Who are We?

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There are many religions that teach:

“If you feel bad emotions
Then you’re bad!”

What an absolutely fabulous way to generate
massive amounts of neurosis!
What an efficient way to get folks to lie
to themselves and others about what they feel.

Yeah, let’s forget that noise!

Hey, wouldn’t it be cool if who we were was
NOT determined by what we feel,
BUT rather,
by what we DO with what we feel?

You see the old paradigm taught folks
to quibble over subtle terminology.
For instance one might say,

“I was enraged,
oops did I say rage,
what I really mean is angry,
and by angry I meant grumpy

and by that I mean merely miffed,
oh did I say miffed,
no, what I really meant was that
I loved every minuet of it.”

Yeah, that smells like something that came out
of the north end, of a south-bound steer!




You see, if who we were was NOT determined
by what we felt,
BUT by what we did with what we felt,
then there would be absolutely no need
to tone-down our terminology!

Remember in elementary school,
when they taught us that all the colors of the spectrum
come from various combinations
of the three primary colors of blue, red and yellow?

Well couldn’t it be convenient
if all negative emotions were just a blend of
sorrow, anger and fear?

Couldn’t that simplify everything
if instead of spending our energy
justifying, minimizing or rationalizing our painful emotions
we could invest that same energy into…

exploiting those painful emotions
to actually increase our joy, compassion and peace?


Their are only 2 weeks until the start of the Wednesday series of webinars.

May you and yours be

happy and healthy!

Om Mani Padme Hum,

Lama Jigme Gyatso: Rime Manipa Tantrika

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Two Fools and a Wise Man

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The First fool is controlled by his emotions and is their slave.
The Second boob ignores his emotions and quickly becomes their victom.
Although a wise Bodhisattva is Aware of his emotions he chooses
NOT to let them control his choices, words or actions.

Rather, relying upon his will
he applies Buddha’s techniques that transform:
• fear into peace,
• anger into love and
• sadness into joy.

Once he accomplishes such mastery of these techniques,
that he is able to perform them
spontaneously, habitually, easily and effectively, then he is a Buddha.
It does not have to take long at all.


The Wednesday series of webinars begins in just 2 weeks.

May you and yours be

happy and healthy!

Om Mani Padme Hum,

Lama Jigme Gyatso: Rime Manipa Tantrika

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Ground Zero Mosque

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I read that President Obama “backs [a] mosque near ground zero.”
I went on to read that he explained that
our “country’s founding principles demanded no less.”
I for one agree with our president.

Friends, if we look hard enough, we’ll always find a reason to hate and fear.
But no amount of those dark energies can ever protect us
from either physical or emotional pain.

Every great saint has taught us to love our enemies.
What’s the alternative?
A pissing contest where both parties walk away drippy and smelly!

Come, like the alchemists of legend, let us turn the lead of sorrow, anger and fear
into the gold of joy, love and peace.


The Wednesday series of webinars begins in just 3 weeks.

May you and yours be

happy and healthy!

Om Mani Padme Hum,

Lama Jigme Gyatso: Rime Manipa Tantrika

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Catharsis and the Sponge

Catharsis is poison. Although the ancients did Not have computer viruses, or traffic jams they did have stress. They did have guilt and fear and anger and sorrow and frustration. Just like us, the ancients had each of these same emotional afflictions that we have now. And just like us, they also had the desire to feel better. Over the course of time they noticed that if they talked about a problem they could feel a little better.

Yep, if you talk about a problem, you could feel a little better… but only for a short time and then after a while you start feeling guilty or frightened or angry or sad or frustrated all over again. Perhaps you have noticed this in your life as well; I know I have.

Why is the relief brought by catharsis only temporary? Why is the healing promised by getting something off one’s chest just an illusion? The answer could be found in oatmeal!

I love oatmeal, don’t you? It’s delicious! I’ve noticed that when I cook oatmeal over a high flame, it tends to boil over and that’s too messy. So I’ve found that if I just stir the oatmeal fast enough, it won’t boil over. Problem solved? Not so much! Because as soon as I stop stirring, it begins to boil over again. That brings us to a fork in the road, do we spend our time and energy perpetually stirring our emotion affliction’s boiling pot of oatmeal; or do we simply turn down the flame?

