Mangala Shri Bhuti - The Link

Speaker: Dungse Jampal Norbu. Dungse-la points out that last thing we usually do in difficult circumstances is to appreciate and respect them. We tend to respond in a dualistic framework to get rid of "the bad" and grasp onto "the good." As practitioner's of the Dharma, we have the opportunity to use adversity to work with our own mind. We can see beyond the consensus view using the lenses of emptiness and interdependence.

Speaker: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. This LINK was originally given by Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche on October 5, 2014 at Phuntsok Choling, in Ward, Colorado. It is the second in the series called, "The Seven Riches of the Aryas", and it covers "Tsultrim" which is Tibetan for discipline. Rinpoche speaks about Buddhist ethics and delves into the topic of treating others as we would like to be treated as a way to cut through religious dogma and cultivate peace in our lives.

Speaker: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. This LINK was originally given by Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche on April 6, 2014 at Phuntsok Choling in Ward, Colorado. It is the first in a series of talks given by Rinpoche called, "The Seven Riches of the Aryas", and it covers "Tepa", which is Tibetan for Faith. In this first talk, Rinpoche contrasts the differences between a life with and a life without devotion and faith. He examines how devotion supports one's life, bringing ease and happiness, and a sense of security and sanity and how the flow of intelligence and discernment happens through acceptance and faith in situations. He explains how fear and anxieties do not stick in the core of one's heart when devotion is present.

Speaker: Scott Gallagher. Scott explores what Rinpoche meant by two phrases he used in the 2022 Nyingma Summer Seminar: "thinking from the frame of mind of the Dharma" and "catching the beginning of the tail of liberation." In the face of major life transitions, Scott suggests that, for him, "thinking from the frame of mind of the Dharma" means cultivating self-reflection and perseverance, and taking inspiration from the great masters, who overcame the same kinds of challenges that we experience. And that "catching the beginning of the tail of liberation" calls for transforming habitual mind, deepening our understanding of both the relative and absolute truths, and remembering the suffering and futility of samsara.

Speaker: Dungse Jampal Norbu. We can practice with whatever arises in our life, immediately. Even our busyness and especially our challenges in daily life are opportunites to look at life through the lens of the Dharma. We can "Make Good Art" with whatever arises. At the root of all suffering is self-importance. We don't grow in the Dharma or even experience genuine connection until we start to let go of this self-importance. Enthusiastically engaging in service to the sangha is a powerful context for releasing self-importance.

Speaker: Alex Rocha. Alex reflects on how a challenging situation led him to re-assess his progress on the path. Years of diligent practice may lead us to overestimate our attainments and allow pride to creep in. But a crisis that jolts us out of our complacency can force us to see how deeply we have really assimilated the teachings. We can regard such experiences either as obstacles or as opportunities to grow. Alex relates how he navigated this kind of experience to gain more humility and a deeper appreciation of shamatha, renunciation, taking refuge, and familiarization with the nature of mind.

Speaker: Nicholas Carter. Nick contemplates the importance of making the Dharma your own by meeting your own experience directly. To do so, it is necessary to overcome the habit of believing in a solid self; to cut through the ego's storytelling; and to engage in self-reflection, vigilant introspection, mindfulness and contemplation. These practices make it possible simply to be present with the body and one's actual experience, and in this way to cultivate humility, strength, resolve and courage.

Speaker: Dungse Jampal Norbu. Speaking from the 25th annual Nyingma Summer Seminar on the second weekend, covering the Mahayana vehicle, Dungse-la encourages not being a loyalist to the ego's narrative and impulses. By applying lojong mind training practice, we can have the tenacity to be with our own mind with the intention to be kind and compassionate. If instead we're focused on building a fortress around the heart, it will be very hard to see from a Dharmic perspective. Lojong gives us the ability to train in the face of difficulties, to not trust the ego, and see through its desire for immediate gratification for oneself.

Speaker: Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel. Elizabeth discusses the Hinayana vehicle on the first of three weekends at the 25th annual Nyingma Summer Seminar. She emphasizes the need for analysis which she translates as "to loosen or to set free". A flexible mind is needed to traverse the path of the three yana system. This path is based on having a realistic view of what it means to be alive. Having a sense of agency counteracts feeling we are living in a state of emergency all the time. In the Hinayana we have a choice to feel like a victim or own our suffering and karma. If we don't take that leap in the Hinayana we drag it with us into the other two yanas. This is not a path of vulnerability but a path of strength. Elizabeth spoke on vows and precepts, the three wisdoms, the nature of trust, karma and agency.

Speaker: Dungse Jampal Norbu. Speaking from the Illustrious Moon Children's Summer Camp, Dungse-la explores the relevance of Dharma for daily life, how samsara and its incessant change doesn't lend itself to being fixable. We always have the power to respond to what feels unfair or uncomfortable in life with kindness and compassion.

Speaker: Joey Waxman. Joey considers how the Buddhist path to enlightenment is supported by both emotion (heart) and reasoning (head). Above all, Buddhism values a kind and loving heart. There are no substitutes for compassion and devotion, which, when powerful enough, are sufficient to lead to realization. But reasoning can also support, clarify, strengthen, and stabilize an open heart. At the same time, the negative aspects of both emotions and reasoning can obstruct our progress: emotions are unreliable, while unclear reasoning can reinforce ignorance and bias. Vigilant introspection and mindfulness of the activities of our heart and head can enable us to balance their beneficial aspects and support our path to realization.

Speaker: Jill Oppenheimer. Jill reflects on the benefits of pursuing her motivation to deepen her connection to her practice. Sometimes practice lacks vitality and becomes a matter of habit and we find ourselves just going through the motions. To cultivate a deeper connection, we can slow down and stimulate our sense of curiosity, pausing to reflect on the meaning of the liturgy and visualizations, reflecting on the roots of habitual patterns, and shifting our perspective from the "checklist" mentality to the intention to benefit all beings. The efforts we make to connect more deeply with practice cultivate self-confidence and joy.

Speaker: Andrew Shakespeare. Andrew reflects on the importance of sangha. Even in conventional communities, our individual well-being depends on the quality of our relationships with others. For Buddhist practitioners, the value of sangha is even more profound. Our appreciation of the sangha deepens as we gain a greater understanding of Buddhist principles like karma and interdependence. Like the benefits of bodhicitta, those of relating to sangha are two-fold: our participation benefits ourselves as well as others.

Speaker: Daisuke Inaba. Dai-san talks about how self-reflection helped him navigate the changes in his practice and appreciate the importance of trusting himself. Initially, when he practiced to alleviate intense suffering, his motivation was equally intense. As his suffering diminished, his motivation also weakened and he began to question the sincerity and value of his practice. Through self-reflection, he was able to overcome the discomfort of seeing the limitations of his practice and to accept them as part of the path. He emerged from this experience with a greater understanding of how to work with obstructions on the path and a greater appreciation for the importance of trusting in himself.

Speaker: Paula Breymeier. Paula reflects on how peace, stability, and realization are to be found only in discipline, devotion, and wisdom. We try to alleviate our sense of anxiety and loneliness by numbing or distracting ourselves, but this only generates more confusion. To alleviate suffering, we need to understand our true nature; realizing the emptiness of self enables us to face adversity fearlessly. The lineage, the source of this wisdom, provides the context we need to cultivate devotion and prajna.