Do you feel overwhelmed by our planet’s environmental challenges? What can one single person do to make meaningful change? In this monthly teaching, Mingyur Rinpoche explains how the path toward benefiting our environment begins with us. Learn how meditation and compassionate motivation can empower you to take action and contribute to a healthier planet. Together, our small steps can create an interconnected ripple effect leading to a more balanced and sustainable future.
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When we begin a meditation practice — particularly if we are new to meditation — we can feel that we are having more thoughts and emotions than before. As Mingyur Rinpoche explains in this monthly teaching, this is actually a very good sign! By resting with our mind, it becomes clearer, and we begin to recognize thoughts and emotions more easily. As we meditate, we become more familiar with awareness beyond positive and negative thoughts and emotions; this is the practice.
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How do you find the perfect partner? Is that even possible? Mingyur Rinpoche shares his wisdom on why expectations can lead to obstacles when developing relationships. Although we have basic innate goodness, everyone experiences confusion, craving, and aversion. Rinpoche shares how we can learn to appreciate the good qualities in ourselves and others while also holding space for mistakes and challenges. Doing so allows for healthier and longer-lasting relationships.
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In this monthly teaching, Mingyur Rinpoche discusses energizing the body and calming the mind through a simple breathing exercise called the “thirty-breath exercise.” This straightforward practice aims to balance the mind and develop an appreciation for our lives and the world around us.
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Amid so many global challenges, Mingyur Rinpoche calls on each one of us to do what we can to support one another. He offers several practical tips on how we can lead through love, compassion, and wisdom to contribute to world peace.
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In this monthly teaching, Mingyur Rinpoche compares suffering with a car that we drive and shows us how to work with craving and aversion, not by fighting them in any way but by simply letting them come and go.
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Mingyur Rinpoche leads us through different techniques to bring the mind and body together and explains that this practice can eventually help us to connect with our innate well-being.
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Mingyur Rinpoche explains how practicing gratitude and appreciation opens us to a wealth of good qualities within ourselves that we normally overlook. He also gives us a simple practice to help us touch in to appreciation, encouraging us to rejoice in even the smallest of positive actions and attributes.
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After finishing his four-and-a-half-year wandering retreat, Mingyur Rinpoche returned to his monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal, only to face extensive damage left there by a major earthquake. In this video, Rinpoche describes his experience upon seeing this aftermath and shows us how moments of adversity can become powerful catalysts for growth, innovation, and flourishing.
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Mingyur Rinpoche teaches us about three misconceptions we tend to have in life that can contribute to an unhealthy sense of self. He also explains why it is that meditation and helping others, on the other hand, make us feel happy and allow us to connect with a healthy sense of self.
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Through a simple guided meditation, Mingyur Rinpoche teaches us how to cultivate three lifelong skills that can help us to grow from our encounters with problems and obstacles and lead to fulfilling experiences in our relationships and life endeavors.
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Giving us a window into the effect of climate change in his childhood hometown of Nubri, Nepal, Mingyur Rinpoche sends a message of hope and encourages us to take action in any way we can, no matter how small. He also offers guidance for working with the anxiety we may feel when facing the changes in our world.
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Mingyur Rinpoche offers a valuable view on how to redefine failure, showing us that accepting finite disappointment opens our eyes to new paths and possibilities. This personable approach teaches us how to turn obstacles into opportunities and, above all, to never give up.
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Speaking from an intimate perspective about personal grief, and then from a universal view which touches upon the losses we all face in life, Mingyur Rinpoche shares advice on how to negotiate new and uncertain landscapes, and how to accept and evolve in a world of impermanence.
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In a world where it seems as if social activism and speaking out are essential to making a difference and helping others in any meaningful way, Mingyur Rinpoche addresses the concern that meditation may be a “cop-out” — a distraction or avoidance of taking action on the real issues in life.
