Sangha member Elias Kruse gives a talk on "Making Friends with Ourselves." Elias says, "Along our path, sometimes things don't go our way and all that really makes sense in that moment is to take a second to make friends with ourselves. Not to blame another for our misfortune or point the finger, but to see our situation with gentleness and compassion.
A way to begin this practice is through the Lojong mind trainings. The Lojong mind trainings greatly support our ability to work with our obstacles and unfavorable circumstances to develop our Bodhicitta and awakening. A simple way to start using these teachings is to understand the 3 objects, the 3 poisons, and the 3 seeds of virtue.
By greater understanding our perceived likes and dislikes, and how they trigger craving, aversion, or ignorance, the better we can begin to reverse this cycle planting the 3 seeds of virtue, and to begin making friends with ourselves, even the icky stuff. Fortunately in this process of making friends with ourselves, our circle of compassion grows larger and larger and we begin making friends with all sentient beings!"
Lion's Roar Dharma Center at Do Nga Dargey Temple in Sacramento, California, is a Tibetan Buddhist Temple within the Gelugpa Lineage. Lama Yeshe Jinpa is the spiritual director and resident teacher of Lion’s Roar Dharma Center, which he co-founded with Geshe Losang Gyatso in 1992. In 1995, Lama Jinpa received direct heart/mind transmission from Geshe Gyatso after 25 years of Dharma practice and study. He is one of the few western lamas thus far recognized within the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan or Vajrayana Buddhism, the lineage of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Please visit lionsroardharmacenter.org/ for more information!