A Shangpa Kagyu Buddhist Community

Fall 2022 Newsletter

Rinpoche’s wonderfully genuine way of explaining the spiritual path makes the teachings practical and immediately accessible. The common thread that is weaved through all his teachings is encouragement to allow the practice to arise naturally from within us, grounded in our own experience. This allows for the motivation to practice to arise effortlessly, and for practice and its development to be organic and sincere rather than fabricated.

In offering a teaching from Metripa, he expounded on the topics of motivation, renunciation, discipline, and compassion. In alignment with the fourth of the four thoughts that turn the mind to dharma, he encouraged us to reflect on our experience of suffering and recognize that the cause of suffering is grasping to the idea of self as being independently existent. Understanding that it is this self-clinging is the cause of our suffering then naturally inspires and motivates us to let go of or renounce discursive thought, attachment to self, and maintain a joyful discipline in our practice: 

Discipline in yourself is very much needed. Discipline doesn't mean that you have to appear to be so important. It doesn't mean that you have to appear to be so good, so pure. Discipline simply means understanding the meaning of renunciation and understanding the purpose of your spiritual path. If you have this core principle, then the idea of discipline will arise by itself.

Discipline is not a law. It's not something based in fear. The whole idea of discipline, from a spiritual perspective, is about simply reflecting on the definition of renunciation and then reflecting on your intention and purpose of going towards your spiritual goal. This is the core idea of all discipline. When you have this core foundation, then you naturally have right speech, right mental attitude, and the right action that will benefit all sentient beings. When you look at the Buddha and other Buddhist masters, you see they enjoy their decision to engage in their practice with discipline. It doesn’t make sense to me that we should be unhappy in our discipline. 

I reflect again and again on the meaning of discipline and see that its meaning comes down to the capacity of our renunciation. The greater the renunciation, the greater the discipline. The lesser the renunciation, the lesser the discipline.

The definition of renunciation comes down to how much you understand the meaning of suffering, the cause of suffering, and the core of suffering. Once you understand that clinging to the false idea of self is the cause of suffering and the cycle of suffering, then as a natural reaction, you have a sense of wanting to let go of that cause. There is a sense of detachment that naturally occurs. Letting go of or renouncing that which is the cause of suffering is a natural response. It is not particularly religious. 

Rinpoche spoke about the connection between recognizing our own suffering and its cause and developing compassion for others:

The true definition of compassion is understanding the very existence of suffering and the cycle of suffering that arises as a result of clinging to the false idea of the existence of self. Once we understand how self-clinging is the source of such suffering for ourselves, compassion for all sentient beings arises naturally when we recognize that they are suffering because of their clinging to the false identity of self. Compassion doesn’t mean that we feel bad for them or pity them. Compassion for self and others arises because we understand the experience of suffering and the cycle of suffering. 

Just being aware that there is self-clinging does not make it go away. It is continuously a part of our experience. When our practice develops, our subtle awareness increases, and we can become more aware of the subtle movement of the mind. Then, we can begin to loosen self-clinging on that level. The three necessities needed for a practice to develop and for qualities to arise are awareness, sincerity, and willingness to acknowledge distractions. Letting go of fixation on self is the source of the quality of generosity. Ultimately, nothing truly exists. Our body is like a rainbow. Remind yourself that everything is like an illusion, a rainbow.

Discipline should be free, beautiful, and this is the result of understanding renunciation. It does not need to be rigid. When we create a gap within discursive mind and attachment to self, then practice becomes beautiful.

~ Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche

Introducing Our Newly Designed Depth Practice Programs

by Lama Döndrup

Sukhasiddhi Foundation has been offering practice programs since 2001 as a means to support practitioners in developing and deepening their meditation practice while moving through a coinciding curriculum of the Buddhist teachings in general and the teachings of the Shangpa Kagyu lineage. In the West, we are blessed with access

to countless teachings. One can get lost within all the options and spend a lifetime of tasting a little of everything. While it is important to experiment in the journey of finding the path that most resonates with you, to truly experience what any tradition has to offer, it is essential to choose a path and follow it through its curriculum of teachings and practices. Sukhasiddhi Foundation’s Depth Practice Programs provides this opportunity through programs in which students are gradually guided through the teachings and practices while receiving individual guidance from qualified lamas and benefitting from the support of a warm and welcoming community.

