With this issue of the Wind Horse, we begin a series of teachings by Chagdud Rinpoche taken from our archives. These teachings have not been previously published.
In our stressful and fast-paced world, how can we achieve inner peace?
An answer to this question would take a lengthy essay; but basically I would say that inner peace is not dependent on external circumstances. If we don’t have inner peace, it is not because there is something wrong with the outer world. Inner peace is a by-product of one’s own mind, no matter what the external conditions may be. Everything hinges on one’s own motivation. Peace arises in the present as a direct result of all our previous actions, and what those actions are depends on our motivation. If we are in a peaceful state now, it is as a result of all the kindness, good works, and compassionate actions that we have performed in the past. Similarly, if we lack inner peace, if we are having difficulties, that is the result of our previous negative actions. That is, our less than pure intentions and actions have come back to us as a lack of inner peace.
But although we may have committed actions that are not conducive to inner peace, it isn’t impossible to change that. The mind has an intrinsic ability to change. Whatever one thinks translates into one’s reality. So the key to peaceful, fortunate conditions is pure-heartedness, selfless aspiration, and pure motivation. Your actions may not be so different from someone
else’s; the difference lies in your heart, in your motivation. That’s what makes all the difference in the outcome of your actions in the world. You must have purity of heart; attitude and your intention toward others and the world around you must be pure. That is the seed of inner peace.
How can we bring meditation into our everyday lives?
During the early years of Buddhism in India, there were eighty extraordinary realized beings known as the “eighty mahasiddhas.” These great ones did not become great by leaving everything in the world behind. Rather, they brought the basic principles of spiritual practice—pure-heartedness and mind’s presence—into their ordinary lives.
For example, Tilopa, one of Tibet’s greatest practitioners, spent his life extracting sesame seed oil. In his time, there was no fancy technology; there were no powerful presses. The only way to extract sesame seed oil was to pound the seeds by hand. As Tilopa pounded day and night, he cultivated purer and purer heart, and greater and greater one-pointed attention. He didn’t let his mind jump around like a flea. It was by doing this simple practice every day that he gained great realization.
Throughout the history of Buddhism, especially in Tibet, many householders—both men and women—also practiced incorporating the principles of one-pointedness and pure-heartedness into their daily lives in order to attain enlightenment. While leading their lives with their families and pursuing their occupations, they were able to overcome their limitations and realize the state of deathlessness, or unwavering realization. What this requires—though it may sound simple—is, on the one hand, nurturing pure-heartedness or selfless motivation, correcting or eradicating our impure motivation, and, on the other hand, allowing the mind to rest in its own truth, its own fundamental nature or pure presence. Moment by moment, we pay constant attention to both pure-heartedness and resting in the mind’s pure nature. This is how we can incorporate the spiritual path into our daily lives.
How can we compete in a materialistic world and still be loving and compassionate to all people?
I don’t want to talk just in principle, so let me tell you a story. In India there was a famous king named Indrabhuti, who was very powerful and wealthy. Despite his many responsibilities and his involvement in worldly affairs, he attained enlightenment. The reason was that his purpose and focus were not in any way selfish. He did not act for his betterment alone. Instead, he used all of his resources, power, and influence to constantly serve the needs of others. In that way, he was able to cultivate the most noble of qualities: selflessness.
For those of us in our world who have so much—personal power, wealth, stature, and responsibilities—the path is similar. One way to practice is to give up everything, leave everyone you know, and sit in a cave. But that is not the only way. People can, while they earn money and wield influence, work for the betterment of others, using whatever resources they have, all the while increasing their selflessness.
Wealth, power, knowledge, intelligence, and education— one should use the fruit of that goodness to help others. This establishes a pattern that will create much benefit in the world, both for oneself and for others. When I lost my country, I became a refugee. I received assistance from many generous people, in this and other countries, who housed me and helped in other ways. It is highly beneficial to act in that way, to care for others and contribute to their well-being.
Basically, in your work in the world, you must be honest; you must cultivate pure intention and pure-heartedness. And then steadily do what you do. Go forward and do what you do. Success in reaching your goals must be based on not harming anyone. If you always keep at the forefront of your mind the intention not to harm anyone and the aspiration to benefit others, then your work in the world will be very beneficial.
Is meditation possible given today’s lifestyle?
Meditation has nothing to do with what century or culture you live in, whether ancient or modern. What matters in meditation is the process of constantly looking back and assessing yourself, checking your own mind. Normally we do just the opposite: we tend to look out the window. We look out and say, “Oh, he’s a nice person” or “She’s a nice person.” “I like this” or “I like that.” “This is good” or “This is bad.” We are always relating to and judging the world outside of us.
In meditation, on the other hand, you use the screen of your mind like a mirror, to look at yourself instead of outside yourself, judging others. If you look in a mirror, you will see whether your face is dirty or your hair is messy; then you can fix it. With meditation, you look back, and whenever you see a negative thought or impulse, you try to change it. It’s like washing your face.
The mind doesn’t change all at once. But with constant attention, it slowly changes. It is a matter of repetition: you look within and correct yourself, your improper motivation and negative feelings, over and over again. More than that, you try to embrace and enhance positive qualities; you cultivate goodness. Rather than constantly judging others, you check yourself over and over again.
It all comes back to a point mentioned earlier: allow your mind to relax in its true nature and establish the proper motivation. Look within and correct and adjust. In this way, it is perfectly possible to change the mind. Ancient or modern, that’s not so important.
Is meditation common to all religions?
