A similar question came up during the Tantric Q & A, to which Gen-la Jampa gave a beautiful reply. Only I didn’t take notes so you’ll have to wait for that. Unless someone feels like typing up their notes on that for us all in the comments section … ah, done, thank you, see below.
But I know that S has 3 crazy little mini-schnauzers, and so what I said to her was this.
Imagine that Murphy is sleeping on that huge big bed with you and G, and he is fine, all safe and cozy. But you see that he is whimpering and twitching, and you know he is having a nightmare. You know that he is not “really”
The Buddhas feel the same way about us. All the time.
It’s a fine mess we have gotten ourselves into …
In a surreal counterpoint to this sane, harmonious Pure Land of the Festival was the divisive second US presidential debate – Greek drama or tragedy, take your pick. Jaws worldwide were dropping. You couldn’t make this stuff up. Only we did, between us. Please by all means vote on November 8; I certainly am going to. However, I have also concluded that the only way to cure these weird appearances and resultant widespread discomfort and delusion is to focus on developing compassion for everyone concerned (including the Rocky Mountain Trump supporter sitting next to me on this flight, who is drinking lots of beer and trying to sleep the whole thing off). Not to take these politic
I was moved by the last question of the debate, when an earnest undecided voter asked the candidates to please name one thing that they actually respected about each other — and they did both come up with something. The atmosphere in the town hall immediately softened. There was some opening. Everyone could breathe a little more freely. You saw the possibility of sanity and kindness being restored one day. All in the space of a few minutes. I know the clouds rolled back in again almost straightaway, but there was a glimpse for a moment there of sky-like Buddha nature.
Centered in the solution
Yes, and how many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, and how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, and how many deaths will it take ’till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind.
The answer is blowin’ in the wind.
Luckily the world is empty of inherent existence. As Gen-la Khyenrab explained in the Festival, emptiness is the true nature of phenomena. Emptiness is not nothingness; it is the opposite of nothingness. It is because of emptiness that everything can exist.
Because emptiness is possible, everything is possible. ~ Nagarjuna
So emptiness means that things can change completely and radically – that this otherwise intractably tangled mess of samsara can be unravelled by pulling on a single thread.
Over to you, comments welcome.
10 Comments
What a lovely way to start our day, reading this article with my son. Sharing the experience of Toronto. Thank you
Great dog nightmare analogy! To have peaceful, wise minds, we need to have as much devotion to the three jewels as our furry friends have to us.
Lovely Luna! There is a video of the question/answer by Gen-la Jampa in the festival diaries – running to retreat session now but will post later if no one else has….
oops – someone already has 🙂
Gen Jampa’s reply has been shared on Youtube. 🙂
This is from my notes – so, not a qualified rendition of the answer given by Gen Jampa. The question asked was ‘Why can’t Buddhas solve all our problems?’ His answer was this (more or less) : ‘Actually they have’ then he pulled a funny face, shrugged and made a sound like ‘errgh?’
He went on to say that because they have completely purified their minds from the two obstructions they experience no wars, no sickness, no suffering and so forth. Everything arising for them is pure from the Truth Body. He then said that out of their wisdom and compassion they continuously bestow blessings, even on animals. However our delusions are so strong that they easily destroy our mental peace. So Buddhas emanate animate and inanimate things to help us, the most profound being; Qualified Supreme Spiritual Guides. So supreme that if we follow them put their teachings into practice (particularly Highest Yoga Tantra) then we can purify quickly all our delusions, our ordinary appearances and conceptions and lead all beings beyond this impure world of suffering. He finished by saying that this is happening for us right now, the Buddhas are doing this job very well! 🌸💕🌸
Thank you Manjushri Girl, Helen, and Lesly 😘
Reblogged this on Into the Crevasse and commented:
Because emptiness is possible, everything is possible. ~ Nagarjuna
I sat in front of you in a session in Toronto. I wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your blog, but I didn’t want to bother you. So I’ll do it here: I get so much out of your writings. Thank you so much for your posts.
My pleasure! Thank you for reading. Say Hi next time 🙂