Ignorance, Anger, Confusion, Greed, Jealousy, Arrogance, Cynical Doubt, Laziness, Wrong Views, Low Self Esteem, Fear. In Buddhism these are known as Kleshas, mental hindrances that cloud our mind, setting the stage for unwholesome (i.e., self-centered) intentional actions. They are stubborn -- sneaky, lurking -- like highway robbers, always ready to pounce . . . contaminating our perspectives while bringing about unfavorable moods and vulnerabilities. But, they are only thoughts, and so . . . enter Lojong (Tibetan mind training). (Length: 12 minutes) Written and shared here by Mark Winwood of ..read more

We often cannot change our external environment. We certainly cannot change many (or most) of the people we encounter. But, through mindfulness practice -- which leads us to clearly 'see' and genuinely understand what is happening in the present moment -- i.e., as it is happening -- rather than being lost in our thoughts, opinions and reactions, we can change ourselves . . . and once We are changed, Everything changes. (Length: 17 minutes) Written and shared here by Mark Winwood of the Chenrezig Project (mwinwood@gmail.com) with musical accompaniment by San Francisco Bay-area musician Bobby Ve ..read more

From the 17th century French Canadian basilica of Sainte-Anne de Beaupre, to a young couple presenting Medicine Buddha-oriented offerings in a verdant meadow in the midst of northern Colorado's 'Rawah Wilderness' -- a tale of bountiful faith and practice touching distant times and realms. (Length: 14 minutes) Written and shared here by Mark Winwood of the Chenrezig Project (mwinwood@gmail.com), with musical accompaniment by San Francisco Bay-area musician Bobby Vega in collaboration with Chris Rossbach ..read more

"Tonglen" is a Tibetan term that implies 'exchanging oneself with others’. It refers to a meditation practice found in Tibetan/Mahayana Buddhism which allows the awakening of genuine compassion. "Tong" translates as 'giving or sending', and "len" as 'receiving or taking.' Tonglen practice is experiential; it gradually wears away our habitually obsessive grasping at a false sense of self (e.g., stubborn ego fixation / relentless identification with the personality). Through meditative visualization(s), Tonglen effectively reverses our familiar pattern of avoiding suffering and seeking pleasure ..read more

Reflections on Buddhist Dharma, Indra’s Jewel Net and the Trees with which we share our planet . . . as metaphor for the vast intra-connectedness of phenomena, ideas and life. Since all things are intimately -- and infinitely -- intertwined with one another, every action is echoed throughout time and space, creating a butterfly effect across the cosmos . . . and practically, within each moment of our experience(s). Let your contemplative imagination take wing . . .  (Length: 14 minutes) Written by Mark Winwood and presented here by Kathy Ambrose, both of the Chenrezig Project.  Accom ..read more

It is auspicious awareness for Dharma practitioners to remain mindful of how each of our lifetime's event/moments present opportunities for empowering wisdom to arise and abide. Then, as insights blossom, long-held perspectives and self-oriented attitudes, no longer useful or relevant, may transform in vastly unexpected ways. Consider: the flourishing of these insights -- and how we engage with them -- depends on no one but ourselves. (Length: 13 minutes) Written and shared here by Mark Winwood of the Chenrezig Project with accompanying music composed and performed by the San Francisco Bay-are ..read more

The inherently potent merging of Tibetan Buddhism-supported mind states, in concert with the vibrational qualities of Sanskrit sounds and syllables, provides a direct, enriching stimulus to the energies -- and results -- of our Dharma practice. This has been understood and experienced by practitioners for centuries, who will recite teachings and prayers in their own Tibetan language but have preserved and practice their mantra recitations in Sanskrit, knowing a mantra's intrinsic 'merit' lies mainly in its vibrational qualities rather than in any psychological meaning that society, culture, ci ..read more

Everything is changing/advancing . . . grossly and/or microscopically, moment-by-moment. Until instinctive awareness begins to manifest, reactions to impermanence set many of our challenges into motion, swirling into what Siddhartha termed afflictive mind-states (aka kleshas) of "dukkha" – ignorance-sourced confusions and complications leading to discontent, stress, anxiety . . . catchword “suffering”. But, once embraced, impermanence becomes profoundly fertile . . . vast, lovely . . . presenting perpetual opportunities . . . fluid, evolving, blossoming. It is the greatest show on Earth ..read more

Visualize a vast railroad terminal resembling New York City’s Grand Central Station, with newly dead people entering all the time, mulling around, eventually moving from the waiting room toward the track on which their departure train sits, ready to take them away on a sojourn through the Bardo of Becoming to their next destination. And while we will all be there one day, the specific train for which each of us is ticketed differs, and the experiences of our journey upon it -- as well as the conditions resident within our destination -- are not randomly determined. Rather, they are earned by W ..read more

The legendary Lao Tzu was living and teaching a harmonious way of being -- simple, modest and true -- traveling throughout China centuries before Siddhartha's birth. Upon achieving enlightenment, Siddhartha Buddha refined, deepened and shared similar ways to all who were inclined to listen. Then, after his death, these teachings were assembled and ultimately compiled into what we today know as Buddhism's Mahayana curriculum. The teachings of Lao Tzu . . .  The awakened Bodhisattva path . . .  Both so ancient, yet so relevant today. (Length: 13 minutes) Written by Mark Winwood of the ..read more