THE PATH OF STILLNESS

[Exploring consciousness for the benefit of all beings]

ABOUT ME

"O mind, make  this  resolve: I am bound to  others.
From now on you must not be concerned with anything but the welfare of all sentient beings."

Shantideva

My name is Chökyi (which in Tibetan means "joy in dharma"), and I am an aspiring yogini in solitary shamatha retreat within the Buddhist tradition of Dzogchen.I longed to enter  retreat from the first time I came into contact with  Lama Alan Wallace´s shamatha and Dogzchen teachings in 2016, even though at the time I barely knew any Buddhist dharma and  I didn´t really know what a life devoted retreat would entail. In less than a year, and with very little preparation, I had left my job to join the winter retreat in Holy Island, followed by Lama Alan´s 2-month retreat in Tuscany. Shortly after, in July 2017, I entered solitary retreat under his guidance and I have never looked back.My interest in meditation began as a result of  delving into the relationship between body and mind through years of practice as a complementary therapist,  slowly coming to realize that sustainable, genuine wellbeing and authentic alleviation of suffering come from deeply understanding and transforming the mind. Parallel to this, a deep yearning to help others become free of suffering began to grow in my heart.
I started researching and practicing different meditation techniques, eventually qualifiying as a MBSR teacher, but I found that the secular approach to meditation did not offer the depth of practice and knowledge I was seeking.
It was then that I encountered Lama Alan´s teachings and became interested in shamatha and the Buddhist contemplative approach to training the mind.

I believe  that sustainable, positive change in the world can only occur through the radical transformation and healing of one´s mind to depths that we can´t even conceive of within our society´s current understanding of reality and human consciousness, but that have been  experienced, and embodied again and again by contemplatives through milennia.
It is my heart´s deepest wish to fully devote my life to the path of Dzogchen, exploring the potential of the mind and of human consciousness through rigorous contemplative practices in strict meditation retreat. I feel this is the most meaningful way I can be of service to humanity.
Through participating in the scientific research program at the Center for Contemplative Research, I hope to help map the knowledge and develop the methods for cultivating the inner and outer harmony and peace urgently needed for the flourishing of this planet.
If you wish to help me in my journey of research and discovery, you can contribute to my retreat by donating here.

"This is the Buddha’s view, this is what he has found to be true: consciousness is not physical, it goes back and back, and it will continue, continue; suffering and its causes can be removed from the mind utterly – and that’s a pretty revolutionary concept, philosophically and psychologically – and that every being has this got this potential. And it’s got far more subtle levels of cognition than we posit in modern psychology and neuroscience.
The Hindus discovered this before the Buddha: with shamatha, they accessed these subtler levels of their own mind.
And still today there are people like you and me, up in the mountains, metaphorically or actually, accomplishing this single-pointed concentration.
It is not a dead technique. It’s a living technique, and it was around well before the Buddha; he happily took it with him when he diverged in his own direction."

Venerable Robina Courtin

I want to thank Lama Alan for his teachings and guidance, for his kindness, patience and trust in me; my loving, patient and generous parents; my vajra brothers and sisters, for their continuous encouragement and support;  and all of my friends, with many of whom I have not spoken for several years, for their patience and understanding.

RETREAT

May I be the medicine and the physician for the sick,
may I be their nurse until their illness never recurs.With showers of food and drink, may I overcome the afflictions of hunger and thirst.May I become food and drink in times of famine.May I be a protector to those without protection,
a guide for travellers
and a boat, a bridge, a passage
for those desiring the further shore.May I be a lamp for those who seek light,
a bed for those who seek rest,
and may I be a servant for all sentient beings who desire a servant.For as long as space endures,
and for as long as living beings remain,
until then may I too abide,
to dispel the misery of the world.

