Peace for the Soul2024-03-29T04:55:29Zdesmond dillonhttps://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/profile/desmonddillonhttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2535700215?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/forum/topic/listForContributor?groupUrl=my-inner-light-for-tibet&user=2uktta8k7czz2&feed=yes&xn_auth=no∼ A beautiful documentary of a great journey ∼tag:peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com,2022-11-04:5143044:Topic:4209412022-11-04T20:25:15.874Zdesmond dillonhttps://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/profile/desmonddillon
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</p> Prayer for the Long Life of His Holiness the Dalai Lamatag:peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com,2022-07-05:5143044:Topic:3880802022-07-05T19:26:29.598Zdesmond dillonhttps://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/profile/desmonddillon
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<p>༄༅། །གོང་ས་སྐྱབས་མགོན་ཆེན་པོའི་ཞབས་བརྟན།<br></br> Prayer for the Long Life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama<br></br> by Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche</p>
<p><br></br> བསྟན༵་འཛི༵ན་རྒྱུ་སྐར་བྱེ་བའི་དབུས་ཉིད་ན། །<br></br> tendzin gyu kar jewé ü nyi na<br></br> Amidst a billionfold constellations of holders of the teachings,…</p>
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<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10624680498?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10624680498?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-full" width="521"/></a></p>
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<p>༄༅། །གོང་ས་སྐྱབས་མགོན་ཆེན་པོའི་ཞབས་བརྟན།<br/> Prayer for the Long Life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama<br/> by Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche</p>
<p><br/> བསྟན༵་འཛི༵ན་རྒྱུ་སྐར་བྱེ་བའི་དབུས་ཉིད་ན། །<br/> tendzin gyu kar jewé ü nyi na<br/> Amidst a billionfold constellations of holders of the teachings,</p>
<p><br/> ཟླ་མེད་མཁྱེན་བརྩེའི་ཡེ་ཤེས་འོད་ཕྲེང་ཅན། །<br/> da mé khyen tsé yeshé ötreng chen<br/> You are incomparable, like a radiant sun of wisdom and love,</p>
<p><br/> གངས་ཅན་པས་མཚོན་སྲིད་པ་ལྷོ་གླིང་གི །<br/> gang chenpé tsön sipa lho ling gi<br/> A guardian for those in the Land of Snows and all who dwell</p>
<p><br/> ལུས་ཅན་རྒྱ༵་མཚོ༵འི་མགོན་ཁྱོད་ཞབས་བརྟན་གསོལ། །<br/> lü chen gyatsö gön khyö zhap ten söl<br/> On this southern continent of Jambudvīpa—may your life be secure, I pray!</p>
<p><br/> གུས་ལྡན་འདུད་འཇོམས་པས་གསོལ་བ་བཏབ་པ་སིདྡྷི་རསྟུ།།<br/> Thus the devoted Dudjompa (Destroyer of Māras) prayed. Siddhirastu!</p>
<p></p> Concerns of our timestag:peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com,2021-12-19:5143044:Topic:3798582021-12-19T19:02:20.253Zdesmond dillonhttps://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/profile/desmonddillon
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</p> The Three Noble Principlestag:peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com,2021-11-25:5143044:Topic:3788222021-11-25T07:05:27.152Zdesmond dillonhttps://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/profile/desmonddillon
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<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9843011290?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9843011290?profile=RESIZE_710x"></img></a> <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9843011667?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9843011667?profile=RESIZE_710x"></img></a> Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche …</p>
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<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9843011290?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9843011290?profile=RESIZE_710x"/></a> <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9843011667?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9843011667?profile=RESIZE_710x"/></a> Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9843012656?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9843012656?profile=RESIZE_710x"/></a> <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9843012463?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9843012463?profile=RESIZE_710x"/></a></p>
<p><br/> The Three Noble Principles</p>
<p><br/> “The three noble principles are indispensible to both bodhisattvayana and vajrayana practitioners.</p>
<p><br/> <strong>1. AROUSE BODHICHITTA</strong></p>
<p><br/> No matter which dharma practice you engage in, from ngöndro to offering a single candle, always do it with the intention that your practice will benefit all sentient beings. In this context, “benefit” does not only mean giving practical help, such as offering food or medicine, or feeding people’s emotions, egos and delusions. Here, “benefit” includes aspiring to be instrumental in the enlightenment of all sentient beings; without such an aspiration, it is easy for dharma practice to become self-serving. It’s vital always to bear in mind that we practise for the sake of all other beings, and that the enormity of this aspiration is what makes dharma practice both extremely powerful and inexhaustible, virtually guaranteeing that the result will be infinitely beneficial.</p>
<p><br/> <strong>2. APPLY THE AWARENESS OF NONDUALITY</strong></p>
