tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59036667555203032742024-03-05T22:12:29.467-08:00SiddheartaClarify your practice.
Let your practice clarify you.Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.comBlogger776125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-32254811161642620982021-05-02T04:00:00.001-07:002021-05-02T04:00:00.218-07:00A Life's Work. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJVKUWvQCfF6se1-LhttV7AcQaFK5naudxKnxnBdc-GQU08zOAtALcs6LoGSBmSXF9FW2RN1RKy7NPUGnrHSXsbAQ0x5eJM1YtJW-8XigEm_mhqVgEaDR5h9V5NDjw7Y5R_vpCrG-31rI/s2048/Photo+by+Brady+Bellini+on+Unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1232" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJVKUWvQCfF6se1-LhttV7AcQaFK5naudxKnxnBdc-GQU08zOAtALcs6LoGSBmSXF9FW2RN1RKy7NPUGnrHSXsbAQ0x5eJM1YtJW-8XigEm_mhqVgEaDR5h9V5NDjw7Y5R_vpCrG-31rI/w400-h240/Photo+by+Brady+Bellini+on+Unsplash.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> Join us at <a href="https://www.lifes.work/">www.lifes.work</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Exploring who we are and our place in the world.</div><p></p>Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-15354777131593169522021-04-30T04:00:00.020-07:002021-04-30T04:00:00.694-07:00Siddhearta becomes A Life's Work<p>Exciting news! </p><p>Starting next week I am going to be rolling over my Siddhearta blog to the new website <a href="https://www.lifes.work/start-here/" target="_blank">A Life's Work</a>. The past few months I have been building this new website and creating a vision of what I would like to share. I am really excited about how it has come together and I am looking forward to you joining me on the next leg of this journey. </p><p>For those of you who have been subscribers to the Siddhearta blog, thank you! You have encouraged me and inspired me in my practice for many years. I have loved the interactions that have taken place in email exchanges and in workshops. I am looking forward to having more of those conversations and plan to offer more courses and workshops in the near future. </p><p>If you have been a subscriber, starting next week Monday you are going to be getting email updates from A Life's Work instead of Siddhearta. Your experience will largely be the same as it has been (but will be more beautiful and mobile friendly;). You will still receive weekly blog posts on a variety of topics related to your practice and integrating your practice with your daily life, and you are still invited to share your own feedback and insight. </p><p>Current subscribers to Siddhearta will be free subscribers on A Life's Work. The free subscription includes:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Mondays</b>: Weekly blog post.</li><li><b>General content</b>: Access to most content </li></ul><div>Paid subscribers to A Life's Work ($10/mo or $100/yr) will include:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Tuesdays</b>: <a href="https://www.lifes.work/inner-circle-join/" target="_blank">Inner Circle</a> Zoom meeting</li><li><b>Wednesdays</b>: Deep dive on evolving topics</li><li><b>Fridays</b>: Seeds to contemplate for the weekend ahead. </li><li><b>Full access</b>: To all content, practice resources and guided meditation instruction</li></ul></div><p></p><div><div>Thank you for all of your support and if you have any questions please let me know! </div></div><div><br /></div><div>See you next week!</div>Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-91820637183391942162021-04-26T04:00:00.001-07:002021-04-26T04:00:00.188-07:00A Life's Work. <p>I've spent the past few months working on a new project, something I am calling A Life's Work. It is still a work in progress, but I thought I would give those of you who have supported me for the past few years a sneak peak. </p><p>Take a look, let me know what you think. I welcome your feedback and hope you'll join me on this journey. </p><p>https://www.lifes.work/</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLmqFTxZ8E5aPp6gO6fGPsFw8nwnwHUC5N4x_dVXwHbM0PXeSQujXuUj19T9O1eV5_l8irYW073pRkcCe8Q944gyrfAEtLTo_mFH49-z1hcRMuZpUElfh7erVsI63Df64B0laZcZ56eY/s2048/Photo+by+Brady+Bellini+on+Unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1232" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqLmqFTxZ8E5aPp6gO6fGPsFw8nwnwHUC5N4x_dVXwHbM0PXeSQujXuUj19T9O1eV5_l8irYW073pRkcCe8Q944gyrfAEtLTo_mFH49-z1hcRMuZpUElfh7erVsI63Df64B0laZcZ56eY/w400-h240/Photo+by+Brady+Bellini+on+Unsplash.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-family: Mulish, -apple-system, system-ui, "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; grid-column: main-start / main-end; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px !important;"><em style="box-sizing: inherit;">Why A Life's Work?</em></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-family: Mulish, -apple-system, system-ui, "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; grid-column: main-start / main-end; margin: 2rem 0px 0px;">Have you ever ended up down a path you didn't want to be on? Somehow you have found yourself in the darkness, lost in the wilderness, not really knowing where you are or how you got here.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-family: Mulish, -apple-system, system-ui, "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; grid-column: main-start / main-end; margin: 2rem 0px 0px;">You might feel that you are not living up to your potential, or that you are living at odds with your values or aspirations. You might feel stuck, afraid, tired, unable to appreciate your significance or purpose in this life. You might be sick, in pain, battling your body or your mind with an imminent fear of death or loss.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-family: Mulish, -apple-system, system-ui, "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; grid-column: main-start / main-end; margin: 2rem 0px 0px;">A Life's Work is about rediscovering who we are, our place in the world, and the gifts we have to share. It is foremost about living a life dedicated to practice. My aim is to give you a light, a lantern, a torch to take with you on your journey, so that you can find your way through the darkness and wilderness.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-family: Mulish, -apple-system, system-ui, "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; grid-column: main-start / main-end; margin: 2rem 0px 0px;">Along the way, you'll learn to tend that light so it doesn't go out, as well as learn useful wayfinding tools and techniques. Some of these skills you will find useful and beneficial, others you will leave behind. Once you are ready and equipped for the path, you'll learn how to orient yourself in unfamiliar territory, and how to use landmarks and recognize signposts along the way. As you progress, you'll learn to value and appreciate guides and fellow travelers on the path, so that you can save time and gain insight about the path ahead.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #333333; font-family: Mulish, -apple-system, system-ui, "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; grid-column: main-start / main-end; margin: 2rem 0px 0px;">By the end, I hope you'll have gained confidence in being a wayfinder, and discovered that the destination is not nearly as important as enjoying the journey that is this life. If you are one of the fortunate ones, you might even discover the great joy that is sharing your light with others, giving them the gift of exploring the wilderness of their own life with confidence and determination.</p><div><br /></div>Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-31321884778147520882021-03-27T04:00:00.001-07:002021-03-27T04:00:00.246-07:00Living with pain, not in pain. <p>Chronic pain is a very common and often debilitating condition that affects young and old alike. Western medicine struggles with pain management, we encourage modalities like physical therapy, massage, accupuncture, exercise, but often end up turning to opioids and other medications to manage chronic pain. Meditation has made its way into the treatment of pain, but even that has mixed results. </p><p>Meditation seems to be touted as a cure-all these days, recommended for everything from treating hypertension, to mental illness, chronic pain, and improving overall well-being. There is a lot of good data supporting the practice of meditation for these purposes, but I think it is important to recognize that meditation is not a <i>cure-all</i>, but rather manages to make <i>everything workable</i>. </p><p>This is a rather minor but significant shift. Meditation won't solve all your problems, but it will help make all your problems workable. Problems of all kinds are solved when we see them as workable. When we know that we can experiment, play around with things, try something new in a maybe slightly different way, we can solve problems. Maybe the problem goes away, maybe it just becomes less of a threat. </p><p>Most of the power that problems have, and this is especially true of chronic pain, is that they seem inescapable. The pain doesn't go away, and it doesn't seem likely that it is going to go away tomorrow. This persistent experience in our lives is exhausting and drains a lot of our attention and energy. When we fight our pain, it always wins, because it gains power when we resist it. Try to escape its presence by using drugs and alcohol, and we just find it again on the other side of our stupor. Escape seems hopeless, we seem powerless, and it is very easy for depression to set it. </p><p>The solution that meditation provides is to find some space with the pain. In meditation, we find that we can experience pain, but not be overwhelmed by the pain. The pain is there, dancing, doing its thing, but it is also a little distant from 'us'. We find that we don't need to identify with the pain, that we can live with the pain, rather than in pain. Pain in this sense becomes like a companion with us on the journey of life. Sure, it is often a nagging companion that we don't really want to hang out with, but alas, here we are. If they are going to join you on this journey, you might as well figure out how this relationship is going to work. </p><p>If you are feeling stuck with a chronic problem like pain, start by trying to find a space where you can be present amidst the pain. Set out to discover a sense of peace and calm, a solid ground to stand (or sit), amidst the experience of pain. This ground is the basis of exploring and understanding your relationship with pain. When you start to realize that you can experience pain but not be dominated by its presence, then you have made the problem workable. Gradually, your presence overpowers the presence of pain. Sit with that, your presence overwhelms the presence of pain, rather than the other way around (the old way of our relationship with pain).