July16

Through My Eyes

Saturday July 16

(We continue to listen to the Dalai Lama as he tells of the return of Ling Rinpoche!)

" Despite his being only eighteen months old, he actually called the person by name and went forward to him, smiling. Subsequently he correctly identified several other of his predecessor's acquaintances.

When I met the boy for the first time, I had no doubts about his identity. He behaved in a way that made it obvious he knew me, though he also showed me the utmost respect. On that first occasion, I gave little Ling Rinpoche a large bar of chocolate. He stood impassively holding on to it, arm extended and head bowed all the time he was in my presence. I hardly think any other infant would have kept something sweet untasted and remained standing so formally. Then, when I received the boy at my residence and he was brought to the door, he acted just like my predecessor had done. It was plain that he remembered his way round. Moreover, when he came into my study, he showed immediate familiarity with one of my attendants, who was at the time recovering from a broken leg. First, this tiny person gravely presented him with a kata and then, full of laughter and childish giggles, he picked up one of Lobsang Gawa's crutches and ran round and round carrying it as if it were a flagpole.

Another impressive story about the boy concerns the time he was taken, at the age of only two, to Bodh Gaya, where I was due to give teachings. Without anyone telling him of its whereabouts, he found my bedroom, having scrambled on his hands and knees up the stairs, and laid a kata on my bed. Today, Ling Rinpoche is already reciting scriptures, though it remains to be seen whether, when he has learned to read, he will turn out to be like some of the young tulkus who memorise texts at astounding speed,as if they were simply picking up where they had left off. I have known a number of small children who could declaim many pages with ease.

Certainly there is an element of mystery in this process of identifying incarnations. But suffice to say that, as a Buddhist, I do not believe that people like Mao or Lincoln or Churchill just 'happen'.

Another area of Tibetan experience that I would like very much to be scientifically investigated is the Tibetan medical system. Although it dates back more than two thousand years and is derived from a variety of sources, including ancient Persia, today its principles are wholly Buddhist. This give it an entirely different complexion form western medicine. For example, it holds that the root caused of disease are Ignorance, Desire or Hatred.

According to Tibetan medicine, the body is dominated by three main nopa, literally meaning 'harmers' but more often translated as 'humours'. These nopa are considered to be ever present within an organism. This means that it can never be entirely free from disease, or at least from its potential. But provided they are kept in a state of equilibrium, the body remains healthy. However, an imbalance brought about by one or more of the three root causes will manifest as illness, which is generally diagnosed by feeling a patient's pulse and checking his or her urine. Altogether, there are twelve principal places on the hands and wrists where the pulse is checked. The urine is similarly assessed in a variety of different ways (for colour, smell and so forth).

As regards treatment, the first line of approach concerns behaviour and diet. Medicine forms the second line; acupuncture and moxibustion ( a specific heat treatment) the third; surgery the fourth. The medicines themselves are made form organic materials, sometimes combined with metal oxides and certain minerals ( including for example, crushed diamonds).

So far, there has been little clinical research into the value of the Tibetan medical system, although one of my former personal physicians, Dr Yeshe Dhonden, did participate in a series of laboratory experiments as the University of Virginia, U.S.A. I understand that he had some surprisingly good results in curing white mice of cancer. But much more work needs to be done before any definite conclusions can be reached. In the meantime, I can only say that, in my personal experience, I have found Tibetan medicine to be very effective. I take it regularly, not just as cure but also as a preventative against illness. I have found that it helps to strengthen the constitution, whilst its side effects are negligible. The result is that, despite my long days and intensive periods of meditation, I almost never experience feelings of tiredness.

Yet another area where I believe that there is scope for dialogue between modern science and Tibetan culture concerns, theoretical rather than experiential knowledge. Some of the latest discoveries of particle physics seem to point towards the non-duality of mind and matter. For example, it has been found that if a vacuum ( that is to say empty space) is compressed, particles appear where there were none before, matter being apparently inherent in some way. These findings would appear to offer an area of convergence between science and the Buddhist Madhyamika theory of Emptiness. Essentially this states that mind and matter exist separately, but interdependently."

(We already know something of Tibetan medicine! I promise to add more tomorrow...)

*( please click here to read of the day with me )

* This is from the book Freedom in Exile The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama by Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth

Dalai Lama of Tibet.

Through my eyes

( Please see my spinning for you!)

( Tahshi Deleh gentle one! Kehrahng kusu debo yinpeh? I began the day heading up gang rinpoche ngah tso gi to continue the feeding of the trees and native plants. After that I continued with the trimming. Two as one pulling strongly and patiently together we've completed both the feeding and the trimming! After that I returned to our studio to spin for you then to work on the printing block which with we two working as one pulling strongly and patiently together is going quite well! After that I worked on our a land of Tibet. Two as one we've fixed a few more mistakes on the pages. I'm going to put the pages up on our infosite;I'll put this up for now so we can rest.

And so, as always we'll continue two as one on to tomorrow

my one gentle beautiful patient swift dream bright

long dark mane in sunlight

so for now I bid goodnight...Simjah Nahngo!)


