Early one morning my parents were preparing to go somewhere. I was just 12 years old at the time and was wondering where we were going. Later I could make out that we were certainly going to visit a monastery as they were carrying kabne (a long white shawl for men), rachu (a colourful short scarf for women), incense sticks,…

What would be the situation in this world if there were no death? If beings were not bound to die, then the lives on this Mother Earth would be in jeopardy. If there were no death then all the lives in this entire universe would be very difficult to live as the result of an abrupt rise in the number…

When the disciples like me lacked enough fortuneYou demonstrated passing away from this world.Though in reality you are beyond birth and death,I, who believe conventional truth, was left without a guardian. From our sacred field, marvellous to behold,Where every lovely tree and flower resides, and the excellent masters and disciples dwell,You departed for the sublime pure realm,Leaving us like orphaned…

“Practice makes a man perfect.” ~Anonymous~ Whether we have spiritual or mundane priorities in our lives, we need to know the correct methods and flawless knowledge that can lead us to accomplishment in order to achieve these goals. We can obtain these tools for success by relying on genuine teachers. Through their guidance we become enlightened and know everything, which…

When I was a child, one of my friend’s uncles told me, “In the 6th century BCE the world’s first university called Nalanda was built. It rose to prominence in the 5th century CE as the greatest monastic-cum-educational institution for listening, contemplating and meditating on the Dharma in the whole Buddhist world. Nalanda’s curriculum included the ‘three baskets of teachings’(Tripitaka)…

The teacher, or guru (Tib: lama), occupies a central position within all the schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Buddha said, “Without a guru there would be no Buddhas and not even a concept of Enlightenment would exist.” All spiritual methods starting from the initial steps of taking refuge to the Bodhisattva vows come from the guru. In scriptures, the guru…

Peerless master! I offer you my three doors;With your compassionate wisdomPlease stare, gaze and beholdTo enlighten me. Rinpoche! I’m calling from afarBut from the pith of my heart.I’m here in thy paradiseBut nowhere could I see thee. Drawing a portrait in the core of my heartTo mine my deep enthusiasm;Guide my spirit to luminosityAnd tune my thought with thy blessings.…

What causes us to be born in the higher or lower realms? This depends on the good and bad actions that we have accumulated. In fact, Samsara itself is produced by our own actions. There is nothing else that delivers us to the higher realms or to the lower realms. Anything good or bad we have experienced or are facing…

Religious harmony means a mutual respect and understanding, shared among the great diversities of religions across the globe. The word harmony means a state free from undesired conflicts and disorders. If a nation is said to be harmonious then that particular country should be devoid of internal strife, disharmony and misunderstandings. Why is it vital for global peace? At this…

It is an undeclared fact that we the ordinary people are always masked and lured by the superficial aspect of phenomena, leaving the inner intrinsic truth in the state of oblivion. Considering this fact, I could not hold my heart from jotting some lines about the Dharma and its practitioners since, as a sign of this degenerate time, many people…