I told teacher I didn’t really know how to continue, coming back from Ishinomaki. I said i was like shaken, and I just couldn’t find a footing.
I felt like —-i needed to sort out or process my thoughts. They were all jumbled up. Why could kids still attend school a few days after tsunami? Why does an old man want to keep a staircase his wife grabbed before she died at home? Why does he not drink alcohol anymore? Does he need to be this sober? My intrusion into Ishinomaki and this place’s intrusion into my life, disturbed me greatly. For what—–what?Is the meaning of life?
I told teacher about my life in the past 2 weeks. I was in Ishinomaki seeing how people picked up their lives, 7 years after the tsunami, there were new roads and buildings, but there was also old buildings that collapsed and still lie collapsed in the way. I saw people smiling like the tsunami has not happened. But I also saw people trying to deal with deep seated grief singing their hearts out in church. Then I went for Tsoknyi Rinpoche’s retreat, who shared about how each of us had accumulated and lived out of imprints in our life, looking out at life with these lenses and not getting an accurate picture out of our lives because we were forever continuing with our imprints and reinforcing them. Then I had the opportunity to get my seat in business class and flew to HK with a good class hotel and enjoyed luxuries and food that is top notch, rubbing shoulders with executives of the business world. And I came back totally in a state of blur.
I told teacher also about my boss who shared a story about how his plane found itself in a technical glitch and he thought he was going to die. He in turn shared about a young lady who made a decision and lost her life. I asked him what he gleaned out of this sudden experience? And he said, 看开一点. Or allow things to go if you can. In life, a decision can lead you the other way. We had a little chat about the meaning of life. And he said he was going to bring his wife for a holiday. How lovely I thought, this realisation. THIS UPLIFT OR ELEVATION OF CONSCIOUSNESS. When he said , 看开一点，i really felt clouds emptying out a middle spacious pathway. Like it lessened my load too.
Teacher shares that everyone’s consciousness is not static and will change with times. He says that with the stories i shared all this while, there seem to be a commonality, and it is the suddenness and abrupt change which instigated a switch in people’s modes or thinking or system. He asks, “do you realise that in the stories you shared? the people you interviewed, they experienced a seismic change in their life after a particular event?”
And yes. Like the couple who took me to Ishinomaki, the wife recovered from depression and the husband quit his job afterwards. Like Alain Passard, who decided to switch completely to plant based cuisine after having managed—like he said, the corpses of animals.
I told teacher I was sort of envious about their decided decisions, they make a switch and turn in their lives and all for the better it seemed. They lived in tandem with their innate rhythms and did what their inner wisdom or soul would like. But teacher reminded me that I had done this too.
“Try and recall, when you had a seismic change in your life. What was the decision you made? What did you do? Actually you, like them made a decision too, its just that you magnified their decisions but actually its a decision they made in their lives and you have too.
I came to the understanding pretty quickly. Yes I did, i made the decision when my mother passed away, in such a quick instant it went unnoticed, but make a decision i did.
And that was—to toughen up. Teacher asked me why? I said it was to deal with life. It seemed like at that moment, I had to grow up and toughen up to handle life.
But now, I understand that I need not be that tough one, I can be my own in life.
“Yes…yes…”
And this made me understand why I love my work so much. Like what Passard said of loving to cook, he said it was because cooking brought him to be more in tune with his senses.
And that was what my job and practice has brought me all these years, to be touched by the people i met, the thing they said, the food i ate, the things i saw. These all let me get in touch with my deeper self, they came at my senses and shook them back to life, melted away the tough outer shells and got me in.
Now I understand why I love what I do. Because they break down this outer shell which I had unwittingly put on in an instant when mom passed away. But my practice and work breaks down these walls, and showed me myself without these walls. I love the me this way. I do.
Teacher reminds me, “the people who came into your life the way they did, are like a reflection to show you, to tell you something and a message. Once you hear and take heed, they might not appear in your life the way they did anymore.”
I spoke about Ishinomaki. I told Teacher I didnt know how to make sense of it all. Was I numb to this? I seemed to be there and not there, i seemed to feel things and not. Was I blocking this out?
But Teacher could sense something more.
Gentle as always, he says that I have, tapped onto the feelings of fear people there have when they experienced the tsunami.
He asked me to first connect myself to Mother Earth, feel that I m standing on the ground before he sought to help me process the emotions I have tapped into.
“Imagine you are now in Ishinomaki, how do you feel?”
I said i felt fear.
“Where is the feeling of fear in your body?”
My legs I said. I felt my legs feel light and without support. I felt a sense of rising fiery feeling. I sort of could sense people running escaping fearing for their lives in fear.
Teacher saw my brows knit together and asked if i had anything to said. I shared this with him and as I felt this, i felt what my father must have felt when he decided to flee.
And i told teacher, that i have experienced this fearful way of running for one’s life too. That was when we run away from our home and looked for shelter at Auntie’s. Even if we lived in the block of flats, we ran away from ours. And walking back to our block, we had to be careful to hide ourselves and be watchful. To lower our heads to walk.
“And how does this feel? Were you angry?”
I said i didnt understand why i had to hide, why i had to live this way for something I never did. To be in shame. There was alot of perturb and alot more things I couldnt understand. Did Dad had to run away? It was abrupt, everything was sort of well, mom covered up everything and shouldered everything. Until one fine evening, they called us into the room to announce dad is going away. I couldnt understand this. Teacher ask if there was any point in time that I could refute the decision? And I said no, we just had to take it. Teacher explained that Mom shouldered everything, and hid it in her, deep deep down in a bid to protect us. She kept quiet and it tore her life her soul, but that was her way of protecting us.
