A Buddhist Life with Geshe Tashi Tsering Ep.4 – The difficulties of cultivating contentment and simplicity in our busy lives.

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In this episode of Geshe-la’s new podcast series, “A Buddhist Life with Geshe Tashi Tsering”, Geshe Tashi reads and discusses His Holiness’s Daily Inspiration for the 9th March.  Once again he speaks from his own experience as he tells us of his struggles to maintain a simple life in the face of his public responsibilities as Abbott of a large Buddhist monastery.  He gives us his thoughts on the practicalities of abandoning faulty states of mind and cultivating helpful ones, and discusses what these words might actually mean.

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This Post Has 8 Comments

  1. Ros williams

    So sorry Geshe la I was writing a reply and my writing disappeared.
    It’s very late I hope I am successful next time.
    It was very important to have had such precious teachings of dharma.
    The monks are very lucky I hope you are well and truly appreciated

  2. Eileen Wellgate (Lobsang Chokey)

    Dear Geshe-la – It is so fortunate for me to hear you teaching and sharing again. I took three years to complete your FBT course due to cancers, which I still have, and feel comforted by your communications. I send you love and gratitude. Tashi Delek!

  3. Sue Godden

    Dearest Geshe-La, many thanks for your advice, which is extremely helpful and which I can relate to very well. It’s very kind of you to record these podcasts and I am grateful for your descriptions of life in the monastery, told in such a way that I can picture the dilemma of your wanting to walk vs wanting to fulfil your role as Abbot in all its facets. I look forward to the next podcast later this month.
    With love and gratitude
    Sue Godden

  4. Claire Chondol

    This is my perception of Tara yoga. The ‘fixed mark’ to every wandering bark.

    Sonnet CXVI

    Let me not to the marriage of true minds
    Admit impediments. Love is not love
    Which alters when it alteration finds,
    Or bends with the remover to remove:
    O, no! it is an ever-fixed mark,
    That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
    It is the star to every wandering bark,
    Whose worth’s unknown, although his height be taken.
    Love’s not Time’s fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
    Within his bending sickle’s compass come;
    Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
    But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
    If this be error and upon me proved,
    I never writ, nor no man ever loved. – Will Shakespeare

  5. Claire Chondol

    Simplicity is a state of heart. It refers to the heart that is incapable of seeing oneself as superior or different to others (and in the mahayana context; others beeing all living beings). ‘With a wish to free ALL beings; who are more precious than a wish-fulfilling gem; I will ALWAYS see MYSELF as the lowest of them all.’ Happiness/joy is fundamentally necessary for us to hold onto to remain cheerful and positive in our efforts. It is the petrol in our fuel tank! Contentment: now this is complex. It is extremely useful to be content with the resources that one has (as Jesus said: ‘Worry not about what you eat and what you wear.’) However; it is not useful to be content with the state of our world system of war; famine; genocide and torture!

  6. Ann Norris

    A very happy day of miracles to you and everybody at Sera.
    Thank you again for sharing. It is interesting the struggles you’re having to find contentment.
    When I was at Kooan in 2018 I had a feeling which at first I couldn’t label. Then I realised that it was actually contentment. It’s interesting to hear the ingredients for contentment in His Holiness’ words. I suppose many of them were naturally present at Kopan. At the time when I contemplated the emotion I thought that it was because I was quite naturally much more mindful and living in the moment. So it has been so interesting to hear other things that need thinking about.
    I look forward very much to the next podcast thank you thank you again. Ann .

  7. Jane Sill

    Dear Geshe la

    Thank you for your helpful advice and for kindly sharing again your experiences at Sera. It is nice to be able to hear what is going on there. I hope you can continue to enjoy the walking!

    Warm good wishes and Happy Day of Miracles to everyone

    Many thanks again

    Jane

  8. Dr Ruth M Pinner

    Dear Geshe-la, Our very warmest wishes come to you on this auspicious day for the difficulties you must daily be having to confront in your nurturing of such a great institution. May these wishes get multiplied thousands and thousands of times! Ruth

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