Author: Luna Kadampa

One Buddhist’s take on the movie I like starting my meditations by remembering impermanence ‘cos it focuses my mind very efficiently. First I ask myself: “If I die today, where will I be tomorrow?” Or where do I WANT to be tomorrow? That straightens me out because, if I die today, I would like to be in the Pure Land tomorrow, so getting there has to be a priority today. Then I think about how I’ve had countless lives and, like last night’s dream, every single one of them has disappeared. I was so invested in each life – my…

Everything is fleeting. Life is surprisingly short. Things can and do continually disappear because they are only appearance to begin with. These thoughts are often on my mind, and not least at the moment because I’ve had to engage in yet another large powa since I published the last article about death – this time a 24-year old who very sadly killed himself. The stiff ashy body at his wake was definitely not him, not even close. He wasn’t there. Completely visible and alive one day, he was weirdly gone and nowhere to be seen the next. Witnessing impermanence is…

Several friends and relatives have died in the last two months. Only yesterday my aunt Rachel died – if I had just a few words to describe her it would be as one of life’s innocents, generous almost to a fault, if you could call it a fault to be taken advantage of occasionally but not actually care. After looking after her father, mother, and ancient aunt until they died, she spent the rest of her life taking in waifs and strays. In the last years of her life she suffered from dementia – when I saw her last year…

Shortly after I first arrived in Colorado I was driving through the Rockies, nature at its finest, when out of nowhere arose an enormous apartment block. I thought I was dreaming (which I was, as always); but, as I kept driving, more and more incongruous city buildings towered above the road until it dawned on me that I’d stumbled into a casino town slap bang in the middle of the mountains. Its name, “Black Hawk”. Last week, on the way home from an unspoiled scenic drive with two delightfully enthusiastic guests, on a whim I decided to drive through Black…

Kadampa Buddhism started in India with Buddha Shakyamuni and Venerable Atisha and then spread to the roof of the world, snowy Tibet. Now it is here, in the rest of the world. A good friend wrote something to me recently that I find pretty significant, and I wonder if any of you have anything to add?: “A current and valid question in wider Buddhist circles is how these lineages (and the traditions that emerge from them) continue in this world when their identifiable lineage holders pass on (or resign due to transgressions, as has been evident in many of the…

There is nothing like sitting up a mountain in clear skies to help us remember the endless space of emptiness that pervades all things; but we can do it anywhere. Up this mountain I am cat-sitting for three cats, two of them old and doddery, who need to eat a teaspoon of food every half hour or so and meow surprisingly loudly to remind me. They also yowl in the middle of the night — what do they want? More food, maybe, comfort probably. They feel a bit lost, disoriented. You pick them up and they start purring. They are…

Happy New Year Everyone! Quick note: For any of you who may be seeing this blog for the first time, I occasionally write a reminder that it does not express the official views of the New Kadampa Tradition and never has. The articles share only my own experiences and understandings as a trainee. I am happy if this blog inspires you to seek out a Kadampa teacher and New Kadampa Tradition Center, if you are interested, or if it simply helps you a bit with your own spiritual path, whatever that may be 😍😇😊 I’m not actually up a mountain…

The moment I stepped foot in the stunning IKRC temple last June, pictured here, I felt very peaceful — the blessings palpable. As no one was around, I decided on impulse to do a thought experiment: could I make myself miserable and develop delusions while sitting in this Pure Land on earth? I gave it a good go – I tried to think of several depressing and annoying things — but my mind didn’t shift. Blessings have this power – it’s one reason why people have such a good time at the International Festivals. Mahamudra: the union of great bliss…

Modern Buddhism or Kadampa Buddhism is the presentation of Je Tsongkhapa’s Kadam Dharma for the people of the modern world. But what’s so different about the people of the modern world? On one level, not much, because living beings have always suffered from the same delusions. However, our karma and culture are different. We like things that are easy. We like things that are swift. We like things that will produce results with almost no effort. We like profundity that’s very simple for us to understand. I was thinking about how Kadampa teachers regularly give teachings on emptiness to…

Faith is what makes our intellectual knowledge of Buddhism come alive — it lets us put this knowledge into practice and get results. Faith is a naturally positive mind — with faith, we don’t need a good motivation, in itself it makes our mind peaceful, calm, and virtuous. And also with faith, we don’t need to wait – some inspiration comes immediately. Which brings me to who and what exactly do I develop faith in? I’m going to tell you what I do based on my experiences in this tradition, but please remember that this article and all the articles…