It’s both graceful and dignified to be straightforward with yourself and unpretentious towards others.

It’s both graceful and dignified to be straightforward with yourself and unpretentious towards others.

Rinpoche's new book : Key to Awareness

Momentary happiness is akin to a wind-borne cherry blossom

which, when held in your palm, brings a brisk sense of delight,

yet quickly withers. It is also akin to a snowflake floating

down from the snow mountain, falling into flames. It is even

more like a silver burst of fireworks which, though splendid,

immediately fades away.

Someone with wisdom behaves differently than the average

person, possessing special insight into the myriad things

of this world, especially in moments of happiness and

complacency, or when treated preferentially. In such moments,

someone possessed of meditative stillness and wisdom will be

even more vigilant of their degree of awareness from moment

to moment. This is because when one has the upper hand,

meditative stillness must be maintained at all times; a task,

however, which is much more difficult than remaining calm

and collected when problems arise as usual, filling the mind

with worry. (an excerpt from Shang Rinpoche's new book)

In 2013, author Shang Rinpoche began writing daily articles online touching on issues related to everyday life. Many of these articles were repeatedly reposted on hundreds of Chinese-language Buddhist websites. This volume is a compilation of the most consequential of these pieces, interspersed with the works of the 20th-century pioneering Asian photojournalist Lang Jingshan.

Shang Rinpoche has been spreading Buddhist teachings for more than 30 years to students in 25 countries. His talented writing and storytelling style pragmatically weaves Buddhism into everyday life, inspiring readers to look for the key to awareness in their own lives.

This book contains advice on:
- facing difficulties in everyday situations
- how to cultivate a positive attitude
- love and relationships
- developing patience
- Buddhist foundational concepts

Now you can buy from Amazon

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9869186084
• ISBN-13: 978-9869186087

Bhagavan Publishing Limited

How to Get Along with Yourself

Many people have things to discuss with themselves, but don’t know how.

But please, at least give your mind a chance to settle.

I ask you first to carefully observe your mind. Remember that you are the closest friend you’ve got.
In no way are you your own worst enemy or karmic debtor.

It is time for you to become your own teacher, or the friend who knows you better than anyone else.

Allow yourself to let go of all doubts and all things that bind you inside. Sit down and have a serious talk with yourself.

Set this time aside for you and you alone. Give yourself the space to speak openly with yourself about what is really going on deep down in your heart. Take advantage of this rare moment with yourself.

In truth, much of the time your mind is filled with anger rooted in the unconscious assumption that you have been treated unfairly.

Sometimes your heart is restless and filled with a pervasive fear stemming from your constant worry about being unable to accomplish something that you nonetheless must do.

Much of the time your emotions sway between forgiveness and blame, all the while asking yourself why you could have let something like this happen.

For reasons you can’t quite figure out, you often end up inexplicably in a bad mood over something trivial, perhaps the weather, wondering why nothing ever goes right.

Just one sentence or one action and you become preoccupied or start to think negatively, feeling like despite all that you have given, people still don’t understand you.

Out of the desire to put forth your best and most efficient performance in completing a task or anticipating its next step, you work yourself up until you can’t eat or sleep properly, all because you can’t control and deal with your anxiety.

While everyone left and right is telling you how to do this and that, inside you are grumbling and rejecting everything they say, questioning, in your inflated arrogance, what right these people have to push you around.

Then there are those insatiable desires that spring up, desires to buy a luxury home, diamonds, gold and everything that you have been wanting, even though you know you can’t afford them. Your mind goes through all kinds of turmoil.

The above-mentioned are just a few examples of what it might look like if you give yourself a chance to communicate with yourself. You could easily come up with more things to say and more ways to talk. It’s almost like, since your youth, all of these things have been buzzing around in your head, all of these different voices constantly echoing through your brain. It’s just that nobody has taught you how to communicate with yourself and become as close to your mind as that friend to whom you could tell anything. Without this, many people lack self-esteem and self-respect. They take all of their mental garbage and secrets and stuff it deep inside of their mind, where it sits festering, decaying and reeking until they become sick. How is this worth it?

It’s simple: when you find yourself at home and nobody is around, completely clear your mind. All you need is a space to talk to yourself and you can start to work on this. You can get a pen and a blank Starbucks notepad and chat with yourself on paper. You can go to the beach, set up an umbrella and a chair, and sit there in the shade with your favorite drink chatting with abandon about everything under the sun. Believe me when I say that you can make this a good habit and will like it the more you try it. You will become your own best friend. Gather up your courage and let down your guard. Lay bare the weakest, most damaged, most secret parts of yourself, parts that you won’t show anyone else, and bravely bring them all into the conversation. In the vast and borderless world that exists inside, there is no doubt you can treat yourself with warmth and propriety. In this inner world exists only gentle forgiveness; it is without harm. No one is going to get up in arms over a word. No one is going to pick a fight or judge between right and wrong.

