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Buddhism:Ancient Medicine

for Healing ModerMinds

VenerableThubten Tenzin


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Author copyrightVenerable Thubten Tenzin 2010.


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Chapter 1: Introduction 7

Chapter 2: Depression 15

Chapter 3: Anger 25

Chapter 4: Anxiety, Worry and Fear 30

Chapter 5: Grief and Loss 33

Chapter 6: Internalized Trauma 43

Chapter 7: Addictions 52

Chapter 8: Buddhist Life Skills &Practices 60

Chapter 9: Meditations 96

Simple Breath Awareness Meditation 97

Mindfulness of Breath, Easing our Pain 98

Peaceful Essence Within Meditation 101

The Emptiness of Anger Meditation 104

The White Light of Compassion 107

A Meditation to Transcend Grief and Loss 110

Walking Meditation 113


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Ton-Len (Taking and Giving) Meditation 115

Dissolving the Chains of Addiction 120

Relieving the Suffering I Meditation 122

Emptiness Meditation 125

Buddha Taras Heart Connection 127

Everyday Purification Tantra Meditation 131

Unblocking the Chakras Meditation 136

Healing the Emotions with the FiveDhyani Buddhas Meditation 138

Impermanence to Selflessness 140

Simple Purification 142

Overcoming Laziness 144

Impermanence 147

Relieving the Aches and Pains ofHarmful Emotions 151

Dedication 153

Glossary 154


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Chapter OneIntroduction

I hope that you understand what the word spiritual

really means. It means to search for - to investigate -the true nature of the mind. Theres nothing spiritualoutside. My rosary isnt spiritual; my robes arentspiritual. Spiritual means the mind and spiritual people

are those who seek itsnature.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche


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What is Buddhism?

His Holiness the Dalai Lama:

Usually I make three categories of Buddhism - the first

part I consider as Buddhist science; secondly Buddhist

concept or Buddhist philosophy - which comes on the

basis of today's reality; and then Buddhist religion,because of the possibility of the elimination of all

negative emotions, then it is worthwhile to start some

practice.

Patrul Rinpoche:

Buddhism is a voyage towards wisdom, serenity andgoodness.

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche:

One is a Buddhist if he or she accepts the following fourtruths:

All compounded things are impermanent.

All emotions are pain.All things have no inherent existence.Nirvana is beyond all concepts.

These four truths, spoken by Buddha himself, are knownas the four seals.


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Introduction

For us as Westerners, we could see Buddhism not as apsychology, not as a philosophy, not as a religion, but

as healing.

Through examination, meditation, study and learningthe Buddhas liberating words, we can experience our

true way of being, our natural, clean purity of mind.We are able to lift away the unsatisfactory, negativeveils of ignorance that cause suffering, and awaken atrue, spiritual way of being.

What I mean by ignorance is that we are totallyunaware of our own special, compassionate, kind,loving, naturally abiding, true state of mind.

Buddhism is about seeing and awakening to who andwhat we really are, our own full potential, and ourinterconnectedness and interdependency with all beings

in the universe. Buddhism is about transforming ourdissatisfied mind into a happy, contented, peacefulstate of mind.

It has been said by many motivational speakers thateverything comes from the mind. If we believe, then

we can achieve. Maybe these speakers have some

understanding of the coalition of the body and mind,that by transforming the mind we can liberate it and

simultaneously free the body of suffering states such asillness and pain.

Questioning and examining our minds is necessary.


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This mindfulness helps us to live in the moment, not inthe past or in the future. This is not just a mental

exercise to be practised occasionally, but is a tried andtrue method to free the mind and body from the suffering

of clinging to fantasies and lies. Cultivate the thought:Do unto others as you would have done unto you. Thismeans thinking about your interactions with others, andactually making the conscious effort not to harm them.We harm others by thinking about them incorrectly,

speaking to them harshly, and touching them withouttheir permission. As well as stopping all harm toeveryone, we should also treat others with respect andcare.

This may not be easy, and it does take effort. It meanslooking very closely at ourselves, with honesty. It meansrecognising and giving up the suffering nature of our life

and our world. We can begin by reflecting,contemplating and meditating on the nature of our life.Is our life suffering? If we answer yes, then this life, thisprecious life, is an excellent opportunity to find out why

the Buddha is regarded as the Doctor to heal all ills. TheBuddha is the Doctor who prescribes the medicine: therelief from mental or physical suffering. The Buddhas

teachings are how to do this and how to achieve Saint-like qualities. The Teachers or Sangha administer themedicine (the Dharma) which is the teaching about thetruth that exists and is there for all.


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Arent we all suffering? By merely having a body wesuffer. By knowing we are impermanent and that we

will die, we suffer. In this, we are all equal. Throughthis process of examination, we can then behave

towards ourselves and others in a caring andresponsible way. We can begin our path to freedom

and open up to the ultimate reality, the possibility of amind free of all afflictive emotions.

More and more we can reveal and unravel all theintricate causes and paths we have created to find

happiness. We have sought happiness in others, inobjects, and in attachments. If we are honest withourselves, we can recognise what happiness is andattain that simplicity and contentment. So what is

holding us back? Here, we must continue withintelligent questioning. Why is it necessary? It isimportant to analyse and question any teachings on ourpath to freedom, especially the teachings of the

Buddha. At least put a little effort into it, have joywhen an understanding comes, and be happy!

When we laugh at ourselves and are happy, not taking

ourselves so seriously, we become more in tune withour own light, honest nature. By not holding andcherishing ourselves above others, we can drop away all

acting and all pretence. As Shakespeare said,All the world is a stage and all the persons on it aremerely players, women and men each have their ownentrances and exits


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Buddhism is healing our afflictions, it is not esoteric and

it is not mystical. It is simply the truth. Some peoplemay be drawn to Buddhism by dissatisfaction or

unhappiness, or some of us see a quality we want.That quality is about healing ourselves and wanting thatsame medicine for others, our loved ones. This meansthat we can stop harming ourselves and others, and wecan also find methods to benefit all.

Why is the Buddha the Doctor? The Buddha understood

that all beings are born and die in cyclic existence. Heunderstood that if this life, this one cherished life, was a

permanent state of being, then we would notdie. Thevery best attitude to life, therefore, is to make itmeaningful. The medicine the Buddha gave was useful,the healing power to stop death in the conventional

way. We need to ask ourselves: Why is it that I am

going to die? Is there something that continues? Theanswer is yes, the mind continues. So we need to havea healthy, happy mind, not just in the present, but inthe future as well. This is achievable by letting go ofpast misconceptions, and letting go of the intellect thatthinks I know all the answers. It is achievable bybeing open and honest with ourselves, so that we can

seek out a way to get well and happy.

If we can be open to the honesty of our existence, thenwe can be liberated from unpleasantness and pain. Ifwe study at all, we can study the awakening path, the

awareness of our inner universe. If we meditate, wecan reflect and contemplate our life, the meaning of life,

and how to make it meaningful.


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The healing methods (meditations) contained in thisbook are easy to use. They should be helpful to begin

the path to the cessation of unhappy states of mind.

The Holy Being Lama Yeshe said that Buddhism is notcultural, it can be used by all human beings. He alsosaid it contains all the necessary methods, medicines

and antidotes for us to be well and happy.

We have the right to do this, and we are worthy to dothis. We can help ourselves become peaceful and

recognise our true, naturally-abiding state, our loving,kind, empathetic and compassionate nature. All of ourproblems have solutions. The problems are creations ofour own minds, and can be fixed by our own minds. Tohelp us, we need to learn about the truth throughstudy. We then need to reflect on that truth throughmeditation. Finally, we experience that truth and path

for ourselves through realization and spiritualawakening. There is no time like the present to begin!I pray this book helps you.


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Chapter TwoDepression

Why be unhappy about somethingIf it can be remedied?

What is the use of being unhappy about something if it

cannot be remedied?

Shantideva


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The Reason for Depression

Depression is the term coined to describe

dissatisfaction. What are we dissatisfied with? Is it ourhealth? Are we unhappy with our physical body or theway it performs? Are we unhappy with our lot in life?Are we short of money? Do we have enough money todo what will bring us short-term happiness? Are we

dissatisfied with family, friends or a partner? Are othersliving up to our expectations? Are we dissatisfied with

society? Do others provide us with a nurturing,respectful attitude? How much in our lives actually

brings us happiness? How do we find some happiness?We should ask these questions because we wanthappiness. We deserve to be happy. We can find waysor develop ways to become happy for longer periods or

even eternal future lives!

