Explore every episode of the podcast Dharma If You Dare

In this final regular episode of Season 4, we finish up our series on the 4 pillars of Planet Dharma’s approach to working with students with a look at Shadow Integration. In this excerpt from their online course, Beyond the Cushion, Doug Qapel Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei explain what the shadow is, how it shows up, how it can be reintegrated, and the tremendous benefits this work offers those who undertake it.

We hope you enjoyed this Season! Please take a moment to rate and review Dharma if you Dare on your favourite podcast app. It really helps people discover what we’re doing. And don’t forget to subscribe to notifications when the new season starts, along with any bonus content that may be shared this summer.

We hope you enjoy today’s soundbite in which Doug Qapel Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei answer a question about why they wear red hats when they teach.

Theoretical understanding and food for thought are helpful inputs as we go about our daily life, but for deep spiritual change and liberation from suffering we need to engage in depth work. In this tradition - as you hear in this recording - along with retreat work, this manifests as personal engagement with qualified spiritual guides. As engaging, practical and empowering as these podcast recordings are, working with Qapel and Sensei in person is where the transformation really happens. If you are looking to actually transform your life and awaken in this lifetime, check out planetdharma.com to find your best way to connect and move that dream closer to reality.

In today’s episode, Catherine Pawasarat Sensei and Doug Qapel Duncan introduce the topic of the Western Mysteries, or better named, the Divine Mysteries. They outline an overview of the main parts of the spiritual journey: the call, the initiation and the return. They also explore the historical place these traditions have had and some of the ways their influence shows up today.

Today’s recording is content from a previous course by Sensei & Qapel introducing this topic. This summer at Clear Sky Center (and virtually for those unable to travel) they will be leading a retreat on the Tarot & Western Archetypes, a powerful and concise path of liberation that draws on our own life experiences as Westerners and our native intelligence to help unfold deeper wisdom and understanding of our mystical life.

Later, in the fall, Qapel & Sensei will be in Europe to lead an in-person interactive retreat on The Hero’s Journey, a powerful mythical journey experience, integrating Eastern & Western traditions. Accepting the challenge of the Hero’s journey will leave you with a healthier, strengthened ego – one more fully integrated with the ‘shadow’ and thus more energetic and less susceptible to stress. 

Learn more about these retreats by visiting planetdharma.com/2022.

Part 3: The Awakened State

In this full talk, the "Map to Awakening" metaphor is a journey from west to east—in this case Kyoto to Tokyo—with the arrival point being the awakened state.

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Part three of four on Doug Sensei's "The Map to Awakening" talk The ongoing metaphor:  "Tokyo" = Awakening "The ego is an artificial boundary produced to defend itself against being swallowed up. That the ego is there is not the problem. The problem is that it's there when it doesn't need to be there, which is, fundamentally, 99% of the time." "What is the awakened consciousness? The awakened consciousness is the being who doesn't see themselves as being inherently or 'existentially' separate from anybody or anything else. It says 'you and I are one consciousness. We have work to do. Let's get on with it.' " "In the fundamental essence, humanity is one consciousness laboring under the illusion that it is in separate bodies, and that's the source of all suffering. The source of all personal suffering is seeing yourself as separate." Creative tension vs. emotional tension: from Peter Senge's book "The Fifth Discipline" (pp. 135-142): "The gap that is between our current reality and our vision is called "creative tension." This gap is a source of creative energy…" Summarized well here: http://thecreatingspace.wordpress.com/2008/11/12/creative-tension/ Question from audience: [How are you] supposed to judge what's good and what's bad? Suggested rules/criteria for a broader vision of a "good" or "bad" (moral) act: 1. Is it conducive/does it lead to awakening? (Helping us individually or as a group to move forward?) 2. Would it be okay if everybody on the planet did it/behaved that way/said that? 3. Would it be okay if everybody knew? "But good and bad depends on where the scale is...as your wisdom and compassion deepen, the scale moves. What your parents see as good and bad, though true for them now, may not be true anymore as they move toward awakening. The good and bad may shift and the scale may shift." "What's your personal vision? Is Tokyo on the map or are you happy with Nagoya or Shizuoka? What do you need to do to move your organism a little down the road towards Tokyo? How do you determine what that is, see what that is? And what might that be? What kind of actions or behavior or lifestyle do you think you need to produce that will be more conducive to that journey?"

http://www.planetdharma.com/

Part 2: Heading to "Tokyo" (Planetary Consciousness)

In this full talk, the "Map to Awakening" metaphor is a journey from west to east—in this case Kyoto to Tokyo—with the arrival point being the awakened state. 

