Tsoknyi Rinpoche's Blog, page 26

Tsoknyi Rinpoche in The Huffington Post on Virtue and Virtuosity

“Virtue, or virtuous living – as I understand it – comes very close to the Hippocratic oath that doctors take: First, do no harm,” writes Tsoknyi Rinpoche for The Huffington Post.

 

“The earliest and most persistent descriptions of virtue in the Buddhist teachings involve avoiding activities that cause harm to others, including killing, theft, sexual abuse, lying, slander, and gossip.

 

Interestingly enough, they also include activities that may harm oneself, such as overindulging in intoxicants, food, and certain types of habitual activity – understandings that evolved long before terms like ‘addiction’ or ‘obesity’ were defined by modern medicine.”

To read Rinpoche’s full essay, visit The Huffington Post.

 



Tsoknyi Rinpoche’s new book OPEN HEART, OPEN MIND: Awakening the Power of Essence Love is now available wherever books are sold. Check to see if Tsoknyi Rinpoche will be in your area on his Open Heart, Open Mind book tour.

Wellesley College: In Conversation with John Makransky 4/9/12

This event was held on the evening of April 9th at Wellesley College, a distinguished womens' university located about 20 minutes from Boston, through the auspices of the campus' "Art and Soul" program that serves the greater Boston community with noted speakers and events connected to the arts. It was co-sponsored by the Foundation for Active Compassion in Boston. Rinpoche was in conversation with Professor John Makransky from Boston College on the major themes in Rinpoche's book. There was a standing room only audience of about 120 people which included faculty, social activists and leaders in the dharma community. Rinpoche's talk was replete with great stories and insights and frank honesty about our western subtle bodies, coupled with John's very skilful ability to clarify and amplify key points.

Audience close up

Professor John Makransky reading from Rinpoche's book.

Audience at Wellesley College, MA

Audience close up

Audience at Wellesley College, MA

Tsoknyi Rinpoche on Wellesley campus in early spring

 

Rinpoche Meets with Tibetan Youth Leaders at Garrison Institute

 

Through the efforts of Dianna Rose (Garrison Institute) and Amy Head (Conservancy for Tibetan Art and Culture) and the inspiration and vision of Tsoknyi Rinpoche, an important meeting took place on April 7, 2012 at Garrison Institute with Tibetan youth leaders and Rinpoche. Many topics were explored including (this at best is a partial list):

 

Tibetan cultural adaptation in the U.S for the second and third generations and understanding generational gaps; how to practice dharma when the external supports (stupas, cultural events, access to lamas, etc.) are not as present and what it means to internalize and apply the teachings in this situation; how dharma is vital and relevant to social and political transformation; ways youth can be effective leaders without a "wounded heart" and use essence love and compassion as skillful means; initiatives by Rinpoche and other tulkus to provide scholarship funds for higher education for promising young Tibetans; womens' concerns for full ordination as nuns; making dharma fully accessible and relevant for Tibetans in the west; and a clear five- stage practice path that captures the essence of dharma for young, active professionals.

 



 

The leaders expressed how deeply moved and happy they were to meet Rinpoche (who again bridges not only east and west, but generations within Tibetan culture) and experience his warm, open, relaxed and accessible presence. And most importantly, someone who immediately deeply understood in an existential and practical way the real and pressing issues confronting Tibetan youth and elders in this country.

 

This meeting with the eight community leaders in various parts of this country was a seed carefully planted by the Garrison Institute and the Conservancy for Tibetan Art and Culture. Follow up to this great beginning will be done by them in the near future.

 

Garrison Retreat 4/6-8/12

Rinpoche taught a weekend retreat at Garrison Institute on 'Living Dharma in a Speedy World.' He met with eight young Tibetan leaders and activists, as well.

 



 

 

Tibet House, New York City 4.4.12

Sharon Salzberg and Tsoknyi Rinpoche "in conversation" at Tibet House on 4/4/12 in New York, officially launching Open Heart, Open Mind before a standing-room-only crowd.