Depression has a specific cause: In past lives and in thislife we have had attachment to people, things andideas, wanting everything to be permanent, to be justhow we want it to be, setting up in our mind recurringpatterns of thoughts and feelings that become easyhabits that lead to depression.

WHAT DEPRESSION FEELS LIKEWe might be feeling that we just cant find an answer.We might be feeling more and more dissatisfied. Wemight be feeling sad, emotional, and unworthy. We

might feel lost and alone.


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WHAT FACTORS TRIGGER DEPRESSION

Loss can be a big factor that triggers unhappy,

depressed thoughts. We might have lost a friend, away of life, a parent, a pet, our favourite possessionthe list goes on. Expectations are another factor. We

might have built up expectation of how our life shouldbe, what our parents, the media, school teachers andfriends have told us, and then life doesnt turn out thatway. It can become a big loss. When we spend some

time reflecting on our situation with a calm mind, veryoften the trigger for our depression can suddenly arise.There are as many reasons for depression as there arepeople.

DISADVANTAGES OF DEPRESSIONWe already know that isolation, laziness, loneliness and

unhappiness harm us. Its true too that ourconsciousness affects others. A good way to motivateourselves to act against our depression is by seeing ourconnection with others. This could lead us intoworthwhile tasks that are humanitarian, useful andmeaningful.

REFLECTION ON OUR SITUATIONWe might be able to find some quiet time to ourselves.

Then we can just breathe, and concentrate on our ownnatural breath, letting go of how everything should be,so we feel more peaceful (see Simple Breath

Awareness, page 97). From there we could look at our

own life in depth. We could think about how everysingle person has problems or is


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unhappy with some part of their life. We could thinkabout how we are capable of managing our life andhealing unhappy states of mind by ourselves, forourselves. Or we could seek some help or professionalguidance. We could look at our life and see that we arefortunate to have the life we have. We could think, I

can have a happy, meaningful life.

LIVING IN THE PRESENT MOMENT

Letting go of the past and all our plans for how our lifeshould be in the future helps us find peace right now.We can find a sense of contentment and happiness inthe present moment. Just being also means were

calmer and gentler to others. This means that insteadof harming anyone else, were more likely to benefitthem because our attitude has changed. When we let

go of our expectations of others, and just let them be,its more relaxing and freeing for us (and them!).

MEDITATIONMeditation has been scientifically proven in numerous

studies to improve physical health and emotional well-being as well as help people prioritize their lives. By

looking within in meditation, we can find our ownspiritual path. As His Holiness the Dalai Lama says,

our own innately loving, kind, compassionate nature.Start with simple meditations such as white lighthealing (see page 98), or any meditation which notesthe impermanence of our thoughts, how everything is influx.


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FEELING WORTHY

We need to look inside ourselves to understand that weare worthy, we can feel better, we can overcome all our

negative states of mind and depressionwe have theright to be happy. Part of feeling worthy is notworrying about living up to other peoples expectationsof ourselveswe dont have to measure up to society,parents, the media, etc. Our worth is inside, not

outside. We might think we are unimportant, but theuniverse is within us. So we are important, our life is

precious. We have the potential to be an enlightenedbeing. Our confidence can grow when we start to treat

ourselves and others with respect and kindness.

THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT

We really need some kind of spirituality in our lives.

Depression is about a spiritual crisis. It arises becausewe dont reflect, we dont look at the reasons weexperience eventswe dont look at the causes we havemade. Instead, wed rather blame others. If we didlook at the reasons why we are experiencing certaineffects, we could take responsibility for the problems inour lives, and stop being a victim. According to the law

of cause and effect, we are experiencing the result ofdepression. But we can remove the cause that leads todepression.

EFFORT

When we have time alone and feel comfortable beingalone, we can replace our depression time with


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healing meditation time. When we are with others, wecan choose our company wisely, not falling into the trap

of idle gossip and slanderunhealthy pursuits. Some

effort is needed to change our mind from negative topositive.

COURAGEWe might need courage to face our depression andadmit that we are dissatisfied with our lives. We mightneed courage to let go of the trigger of our depression,

courage to let go of the stress of a complex life,courage to live simply. We might need courage to seethat there are no quick fixes. If we spend some quiettime not bombarding our senses, we could begin tohave faith in our own innate clarity of mind.

ANTIDOTES

The mental pain we feel can be healed by antidoteswhich are the opposite of the negative feeling. Forexample, we replace anger with loving-kindness andpatience. We apply loving concern to others who havethe suffering of fear and anxiety. We apply theantidotes of courage and effort when we feel unworthy.

The truth of selflessness means not holding onto a

sense of I continually, but allowing space or concernfor others. Loving compassion for others is the best

antidote to heal ourselves and the best way to feelconnected to others.

WHO IS DEPRESSED?The mind experiences depression and can healdepression. It is an inner experience. The mind is


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likened to a continuum of moments of thoughts. If wewant future moments to be positive, we need to create

those positivities now. If we want to have a happy

mind in the future, we have to create that happinessnow. The first step to happiness is getting to know ourown mind, meditating peacefully in a quiet space. All of

us can heal, all of us can make our future better.

IMPERMANENCE Depression is not permanent. We arecapable of easing and eventually ending our depression.

We can analyse what is making us unhappy now, andwe can analyse what will make us happy now and in thefuturewe can try to have a spiritual, simple life andfind out what is most important to us.

No matter what comes up, if I apply an antidotewith courage, I can go through anything.

COMPASSION FOR DEPRESSIONWe should develop empathy for sufferers of depressionand for all beings. Empathy is the precursor tocompassion. We should contemplate how in this worldthere are so many different forms of suffering. Thereare the sufferings of thirst and starvation due to naturaldisasters. There are man-made sufferings due to war,

greed and avarice. All around us in the West, here inAustralia, are the physical attachments of alcohol,cigarettes and material goods, all said to make ushappy. But are we truly happy?


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We can see that all beings, including ourselves, are

dissatisfied. This is empathy - understanding that weare all in this together, and that we all become

dissatisfied or unhappy with certain parts of our lives,or life in general.

What is compassion? Compassion is seeing sufferingand wanting to alleviate that suffering. It is a sincere

feeling from our heart - actually renouncing our ownsuffering and genuinely wanting to take away others

suffering as well. If we see a need for compassionateaction, then we can skilfully apply the means to help

others. Skilful help involves showing others a short-term and long-term solution to problems which does notresort to artificial means such as drugs, escapismthrough alcohol, or escapism through impermanent

pleasure-seeking such as travelling or going on picnics!

Meditation on compassion is necessary to live ameaningful life. Developing and actually experiencingcompassion for oneself and others is possible. We cando this. We can help alleviate suffering for everyone bycherishing others more, thinking of others more. Insociety, this gives us a sense of well-being and

confidence, which enables us to lead fulfilling,meaningful lives, to become humanitarians, which areso necessary in our world today. Then we can helpothers in small and large ways.

By developing compassion we can find all antidotes tothe suffering of our own and others depression.


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If we experience depression, or dissatisfaction, then theempathy that arises for others who are also depressed

or dissatisfied can empower us to be of benefit, to find

the skills to stop our own and others unhappiness.

A strong sense of expectation comes up in the mind if

we see others as only being there for us, as the oneswho have to pick up all the pieces for us when we fallapart. If we think others are there just to make ushappy, its as though we dont have a responsibility or

even a right to make ourselves happy. As a result, wefeel unworthy. When those people we haveexpectations of either cant or wont come through forus, we can develop a sense of unworthiness. However,this can be overcome by our self-confident way ofbeing: deep empathy and compassion for others. Thisunworthiness can be reversed by letting go of every

expectation we have of others and taking on theresponsibility to help others. We can then see howmuch others suffer from depression, which leads us toturn everything around, change our view, and see thatwhat really brings us the most happiness is helpingothers in whatever way we possibly can. This is the

good heart His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama often

describes.

The development of the good heart is so necessary intodays world. Inspiration can come from all thosepeople who give their time, their experience, theireffort, their money to benefit others, although


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they seem to lead ordinary lives. We all need thisaltruistic intention. Then life has so much heart

essence and love, which spills over and expands to be

of the ultimate benefit.


