Mangala Shri Bhuti - The Link

Speaker: Martha Asselin. Martha recalls her experiences in retreat ranging from durations of one weekend to six weeks, eight months and three years. Whether they were solitary or in group settings, retreats present an opportunity to let go of everyday distractions to observe and direct one's mind. Rinpoche guides us to view retreat as ideal for encountering our basic nature and seeing things exactly how they are. We bring all of our experiences onto the path from fear, confusion and preferences to insight and wisdom. Martha shares advice she received from Elizabeth and others regarding how to manage retreat: start slow, ease into practice, structure one's time, let go of expectations and allow leaving retreat to be natural.

Speaker: Chris Parmentier. Chris shares how her experience with depression provided the opportunity to practice patience, mindfulness and loving-kindness for herself and others, while also helping to let go of judgmental concepts such as success and failure. The focus on and protection of a "real" self causes pain and suffering. It takes practice and time to let go of this habitual mindset and way of being. Letting go also involves others; Chris recalls being reminded that without others there can be no enlightenment. We can learn to be grateful for everyone and everything in our lives, even those we may dislike and reject. Chris specifically recommended the Thangtong Gyalpo Refuge Prayer as a practice for overcoming pain and discovering intrinsic joy. This also results in having less resentment toward the world and ourselves. By naturally being present, we can face even old age, sickness and death with equanimity.

Speaker: Dungse Jampal Norbu. Dungse-la describes how the spiritual life asks us to look inside of our mind to find peace from the constant grasping and rejection of things- "the eight worldly concerns" in Buddhism. We strive to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings, and learn that our own true happiness comes from wishing for the happiness of others. In this way, the spiritual life involves not only engaging our mind but also being fully engaged in life and our environment where our activity is expressed. If we sometimes get stuck generating this intention, Dungse-la suggests that we ask ourselves what's going to serve and what's not going to serve. He assures us that this aspect of skillful means is not a difficult but delicate choice of threading the needle of present circumstances. Then, in holding the understanding of interdependent origination, more skillful opportunities will arise that have no assumptions or bias. Dungse-la concludes by saying that there can't be anything more me

Speaker: Daniel Dranetz. Daniel reflects on the three turnings of the wheel of Dharma starting with the first turning and its central teaching on the four noble truths. As he considers the foundational teachings of each of the yanas and the eightfold path, he offers examples of human and animal suffering. Drawing on both his personal and professional life as a mental health counsellor, Daniel muses on our persistent and habitual belief that happiness is available through samsara. Flowing inevitably from this confused belief are the chronically ineffective strategies with which we try to combat our suffering. He illustrates his talk by reading some of his favourite passages from Words of my Perfect Teacher and finishes by reminding us that because of our Buddha nature, enlightenment is possible for us all.

Speaker: Deb Spragg. Deb explains how self-doubt or unworthiness can be an indicative of not trusting our own mind. In the same vein, seeking affirmation from others can distract us from developing our own wisdom and skillful means to see ourselves and others as equal. While self-doubt doesn't offer us real inner truth, awareness of how it manifests in our physical bodies helps to recognize and overcome the self-absorption accompanying it. Rinpoche emphasizes the vital importance of cultivating confidence and exuberance in our practice. Self-doubt undermines this aspiration and can be indicative of a lazy state of mind. It takes effort to observe self-doubt and let go of nervous and restless energy, which creates space for confidence to arise and settle.

Speaker: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. Rinpoche originally originally gave this teaching on February 2, 2014 in Crestone, Colorado. In this talk, Rinpoche speaks about the importance of cultivating maitri or unlimited friendliness toward oneself and others as a way to cheer ourselves up and experience a lightness of being, especially in times of difficulty.

Speaker: Ava Evans. Ava gives a personal account of how her practices of bodhicitta and tonglen have been essential in navigating grief and loss. Her commitment to walk the path of a bodhisattva and follow Rinpoche's advice that, "our hearts must be strong and brave" have provided the support she needed to care for her brother during his battle with brain cancer until his death, and her father's decline into dementia. Turning toward suffering and bearing witness to their pain allowed Ava to step out of her limited sense of self and extend love, patience and compassion to her family members. In doing so, she touches the buddhanature in herself and her loved ones, strengthening her understanding that we are all the same. These experiences have also brought a deeper connection to her own mind's nature to always be in touch with itself. The power of that recognition allows confusion to be transformed into compassion and wisdom, which is the ultimate ally in difficult and uncertain times.