</p><p>Then, like the Buddha said, our pain becomes like a teaspoon for salt in a large body of water, rather than a small cup. The salts still there, but not as distasteful. </p><p>My last thought on the use of meditation for working with pain. Often, we are asked by the doctor how much pain we are in, <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/the-pain-of-measuring-pain" target="_blank">0-10</a>. If the pain is held as a constant level of experience, what if we change our relationship to that pain. How can we move from a 7 to a 5? Or even a two? That's what meditation can do, I'm confident of that. </p><p><br /></p><p></p><p></p>Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-38849625139365759952021-03-15T04:00:00.003-07:002021-03-15T04:00:18.641-07:00Natural stability. <p>Recently, some Dharma friends and I were discussing the <a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/2019/10/naturally-abiding.html" target="_blank">natural stability</a> that we find when resting in the natural state and we came upon a useful metaphor that is worth sharing: that natural stability in our meditation is like the buoyancy of the body in saltwater. </p><p>Our bodies naturally float when they are put in the correct position. When our head and lungs are properly positioned, we can find a lot of natural stability and ease in the water quite effortlessly. It often takes really simple corrections to get the body into the correct position, and then we find that we can relax into the natural stability of that state. </p><p>It is much the same in meditation, by relying on the correct technique (such as the <a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/search?q=three+immovables" target="_blank">three immovables</a>), we put our awareness in the correct position to discover natural stability. When relying on this technique, oftentimes small corrections can have profound effects. We don't need to manufacture stability, or put in a lot of effort to make it happen. Rather, we are allowing the natural stability of awareness to come to the fore. </p><p>What we are discovering in this type of meditation is our natural condition, the nature of our own mind. Stability, clarity, peaceful, satisfied, these are all qualities that are naturally present when we are resting in the natural state. By learning to rest naturally, we are not so overwhelmed by our day to day interactions. Like a buoy out at sea, we become an island of safety and a source of refuge for those who are lost at sea. </p><p><br /></p>Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-72720076728925546202021-02-18T04:00:00.008-08:002021-03-24T10:33:42.528-07:00What holds Buddhas back?<p>A fundamental principle in the Buddha's teachings is that all beings have buddhanature. This buddhanature is the nature of our own mind, and though it is always fully evident it often goes unrecognized. Instead of embracing the path of becoming buddhas, or being buddha (which really means the path of waking up, or being awake), we find ourselves entangled in the mess of life with all of our problems. As the Buddha says:</p>
<div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">Noble child, all beings, though they find themselves with all sorts of afflictions,<br />Have a tathagata-garbha that is eternally unsullied, </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">and that is replete with virtues no different from my own.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><i>Tathagatagarbha Sutra</i></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i>
</div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">
<p>If the tathagatagarbha, or buddhanature, is our fundamental nature of mind, why does it go unrecognized and why we do lack fulfillment?</p>
<p>There are four obscuring factors that keep us entangled in the afflictions: cognitive obscurations, emotional obscurations, habitual tendencies and karma. The work of the path of waking up and actualizing our buddhanature is to untie these ropes and release ourselves from bondage. The path of liberation is the path of freeing ourselves from these shackles and actualizing the resultant state, which is our innate buddhanature and natural awakened mind.</p>
<div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Cognitive obscurations are obscuring factors of our understanding and view of who we are and the nature of the world around us. All of us have bias, views we hold to as true, and cultural associations that go unquestioned. The work of untying the knots of cognitive obscurations is to shine a light on the way we actually think and perceive the world around us and our place in it. </div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Emotional obscurations are the five primary negative emotions: attachment, aversion, confusion, jealousy, and arrogance. Each of these emotions overwhelms our minds and is centered on me and mine. It is not that these emotions are inherently bad or can't be used for good, but that in the presence of these emotions we often go blind and function solely out of reactive, self-centered impulses. The work of untying the knots of emotional obscurations is to find space amidst the emotions, so that we can work and respond to the energy that is coming up rather than becoming overwhelmed by that energy and reacting impulsively. </div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Habitual tendencies are subtle and hard to break. So much of our conditioning comes from our childhood and from our culture, so much so that we don't usually know why we do the things we do or care about the things we think we care about. Habitual tendencies are hard to break because they are the rails or ski tracks that our day to day life is built around. It is so hard to break out of the tracks, and even if we manage to escape for a moment, it is also very easy to slip back in. The work of untying the knots of habitual tendencies is to introduce a fresh fall of snow powder over the terrain, and then do the hard work of charting a new course through the fresh powder. </div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Karma is our actions and the results of our actions. Karma is also hard to untie because we cannot undo the past. All of our past actions have led us to the present moment, and that is what we have to work with. The good news is that all of our current actions are creating the moments of our future, and so we can give our future self the gift of good actions that we can later enjoy. As long as we operate in this world we always have karmic conditioning and karmic relationships. Karma doesn't need to be a binding force, as we learn to work with karma on the path you can start to recognize how everything is naturally free in its own place, even if things aren't quite the way you would have liked them to be. The present is the only moment you have to work with, so work with it. </div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">As we loosen the shackles of these four binding forces, gradually our own true nature becomes more and more evident. Much like gold is slowly extracted and refined from its ore, so too our awakened mind is gradually revealed and made fully evident. </div>Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-39984674701547949032021-02-15T04:00:00.001-08:002021-02-15T04:00:03.756-08:00Living the life you imagine. <p>Looking out at the world and our place in it, most of us imagine a life different than our own, a life better than our own. We imagine a life in which resources and abilities are more readily available, a life in which we act or do things differently than today. If only I had more time, more energy, more money, then I could or would. Often times, looking out at our life, we see that now is not the right time, but that we can imagine the life we would want to be living and how we would be living it. </p><p>The chasm between the life we imagine and life as it is seems impassable (which is strikingly similar to impossible). The road between here and there is too vague. Not only do we not see the path ahead clearly, but often we do not even know the next best step to take. </p><p>Just start. Start here, start where you