Tibetan Buddhism Study

Gambling with the Lord of Death
—Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche


The story we are looking at here is our own. It is the story of our bodies and minds, our birth and death, and the undeniable truths about our existence as human beings. While we know the facts of life and the inevitability of death, it is a reality we rarely face. When we do, our impulse is to turn away. Though we do not wish to confront death or the fear it inspires, running away from this inconvenient truth will not help us. Reality will catch up to us in the end. If we have ignored death all our lives, then it will come as a big surprise. There will be no time on death’s bed to learn how to handle the situation, no time to develop the wisdom and compassion that could guide us skillfully through death’s terrain. We will have to confront whatever we encounter there as best we can—and that is a genuine gamble.

Why would we take such a risk? We have a choice: to prepare ourselves to face the most uncomfortable moment of our lives, or to meet that moment unprepared. If we choose to look into the face of death directly, then we can be certain of transforming that meeting into a profound experience that will bring untold benefit to our spiritual journey.

If we choose denial, then, when we meet the Lord of Death, we will be like an innocent youth walking into a late-night gambling den with a pocket full of cash. What are the odds that we will be richer and happier in the morning?

Whether or not we are prepared, we will all meet the Lord of Death. Who is this great Lord and what is his power over us? This legendary figure that inspires so much fear is merely the personification of impermanence and cause and effect, or karma. In Buddhist literature, this “Lord” is invincible. No one can beat him at his game—except a true holder of wisdom. It is wisdom that slays the slayer, that cleans the table and walks away with the prize.


Mind Beyond Death by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
a.co/d/01CvZbxG

1 day ago | [YT] | 249

Tibetan Buddhism Study

Compassion

Generally speaking, you have been practising the teachings of the Mahāyāna ever since you first entered the door of the Dharma, and this is really nothing other than compassion. Without genuine compassion there is simply no possibility of reaching buddhahood.

In their delusion, all the beings of saṃsāra cherish only their own selfish interests and neglect others’ welfare. At the moment, no matter how well off we may be in terms of food, clothing or material possessions, and no matter how much happiness we may experience, we can never be satisfied. At the same time, if we give away even just a tiny fraction of what we own, it feels as if we are losing something enormous. We must let go of such attitudes, and, instead of caring for ourselves alone, learn to cherish others. Previously we neglected others, but now we must neglect our own selfish goals. Whenever we perform any virtuous deed with body, speech or mind, we must first remember that we are doing so as a means to bring about the enlightenment of all.

In Dharma practice, the most important thing is motivation. If it is motivated by the wish to benefit all beings, then even a single prostration or a single recitation of the hundred-syllable mantra will yield inexhaustible merit—merit that will remain until we have reached enlightenment and there are no beings left in saṃsāra. Whereas if we do not have this motivation of universal benevolence, even a hundred thousand prostrations, or a hundred thousand recitations of the hundred-syllable mantra, will bear fruit only once before the merit is exhausted, and a single burst of anger will be enough to destroy our entire stock of virtue. It is crucial to understand this. If we consider that our practice is for the sake of all others, then because sentient beings are infinitely vast in number, our own merit will be equally vast.

No one is entirely free from suffering, so consider all the major and minor sufferings that befall others, and imagine them happening to you instead. How would you feel? Surely you would do all that you could to find a way to avoid the pain. So reflect continually on all the sufferings that other beings undergo and develop the compassionate wish that they may be free from pain. Once you have true compassion, you will naturally feel the wish to benefit others. Our teacher, the Buddha, while still a bodhisattva, had such vast and overwhelming compassion that he made five hundred prayers of aspiration for our benefit, and, as his followers, we too must make compassion the very core of our practice.

The immeasurable benefits of generating true compassion are described in detail in The Words of My Perfect Teacher and the Bodhicaryāvatāra, so please study them.
- by Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, www.lotsawahouse.org/tibetan-masters/dilgo-khyents…

1 day ago | [YT] | 331

Tibetan Buddhism Study

Hi everyone! Happy Guru Rinpoche Day! 🌸✨

To celebrate this sacred 10th day, our team has just published a brand-new practice companion video: "A Shower of Blessings" by Jamgön Mipham Rinpoche. 🔗 Watch and Practice on YouTube: A Guru Yoga Practice to Accompany the Seven-Line Prayer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmX6N...

