“Between the ages of 3 and 17, I lived in an institution for handicapped people and I came to understand the meaning of life, that it was joy [...]. Its source was in the meeting of another.”

“I have a friend who says, “A sperm and an ovum meet, and a moment later, we say ‘It’s me!’ and latch on.” Generally, this is where it all goes to pot.”

“If we become too withdrawn into ourselves, it’s like a musty odor setting in.”

When we are thrown into confusion by inner troubles, we have no idea how to soothe them and instinctively turn outward. We try cobbling together makeshift solutions and looking for outer conditions that are supposed to make us happy. By force of habit, this way of living becomes the norm and “that’s life!” our motto.
Although the search for transient, hedonic happiness may occasionally be successful, it is never possible to control the quantity, quality, or duration of outer circumstances.

We must therefore pay to the inner transformation of our experience all the attention it deserves.
If happiness is a state that depends on inner conditions, each of us must recognize those conditions with awareness and then bring them together.
Happiness is not given to us, nor is misery imposed. At every moment we are at a crossroads and must choose the direction we will take.

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Late afternoon, flying over the Irrawaddy River Delta (Burma), on a Thai Airways flight from Bangkok to Kathmandu.

To compensate for the atmospheric veil created by the altitude, I increased a bit the contrast and saturation.

Canon Mark 3 Ds, 24-70 mm, f.9, 1/400s, ISO 250

In April, 2010, we will begin a forum dedicated to the promotion of a more altruistic society.

In this day and age we face many challenges. In particular, it is especially difficult to reconcile three different time scales: the short-term scope related to the economy, the medium-term outlook concerning life satisfaction, and the long-term view regarding the environment. There is, nonetheless, a common thread that naturally binds them together and harmonizes their seeming discrepancies. This common thread is altruism.

If we would have greater regard for others, we would not indulge in wild speculations; instead, we would seek to improve working conditions, family life, our means of transportation, and many other aspects of our lives, including our spiritual life, and we would not sacrifice so heedlessly this very world that we will have to hand down to future generations.

For this reason, altruism can no longer be thought of as merely a noble yet naïve ideal, for it is now, more than ever before, a necessity. We must have the courage to acknowledge this and say it.

How can altruism be fostered within our societies? What are the main obstacles that stand in the way of this task? Does authentic altruism exist and can we cultivate it? These are the main questions we shall be discussing.

It is good to abandon what is superfluous, futile, and useless as quickly as possible and not cling to these from force of habit. If I go hiking in the mountain, and midway I find that my packsack is half-filled with provisions and half-filled with stones, I would, of course, gladly get rid of the latter.

Likewise, in life, there are so many things and concerns that in no way contribute to our true happiness. Therefore, why not give up these causes of torment?

On the other hand, we must not, under any circumstances, abandon the pursuit of what is truly worthwhile: self-transformation in order to be of better service to others.

As for the feeling of being abandoned by others, it is without a doubt a painful experience, but how senseless. What is it that is abandoned? Is it our very being or rather an inflated sense of self-importance? How could the essential nature of pure awareness, free from mental constructs, itself be abandoned by anyone else than oneself ? At the very most, we ourselves are the ones who are oblivious of it.

If we reflect on the fundamental nature of mindfulness and on that of the present moment, we will come to realize that we are not this “self” who suffers from abandonment, nor are we the suffering that we feel. Inner peace rooted in the alert presence of mindfulness cannot be affected by these mental constructs.

The year 2010 marks the hundredth anniversary of the birth of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910–1991), one of the most remarkable spiritual teachers of our time. On this special occasion, Khyentse Rinpoche’s grand son and spiritual heir, Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche is organizing, with the help of many Khyentse Rinpoche’s disciples all over the world, various activities to celebrate Khyentse Rinpoche’s life and introduce his young incarnation, Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche, who will, for the first time, travel to Europe, North America and East Asia.

The inaugural part of these celebrations took place in a moving and festive atmosphere at Shechen Monastery in Nepal, from February 20 to 22, and were attended by a more than fifty major teachers, including Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, Khamtrul Rinpoche. Thousands of devotees filed by to pay their respects to sacred relics put on display.

In conclusion of 2010 celebrations, Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche will consecrate stupas which have been built in the eight main holy places related to the Buddha’s life in India and Nepal, in fulfillment of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s wishes.