Shantideva

ASPIRATION

The above verses embody the heart´s aspiration to help others that is the only and authentic motivation for entering and sustaining strict retreat: bodhicitta, or the aspiration to become enlightened in order to free all beings of suffering and its causes, which leads one to engage in the long process of fathoming the nature of consciousness, of our Buddha nature, through precise, rigorous and demanding methods of meditative practice.I haven´t been gifted with great meditation abilities, and my path has been and continues to be blessed with many obstacles, so the task seems monumental, unattainable...  But through my dedication over the years, a sense has been developing of what might be possible if you persevere; this, together with my absolute trust in the teachings of the Düdjom lineage, nurture my resolve and my dedication to this path. Whether I´ll become enlightened in this life, I don´t know, but I have no doubt devoting it to trying is the worthiest journey that I can undertake.

ACTION

"Although we all want happiness,
We ignorantly destroy it, like an enemy.
Although we want no misery,
We rush to create its cause."

Shantideva

We all wish to be happy, well and safe, but in a society dominated by widespread materialistic views, we try to fulfil  this innermost longing by searching for sources of happiness externally, in all the wrong places.
Consumerism and the pursue of hedonic pleasure (the acquisition of wealth, possessions, power and  fame), are presented as sources of happiness, but they only  lead to anxiety, dissatisfaction, violence, and other harmful states of mind... And eventually to our own destruction through that of our planet.
With all our sophisticated technological advances, we  are still unaware of the authentic, sustainable sources of happiness (so we destroy it, like an enemy). This implies that we´re also unaware of the true causes of our suffering, and therefore  unable to neither imagine, nor develop, realistic, efficient and sustainable solutions for it.
Because of our ignorance of such crucial points, we can´t serve our true needs,  and  our potential for living with greater harmony and meaning remains undiscovered.It is time to reclaim  the timeless wisdom of the ancient contemplative and mystic traditions: central to them is the concept  that the mind is the source of our negativity and suffering,  that the chaotic world that we experience is an expression of  our inner chaos, turmoil and imbalance... But that all beings have the innate capacity for enlightenment and unimaginable freedom, a fundamental, eternal core of purity, goodness, wisdom, and compassion, which we cannot access, not even suspect its existence, in our ordinary, habitual mode of perception, so hidden it is by clouds of ignorance. This extraordinary, natural state of perfection, can be revealed and attained through sophisticated meditative methods developed and proven to work by contemplatives over millennia, methods that purify the mind, dispelling away the ignorance, anger, greed and self-centeredness that obscure the view of our radiant essence.

Throughout the centuries, countless individuals, moved by compassion and faith in these wisdom teachings, have retired for years and decades, even whole lives, into caves and wilderness, into silence and solitude, in order to put them into practice, to accomplish what they promise, to be able to inspire and bring others to the same state of freedom.
I want to folllow in their footsteps.I feel it's crucial that these teachings and methods are explored and brought to their realization in western society, under the scrutiny of the scientific method, to generate the trust and awe they deserve, and that our culture cannot currently grant them due to our pervading materialistic ideology.
I am confident the knowledge that we can bring back from this quest can revolutionise our understanding of human consciousness, bring clarity upon questions essential to our well-being, such as the nature of authentic happiness and its causes, and unprecedentedly open our eyes to what is possible for us to achieve, to be, in terms of virtue, goodness, love and compassion.

"This is not  a path of escapism but of immersion to a more authentic way of being and acting in the world so that we may be come agents of healing.
We are not retreating from outer service, we are engaging in very deep inner service.

-Lama Alan Wallace

SHAMATHA

Called “zhiney” or “shine” in Tibetan, it can be translated as abiding or remaining in calm, or as serene presence of mind.Shamata meditation is the indispensable foundation for all other types of meditation, which cannot be cultivated to their highest expression without exceptionally trained attention and a mind free from distracting habits and strong mental afflictions.
It is the basis of the meditative practices of all contemplative and mystic traditions of the world. However, there is no need to be religious to engage in the practice of shamatha; you can enjoy its benefits regardless of your belief system.
It could be described as contemplative technology for developing, refining and being able to sustain attention, clarity of mind, inner stillness and the ability not to be carried away by thoughts and afflictive emotions into distraction or into causing harm.
It is essential for investigating, from the first person perspective, the nature of the mind and its potential.In the Buddhist tradition, mind is the sole motivator of all our actions, and the creator of all our happiness and suffering. It is therefore essential to get to know our mind if we want to transform our life from confusion and suffering to clarity and happiness.The goal of shamatha is to achieve samadhi, a state of unprecedented mental focus, quiescence and balance, indispensable to correctly and efficiently engage in all other meditative practices, including vipashyana, Vajrayana practices of generation and completion, Mahamudra, Dzogchen and many others.

