9/10 May 1998, Lerab Ling, L'Engayresque, France These extraordinary teachings arose at the conclusion of a month-long retreat which Rinpoche held in Lerab Ling for some of his oldest students, in which he had an opportunity to work closely with a small group while concentrating on his own practice and study. Even though this weekend was open to the public, the intimate and powerful atmosphere which this retreat created touched the hearts and minds of all who attended. Side A: 9 May, 1998 - Relative Bodhicitta In order to generate loving kindness, you begin by cultivating love in yourself. This starts by reflecting on moments in your life when you received tremendous love, in order to open your heart and mind and to become soft, gentle, and loving. When you let yourself feel deeply instead of falling into habits of hard-heartedness, you discover how much love you have within. Your heart can also open to the blessing of the masters, and you can discover their love and compassion as well. This actually creates love in you, which you can radiate to all beings. You become empowered with the wisdom, love, and compassion of the Buddhas, enabling you to love as they do - limitlessly and without fear. Side B: 10 May, 1998 - Absolute Bodhicitta Absolute Bodhicitta can be realized through both resting and analytical meditation. Powerful experiences in resting meditation, when ordinary mind dissolves into the state of inherent purity, can have a tremendous emotional impact. Remaining in that state, free of concepts, is absolute bodhicitta. Then, through the reasoning of analytical meditation, you can realize the inherent emptiness of self and phenomena. This changes your view of ordinary phenomena, freeing you from its lure and the dualistic grasping that usually accompanies it. The limitations of your mind simply dissolve. Then, by constantly remembering and re-invoking this awareness, you integrate your realization into your perception so that it informs every experience. |
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