 

Rinpoche with Eric Swanson reading an excerpt from Open Heart, Open Mind

 

Rinpoche with Josie and Willa, daughters of Elizabeth Cuthrel and Steve Tuttleman; Rinpoche is godfather to Willa

 

 

Pedro Beroy, his daughter Sophia, and Rinpoche

 

Victoria and Michael Imperioli with their son and Rinpoche (Michael is also an actor you may remember from The Sopranos series)

 

Tsoknyi Rinpoche meditating in the early morning hours against the New York skyline

 

Rinpoche Arrives in New York City

On arrival in New York City, Rinpoche stopped at Union Square and joined the Hare Krishnas dancing, singing, and praying for world peace. He feels that the more people from different traditions join in prayer, the better for us all.

 

 

Rinpoche with friends and students from Nubri who live in Queens, NY. He spends time with them, eats momos and gives teachings to help them adapt to living in the West where the cultural differences are so vast.

 

UK Easter Retreat

Carole Bishop reports on the March 2012 Dzogchen Enhancement retreat at Bruton, UK:

 

"The annual Easter Retreat went very well. We were full with 140 people, and we all felt privileged to be there. We were doubly blessed with fabulous weather and great teachings. It was an Enhancement Retreat for those who had already received the precious Nature of Mind teachings from Rinpoche where we learned about the difference between Essence Rigpa and Expression Rigpa. One of Rinpoche's special qualities is to take time and great care in answering everyone's questions and making sure we all understand. Another quality which we all love is his ability to make us laugh, and this time was no exception. We all left happy and determined to spend more time on the cushion!"

 

Book Launch News

Rinpoche giving talk last night about Open Heart, Open Mind at the Roses

 

Last night (April 3, 2012), Dianna and Jonathon Rose hosted a book launch party in their beautiful home in New York City for about 60 people. Rinpoche spoke about the book Open Heart, Open Mind briefly, answered questions about essence love and his work with his over 3,000 nuns in Tibet and Nepal. He was able publicly to thank Eric Swanson and the publishing team from Crown Books and agent, Emma Sweeney.

 

(L to R: Mark Epstein, Daniel Goleman, Tara Bennett Goleman, Rinpoche, Eric Swanson, Carey Lowell, Richard Gere)

 

(L to R: Emma Sweeney, literary agent; Julia Pastore, Chief Editor/Crown Books; Eric Swanson)

Tricycle Book Club Discussing Open Heart, Open Mind

Tricycle.com readers are reading Tsoknyi Rinpoche's Open Heart, Open Mind at the Tricycle Book Club. Pick up a copy and join the discussion – going now through the end of April! In the following, co-author Eric Swanson introduces the book and gives us some ideas to chew on for the discussion.

 

"From the moment we wake up in the morning to the moment we fall into exhausted sleep, most of us are confronted with so many challenges: social, psychological, ecological, and economic," says Eric Swanson.

 

"Given the current troubles of the world economy, the harmful effects of global climate change, the occurrence of natural disasters and epidemic illnesses, and the persistence of acts of violence by individuals and groups, the world in which we find ourselves can seem like a ticking time bomb, moments away from exploding.

 

Our interior lives, meanwhile, mirror the various dysfunctions of the external world. We've become experts at multitasking the possibilities of disaster. Our minds work like perpetual news channels, complete with big windows showing the main story of the moment, side windows showing stock and weather reports, and "crawlers" providing the latest, often sensational updates.

 

Or is it the other way around? Could the trauma evident on the world stage reflect a fractured internal image—a conflict between our longing for well-being and the fear, loneliness, and despair we acquire when someone or some situation inflicts a wound upon our hearts that seems impossible to heal?

 

As human beings, we find ourselves in an uncomfortable position of balancing thoughts, feelings, and actions over which we can acknowledge some conscious control, and mental, emotional, and behavioral habits formed by factors beyond conscious awareness. For many of us this discomfort feels as though we're living a double life. A shadow seems to stalk us, a self behind the personality we consciously acknowledge and present to the world. Identifying and coming to terms with this shadow, for most of us, can be an unsettling experience.

 

But the process does have its upside. A shadow is projected by some source of light, and by recognizing and acknowledging our shadow selves we can begin to trace a path toward the light. Discovering this light is a gradual and deeply personal process through which we begin to see the causes and consequences of our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors more brightly and vividly than we might previously have done.

