Tulku Migmar Tsering Archives

Understand Ignorance to Reveal Buddha-Nature

Tulku Migmar Tsering November 21, 2019

Understand ignorance. Why would we need to do that if we are studying our minds? Most of us come to meditation retreats or Buddhist teachings because we are searching for answers. We know that we are unhappy, or anxious, or we may just feel like something is not quite right. If we have studied for some time, we may have heard a lot about how we are confused by ignorance. But why do we need to understand ignorance? Because if we just think that we suffer from ignorance, we may start to think of ignorance as something solid and unchanging.

Repeated Placement: Once Again Resting the Mind

Tulku Migmar Tsering November 14, 2019

Repeated Placement is the third stage of our calm abiding meditation. In shamatha meditation, our practice proceeds gradually so that we are able to quickly recognize when our attention wanders off. Here, Tulku Migmar Tsering explains how repeated placement works.Repeated placement means that as soon as we notice we are distracted we bring the mind back. Here Tulku explains that if we allow our wandering to go on, it makes the mind very “heavy”. And then it is harder for us to be mindful and to meditate. So he suggests that we learn to do this in three seconds–don’t forget our focus.

Cultivating New Habits for Busy Minds

Tulku Migmar Tsering October 10, 2019

When we hear the word “meditation” we may think that we can’t keep still for an hour and be calm. But, as Tulku Migmar as explains here, the point of meditation is the process itself. When we meditate we are cultivating new habits bit by bit in short periods.

Mental Maintenance Creates Stability

Tulku Migmar Tsering October 3, 2019

“Mental Maintenance” means working with our own minds. Anxiety, depression, and stress can affect anybody. First, we need to take care of our actual physical needs, but then we also should care for our minds. Mental maintenance signifies stability. So first, it is good to investigate our own minds. Are they stable? Are we in control of our minds?

Patience: Practicing the Pāramitās in Daily Life, Part Four

Tulku Migmar Tsering September 19, 2019

Patience comes into play when we encounter anger or difficult outside circumstances. This third of the six transcendental perfections, or pāramitās, helps us to remain stable as we face problems in mundane life and in spiritual practice. Here, Tulku Migmar Tsering discusses how we can rely on patience in our daily life. If we can learn how to tolerate difficult conditions without giving rise to anger, we are being patient.

Discipline: Practicing the Pāramitās in Daily Life, Part Three

Tulku Migmar Tsering September 15, 2019

Discipline in the Buddhist context involves monitoring our own behavior so that we do not harm others or ourselves. We behave the way we really want the world to be, rather than behaving reactively.

Practicing the Pāramitās in Daily Life, Part One

Tulku Migmar Tsering September 10, 2019

Practicing the Pāramitās represents a major element of the Mahayana Buddhist path. These six “transcendental perfections” (Tib. parol tu chinpa druk) enable practitioners to accumulate both merit and wisdom. In the first of a series of short video teachings, Tulku Migmar Tsering introduces us to these important practice

Teachings on Khenpo Ngakchung’s Commentary on Words of My Perfect Teacher

Juri Henley-Cohn July 26, 2019

For a sweltering, but inspiring and deeply rewarding, couple of days over 4th of July weekend, a few lucky sangha members were able to receive

Bell and Dorje: Understanding Ritual Objects

Tulku Migmar Tsering February 4, 2019

In the Vajrayana context, practitioners utilize the bell and dorje as important symbolic ritual items. At the outer level, these two implements represent the indivisibility of means (vajra) and the wisdom recognizing emptiness (bell).

Perception: Understanding Its Power

Tulku Migmar Tsering December 13, 2016

Perception has power and it can be surprisingly strong. Normally, perception and habits work together to create a mistaken view of our world.Perception always comes from first not knowing. Perception is the mind’s expression or its reflection. It does not exist out there somewhere in the world.