<p><br/> While practising or performing dharma activities, we must remain constantly aware that everything we do is illusory—or at least try to bring that thought to mind. If we prick our flesh, our logical mind tells us we will feel pain. The pain itself will feel real because the idea that phenomena are both solid and truly existing has an almost unbreakably strong hold on us. We must therefore try to get used to the notion that everything we see, do and think is an interpretation created by our mind, which itself is an important steppingstone towards the practice of nonduality. And “getting used” to it means reminding ourselves about it over and over again. For example, when your knees start to hurt as you accumulate prostrations, remind yourself that the “I” in “I am doing prostrations” and the “my” in “my knees hurt” are both mind-made illusions.</p>
<p><br/> Remembering everything you experience is created by mind is also the direct antidote to pride and ego, and once it becomes second nature, you will no longer cling to your dharma activities. This does not mean you will not practise. On the contrary, in the same way someone dying of thirst cannot resist taking large gulps of water, once you know everything is an illusion, your only thoughts will be about the dharma. Of course, the dharma itself is the antidote to ego, but for those who take pride in being good practitioners, dharma activities can be just another means of boosting their egos. And this is why it is so important to remember that absolutely everything we experience is just a product of mind, even if it’s only for five minutes a day.</p>
<p><br/> The classic question students often ask at this point is, “If everything I experience is just a product of my mind, is there such a thing as ‘accumulating merit’?” In this context, the concept that merit either exists or does not exist is just another of mind’s constructions.</p>
<p><br/> At first, it may be difficult to arouse the motivation of bodhichitta and remember nonduality every time you act. It’s also unlikely that you will immediately be able to meditate on emptiness for a whole hour each day. Instead, start by trying to remember that everything you see and experience is merely the product of your own perception. However simple your dharma activity, for example offering a flower to your teacher, remember that although you accumulate merit by making the offering, in reality the idea of accumulating merit is itself a creation of your mind. At every opportunity, get used to the thought that everything you perceive is produced by mind and there is no such thing as a truly existing “holy” activity.</p>
<p><br/> These realisations will have a profound effect on the way you function, first and foremost because they release you from the consequences of defilements like pride and jealousy. And when your teacher throws the flower you offered to the ground without glancing at it, you won’t mind at all.</p>
<p><br/> <strong>3. DEDICATE</strong></p>
<p><br/> Always conclude your practice by not only dedicating any merit you may have attained towards your own well-being, but also for the benefit and enlightenment of all sentient beings. And you don’t have to wait for the end of your practice session to do it; you can dedicate at any time, for example after every prostration, so you can be sure that none is wasted. You can also dedicate the merit you may have forgotten to dedicate in all your past lives, by saying something like,</p>
<p><br/> I dedicate all the merit I have just accumulated, All the merit I have no memory of accumulating in my past lives, and All the merit I will accumulate in the future Towards the benefit and enlightenment of all sentient beings.</p>
<p><br/> However experienced you are as a dharma practitioner, it is crucial to bear in mind that the only way to ensure that all your actions, not just formal spiritual practice, are beneficial for yourself and others is by applying these three noble principles.</p>
<p><br/> Be ambitious about the magnitude of the motivation you arouse. Don’t settle for simple kindness when nothing less than the fullyfledged mind of bodhichitta is what is needed. Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche said that dharma practice is really not that difficult, it’s all a matter of motivation. So never forget to arouse the motivation of wanting to bring all sentient beings to complete enlightenment. And the more magnanimous your motivation, the more merit you will accumulate, even when all you do is light a candle.</p>
<p><br/> <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9843005890?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9843005890?profile=RESIZE_710x"/></a> If you light a candle merely as a decoration for the living room, your motivation is that of an ordinary person.</p>
<p><br/> <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9843005877?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9843005877?profile=RESIZE_710x"/></a> If you light it with the wish to accumulate merit and eventually destroy samsara, you share the attitude cultivated by shravakayana practitioners.</p>
<p><br/> <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9843003899?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9843003899?profile=RESIZE_710x"/></a> To light the candle with the wish that any merit attained be dedicated to the enlightenment of all sentient beings, your attitude is the same as that of bodhisattvayana practitioners.</p>
<p><br/> <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9843002475?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9843002475?profile=RESIZE_710x"/></a> To consider the candle to be the light of wisdom that illuminates all sentient beings, with the aspiration that wherever its light falls becomes the mandala, is the attitude of a tantric practitioner.</p>
