Author Archives: tony

SPIRITUAL GUILT

Spiritual guilt We all feel guilty at times – not aware enough…not practising enough…not compassionate enough… We have an ‘all knowing’ voice in the back of our mind which says, “Well, I’m only human!” Funny that…? Spiritual guilt is an … Continue reading

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I’LL TELL WHAT’S GREAT!

I’ll tell you what’s great!   All the Buddha’s teachings are within us. All the knowledge and wisdomof all the enlightened ones who have ever been, or will be,are also within each one of us.  Like making butter:the ingredients are already within … Continue reading

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FRUSTRATION

Frustration  This is the lot of a human being. We are bound to get frustrated…we are not vegetables! We desire, we aspire and we expect, and when we don’t get what we want, we get frustrated. Frustration is a double-edged … Continue reading

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DISCOVERING YOUR TRUE NATURE

Discovering your true nature  This is the simplest ‘thing’ in the universe:  p u r e  r e c o g n i t i o np u r e  a w a r e n e s sp u … Continue reading

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PURE!…PURE?…PURE!

Pure?…Pure!…Pure? The word pure can easily be misunderstood: it seems to have connotations of something unattainable and scary…“Nobody’s that pure!”  Every thing has contaminants, especially our minds. When talking about ‘pure awareness’ – about this being our true nature – … Continue reading

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TIME IN THE BARDO

Time is the Bardo  The Bardo;the period between death and birth. The length of a day in the Bardois called a ‘meditational day’.  It is equivalent to the length of time(according to Tulku Urgyen)a practitioner is capable of remaining in … Continue reading

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CYNICISM, SCEPTICISM, DISBELIEF ARE ESSENTIAL

Cynicism, Scepticism and Disbelief are Essential  However.Cynicism, Scepticism and Disbeliefhave to go together with an open mind,otherwise we will learn nothingabout emptiness.  We have to dissolve everything, and the Dharma is the vehicle by which we achieve this. If we … Continue reading

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FIRST, BE A DECENT HUMAN BEING

First, be a decent human being  To practise the Dharma, we must first be decent human beings, fitting vessels. Not gods, not jealous god, not animals, not hungry ghosts, not hell beings…just decent human beings.  Decent human beings have morals … Continue reading

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THE SIX REALMS OF SAMSARA

   The Six Realms of Samsara Samsara is a Sanskrit word for the vicious cycle of existences in which we are caught up. The six realms are the descriptions of Samsara. As sentient beings, we have been wandering throughout the … Continue reading

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HOW THE RULERS OF THE WORLD RULE…AND ARE RULED!

How the Rulers of our World rule…and are ruled!  This presentation has to be taken very slowly, as it is easy to misunderstand if taken out of context. It is extremely simple, but the consequences are enormous.  We are all … Continue reading

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PROTECT YOURSELF

Protect Yourself  So, what is self and what is not self?  It is because of our confusionthat protection is necessary.Ultimately, there is no self to protect:it is only the idea of a selfthat thinks it needs protecting.  There is no … Continue reading

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OUR SPIRITUAL WELFARE

Our spiritual welfare Even though we may have a spiritual teacher(s), our spiritual development depends on…us. It will be our motivation that will carry us all the way. This altruistic attitude will attract blessings, but it is our continual aspiration … Continue reading

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RENUNCIATION

Renunciation This is the real Dharma Renunciation is often misunderstood, and can therefore seem scary! “Oh my goodness, I have to give up everything”!?! Dharma renunciation is much more subtle than that: it means not holding on. This has far … Continue reading

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EASY STEPS TO DELUSION

  Easy steps to delusion.   The main problem for new age philosophies is that they take parts of ancient teachings which are complete on the nature of mind, and so only ‘get’ a piece of the picture, which distorts … Continue reading

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BEWARE…THE SCHMALTZ!

Beware…The Schmaltz!  We have to be aware that we are being fed false information, which misdirects us from leading a happy simple life. “Buy more (than you need!)” It would be naive to think otherwise. Remember to work this falsehood … Continue reading

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WHEN DID YOU STOP QUESTIONING YOUR EXISTENCE?

When did you stop questioning your existence?  When did you stop asking yourself, “What’s it all about?” It was probably the moment you learnt to ‘fit in’…you had programmed yourself! It does feel like that, doesn’t it? All nice and … Continue reading

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WITH PRACTICE, OUR PERCEPTION CHANGES

With practice, our perception changes The words we use may be the same, but the understanding of those words refines through experience. Basically, the experience is beyond words. The changes may be subtle and may not seem significant to others, … Continue reading

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BELIEVE YOU CAN DO IT!

