MAKING FRIENDS WITH THE REAL WORLD

[In the practice of meditation] having developed a sense of trust in oneself, slowly that expands its expression outward, and the world becomes a friendly world rather than a hostile world. You could say that you have changed the world: you have become the king or queen of the universe. On the other hand, you can't quite exactly say that, because the world has come towards you, to return your friendship. It tried all kinds of harsh ways to deal with you at the beginning, but finally the world and you begin to speak with each other, and the world becomes a real world, a completely real world, not at all an illusory world or a confused world. It is a real world. You begin to realize the reality of elements, the reality of time and space, the reality of emotions -- the reality of everything. From "Dynamic Stillness and Cosmic Absorption" in THE TEACUP AND THE SKULLCUP: CHOGYAM TRUNGPA ON ZEN AND TANTRA. Page 99.

Bodhicitta

If through listening to this explanation of the Seven Point Mind Training we come to recognise how important Bodhichitta is, this will be an infallible cause of our enlightenment. Of all the eighty four thousand different sections of the doctrine, the precious Bodhichitta is the very essence. By hearing the words of such a teaching, it is impossible even for demons, whose nature it is to kill and to do harm, not to have positive thoughts! Kham, a region in East Tibet, was haunted in the past by many ghosts and evil spirits, and this was one of the reasons why Patrul Rinpoche used to explain the Bodhicharyavatara continually to his disciples. Before long, there were no more ghosts--or at least, no one came to any more harm. Such is the hidden power of Bodhichitta! --from Enlightened Courage: An Explanation of the Seven Point Mind Training, by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, translated by the Padmakara Translation Group, published by Snow Lion Publications

The Heart of Zen

THE HEART OF ZEN

One of the basic points in the understanding of the Zen tradition is to discipline and train the wild animal of mind, which should have become domesticated a longtime ago, because this wild animal has buddhanature -- not just buddhanature, but it is buddha. So Zen is largely based on the idea of what is known as the trustingin the heart, or believing in the heart. Every experience we might go through has the potentiality of truth -- everything -- including the confusion.

From "Beauty and Absurdity" in THE TEACUP AND THE SKULLCUP: CHOGYAM TRUNGPA ON ZEN AND TANTRA. Page 89.

OF INTEREST TO OUR READERS: New from Vajradhatu Publications: THE TEACUP AND THE SKULL CUP: CHOGYAM TRUNGPA ON ZEN ANDTANTRA. Edited by Judith Lief and David Schneider. Getting rave reviews from both Zen and Tibetan Buddhist practitioners. Available from shambhalashop.com.

Karma is a natural law like any other natural law

Sometimes we face certain situations where, although we have done something good for others, we may not be able to reap the consequences within this lifetime. When we are talking about the law of causality, we are not limiting its operation to the confines of this life alone, but rather are taking into account both this lifetime and the future. Occasionally people who do not have a proper knowledge of karmic law say that such and such a person is very kind and religious and so forth, but he always has problems, whereas so and so is very deceptive and negative, frequently indulging in negative actions, but always seems very successful. Such people may think that there is no karmic law at all. There are others who go to the other extreme and become superstitious, thinking that when someone experiences illness, it is all due to harmful spirits.... It is also possible for very negative people to experience their positive karma ripening immaturely due to the very strong force of negative actions, and thus to exhaust the potentials of their virtuous actions. They experience a relative success in this life, while others who are very serious practitioners, as a result of the force of their practices, bring upon this lifetime the consequences of karmic actions which might have otherwise thrown them into rebirth in lower realms of existence in the future. As a result, they experience more problems and illnesses in this life.

Just resolving not to indulge in a negative action is not enough. It should be accompanied by the understanding that it is for your own benefit and sake that you must live with awareness of the law of karma: if you have accumulated the causes, you will have to face the consequences; if you desire a particular effect, you can work to produce its causes; and if you do not desire a certain consequence, you can avoid engaging in actions that will bring it about. You should reflect upon the law of causality as follows: that there is a definite relation between causes and effects; that actions not committed will never produce an effect; and that once committed, actions will never lose their potentiality simply through the passage of time. So, if you wish to enjoy desirable fruits, you should work for the accumulation of the appropriate causes, and if you want to avoid undesirable consequences, you should not accumulate their causes.... [Karma] is a natural law like any other natural law.

