Last weekend Lama Shenpen gave Refuge and Bodhisattva vows to 26 of her students from around the world in a special online ceremony witnessed by other members of the Awakened Heart Sangha.
As part of that special day she gave a wonderful teaching on the Refuge and Bodhisattva vows as Mandala Principle and gave lots of helpful advice about practising with difficulties, reminding us that our faults are not what we are, turning negative thoughts into positive, not being fainthearted and giving up on any being – all wonderful advice for anyone and especially if you have taken vows.
See below for some excerpts and watch the whole teaching on our YouTube Channel HERE.
Your faults are not who you are –
Working with difficulties and kleshas –
Who takes the Bodhisattva vow? What is a person who then has the audacity to take the Bodhisattva vow?! –
How does taking the Refuge or Bodhisattva Vow change your life? –
Find out more here about how to join the Awakened Heart Sangha and become a student of Lama Shenpen. Members of the sangha who wish to take Refuge and Bodhisattva Vows with Lama Shenpen are offered a training process so they are prepared to take the vow and have a deeper understanding of the meaning of taking that important step of formally entering the Mandala of Awakening. All sangha members engage in the Living the Awakened Heart Training – the structured, comprehensive, supported, distance and online learning programme in Buddhist meditation, reflection and insight is open to all, and brings the profound Dzogchen and Mahamudra teachings to a Western audience in an experiential, accessible way, through spiral learning. Full details at www.ahs.org.uk/training
If you enjoyed these teachings would you like to make an offering in appreciation? If all our readers regularly gave the price of a cup of coffee it would be a huge help to assist us in supporting Lama Shenpen’s activity and to continue sharing her teachings. Please make any offering you are willing or able to make here.