Believe you can do it! There comes a time in our lives when we have to trust in something. This doesn’t mean we are absolutely right – everything can be refined – but it’s what we stand by at this … Continue reading

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THE AMOUNT WE RECOGNISE THE SYMBOLIC TEACHER

The amount we recognise the symbolic teacher  The amount we recognise the symbolic teacheris the amount we recognise the inner teacher.  Distracted…awake, distracted…awake, distracted…awake.Distracted…awake,distracted…awake, distracted…awake.Distracted…awake, distracted…awake, distracted…awake.Lack of empathy…compassion, lack of empathy…compassion.Lack of empathy…compassion, lack of empathy…compassion.Lack of empathy…compassion, lack … Continue reading

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WHEN DID YOU STOP QUESTIONING YOUR EXISTENCE

When did you stop questioning your existence?  When did you stop asking yourself, “What’s it all about?” It was probably the moment you learnt to ‘fit in’…you had programmed yourself! It does feel like that, doesn’t it? All nice and … Continue reading

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THE AMOUNT WE ARE COMPASSIONATE

The Amount We Are Compassionate  The amount we are compassionate is equalto the amount we rest in pure awareness.  We get moments of compassion butwe do not notice them and so fall back into selfishness.The moment we lose compassionis the … Continue reading

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THE AMOUNT WE ARE AWAKE

The amount we are awake  The amount we are awake is equalto the amount we rest in pure awareness.  We get moments of wakefulness butwe do not notice and so fall into a vacancy.  The moment we get lost in … Continue reading

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THE CONTINUITY OF ESSENCE

The Continuity of Essence That…That!…is the great secret! If we truly took this to heart, we would never be afraid. Our essence is constant, was never born and never dies. It just is. Through the force of karma, essence enters … Continue reading

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THE BASIC MECHANICS OF MEDITATION

The Basic Mechanics of Meditation This is the time to do nothing but be you.There are two aspects to meditation: mindfulness and awareness. We start with mindfulness practice.Sit with a straight back on a cushion or chair, in a quiet … Continue reading

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THE CAUSE OF SUFFERING

The cause of suffering In general, we are controlled by our emotions. The emotions arise because of ideas we hold about our projected self. These ideas are re-enforced by the environment in which we live, which is due to our … Continue reading

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CONSPIRACIES

  Conspiracies.A secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful  From the Latincon(with) + spirare (to breathe) = to breath together, to whisperWe all know the game ‘Whispers’ leads to rumour and distortion…. To engage on the … Continue reading

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TECHNOPHILIA MIND CONTROL

Technophilia Mind Control The age of mass electronic projection Waking up spiritually is not only about waking up to our absolute spiritual nature, but also to the relative predicament in which we find ourselves. So, we are to wake up … Continue reading

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THE INTANGIBLE IN THE TANGIBLE

The Intangible in the Tangible.  To understand one, we have to understand another.There was a man who recognised the intangible in the tangible.He became unstuck in physical reality,transcending everything just as space.  He is the intangible Buddha.  We are also … Continue reading

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SPIRITUAL COMMUNICATION

Spiritual Communication. You are not alone: we all have similar feelings. If there is something you wish to say here, please feel free to say it, as it may trigger a recognition of  something in others that is bothering them,and may be … Continue reading

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MAY CONFUSION DAWN AS WISDOM

May Confusion Dawn As Wisdom   When we look into the mind and see it is confused,that which sees the confusion is wisdom.  May Confusion Dawn As Wisdom

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“GOD MADE MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGE.”

“God made Man in his own image”  What is God’s image? It cannot be this body of flesh and bones, as it does not last long.It cannot be this mind, as it wanders all over the place. So what is … Continue reading

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SECOND NATURE, FIRST NATURE

Second Nature, First Nature  The Oxford English dictionary defines “Second Nature” as: “a tendency or habit that has become characteristic or instinctive: deceit was becoming second nature to him.” There is a term in English called ‘second nature’: this presupposes that … Continue reading

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WEALTH V KNOWLEDGE

Wealth v Knowledge If we acquire all the wealth in the worldthere is a depletion;others are denied wealthand therefore they suffer.  If we acquire all the knowledge in the worldthere is never a depletion;others are not denied knowledgeand therefore they … Continue reading

