Observations that dive deep into life and come up with treasures for all

From Chogyam Trunpa: Ocean of Dharma

For a dharmic person, good conduct is a sense of mindfulness and awareness: whatever you are doing, you should try to see it as an extension of your sitting practice, your general sense of awareness and refraining from too much, unnecessary activity….You could look at yourself and smile. You could be awake and aware and, at the same time, on the spot. Constant sunrise happens. You reflect that yourself, and you always look awake and aware of what you are doing. That is good conduct. You respect yourself and you respect the sacredness of your whole being, your whole existence. When you have that kind of self-respect, you don’t spill your tea or put your shoes on the wrong feet. You appreciate the weather, your coffee, your tea, your clothes, your shower. There is a tremendous sense that for the first time you have become a real human being and you can actually appreciate the world around you. That appreciation comes from being aware.

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From Chogyam Trungpa; Ocean of Dharma

Supposing you feel an itch in your pocket, but you don’t have any chewing gum on that particular day. You should feel contented; you should feel relieved. “For heaven’s sake, I don’t have any chewing gum! That’s fine.” A chance to appreciate that simplicity has been presented to you. Ordinarily, people talk in terms of obstacles: “I had a bad time. I didn’t have any chewing gum in my pocket. I had a bad day.” But you could switch gears altogether: “It was such a relief to find that I didn’t have any chewing gum in my pocket. I feel fine; I just let go.” You can have some appreciation of obstacles becoming simplicity.

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We are all in the same position of a hopeful person waiting on a pier for his or her ship to come in. Whether it’s a relationship we long for, a creative job, a reunited family, or a healed world—some wait for small boats, some for ocean liners—but we are all waiting, and many, having waited for a long time, have given up hope that their ship will ever come in. Read More…

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From Chogyam Trungpa; Ocean of Dharma

“The definition of dharma (which is the teachings of Buddha and the truth of the teachings) is absence of aggression. In order to perceive such dharma, in order to understand such dharma, we also have to develop a state of mind without aggression as well. Dharma in this case is any materials involved with our experience which are workable, which could be woven into the pattern of the path. The absence of aggression in this case means a sense of non-ego, non-speed. You might find it difficult to understand this tall order because it would be impossible for beginners to develop such perfection. But the idea is that there is a momentary state of mind which occurs, in which there is an element of non-aggression and non-ego….The application of awareness or vipashyana relates with those momentary open gaps which are unconditioned psychologically, unconditioned by dualism, unconditioned by passion, aggression, and so forth. But it’s very sudden, it’s a fraction of a moment. It’s very fast, but also there is still that possibility in us, one hundred percent of gap.”

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What if you had a big dog that us not trained and he ran through your house like an animal, peeing on the furniture, eating the food off your table, biting your friends, and barking all the time so you couldn’t think or talk. Knowing that things were out of control and didn’t have to be this way, you would probably, after some time living like this and finally reaching the end of your rope, ask for advice. Giving up the dog for the purpose of this story is not an option. Your life is a disaster. “What can I do?” Read More…

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From Chogyam Trunpa: Ocean of Dharma
It might be a somewhat depressing prospect to realize that you are so thoroughly soaked in this greasy, heavy, dark, and unpleasant thing called samsara, or confused existence, but that realization is tremendously helpful. That understanding alone is the source of realizing what we call buddha in the palm of your hand -  the basic wakefulness already in your possession. Such vajrayana possibilities begin at this point, right here, in realizing your samsaric anxiousness. Understanding that anxiety, which is very frustrating and not so good, is the key to realizing where you are.

The only way to work with this anxiety is the sitting practice of meditation, the taming of your mind, or shamatha practice. That is the basic idea of pratimoksha, or “individual liberation”: taming yourself. The way to tame yourself, or to talk yourself out of this particular anxiety, is through the concentrated practice of  shamatha or meditative discipline. The beginning of the beginning of the path…is about how you can actually save yourself from samsaric neurosis.

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“Why can’t I-you be this and not that?” I suddenly realized that all human discontent comes from this simple question. We either ask it of ourselves or others or the situation or the world conditions or existence itself, or ultimately, of God. “Why can’t you be this kind of God instead of that?” This is the question that cuts the world in two. This is the first cut of the wedding cake in our marriage with existence. We say I DO, kiss and feel the bliss, and then we cut ourselves in half and start complaining. How odd. Read More…

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From Swami Satchidananda’s Words of Wisdom

“When a dog is allowed to roam about, it enjoys its freedom and appears to be very content—but, the minute you tie it up, it will start howling. In the same way if, all through the day, you allow the mind to go wherever it wants, think whatever it wants, it also appears to be very quiet—until you try to restrain it in meditation. So if you are going to just try to bring the mind under your control during meditation and allow it to run, as it want, all the rest of the day, naturally you will find it very difficult. Though the mind appears to be under your control at other times, the minute you sit and concentrate, it will begin to revolt. But once it comes under your control, it becomes a very nice instrument. You will only be victorious in all your undertakings, if you have your own mind under your control.”

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From Chogyam Trungpa: Ocean of Dharma

Basic NO is accepting discipline in our life without preconceptions. Normally, when we say the word “discipline,” it comes with a lot of mixed feelings. It’s like saying “oatmeal.” Some people like hot cereal, and some people hate it. Nevertheless, oatmeal remains oatmeal. It is a very straightforward thing. We have similar feelings about discipline and the meaning of NO. Sometimes, it’s a bad NO: it is providing oppressive boundaries that we don’t want to accept. Or it could be a good NO, which encourages us to do something healthy. But when we just hear that one word, NO, the message is mixed. Read More…

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We all want abundance, because abundance is the end of craving, fear, and the need for escape. When there is fear, the abundance dries up. You can’t have fear and abundance in the same tank. Fear, worry and doubt is like water in the gas. They don’t mix well. Read More…

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