PRACTICE IN RETREAT

There are several ways of practicing shamatha, such as all the variations of mindfulness of breathing, taking the mind as the path, or shamatha without a sign.
Although the methods are simple, their continuous practice, as required in retreat, is not. For meaningful progress to take place, it is indispensable to stablish and maintain an unbroken practice, one that flows seamlessly from a formal meditation session into everyday activities. This requires single-pointedness dedication, a life of great simplicity, silence and solitude, a complete reorganization of one´s priorities and desires in order to create the outer and inner environments in which progress can be made. It cannot be accomplished while maintaining what is considered a normal lifestyle, with all its pressures, demands and distractions. It calls for all of one´s dedication, time and effort, and a level of commitment equal to that of Olympic athletes.
Progress is slow, often developing over years and even decades of full-time practice.It is normal for yogis in intensive retreat to encounter many obstacles and difficulties, which can be external (adversity in their environment) or internal (unsettling or deeply challenging physical and mental experiences).
Shamatha training is neither pleasant nor peaceful... It is usually the opposite . The right motivation is necessary to nurture the courage and endurance needed when facing these challenges, and the guidance of a qualified lama or guru who can give instructions on how to process such experiences,  is essential.

THE GIFTS OF SHAMATHA

According to the accounts of dedicated yogis, these are some of the benefits of sustained shamatha practice:- A transparent mind that comes to know itself in all of its manifestations and hidden dimensions, its darkness, aberrations, catastrophes, toxins, its glories and virtues… A clearer vision of how your mind works.- A mind that, able to remain in equipoise and serenity, relates to its contents in a sane, balanced way, and is less susceptible to be swayed or compelled by disturbing emotions into negative or harmful actions of body, speech or thinking.- A simultaneous process of the diminishing of mental afflictions (anger, envy, jealousy, resentment, arrogance, greed...) and the flourishing of altruistic tendencies, the yearning for virtue and the strengthening of ethical conduct.- The revelation that the natural human disposition is one of caring for others and desiring to benefit them, while the mental afflictions are adventitious and not part of the essential nature of our mind.- Naturally present joy and bliss, which do not require the intervention of any external or internal stimuli to be generated, are revealed and experienced as an intrinsic aspect of the mind.- Resilience to endure any adversity that comes one´s way and the ability to imbue it with meaning, to turn it into a positive transformational experience and to find the hidden blessings in it.- Experiencing first-hand the boundless potential for the cultivation of the heart´s qualities: love, compassion, empathetic joy and equanimity for all sentient beings without exception.- Fewer material desires and authentic contentment with a life of simplicity.- Being able to flourish and be joyful while in complete tune with reality: with the reality that death can happen at any time, the reality of change and impermanence (of relationships, of status, of reputation, of health, of material possessions and financial situation), and the reality that relying on hedonia only (placing our hopes for well-being on external sources), will never deliver the authentic happiness we seek. This is due to the contentment that emerges from the cultivation of eudaimonia: a sense of well-being that flows from within and that we bring to the world instead of taking it from it, arising from ethics, samadhi (a highly developed, clear mind, free from afflictions) and wisdom (knowing things as they truly are).

CONTEMPLATIVE SCIENCE

“The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence.”

Nikola tesla

For detailed information on contemplative science, please visit the  Center for Contemplative Research website.

RESOURCES

May the information in this section help you start or deepen your spiritual search. May you benefit many beings and become a source of Love, Truth and Wisdom in this world.

