Mangala Shri Bhuti - The Link

Speaker: Deborah Haynes. In this second installment on the topic of death, Deborah recounts many losses experienced throughout her life. These include the recent death of her spouse and her son's current, terminal illness. These encounters with suffering and impermanence inform her Dharma path and animate her daily practice. Deborah's Buddhist path is the aspiration to meet whatever arises, both now and in lifetimes to come, with unwavering fearlessness and compassion.

Speaker: Dungse Jampal Norbu. Dungse-la reminds us to review the eighteen freedoms and advantages and ascertain whether we are meeting them in our lives. If we find that we are lacking any, then we can strive to overcome the obstacles that prevent them from being present. Pointing to Milarepa as an example, Dungse-la emphasizes that it was his longing to meet the Dharma and his deep devotion that allowed him to overcome all circumstantial obstacles. Therefore, we too, need to keep our longing alive to whatever extent it currently resides in each of us, and reaffirm aspiration bodhicitta to engage our minds to benefit beings and bring them to enlightenment.

Speaker: Ani Nyima Dolma. Ani shares some of her daily positivity practices, prayers and readings, including a gratitude mala for those who are or have been in her life. This has proven to be an uplifting morning alternative to waking in rushed anxiety thinking of all the things that need to be done. She goes on to share details about the new, MSB online program to foster fellowship and build community. Ani sees it as an excellent way to get to know Sangha, especially those who don't live close to a community retreat center.

Speaker: Meryl Yoss. Meryl describes in detail the three foundational pillars of her life as a student of the Venerable Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche: practice, patience, and persistence. She covers a wide range of the techniques and tools of her practice, and in the process uncovers deep wisdoms of the Dharma. In preparing for the talk, Meryl also shares various questions and issues that require more thinking, contemplation and investigation on her part. Despite the importance of asking questions and examining the Dharma ‘as a goldsmith examines gold’, Meryl has learned that it takes time to fully understand, and therefore requires patience with herself and resting in not knowing.

Speaker: Stephanie Kindberg-Velasco. As a hospice caregiver and death doula, Stephanie shares her experiences being with those who transition from this life, and the profundity of relying on the Three Jewels in the process. She offers resources to prepare for our own end of life and those of our loved ones such as the Advance Directive for Conscious Dying and the Five Wishes, and for MSB students, the Bardo Manual. Stephanie discusses what helps us to let go with ease at the end, as the great practitioners of our lineage have done. Rinpoche has said that if we have utter unwavering faith in the Three Jewels they will be there to greet us as we make our transition. She asks herself, "What kind of faith do I have? What am I doing to cultivate and increase my faith? How are the practices I am doing going to support me in the end?" For Stephanie, consistent practice deepens her faith, connection and trust in the Guru and the deities, thereby becoming a ring for their hook. In addition, fostering community and con

Speaker: Paddy McCarthy. Paddy discusses the introduction to Rinpoche's latest book: Diligence: The Joyful Endeavor of the Buddhist Path. In Buddhist thought, laziness is defined as internal hindrances that prevent us from achieving what we truly desire. It manifests in three forms: attachment to rest, attachment to distractions, and self-denigration/self-deprecation. Diligence is the antidote. In The Way of the Bodhisattva, Shantideva describes the six paramitas or transcendent perfections of generosity, moral discipline, patience, diligence, meditation, and wisdom. These are the core practices of a bodhisattva (one who aspires to benefit all beings) to act accordingly and become fully realized. Diligence is essential for progress in these perfections, helping us recognize and overcome laziness in our mental patterns. It enables us to work through unconscious habits that hinder growth. At its core, diligence is about cultivating joy in our efforts, allowing us to sustain ourselves and accomplish our goals wi

Speaker: Abra Havens. Abra shares how doubt has played a pivotal role in her life, specifically in relation to religion. Having been raised as a Jehovah's Witness with a devout mother and non-believing father, the seeds of doubt were planted early for Abra. Becoming liberated from her childhood religion as an adult felt liberating and empowering, but Abra also came to realize how doubt had become a habit. After having encountered and embraced the Dharma, her first several years of practice were influenced by unexamined doubt. Having realized this, Abra began applying the instructions she received exactly as they were given. Examining every corner of her mind, she came upon several poignant discoveries. Eventually she learned to stop examining everything through the lens of doubt and began looking instead at doubt itself, understanding it as a habit based in fear and self-deception.