Conflict often comes down to the way in which we name or conceptualize something. For example, if an American and a Tibetan were having a discussion about the brightest source of light in the sky, the American might say, “Certainly it is the sun; there is no better source of light than that.” But the Tibetan might say, “Certainly it is not the sun but rather nyima that is the brightest source of light in the sky. Of course, both are talking about the same thing, but they are using different words. Often it is just the limitation of words and labels that cause conflict and differences between traditions, when actually everyone is speaking about the same perfect source of light. It is simply a matter of which tradition you feel a connection with, which one invokes in you the tendency to pray, to examine your mind, and to cultivate pure-heartedness.
Each tradition has a message; each is meant to be uplifting, to reduce the suffering and increase the happiness in your life, and ultimately to lead to the experience of total happiness. If you examine all authentic traditions, you will find that they espouse harmlessness and helpfulness; these are their basic operating principles. And they are exemplified by the great leaders of those traditions. By following the examples of these masters, we ourselves can achieve the great inner harmony that they did. This requires reducing our own faults and increasing our love and compassion without limit.
Every spiritual message is like medicine. Not all people can be cured by the same medicine or the same doctor, no matter how potent the medicine or how great the doctor. We have to focus on the cure and take what works for us. It isn’t helpful to think, “I am an American, so I will take only American medicine,” or “I am Japanese, so take only Japanese medicine.” We have to choose whatever medicine, whatever doctor, actually effects a cure.
On the spiritual path, the “cure” means revealing the inner wisdom that is the absolute truth, the pure beginningless state that is our true nature. It means revealing the purity and boundless compassion of the mind. Whatever enables you to reveal that within yourself is the medicine you need to take, the doctor you need to be loyal to.
If there were one piece of advice you could give today, what would that be?
Perhaps what I would say is: cultivate your own pure-heartedness. Start by recognizing how truly fortunate you are, how fortunate we all are. We have precious human bodies, extraordinary bodies with which we can relate to our families, our communities, our society. We are not hungry or poor or destitute. Really, we are tremendously fortunate. But if we look around, we will see that there are others who don’t have the same good fortune, the same comfortable lifestyle, the same favorable conditions in their lives. Once we reflect on that, we are moved to ask, “How can I help those not as fortunate as I? What can I do to ease their suffering?” Throughout the world, many people suffer all the time, from war, illness, famine, and poverty. If you put yourself in their shoes, you’ll understand what it might be like to experience such conditions, and then compassion will naturally flow from your heart. With that compassion, you can step back into your own shoes and realize how lucky you are.
To recognize your own good fortune is the first step in gaining inner peace, the first step in cultivating contentment and happiness. Furthermore, intrinsic to that contentment are the qualities of “great mind,” the mind of enlightenment. With the realization of great mind, one can truly benefit countless others. The Buddhist scholar and saint Atisha spent his entire life studying and meditating diligently, and he came to the conclusion that everything the Buddha taught comes down to the same thing: pure-heartedness. That is the essence of the spiritual path, of spiritual maturity. And every method in every authentic tradition points to, and leads the mind to, the enhancement of pure-heartedness.
When you cultivate compassion and loving kindness, you create a wish-granting jewel in your heart. It cannot be bought; it cannot be found at the top of some high mountain. It is within your own heart. This is what I say to you.
With this issue of the Wind Horse, we begin a series of teachings by Chagdud Rinpoche taken from our archives. These teachings have not been previously published.
In our stressful and fast-paced world, how can we achieve inner peace?
An answer to this question would take a lengthy essay; but basically I would say that inner peace is not dependent on external circumstances. If we don’t have inner peace, it is not because there is something wrong with the outer world. Inner peace is a by-product of one’s own mind, no matter what the external conditions may be. Everything hinges on one’s own motivation. Peace arises in the present as a direct result of all our previous actions, and what those actions are depends on our motivation. If we are in a peaceful state now, it is as a result of all the kindness, good works, and compassionate actions that we have performed in the past. Similarly, if we lack inner peace, if we are having difficulties, that is the result of our previous negative actions. That is, our less than pure intentions and actions have come back to us as a lack of inner peace.
But although we may have committed actions that are not conducive to inner peace, it isn’t impossible to change that. The mind has an intrinsic ability to change. Whatever one thinks translates into one’s reality. So the key to peaceful, fortunate conditions is pure-heartedness, selfless aspiration, and pure motivation. Your actions may not be so different from someone
else’s; the difference lies in your heart, in your motivation. That’s what makes all the difference in the outcome of your actions in the world. You must have purity of heart; attitude and your intention toward others and the world around you must be pure. That is the seed of inner peace.
How can we bring meditation into our everyday lives?
During the early years of Buddhism in India, there were eighty extraordinary realized beings known as the “eighty mahasiddhas.” These great ones did not become great by leaving everything in the world behind. Rather, they brought the basic principles of spiritual practice—pure-heartedness and mind’s presence—into their ordinary lives.
For example, Tilopa, one of Tibet’s greatest practitioners, spent his life extracting sesame seed oil. In his time, there was no fancy technology; there were no powerful presses. The only way to extract sesame seed oil was to pound the seeds by hand. As Tilopa pounded day and night, he cultivated purer and purer heart, and greater and greater one-pointed attention. He didn’t let his mind jump around like a flea. It was by doing this simple practice every day that he gained great realization.