<p><br/> Most of the time, though, we cannot seem to remember these crucial instructions, and when we do, putting them into practice often becomes unnecessarily complicated. I have heard many practitioners these days say they want to do long retreats, or make enormous offerings to their teacher, or some other grandiose gesture that will accumulate a great deal of merit in one go. In practice, however, they have neither the time nor the resources to do anything at all. And, ironically, such gestures are really not necessary. All any one of us needs to do to accumulate a vast treasury of merit is to seal our every action with the motivation of bodhichitta. Then, by offering your teacher a single flower, thinking, “May this offering ultimately benefit all sentient beings,” you will accumulate immeasurable merit. Dedication is therefore an extremely simple yet powerful method for accumulating merit.</p>
<p><br/> Sadly, the majority of practitioners seem to consider it too insignificant a practice for them to notice, which indicates they lack the merit to be able to understand the profound power of dedicating merit.</p>
<p><br/> So, these are the three noble principles. If you can remember to apply them to all your daily activities, you will quickly become a great dharma practitioner.”</p>
<p><br/> <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9842997071?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9842997071?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-full"/></a></p>
<p>~ Not for Happiness</p>
<p>A Guide to the So-Called Preliminary Practices</p>
<p>Plagiarised by Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse</p>
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<p><span class="d2edcug0 hpfvmrgz qv66sw1b c1et5uql lr9zc1uh a8c37x1j keod5gw0 nxhoafnm aigsh9s9 d3f4x2em fe6kdd0r mau55g9w c8b282yb iv3no6db jq4qci2q a3bd9o3v b1v8xokw oo9gr5id hzawbc8m" dir="auto"><span><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl py34i1dx gpro0wi8" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fexec%2Fobidos%2FASIN%2FB007PTA8WE%2Fkhyentsefound-20%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR3gXr86mGxIYgBMtNOhcgwyvRPeUUmHCKauVM_GD0zDKRsVXO9StBR_UQY&h=AT0BREi8bbac1bo95s-HBgLA2-zNAHxxDrsQ5goa7Kpyq93KkNn1ljKo_7K9UoJtWrfQkeIbpD_stthnvY98F2z5VXbA580-s4yYG5YsiVOWA5E-ntvtnKVJW1feXGPG9g&__tn__=-UK-y-R&c[0]=AT2k2snxI-r7O25NMeL4DAzk4omdFoJrwQlP81bt4ODQS4jANJg5IGrH11EIDMLoWswKiSlZlDty5ZGvAOKkwKth6mm2JZI8tzDxKwr3VFBuTC4D81wMIsxjPDHj5RTB4lA00-HIFoNww-gbQiAPMj5TglB3pNnEP7BlmDRU_vq55RDt4H5y04eVrH7gCR95726hW-Xg56DFhQGp" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/.../ASIN/B007PTA8WE/khyentsefound-20</a></span></span></p>
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<p>Photo of Khandro Tsering Chödrön with Dzongsar Khentse Rinpoche, thanks to <br/> Cherry Song (Taipei, Taiwan). <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9842993699?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9842993699?profile=RESIZE_710x"/></a><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9842993901?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9842993901?profile=RESIZE_710x"/></a></p>
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<p></p> Compassion is the heart of Dharmatag:peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com,2021-11-22:5143044:Topic:3786182021-11-22T08:13:44.421Zdesmond dillonhttps://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/profile/desmonddillon
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<p>COMPASSION IS THE HEART OF DHARMA</p>
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<p>If someone has compassion, he is a Buddha;</p>
<p>Without compassion, he is a Lord of Death.</p>
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<p>With compassion, the root of Dharma is planted,</p>
<p>Without compassion, the root of Dharma is rotten.</p>
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<p>One with compassion is kind even when…</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9831167458?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9831167458?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-full" width="564"/></a></p>
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<p>COMPASSION IS THE HEART OF DHARMA</p>
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<p>If someone has compassion, he is a Buddha;</p>
<p>Without compassion, he is a Lord of Death.</p>
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<p>With compassion, the root of Dharma is planted,</p>
<p>Without compassion, the root of Dharma is rotten.</p>
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<p>One with compassion is kind even when angry,</p>
<p>One without compassion will kill even as he smiles.</p>
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<p>For one with compassion, even his enemies will turn into friends,</p>
<p>Without compassion, even his friends turn into enemies.</p>
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<p>With compassion, one has all Dharmas,</p>
<p>Without compassion, one has no Dharma at all.</p>
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<p>With compassion, one is a Buddhist,</p>
<p>Without compassion, one is worse than a heretic.</p>
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<p>Even if meditating on voidness, one needs compassion as its essence.</p>
<p>A Dharma practitioner must have a compassionate nature.</p>