are. Start by learning to occupy the life that you live. </p><p>Start on the cushion. Start with the dishes. Start with the cat. </p><p>Start by opening a door. Start by extending a hand. </p><p>Start by listening. Start by smiling. Start with I'm sorry. </p><p>Start by witnessing your own pain and struggles. Start by witness the pain and struggles of others. </p><p>Start by being more tolerant of yourself. Start by being more tolerant of others. </p><p>Just start. Start now, start here, and let the world teach you as you go. </p><p>You can't plan your way into living the life you imagine, you must live into it. In the process you will likely find that the life you imagine is not nearly as precious and full of opportunity as the life you have. </p>Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-10520829074189206112021-02-12T04:00:00.002-08:002021-02-12T04:00:03.956-08:00The result of the work. <p>If our work is to be more present and of service in the world, then we need to change the way we think about the results of our work. We need to change the way we think about accomplishment and achievement for the type of work we are doing- the work of showing up, being present and attentive, striving for human dignity and kindness. The usual measures of success, recognition, promotion, and profits aren't the goals for this type of work, and what our culture sets as the targets of work well done is only going to leave us disappointed and frustrated. </p><p>During the course of a lifelong commitment to this practice, you will realize that there are no shortcuts and that this work that we are doing is hard work. It is difficult to be of service without being destroyed in the act of service. It is challenging to deal with difficult people and maintain our patience and willingness to care. Learning to show up consistently, despite failure, fatigue and conflicting emotions is hard work. </p><p>As we learn the necessary skills and attitudes needed on the path, we start to achieve a sense of being in the world and out of the world, involved in the messiness of life and yet not caught up in the unnecessary struggle. </p><p>We start to learn that we can survive our intense emotional ups and downs, that the day to day is much like the weather, some days are good and some are bad and yet each day we show up and dedicate ourselves to our practice. </p><p>We start to recognize that some things are simply out of our control, that we can strive to be present, compassionate and kind, and that sometimes that is not going to land quite the way we thought it would. </p><p>We start to understand that though we struggle with the meaning and significance of our life, we find there is purpose and benefit to holding something- holding space, holding intention, holding to a daily practice. </p><p>As you endeavor in your practice, over time, you will likely find that the tangible benefits of your practice are hard to identify or remain elusive. However, you will also likely find that the intangible benefits of your practice have led to a profound transformation of your being and identity, bringing a felt sense of joy, ease, and connection. This accomplishment as a result of your practice and hard work transform the world from a battlefield in which you are always struggling into a world in which you always feel at home. </p><p>At home in the world, dedicated to presence, openness and availability, kindness and compassion, committed to showing up for ourselves and for others with a felt sense of joy, ease, and connection, those are some of the ways in which the results of our hard work show up in our life. The accomplishment of the practice is largely a life well lived, the result is the practice itself with nothing more to achieve. </p>Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-60459716961634909122021-02-11T04:00:00.001-08:002021-02-11T04:00:08.970-08:00Lighting up the world. <p>The other day I was reflecting on one candle lighting another candle. A single candle can light dozens of other candles and nothing is lost in the process. The candle doesn't become weary and doesn't concern itself with the results of lighting other candles. It just lights up the world that it interacts with. That reminded me of this verse by Shantideva:</p><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">May I be a guard for those who are protectorless, </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">A guide for those who journey on the road.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">For those who wish to cross the water, </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">May I be a boat, a raft, a bridge.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">May I be an isle for those who yearn for land, </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">A lamp for those who long for light;</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">For all who need a resting place, a bed;</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">For those who need a servant, may I be their slave.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">May I be the wishing jewel, the vase of wealth,</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">A word of power and supreme healing,</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">May I be the tree of miracles,</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">For every being the abundant cow.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">Just like the earth and space itself,</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">And all the mighty elements,</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">For boundless multitudes of beings</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">May I always be the ground of life, the source of varied sustenance.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">Thus for everything that lives,</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">As far as the limits of the sky,</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">May I be constantly their source of livelihood</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">Until they pass beyond all sorrow.</div><p>A bodhisattva is someone who has made a commitment to waking up in the world in order to better serve and benefit others. The bodhisattva relies on a <a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/2012/01/simple-discipline.html" target="_blank">set of principles</a> that are focused on elevating our individual and collective dignity. Part of the bodhisattvas commitment is making a daily choice to be of benefit to others, not simply ourselves. That daily commitment can take many forms, both in intention and action. A simple way to set your intention for the day is to recite this verse of Shantideva's aspiration prayer for the bodhisattva vow.</p><p style="text-align: left;">The result of your practice is the consummation of your character, your willingness to be the reservoir of presence and dignity in a world that desperately needs more thoughtful, compassionate and caring people. Be the candle, the bridge, the guide. Dedicate the time and energy to learning how to do that so you don't wear yourself thin, but that you can commit to making it a daily practice for the rest of your life. </p>Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-40277185828731775492021-02-05T04:00:00.008-08:002021-02-05T04:00:00.604-08:00A rare gift to share with the world. <p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="background-color: white; color: #595959; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: left;">Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #595959; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: left;"><i>Simone Weil</i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;">Who do you care about most in this life? Who needs your help, your insight, your wisdom? How do you even begin to help those in need, the poor, the destitute, the hungry? </p><p style="text-align: left;">Here is the secret: </p><p style="text-align: left;"><i>Start with attention</i>. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Start with being present for that person, acknowledging them, listening to them, giving them the gift of being seen. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Attention and presence are the ground upon which change and a path to better are built. You might not know the solutions to their problems, you might now be able to see all the steps between where you are and where you would like to be, you probably don't know the next best action or the right thing to say. But you can establish that ground, you can be present and bring forth the gift of attention. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Your presence and attention can be the ground upon which the long arc of building a better future can start to be built. </p>Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-39154835078940803502021-01-27T04:00:00.001-08:002021-01-27T04:00:05.943-08:00The thing Buddhism gets right. <p> Much can be said about the Buddha's teachings, about the importance of meditation, wisdom, compassion, how we are all interconnected. Of course, many other spiritual traditions share these same attributes. Here is what Buddhism really gets right:</p><p><i>The focus of the practice is on our own mind. </i></p><p>This practice is going to take awhile. <br /></p><p>You are not to jump right to benefitting others and compassionate activity. You should not get lost in working in projects outside yourself. Bring the focus inside, learn to recognize your own needs, your own wounds, your own limitations. </p><p>As you learn to open your own mind, to heal your own heart, you naturally become more open and available to others. </p><p>You can't shortcut this step. There is no escaping this requirement, if you try to avoid it then it will always be a limiting factor in your life. </p><p>You are the limit, and the throttle. </p>Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-38719575260517332912021-01-25T04:00:00.001-08:002021-01-25T04:00:06.338-08:00Guiding intention.