O.K. I’ll admit that Catharsis is only a short term, and temporary solution… but what could be wrong with that? How could that possibly harm me now, or in the future? Simple! Pain is a motivator. Pain, be it physical or emotional, makes us take action. When we burn our finger don’t we instinctively pull it away from the heat source at a speed that is faster than thought and stronger than pride? What would happen to our finger if we didn’t remove it from the heat source? What if we just “dealt” the pain with some sort of a special forces pain management technique? We’d loose the finger! I don’t want to lose my finger, it’s so useful; especially for expressing myself in traffic.

The greatest Buddhist sages, throughout the ages, have insisted that every incident of emotional suffering is an opportunity for spiritual growth. If, we allow the emotional pain of guilt or sorrow or fear or anger or frustration to drive us to take constructive action, if we approach an accomplished teacher, if we receive his guidance and if we put his instructions into practice, then we could experience fabulous spiritual growth as well as profound emotional relief. But if we just vent those painful emotions, if we just journal them out, or paint them out, or verbally vomit all over our dearest friends and relatives {and oh how they must love that} then we are just temporarily suspending our pain, while the real problem lurks about, unhindered. Then, we are missing out on a golden opportunity for dynamic growth and intense emotional relief.

Let’s explore that a bit. Couldn’t Catharsis be hard on those we verbally vomit upon? Everything we think, emote, say and do has an energy signature. Take two plants, in the same house, in front of the same window. All things being equal, if the first plant is subjected verbal vomit and the second is lavished with praise and adoration; couldn’t the first plant just whither and the second plant flourish? Let’s face it, dumping on others could really wear them out and exhaust them. How drained and weak and used could some lady feel after Dracula has made a meal of her neck? Is it any surprise that those who chronically, verbally-vomit are often referred to as “Energy Vampires?”

Come on kids, let’s not treat our friends or relatives like some toilet we barf our stinking emotional filth into. And come to think of it, let’s not treat our spiritual teachers that way either.

If Catharsis could be poison, then why is it so popular? Because it is quick and easy. Oh sure it is expensive in the long term but you try explaining that to the Inner: slack-jaw, gap-tooth, knuckle-dragging, cave-man we call an Id. A day doesn’t go by that I don’t encounter folks who choose catharsis over spiritual guidance in a New York minuet.

Catharsis could wear many disguises. Sometimes it takes the form of being “over talkative,” subtly boastful or even trying to control the conversation. An encounter with a teacher could be a great test.

Many people make appointments to receive private teaching sessions with their spiritual guide. When entering the presence of an accomplished Lama, whether in person or even over the phone; those who are perceptive can feel a shift. Internally they could feel intense waves of enthusiasm, gratitude or devotion and externally, even the air itself could feel electric.

It is ideal for the student to passively listen, really drinking up their Lama’s instructions and blessings; in very much the same way a dry and thirsty sponge could drink up moisture once it has been dropped into a sink of warm, sudsy water. The flow of energy Must be decidedly one-way. How then could we give back to our teacher? Physically we can give our Lama cash gifts and Spiritually we can respectfully, gratefully and enthusiastically apply his instructions.

The prideful, fearfully, tumultuous and controlling momentum of a chronic Energy-vampire could balk at this. Whether deliberately or unconsciously the energy-vampire could self-righteously Cathart by debating or discussing or commenting on almost every statement the teacher makes while also attempting to befriend or belittle the Lama. A “back and forth” energy is not conducive to rapid learning or evolution, but… it sure can feed the Energy-vampire’s sense of Self-importance. While this exercise is Not spiritually productive, it can dampen his experience of his own emotional afflictions… at least temporarily; thus we could see an ugly form of indirect Catharsis in action.

In the 2006 film “The Guardian” Kevin Costner’s character Ben Randall demonstrates that in an open-water crisis situation, a coast guard rescue swimmer’s first priority is not to make friends with the victim, but to get him into the rescue vessel as soon as possible, at all costs. If the victim tries to fight off the rescue swimmer in any way, it could mean his or both their lives. Likewise you and I have been floundering in Samsara’s ocean of guilt and fear and anger and sorrow and frustration and other emotional as well as physical afflictions for many, many lives. Right now we don’t need another pal, we need a spiritual guide, whether you call that teacher: Guru, Pandita, Bhante, Ajahn, Roshi, Shifu, Lama or Rinpoche, what you require is a teacher.

