Mangala Shri Bhuti - The Link

As the new year is upon us, Rinpoche encourages us to become vigorous in taking opportunities to serve others, grow the sense of care within ourselves and in the process drop our self attachments: "Offer yourself in any way to serve others and take that as your spiritual path".

This is the third and final in a three part series of pre-recorded talks on Chopa, a Tibetan term generally defined as "a practitioner", but more specifically defined as a practitioner who has transformed their mind by working with self-clinging.

This is the second in a three part series of pre-recorded talks on Chopa, a Tibetan term generally defined as "a practitioner", but more specifically defined as a practitioner who has transformed their mind by working with self-clinging.

This is the first in a three part series of pre-recorded talks on Chopa, a Tibetan term generally defined as "a practitioner", but more specifically defined as a practitioner who has transformed their mind by working with self-clinging.

Mark reminds us of Dunzhi, or the seemingly important "little things" that proliferate to fill our lives and take us away from the upayas given to us by our teachers, distract us from practice and take us away from fulfilling our deepest aspirations.

Elizabeth shares her inquiry into what is special about the Dharma and what we want to carry forward. This led her back to the Buddha' s teachings of The Middle Way and "the practice of resting in open inquiry", "looking deeply at what' s timeless and placeless" and "entering the Hall of Doubt".

Chris discusses how feeling of separate from others is the same as a lack of intimacy with, or feeling separate from, the Self. He describes the practice of bearing witness as an example of intimacy and non-separation, and gives examples that illustrate how we handle others is really how we handle ourselves.

Dungse-la discusses the key trait of devotion as being a person who pursues their purpose with single-minded focus without distraction. He uses the 2012 Kalachakra gathering in Bodhgaya as an example of devotion and describes the relationship between devotion and distraction.

Rinpoche talks about spiritual growth for the new year and describes how to relate to the "anxiety of change" in our life.

Elizabeth discusses our relationship with our world and the activity of awareness, especially when relating to suffering. She describes how to be in relationship with everything in our world with dynamic systems merging. "The more we include the freer we become".

Dungse-la reflects on aspiration and engagement bodhicitta and its expression on a personal level in our thoughts and actions and on a larger scale within societies and cultures.

In this pre-recorded talk (4/9/2006) given at Samten Ling, Rinpoche offers three remedies for shakiness that can stem from a lack of confidence or faith in one' s practice. He explains how these remedies, Faith, Surrender and Acknowledgment and the relative practice of devotion (mugu) can ultimately lead to absolute realization.

Nicholas explores arrogance.

Elizabeth explores the way to develop confidence in our basic nature as our "resting place" and how cultivating merit is the key to find the cracks in the system in order to let the light come through.

Dungse-la underscores the importance of openness and trust as the link to the larger self, and in opening to the larger self how bodhicitta serves as both the vehicle (to enlightenment) and the bridge (counters the small self and negative habits).

Rinpoche discusses how attachment makes us wobbly and weaker on the path, having no solid footing and diminished self esteem. He discusses how to relate to attachment through self reflection, the courage of letting go and the power of intention.

Rinpoche discusses the predisposition of humans to make themselves small and reveals the truth of becoming the trutral itself.

Elizabeth explores a profound Kadampa teaching that exposes the pain experienced by the ego when grasping or clinging to one' s identity, and the freedom and confidence that can arise from realizing there is no truth to identity. She explains the difference between the humility that comes from a falling away of the ego versus the "ego of low self esteem".

Dungse-la contemplates how building an identity around an object changes the value of our experience thereby leading to a loss of appreciation, joy and contentment for what is.