It's common for us to think that we're either a bad practitioner or a good practitioner. But, we should always be thinking in terms of: "How can I become a better practitioner?". So, where do we start? With aspiration.

When we’re kids, our parents world can revolve around us. Then, as we grow older, we begin to instinctively think about ourselves and our growing needs. The problem is, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas taught that this selfish thinking is the source of our suffering. So how do we cultivate selflessness? We start by examining the kindness of our parents.

Meditation isn't a state, but rather a method to get used to knowing what's going on. The point is to notice how our present mind is. When we begin to know our current mind—instead of focusing on a future, more peaceful mind—we can begin working with who we really are. Lama Padma explains.

In this episode, Lama Padma Gyatso goes step-by-step through a simple and concise meditation session.

We wear lots of hats, constantly inventing who we are–an artist, a housekeeper, a lover, a business woman–never understanding who we actually are and dealing with the anxieties that come with that misunderstanding. But when our masquerade of purpose starts to break, an opportunity to be more authentic presents itself.

In this teaching, Lama Padma Gyatso talks about diminishing hopes and fears through the four thoughts. By applying these principals in our own life, we can arrive at a place of feeling that we finally have what we’ve been longing for.

Just as one shoots an arrow at a target, when we are aware of our own flaws, we have a target to direct our spiritual practice towards.

Part of the very fabric of life is our constant search for happiness. We can try to have a positive outlook on things or maybe we can distract ourselves with activities we enjoy. But regardless of the outcome, nothing lasts forever and we find ourselves again and again facing the challenge of satisfying our needs. This cycle is what the Buddha called suffering and is the predicament we find ourselves in. That being said, there is a silver lining... we have the spiritual path.

Compassion—the aspiration that suffering cease—is a powerful antidote to self-centeredness that momentarily releases us from focusing on ourselves and our problems. Lama Padma talks about the benefits and usefulness of compassion.

Recorded on Dec. 11th, 2016

Doing Dharma can be one of those things we’ll do later. But Dharma is only doing it. So what do we do when we can’t do Dharma? How do we become motivated?