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The Disadvantages of Anger.

In a continuation of a teaching on forgiveness, in this podcast we turn to the problem of anger.  We don’t forgive others because we’re angry at them.  So if we are interested in cultivating forgiveness we must uproot anger through its opposite -- patience.  Reviewing some relevant verses from the sixth chapter of Master Shantideva’s classic, Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, Lama Marut here lays out some of the advantages of patience and forgiveness and the disadvantages of anger and resentment.

This podcast is taken from a teaching given at Rockport, Massachusetts, on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2007.

What Forgiveness Is and Isn't.

In this discussion about forgiveness, Lama Marut urges us to change the past by re-writing it in order to be happier in the present.  In order to reinvent our past in a beneficial way, we need to let go of our resentments and forgive everybody who hurt or offended us.  But we must also be clear on what forgiveness really is, and what it isn’t.

This podcast is taken from a teaching given at Rockport, Massachusetts, on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, 2007.

Change the Past, Control the Future.

Can we change the past?  Can we control the future?  Lama Marut insists not only that we can but that we must do so in order to live a happy life in the present.

This podcast is taken from a teaching given in Tucson, Arizona, on January7, 2007.

The Practice of Gratitude.

How can we maintain constant awareness of all the things we have to be grateful for all day long?  Lama Marut offers some practical advice on how to develop a practice of gratitude in our everyday lives.

This talk was taken from a “Dharma Salon” held right after Thanksgiving in Los Angeles, California.

Death Awareness Meditation.

In this podcast, Lama Marut guides a group of students through the main parts of a death awareness meditation, designed to motivate us and straighten out our priorities in life.

This meditation ended a class taught in Tucson, Arizona, on February 1, 2007, as part of a Diamond Mountain University course on “Cultivating Joyful Effort.”

Your Supernormal Powers Part 2.

Lama Marut continues a discussion of our supernormal powers or siddhis with an examination of what we are actually doing with the miraculous technological gadgetry we’ve accumulated here in “designer samsara.”  These powers can be major distractions to our spiritual practice if we don’t use them for what they are really meant for – to get enlightened in this lifetime.

This podcast was taken from a Tibetan Heart Yoga Teacher Training course given at the Three Jewels Bookstore in New York City on March 14, 2007.

Your Supernormal Powers Part 1.

In the traditional texts on yoga it is often said that we will develop certain supernormal powers or siddhis at the advanced levels of our practice.  Many, if not most, of these powers we now have. . . and think are just normal and totally take for granted.

This podcast was taken from a Tibetan Heart Yoga Teacher Training course given at the Three Jewels Bookstore in New York City on March 14, 2007.

Your Amazing Life Part 2.

Lama Marut continues his two part presentation of “leisure and fortune” – recognizing the fact that our lives are complete miracles and the necessity of not squandering such an amazing opportunity to make serious spiritual progress.

This podcast was taken from a Tibetan Heart Yoga Teacher Training course given at the Three Jewels Bookstore in New York City on March 14, 2007.

Your Amazing Life Part 1.

The lam rim or “steps on the path” starts with what is called “leisure and fortune.”  In this podcast, Lama Marut presents the first of a two part discussion of what an amazing opportunity this kind of life affords us . . . if we take advantage of it.

This podcast was taken from a Tibetan Heart Yoga Teacher Training course given at the Three Jewels Bookstore in New York City on March 14, 2007.

The Greatest Sin.

In the open teachings of Buddhism, the biggest mistake is to see things as if they had “self-existence” and were not related to your own karma. In the secret teachings, the biggest error is seeing your life as ordinary instead of paying attention to the miracles that are all around us. Just paying attention to the facts of our lives, being mindful and living “here and now,” will help us live a happier life.

This podcast was taken from a Tibetan Heart Yoga Teacher Training course given at the Three Jewels Bookstore in New York City on March 14, 2007.

Preliminaries to Meditation.

