What to Do With Your Hands!

"The winner sows hatred because the loser suffers. Let go of winning and losing and find joy." - Buddha


I follow the Shambhala tradition, which was brought here to the US by Trungpa Rinpoche, a few years after he had fled from the Chinese invasion of Tibet. In the Shambhala tradition, one is encouraged to place their hands palm down on their thighs as they meditate. I got very used to doing this (attached, one might say), --most comfy. Then, we had a Zen master come to our meditation practice and he illustrated the Zen placement of the hands, where one rests both hands below the navel, and one hand rests in the cradle of the other, with the thumbs touching lightly (signifies a greater level of body concentration, as it was explained to me). So. . . I gave this method a try, and found that my shoulders seemed more relaxed when I assumed this position. However, at a level one training for Shambhala meditation practice, the class was encouraged to place their hands upon their thighs--this signifying a more openness to our surroundings and taking our meditation practice into daily life. I was quite surprised when inside me a bubble of rebellion surfaced! I didn't want to change back! I was quite happy, thank you very much. I want to do it my way. Eventually I figured out that my entire experience with the placement of the hands had been a learning exercise in attachment. I finally elected to proceed in the manner my venerable teacher had advised, and funny enough, I rest my hands on my thighs and my shoulders feel just fine nowadays. Of course, there are many, many schools of thought, or many placements for the hands (for many reasons, and these are the mudras), and you can choose the one that best suits you, and your purpose.

The 13th Dalai Lama gave discourse on a method similar to Zen practice, and also added that if the right hand is placed in the palm of the left, this is related to male tantra, and the opposite is related to female tantra. The tantra yogas are connected to the stimulation of the body's energy centers. I feel it best that my interpretation ends here, but if you wish to learn more about this subject, go to:
www.meditation-mantra.org/buddha-hand-position.html. Again, hand position is related to mudras, and this Facebook video gives a good introduction.

Next: The posture of the back!
Abide in peace and joy, Cynthia

Sitting Right Makes a Difference

"Live in joy, without possessions, like the shining ones."-Buddha

I have never had great posture. Not even good. Slouch would probably describe my general posture. Not that I am lazy, or depressed, or such. I just never gave it much thought. So. . .when I first began to meditate, I was sitting up against the wall, and my back was screaming the entire time. I never thought I would be able to sit like everyone else at meditation, and certainly not like the lamas, monks and nuns I had seen in photos. But, fortunately for me, I had a patient, kind teacher who helped me come away from the wall, and find good posture, so I could sit and enjoy the experience. Not to say feet don't still go to sleep, or back aches here and there, or that there is not the need to check in from time to time during meditation to correct posture, but now sitting, physical sitting, is no longer a torture. His Holiness the 13th Dalai Lama spent considerable time in his Great Prayer Sermon about sitting on the cushion, and he begins with:

The placement of feet. I quote: "In the tantric view, the coarse and subtle karmic energies, which carry the conceptional mind of images and image retainers, must be prevented from flowing into the side channels." Well, I need more study on all of that, but he explains that in the VAJRA posture, folding the right leg on top of the left symbolizes male, when left on top of right is female. To be honest, there are times I have to shift my legs, and maybe you will too. But, I find with continued practice, I can sit for longer and longer periods of time without having to shift at all. It is a process. What matters, I think, is the attitude, and willingness to learn and grow.

Next: Placement of the hands.

Abide in peace and joy, Cynthia

A Good Place to Sit

'Live in joy, without possessions, like the shining ones."-Buddha

Good day! If any have gone to the website, so sorry that there are problems! Hope to have things resolved soon! Guess problems are par for the course. . .

In any event I am most pleased to continue the discussion about the Six Preliminaries. Today is about the Third Preliminary: Sitting on the Meditation Cushion, in the vajra posture (full or half)--go to www.aboutmeditation.org/meditation-posture.php/ for an excellent overview of the vajra posture--and begin to open one's mind to thoughts of refuge in the Buddha, the dharma and the sangha and creating the "bodhimind".

When the Buddha sat upon the grass, knowing enlightenment was near, he took this oath:
My body may dry up and
My skin may fall from the flesh and bone
But I shall not rise from this seat
Until enlightenment, difficult to attain in many aeons,
Has finally been attained.

All night the Buddha remained in meditation, and at dawn he "manifested enlightenment". This was after many years of practice. Still, I am daunted by the oath! I have never felt such devotion and dedication to anything I have attempted.