Just give yourself a chance to talk. If you’re lucky, maybe you’ll even find the real you. Maybe, in a flash of brilliant insight, you’ll discover that this is what your mind looked like all along.

From  Shang Longrik Gyatso Rinpoche

Quote From Shang Rinpoche

True Zen Meditation: Sitting or Not, Always in a State of Inherent Awareness

In the practice of meditation, many find their minds swirling with delusive thoughts at the outset; or perhaps they fall into a dazed or drowsy state, wholly unaware. This is proof that, generally speaking, their ability to cultivate meditative stillness is tentative and their conviction weak. This is also an indication that their practice of right mindfulness has been momentarily lost. Especially when the weather is in flux and, for instance, the warmth of the sun suddenly appears, or the temperature suddenly drops, the mind easily loses concentration and drifts off, becoming drowsy and filling up with delusive thoughts as soon as one begins to meditate. At this time the the power of our inherent awareness is very frail.

Whether we are sitting or walking, it is important to constantly practice using external conditions and sensations for inward reflection. This is to say that it doesn’t matter if your body is in a state of movement or stillness; all along, you have a very clear and pure mind helping to deal with all situations triggered by both body and environment. If the inherent awareness of your inner mind can observe and understand very clearly, this is also a form of correct mindfulness. If you are able to be conscious of every single act, whether static or dynamic, then over time, all of your drowsiness and disorderly thoughts will automatically be perceived the moment they arise. This is yet another kind of enlightened wisdom. So we don’t need to go out of our way to intentionally change any of our trains of thought or afflictions, as it will be ineffective to intentionally enforce any method to counteract afflictions of the body, speech or mind.

An increasing number of people are interested in whether it is possible to reduce or alleviate their delusive thoughts and afflictions by doing yoga, qigong, or meditation, only to become disappointed by the result. This is because they have failed to first establish a sound understanding of true samadhi (meditative stillness) and the correct concepts pertaining to the elimination of afflictions. So what kind of meditative stillness is free from the restrictions (imposed by the methods) of “sitting in meditation,” “practicing Chan” or “walking meditation?” How can one enter into such a state?

Actually, one can simply start from the basics. At all times and in all places, you must be unaffected by any external conditions. To accomplish this point is also a form of right concentration, since you can remain undisturbed by the differentiating mind. In the very beginning when you undertake this practice, it may be impossible to remove your differentiating mind altogether. This would be considered a kind of indefinite differentiating thought. Sometimes, a small number of people might derive certain sensory experiences from this kind of intricate differentiating mind, however it is very easy to misinterpret this state as being the experience of emptiness. If you have a firm understanding of the foundation of Mahayana, gradually with practice, you will feel your mind entering into a more tranquil state of meditative stillness. This kind of understanding is yet even more firm and concrete. A more advanced practitioner is able to constantly maintain a tranquil mind, and he will be able to see with utter clarity the appearance of his mind which has always existed within himself.

After you yourself are able to see clearly the original nature of the mind, this means you would have no need, regardless of the time or place, to resort to any method for transforming the nature of your mind, as you are already abiding in your original nature. If you continue to practice in this way, your delusive and afflictive thoughts will disappear the moment they arise. This is what it means to be certain in your practice of right concentration.

From Shang Longrik Gyatso Rinpoche

Highs and Lows

Have you ever been on a rollercoaster or a ferris wheel? You find yourself quickly moving from peaks to dips. On a roller coaster, the experience is so abrupt you get the sensation of your heart jumping out of your chest. The same feeling comes with riding a ferris wheel: you find yourself making a complete circle from the highest to lowest point. I often suggest to students who have lost confidence and find themselves in difficult times to try one of these rides.

Life is actually quite similar to riding a roller coaster or a ferris wheel: the ride is brief and filled with highs and lows. This comparison may be difficult to grasp right now because we are so attached to the eight winds (eight worldly concerns). We still have expectations, hopes, goals and dear ones who influence our decisions, for better or for worse. At times it may seem to you that life is quite long, that it drags on. But as soon as your understanding of this comparison deepens, you will see that life has two main characteristics: it is cyclical and has its highs and lows.