I am different. I preferred to speak out the depths of my soul and to bare myself if i need. But I could understand the decision mother made, not the best, but probably the best she could afford and fathom there and then in that situation. And it was for us. I said i appreciated my mom for that. But I m different, i m ready to let the children know that as parents we have times when we dont see face to face, that is okay, just that I wanted my husband to be mindful of his speech when he is unhappy so as not to hurt our children.
Teacher understood this all. “So when it came to you, you exploded. So its an imprint on you, what your mother chose. You carry that energetically and you seek to breakthrough.”
I told Teacher i wrote to dad the night before he left, the content was something like, running away isnt the end but is in fact the beginning.
“And what were you trying to say to your dad? What was your intention of saying this?”
I said it was to tell him no matter where he ran, family is where we are and he would have to come back someday, sometime for us and to settle his case and his issues.
I told teacher about the lack, because I had shone all along, i was performing all along up to or even beyond Mom’s expectations of me. But that period was dark and broken, it was a period in my life that I didnt really want to look back on.
And this is exactly what Ishinomaki did to me. It brought me back no matter how much I didnt want it. But my soul wanted it, and the universe planned for this chance for me to be there.
Teacher said, “This probably really is a time that gave you so much pain you didnt want to go back. You had the reactions, being slightly detached when you are there, because its too painful to go into then.”
I said yes. I surely don’t want to be reminded of that past. I was so so broken. But looking back, it has been such a journey, this building of my self back, this healing journey, piecing together the life, the memories, the pain and the beautiful. I told teacher about seeing weeds coming out of the spaces in the kerbsides. And that gave me alot of strength. That is me, finding a way to weave my way out. And this really is me, the way I show up. I told Teacher this is also the streak my boss has in him that I can identify and follow.
Teacher asks, “Imagine, touch wood, that this is the last day of your life. What would be the things that you really want to do? I thought of going back to my family, then teacher pushed on, “Imagine its the last 15 minutes of your life….” I thought about my daughter and my father and the unresolved issues. But they dont seem as important anymore. I told teacher, that if in the past, I felt it was difficult to forgive him. Now i find it easier and I m willing. It seemed that those werent as important anymore. I could understand why he run away. And the feeling is, it doesnt really matter anymore.
It seemed like i have loosened up a wee bit. And I felt better and more at ease with myself having arrived here.
I spoke about my daughter and my expectations of her, and reacting to her from my imprints. And teacher asks, “and you feel guilty?”
Yes i said.
“Did you do these consciously or when you were not mindful?” I said it was mostly unconscious effort when i interacted with qinzhi. i have been passing down what I knew, what I have been taught or expected of me to my girl. I havent really been reacting to her from a basal point of no imprints. To which teacher said, “and so, no need to feel bad, you did not do that on purpose. But you see, you passed on the imprints, and it rests on her to resolve this.”
Just like how I m trying to resolve issues my mother has faced.
Teacher says, “and i know you do not want to pass on imprints or let the next generation suffer like you.”
We discussed the meaning of life. I didnt really have an answer. I told teacher, i was extremely touched during the Tsoknyi Rinpoche retreat, because of his presence. I thought what was really touching was when Rinpoche said, live a healthy, happy and meaningful life. But what is meaningful life? Its so difficult to answer. And during the refuge taking ceremony. I thought how nice! How blessed! to be able to find shelter find beliefs find guidance hope and light when one needs? I feel also v blessed to have the opportunity to listen to these teachings and to be here and to have shelter deep inside.
Teacher says, “The meaning of refuge actually is the way home, a place for you to go to. Your soul picked to be borne in this land, in this family to meet these people you have, because you soul wanted it. You have a purpose or something you wanted in this lifetime. Thats why you are here. When we did that little experiment, about living the last day of your life, you didnt talk about achievements, you talked about resolving issues close to heart. Achieving this sense of inner freedom and ease. For you, the meaning of life is to heal yourself and to release yourself from imprints, i know you dont want to carry this over to the next generation. This is what you are here for.”
i told teacher i couldnt really enjoy or soak up the luxuries that were sent to me, i took it more for the personal space it gave me, a bit of grace to myself to be with myself. But for that, luxury has no deeper impact or meaning to me. But i had these thoughts on the plane
老师让同学看了Eric Carle的这本书后，让同学们创作。皓皓写说：“Go to a Pool, Go to a House, Go to a pool again, Go to the moon, Climb on to a robot. This is what you you will find. ”
Rinpoche teachings make me feel like there’s a lot I can do to my own practice or life
There’s a way out to make it better
He’s pointed a way out— go a little bit with the suffering , open up and feel it n be with it
There’s a way out, there’s something we can do
Day 2
We started with the practice of “dropping” and “handshake” with issues at heart
I felt that I want to work on brokenness
At Ishinomaki at Nozomi project, Sue wanted to give me a pendant but I didn’t really want it
“It’s okay”, I said.
But it’s not.
There’s brokenness in me n that I didn’t want to address
There’s brokenness in me that I didn’t want to come face to face with or embrace
Why? I asked. In this session of mindfulness practice.
Because it’s a period of time which was a lack n imperfect I felt it was beneath me, me who excelled and is perfect in all ways.