It is important that your meditation cushion have enough padding so that one can sit for long periods of time without becoming too tired or physically uncomfortable. My understanding is that meditation is not torture we must endure, so it makes sense that when we sit, we create circumstances conducive to extended sessions. For some, it takes some experimentation to find just the right combination of cushions, and I suppose some of us need almost no cushion at all, and can simply assume the vajra position right on the ground, on the grass, just as the Buddha.

A straight back and open chest posture reflects our respect, discipline, and willingness to proceed, to open up to the bodhimind (path to enlightenment).

His Holiness the 13th Dalai Lama goes into some length as to the correct placement of you body upon the cushion. Let's go into that tomorrow.

Abide in peace and joy, Cynthia

When a Set of Water Bowls Was Out of the Question

"Live in joy, in peace, even among the troubled."-Buddha

Whenever funds feel tight, this is a good story to remember:

Lama Drub-khang Rinpoche began life under most inauspicious, humble circumstances. He was so poor (I know, it sounds like I'm going to start out with a joke!, but I'm not!), that his only possession was one wooden tea bowl. This bowl served as both plate and cup, and he also used it in preliminary preparations for meditation practice. He would take his one bowl, and fill it seven separate times, placing the full bowl on the altar after each time, and then letting it rest there for a few moments. In this way, he was able to offer the recommended seven bowls of water, it's just that the water was always in the same bowl! I myself did this before finding a small set of bowls that would fit upon the small space of my altar. It worked just fine! The 13th Dalai Lama says that "after some time his merits increased and his karmic obstacles were weakened. He no longer needed to use his tea cup for offering bowls."

May all my actions be virtuous actions.

And, why make these offerings in the first place? The 13th Dalai Lama explains that as we make these faultless offerings we can imagine ". . .that the object to which the offering is made is a manifestation of the Three Jewels of Refuge. Then the offering becomes a gift to all the Buddhas of the past, present and future. By making offerings to all the Buddhas we generate a tremendous force of meritorious energy." So, not god appeasement, but an opening of our hearts to the Buddha nature.

On Monday, the Third Preliminary: Sitting on the Meditation Cushion. Sorry there was no recipe this week, but uploading website was most time consuming, a lot of work and very joyful too!

Abide in peace and joy, Cynthia

Website up!

Great news! Worked all day to upload website, so sorry, but just too plain tuckered out to blog! But, you should visit the site: www.mountainsnows.net. You will most likely get a Register.com page, saying (on the left hand side) that Mountain Snows is "coming". Just click on this sentence and you will arrive at the website!

"Live in joy, in health, even among the afflicted." -Buddha

Abide in peace and joy! Cynthia

Faultless Offerings

"Live in joy, in love, even among those who hate."
-Buddha

So, setting out offerings helps to generate positive spiritual energy for your meditation time. Here are some suggestions, but you may certainly go from here:
* 7 bowls of water, which represent: the sensory objects, including our own body, speech, mind and the five senses. It is recommended that the bowls are uniformly filled, symbolizing balanced meditation. (Tomorrow I will relate a most touching story about Lama Drub-khang Rinpoche, who was so poor early on in life that he could not afford the bowls to contain his water offerings).
*A small portion of food, placed in a special bowl (no leftovers, or peelings, etc.)
*Flowers (I love to use flowers from my garden, and through the Winter, I daily used a dried sprig of lavender, which retained its delightful scent the entire season). Wild flowers would also be lovely
*Incense
*Candles

As mentioned before, a picture of the Buddha should be included, as well as pictures of any teachers, lamas/gurus whose teachings you study. Once all the objects are carefully and respectfully arranged on your altar, please take a moment to consider them, their beauty, symbolism and significance.

Most important, it is the attitude behind the offerings that matter, not their cost. Lama Drub-khang Rinpoche's story tomorrow.

Abide in peace and joy, Cynthia

Buddhist Basics

"We are what we think." -Buddha

By now I think people can tell that this website is all about the basics! It is my hope that as I progress and learn, that my experiences, along with any materials I have read and then share, will be of great benefit to others new to the study of Buddhism!

Today I will continue with His Holiness the 13th Dalai Lama's wonderful instructions on the Six Preliminaries for meditation practice. Let's look into what he had to say about the Second Preliminary: arranging faultless offerings. Faultless does not refer to perfect, expensive objects that will be the envy of all who gaze upon them. What you use as offerings have no intrinsic value. What matters here is one's attitude, how you make the offerings. If you cannot afford a lovely framed picture of the Buddha, a simple rock or even a grain of sand will do--they can represent the Buddha in your mind. Setting out offerings reflects one's spiritual conviction. It is a discipline.