This beautiful Guru Yoga practice is a profound method for purifying obscurations, accumulating merit, and awakening realization through Guru Padmasambhava.

What makes this video special for your daily practice:

• It features the Seven-Line Prayer chanted 110 times along with Khenpo Tsultrim Lodro Rinpoche, followed by the Vajra Guru Mantra.
• It includes essential, brief visual guidance on receiving Guru Rinpoche’s blessings through the three syllables (Om Ah Hung) at our three centers, leading into the final dissolution.

We hope this serves as a helpful, inspiring companion for your daily Guru Yoga practice. Please feel free to share the link with any fellow practitioners who might benefit.

May all beings be drenched by the shower of Guru Rinpoche’s boundless blessings! 🙏

2 days ago | [YT] | 18

Tibetan Buddhism Study

Guru Rinpoche Day
—Prayer to Guru Rinpoche


Embodiments of all the buddhas of past, present and future;
All-pervasive lords of oceanic mandalas and buddha families;
Glorious and noble masters whose kindness is unparalleled;
Precious root gurus—
I bow down at your perfectly unblemished feet and prostrate myself in devotion.

I take refuge in you!
Grant your blessings, I pray!


Who could ever tire of looking upon your noble face, as bright and clear as a flower in bloom?
And the radiant anthers of your signs and marks are like nectar for the eyes of all beings.

The petals of your compassion extend so far as to encompass the three worlds.
O Lord of Sages, White Lotus, rest your lotus feet today in the lotus pool of my mind!


On an isle in a lake in Oḍḍiyāna, from the heart of a lotus,
You appeared spontaneously as an emanation of the buddhas,
Resplendent with qualities and major and minor marks—
Padmasambhava,
protect the lotus-pool of my mind!


Text: My Heart Advice and Secret Pith Instructions
A public talk by His Holiness Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche given in Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1993

3 days ago | [YT] | 492

Tibetan Buddhism Study

There are various situations that require our patience, beginning with the following four:

When someone treats us with contempt,
Addresses us with harsh words,
Slanders us behind our back,
Or causes us pain.

And similarly, when these four are done to our teachers, or our friends and relatives.

Or:

When our enemies and those who oppose us find pleasure and well-being,
When they receive honours and rewards,
When they are offered praise,
Or when people speak well of them.

In addition, there are also those situations in which their opposites, the twelve desirable circumstances, are prevented from occurring, making a total of twenty-four opportunities for us to practise patience.

When any of these occur, we must avoid becoming disheartened by the events themselves or the suffering they bring, and instead accept the suffering. We must not become angry with those involved, but disregard the harm they do to us, and settle the mind in meditation upon the reality of profound emptiness.

In this way, by multiplying each instance a further three times, we arrive at seventy-two types of patience in which to train.
- by Patrul Rinpoche, www.lotsawahouse.org/tibetan-masters/patrul-rinpoc….

3 days ago | [YT] | 212

Tibetan Buddhism Study

🌟 WhatsApp Study Group: Exploring Tibetan Buddhism 🌟
A supportive community for study and practice in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition

Welcome!
✨ Our Purpose

This study group is a supportive and beginner-oriented community for those interested in Tibetan Buddhism and seeking a clear entry point. Together, we will explore its profound wisdom and apply essential teachings to our daily lives.
We also warmly welcome practitioners who wish to deepen their understanding and practice of the Dharma. Through collaborative study and practice, we cultivate open, resilient minds and take steps toward realizing our true nature—for the benefit of all beings.
📚 Our Foundation
Our group is rooted in the Nyingma tradition, following the teachings of His Holiness Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche and his esteemed disciples, including Khenpo Sodargye and Khenpo Tsultrim Lodro, among others. They are all renowned for making authentic teachings accessible and practical for modern life.
🛤 Our Twofold Path: Wisdom and Method
1.⁠ ⁠Wisdom Through Study (Book-Club Style): We will explore Tibetan Buddhism from the basics in an engaging and accessible format.
o Recommended readings include Tibetan Buddhism: A Guide to Contemplation by Khenpo Sodargye and The Right View by Khenpo Tsultrim Lodro. We will also incorporate relevant Dharma articles that align with the group's interests.
2.⁠ ⁠Method Through the Experience of Practice: To balance study with direct experience, we encourage daily meditation practice. Our sessions will include:
o Settling the body, speech, and mind.
o Reciting prayers and invoking blessings.
o Short analytical and resting meditation.
o Exploring practices like Shamatha (calm abiding), the Four Immeasurables, Tonglen (sending and receiving), Vipashyana (insight meditation), and more, as we progress.

🤝 A Guided, Collaborative Space
Sessions are facilitated by senior students, but above all, we learn from and support one another as a spiritual community (sangha).
🌈 You Belong Here
We invite sincere and curious individuals of all backgrounds to join us!
✨ You are warmly welcomed if you are:
•⁠ ⁠A complete beginner taking your first steps in the Buddhist worldview.
•⁠ ⁠Interested in familiarizing yourself with Tibetan Buddhism.
•⁠ ⁠Looking to strengthen your meditation and mind training in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
•⁠ ⁠A fellow traveler seeking a meaningful connection on the path.

🌟 Ready to join? 🌟
Please register and begin the journey!
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScIlbOzM9C9mMBYN_….

🙏 Please note: 🙏
🪷 By joining, you agree to maintain a respectful and supportive space for all members.🪷

4 days ago | [YT] | 161

Tibetan Buddhism Study

Marpa, Milarepa and Gampopa, the three renowned forefathers of the Kagyu lineage, were all great realized beings, but each led an entirely different lifestyle. Marpa was a very learned practitioner and a master translator. He also had a family and a successful business. Nonetheless, he sustained the state of Mahamudra and attained complete realization. He taught his chief disciple, Milarepa, the same essential practice; but Milarepa lived an entirely different life. He was a renunciant yogi and practiced in solitude with barely enough provisions to live on. Milarepa's chief disciple, Gampapa, in contrast, was a fully ordained monk. He had numerous disciples, and it was from them that the " four greater and eight lesser lineages" of the Kagyu tradition arose.

Just like these great masters, we may be involved in jobs where we have serious responsibilities or we may be highly educated, doing complex work; but these are no excuse to say, " I am too busy. I don't have time to practice the Dharma." You can always train in Mahamudra no matter the situation. On the other hand, we may think, " I am not an important spiritual person. I'm not that smart, so I can't practice Mahamudra." That is no excuse either. It just does not really matter who one is or what one is doing, Mahamudra training is always applicable in any situation, at any moment of your life.

The central intent of the Buddha, as taught in the sutras and tantras, is transmitted through an unbroken lineage until today; but it was the great master Gampopa who specifically propagated it under the name Mahamudra. In a former life, Gampopa was a bodhisattva in the retinue of Lord Buddha. His name then was Youthful Moonlight, Dawd Shonnu, and he was the recipient of the sutra that the Buddha gave known as the Samadhi Raja Sutra, the Sutra on the King of Samadhi. This king refers to the foremost type of sanudhi, apd it is none other than Mahamudra. 

At one point in the sutra, the Buddha said:
There will come a time in the future when my teachings will have weakened almost to the point of extinction, but if someone will take up the wisdom contained in this Samadhi Raja Sutra and propagate it for the benefit of others then it will help to revive and continue the teachings. Who among you would like to do that?

Youthful Moonlight then stood up and in the presence of the Buddha made this vow:
" In the future, I will cause the teachings in the Samadhi Raja Sutra to flourish by propagating them."

And this is exactly what Gampopa later did. The other bodhisattvas who were present also took rebirth at the time of Gampopa and helped him to spread the teachings. As Gampopa's teachings spread far and wide, an incredible number of practitioners received them, put them into practice and attained accomplishment.