Speaker: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. This LINK was originally given at Longchen Jigme Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado on October 4, 2015. In this talk, Rinpoche examines the Four Solaces of the Kadampa: placing deep trust and finding solace in the Dharma, using the minimum resources to support yourself, placing your trust in "the cave" or in the solitude of retreat, and practicing until death comes to you. He examines the ways in which we are affected by our attachments, the benefits of letting go and living a simple life, and the importance of consistent practice until the day one dies.

Speaker: Maki Okabayashi. Maki-san offers her reflections on how the power of our mind can move us in a positive direction. We engage the outer world with our body, speech and mind, but the mind is the driving force behind it all. In order to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts in our lives, we must learn how our mind holds power over us through habitual patterns. If we try, our mind also has the power to transform itself because all habits are created by the mind itself. Maki acknowledges the difficulty of changing habits formed over a lifetime, but reminds us that habits are temporary, formed by causes and conditions and therefore are not absolute. Dharma offers us the skillful means and for Maki, tsewa is key. Tsewa or "a radical open heart" allows us to access a peaceful mind by generating warmth and tenderness within ourselves. We all have a desire to be understood by others. At the same time, do we make an effort to understand others? Starting the flow of giving and receiving tsewa creates a cycle of

Speaker: Dungse Jampal Norbu. Dungse-la stresses the importance of aspiration to navigate life's circumstances and work with them in an uplifted manner. For example, when we get lost in our daily activities, not moving in any particular direction, he advises us to apply ourselves to a meaningful goal, or aspiration. In this way all our intentions culminate toward that goal. He speaks at length about having a fierce intention to return to aspiration bodhicitta, the vehicle that transforms an obstacle into a blessing. In this way we avoid the subtle neurosis of ego-grasping, which can turn blessings into obstacles.

Speaker: Suzy Greanias. Suzy delves into the two truths, the worldly relative truth and the supreme ultimate truth, which are the framework in which the Buddha taught. As Buddhists, we are familiar with the words of the Heart Sutra, "Form is emptiness, emptiness is form", but rather than understanding their profound inseparability, many of us have the tendency to split these two truths. We all want the realization of emptiness, but we regard the appearance of compounded phenomena as painful, a kind of a nuisance. This lead Suzy on a journey to unpack the three types of valid cognition, which we can use to investigate the absolute and the relative. She then spoke about the nature of things within the Mahayana and how the Buddha's teaching on non-self is one of the main tenets of the two truths.

Speaker: Nicholas Carter. Nick shares something Rinpoche told him on his 19th birthday: "Remember Nicholas, a bodhisattva has only one wish", but Rinpoche did not say what that wish was. Since then, Nick has come to learn that the path of the bodhisattva is a very personal path of discovery- discovery of the truth, in Sanskrit, "Dharma". We start with ourselves. We examine how we feel, how we behave, and we examine our motivations, which inevitably lead us to the truth of emptiness and dependent origination, the essence of the Buddha's teachings. Over time, and through the application of the three principles, we come to appreciate more fully the profundity of the four immeasurables in discovering for ourselves the path and wish of the bodhisattva.