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Mingyur Rinpoche offers useful techniques on how to negotiate difficult relationships and interpersonal differences in the workplace. In this bright and optimistic talk we learn the importance of deep listening and how compassion helps us to cooperate without compromising our values.
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When our energy is low and time is short, and we are overwhelmed by the demands of work or family responsibilities, how do we say “no” to people in order to protect our own emotional and mental health? Mingyur Rinpoche offers insights on how to develop healthy boundaries when dealing with friends, family, and colleagues who need our help.
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In this teaching, Mingyur Rinpoche gives us practical advice on how to cultivate balance when experiencing burnout and stress. Balance in our lives, he explains, is vital for a healthy mind and body.
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Speaking from personal experience during his four-and-a-half-year wandering retreat, Mingyur Rinpoche teaches us how to work with a sense of loneliness. Most importantly, he invites us to appreciate friends both near and far, extrinsic and intrinsic — and even solitude itself.
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No matter how much we want to meditate, we may find ourselves putting it off day after day. In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche gives us easily applicable tips to help us build a stable meditation practice.
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Being mindful while we eat promotes good health for both body and mind and is an easy and delightful way to bring our practice into everyday life. In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche leads us in a taste meditation and shows us how to appreciate the richness that we often miss in the simple act of eating.
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In times when we are being too self-critical, we can turn to ancient practices to discover and appreciate the unlimited potential within ourselves. In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche leads us in a beautiful practice on the qualities and advantages we have in this precious human life.
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How would you feel if someone told you that you have awareness, compassion, and wisdom 24 hours a day, even when you’re asleep? Would you believe it? In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche talks about the unique approach of Vajrayana Buddhism that helps us recognize what we already have.
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How does your body respond when you experience an emotion? Do you often feel overwhelmed by emotions? In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche teaches us how to work with emotions and gives us advice on how to experience a sense of space and openness in the midst of difficulties.
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Do you find yourself wondering about the differences between awareness and mindfulness? In this teaching, Mingyur Rinpoche explains this question from the traditional Tibetan Buddhist perspective by exploring the difference between object-oriented and subject-oriented forms of meditation as ways to connect with awareness.
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Do you aspire to meditate while working but find it difficult? In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche explains the impact meditation can have on this area of our life. In particular, he explains how stress can lead to tightness, ultimately hindering our creativity and capacity to perform. Through meditation, we can return to being more open and relaxed, which leads to greater capability to excel.
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Are you perhaps struggling with some aspects of practice? Do you wonder whether or not there are side effects from meditation? In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche explains that this depends on both the way you learn meditation and what your goal is for the practice. In particular, he mentions that embracing experience as opposed to blocking or controlling it is critical to cultivating well-being.
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Are you aspiring to bring more positivity and healthy habits into your life this year? Are you perhaps also having difficulties following through with that? In this first video of the year, Mingyur Rinpoche talks about how we can create these positive habits and stick with our New Year’s resolutions. Rinpoche gives advice for how to best go about this so that you can make 2022 a great and inspiring year.
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The holiday season is supposed to be a happy time in our lives. However, this may not always be the case. This idea of a happy time can also bring about a lot of high expectations that can lead to disappointment, arguments, and worries. In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche shares how we can practice awareness, love, and compassion during the holiday season. Practicing in this way, the holidays become meaningful opportunities for finding a deep connection with others.
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Are we capable of change? How do our body and mind transform through meditation? How does modern science support a Buddhist perspective? In this informative video, Mingyur Rinpoche discusses the connection between modern scientific understandings of the body and the brain and the traditional Buddhist presentations of what is known as the “subtle body.” In particular, Rinpoche highlights how these two perspectives are resonant in many ways, especially in regard to how meditation can help support conscious change within the body, brain, and mind.
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Many of us think of meditation as something done in a seated position on the floor or in a chair. However, in many meditative traditions, walking meditation has a central role in the overall practice as well. In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche discusses why walking meditation is beneficial but also why it can be challenging. He also shares how he himself used it during his time in retreat.
