Padmasambhava, the Lotus Born Guru Rinpoche.Today is Zamling Chisang: Universal Prayer Day — "Purification Day" — celebrating Guru Rinpoche's liberation of local deities 1 Zamling Chisang, Universal Prayer Day — or Incense Day, referring to the clouds of sage incense burned — celebrates an important act of Padmasambhava. Guru Rinpoche liberated, converted or tamed the local deities in Tibet. This is also representative of his...
Has your Dharma practice become superficial? Are you trying to discover what errors or faults you have made in your practice? Superficiality, or alternately, distraction, are common Dharma obstacles in this "age of degeneration." It is reassuring to know that advice written centuries ago, by Lady Tsogyal, recording the words of the...
Millions of people around the world embark annually on spiritual journeys to soothe their souls. Global religious tourism is one of the fastest growing segments in travel today. According to the UNWTO, 300-330 million tourists visit the globe's most important religious sights every year. To put things into better perspective, 2.5 million...
The humble, and short Hatthaka Sutta, carries several profound messages. It is particularly memorable as an "intimate" peak into life in the Sangha. The picture that emerges is of just how approachable the Buddha was to everyone. [Full Sutta translated below by Thanissaro Bhikku.] In this lovely Sutta, a young man, Hatthaka,...
Twenty-six centuries ago (or so) Buddha is attributed with saying (see note): “Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think.” Seven-hundred years later, philosopher and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote, “The Happiness of Your Life Depends On the Quality of Your Thoughts." (around 177AD) This universal theme had...
"As a mother even with her own life protects her only child, so should one cultivate immeasurable loving-kindness towards all living beings." — Buddha, The Metta Sutta Random acts of kindness, in the moment, are acts of mindful meditation—and positive karma.Random Acts of Kindness Creates Good Karma. Mindful Acts of Kindness Refines Practice. 2 Mindfulness helps us overcome striving,...
H.E. Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche is always quick to smile and laugh, regardless of a hectic teaching schedule that has him spending many hours flying around the world. Despite a very tight three week schedule of teachings at Gaden Choling in Toronto, the Venerable teacher found time for an in-depth interview with...
A single-father reader wrote in with a question (abbreviated here, as much of it was personal). He was struggling with raising his beloved daughter, yet finding his Buddhist practice was suffering due to stress and distraction. Two teachers answered this parent directly — H.E. Zasep Rinpoche and teacher Theodore Tsaousidis — and...
In many Buddhist disciplines we are taught to value the meritorious practice of reciting sutras. Often this is done from memory, in a mantra-like chant, which begs the question why do we recite sutras? A Buddha Weekly Special Feature Sutras are the teachings of the Buddha. To speak them is to put us in...
The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha – those are the three Jewels of Buddhism. For most people who just started discovering Buddhism, the Buddha and the Dharma immediately make sense. But what about the Sangha? That’s the community of practitioners, which was originally limited to the monastic order. Today, the term...
Adam Cook returns with Part 3 in his series on addiction and recovery. Part 1, “Reclaim your mental well-being” from addiction is here>> Part 2, “Thriving post-rehab: achieving long-lasting addiction recovery” is here>> Part 3, "Finding your niche: advice for those in recovery who seek employment, is here>> By Adam Cook Addiction...
The great Lama Thubten Yeshe, one of the pioneer teachers who brought Vajrayana and Tantric Buddhism to the West, defined initiation this way: The much revered Guru Lama Yeshe. Initiation or Empowerment: what is it, why it is important in Vajrayana, how it helps, when you need it, how to receive it 3 "What is initiation? It is the beginning of the experience of meditation and concentration, of penetration into the...
Tara, like any Mother, is ready to jump to our aid, even in mundane areas of life. She is the “practical Buddha” — the “Karma Mother” — the Buddha most active in our lives. Her Sanskrit name translates as “a star by which to navigate” — and like a star, she is always with us whenever we look for her.
An entire playlist of every one of the mantras for the 21 Taras. Don't miss the amazing Tara mantra chanting of Yoko Dharma for the each Tara of the 21 Taras according to Surya Gupta lineage. One video with many repetitions and visualized images for each Tara. The final video is the English-translated 21 Praises to Tara sung in English.
