Most of us have been held back in Dharma, not because we haven’t been able to receive Dharma teachings, but because we haven’t been able to put them into practice; I’m sure most of you have already received teachings and met lamas. Nor is it that we don't wish to practise the Dharma—we do. The […]
Always remember to make the prayer, “In this and all my future lives, may I never directly or indirectly bring any harm to any single being.” It would be excellent to make this prayer, not just once, but regularly and sincerely. 23 September 2026
If you do not lose hope and become discouraged no one can keep you down. We Tibetans have a saying: “You could bury them six feet under and they’d still come out on top.” We say this about the sort of person who is indomitable and never loses hope. To succeed you must neither lose […]
The root of Greater Vehicle Buddhist practice is the six perfections. 1. Generosity – Don’t be stingy and only think about yourself. Make sacrifices. 2. Moral Discipline – Don’t behave negatively. Conduct yourself excellently. 3. Forbearance – Don’t be a difficult person. As a practitioner, learn to be fine with whatever you face. 4. Diligence […]
When I was young, my root lama, Lama Senge, told me about a fascinating lama from Shechen Monastery in Tibet. Day and night this lama would stay in bed, covered head to toe with his bed covers. Once a day a relative would bring him a small ball of tsampa and a bowl of milk […]
“As long as you are reliant on something external to make you feel better or happy, you will never transcend suffering and strife.” Drupon Khen Rinpoche 02.08.2026
When we begin to practise the Dharma or meditation, we must start with something we can conceive of. Many of us start with the inconceivable, which we do not and cannot understand at first. We conjure up an idea of what the inconceivable is and focus on that, assuming we are focusing on the inconceivable […]
The Dharma is about truth, not about making up something new; it is about coming to know what the reality of our experience is. When we study and practise the Dharma, the first task is not to learn something new to memorise, but to become clear about ourselves, as we are. We all have afflictions—attachment, […]
We practise Guru Yoga by tracing the opportunities we have in the Dharma today back to the kindness of our lama. We reflect, “Through their kindness, I am where I am today.” Recalling that kindness and feeling genuine gratitude—that is the essence of Guru Yoga. Do not simply chant the words of the Guru Yoga […]
Life is short and fleeting. Everyday we are given 24 hours to use – we must strive to not to let a single moment go to waste. This doesn’t necessarily mean that we should pack our day with more practices, recitations and dharma activities. While these can be helpful, they are not the most important […]
Once we begin something, it is often difficult to stop—especially when it comes to harmful habits, for example addictions. This is why we must think carefully before we enter into or commit to something. Before taking the first step, we should ask ourselves: What habit am I cultivating here? If this becomes deeply ingrained in […]
From one perspective, we must look after our health, but from another side, it is a futile task. We are powerless to stop ageing, we cannot avoid sickness, and we cannot side-step death, no matter what lengths we go to maintain our health. From one perspective, we need money and resources, but from another side, […]
Question: How did you study and practice? Reply: In answer to your question, I could list the many teachings from various lamas I received, but that is just looking at things from the outside. On the back of that, one should be able to say what one has done with all of those teachings and […]
I always feel that the time lamas and students can spend together is so short. There is so little time to impart the Dharma, and the student must gain experience to understand the lama’s teachings, which requires time. If they do not practise the teachings they have received, they won’t gain experience and thus will […]
As you walk through the door of your local Dharma centre or temple, there are various thoughts that could arise, or you could consciously cultivate. You could think, “This is a place of Dharma; I’ve come here because the Dharma is so precious and beneficial. How kind those who have built and maintained this place […]