Sukhasiddhi’s Depth Practice Program structure begins at an introductory level and moves systematically through the Shravakayana, Mahayana, Vajrayana, and Mahamudra teachings. In our deepest levels of study, students have the rare opportunity to practice and study the core curriculum of the Shangpa Kagyu 3-year retreat in the midst of their daily life. It was this deepest level of study of the 3-year retreat curriculum that was the initial inspiration for the first program which began in the Fall of 2001. In the years that have passed since then, and with the experience of having shepherded 160 students through the programs, the Teachers Council has been continually fine-tuning the program structure in an effort to best prepare students for the teachings as they unfold so that they can best receive, digest, internalize, and actualize the teachings.

In this spirit, a new structure for the Sukhasiddhi Depth Practice Programs will be unveiled in January 2023.

Sukhasiddhi Depth Practice Programs 2023

Our entry level program will be an updated 2-year Dharma Training Program. This Fall will be the concluding module of our current Dharma Training Program cycle and a new cycle of our updated curriculum will begin in January 2023. This is the perfect opportunity to enter the gateway to the Sukhasiddhi Depth Practice Programs, or it can serve as a stand-alone program as an introduction to Buddhism and meditation. This new format allows for our entry level program participants to have more time to steep in the foundational teachings while gaining familiarity with calm abiding practice and introductory Vajrayana practice as they stabilize a regular practice that works for them in their lives. The Dharma Training Program takes place in 3-month modules and requires a 3-month commitment.

For those wanting to continue their studies and practice, The Dharma Training Program prepares students to move into our completely redesigned Bodhi Program. Our inaugural Bodhi Program, which will start in January 2023, will be a 4-year deep dive into the heart of the Mahayana teachings and the Bodhisattva Path. In this program, students will have ample time to receive, contemplate, and implement the teachings and practices of the bodhisattva path in their lives as well as study and contemplate the philosophical underpinnings of the Mahayana teachings. The format for the Bodhi Program will be 3-month modules and will require a one-year commitment. With this well-developed bodhicitta-infused foundation and a daily practice firmly established, students will then have the option to move down either a Vajrayana Track or a Mahamudra Track (with options to move from one track to the other).

For those continuing down the Vajrayana Track, the next program is our Vajrayana Program, which is a deep dive into Vajrayana practices. These brilliantly designed practices provide profound support as they help us to recognize ours and others’ innate awakened qualities as they support us in recognizing the sacred in every aspect and moment of our lives. In this program, students will undertake the Shangpa Kagyu ngöndro as well as a rich curriculum of other Vajrayana practices such as Medicine Buddha, Amitabha, White Tara, Four Tantric

Deities, and more. In addition to in-depth study of Vajrayana theory, students will continue their study and contemplation of the philosophical basis of the teachings.

For those for whom it is appropriate, the Vajrayana Program will be followed by the Shangpa Program, which is our Advanced Vajrayana Program. In this ground-breaking program, which Lama Palden initiated in 2001, the teachings and practices of the Shangpa Kagyu will be presented, studied, and practiced. Students will continue their study of Vajrayana theory and Buddhist philosophy. This program is a rare opportunity to engage in these profound practices which are typically only taught within the structure of the traditional 3-year retreat.

For those who choose the Mahamudra Track, we will offer a new Mahamudra Program. Mahamudra meditation is designed to bring us into the realization of the true nature of mind and reality, and to develop the capacity to rest in that true nature – peaceful, content, and joyous. The Mahamudra Program will guide students through the step-by-step path of Shamatha and Vipashyana of Mahamudra and into Mahamudra practice. Students will receive individual guidance and feedback as they develop in their practice. These practices will be accompanied by the philosophical teachings that are the basis for this level of practice.

