In these notes I want to point out the relationship between the three marks of existence (the pointers), the three doors to freedom, and the three aspects of meditative experience (the openings). The three marks (change, suffering, and non-self) can be viewed as pointers, aspects of our experience that point to three doors of understanding … [Read more...] about Pointers, Doors, and Openings
Writings
Meditation: Cultivating Attention
The term "meditation" as it is currently used in English covers a very wide range of activities, guided imagery, guided visualizations, and many practices in Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and other religious traditions. Within Buddhism itself, there is also a wide variety of methods: simple attention to the breath, contemplation of specific … [Read more...] about Meditation: Cultivating Attention
Meditation, Mindfulness and Misconceptions
When a new real estate broker asked an experienced agent what the three most important things to keep in mind were, the agent replied, "Location, location, location." If we consider the same question in meditation, the answer might well be, "Mindfulness, mindfulness, mindfulness." More and more material on mindfulness is becoming available. Book … [Read more...] about Meditation, Mindfulness and Misconceptions
Learned Helplessness
Conversation I "I can't do it," he said. "What prevents you?" I asked. Long silence. "Do you know how to do it?" "Oh, yes," he replied, "but I can't." "'Can't' or 'won't'," I asked, pushing a bit. Another long silence. "You don't understand," he said. "Everything you say makes sense. I understand how to do it. But I can't." "So what prevents … [Read more...] about Learned Helplessness
Responsibilities: teacher and student
The teacher-student relationship is based on a shared aim -- your awakening to the mystery of being. It is not based on mutual profit or on emotional connection. The responsibilities of a teacher are three: To show you the possibility of presence To train you in the techniques and methods you will need To direct your attention to the reactive … [Read more...] about Responsibilities: teacher and student
Imagine You're Enlightened
This article first appeared in Buddhadharma, Fall 2007. In 1974 I was translating for Dezhung Rinpoche, a wonderfully warm and kind scholar and master who had settled in Seattle in the early sixties, soon after the Tibetan diaspora. He had come out of retirement in response to the interest in Tibetan Buddhism that had developed in the seventies and … [Read more...] about Imagine You're Enlightened