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Often when we begin to meditate, we can be overwhelmed with thoughts and emotions, and we might feel like things are getting worse. For Mingyur Rinpoche, this arose as experiences of panic and confusion, and it was his father who clarified that this is actually a good sign. In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche explains why this is the case, comparing our minds before meditating with a murky river after a large rainstorm. And, don’t worry! Seeing the contents of our minds is the first step in bringing increased well-being and joy into our lives.
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In today’s Buddhist world, Shantideva is universally considered an exemplary scholar-practitioner. However, this was not always true. While living in the ancient Nalanda monastery, his peers doubted him and labeled him as lazy and uneducated. In this teaching, Mingyur Rinpoche introduces Shantideva and tells the story of why his peers looked down on him. He also shares how Shantideva’s life story — as exemplified in The Way of the Bodhisattva — can serve as an inspiration for us today.
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Loving-kindness and compassion are critical elements of the path, but they can lead to fatigue and even burnout if left unchecked. In order to prevent this from happening, we must infuse them with wisdom. By doing so, our loving-kindness and compassion will grow in strength and be more sustainable. The result of this process is what Mingyur Rinpoche refers to as nonconceptual loving-kindness and compassion, a state of mind that is free from bias and distinction and is open to all beings. As described in this video, the process of infusing loving-kindness and compassion with wisdom requires us to investigate the self.
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Like the waves of the ocean, experience is always changing, and we are constantly faced with challenges and obstacles. In the face of this change, the practice is to cultivate an inner resilience and to recognize awareness in the midst of the turmoil. When we do so, the challenges we face become supports for our spiritual growth; they become an invitation to recognize our basic goodness. In this teaching, Mingyur Rinpoche discusses the importance of patience in this process and how it can aid us in developing our inner resilience.
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No matter who we are, we all experience physical pain at least once in a while. These experiences of pain can be overwhelming at times. Bringing our awareness to pain and using it as an object of meditation can help us learn about the nature of pain and how to relate to it. In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche guides us in a short meditation and briefly outlines four prospective experiences we may have when practicing pain meditation. “Pain meditation” may sound strange at first, but as you might find out, pain can be a great support for meditation!
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We often come to the practice of meditation with preconceived notions about what it entails. Some of us think meditation is a thought-free state, or a blissful experience. In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche clarifies that meditation, in fact, is simply connecting with awareness and noticing what is already present. In his characteristically playful way, Rinpoche includes an exercise entitled “pizza meditation” in which we try to control our minds. Come find out what happens when we stop trying to control and instead open to the naturalness of experience.
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Monkey mind loves to create problems for us. In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche clarifies that what monkey mind is doing is not terribly important. Instead, what is important is how you relate to monkey mind. In brief, if you are able to avoid empowering the monkey mind as the “boss” on one hand and trying to dominate it on the other, the qualities of the mind—such as pliability and flexibility—will naturally emerge, and the monkey will rest.
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In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche explains that emotions are not as solid as they may first appear, but, instead, consist of different components such as physical sensations. Moreover, when we become aware of these components, he explains that a natural space emerges within our experience. Reflecting on an instruction he received from his father as a boy, Mingyur Rinpoche guides us through a simple body-scan practice aimed at supporting us when difficult emotions arise.
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In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche introduces the three “sense” of self: unhealthy, healthy, and luminous sense of self. Habituated to see ourselves as permanent, independent, and singular, Mingyur Rinpoche invites us to see beyond this unhealthy sense of self and open to the innate wisdom that lives within each of us.
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In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche discusses the true nature of the mind. No matter what we experience, it always appears within our awareness. This awareness has no limitations and can hold anything and everything we encounter – whether pleasant or painful, happy or sad, or anything in between. During the practice of meditation, the most important point is to simply be as you are, without doing anything extra.
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In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche provides a range of examples of meditation in daily life. From being aware of bodily sensations while showering to using interactions with co-workers. We can be aware at any moment, regardless of the situation. Or as Mingyur Rinpoche says, “Anytime, anywhere — short times, many times.”