Before meditating, like before yoga, running, or any other physical exercise, it is important to first warm up and “stretch.”  In this podcast, the basic preliminaries that a good meditator should learn and go through at the start of one’s daily meditation are reviewed.

This podcast was taken from a set of teachings given in Rockport, Massachusetts, on Dec. 19, 2006.

Steps of the Path.

The whole Buddhist path is encapsulated in what is called the “lam rim” or “steps on the path.”  Here Lama Marut reviews in a concise manner the entire lam rim, beginning with finding a teacher and appreciating this precious life, and then going through the steps shared with those of “lesser, medium, and greater scopes.”

This podcast is taken from a teaching given at Rockport, Massachusetts, on Dec. 22, 2006.

Karma: Why Things Happen.

The basis for any spiritual life is morality.  But why should we be kind to others?  In this podcast, Lama Marut goes through the three possible worldviews for explaining why things happen, and points out that the only one that can undergird an ethical life is karma and causality.

This podcast is taken from a teaching given at Rockport, Massachusetts, on Dec. 22, 2006.

Popups in Horrorland.

Lama Marut discusses the real purpose of yoga – to obtain a state of happiness that endures all day long, regardless of the “pop-ups in horrorland.”  Our unhappiness comes from not understanding where the unwanted things of life really come from.  Lama Marut asserts, “There’s never a reason to be anything other than happy.” 

This teaching was part of a longer talk given at the Tibetan Heart Yoga Teacher Training course in Tucson, Arizona, in April, 2006.

Four Steps to Happiness, Part 2.

Lama Marut continues his discussion of the four steps for thinking and acting differently in relation to money and things, professions, relationships, entertainment and leisure, and physical health and beauty.  We first learn how to change our thinking and actions about these things.  Then we get unaddicted to these things and re-identify ourselves as spiritual practitioners.  Finally, having done these things we may find it useful – for our spiritual practice – to put the karmic causes into effect for attaining more money, better relationships, etc.

This podcast is taken from a longer teaching given as part of the Tibetan Heart Yoga Teacher Training course, April, 2006, in Tucson, Arizona.

Four Steps to Happiness, Part 1.

In an earlier podcast, Lama Marut discussed why our money and things, professions, relationships, entertainment and leisure, and physical health and beauty cannot in and of themselves make us happy.  Here he begins a discussion of the four steps for thinking and acting differently in relation to these things.  We start by gaining some wisdom about their nature and learning how to change our thinking and actions about the five things we think will make us happy.

This podcast is taken from a longer teaching given as part of the Tibetan Heart Yoga Teacher Training course, April, 2006, in Tucson, Arizona.

What Won't Make Us Happy.

What kinds of things do we think are going to make us happy in life? Will money and things, success in a career, relationships, entertainment and leisure activities, or physical health and beauty in and of themselves make us happy? And, on the other hand, will simply giving up these things make us happy? Find out in this podcast! 

Extracted from a teaching given in April, 2006, at a Tibetan Heart Yoga Teacher Training course in Tucson, Arizona.

True Happiness.

The real purpose of any authentic spiritual practice, and the real purpose of our lives, is to be happy so you can really help others.  In this podcast, Lama Marut discusses what true happiness is, why we’re not happy, and how to achieve contentment and happiness in your life. 

Recorded in Santa Monica, California, in December, 2006, as part of a talk on learning how to trust in the future.

PART 2: A Daily Practice.

Enjoy the conclusion of Lama Marut’s entertaining teaching on the essential components of any spiritual practice. From the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep these elements help lay a strong  foundation for a deeper happiness in our lives.

PART 1: A Daily Practice.

The path to true happiness consists of small, positive changes we make to our daily lives. Lama Marut offers insight and inspiration that we can use today to transform our everyday lives into joyful ones.

These teachings were part of Lama Marut's "Dharma Essentials" course, given in Rockport Massachusetts, December 19-22, 2006.