Discipline. That's a stickler for me! I think of discipline, and I think of constriction, a barrier to my personal freedom! Why do I need discipline in order to meditate?

Turns out, discipline is quite helpful, and it is good to set my ego aside. And, it is my ego that gets ruffled here. But, I am reminded of a story told by Pema Chodron (an American Buddhist nun who has written many books, including "When Things Fall Apart"--highly recommended, deals with Chaos!). She relates that when she first started to study Buddhism and meditation in the early 70's with Chogyam Trungpa in Boulder, Colorado, there was one time, during meditation that one person decided to lay down and take a bit of a nap. They later explained that they wanted to "be good" to themselves. Life was tough, and they felt they deserved to be pampered a bit. Life is tough. But, I think I am discovering that the pampering doesn't really address this challenge. Discipline, however, does.

I am a better person when I am disciplined, no matter what it is I am doing.

Tomorrow's blog will get into suggestions for offerings.

Abide in peace and joy, Cynthia

Throw Away Inner Negativities

"My imagination is my main Buddha image."
Je Kun-pang-pa

A third entry on cleaning the space for meditation! Interesting that His Holiness had so much to say upon the subject! While he stressed that the altar be simple and uncomplicated, he seemed to emphasize that the symbolism behind the actions of preparation were of the major import.

Once the dirt has been swept up (being mindful of the First Noble Truth and karma), when that dirt is discarded, you can think about the idea that the dirt symbolizes your inner negativity, and that you are casting this negativity away, far from you, never to enter your consciousness again. This discarding is an allusion to the inherent union of the truth of cessation (ending suffering),and the truth of the path. All at once, His Holiness has brought together all Four Noble Truths: life contains suffering, suffering has a cause, suffering can be brought to end, there is a designated path to end suffering.

In western culture we seem to struggle with just slowing down, and reflecting on the world and ourselves. When I first began to clean my meditation space, I didn't pause to really think about what I was doing. I guess, we spend a lot of time in our lives not thinking about what we are doing! The First Preliminary helps me slow down, begin to think and feel calm. I hope the practice will bring you peace also.

Abide in peace and joy, Cynthia

Next: The Second Preliminary: Arranging on the Altar Faultless Offerings

French Silk Pie!

"Gray hairs do not make a master."
Buddha

The first of the Four Noble Truths is that life contains suffering. While cleaning our meditation space, His Holiness suggests that we contemplate that the dirt we are sweeping away represent negative karmic seeds and the delusions within ourselves and others. As the dirt is removed, we can think about negative karma fading, and in the place of these inner impurities we can begin to experience the deeper wisdom, inherent in all of us.

As commentary, many a time I had just finished sweeping my meditation space, when our old dog, who shed enough hair to weave a tapestry, would stroll on by (remember, our house is small, and all open with no separate rooms but for the bathroom), and I could actually see the hair slowly, gracefully float to the floor. I would shake my head: more dirt, more karma!

No posts on the weekends, so on Monday I'll go into the second of the Four Noble Truths and how it can be reflected in preparing your space for meditation.

BUT! For now, FRENCH SILK PIE!

You will need:
1 pie crust (can buy ready made at store, or make yourself)
For filling:
two sticks of butter (one can never have enough butter!)
1 1/2 cups sugar (don't use raw, as unfortunately the texture will not be right)
8 tablespoons cocoa
5 eggs (I get my eggs from my neighbor up the road, so I know the chickens are treated well)

Brown pie crust in 425degree oven.
Cream softened butter, sugar and cocoa for a minimum of 5 minutes! Be patient. It is all the beating that makes the pie silky! Add each egg one at a time, beating for 5 minutes after each. Scape the bowl often, and I sample quite regularly, just to be sure everything is going well! After all the eggs have been added (yes, you are correct: you will have beaten the mixture for a total of 30 minutes, but it is so worth it!), pour into cooled pie crust and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. You can put whipped cream, chopped nuts or chocolate bits on top, if you want to be fancy. ENJOY!!!!