Speaker: Pat Noyes. Pat talks about her exploration of the Dharma as it pertains to a current mental health challenge within her family. She offers a compilation of foundational teachings, practices and contemplations that have helped in understanding the pain and fear she experiences. Starting with the four noble truths, Pat shares her search for a way through suffering by drawing on the words of her teachers. What gets her to the cushion when times are bleak are Rinpoche's teachings on the 51 mental states, tonglen, impermanence, karma, the four immeasurables, the four thoughts, and the four seals. Pat shares with us how these teachings and practices can help us all in overcoming the mental and emotional obscurations that keep us bound in samsara.

Speaker: Michael McIlmurray. Michael describes how working with honey bees is a vehicle for his practice of mindfulness. As an example, a beekeeper's movement in the apiary can accidentally squash and kill the bees. Honoring his bodhisattva vow of not harming others, he brings mindful awareness and patience in caring for the bee colonies. His practice of patience also includes accepting his mistakes. Michael describes how being stung by a bee may result in a flash of anger or resentment, which provides an excellent opportunity to examine and work with these emotions, remaining calm and composed in the moment. Beekeeping also enhances Michael's ability to visualize the Buddhanature of vast numbers of beings including all beings’ collective quest for happiness.

Speaker: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. This is the second part of a two-hour teaching Rinpoche gave in 2018 at the annual, Source of Mahamudra program held at Pema Osel Do Ngak Choling in Vershire, Vermont. The talk was split for rebroadcast over two consecutive weekends while Rinpoche and the Sangha were engaged in the annual Shedra program. In Part 1 (MSB podcast LINK #726), Rinpoche spoke about negative thinking and attachment, and the importance of mind training especially as we age. In Part 2, he provides the remedies.

Speaker: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. This is the first part of a two-hour teaching Rinpoche gave in 2018 at the annual, Source of Mahamudra program held at Pema Osel Do Ngak Choling in Vershire, Vermont. The talk was split for rebroadcast over two consecutive weekends while Rinpoche and the Sangha were engaged in the annual Shedra program. In Part 1, Rinpoche speaks about negative thinking and attachment, and the importance of mind training especially as we age. In Part 2, he provides the remedies (MSB podcast LINK #727).

Speaker: Elizabeth Ready. Elizabeth discusses various pith instructions of the guru, from Dzigar Kongtrul's request to generate bodhicitta before we listen to the teachings, to Patrul Rinpoche's encouragement to generate the unsurpassable skillful means of the Mantrayana. She recounts Bob Reid's talk on the three supreme methods: the supreme aspiration for the benefit of beings, the supreme view of trutal, the ineffable, luminous nature and the supreme dedication that all attain enlightenment at the end of any activity or practice, all of which are teachings on the ground, path and fruition. She describes how relative and ultimate bodhicitta are at the heart of all the pith instructions we receive at MSB, the thread that runs through all the teachings. She asks, "What is there other than resting in that genuine heart of enlightenment and how heartfelt is our wish?"

Speaker: Mark Kram. Mark shares his experience exploring emptiness, the foundational Mahayana teaching that is distilled in the Heart Sutra, 'The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom'. He explains that our wisdom increases directly as a function of how close we are to understanding this teaching. Each of us must arrive at the realization of emptiness through our own process of contemplation and meditation. Yet, because the Heart Sutra so profoundly upends our ideas about what is real, it is critical to examine our assumptions and notions before we can fully engage with emptiness. We come to understand that our mistaken "reality" is shaped by the physical senses, emotions, cultural experiences, the conceptualising mind and by the "vulgar illusions" of language itself.

Speaker: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. This previously-recorded Personal LINK was given by Rinpoche on May 30, 2004 at Samten Ling in Crestone, Colorado. It was re-broadcast in two parts, Part 1 on September 1st and Part 2 on September 8th, 2024. Please refer to Part 1 for a full summary of the talk.

