Healing Medicine for an Abundant Life

Pema Dragpa November 17, 2017

“Mindfulness is like a guardian or protector that reminds us, “Do not get lost in that thought—look at it!” Be mindful, and no matter what arises within the space of mind, do not become mesmerized. We don’t need to do anything more than this—awareness alone is sufficient. When we look directly at a thought, it simply dissolves and we instantly reach the center of the true nature. Then just relax.

Although this is a very simple meditation, it’s not easy. The moment one thought is liberated, another one erupts. When this happens, do not feel bad. Use the same technique. Use your mindfulness like radar. Hone in on that thought and gaze right at it. The thought will naturally dissolve. Again, relax. Maintain the natural state—that’s the intention and the practice. Do not fabricate additional thoughts about what just happened. Do not anticipate or strategize about what may lie ahead. Do not judge or analyze your meditation. Be free from past and future, hope and fear. Stay in the center.

Here the great master Shigpo Dudtsi reiterates that whenever a thought arises, all we need to do is look at it and relax. Nothing more is necessary. To achieve stability in this, we need continuous joyful effort and devotion, courage and commitment. Cultivate these beautiful qualities without grasping, and then let them dissolve into the natural state just as you would any other thought. It’s important to remember that we must be patient. We cannot expect immediate results—we have to practice continuously, over time. And we need to gather and focus our energy. If we’re always busy, we won’t have much time for meditation, or we’ll be too tired when we try. This is not good for a practitioner.”

Venerable Khenpo Rinpoches
The Beauty of Awakened Mind (pg 145)

Photos from Ven. Khenpo Tsewang Rinpoche’s public talk “Healing Medicine for an Abundant Life” sponsored by the Palm Beach Dharma Center on November 11, 2017. Photos by Mark McDonnell and Karin Kearney.