BUDDHIST TEACHINGS

OTHER RELIGIONS

RESEARCH ON MEDITATION AND THE NATURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS

MOVIES

MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION

LUCID DREAMING

OTHER

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

BUDDHIST TEACHINGS

SBI COURSES
Courses and teachings by Lama Alan Wallace.CONTEMPLATIVE CONSCIOUSNESS NETWORK
Courses by Lama Alan and other teachers.VAJRAYANA INSTITUTE
Teaching by different lamas, including Alan Wallace.HEART TEACHINGS
Teachings by Lama Tarchin.DUDJOM INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION
The official website of His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche III Sangye Pema Shepa.GARCHEN BUDDHIST INSTITUTE
Teachings by Garchen Rinpoche.BODHICITTA SANGHA
Teachings by Khenpo Sherab Sangpo.HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA
Official websiteDRUPON LAMA KARMA
Teachings by Drupon Lama Karma.JETSUNMA TENZIN PALMO
Teachings by Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo.ROBINA COURTIN
Teachings by Venerable Robina Courtin.THUBTEN CHODRON
Extensive teachings by Ven. Thubten Chodron.LAMA LENA
Lama Lena (Yeshe Kaytup) is a teacher of Direct Mind Perception meditation (Dzogchen & Mahamudra) and a lineage holder of several Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Her informal style is precise and direct and she is revered by students around the world for her exceptional ability to share profound teachings in a clear, poetic, and humorous way.EVA NATANYA
Buddhist and Christian teachings by Eva Natanya.GLEN SVENSSON
Glen has been a student and practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism since 1995 and graduated from the seven-year Masters Program in Advanced Buddhist Studies of Sutra and Tantra at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa in 2004. Since 2005 he has taught and led meditation retreats in India, Europe, North America and Australia with a clear and structured teaching style emphasizing the integration of philosophical view, meditation and daily life conduct.JAMES LOW
James Low is a disciple and teacher in the Byangter and Khordong lineages of the late Chhimed Rigdzin Lama. James regularly teaches the principles of dzogchen in Europe and he publishes translations and commentaries from time to time.LOBSANG TENPA
Buddhist translator, meditation instructor and teacher of EcoDharma, secular ethics, emotional balance and CEB program.THICH NHAT HANH
Teachings by Thich Nhat Hanh and Plum Village sangha.THE MERIDIAN TRUST
An extensive library of teachings by many different lamas. Through the medium of film and video The Meridian Trust serves to convey Tibetan Buddhist values to the rest of humanity, transcending differences of nationality and faith and building bridges between the peoples of the world.THE BUDDHIST SOCIETY
The Society conducts its own courses on Buddhism, which are free to attend. Public lectures and publications as well.STUDY BUDDHISM
An extensive source of authentic Buddhist teachings, presented in a down-to-earth and practical way. Free of charge and free of adverts, our aim is to make the wisdom of Tibet available and accessible to our modern world.FPMT
Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition.
Teachings by Lama Yeshe, Lama Zopa and many more.SHAMATHA.ORG
Shamatha in the Theravada tradition. Classes through weekly sessions as well as weekend and sometimes longer residential courses. All offered for free.FOREST DHAMMA
Forest Dhamma monastery is a monastic community in the lineage of Ajaan Mahā Boowa whose primary focus is on the Buddhist practices of the Thai Forest Tradition. Free downloadable books.BUDDHIST SOCIETY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
We're a Buddhist centre serving the global community irrespective of age, colour or creed. We offer numerous resources and support to those interested in practicing the Dhamma.
The BSWA was formed in 1973 with the goal that people will be able to hear the Dhamma, practice the Dhamma and realise the Dhamma for themselves. The Dhamma is the teachings given by the Lord Buddha over 2600 years ago, and those teachers point to an underlying and transcendent reality which everyone can experience directly for themselves. In order to see reality as it truly is without the fetters of craving and desire, the Buddha established a series of practices taken together are referred to as the Eightfold Path. This path of practice includes developing generosity and kindness, morality, and meditation, leading to the unfolding of wisdom.BUDDHO.ORG
Shamatha in the Theravada tradition.
Our mission is to enable people to live a moral, mindful and meaningful life, in the spirit of Theravada Buddhism. The foundation believes that the method of samatha meditation (concentration meditation) on buddho can offer a valuable and essential contribution to this goal.COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY INTRODUCTION TO BUDDHISM COURSE BY ROBERT THURMAN
Free course. An overview of the history and philosophy of Buddhism throughout India, South and Southeast Asia, Tibet, and Central Asia, featuring the basics of the Buddhist view of reality and its educational principles of sciences, mind and social ethics.INTERNATIONAL BUDDHIST ACADEMY
All courses free of cost. The IBA STUDIES ONLINE website has been created to offer students from all over the world access to the Dharma courses held over the past years at the International Buddhist Academy in Kathmandu, Nepal.NAMO BUDDHA PUBLICATIONS
Non-profit, all-volunteer organization which has the mission to collect and make available
all of Thrangu Rinpoche’s teachings at a reasonable price.
Very cheap or free ebooks and teachings from a variety of teachers and authors like
Namkhai Norbu, Keith Dowman, Mingyur Rinpoche, Tai Situ Rinpoche, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche and many more...LOTSAWA HOUSE
Teachings from Buddhist masters over the centuries.BUDDHANET
Teachings, free e-books on all schools of Buddhism.TREASURY OF LIVES
A Biographical Encyclopedia of Buddhist masters of Tibet, inner Asia, and the Himalaya.DAKINI POWER
Female practitioners in Tibetan Buddhism.