Throughout the history of Buddhism, especially in Tibet, many householders—both men and women—also practiced incorporating the principles of one-pointedness and pure-heartedness into their daily lives in order to attain enlightenment. While leading their lives with their families and pursuing their occupations, they were able to overcome their limitations and realize the state of deathlessness, or unwavering realization. What this requires—though it may sound simple—is, on the one hand, nurturing pure-heartedness or selfless motivation, correcting or eradicating our impure motivation, and, on the other hand, allowing the mind to rest in its own truth, its own fundamental nature or pure presence. Moment by moment, we pay constant attention to both pure-heartedness and resting in the mind’s pure nature. This is how we can incorporate the spiritual path into our daily lives.
How can we compete in a materialistic world and still be loving and compassionate to all people?
I don’t want to talk just in principle, so let me tell you a story. In India there was a famous king named Indrabhuti, who was very powerful and wealthy. Despite his many responsibilities and his involvement in worldly affairs, he attained enlightenment. The reason was that his purpose and focus were not in any way selfish. He did not act for his betterment alone. Instead, he used all of his resources, power, and influence to constantly serve the needs of others. In that way, he was able to cultivate the most noble of qualities: selflessness.
For those of us in our world who have so much—personal power, wealth, stature, and responsibilities—the path is similar. One way to practice is to give up everything, leave everyone you know, and sit in a cave. But that is not the only way. People can, while they earn money and wield influence, work for the betterment of others, using whatever resources they have, all the while increasing their selflessness.
Wealth, power, knowledge, intelligence, and education— one should use the fruit of that goodness to help others. This establishes a pattern that will create much benefit in the world, both for oneself and for others. When I lost my country, I became a refugee. I received assistance from many generous people, in this and other countries, who housed me and helped in other ways. It is highly beneficial to act in that way, to care for others and contribute to their well-being.
Basically, in your work in the world, you must be honest; you must cultivate pure intention and pure-heartedness. And then steadily do what you do. Go forward and do what you do. Success in reaching your goals must be based on not harming anyone. If you always keep at the forefront of your mind the intention not to harm anyone and the aspiration to benefit others, then your work in the world will be very beneficial.
Is meditation possible given today’s lifestyle?
Meditation has nothing to do with what century or culture you live in, whether ancient or modern. What matters in meditation is the process of constantly looking back and assessing yourself, checking your own mind. Normally we do just the opposite: we tend to look out the window. We look out and say, “Oh, he’s a nice person” or “She’s a nice person.” “I like this” or “I like that.” “This is good” or “This is bad.” We are always relating to and judging the world outside of us.
In meditation, on the other hand, you use the screen of your mind like a mirror, to look at yourself instead of outside yourself, judging others. If you look in a mirror, you will see whether your face is dirty or your hair is messy; then you can fix it. With meditation, you look back, and whenever you see a negative thought or impulse, you try to change it. It’s like washing your face.
The mind doesn’t change all at once. But with constant attention, it slowly changes. It is a matter of repetition: you look within and correct yourself, your improper motivation and negative feelings, over and over again. More than that, you try to embrace and enhance positive qualities; you cultivate goodness. Rather than constantly judging others, you check yourself over and over again.
It all comes back to a point mentioned earlier: allow your mind to relax in its true nature and establish the proper motivation. Look within and correct and adjust. In this way, it is perfectly possible to change the mind. Ancient or modern, that’s not so important.
Is meditation common to all religions?
Conflict often comes down to the way in which we name or conceptualize something. For example, if an American and a Tibetan were having a discussion about the brightest source of light in the sky, the American might say, “Certainly it is the sun; there is no better source of light than that.” But the Tibetan might say, “Certainly it is not the sun but rather nyima that is the brightest source of light in the sky. Of course, both are talking about the same thing, but they are using different words. Often it is just the limitation of words and labels that cause conflict and differences between traditions, when actually everyone is speaking about the same perfect source of light. It is simply a matter of which tradition you feel a connection with, which one invokes in you the tendency to pray, to examine your mind, and to cultivate pure-heartedness.
Each tradition has a message; each is meant to be uplifting, to reduce the suffering and increase the happiness in your life, and ultimately to lead to the experience of total happiness. If you examine all authentic traditions, you will find that they espouse harmlessness and helpfulness; these are their basic operating principles. And they are exemplified by the great leaders of those traditions. By following the examples of these masters, we ourselves can achieve the great inner harmony that they did. This requires reducing our own faults and increasing our love and compassion without limit.
Every spiritual message is like medicine. Not all people can be cured by the same medicine or the same doctor, no matter how potent the medicine or how great the doctor. We have to focus on the cure and take what works for us. It isn’t helpful to think, “I am an American, so I will take only American medicine,” or “I am Japanese, so take only Japanese medicine.” We have to choose whatever medicine, whatever doctor, actually effects a cure.
On the spiritual path, the “cure” means revealing the inner wisdom that is the absolute truth, the pure beginningless state that is our true nature. It means revealing the purity and boundless compassion of the mind. Whatever enables you to reveal that within yourself is the medicine you need to take, the doctor you need to be loyal to.
If there were one piece of advice you could give today, what would that be?
Perhaps what I would say is: cultivate your own pure-heartedness. Start by recognizing how truly fortunate you are, how fortunate we all are. We have precious human bodies, extraordinary bodies with which we can relate to our families, our communities, our society. We are not hungry or poor or destitute. Really, we are tremendously fortunate. But if we look around, we will see that there are others who don’t have the same good fortune, the same comfortable lifestyle, the same favorable conditions in their lives. Once we reflect on that, we are moved to ask, “How can I help those not as fortunate as I? What can I do to ease their suffering?” Throughout the world, many people suffer all the time, from war, illness, famine, and poverty. If you put yourself in their shoes, you’ll understand what it might be like to experience such conditions, and then compassion will naturally flow from your heart. With that compassion, you can step back into your own shoes and realize how lucky you are.