Abide in peace and joy, Cynthia

A Clean Place to Practice

When His Holiness the 13th Dalai Lama begins his
instruction on the Six Preliminaries, he starts with
Cleaning the Place of Practice, the First Preliminary.
He mentions that as far as good places to practice,
a traditional cave that has in the past been used by great
mediators is the best! How I would love that! Imagine
traveling to Tibet and being allowed to meditate in a
spot where some of the wisest lamas have sat! If you have the opportunity, a retreat cabin is wonderful, but just as good is any quiet place in your own home.

As I have mentioned before, I love the symbolism associated with many of the physical acts of practicing Buddhism. When cleaning the space you will use while meditating, His Holiness suggests that you imagine our entire world being thus cleansed and purified. He offers this verse for one to recite while cleaning:

May all the world become free from
All harsh qualities, such as thorns.
May it become as smooth as lapis lazuli
And as tender as the palm of one's hand.

How truly lovely. This verse encourages us to link the act of purifying the site with our personal goal of creating our own Buddhafield after enlightenment. (To find out more about a Buddhafield, go to: www.answers.com/topic/buddha-k-etra.)

Already, one can appreciate that there certainly is more to the idea of cleaning the meditation area than just a cursory glance would provide. So deliberate. So much concentration. So "Now". Mindful. One can begin practicing mindfulness, or paying close attention to what we are doing in the "now", with the outwardly simple task of sweeping away the dust.

His Holiness also explains how reflecting on the act of cleaning can be a contemplative exercise on the Four Noble Truths! Who would have thought! Let's get into that tomorrow.

By the way, French Silk Pie recipe on Friday. No blog entries on the weekends!

Abide in peace and joy, Cynthia

Just a Thought on the Divine

"You are your only master. Who else?"
Buddha

The plan for today was to begin delving into the Six
Preliminaries, but a thought occurred to me concerning
yesterday's entry, and, well, as I am attempting not to
live my life in the future, I will go with the thought of "now".

I am impressed by the attempts of so many to try and
elevate the Buddha's status to godhood, even though
he was quite adamant about his feelings on the matter.
Even his first students got caught up in this notion, and droves have followed their example ever since.

Why, then, are we as humans so anxious to assign divinity, even when the object of our designs protest, quite eloquently, that they are not interested in such adornment?

Have you ever had close contact with someone who possesses fantastic, compelling charisma? Have you ever felt the hope that if you just hang around that particular person for a while, perhaps some of that stardust, that mojo, that. . .beauty will rub off on you, and then you can be as beloved as they are--as adored. As otherworldly, and so divinely all together, and no earthly concerns can touch you.

It's the subtle beginnings of worship. They are so wonderful, therefore, if we follow them, if we strive to be like them, if we make them something beyond ourselves, beyond our level of existence, then perhaps, I've been thinking, we hope to hand over to them, in this process, responsibility for our existence and where we are going. Here, at this point, the worship becomes as poison that freezes the blood and stops the heart. As a flesh and blood Buddha pointed out: No one purifies another.

At least for me, when I turn to a god, especially in times of chaos, I am looking for someone to FIX! things. And, maybe if I ask really nicely, that Someone will help me out. I'll go a step further: that Someone will make the world a better place. That Someone will solve the world's problems. That Someone will take my life into their hands and mold it into what I always wanted it to be.

I am not of the mind that when I ask the Buddha for his blessings, and dedicate the merit generated from meditation practice to the well being of all sentient beings, that I am just talking to the air. I hope I am learning to practice one of the Buddha's most fundamental teachings: Compassion does not mean we can transform the life of another and therefore assume all responsibility for where life takes them. Buddha's blessing is the knowledge that each of us must find our own way, and that countless others have done just this. The seeds of Buddhahood are within all of us.

Just my thoughts. What do you think?

Tomorrow the First Preliminary. Abide in peace and joy, Cynthia

Prepare the Space, Prepare the Mind

"Nobody can achieve enlightenment for us; we must cultivate the realizations within ourselves."

His Holiness the 13th Dalai Lama

The first time I walked into a meditation room, where several people were settling down for practice, I was a bit overwhelmed by the newness of it all--the strangeness. But, I was also intrigued. The distinct feel of austerity, the wood trim painted in vibrate, wonderfully alive colors of orange and deep blue, the meditation cushions, and especially the shrine with its many portraits, bowls of clear water, incense and candles, delighted my senses in a way not previously experienced, and yet warmly familiar. Everyone seemed quite comfortable with the routine, while I, even after some modest prep (as I did not want to appear the complete novice, my ego whining away that embarrassment was just not an option), wondered if I could navigate these new waters successfully. I look back now at my silliness with amusement: I was worried that a bunch of Buddhists would look upon my awkwardness with derision! I had much to learn.