Only a lion can be the king of the forest. Apart from their powerful and ferocious appearance, they only attack after careful and serious deliberation. Ordinary people are pulled along by their karma, but for those with a high level of practice and self-cultivation, any temperament can be overcome. You must have a courageous spirit and the absolute resolution of a soldier in battle; only then, regardless of worldly or spiritual matters, will you not be restrained by your destiny. Your mind is the master of your destiny: it is the ruler. When the mind is settled there is peace in the kingdom, peace in society, peace in the family.

Victory is only decided in the last moment. If Shakyamuni had relented to the demon Mara in those final moments under the bodhi tree, there could have been no attaining of Buddhahood. Success and failure are common things in this world. Just like the path of the ferris wheel, if you never reach the lowest point, how can you attain the highest?

From Shang Longrik Gyatso Rinpoche

The Potential of the Mind

Uneasiness, depression, and anxiety appear to be the common ailments of modern man. People are often easily provoked and become red-faced with agitation. Others become frustrated and storm off the moment they are admonished by their department head. Some, due to inexplicable mood swings or an offhand remark from another, will set in motion some fatal disaster. Often, spouses and family members become estranged over some harsh words exchanged. Actually, if we look carefully, we will realize that all around, people have become increasingly unstable and intolerant to stress. When you see old friends that you have been out of touch with, you find them full of discontent and ceaselessly complaining and even cursing the world. The elegant and gentle manner of days gone by has all but completely disappeared. These people actually deserve our sympathy because they have, to different extents, depressive inclinations. Everyone knows anxiety or depression is a psychological disorder, and it is uncertain when it might flare up. When the illness becomes more serious it can be devastating for everyone around. Statistics show a rising trend in the mortality rate from depression. This is the modern plague, the Black Death of our times and it can't be taken lightly.

The cause of mental exhaustion can be traced back to our attachments and desires. Not only ordinary people relate to this problem, many great spiritual masters and practitioners invest their lives and their time in transforming greed and attachments. The great Vajrayana master Longchenpa spent a great many years in retreat completely exposed to the scorching sun and torrential rains, not even taking shelter in a cave. He practiced in a place where he could not stand up straight and there was barely room for him to turn around. This kind of ascetic practice was done entirely for the purpose of transformation. His only possession was a burlap sack that he wore during the day and, at night, it turned into his bed, and then during meditation practice it was his cushion. The interesting thing about the place where he would practice was the variety of prickly trees and grasses that would prick him all over, making of him a mass of bleeding wounds. At one point he had thought about cutting these down but it occurred to him that, while he hadn’t yet attained enlightenment, did he really have the time to waste on such things? Then he immediately dispelled the thought and persisted in his practice with even greater determination, eventually leading to his enlightenment.

The buddha-nature of practitioners and ordinary people is identical. The only difference is that practitioners are able to face their problems. Observing their afflictions incites their determination in attaining buddhahood, and so this aspiration is not an inborn quality. It only requires that a person to be willing to face their afflictions, manage and let go of them in order to reconnect with their own self-nature. For people nowadays, enlightenment might be a far-fetched notion but they should at least be able to transform their afflictions and frustrations. Please bear in mind that, when afflictions have not yet arisen, worry and fear are useless; and when something bad has actually happened, worry and fear will in no way ease the sorrow. No one can stop the hands of the clock. But if we are willing, we can always buy new and different clocks, wind them up and start afresh - wouldn’t you say?

From Shang Longrik Gyatso Rinpoche

We Should All Live With Hope

There have been a lot unsettling incidents reported in the news. The unpredictable and sporadic nature of these events has disturbed some people to the point where their bodies are plagued by tension and they are unable to feel safe and secure. The gas explosion in Kaohsiung led to the senseless loss of many lives and the instant destruction of many homes. When faced with this kind of scenario, people might consider what they would do if it were to happen to them. Many have come to me to say that, were they to encounter such an event, they would not know how to carry on.

The current surplus of similar disastrous events has led to an atmosphere of ever increasing misgiving, hollowness, confusion and uncertainty. When these kinds of incidents are brought up in conversation many immediately feel dispirited and some may even consider emigrating.

Those with even the most basic grasp of Buddhist concepts can understand that all phenomena are the product of karma. This is why certain things happen to certain people in certain places. Some places are engulfed in a distressing and maddening gloom while other places are blessed with peace and tranquility. Karma also explains why a misfortune may befall a group of people and yet some manage to avoid it by being pulled out of harm’s way by a last-minute situation. This is what the Buddhist teachings of impermanence and collective karma elaborate on.

