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The Jangchup Lamrim Teaching Organizing Committee announced that His Holiness the Dalai Lama will continue teaching on the 18 Treatises of the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment – Jangchup Lamrim – 23 to 29 December 2014 at Drepung - or - Gaden Monastery, both of which are in Doeguling Tibetan Settlement, Mundgod, Karnataka, South India.

A rare opportunity to hear from H.H in South India(5 hours from Bangalore) on the highest teachings of enlightenment in the gelug tradition.

Registration, PAP and travel information are being added to www.jangchuplamrim.org during the next week, and further details will be posted as they become available.

Please help spread the word by sharing this information widely. Thank you!
Register soon.

The flower was raised.
Never has there been anything given to another.
Never has there been anything received from anyone.
Knowing this treasure of the eye of reality, He Smiled in Silence.

Know more about his smile .

The Awakening of Silence Series

If we are not careful, we could end up not practicing dhamma even without knowing that it is so. The various rituals, vast texts , prayers, objects are all a reminder of dhamma and do not themselves constitute as a practice of the dhamma. what is important is a never-ceasing alertness to recognize these are all reminders of the essence of the jewel, and not the precious jewel itself.

Here is a story of Dromtönpa, who was the chief Tibetan disciple of the great Indian master Atisha.

One day an old man was reading texts very intently in Reting monastery, and as Dromtönpa walks by he pauses and asks the old man what he is doing, the old man replies that he is studying the great texts. Dromtönpa replies:

“It is nice that you are studying the texts, But isnt it better to practice Dhamma”.

On hearing this the man thinks the master is probably asking him to practice meditation rather than merely reading the texts. A few weeks later as Dromtönpa walks by he sees the Old man intensely meditating – and Dromtönpa asks him what he was doing, the old man replies that he was meditating and had reached a deep level of meditative state by his practice. Dromtönpa replies:

“It is nice that you are meditating, But isnt it better to practice Dhamma”.

On hearing this the old man thinks the master is probably asking him to show reverence to the Buddha, in addition to merely studying and doing meditation. A few more weeks later as Dromtönpa walks by he sees the old man profusely circumambulating the stupa near the monastery. Dromtönpa asks him what he was doing, the old man replies that he was paying homage to the Buddha by circumambulating the stupa. Dromtönpa replies:

“It is nice that you are circumabulating, but isnt it better to practice Dhamma”

On hearing the old man becomes confused and asks Dromtönpa how to practice Dhamma? Dromtönpa  replies:

“Give up attachment to the affairs of this life,
renounce them.
Your mind itself should become the practice
and for it to happen
you must cease being distracted by worldly concerns.
Otherwise, no matter what you do,
it will not be the practice of Dhamma.”

By not being completely distracted by worldly pursuits, even suffering/dissatisfaction stops being an obstacle for liberation, instead becomes a source and instrument for enlightenment.

Cherok Lama,  was giving us a Q&A session in Bangalore a few days ago- and he was asked by someone if he thought that enlightenment was possible for a man with worldly responsibilities and distractions from being married and leading a lay life. Cherok lama gave a resounding reply that there is a 100% possibility!  that such a man can become enlightened. It all depends on his state of mind, and to what extent he has trained it. Any duty becomes worldly purely on how we approach it. If we approach it with the right mind and motivation every action can become a source of attaining enlightenment.

References:
The Photo and more information about Dromtönpa was taken from the Rigpa wiki.
I heard the story of Dromtönpa, from Lama Zopa Rinpoche during a Week long teaching session at Bangalore in March 2014. The story as it appear here was adapted and modified from: 
a. Transcript of Kopan Course No.09 (1976) by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and
b. Images of Enlightenment: Tibetan Art in Practice by Landaw/Weber. Snow Lion Publications, 2006.

Going for refuge is a preliminary step in our journey with Buddhism. But though it is a preliminary step, it is by no means a fundamental step. I think that going for refuge is indeed quite an advanced step, for going for refuge in the truest sense is a serious commitment to the faith that the three jewels will help liberate you from suffering.

The reason for liberation comes from a slightly different motivations in different traditions. But even among these different motivations, there is an undercurrent of a strong recognition of suffering.Though it seems like a simple enough concept, and it is – it is a simple enough ‘concept’. But to truly recognize that suffering permeates all existence, from the depth of your being is quite a rare realization among us. Although human beings and indeed all sentient beings are surrounded by dukkha, the gross desire to escape it is not inclusive of the subtle nature of suffering that cannot be avoided by such escapades.

Here is a video of a precious teaching by H. E. Khandro Rinpoche on the meaning of going for refuge.