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"We are one cell each in a body called humanity. And this, as I see it, is where the dispensation and the map for the future lies in terms of the evolution of human consciousness." -- Sensei Doug Duncan For the first part of this talk, listen to the previous Launch Pod podcast, "First, You Need the Map!" (FYI: The geographical progression eastward is Kyoto > Nagoya > Shizuoka > Tokyo) "We want our explorations to be wider, more incorporating than they have been in the past." "Samsara means from the ego point of view our lives go around and around on the same circle." "You're unfolding as a human being, but where you end up is going to be determined by which map and which aspiration you have." "If we want to survive and thrive as a species, and if we want the planet to be habitable, and if we want to be in good places, we have to see the self as other." "You are me and I am you."

"We are one cell each in a body called humanity. And this, as I see it, is where the dispensation and the map for the future lies in terms of the evolution of human consciousness." -- Sensei Doug Duncan For the first part of this talk, listen to the previous Launch Pod podcast, "First, You Need the Map!" (FYI: The geographical progression eastward is Kyoto > Nagoya > Shizuoka > Tokyo) "We want our explorations to be wider, more incorporating than they have been in the past." "Samsara means from the ego point of view our lives go around and around on the same circle." "You're unfolding as a human being, but where you end up is going to be determined by which map and which aspiration you have." "If we want to survive and thrive as a species, and if we want the planet to be habitable, and if we want to be in good places, we have to see the self as other." "You are me and I am you."

http://www.planetdharma.com/

Part 1: First, You Need the Map!

In this full talk, the "Map to Awakening" metaphor is a journey from west to east—in this case Kyoto to Tokyo—with the arrival point being the awakened state. 

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"The awakened consciousness is THE evolutionary step for humanity in total. The destination for the human species is awakening." -- Doug Duncan Sensei "You're going to be seeing more people awaken more speedily and more easily than ever before in history." "The absolute bottom-line fear, the main issue, for every human being throughout their life is the fear of disappearing, which is equated to mental illness. After all, mental illness is a real possibility. You see people fracturing and falling apart regularly and you're going to see more and more of it. Being "in control" is a way of managing the fear, of keeping you from mental illness. The idea of giving up control triggers the fear of losing a sense of who you are. It's a fear of disappearing, of being absorbed. The closest understanding we have of that is the fear of mental illness, where you're no longer compos mentis; you're no longer sane." "Will meditation drive you crazy? No, life drives you crazy. Meditation shows you that life is crazy. If you don't meditate you can assume that life is normal, but the minute you start meditating, life looks pretty crazy." "In terms of the awakening experience, you have to meet these fears of being out of control, of being crazy, of losing your identity. Because that's how the ego has projected the awakening experience back onto itself as the reason for not doing it. Don't think you can't do it (awaken), because the depth of your being knows you can. The depth of your being is prepared for it. The organism knows that this is part of the potential program. Your brain, your body, your organism as a human being knows it has the capability and the possibility for awakening." "In most conventional ways when we say I love somebody, it means 'I can control them' or 'I can manipulate them' or 'I'm with her/him because I like being controlled by her/him'; 'I like the way she/he controls me, I like way she/he manipulates me'. And this is what we call love. Because love is usually a deal--a deal about your ego and their ego being able to dance to similar music. And it's not a bad thing. I'm not putting this down at any level. But that deal doesn't lead to awakening. Having said that, you can still be married and have a family and be awakened, but you can't set up family and profession and kids as a false destination. You've got to bring them toward awakening; it doesn't work the other way around."

http://www.planetdharma.com/

In meditation you just notice what arises rather than seeking after experiences, which are conditioned by the ego's need for stimulation, recognition and structure.

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Doug Duncan Sensei: "In meditation you're not trying to _change_ your sensations, your passions, your lusts -- you're trying to see it clearly." "All the skandhas -- form, feelings, perceptions, etc. -- happen at the same time. It's too compacted to get a good look at. So you take it apart." "Once you know your ego -- stimulation, recognition, structure -- you're already free of it. You don't have to change it. You don't have to fix it. All you have to do is take note of it." "If you identify with the label, that is the source of the suffering. From that, the suffering will pour forth." "The hungry ghost realm is marked by unfulfilled needs whose time has passed. The ego, by definition, in relationship to its sensing functions -- its cravings, its passions, its lusts, and so on -- is an unfulfilled need whose time has passed." Amitabha mantras: OM AMITABHA HRIH SVAHA for lovingkindness in the world OM AMI DEVA HRIH (when a person is dying) "Enter the friendly shining" OM RATNA KUTA HUNG (for animals) "Enter the jewel state of consciousness" This talk was recorded on April 7, 2010 at Maitreya House in the United Kingdom http://crystalgroup.org.uk/maitreya.htm

http://www.planetdharma.com/

In meditation you just notice what arises rather than seeking after experiences, which are conditioned by the ego's need for stimulation, recognition and structure. 