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<p>Compassion is the distinctive characteristic of Buddhism.</p>
<p>Compassion is the very essence of all Dharma.</p>
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<p>Great compassion is like a wish-fulfilling gem.</p>
<p>Great compassion will fulfill the hopes of self and others.</p>
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<p>Therefore, all of you, practitioners and laypeople,</p>
<p>Cultivate compassion and you will achieve Buddhahood.</p>
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<p>May all men and women who hear this song,</p>
<p>With great compassion, benefit all beings!</p>
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<p>SHABKAR TSOKDRUK RANGDROL</p>
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<p><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Translated by</span> <span style="font-size: 8pt;">Matthieu Ricard</span></p>
<p></p> Guidancetag:peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com,2021-11-19:5143044:Topic:3781322021-11-19T21:24:51.302Zdesmond dillonhttps://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/profile/desmonddillon
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9825322063?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-full" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9825322063?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="526"></img></a></p>
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<p>Guidance</p>
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<p>One day, Milarepa was alone, in a cave. Two visitors arrived and began to question him:</p>
<p>“You don’t have company? Don't you just feel alone?”</p>
<p>“I’ve always lived with someone. Never alone," he replied.</p>
<p>“But with whom?” asked the youngest.</p>
<p>“With my little bodichitta.”</p>
<p>“And…</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9825322063?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9825322063?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-full" width="526"/></a></p>
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<p>Guidance</p>
<p></p>
<p>One day, Milarepa was alone, in a cave. Two visitors arrived and began to question him:</p>
<p>“You don’t have company? Don't you just feel alone?”</p>
<p>“I’ve always lived with someone. Never alone," he replied.</p>
<p>“But with whom?” asked the youngest.</p>
<p>“With my little bodichitta.”</p>
<p>“And where is he?”</p>
<p>“In the house of my conscience.”</p>
<p>“What kind of house is that?” the oldest guest inquired.<br/> “It’s my own body.”</p>
<p>The man thought Milarepa was joking. He told his young companion: “Come on, this is a waste of time, he’s just being sarcastic.” The young man replied, “No, maybe we can learn something here.”</p>
<p>He turned around again towards Milarepa.</p>
<p>“Would you say that consciousness is the mind and the body is the home?”</p>
<p>“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean,” Milarepa replied.</p>
<p>“In an ordinary house many people can stay, but how many different minds can accommodate a body?”</p>
<p>“Generally, just one mind. But tonight seek more in your own body during your meditation,” Milarepa said. The visitors agreed and went home. The youngest of the two meditated that night and the next day he ran to see Milarepa.</p>
<p>“Oh, Guru! I meditated last night and, as you said, it's a mind. But there's something strange about her... I can't describe the shape, color, or anything else in this mind. If I chase her, I can't catch her. If I want to kill her, she doesn't die. The faster I run, the faster I run. It's impossible to find. When I imagine I've caught her, I can't step on her. If I try to hold her in one place, she won't stay still. If I let her go, she won't move. If I try to get her together, she don't get together. If I try to see its nature, it refuses to be seen. So I'm confused about what it is. I don't know the nature, but I can't deny that it's there. "Please introduce me to mind."</p>
<p>“Don’t wait for me to taste the sugar for you! ” said Milarepa. “The taste of brown sugar cannot be seen by eyes or heard by ears. You must meditate and find it for yourself. Remember, the mind is not how someone describes it. Those are just superficial clues. The mind can never be described. With the clues you receive from others, just observe them yourself. It can only be seen by your own conscience.” The young man requested more lessons.</p>
<p>"That's useless," Milarepa said. “Go home, come back tomorrow and tell me the color and shape of your mind, and if it is in your head or at the tip of your toes.” The next dawn, the young man returned.</p>
<p>“Have you examined your mind? ”, asked Milarepa.</p>
<p>“Yes, I have done it.” The young man reflected, thoughtful. “The mind is a mobile thing – its nature is movement. Their basic entity is very clear and transparent. The mind cannot be described by any color or shape – recognizing the mind in terms of color or form is impossible. When using sensory doors, such as the eyes, the mind sees shapes. Through sensory doors, such as the ears, the mind hears sounds. Through sensory doors, such as the nose, the mind smells. With the tongue, the mind tastes. When you use your legs, the mind walks. It's the mind that causes everything. The mind that gossips. The mind that causes disagreements. The mind that produces results.”</p>