To recognize your own good fortune is the first step in gaining inner peace, the first step in cultivating contentment and happiness. Furthermore, intrinsic to that contentment are the qualities of “great mind,” the mind of enlightenment. With the realization of great mind, one can truly benefit countless others. The Buddhist scholar and saint Atisha spent his entire life studying and meditating diligently, and he came to the conclusion that everything the Buddha taught comes down to the same thing: pure-heartedness. That is the essence of the spiritual path, of spiritual maturity. And every method in every authentic tradition points to, and leads the mind to, the enhancement of pure-heartedness.
When you cultivate compassion and loving kindness, you create a wish-granting jewel in your heart. It cannot be bought; it cannot be found at the top of some high mountain. It is within your own heart. This is what I say to you.
With this issue of the Wind Horse, we begin a series of teachings by Chagdud Rinpoche taken from our archives. These teachings have not been previously published.
In our stressful and fast-paced world, how can we achieve inner peace?
An answer to this question would take a lengthy essay; but basically I would say that inner peace is not dependent on external circumstances. If we don’t have inner peace, it is not because there is something wrong with the outer world. Inner peace is a by-product of one’s own mind, no matter what the external conditions may be. Everything hinges on one’s own motivation. Peace arises in the present as a direct result of all our previous actions, and what those actions are depends on our motivation. If we are in a peaceful state now, it is as a result of all the kindness, good works, and compassionate actions that we have performed in the past. Similarly, if we lack inner peace, if we are having difficulties, that is the result of our previous negative actions. That is, our less than pure intentions and actions have come back to us as a lack of inner peace.
But although we may have committed actions that are not conducive to inner peace, it isn’t impossible to change that. The mind has an intrinsic ability to change. Whatever one thinks translates into one’s reality. So the key to peaceful, fortunate conditions is pure-heartedness, selfless aspiration, and pure motivation. Your actions may not be so different from someone
else’s; the difference lies in your heart, in your motivation. That’s what makes all the difference in the outcome of your actions in the world. You must have purity of heart; attitude and your intention toward others and the world around you must be pure. That is the seed of inner peace.
How can we bring meditation into our everyday lives?
During the early years of Buddhism in India, there were eighty extraordinary realized beings known as the “eighty mahasiddhas.” These great ones did not become great by leaving everything in the world behind. Rather, they brought the basic principles of spiritual practice—pure-heartedness and mind’s presence—into their ordinary lives.
For example, Tilopa, one of Tibet’s greatest practitioners, spent his life extracting sesame seed oil. In his time, there was no fancy technology; there were no powerful presses. The only way to extract sesame seed oil was to pound the seeds by hand. As Tilopa pounded day and night, he cultivated purer and purer heart, and greater and greater one-pointed attention. He didn’t let his mind jump around like a flea. It was by doing this simple practice every day that he gained great realization.
Throughout the history of Buddhism, especially in Tibet, many householders—both men and women—also practiced incorporating the principles of one-pointedness and pure-heartedness into their daily lives in order to attain enlightenment. While leading their lives with their families and pursuing their occupations, they were able to overcome their limitations and realize the state of deathlessness, or unwavering realization. What this requires—though it may sound simple—is, on the one hand, nurturing pure-heartedness or selfless motivation, correcting or eradicating our impure motivation, and, on the other hand, allowing the mind to rest in its own truth, its own fundamental nature or pure presence. Moment by moment, we pay constant attention to both pure-heartedness and resting in the mind’s pure nature. This is how we can incorporate the spiritual path into our daily lives.
How can we compete in a materialistic world and still be loving and compassionate to all people?
I don’t want to talk just in principle, so let me tell you a story. In India there was a famous king named Indrabhuti, who was very powerful and wealthy. Despite his many responsibilities and his involvement in worldly affairs, he attained enlightenment. The reason was that his purpose and focus were not in any way selfish. He did not act for his betterment alone. Instead, he used all of his resources, power, and influence to constantly serve the needs of others. In that way, he was able to cultivate the most noble of qualities: selflessness.
For those of us in our world who have so much—personal power, wealth, stature, and responsibilities—the path is similar. One way to practice is to give up everything, leave everyone you know, and sit in a cave. But that is not the only way. People can, while they earn money and wield influence, work for the betterment of others, using whatever resources they have, all the while increasing their selflessness.
Wealth, power, knowledge, intelligence, and education— one should use the fruit of that goodness to help others. This establishes a pattern that will create much benefit in the world, both for oneself and for others. When I lost my country, I became a refugee. I received assistance from many generous people, in this and other countries, who housed me and helped in other ways. It is highly beneficial to act in that way, to care for others and contribute to their well-being.
Basically, in your work in the world, you must be honest; you must cultivate pure intention and pure-heartedness. And then steadily do what you do. Go forward and do what you do. Success in reaching your goals must be based on not harming anyone. If you always keep at the forefront of your mind the intention not to harm anyone and the aspiration to benefit others, then your work in the world will be very beneficial.
Is meditation possible given today’s lifestyle?
