The teaching theme of this year in the Awakened Heart Sangha is Pranidhana, a Sanskrit word which translates as ‘powerful aspirational prayer’, known as Monlam in Tibetan. This is the second part of a transcript from a teaching given by Lama Shenpen on the theme. Continue reading Pranidhana Part 2: Confidence in the power of our word
The teaching theme of this year in the Awakened Heart Sangha is Pranidhana, a Sanskrit word which translates as ‘powerful aspirational prayer’, known as Monlam in Tibetan. This is the first part of a transcript from a teaching given by Lama Shenpen on the theme. Continue reading Pranidhana Part 1: The importance of the power of our word
We pray for our personal teachers in particular to live long and for us to keep up as close a connection as possible with them by every means at our disposal, through this and through all our lifetimes working together forever to bring all beings to Awakening. This is about Mandala Principle. Continue reading Why do we recite long life prayers for teachers & why do we need to repeat them?
The winter months can be a good time to set up a regular meditation practice or to realign with your intentions if your regular practice has drifted. We revisit this article by Lama Shenpen on how to set up a regular practice, which is an excerpt from the booklet Heart of Meditation that given to all new members of the Awakened Heart Sangha when they … Continue reading How best to set up a regular meditation practice?
These days we surf the net and find a likely looking Dharma website and feel that parting with our money is to take a risk, since who knows who the people are and what they’re are up to. So often it is with suspicion and scepticism that we embark on a course and the practice, hardly knowing what to expect and wondering if this is yet another internet scam.
Hardly the best way to approach the holy Dharma teachings! Continue reading How can we increase our sense of sacredness & transmission with online Dharma teachings & downloaded texts?
Even our enemies can become our gurus if we learn patience and forbearance from them. Texts can be our guru; the world around us can become our guru. This is because the guru is the all-pervading and timeless compassionate action of the Buddha’s mandala of awakening, which is reaching out to us through all the circumstances of our life…. Continue reading What Does the Term ‘Guru Principle’ Mean?
A few weeks ago Lama Shenpen was live in conversation with Lopen Dr Karma Phuntsho of the Tsadra Foundation’s Buddha-Nature initiative, discussing the deep topic of Buddha Nature, which can now be viewed on YouTube and above. On the Tsadra’s Buddha-Nature resource website, it also has created several handy, short clips divided into topics which can be viewed here. Continue reading Lama Shenpen in Conversation on Buddha Nature
The important thing about the Apramanas practice is to really break through that thinking and dare to wish all beings to be happy and free from suffering, because that is actually what you’re wishing for, and you do wish it to be radical happiness, where they’ve realised what is the cause of suffering and what causes happiness, and they’re just abiding by that, so they’re not going to fall back into suffering… Continue reading The Pranidhana for Radical Happiness at the Heart of Love & Compassion Teachings
the wonderful event that coincided with the publication of The Guru Principle book which is now published worldwide, Lama Shenpen had a lively, inspiring and engaging discussion about the term ‘guru’ with her friend and colleague, the esteemed scholar, author and translator Elizabeth Callahan. Continue reading The Guru Principle Event
Even our enemies can become our gurus if we learn patience and forbearance from them. Texts can be our guru; the world around us can become our guru. This is because the guru is the all-pervading and timeless compassionate action of the Buddha’s mandala of awakening, which is reaching out to us through all the circumstances of our life…. Continue reading Understanding The Guru Principle
