Sublime

bodhisattva vows based on the words of the beloved sixth-century sage Shantideva: May I be a guard for those who need protection A guide for those on the path A boat, a raft, a bridge for those who wish to cross the flood May I be a lamp in the darkness A resting place for the weary A healing medicine for all who are sick A vase of plenty, a tree o

Her spiritual practice was called Chöd (pronounced “chuh”), which means “to cut through.” She developed this form of meditation, unusual even in her time in Tibet, and it generated such amazing results that it became very popular, spreading to all the schools of Tibetan Buddhism and beyond.

For example, Rinpoche often said that the dharma, the teachings of the Buddha, are like a recipe for fresh-baked bread.

The method that I call feeding your demons — based on the principles of Chöd — is a simple five-step practice that doesn’t require any knowledge of Buddhism or of any Tibetan spiritual practices. In the first step we find where in the body we hold our “demon” most strongly. This demon might be addiction, self-hatred, perfectionism, anger, jealousy,

Establishments of Mindfulness; there’s the Noble Eightfold Path; there are the Four Noble Truths; the teaching of Dependent Origination; the Two Truths; the Paramitas; and so on. Each of these teachings are invitations, different frameworks for us to use to look deeply into our human situation and to transform our hearts. Perhaps a certain framewor

The Buddha teaches us to practice charity, to rid ourselves of all attachments within, and to benefit all beings without. By not dwelling on anything, bodhisattvas do not see the self that gives, nor do they see the other that receives, nor do they see anything given. For all three are essentially empty. By concentrating without concentrating on an

“The sixth realization is the awareness that poverty creates hatred and anger, which in turn create a vicious cycle of negative thoughts and actions. Followers of the Way, when practicing generosity, should consider everyone, friends and enemies alike, as equal, not condemning anyone’s past wrongdoings or hating those who are presently causing harm