	Through My Eyes Saturday July 16 (We continue to listen to the Dalai Lama as he tells of the return of Ling Rinpoche!) " Despite his being only eighteen months old, he actually called the person by name and went forward to him, smiling. Subsequently he correctly identified several other of his predecessor's acquaintances. When I met the boy for the first time, I had no doubts about his identity. He behaved in a way that made it obvious he knew me, though he also showed me the utmost respect. On that first occasion, I gave little Ling Rinpoche a large bar of chocolate. He stood impassively holding on to it, arm extended and head bowed all the time he was in my presence. I hardly think any other infant would have kept something sweet untasted and remained standing so formally. Then, when I received the boy at my residence and he was brought to the door, he acted just like my predecessor had done. It was plain that he remembered his way round. Moreover, when he came into my study, he showed immediate familiarity with one of my attendants, who was at the time recovering from a broken leg. First, this tiny person gravely presented him with a kata and then, full of laughter and childish giggles, he picked up one of Lobsang Gawa's crutches and ran round and round carrying it as if it were a flagpole. Another impressive story about the boy concerns the time he was taken, at the age of only two, to Bodh Gaya, where I was due to give teachings. Without anyone telling him of its whereabouts, he found my bedroom, having scrambled on his hands and knees up the stairs, and laid a kata on my bed. Today, Ling Rinpoche is already reciting scriptures, though it remains to be seen whether, when he has learned to read, he will turn out to be like some of the young tulkus who memorise texts at astounding speed,as if they were simply picking up where they had left off. I have known a number of small children who could declaim many pages with ease. Certainly there is an element of mystery in this process of identifying incarnations. But suffice to say that, as a Buddhist, I do not believe that people like Mao or Lincoln or Churchill just 'happen'. Another area of Tibetan experience that I would like very much to be scientifically investigated is the Tibetan medical system. Although it dates back more than two thousand years and is derived from a variety of sources, including ancient Persia, today its principles are wholly Buddhist. This give it an entirely different complexion form western medicine. For example, it holds that the root caused of disease are Ignorance, Desire or Hatred. According to Tibetan medicine, the body is dominated by three main nopa, literally meaning 'harmers' but more often translated as 'humours'. These nopa are considered to be ever present within an organism. This means that it can never be entirely free from disease, or at least from its potential. But provided they are kept in a state of equilibrium, the body remains healthy. However, an imbalance brought about by one or more of the three root causes will manifest as illness, which is generally diagnosed by feeling a patient's pulse and checking his or her urine. Altogether, there are twelve principal places on the hands and wrists where the pulse is checked. The urine is similarly assessed in a variety of different ways (for colour, smell and so forth). As regards treatment, the first line of approach concerns behaviour and diet. Medicine forms the second line; acupuncture and moxibustion ( a specific heat treatment) the third; surgery the fourth. The medicines themselves are made form organic materials, sometimes combined with metal oxides and certain minerals ( including for example, crushed diamonds). So far, there has been little clinical research into the value of the Tibetan medical system, although one of my former personal physicians, Dr Yeshe Dhonden, did participate in a series of laboratory experiments as the University of Virginia, U.S.A. I understand that he had some surprisingly good results in curing white mice of cancer. But much more work needs to be done before any definite conclusions can be reached. In the meantime, I can only say that, in my personal experience, I have found Tibetan medicine to be very effective. I take it regularly, not just as cure but also as a preventative against illness. I have found that it helps to strengthen the constitution, whilst its side effects are negligible. The result is that, despite my long days and intensive periods of meditation, I almost never experience feelings of tiredness. Yet another area where I believe that there is scope for dialogue between modern science and Tibetan culture concerns, theoretical rather than experiential knowledge. Some of the latest discoveries of particle physics seem to point towards the non-duality of mind and matter. For example, it has been found that if a vacuum ( that is to say empty space) is compressed, particles appear where there were none before, matter being apparently inherent in some way. These findings would appear to offer an area of convergence between science and the Buddhist Madhyamika theory of Emptiness. Essentially this states that mind and matter exist separately, but interdependently." (We already know something of Tibetan medicine! I promise to add more tomorrow...) ( please click here to read of the day with me ) This is from the book Freedom in Exile The Autobiography of the Dalai Lama by Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet. Through my eyes ( Please see my spinning for you!) ( Tahshi Deleh gentle one! Kehrahng kusu debo yinpeh? I began the day heading up gang rinpoche ngah tso gi to continue the feeding of the trees and native plants. After that I continued with the trimming. Two as one pulling strongly and patiently together we've completed both the feeding and the trimming! After that I returned to our studio to spin for you then to work on the printing block which with we two working as one pulling strongly and patiently together is going quite well! After that I worked on our a land of Tibet. Two as one we've fixed a few more mistakes on the pages. I'm going to put the pages up on our infosite;I'll put this up for now so we can rest. And so, as always we'll continue two as one on to tomorrow my one gentle beautiful patient swift dream bright long dark mane in sunlight so for now I bid goodnight...Simjah Nahngo!)