Meditation has nothing to do with what century or culture you live in, whether ancient or modern. What matters in meditation is the process of constantly looking back and assessing yourself, checking your own mind. Normally we do just the opposite: we tend to look out the window. We look out and say, “Oh, he’s a nice person” or “She’s a nice person.” “I like this” or “I like that.” “This is good” or “This is bad.” We are always relating to and judging the world outside of us.
In meditation, on the other hand, you use the screen of your mind like a mirror, to look at yourself instead of outside yourself, judging others. If you look in a mirror, you will see whether your face is dirty or your hair is messy; then you can fix it. With meditation, you look back, and whenever you see a negative thought or impulse, you try to change it. It’s like washing your face.
The mind doesn’t change all at once. But with constant attention, it slowly changes. It is a matter of repetition: you look within and correct yourself, your improper motivation and negative feelings, over and over again. More than that, you try to embrace and enhance positive qualities; you cultivate goodness. Rather than constantly judging others, you check yourself over and over again.
It all comes back to a point mentioned earlier: allow your mind to relax in its true nature and establish the proper motivation. Look within and correct and adjust. In this way, it is perfectly possible to change the mind. Ancient or modern, that’s not so important.
Is meditation common to all religions?
Conflict often comes down to the way in which we name or conceptualize something. For example, if an American and a Tibetan were having a discussion about the brightest source of light in the sky, the American might say, “Certainly it is the sun; there is no better source of light than that.” But the Tibetan might say, “Certainly it is not the sun but rather nyima that is the brightest source of light in the sky. Of course, both are talking about the same thing, but they are using different words. Often it is just the limitation of words and labels that cause conflict and differences between traditions, when actually everyone is speaking about the same perfect source of light. It is simply a matter of which tradition you feel a connection with, which one invokes in you the tendency to pray, to examine your mind, and to cultivate pure-heartedness.
Each tradition has a message; each is meant to be uplifting, to reduce the suffering and increase the happiness in your life, and ultimately to lead to the experience of total happiness. If you examine all authentic traditions, you will find that they espouse harmlessness and helpfulness; these are their basic operating principles. And they are exemplified by the great leaders of those traditions. By following the examples of these masters, we ourselves can achieve the great inner harmony that they did. This requires reducing our own faults and increasing our love and compassion without limit.
Every spiritual message is like medicine. Not all people can be cured by the same medicine or the same doctor, no matter how potent the medicine or how great the doctor. We have to focus on the cure and take what works for us. It isn’t helpful to think, “I am an American, so I will take only American medicine,” or “I am Japanese, so take only Japanese medicine.” We have to choose whatever medicine, whatever doctor, actually effects a cure.
On the spiritual path, the “cure” means revealing the inner wisdom that is the absolute truth, the pure beginningless state that is our true nature. It means revealing the purity and boundless compassion of the mind. Whatever enables you to reveal that within yourself is the medicine you need to take, the doctor you need to be loyal to.
If there were one piece of advice you could give today, what would that be?
Perhaps what I would say is: cultivate your own pure-heartedness. Start by recognizing how truly fortunate you are, how fortunate we all are. We have precious human bodies, extraordinary bodies with which we can relate to our families, our communities, our society. We are not hungry or poor or destitute. Really, we are tremendously fortunate. But if we look around, we will see that there are others who don’t have the same good fortune, the same comfortable lifestyle, the same favorable conditions in their lives. Once we reflect on that, we are moved to ask, “How can I help those not as fortunate as I? What can I do to ease their suffering?” Throughout the world, many people suffer all the time, from war, illness, famine, and poverty. If you put yourself in their shoes, you’ll understand what it might be like to experience such conditions, and then compassion will naturally flow from your heart. With that compassion, you can step back into your own shoes and realize how lucky you are.
To recognize your own good fortune is the first step in gaining inner peace, the first step in cultivating contentment and happiness. Furthermore, intrinsic to that contentment are the qualities of “great mind,” the mind of enlightenment. With the realization of great mind, one can truly benefit countless others. The Buddhist scholar and saint Atisha spent his entire life studying and meditating diligently, and he came to the conclusion that everything the Buddha taught comes down to the same thing: pure-heartedness. That is the essence of the spiritual path, of spiritual maturity. And every method in every authentic tradition points to, and leads the mind to, the enhancement of pure-heartedness.
When you cultivate compassion and loving kindness, you create a wish-granting jewel in your heart. It cannot be bought; it cannot be found at the top of some high mountain. It is within your own heart. This is what I say to you.
With this issue of the Wind Horse, we begin a series of teachings by Chagdud Rinpoche taken from our archives. These teachings have not been previously published.
In our stressful and fast-paced world, how can we achieve inner peace?
An answer to this question would take a lengthy essay; but basically I would say that inner peace is not dependent on external circumstances. If we don’t have inner peace, it is not because there is something wrong with the outer world. Inner peace is a by-product of one’s own mind, no matter what the external conditions may be. Everything hinges on one’s own motivation. Peace arises in the present as a direct result of all our previous actions, and what those actions are depends on our motivation. If we are in a peaceful state now, it is as a result of all the kindness, good works, and compassionate actions that we have performed in the past. Similarly, if we lack inner peace, if we are having difficulties, that is the result of our previous negative actions. That is, our less than pure intentions and actions have come back to us as a lack of inner peace.
But although we may have committed actions that are not conducive to inner peace, it isn’t impossible to change that. The mind has an intrinsic ability to change. Whatever one thinks translates into one’s reality. So the key to peaceful, fortunate conditions is pure-heartedness, selfless aspiration, and pure motivation. Your actions may not be so different from someone
else’s; the difference lies in your heart, in your motivation. That’s what makes all the difference in the outcome of your actions in the world. You must have purity of heart; attitude and your intention toward others and the world around you must be pure. That is the seed of inner peace.