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Chapter Three

Anger

We need to see how anger starts deep down, and cut itthere, at the root.

Geshe Sherab


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Healing Anger

This is not a teaching to manage anger, but to help usto stop anger, to cut it. Instead of anger management,

we can cut the cause of anger and remove angercompletely.

Anger is very damaging for ourselves and everyone inour line of fire. Anybody who is close to us suffersmental and physical pain because of our anger.

We need to remind ourselves that there are other formsof anger, such as tension, testiness, impatience, andfrustration, as well as full-blown anger.

There are physical manifestations resulting from anger,including illnesses of the liver, bile and gall bladder, aswell as the potential of a heart attack. Mental illnesses

also arise because we continue to think we have theright to be angry. This causes more anger to arise inthe future. Another result of anger is that we createmore negative behaviour such as harsh words, swearing

and violence.

We may be passive-aggressive, with constant low-lyinganger. This inner arrogance, that seethes beneath the

surface, can be eradicated for our sake and thehappiness of others, because it is impermanent. Forour own well-being, we need to stop it.

We may think were justified to be angry. We maythink that others are making us angry. But the


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truth is that anger comes from us. There is no reasonto get angry, we cant justify it. Anger comes up

because of past moments of anger. And being angry

now only leads to more moments of anger. It mayseem that nothing can help or alleviate our anger.

The first step is to avoid all situations, circumstancesand people who may trigger our anger, angst andfrustration. If you feel angry because of social injustice,then find a way to help with action, dont just talk about

it. Social justice needs to come from peaceful, openprotest and from voting.

Secondly, we need to be honest with ourselves,recognizing our anger, so that we can apply theantidotes of patience and loving kindness.

With our inner wisdom, we can look at why we getangry in particular situations. We can see that we haveexpectations of ourselves and others. Things dont gothe way we want them to. We must make a consciouseffort to stop anger immediately as it arises.

Even the tiniest impatience or testiness will have a

karmic result - more of the same increased testinessand lack of patience, and more ripening of lower

rebirths. Textual confirmation from the Buddhas Sutraof the Causes and Effects of Actions, and confirmationfrom our own Teachers of Buddha-Dharma, shows thatanger causes lower realm rebirths. Therefore, we must

stop buying into any situation that ripens our anger.


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We can use mindfulness in order to apply patience,

mindfulness of extra space in the mind allowing us torespond rather than react, and mindfulness of extra

effort to avoid anger, all of which contribute to moreand more patience. The absence of anger certainly

makes for a happier person and a peacefulenvironment. It also allows caring, patient people intoour lives.

If we feel we have always been angry, and some of us

believe that we have been angry from birth, we shouldlearn to eradicate anger by continuously applying theantidotes of patience and loving-kindness whilerecognising that this does work - this is also patience!

PATIENCE

Patient loving-kindness is the best healing aspect for

oneself in overcoming anger. The flow-on effect is thatothers, and that includes people and animals, receivepeace, love and patience from us.

Look for the pivotal moment and transform your mind

into patience and happiness. Then dedicate (or offer)that peace and happiness to others. We can think: In

just this moment I remembered to apply the antidotesof love and patience. I must be this way for everyone!

May I always be this way for everyone!

See The Emptiness of Anger Meditation on page 104


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Good works gathered in a thousand ages,Such as deeds of generosity,

Or offerings to the Blissful Ones -

A single flash of anger shatters them.

No evil is there similar to hatred,

Nor austerity to be compared with patience.Steep yourself, therefore, in patience,In all ways, urgently, with zeal.

As a destructive force, there is nothing as strong asanger. An instant of anger can destroy all the positiveactions accumulated over thousands of kalpas throughthe practice of generosity, making offerings to theBuddhas, keeping discipline, and so on. Indeed, thereis no fault as serious as anger.

Patience, on the other hand, as a discipline thatneutralizes and prevents us from succumbing to anger,is unrivalled. Through it, the suffering we endure fromthe heat of the negative emotions is relieved. It istherefore of the utmost importance that we resolve to

practice patience, gaining inspiration through reflecting

on its advantages and on the terrible effects of anger.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai LamaFrom A Flash of Lightning in the Dark of Night:

A Guide to the Bodhisattvas Way of LifeShambala Publications


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Chapter Four

Anxiety, Worry & Fear

I tell even those people who do not believe in religionthat it is important to understand the cause and effect

relationship in that everything is dependent on causesand factors.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama


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Healing Anxiety, Worry and Fear

FEARFear exists for all of us. Animals and humans feel fear.We might be afraid of losing our very own life, our ownbody, we might fear death, strangers, or change.Everyone feels fearwe could learn how to havecompassion for ourselves and everyone who suffers

from fear every day. We could come to see were allthe same, we all have worries.

LOSSWe might be anxious and worried about losing ourfriends, a job, our lifestyle. Holding onto thesethoughts can stress us out and make us sick. If wecould learn how to let go of these thoughts we would beless worried about worldly matters, and lead a morecontented life. Then this would flow on to everyone

around us.ATTACHMENTOur worldly concerns can make us feel moments ofanxiety. Our attachment to getting what we want canmake us really worried, even panicky. Our attachment

to avoiding what we dont want can make us dissatisfiedand angry when things go wrong. Attachment might

feel like: I deserve this, I need this, or This is myright!.

WHAT IS ANXIOUS?Who is worrying? What is getting anxious? Will I still

be worried if I get what I want? The more we cling tothis life as everlasting, the more worried we get. If wecan let go of that sense of I and be


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more spacious, we can open up to more possibilities.We can just be without expectations or feelingseparate from others.

THE PRESENT MOMENTIn the present moment we can let go of worrying about

the future. We can experiment in coming back to thepresent moment, no longer chasing thoughts of thefuture, or reliving the past. The past seems better only

because its in the past! When we long for things, wesuffer from worry and anxiety.

THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECTWhen we widen our perspective and look at our planet,we can see the suffering of all the other beings. We cancome to understand why things happen like hurricanes,

droughts and earthquakes. We can learn about the lawof cause and effect and see that our worry and fearcant change these natural disasters. A collective cause

is the real reason these things happenits onlylogicaland we can also collectively create the causesfor good things to happen, like the way we are trying tofix the hole in the ozone layer.

OTHER BEINGSWhen we see others pain, we can do something aboutit. Others are extremely kind like thisthey help us to

open our heart. They arent the cause of our fear orworry or anxiety, instead theyre our reason to becomea compassionate being. In fact, other beings help us tosee our interconnectedness.


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Chapter FiveGrief and Loss

Because of our Western up-bringing, we have beenshielded from the truth of impermanence and death.

Venerable Thubten Tenzin


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Healing Grief and Loss

The most important thing we should look at to heal grief

and loss is that although everything about our grief andloss seems so physically permanent and painful, it is infact so impermanent.

When we are going through any emotional crisis, what

we crave is to find something or someone who will giveus some physical or mental happiness. For most

people, to meditate at this time is very difficult, toconcentrate is very difficult, but at these difficult

emotional times, it can be seen as a great opportunityto take a look at the deep spiritual aspect of our lives.In quiet contemplation, we can question ourselves:

Why? Why did this happen? To look at life in

general, to look at why we are alive and why people die

is an honest, beneficial activity at this time, or anytime.

UNDERSTANDING LOSSThe understanding of the impermanent and sufferingnature of our existence is to lift the veils of delusion tothe cause of life and to the end of life. This

understanding helps us to see why allof us go throughbirth, sickness, old age and death. We all seekhappiness from life, and we try hard to extendmoments of happiness. It is a great shock when we arefaced with the impermanence of everything, especially

the loss of someone close.


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We may be thinking, Poor me! Why me? But if we

can drop a victim sense of self, and understand that allpeople experience death and the loss of someone close

to them, then we can shift the focus from ourselves.We can transform the thought of I and me to thethought of, How can I help the person who has died?

We could think, May they be well and happy, peaceful

and at ease, with no physical or mental pain. We couldmake up our own wish, saying the persons name. For

example, when I lost my father, I said, May my father[then I said his name] be free of a lower rebirth, attain

a human rebirth, meet the deep and profound truth andespecially a precious Mahayana Teacher.

