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Tag: Buddhism

Walking in the shadows by Jeanette

21 December 2017

“Soul work is not a high road. It is a deep fall into an unforgiving darkness that won’t let you go until you find the song that sings you home”  McCall Erickson   In what seems like an ever-increasing time of confusion and political turmoil we, as a society have come to a crossroads. Do we face with frankness the world we have created? Or do we continue to bury our heads in the sand and hope for a better world. For those that choose the red pill, the journey must begin with ourselves. It is the realisation that we and we alone have created this reality we now must live in. It is the choices that we’ve made that have lead us down this path, and it is the manifestation of our thoughts that this world is shaped upon. So we ask ourselves; how did we let it get this bad? What exists in the dark recesses of our minds that have allowed the creation of wars and famine? Thus, begins the journey into our minds and drawing into light all the shadows we’ve denied for so long. As those of you who have already been on this path will attest to- it is not a pleasant experience. The moment you start to truly see yourself in all its ugliness, is the moment you realise that your life has been built on a lie. We all strive to be perceived as a ‘good person’ and often refuse to admit that we played a hand in someone else’s pain. What excuses did we make up to justify our actions?     “A thousand times we die in one life. We crumble, break and tear apart until the layers of illusion are burned away and all that is left, is the truth of who and what we really are” Teal Scott             As we travel through the labyrinth of our minds, through all the twists and turns, to face the monsters in the dark, we arrive at the dark night of the soul. It is here where we learn the greatest lesson of all; forgiveness. To accept that the world, like ourselves, is full of flaws- is to begin the path to self-love. When we let go of self-judgement do we begin to free our energy for the greater things in life.       “When […]

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What does peace mean to you? by Jeanette

19 December 2017

On the 16th December, 1989- His Holiness the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel peace prize. It was a momentous occasion and one which brought hope to so many people including the Tibetan community in exile. It’s been 28 years since His Holiness stood up on the podium in Stockholm to receive this award and to express his hopes to the world for a better future. Let’s take this opportunity to remind ourselves of the message that not just he, but also many of the great leaders of the world wished to convey to us all in these times of turmoil and uncertainty.  

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Shanti Deva, the king of Bodhissatvas by Tashi

Prayer Book

11 March 2016

Revered as king of the Bodhissatvas-Shanti Deva lived in 8th century AD. His poetic and philosophical teaching on the Bodhissatva and its life (Bodhicaryavatara) have captivated hearts of millions of people across the world. Equivalent to Muslims’ Quran or Christians’ Bible, his book is also one of the daily inspirational prayer of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Infinite rays of happiness and compassion, Bodhicitta-an evergreen mind Bodhicitta is an appealing blissful state of mind where compassion is boundless radiating happiness and pure wisdom to whoever it connects. And for Bodhissatvas, friend or foe is a same being whose sheer pursuit in its life is to seek happiness, pleasure, name, fame and every bit of comfort. As such Bodhissatvas are neither gladdened by the praise from their friends nor are they saddened by the defamation from their foes. They are the spiritual practitioners who strive to maintain a compassionate attitude for all beings.  The veil of Bodhissatvas-a shield of humility A typical tradition in Mahayana Buddhism is that the Bodhissatvas often veil their profound insights by disguising themselves in an idiotic appearance or by resorting to bizarre activities, they shield themselves from falling into the pitfall of mundane fame. From Tilopa working as an oil maker to Milarepa wandering as a homeless beggar, from Naropa giving up his throne of scholar to Drukpa Kunley famous for his insanity. Every now and then the unusual tales of the heroes of Bodhissatvas echoed in the Himalayan kingdom time after time. “Busukhu” Shanti Deva the lazy bone of Nalanda University   At Nalanda University in 8th century A.D, Shanti Deva was nicknamed “Busukhu” by his colleagues simply meaning three actions; eating, sleeping and defecating. Except for the eyes of few, no one really knew he had transcended all the worldly illusions and had realized the ultimate nature of every phenomena. But in his monastic community, he was known as a “Lazy Bone” and a filthy burden tagged to be dump out at the earliest note of breach. In fact he was doing nothing outwardly except for the three very tasks he had been executing everyday. He never let anybody know his profound realizations. Until when he was subjected to mockery by his companions to give teaching in front of a big gathering hoping he would embarrass himself and thereby expel him from the monastery. But to everybody’s surprise, he gave one of the most reflective teaching […]

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How did Tibet look like before the Chinese Cultural Revolution? by Stéphanie

Two monks

08 February 2016

Tibet, this dream-like mystical land has been untouched by external influence for many centuries, preserving its own unique traditions and lifestyle. After Tibet’s occupation by China in 1959, the history of the roof of the world saw a dramatic and disruptive change. Little was known about this remote isolated plateau called Tibet in the Western world. A German expedition led by Ernst Schafer, a renowned hunter and zoologist, in 1938-1939 is one of the few extraordinary cases of Western visitors in the faraway Tibet. The main purpose of the expedition was to carry out research on landforms, climate, geography and culture as well as establishing German representation. Catch a contemplative view of an authentic yet endangered Tibetan way of life. It is impressive how these snapshots manage to register the culture so well.                                     If you feel inspired and encouraged to undertake a journey of a lifetime to the mysterious Tibet, please contact us for designing a tailor-made trip for you. Be sure to rejoice in the authencity of your experience. Source: Bundesarchiv .

