2015 Hwayue Foundation, Taipei, Taiwan
Buddhism encourages us to examine our life and situation carefully so that we can see things as they are. When we see the nature of our cyclic existence, we see that it is characterised by suffering and dissatisfaction, and we begin to long for freedom and the peace of transcendence. This insight and subsequent feeling […]
Namo Buddha Seminar, Nepal, 14 April 2019
We are not learning something new when we study the dharma. We tend to study the dharma in the same way that we learn a new language – but that is not right. In the study of dharma we are trying to recognise the desire that we have – desire is not new to us, […]
Thrangu Sekhar Retreat Centre, Nepal, 12 December 2019
We often see new Buddhists, or old Buddhists who have not studied much dharma, getting ahead of themselves and making plans to run off to the mountains. This shows a lack of understanding and experience of dharma. In order to practise alone in solitude, and to be able to practice properly, we must have first […]
Kagyu Samye Ling, Scotland, 12 October 2017
Money becomes a real obstacle in forming a true lama-student relationship. So if it’s real dharma you want, if it’s a real lama-student relationship you want, then this is something you should keep in mind. For example, if you see me to be a lama of yours, and you genuinely wish to rely on and […]
Transcript of a conversation between Drupon Khen Rinpoche and Owen, Johannesburg, South Africa, October 2019
After yesterday afternoon’s teaching here in Johannesburg, Drupon Khen Rinpoche was on his way to meet someone when a young chap called Owen wished to ask him a question. Since we were already running late we arranged for him to see Rinpoche today. Rinpoche very much appreciated Owen’s questions and asked him if it would […]
Teaching on the fourth day (19 Oct) of the one-week meditation retreat with Hwayue Foundation, 2019
The worst thing you can do in meditation is to hanker after feelings of peace and bliss. Expectations are always followed by disappointments. Feelings of peace, bliss and deep well-being do not come to us very easily (and they’re not all that much use to us anyway.) But if you do get a taste, a […]
Teaching on the third day (18 Oct) of the one-week meditation retreat with Hwayue Foundation, 2019
In meditation the direction we are moving towards is that of non-doing. We already have so much that we need to do in our lives, and if meditation is seen as being something else that we must do, it becomes just another task to add to our to-do list. It will become a burden, a […]
Second day of teachings at the one-week retreat hosted by the Hwayue Foundation, Taiwan, 2019
When reading or listening to a teaching do not focus on the words; focus on your own mind. The words are like a mirror through which you can see your own anger, desire, etc. The texts do not have anger and the other afflictions, but they can help you see your own if you use […]
Teaching on the first day of the one-week meditation retreat with Hwayue Foundation, Taiwan, 2019
Only those who have faith and who are diligent can learn real meditation; those who are lazy will never get it. Some people think that only lazy people come to meditate, while the diligent read books. In fact, it’s the opposite. Lazy people study books; diligent people try their best to meditate. I say because […]
Thrangu Sekhar Retreat Center, Teaching given to the Chinese students, 21 July 2019
What is dharma? Dharma is not something in the book that you read, nor is it something new that you need to learn and keep in mind. Anything that is not related to your mind is not dharma. So what is dharma? Dharma is everything that you see and experience right now, it is all […]
Teaching given to Chinese students at Thrangu Sekhar Retreat Center, Nepal, 14 August 2019
My constant and most important prayer is that I may be able to ignore myself and my own needs, and to always hold sentient beings at the centre of my heart – to keep others in mind and to forget about myself. When I’m seized by moments of mindfulness, I recite or bring to mind […]
Teaching to the retreat staff, Thrangu Sekhar Retreat Centre, Nepal, 20 July 2019
I wish that after many years of training a student in the dharma, from the outside they will appear unsophisticated, uneducated and maybe a little simple. On looking at them you wouldn’t get the impression that they were anything special; they would be humble and easy going. But inside they would be rich in learning […]
Thrangu Sekhar Retreat Centre, Nepal, 9 May 2019
While I do sometimes worry what will become of me after I die, it doesn’t trouble me too badly. What worries me the most is wasting the time I have now, before I die. Each day is an opportunity, an opportunity that we can never retrieve if we let it go to waste. To not […]
9th One-Week Meditation Retreat, Hong Kong, June 2019
I honestly hope and aspire to one day be able to practise the greater vehicle, mahamudra, dzogchen and other secret mantra practices. But in this life, if I am able to have an authentic practice of the lower vehicle I would be absolutely delighted and think I am doing something amazing. Actually, it’s what I […]
I only fear two things, I am scared of my lamas because they have been so good to me. They have helped me with my way of thinking so that now I know I won’t be overwhelmed by the hardships of this life, even if I do hit hard times I do not dwell on […]