Remember the ultimate test of your Lama’s instructions is Not his prestige, fame and reputation or their popularity nor your logic or intuition. According to the Buddha the only test of the teachings is how well they work for you, when you apply them correctly and consistently. Forgetting your fearful or controlling tendencies resolve not to fight your teacher in any way, shape or form and instead choose to gratefully, enthusiastically and respectfully receive his instructions knowing that just as the proof of the pudding is in the tasting; likewise the validity of his teachings could be found in the taming of your sorrow, fear and anger as well as the augmentation of your love, peace, insight and happiness. So drink them in, like a dry and thirsty sponge that has fallen into a sink full of warm, sudsy water.

Today, you could find out about receiving

personal instruction from a Buddhist Monk over the telephone

www.LamaJigme.com

Easier than it Seems

Ms. L. wrote:

Dear Lama-Jigme,

I wrote you a message about your opinion on death and the sorrow I feel/felt
for yesterday was the 4th year of my Dad's passing.
I now feel that I must look within myself
for that answer I am seeking about death.


Dear Ms. L, please do Not look within yourself.
Rather look within the teachings of Lord Buddha.
Looking within yourself could just create
more confusion and distraction masquerading as the spiritual-path.


Ms. L. wrote:

I must rid myself of thoughts
that are hindering me from growing.


Dear Ms. L, please do Not try to get rid of thoughts…
for that sounds far too much like a lobotomy!

Just say “no” to home lobotomies!

Ms. L, back away from the power drill,
and no one will get hurt.

Who we are is NOT determined
by what emotions pop into our hearts
or by what thoughts jump into our heads.

Buddhism is NOT about
freedom from the Presence of unpleasant emotions,
as much as freedom from their Tyranny.

The question is NOT
“Do you Feel sorrow or fear over the loss of your father?”
of course you do,
you’re not make of wood, are you?

The real question is,
“O.k., now that your Feel sorrow and fear, what are you going to DO with them?
How are you going to harness their energy to progress even further
upon Buddha’s path of clarity, devotion, bliss, insight, love, peace and happiness?”


Ms. L. wrote:

I must trust myself and The Buddha
that I am on the right path for myself
for no one can help me fully
if I cannot let go and live in the NOW.


Dear Ms. L, rather than just have us trust blindly,
Buddha advises us to enthusiastically apply his teachings
and then notice the results they give us.

Do they increase our Sorrow, Fear, Anger, Pride and Control-issues,
or do they increase our clarity, devotion,
bliss, insight, love, peace and happiness?

Nope, Buddha did Not teach a path of blind faith
but of profoundly effective Mental-yogas
that can profoundly increase our Love, Peace, Insight and Happiness.

Ironically, Ms. L; if you are truly serious
about learning the science of effectively letting go and living in the now,
you will have to rely upon the instructions of one who has already gotten real good
at effectively letting go and living in the now.


Ms. L. wrote:

I thank you for your kindness
and look forward to your wonderful {classes}…


Dear Ms. L,

Rather than mucking about
with home lobotomies and blind faith
why not practice the union
of contemplation and invocation?

#1 Identify what you are probably feeling right now
{in as few words as possible and without concerning yourself with “why!”}.

#2 Explore the possibility that your sorrow and fear
might not be satisfactory.

#3 Explore the possibility that your sorrow and fear
might not be you.

#4 Explore the possibility that sorrow and fear
might not be separate from anything.

#5 Explore the possibility that sorrow and fear
might Not be permanent.

#6 Imagine even the possibility of letting go
of your sorrow and fear.

#7 Imagine the possibility of everyone
letting go of their sorrow and fear.

It's easy
and I teach it in the 5th beginning lesson.

Oh how I look forward to you learning
this technique that is as powerful
as it is easy!


Om Mani Padme Hum,
Lama Jigme Gyatso: Rime Manipa Tantrika

P.S
Today could you Pre-register for the next Beginning series
of 7 weekly Conference-call/ Tele-seminars,
starting Monday, the 27th of August?

http://www.lamajigme.com/Teleseminar-Schedules.html

P.P.S.
Whether you invoke: Kwan Yin, Kuan Yin, Quan Yin,
Avalokiteshvara, Chenrezig or the Great Compassionate One
using the Six syllable mantra pronounced
as “ Om Mani Padme Hum “ or “ Om Mani Peme Hung “ ;
the Buddha of Compassion is always there for you.

P.P.P.S.
If you desire to Automatically receive my latest essays
and learn about my latest seminars
you are welcome to subscribe to my Newsletter at
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