Me who was trying to rise up to the social strata n is set back
There’s a sense of shame that that part of my life was anything but perfect
It pulled me down that period of lack
There’s anger n frustration in there. A lot of pride and ego as well
I didn’t want to talk about it or bring it up. I want it to go away. And erase it get it out of my life
But go away it did not
It pops up every now and then, time and again when I see something or speak to someone or touch someone else’s brokenness
And I press it down
How should I go about this to transform this?
I thought about lack too
Why do I have problems giving to people even if I m able to?
Because I m reminded of a state when I was in my lack— a period of lack in my life that I m still living in n out of even if I m not now
But that period was an impactful one , leaving me a v strong imprint
I do not lack anything now n I need to release myself from it.
In fact I have been factually speaking and saying so, but energetically feelings wise I haven’t come out of it
For once I wanted to meet with it.
Come face to face with it
And try to understand both cognitively n emotionally that which went thru my mind n my body n my heart
It’s been tough for me n I took it all down n made it well on the surface
But deep down I know there’s a road to healing
And I m walking on it now
Slowly but surely
But now that I write, HOW SILLY! To live with a judgment I set and unwittingly got sucked into and suffered for. All this while.
On day 3 I understand or come to realize that we have to start to feel to get in touch with our self n our heart.
We have been thinking too much n now is the time to bring about a better balance in our life by feeling. I remember Alain Passard telling me, how he loved cuisine art because it got him in touch with his senses.
It brought him closer to himself.
I think the practice of life is such, bringing ourselves back to our intuitive nature, and unlearning concepts, practices, habits to return to our carefree boundless nature.
There can be many solutions to be arrived at just by being aware by just feeling.
Thinking can solve some problems and awareness more.
There was time devoted to taking refuge and the Taking refuge part is amazing
It feels really warm n enveloped or hugged in the heart area
Feels loved
Grateful for refuge, like an inner secure home you can always come to. Consolidated the teachings proper down here:
Teachings
Day 1
Subtle body
Betw cognitive mind n physical body Theres a world of feelings
Gd understandings if physical body n cognitive mind
But Subtle body understanding is not mature
Keep this subtle body healthy n it has impact on our consciousness n physical body to achieve gd well being
Many times we say I know but I don’t feel it
I know I m ok but don’t feel like it
We think we should b happy but don’t feel happiness
So there’s some blockage in the subtle body
Most times you know but don’t feel this way
Too serious will block joy
Serious only to function
Too serious get uptight not gd for subtle body
On outside function well n
Find humor internally
——->Balance
加油陈彬雁
Mantra I created- simple inside complex outside
Learn to handle complex world with simplicity on the inside
Relax but open
Complex because external conditions of modern life is quite complex
Simple- because we have to find or connect with our birth right , unconditional well being, unconditional happiness
Keep this n cope with complexity of modern life
Feel for it
Only thru feeling we will transform our happiness
We have 2 types of habits
-Cognitive based habit
-Emotional or subtle body based habit
Emotional habits—-if we want to transform we go thru a special feeling to heal that feeling
In the subtle body, cognitive understanding cannot help transform
Mind understands but not enough to transform or heal
Simple inside, complex outside
World getting better but with it comes worry
How do u handle this?
What’s the right amount to worry
Simple inside = we r born with natural spark or essence love, unconditional stuff
we are born with our existence
This is important to shift some belief n understanding because we r used to looking for conditions
Happiness is not only outside or inside it’s a combination
It’s not smtg u can pinpoint
Eg how much strength do u use to hold this paper?
Right amount of grasp easy to see on the paper
When it’s in u, how’ve you holding your life?
You living life too loose or too tight?
How do u know? Do u know?
Feel your seriousness?
What is to relax?
Think about this?
Slow down? Slow down what?
Work slow eat slow?
Which part u relaxing? Action or mind?
Relax – is soft loose warm
Have u located it?
Where is it?
When I ask u to relax some of u look like u r gg somewhere. If that’s the case u can’t work n can’t deal with the complexity . If use this way, both can’t exist at same time
Have to b practical
Teaching of Buddha need to b applied to n arrive at change in life n become better n happier
If u have quarrel with partners, can u keep some calmness n deal with complexity of the emotion
This is important coz we go into black n white
We lost the beautiful dance with life
I want u to relax this subtle body
relax the feeling world not the physical world
Eg walk here to there fast but relaxed
If don’t relax subtle body tension build up
There will b blockages
There’s a Qi connected with speediness
You get Anxious
Think fast action fast but feel relaxed
Connect with relax first
relax but alert so u can carry on with everyday life
Relaxed n engaged
Eg u need to go to a place but still have 3 days but u r speeding up n already going
—->That not relaxed or being speedy . Y do u worry?
Can u relax n not b worry ?
That speediness is part of the subtle body
Mind knows 3 more days n says relax
How to turn down the speediness
Every time we r tired n exhausted it’s not our mind or physical body but the restlessness that is in our subtle body
3 parts:
-Cognitive based Mind
-Feeling based emotion Subtle world
-Body
Eg cleaning
Body is doing work
Mind already know what to do but body needs time to do
Feeling – so faster n faster quickly finish
Do u feel this
There’s work u don’t like but u have to do
That’s y u want to do faster to finish
So what do u do? Not to clean or with that job or change mind?