Among so many other aspects, I found myself especially attracted to the shrine and wondered at its components. Why were they there, and what were they for? What did they mean? Why the water? The incense? Are these offerings? Is this god-appeasement? Well, that didn't seem right. Buddha seemed to make it pretty clear that he wasn't a god. Real clear, in fact.

I needed to do more research.

His Holiness the 13th Dalai Lama, also known as the "Great Thirteenth", gave a series of sermons at the annual Great Prayer Festivals in Tibet. In the book "Path of the Bodhisattva Warrior", his sermons are translated and reproduced. Now, these sermons are very interesting for many reasons, but one in particular is this: His Holiness is addressing an audience of his fellow countrymen/women/children, people who have not only cut their teeth on the teachings of Buddhism, but so did their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents before them, back many centuries. If any gathering of people should have a good working knowledge of Buddhism, it's these folks. But, rather than presenting sermons that expound upon on the finer and finest points of Buddhism, His Holiness instead chose to share with his people his reflections on the most base of practice: preparation for meditation, or the six preliminaries practices. These six concern: setting up the shrine, body posture and mental condition. Just what a greenhorn like me needed to study. Now, as I am sure you know, information on these subjects can be found in many places in Buddhist literature, and indeed classes are offered to those who wish to learn. But, it still sets me to contemplating karma and other such forces, in that I was so fortunate as to stumble upon such a fundamental and powerful voice on the subject so early on in my personal studies.

So, the shrine. Back to the shrine. Back to the basics. Taking care of your shrine is the second of the six preliminaries. The first is cleaning the place of practice. When I first began meditating before my own shrine, I had three dogs, two cats and three birds living in a 950 square foot house. Cleaning my place of practice, even before reading His Holiness' explanation for such an activity, already made sense.

Tomorrow, I hope to relate why the first preliminary is so important, and not just housecleaning.

Abide in peace, Cynthia

How Could Chaos Be Good News, Anyway!

"CHAOS IS GOOD NEWS."
Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

Just one of the many wonderful things about Buddhism, is that there is always more to explore. And, the more I explore, the less I seem to know. So, I suppose that means there is a lot out there still to discover!

Something I've recently discovered is that when life turns upside down, when chaos comes, there is much to learn, if we summon the courage to look. And, where I have begun to look, is inside. I'll be honest, though. I was not entirely thrilled to welcome chaos into my life, as it means that whatever illusions of stability I've managed to manufacture are challenged and, if I am lucky (a term I will apply only after I think I've come out on the other side!), dissolved. It is what the great Lamas and Rinpoches and Teachers tell us we must do, and they supply us with very good reasons for doing it; still, at least for me, that doesn't mean I don't approach, at times, kicking and screaming! I've created my illusions with the very human hope of buffering the suffering we all encounter in this journey; and so, when someone comes along, no matter how kind, calm and spiritually powerful, I tend to get territorial and possessive about my illusions. "Yes! Tell me a path, but don't expect me to change anything!" At first, I might think my resistance is because of the message: it's too hard to follow the dharma; it's too hard to even understand! Maybe I'd get it if it was just in plain English. Next, I might think it's the messenger. Sure, Buddha became enlightened. I can accept that. But, he was special, wasn't he? This becoming enlightened business isn't easy.

Easy. Another illusion. I'm attached to wanting it to be easy. In chaos, you learn it is not.

But, it seems, at least to me, here lies the paradox in all of this: the very heart of my illusion cries out the notion that it is not easy. I, quite simply, am the barrier. I hold myself back. I make it hard.

Buddhism says to relax. To relax in chaos and observe. Look inside. Deep inside. Further inside than you've ever done before. That's why chaos is good news. By looking inside, we can begin to identify our delusions, illusions and false solutions, and see that all is false. The good stuff is waiting to be found underneath.

I going to try and keep on looking. Some days I kick and scream, some days I cry, and some days. . .I relax.

I've been reading a biography of His Holiness the 13the Dalai Lama, and starting with tomorrow's blog entry, I'll share his reflections on the six preliminaries for meditation practice. I love knowing what is behind the symbolism and His Holiness makes it all so very clear, just like it was in English! My many thanks to such a kind Teacher.

Cynthia
(I think my vegetarian recipe for this week will be French Silk Pie. We'll start with dessert!)