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In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche discusses how simple situations in our lives often are causes of spontaneous appreciation and gratitude. Moreover, he explains that we should take time to recognize these experiences as they will help strengthen our practice of joy. Beginning with the simplest aspects of our life, we can cultivate gratitude, highlighting the good fortune we have.
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In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche explains that there are different ways in which we can know something, ranging from intellectual to experiential understanding. He speaks about his own time of intensive study in which he developed strategies for going beyond mere intellectual knowledge, developing a lasting form of wisdom that remains with him to this day.
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Just like awareness is inherent within our basic goodness, Mingyur Rinpoche explains that love and compassion are also always present. Nevertheless, we experience suffering, pain, and stress. In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche introduces practices aimed at understanding this seeming paradox.
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In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche briefly introduces Dzogchen, distinguishing it from two other well-known Tibetan Buddhist approaches: Mahamudra and Mahamadhyamaka. In his characteristically approachable way, Mingyur Rinpoche draws on a story of his father, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, to help present this profound meditative system.
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In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche discusses a form of love that is with us all the time, no matter who we are or what we are experiencing. While explaining this topic, Rinpoche shares a story of one of his students that makes this seemingly improbable idea feel more approachable.
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In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche discusses the one thing we all have in common: wanting to be happy. He describes how the expression of seeking happiness may differ, but that the fundamental wish is the same.
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In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche describes the “bardo of the moment of dying” and imaginative practices you can use in anticipation for death. He explains how by undergoing this training, you can transform death into a profound opportunity for seeing your true nature.
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In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche describes the four liberations. These four serve as a framework for understanding meditative experience more deeply.
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In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche instructs us on how to meditate while sleeping. He describes the process of having awareness as you are falling asleep and how this awareness continues in the sleeping state.
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In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche discusses the meaning of the three syllables OM, AH, HUNG and how they are the essence of all mantras. He also explains how we can sync this mantra with our breathing.
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In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche talks about the importance of developing a daily meditation habit. He shares his own experience and also offers suggestions on how to develop this habit step-by-step.
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In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche talks about the real purpose of the bardo teachings and how we can incorporate this perspective into our everyday lives.
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In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche addresses one of the most common misunderstandings about meditation—that you should create a special state of mind when meditating. He points out that the most important point is to remain natural when meditating.
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In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche discusses how awareness is central to meditation. He elaborates on how the recognition of awareness is the very foundation for one’s meditation practice.
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In this teaching, Mingyur Rinpoche discusses how to connect directly with your true nature through pointing out instructions. He explains what the process of this looks like and the central role of recognition.
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In this teaching, Mingyur Rinpoche gives an introduction to development stage practice and explains its different aspects.
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In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche talks about the main point of the Vajrayana, what is called “taking fruition as path,” and how this is different from other Buddhist approaches.
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In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche talks about the view of the Foundational Vehicle of Tibetan Buddhism. He explains how our problems and sufferings stem from dissatisfaction. He then goes on to explain how we can use the view of impermanence to work with our problems in a more constructive way.
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In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche introduces the four main lineages of Tibetan buddhism. He gives a brief history of each, and touches upon what they have in common, and also their unique characteristics. He also explains how different personalities might be drawn to a particular lineage.
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In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche shows how anything can be used as a support for meditation. Using the breath as an example, he teaches how we can strengthen awareness by coming back to our support again and again, for short times, many times throughout the day.
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In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche explains the essence of meditation and describes some common misunderstandings about practicing meditation. He also shares some tips for bringing meditation into our day-to-day lives.
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In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche shares an important episode from his own life when his father, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, pointed out the dream-like quality of phenomena to him and how this helped him understand the nature of perception.
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In this month’s teaching, Mingyur Rinpoche discusses how the mind creates our reality and how grasping to our own ideas shapes the world we experience. He points out that we can free ourselves from suffering through working with our long held beliefs.