U think one way n feel another
Conflict between mind n feeling
Sometimes both go same Direction
Positive thought —-give positive feeling gd
But sometimes this doesn’t happen
It depends on connection between mind n feeling
Modern lifestyle broke the connection because too many things outside. You get sucked in n lost the inside world
Stress comes because the emotions in subtle body is pushing body to do fast
This restless feeling in subtle body
subtle body is made up of prana nadi bindu
Have to feel! Not just understanding
This click is important
!!!!!Dropping exercise!!!!!
Some things u can let it go let it drop
Say Extra worry tensions or baggage
We have these because we forgot to delete n it’s become junk
Why we care more than we need?
This extra caring is a burden
This burden will block authentic care
Have to let it go
Practise dropping
Involves mind feeling body
Dropping means delete ok let it go
——Always input nvr delete
When u drop u get freedom
Most of times u want too many because of craving attachment… u hold everything in n don’t delete
Shake hands
Let go of breath
N mind- says who cares?so what ?
Whatever happens happens whatever doesn’t doesn’t
Too much hope n fear no gd
at the end let out big breath n open up your palms on leg
Stay there in the free open relaxed
Be in the now
U need this many times in daily life
Drop n relax
After a while don’t even need the shaking hands action
Now What r you dropping?
Worry? Fear?
What is your baggage? Try to understand that
Simple practice for mind body feeling
When we care more than we need extra care become problem
When u become healthy u make other pple healthy n happy
Happy doesn’t mean things r perfect
Even if things not working perfectly you know how to sort or handle
Be kind to yourself and others
Subtle body teaching teaches balance n is about healthy human beings
Stillness w/o movement
Stillness with movement
Every thought has some feelings
When we make decisions, there’s some feeling in there
Every thought has a teabag
We need awareness to recognize feeling of body, emotion or mind
Sometimes decisions are made based on habits , this involves feelings
In fact many times we decide based on our imprints
Eg u go to hotel there r 2 beds, one near wall the other in middle
Which would u choose
Who is making the decision
The mind? Body?
The imprint is mostly making the decision
Imprint is the chop in the nadi, one of the 3 in the subtle body
Coz our habits r v stubborn , so who cares ? So what is directed to ourselves
Subtle body is more than mind, less than body
Not a mind nor physical
It’s In between
Subtle body Comes from 3 components prana nadi bindu 气/脉/敏点
气Prana: every movement is based on prana, also called lung
There’s external n internal Qi
Every moment is dependent on Qi
This natural movement of subtle body due to outside forces makes it unhealthy
This unhealthiness manifests in 3 forms
脉Nadi- connected with subtle nerves to connect feelings
There can b healthy subtle body
Transform Fr distorted subtle body to healthy body
名点Bindu-
Imprint x habits
environment n habits leave imprint on us
We learn fr environment society parents friends etc, imprints r left on in subtle body
Some r healthy some unhealthy
2 kinds of habits – karmic(fr past life)n learned habitual pattern (fr this life)
Cognitive habitual pattern- fr childhood u recognize n build up habit overtime
In the process there might b trauma , these also leave imprint
Painful state in world of feelings. Emotions move around that
Issues in there
Some r sleeping imprint, most r
This imprint we call cause
This cause is triggered by smthg similar n is activated
When old imprint is activated,
you feel the same feeling that old event triggered
All these r activated
Mindfulness help u not react to that
— oh this is triggered not actual one
Actual thing already gone because of trigger n activated and it’s in u now
It’s the leftover imprint giving u suffering
Practice – aware of that moment feel the feeling n transform that
This is my imprint it’s not me
have to transform no need to scared its leftover residue — it’s not me
It’s my imprint it’s not me
Train! Thru mindfulness awareness
Every time its activated , use love understanding n awareness to transform
It’s real but not true
The feeling is real but the message isn’t true because the real event is gone
So when u have the feeling that smtg is activated, strong habits etc b aware of that
It’s my imprint not the real one
This can change many things in the family
You recognize that it’s their imprint it’s not them
All of us are clinging on to our imprint
Learn to identify n separate the 2
Communicate with imprint n let it go
Eg when couples quarrel
U know that his or her imprint has been activated
!!!!!Meet our imprints!!!!! Handshake Practice
Say hi smile be kind not suppress
Don’t run away but feel the pain if u have
It has happened
It’s real but not true
It’s distorted
If you cling to it follow it and make it true you lock in to that habitual pattern
You wear that glass you perceive life from there
You suffer your family suffer your partner suffers too
This is all unnecessary suffering
The birth age illness death suffering is enough
We can change this n transform 90% you can function well
It’s not me
It’s imprint
We can transform the imprint
When sleeping imprint is triggered, normally mind n feeling give out lots of stories and the imprint is activate. you react, then After many reactions , the imprint is reinforced
We have to stop the reactions
This is feeling world so takes a little time but this is so important
Drop the thinking mind
Whatever comes up be with it – handshake practice
Know vs feeling
Drop the thinking n feel
Learn to meet raw with the inner monsters
Feel the pain for a while n it will open up
Change from core
Chant with the monster not to monster
One day u b proud of yourself—- for meeting face to face
If u can transform it will help you greatly
We have a lot of unnecessary suffering n we carry it all the way n think it’s me n see others thru that
But we have a right to live happily
Smile without reason
Trigger essence love
Awareness
Thru knowing things will change
Of course there r techniques too
But sometimes just knowing can change naturally
