A Universal Understanding
The teachings of the Buddha offer a complete liberation from suffering and the chance for ultimate happiness, according to Lama Yeshe in 2018's Mandala Magazine. The teachings offer the method and wisdom to transform ourselves into bringers of profound benefit to the world. In these times of global distress and confusion, the Dharma teachings are grounding, and offer students safety and purpose. As Buddhists, we recognize the connection between our minds and the world around us,and how transformation, both personal and global, is possible. I had planned a week in silence at Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery. The respectable Ayruvedic doctor at the foot of my abode in Tso Pema diagnosed me with anemia. I was coming down with a cold, and I was tired. This was no surprise. Sheila, a new acquaintance and a Tibetan nun, introduced me to Katti, a lovely French woman, and two Western nuns who had just arrived from the Thosamling Nunnery and who were planning to return the same day I was planning to go to Tenzin Palmo's. The decision came swiftly. Simplicity was required. I joined them, sharing a taxi to the Thosamling, where I spent a few days in silence, then participated in a teaching on the Heart Sutra with Dr. Kurt Schwalbe. Tenzin Palmo's silent retreat would have to wait. Perhaps, I was not ready. There are many reasons to be grateful for the Thosamling's Nunnery. Settled in the rice paddies of lower Dharamsala, at the foot of the Himalayas, one must walk there by foot on a small stone path. The nunnery is gated. The wild dogs can only be heard in the distance. Cars cannot be found. The rooms are spacious and simple. The Indian staff is legend. Presently, there is an Australian woman, Erica, who, with a group of volunteers, prepares the meals for us. They are divinely nourishing and balancing. The nunnery practices zero waste and uses only natural products which they make on site. My duvet is thick, the showers hot. I can hear the creek in the distance as I write this. There is tranquility to be sure. I carried a badge on my front: In Silence. Arising at 5:45 am with the nuns in daily prayers, I practiced sitting and walking meditation; with yoga and chi-gong dispersed throughout the day, my chest cold began to lift. While others were not in silence, I felt it rather challenging to maintain complete silence, particularly with my eyes, and noticed how much I utilized my eyes to communicate. I created a schedule for practice and stuck to it as best I could. It was a delightful experience to practice amongst the Tibetan Buddhist young novices and nuns. I had some important insights over the past few weeks. Without sleep in Tso Pema, I had a chance to reflect upon and process the pain body I had spoken of in my earlier blog. Whether valid or not, I felt that the aggressive and continuous barking of the dogs (which can only be heard in the deep of night) symbolized the release of strong emotions that are not always acceptable or allowed in a community like this, anywhere. With a half dozen Tibetan monasteries, there was a need to balance (through the dogs’ barking) the intensity of the devotion, mantra and meditation practiced there. This, I realized, may be the case throughout India, as there is a temple on every street corner and a pack of dogs to match. In my sleep-deprived state, then in my dream state, I processed and released some of my own unresolved emotions that merged into rage at one point. I came to this understanding by reflecting upon and directly feeling into this experience. Through the many rounds of the Kora (the circle where the Tibetans walked entranced in mantra), through the turning of the prayer wheel, through devotion and meditation, I have come to a place of greater understanding and peace of mind. I feel a deeper sense of ease, more embodied, and empowered to serve others and to share insights. As one establishes an attentive stability and vividness for the present and learns to identify the mind as mind (like a strong witness might), an awareness of awareness itself manifests, which is called Rigpa in Tibetan Buddhism. All concepts, mental constructs and judgments fade into this complete awareness. This leaves one with a feeling of spaciousness and transparency within and without; it leaves one able to engage in and express oneself with more ease, and where one speaks and is heard, and seen and understood, without limitations, and with much, much more love. This kind of presence allows one to experience an inevitable shift in one's perception of self, and self-love. The potential for healing the mind, body and spirit is manifold. Today, then, in a world driven by fear and anxiety, a Buddhist in one's midst can be of great benefit to all. His Holiness the Dalai Lama teaches that it is of great importance to share this knowledge so rooted in ancient history; it can be thought of as a universal education or abiding in the laws of universality. Unhealthy minds are the root of our problems, observes the Dalai Lama in an article in Mandala, June, 2018. This is due to a lack of discernment, self-centeredness, and narrow-mindedness. Unhealthy minds, he continues, are created by disturbing emotions, mistaken preconceptions, and misconstrued beliefs. There is an extraordinary potential to transform our world views and deepen our capacity for compassion by deepening our inner values, by strengthening our ethics and by reassessing our beliefs. With self-discipline and dialogue, compromise, understanding and humility, Buddhists and lay people alike who follow this path offer the community a freer, more joyous, more peaceful and much more compassionate society to live in. May we be happy, may we be peaceful, may we be free from suffering. OM