Buddhist teachings Archives

Happiness, how to find the meaning of life : a DIY Kit ! by Stéphanie

04 November 2016

Let’s explore how to be happier ! Find Happiness : 10 questions / Answers with Geshe Lhakdor A bit of context before start to talk about happiness. This conversation took place in Tibet World Institute in Dharamsala, India. It was a teaching about the meaning of life gifted by a well known Buddhist Geshe Lakdor (director of Tibetan Library and Archives Centre and former translator of Dalai Lama). I arrived, of course how could I’ve done otherwise, full of stereotypes and misunderstandings about Buddhism, happiness and spirituality. Coming from European cultural background, directly arrived from my busy everyday-routine in our agitated societies, I am now sitting in this room facing this brilliant Geshe Lhakdor, trying to absorb a bit of his wisdom, drinking his words and trying to lift the veil. Which veil? The veil of the ignorance of happiness which covers our mind formatted with business relationships. So, here the questions I came with, here the answers I got It’s now up to you to choose to follow this path but at least you will, now, know the destination! What is happiness ? Quest for happiness is the meaning of life. We are talking here about long lasting happiness, not ephemeral’s one. Geshe Lakdor describes it : “Happiness is a deep feeling of satisfaction Happiness can be reached by exploration Exploration is accepting new challenges. New challenges bring new ideas, new energies inside you.” So happiness could be an energy ? A positive, warm and kind energy going through every part of your body and mind ? Let’s explore further ! Where is happiness coming from ? Knowing that we all want happiness, the universal question could be “Where are we going to get this long lasting happiness from ?” According to Geshe, “Not from what we learnt from our parents, not from religion beliefs either. You need to want to be happy. It’s all start by a commitment to yourself : Whatever happens in life I will not make my mind unhappy. I will not feed the anger but starve it like an enemy.” So happiness could come from our own experiences of life : see what makes you happy, try to analyse the reasons and decisions which lead to this state of happiness. Identify them to be able to repeat them more often in your life. Then, the answer seems clear and simple : happiness is only dependent […]

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 […]