OTHER RELIGIONS

NISARGADATTA MAHARAJ
Advaita VedantaSRI RAMANA MAHARSHI
Advaita VedantaTHE WORLD COMMUNITY FOR CHRISTIAN MEDITATIONANTHONY DE MELLO
Jesuit priest known for integrating western and eastern spirituality.FATHER FRANCIS V. TISO
Catholic priest who has investigated the phenomenon of rainbow body.WISDOM HERMITAGE
Father Silouan, Orthodox Christain hermit. Contemplative tradition of Orthodox Christianity and Hesycasm.GOLDEN SUFI
Naqshbandiyya-Mujaddidiyya Order of Sufism. Teachings by Irina Tweedy and
Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.THE STUDY SOCIETY
"The Study Society is both a physical and virtual place where you can find rest and refreshment amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life. We share practical ways to help further inner peace, happiness and spiritual growth. Our charity organises weekly classes, member gatherings, discussion groups, and events to help connect people with deep levels of stillness, truth and love".

RESEARCH ON MEDITATION AND THE NATURE OF CONSCIOUSNESS

CCR
The Center for Contemplative ResearchTHE SHAMATHA PROJECT
The International Shamatha Project will bring together dedicated Buddhist teachers and meditators from both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism to collaborate in exploring the most effective methods and conditions for achieving shamatha in today's world.UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA DIVISION OF PERCEPTUAL STUDIES
Founded in 1967 by Dr. Ian Stevenson, the Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS) is a highly productive university-based research group devoted to the investigation of phenomena that challenge mainstream scientific paradigms regarding the nature of the mind/brain relationship. Researchers at DOPS are focused on studying phenomena related to consciousness functioning beyond the confines of the physical body, and phenomena that suggest continuation of consciousness after physical death.PIM VAN LOMMEL
For more than twenty years, the cardiologist Pim van Lommel has studied near-death experiences (NDEs) in patients who survived a cardiac arrest. In 2001, he and his fellow researchers published a study on Near Death Experiences in the renowned medical journal The Lancet. He, then, wrote the Dutch bestseller Endless Consciousness.NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE RESEARCH FOUNDATION-NDERF
NDERF is devoted to the study of NDE and support of those experiencing NDE and related experiences.DONALD HOFFMAN
Neuroscientist

MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION

TARA BRACH
Psychologist, author and teacher of meditation, emotional healing and spiritual awakening.PALOUSE MINDFULNESS
Here you will find a complete MBSR course, designed for people who are not able to take a live MBSR course for financial or logistical reasons. All of the materials used in the live courses I taught, including guided meditations, articles and videos, are freely available.CULTIVATING EMOTIONAL BALANCE
Cultivating Emotional Balance (CEB) is an educational training committed to utilizing the experience of emotion as a path for developing the happiness of being for ourselves and in relationship to others. By integrating the wisdom traditions of modern psychology, current emotion research, and contemplative practices, CEB provides a secular platform for transformation.

