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Interview with Gyana Vajra Rinpoche

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Interview with Gyana Vajra Rinpoche A NEWSLETTER OF SIDDHARTHA’S INTENT March 2008 IN THIS ISSUE INSIGHT MEDITATION INTERVIEW WITH GYANA VAJRA RINPOCHE REACHING OUT IN CAMBODIA PHOTO DIARY – SANCHI TEXT RECOVERER - E. Gene Smith THE GONPA SURVIVES THE FLOOD Gentle Voice : March 2008 In This Issue Editorial Contents Congratulations to our friends at Vajradhara Gonpa who Insight Meditation 3 have completed the three year retreat. We are all Interview with Gyana Vajra Rinpoche 5 inspired by your dedication and commitment and hope Reaching Out in Cambodia 6 that you will be able to share your insights and blessings Photo Diary - Sanchi 8 with everyone you meet. Congratulations to all those Book Review 9 who made it possible, whether it was the teachers, Births, Deaths, Marriages and Retreats 9 administrators, cooks or sponsors. Making it possible for Text Recoverer - E. Gene Smith 10 both ourselves and others to practice the Dharma is a Announcements 11 great challenge and contingent on an enormous amount of work. Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche One of the most interesting observations in the Dharma will teach the conclusion of the is the law of interdependent origination, or in Sanskrit, Madhyamakavatara - the Middle Way philosophy pratityasamutpada. Nothing exists except in dependence This is one of the key philosophical expositions of upon causes and conditions. The causes and conditions emptiness and its study has been an essential part of for such a retreat are numberless and impossible to Buddhist training in Tibet for many centuries. While not summarise, but without our teacher inspiring practice, very long, the text contains complex and subtle arguments without the gonpa – the place of retreat, without the in a condensed form. This is the final program. inspiration to make it happen, it couldn’t take place. Dates: Thursday 10 April 7.00 p.m. At this early stage of the development of the Dharma in – free evening talk. Australia we are all working hard to create the Friday 11 to Sunday 13 April, from 9.30 a.m. conditions for practice opportunities for both ourselves Fee: $180 and future generations. Translation, study, retreat, Address: A&I Hall, Bangalow, New South Wales. generosity, and all kinds of support are bringing the Located at the end of Station Street, off Dharma to the West. Everybody’s participation and Byron Street - the main street in contribution is a jewel in Indra’s net. Indra’s net is a Bangalow. Bangalow is a 15 minute metaphor used in the Avatamsaka Sutra, of a large net drive from Byron Bay. Telephone: 02 66 851 646 hung with jewels. Each jewel reflects all the other jewels Enquiries: [email protected] in the net, to infinity. In addition, every jewel that is Accommodation assistance: [email protected] reflected in one jewel bears within itself the reflection of all other jewels. About Siddhartha’s Intent May all beings benefit. Founded in 1989 by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, Siddhartha's Intent is an international Buddhist Sunyata association of non-profit centres, most of which are Editor nationally registered societies and charities, with the principal intention of preserving the Buddhist teachings, as well as increasing an awareness and understanding of the many aspects of the Buddhist teaching, beyond the limits of cultures and traditions. Web: http://www.siddharthasintent.org Contact: 61 2 66 882 055 Email: [email protected] Gentle Voice : page 2 Gentle Voice : March 2008 Insight Meditation – Vipassana By Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche We'll begin straight away with meditation. Those who have information on meditation know what to do. For those who are beginners, sitting with your spine straight is good. Placing something under your bottom so it's higher than your legs is a good idea. You'r e allowed to breathe. You can blink your eyes only if it's necessary. You can swallow saliva when it's necessary. Other than that during this period until I say stop, whatever happens don't move. Don't scratch even if you're feeling itchy! Instead watch that feeling. If nothing extraordinary happens, just watch whatever thoughts come at that time. There's no need to think about the past, no need to plan for the future. If there are no thoughts, that's also fine. If your ankle hurts or you feel like coughing, don't. Don't clear your throat. If you forget to switch off your mobile and it rings, don't switch it off. Just watch that guilt. Basically, do nothing. All you have to do is Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche in Bir, October 2006. just be aware. So we will begin. You may