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"Awakening isn't so much that you're fixing what's wrong or improving what's gone off as you are expanding your range to include what you exclude." "Namgyal Rinpoche mentioned two ways to increase your intelligence: increase the range of what you eat and increase the range of your sexual experience." "'Unwholesome' means choosing things that you may be habitually comfortable with but which aren't taking you forward. They're holding you in place in a limited conditioning based on security and comfort." "When you start to meditate and you're doing Amitabha practice, this is a place where rather than seeking after familiar and comfortable experiences you just note the ones that are arising." "You really need just two things for awakening: a good heart -- the actual desire for the welfare of other beings -- and determination (cetana)." This talk was recorded on April 7, 2010 at Maitreya House in the United Kingdom http://crystalgroup.org.uk/maitreya.htm

http://www.planetdharma.com/

The nature of addiction is an attempt to escape the pain at the core of our being. Resisting the urge to give in rather than face the appetite or addiction takes patience and determination. 

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In this concluding section, Sensei answers such questions as: How do you live in the moment and still plan for the future? Aren't there authentic pleasures that are not based on addiction? How can you not identify with the objective world in a healthy way that still allows you to function?

http://www.planetdharma.com/

The nature of addiction is an attempt to escape the pain at the core of our being. Resisting the urge to give in rather than face the appetite or addiction takes patience and determination. 

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In the end, the nature of addiction is an attempt to escape the pain that is at the core of all of our beings. Getting on with the spiritual work means learning to be okay in the present moment, just as it is, without need for stories or elaborations, knowing that we're going to die, that no absolute security is to be found, that everything is impermanent. Part 4 of 5 of a public talk given in Winnipeg, Canada, in September 2009

http://www.planetdharma.com/

The nature of addiction is an attempt to escape the pain at the core of our being. Resisting the urge to give in rather than face the appetite or addiction takes patience and determination.

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Part 3 of a public talk given in Winnipeg, Canada, in Sept. 2009

http://www.planetdharma.com/

The nature of addiction is an attempt to escape the pain at the core of our being. Resisting the urge to give in rather than face the appetite or addiction takes patience and determination. 

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"If you want freedom you have to come to terms with being okay in the now doing nothing." -- Doug Duncan Sensei "All of your bad states are entirely your responsibility. Your state is totally under your control as long as you can exercise the mindfulness to be present in the moment. When you remain present you won't go to the addiction or to a negative mind state." "On the spiritual path, you're not fighting your addiction, you're fighting the inability to face the appetite or addiction. It takes patience and determination to sit through the state and study the pattern, rather than simply being driven by early childhood conditioning." From a public talk given in Winnipeg, Canada in September 2009

http://www.planetdharma.com/

The nature of addiction is an attempt to escape the pain at the core of our being. Resisting the urge to give in rather than face the appetite or addiction takes patience and determination.

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"If you look at the nature of your consciousness, you're always one step ahead of yourself or perhaps one step behind yourself, but very rarely are you actually in this moment just as it is." -- Doug Duncan Sensei The nature of appetite or addiction is thinking, 'What's next?'" In our modern lifestyles, we are addicted to being busy, always going from one thing to next, seeking happiness in the next moment. This is an addictive pattern. Seeking cannot produce peace and contentment. Happiness cannot be found in the next moment. Only in breaking the pattern, the addiction to the immediate reward of the chemical rush, do we find that consciousness can reside pleasantly in this moment, undisturbed for a period of time. The cycle of addiction is rooted in a strong sense of survival in one's being. Rather than fighting against it, look at it with reason. Decide to meditate, to do nothing but rest peacefully in the moment for one or two hours a day. In meditating, one's habit is absent, so initially boredom will arise. Boredom is the result of the withdrawal from mental addiction, the addiction to 'What's going to happen next?' Boredom is followed by fear and anxiety, which have some survival value. So how do you marry the survival value of planning and organizing with the idea of being present in the moment? Stay tuned.

http://www.planetdharma.com/

We hope you enjoy today’s soundbite from Catherine Pawasarat Sensei on how goodness is misunderstood and undervalued and how much could be done collectively if we embraced its true power.  