MOVIES

TUKDAM: BETWEEN WORLDS
This feature documentary explores a phenomenon that blurs life and death to an unprecedented degree. In what Tibetan Buddhists call ‘tukdam’, advanced meditators die in a consciously controlled manner. Though dead according to our biomedical standards, they often stay sitting upright in meditation; remarkably, their bodies remain fresh and lifelike, without signs of decay for days, sometimes weeks after clinical death. Following ground-breaking scientific research into tukdam and taking us into intimate death stories of Tibetan meditators, the film juxtaposes scientific and Tibetan perspectives as it tries to unravel the mystery of ‘tukdam’.THE YOGIS OF TIBET
For the first time, the reclusive and secretive Tibetan monks agree to discuss aspects of their philosophy and allow themselves to be filmed while performing their ancient practices.CAVE IN THE SNOW
About Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo´s retreat in the Himalayas.SKY DANCER
A film about the daily life and teachings of one of Tibetan Buddhism's great female masters, Khandroma Kunzang Wangmo, the descendant of two extremely significant and highly respected masters of Tibetan Buddhism and the matriarch and spiritual leader of a remote area on the Tibetan plateau.THE MOUNTAIN YOGI
The life and works of the yogi lama Govinda.FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL BEINGS
The life of Garchen Rinpoche.CHASING BUDDHA
The award-winning documentary about Buddhist nun Venerable Robina Courtin by acclaimed Australian filmmaker Amiel Courtin-Wilson.A JOYFUL MIND
Today, the accelerating pace of life poses real challenges to our wellbeing. At the same time, new understandings about meditation are shedding light on how its transformative powers can improve our daily lives. A Joyful Mind pulls back the curtain on what it means to meditate, on what modern science reveals about its benefits, and on how meditation and mindfulness can be used in workplaces and schools. This groundbreaking film serves to clear up the confusion around meditation perpetuated by the media. It features the experiences of both novice and master meditators, highlighting Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, whose teachings have touched people around the world with their clarity, wit and personal insight into how meditation can have a positive impact on our daily lives.WANDERING... BUT NOT LOST
Under cover of darkness and with no word of his plans, much-beloved Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Master Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche walked away from his life on the international stage to live that of a wandering yogi. Unheard of among eminent teachers today, such a practice is filled with hardships. For Mingyur Rinpoche, these challenges—begging, finding food and shelter, illness, and all the related risks of wandering incognito from place to place with the barest of possessions—present fertile ground for deepening insight into the true nature of the mind. An intimate account of Mingyur Rinpoche's four-and-a-half-year retreat interspersed with Rinpoche’s own guidance in applying Buddhist wisdom to our daily modern lives that will touch—and inspire—audiences everywhere.BRILLIANT MOON: GLIMPSES OF DILGO KHYENTSE RINPOCHE
This film chronicles the life of the writer, poet, and meditation master, one of Tibet's most revered 20th-century Buddhist teachers. Known as the instructor of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Royal Family of Bhutan, his life and teachings were an inspiration to all who encountered him. Richard Gere and Lou Reed provide the narration for his dangerous journey out of China and the subsequent spread of his influence around the world.TIBET, THE PATH TO WISDOM
Ani Rigsang has chosen a nomadic lifestyle in the land of white clouds. The Buddhist nun felt confined in Lhasa, and so today she has taken to the road to reconnect with her country’s spiritual traditions, which are now threatened by rapid modernisation and the reinforcement of Chinese control over the region.THE TSOKNYI NEPAL NUNS
This lovely slide show features clips from the documentary "Blessings" narrated by Richard Gere and produced by Victress Hitchcox. These beautiful photos show how the project to build a Tibetan Buddhist Nunnery in Nepal for the Tsoknyi Lineage Nuns came to be.

NON-BUDDHIST MOVIES

SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI: JNANI
Documentary on the great Indian sage Sri Ramana Maharshi.

