Arrogance is a big problem I would like to talk about something that makes us idiots and uncomfortable in our daily life, and that is arrogance. Usually, when we talk about arrogance the first thing that comes to mind is trying to bully someone or showing off. We don’t see the real part of arrogance…
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In our lives, we are doing a lot of things. Mainly, we are working so hard to avoid two things in our life – the suffering of the body and the suffering of mind. The uneasiness, or whatever you call it. In order to avoid bodily discomfort, many smart people do a lot of things…
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In Shantideva’s Bodhisattva’s Way of Life he says, After patience, you have to focus on enthusiasm. People who have enthusiasm will find enlightenment. Then he gives examples – Without wind there is no movement. Likewise, without enthusiasm we will not accumulate any merit. When we say merit, often we are thinking about a light. Something that…
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The Bodhisattva’s Way of Life is one of the most beloved and important contributions to the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. 8th-century Indian scholar Shantideva gives detailed instructions on how to live in accordance with the altruistic bodhisattva ideals of helping others. In this series, Demo Rinpoche will guide us through Chapter 6, “Beginning with Patience,” starting…
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Almost exactly seventy years ago, Jack Kerouac began reading and writing about Buddhism with extraordinary dedication and fervor, signaling the beginning of what might be called “Beat Buddhism” – a cultural and religious phenomenon whose literary and spiritual echoes still are heard to this day. Introduction Although there have been “heritage” Buddhists in North America…
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Sometimes in everyday life, one thing that causes problems is our expectations. In teachings like the Mind Training, they say “don’t hold hope”. I think what they mean by “hope” is expectations. There is a little difference between hope and expectations. Whenever you do something you can have hope, and that is your awareness of…
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Visualization Meditation: Manifesting Compassion and Wisdom As part of analytical meditation, visualization uses analysis to create an image. It then utilizes concentrated meditation to firmly hold the image stable. By developing visualization techniques in meditation, the symbolism of the imagery takes root in not only cognitive but emotional parts of the mind, resonates deeply, and…
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