Catherine Sensei will be leading a breathing retreat at the beautiful Clear Sky Center in May. This is an opportunity for practitioners of any level to deepen their connection to this powerful practice, guided by a world-class teacher, in person or virtually. Sensei will be fresh off her own 3-month personal cabin retreat, jumping back into teaching to lead this retreat on the practices from the Ānāpānasati Sutta, the Mindfulness of Breathing Discourse. You can learn more and register at planetdharma.com/breathing. 

Part 3: You Cannot Let the Unwholesome Run You

The real work is to pay attention to and recognize what's going on in inside -- our mental states. We cannot let ourselves be ruled by subconscious conditioning. 

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In this last part of his talk, Doug Sensei gets down to the nitty-gritty. It's your work to do. We need to pay attention to and recognize what's going on in inside -- our mental states. And not let ourselves be ruled by subconscious conditioning. Mantras mentioned: Chenrezig (Jewel in the Lotus) mantra (for your heart): Om Mani Padme Hung Manjushri mantra (for your head): Om A Ra Pa Tsa Na Dhih Vajrapani (The Holder of the Diamond) mantra: Om Vajrapani Namah Hum Deity: Red Shinji, wrathful Red Manjushri: the most wrathful of all the deities in the mandala

http://www.planetdharma.com/

Part 2: Why Wait for Spring?

The real work is to pay attention to and recognize what's going on in inside -- our mental states. We cannot let ourselves be ruled by subconscious conditioning.

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It's the basics for awakening. Recognize the wholesome for the wholesome. Recognize the unwholesome for the unwholesome. And you always know that the unwholesome state is unwholesome. You just aren't admitting it. Om ah ra pa tsa na dhih. Hail to the wisdom that is ripening. (Manjushri mantra) This talk was given by Doug Duncan Sensei on Aug. 14, 2010 at Clear Sky Center, BC, Canada.

http://www.planetdharma.com/

Part 1: Nobody's Perfect

The real work is to pay attention to and recognize what's going on in inside -- our mental states. We cannot let ourselves be ruled by subconscious conditioning.

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"sabbe sankhara dukkha'ti" All conditioned phenomena are filled with suffering. This talk was given by Doug Duncan Sensei on Aug. 14, 2010 at Clear Sky Center, BC, Canada.

http://www.planetdharma.com/

Sensei answers questions and riffs energetically on cause and effect -- karma -- and a range of other subjects from the point of view of the Buddha (ultimate truth vs. relative truth)

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Doug-sensei says: "Action is intention. Be very careful about this. There's no thing that you do at any moment ever that isn't intended. Every single thing you do is intended, whether you acknowledge the intention or not."

Reference: Prajna Paramita = The Heart Sutra

Relevant section: "O Shariputra, all dharmas are forms of emptiness, not born, not destroyed, Not stained, not pure; without loss, without gain. So in emptiness there is no form, no sensation, conception, discrimination, awareness. No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind."

Ultimate vs. Relative Truth = The Buddhist Doctrine of Two Truths From p. 41 Luminous Mind, Kalu Rinpoche: "All things can be viewed according to two levels of reality: the relative or conventional level and the ultimate level. These two truths correspond to two points of view, two visions of reality: the relative truth or view is relatively or conventionally true but ultimately illusory, and the ultimate truth or view is definitively true, the authentic experience beyond all illusion.
All samsaric perceptions are experiences of relative truth. Nirvana, which is beyond illusions and samsara's suffering, is the level of ultimate truth." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_truths_doctrine

http://www.planetdharma.com/

Sensei talks about going against the flow by meditating, reflecting and taking on the challenge to let go, abandon, renounce, and give up the idea that samsara is resolvable.

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Doug Sensei says: "Your journey to awaken is upriver! Samsara is noted for being endless. You are not going to awaken by keep makin' the same choices, goin' down the same stream. Unless, of course, the choice you're making is to meditate, contemplate, reflect, study, listen to your mentor. But fundamentally you have to take the challenge -- not just to meditate or contemplate, but to take the challenge to go upriver for you! And no Buddha can do this for you." "It's not about rebelling against society. It's not about fixing or destroying society. It's irrelevant. Your challenges are irrelevant to what society is doing. Your challenge is to leave it behind, to walk on, to let go, to abandon, to renounce, to give up the idea that samsara is resolvable!" Term: skandhas For a good explanation: http://tibetanlama.com/buddhism/The_Five_Skhandas.asp

Text used: "Gems of Dharma, Jewels of Freedom," the classic handbook of Buddhism, by Gampopa (This podcast episode now contains the corrected sound file -- no sound dropouts.)

http://www.planetdharma.com/

Doug Sensei rapidly outlines the Buddhist teachings -- how to awaken -- giving life to them with direct commentary suited for people today.