Speaker: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. This previously-recorded Personal LINK was given by Rinpoche on May 30, 2004 at Samten Ling in Crestone Colorado. The talk was split into two parts, aired on consecutive weekends while Rinpoche and the Sangha are engaged in the annual Mahayoga and Sadhana of Mahamudra programs at Pema Osel Do Ngak Choling in Vershire, Vermont. In this talk, Rinpoche encourages us to not waste this precious tendrel of having met the Mahayana and Vajrayana Dharma. He stresses that our connection to Guru Rinpoche is not random. The path we follow being part of the Nyingma lineage comes directly from Guru Rinpoche and his great kindness. Not only is the Nyingma path connected to Guru Rinpoche, but all the schools have a strong connection to his enlightened mind and have flourished due to his kindness. As such, he strongly encourages his students to make daily, heartfelt aspirations to be reborn in the Glorious Copper-Colored Mountain.

Speaker: Inigo Batterham. Inigo shares his experience with mental illness and addiction, juxtaposed against an unfolding Dharmic path. He emphasizes how his life has been indelibly altered by great masters such as H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and how Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche's guidance and constant presence have helped him manage his addiction and mental struggles and turn his mind towards the Dharma.

Speaker: Bob Reid. Following up on his talk from August 11, 2024, Bob discusses the three supreme methods and the four metaphors, laying the framework for a further talk on bodhcitta. He shares some ‘provocative contemplations’ that he uses in his own practice, arising from the implications of the second of these supreme methods. The inseparability of the ground and fruition and the illusory nature of reality mean we should avoid a goal-oriented or materialistic attitude towards our practice. Bob explains how this teaching can inspire our courage and confidence as it gives us an important perspective on the illusory notions of time, the path and enlightenment. Bob then explores how Rinpoche's teachings on self-reflection and natural intelligence open our hearts to bodhicitta and to our own Buddha nature.

Speaker: Bob Reid. In the first of a two-part talk, Bob speaks about the four immeasurables, reviewing two of the three supreme methods: to arouse the bodhicitta, and while carrying out an action, to avoid getting lost in any conceptualization. He describes bodhicitta as an attitude where you wish for others the happiness that you have, with a broad mind and perspective. He points out that it is the truth of suffering that brings us to engage in the path of Dharma. Relating to the second method, Bob says it is from the state of confusion that there is a journey to be made at all. From the perspective of genuine reality there is no independent, singular and permanent self to make this journey. Ultimately, it is waking up from the dream that is the aspiration, as all beings are Buddhas who have not yet recognized it.

Speaker: Dungse Jampal Norbu. Dungse-la describes the spiritual path as a path of getting know oneself. Having grown up in a Dharmic family, the practice of self reflection has been a constant in his life from a young age. Being a Dharmic person means going beyond improving the self based on worldly concerns, to develop a relationship with one’s internal world of thoughts and emotions. A daily practice of meditation is foundational to self-knowing. By observing thoughts and emotions arising and dissipating, the habit of identifying with them as belonging to one's self begins to unravel. Looking more deeply at our thoughts, feelings and emotions in the context of the five skandhas uncovers the concept of looking-but-not-finding, which brings great relief. Self-knowing that arises from not finding a single, intrinsic self is referred to as ‘Egolessness of Self’. It is the foundation for discovering who and what we truly are: intrinsically enlightened. In sum, self reflection is the practice that leads us to rec

Speaker: Jennifer O'Keeffe. Jennifer describes how the Lojong practice supports us in transforming adversity into a path of awakening. As a mind training tool, Lojong helps to liberate ourselves from attachment to self cherishing and to cultivate a compassionate heart. In today's talk, Jennifer covers slogans 11-14: (11) ‘When the world is full of evil, transform misfortune into the path of awakening’: When we bring our obstacles onto the path, they help clarify our practice; (12) ‘Realize all faults spring from one source: Ego clinging, belief in "I"’: Rather than blaming others for challenging circumstances we turn to our own minds, analyzing how all phenomena result from multiple causes and conditions; (13) ‘Meditate upon gratitude toward all’: Being grateful for beings who do us harm or irritate us, seeing their provocations as our true teachers; (14) ‘Use whatever you face as a practice immediately’: With awareness, our suffering can be a gateway to bodhicitta with such practices as tonglen, the four imm