LUCID DREAMING

CHARLIE MORLEY
Lucid dreaming teacher and authorANDREW HOLECEK
Andrew Holecek is an author and spiritual teacher who offers talks, online courses, and workshops in the United States and abroad. As a long-time student of Buddhism, he frequently presents this tradition from a contemporary perspective – blending the ancient wisdom of the East with modern knowledge from the West. Drawing on years of intensive study and practice, he teaches on the opportunities that exist in obstacles, helping people with hardship and pain, death and dying, and problems in meditation. Known as an expert on lucid dreaming and the Tibetan yogas of sleep and dream, he is an experienced guide for students drawn to these powerful nocturnal practices.STEPHEN LABERGE
Lucid dreaming researcher and authorB. ALAN WALLACE
Tibetan dream yoga

OTHER

GEBCHAK GONPA
"In Eastern Tibet, there exists an extraordinary lineage of female spiritual practitioners at Gebchak Gonpa – one of the largest nunneries in Tibet and heart of a renowned meditation tradition unique to women".THE WOMEN´S MEDITATION TRADITION IN TIBET
Google talk on Gebchack Gonpa.YOGINIS OF FIRE AND LIGHT: GEBCHACK GONPA IN TIBET
TalkLAMA TSULTRIM ALLIONE-FEEDING YOUR DEMONS PRACTICE
Lama Tsultrim Allione shares the teachings and practices of Feeding Your Demons, a five-step process that enables one to compassionately engage with one’s demons, rather than continue the cycle of struggle and suppression.CCR YOGIS
Yogis at the Center for Contemplative ResearchIAN BAKER
Explorer, writer and anthropologistECKHART TOLLE
Spiritual teacherGABOR MATE
Internationally renowned speaker highly sought after for his expertise on addiction, trauma, childhood development, and the relationship of stress and illness. For his groundbreaking medical work and writing he has been awarded the Order of Canada, his country’s highest civilian distinction.Gabor is also co-developer of a therapeutic approach, Compassionate Inquiry, now studied by hundreds of therapists, physicians, counselors, and others internationally.FRANKLIN MERRELL-WOLF
American philosopher and mystic
Also see https://www.merrell-wolff.org/

QUOTES

"On another level, if humanity is to survive, happiness and inner peace are crucial. Otherwise the lives of our children and their children are likely to be unhappy, desperate and short. The tragedy of 11th September 2001 demonstrated that modern technology and human intelligence guided by hatred can lead to immense destruction. Material development certainly contributes towards happiness - to some extent - and a comfortable way of life.   But this is not sufficient.  To achieve a deeper level of happiness we cannot neglect our inner development.  I feel, for example, that our sense of fundamental human values has not kept pace with powerful new developments in our material abilities.
For that reason I have been encouraging scientists to examine advanced Tibetan spiritual practitioners, to see what effects of their spiritual practice might be of benefit to others, outside the religious context. One approach would be to take the help of scientists in trying to make the workings of these inner methods clear. The important point here is to increase our understanding of the world of the mind, of consciousness, and of our emotions.
Experiments have already been carried out that show some practitioners can achieve a state of inner peace, even when facing disturbing circumstances. The results show such people to be happier, less susceptible to destructive emotions, and more attuned to the feelings of others. These methods are not just useful, but cheap: you don't need to buy anything or make anything in a factory. You don't need a drug or an injection."

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

"Most disturbances are stimulated not by external causes but by such internal events as the arising of disturbing emotions. The best antidote to these sources of disruption will come about through enhancing our ability to handle these emotions ourselves. Eventually we need to develop an awareness that provides the ways and means to overcome negative, disturbing emotions ourselves.
The spiritual methods are available, but we must make these acceptable to the mass who may not be spiritually inclined.  Only if we can do that will these methods have the widest of effect.  This is important because science, technology, and material development cannot solve all our problems. We need to combine our material development with the inner development of such human values as compassion, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment and self-discipline."