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In this month’s teaching, Mingyur Rinpoche will touch upon the importance of the view and how we can use it to connect with nature of reality.
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In this month’s teaching, Mingyur Rinpoche teaches how we can get in touch with a healthy sense of self and how we can free ourselves from the unhealthy sense of self that is so common in today’s world. To do this, we look closely at the sense of “I” and use this to see our innate qualities.
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In this month’s teaching, Mingyur Rinpoche teaches the importance of analytical meditation. He also shares a personal story from his childhood of how analytical meditation helped him to deal with his panic attacks.
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In this month’s teaching, Mingyur Rinpoche explains the essence of meditation and how you will know if you are in meditation or not. He also teaches what it means to be distracted and offers a simple method for beginning your own meditation practice.
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In this month’s teaching, Mingyur Rinpoche touches upon the essence of patience and how we can use it to deal with the ups and downs of our daily lives. (This video is an excerpt from The Six Paramitas: Exploring Wisdom and Compassion, a course in Tergar’s Vajrayana Online program.)
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In this first video of 2018, Mingyur Rinpoche teaches one of the most important aspects of meditation, namely that it can be applied everywhere at anytime. This instruction is also key for bringing meditation “off the cushion” and integrating it into daily life.
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In this month’s teaching, Mingyur Rinpoche summarizes the causes of happiness and how we can cultivate them. He also explains what can get in the way of this connection and also how our happiness is connected to the happiness of others.
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In the third and last part in this series on relating to emotions, Mingyur Rinpoche teaches how we can see the true nature of emotions. He offers instructions on two different methods for this type of practice and how, by applying these methods, the emotions will lose their power.
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In this second part of the Three Ways of Relating to Emotions, Mingyur Rinpoche teaches how we can transform emotions into supports for meditation. He also offers instructions on how we can transform emotions like anger and hatred into love and compassion.
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In this series on three ways of relating to emotions, Mingyur Rinpoche begins by presenting the most basic idea of these three, which is to abandon the emotion when it arises. Mingyur Rinpoche explains the method for how to do this.
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In this first video of 2018, Mingyur Rinpoche teaches one of the most important aspects of meditation, namely that it can be applied everywhere at anytime. This instruction is also key for bringing meditation “off the cushion” and integrating it into daily life.
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In part two of Letting Go of Expectations, Mingyur Rinpoche shares the key to why we should let go of our expectations and what will happen when we do. He also shares an example his father taught him as a young boy concerning how to relate experiences and expectations in meditation.
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In this video Mingyur Rinpoche continues to talk about the importance of trying to let go of our expectations and beliefs about meditation. In particular, he teaches us how we can look at our expectations and beliefs without trying to meet them.
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In this third part in the series on key points of meditation, Mingyur Rinpoche talks about the importance of simply being when we meditate rather than following our natural habit of trying to achieve something or reach some particular goal. He also offers us the great reminder that letting go is not the same as giving up.
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In the second part on intention and motivation, Mingyur Rinpoche continues to talk about the importance of setting the proper motivation in order to give meaning to our meditation practice. He also shares a few stories from his own life when motivation has played an important role.
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In this series on the key points of meditation, Mingyur Rinpoche will share with us practical ways and help us understand how to best work with our minds in meditation practice. In this video, Mingyur Rinpoche talks about the most important first step in meditation practice, namely, our motivation.
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In this final part of the three part series on Non-Meditation and Non-Distraction, Mingyur Rinpoche explains how to practice this meditation in everyday life. Using meditation on the breath as an example, we can practice noticing our breath during any activity – walking, talking with others, eating, etc. – everywhere, anytime.
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In the second part of the monthly teachings series on Non-Meditation and Non-Distraction, Mingyur Rinpoche explains how to practice meditation.
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The principles of non-meditation and non-distraction are two of the most important points of meditation practice. "Non-meditation" helps us to let go of our habitual instincts to control the mind and to manufacture states of equanimity and inner peace.
