First of the Mind Management series in Taipei‧March 16
Learning about the mind: First, forget who we are

In the middle of March, Khenpo Dawa from Hong Kong, Khenpo Chonyi from Nepal, and Khenpo Tengye from Taiwan gathered in Taipei to teach the first level of the Mind Management series to students.
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Ven. Qing Xi, the host, entertained the students with her humor, and the crowd basked in laughter as they waited for class to begin. Ani Jangchub, director of Thrangu Dharmakara, introduced the speakers Khenpo Dawa, Khenpo Chonyi, and Khenpo Tengye, who successively entered the room donning homemade spacesuits. Wearing helmets with their monastic robes, the three Khenpos amusingly enacted the three stages we experience on the path from ignorance to enlightenment: The beginner, lost in chasing after external phenomena; the Bodhisattva who benefits others while accomplishing one’s purpose; the enlightened one with perpetual mindfulness and awareness, who realizes he has never been apart from Bodhicitta.

Khenpo Tengye began by asking students about their observations, pointing out that the mind is located in a place where it can perceive the self that is making the observations. “Do you know your own mind?” Khenpo continued by explaining the key to ending suffering: If we can maintain clarity and awareness, we will be able to manage the mind.

Next, Khenpo Dawa said that we become in control of ourselves once we recognize the mind. We must intentionally practice recognizing our minds daily to engender change. Once it becomes a habit, we will be able to see our minds effortlessly. In addition, we need to give rise to the virtuous mind of Bodhicitta. A virtuous intention brings forth favorable conditions, creating ripples of virtue that become an antidote to the afflictions caused by self-grasping.

After a brief break at noon, the three Khenpos led the audience on a discussion about the mind. They gave prompts like “What is the mind?” and “Why do I feel pain mentally?”, alternating students between speaker and listener roles. Students learned how to speak with a virtuous motivation and what it takes to be a good listener. They also asked Khenpos questions varying from “Do you use swear words?” to “How to differentiate between ordinary anger and compassionate anger ?” Through these lively, animated, and enthusiastic exchanges on profound topics, they learned how Khenpos identify and understand the mind.

Towards the end of class, Khenpo Chonyi walked to the front of the room and reminded everyone, “To learn about the mind, first we have to forget who we are.” No matter if it’s external phenomena or the internal mind, form or formless, the Dharma gradually shows that all afflictions come from ourselves. He quotes from The Way of the Bodhisattva, “Cultivation of Bodhicitta is the desire for perfect, complete enlightenment for others’ benefit”. By generating genuine Bodhicitta and simultaneously implementing it within our lives, we can truly benefit ourselves, those around us, and countless other sentient beings. Bodhicitta is not only a virtue that we can practice, but it is also a precious jewel of the world.

First of the Mind Management series in Taipei‧March 17
——The vast mind accommodates every single being

Before the second day of classes began, the Taipei classroom was already packed with students eager to learn more about their minds. During the first morning session, Khenpo Tengye compared our actual minds to the vast mountains in Nepal — it is open and limitless. However, distractions and self-grasping obstruct us from seeing our innate Bodhicitta, so we ignore the mind which has never been separate from us. Thrangu Rinpoche once reminded Khenpo Tengye to “practice slowly in order to arrive quickly”; it is better to slow down and conduct listening, contemplation and meditation daily instead of being in a hurry. This forms a stable connection between the mind and the Dharma and is the actual method to control the mind.

How do we connect to our Bodhicitta in daily activities? Khenpo Dawa guided students on a loving-kindness and compassion meditation based on Atisha’s mind training teachings. While breathing calmly, we visualize in front of us our parents or those we are grateful to, contemplating thoughts like “Have I returned their gratitude?” and “Am I willing to take on their suffering? Give them happiness?” We can generate loving-kindness and compassion through this practice. By facing our friends, family, and situations around us with a softened heart, we gradually train ourselves to become genuine Bodhisattvas.

In the afternoon discussion, students asked one another questions like “Why should we help others?” and “Is helping easier said than done?” The three Khenpos respectively illustrated their answers through examples: Humans are unable to survive without relying on other people and external phenomena. Helping others is akin to watering a plant — in turn, we benefit from the oxygen produced by the plant; whatever help we provide to others ultimately becomes beneficial to ourselves.

Next, Khenpo Chonyi explained how to develop Bodhicitta using the Four Immeasurables. The Four Immeasurables are loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, which are founded upon the idea that all sentient beings are equal. Equanimity, an antidote to self-grasping, weakens the attachment that creates a distinction between self and others, and removes the limitations of the mind. He emphasized that the object of refuge is actually ourselves. Only we can aspire to generate Bodhicitta; we are the ones able to continuously observe and adjust our minds. We should stop waiting for others to act and take the initiative to benefit ourselves and others. In this way, we can genuinely receive the Dharma’s blessings and tame our minds.

As the class drew towards an end, Khenpo Dawa picked up yesterday’s ‘space helmet’ and made aspirations for each student to be endowed with clarity and awareness in their daily lives. He encouraged them to use a pure and virtuous motivation to create a peaceful and beautiful world together.

Ani Jangchub, on behalf of Thrangu Dharmakara, offered khadas to the three Khenpos, thanking them for teaching the class. The Khenpos also presented little gifts for all the students, hoping they can manage their minds and practice the Dharma daily.