If we said this prayer each and every time we missed

that person, or each and every time we wished we

could still have them in our lives, then our words andworrying thoughts would transform into somethingbeneficial for ourselves and the person we are grievingover. We would also see the transitory nature of theway we view the loss. We would see the loss as a wayto develop spiritual understandings, to see that allpeople must go through the death process.

The loss that we feel can enable us to pray and benefitthe person and all others who have died or who will diein the future, including ourselves. We actually dontknow the time of our death, and


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these prayers help us to prepare for that eventuality.

This empowered view and our action of prayer can be aliberating experience, especially for those of us who feelovercome by grief and loss. It can free us to becomemore open to a spiritual and beneficial aspect to ourexistence. How extremely kind then, is this person whohas passed away. He or she has given us an incredible

opportunity to become awake to the truth, theimpermanence of life and death, and the love and carewe feel can benefit them now and in the future.

See A Meditation to Transcend Grief and Live withLoss Meditation on page 110.


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Further Insights to Heal Grief and Loss

We experience different types of loss in our lives, suchas death, divorce, separation, our children leavinghome, job loss, losing our house, loss of livelihood,losing our country, losing our health and losing ourmobility.

We should try to understand why the loss hashappened, and why some people suffer more thanothers. Meditation or quiet time to reflect and work on

our mind is the very best way to understand why thesethings happen. We also need to have compassion forourselves, and understand the truth of suffering - thefact that everyone suffers, and everyone suffers from

loss and grief as well.

But really, what we need to learn is how to stop our

suffering forever. To do this we need to be honest withourselves. Firstly, we must let go of guilt, which is auseless, degrading, depressive emotion. We cantchange the past, and going over it just causes ussuffering now. It seems to extend that pain to others

as well, involving others in our misfortunes by upsettingthem. The aim of a deeply aware, understanding

person is to cause no suffering and have no angertowards anyone. Letting go of the past stops the re-hashing, reliving which makes us immobile, stagnant,unable and unwilling to change.


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DENIALUnfortunately, we are all in denial. We block outreality, not understanding why we are alive. We shutdown to death and impermanence, which are physicaltruths. Think for yourself, from your ownunderstandings and your own views. See that your life,this life, is a journey from beginningless to endlesstime. Death is just part of the journey. Let go of

seeking worldly lasting happiness. It is not available ina lasting way because there is an end to the body. Thebest thing is to have compassion for yourself. See the

truth of impermanence and death: everything will end.Then work for the benefit of others.

We need to understand why loss happens. There is no

chaos theory and no God theory - every person is underthe influence of the law of cause and effect, until wedesire to stop our afflictions. Every being with

sentience suffers from birth, old age, sickness anddeath. If someone dies, the karma of that life isexhausted, but because of a heightened sense of selfwe try to hang onto them, we try to manipulate theirdeath. We dont understand the truth of death, that it

is a natural ending to life. We try to bring them back,when we should let them go. We need to stop feeling

guilty - what is done, is done. We should havecompassion for ourselves by recognising that loss isreal, it is a physical reality. Only by the spiritualunderstandings of life and death can we be honest withourselves.


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Our mind continues on, and we can change our mindinto that of an Awakened Being, awake to the truth ofour existence. There is no reason to go through theanxiety of fear and worry about ourselves or aboutothers. We can find a useful, peaceful way to helpourselves and others through meditation, reflection,study and prayer - this is the spiritual component oflife.

RELATIONSHIPSWe think relationships are permanent, but theyre not.

We feel guilty if we end a relationship or partnership,but often the karma has just exhausted itself.

CHILDREN

Children have their own karma. We need to let go andsee that they have their own karmic propensities to liveout. They have made causes to experience their own

effects.

DEATHDeath feels so final. They left me here. We seem toenjoy wallowing in this suffering. If only you were

here, everything would be better. But isnt that aboutus, and our own issues? We can transform our mind

from these emotive thoughts, let them go, stop ourgrief, and let those who have died go to their future,their new life.


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PHYSICAL PAINWhen someone suffers physical pain, they are ripeningand finishing their negative karma. We feel sorry forourselves having to see their suffering. But we can

make the prayers: By their suffering, may they never

go to lower realms, may they exhaust any negativekarmic imprints, may they stop the cycle of existence,and become an Awakened Being.

THE PAIN OF GRIEFEven suffering through the grieving process is karmathat ripens. So we offer with heartfelt prayer to others:

By experiencing this suffering of deep loss, may no oneelse have to experience it. May all beings everywherebe free of suffering.

STOPPING SUFFERINGWe go to doctors, hospitals, psychologists and healersexpecting them to stop our suffering. If we could go

instead to our own wisdom mind, we could stop oursuffering by the spiritual view of our ultimate qualities.The most perfect way of stopping physical and mentalsuffering is to recognise that it comes from a pastcreation. This we can purify. We can also prevent anyfuture ripening of physical and mental suffering.

EMPOWERMENTWhen someone is dying or suffering, we are empowered

to: Say prayers for them - a natural physical response


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Understand it from a bigger perspective - the natural

and spiritual truth

Try to understand the law of cause and effect Contribute to Medicine Buddha pujas (offering

ceremonies) and dedicate the merit and the puja to

them Do healing for them and ourselves with white light

healing meditation Do Ton-Len (giving and taking) meditation for them

Give them all your love and positive thoughts

We can say prayers for loved ones, no matter how muchlater it is. We can say prayers before, after and duringtheir death. This also helps us to let go of our ownsuffering now, because we can actually do something.We can even pray for our children that have gone to live

in another state, for example. We can practice Ton-Len(giving and taking) with the altruistic intention to stop alltheir pain and suffering forever, up until Enlightenment.

INNER CHANGEWe need to look for something truthful in the situation.

Otherwise we may get locked into feeling sorry for

ourselves. Often we think we can physically fix problemsbut in this instance it is much better to understand our

spiritual side. Instead of transferring our problem toothers to try to fix it, we need to stop our own sufferingand have love and compassion for ourselves. This is notselfish, this is positive healing.


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POSITIVITY

We need to replace any negative perspective with a

positive view. We need to let go of our loved one andmove on, without the manipulative efforts we put ontothem through thinking: Why me? Poor me! Why does

this have to happen to me? Why are you leaving me?

When we transform our minds from negative emotions topositive qualities, we really can see how to help others.

We can do this. A change in attitude will give us the self-confidence to continue with virtuous ideas and thoughts.We have an innately peaceful, compassionate mind whichis intrinsically loving and kind. Therefore, when we arepositive, we affect others by conscious example. Theymay ask, What are you doing to yourself? You seemmore peaceful.

Everlasting happiness is within us. Changing our mind isa huge step because of Western indoctrination and ourexpectations. We might even be thinking, Everyone isexpecting me to be emotionally grieving, or conversely

Everyone is expecting me to grin and bear it. Whatever

we think others expect of us and what we expect from

ourselves, what we really need is to have support andfaith in the spiritual aspect, understanding that

something continues, that something of that person welost is reborn.


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Chapter SixInternalised Trauma

If we cannot embrace suffering now, we will not see itsend.

Geshe Ngawang Dhargye


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Healing Internalised Trauma

What is the trigger that has caused us to internalise ourexperiences so deeply that we are now experiencing suchemotional pain?

Sometimes we can immediately recognise the trigger asphysical pain or physical suffering caused by war, abuse,

famine, drought, loss, illness or disease. But sometimesthe trigger is lost over time and we need to find andexamine it.

I believe that many of us need a psychiatrist or medicalpractitioner to help us with deep-rooted problems. If,however, you would like a spiritual answer, as some of us

do in the West, then we can find that answer with theview of our own ultimate qualities. This is the truth ofwhat is happening behind all the fabrications and

fantasies we make up with our mind.

Sometimes meditation is the application that can sootheaway many pains, because when we look within, we areable to help ourselves. If we believe in the teachings of

Jesus or Mohammed or Buddha, of course we can look tothem for guidance and help, through their teachings.

They can certainly help us with meditation as well - bytheir example. We can meditate on their loving-kindnessand compassion. Simple meditations such as white lighthealing can benefit ourselves and others. Doing themeditations in this book see p.107 can produce a


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Each individuals experience, be it rape, abuse, disease orwar, drought or physical depression, should be viewed as

something each of us can transcend.