Find your ground your center n look
If qi go up it means You lost your ground
Trust yourself have confidence to b yourself
Just relax
Day 2
Acceptance fr feelings rather than mind
Learn to listen to the voices that come out of our system
Eg of him crossing bridge at KLCC
He stopped at one end of bridge
Use cognitive/thinking or analytical mind to investigate bridge is safe or not
Access it’s safe coz pple r on the bridge
Try to walk second time
Felt same fear n stood there to check myself
2 messages come out
Cognitive mind says go
Feeling says no
I walked back because I want to transform
I don’t want to force
Force maybe can do one time but next time more forceful
I walked back n stayed for a while for self reflection
Outside is safe, bridge is safe
Inside is complex due to an internal beautiful monster
When I was young I fell Fr tree or mountain many times so I have these imprints in my subtle body
Conflict betw mind n feeling , ego or I don’t know who to support
Everyday u have this
We all have this don’t blame yourself or others but we can transform slowly minimize suffering
Many habits are in the subconscious in the subtle body
Use that beautiful monster to understands ourselves n others
Many great things in this world because of beautiful monster
A lot of pple are great because they r connected to some form of monster
If u stuck no solution but if u use monster
If we use right way it can b healthy
I know the value of that pain n not to let other pple have pain
Eg Milerepa master
He’s have a great monster n use that n transformed
Lean in on the pain
Go into the pain almost like refuge
When u stop reaction monster open up
Because that monster is not permanent but dependent n its nature is openness
Communicate with the monster
Fear fr feeling- is not fact based fear
But from imprint that was triggered n activated
Many imprints r in our life
The complexity is due to a mixing of imprint based fear and fact based fear
Based on clarity of mind , with mindfulness practice, we can guide n transform distorted habitual pattern into healthy new pattern
Buddhism encourages intelligent mind to do investigation
If we want to know our real self we have to find the selfless egoless self
We need healthy relative self
How does it appear to you? Distorted reality n imprints
What is the reality?
When u open up
Confidence inner confidence inner strength understanding compassion will come
Won’t immediately react
Lots of beautiful things happen
Inside n outside is healthy
It’s great n joyful
You dwell gd because it’s not due to outside conditions
Experience of essence love is our birthright
It’s always there but due to imprint n our fixations, it’s covered up
We lost our connection to essence love but keep going to look for happiness outside n you experience hollow inside even if you r successful
Arrive at Experience of movement of Bindu
Bindu = home of love courage clarity bliss joy
Feel grounded calm warm heart less judgmental kind
Feel well inside
Connecting with essence love via shamantha 止 practice
So u can always go back there
Home must b healthy
All kinds of love must come fr essence love otherwise its conditional love
Then u know how to forgive also
Like with parents
Otherwise if smtg happens
Understand that this is their habit also
If we can understand this we can forgive
How to bring qi down
-As soon as you aware it goes down
-technique :
-we need to have calmness n clarity because meditation can arise out of that
-grounded body calmness warm in body clear heart
-calmness is in the feeling not in the mind
-modern life is busy n qi is v active, you need extra effort to b calm
we use a lot of lung n qi to function in modern day
But we forgot to bring it down or let it go back to their place
Meditation
– mainly shamatha n vipassana
-shamatha needs focus
-before this u need preparation understand subtle body etc
-after shamatha, vipassana will come
Eg handshake with fear
N fear goes away
But you miss fear ?
Whatever is there be with it eg b with absence of fear n maybe there u will find shamatha
Eg u handshake with fear but anger comes
Stay w anger or handshake anger
Then sad come
So handshake the sadness
But there’s an end
So stay there sadness will open up n gone
N maybe there will b doubt , so handshake that
There r layers as emotions r linked but there’s a root to this
Maybe there will b essence love freedom etc in place at the end
Just b there
Essence love is your nature
Ego
Ego has 4 expressions:
-Mere I (healthy)- simple I
-Realified I- my point of view is right, this is the truth (unhealthy)
-self centered cherishing I – all about me,
-social I – come out of self cherishing strong I , v high maintenance , high when in a group
-ultimate I
Ego arise Fr fear
Go back to childhood, have a look
Most healthy antidote is love
Esp essence love it will heal
Our world is missing authentic pure unconditional love
Too many conditions
Caught up with expression of love but we really are disconnected fr essence love
Come back to basic
Rebuild n reconnect ie with qi that should b at dantian
We grew up too quickly no time to play
We need connection with feeling our hearts
Handshake is to make mind emotion feeling connected
Calm
Calm n aware = good
Calm n don’t know what is happening = no good
Calm is not a hiding place to ignore things
!!!!!!Bringing Lung down!!!!!
overactivated
Tight neck burning eyes like boiling state n shaking
Do breathing exercise to bring lung down
breathe out
2 methods
(1)3 steps: breathe in /push down (- like peeing ) /count 6 /breathe out
You feel groundedness mind clear eyes brighter feat subside
Lie down at home put book on belly. Breathe in belly bigger breathe down belly smaller
Do v regularly
(2)Gentle breathe
Still can talk n qi stay at dantian
Feel grounded n achieve clarity
Cooling at forehead
Burp
Pass gas
Some itchiness in scalp
Some vibration
Qi in legs
Grounded
We r happy to open eyes
Have Water in your eyes
Look into light n sun quite ok
Non reactive
Respond fr qi groundedness calm
Take care of your qi
The above will help life n minimize suffering
Shamatha
Nowness n clarity stay v long
2 practice
Handshake – for imprint nadi
Breathe- for qi prana
!!!!!!Happy without reason!!!!!!