Speaker: Lindsay Heppner. Lindsay describes how everyday life provides her with meaningful opportunities for practice "on the spot", including tonglen, mantra recitation and shamata meditation. Recent natural disasters such as the earthquake in Tibet and the fires in Los Angeles, as well as past travels to India allowed her to feel acutely the suffering of others, provoking a sincere wish to alleviate that suffering. In these cases, Lindsay relied on the practice of tonglen. Feeling the pain and suffering of others, Lindsay inhales their pain into herself and in return, and exhales while sending them love and complete relief from their suffering. After having been injured in a recent ski accident, Lindsay described how reciting the 100-syllable mantra in the moment provided immediate relief from her own fear and suffering. Whether performing her work as an in-home, elder care counselor or as a mother relating to her teenage sons, she has found shamata meditation to be a reliable practice to maintain a calm an

Speaker: Dungse Jampal Norbu. Dungse-la shares his thoughts and advise for the new year ahead. For a fresh start, he underscores the importance of cultivating a positive mental attitude to counteract negativity. Looking forward to brighter horizons, he recommends setting aspirations for the year ahead. We must remind ourselves that despite how things may appear, we have the ability to break the cycle of samsara and this starts with taking refuge in the Three Jewels.

Speaker: Sasha Dorje Meyerowitz. Sasha reflects on the idea of aspiration being connected to a deeper intelligence. Rather than being a plea we can express aspiration toward a particular outcome, giving that aspiration stronger form. By living daily through the eight worldly concerns and sitting with the suffering we experience, we can tune into our aspiration throughout the day.

Speaker: Kelly Smith. Kelly shares more of the history of Longchen Jigme Samten Ling, MSB's long-term retreat center in Crestone, Colorado. This is an ongoing series wherein Kelly describes in great detail her personal memories of being present since the center's beginning in 1993. Kelly shares an especially touching story of caring for a squirrel named "Norbu".

Speaker: Martha Asselin. Martha recalls her experiences in retreat ranging from durations of one weekend to six weeks, eight months and three years. Whether they were solitary or in group settings, retreats present an opportunity to let go of everyday distractions to observe and direct one's mind. Rinpoche guides us to view retreat as ideal for encountering our basic nature and seeing things exactly how they are. We bring all of our experiences onto the path from fear, confusion and preferences to insight and wisdom. Martha shares advice she received from Elizabeth and others regarding how to manage retreat: start slow, ease into practice, structure one's time, let go of expectations and allow leaving retreat to be natural.

Speaker: Chris Parmentier. Chris shares how her experience with depression provided the opportunity to practice patience, mindfulness and loving-kindness for herself and others, while also helping to let go of judgmental concepts such as success and failure. The focus on and protection of a "real" self causes pain and suffering. It takes practice and time to let go of this habitual mindset and way of being. Letting go also involves others; Chris recalls being reminded that without others there can be no enlightenment. We can learn to be grateful for everyone and everything in our lives, even those we may dislike and reject. Chris specifically recommended the Thangtong Gyalpo Refuge Prayer as a practice for overcoming pain and discovering intrinsic joy. This also results in having less resentment toward the world and ourselves. By naturally being present, we can face even old age, sickness and death with equanimity.

Speaker: Dungse Jampal Norbu. Dungse-la describes how the spiritual life asks us to look inside of our mind to find peace from the constant grasping and rejection of things- "the eight worldly concerns" in Buddhism. We strive to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings, and learn that our own true happiness comes from wishing for the happiness of others. In this way, the spiritual life involves not only engaging our mind but also being fully engaged in life and our environment where our activity is expressed. If we sometimes get stuck generating this intention, Dungse-la suggests that we ask ourselves what's going to serve and what's not going to serve. He assures us that this aspect of skillful means is not a difficult but delicate choice of threading the needle of present circumstances. Then, in holding the understanding of interdependent origination, more skillful opportunities will arise that have no assumptions or bias. Dungse-la concludes by saying that there can't be anything more me

Speaker: Daniel Dranetz. Daniel reflects on the three turnings of the wheel of Dharma starting with the first turning and its central teaching on the four noble truths. As he considers the foundational teachings of each of the yanas and the eightfold path, he offers examples of human and animal suffering. Drawing on both his personal and professional life as a mental health counsellor, Daniel muses on our persistent and habitual belief that happiness is available through samsara. Flowing inevitably from this confused belief are the chronically ineffective strategies with which we try to combat our suffering. He illustrates his talk by reading some of his favourite passages from Words of my Perfect Teacher and finishes by reminding us that because of our Buddha nature, enlightenment is possible for us all.