Instead of blaming others, instead of holding individualsor communities to account, we can understand the

universal law of cause and effect: what we sow, so shallwe reap. This law is universal and encompassing. It canhelp us understand exactly why everything has a causeand a result in a complete way. It also allows us to think

of others and to see how everyone is under the influenceof this law, and will experience physical or mentalsuffering if they have sown or will sow a negative seed.

Thinking of others experiencing the torment of sufferingcan help us understand the truths of interdependency andinterconnectedness, and help us develop empathy and

compassion. We are all dependent on each other for ourhealth and well-being, our food, our electricity, etc. Byunderstanding our dependent nature, we can then be ofbenefit to others without expectations of gain and loss.

Only by creating positive causes can we get positive

results. By realising this, we see that our intrinsic

qualities of empathy, compassion and loving kindness canbe developed. We can also come to realise that whatever

result we are experiencing now must come from pastcreations.


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The greatest and most profound truth is the truth of

compassion for all beings. This is the root of the

Buddhas teachings. However, we need this truthfulunderstanding that alleviates suffering for everyone,including ourselves. What we need is the wisdom that

realizes the truth of reality, the truth of what is reallyhappening. All friends, relatives, foes and strangers alikeequally suffer from mental and physical problems, andneed each one of us to develop wisdom. They are indeed

crying out for a protector, an Awakened Being, anempathetic compassionate being who will develop theinsight that pain and suffering is real, and that we allexperience it! Transcending suffering is something thatwe can do, and then we can help others to do it.

So how can we change any results that may arise?

What is most important is to begin the healing process forourselves and others through Ton-Len (taking and giving)meditation.

Please try the Ton-Len Meditation on page 115.


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Using the Bigger Picture to Heal Trauma

There are many different traumatic experiences we may

have undergone, such as violence, physical and emotionalabuse, or the suicide of a person close to us. This traumamay have happened to us when we were young children,or as teenagers, or as adults. Trauma can come fromanything, any experience, and we can continue to

experience the suffering throughout the rest of our lives.

In order to heal trauma, we should ask ourselves:Why did this happen? For example: Why was I raped?

Sexually interfered with? Why did someone close commitsuicide? Why is there physical and mental abuse? Whydont people care? Where do I find some compassionateunderstanding for my unhappiness?

Our life must be beyond just the material reality we livein - it must have a spiritual side. That spiritual side is thetruth that there is a part of us that carries on, continues,when we die. This part of us, the mind, has always beenand will always be linked to our actions of body, speechand mind, linked to the universal law of cause and effect.This is very different to Gods wrath. Its also not a

chaos theory, just random chance that someone getsraped, for example. It is the result that we experiencebecause of having created the cause. This perspective isnot religious, because as Buddhists, we dont believe inGod. Instead, it is the truth of what you


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sow, so shall you reap. This is the spiritual perspective,

a factual account of what is going on in the universegoverned by this law of karma (action). Because we are

all under the sway of this universal law, it is natural thatwe would feel empathy and compassion for others. Thisis endemic in our nature.

There is another truth - the truth of compassion. Weneed to have strong compassion for ourselves.Compassion for ourselves means that we become aware

of how and why we are suffering, and that we really wantto take suffering away from ourselves now and in thefuture. With courage, we need to generate the wish tostop living in the suffering of remembering our traumaover and over again. We do this by saying to ourselves,

Its over. I never have to experience that again. Thekarma is finished. I will not have to go through that

result again. For all those who suffered the same, may itbe over for them also. May they never have to suffer

that pain and degradation ever again. We shouldcontinually say this to ourselves, and then over time wewill be able to let it go. By our simple dedication prayer,we can offer others the opportunity of never having tosuffer this same trauma again.

Now we need to generate compassion for the perpetratorof the crime. That person will go through so much

suffering in all the lower realms of existence, especially ifthey dont regret what they have done. This is also partof the truth of the law of


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cause and effect. The person was a condition to ripen ournegative karmic causes created in our past. When wethink of how they will suffer, we should try to arousesome compassion for them. If this feels like animpossible task, come back to having compassion for theothers who suffer or will suffer in the same way.

So many people go through so many different extremelypainful experiences of rape, violence, abuse and torment,so many experiences of pain. We should develop strongcompassion for all those people. We are able to expand

our compassion out to everyone who has been throughthe pain and traumatic experiences similar to what weourselves have gone through. With deep compassion, we

can connect to others and we can feel ourinterconnectedness with them all, understanding that thesufferings of body and mind are always a karmic result.

However, if we can feel some compassion for the personor persons who inflicted the pain, then we are finallygetting to the truth, and this should enable us to let go.

The Buddha truthfully said, the being or beings whoinflicted any form of pain on us are a condition in place toripen our own karma, and by their actions, they will go tolower realms.

DedicationMay I place all beings only in happiness,And bring them all only happiness and joy.From The King of Prayers


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Patient Endurance by

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

It is only natural that we dislike suffering. But if we candevelop the willpower to bear difficulties, then we willgrow more and more tolerant. As it is said in the text:

A Guide to the Bodhisattvas Way of Life

by Shantideva

There is nothing that does notGrow easier through habit.

Putting up with little troublesWill prepare me to endure much sorrow.

Heat and cold, the wind and rain,

Sickness, prison, beatings -

I will not fret about such things,For doing so will aggravate my trouble.

If we are very forbearing, then something we wouldnormally consider very painful will not appear so badafter all. But without patient endurance, even thesmallest thing becomes unbearable. A lot depends on

our attitude. Similarly, if we can develop patientendurance, we will be able to bear even great difficultieswhen they come our way.

From A Flash of Lightning in the Dark of Night

Shambala Publications


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Chapter Seven

Addictions

Intoxicants are the ultimate poison, since relying on

intoxicants leads to the degeneration of all virtues. Therecan be no stability of mind for someone living with anintoxicant habit. And dharma cannot abide in an unstablemind. Therefore, abandon intoxicants.

The Buddha,

from The Sutra on Close Mindfulness


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NEGATIVE COMPANY

When we end up hanging out with people who are alsodependent on substances and who act in a negative,

harmful way, we add more negativity to our existingproblems. We involve others in our addictive behaviour,we find friends that are ok with what were doing, we staywith people to sponge off them, we get into a cycle ofbad habits, and we let others influence us to staydependent. To get out of a group or a scene of friendswho are dependent takes bravery, and to stay away

takes courage again and again.

GREEDY?We might feel like we will try anything to fill a hole inside

us. But really, this empty space cant be filled withphysical addictive substances, can it?

COP OUTLots of us make excuses, because we dont want toaccept responsibility for our life. Wed rather cop out.Wed rather not put any effort into our life to make it

meaningful. But the reason were addicted is pastmoments of addiction, and if were going to change thatkarma, we need to purify or cleanse our mind.


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COMPASSION FOR OURSELVESCompassion means taking away suffering. We might see

now that our addiction is causing us pain, that we cantfind any real happiness in our addiction. So if were

going to take away our own suffering, we need to stopthe whole dependent addictive pattern. It means we

have to start taking care of ourselves, because we coulddie addicted.

CONDITIONINGWe might have experienced conditioning (or brain-

washing) from our parents or society that says its ok tobe dependent on drugs or alcohol. If thats happened, itcan be very hard to break the conditioning. We need tothink outside the square and be true to ourselves, not

what everyone else thinks is right.

PURIFICATION

To cleanse the mind of toxic dependency, we can practice

a meditation that overcomes habitual problems. This iscalled purification practice. It uses the 4 rs: regret,refuge, resolve and remedy (see page 142 for a Simple

Purification Practise).

EIGHT WORLDLY DHARMAS

There are eight ways of behaving which can reinforce ourdependency. Here is a list of them and how we could dothe opposite in order to overcome our dependency:1/2Praise and Blame. We can try not to blame others for

our addictions. We can avoid praising people to getdrugs or alcohol from them.


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3/4Gifts and No Gifts. We can stop expecting gifts ofmoney or drugs that lead to even more addiction. We

can stop giving gifts to others that add to their habits.5/6Fame and Infamy. We can stop trying to be the life of

the party or an important dealer or someone who candrink others under the table. We can make sure we dont

steal or hurt others to satisfy our addiction, or to becomenotorious.7/8 Comfort and Discomfort. We can stop clinging to ourcomfort zone of addiction. We can accept that we have areal problem rather than wallowing in addiction.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche says:

If you abandon the thought of the eight worldly dharmas,

youll have no problem with any object: when youexperience pleasure, no problem; when the pleasuredecreases again, no problem; when somebody praisesyou, no attachment to that praise; if youre surrounded

by all kinds of material objects, no problem of craving orconflict in your mind. Those who abandon the eightworldly dharmas never suffer from attachment.

