Try A Relaxation Practice
Meditation has been scientifically proven to boost the immune system, lower blood pressure, relieve depression, increase productivity, and promote creative thinking. Mindfulness, which has its roots in the teachings of the Buddha, can be a transformative practice for Buddhist and secular practitioners alike. The practice of compassion, or Bodhicitta which is central to the Buddhist path, has also been proven to improve health, emotional well being, increase happiness, improve personal relationships, and benefit families and communities at large.
Meditation is not about trying to turn off your thoughts and emotions. It is about training in awareness and learning to observe your thoughts and feelings without judgment.
A simple practice that anyone can learn, is called The Nine Relaxation Breaths. This is a short breath cleansing practice that can be done at any time and is traditionally done at the beginning of any meditation practice.
Try the Practice of the Nine Relaxation Breaths
Close your eyes and keep them closed as much as possible until the end of the process. You will be taking nine deep relaxation breaths.
For the first three breaths, breathe into any physical tension you are holding in your body, then hooking that tension with the breath, release it with the out breath.
For the second three breaths, breathe into any emotional tension you are holding, notice where you are holding emotional tension in your body, then hooking that tension with the breath, release it with the out breath.
For the third three breaths, breathe into any mental tension or worries you are holding, notice where you are holding mental tension in your body, then hook that tension with the breath, release it with the out breath.
Sit quietly and notice how you feel. Open your eyes. (This is a breathing exercise for setting the stage in the Five-Step Process of Feeding Your Demons®, page 257 in Feeding Your Demons: Ancient Wisdom for Resolving Inner Conflict)
Try Shamatha Meditation
Shamatha (Skt. śamatha; Tib. ཞི་གནས་, shiné) or Calm Abiding meditation is a foundational practice that cultivates concentration and clarity of mind. The achievement of Shamatha, or meditative quiesence, is widely regarded in the Buddhist tradition as an indispensable foundation for the cultivation of contemplative insight (Vipashyana) and other more advanced meditative techniques.
Lama Tsultrim learned several methods of Shamatha meditation from Apho Rinpoche and Trungpa Rinpoche over the many decades of her studies as a nun and a lay practitioner. The method of Shamatha taught at Tara Mandala is from Lama Tsultrim’s study and practice under Trungpa Rinpoche.
Instructions on Shamatha Meditation with Lama Tsultrim Allione
Vipashyana (Skt. vipaśyanā; Tib.ལྷག་མཐོང་, lhaktong) means “special insight” and refers to the contemplative insight that dawns when one sees into the true nature of self and phenomena. The image that Trungpa Rinpoche used for Vipashyana was that of “a flash of lightning in a clear night sky.” The illumination that occurs due to Vipashyana gives rise to the experience of ‘non-self’, which the Buddha taught as the key to awakening to our true nature, enlightenment.
Learning to meditate is like learning any other skill; it takes consistent practice to gain ease and proficiency. It is important to have a qualified teacher as you progress along the path to guide you in your experience and answer questions as they arise.
Another introductory practice that can be done by anyone at any level is the five-step Feeding Your Demons® Process developed by Lama Tsultrim. This process distills the teachings and practice of the 11th-century Tibetan yogini Machig Labdrön for the Western practitioner and is laid out in her book, Feeding Your Demons: Ancient Wisdom for Resolving Inner Conflict. The method enables one to offer compassion and understanding to one’s inner ‘demons’ rather than engaging in a struggle with them. This allows the psyche to move from polarization toward integration.
You can learn the transformative five-step practice of Feeding Your Demons® in our Feeding Your Demons® Kapala Level I Course..Find out more about our Feeding Your Demons® Certification Program if you would like to become a certified facilitator and benefit others.
Guided practice of Feeding Your Demons® with Lama Tsultrim Allione
Photo credit: Josh BrownleeDeepen Your Practice with Mahayana Principles
In Tibetan, the term for meditation is gompa, which means “to familiarize.” It is called this for a reason. Gaining comfort and ease in meditation takes practice and patience. We can’t expect to get it right or perfect right away, it will take time to learn new ways to relate to your own mind, your own thoughts and feelings. When beginning a meditation practice, what is most important is to meditate consistently and not give up. There may be flurries of thoughts, emotional upheavals, or other experiences that feel like setbacks. That’s OK. Just keep practicing, keep familiarizing yourself with the practice, and try to remain free of expectation and attachment. This is all part of the “practice.” As many wise teachers have taught, the path itself is the goal. It is more about the journey than the destination.
If you have learned Shamatha meditation and have been engaging in daily or frequent practice, we recommend learning quintessential Buddhist practices that further bring your meditation efforts inline with how you relate to the world:
The Four Immeasurables, Lojong (Mind Training) & Cultivating Bodhicitta
Learn about the four qualities to be cultivated through contemplation and meditation: Love, Compassion, Equanimity, and Joy. These are foundational teachings for all practitioners. In addition, Lojong, or Mind-Training, slogans are pith statements that help us to transform adversity and joy onto the path of wholeness and awakening. These are key teachings on compassion, including the meditation practice of Tonglen (Sending & Taking).
Discover Vajrayana
At its core, Tara Mandala focuses on the teachings of the Vajrayana vehicle, and within that the teachings of the Great Perfection (Dzog Chen) and the lineage of Machig Labdrön, the founder of the Chöd lineage.