How can we bring meditation into our everyday lives?
During the early years of Buddhism in India, there were eighty extraordinary realized beings known as the “eighty mahasiddhas.” These great ones did not become great by leaving everything in the world behind. Rather, they brought the basic principles of spiritual practice—pure-heartedness and mind’s presence—into their ordinary lives.
For example, Tilopa, one of Tibet’s greatest practitioners, spent his life extracting sesame seed oil. In his time, there was no fancy technology; there were no powerful presses. The only way to extract sesame seed oil was to pound the seeds by hand. As Tilopa pounded day and night, he cultivated purer and purer heart, and greater and greater one-pointed attention. He didn’t let his mind jump around like a flea. It was by doing this simple practice every day that he gained great realization.
Throughout the history of Buddhism, especially in Tibet, many householders—both men and women—also practiced incorporating the principles of one-pointedness and pure-heartedness into their daily lives in order to attain enlightenment. While leading their lives with their families and pursuing their occupations, they were able to overcome their limitations and realize the state of deathlessness, or unwavering realization. What this requires—though it may sound simple—is, on the one hand, nurturing pure-heartedness or selfless motivation, correcting or eradicating our impure motivation, and, on the other hand, allowing the mind to rest in its own truth, its own fundamental nature or pure presence. Moment by moment, we pay constant attention to both pure-heartedness and resting in the mind’s pure nature. This is how we can incorporate the spiritual path into our daily lives.
How can we compete in a materialistic world and still be loving and compassionate to all people?
I don’t want to talk just in principle, so let me tell you a story. In India there was a famous king named Indrabhuti, who was very powerful and wealthy. Despite his many responsibilities and his involvement in worldly affairs, he attained enlightenment. The reason was that his purpose and focus were not in any way selfish. He did not act for his betterment alone. Instead, he used all of his resources, power, and influence to constantly serve the needs of others. In that way, he was able to cultivate the most noble of qualities: selflessness.
For those of us in our world who have so much—personal power, wealth, stature, and responsibilities—the path is similar. One way to practice is to give up everything, leave everyone you know, and sit in a cave. But that is not the only way. People can, while they earn money and wield influence, work for the betterment of others, using whatever resources they have, all the while increasing their selflessness.
Wealth, power, knowledge, intelligence, and education— one should use the fruit of that goodness to help others. This establishes a pattern that will create much benefit in the world, both for oneself and for others. When I lost my country, I became a refugee. I received assistance from many generous people, in this and other countries, who housed me and helped in other ways. It is highly beneficial to act in that way, to care for others and contribute to their well-being.
Basically, in your work in the world, you must be honest; you must cultivate pure intention and pure-heartedness. And then steadily do what you do. Go forward and do what you do. Success in reaching your goals must be based on not harming anyone. If you always keep at the forefront of your mind the intention not to harm anyone and the aspiration to benefit others, then your work in the world will be very beneficial.
Is meditation possible given today’s lifestyle?
Meditation has nothing to do with what century or culture you live in, whether ancient or modern. What matters in meditation is the process of constantly looking back and assessing yourself, checking your own mind. Normally we do just the opposite: we tend to look out the window. We look out and say, “Oh, he’s a nice person” or “She’s a nice person.” “I like this” or “I like that.” “This is good” or “This is bad.” We are always relating to and judging the world outside of us.
In meditation, on the other hand, you use the screen of your mind like a mirror, to look at yourself instead of outside yourself, judging others. If you look in a mirror, you will see whether your face is dirty or your hair is messy; then you can fix it. With meditation, you look back, and whenever you see a negative thought or impulse, you try to change it. It’s like washing your face.
The mind doesn’t change all at once. But with constant attention, it slowly changes. It is a matter of repetition: you look within and correct yourself, your improper motivation and negative feelings, over and over again. More than that, you try to embrace and enhance positive qualities; you cultivate goodness. Rather than constantly judging others, you check yourself over and over again.
It all comes back to a point mentioned earlier: allow your mind to relax in its true nature and establish the proper motivation. Look within and correct and adjust. In this way, it is perfectly possible to change the mind. Ancient or modern, that’s not so important.
Is meditation common to all religions?
Conflict often comes down to the way in which we name or conceptualize something. For example, if an American and a Tibetan were having a discussion about the brightest source of light in the sky, the American might say, “Certainly it is the sun; there is no better source of light than that.” But the Tibetan might say, “Certainly it is not the sun but rather nyima that is the brightest source of light in the sky. Of course, both are talking about the same thing, but they are using different words. Often it is just the limitation of words and labels that cause conflict and differences between traditions, when actually everyone is speaking about the same perfect source of light. It is simply a matter of which tradition you feel a connection with, which one invokes in you the tendency to pray, to examine your mind, and to cultivate pure-heartedness.
Each tradition has a message; each is meant to be uplifting, to reduce the suffering and increase the happiness in your life, and ultimately to lead to the experience of total happiness. If you examine all authentic traditions, you will find that they espouse harmlessness and helpfulness; these are their basic operating principles. And they are exemplified by the great leaders of those traditions. By following the examples of these masters, we ourselves can achieve the great inner harmony that they did. This requires reducing our own faults and increasing our love and compassion without limit.