Guru Rinpoche Empowerment
Connected to guru rinpoche
Empowerment: Your body speech mind perception everything— like trying to upgrade to guru rinpoche ‘s mind speech body perception way of thinking living etc in a enlightened way or adopting guru rinpoche ‘s enlightened body speech wisdom
I feel v blessed to have this opportunity !!!!! May I share this joy and gratitude with all sentient beings
Main purpose : adopt enlightened perception , with gd effects of gd health less obstacles
After empowerment, chant mantra, more effective
1)Water purification- purify obstacles
Blessed water n saffron water to drink n on head n sprinkle – think of purifying yourself obstacles sickness all gone
2)sharing blessings with maras
3)Visualize 5 colours of light rep 5 wisdom protect u
4)dharma teaching- keep gd motivation
I do not know what rinpoche is chanting but I feel blessed to b here at the moment to have this opportunity
I thank the good that has been done I thank the difficulties that have brought me here
And I want to make this opportunity good by motivating myself to b better to practise to do better so I can share my light n pave the way for more gd opportunities
Mandala offering
Chanting to ask for blessing
Visualize your body dissolve into emptiness n with it comes luminosity
N transform into new body of guru rinpoche
Light Fr my heart n Fr rinpoche heart meet
Go to guru rinpoche ‘s pure land to invite wisdom
Multicolor light go to head chakra
Shimmering
Blessing of guru rinpoche body speech mind received forever
Visualize yourself as guru n his body come to u n dissolve
Receive Mantra to cleanse prana qi wind
Blessing of guru rinpoche ‘s heart or wisdom. Mind pushed by thought after thought fixations , rest n find empty luminosity
Long term effect: awaken n become
Buddha
Chant time to time
Visualize
Meditate
Cultivate yourself
Have happy healthy life
Pls take care of yourself your family n sentient beings
Live a healthy meaningful life
Day 3
If live with “Mere I”, attachments is lesser
Based on us as human, until we depart as humans. When we r no longer humans, perception change. We r what we r because of conditions coming together
Now we come back to mere I
!!!!!Clarity!!!!!
Clarity is the uniqueness of our mind, means clear and self knowing
Only mind has this quality not elements not flower etc
Mind Also called consciousness or 心
Calmness is subtle body
Mind
Subtle body(Parma.nadi.bindu)
Physical body
When we meditate, mind subtle body mind all involved
Mind expresses in 4 ways:
Knowing mind – simply u know. Automatic. eg flower is flower, book
Thinking mind – think to find out. eg who made book? In order to think n find out we need some reference ie what you learnt before. Then you think n judge . Problem is : if we have wrong reference n we make wrong judgement n conclusion because this is all connected to habitual patterns n imprints
Awareness of mind – v important!!!!! What is Difference between knowing n awareness? When u have anger in you, do u notice you have anger ? You know ? And are you aware? What’s the difference? You look at flower? You know this is flower? But Are you aware that the mind is or you are knowing the flower? Awareness is like a double mirror. YOU KNOW THE KNOWING it’s in the present moment . Part of the knowing but also knows the knowing . It’s not part of thought nor thinking. It’s the intrinsic quality of mind. Best companion that comes with you. Not too strong not too loud. We always try to find out from or with thinking. One day it’s not a lot of difference because whatever you know awareness is there . Whatever you think there’s awareness. Almost no self but there’s something in there. Beautiful! If you can bring this into your life, many problems will be solved and one day that awareness become automatic. This awareness almost take care of everything. Practice! But not by thought. Drop the thinking . We think we can find solutions by thinking but that is not true. Thinking has its role but not all can b solved by thinking so drop the thinking and just aware.
Clarity: like an ah moment . Opposite is dullness. If you know dullness you must know clarity. Is this thought? No. We have clarity n this is our innate intrinsic nature of mind. Need to b aware n nurture it. Find by awareness n nurture with mindfulness. Otherwise when we meditate we go into dullness. Dullness gives some peace but not wisdom . Like the heart sutra it comes from clarity n out of all knowing mind. Buddhist meditation looks for calmness and we want clarity. Aware of Clear openness . Thought emotion comes but you are not sucked into it . It’s shamatha without support——- happiness without reason. Calmness love clarity. All these yours just reconnect n strengthen n let it b part of your existence
Authentic shamantha has calmness and clarity and stillness.
Thinking is movement
In stillness of calm n clear , thought comes, that movement of thought. Is that stillness still there?
If stillness not lost fantastic. It’s stillness with movement. V useful for everyday life.
If stillness n thought comes , stillness gone. Gone
When u r in shamatha without support n in stillness u hear one sound n u know it’s a dog , with that knowing , r u still in stillness?
Yes.
Knowing is there but it doesn’t becomes thinking
Whatever u know u know
Whatever you don’t know you don’t know
You not trying to know or stop
Don’t stop the knowing don’t switch it off
Just don’t go into thinking
Knowing but not going into afflictive mind
Some pple afraid of going into afflictions or discursive thought
so switch off knowing but switch off knowing n u switch off clarity
Thoughts n emotions come but u r not reacting
So thoughts n emotions are liberated
When u r being in the stillness
Some point u cannot continue when there’s emotion to make u lose the state
Do u re-recognize the state or handshake ?
