Tag: heart wish

man in gray shirt looking at city buildings
Student's Question, Uncategorized

The Natural Tension of the Heart Wish – Balancing Living in the World and Practising Dharma

A Student writes: My question relates to the Heart Wish – it struck me today that I often feel guilty about living so much in the world, socialising, listening to music, having fun. Although the guilt is just a thought, I still feel it needs exploring… Lama Shenpen responds: Yes, it does. It suggests you could do more to make socialising, listening to music and … Continue reading The Natural Tension of the Heart Wish – Balancing Living in the World and Practising Dharma

Awakened Heart Sangha
woman walking on brown grass field under blue and white sky during daytime
Student's Question

Does being a Dharma practitioner mean retreating from the ‘real world’? Lama Shenpen on practising here and now

There is no use in trying to run away from life. It follows you wherever you go. Sometimes we are seduced by ideals and feel we have to rush off to find the ideal situation in which to practice or to create a perfect world somehow. But it’s all notions and ideas. It means one is always on the run looking everywhere but here… Continue reading Does being a Dharma practitioner mean retreating from the ‘real world’? Lama Shenpen on practising here and now

Awakened Heart Sangha
upset ethnic woman embracing knees on bed
Student's Question

How do I wish all beings to be happy when there is unavoidable suffering in the world?

We have to be prepared to just go on being kind and compassionate forever. This is always going to be needed even though we cannot make others happy. We are limited at present because we do not really believe we have any power to help much. But the Buddhas say our power to help others is limitless. We don’t believe it because we don’t understand the true nature of our being, or of others… Continue reading How do I wish all beings to be happy when there is unavoidable suffering in the world?

Awakened Heart Sangha
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
Student's Question

What to do if you find you’re resisting Meditation & how to deal with difficult thoughts

When you have confidence in the spacious unchanging nature, and thoughts are passing and are nothing in themselves, you can gradually come to recognise that everything that appears including thoughts are a joyful play in the space of awareness. So there doesn’t have to be a point to it as such – it’s all delightful, and that joyousness is the point.  Continue reading What to do if you find you’re resisting Meditation & how to deal with difficult thoughts

Loshi
Lama Shenpen Teaching

How do you feel when you open to the suffering of others?

How do you feel when you open yourself to the suffering of others? Does it leave you with a hopeless feeling? Do you find yourself closing off very quickly? Since others are always going to suffer is it possible ever to experience complete joy and freedom from suffering? The Buddha, the Awakened One, said it was… Continue reading How do you feel when you open to the suffering of others?

Loshi