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

"Negative thought forms will evoke a negative response both within us and without. This has practical repercussions as we can see in our world today, which is so dedicated to the cultivation of the three  poisonous attitudes of greed, ill will and confusion.
Since our intentions are at the root of our actions, an action motivated by greed and selfishness is not likely to bring about peace and harmony. Man’s greed and rapaciousness, conjoined with a basic lack of foresight or responsibility, has resulted in the tragic plight of our constant wars and conflicts, devastated environment and the wild imbalances in weather conditions and so forth.
These disasters originated in our untamed minds.
Sometimes the present world seems drenched in darkness and ignorance, given over to self-gratification and self-absorption (even in the so-called “spiritual” circles) and never was the need for genuine wisdom and what His Holiness the Dalai Lama calls Universal Responsibility more urgent.
In this darkness even a small light can shine a long way. Our thoughts do influence the environment for good or ill. Therefore it is up to us to see that at least our contribution is positive. One person can affect so many and accomplish so much. Each of us in our own way has the responsibility to uplift our surroundings and whomsoever we have contact with. No one can do it for us. If we each try to sincerely develop a good heart then everything partakes of the benefit.
Therefore, since we live within the kingdom of the mind, it makes sense to create therein a peaceful and harmonious realm. If we want to bring happiness to ourselves and others we must start from where we are.
A well-tamed mind brings happiness and an untamed mind brings sorrow and chaos. It is as simple as that.
Ultimately the choice is our own."

Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

"Reincarnation, at least as I conceive it, does not nullify what we know about evolution and genetics.
It suggests, however, that there may be two streams of evolution -- the biological one and a personal one -- and that during terrestrial lives these streams may interact."

Ian Stevenson

"Growing numbers of scientists and philosophers are becoming convinced that the prevailing physicalist picture is fundamentally flawed, and that science urgently needs to extend in directions that will allow it to accommodate genuine spiritual experiences without loss of scientific integrity."

University of Virginia Division of Perceptual Studies

"A simpler term for “calm abiding” or in Sanskrit, “shamatha”, and more direct in conveying its meaning, is “single-pointed concentration”: a state of mind so subtle and refined that the constant stream of conceptual thoughts and emotions, as well as the sensory consciousness, have ceased. That sounds what we might call sleep! But in fact it’s a state of super-clear awareness. There is no such state of mind posited in modern psychology and therefore certainly no methods to accomplish it.
Why would we want to accomplish this state of samadhi, as the Hindus would call it? In the long term, for the Buddha, in order to eradicate from our minds all the voices of ego, which we consider normal but which he discovered from his own experience are not intrinsic, we need to access this subtle state, this microscope of our mind.
So extraordinary is this state of samadhi – absolute clarity, bliss, clairvoyance, and effortless control over thoughts and emotions – that it can easily be mistaken as the end result in itself. But for the Buddha it’s just the beginning, it’s merely a tool that is then used to develop insight, or in Sanskrit, vipassana, the goal of the second mode of meditation."

Venerable Robina Courtin

"In summary, the human mind is capable of changing the anatomical structure and associated function of the brain.The mind can change the brain. There is unmistakable interaction between the mind and the brain and not just in the sense of cause and effect. As such, it would be incorrect to claim that consciousness can only be a productof brain function. How could a product be able to change its own producer?"

Pim Van Lommel

"Q: Is there any danger in pursuing the path of Yoga at all costs?
M: Is a match-stick dangerous when the house is on fire? The search for reality is the most dangerous of all undertakings for it will destroy the world in which oyu live. But if your motive is love of truth and life, you need not be afraid."

Nisargadatta Maharaj

"Is it possible for people like us, screwed up by modernity, to fully achieve shamatha, to go through all stages and fully get it? There is no doubt that it has been achieved by many individuals in the past, many of my lamas have. Is it possible for us, are we too damaged goods?
Shamatha is a temporary retreat into simplicity from the complexities of the world. For a while you withdraw, you are useless to the world. You withdraw because of compassion.
Is it worth it? It´s a major investment!!!! It´s a lot of sacrifice, time, effort… What is the return? Atisha, who is said to be the speech emanation of Padmasambhava, says that if you achieve shamatha you can do more good in the world in one day that in hundred lives without it.
But is it possible? What if I fail, have I wasted my time?
That´s impossible, if you have the right motivation, practice correctly with ethics, even if you do one day is useful.
Every moment of practice is a success."

B. Alan Wallace

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