If you just lose mindfulness , just come back to the state gently
If it’s old things come up then handshake . Feel that pain. Be with that. Be kind. You will find some space. From there go back for the calm
You met the raw pain state for a while
Open it up
Then from there progress
Awareness includes knowing
Knowing doesn’t include awareness
How long more are you going to hide from yourself? Run away from yourself? We want to b free within , not block. If you hide you will never conquer the samsara.
Go back to the root. It will help us a lot.
Number of practices:
Handshake
Qi management
Shamatha without obj
Openness n opening up
Restricted mind is based on our imprint
We need awareness to develop ourselves
Taking refuge
Namo buddhaya
Namo dharmaya
Namo sanghaya
Like a number to call Buddha
Buddha bodhisattvas want to help us
We call out to them when we need
Commit yourself
I m going to change n improve myself
Bring virtue in my life n others
To deal with own n others monsters, the way is to:
Practice practice practice then one day simplicity will arise
Golf cooking creative artist life death all like that
Complex will lead to simplicity
Also, change yourself to change others.
Do not wait for others to change. Change yourself. You b surprised how many other changes will come.
Change the right one
!!!!!!Imparting this wisdom to others:
Every stage uses different methods
Best time is young time ie birth to 6-7 years
Teaching manifest in form of silent transmission, ie make sure they have feeling of safety or grounded body, if u have baby hold baby face outside so adult become live chair n your groundedness is transmitted to child via nerves
Make their subtle body healthy
So just drop everything n b in the center n just hold them
They will feel care safe n free
Teenage time use different methods because now is rebellious time, they think parents don’t understand them
Be strong n understanding of their emotions n problems
Bottom line is if u know clearly, u will b able to help others
Many things u have to work in silence based on love kindness compassion
Work in silence or silent transmission
Things still move
That’s the best way
Like a blessing and a miracle
People have to learn from you silently
How do u know if monster has opened up?
When feeling says – I want to know more about the pain
Normally is fear numb shut off don’t want to know
It’s not delivered by mind
When monster is triggered
u can chant mantra from time to time to see how monster feels- it is real but not true
Stop talking, just be
Fear of death :
Use this teaching to practice
Not just cognitive but also in subtle body
Need to practice
It’s not only what u know u can change
Sometimes you know but still cannot change
It’s habitual accumulated over time
Don’t seek new information you know v well already
Don’t seek new thinking
Just do it
Don’t wait for perfect conditions to do it to practice
Any place any moment any situation
Just do it
!!!!!If you want to say no, say it!!!!!!
2 types of habits
-Karmic habitual pattern
-Learned habitual pattern: healthy n unhealthy
Within unhealthy is distorted wounded n not wounded
Monster – wounded n unwounded
Wounded u have to open up its related to emotion
Unwounded one like Qi speedy
Bindu
– home of or basis of love clarity courage bliss joy
-it will happen by itself if I take care of Qi lung imprints balance well being etc
-feels openness essence love courage okayness
-feel well unconditionally or inner vibrancy feel happy without reason
-modern living encourages happiness with conditions ie if u do smtg then u b ok
-opposite of bindu is hollow.
– if cannot experience, handshake the blockages or bring lung home
-people r easily affected be they r hollow inside
Conclusion
At this part of bridge I stopped n wanted to transform
Handshake shamatha
Fr subtle body there’s a message I can walk across bridge
I talked to my physical body to ground it
Halfway thru let go of arm walk
Walk to n fro to reset
There r many levels to work on to release the imprint
Gentle vase breathing
little bit of breathing mayb 5% n let go so we can still talk n move
If u do well this will save your life
Live happy n healthy
Guide others n your next generation to a healthy direction
Don’t quarrel with partners accept differences
You don’t know who will go first
N your children will feel better n you yourself too
For pple who experience death let it go
Cannot fight with facts
Accept n let it go
Chant their name n say they have passed away
Know when is the right time to let it go
One great master said, end of building need to come down
End of life is death
End of gathering separation comes
But what you practice you never separate from that
I interviewed Janice and Chi many years back when I was working at the Chinese Daily.
It was like an ordinary interview at a new restaurant. But their story was anything but ordinary.
Chi followed Janice on a mission trip to Ishinomaki. Then Janice was in the doldrums. Chi a workaholic put everything down and followed his wife to Ishinomaki.
For the record, Ishinomaki in Miyagi, Japan was one of the coastal cities that was hardest hit by the tsunami in 2011.
Chi hadn’t come from a well to do family . All this life, he was conscious of making enough to feed his family. So when he decided to put down work, it was for his wife, I remember Janice said, “he said, whats the point of earning so much money if my wife is unhappy?”
That trip changed his life.
“People over there, they lost everything. But they can still smile. It makes me wonder–Why are all these people behaving this way? But if you trust that tomorrow will be better, then it will be better! It’s the perspective of how you look at it. If you keep on worrying, everything will not turn well, because fear, or I use the word worry, is paying the interest that is not due.
Actually it may not happen but our fear cripples us, make us dare not move on, make us think we are only this small or we can only do this much. Or I’m not in the capacity to help someone, to listen to someone.”
When he came back from Ishinomaki, he was born again.
“After I went to Ishinomaki, I came back and I do not know how to move on. I really want to do something, I have this voice very clear that restaurant shall be called Ishinomaki. That’s how the whole thing started.
