Dalai Lama in New York City

Dalai Lama was in New York city last week. I was so happy to finally meet His Holiness. He gave us teachings on Nagarjuna's Commentary on Bodhicitta and A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, by Shantideva. His sense of humour and approach to the buddhist texts transformed this lecture in a very special moment. Richard Gere, founder of Healing the Divide, said, "It's extraordinary that we're able to share His Holiness the Dalai Lama's teachings with so many people here in New York. These teachings are practical advice on how we try to become better people and make the world a better place. By developing patience, compassion and wisdom we are more effectively -- more generously -- able to really help one another." Agreed, Rich. I could not say it in a better way.

Surrender Yourself to the NOW the view of Thich Nhat Hanh

I really enjoy listening and learning from Thich Nhat Hanh. I feel how much love he puts in his mission. Click here and see a video of Thich Nhat Hanh explaining about mindfulness Thich Nhat Hanh has 83 years old and has been a Buddhist monk for more than 60 years, as well as a teacher and writer. Today I was reading his interview to Oprah and his words touched me so much, he explains what is happiness and how to achieve enlightenment in very simple terms and in a practical way. He clarifies that we don't need to look for it, as enlightenment is always there. But it is necessary to increase our awareness in the present moment. He explains that small enlightenment will bring great enlightenment. If you breathe in and are aware that you are alive—that you can touch the miracle of being alive. How profound, huh? Many people are alive but don't touch the miracle of being alive. These people are still somehow sleeping, slaved of their thoughts and feelings. It's urge to wake up and live the now, this very present moment. Because, it just this very present moment that exists. The past, the future are just illusions from our minds. He also defines Happiness as the cessation of suffering. He says "when I practice this exercise of breathing in, I'm aware of my eyes; breathing out, I smile to my eyes and realize that they are still in good condition. There is a paradise of form and colors in the world. And because you have eyes still in good condition, you can get in touch with the paradise. So when I become aware of my eyes, I touch one of the conditions of happiness. And when I touch it, happiness comes." So true! Let's live the miracle of being alive. Day by day... Enjoy every moment.

Tsong Khapa a Tibetan Buddhist teacher

Today I had my second class on Tibetan Buddhism at Tibet Center in NYC. I really enjoyed my time there and the discussion on the three principal aspects of the path to Supreme Enlightenment of Tsong Khapa. He was a scholar who reformed the old Kadampa sect, creating the new Gelugpa sect (the Yellow Hats), which was to become the most powerful in the entire region, eventually converting Mongolia and all other Himalayan kingdoms to Tibetan Buddhism. The 3 principal aspects of the path as described in the text are:

1) the determination to leave cyclic existence and the abandonment of pleasure;
2) the cultivation of an altruistic intention (desire to attain enlightenment in order solely to be of help to others) by viewing all beings as precious as our own mother.
3) the correct view of emptiness (the quality which all things possess; they are empty of inherent existence; their emptiness is the real solid and lasting nature we cannot find in anything through sustained conceptual analysis; thus things are viewed as being fundamentally empty of true existence; a view begun by Buddha, but later elucidated in detail by the Indian sage Nagarjuna) (c100-c200 AD).

Our teacher mentioned that we should analyze these passages and question its veracity. Through a deep understanding of its meaning we can absorb its understanding and put them to work in our lives.

Tsong Khapa suggests that possessing one or two of these alone is not enough - all three must be thoroughly and completely developed to create a true Buddhist path.


More about Tsong Khapa