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Healing with Tibetan singing bowls: when it’s a matter of vibrations by Tashi

tibetan bowl

04 February 2016

Have you ever made a Tibetan bowl sing? If so, your mind has probably been marked by the power of its resonance. The sound spreading across the room seems to come from another world, the vibrations flow in benign and soothing waves whose power will never leave you unimpressed. Here is to shed light on a little-known but one of the most efficient therapies. The origin of the bowls No one knows exactly the time the first Tibetan singing bowl dates back to. The mystery that surrounds the origin of this great object accords it more charm. It is estimated that they emerged when the Bon religion, which predates Tibetan Buddhism, was predominant in Tibet. Today they are made of bronze or copper, but originally the bowls were manufactured from seven different metals symbolising the planets: Silver (the Moon) Copper (Venus) Tin (Jupiter) Iron (Mars) Mercury (Mercury) Gold (the Sun) Lead (Saturn) The seven alloys also represent the seven chakras and their resonance balances each other and also the seven days of the week. How to make a Tibetan bowl sing? We can make the bowl vibrate in different ways. There is a variety of different shapes and sizes that produce very distinct sounds just as there is a variety of  stick that helps to produce them. You can strike the bowl more or less gently to hear it ringing until the vibrations die down, or roll the stick around the bowl by holding it like a pen in the manner of a crystal glass that we would make sing with fingers. Therapeutic properties The sound and singing have been used in healing rituals all over the world from time immemorial. Tambourine, rain sticks, gongs, cymbals…the instruments vary depending on their user whether it is a shaman, a priest or a monk reciting mantras. The sound creates a connection to the present moment, and this is more pronounced with Tibetan singing bowls. When you listen to the sound carefully, it will allow you to experience deep meditation. A single session of treatment with singing bowls would have the effect of months of meditation! How is this possible? It is possible because everything is a matter of vibrations. Our body is composed of 65% of water on average. It is this water that will react first to the vibrations of the bowls that are placed all around and on the body. Imagine you throw a stone into the lake; the waves that gets created […]

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Kagyu Monlam 2016 – a week of invocation by Sangmo

Kagyu Monlan

08 January 2016

A highly anticipated event in the Buddhist world right now  is the 33rd Kagyu Monlam. It will be held in February 2016, in Bodhgaya, India.  H.H the XVII Karmapa, the head of the Kagyu sect will teach the chapter on mandala offerings from The Torch of True Meaning as well as on the Kadampa master Potowa’s Long Soliloquy . The main Kagyu Monlam(prayer) will be held for a week from February 16 to 22. You may check the schedule here. For a first timer, this may well be your week of Buddhist Sabbath , a break from your routine, your debut into the framework of Tibetan Buddhism, where you may levitate in the lull of Buddhist prayer hum while being harnessed by the vibrations of pure energy. Monlam is a great prayer festival, traditionally held in Tibet. Kagyu is one of the major sects of Tibetan Buddhism, completed by Nyingma, Sakya, Geluk, Jonang and Bonpo. Gampopa is the main founder of Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism. He was the student of Milarepa, who was the student of Marpa “The Translator”(1012-1099). Kagyu is best known for its system of meditation and practice called Mahamudra. The celebrated Prayer Festival was revived in India in 1983 by the profound effort of Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche and Kyabje Bokar Rinpoche. Kagyu Monlam, at this time in history of Tibetan Buddhism is being held in Bodh Gaya, India and it has come a full circle and home as Lord Buddha attained Enlightenment in Bodh Gaya. The prayer festival was initiated three hundred years back, by the 7th Karmapa Chodrak Gyatso, the 8th Karmapa Mikyo Dorje, the 9th Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje, and the 10th Karmapa Choying Dorje. . The XVIIth Gyalwa Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, was born in 1985 in the Lhathok region, and escaped to exile and reached India on Jan 5, 2000, at the turn of the new millennium. He has grown to shoulder more responsibility of the spiritual event. As the Monlam became more elaborate over the years, H.H the Karmapa has asserted the need to maintain the substance of it and introduced new codes of discipline for Kagyu Monlam in 2004 and promoted more secular approaches keeping in mind devotees of all sects and nationalities. He said “Generally speaking all the lineages of Tibetan Buddhism are interconnected with each other and have their roots in Vajradhara. To provoke differences among each other will weaken the samaya bonds between them” The chief purpose of Monlam is to come together in prayers for […]

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