Wisdom and Compassion (Starting with Yourself)

by Tsomo

Overview

Tibetan Buddhist practice isn’t just a matter of what—it’s also a matter of how. This book shows you how.

Building on the foundation in Book 1 (Why Bother?) which together with this book are updated versions of the previously published Why Is The Dalai Lama Always Smiling?, Lama Tsomo gives you the chance to try out these methods and see how they work for you. Wisdom & Compassion: Starting with Yourself provides a lively, approachable guide, sprinkled with humor, for people ready to begin applying the time-tested, lab-tested Tibetan practices to find happiness and peace in their own modern life.

Through step-by-step instructions, photographs, and helpful explanations, Lama Tsomo shares practices that have been used for thousands of years, and teaches how we can experience the rich benefits of meditation. She offers techniques for sharpening our focus, enhancing our relationships, and living each day more mindfully, joyfully, and meaningfully.

Included are a set of beautifully illustrated meditation cards, "Science Tidbits," a glossary of terms, and teachings and practices also presented in Namchak Foundation eCourses and retreats.

Grab your cushion and teacup, and let’s begin!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781951096908
Publisher:	Namchak Publishing, LLC
Publication date:	09/13/2021
Series:	Ancient Wisdom for Our Times Tibetan Buddhist Practice Series
Pages:	160
Sales rank:	872,762
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)
Age Range:	15 - 18 Years

About the Author

Lama Tsomo is an American lama, author, and co-founder of the Namchak Foundation and Namchak Retreat Ranch.

Born Linda Pritzker, Lama Tsomo followed a path of spiritual inquiry and study that ultimately led to her ordination as one of the few American lamas in Tibetan Buddhism, under the tutelage of Tulku Sangak Rinpoche, international holder of the Namchak lineage. Today, she is dedicated to sharing the teachings of the Namchak lineage with Western students. She is especially passionate about reaching young people and supporting those working for positive social change.

Lama Tsomo holds an M.A. in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Jungian studies. She is the author of The Lotus & The Rose: A Conversation Between Tibetan Buddhism & Mystical Christianity.

Table of Contents

Homage ix

Foreword: His Holiness the Dalai Lama xiv xiii

Foreword: Gochen Tulku Sang-ngag xv

Who Is Lama Tsomo? xvii

Prologue To This Series xix

Introduction 1

Methods So We Can See For Ourselves 5

Checking Our Motivation 5

The Tibetan Nose Blow 11

The Theory 11

The Practice 13

The Finer Points 15

Back to the Blow by Blow 19

Connecting 26

Tranquil Abiding 29

Shamata 29

The Actual Practice of Tranquil Abiding-A Brief Introduction 32

Some Shamata Tips 34

Shamata: The Main Event 37

Now What? 40

Mind in Agitated State 40

Unrealistic Expectations 46

When We Realize We've Been Following a Thought 47

Agitation: Perhaps Our Most Popular Pitfall 49

Dullness, the Other Pitfall 52

Yet Another Pitfall: Great Experiences 54

Beginning the Session 55

Ending the Session 58

In Conclusion 59

My Own Little Experiment 62

Tonglen 65

The Setup 66

The Actual Practice 67

Questions (and Answers!) 71

Additional Comments 74

Doing Daily Practice 77

Round Robin 77

Sample Daily Practice Session 79

The Practice of Doing Daily Practice 80

Working It into Your Schedule 81

How to Do a Prostration 83

Setting 84

Frame of Mind 85

In Closing-Some Words Of Advice 89

A Word or Two about Drugs 90

More Support-Why Not? 92

Empowerments 95

Refuge Ceremony 97

More about the Three Jewels 97

What Will Refuge in the Three Jewels Do for Me? 101

How Will I Know if I'm Ready to Take Refuge? 102

More Follow-Through: Some Qualified Teachers 102

The Next Step-When You're Really Ready 104

Appendix A How to Find or Start a Group 107

Appendix B Glossary Ill

Appendix C Recommended Reading. 116

Appendix D Credits & Permissions 1-1

Index 123

Lama Sangak Yeshe Tsomo: Curriculum Vitae 126

Acknowledgments 131