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"You're not looking at suffering clearly enough. You're drugging it out. You're in a dream state. Instead, you have to see the true nature of what you're attached to -- that it's impermanent, that it's subject to loss, that you can't ever own it, and that which owns it is itself a dream." Continuing with another talk from Dec. 2009 retreat, Doug Sensei rapidly outlines the Buddhist teachings -- how to awaken -- giving life to them with direct commentary suited for people today. An overview of the teachings from the book, "Gems of Dharma, Jewels of Freedom," the classic handbook of Buddhism by Gampopa, considered the 12th century forefather of the Kagyu traditions of Tibet. Translated by Ken and Katia Holmes in 1994, "according to the detailed explanations traditional to the Karma Kagyu Lineage".

See: http://www.samyeling.org/

Part 1: The Prime Cause -- The Enlightened Essence (having the awakened potential -- you have Buddha nature)

Part 2: The Basis -- A Precious Human Existence

Part 3: The Condition -- The Good Mentor

Part 4: The Means, The Mentors' Instruction Part

5: The Kaya of Perfect Buddhahood

Part 6: Non-Conceptual Enlightened Activity to Benefit Beings

Sensei starts out: "We're talking about samsara and nirvana. Samsara and nirvana are the same insofar as their actual nature is spaciousness. The form it takes is different according to the delusion. Insofar as you're subject to delusion you're in samsara. Insofar as you're not subject to delusion you're in nirvana. The nature of samsara is that it's repetitive -- it just keeps going round and round. The key characteristic is that in samsara because of the delusion you're subject to suffering. In nirvana you're not subject to suffering because you're not subject to the delusion. So then how do you get free from the delusion?" "The nature of the guru, the lama, the Buddha, is to point out blind spots. You don't need the lama to practice, to study, to reflect or contemplate on the Dharma. That you can do on your own. But what you can't do is see your blind spots." "Ignorance doesn't mean you're stupid. It means you're just not looking. From that POV, your neurosis is simply that you don't look past what you already know. It's the nature of the ego."

http://www.planetdharma.com/

Part 3: Wake Up, Little Suzy

Teachings based on the book "Gems of Dharma, Jewels of Freedom" by Gampopa. 

Your preferences are shaped, formed by conditioning. Ultimately everything is insubstantial and you need to see that.

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Your parents have done their job, but they mentored you for a worldly existence. "The insubstantiality of the problem and the insubstantiality of the person experiencing the problem ends every problem. And by having meditative concentration, you just tell that little imp --- poof!" "Bliss, clarity, non-clinging is your birthright."

Buddhist term: Sambhogakaya

http://www.planetdharma.com/

Teachings based on the book "Gems of Dharma, Jewels of Freedom" by Gampopa.

We are constantly seeking satisfaction. Merely accepting the cycle of getting temporary satisfaction and then seeking again is switching off. You need to transcend it instead.

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Student question: "Don't we just accept that there is a cycle of getting temporary satisfaction and then seeking again?"

Sensei: "What are you taking refuge in, my friends?"

Concept: Switched-Off Potential (for Enlightenment)

Another incisive retreat talk!

http://www.planetdharma.com/

Teachings based on the book "Gems of Dharma, Jewels of Freedom" by Gampopa. 

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The Four Impediments to Awakening Why don't you want to awaken? Get ready for impact. Talk given at winter retreat in Dec. 2009, Miki, Hyogo, Japan.

Note: Quote attributed to Neils Bohr > actually by Schrodinger to Bohr.

http://www.planetdharma.com/

Some topics covered in this talk: skandhas (composites), the awakening experience, dealing with pain, "karma is cetana (will or decision)", being hurt and how to forgive

http://www.planetdharma.com/

In today’s episode, Catherine Pawasarat Sensei and Doug Qapel Duncan dive into intimate relationships, and explore the skills needed to make a partnership truly work. They look at how our cultural and family conditioning plays out in how we relate to our romantic and life partners. Qapel and Sensei also highlight some ways we can begin to shift our incomplete views about how relationships should be so we can use them to truly become more conscious.

Today’s recording is part of a full audio course called Conscious Love. In the 4-part course, Sensei and Qapel cover a wide variety of topics related to intimate relationships. They explore the conditioning that impacts our relationships and how we experience our partners, including imprinting in the womb and our early experiences with family. And most importantly, they show us how we can use what our relationships show and teach us to wake up. Podcast listeners can download the entire course for free at planetdharma.com/podcastlove.

