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Enlightened Common Sense an Interview with TENZIN PALMO

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Enlightened Common Sense an Interview with TENZIN PALMO Enlightened Common Sense An Interview with TENZIN PALMO path. It's tremendously encourag- Although Jetsunma Tenzin ing and useful, as most of us cannot Palmo's international best- spend years in retreat. seller Cave in the Snow chron- icled her twelve years of se- JTP: The people who come to clusion in a remote cave, her my talks are people who have a new book Into the Heart of Life very full life. They are saying to offers a very down-to-earth themselves, "Despite my full life, guide for spiritual practice I still feel incomplete. How can I right here, right now, no cave take my life as it is and do some- required. In this interview thing meaningful with it?" What What My Retirement Means with Snow Lion's Jeff Cox, I try to convey is that the things she touches on some of the that traditionally were once seen for the Tibetan Cause topics in her book: the effect as obstacles to dharma practice— family, profession, social life—can of being around a teacher, by H.H. THE DALAI LAMA how not grade ourselves on be transformed into our practice. our practice, and other issues Buddhism deals with this rela- After coming into exile, I have for us when we have to follow a relevant for practitioners. tive reality in which our ego is present dharma as wonderfully trapped. It helps to make the ego made sincere efforts to establish a meaningful democratic system. relevant to everyday life. Bud- into a friendly, happy ego—be- democratic system of governance The rule by kings and religious Jeff Cox: When people come to see dhism allows for a lot of investi- fore we annihilate it all together. in the last more than 30 years. figures is outdated. We have to The Tibetans in exile say "our de- follow the trend of the free world you—and there are many, intrigued gation and questioning—I often JC: A well-adjusted ego is a good which is that of democracy. For that you, a Western woman, spent speak of dharma as "enlight- thing. mocracy is a gift from His Holi- twelve years meditating alone in a ened common sense." Most of ness the Dalai Lama." Ten years example in India, besides its JTP: Yes, the Buddha taught that Himalayan cave—what do you most ago, the System of electing Kalon huge population and diverse lan- the dharma is like that—you say in order to do shamatha meditation want to convey to them? it and most of the people think, Tripa through democratic elec- guages, religions and culture, on you need a well-balanced sense tions was introduced rather than the whole it remains very stable. Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo: I want "Yes, that is right." Then they feel of self. Then you can go on to nomination of the candidate by This is because of democracy, the to show them how Buddhism is motivated to investigate further vipassana, which is to see through the Dalai Lama, which was not rule of law, free expression and like yeast that raises the heavy and apply the teachings. the machinations of the self. To correct. Since the direct election media. To the contrary, China dough of everyday life to become JC: Your new book, Into the Heart take apart the ego you need bal- of Kalon Tripa, the system of the under the authoritarian rule is light and nourishing. This is the of Life, so beautifully lays out how ance. A balanced self is one that is institution of Gaden Phodrang of always facing problems. It was challenge—East and West—to to make everyday life into a dharma not completely dominated by the the Dalai Lama as both the spiri- mentioned in a recent Chinese three poisons (ignorance, desire, tual and temporal authority has government's document that it is anger), is good-hearted, kind, and ended. Since then I described my- allocating more budget to main- calm—not neurotic—and thereby self as in semi-retired position. tain internal stability than nation- able to have a foundation of Since then ten years have al defense. This shows that they 746 passed and the day will come (Continued on page 11) 14851 (Continued on page 12) STD NO. NY POSTAGE PAID ance in the elements of the body. PRSRT U.S. When we talk about the elements PERMIT ITHACA, in the present context, we are not referring so much to the flesh, blood, fluids, and so forth as to the so-called five wind energies. We say "wind" because there is motion, and "energy" because there is some activity or power that has beneficial or harmful ef- fects. There are four peripheral or branch wind energies and one central or life wind energy. When we are able to retain these four ■::.. wind energies and bring them closer to the central wind energy, we experience good health and a Meditation Positions sense of comfort and well-being in our lives, both physically and How They