--from Path to Bliss: A Practical Guide to Stages of Meditation by H.H. the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, translated by Geshe Thubten Jinpa, edited by Christine Cox, published by Snow Lion Publications

Crazy Monkey Mind

The mind is like a crazy monkey, which leaps about and never stays in one place. It is completely restless and constantly paranoid about its surroundings. The training,or the meditation practice, is a way to catch the monkey, to begin with. That is the starting point. Traditionally, this training is called shamatha in Sanskrit, or shi-ne inTibetan, which means simply "the development of peace." When we talk about the development of peace, we are not talking about cultivating a peaceful state, as such,but about simplicity.

From "Trapping the Monkey" in THE TEACUP AND THE SKULLCUP: CHOGYAM TRUNGPA ON ZEN AND TANTRA. Page 72.

OF INTEREST TO OUR READERS: New from Vajradhatu Publications: THE TEACUP AND THE SKULL CUP: CHOGYAM TRUNGPA ON ZEN ANDTANTRA. Edited by Judith Lief and David Schneider. Getting rave reviews from both Zen and Tibetan Buddhist practitioners. Available from shambhalashop.com.

However much you suffer

However much you suffer, the suffering is just the dance of what is,
so you shouldn't be depressed.

--Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye, The Great Path of Awakening

Milarepa

Anger is the cause of falling to the Realms Below; Knowing this, one should refrain from wrath, Even at the risk of life. -The Jetsun Milarepa

Warrior's Philosophy

The starting point is acknowledging that some kind of goodness exists in us. It is necessary to take that arrogant attitude, positively speaking. There is some feeling of upliftedness. We are worthy people, and we have something going for us. We are not all that totally wretched. Of course, we do have the wretched aspect that we have to face and look at. That is absolutely necessary in order to realize the other part. But they don't actually interact as counterparts. It's simply that you go through your clouds, and then you see your sun. That is the basic approach, the basic idea we should take towards the worthiness of our existence. That, by the way, is the warrior's philosophy of looking at ourselves.

From Talk One of "Warriorship in the Three Yanas," an unpublished seminar given by Chogyam Trungpa at the Rocky Mountain Dharma Center, August 22, 1978. OF INTEREST TO OUR READERS: New from Vajradhatu Publications: THE TEACUP AND THE SKULL CUP: CHOGYAM TRUNGPA ON ZEN AND TANTRA. Edited by Judith Lief and David Schneider. Getting rave reviews from both Zen and Tibetan Buddhist practitioners. Available from shambhalashop.com. Look under publications by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

Fundamentally Awake

Something exists in us which is basically awake, as opposed to asleep.There is something intrinsically cheerful and fundamentallypride-worthy.It is intrinsic, which is to say: without conning ourselves into it. Itisone-hundred-percent gold, beyond twenty-four carat. According to theBuddhist tradition, that is what is known as Buddha nature. In Sanskrititis often referred to as tathagatagarbha, which means that the essence[garbha] of those who have already gone beyond, the tathagatas orbuddhas,that essence exists in us. We take that attitude: that we ourselves arefundamentally awake. We ourselves are good already. It's not justpotential. It's more than potential.

>From Talk One of "Warriorship in the Three Yanas," an unpublishedseminargiven by Chogyam Trungpa at the Rocky Mountain Dharma Center, August 22,1978.

Milarepa

It is most precious to be born a worthy and leisured human being. Knowing this, one should with care observe the precepts as if protecting his own eyes.

- The Jetsun Milarepa

Beyond Facing Ourselves

Once we decide to look at ourselves, we may experience ourselves as wretched, in the most profoundly degrading situations, or some of us may have brilliant andgood situations happening, too. Whatever arises, we look at ourselves, either based on hope or fear, whatever there may be. The important point is looking atourselves, finding ourselves, facing ourselves, giving up our privacy and inhibition. Once we have done that, we turn to the good side of things. We begin to realizethat we have something in us which is fundamentally, basically good -- very good. It actually transcends the notion of good or bad. Something worthwhile,wholesome and healthy exists in us. But don't jump the gun and try to get ahold of that first. First, let's look. If we actually face ourselves properly and fully, we will find that something else exists there, something beyond facing ourselves.

From Talk One of "Warriorship in the Three Yanas," an unpublished seminar given by Chogyam Trungpa at the Rocky Mountain Dharma Center, August 22,1978.