<p>“You have been able to observe the conventional aspect of the mind,” Milarepa said. “For this conventional mind we accumulate negative potential and therefore we wander in the samsara.” You've understood the conventional mind enough. If now, with these understanding, you desire me to guide you to the City of Liberation, I will.”</p>
<p>So the disciple accepted Milarepa as his guru. Many days later, Milarepa asked him his name. His name was Upasaka Sanggyay-kyab, just sixteen years old. Then Milarepa gave his new disciple the first lesson on safe direction (refugee).</p>
<p>“From tonight on, never break your tight bond of taking the safe direction of the Three Precious Jewels. Tonight meditate on whether it is the mind that protects you and is useful to you, or if it is the body.” The next day, the disciple reported that it did not appear to be the body.</p>
<p>Milarepa was slowly guiding him in meditation on vacancy and lack of personal identity, but not to mention emptiness, nor to make a big thing out of it. Tell the disciple that this is emptiness, only after he had done the meditation and gained the experience, and not before, is an effective method. By asking someone if it is the body or mind that protects, the person is forced to examine it deeply. Someone may feel well physically, but mentally they may be confused and disturbed. It is the mind that provides protection in this and in future lives.</p>
<p>These are a few of the different ways Milarepa taught and guided people towards the true nature of the mind, through meditation on the lack of personal identity.</p>
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<p>Thuk Je Che <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9825390883?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9825390883?profile=RESIZE_710x"/></a> <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9825338076?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9825338076?profile=RESIZE_710x"/></a></p>
<p></p> the yogis of tibettag:peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com,2021-11-19:5143044:Topic:3781282021-11-19T15:10:56.585Zdesmond dillonhttps://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/profile/desmonddillon
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<p> this clip is 75mins and i post it for those deeply interested in Tibet and its peoples ways..</p>
<p></p>
<p>.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrWhX1BixBk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THE YOGIS OF TIBET - Rare Documentary Film - YouTube</a></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GrWhX1BixBk?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" frameborder="0"></iframe>
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<p>.</p>
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<p> this clip is 75mins and i post it for those deeply interested in Tibet and its peoples ways..</p>
<p></p>
<p>.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrWhX1BixBk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">THE YOGIS OF TIBET - Rare Documentary Film - YouTube</a></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GrWhX1BixBk?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="1920" height="1080" frameborder="0"></iframe>
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<p>.</p> Bodhisattva Prayer For Humanitytag:peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com,2021-04-29:5143044:Topic:3698982021-04-29T11:46:06.100Zdesmond dillonhttps://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/profile/desmonddillon
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8867110287?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-full" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8867110287?profile=RESIZE_710x"></img></a> <span class="font-size-1">Picture by kind courtesy of Karuṇā Sevena</span></p>
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<p>Bodhisattva Prayer For Humanity</p>
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<p>May I be a guard for those who need protection,</p>
<p>A guide for those on the path,</p>
<p>A boat, a raft, a bridge for those who wish to cross the flood.</p>
<p>May I be a lamp in the darkness,</p>
<p>A…</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8867110287?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8867110287?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-full"/></a><span class="font-size-1">Picture by kind courtesy of Karuṇā Sevena</span></p>
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<p>Bodhisattva Prayer For Humanity</p>
<p></p>
<p>May I be a guard for those who need protection,</p>
<p>A guide for those on the path,</p>
<p>A boat, a raft, a bridge for those who wish to cross the flood.</p>
<p>May I be a lamp in the darkness,</p>
<p>A resting place for the weary,</p>
<p>A healing medicine for all who are sick</p>
<p>A vase of plenty, a tree of miracles.</p>
<p>And for the boundless multitudes of living beings</p>
<p>May I bring sustenance and awakening,</p>
<p>Enduring like the earth and sky</p>
<p>Until all beings are freed from sorrow</p>
<p>And all are awakened.</p>
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<p>- Shantideva</p>
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<p>* performed daily by the Dalai Lama</p>
<p></p> Happy New Year 2021 - Tsewang Lhamo - Tibetan Songtag:peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com,2021-02-12:5143044:Topic:3678082021-02-12T13:34:51.813Zdesmond dillonhttps://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/profile/desmonddillon