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In this guided meditation to be listened to before going to sleep, Mingyur Rinpoche encourages us to let go of the concerns of the day and to share our virtuous actions and our sleep for the benefit of all beings. The mp3 audio file of this meditation can be downloaded on mobile devices and used as a support for bringing our meditative awareness with us into sleep.
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The experience of waking up in the morning is a potent opportunity to begin the day with a fresh mind and open heart. In this short practice, Mingyur Rinpoche guides us through a few simple steps to help us stay connected to awareness, compassion, and wisdom as we begin to engage the world. The mp3 audio file of this meditation can be downloaded on mobile devices and used as an alarm bell, literally and metaphorically waking us up each morning.
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Many of us are very self-critical, and whenever negative emotions appear, we fight or suppress them. This leaves us feeling bad afterwards. In this short video, Mingyur Rinpoche teaches us how criticizing ourselves creates more problems. He shows us how we instead can find wisdom within our emotions and come to see that our true nature is already good.
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In the last part of this four-part series, Mingyur Rinpoche will guide you through a meditation on awareness and basic goodness. This short practice is a great way to deepen your understanding of awareness in everyday life.
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In part three of this four-part series, Mingyur Rinpoche teaches how the way we view things changes our relationship to everything we experience in our day-to-day life. This shows us how we can use awareness to transform anything we see, hear, think, and feel into meditation.
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In part two of this four-part series, Mingyur Rinpoche teaches how we can learn to see that awareness is the essence of all of our thoughts and emotions. This helps us to see that we do not have to use meditation to change or fix ourselves, but rather to recognize what we already have.
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In this four-part series, Mingyur Rinpoche will share with us the most important aspect of meditation—awareness—showing us what it is, and how to practice it. He also discusses how we can see our basic goodness and discover that all the wonderful qualities we are looking for are already present within us.
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For many of us, being in the present can be very challenging. We are either caught up in the past or future. In part two, Mingyur Rinpoche teaches us the importance of being in the present moment, with the mind and body together. He also leads us in a guided meditation on resting in the present moment.
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For many of us, being in the present can be very challenging. We are either caught up in the past or future. In this short video, Mingyur Rinpoche teaches us the importance of being in the present moment, with the mind and body together. He also shares a story that reflects this from his own time in retreat.
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When we begin to meditate, many of us tend to take on too much practice too soon. This often leads to a feeling that practice is a chore, and eventually we may give up meditation altogether. In this short video, Mingyur Rinpoche shares how to establish a healthy meditation practice, one that will bring about long-term results.
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If we practice only one meditation technique for a long time, we run the risk of getting bored or losing inspiration in our meditation practice. In this short video, Mingyur Rinpoche shares methods for how to alternate between different meditation techniques to keep our meditation practice fresh and inspiring.
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In this short video, Mingyur Rinpoche speaks of how to overcome laziness in our meditation practice through building new habits. He also explains how this is linked to one of the biggest hindrances in practice for long-term practitioners.
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In this short video, Mingyur Rinpoche explains the connection between view, meditation, and conduct, and why they are all needed for our practice to be successful. He also explains how these three can be viewed from a scientific perspective.
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In this short teaching, Mingyur Rinpoche explains the essence of meditation and how it is different from the passing experiences that happen when we meditate. These two can easily be mixed up. We often judge how well our practice is going by looking to our experience, but this is not always helpful. Rather than focusing on fleeting experiences, Mingyur Rinpoche shows us how to focus on the most important point, namely, the essence of meditation itself.
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In this short video Mingyur Rinpoche continues to talk about violence in the world today. In Part 2 Mingyur Rinpoche shares some practical ways to achieve inner peace using view, meditation and conduct. He advises that the best way to help the world is through promoting non-violence.
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In this short video Mingyur Rinpoche talks about the fear and anxiety around violence in the world today. He advises us to "work with ourselves first" and mentions that even a small action taken from a place of love and compassion can have a ripple effect in the world.
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