÖGYAM TRUNGPA RINPOCHE The term “warrior” relates to the basic situation of being a human being. The heart of the warrior is this basic aliveness or basic goodness. Such fearless goodness is free from doubt and overcomes any perverted attitudes towards reality. Doubt is the first obstacle to fearlessness... Continue Reading →
When we experience dukkha, our first instinct is to move our attention away and distract ourselves. We have billion-dollar industries based on entertainment and consumption keeping us distracted from this core truth of life. But are we more content? Conversely, we can become addicted to pain, finding ourselves repeatedly gravitating toward worry, old wounds, and... Continue Reading →
