The Virtues of Faith, Shame and Embarrassment We are connected to a long line of great spiritual teachers who have faithfully put into practice Buddha’s teachings. This spiritual tradition has stood the test of time. Knowing this is important for the development of our own faith. Intelligent faith is the mother who nurtures us on…
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The Nature of Faith The nature of faith needs to be clearly understood. We do not mean unquestioning, passive acceptance — blind faith. That is of no use to us and can lead to serious problems. The faith we seek is intelligent faith, a faith based on solid reasoning. Such faith acts in partnership with…
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Eliminating Negativity and Creating Positivity The essence of Tibetan Buddhism is practical. It’s about how we live our daily lives: how we function in relation to ourselves and with others. In this teaching, positive or negative actions or behaviors carry real consequences. They create our character. Avoiding the negative actions of body, speech and mind…
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Bodhimind – Treasure of Virtue The special nature of bodhimind means that not only positive actions become virtues, but even while not actively focused on virtue we gain the positivity of not killing, not stealing, not lying, etc. As Shantideva says: “Even while asleep or unconcerned/A force of merit equal to the sky/Will perpetually ensue.”…
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The Power of our Thoughts Thanks to the power of our mind, we have the ability to guide ourselves in a positive way. This is in line with Buddha’s injunction: “Avoid negativity, build positivity, and tame your mind.” Our thoughts have consequences. They become habits, which form our character, which becomes our reality and our…
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Wishing Bodhimind and Action Bodhimind We need to move beyond “wishing” bodhimind to “action” bodhimind. The analogy is thinking about a journey and taking the first steps. Why do we make this effort? Because bodhimind is precious in a special way. Purifying negativities and accumulating merit are part of the path. But the precious nature…
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Unconditional Love and Compassion of Bodhimind The recommended motivation is the unconditional love and compassion of bodhimind. This is the precious mind that reaches beyond ourselves to encompass all sentient beings. Because of its vast scope, difficult to attain, we work first with a “created” bodhimind that aligns our thoughts with a wish to benefit…
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The Challenge of Self-Cherishing and Ego-Grasping If we seek the capacity to guide and support others to a better state of existing, we will need all the tools and capabilities we can get. These include a willingness and ability to confront the confusion brought about by a deeply ingrained habit of self-cherishing — of filtering…
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Enlightenment is an Achievable Goal After love comes compassion. These are the motivational goals and fruits of precious bodhimind — the big, inclusive development toward which we focus our spiritual practice. To become fully enlightened is a tremendous goal. But it is achievable if we have the willingness and commitment to reach for it. Audio…
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Developing Bodhimind Begins at Home Developing the boundless love and compassion of bodhimind is our ultimate goal. But we need to proceed gradually and with care. We should begin with those closest to us and as we develop confidence, expand outward. Remember, love is the moisture that activates compassion. Audio Only

Establishing Love on a Base of Equality True love can only be built on a firm base of equality — seeing and valuing others as human beings just like ourselves. Ordinary love with attachment comes easily to us. Perfect love is much harder to develop. But it can be established if we approach it gradually…
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Two Conditions for Positive Development According to a Tibetan prayer, “Equality is like the ground and now you need the moisture of love.” Not ordinary love afflicted with self-interest, but a tremendously pure love. Equality and love are the conditions in which positive things can develop. We must watch the mind to reduce hatred and…
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Analysis is Essential on the Spiritual Path To make the Buddhist path our own, we must analyze what we are told. Passively accepting statements at face value will not take us very far. Analyzing means using our intelligence to determine what makes sense and what doesn’t. As in our everyday lives, analysis is essential on…
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Watching the Mind is the True Dharma Developing a sense of equality for “my” needs and “other people’s” needs is the first step toward developing precious bodhimind. Watching the mind will help avoid the push and pull of attached love and hate. This is the true dharma. Audio Only

Bringing Precious Bodhimind into Focus Developing unconditioned love and compassion for all sentient beings may seem an impossible task given the force of our negative attachments and habitual self-cherishing. Yet by first focusing our meditation on those nearest and dearest to us, a taste of the possibility of precious bodhimind can become a reality in…
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