I was reflecting this morning on how much devotion images of the deity Prajnaparamita bring forth from me. Given that she is the deity who represents Wisdom, rather than Love, Compassion, Patience and so on …. how interesting that she inspires so much devotion in me. Pretty much every image I’ve ever seen of her […]
Devotion to Prajnaparamita Read Post »
I was sitting in meditation yesterday on my bench in the garden. A light wind stirred the tree above me, and cherry blossoms gently floated down all around me. I was reminded of the Buddha, on the night of his Enlightenment, turning the arrows and weapons of Mara into flower petals. How poignant ….. How
Blossoms on the Buddha Read Post »
In the ‘Jewel Ornament of Liberation’, Gampopa (as do other teachers of orthodox Dharma) asserts that there are three types of suffering, which are: 1 – the suffering of suffering2 – the suffering of change3 – all-pervasive suffering The suffering of suffering In brief, the suffering of suffering is simply the stuff that really hurts,
The Three Types of Suffering Read Post »
May the lives of ailing sentient beings be extended and made meaningful.May those who are suffering from hunger or thirst obtain sustenance,Those who are afflicted by external fears become fearless,And everything that beings desire be granted exactly as they wish.May all sentient beings do good and swiftly attain enlightenment.May those in power rule with justice,Governments
Prayer of Compassion following London Bombing Read Post »
Tomorrow is my father’s funeral. He died just over two weeks ago. I have nothing remotely profound to say on the subject. Time has flowed on … and thoughts and feelings have come and gone. Things have been arranged, and challenges taken up. So much seems to have happened, such an extraordinary mixture of rich
Mahamudra is traditionally said to be difficult to realise due to Four Faults. The nature of our mind is right here, right now for us to recognise, but somehow we may not manage that. The Four Faults are: It’s Too Easy We may have an idea that seeing the nature of our mind must be
Mahamudra Is Too Easy, Close, Good, Deep Read Post »
I used to imagine that the Buddha was so very far away. Enlightenment was so inconceivably difficult to attain, and the path there so very long. With my swirling emotions and obscurations, how long the journey seemed, and how very hard I had to strive in order to reach the state of perfect Awakening. When
Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, Nirmanakaya Read Post »
After a particularly strong meditation experience this weekend, I was reflecting on one aspect of Zen and Tibetan Buddhism. In meditation, my sense of all dharmas being Empty was clearer than is often the case. There was nothing I could latch onto, nothing that I could hold in my mind which didn’t melt away as
Big Doubt and Groundlessness Read Post »
The more you practice, the more it happens. Things in the ‘outside’ world start reflecting your inner world. Auspicious Co-Incidence. Dependent Origination. Sitting meditating yesterday, eyes half open, facing out the window. In my meditation, Dakinis swirling like a snow storm, a whirlwind of Enlightened energy. Right then, at that point, outside the window, a
Dakinis of Coincidence Read Post »
Ah, fortunate sons and disciples gathered here, This body of ours is impermanent like a feather on a high mountain pass, This mind of ours is empty and clear like the depth of space. Relax in that natural state, free of fabrication. When mind is without any support, that is Mahamudra. Becoming familiar with this,
Machig Labdron – That is Buddhahood Read Post »
