Tag: Tonglen

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Guides to what actually works - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 7

By kusaladevi on Thu, 21 May, 2020 - 08:53

Guides to what actually works - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 7

By kusaladevi on Thu, 21 May, 2020 - 08:53

We’ve come to the end of our week together looking at training the mind to greater happiness using new ways of engaging with our experience in the world. To gather the threads of the practice together Yashobodhi reflects on some key, pithy lojong reminders that capture the great efficacy and delight of this work – and which we can carry with us well beyond these days with confidence. 

“Set your goal – make use of every day and night to achieve it!”

Yashobodhi here...
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Sevenfold Puja - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 6

By Sadayasihi on Wed, 20 May, 2020 - 18:08

Sevenfold Puja - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 6

By Sadayasihi on Wed, 20 May, 2020 - 18:08

During this home retreat we have been exploring the bodhicitta - the deep, heartfelt desire for all beings to be free from suffering and to be happy and free. Remembering that we can dedicate our practice to all living beings you may wish to finish your day with a ritual of Transference of Merit and Self-Surrender (the last section in the Sevenfold Puja).

Download the text of the Sevenfold Puja

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Reflections from Akasajoti and Varadhi - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 6

By Sadayasihi on Wed, 20 May, 2020 - 11:01

Reflections from Akasajoti and Varadhi - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 6

By Sadayasihi on Wed, 20 May, 2020 - 11:01

Here’s a delightful conversation between friends: Akasajoti, based in London, UK and the recently ordained Varadhi, in Melbourne, Australia!

Akasajoti and Varadhi explore their favourite mind-training slogans – ‘of the two witnesses, hold the principal one’ and ‘liberate yourself by examining and analysing’ – looking at how empowering it can be to bring greater honesty and self-awareness into their lives.

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What Are We Committed To? - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 6

By Sadayasihi on Wed, 20 May, 2020 - 08:19

What Are We Committed To? - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 6

By Sadayasihi on Wed, 20 May, 2020 - 08:19

The big questions keep coming as we move deep into our week of shared practice around the seven point mind-training. What are we “bonded” to? How do we see our ethical path? How do we envision making commitments to ourselves and the promises we make? Yashobodhi offers some lojong (“teaching slogans”) that can help us clarify what it is, exactly, we are up to!

Watch Yashobodhi’s talk What Are We Committed to?

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Prajnahridaya's Reflections on the slogan “All Dharma agrees at one point” - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 5

By kusaladevi on Tue, 19 May, 2020 - 11:28

Prajnahridaya's Reflections on the slogan “All Dharma agrees at one point” - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 5

By kusaladevi on Tue, 19 May, 2020 - 11:28

Prajnahridaya, living at Padmaloka retreat centre in Norfolk, UK, shares his reflections around this slogan, reflecting on the essence of the Mind Training teachings - a release from Ego Clinging.

⁣⁣⁣He reflects on the dangers of trying to get rid of something and focuses instead on the freedom, inspiration and beauty that can arise when we let go of clinging.

Visit the Turning Arrows into Flowers Home retreat page

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How do we know this is working? Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 5

By kusaladevi on Tue, 19 May, 2020 - 08:20

How do we know this is working? Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 5

By kusaladevi on Tue, 19 May, 2020 - 08:20

Day 5 revolves around evaluating the mind-training practice we’ve been engaged in all week. This is essential on any spiritual path, with any kind of method or doctrine, and Yashobodhi provides a clear set of questions to ask ourselves in checking out that the things we’re doing are actually helping! The sense of agency and confidence we can gain from owning the practice in this way is a strong alternative for the routine, everyday kind of ego-clinging that can so...
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Refuges and Precepts - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 4

By Sadayasihi on Mon, 18 May, 2020 - 17:01

Refuges and Precepts - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 4

By Sadayasihi on Mon, 18 May, 2020 - 17:01

Today you could try and do more meditation – perhaps an extra sit (even if for a few minutes) – but also focus on bringing your practice off the cushions. This could involve chanting the Refuges and Precepts at the beginning of your day and being more conscious to behave ethically throughout your day, introducing a mindfulness bell (a random bell you set on your phone that you use to remind yourself to come back to your intention for the week), be more...
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Dhammakumara in conversation with Prajnaketu - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 4

By Sadayasihi on Mon, 18 May, 2020 - 11:11

Dhammakumara in conversation with Prajnaketu - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 4

By Sadayasihi on Mon, 18 May, 2020 - 11:11

Dhammakumara, from the UK, but currently based in Sydney, Australia, in conversation with Prajnaketu, talks about how he’s been making his life a life of practice during the lockdown. Touching on responding to fear and overwhelm and coming back to the practice of just being with his current experience, whether that’s drinking coffee or reading the news…

Visit the Turning Arrows into Flowers home retreat page

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Making Our Whole Life a Life of Practice - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 4

By Sadayasihi on Mon, 18 May, 2020 - 08:02

Making Our Whole Life a Life of Practice - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 4

By Sadayasihi on Mon, 18 May, 2020 - 08:02

Day 4, point 4 of our home retreat looks at what it means to integrate this kind of mind training work into every area of our lives using reflection on 5 forces (or “powers”). Yashobodhi also movingly evokes the relevance of such deep Dharma activity to the process of our own (and other people’s) death…

“You might think about like, the strength of or the power of a hammer hitting a nail…But you could also think about power, force as...
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Threefold puja - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 3

By kusaladevi on Sun, 17 May, 2020 - 14:18

Threefold puja - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 3

By kusaladevi on Sun, 17 May, 2020 - 14:18

The third day on any retreat is often when difficulties or distractions start to arise! This is a good point to tune in again with the resolution you made at the beginning of the week and recommit yourself to the vision you have for the week. You may wish to mark your resolve by doing a puja (devotional ritual). One of the practices in our Community is the Threefold puja.

Listen to a talk by Bodhilila describing ritual in Buddhism...

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