An understanding of karma can clearly show that each circumstance can be traced to a cause. There is no such thing as an accident. Ever since primordial times, humanity has been faced with surviving an incalculable number of natural disasters. Entire regions have been swallowed up by swift bursts of floodwater, and tectonic plates lying quietly under mountain ridges suddenly clash with such overwhelming power that countless lives are destroyed in an instant. The legend of Atlantis can also serve to demonstrate the omnipresence of karma and impermanence.

If we maintain a warm and positive mindset and never arbitrarily forsake the aspects of right intention and right mindfulness, while doing what needs to be done in a calm and wise manner, we will purify our karma and will definitely be able to embrace a brand new life.

There is no need to be overly anxious about our deep-seated fears. Everyone has the absolute potential to face up to the the challenges imposed by external circumstances. People habitually turn away from these difficulties thinking that they are unable to resolve them and so they stagnate in their pre-established ideas and cement their feet to the ground. In reality, once the dark night has passed, the breaking of dawn is sure to come.

From  Shang Longrik Gyatso Rinpoche

Can Buddha’s Teachings Cure Depression?

The two top killers in the 21st century are cancer and mental disorders. Among psychiatric disorders, depression is the most common.

According to reports from health organisations worldwide, almost 150 million people have been clinically diagnosed with depression since the 1970s. Within the next 50 years, another projected 8 billion people will suffer from depression-related illnesses. Nations will be hard pressed to swallow the bill for the massive amounts of medication needed to counteract the illness.

Further examination of the subject brings up a division between depression linked to heredity and cases linked to diet or hormonal imbalances. There might be a plethora of causes, but what is certain is that once a person develops tendencies, depression will directly affect their lifestyle, including sleep patterns and emotional, physical and psychological well-being. Family members will become strained in providing support.

If the condition is caused by diet or unhealthy lifestyle choices, there is a positive prognosis for recovery. It is worth checking whether the depressed person has a deficiency in certain amino acids or a severe lack in iron, magnesium, potassium, etc. Fluctuations in the testerone levels of older men can sometimes lead to temporary depression. Females are susceptible to depression during puberty, their menstrual cycle or after giving birth. Women going through menopause, which could last up to 10 years, deserve particular attention as they are exposed to a high risk of onset during this period.

Are drugs absolutely necessary to treat depression? Statistically, only 10% of depressed patients experience improvements with medication. In some cases, the harmful effects or complications caused by drug treatment can be even more troubling than the depression itself.

In truth, psychological disorders are not so terrifying. The diagnosis of depression, panic disorder, manic depression or any mental disease and the ensuant anxiety is actually far more damaging to the patient. Studies of personality traits and behavioural patterns shows that most mental patients are perfectionist and timid. They are overly self-critical and persnickety while giving too much consideration to the criticism and opinions of others. Overcome by feelings of failure or inadequacy, they are preoccupied with how others view them and the possibility of failure or loss. This makes them easily demoralised or unable to recover from even minor setbacks in daily life. Many similarly unhealthy habits and personality traits that have been formed in our early life will eventually develop into depression.

Buddhist householder Pangyun upheld the philosophy of “if the mind is unmoving, it is just as well to be surrounded by all things.” In the face of all circumstances and even obstacles, ideally we would be able to cope with them as they arise and leave not a single trace on our mind once they pass. This would mean that we are in complete control of our mind, as it would remain unperturbed by any circumstance. We should try to put all afflictions and tribulations to rest by viewing them in neither a positive nor a negative light. Emotional afflictions are borne out of a preconception, built up in the moment’s thoughts, and carried over by afterthoughts. This cycle can take a toll on our appetite and we might even lose sleep over it.

We should avoid forming attachment or being obsessively meticulous, thereby driving ourselves into a mental cul-de-sac. It is crucial to stop further complicating our train of thoughts and let the mind take breaks. Do not mull over the past and let bygones be bygones - good or bad, applause or derision. Terminate all desires and the mind will always be in a state of unfettered ease; regardless of whatever passes, it stays intact and unaffected as if nothing has happened.

When we can truly understand the empty nature (i.e. impermanence) of all things, their significance will cease. When situations arise, if only we can take precautions, think rationally, let go, shed unnecessary encumbrances and maintain a well-adjusted, level-headed and even buoyant mindset, then we can avoid psychological barriers such as gloomy pessimism and negativity and all that comes with it.

From Shang Longrik Gyatso Rinpoche

The 1st episode of the animated biography of Shang Rinpoche

This is the 1st episode of the animated biography of Shang Rinpoche. May great blessings come to all who see, hear and learn about this.

Tashi delek!

Shang Longrik Gyatso Rinpoche