The Gap

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The fickleness of thoughts occurs continuously in our state of mind. There is the birth of a thought and the death of a thought, a gap or space, and then another birth and death. This happens all the time, every two thousandth of a second or so. The moment when this gap occurs is the ultimate state. It is the origin, and it is where birth and death are dissolved.

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Ocean of Dharma – Quote of the Day

Excerpted from:

Milarepa: Lessons from the Life & Songs of Tibet’s Great Yogi

by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche

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Dig the Lama

Gendun Rinpoche

One of the many special moments from our recent “Heart of Practice” retreat at the Seven Circles Retreat Center, was the final night’s campfire. We recited some poetry, songs of experience, sing-a-longs, and some jokes. But the best was saved for last. Our teacher, Lama Khaydroup, was requested to share some stories about her path and her retreat Master, Gendun Rinpoche. We were fortunate to have recorded this wonderful opportunity. Hope you enjoy as much as we did!

Lama Khaydroup

The Seven Circle Badger Boogie Woogie with the Kings Canyon Side-Step

Heart of Practice Retreat 2018

3:30 rose offers itself up to me,

crescent moon the vase,
the fire releases it.

I’m awake!
Good!
Now time to clean the litter box.

This seasick yogi
continues to sail the sea of samsara
Continuously tossing out
Illusory life savers
While sinking deeply into the ocean of wisdom.

If you want the mind to show you
Your most disturbing, distracting attachments:
Just meditate

Reading the recipe and eating the meal
are not the same

This precise collection of people
only happens once in this way
Ever

7 Circles, 7 minutes,
Prayers flowing to the seven seas
Cesar Seas
We all see

Letting the stillness and breath
connect the mind and heart
Every single one surrendering
And contributing to the Badger Boogie Woogie
with the Kings Canyon side-step
Next year in double time
SLO being the new fast

Cutting those strings of righteousness
I fall into laughter

The elephant in the room trumpets in glee
while crushing the circus of ego

Circus peanuts fall into the big mind sky
As smooth ivory columns
Spiral through my thoughts

Mind and what arises
Do not get the two confused
They are one

Imagine if the world that you thought you knew
Wasn’t really true
it was made up in your mind
a construct of your desires

I am you
You are me
Let’s work it out

Research recipes
Lists, computer problems
Crush, burn, anxiety,
Fear, terror, endless.
Thinking, talking, shopping
Shlepping
Last minute changes
Do not buy too much
Do not buy too little
Don’t forget anything
Let it go…

They will eat what’s here
And what’s not
but they will be filled.

We arrived as a hand full
Of tight kernels of corn
each day the right conditions come together
Puff!
Tonight we explode
Into white fluffy clouds
We are now a bowl of popcorn.
om mani padme hung

Nature nurtures nature
Especially if small animals
such as birds are involved
Don’t believe everything you think

Before enlightenment:
Chop wood carry water
After enlightenment:
Chop wood carry water

The lavender is buzzing
with a variety of bees
the table in the background
is buzzing with noble speech
Dewachen

Roaring river, thunder and movement
the source of a thousand whirlpools
watching them form
seeing their nature
then letting them go

Silence
Like the rushing river
Thus have I heard!
You don’t do the dharma
the dharma does you

Manjushri’s sword
Cuts through extremes
I asked to borrow it
he told me to use my own
Spontaneity arises from relaxing
compassion is spontaneous
the point is
that there is no point
to be or not to be?
Should be an easy question
Left with nothing,
there lies everything

Sleeping in a sea of nettles,
Stinging
Like the thistles from epistles
peeling back the mind
letting go the ego
and what remained left
is the watermelon rind.

Beyond the big open sky
I detect
at least one more big open sky

3 weeks of retreat?
that’s completely crazy
No way
Ok, sure, why not?

For you my love: anything
I am an antenna
You are my signal

You are my only friend right now
I am useless to myself
Have whatever is left of me

Oh to transform
all ecstasies
into one
like the love songs
Of Mirabai
Have i ever known such longing?