Kopan Monastery, 1973

EMPATHY

Empathy is the recognition that each one of us suffersalike. Deep empathy is the recognition that we should dosomething about it. Compassion is the


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strong wish to take the suffering away from everybody,including ourselves. The altruistic intention is steppingoutside our comfort zones and actually doing something.Bodhichitta is the strong desire to lead all beings out ofsuffering forever.

See Dissolving the Chains of Addiction Meditation onpage 120.

The First Step to Healing AddictionsBy Geshe Konchog Tsering

The addicted person has to see the faults of theiraddiction (the loss, disadvantage or uselessness of theiraddiction). Without complete conviction that their

addiction is completely an anathema to them, no programor one method will bring about healing.

Only when they view their addiction as the enemy to bedestroyed, and when they see their addiction as havingno good qualities whatsoever, can many methods be usedto help them, because they are ready to listen and followadvice.

Ways in which addiction is harmful include:it wastes time,

wastes money, destroys family and friends, and isolatesthem from society. It is the root of every kind ofnegativity - stealing, lying deceit, with no opportunity to

practice Dharma and a waste of our precious humanrebirth.


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while perverse practices will be promulgated Peoplewill inhale tobacco smoke and the spatial-veins of

discriminative wisdom will become blocked, whilst

agitation and distorted emotions become intensified. Thecentral channel will be obstructed and the clarity ofawareness dies. Exhaustion of energy will cause agitation

around the world. Religious artefacts, the objects ofveneration, will deteriorate; perverted ideologies andfalse religions will spread Foreigners will invade Tibetand Tibetans will be forced to stray in the border lands.

Doctrines of Illusion will spread and the world will becomea dimension of hell.

The Prophecy of Thugchog Dorje

Tobacco is a plant that is combined with over onehundred chemicals to produce cigarettes. The plant itselfis poisonous and breathing in the smoke causes huge

problems to your body and mind.

It really takes fortitude not to bow to peer pressure aboutsmoking. You have to use your own inner strength tostay away from smoking. When you think about how itdestroys the subtle systems of the body, its easy to

understand how it amounts to spiritual death - you cant

be clear and you cant access the pure energy of yourmind. Your good heart isnt there and you cant help

others effectively. You end up believing totally in the gripand greed of a materialistic society without access tospirituality.


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Chapter Eight

Buddhist Life Skills& Practices

The great being, the Bodhisattva, embraces suffering forthe sake of all sentient beings. She or he is courageous,and therefore is always happy.

Geshe Ngawang Dhargey


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Introduction to Buddhist Life Skills andPractices

Buddhists believe that the mind is the continuum, that itis theknowing, continuing part of us. It follows that webelieve everything comes from the mind. By changingour mind from negative thoughts into positive thoughtsand then positive speech and actions, we can develop the

kindness, love and compassion necessary to benefitourselves and others.

The biggest component of our life should not be theaccumulation of worldly goods and objects, but todevelop the Good Heart as His Holiness the 14th DalaiLama says. He also says that the most important aspect

of Mahayana Buddhism, and actually the entire teachingsof the Buddha, is compassion.

Compassion is defined as:Deep awareness of the suffering of another, coupled withthe wish to relieve it.(From The American Heritage Dictionary of the EnglishLanguage, Fourth Edition)

We as Westerners need to define compassion in our own

minds - what is compassion to us? What does it mean tohave compassion? Why should we and how do we

develop compassion? The good heart?

Compassion means to recognise in ourselves that we aredissatisfied, that we suffer from many different ailments,

physical and mental, and that in our


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search for happiness, we often make others unhappy and

sad, causing them suffering. When we make consciousattempts to be kind, compassionate and loving towards

our friends and family, we feel good. This is what I callthe Win/Win situation of the good heart!

His Holiness says, Compassion is the very foundation ofwhy we exist and the practice of the good heart and

developing the altruistic mind is aimed at deepening ourunderstanding of compassion and invigorating the

compassionate potential that exists within us all. Howdo we do this? It begins with just the thoughts to change

the way we think and act towards ourselves and others.In other words, we change or transform our minds intopositive views of everything.

Western motivational speakers often say that everything

comes from the mind. For the good heart view, this isabsolutely true. When we recognise that everyone - eachone of us - has some form of suffering in our lives, veryoften not even visible, we could contemplate that eachone of us is the same in that we wish to be free fromsuffering. Actually, we want happiness, and we are allequal in this. This is then the practice of empathy. We

can further develop this empathy into deep empathy.Then we can begin the transformation, the changing ofour mind, to not thinking about ourselves and our ownselfish needs, but to think of others. We can put othersneeds before our own, especially if


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they are unwell or need our support. Then we can feel a

little happiness in our mind and others feel better andhappier. This is the beginning of the healing process of

our lives. How kind and precious others are by showingus a way to put a halt to our own negative behaviour, sothat we are no longer caught up in thoughts of Why me?Why always me? These thoughts are not at all helpful.

Often we feel we have a right to be dissatisfied and angrywith life and the world. This is also not useful and is

actually unproductive.We can heal ourselves by using a forgiveness meditation

and then progress into a loving-kindness meditation, andwhat should follow naturally is deepempathy/compassion, and finally we can use the Ton Len(giving and taking) meditation. This is the amazing

meditation of taking and giving perfected by the Tibetan

Lamas - true altruism. Meditating means we need somequiet time, some alone time, and often the rewards areseen in our life, our health and our looks. I firmly believe

that Buddhist thought and meditation is healing, healingour afflictive emotions.

Our thoughts can be considered a violence towardsothers, our actions can be considered a violence towards

others and our speech can be considered to be a violencetowards others. Check out your motivation and meditate

on this.His Holiness the Dalai Lama, from a Commentary on TheTruth of Suchness by Nagarjuna


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His Holiness the Dalai Lama describes Buddhism in the

context of modern Western parameters as a mind sciencethat has a firm basis in compassion. Lama Thubten

Yeshe always described Buddha-Dharma as a sense ofresponsibility, a universal responsibility, to all beings(beings with sentience) and taking a responsible attitudeof loving care and kindness to those beings.

The idea of universal responsibility to all sentient beingsis in truth the development of compassion for the plights

and sufferings that those beings feel.

In our human existence, we do have the opportunity tobenefit sentient beings. Whether we take up theseopportunities and be of benefit depends on ourequanimity, our sense of equality, empathy and

compassion.

The methodology we can use is complete in detail anddepth in the teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni and thelineage that comes down from the Indian pandits such asNagarjuna and Shantideva, to the Fourteenth Dalai Lama,the learned Tibetan scholars, and all realised beings thatexist, emanate and manifest in the world today, in many

and varied forms.

In order to bring the 2,560 year old instructions on theBuddhas Path to Enlightenment to the attention andawareness of our Western minds, we need put aside all

past theorising and concentrate on what


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the actual truth is - what makes us really happy. We can

experience this truth with an openness and recognition ofthe profundity of the truth of how we really exist.

The deep understanding that we are all interconnectedand interdependent but have our own individual mindstream which is in essence perfectly clear and clean andequal to all other sentient beings in potential and

qualities, is a fundamental truth of our human existenceand leads to such high qualities as humanitarianism and

absolute equanimity. We should therefore feel thedeepest empathy and compassion for everybody, and

show love and kindness to all.


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The Three Vehicles

When the Buddha taught, about 2,600 years ago, Hetaught a complete path to full Enlightenment. However,there were people of many dispositions, who could notunderstand all of the vehicles on the path toEnlightenment. Today we use the three vehicles asrecommended by His Holiness the Dalai Lama: outwardly

practising the Hinayana, inwardly practising theMahayana and secretly practising the Vajrayana.

Yanameans vehicle, and this is what we adopt to reachour goal of Enlightenment.

