Taking Refuge in the Sangha: The Training Ground for Harmony with the World Leave a Comment / Uncategorized / By Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche / January 19, 2017 In spiritual communities, just as in society, there are different views, different personalities, and so conflicts do occur. Reflecting on this fact, and how harmony within the sangha leads to harmony within society, maybe we can address how to work with those examples. First to say, as much as we are American, as much as […] Taking Refuge in the Sangha: The Training Ground for Harmony with the World Read More »
Finding Compassion Through Pain Leave a Comment / Uncategorized / By Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche / December 15, 2016 When you hit the bottom of all your resources of trying to apply so many kinds of remedies to the pain, and all of them have failed, then there comes a sense of fearlessness. A fearlessness to directly engage with the pain in a very naked way. A courage to experience the pain as it Finding Compassion Through Pain Read More »
Dropping the Show Business: Shrinking Our Persona Leave a Comment / Uncategorized / By Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche / December 4, 2016 Wherever we go, we carry this “bigness” of ourselves, this huge persona and all that comes along with it. We are not ready to give up anything, or let go of anything – whether it is our aggression, our pride, our critical mind, or any of the things that make up our persona and our Dropping the Show Business: Shrinking Our Persona Read More »
Developing Good Heart: Part 3-Avoiding Perfectionism, Not Defending Our Weaknesses Leave a Comment / Uncategorized / By Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche / January 20, 2016 We must ask ourselves, “What is my weakness?” If it is attachment, then admit, “Yes, it’s attachment,” without defending that. If it’s aggression, then, yes, it’s aggression, and not defending one’s aggression. If it’s jealousy, then, yes, it’s jealousy, again not defending one’s jealousy. If it’s stupidity, yes, it’s stupidity without coming to the defense Developing Good Heart: Part 3-Avoiding Perfectionism, Not Defending Our Weaknesses Read More »
Developing Good Heart: Part 2: Being Addicted to Emotions Leave a Comment / Uncategorized / By Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche / December 18, 2015 When you say “Oh, I really don’t think this person would do something that negative; I trust this person,” what are you saying? Are you saying this person will always have just one particular stream of feelings and never change those feelings whatsoever? No. If that person had one stream of feelings all the time, Developing Good Heart: Part 2: Being Addicted to Emotions Read More »
Developing Good Heart: Part One -Clarity versus Emotions Leave a Comment / Uncategorized / By Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche / November 18, 2015 Everyone knows how important it is to establish a good heart. A good heart is the only thing that is truly worthy, not only of helping others, but also of sustaining oneself in a state of happiness, joy and contentment. Yet it often seems there is a conflict inwardly. Though people know the value of Developing Good Heart: Part One -Clarity versus Emotions Read More »
Working with Attachments: Part 2- The Path from Recognition to Rejoicing Leave a Comment / Uncategorized / By Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche / November 1, 2015 Again, you can certainly continue your relationships, your friendships, and whatever you cherish as important in your life, just don’t let yourself become so swallowed up by them that you behave like a roller coaster, allowing the associated emotions to make you erratic and unstable. When you become like a roller coaster, at some point Working with Attachments: Part 2- The Path from Recognition to Rejoicing Read More »
Training In Self-Awareness: Step 3 – Letting Go and Developing Authentic Presence Leave a Comment / Uncategorized / By Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche / September 2, 2015 As we discussed earlier, when speaking of the ego, and developing self-awareness of the ego and its effects, we need to “produce the remedy at the source.” We can do that by learning to let go, and especially letting go of this drive to feel special, with the ego wanting more and more. People who Training In Self-Awareness: Step 3 – Letting Go and Developing Authentic Presence Read More »
Training In Self-Awareness: Step 2: Objectively Examine Your Discontentment Leave a Comment / Uncategorized / By Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche / August 6, 2015 We’ve been speaking about not only the importance of recognizing the ego, and identifying it’s effects in our mind, but about the type of self-awareness that is utilized in Dharma practice to understand it, so we can begin to be free from our ego’s influence. Once we become a little familiar with the ego, and Training In Self-Awareness: Step 2: Objectively Examine Your Discontentment Read More »
Training in Self-Awareness – Step One: Taking Responsibility for Our Mind Leave a Comment / Uncategorized / By Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche / July 27, 2015 What I would like to talk about today is self-awareness – that is, a type of key training in self-awareness – which can be used as a means to become more clear, and thereby able to effectively reduce one’s suffering. Dharma practice is a kind of medicine, a medicine of mind rather than medicine for Training in Self-Awareness – Step One: Taking Responsibility for Our Mind Read More »