Check Yourself! The Tool of Reflection -
Jul 5, 2019
Image by Daniel Mingook Kim on Unsplash By Nina Eder When I first heard Phakchok Rinpoche talking about reflecting on our mind, I didn’t think that “checking myself” would be of any use....
Read MoreFrom Physics to Dharma: Becoming Kinder and Happier -
May 8, 2019
By Benjamin Schuellein “If you could take and weigh all the smoke, ash, and all the other stuff left over after a fire, it would be heavier than what was burned”, my...
Read MoreSelf-reflection on the Spiritual Path -
Dec 26, 2018
We're busy people and have lots of responsibilities and activities, so often we may forget to engage in self-reflection. But, we may want to look carefully at what we prioritize. If we don't make time for self-reflection, we don't need...
Read MoreRenunciation: Wake-up Call -
Oct 23, 2018
Renunciation: Advice for Serious Buddhist Practitioners Renunciation is fundamental to the Buddhist path, and all schools of Buddhism in the three vehicles (Śrāvakayāna , Mahāyāna, and Vajrayāna) emphasize this teaching. If we are serious...
Read MoreMeditation without Reflection is Blind -
Oct 19, 2018
Dear Friends Near and Far Picking up from where I left off last month, I hope you and your loved ones have been happy and healthy. Since our last message, I have...
Read MoreTrusting Karma -
Oct 16, 2018
Trusting karma is something that many of us struggle with in our practice. But are we clear about what karma really means? Here, Phakchok Rinpoche reminds us that the Sanskrit word karma means "action." We create karma when we act...
Read MoreImproving Ourselves on the Buddhist Path -
Jul 2, 2018
Improving ourselves, or making progress, while practicing the Buddhadharma should be a natural outcome. Phakchok Rinpoche observes that we practice correctly when our behavior and our Dharma practice function together. Everything runs...
Read MoreStudent Reflections on the Four Mind Changings -
May 25, 2018
The Four Mind Changings The four mind changings form the foundation of the Vajrayāna path. When we commit to this path, we start by practicing the preliminary practices: the ngöndro. And we begin...
Read MoreBeing Confident and Decisive -
May 20, 2018
Phakchok Rinpoche observes that many Dharma students these days are not decisive. Why aren't we more decisive? Because we lack confidence. We need to develop a sense of dignity and force inside ourselves. We may have many excellent qualities--we are...
Read MoreLetter to Myself -
Apr 25, 2018
Dear Friends Near and Far, I hope you have all been healthy and happy. I am at the moment at my home base in Boudhanath, Kathmandu. I have been spending my mornings...
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