The Hinayanameans lesser vehicle, but in the terms of

Tibetan Buddhist practice, we call it the FoundationVehicle. This basis is the practice of ethics and morality:no harm to any sentient being, and this means no harm

with body, speech or mind. The first teaching of theBuddha (the first turning of the Dharma wheel) was TheFour Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path.Practising and meditating on these truths enables us tobecome more human, humbly aware of the purpose of

life.

The Four Noble Truths:This is Suffering.This is the Cause of Suffering.This is the Cessation of Suffering.This is the Path that leads to the Cessation ofSuffering.


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The Noble Eightfold Path:

Right ViewRight Thought

Right SpeechRight ActionRight LivelihoodRight EffortRight Mindfulness

Right Concentration

With continual concentration, meditation and meditativeabsorption, we can purify negativities and obtain

selflessness. When our ultimate qualities areexperienced, we have absolute belief in the purified stateof mind, free of all defilements. This is the mentalquiescence of an Arhat that becomes a state of liberated

bliss. On the Hinayana vehicle, it takes approximately 50

to 55 innumerable aeons to attain Enlightenment.

Mahayanameans greater vehicle, which is in effect, theessence of all the Buddhas teachings - compassion. Zen,Chan, Tibetan and Mongolian Buddhists more oftenpractice the Mahayana. The goal is to become aBodhisattva, one who wishes to attain Enlightenment for

the sake of all sentient beings. One enters theBodhisattva Bhumis by seeing emptiness directly, thenfollows the Six Perfections:Generosity,Ethics,

Patience,Joyous Effort,


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Concentration and

Wisdom.

The eighth Bhumi is art. The ninth Bhumi is skilful means/ teaching, and the tenth Bhumi is dedicating everything

to others. Or, the eight, ninth and tenth Bhumis could bedescribed as the continual refuting of wrong views. Youthen become a Buddha, a fully awakened compassionatebeing.

The Vajrayanavehicle means the Diamond Vehicle, whichis the swift vehicle. If you do Deity practice (such asMother Tara or Chenresig the Buddha of Compassion) andyou see the Teacher as having the same qualities as theDeity, you can achieve Buddhahood in sixteen lifetimes.However, seeking a teacher or having faith in a teacher

means that one must scrutinize the teacher well, andhave the belief that the teacher has both compassion andwisdom.

The foundation of the Buddhas complete teachings is theHinayana. The good heart of the Mahayana, the great

love and great compassion, enable us to practise the

Vajrayana with wisdom and compassion.

The Hinayana is likened to travelling to Enlightenment byhorse, the Mahayana is going by sports car, and theVajrayana is travelling by jet plane.


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Two Physical Truths

Because of our Western upbringing, we have beenshielded from the truths of impermanence and death.However, these two truths actually rule our lives.

Thoughts are impermanent. Ideas are impermanent. Wetry extremely hard to hold onto pleasure and comfort, as

we want these as a permanent part of our lives, but theyare also impermanent.

We want to be permanently looked after, and we haveexpectations of others to do this for us. We haveexpectations of our family, our society, and our partners,but they too are impermanent.

We make no effort to look at the truth of everyonesdeath. We should not hold onto everything and everyone

as a permanent fixture in our lives. Our family andpartners will die, and may die sooner rather than later, sowhy have expectations of them or hold onto grudges?

The very important fact that we are impermanent can

allow us to be honest. Why do we need to be so truthfuland honest with ourselves? Well, the fact is that we are

all moving towards death. The time of our death isunknown. This honesty should help us prepare, tounderstand why.

This is the truth of life - the very fact that everything,everyone, me - are all impermanent. We can acceptthese two truths or we can lie to ourselves.


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It is our own responsibility to understand the truth of lifeand death. We hold onto this idea that we are specialand outside this truth. We think: Why do I have to

understand or even look at death?

We often blindly follow what everyone else is doing. Wedont seem to have the where-with-all to look at our very

own existence. As Buddhists, we try to look at the truthof our lives and we accept the fact that we areimpermanent, and we try to prepare for death, both ourown and others.

These two truths are uncomfortable to understand, butthey are facts. By studying and learning about these twotruths, we begin our journey to freedom from death andrebirth.


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Recycling Ourselves on the Wheel of Life

The Buddha taught three kinds of suffering.

The first of the three types of suffering is the suffering ofsuffering. This is the most common, gross form ofsuffering, and is easily recognisable. It refers to theordinary suffering that we experience in our everyday

lives.

The second type of suffering is the suffering of change. It

operates in the context of all those things in our lives thatwe ordinarily consider to constitute happiness. In fact, allof the feelings of happiness and pleasure that weexperience in cyclic existence are, in reality, the suffering

of change. According to Buddhism, what we actuallylabel happiness is only the moment of relief that arisesbetween the previous experience of suffering and the

next.

The third type of suffering is all-pervasive suffering. HisHoliness more and more wants us to understand that inthis common era, the all-pervasive suffering that the

Buddha referred to is more the continual recycling, there-hashing of ourselves, life after life after life. His

Holiness talks about how we should get tired of it, howwe should want freedom from it, and how we need tostop it forever.

I think it is very important for me to add something aboutthis suffering from a Western perspective. If


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we dont understand that although life seems attractive,in some circumstances what is happening is that we arelosing our ability to feel empathy and compassion forothers and we are losing our ability to be interconnected.We even lack the ability to see how we areinterdependent. So, going beyond this suffering meansthe recognition that we are all in this together, that weare all suffering from this continual rebirth and recycling.

We need to get off this wheel completely. We canrecognise the simple truth that we can liberate ourselvesand help others to liberate themselves. This is the

correct and true antidote to this particular suffering. Thisis also the first step to stopping the continual long-termpain of birth, old age, sickness and death.

The method we should employ is the authentic teachings,to help us traverse an authentic path. One must find anauthentic teacher, one who has done this and can show

us the way perfectly. The teacher doesnt have to wearspecific clothes or have attractive hair or a particular skincolour. The authenticity of the teacher is more about theway they show us, by their example, how they haveconquered the sufferings of birth, old age, sickness and

death.

We must always question ourselves by asking why. Thisrefers to why we are born and die, and why this happensto everyone with common equality. Then we should seekan answer, preferably from a qualified teacher, of ourtrue ultimate nature, and


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reflect upon that answer. To arrive at your own answer,

you reflect upon what you have understood and learntfrom the teacher. Then by putting it into practice, this

life will be meaningful and useful. You will answer manyof your own questions about the true nature of life. Itwill also empower and enable you to let go of the strongsense of selfthat binds you to the Wheel of Life.


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Different Views

View: what is seen from a particular point; aninspection by the eye or mind; a mental attitude; amanner of considering a thing.Concise Oxford Dictionary

Ordinary view is being totally involved in this life, totally

involved in a pursuit of happiness. It is non-reflectiveignorance of our own kind and compassionate nature,and in Buddhist terms this is a waste of a life. In

Buddhist terms, this is suffering and something weshould renounce. We should renounce being totallyinvolved in this worldly life, only seeking temporaryhappiness, not seeing the transitory, suffering nature of

life.

Extraordinary view. When we develop extraordinary

view, we begin to have some understanding that life is,in fact, suffering. We begin to firm up our view that weare all suffering. This recognition is called empathy.This strong feeling is the understanding that we all havethe desire to be happy and not to suffer, and if we

develop this view to encompass all beings on thisplanet, whatever colour, race, sex, etc, we have a point

of connection.

World viewexpands the extraordinary view (empathyview) into the view of compassion - the wish to relievethe suffering that the whole world, all sentient beingson this planet, are experiencing. In essence, webecome humanitarians or warrior


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saints, taking responsibility for our lives to be useful,making our lives meaningful.

Universal view is the view that recognises that we arepart of the bigger picture, that we are part of theuniverse that encompasses Holy Beings and ordinarybeings. Each one of us is interconnected andinterdependent.

Pure view is the spiritual attainment, the firm, profoundknowledge of how we all in fact truthfully exist. This is

not debatable, this pure view is the attainment of thespiritual realisation of emptiness - the truth - the mindcompletely free of all negative afflictive emotions andthoughts.

Correct view says that all things, everything, isdependent upon causes and conditions created, that

nothing arises independently, nothing occursindependently, and nothing inherently exists. We areall projecting our world, and each and every singlesentient being is interconnected. What we do, what wecreate, has an effect, a result. So, living in morality

and behaving ethically stops our suffering, and we areable to help others completely.