Part 3: Seven Types of Meditation

In this talk: Samatha meditation (develops calm and concentration resulting in bliss) Six types of samatha meditation: visualization, mantra, mudra, devotional, energy, and breathing. Plus, Vipassana meditation: insight

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In this talk: Samatha meditation (develops calm and concentration resulting in bliss) Six types of samatha meditation: visualization, mantra, mudra, devotional, energy, and breathing Vipassana meditation: insight What is reality? From the point of view of Buddhism, there is no object to be found in the universe anywhere. All objects are made up of composite parts. A human being is made up of these composite parts: form, feeling, perception, consciousness, factors of consciousness.

http://www.planetdharma.com/

Part 2: What is Meditation?

The separation between the mind that's experiencing a state and the state that you're experiencing is fundamentally meditation. Meditation practices are tools that you use to get between you and your habitual run-on mind.

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"Fundamentally, meditation means the ability to witness what's going on in consciousness while it's going on in consciousness." "If you don't see that the state you're in right now -- while you're in a state of anger or in a fight -- is more important than the outcome of the fight, you'll always be fighting. [...] If you put the state you're in right now first, you're meditating, which doesn't mean you have to say to yourself 'I'm not angry.' You step back from the state you're in to look at what it's like to be in that state." "Meditation is the process of learning how to observe the state you're in -- physically, emotionally and mentally -- without getting all bent out of shape about it." "Meditation practices are basically levers or wedges to get in between you and your state to pry the mind and the state apart from each other. If I can pry myself free from that state a little then I'm in a position to look at its nature .... and learn something useful ... and realize that it doesn't really matter what state arises." "The separation between the mind that's experiencing a state and the state that you're experiencing is fundamentally meditation. Meditation practices are tools that you use to get between you and your habitual run-on mind."

http://www.planetdharma.com/

Part 1: No More Quiet Desperation

We don't have to lead lives of quiet desperation. Sensei tells us: "The key to awakening is being aware of your own state, almost as if it's not your own."

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We don't have to lead lives of quiet desperation. Perhaps we are too lazy to investigate the nature of our own consciousness, perhaps we have doubts. We fool ourselves into thinking we can get true happiness from objects that are transitory and fundamentally... unsatisfactory. Sensei tells us: "The key to awakening is being aware of your own state, almost as if it's not your own." "Ask yourself one question: 'What is inherently unpleasant or uncomfortable or undesirable in this thing?' "In the process of taking apart your views of things, you find that a lot of the things you're building your happiness on are doomed to end. Can they possibly, then, create everlasting peace?"

http://www.planetdharma.com/

We're obsessed with our lives. We reference everything back to ourselves. We need to let go of this obsession in order to access that which is greater than ourselves. You can't be busy with distractions.

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"The problem is that you want to have your cake and eat it, too. So you try to do the job and career and relationship thing AND stand on the edge of the cliff, but because you're clinging to the job and career and relationship, you're not actually ON the edge of the cliff. You try to convince yourself you're on the edge of the cliff when you're 15 miles from it. The teacher's job is nothing other than to disabuse you of the fact that you're not standing at the edge of the cliff, and to point where the edge of the cliff is." Terms used in the talk: "alaya vinjana" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Store_consciousness) Jataka tales (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jataka_tales) Jodo Shinshu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jodo_Shinshu) Kyentse Norbu Rinpoche (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dzongsar_Jamyang_Khyentse_Rinpoche) guru yoga (Google it yourself ;-))

http://www.planetdharma.com/

Are We Our Thoughts?

Part 1 of 2

The mistake we make that hinders our spiritual development is that we take things personally, which feeds experiences back into the conditioned responses that we call the self. So what is the self? Our thoughts? Our emotions? Our body?

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Wake up in the morning and set your aspiration for the day. It's fundamental for "working the bowl upstream into the more radiant fields of consciousness." The mistake we make that hinders our spiritual development is that we take things personally, which feeds experiences back into the conditioned responses that we call the self. So what is the self? Our thoughts? Our emotions? Our body? This talk was given in March 2009 at Clear Sky Center, B.C., Canada.

http://www.planetdharma.com/

To meditate, you don't have to be "smart," says Doug Sensei. You just have to see clearly.

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In this edited talk excerpt, Sensei discusses "the Purification of View" (from the Abhidhamma) and provides a useful meditation exercise to help one come to understand nama and rupa (mind and matter), the knowledge of which constitutes the first stage of insight and leads to overcoming doubt on the Path.

http://www.planetdharma.com/

What does it mean to purify one's morality?

