Taking refuge is how you become a Buddhist and commit to waking up out of samsara (the endless cycle of deaths and rebirths). You can meditate and get lots of benefit from Buddhist practices without taking refuge, but deciding to walk the dharma path is a significant moment in the spiritual path.

If you’ve ever wondered how to become a Buddhist, this episode is for you! My friend and colleague Loppon Yudron Wangmo shares her insights on what refuge means – and if you want to take refuge with her, live on Zoom, then register at the link below.

Register to take refuge: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/o1p1l8

Watch part 1: https://youtu.be/wfxfQNiaj-Y

Some recommended reading (affiliate links):

What Makes You Not a Buddhist, https://amzn.to/3D5cMpi

Words of My Perfect Teacher, https://amzn.to/36bZN9j

Buddhism: Introducing the Buddhist Experience, updated: https://amzn.to/36kvIEn, older (less expensive): https://amzn.to/3JzjBll

Loppon-la’s refuge video: https://youtu.be/R8LCpYo-ARQ

Learn more about Mayum Mountain and join their mailing list: https://www.mayummountain.net/

And get Loppon-la’s wonderful novels (they’re written for young adults, but I enjoyed them a lot!): https://amzn.to/3KNiFdb

May you and all beings be well.

What does it mean to take refuge in the three jewels (Buddha, dharma, and sangha), and what’s the benefit of taking refuge? Do you have to be Buddhist to practice meditation?  

If you’ve ever wondered how to become a Buddhist, this episode is for you! My friend and colleague Loppon Yudron Wangmo shares her insights on what refuge means – and if you want to take refuge with her, live on Zoom, then register at the link below.  

Register to take refuge: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/o1p1l8 

Some recommended reading (affiliate links):  

What Makes You Not a Buddhist, https://amzn.to/3D5cMpi  

Words of My Perfect Teacher, https://amzn.to/36bZN9j

Buddhism: Introducing the Buddhist Experience, updated: https://amzn.to/36kvIEn, older (less expensive): https://amzn.to/3JzjBll  

Loppon-la’s refuge video: https://youtu.be/R8LCpYo-ARQ   

Learn more about Mayum Mountain and join their mailing list: https://www.mayummountain.net/ 

And get Loppon-la’s wonderful novels (they’re written for young adults, but I enjoyed them a lot!): https://amzn.to/3KNiFdb 

May you and all beings be well.

In the third part of my conversation with my dharma friend Loppon Yudron Wangmo, she explains how to request teachings and make a good connection with a spiritual teacher. Did you know that it’s traditional to ask a teacher for instructions on a certain topic? And Loppon-la shares why it’s good not just to learn from famous teachers (like the Dalai Lama, Pema Chodron, and so many others) but also to have a teacher who knows you personally.

I hope you’ll join us for more of this conversation with a wonderful contemporary female Buddhist teacher.

Part 1 (this is part 3): https://youtu.be/I38-aTSceiY

Part 2: https://youtu.be/rSrxUSmEbiA

Loppon-la is on YouTube! Find her here: https://www.youtube.com/c/YudronWangmo

Learn more about Mayum Mountain and join their mailing list: https://www.mayummountain.net/

And get Loppon-la’s wonderful novels (they’re written for young adults, but I enjoyed them a lot!): https://amzn.to/3KNiFdb

May you and all beings be well.

In the second part of my conversation with my dharma friend Loppon Yudron Wangmo, she explains the lineage she teaches in, the Dudjom Tersar, and her approach to teaching at Mayum Mountain, her foundation. Plus she shares the benefits of ngondro or the foundational/preliminary practices students of Tibetan Buddhism do before engaging in Vajrayana practices, Dzogchen, or Mahamudra.   

I hope you’ll join us for more of this conversation with a wonderful contemporary female Buddhist teacher. 

Part 1 (this is part 2): https://youtu.be/I38-aTSceiY

Loppon-la is on YouTube! Find her here: https://www.youtube.com/c/YudronWangmo 

Learn more about Mayum Mountain and join their mailing list: https://www.mayummountain.net/ 

And get Loppon-la’s wonderful novels (they’re written for young adults, but I enjoyed them a lot!): https://amzn.to/3KNiFdb 

May you and all beings be well.

In this meditation, we start with connecting to the earth to cool down excessive fire, then use the breath to fan the embers of deficient fire. Finally, we rest in a warm heart.

Y’all, I’m so pleased to introduce you to a dharma teacher I follow and admire, Loppon Yudron Wangmo. She’s a Western-born teacher who’s now based in California, and in this conversation she shares how she became a Buddhist in the first place, how her practice deepened, what it’s like to do long retreat in the Tibetan tradition, and what it’s been like becoming a teacher (Loppon) in the Nyingma lineage.

Stay tuned for next week’s conversation with Yudron Wangmo about what it means to take refuge in the Buddhist tradition. And spoiler alert: she’s going to offer refuge online to anyone who’s interested! Stay tuned for more details.

Learn more about Mayum Mountain and join their mailing list: https://www.mayummountain.net/

And get Loppon-la’s wonderful novels (they’re written for young adults, but I enjoyed them a lot!): https://amzn.to/3KNiFdb

May you and all beings be well.

This past Thursday I offered an afternoon meditation for the Mind Body Spirit Institute of the Jung Center Houston. It was all about using earth energy at the end of a workday, and I want to offer it to you now!

If you'd like to sign up for the live weekly meditations the MBSI offers, click here: https://bit.ly/3KF1gmK

And to register for my free Four Noble Truths course, click here: https://bit.ly/4NTsBuddh

May you and all beings be well.

For the next two weeks, it's Losar (Tibetan New Year), a special time to reflect on who we want to "grow up" to be this year.

In this quick talk and meditation (starting at 6:08), I'll explain why it's not just spiritual narcissism to aspire to become a fully awakened being. Instead, a vast aspiration like that points us in the direction of our true selves.

Then I guide a meditation to lead you through the process of connecting with your deepest aspirations and receiving blessings from your wise inner self to help you practice in alignment with your buddha nature.

Happy Water Tiger Year! May we all be safe, well, and free from suffering.

Happy Losar (Tibean New Year)! May this new year bring you and yours safety, growth, wisdom, and all auspicious things. ⁠

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These next two weeks are a perfect time to reconnect with your own sacred energy and cultivate positive qualities as much as possible. If you're making a donation to support Ukraine, take a moment to rejoice in the difference it can make in someone's life. If you're sitting down to meditate, set an intention not just to get calmer for the next 20 minutes but to transform your mind -- and with it, your world.⁠ Your "challenge": try this shift in mindset or motivation for the next two weeks and see what happens.  :D

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Wishing you all the best for the Year Of The Tiger!

Tomorrow Losar begins, so let's shed some negativities to start the year right! 

This guided meditation uses imagery of luminous blessings flowing down through the body, energy system, and mind to cleanse our entire system. It's also an opportunity to open to our deep wisdom.

Happy Water Tiger Year! May you be well, safe, and planting the seeds of happiness.