Buddha viewis the connection we make of compassionarising with correct view, the ultimate attainment, theomniscient mind, the Enlightened Being, knowing thepast, present and future karma of ourselves and allbeings.


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BUDDHIST PRACTICES FOR

EVERYDAY LIFE

Motivating my Day with Loving-Kindness andCompassion

Upon waking, I should consider how to bring into my

life more love and deep empathy towards others.

This idea first thing actually lessens my selfishness, andallows me to think of others more inclusively.

I could then begin to think of those close to me, howthey want happiness, love and kindness.

I could think about how I and those close to me actually

wish to be free from suffering.

I could then include those who live in my own country.

I could expand this idea to beings across the planet,motivating my own life to bring them all happiness and

free them from any pain - mental or physical.


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I can motivate my life, no matter what I do during the

day. I can motivate with my very breath for the sake

of others. This is the Ton Len practice of taking andgiving. On the in-breath, take away any suffering, andon the out-breath offer love and kindness, wishing all

beings to be well and happy.

Just for one day I could try to be very mindful of allthose beings with whom I share this planet.

At times during the day, I could remember myinterdependency and interconnectedness with sentientbeings all around our world, who long for happiness asthey go about doing whatever is necessary for them todo.

If I thought that this day, this one day, I could bringabout the happiness of anyone, may I do so!


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Offering of Three Candles

If you do nothing else, you should do this:

Set up three candles in front of the Buddha image onyour altar.

The first candle you are offering to the Buddha (theDoctor). In particular, you are remembering theBhagawan Buddha of our time, Shakyamuni Buddha.You are remembering the compassionate teachings and

making the request, May they remain. Say OM AHHUNG three times.

The second candle is offered to the precious, deep andprofound Dharma that has been held purely and givento us by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, His lineage and allyour lineage teachers from whom you have received

teachings, in the form of books, texts, CDs, DVDs andtapes - the entire teachings (the Medicine) of the three.Say OM AH HUNG three times.

The third candle is offered to the Arya (Noble) Sangha,those realised beings who live in pure morality (vinaya)

of body, speech and mind. Request them to remain,

nurture and teach until our own samsara ends. Say OMAH HUNG three times.

As you do this practice, have happiness and rejoice thatyou have the virtuous merit to recognise the benefits ofthis profound healing medicine in your life.


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Shopping with Compassion

Be kind. Be patient. Patience is the antidote to anger.

Allow people to go before you.

Be patient with the check-out person.

Practice patience if items need checking. Try breathing

in slowly and exhaling slowly.

Practice patience if anyone gets in your way with atrolley, etc.

Be patient with goods stacked in aisles.

Check your mind - what are you there for?

Be mindful of others with patience and empathy.Acknowledge that everyone there would probably ratherbe somewhere else.

Dedicate your practice of patience, empathy and

compassion to all beings liberation from suffering.

Patience is compassion.Patience is loving-kindness.

Patience is respect.Patience is care.


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Driving with Compassion

Take three deep breaths, filling the lungs and exhaling

slowly.

Bring to mind that you are going to put an effort intodriving with empathy and compassion.

Aspire to become a Bodhisattva, i.e. a warrior saintdriver, and that means to practice patience and

concentration, and have joy that you can do this!

Please practice mindfulness and be aware of otherspotential to cause harm. Be aware that others may notbe careful or mindful when driving.

Be mindful of road, local government and RTA rules.

Keep your car legal and road-worthy, therefore safe.

Dedicate your practice of safety and care to everyonesliberation and freedom from suffering.

Being a Parent with Compassion

His Holiness stated that if children receive maximumaffection when they are growing up, then they will growto be better human beings.


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Remember that your children have their own karmicimprints and propensities, and thus they have their own

life to live.

Recall your own childhood. This may help empathy toarise.

Show your children love and kindness, whether you wereshown love and kindness or whether you were not. Thisis an opportunity to overcome many obstacles.

Remind yourself that your children are not an extension ofyou. They are children and in their own right they may ormay not live up to your expectations.

Do not live your life through your children, i.e. dont pushthem into activities they do not like or want to do.

Do not give up your life expecting rewards or love in

return from your children, or for them to give up their lifefor you.

Be mindful of your childrens needs, they may not be yourneeds.

Saying NO can be the greatest loving kindness you couldshow your children.

Always be responsible - someone has to be! Rememberwho is the parent.

Motivate and dedicate your parenting to being ahumanitarian in an unsettled age.


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Stopping Suffering by Stopping Blame

Each and every person has some form of mental or

physical suffering. We should not want to add to theirproblems.

Therefore, we should not blame them or whinge tothem, or about them, especially parents or families.

Acceptance of others and their life is respect at a deeplevel.

If we blame others in any situation, we cannot

recognise our own true suffering and our ownresponsibility in the situation.

When we dont look correctly at the universal law of

cause and effect, we blame. We should be aware that

what we think mentally will have a ripening effect.

If we look at the infallibility of the law of cause andeffect (what we sow, we shall reap), we can learn howto stop blaming and whingeing, and acceptresponsibility for our own created causes and resultsexperienced.

Note how blaming and whingeing are related.

Whingeing is a form of blaming, but can be done in anunderhanded way, going behind someones back and

involving others in our wrong ideas.


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When we blame and whinge we alienate people. We

have the responsibility to look at our own mental andphysical suffering, seeing them as a result.

When we consciously stop blame, then we can bringhappiness to ourselves and others. We actually feelbetter.

We use the law of cause and effect as a win/winsituation for ourselves and others.

By creating a no blame and no whinge mind andspeech, we drop our own suffering and our cause ofsuffering to others.

We can allow ourselves to drop whatever is our biggestblame. We can stop our biggest whinge, accept

responsibility and create positive karmic imprints.

When we do positive actions for others, they feel happyand we feel joy in our hearts.

To conclude, what we need to do is to stop negativeblame and negative whingeing, and create positivehappiness and give joy. In our hearts we become a

special person whose thoughts are about benefitingothers and benefiting ourselves along the way.

We dedicate and offer this practice to the happiness ofall beings.


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With my mind, I think well of others and try to notice

that they may be in pain, and find a way to benefit

them using my mind with Ton Len (Tibetan for takingand giving). I will do this with my very breath, inhalingand taking in their problems, exhaling and wishing

them to be well and happy.

In fact, I will use my mind to transform my thoughtsinto becoming a better person. With this motivation, I

can begin my mind transformation - simply because ofthe kindness of others.

I can then offer my body, speech and mindtransformations to all kind beings in this and futurelives and try to make the future of myself and othershappier and better.


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The Suffering of Eating Meat

Blue Padma Services takes its responsibilities tohumans and animals seriously, so we need to let youknow about the suffering that is caused to animals andhumans through eating meat.

Meat is the very flesh, the very body of animals,

sensate beings, who have feelings and experienceintense pain and suffering during their lives, andincredible fear and suffering when they are slaughtered.

That great fear can be perpetuated in future lives aswell.

As Buddhists, we have to be born not as animals but as

humans, so that we can attain Enlightenment as quicklyas possible - this is our responsibility. It is also ourresponsibility to stop animals from suffering and look

after them, and not kill them. We have been bornanimals and may well be animals in the future.

As Buddhists, we need to avoid wrong livelihood andstop others from indulging in wrong livelihood as well.

In our own way, we withdraw our support of the meatindustry.

Every being with an animal rebirth has been a kindmother to us in previous lives in different realms ofexistence, where they cared for us and looked after uswith as much love and kindness as our present parentsof this life.


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what we do with the animals once we buy them orrescue them. For example, if it is a dog or kitten, wehave to be mindful that we will need to look after themfor a long time once we have rescued them. In thefeeding and protecting of the animals is the make-upexercise of the harm we have given sentient beings inthe past.

Because liberating animals is a way to prevent untimelydeath and to prolong life, we should do this withconcentrated, heartfelt understanding of the practice of

saving life. The motivation is that we are saving aparticular life and the dedication is that this was a kindmother in a previous life. We should think thatwhatever we experience in life in the way of suffering

and pain could not possibly be as much as beingcaptured, tortured and the fear experienced knowingthat your time of death is at hand and you are going to

be eaten. So we should dedicate the saving of a life, sothat no sentient beings have to suffer and to the fullEnlightenment of all sentient beings.

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