3. Opening to Change: Teachers, Friends

Chapter 3 of “37 Practices of a Bodhisattva

[…] Mm-hmm, I bet you have. [laughs]. Susan: In more ways than one. I realized that it’s not something that I just do at the beginning of our prayers, or even at becoming a Buddhist. But it’s something that is done over and over. It’s sort of a radical, and even a counterintuitive thing to […]

3. Opening to Change: Teachers, Friends

2. Leaving Your Homeland

Chapter 2 of “37 Practices of a Bodhisattva

[…] thinking about two things. One was don’t go looking for trouble. Ken: Because it’ll find you. [Laughs] Julia: And the other one is that line from the prayer: In the end, you should let confusion subside on it’s own. So, you don’t get stuck to it. Ken: Okay, these are all right. Several of […]

2. Leaving Your Homeland

1. Introduction to the Retreat

Chapter 1 of “37 Practices of a Bodhisattva

[…] runs through all of the Mahayana literature, and it’s very good to become conversant with it so you can recognize it whenever it arises. In the mahamudra prayer, which many of you’re familiar with. Rangjung Dorge says: The basic ground consists of the two truths, free from the extremes of eternalism and nihilism, (which […]

1. Introduction to the Retreat

9. The Practice is the Perfection

Chapter 9 of “37 Practices in Four Parts

[…] with generosity, he was sitting in the temple. And the way that food was distributed in the monasteries is that you brought a bowl to the noontime prayer service and the monks came in with huge vats of soup and they would just ladle it out.So, the monks are all ladling the soup out […]

9. The Practice is the Perfection

11. Practice with Ruthlessness

Chapter 11 of “Karma: Awakening From Belief

[…] this way, and at the same time knowing that’s not the case. I remember once in the retreat, I came into the shrine room for our evening prayer service, and I wasn’t feeling particularly well. I looked around at everybody, the other six guys in the retreat, and I knew they were all out […]

11. Practice with Ruthlessness

3. Practicing Integrity Through Balance

Chapter 3 of “The Unfettered Mind

[…] do?” asked the other. “I made him repeat mantras, visualize symbols, dress in special garb, do quite elaborate complex exercises, inhale special forms of incense, read various prayers and study various texts, had him do long vigils, sitting intensely for long periods of time.” “Didn’t he say anything which might give you a clue […]

3. Practicing Integrity Through Balance

2. Returning to What Is Already There

Chapter 2 of “The Unfettered Mind

[…] is this?” We find this in traditional teachings. For instance, in the mind training, there’s three instructions which capture this. Well, actually, I’ll refer to the Mahamudra Prayer, which some of you’re familiar with. When you look at object, you don’t see object, you see mind. When you look at mind, you don’t see […]

2. Returning to What Is Already There

5. The nature of patterns

Chapter 5 of “Karma: Awakening From Belief

[…] patterns, and something triggers one or the other, and it escalates. And let’s assume the other person is not a practicing Buddhist who’s well advanced in [unclear] prayers, and so on. Then we’re left with our own feelings to work through. What do we say, “Time out?” I just … [Laughter] Student: I love […]

5. The nature of patterns

2. Deepening Practice Through Inclusive Awareness

Chapter 2 of “Eightfold Path

[…] up with Devon to be back here sooner or later, I don’t know. Okay. So let’s just sit for a moment. Goodness comes from this practice we’ve done Let me not hold it just in me Let it spread to all that is known And awaken good throughout the world. Dedication prayer [Gong] Good evening.

2. Deepening Practice Through Inclusive Awareness

1. Practicing View, Intention, Speech, and Action

Chapter 1 of “Eightfold Path

[…] week. So here we are, 9:30 already. Let’s just sit for a moment and we’ll conclude. Goodness comes from this practice now done Let me not hold it just in me Let it spread to all that is known And awaken good throughout the world Dedication prayer [Gong]   Thank you and see you next week.  

1.  Practicing View, Intention, Speech, and Action

6. Working with Resistance

Chapter 6 of “Buddhahood Without Meditation

[…] of everything. Free from reasoning, you arise clearly when I don’t reason. Recognizing Mind as Guru So, Eugene, you ask about the phrase in the guru yoga prayer saying “May I know mind has no beginning.” This awareness that you experience right now, where is it, Eugene? Eugene: Right here. Ken: Where is here? […]

6. Working with Resistance

6. Groundlessness: Living with Not Knowing

Chapter 6 of “Death: Friend or Foe?

[…] everyone else is faced with, I think, which is, “How do you live this life?” And I was struck by one of the phrases in the opening prayer that we say. I’m going to remember wrongly, but I think it’s something like, The laws of how things work are internal, which I take—is that […]

6. Groundlessness: Living with Not Knowing

7. Blasting the Demons

Chapter 7 of “Chö: Cutting Through the Thickets of Thinking

[…] don’t anticipate the future, don’t think about the present, and rest right on the freshness of knowing. Can I borrow your booklet? Thank you. In the Vajradhara Prayer, you may recall, Rest fresh right there, in the moment, not doing anything with it. That’s the instruction. Page 17, second verse from the bottom, third […]

7. Blasting the Demons