I was reading and meditating on this Dharma song from Kalu Rinpoche last night, and thought I’d share the beginning of it. Rinpoche’s description of Mahamudra meditation comes from the Shangpa Kagyu tradition, but is no different to the Kagyu teachings I’ve received. Rest in awareness, without trying to do anything – and mind will […]
Dharma Song (excerpt) from Kalu Rinpoche Read Post »
I love this quotation from Franz Kafka – it really speaks to me about how easy it is to do something in meditation, to try to fabricate experience. It speaks so well of how I can let go of a sense of effort, of a sense of goal, or even of something to evaluate the
Simply Wait – Franz Kafka Read Post »
I was just reflecting on just how much time I spend rehearsing my life, rather than, in a sense, just living it directly. By this I mean …. how much time do I spend thinking about what I should do in the future? How much time is caught up in going through various scenarios of
Rehearsing my life Read Post »
I came across this today, an excerpt from Karen Armstrong’s upcoming book – The Case for God. It was such a beautiful piece of writing about the extraordinariness of One who is Awake that I thought I’d reproduce it here: From almost the very beginning, men and women have repeatedly engaged in strenuous and committed
I began this post a couple of months ago and wasn’t able to finish it. I thought I’d just publish what was there, as the teaching from Khakhyab Dorje is extraordinarily rich … Last night I dreamt of the 15th Karmapa, Khakhyab Dorje, so thought sharing ‘Melody of Buzzing Bees’ would be auspicious. Just a
Reflection on Khakhyab Dorje – Melody of Buzzing Bees Read Post »
Today is a good day to die! Tasunka Witko, Crazy Horse If you are truly prepared for death like this, then you are truly prepared for life too. Only then.
Today is a Good Day to Die – Crazy Horse Read Post »
I love this quote by Shunryu Suzuki. It’s not about having special experience. No experience will ‘save you’ or give you eternal happiness. You cannot take refuge in particular experiences, however uplifting or extraordinary. Not satori, not insight, not enlightenment, not getting there. Zen is not some kind of excitement, but concentration on our usual
Nothing Special – Shunryu Suzuki Read Post »
All experience is mind is probably a misleading title for this post. It seems to suggest that experiences are ‘something’, and that this something is ‘mind’ – a thing. It’s as if there is this thing called mind which exists, and our job is to discover it, to reveal it. But actually, it doesn’t! Instead,
All Experience is Mind Read Post »
… it’s about opening to what is, every moment … and being able to fully open to whatever arises. That’s all. It ain’t about getting somewhere, having any particular sort of experience rather than another, however so called spiritual, or getting enlightened. No place to go, nobody to be … Just open and rest in
What’s it all about? Read Post »
Some drowsy reflections on Niutou Farong’s Song of Mind (Xin Ming) when unable to sleep whilst ill … The nature of the mind is non-arising,What need is there of knowledge and views?Originally there is not a single dharma;Why discuss inspiration and training? Niutou Farong begins with the view, a view which includes the need to
Reflections on Niutou Farong – Song of Mind (Xin Ming) Read Post »