These practices and studies will be further developed and actualized in the Advanced Mahamudra Program that follows. Here, students will continue to receive step-by-step guidance in deepening and embodying their Mahamudra practice. The Mahamudra practice will be accompanied by continued philosophical studies and in-depth study of the primary Mahamudra texts.

When students have completed either the Vajrayana Track or the Mahamudra Track, they have an opportunity to be invited into the Vajra Sangha, which is a group of highly dedicated practitioners who are continuing in the development of their practice through one-on-one instruction with one of the Sukhasiddhi Foundation Lamas. In addition to furthering their individual practice, the Vajra Sangha becomes an integral part of the holding structure for the sangha as a whole. At this level, one has fully embraced and integrated the Mahayana and Vajrayana paths and has a commitment to actively participate in the mutual creation of the vajra mandala of the Sukhasiddhi Sangha on multiple levels.

In all our programs, students benefit from one-on-one guidance in their personal practice and study from a qualified lama, retreats, classes and discussion with the whole Sukhasiddhi sangha, and extended study and practice time designed specifically for each program. A significant part of the programs is the development of sangha, a warm and supportive community of people who all aim to develop their hearts and minds and to bring that wisdom and compassion to the world through their daily actions. I invite you to visit our website to explore in more detail the rare opportunity these programs offer.

Getting Curious About Suffering is the Anitode to Despair and the Beginning of Joy

by Jane Brunette

No one likes to suffer. That’s pretty universal among humans and animals, and so naturally we gravitate toward what feels good and push away what doesn’t feel good. Unfortunately, that very natural habit doesn’t solve the problem. Suffering always returns. The Buddha’s genius was that he did something very counterintuitive. Instead of pushing away suffering, he got curious about it and studied closely how it works, just as you might study closely a lock that is stuck. He studied it so closely that he discovered a way out, and he left behind all kinds of clues and tips to help us get our own doors unlocked. Here's the first clue: he noticed that there are three types of suffering. Staying clear about which one we're dealing with at the moment is really useful, because then we have an overview of how they operate and it helps keep us from making our suffering worse. It’s pretty down to earth, really. If you have a basic understanding of how a lock works, you’ll spray the keyhole with WD-40 rather than take a hammer to it.

1. The first type of suffering is the kind that all animals have, including human animals. It is the pain that comes from living in a body on the earth. We get hungry, or catch a virus, or get something in our eye, and it hurts. Seems obvious that this is inevitable, and yet people put so much energy into thinking they should always feel instagram good in their body.
2. The second type of suffering comes from change. We are totally enjoying ourselves and then the enjoyment ends. We take the last bite of a great meal, the engrossing film ends, the party is over and we have to go to work. This is really the suffering of pleasure, because pleasure always ends. It has to, so the next thing can happen. Pretty straightforward, that this is how it works, and yet people put so much energy into thinking they should be able to keep pleasure going and not have it diminish — be on a permanent high.
3. The third type of suffering comes from pervasive conditioning. It’s the suffering of not knowing any better. We are all swimming in layers and layers of misunderstandings that are nobody’s fault, really. We inherit all kinds of cultural ideas and survival strategies and family myths that are based on faulty views, unclear seeing, and misunderstanding. As children we also make our own interpretations of events and create dubious strategies to navigate life using our immature minds, and then those childhood decisions condition us into a certain limited behavior or view of things that doesn’t work all that well as we grow up. These become part of the invisible fabric of our world view and they are hard to see and change, especially if there is shock or trauma involved. This happens to all of us. It’s the human condition.

Nobody likes any of this suffering. We all want to be happy. That’s the one thing we all have in common. Whatever any of us are doing in the moment, however misguided or enlightened, is simply an attempt not to suffer and to be happy instead.

Continue reading the full article here.

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