<p style="text-align: center;">Tsewang Lhamo (1985) is a Tibetan singer. Tsewang is popular in the Tibetan community, as well as in Himalayan country, Nepal, and northern India.</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gPtoAAW6ymE?wmode=opaque" width="640"></iframe>
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<p>English translation of lyrics:</p>
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<p>There is a gold more precious than gold<br></br> Vowels and 30 consonants are…</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Tsewang Lhamo (1985) is a Tibetan singer. Tsewang is popular in the Tibetan community, as well as in Himalayan country, Nepal, and northern India.</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gPtoAAW6ymE?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="640" height="380" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
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<p>English translation of lyrics:</p>
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<p>There is a gold more precious than gold<br/> Vowels and 30 consonants are more important than the gold<br/> Tibetans who wish to obtain gold,<br/> Learn the spoken and written tibetan language<br/> Learn the spoken and written tibetan language.<br/> <br/> There is a silver more precious than the white silver<br/> Tibet`s environment is more precious than the silver<br/> Tibetans who wish to obtain silver wealth,<br/> Preserve and protect the roof of the world<br/> Preserve and protect the roof of the world.<br/> <br/> There is a jewellery more precious than the jewellery<br/> Tibetan people are more precious than the jewellery<br/> Tibetans who wish to obtain jewellery wealth,<br/> Work for and maintain the unity among ourselves<br/> Work for and maintain the unity among ourselves.</p>
<p></p> Losar, Guthuk and moretag:peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com,2021-02-12:5143044:Topic:3675552021-02-12T13:06:43.589Zdesmond dillonhttps://peaceformeandtheworld.ning.com/profile/desmonddillon
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8546604481?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8546604481?profile=RESIZE_710x"></img></a></p>
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<div class="elementor-element elementor-element-b833514 elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-content"><div class="elementor-widget-container"><p>By Jampa Yangchen</p>
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<p>The Tibetan New Year or Losar falls on Friday, February 12, 2021: the year of the Female Iron Ox- Year 2148 of the Tibetan Calender</p>
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<p>Losar is an…</p>
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<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8546604481?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8546604481?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center"/></a></p>
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<div class="elementor-element elementor-element-b833514 elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-content"><div class="elementor-widget-container"><p>By Jampa Yangchen</p>
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<p>The Tibetan New Year or Losar falls on Friday, February 12, 2021: the year of the Female Iron Ox- Year 2148 of the Tibetan Calender</p>
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<p>Losar is an event that is very much anticipated by all Tibetans for it is not only the beginning of a new year, but also a day when everyone becomes a year older according to the Tibetan calendar. Preparations are made well ahead of time; houses are cleaned or refurbished weeks before. Images or statues of deities are brought out from their shrines and wiped clean. In some cases, the brocade and silk garments from the shrine are replaced. This is also a good time to look through one’s household items, and clothes and either give or throw away those that you no longer need or that are damaged. New clothes are also made for the entire family to wear on Losar day. All of these are done to ensure that we celebrate Losar with as much auspiciousness as possible and enter the new year renewed and refreshed with hopes of good fortune, good health and well-being.</p>
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<p>Another important task undertaken several days before Losar is the preparation of a deep-fried delicacy made from dough called Khapseys ཁ་ཟས།. These crispy snacks come in different shapes and proportions. Some of them are much larger than the rest and are stacked crisscross in twos on top of each other. These stacked Khapseys are offerings and are an integral part of the Derka སྡེར་ཁ། display. and have their own special names. The biggest, 8-12 in number are stacked at the bottom to form the base. They are called Bongkuu-Amchok བོང་བུའི་ཨམ་ཅོག, (Donkeys Ears). This delicately balanced construction is then topped with other variations in the following set order: 2-4 Nyashak ཉ་གཤག ; 2-4 Tashi Mug Thung བཀྲ་ཤིས་སྨུག་དུང་།; 2-4 Kongchey ཀོང་ཆས། ; 1-2 Bulug འབུ་ལུགས། and finally at the top of the stack, 1 Pinpin-Toktok སྤིང་སྤིང་རྡོག་རྡོག.</p>