Affect the Body mentally. If the four peripheral wind energies can be directed by KHENPO KARTHAR into the life wind energy, we be- gin to have great meditative re- alizations. When these wind en- Why do we need to sit in the Khenpo Karthar is widely ergies are not properly balanced various meditation positions? Is and retained, we are susceptible regarded as a great master. In Requested this a tradition or some cultural this adaptation, taken from to many kinds of sickness and thing? What are the internal ben- Publications many kinds of distractions and 14851 his book Dharma Paths, he BUY DIRECT FROM SNOW LION efits, if any, of these positions? conflicts. This results in chaos Service 6483 describes how the inner NY The physical body is basically Lion AND SAVE AT LEAST 30% and confusion. energies or "winds" are af- a combination of elements. When Box fected by various meditation The seven positions of the ON MOST SNOW LION TITLES! we suffer physical pain and sick- Ithaca, PO Change Snow body are important because they See page 25 for more information. postures. ness, it is caused by an imbal- (Continued on page 7) NEWS ^\, Because the lords of the five Understanding the Five Buddhas Buddha-families beautifully exemplify the powers and as- by KHENCHEN THRANGU RINPOCHE pects of the enlightened state toward which we're aspiring, an understanding of them manifests as Vairochana, the lord and perfectly purified. Consid- primordial awareness of equal- rally one not able to perform ac- helps us to to see how our of the Buddha family, the first of ering all mental afflictions, it is ity and of perfectly purified pride tions for the benefit of others. If, main human faults contain the five buddha families. Vairo- mainly anger that surges up in is the "Source of Preciousness," however, the jealousy is pacified, within them the core of what chana (Tib. mam par snang mdzad) our mind and makes it restless; Ratnasambhava. the primordial awareness that ac- we can become in our fullness. means the "One Who Completely therefore, the manifestation of Amitabha, the lord of the fourth complishes all actions is perfect- This informative description Manifests." He is the one who al- completely purified anger is the buddha family, the Lotus family, ed. Through this awareness all is adapted from Everyday lows the true nature of phenom- "Unshakeable One," Akshobhya. is, in his essence, the discriminat- actions and enlightened activities Consciousness and Primor- ena to appear nonmistakenly and The third of the five lords of ing primordial awareness which can be performed exactly in the dial Awareness by Khenchen perfectly. He clarifies the nature the buddha families is Ratna- reveals itself through the trans- right way and without hindrance. Thrangu Rinpoche. of all phenomenal reality. sambhava. He is the lord of the formation of the sixth conscious- Due to this activity Amoghasid- Akshobhya, the lord of the Ratna family. His nature is mer- ness, the mind consciousness, dhi (Tib. don yod grub pa) is the Vajra family, is in essence the it, wealth, and excellence, and and through the perfect purifica- "One Who Accomplishes What Is mirrorlike primordial awareness therefore he is called Ratnasamb- tion of desirous attachment. On Meaningful." Since it is his nature The Five Buddha Families which reveals itself by means hava (Tib. rin chen 'byung gnas), the basis of the mind conscious- to accomplish the benefit of all Whoever allows the five kinds of of the transformation of the all- the "Source of Preciousness." He ness there arise desire, attach- sentient beings, the fifth lord of primordial awareness to reveal base. In general, the true nature, embodies the transformation of ment, and grasping, due to which the five buddha families embod- themselves through meditation the essence of all phenomena, the klesha-mmd and thus the pri- the true nature of all phenomena ies the primordial awareness that attains thereby the ultimate fruit; is natural emptiness. However, mordial awareness of equality. cannot be realized. It cannot be accomplishes all actions. that is, the level of the five bud- The nature of the klesha-mind is seen clearly, because the essence dha-families. The lords of the five to grasp on to a self, a pride that of desirous attachment is infatua- The Buddhas and the Four By purifying all of the families—Vairochana, Akshob- takes the self to be the highest and tion. Through perfect purification Kinds of Enlightenment hya, Ratnasambhava, Amitabha, consciousnesses you the best. When the klesha-mind is desirous attachment transforms Activity also purify the five abandoned, the pride accompa- into clarity, into the clear light and Amoghasiddhi—are, in Each of the lords of the five nying that high esteem of the self of Amitabha, the Buddha of "In- their essence, the five primordial I: mental afflictions (Skt.
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