know that some leading international newspapers time. So you can't see Buddha nature. The way we meditated have reported that meditation is good for health. Scientists just now, we just watched whatever happened. Even the have now realised that meditation is good for stress, for watching is already a little bit of a mating, but it's okay for relaxation and so on and so forth. If you're a Buddhist, and if now. That's the only way you can progress. What does this you're a genuine one, we're not here for good health. We're do? You really are beginning to learn how to ignore thoughts. not here for relaxation. Who cares whether you're tense or not, Actually, do you know what ignoring is? Let's say, if you're because when people talk about relaxation, that means they ignoring a person at a party, what does that mean? That means relax for a little bit and then they go wild again, doesn't it? you know he is there, but you are not looking at him, doesn't That's why they're looking for relaxation – so they can do it? That's what we call ignoring. If you don't see him, that's more harm to themselves and others after a little bit of not counted as ignoring him, is it? That's simply that you hibernation. If you're a genuine follower of Gautama Buddha, didn't see him. During meditation you're watching the being relaxed or tension-free is not your goal. Or at least the thoughts; you know they're there, but you're ignoring them. definition of relaxation and tension should be different. What You're not entertaining positive thoughts, you're not is tension? According to the Buddha, anything that is dualistic discouraging negative thoughts. Just watching. So you're not is tension. Gazing at the sunrise or the sunset could be tension. mating. No mating, no breeding, no population of rabbits; It's more likely to be tension than relaxation, according to the you're less busy because you don't have to chase or breastfeed Buddha. What is relaxation? Freedom from this dualistic mind these babies. You are very free. That's why we meditate. is relaxation. In that sense, yes, we're looking for the ultimate relaxation. We're really looking to get rid of the mother of all I think it's kind of obvious that meditation is a good thing, but tension, which is dualism. to do it consistently is difficult. Lack of discipline, lack of enthusiasm and lack of environment make it difficult. Mainly You see, meditation is a technique. You may wonder, "How lack of discipline. Consistency is the key. If you do hours and does this help us to discover Buddha nature?" It does it very hours of meditation and then don't do any for months, you're well. In fact, I would say meditation such as what we just did back to square one. If you can do five to ten minutes is probably the safest, most economical, handy, user-friendly consistently every day, at least in about a year's time you will method. At present, every time a thought arises, we mate with have some kind of joy and enthusiasm to do the meditation. it. There could be different kinds of mating – very positive That joy is difficult to develop, you know, because meditation mating such as enjoying the sunset, making love, being is very boring. It's not entertaining at all. Not doing anything philanthropic or hugging! Or it could be a very vicious raping is tough. This is the art of not doing anything and it's really kind of mating, like when anger comes, "Oh, not good." Then difficult, especially as we modern human beings like quick there's depression, guilt and anger towards yourself because results. Actually, the results come very quickly. But you're angry. That's what I call raping. You're raping your meditative results are very subtle. We like tangible, vivid, thoughts. Whatever happens, you've forgotten the condom and obvious results. We like Panadols or pain-killers. This is the you're like a rabbit. You can reach orgasm nine times every modern culture. time. Each drop of those orgasms creates lots of babies. That's why you have endless rabbits going round in your head all the Continued next page Gentle Voice : page 3 Gentle Voice : March 2008 So especially in the beginning it's difficult to establish this joy Then even during the post-meditation time when you're heated because the effect of meditation is so subtle; even though it's with jealousy, you will have this regret or guilt, this already there, it's not visible. disappointment or frustration. "Why am I not concentrating?" It's easy to just watch ordinary, more obvious thoughts. Let's On the one hand you know that you're not supposed to get say you're meditating and you hear a child screaming and it entangled or mate with this issue, but you will just keep doing irritates you and you just watch that irritation.
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