And I tendered my resignation a few days later. Without even knowing what is the next step—because this is the first time in my life I felt I hear something from God. I have never has this kind of feeling, when I look back, actually God is preparing me all the way. This is no coincidence, I let go everything. When I went with my wife, I just let go everything. That trip really woke me up.”
We maintained contact all these years, little did I know that I would have a chance to make a video out of this, and to come to Ishinomaki to see for myself the Ishinomaki that changed peoples’ lives.
What is the meaning of letting go? like Chi said? I tried to imagine.
He said he felt very sure and was not afraid at all.
I think it means to rest and be at peace. To be so comfortable so loose that you can not control.
He said he was used to thinking and living in a state of lack, even if financial conditions were okay after having worked.
“But when I was young, I was worried about lacking.”
But he agreed that after letting go, abundance came in.
We visited the Nozomi project one evening. Womenfolk were congregated into a safe space whereby they did handicraft work, putting together pieces of pottery that was found in Ishinomaki after the tsunami.
Sue who gave birth to this project and is still tending to this today after 7years say, there can be beauty in brokenness.
“We are all broken within ourselves, but in here, from here, is where beauty can be found. She found it a privilege to walk with the women here, mostly single mothers, and to listen to their amazing stories and strength.”
I was touched by what I heard. I loosened up and my voice shook. But I also observed myself during the process, I was merely listening but not opening up enough to this experience. I was pretty closed.
I tried to open myself up and that was when I felt warm and was moved. I was trying to make sense of this feeling. That tight closed up feeling. Rigid and unmalleable, why?
I couldn’t really figure it out. Was it my fear of death? It doesn’t feel complete or perfect and it felt like I didn’t want the incompleteness or imperfection.
Like this place couldn’t really penetrate me.
Sue shared this story of jewellery pieces made out of pottery, being organic and not symmetrical. She once had a discussion with the women who made this and they say they want to make it symmetrical because they didn’t want to remember the tragedy. So they named the collections after their loved ones, who are washed over.
Sometimes a question pops up and there are tears which go into the jewellery.
After a while, the womenfolk told her they wanted to make the pieces organic again, and Sue says it shows about the healing they have received after all this while.
I find myself a little opaque to these.
Maybe I felt the lack as my family was broken, I didn’t want the echo…..or hear any more of these echoes of brokenness. I just didn’t want that memory of wretchedness. Aye yes it reminded me that I have something I need to work on within myself.
Broken myself inside, and I havent even addressed it. I didn’t really wanna open it up to peek into there.
And I haven’t found a way to asking these people about this state of wreck. How do I approach them or rather my own story or memory of wreck n lack?
But hearing these stories made me understand about strength. The sake brewery owner said he was so blessed to be alive, he was inspired to start another sake brand.
I wouldn’t be able to understand how folks here could go back to school too after the tsunami. But Sue said there’s an urge to go back to normalcy.
Somehow I get the idea or grasped the concept of strength. Drawing out inner strength from the depths of—perhaps your soul.
日本人的生命就在反覆的破碎和重建當中進行。很了不起的生命力。
I sort of watched my own emotions then and slowly softened at certain points. It was as if something melted, my voice shook a little. Sue teared.
Its time to open myself up to the brokenness in me. To be honest. Why keep?
不只。對我來說也是人生的教育。
我不知道还可以为Ishinomaki这条视频带来什么。
但是我鼓励自己尽量以开放的觉知体验这里的一切
体验这里表达的一切
有时候做访问时，会被受访者说的话感动。
参加这里星期天的教会活动
小孩子弹奏的音乐带领大伙
诗歌用摇滚敲击打鼓的方式表达
好像就是要激起藏在心里心底的一切想法感觉
里面有很多的热情很多的疼痛
越是大声越是愤慨越是无奈
原来我不需要再给什么
只需要懂得开放
就像Sue昨天讲，我问她，怎么在自己藏了很多起来背负很多之后还说，it’s a privilege to be walking with them
还有Chad说，a lot of times it’s not what we do or what we bring that helped
It’s our presence
我再一次学会什么叫做being present
存在 开放 地活在当下
为什么老先生失去太太过后可以微笑
他晚上回到家之后会不会夜夜流泪？
她在大浪来的时候爬上梯子爬到屋顶
然后建筑物倒下
老先生请求银行让他把梯子带回家
因为那是太太碰到的最后一件东西
这么痛苦的回忆真的要留在身边每天复习吗？
是复习痛苦还是借此让自己接受
这么harsh一个方式？
or maybe its me who is feeling that its harsh?
这么一个偏远的地方
居然有一个很强壮去、为数不大的团体
在这里支持重建
小小的地方
这些洋人决定在这里住下
生活
生活不是在公司里赶计划书看下一笔钱怎么赚到
生活不是你争我夺的大斗法
不是升迁降落的计算
是另一种的情绪起伏
关系到人生最重要的大事和小事的
为什么这些人会愿意远离主流的生活
什么是主流
什么才是对的正确的选择
这些洋人说着日语
但可能比日本人更日本人，比日本人付出的更多。
在这里长大的孩子会快乐吗？他们都活在大人的伤痛下
Looking at the sea.
That which brought abundance can actually be the very sea that takes the abundance out of your life.
But the sea may not be the one to be blamed
And looking at it. It seemed so wasteful to hang on to the old. Not just memories but old attitudes practices habits systems
The sake owner and the young man who started Fisherman Japan, both said that after the tsunami, they felt inspired to do something having grown up here.
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