Polishing the Crystal (Link #515)

Speaker: Mary Lee Mooney. Mary Lee reflects on discovering that she had been neglecting one of the three pillars- study, and how she has come to embrace it on her path as a practitioner. Over the past few years, spurred on by the forced solitude of the pandemic lockdown, Mary found that her interest in study had grown. Becoming a lobpon for MSB's online courses encouraged her as the wealth of the contemplations in these classes changed her view. Mary shared that studies didn't come easily to her since childhood, and she became aware of the creative ways she pushed forward through life on her own terms. When Mary recognized that she was not fully relating with the three pillars, she began including them into her daily contemplative practice. In doing so, she realized the importance of self-compassion and humor in relating to our humanness as critical for waking up. Mary now feels more grounded in the three pillars of study, practice and service, and in truly being "with" the Buddhadharma.

Speaker: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. Rinpoche describes how to understand our relationship to our mind, and what supports our well being. There are two sides to the mind: thoughts and emotions. Thoughts are made up of our perceptions and the labels we put on them. We will always remain vague about what holds us back and what supports us to move forward, until we learn how to self-recognize our experiences. In order to remove vagueness and establish clarity we must "bring everything out onto the table". We then begin to develop a certain intelligence and sophistication of mind which sees the relative truth of what arises, as well as the absolute truth, which is beyond dualism. Holding relative and absolute simultaneously and inseparably, not abandoning one and accepting another, is the mark of a truly mature mind. The second side of mind – emotions – is crucial to understand as well. Emotions are nothing more than a façade. When the façade is exposed to all aspects of mind, things become free and open. Nothing gets stuck. Emotions are free to arise and cease. They are part of a bigger awareness that sees everything clearly but does not get caught in believing that things are intrinsically good or bad. It takes focus, discipline and stillness to observe our own mind. This is how we will gain true maturity and intelligence. With this special kind of intelligence – based not on thoughts but direct observation of the mind – there will never be an agony that cannot be overcome.

Speaker: Amy Hayes. As a ngondro practitioner in the refuge section, Amy introduces the idea of prostration as a mudra of refuge. Amy demonstrates how, through the humbling act of prostrations, our bodies become vehicles of refuge using the Refuge Prayer as her main point of reference. The Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha) are companions we take along the path. The Buddha is our own enlightened nature, the Dharma the teachings, and through our connections with Sangha our hearts can crack open. Amy views the physicality of full body prostrations as an opportunity for purification. Fully flat, with one's forehead to the ground, one is expressing humility, faith and devotion. Our body and how we relate to it becomes a gateway to self awareness. Just as the seated posture of meditation may be viewed as a mudra of transformation, prostration can be seen as a mudra of refuge. In this way, prostrations are a path and a gateway to enlightenment.

Speaker: Cary Yang. Cary's question, ‘What have I learned so far?’ as a practitioner and student stems from a conversation with her mother who was curious to know. Cary provides deep reflections on Rinpoche's 2024 Year of the Wood Dragon Losar address, which deals with developing positive habits of mind, including seeing the best in others to create the optimal atmosphere for tsewa to arise. Contrastingly, a disturbed mind blocks the opportunity for tsewa. She refers to Patrul Rinpoche who, in Words of My Perfect Teacher, guides us to contemplate how we listen, as it can be a barometer to gauge our state of mind. Listening filled with obstacles like distraction and toxic thinking is not conducive to cultivating tsewa. However, an awareness of how we listen is a step toward overcoming such obstacles and developing a positive mindset.

Speaker: Dungse Jampal Norbu. Dungse-la speaks about "sonam" or merit, and explains how things manifest in our lives. Merit is the energy that brings joy. We cannot be dependent on circumstances for our happiness and well-being as it is dependent on sonam. We know that even those who have wealth are sometimes unable to appreciate their wealth. What's more, we are naturally predisposed to avoid suffering, and rather than seeking to find an outer remedy for our suffering, we need to generate merit through actions that are in line with bodhicitta (based on an altruistic mind). Dungse-la further speaks to dedication as a powerful tool to conserve the energy of a particular action towards a particular goal. It allows the momentum of an action to go in a particular direction and not slow down due to circumstances. Therefore, we need to dedicate the merit of our actions towards the enlightenment of all beings.

Speaker: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. This is a previously-recorded talk given by Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche in Boston, Massachusetts on May 19, 2018. The talk was from Rinpoche's 2018 Book Tour, 'Training in Tenderness: Buddhist Teachings on "Tsewa", the Radical Openness of Heart That Can Change the World'.

Speaker: Joseph Waxman. Joey explains how to listen to the Dharma, how to interpret the words and integrate them into our lives. Language never expresses the absolute truth; language can only express the relative truth. In that way, understanding the context of the words is necessary so we can come as close to understanding the meaning as they are given. Joey talks about the three wisdoms as our path to understand the teachings completely so they become part of us, and not just words we hear. With hearing wisdom, he points out that hearing and understanding the words also require trusting where the words are coming from and the intention behind them. This allows one to move to the next step in contemplating what was received, bringing them deeply within to make the teachings a part of who we are through meditative wisdom. Joey illustrates this by examining each word of the Lojong slogan #21 from the Seven Points of Mind Training, "Always Maintain a Joyful Attitude".

Speaker: Christopher Kreider. Christopher explores what it means to be a student of the Longchen Nyingtik Lineage. He begins by exploring the meaning of lineage and the line of transmission from teacher to student. Christopher reflects on the ways he has assumed personal responsibility for the Lineage through his relationship to Phuntsok Choling, seeing the Center as if it was his own. He contrasts this definition of "ownership" to the dominant capitalist model in which self worth is equated with material wealth, which results in people becoming very hard on themselves. He recalled hearing Rinpoche say that being hard on oneself is not in accordance with the Buddha's teachings. Christopher adds that self deprecation is adventitious; it can be unlearned through kindness and gentleness towards the self and others, allowing one to turn towards our own inner wisdom guru. Only an unbroken lineage can provide a gateway towards enlightenment. This is not conceptual but must be deeply experiential.

Speaker: Dungse Jampal Norbu. Dungse-la speaks about self reflection as the entry to Dharma practice, about disillusionment, and appreciation for our present opportunity as practitioners, particularly as we enter the new year. Topics include a profound appreciation for this precious human life, reflections on the past year to motivate us to make changes when we see how they contribute to our suffering and disillusionment, and the power of aspiration for the future. In order to rise above our circumstances, we can start by asking ourselves if we are still looking for short term benefit or if we truly appreciate this poignant gift of the Three Jewels as an opportunity for growth. Dungse-la also discusses the benefits of being uncomfortable to shake ourselves out of complacency, and to appreciate these moments as opportunities to expand the heart and realize Buddhanature.

Speaker: Stephanie Kindberg-Velasco. Stephanie reflects on the past year focusing on several Sangha members who've died and also on Rabjam Rinpoche's visit to Boulder, Colorado. Her contemplation of these events is guided by Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel's question: "When are we at our best?" Stephanie relates how the Sangha shows up for one another around sickness and death, and the opportunity it provides for directing our minds away from self-clinging and towards tsewa, for example, through the practice of tonglen. This applies not only to those who are dying but also to working with our own suffering.