Advice given to the teenage monks and nuns at Thrangu Sekhar Retreat Centre, Nepal, November 16th 2021
Be a good friend to people and you will never be short of good friends yourself. A good friend is honest and straight forward. So don’t cheat your friends for some small personal gain. That little something you might win by telling a fib will not last very long, but the seed of distrust and […]
Thrangu Sekhar Retreat Centre, Nepal, 5th December 2021
We shouldn’t bother wishing to be like the rich and famous. We probably have no idea of the trouble, anxiety and feelings of dissatisfaction that plague them. We should instead look up to and aspire to be like those who have control over their minds. When I was in Namo Buddha just now, I was […]
Thrangu Sekhar Retreat Centre, Nepal, October 2021
Here’s are some good questions you can ask yourself occasionally: What if everyone were like me? What would happen to my community if everyone had the same degree of care and concern for others as me? What would happen to the community if everyone offered the same amount of service as me? What would happen […]
Thrangu Sekhar Retreat Centre, Nepal, 7th February 2018
If you are serious about learning mahamudra or dzogchen and you think you will have the opportunity to receive such authentic meditation instructions from a qualified lama, you should avoid reading any books or texts on these topics beforehand. To do so would be to commit meditation suicide. The vocabulary from such books that will […]
Thrangu Sekhar Retreat Centre, Nepal, 1st June 2020
For someone who aspires to practice the dharma, it is very important to read or hear the liberating lives of the masters of whichever lineage of teachings we follow. Even a little knowledge about their lives can help inspire faith and trust in the dharma and lineage. And when there is faith and trust, our […]
Thrangu Sekhar Retreat Centre, Nepal, 10th September 2021
In its simplest form, to recognise the nature of mind is to recognise the thoughts that run through our head and our habitual ways of thinking. It’s impossible to recognise the true nature of mind without first recognising the grosser nature of mind. The role of the lama is to first introduce us to the […]
Thrangu Sekhar Retreat Centre, Nepal, 10th September 2021
We do not practise the dharma to attain authority over others, to be in charge. On the contrary, we practise to become a servant or assistant to others. Our practice is to put our self-interest aside for the sake of all beings. But this has to start with those we are closest to; if we […]
Thrangu Sekhar Retreat Centre, Nepal, October 2021
A young child is happy to play with other children for a while but its heart lies with its mother. It is happy as long as its mother is in sight. Likewise, us modern day Buddhists are happy to play with the dharma for a while but our hearts lie with the world. We will […]
Whatever we are attached to becomes our boss. Our desires enslave us.
Thrangu Sekhar Retreat Centre, Nepal, Autumn 2021
If you wish to progress in your practice it is very important to think positively of others. This is more than doable because every person has something positive or admirable about them. Merely by the fact of being human – of all the six different classes of beings, humans are rare and special – so […]
Thrangu Sekhar Retreat Centre, Nepal, August 2021
Yesterday Olga requested some practice instructions. She said she gave up everything in order to come here and rely on me – her career, her status, her financial security and so on. So what I’ll say in reply is, ok, you gave up these things to come and train under my guidance, now on top […]
Thrangu Sekhar Retreat Centre, Nepal, 27th August 2019
If we regard our afflictions as something like garbage to be thrown out and gotten rid of, then we won’t look at them very carefully. As soon as we notice an affliction, we will immediately want to get rid of it, won’t we? Taking this approach our practice will become more and more difficult and […]
Thrangu Sekhar Retreat Centre, Nepal, Summer 2021
Our normal way of being will show us how our practice is going, not how long we can sit on the cushion.
Thrangu Sekhar Retreat Centre, Nepal, 21st July 2021
In Tibetan Buddhist circles you hear many people theses days referring to their lama as Buddha so-and-so, or Dorje Chang so-and-so. But in truth only those who have attained accomplishment can see their lamas as Dorje Chang, Vajradhara. Ordinary beings cannot. I think I have quite strong faith in my Lamas, I think it would […]
Thrangu Sekhar Retreat Centre, Nepal, 21st July 2021
Venerable Tashi came to see me today to confess that he had become angry at me for what he thought was me wasting his time. But, Venerable Tashi, you should know that if you had even a shred of a practitioner’s way of thinking, and are someone who is truly careful with their time, then […]
