Turning Our Mind Towards the Dharma (MP3)

Ngöndrolinks are for students who are starting to study and practice the Ngöndro preliminary practices and who already have a firm understanding and experience of the Foundations and the Mahayana stages of the path, and have taken Refuge (the formal entrance to the Buddhist path) and have taken the Bodhisattva Vow (this follows the structure of Rigpa's curriculum for more information click here) 

Date, Time and Place

31 December 2005 & 2 January 2006, Kirchheim

 

Length

76 minutes

Our problem is that we do not apply the teachings and our practice. If we start applying it, we will turn our minds away from samsara and towards nirvana.
Here, Sogyal Rinpoche explains that we don’t really apply the teachings and our practice to ourselves and our lives. It’s as if we’ve been given a torch, but we always forget to turn it on when it gets dark.
So how do we apply them? By reflecting deeply on the four thoughts, we turn our minds away from samsara, and towards the Dharma. Another example is to invoke and feel the presence of the refuge and let its warmth fill our hearts. Our trust in the refuge can become so strong that it will counter and see us through any memory of suffering that might arise in our minds.