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<p>It must be noted that although not part of this decorative ensemble, the first thing that must be deep fried before any of the Khapseys is a scorpion shaped dough. This deep-fried scorpion is then placed at a prominent location in the kitchen. The scorpion represents <em>Lue</em> or a spirit who is believed to inhabit the kitchen where fire, water, wood exist. These are believed to be the dwelling places of the <em>Lue</em>. It is widely believed that if angered, the <em>Lue</em> can inflict illness. Therefore, on Losar day, people try their best not to burn food or cause tea or milk to boil over for fear of angering the <em>Lue</em>. Even on a regular day, such culinary mishaps are thought to be a bad omen. A special Khatak is also tied to the kitchen pillar these days but in the past, a whole set of Derka offering is placed in the kitchen to appease the <em>Lue</em>.</p>
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<p>About five days to one week before Losar, some barley seeds are sown in a small pot so that by Losar, they grow about 5 inches in height, this is called Lophu ལོ་ཕུད། and is another important offering item.</p>
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<p>The evening of the 29th day of the 12<sup>th</sup> Tibetan month is observed by eating a special soup called Guthuk དགུ་ཐུག and the ritual that accompanies it signifies our safe passage into the New Year. That we cleanse ourselves and our living spaces of all the obstacles and negative elements of the past year, is an important part of observing this tradition.</p>
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<p>The Tibetan word Guthuk constitutes two words, Gu དགུ། nine in Tibetan) and Thuk ཐུག abbreviation of Thukpa ཐུག་པ། (which is the general name for different types of pasta in broth). The combination of these two words literally translates to ‘Nine Soup’. In Tibetan custom, the general belief that all odd numbers are auspicious dates back to the pre-Buddhist era. The number 9, in particular is considered very lucky, therefore, it is believed no less than 9 ingredients must go into the Guthuk and individuals must consume 9 bowls of it. This special Thukpa is prepared in the same way as Bathuk བག་ཐུག, a popular Tibetan soup dish, however, the most outstanding characteristic of Guthuk and perhaps a unique practice that adds a flavor of playful fun to this occasion is the custom of adding dough-balls to the dish. One might think of them as a fortune cookie. These large dough balls clearly stand out amongst the rest because they contain small rolled up pieces of paper and on these pieces of paper are written certain words that stand as metaphors for certain human characteristics, both positive and negative. In most circumstances, having Guthuk is a family affair and as each family member sits around the dining table, Guthuk is served into individual bowls randomly, therefore, some might get two or three large doughs balls and others none. Each dough-ball revelation or “divination” is said to represent the innate disposition of the person. The following are the list of what is usually put in the dough balls and their meanings:</p>
<p></p>
<p>* Incense stick སྤོས།= honest person</p>
<p>* White cotton སྤྲིན་བལ་དཀར་པོ།= pure hearted person</p>
<p>* Droma གྲོ་མ།= warm hearted person</p>
<p>* Apricot མངའ་རིས་ཁམ་བུ།= good fortune, good health</p>
<p>* Wool བལ།= gentle person</p>
<p>* Charcoal སོལ་བ།= cold hearted person</p>
<p>* Porcelain དཀར་ཡོལ།= person who avoids work</p>
<p>* Paper ཤོག་བུ།= foolish person</p>
<p>* Hot chilly སེ་པན།= person with quick temper, sharp tongue</p>
<p>* Pea སྲན་མ།= stingy person</p>
<p>* Salt ཚྭ།= lazy person</p>
<p>* Thorn གཟན་པ་རྭ་ཀོག= sensitive, easily hurt</p>
<p>* Inward woven thread སྐུད་པ་ནང་སྒྲིམ།= person who put his family welfare above others</p>
<p>* Outward woven thread སྐུད་པ་ཕྱི་སྒྲིམ།= person who does not put family welfare first</p>
<p>* Stone རྡོ།= stingy person</p>
<p>* Dama-ru ཌ་མ་རུ།(hand-drum)= person with double face</p>
<p>* Glass ཤེལ།= delicate person or transparent person</p>
<p>* Sun and moon ཉི་མ་དང་ཟླ་བ།= glory and fame</p>
<p>* Mother carrying child ཨ་མ་ཕྲུ་གུ་འཁྱེར་བ།= person carrying Karma from previous life</p>
<p>* Square mat གདན་གྲུ་བཞི།= easy going person</p>
<p>* Lama Konchok བླ་མ་དཀོནམཆོག(Tsok shape)= honest person</p>
<p>* Scripture ཆོས། (picha)= pious person</p>
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<p>At the end of each bowl of Guthuk, one should not finish it completely but rather leave a little leftover in a separate cup. This then is emptied into a broken or cracked container into which a dough effigy is placed. This effigy represents the people of the household. Following this, each person is handed a piece of dough the size of a ping-pong ball called Pagchi སྤགས་ཕྱིས། which literally means a cleansing-dough. Each person then skims the Pagchi over different parts of the body, particularly touching areas where you have pain, discomforts or sickness. Next, it is squeezed in your left hand, making sure all your fingers are imprinted on it. These imprints represent your whole body. It is believed that doing this takes away your pain and ailments by absorbing them into the Pagchi. When this is completed, the Pagchi is placed into the same broken or cracked container along with the dough effigy and left over Guthuk. At the same time, a little left over tea leaves, a little left over Chang ཆང་། malted barley or rice wine and two strands of straws made in the shape of a cross as well as a strand of your hair, a thread from your clothes etc. are thrown into broken container. What comes next is the most dramatic part of Guthuk night. One member of the family carrying a lighted torch goes from room to room and around every nook and corner shouting “Dhon sho Ma་(དོན་ཤོག་མར།)” or “Come out!”, demanding that the spirits of the old year dwelling in these spaces to leave. The torch-bearer is