Everyday Dharma

More from Tenzin Palmo:

We have to transform those ordinary actions of our day into dharma practice because otherwise nothing is going to move. And it’s very important to realize that every person that you meet, everything that you do, with the right attitude and a little awareness and skillful means — we can transform everything — all our joys and sorrows. Where else is the dharma? Obviously the dharma is every breath we take, every thought we think, every word we speak, if we do it with awareness and an open, caring heart.

Concerning Practice …

“…practice should not be an ordeal.”

From a Tenzin Palmo Interview …

Obviously being relaxed doesn’t mean that you make no effort. To become effortless takes a lot of effort. It’s good to compare it to learning an instrument or learning a sport. When you learn an instrument, it takes an awful lot of time to just learn the scales, and then eventually when you have completely mastered the instrument, the music plays for you. But you still have to keep practicing. And it takes an awful lot of practice. Nonetheless, if you diligently practice, hours and hours and hours and hours, you probably won’t get it. You’ll probably just end up hurting your fingers. The very best players, when they are practicing, put everything they’ve got into it. But then they leave it for a while. And it’s the same in dharma practice. One has to find a balance. I don’t say that when you leave it you forget all about the dharma or practice, but there have to be times when you throw yourself into it, and then there are times when you just relax and realize that wherever you go, you cannot get out of the dharma. The dharma is here. And the dharma is in your heart. Where else would it be?

Ven Tenzin Palmo & Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nuns (India)

Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery was founded by Venerable Tenzin Palmo in 2000 following a commitment she made to His Eminence 8th Khamtrul Rinpoche, head lama of the Khampagar Monastery, in order to provide an environment where young women from Tibet and the Himalayan border regions could come together to study and practise in accordance with the Drukpa Kargyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

The joy of the nuns in these images, as they realize the opening of their nunnery is so wonderful, and contagious, too. Best wishes for them on their journey…!

To learn more, please visit Tenzin Palmo and Dongyu Gatsal Nunnery’s site at gatsal.org/.