Openness and Compassion: The Precious Jewel

The following quote was included in a recent newsletter for the Zangdokpalri Foundation for Great Compassion. I thought it was quite meaningful and accessible.

Hope you all enjoy it.

“There is a well-known statement or formula, which is “Openness (emptiness) having the nature of great compassion.” If you understand this, you possess, you are the owner of all the four traditions of Buddha Dharma. The meaning of great compassion is the intention to benefit all sentient beings. If you have this great compassion, it is like possessing the most precious kind of jewel, a jewel that can create other jewels. .. then everyone gets to have a jewel and enjoy the satisfaction of having their own precious jewel. Compassion is the same way. If you understand the nature of openness (shunyata-emptiness) and compassion, whether your work is a worldly work or associated with Dharma, it matters not. Whatever you do in the world becomes Dharma.”—Kunzang Dechen Lingpa

Gene Smith Obituary in The Economist

I was honored to have known Gene and I considered him to be a great friend, mentor, and role model. I am very happy to see him being recognized as the great man that he was.

From The Economist

WHEN he visited the monastery of Menri, in the foothills of the Himalayas, in 2008, Gene Smith took a tiny gift for the abbot. He told him to wear it as an amulet round his neck, to ensure that all was well. Menri Trizan sports it today with his crimson robes: a memory stick, containing hundreds of pages of Buddhist scriptures.

At other monasteries, up and down the remote hillsides and the steep valleys, Mr Smith made a present of portable hard drives. A bulky, jacketed figure among the swarms of shaven heads, making an untidy namaste with his chunky Western fingers, he handed over devices, no bigger than the palm of a hand, which contained 10,000 books. Where for centuries monks lifted their pecha texts from decorated bookshelves and read the loose leaves across their knees, they now stare into laptops, contemplating the works Mr Smith has scanned for them.

Read it all here.

For more on Gene and his work visit the TBRC website.

Homage to the Master

May he live long.

Longchenpa’s Advice on Spiritual Development

From The Precious Treasury of Pith Instructions

There are six ways to work on something positive—your spiritual development:

Showing respect for your spiritual superiors holds enormous potential for development,

so make offerings to gurus, yidams, and dakinis—this is essential.

Benefitting those under you holds enormous potential for development,

so with immeasurable compassion, care for those who are suffering or in need—this is essential.

Viewing the sacred dharma inwardly without sectarian bias holds enormous potential for development,

so exert yourself in listening to, contemplating, and meditating on spiritual teachings.

Benefiting those around you holds enormous potential for development,

so arouse your altruistic motivation, explain the dharma, and act as a protector, a refuge, an ally, and a friend.

Not basing your frame of reference on ordinary characteristics holds enormous potential for development,

so avoid self—importance, arrogance, and fixation on such characteristics.

Experiencing the way of abiding in all situations holds enormous potential for development,

so realize the ultimate significance of the Three Jewels in your practice.

If you act in these ways, you will swiftly attain buddhahood.

Long Life Prayer for Dungse Rigdzin Dorje Rinpoche

By the all-pervasive blessings of the three jewels and the three roots

may the noble heir to the most Secret Thigle of Padma,

firmly and effortlessly maintain his throne on the crown of fortunate decibels.

Holder of the adamantine wisdom-torch that dispels the darkness of samsara

by generously placing the key to our own nature in our open palms,

may the gentle power of your enlightened activities spread in all directions without interruption.

Precious root lama Dungse Rigdzin Dorje, please live long.

Written by Shenga (Joe Evans)

byings

Tib. byings, Skt. dhatu, English … ?

A lot of phrases are used to describe the meaning of beings but I’m not really sure any of them really get there.

It’s a loaded word. One that I think has the capacity to direct us to a vital point.

What do you think it means?

Kunzang Dechen Lingpa Portrait

This is a photograph of the portrait of Kunzang Dechen Lingpa that my wife recently painted for me. It is truly a remarkable gift and a wonderful act of devotion and contemplation on her part.

Over the course of several months she was able to focus on creating the central image of our shrine and the central figure of the lineage our family is devoted to. It was really a wonderful project for us to engage in as a family. Even though I don’t paint I was there to give her constant direction and encouragement in what has become a powerful representation of the inner and outer display of our practice lineage.

Every time I enter the shrine room I am greeted by this amazing painting of the father of the lineage.

Thanks Charlotte for what could very well be the greatest gift I have ever been given.

To learn more about Rinpoche and the lineage check out the Zangdokpalri Foundation for Great Compassion website here.