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In this short excerpt from a talk given in Calgary, B.C., Canada, Doug Sensei discusses "the purification of virtue (sila)" as part of the traditional "seven stages of purification" and defines sila as being in a state of fundamental friendliness toward self and others. Sanskrit terms: sila: "coolness" or  "cool-headedness" kusala: skilful, virtuous http://www.quangduc.com/English/kusala.htm

http://www.planetdharma.com/

A discussion on the seven types of meditation, includes the Sanskrit terms samatha, vipassana, and rupa/arupa jhana

Full talk: Part 3 of 3

Sanskrit terminology used in this talk include: bardo and Tathagatagarbha.

http://www.planetdharma.com/

A discussion on the seven types of meditation.

Full talk: Part 2 of 3

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Continuing with this discussion on the seven types of meditation, you’ll encounter the following Sanskrit terms: Tathagatagarbha, alaya-vijnana

References are also made to Mahākāśyapa, the Flower sermon disciple, and Hui Neng, the Sixth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism.

http://www.planetdharma.com/

A discussion on the seven types of meditation.

Full talk: Part 1 of 3

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In this discussion on the seven types of meditation, you'll encounter the following Sanskrit terms: samatha, vipassana, rupa/arupajhana

Talks are edited lightly to remove extraneous material. For more information on the activities of Doug Sensei, please visit: http://www.planetdharma.com/

We hope you enjoy today’s soundbite from Doug ‘Qapel’ Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei as they give advice to a student about how to train the mind to be attentive to the details in their relative, day-to-day reality without losing contact with the absolute truth that everything is light and empty of inherent existence. 

If you are looking to incorporate more activities into your life to support contemplation and introspection, we recommend our weekly reflection series called ‘52 Reflections’. Sign up for free and once a week you’ll receive a short passage and follow-up prompt that you can use to frame your day, your week or a meditation session. You can learn more and sign up for free by visiting planetdharma.com/52reflections.

With the purification of consciousness, you realize that you are a wave and you are an ocean. In essence you are water -- all the same water. Water is the six senses in this metaphor.

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This talk was given for a retreat in Guatemala on Feb. 26, 2004. Part 2 of 2. For more information on the activities of Doug Sensei, please visit:

http://www.planetdharma.com/

Purification of the sense doors is probably the most important work you do on the path, leading to a body of radiance.

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This talk was given for a retreat in Guatemala on Feb. 26, 2004. Part 1 of 2. For more information on the activities of Doug Sensei, please visit:

http://www.planetdharma.com/

podcast.clearskycenter.org

The root of the path is sila, samadhi and panna.

1. The Golden Rule works.

2. Concentration -- requires and effort that goes beyond your preference mind (you get bored). Important for right-hemisphere brain if mind is wandering around in the left brain.

3. Wisdom -- Complete View: fundamentally, reality from a Transcendent point of view is self-aware, luminescent, spacious. From that platform all phenomena appear.

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Part 3 of 3 of a talk given in Kyoto, Japan, in November 2008.

podcast.clearskycenter.org http://www.planetdharma.com/

All the objects of your mind are impermanent. Liberation from suffering/Nirvana/Christ consciousness is a right-hemisphere experience but the left hemisphere is the hemisphere that knows about it.

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This talk was given in Kyoto, Japan, in November 2008. It is Part 2 of 3.

podcast.clearskycenter.org http://www.planetdharma.com/

When studying the mind, if you're busy with your thoughts, feelings and sensations, you're getting caught up with what's in the mind, not the nature of the mind itself. "M" Mind is aware, spacious, naturally luminescent and clear.

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This talk was given in Kyoto, Japan, in Nov. 2008. Part 1 of 3.

In today’s episode Doug Qapel Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei explore the topic of The Clear Light of the Mind. They outline how our sense of reality is formed, including how early stimulation and imprinting creates the sense of solidity of our selves and our environment. They explore how we can use dreams as a way of understanding the ephemeral nature of our experience. And they look at how traditional buddhist practices help us to reconnect with the essential light nature of the universe.

Looking to engage with cutting-edge 21st-century dharma in a way that’s right for you? Each year, Planet Dharma offers a variety of programs and retreats to catalyze awakening for spiritual seekers. Over the course of this year, in addition to the Tarot retreat, Planet Dharma will be offering a variety of in-person and online retreats of various lengths. These offerings will be complemented by online courses and Enlighten Up dharma talks. There is also a dharma trip to the Baltics being planned for the fall. To learn more about these events and to see the diversity of material being offered, visit planetdharma.com/2022.

We hope you enjoy today’s soundbite from Doug ‘Qapel’ Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei as they introduce the 3 principles of Hua Yan Buddhist philosophy in preparation for their upcoming meditation retreat.

You can learn more about the retreat at planetdharma.com/huayan. 