Every spiritual message is like medicine. Not all people can be cured by the same medicine or the same doctor, no matter how potent the medicine or how great the doctor. We have to focus on the cure and take what works for us. It isn’t helpful to think, “I am an American, so I will take only American medicine,” or “I am Japanese, so take only Japanese medicine.” We have to choose whatever medicine, whatever doctor, actually effects a cure.
On the spiritual path, the “cure” means revealing the inner wisdom that is the absolute truth, the pure beginningless state that is our true nature. It means revealing the purity and boundless compassion of the mind. Whatever enables you to reveal that within yourself is the medicine you need to take, the doctor you need to be loyal to.
If there were one piece of advice you could give today, what would that be?
Perhaps what I would say is: cultivate your own pure-heartedness. Start by recognizing how truly fortunate you are, how fortunate we all are. We have precious human bodies, extraordinary bodies with which we can relate to our families, our communities, our society. We are not hungry or poor or destitute. Really, we are tremendously fortunate. But if we look around, we will see that there are others who don’t have the same good fortune, the same comfortable lifestyle, the same favorable conditions in their lives. Once we reflect on that, we are moved to ask, “How can I help those not as fortunate as I? What can I do to ease their suffering?” Throughout the world, many people suffer all the time, from war, illness, famine, and poverty. If you put yourself in their shoes, you’ll understand what it might be like to experience such conditions, and then compassion will naturally flow from your heart. With that compassion, you can step back into your own shoes and realize how lucky you are.
To recognize your own good fortune is the first step in gaining inner peace, the first step in cultivating contentment and happiness. Furthermore, intrinsic to that contentment are the qualities of “great mind,” the mind of enlightenment. With the realization of great mind, one can truly benefit countless others. The Buddhist scholar and saint Atisha spent his entire life studying and meditating diligently, and he came to the conclusion that everything the Buddha taught comes down to the same thing: pure-heartedness. That is the essence of the spiritual path, of spiritual maturity. And every method in every authentic tradition points to, and leads the mind to, the enhancement of pure-heartedness.
When you cultivate compassion and loving kindness, you create a wish-granting jewel in your heart. It cannot be bought; it cannot be found at the top of some high mountain. It is within your own heart. This is what I say to you.
With this issue of the Wind Horse, we begin a series of teachings by Chagdud Rinpoche taken from our archives. These teachings have not been previously published.
In our stressful and fast-paced world, how can we achieve inner peace?
An answer to this question would take a lengthy essay; but basically I would say that inner peace is not dependent on external circumstances. If we don’t have inner peace, it is not because there is something wrong with the outer world. Inner peace is a by-product of one’s own mind, no matter what the external conditions may be. Everything hinges on one’s own motivation. Peace arises in the present as a direct result of all our previous actions, and what those actions are depends on our motivation. If we are in a peaceful state now, it is as a result of all the kindness, good works, and compassionate actions that we have performed in the past. Similarly, if we lack inner peace, if we are having difficulties, that is the result of our previous negative actions. That is, our less than pure intentions and actions have come back to us as a lack of inner peace.
But although we may have committed actions that are not conducive to inner peace, it isn’t impossible to change that. The mind has an intrinsic ability to change. Whatever one thinks translates into one’s reality. So the key to peaceful, fortunate conditions is pure-heartedness, selfless aspiration, and pure motivation. Your actions may not be so different from someone
else’s; the difference lies in your heart, in your motivation. That’s what makes all the difference in the outcome of your actions in the world. You must have purity of heart; attitude and your intention toward others and the world around you must be pure. That is the seed of inner peace.
How can we bring meditation into our everyday lives?
During the early years of Buddhism in India, there were eighty extraordinary realized beings known as the “eighty mahasiddhas.” These great ones did not become great by leaving everything in the world behind. Rather, they brought the basic principles of spiritual practice—pure-heartedness and mind’s presence—into their ordinary lives.
For example, Tilopa, one of Tibet’s greatest practitioners, spent his life extracting sesame seed oil. In his time, there was no fancy technology; there were no powerful presses. The only way to extract sesame seed oil was to pound the seeds by hand. As Tilopa pounded day and night, he cultivated purer and purer heart, and greater and greater one-pointed attention. He didn’t let his mind jump around like a flea. It was by doing this simple practice every day that he gained great realization.
Throughout the history of Buddhism, especially in Tibet, many householders—both men and women—also practiced incorporating the principles of one-pointedness and pure-heartedness into their daily lives in order to attain enlightenment. While leading their lives with their families and pursuing their occupations, they were able to overcome their limitations and realize the state of deathlessness, or unwavering realization. What this requires—though it may sound simple—is, on the one hand, nurturing pure-heartedness or selfless motivation, correcting or eradicating our impure motivation, and, on the other hand, allowing the mind to rest in its own truth, its own fundamental nature or pure presence. Moment by moment, we pay constant attention to both pure-heartedness and resting in the mind’s pure nature. This is how we can incorporate the spiritual path into our daily lives.
How can we compete in a materialistic world and still be loving and compassionate to all people?
I don’t want to talk just in principle, so let me tell you a story. In India there was a famous king named Indrabhuti, who was very powerful and wealthy. Despite his many responsibilities and his involvement in worldly affairs, he attained enlightenment. The reason was that his purpose and focus were not in any way selfish. He did not act for his betterment alone. Instead, he used all of his resources, power, and influence to constantly serve the needs of others. In that way, he was able to cultivate the most noble of qualities: selflessness.