-Thrangu Rinpoche, CRYSTAL CLEAR

4 days ago (edited) | [YT] | 431

Tibetan Buddhism Study

Dzogchen Longchen Nyingtik Preliminaries—Brief Offering To Dharma Protectors by Buddhist Academy

Dharma protectors — deities whose role is to protect the teachings and practitioners. They are sometimes emanations of buddhas or bodhisattvas (supermundane), and sometimes spirits and demons (mundane) who have been subjugated and bound under oath by great practitioners such as Guru Padmasambhava. Among the best known are Ekajati, Mahakala, Dza Rahula and Damchen Dorje Lekpa.

Please check the text from Larung Daily Prayers at:
khenposodargye.org/teachings/larung-daily-prayers/.

5 days ago | [YT] | 11

Tibetan Buddhism Study

Namo Guru Padma Manjushri Vajra Tikshnaya!

Holder of the Vajra, you who are in truth all buddhas of the triple time, 
Lake-Born Lord, appearing as an emanation in this world, 
Body of undying wisdom, sovereign of vidyadharas, 
Padmakara, O glorious one, protect me now this wanderer.

The Holder of the Vajra embodies the nature of all buddhas throughout past, present, and future. He manifested in this world as the Lake-Born Lord, known as Padmasambhava. Having attained undying wisdom, he reigns as sovereign over tens of thousands of vidyadharas. We beseech the glorious Guru Rinpoche to protect us, pitiful beings wandering in this age of degeneration.

The more fervently we pray to Guru Rinpoche, the more powerfully his blessings flow to us. When these blessing dissolve into our minds, our practice naturally unfolds without hindrance. In this degenerate age, negative forces and those who hold wrong views are especially active. Wrongful attachments and negative thoughts can arise within us at any moment. In such dark times, it is nearly impossible to accomplish our practice through our own limited efforts. Without relying on the support of an extraordinarily powerful force, we cannot overcome the challenges of the path. Therefore, again and again, I urge you, my vajra friends, to fervently pray to Guru Padmasambhava with fierce devotion. If you do so, your practice will progress smoothly from beginning to end.

The lotus of my heart, endowed with threefold faith, 
Is turned toward the day-star of the mighty Conqueror 
And opens in the splendor of blessings.
May the honey dewdrops of this explanation sweetly fall 
And satisfy the wishes of the fortunate!

This verse is a metaphor. The Buddha’s blessings are like the sun. When it shines forth, the wisdom lotus of Mipham Rinpoche’s faith blossoms. From this unfolding flows the honey-like nectar of this commentary, which those with virtuous karmic connections may enjoy, thus fulfilling their wishes. In essence, just as sunlight causes the lotus to blossom, and attracts honeybees to gather its sweet nectar—bringing satisfaction to the fortunate—so too do these teachings fulfill the aspirations of those who are blessed to receive them.
-- Khenpo Sodargye 'Invoking Guru Rinpoche: A Practical Commentary on the Seven-Line Prayer'

6 days ago | [YT] | 614

Tibetan Buddhism Study

The Great Perfection is you right now
—Mingyur Rinpoche


In Dzogchen, we call our enlightened nature rigpa, or pure awareness. Unlike some approaches in which buddhanature is taught in a more theoretical way, and you need to study and meditate for a long time to figure out what it is, Dzogchen is experiential. You get introduced to pure awareness directly, right on the spot.

A traditional way to describe Dzogchen is in terms of the ground, the path, and the fruition.

The Great Perfection is our true nature, whether we realize it or not. That’s the ground of Dzogchen. It’s the reality of our experience and who we are.

But that doesn’t help if we don’t experience it for ourselves. The way to do that is by having this pure awareness introduced to us and then getting familiar with it until it becomes stable and enduring. That process is the path.

Then, once we’re familiar with our own true nature, once we’ve realized it fully and integrated it into every aspect of our lives, we will fully manifest the enlightened qualities that were there all along. That’s the fruition.


Text: Joyful Wisdom by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and Eric Swanson
a.co/d/0ewppBYm

1 week ago | [YT] | 388