followed by a person with a broom who begins to sweep the rooms the torch-bearer just visited and empties the dusts into the container along with the dough effigy. In this way, our body and spirit, and our living space are cleansed or exorcised from the negativities of the old year and is absorbed in the dough effigy. At this point, the dough effigy becomes the Lue ཀླུས།, the carrier of all things negative. A butter lamp or a lit candle is placed in front of the Lue and a khatak ཁ་བཏགས།(white Tibetan scarf) loosely wrapped around it to hide it from onlookers. In this manner, the Lue is carried out of the house to a three-way intersection and left there. As the Lue leaves the house, firecrackers are set off after it or banging of pots and pans to make a loud noise and everyone shouts and demands the Lue to leave and take away and erase all the obstacles and negative karma that have accumulated in the past year. In Tibetan it is said as follows:</p>
<p></p>
<p>Lo chig dawa chung-nyi ལོ་གཅིག་ཟླ་བ་བཅུ་གཉིས།</p>
<p>Shama sum-gya-drukchu ཞག་མ་སུམ་བརྒྱ་དྲུག་བཅུ།</p>
<p>Gegwang bachey thamchey shewar gyur!</p>
<p> བགེགས་དབང་བར་ཆད་ཐམས་ཅད་ཞི་བར་འགྱུར།</p>
<p></p>
<p>May all the obstacles accumulated during the twelves months of the year and 360 days of the year be gone!</p>
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<p>The person who carries the Lue to the three-way intersection must not look back until he reaches his destination. No visitor should enter the house after this ritual of exorcism. Ladies must not wash their hair according to popular belief and no one should leave the house after this ritual. The Lue is left at a three-way intersection because that is where spirits are believed to gather. The Lue effigy can be made very simple or very elaborate with more human features and even dressed elaborately</p>
<p></p>
<p>In general, this is how Guthuk is observed on the evening of the 29<sup>th</sup> day of the 12<sup>th</sup> Tibetan month. The observation of this event and the meanings of the dough balls can vary from region to region and even from household to household and in general, everyone takes the meaning of the doughballs lightly and often with great sense of humor.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The 30th day of the 12<sup>th</sup> Tibetan month is called Nam-ghang when the Derka སྡེར་ཁ། and Chopu ཆུ་ཕུད། the religious offering are set up. The Derkha consist of a Bo ཕྱེ་མར་འབོ།, a dual compartment decorative wooden container in which the Droso-Chema གྲོ་སོ་ཕྱེ་མར། are placed in the mounds. One compartment is filled with grains of barley གྲོ། and other with Tsampa རྩམ་པ།, roasted barley flour. On top of each mound is placed a Tsido རྩེ་སྒྲོ།, a small wooden banner decorated with pictures of auspicious symbols. A special flower called Losar Metok ལོ་གསར་མེ་ཏོག, Losar Flower, some young sprouts of barley are also placed on top of the mound. As part of the Derka, a bowl or a pitcher of Chang ཆང་།, with a little butter attached on three sides and wrapped in khatak ཁ་བཏགས། , one Lophu ལོ་ཕུད། wheat sprouts in a pot and a Luog-go ལུག་མགོ, head of a sheep made either from dough or porcelain are placed together. And finally, with the special stacked Khapseys, the Losar Derka is complete. Of course, one can elaborate the display by adding bowls of fruits, vase of flower and in small bowls, assorrted dry fruits, sweets and nuts.</p>
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<p>Chopu ཆུ་ཕུད།, the religious offering is made of these five items, the Chopak མཆོད་པ།; Yonchab ཡོན་ཆབ།; water bowls, Poey སྤོས། incense, Choemey མཆོད་མེ། butter lamps and Metok མེ་ཏོག flowers, these are placed in front of the shrine. The water bowls are filled with water and incense and butter lamps lit early in the morning of Losar. Wearing their best clothes, the families all greet each other with – <em>Losar</em> <em>Tashi Delek</em>. One member of the family will offer the rest the Droso-Chema where a pinch first from the grain is taken and thrown three times into the air and next do the same with Tsampa, but a tiny morsel is kept between thumb and forefinger and tasted, Next a pitcher or bowl of <em>chang</em> is offered where it is dipped with the fourth finger and flicked three times in the air and a drop taken on the tongue, all the while repeating – <em>Tashi Delek Phusomtsok, Ama Bato Kunkham Sang, Tandu Dewa Thob Par Shog</em>.བཀྲ་ཤིས་བདེ་ལེགས་ཕུན་སུམ་ཚོགས། ཨེ་མ་བག་གྲོ་སྐུ་ཁམས་བཟང། གཏན་དུ་བདེ་བ་ཐོབ་པར་ཤོག Next, family members will offer Khatak to their deities in the shrine room and observe prayers for a short time. When the prayers are over, younger family members will offer the elders Khatak and wish them Tashi Delek again. When all of this is done, everyone will partake in the auspicious Losar food like Doma-Deysi, sweetened rice with doma, Chang-Kol, hot barley or rice wine, <em>Drothuk</em> a thick soup made from either oats or barley and Tibetan tea. The first day of Losar is family time and everyone stays home to enjoy each other’s company and the delicious food.</p>
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<p>I wish everyone of you good health, prosperity and good fortune this coming Losar, TASHI DELEK!</p>
<p>Eva</p>
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<p>The author is an alumni of Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio majoring in Social Work and served at Tibetan Children’s Village. She is based in San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA.</p>
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