Author: Loshi

Meditation, Student's Question

Panic as a sign of insight & The Four Noble Truths in the Living the Awakened Heart Training

It is exactly how insight starts to develop – the panic reaction is as deep as samsara itself. There would be no samsara if there were no panic. Sometimes we let things get so close to the edge that the panic manifests as raw panic and we have to start working with the reality of that – not running away or trying to avoid it – it is the First Noble Truth of Dukkha Continue reading Panic as a sign of insight & The Four Noble Truths in the Living the Awakened Heart Training

Loshi
unrecognizable pilgrims touching prayer wheels in ancient temple in nepal
Article, Lama Shenpen Teaching

What Does Accumulating ‘Merit’ Mean? Understanding Punya & the Mysterious Power of Goodness

Punya is rather misleadingly translated as merit but since punya belongs to us, it is our personal wealth and power, which we can give away for the benefit of others. In order to give to others in a way that will truly benefit them, we have to think about what is the most effective way of using our punya… Continue reading What Does Accumulating ‘Merit’ Mean? Understanding Punya & the Mysterious Power of Goodness

Loshi
balance blur boulder close up
Student's Question

What’s the difference between passing experiences (nyams) and stable realisation?

There is no need to worry about having gained stability of full realisation or not because it does itself in its own time, and the signs of it are obvious – the important thing is to notice any instability and use it as a trigger of awareness. There are so many Dharma teachings to help with this. Continue reading What’s the difference between passing experiences (nyams) and stable realisation?

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How does our experience of Dukkha – unsatisfactoriness & Suffering – connect to our innate quality of Sensitivity?

The essence of the actual feeling of suffering or pain (beyond all the conditioned thoughts and feelings that are associated with it) is nothing other than the fundamental quality of sensitivity that is the Indestructible Heart Essence.  When we touch this we touch something that is profoundly sacred. Continue reading How does our experience of Dukkha – unsatisfactoriness & Suffering – connect to our innate quality of Sensitivity?

Loshi
Avidya Ignorance Lama Shenpen Hookham UK Tibetan Buddhist teacher
Lama Shenpen Teaching

The power of Avidya – primordial ignorance – is an expression of the fundamental quality of sensitivity.

You could think of it as a kind of distorted compassion. Having failed to recognise openness, clarity and sensitivity as the true nature of reality, avidya tries to protect a separate individual self from the overwhelming nature of these qualities. Continue reading The power of Avidya – primordial ignorance – is an expression of the fundamental quality of sensitivity.

Loshi
Suffering in Buddhism Lama Shenpen UK female Buddhist teacher
Student's Question

What to do when we respond to the suffering of others with feeling powerless and guilty?

This is such an important question for so many people. I think the problem arises from approaching the whole thing from a Western cultural point of view. We value a sense of social responsibility and abhor hypocrisy and self-deception. We tend to believe in just this one life we are in now and that we have to solve the world’s problems… Continue reading What to do when we respond to the suffering of others with feeling powerless and guilty?

Loshi
Student's Question

How do you tell which mantra you have a connection with and how best to practice with it?

It is an important question and I find people respond to mantra practice very differently.  For some people as soon as they hear a mantra they just want to keep repeating it – and it seems to have an energy of its own… Since mantras are actually the Buddha in essence – they are powerful – but it’s not the sound so much as what is producing the sound that is important – the sound is emanating from Enlightenment itself and so can connect us directly to the energy of Enlightenment – that is why it is important who you receive the mantra from. Continue reading How do you tell which mantra you have a connection with and how best to practice with it?

Loshi
Meditation, Video Teaching

Video: Integrating Meditation & Daily Life

Lama Shenpen’s valuable teaching on integrating meditations on Love & Compassion with our daily life, recorded live on 8th August 2020. Catch up on all of Lama Shenpen’s teachings from this year (as well as teachings by other Awakened Heart Sangha teachers) on the theme of Love & Compassion, on the new mini site dedicated to these teachings HERE. If you would like to make … Continue reading Video: Integrating Meditation & Daily Life

Loshi