Tara Mandala has several long-term practice paths for practitioners who would like to develop a daily practice and move through a series of practices to develop themselves:
Our Magyu: The Mother Lineage, developed by Lama Tsultrim Allione, is an innovative path rooted in traditional Buddhist teachings, emphasizing the importance of both spiritual and emotional growth of the individual.
Photo by Josh Brownlee
Photo by Josh BrownleeThe The Mandala Method offers an exploration into the ancient Buddhist template of the mandala as it applies to our inner path of transformation and our outer experience in the world.
The Ösel Nyingtig: Heart Essence of Luminosity is a multiple-year program for dedicated practitioners who desire a profound and direct path to realization. Lama Tsultrim Allione and her son Dorje Gyaltsab Tulku Ösel Dorje (Costanzo Allione) teach together for the first time.
Our Gateway Program consists of a traditional Vajrayana three-year solitary retreat curriculum in the Dzinpa Rangdrol (Self Liberation of Clinging) teachings, adapted for the modern practitioner living in the world.
Many of the retreats at Tara Mandala may be attended by anyone, whenever prerequisites are required they will be listed clearly.
Visit our complete listing of retreats to begin your journey in Vajrayana or contact the registrar here for further guidance.
For those interested in foundational learning and practice, we offer The Heart of Buddhism: A Yearlong Buddhist Studies Program.
What is a Ḍākinī?
Dakini in Sanskrit, Khandro in Tibetan, literally means “sky dweller” or “sky dancer,” and is the most sacred aspect of the feminine principle in Tibetan Buddhism, embodying both humanity and divinity in feminine form.
Dakinis may appear differently in various contexts; when needed, she may appear as fierce and intense or playful and nurturing. At other times she may appear outrageous or repulsive in order to cut through conceptual thinking and mistaken perception. She may appear as a human being, as a goddess, either peaceful or wrathful, or she may be perceived as the general play of energy in the phenomenal world.
In general, the dakini represents the ever-changing flow of energy with which the yogic practitioner must work in order to become realized. Ultimately, all women are seen as some kind of dakini manifestation.
If you would like to experience the Mandala of the Five Wisdom Dakinis and learn more about the energy of the sacred feminine in Tibetan Buddhism, we encourage you to consider taking our Wisdom Rising Self-Paced Program based on the teachings of Lama Tsultrim Allione.
In her book Wisdom Rising, Lama Tsultrim states:
The dakini is a messenger of spaciousness and a force of truth, presiding over the funeral of self-deception. Wherever we cling, she cuts; whatever we think we can hide, even from ourselves, she reveals. The dakini traditionally appears during transitions: moments between worlds, between life and death, in visions between sleep and waking, in cemeteries and charnel grounds. (pg. 13)
Meet Lama Tsultim Allione in person with Lama Live! This is our free weekly livestream event where we gather for meditation, prayer, and teachings from Lama Tsultrim and other guest teachers.
Dakinis guard the most private details of spiritual practice, so that only those with the purest motivation are able to penetrate its essence. Without the blessing of the dakini, fruition of Vajrayana Buddhism is said to be impossible.
Often, the dakini appears when a spiritual practitioner is making the transition from an intellectual to an experiential approach. This is seen in the biography of Saraha:
The well known monk and scholar Saraha felt it was time to leave his university to go in search of a Tantric teacher. On the way he saw a young woman making arrows in a marketplace. He was fascinated by her and when he approached her and asked if she was a professional arrowsmith she replied: “My dear young man, the Buddha’s meaning can be known through symbols and actions, not through words and books.”
After this he understood the symbolic meaning of the arrow and then he began living with this low-caste women, accepting her as his teacher. This outraged the religious community as he had been a pure brahmin. The famous dohas of Saraha, his songs of realization, were his response to the king, the queen and the people, who challenged his religious understanding because he had gone to live with this dakini.
Finally, on an absolute level, the real wisdom dakini is the empty quality of luminous awareness. In this way, the great mother Dharmakaya is the basis for all the dakinis.
Read more about Green Tara & the 21 Taras here.
Practice Resources
- Long Life Prayers
- Lama Tsultrim Long Life Prayers
- Lama Tsultrim 70th Birthday Booklet & Long Life Prayers
- Long Life Prayer for Orgyen Khakhyab Lingpa
- Long Life Prayer for Tsoknyi Rinpoche
- Long Life Prayer for Lama Wangdu
- Long Life Prayer for Tulku Sang ngag Rinpoche
- Long Life Prayer for Lama Sonam Tsering
- Long Life Prayer For Namchak Khenpo
- Long Life Prayer For Chagdüd Khandro
- Long Life Prayer For Venerable Drubpön Lama Karma
- Long Life Prayer For Rigdzin Longyang Rinpoche
- Prayer to All the Lamas
- Ngang Drak Rigdzin
- Meal Chant
- Bodhicitta and Dedication
- Nine Breaths
- Song to Rouse Joy by Tulku Sang-ngag Rinpoche
- Prayer of Samantabhadra for Solstice
- Three Kaya Prayer
- Taking Happiness & Sorrow On the Path
- Jigme Lingpa Tsog
- The Faithful Student Song
- E-friendly version of the text
- Recording of Jetsunma Khachö Wangmo singing the Faithful Student Song (recording made by Daniel Donner)
- Praise to Machig Labdron
- Elemental Prayer
- The Three Candles
The calendar below shows the key practice days, holidays, and anniversaries according to the Tibetan lunar calendar based on the Phugpa tradition.
Note: To import this calendar into your own Google calendar, please click here. Then click the “+ Google Calendar” on the bottom right corner of this calendar.
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