Legacy of Shambhala Providence

06/08/2026

06/08/2026

June 8

I am never far from those with faith, or even from those without it, though they do not see me. My children will always, always, be protected by my compassion.

PADMASAMBHAVA

06/07/2026

June 7

In my tradition of meditation, your eyes should be kept open: This is a very important point. If you are sensitive to disturbances from outside, when you begin to practice you may find it helpful to close your eyes for a while and quietly go within.

Once you feel established in calm, gradually open your eyes, and you will find that your gaze has grown more peaceful and tranquil. Now look down, along the line of your nose, at an angle of about 45 degrees in front of you. One practical tip in general is that whenever your mind is wild, it is best to lower your gaze, and whenever it is dull and sleepy, to bring your gaze up.

Once your mind is calm and the clarity of insight begins to arise, you will feel free to bring your gaze up, opening your eyes more and looking into the space directly in front of you. This is the gaze recommended in the Dzogchen practice.

06/06/2026

June 6

Looking into death needn’t be frightening or morbid. Why not reflect on death when you are really inspired, relaxed, and comfortable, lying in bed, or on vacation, or listening to music that particularly delights you? Why not reflect on it when you are happy, in good health, confident, and full of well-being? Don’t you notice that there are particular moments when you are naturally inspired to introspection? Work with them gently, for these are the moments when you can go through a powerful experience, and your whole worldview can change quickly. These are the moments when former beliefs crumble on their own, and you can find yourself being transformed.

06/05/2026

On World Environment Day we must take action to ensure that the Earth and all its inhabitants may be well.

06/05/2026

June 5

As you continue to practice meditation, you may have all kinds of experiences, both good and bad. You might experience states of bliss, clarity, or absence of thoughts. In one way these are very good experiences, and signs of progress in meditation. For when you experience bliss, it’s a sign that desire has temporarily dissolved. When you experience real clarity, it’s a sign that aggression has temporarily ceased. When you experience a state of absence of thought, it’s a sign that your ignorance has temporarily died. By themselves they are good experiences, but if you get attached to them, they become obstacles.

Experiences are not realization in themselves; but if we remain free of attachment to them, they become what they really are—that is, materials for realization.

06/04/2026

ANNOUNCEMENT - His Holiness the Dalai Lama is scheduled to depart Dharamsala tomorrow for Delhi, where he will undergo medical treatment on his left knee. Following his recovery, he is to travel to Ladakh toward the end of June for an extended stay. June 4, 2026

06/04/2026

June 4

What is compassion? It is not simply a sense of sympathy or caring for the person suffering, not simply a warmth of heart toward the person before you, or a sharp clarity of recognition of their needs and pain, it is also a sustained and practical determination to do whatever is possible and necessary to help alleviate their suffering.

06/03/2026

Our Wisdom is Always Here

The Buddha said that we are never separated from enlightenment. Even at the times we feel most stuck, we are never alienated from the awakened state. This is a revolutionary assertion. Even ordinary people like us with hang-ups and confusion have this mind of enlightenment called bodhichitta. The openness and warmth of bodhichitta is in fact our true nature and condition. Even when our neurosis feels far more basic than our wisdom, even when we’re feeling most confused and hopeless, bodhichitta—like the open sky—is always here, undiminished by the clouds that temporarily cover it.

The Pocket Pema Chodron by Pema Chodron, page 11

06/03/2026