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DISSATISFIED EGO LOOKING FOR SATISFACTION

Dissatisfied ego looking for satisfaction  This is a double-edged sword 😉 From one point of view, awareness (consciousness) is trying to hold together the relative picture it has created, and finds that this doesn’t work, as it is not a … Continue reading

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INSIDIOUS ACTIVITY

Insidious Activity I hesitate in putting this on, but feel that people are being abused all over the world. Although we may be spiritually inclined we cannot ignore material matters…  It’s important as Dharma students to know the world in … Continue reading

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The Final Step The final step to the beginning is letting go of recognition.Holding on to recognition is still duality –me and the recognition. . . . . …to be continued… 😉

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AN A.I FOR AN EYE

    An A.I. for an Eye We are the ‘all seeing eye’ – pure awareness – but have substituted this for an Imagined I. We have now, however, gone one stage further, and have substituted this Imagined I for … Continue reading

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WHAT YOU KNOW IS WHAT YOU KNOW

What you know is what you know.  The great Tibetan master Marpa, disciple to Naropa who was a disciple of Tilopa (who had visions and was inspired by Dorje Chang) went to India to collect teachings to bring back to … Continue reading

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ACCEPTING EVERYONE EXACTLY THE WAY THEY ARE

Accept everyone exactly the way they are Accepting everyone exactly the way they areis compassion: we are merely an exaggerationof our true nature and uniqueness. Wouldn’t we all liked to be accepted exactlyhow we are, with our temporary relative attributesand … Continue reading

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Blogger’s update!

New writing on the blog may be sporadic for the next few weeks due to limited internet access 🙂   All the best  Tony

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THE VALUE OF PRAYER

The value of prayer  Sometimes one feels everything is:Futile, fruitless, vain, pointless; useless, worthless, ineffectual, ineffective, inefficacious, to no effect, of no use, in vain, to no avail, unsuccessful, failed, thwarted; unproductive, barren, unprofitable, abortive; impotent, hollow, empty, forlorn, idle, … Continue reading

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Expectations.

Expectation is bound to make us unhappy in a world where we are tricked with treats…enjoy!

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BEING TOLD DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY

Being told don’t worry be happy.  It all depends on context.  If an enlightened teacher says to you,“Don’t worry, be happy,”means be aware and let be.  If the Devil says to you,“Don’t worry, be happy,”means ignore and be submissive.  If … Continue reading

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THE ONLY THING YOU CAN TRUST

The only thing you can trust  The only thing you can trustis your own.Everything else is an impermanent projection.  If we forget all the teachings, all the detail, we can still be aware of being aware: that is all that … Continue reading

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THE PSYCHOLOGY OF EVIL

The Psychology of Evil  The dictionary translates Satan as ‘an adversary’, Lucifer as ‘the morning star’, ‘bringer of light’ or ‘fallen angel’, and Devil as ‘evil spirit’.  From the Buddhist point of view, the Devil/Lucifer/Satan have as much reality as … Continue reading

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LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

  Light in the Darkness  When considering the sunwe cannot ignore the clouds.  The light is pure awareness.The darkness is the dungeon of existence: the mind that has never noticed the light.
  The switch is recognition, 
found through devotion 
and activated … Continue reading

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STRESS

Stress  The scourge (whip) of the Kali Yuga  We cannot consider this subject enough. Stress affects the mind, body and subtle body. One doesn’t have to be an expert on the subtle body to feel the effects of subtle tension … Continue reading

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FANCY A TRIP TO DEWACHEN?

Fancy a trip to Dewachen?  First, we must step out of our chain of cyclic reactions.  If we wish for higher realms such as Dewachen – the realm of infinite joy and happiness – we must break this vicious cycle … Continue reading

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WHY ARE THERE SO MANY PROBLEMS IN LIFE?

Why are there so many problems in life?  Well, we are in the Kali Yuga – ‘The Age of Darkness’. There are many accounts illustrating how leaders will/are going astray, and how this filters down into society.  The four great … Continue reading

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Information about Tsoknyi Rinpoche’s 2014 retreat in the UK.

Information about Tsoknyi Rinpoche’s 2014 retreat in the UK.     Dear Dharma Friends Bruton Retreat Booking for the Easter Retreat opened on December 1st and within 24 hours we’d received 140 applications, many of them for single rooms which number … Continue reading

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