<p>I have been thinking a lot the past few weeks about what this blog means to me and why I even bother to share it with others. Often times it seems like I am writing into a void for the sole purpose of clarifying my thinking. Other times I find myself needing to share something, so putting it out into the world where people can interact with it seems like the right thing to do. As I have been contemplating more and more as of late on the significance of writing, I have come up with a sort of guiding intention:</p><p><i>May I be more open, available and responsive every day, <br />and inspire others to be the same. </i></p><p>Along the way I hope to translate the important (and life changing) principles of the Buddhist practice tradition into simple, practical tools and ideas people can use in their daily life. I'll continue to refine, reimagine and recreate those tools and practices to reveal their relevance for modern life. </p><p>If that resonates with you, then I hope you will keep reading and share your insights and struggles along the way. If you have stuck with me this long, thank you, it means a lot to me. I look forward to the journey ahead, and any time you have a question or insight or something to share, just hit reply and I'll be on the other end. </p><p><br /></p>Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-16799265872104913312020-12-30T04:00:00.001-08:002020-12-30T04:00:00.480-08:00Siddhearta's Essence of 2020. <p>I am not going to lie, 2020 was a challenging year. In Buddhist practice we often find this sentiment:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Transform obstacles into the path of awakening. </i></p><p style="text-align: left;">Well, 2020 decided to just throw everything at us at once. How do we stay present, generous, receptive and kind amidst a global pandemic, natural disasters, rampant job loss, economic fallout, social unrest, homeschooling, and oh, an election year? Chances are you don't. And that's okay, that's why we call it a practice. You practice being present, practice being kind, practice being generous, practice being receptive. You practice and you fail, a lot. </p><p style="text-align: left;">This year was particularly challenging for me. I lost my father-in-law and two close friends to non-COVID related deaths. One of my regular practices is to engage in the traditional Buddhist 49 days of practice after someone dies, as a way to show up for them as they transition through the death process into their next life. It allows for a natural way to grieve, while also honoring the connection that you have and still have after someone has passed from this life. At one point in August after I had been doing the practice daily since mid-May, I began to wonder if I would ever stop doing the practice. My father-in-law and two close friends died in successive months, and this was accompanied by the many other people I knew through work or through acquaintances that died due to COVID-19. My 49 day practice ended up coming to a close at the end of August, and yet how many have we lost since then...</p><p style="text-align: left;">2020 forced all of us to reconsider how we show up in the world. We were forced to reshape our lives, change the way we work, learn, interact. Things that we used to do are no longer options, and things we never imagined doing have become normal (wearing a mask at work all day). In one way, we have all come to appreciate what matters most in our lives, and we have all slowed down a bit to take advantage of those things. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Despite all of the challenges of this year, there were still opportunities that came to light. Our <a href="https://www.youngedrodulling.org/" target="_blank">Sangha</a> has transformed into a thriving online community, though we no doubt look forward to the chance to reconnect again for retreats in person. We also started the <a href="https://dharma-conversations.simplecast.com/episodes/exploring-the-mind-1" target="_blank">Dharma Conversations Podcast </a>this year and have published over a dozen episodes so far. I also finished up editing a book for my teacher, Younge Khachab Rinpoche, expected to be released this spring. Stay tuned for more details. </p><p style="text-align: left;">As I look back at this past year, I realize how fortunate me and my family have been and I am grateful that I have such a supportive network of family and friends. It is hard to imagine having to navigate the uncertainty of this year without those connections. Much was lost this year and it is easier to appreciate just how precious and fragile this life really is. I am also tired and weary and would like a break, and I am sure you would too. Hang in there, find some time for yourself, recognize your own needs amidst all of the chaos. Give yourself the needed break of putting aside all the media, the worrisome thoughts and stories. Don't punish yourself with unnecessary expectations. It is enough to be present amidst uncertainty, without a clear handle of how things are going to work out or when this is all going to be over. </p><p>Here are some of my better posts from this year:</p><p>For your practice: </p><p><a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/2020/01/spacious-awareness.html" target="_blank">Spacious Awareness</a><br /><a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/2020/03/a-metaphor-for-timeless-freedom.html" target="_blank">A metaphor for timeless awareness.</a><br /><a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/2020/08/the-royal-seat-of-akanishtha.html" target="_blank">The Royal Seat of Akanishtha.</a><br /><a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-journey-to-center-of-it-all.html" target="_blank">The journey to the center of it all. </a><br /><a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/2020/02/carry-on.html" target="_blank">Carry on.</a><br /><a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/2020/05/exploring-mind-and-its-nature.html" target="_blank">Exploring mind and its nature. </a><br /><a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/2020/05/two-perspectives-on-mind.html" target="_blank">Two pespectives on mind. </a><br /><a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/2020/08/fulfillment-found.html" target="_blank">Fulfillment, found. </a></p><p>Pandemic contemplations:</p><p><a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/2020/03/in-search-of-normal-day.html" target="_blank">In search of the normal day.</a><br /><a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/2020/03/last-chance-to-share-thanks.html" target="_blank">Last chance to share thanks. </a><br /><a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/2020/04/not-doing-is-hard-work.html" target="_blank">Not doing is hard work. </a></p><p>Conscious Leadership and institutional racism</p><p><a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/2020/05/i-am-not-leader.html" target="_blank">"I am not a leader."</a><br /><a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/2020/06/i-am-contribution.html" target="_blank">I am a contribution. </a><br /><a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/2020/06/black-lives-matter-conditional-terms.html" target="_blank">#BlackLivesMatter. *Conditional terms apply</a><br /><a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/2020/06/conscious-citizens-of-world.html" target="_blank">Conscious citizens of the world</a><br /><a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/2020/06/model-of-conscious-leadership.html" target="_blank">Model of conscious leadership</a><br /><a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/2020/06/five-elements-of-conscious-leadership.html" target="_blank">Five elements of conscious leadership</a></p>Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-24057463209118423282020-12-07T04:00:00.003-08:002020-12-07T04:00:02.529-08:00Consider giving. 2020 has been a challenging year for all of us. This holiday season I hope you consider giving to charities as one of the gifts you share. It doesn't need to be much, but every gift matters and opens doors of possibility and hope for others. Here are a few of the charities worth considering:<div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.feedingamerica.org/" target="_blank">Feeding America</a></div><div>With the pervasive presence of COVID-19, many families are facing difficulty putting food on the table. There are numerous organizations that have met this challenge, and Feeding America is one of the highest rated and most efficient programs working to connect people with the food they need. You can also enter your zip code to determine local food banks if you want to focus on your community (<a href="https://foodlifeline.org/" target="_blank">Food Lifeline</a> for Seattle). Every $1 donation provides ten meals to families in need. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.givedirectly.org/" target="_blank">GiveDirectly</a></div><div>GiveDirectly gives cash to people in need, no strings attached. Studies have shown this to be the most effective way to help the poor and make an impact in their lives. They currently have campaigns in America and Africa to help those in need. Your dollar goes a long way to helping families in Africa, and we also have a pressing need to support those in our own communities across America. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.buildon.org/" target="_blank">buildOn</a></div><div>buildOn empowers the youth to serve our country and the world in order to break the cycle of poverty, illiteracy and low expectations. They are a highly rated charity with various programs to help both in America and abroad. A $66 donation supports the education for three children in developing countries.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.charitywater.org/" target="_blank">Charity:water</a></div><div>Charity:water funds clean water projects in developing countries, providing access to clean and safe drinking water. It's easy to overlook to impact clean water makes to our life until we don't have it. Millions of people around the world struggle to procure clean water every day, time that could be used for work or education. 100% of every donation goes to fund clean water projects.</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://eji.org/" target="_blank">Equal Justice Initiative</a></div><div>The EJI works to end mass incarceration, seeking racial justice and public education to protect basic human rights. EJI has a perfect score of 100 on Charity Navigator, meaning every dollar you donate has maximal impact. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://84000.co/" target="_blank">84,000</a></div><div>84,000 translates all of the Buddha's words into modern language, providing free and open access to all via its online reading room. $250 supports the translation of one page of the Buddha's teachings. Give a little, and then spend some time enjoying their reading room knowing that you are helping to make it happen. </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.tbrc.org/#!footer/about/newhome" target="_blank">Buddhist Digital Resource Center</a></div><div>TBRC is dedicating to seeking out, preserving and sharing Buddhist texts through technology. For over twenty years they have been seeking out the hardcopies of texts and then scanning them into a digital format. I have been using their online library for over ten years to translate various texts, all of which are made freely available to translators and academic institutions. Projects like 84,000 and other Buddhist publications rely heavily on their work. </div><div><br /></div><div>There are a hundreds of other important charities to support. <a href="https://www.givewell.org/" target="_blank">GiveWell</a> provides a list of charities that make the most impact per dollar. <a href="https://www.charitynavigator.org/" target="_blank">Charity Navigator</a> is a useful resource for evaluating charities and assessing the impact that they provide. </div><div><br /></div><div>Money is not the only gift you can share this holiday season. Our communities are in desperate need of kindness, patience, and giving each other a break. A smile goes a long way, but in a world where we often cannot see others smile, looking someone in the eye and being present for them can be a gift we can all aspire to share. </div><div><br /></div>Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-66252019336962420222020-11-23T04:00:00.001-08:002020-11-23T04:00:05.855-08:00Not the result you were looking for. We tend to spend much of our days looking for something, in search of the new, the better. We would like to see an outcome from our efforts. What's all this time and energy worth? What is the practice for?<div><br /></div><div>What if I told you that you already had everything you were looking for? You already have the capacity. You already have full possession of the result that you seek. The goal is already manifest, there is nothing more to do and nothing to be improved upon. </div><div><br /></div><div>Chances are you would not believe me. I must be stretching the truth or trying to pull a fast one on you. Surely I am embellishing. </div><div><br /></div><div>And what if I am not being deceitful or egregious?</div><div><br /></div><div>What would you do if what I am telling you is in fact true? </div><div><br /></div><div>I honestly don't know what you will do. Personally, I live a life dedicated to practice. </div><div><br /></div><div>Practice looks like showing up, taking responsibility, being receptive and available, doing the hard work of being patient and generous and kind. It looks like trying to figure out how I can meaningful contribute and be of service to others. </div><div><br /></div><div>And it feels nice, knowing that this is enough. We don't need a big show for our life and our work, it doesn't need to be a spectacle or even remarkable. There doesn't need to be a grand finale, a celebration for the work or even a word of praise for all you have done. </div><div><br /></div><div>Simply this is enough. <br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-2449913463890057012020-11-13T04:00:00.001-08:002020-11-13T04:00:05.463-08:00Trust your self. <p>Trust your self. Your hidden self, the self that knows how you can show up in the world. </p><p>How we show up in the world is not one self, for each of us plays many roles in this single lifetime. How you show up for your child is different than how you show up for your partner or friend. How you show up at work changes depending on if you are interacting with your coworker, your client, or your boss. </p><p>We would like to think that we can be the same person for all of these roles, that we can bring our authentic self to each of these interactions. But we can't. Each person is asking and expecting something different from us. </p><p>So which of these is your true, authentic self? Which is these is the self that we should trust?</p><p>The simple answer is none of these, and all of these.</p><p>Chogyam Trungpa says: </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif;">The bad news is you're </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif;">falling</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif;"> through the air, nothing to hang on to, no parachute. <br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif;">The good news is, there's no ground.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;">We are constantly searching for an identity to hold onto to prevent that feeling of falling (and failing). We are searching for a form that suits us and the image in our heads of who we can be. There is comfort and reassurance in knowing we have a ground to stand on and a position to stand by. </p><p style="text-align: left;">But there is no ground. Those titles that we have and those roles that we play are not truly who we are or what we do, because we are not one-thing. </p><p style="text-align: left;">And yet, in the process of discovering who we are, we generously meet people where they are at, helping them in some way. In Seth Godin's new book <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Practice-Shipping-Creative-Work/dp/0593328973/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=the+practice&qid=1605205496&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Practice</a></i>, he says:</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Generosity is the most direct way to find the practice.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;">That's the good news. In the process (practice) of discovering who we are and our place in the world, we can get comfortable with the fact that there is no ground, and no fatal crash at the end that is going to be the end of us. When you no longer need to worry about hitting the ground, falling starts to look like flying, and you can direct your attention to starting to learn how to navigate that new space. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Learning how to navigate life with openness, responsiveness and availability is itself a worthwhile practice, regardless of the results of your endeavor. As Seth says: </p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #202124; font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">Do you trust yourself enough to commit to engaging with a [practice] regardless of the chances of success?</span></span></p>Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-32675878668113272462020-10-30T04:00:00.001-07:002020-10-30T04:00:01.300-07:00No one is watching. Our culture is largely centered on doing things for show. You record yourself working out, practicing your art, going through the motions. We are constantly broadcasting who we are to the world, marketing the best version of ourself to others. <div><br /></div><div>How do you practice when no one is watching? </div><div><br /></div><div>What are your actions when no one is there to hold you accountable?</div><div><br /></div><div>How you show up in the world when no one is watching is most likely your most generous act, but it can also provide us with an opportunity to be our most selfish. It's up to you. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-86240979774063434812020-09-16T04:00:00.001-07:002020-09-16T04:00:07.845-07:00Dharma Conversations Podcast<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcF_iXd8KSanCrUMBA2wxT5ipJM7-yH9TXU4vCjCVRDV0NktYwc1nnw0JuKzG5oaNvDP2JThjB7o1sqXOfuSduW4eMI1NKIy184DBtmMzwQLx7YZOptXvN8Z4XD7uZXqQ3i21zCQfzFyA/s2000/IMG_1300.