Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche on the Mahayana Buddhist path of the bodhisattva. The great tradition of Buddhism begins with the simple experience of looking at our minds and seeing that we want some kind of contentment. In a way, it is no more abstract than that. We look at our mind and we see the turmoil and we say, “How am I going to get out of this situation?” In the Buddhist [...]
The Path Through Obstacles
Obstacles aren’t to be avoided. When we apply the right antidotes, they are the path itself. Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche diagnoses the different types of obstacles we face and prescribes the proper remedies. Whatever our level of meditation practice, there will always be obstacles. The Tibetan word for obstacle, parche, means “what cuts our progress.” In fact, sometimes the [...]
What Is Suffering? 10 Buddhist Teachers Weigh In
The Pali word dukkha is most commonly translated to English as "suffering." Dukkha presents in an array of emotions — from happiness to despair. While counterintuitive, it is a central concept in the Buddha's teachings. In these passages, adapted from longer teachings on Lion's Roar, 10 teachers explain what suffering is, how we feel it, and why it isn't a condemnation — it's a [...]
How to do Mindfulness Meditation
“Mindfulness practice is simple and completely feasible, says Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. "Just by sitting and doing nothing, we are doing a tremendous amount.” In mindfulness meditation, or shamatha, we are trying to achieve a mind that is stable and calm. What we begin to discover is that this calmness or harmony is a natural aspect of the mind. Through mindfulness [...]
The Myth of Permanence
No matter how hard we try to solidify our lives, says Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, nothing stays the same or lasts forever. Our denial of that basic truth is the reason we suffer. Human beings always want something. We are continually looking for pleasure and we are rarely satisfied with what we have. Even being able to afford a great vacation is not what we thought it was [...]
It’s Not Us and Them
The fear so many of us are feeling these days can stress us into freezing our world and getting caught up in dualism. But, says Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, we can get past that by practicing mindfulness and gentleness. In the face of the economic hardship the world is now suffering, it is possible for us to spin out and become very dualistic. When we are not sure what’s going [...]
Shamatha Meditation: Training the Mind
"The process of undoing bewilderment is based on stabilizing and strengthening our mind," says Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. "Shamatha meditation is how we do that.” We sometimes forget how the Buddhist teachings came into being. We forget why the Buddha left his father's palace. Dissatisfied with maintaining an illusion, he wanted to understand his life—and life itself. Why [...]
Going at Our Own Pace on the Path of Meditation
Our mind is like hard ground that has not seen water for a long time, says Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. As meditation practitioners, we begin to till that ground so that we can grow the mind of enlightenment. The Buddhist teachings are as vast as you can possibly imagine—and beyond that. At some point you might think you understand, but the reality is that the teachings are [...]
Confined by Cowardice
The way to free ourselves, says Sakyong Mipham, is to face life head-on without the seductive companionship of habitual patterns. My father, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, introduced the teachings of Shambhala to the West. These teachings are called “the sacred path of the warrior” because they emphasize bravery as an important factor in determining not only our personal future, [...]
True Listening
The receptive state of listening is a kind of auditory meditation, says Sakyong Mipham. It is an important way to gain wisdom and insight. But it’s not easy. It is said that when the Buddha first taught, two deer approached, knelt down, and raised their ears. The two deer symbolize the act of listening, a sublime way of being present in the moment. Their perked-up ears [...]
