Length: 23 minutes, 59 seconds
Memorable Quote: “When yogis think of Nirvana, they think of nonstop dancing and drinking. When Monks think of Nirvana, everyone is sitting in the lotus position.”
Synopsis: Our notion of reality, Anam Thubten reminds us, is created by our minds. This includes our moods, perceptions, perspective, and point of view. These mental propensities serve as a veil that keep our mind from seeing the true nature of life. The true nature of life is often a source of great beautify: a hummingbird flying, a drop of dew on grass, but most of the time this true nature is veiled by our conditioned mind. Our goal, in sitting, in to purify our mind. Without this veil, when we tap into our true nature, we experience unfathomable joy, or Nirvana.
When our minds are constricted, that is suffering. When our mind is liberated, we are set free. We need to look closely at our minds, and when we do, we will see the entire universe. The state prior to the arising of mind, how our minds come into being. We see the conditions that cause suffering, and how we experience joy. What we see, underneath it all, is our “original mind,” or “original radiance.” When we tap into this mental state, we see the delusion of believing that our thoughts are reality. Our thoughts are like bubbles, like a dream. There is no essence to them. When we have freedom from the delusion of clinging to our thoughts, we are free.
I like: I like Anam Thubten’s description of the mind as the sea, and thoughts as waves that arise and then drop back in.
I wish: I always get confused when told that all of my thoughts are illusory. Does that include my thoughts about Buddhism and enlightenment? .
More about the Speaker: As a young child growing up in Tibet, Anam Thubten was intent on entering the monastery, where for much of his childhood and young adult life he received the benefit of extensive academic and spiritual training from several teachers in the Nyingma branch of Tibetan Buddhism. He conveys the Dharma with the blessing of teachers Khenpo Chopel, Lama Garwang and others gone before in a lineage of wisdom holders and enlightened masters. Learn more at www.dharmata.org/teachers