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcF_iXd8KSanCrUMBA2wxT5ipJM7-yH9TXU4vCjCVRDV0NktYwc1nnw0JuKzG5oaNvDP2JThjB7o1sqXOfuSduW4eMI1NKIy184DBtmMzwQLx7YZOptXvN8Z4XD7uZXqQ3i21zCQfzFyA/s320/IMG_1300.PNG" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><strong style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 18px; text-align: center;">Subscribe to our new Dharma Conversations Podcast</strong></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">Dharma Conversations is produced by the Younge Drodul Ling Sangha and aims to connect new and experienced practitioners for mutual inspiration, growth and support. Dharma conversations are some of the greatest gifts that we can offer to ourselves and others, drawing out questions that are often unanswered and unexplored. They create wellsprings of reflection and insight in our own life and practice. The conversations that we have shape how we understand ourselves, how we interpret the world, and how we treat each other. They honor the difficulty that we all face and the complexity of what it means to carry the practice into our everyday life. By listening, asking questions and sharing our own experience and struggles, we can open a doorway to meaningful friendship and a supportive community.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">Join us for Dharma Conversations, where we pursue wisdom and compassion to awaken inner life, outer life, and life together.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">Subscribe and listen to </span><a href="https://dharma-conversations.simplecast.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #007c89; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">Dharma Conversations</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"> now with </span><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dharma-conversations/id1531581060" style="background-color: white; color: #007c89; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"> or on whatever podcast player you use. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">Here's one of our recent conversations:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://dharma-conversations.simplecast.com/episodes/bringing-the-mind-to-rest-1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="1298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo0-ZORvhweib0qb4C7RAaJw5vPfp5DekKi0SCnqhltL6A1RW_yssNy3aexZjySgRjfQ5g9GqX6G1OrfhMFIjV4cj539utnw4ajMuIruJlii9xsQcT8YwAtziUekAlHYgYXfkThT1v8ow/s320/Podcast+player.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #757575; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><p></p>
Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-17208202247961649472020-08-27T04:08:00.002-07:002020-08-27T04:08:35.264-07:00Online Meditation this Sunday<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6f7287; font-family: "Neue Plak", -apple-system, system-ui, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.9333px; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">Join us this Sunday August 30 from 9-10am PDT for an online meditation session. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6f7287; font-family: "Neue Plak", -apple-system, system-ui, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.9333px; letter-spacing: 0.5px;">Learn how to meditate, ask questions, engage in dialogue with other practitioners. Learn the foundational practices for calming your mind, recognizing your own nature, and cultivating your own personal practice.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #6f7287; font-family: "Neue Plak", -apple-system, system-ui, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.9333px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px;">No prior meditation experience necessary, all students welcome.</p><ul style="background-color: white; color: #6f7287; font-family: "Neue Plak", -apple-system, system-ui, Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14.9333px; letter-spacing: 0.5px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px 2em;"><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="padding-top: 0px;">Be introduced to the key points of meditation<br style="padding-top: 0px;" /></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 0px;"><span style="padding-top: 0px;">Learn how to bring the mind to rest using various techniques<br style="padding-top: 0px;" /></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 0px;"><span style="padding-top: 0px;">Learn how recognize the innate qualities of the nature of mind<br style="padding-top: 0px;" /></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 0px;"><span style="padding-top: 0px;">Understand how we stray in the practice and how to eliminate errors in our meditation</span></li></ul><span style="color: #6f7287; font-family: Neue Plak, -apple-system, system-ui, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.9333px; letter-spacing: 0.5px;"><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Zoom login</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="waffle-rich-text-link" href="https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5965263632" style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5965263632</a></div>Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-29642791843856573722020-08-17T04:00:00.002-07:002020-08-17T04:00:03.291-07:00Spiritual evolution and development. <p> The beginning of the spiritual path starts with the seeker. We are looking for something authentic and true. We set out in search of a better life, looking for meaning, purpose, happiness and satisfaction. </p><p>The seeker may or may not recognize it, but they are not satisfied with their current life. Something is missing, things could be better, our life isn't what it could be or should be. For the seeker, the current circumstances and the reality of their present situation set them out on a path to a better life, a better situation. They seek out teachers, teachings, books, all in a search for a path to fulfillment. The seeker always looks outwards, searching for something to latch onto and identify with, because they don't recognize their own inner wealth and potential. </p><p>At some point on the path, the seeker may start to see how they are actually the source of all of their problems and obstacles. Our own mind, our emotions, our hopes and expectations, those are the fuel for all of the challenges we face. Recognizing the importance of this inner work, the seeker turns inward to examine their own reactivity. They start to see that by letting go of attachment, aversion and confusion, it is possible to break free from this cycle of reactivity. Focusing on this intention to break free from the bonds of our own reactivity and confusion, the seekers focus shifts from searching outwardly to valuing the inner work of freeing our own hearts and minds. The path to a better life no longer lies outside ourselves, but is something that we can cultivate and train in through our practice. </p><p>While we may have this commitment to doing the inner work of freeing ourselves, the result that we seek is still off in some distant future. Our focus may be on doing the inner work, but right now we are not ready to experience the result. We need to train and practice. The present circumstances are too tough, not quite right, not good enough. We are not ready right now, and thus the result and fulfillment that we seek are not apparent to us. </p><p>Gradually, as we do the inner work of freeing ourselves from reactivity and confusion, we start to recognize the reality of our mind when it is free of these temporary veils. We eliminate doubt and gain confidence on the path of discovering our own true face. We start to appreciate that the outer course of things, as they are, is sufficient to actualize the result that we initially set out in search of. We start to recognize that this life, these circumstances, these conditions, this body, all of it, is enough just as it is. Having a direct experience of our own natural condition, the result of the path becomes fully evident and accessible. That result doesn't lie outside of ourselves, but is the actual nature of our own mind, embodied in authentic presence. There is no longer any need to fight our circumstances or reject the world as it is, rather we learn to work with things as they are, responding with wisdom, openness and kindness. </p><p>The seeker in search of better. <br />Commitment to doing the inner work of freeing ourselves. <br />Waking up in this life, as it is. </p><p>Those are the three stages of spiritual evolution, each stage transcending and including the previous. Each stage comes with a more subtle understanding of who we are and the nature of the world around us. The practice grows and develops as we embrace a larger scope, moving from an outward focus to an inward focus, and then moving from a different time and circumstances to the present, just as it is.