What is wisdom? This is one of the world’s timeless Big Questions.
Wisdom is an endangered natural resource today, in our agitated and benighted world. We overlook and ignore it at our peril. Wisdom is as wisdom does. One would be foolish if enlightened only from the eyebrows up. Wisdom is the panacean pearl of great price, and priceless too. Wisdom can be developed, and it can also be awakened within us. Working from both ends or sides—from outside in, or from top down as well as from bottom up, swooping while climbing—we can gradually explore, develop and attain discerning wisdom...
The secret to happiness is wanting what you got rather than getting what you (think you) want. This may not be as easy as it sounds, but it's simple enough once you find the balance point between effort and acceptance, what could be and what is. I try to apply the natural great perfection's Dzogchen pithy instruction "At ease." In that spirit of welcome and appreciation, openness and interest, everything is possible and nothing seems too difficult.
The happiness movement today has many aspects, and I'm all for it, although sometimes it does seem a bit overly simplistic. I believe it's time...
“Remember to remember to catch yourself before things catch and entangle you. It’s not outer objects that entangle you but inner attachment and fixation that entangles you. Why take the bait and get hooked, swallowing it all hook-line & sinker, and being pulled out of your element--when things and perceptions arise through the sensory gates? Better to enjoy seeing and smelling the enticing bait, and letting it hang out there; this is the practice of freedom and autonomy, nonattachment, equanimity, and the essential practical point of cultivating present Awareness itself.
Awareness...
I’ve been focused lately on the wisdom and joy of Co-Meditation, practicing together: alone together, en group, as couples and pairs, with animals and invisible beings, your higher power, the natural elements etc. My favorite co-meditation is water: whenever I see a body of water, it meditates for me and I hardly have to do anything at all. Sitting or walking by the sea and just flowing with the waves, the wind and the energy is nirvana for me, “When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.”—to parse our old friend Lao Tsu.
Check out the power and blessings of voices raised together...
Mindful Anger Management and the 6 Rs of Intentional Responsiveness
We live in a violent, strife-filled era. Even Buddhist monks are prey to intolerance, nationalism and violence. Terror and fear surround us. This provokes all kinds of difficult feelings and emotions, especially anger and hatred. Yet it's not what happens to us but what we make of it that actually makes all the difference. Just because the wind is blowing doesn't mean we have to be blown away by it, or even driven helplessly in that direction; we can certainly learn how to understand the situation better and even...
Rimay Monlam 2013 ~ A Tibetan Buddhist Peace Prayer Gathering ~
May 31-June 3, 2013
The Garrison Institute, Garrison, NY
Good Karma, Non-profit Event Welcoming All Practitioners
With the Blessings & Good Wishes of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Question: Do you lamas go to movies? I heard the Dalai Lama doesn’t but was shown “Little Buddha” by Bertolucci at its Paris premiere.
Lama Surya Das: Word travels slow up here in Tibet. But I wanna give a shout out to femme filmmeditations of recent years including “Rust & Bone” and the original Swedish version of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”. “Beasts of the Southern Wild”, and “Silver Linings Playbook”, were both very fine; but I genuinely appreciated the samurai bodhisattva-warrior spirit of the heroines in R & B and TGWTDT, who served their own inner...
The Difference Between "Never Give Up" and "Grasping"
Helen writes: At the moment I am pondering the difference between “never give up” and “grasping”. Perhaps you can help me.
Lama Surya Das: This is a juicy subject, well worth pondering. Holding on too long is one problem, for sure; on the other hand, letting go too soon and too easily is another extreme (unbalance) or mistake.
Firstly, never say never. Or don’t say it much. Or say always much, either.
Discovering right action and appropriateness for yourself as an active agent and being responsible for your own life...