 

On tricycle.com, we'll explore some of the ways through which we can rekindle the light of our essential nature, particularly through learning to open our hearts and our minds.

 

The ideas and exercises introduced here are adapted from Tsoknyi Rinpoche's new book, Open Heart, Open Mind: Awakening The Power of Essence Love, published recently by Harmony Books. This book evolved primarily through many hours of private conversation with Rinpoche, and it's my pleasure to share some of the insights that arose from our discussions. Please join me on this journey of discovery, and write in during the week to tell us how it's going!"

 

Eric Swanson is co-author of Open Heart, Open Mind. A graduate of Yale University and the Julliard School, he is the author of several works of fiction and nonfiction.

 

Visit him online throughout the month of April at the Tricycle Book Club.

Tsoknyi Lineage Nuns Update 3.19.12

From Brady Hogan in Nepal:

The Muktinath anis just returned from Tashi Jong, India, the seat of Khamtrul Rinpoche, Tsoknyi Rinpoche's main teacher. They are full of enthusiasm and praise for the kindness, the excellent care and incredible teachings they were so very fortunate to receive. How is it possible that nuns receive such treatment? It is rather unheard of in the male dominated Tibetan system. There is only one reason. They are Tsoknyi Rinpoche's nuns.

 

During Rinpoche's time as president of Tashi Jong many years ago, he took such tremendous care, built desperately needed housing and bathrooms for the monks. He did so much for his Lama, Khamtrul Rinpoche, sponsoring Adeu Rinpoche to come and offer the entire 6 Yogas of Naropa to Khamtrul Rinpoche, the todgens and monks.

 

The collecting, compiling, endless proofing and correcting–8 years of tremendous effort and cost, making available for the first time since the cultural revolution all of the Drukpa Kagyu Lineage texts precisely and accurately. What an outrageous and most courageous endeavor; securing an entire lineage, a complete path to enlightenment and then able to offer those 108 volumes not only to your teacher but printing enough for all the Drukpa Kagyu monasteries in Tibet as well as India and Nepal. I will never know, but am certain there was great benefit reflecting the deep love he felt for another of his most special teachers, Togden Amten, and so much more.

 

He left his own unique footprint that is still very apparent today, and those at Tashi Jong were happy to repay his immense kindness by taking such good care of his nuns. The anis even approached the oldest of the togdens, Achu, and requested teachings. He has never, ever given teachings to the monks or laypeople of Tashi Jong or those outside of the village regardless of name or offering, but he agreed. Why? Because these are Tsoknyi Rinpoches nuns.  For several months, they were held so deeply in the blessings of their Lama, while receiving teachings daily from Khamtrul Rinpoche, Togden Achu and other learned and skilled khenpos.

 

When visiting another nunnery in the area, while the nuns were chatting the way that nuns do, one commented on one of our ani's robes. She proudly told them that her Lama, Tsoknyi Rinpoche, gave them not only one, but 2 sets of robes every year, winter and summer, as he does all of his nuns. The other nuns were flabbergasted, they had never heard of such treatment. Even their very highly respected khenpo at Tashi Jong told them in all of his 40 plus years as a monk, no one had ever given him robes. Everyone so appreciates the immense generosity and sincerity of Tsoknyi Rinpoche, because wherever he goes, whoever he commits to, somehow he finds the means to make a difference. A real difference in peoples lives and in their hearts.

 

Sometimes it's hard to see or know the blessings that we receive as his students, but they are raining, pouring upon us nonetheless. We also share in this great fortune, this treasure house that is always open and available to us, that surrounds us and holds us in this most spacious, but profoundly strong mandala of Rinpoche. There is a saying here that a Lama's monks and nuns are his natural adornments–and might I add the sincerity of the prayers, commitment and practice all of his students from all over the world sends a certain sparkle to his being as well.

 

As Rinpoche continues to broaden his responsibilities to spread the dharma, alleviate suffering and shine the light of love, may this year return to him a thousand fold, all support and care needed for all of his nuns, easing the burden that he so gracefully carries while sowing the seeds and tilling the fields of Heartland.