Y2Q6) Transforming our narrative

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Home Forums Discussion topics In-Depth Meditation Training (EN) Y2Q6) Transforming our narrative

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    • #2918
      Rik vanKeulen
      Keymaster

      Our intentions react on our perception. This is perception is largely formed by our own narrative of the world around us and of ourselves. To establish a more virtuous narrative, we start our meditation and teaching sessions with prayers. And we remind ourselves of specific notions when preparing our minds for meditation (for example: “we are sitting among the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the past, present and future”). Which narratives work best for you? Have you developed some of your own narratives?

    • #2923
      Sara Caldwell
      Participant

      My favorite prayer to say every morning is below. Because of the intensity of my aspirations of it and through repetition, it has changed my perception of reality from one of a fixed nature to one of a more fluid, impermanent, and illusory nature. It helps me profoundly because when I ask for each of the blessings in it, I rewrite my narrative because if I truly wish to receive those blessings, I have to approach the world with “eyes” that are looking for them. And because I’m looking, I see the world in a new way. It also helps me to understand why the Lama is always right here, right now.

      Symbolic Lama, shining outwardly
      Like the light of myriad forms and appearances
      Of limitless dependent arisings,
      Ineffable play of the array of illusory projections;
      In the state of empty appearance naturally liberated,
      I pray through your blessings to realize
      That the display of appearance is nirmanakaya.

      Mantra-Lame, arising in the interim
      As the vibration of the multiple sounds and words
      Of ceaseless causes and conditions,
      Inconceivable pageant of harmonious song;
      Within the sphere of empty sound naturally liberated,
      I pray through your blessing to realize
      That this ceaselessness is sambhogakaya.

      Real Lama, revealed inwardly
      As the self-knowing of the manifold
      Thoughts and ideas of awareness
      That is empty and free of speech.
      Infinite range of mind:
      Within the sphere of clarity and voidness
      Of great bliss and emptiness,
      I pray through your blessing to perceive
      That the unborn is dharmakaya.

      All the various phenomena: appearances, sounds, and thoughts
      Are thus but the glorious Lama’s play;
      Your symbolic ways to show us the nature of reality.
      Realizing your kindness I pray;
      Bless me to realize the nature of all phenomena.

      The immeasurable ocean of all the aspects of the three roots
      Is none other than the play of the Venerable Lama
      Who manifests like the moon’s reflection in water
      According to the aspirations of each disciple.
      Within the perfection of the totality of your qualities
      I pray, bless me that my mind
      May be inseparably mixed with yours.

      Bless me to abandon belief in self-existence.
      Bless me to develop absence of need in my mind.
      Bless me to develop love and compassion.
      Bless me to develop genuine respect and devotion.
      Bless me to stop non-Dharmic thoughts.
      Bless me to spontaneously pacify illusions.
      Bless me to realize the state of mahamudra.
      Bless me to attain buddhahood in this very life.

      May I, from now until enlightenment,
      Adorned with the ornament of perfect morality,
      Master the awakening mind of equanimity
      As well as the generation and completion stages,
      Attain the enlightenment of a buddha, a state
      In which the minds of Lama and disciple finally become one.

      • #2945
        Rik vanKeulen
        Keymaster

        @Sara: very nice ‘calling the guru’ prayer! Thanks for sharing. I did not find it in the FPMT prayer book. Do you know the source?

    • #2925

      I mostly start with some matra’s to multiple and cleans for all sentient beings wishing for us to realise emptiness and perfect bodhichitta as soon as as possible
      If time allows or when I am not lazy, mostly also some writin prayers who has been given to us by our precious spiritual teachers. I mostly close with long life prayers and dedicate the positive energy
      I think it is very important and it has a lot of power if we generate a non-cherishing and non-self grasping motivation at the start, remember it in the middle and dedicate this at end.

    • #2929
      Ingrid Lander
      Participant

      For me, there has been, and still is, some resistance to prayer and Puja ceremonies. It is linked to a fundamental critical attitude towards blind faith and religion. To get beyond that in my Dharma practice, I have chosen to sometimes change certain concepts that create resistance. To see the texts (prayers) as beautiful, meaningful poems instead. This means that I also choose the prayers/poems that appeal to me, that feels meaningful in their meaning and that I understand.

      When it comes to my own narratives, it’s a pretty intimate question that I choose to answer a little overall. I always start my meditation with the motivation that I am doing this practice in order to transform my mind and cultivate my Buddha nature. I also end my meditation with a dedication to all suffering beings and all beings who help those who suffer, to all of us who work for a better world in freedom, solidarity and equality, where there is no exploitation of nature, animals and human beings.

    • #2947
      Rik vanKeulen
      Keymaster

      1) I apply an add-on to “we are sitting among the buddhas and bodhisattvas of the past, present and future”. We are all sitting in a beautiful valley. Because the minds of the buddhas and bodhisattvas are so silent, nature, even the birds and stream also become totally silent. Then I let this silence enter my mind and my whole being.
      2) for the interdependency (with links to emptiness & bodhicitta), I contemplate that nothing in me would have existed without involvement of others. No cell in my body.. they exist because of the food I have eaten.. No thoughts in my mind..all those concepts coming through my upbringing and education.. Not even my emotions: even knowing what is anger, jealousy, it has come about by others. The notion what is attractive comes with strong cultural influence and thus came into existence because of others. Then my parents… Then my karma which have been created in relationship to others…. Then I sit, and try to feel the implications, a very intricate network, wherein nothing exists by itself….

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