2018 Antigua-Bodhicitta Retreat-02-Jan13

Lama Mark Webber gave teachings and instructions on a key point of Dharma practice; how to overcome afflictive emotions and thoughts through bodhicitta. Lama Mark began the retreat by explaining relative and ultimate bodhicitta (the mind of enlightenment). He taught classic Buddhist meditations on loving-kindness, relative and transcendent compassion, antidotes and paths, as taught in the Buddha's three cycles of Dharma. The Lama also gave the transmission, explanations and a session of Tonglen practice (sending and receiving), a profound bodhicitta meditation by the 12th century Tibetan Lama Chekawa Yeshe Dorje. Lama Mark read verses, with some commentary from Khunu Gyaltsen Rinpoche's (20th cent.) text, The Jewel Lamp; verses in praise of bodhicitta. He introduced participants to consider, reflect and meditate on being able to distinguish between the natural quality of unobstructed, natural and compassionate awareness-bodhicitta and the waves of turbulence, emotions and attachments that appear to obscure this vivid awake mind. In addition to many other Dharma topics, he opened the door of understanding for contemplating Lho Orgyen Nuden Dorje's (19th cent.) pithy contemplation on generating bodhicitta found in the Gonpo Yangzab Dzogchen Preliminary Liberating Instructions.