For those of us in our world who have so much—personal power, wealth, stature, and responsibilities—the path is similar. One way to practice is to give up everything, leave everyone you know, and sit in a cave. But that is not the only way. People can, while they earn money and wield influence, work for the betterment of others, using whatever resources they have, all the while increasing their selflessness.
Wealth, power, knowledge, intelligence, and education— one should use the fruit of that goodness to help others. This establishes a pattern that will create much benefit in the world, both for oneself and for others. When I lost my country, I became a refugee. I received assistance from many generous people, in this and other countries, who housed me and helped in other ways. It is highly beneficial to act in that way, to care for others and contribute to their well-being.
Basically, in your work in the world, you must be honest; you must cultivate pure intention and pure-heartedness. And then steadily do what you do. Go forward and do what you do. Success in reaching your goals must be based on not harming anyone. If you always keep at the forefront of your mind the intention not to harm anyone and the aspiration to benefit others, then your work in the world will be very beneficial.
Is meditation possible given today’s lifestyle?
Meditation has nothing to do with what century or culture you live in, whether ancient or modern. What matters in meditation is the process of constantly looking back and assessing yourself, checking your own mind. Normally we do just the opposite: we tend to look out the window. We look out and say, “Oh, he’s a nice person” or “She’s a nice person.” “I like this” or “I like that.” “This is good” or “This is bad.” We are always relating to and judging the world outside of us.
In meditation, on the other hand, you use the screen of your mind like a mirror, to look at yourself instead of outside yourself, judging others. If you look in a mirror, you will see whether your face is dirty or your hair is messy; then you can fix it. With meditation, you look back, and whenever you see a negative thought or impulse, you try to change it. It’s like washing your face.
The mind doesn’t change all at once. But with constant attention, it slowly changes. It is a matter of repetition: you look within and correct yourself, your improper motivation and negative feelings, over and over again. More than that, you try to embrace and enhance positive qualities; you cultivate goodness. Rather than constantly judging others, you check yourself over and over again.
It all comes back to a point mentioned earlier: allow your mind to relax in its true nature and establish the proper motivation. Look within and correct and adjust. In this way, it is perfectly possible to change the mind. Ancient or modern, that’s not so important.
Is meditation common to all religions?
Conflict often comes down to the way in which we name or conceptualize something. For example, if an American and a Tibetan were having a discussion about the brightest source of light in the sky, the American might say, “Certainly it is the sun; there is no better source of light than that.” But the Tibetan might say, “Certainly it is not the sun but rather nyima that is the brightest source of light in the sky. Of course, both are talking about the same thing, but they are using different words. Often it is just the limitation of words and labels that cause conflict and differences between traditions, when actually everyone is speaking about the same perfect source of light. It is simply a matter of which tradition you feel a connection with, which one invokes in you the tendency to pray, to examine your mind, and to cultivate pure-heartedness.
Each tradition has a message; each is meant to be uplifting, to reduce the suffering and increase the happiness in your life, and ultimately to lead to the experience of total happiness. If you examine all authentic traditions, you will find that they espouse harmlessness and helpfulness; these are their basic operating principles. And they are exemplified by the great leaders of those traditions. By following the examples of these masters, we ourselves can achieve the great inner harmony that they did. This requires reducing our own faults and increasing our love and compassion without limit.
Every spiritual message is like medicine. Not all people can be cured by the same medicine or the same doctor, no matter how potent the medicine or how great the doctor. We have to focus on the cure and take what works for us. It isn’t helpful to think, “I am an American, so I will take only American medicine,” or “I am Japanese, so take only Japanese medicine.” We have to choose whatever medicine, whatever doctor, actually effects a cure.
On the spiritual path, the “cure” means revealing the inner wisdom that is the absolute truth, the pure beginningless state that is our true nature. It means revealing the purity and boundless compassion of the mind. Whatever enables you to reveal that within yourself is the medicine you need to take, the doctor you need to be loyal to.
If there were one piece of advice you could give today, what would that be?
Perhaps what I would say is: cultivate your own pure-heartedness. Start by recognizing how truly fortunate you are, how fortunate we all are. We have precious human bodies, extraordinary bodies with which we can relate to our families, our communities, our society. We are not hungry or poor or destitute. Really, we are tremendously fortunate. But if we look around, we will see that there are others who don’t have the same good fortune, the same comfortable lifestyle, the same favorable conditions in their lives. Once we reflect on that, we are moved to ask, “How can I help those not as fortunate as I? What can I do to ease their suffering?” Throughout the world, many people suffer all the time, from war, illness, famine, and poverty. If you put yourself in their shoes, you’ll understand what it might be like to experience such conditions, and then compassion will naturally flow from your heart. With that compassion, you can step back into your own shoes and realize how lucky you are.
To recognize your own good fortune is the first step in gaining inner peace, the first step in cultivating contentment and happiness. Furthermore, intrinsic to that contentment are the qualities of “great mind,” the mind of enlightenment. With the realization of great mind, one can truly benefit countless others. The Buddhist scholar and saint Atisha spent his entire life studying and meditating diligently, and he came to the conclusion that everything the Buddha taught comes down to the same thing: pure-heartedness. That is the essence of the spiritual path, of spiritual maturity. And every method in every authentic tradition points to, and leads the mind to, the enhancement of pure-heartedness.
When you cultivate compassion and loving kindness, you create a wish-granting jewel in your heart. It cannot be bought; it cannot be found at the top of some high mountain. It is within your own heart. This is what I say to you.