</p><p>The fulfillment that we seek does not lie outside of us, and it doesn't lie in some distance time or space. It is ever-present and fully evident, once you are prepared to recognize it. </p><p><br /></p>Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-85629600340489706762020-08-06T04:00:00.001-07:002020-08-06T04:00:05.145-07:00Fulfillment, found. For many of us, wealth is an endless horizon of more and better. More stuff, better stuff, more experiences, better experiences. There is no limit to how much we can consume. Wealth as a measure of endless consumption can never be satiated. No matter how many wonderful things we have done or how much we have surrounded ourselves with nice things, if we continue searching for more we will never know fulfillment. <div><br /></div><div>Enough is the opposite of the endless search for more and better. Enough enables us to appreciate what we have, to tune in to what is available to us at this very moment, and to be satisfied and content. Enough still relies to some measure on stuff and experiences, but those things and experiences become tangible and within our reach. </div><div><br /></div><div>One of the five wisdoms that characterize the awakened mind is all-accomplishing wisdom, otherwise translated as spontaneous fulfillment (Tib. <i>bya ba grub pa'i ye shes</i>). All-accomplishing wisdom is not the experience of whatever you desire being fulfilled. If your fulfillment is dependent on desire being fulfilled, then fulfillment lies outside of you because there is no end to your thirst. A desirous mind is antithetical to fulfillment. </div><div><br /></div><div>What happens when we let go of our desires? We experience the spontaneous fulfillment of enough.</div><div><br /></div><div>Things, as they are, are sufficient for my well being and happiness. The present conditions, as they are, are sufficient for a live well lived. My current circumstances, as they are, are sufficient for me to act with purpose and intention. Appreciating who we are, as we are, opens us up to how much potential and possibility are available to us at this moment. Appreciating the world around us, as it is, reveals the opportunity and natural abundance that are always available to us. </div><div><br /></div><div>In this way, all is accomplished as it is, right now. Spontaneous fulfillment is readily available to us as the ever-present reality of things, just as they are. </div><div><br /></div><div>Just as a wellspring bubbling up from the ground flows out as a spring, inner wealth and abundance naturally want to be shared and flow out to others around us. Those gifts, in the form of kindness, compassion and generosity, deepen our sense of belonging and connection in the world. Inner fulfillment leads to outer fulfillment, benefitting yourself and others. In this way, the two aims of yourself and others become effortlessly fulfilled as a result of the single act of waking up. </div><div><br /></div>Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-71673349720720509732020-08-02T04:00:00.010-07:002020-08-06T16:01:09.821-07:00The Royal Seat of Akanishtha<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZzs2sLUpjb-1u1_gQr0UyxWtUBWHUhzbKf9a8kb8XoX54bTQaTSAco3x0Gb29RvG-mCudICCbqznc6asZmYb7Vs6nTTrFP2PVzWDO55vxdcmXqykPKorSZ-X4ygKF8ZK2dj0urWcYsd8/s722/circle-rainbow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="542" data-original-width="722" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZzs2sLUpjb-1u1_gQr0UyxWtUBWHUhzbKf9a8kb8XoX54bTQaTSAco3x0Gb29RvG-mCudICCbqznc6asZmYb7Vs6nTTrFP2PVzWDO55vxdcmXqykPKorSZ-X4ygKF8ZK2dj0urWcYsd8/w410-h307/circle-rainbow.jpg" width="410" /></a></div><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;"><b>The Royal Seat of Akanishtha</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in; text-align: center;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">Timelessly present, unchanging, indestructible-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">The ever-present spacious expanse of freedom,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">A great equanimity free of limits or bias,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">Is the unsurpassed dimension of enlightenment, Akanishtha.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">The ground of the marvelous primordial state.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">In that spacious expanse there is a royal seat that awaits you,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">Your legacy, your birthright, your own natural state.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">As a descendant and heir of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">It is incumbent upon you to seize the stronghold of authentic presence.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">Assume your royal seat and the power and responsibility that it confers.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">I am the unchanging body of timeless awareness,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">The eternal lord, Dharmakaya Samantabhadra,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">In sensual union with all that appears and exists,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">the vast expanse of space- Dharmadhatu Samantabhadri.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">Basic space and awareness are inseparable, not-two,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">Revealing the majesty and wonder of pure, open presence,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">The authentic ground of being.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">Enjoy the infinite play of dependent origination,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">The unceasing display of emptiness,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">In which no-thing arises and yet anything appears.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">The inseparability of appearance and emptiness, clarity and emptiness,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">Reveals the significance of the union of two truths without complication.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">Not establishing anything at all,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">One enjoys the effulgence of emptiness in all its variety,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">Like a royal king and queen enjoying a feast in their palace,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">The ever-present palace of spacious awareness.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">The king and queen dance with spontaneous presence in the gardens of sensual enjoyment and ease;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">They dance in the charnel grounds, in which the five wisdoms go unrecognized as the five poisons;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">They dance with life- open, available and responsive;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">They dance with death- tender, patient, without hesitation or fear.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">In the spacious palace of timeless awareness,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">Birth, aging, sickness and death, the good times and the bad,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">Naturally unfold in a dramatic play,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">The king and queen continually bearing witness with dignified presence and understanding.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">This single sphere of awareness, unborn bodhicitta,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">Transcends and includes all that appears and exists, whether of samsara or nirvana.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">The kayas and wisdoms being inseparable,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">It transcends and includes all beings in all their variety, all paths, worldly and transcendent.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">With nothing to attain and nothing to accomplish,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">One enjoys natural freedom, freedom upon arising,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">The timeless freedom in which the significance of doing<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">Is no longer at odds with the way of being.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">Effortlessly fulfilling the aims of oneself and others,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">One directly encounters the embracing space of complete virtue,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif; font-size: 11pt;">The natural great perfection.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif;"><font size="2"><br /></font></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="font-family: garamond, serif;"><font size="2">This was composed by Gregory Patenaude on the morning of the tenth lunar day of the month, July 29, 2020. May virtue and wholesome goodness flourish!</font></span></p>Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-43837300734497954692020-07-21T04:00:00.000-07:002020-07-21T04:00:04.048-07:00Where is your seat?Where do you sit? Where do you commit to doing your practice?