If you are looking to incorporate more activities into your life to support contemplation and introspection, we recommend our weekly reflection series called ‘52 Reflections’. Sign up for free and once a week you’ll receive a short passage and follow-up prompt that you can use to frame your day, your week or a meditation session. You can learn more and sign up for free by visiting planetdharma.com/52reflections.

In today’s episode Doug Qapel Duncan gives an overview of the major arcana from the Tarot. He goes over all 22 of the cards from the Fool to the World, giving pithy summary statements about each one and brief comments on how you can use or work with them.

The mandate of Planet Dharma is to help people awaken in this lifetime. In this recording you get a sense of this, both via the urgency of making every aspect of our experience conscious, and the framing of these 22 archetypes as an integrated path of spiritual awakening rather than simply a divination tool. 

If you are interested in doing a deep dive into the Tarot, Planet Dharma is running a retreat called Tarot & Western Archetypes this summer. The retreat will take place at the beautiful Clear Sky Center in the British Columbia Rockies. There will also be the option to join virtually for those who are unable to travel. You can visit planetdharma.com/tarot for more information.  

We hope you enjoy today’s soundbite from Doug ‘Qapel’ Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei as they answer a question about how to balance staying absorbed in the bliss state during tantric deity practice while remaining attentive to the number of mantras recited.  

If you are looking to incorporate more activities into your life to support contemplation and introspection, we recommend our weekly reflection series called ‘52 Reflections’. Sign up for free and once a week you’ll receive a short passage and follow-up prompt that you can use to frame your day, your week or a meditation session. You can learn more and sign up for free by visiting planetdharma.com/52reflections.

Today’s episode is our third in-a-row exploring the topic of leveraging archetypes for our spiritual unfoldment. In this talk, Doug Qapel Duncan discusses archetypes specific to the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition: tantric deities. He talks about the representations of body, speech and mind in the forms of Vajrapani, Chenrezi and Manjushri. He also introduces the 5 Buddha Families, and the 8 Bodhisattvas. Qapel explains how tantric deity practices transform our experience and help us move through negative patterns. The recording ends with a closer look at the Chenrezi practice, including an explanation of its symbology and mantra. 

If you are interested in doing a deep dive into tantric deity work or learning how to get the most out of your work with sadhanas, the texts that describe these practices, Planet Dharma is about to run a weekend-long retreat called Practices for Power. There is still room for virtual participants, so check out planetdharma.com/sadhana to learn more about the home retreat.     

Today’s recording is bonus content from Sensei & Qapel’s audio course Conscious Love. The course explores many aspects of intimate relationships, including the unconscious patterning that influences them and how to turn partnerships into opportunities for deep transformation. 

Podcast listeners can download the entire course for free at planetdharma.com/podcastlove.

In this third episode in our series on the 4 pillars of Planet Dharma’s approach to working with students, we will hear about Karma Yoga, also known as ‘the path of service’, or ‘meditation in action’. In this excerpt from their online course, Beyond the Cushion, Doug Qapel Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei explore the many facets of karma yoga, and explain why it is such a good fit for many modern practitioners.

The path of karma yoga is a powerful approach that readily lends itself to supporting a 21st-century awakening. If this path of meditation-in-action appeals to you, we think your best bet is the 3-Month Intensive Karma Yoga program at Clear Sky Center. The program brings spiritual awakening into the modern context – by integrating karma yoga, meditation, psychology, environment, career, and community. To learn more, visit planetdharma.com/kyprogram.

In today’s talk, Doug Qapel Duncan continues to dive deeper into the topic of archetypes, which he introduced in the talk we heard in Episode 11. He explores how archetypes operate at the personal & psychological level, and why we are drawn to them in contexts like storytelling. Qapel also explains the difference between what happens when these archetypes are operating consciously vs. unconsciously. 

Spiritual archetypes, which we will hear more about in an upcoming episode are a vehicle for accessing higher states of consciousness. Arising yoga, also known as tantric deity practice, is one such manifestation of how to use spiritual archetypes as an awakening tool. If you are interested in doing a deep dive into arising yoga or learning how to get the most out of your work with sadhanas, the texts that describe these practices, Planet Dharma is running a weekend-long retreat called Practices for Power for both in-person and virtual participants. Check out planetdharma.com/sadhana for more information.  

We hope you enjoy this soundbite from Doug ‘Qapel’ Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei on how arising yoga sadhana practice can help us move to more responsive and liberating planetary models of being.  

If you are interested in learning more by doing a deep dive into arising yoga or learning how to get the most out of your work with sadhanas, Planet Dharma is running a weekend-long retreat called Practices for Power for both in-person and virtual participants. Check out planetdharma.com/sadhana for more information.