02 Sunday Jun 2013
This interesting documentary from BBC covers seven meaningful locations to Buddhism. The documentary goes to the countries of India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, China, the United States and provides information about the practice of Buddhism as a whole.
22 Monday Oct 2012
An interesting recording of one of the talks that Thich Nhat Hanh made in Vancouver, BC. He gives suggestions of how to find moments to slow down and breathe in mindfully in the “here and now.”
His aim is to bring more joy into practice. Jokingly, he says:
“If while breathing you suffer, breathing out you suffer, you know your practice is not correct. Life is already full of suffering, why do you have to suffer more by practicing Buddhism.”
17 Thursday May 2012
Recently, Ven Robin Courtin gave a set of teachings at Maitripa College, regarding tantric philsophy. Ven Courtina is very good about making concise explanations about what Buddhist psychology is and how Buddhists’s work with the mind. I thought it was great that she used her skillful teaching style to talk about the philsophy behind tantra. Continue reading »
08 Wednesday Feb 2012
I’ll be doing a post soon on my experience of Vajrasattva Ngondro, and thought it would be helpful to provide some background information on tantra. I myself wouldn’t be able to explain it very well, but I would like to provide some helpful resources that could. Continue reading »
18 Thursday Aug 2011
Posted in Other, Uncategorized, Videos
Tags
auxillary bodhisattva vows, bodhisattva vows, buddhism, refuge vows, root bodhisattva vows, thubten chodron, tibetan buddhism, tsem tulku
After one has taken the refuge vows, someone can proceed to take the bodhisattva vows. The bodhisattva vows differ accordingly to traditions, so I’ll explain what I know and my experience from within the Tibetan buddhist tradition. Continue reading »
01 Monday Aug 2011
Posted in Other, Videos, Western Buddhist Practice
Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, who spent 12 years doing solitary retreat in the Himalayas, talks about the nature of the mind. I think what’s interesting is if I spent 12 years in a cave, I’d come out probably numbed and dulled out. She’s seemingly the opposite, she’s vibrant, like a flower had blossomed in that cave.
More Western Buddhist Practice Videos…
10 Sunday Jul 2011
Posted in Buddhist Vows and Precepts, Daily Life, Other, Videos
Tags
bodhisattva vows, buddhism, dharma daily life, happiness, lay precepts, peace, refuge vows, relationships, tibetan buddhism, trust, western buddhist practice
Why Keep Ethics?
When I think about vows and precepts, it reminds me of one time when Jhado Rinpoche came to Seattle. 2 other monks came with him: Geshe Tashi (his interpreter), and a younger monk that was his attendent. They were staying in a flat with a familiy of 3. Jhado Rinpoche once remarked, how amazingly kind the family was. They opened up their entire home to them and never locked any of their doors or cabinets. He said that the family trusted them because the monks were living in their vows.
I think what he meant by this, is that people who live in ethics, give others the gift of fearlessness or a feeling of safety. Continue reading »
23 Thursday Jun 2011
Posted in Other, Videos, Zen, Zen Videos
Tags
buddhism buddhist meditation, buddhist daily life practice advice, introduction zen mind, life zen monastery zen monk, soto-zen monastery, sympathetic parasympathetic system, zazen meditation
Here are some short, interesting videos about Zen. The first video mainly serve as an introduction to a zen life or a state mind. Accompanying images provide a meditative like experience. The videos relate more to the practice and method itself. Continue reading »
30 Monday May 2011
Lati Rinpoche was a tulku and former abbot of Ganden Shartse, that had thousands of students through out the world. His teachers included Kyabje Zong Rinpoche and Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche, the senior tutor to the Dalai Lama.
He went into clear light in 2010 at the age of 88. I found this interesting video about Lati Rinpoche, and also the rituals that were conducted at his cremation. When they opened up the cremation site, they found relics in the ashes. Continue reading »
11 Friday Feb 2011
Posted in Daily Life, Other, Tibetan Buddhism, Videos
Tags
accepting struggles, buddhism, buddhist daily, daily life, enlightenment, gelug, how to deal with life's problems, practice advice, suffering, tibetan buddhism
An interesting video by Za Choeje Rinpoche, also known as Za Rinpoche. He talks about learning how to accept life’s struggles. I think learning how to deal with life’s problems is what usually brings most people to buddhism and what keeps them there.
I like short clips like this because I can take it and put it into daily practice very quickly. Very practical advice, concise, easy to digest. The First noble Truth in under 4 minutes =D
13 Thursday Jan 2011
Posted in Other, Videos, Zen, Zen Videos
Tags
shunryu suzuki, sound and noise, zen, zen buddhism, zen buddhism shunryu suzuki roshi sound and noise video
One of the first books I had ever read about Buddhism was Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind
by Shunryu Suzuki. I was in college and saw good reviews about it on Amazon. I got the book and read it, and thought it was amazing, even though I didn’t really understand it. I think Shunryu Suzuki’s book left favorable seeds that would later sprout later.
I really like this video with Shunryu Suzki about the difference between sound and noise. Its a very clear instruction on how to approach and question our everyday experiences. This brief clip of Shunryu Suzuki is only a few minutes but I found very profound when I applied it to my mindstream, very helpful in being more present. I wish I had youtube and his short clips before I had initially picked up his book, I think it would have cleared up my earlier confusion =D