<div><br /></div><div>Be precise. What room? Where is the seat or cushion? What materials do you need? Which direction are you facing? </div><div><br /></div><div>You need a place to return to again and again. It doesn't need to be the perfect place but it needs to be somewhere clear in your mind. It might be your bedroom, a spare room, your basement or living room. It doesn't matter where it is, so much that you know where to go when it is time to practice. </div><div><br /></div><div>You need a place to start. A place you can commit to. </div><div><br /></div><div>With time you can include more places and new places. The park, the beach, during your commute. Integration happens once you have something to integrate. First, you need a place to start. A place you can develop trust in yourself and cultivate a willingness to show up for yourself. </div><div><br /></div><div>No one needs to know where you sit, but you need to know. </div>Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-32155904927778217952020-06-27T04:00:00.001-07:002020-06-27T04:00:10.187-07:00Model of conscious leadership.As a dharma practitioner on the path we can often times struggle to integrate our meditation with our daily life. Training in mind and awareness cultivates a state of preparedness and responsiveness on the cushion that we slowly learn how to bring out into our daily activities. As we learn to work with this sense of preparedness, we need to learn how to live authentically and contribute meaningfully to the world around us. <div><br /></div><div>The <a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/2020/06/five-elements-of-conscious-leadership.html" target="_blank">five elements of conscious leadership</a> create a framework to integrate your practice with your daily life. By working with each of these elements you encounter resistance and limits in your own body, mind and emotions. Pay attention to that resistance and hesitation. As you become familiar with each of these elements, you will see where you are grasping to aspects of your experience or shutting down. Acknowledging these obstacles and perceived barriers gives you something tangible to work with in your meditation. In this way, our meditation supports our daily life and our daily activities fuel our meditation.</div><div><br /></div><div>The result of a practice that integrates both meditation and your daily life is a willingness to have an grounded, fluid and truthful connection with the world around us. We awaken to the very presence that dwells in the heart of the human condition. All of these elements are included within the single sphere of <a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/2019/03/unborn-and-unceasing.html" target="_blank">unborn bodhicitta</a>, our ever-present primordial state of <a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/2019/09/dzogchen-view.html" target="_blank">authentic presence</a> that is open, available and responsive. <br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjFGtEFCpCg648QKcqR6q1zEtgyz8n4t5l2sEfkx9uMIhub74QWBvF05NG2GMSOgY3XQhyCkomXgJIeKvwBd5JWUK8Z7sOXb52iEbKf_U9VdBlab5OAjxos7Z-HHxq9iPmI66Nz59ZmM/s1188/Five+elements+leadership+diagram.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1188" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijjFGtEFCpCg648QKcqR6q1zEtgyz8n4t5l2sEfkx9uMIhub74QWBvF05NG2GMSOgY3XQhyCkomXgJIeKvwBd5JWUK8Z7sOXb52iEbKf_U9VdBlab5OAjxos7Z-HHxq9iPmI66Nz59ZmM/w500-h474/Five+elements+leadership+diagram.png" width="500" /></a></div><div><br /></div></div></div>Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5903666755520303274.post-84450974434807674822020-06-26T04:00:00.006-07:002020-06-26T09:27:18.303-07:00Five elements of conscious leadership. <div>What does it mean to be a conscious leader who contributes meaningfully to the world? What posture would you have? What would you stand for? How would you organize your effort and activity to best meet the demands of your friends, family and community? In the Buddha's teachings we often find a reference to the five family Buddha's that depict the qualities and characteristics of conscious living. The five Buddha families provide a framework for understanding how to integrate our practice with our daily life so that we can remain genuinely grounded in our values, but also intimately participate with others around us. </div><div><br /></div><div><div><b>Buddha</b>. <i>Lead by example. </i></div><div>The buddha element represents a grounded, present, truthful expression of the self. This element focuses on providing resources, making connections, revealing implications and seeing clearly. They are committed to the activities of learning, contemplating, writing and teachings others. They teach how to work with fear and hesitation in order to move beyond our habitual manifestation or the status quo. They use the power of metaphor and stories to teach others and to share their integrated vision. They are aware of their own constructs but not stuck on them. </div><div><br /></div><div>The primary emotional work of the buddha element is focused on <a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/search?q=confusion" target="_blank">confusion</a>, <a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/search?q=uncertainty" target="_blank">uncertainty</a> and <a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/search?q=fear" target="_blank">fear</a>. While these may never go away, training in the buddha element teaches us to dance with confusion, uncertainty and fear to create opportunities for wisdom or purpose. The form or shape of our life becomes one in which we guide, teach and lead others out of confusion and habitual patterns into wisdom and clarity. </div></div><div><br /></div><b>Vajra</b>. <i>Practical solutions. </i><div>The vajra element emphasizes identifying and solving problems. They use logic, reasoning and critical thinking to figure out how to use and deal with conflict. Curiosity drives the vajra element to create, shape boundaries, contextualize or model innovative solutions. The vajra element is focused on bringing about fulfillment or actions that manifest the intended result. </div><div><br /><div><font face="times">The primary emotional work of the vajra element is focused on <a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/search?q=aversion" target="_blank">aversion</a> and <a href="https://siddhearta.blogspot.com/search?q=anger" target="_blank">anger</a>. <span style="background-color: white;">As our sense of self hardens we become more self-righteous, more opinionated and critical of others. We become very authoritarian and assertive. These mental states naturally encounter conflict and problems in our world and relationships which provoke anger and aggression. As we learn to work with the vajra element, we can transmute the energy and power of aversion and anger into clear thinking and penetrating insight. </span></font></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Ratna</b>. <i>I am a contribution. </i></div><div>The ratna element recognizes that we all co-create the world and how we show up matters. We can share gifts with the world, gifts of compassion, kindness and generosity to impact others. The ratna element is committed to demonstrating the abundance of inner wealth in a world of scarcity and selfish concern. Being values-oriented they are more focused on the long tail of generosity than the short finite game of results. </div><div><br /></div><div>The primary emotional work of the ratna element is focused on egotism and your status. Our actions are often concerned with the eight worldly concerns and how we will be perceived by others. Acts of generosity are often complicated by status roles and personal favors. As we learn to work with the ratna element we overcome the narrow confines of the ego and recognize the significance of their contribution. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Padma</b>. <i>Caring for others.</i></div><div>The padma element recognizes that all human endeavors are co-created and that we share responsibility in shaping that global reality. They work to inspire, motivate and connect others. They embody an intimate presence in all aspects- their body, mind, energy, and emotions; to develop deeply personal relationships and extend their care and attention to their community. Their passion, joy and care engender connection, belonging and trust. </div><div><br /></div><div><font face="times">The primary emotional work of the padma element is focused on selfish desire and attachment. <span style="background-color: white;">All of us have strong desires and passions and our fixation on these leads to a very narrow view and limited understanding. We become fixated on our version of what's right, what we think is the best way, what we want. As we learn to work with the padma element we overcome the tendency to focus on our own qualities and characteristics and</span></font><span style="background-color: white; font-family: times;"> direct our attention to nurturing and caring for others. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Karma</b>. <i>Help others.</i></div><div>The karma element is committed to service, effort, availability, initiative and accountability. They express a willingness to step forward to benefit others. They are intentional about becoming more and more available to others and work to be in service to the processes that are unfolding around them. They joyously remain open and present amidst hardship and problems. </div><div><br /></div><div>The primary emotional work of the karma element is focused on greed and your own needs. Much of the work we do in this life is focused on gaining status, power or control over others. We dominate the situation so nobody else can outshine us. Elevating ourselves and our abilities becomes the main focus, rather than being meaningfully present or helping others. As we learn to work with the karma element we overcome this insecurity and paranoia, discovering a sense of natural ease and fulfillment. No longer focusing on our own position or qualifications, we can be present and available to meet others where they are at, on their own terms. </div><div><br /></div></div>Greg Patenaudehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06670814151198549849noreply@blogger.com0