Milarepa was a Tibetan master, yogi, and poet who led an inspiring life of spiritual progress and human accomplishment. His story exudes timeless themes of evildoing and redemption, perseverance in the face of many hardships, and dedication to the path. Even in the best of times, no one can describe life high up on the Tibetan plateau as easy. But whatever the hardships, [...]
What are the Three Yanas?
Vajrayana Buddhism divides the journey to enlightenment into three major stages. These are called yanas, which is usually translated as “vehicles” that carry you along the path to enlightenment. Although each yana lays the spiritual ground for the next, they are not necessarily taught or practiced in sequence. 1. The Yana of Individual Liberation We start by working on [...]
Pointing Out Ordinary Mind
Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche presents the essential teachings of Mahamudra and its three main approaches to practice, each offering effective methods for directly pointing out mind’s true nature. The Mahamudra teachings are profound instructions that lead to the realization of the true nature of mind. Mahamudra is a Sanskrit word that describes the fundamental nature of [...]
Who Was Jamgon Kongtrul?
Who was Jamgon Kongtrul and who are his successors? From the Fall 2016 Buddhadharma. Jamgon Kongtrul is often described as one of the greatest scholars in the history of Tibet. A Karma Kagyu lama and model of rimay ecumenical activity, he collaborated closely with the Sakya lama Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and the Nyingma treasure revealer (terton) Chokgyur Lingpa in the [...]
How to Transform Anger in 4 Steps
Using the traditional metaphor of the poison tree, Judy Lief teaches us four Buddhist techniques to work with our anger. According to Buddhist psychology, anger is one of the six root kleshas, the conflicting emotions that cause our suffering. Its companions are greed, ignorance, passion, envy, and pride. Anger can be white hot or freezing cold. Anger can be turned outward [...]
To Enter the Vajrayana Start at the Beginning
"It doesn't make sense to grab at the highest teachings and reject the rest," says Tsoknyi Rinpoche in this teaching from the Lion's Roar archive. "It is the kindness of the buddhas to provide us with a complete path, and the preliminary practices are part of that path." All great teachers of the past have taught the identical message: "Gather the accumulations, purify the [...]
Shamatha–Vipashyana: Our Original Nature
Gaylon Ferguson says through the practice of both shamatha and vipashyana we bring our mind back to its original state. In the tradition of the buddhadharma that traveled from ancient India to Tibet (and, more recently, to various points west), the two main kinds of meditation practiced are shamatha (peaceful or calm abiding) and vipashyana (insight). These are two different [...]
A Buddhist Chaplain Disrupts Suffering in Rikers Island
No one escapes suffering in Rikers Island. Not prisoners, not staff. Jennifer Keishin Armstrong profiles Justin von Bujdoss, the first-ever Buddhist chaplain in America’s most notorious jail. In a small, cinder-block room lit by shards of afternoon sun sneaking in through windows in the ceiling, thirteen jail guards in dark blue uniforms sit quietly on gray plastic chairs. [...]
How to Feed Your Demons
Lama Tsultrim Allione teaches you an innovative technique to turn your inner demons into friends. Feeding our demons rather than fighting them contradicts the conventional approach of fighting against whatever assails us. But it turns out to be a remarkably effective path to inner integration. Demons (maras in Sanskrit) are not bloodthirsty ghouls waiting for us in dark [...]
Just When You Think You’re Enlightened
Temporary spiritual experiences, such as flashes of bliss or clarity, can be helpful signs of progress if you know how to handle them, says Andrew Holecek. But if you don't, beware. They can be traps. Sooner or later it’s going to happen— it might be the very first time you meditate or only after years of dedicated practice, but someday you’re going to have a spiritual [...]
