Is there any pleasure in life as great as that of offering a stick of incense, or making a prostration? Could anything be so complete, so right, so wonderful in its simplicity and perfection? How amazing that something so simple, so small, could give such fulfilment and pleasure. How incredible, of all life’s pleasures, that […]
Perfect in its Simplicity Read Post »
Was thinking this morning of a number of classic scenarios which keep on popping up in the spiritual life. They seem to be not just classic aspects of my path, but of other people’s too … so thought I’d share them. You get a few days where everything seems to be ‘coming together’. Meditation is
Spiritual Classics – The Kiss of Death Read Post »
In response to a further question, asking Which qualities of mind do not pertain to Buddha Nature – is not everything an expression of mind, and primordial wisdom? I think I can see why you say this, and feel this way. In one sense it is so … all that appears to arise has the
Qualities of Mind – Buddha Nature Read Post »
In response to a scenario on a List, where a person was confused as to how it is said that mind has no qualities, and yet it is said to have compassion, fearlessness, in-destruction etc. There are a couple of layers in response to this. As a Shentongpa, I cannot help responding from a Kagyu
Qualities of Mind – Shentong and Rangtong Read Post »
How is it that we always think that Peace is to be found by somehow arranging things in a certain way? If we could get things like this or that, and certain things could be put into place, then we’d be at peace? We so often get caught up in thinking that in order to
Peace and Letting Go Read Post »
The Whole of the ‘View, Meditation and Conduct’ or of the ‘Ground, Path and Fruition’ are here in this one Doha or Dharma song. Unbelievably inspirational …. it makes me tingle everyone time I recite it. Faith and Devotion well up in response. It’s so odd how something which maps out the whole of the
The Aspiration Prayer of Mahamudra Read Post »
Is Shentong not part of Madhyamaka? This one is a bit tricky, as more or less all the schools claim that their highest view is in fact the highest madhyamaka view. So, the Shentongpas call their highest view in the tenet system ‘Great Madhyamaka’, and yet so do the Rangtongpas call theirs ‘Great Madhyamaka’, and
Madhyamaka and Shentong – Vimalakirti and Manjushri Read Post »
In response to a quote from a song of Milarepa, where: Rechungpa experienced a glimpse of emptiness and felt lost, because there was nothing to hold on 🙂 Interestingly enough, this is precisely what Madhyamaka method leads to … the realisation that there is nothing whatsoever to hold onto, and whatever we turn to in
Madhyamaka and Shentong – Beyond Thought Read Post »
S’funny how from here, right now, it seems like everything is in place, is in exactly the right place! The practice = Chod The teachings = Mahamudra The teacher = Shangpa Rinpoche The lineage = Karma Kagyu What more could I need? Every circumstance that presents itself, whatever it is, I already have all that
Everything In Place Read Post »
In response to the notion that: the teachings of Madhyamaka (Great Middle Way, or UmaChenpo in tib.) are the foundation of the view in Kagyu tradition. I didn’t say that Madhyamaka was the foundation of the Kagyu view. I actually said that within the tradition it is often said to be “most useful for clarifying
Madhyamaka and Shentong – Luminosity and Emptiness Read Post »