(Singing)
Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily
life is but a dream

Stop.
Climbing.
Clawing.
Scratching.
Stop trying.
What you’re claiming for
doesn’t exist
Relax.
Sit with your transparent
Elephant

For seven days at seven circles
I had a dozen heart-felt talks
with new friends
and old
Everyone was the Buddha

These foolish things
I gave up Starbucks for this?
Because your worth it
Withdrawals not withstanding
Moo!!!
Latte!!!

 

Gone Beyond: The Prajnaparamita Sutras

Dear friends,

 

We’re starting a book study this Sunday April 29, Full Moon. We will be studying, “Gone Beyond: The Prajnaparamita Sutras, The Ornament of Clear Realization, And its Commentaries in the Tibetan Kagyü Traditon Volume One.” by Karl Brunnhölzl.

Lawrence has also created a reading group in Goodreads that we can join:

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/574534-pasadena-bodhi-seeds

Lawrence and I decided to take on this text with no timeline. The intention is for one to take time to study, contemplate, and put into practice. We hope you can join us and share your comments on the text.

om gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha!

All good wishes!

jampa

Tilopa’s Six words of Advice

Pasadena Bodhi Seeds

Don’t reflect, don’t imagine, and don’t evaluate.

Don’t meditate, don’t think, rest in naturalness.

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No more fluff-advice: Mindworks launches 10-day meditation challenge to combat the effects of toxic work stress

November 27, 2017 – By Hannah Lindstadt

 

Though it’s utterly cliché at this point, startups are stressful environments to work, and it’s important that the growing startup workforce keeps this in mind and protects their health.

Innovating requires going out on a limb, and limbs have a tendency to break when forced to carry too much weight. And by this point the stress-burden that many startup employees shoulder on a daily basis is well known, and has inspired many snappy articles in which founders and experts share their top suggestions for how to reduce stress, that although well intentioned, are often too vague to be of use to anyone.

Bart Mendel- Co-founder at Mindworks

If reducing stress was as easy as being told to “take a moment for yourself” or “avoid negative patterns of thought”, we would all be a lot happier and healthier, but reading inspirational quotes without an actual tangible path towards changing your habits is as guaranteed to produce results as tossing your stress ball into a wishing well.

“There’s only one way to create a good habit and that’s by doing something over and over again,” says Mindworks co-founder Bart Mendel. Which is why instead of posting inspirational quotes on Instagram, Mendel and his small team of close friends, trained by preeminent Buddhist meditation masters, decided to share their passion for spreading meditation techniques by creating the nonprofit Mindworks together.

From his experience as a meditation instructor for over 35 years, Mendel and his team have been working to create quality and readily available mindfulness and awareness-focused guided meditations, available on their free mindful meditations app launched in January. The app’s content includes daily inspirations, guided meditations, and “Mind Talks”- which are short videos featuring Mindworks international team of meditation instructors.

Today they announced the launching of their new 10-day meditation challenge, which will be available starting December 1st. Those who sign up to participate in the challenge will receive daily emails with guided instructions for 15-20 minute meditation sessions.  On the final day of the challenge, all participants will be invited to a live online Q & A chat with an instructor at Mindworks, to get feedback and ask any questions that may have surfaced during the 10 days.

The 10-day challenges will be available for a nominal fee as an additional resource to the free content available on the app, and is appropriate for all levels. The app is available for download from the Mindowrks website, Google Play and the App Store.

 

Source: https://startupbeat.com/2017/11/no-more-fluff-advice-mindworks-launches-10-day-meditation-challenge-to-combat-the-effects-of-toxic-work-stress/

Tsony visits Pasadena Bodhi Path

DT Tsony

Dear friends,

Here are links to the 2 talks we had with Lama Tsony. For better results, download the files first before listening.

Thanks! – cesar

A Project for an Awakened Life.
The Condensed Practice of Mind Training with the Five Forces – October 25

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B5T2BOYSSJTVTkJQRjJmMXF4c3M

Anuttara Puja
The Sevenfold Prayer as an Ideal Lifestyle – October 4

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5T2BOYSSJTVLWlmTmZzNXp3Z2M/view?usp=drivesdk