Wisdom

In this video teaching, Phakchok Rinpoche reminds us that the essence of our mind is already enlightened. Yet, even though our nature is pure, that does not imply that we then can sit back and do nothing. We need to accumulate merit!

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).

We have a lot of negative emotions, don’t we? And traditionally, Buddhist teachers explain that the antidote for our negative emotions is the application of the Dharma. Defining what we means by Dharma thus becomes crucial. Implementing, or putting into practice, the Dharma is what the Buddha did. Put most simply, Dharma is method and wisdom. Application of these two is what the Buddha experienced.

Happy Guru Rinpoche Day! I am at present presiding over the Tsekar “White Amitayus” Drupchen here at our Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery in Boudhanath. It is a five family Buddha Amitayus practice with the hundred deities that Guru Rinpoche received at the Maratika cave in Nepal with Lhacham Mandarava.

We may notice certain representations such as a Dharma wheel with two deer gazing steadily at it appear frequently. Why do we see this image on every monastery?

As Buddhist practitioners, essentially the two qualities we are striving to develop are wisdom and compassion; wisdom and compassion that are as vast and unmovable as the sky, as stable as a mountain, and as bright as the sun.

For this Guru Rinpoche Day, I would like to share a clip from my recent teaching at the Drepung Loseling Temple in Atlanta, Georgia. The first main topic of the clip covers the meaning of the word “enlightenment” because this word is often too abstract for us.

Firstly on this Guru Rinpoche Day, I would like to share a short video in which I talk about the five dear friends that everybody should have. You can watch the video above. Next, I would like to talk about motivation. These days when we talk about enlightenment, many people, including sometimes myself, don’t have a full understanding of what enlightenment really is.

In our lives, we need the spiritual path, meaning we need to practice. So please, be happy in whatever it is that you’re doing; don’t always look at others and get caught up in comparison.

Whether in your mundane life or your spiritual, always remind your self of the three qualities: Intelligence and wisdom in your brain, compassion in your heart, and dignity and confidence in your gut.

Today being the first Guru Rinpoche Day message of the year 2012, I would like to share with you a teaching given by Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche many moons ago in Bhutan, perhaps the most memorable time of my life.