What is the quality of your mind, right now? We all want to have a good quality of life. The quality of life depends on the quality of our experience. And the quality of our experience, depends on the quality of our mind. Therefore, we need to ask ourselves this question: what is the quality of my mind?

These were the questions Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen posed at the beginning of a weekend teaching on the topic of Mahāmudrā and Bodhicitta, kindly hosted by Nalandabodhi Asia & OHM at Milarepa’s Yak Horn, our center in Hong Kong, and online. Daily summaries of the weekend were previously shared on Nalandabodhi’s Facebook and Instagram; you can read the slightly adapted posts below. 

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Changing our Minds, Opening our Hearts (Day 1: Friday, January 3, 2025)

On the first evening of this weekend teaching on the topic of Mahāmudrā and Bodhicitta, kindly hosted by Nalandabodhi Asia & OHM, Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen asked to seriously consider what we want in this new year, 2025. Do we seek change? A better lifestyle? A more peaceful and kind society? 

If we wish to move away from patterns of the past, filled with confusion and hardship, we need to learn to tame and train our minds. Just as an undisciplined mind resembles a polluted, turbulent monsoon river, we have the potential to transform it into a pure, calm river of autumn.

We will see, Lama Tenpa shared, that cultivating bodhicitta will be essential. Changing our mind, and opening our hearts, we get closer to the clear nature of mind. Which is, ultimately, who we are. 

So, at the beginning of this new year, 2025, how do you change your negative, harmful patterns? How do you cultivate positive habits? How do you connect with the purity of mind? This is what we will explore further this weekend at what Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche called “Milarepa’s Yak Horn,” our center in Hong Kong and online. 

Cultivating genuine connections (Day 2: Saturday, January 4, 2025)

How do we make a genuine connections with ourselves, others, and the natural world?

On the second day of a weekend about Mahamudra & Bodhicitta, Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen shared an observation about our 21st century world. While we think we are more connected than ever due to technology we are often disconnected from ourselves, others, and the natural world we share. 

This disconnection means that our social, emotional, and spiritual needs remain unfulfilled, leading to feelings of loneliness. Without connection, “we become living robots.” 

How can we overcome or transform this loneliness, a major health issue in our so-called modern society? 

While there are countless methods taught in the Buddhadharma, Lama Tenpa pointed to the heart-essence of the words of the Buddha: Bodhicitta–the heart of enlightenment–and Mahamudra–realizing the nature of mind. 

What to do when we lose the connection? We must let go of the thought that there are strangers or enemies in the world. “Maybe I don’t know him. I don’t know her. I don’t know them. Or we don’t like someone. Yet, we should think that no one is a stranger or enemy.” Ultimately, we all share the same buddha nature. Despite superficial differences, at this level, we are all connected. “We shouldn’t use logic to see this; we have to use our hearts.”

Lama Tenpa also offered practical advice for reconnecting and staying connected: Join a community, reach out to friends, or perform random acts of kindness. Doing so we can find what we all need: a loving heart. 

Changing our Habits and Find Mental Ease (Day 3: Sunday, January 5, 2025)

Why can’t we genuinely relax?

In today’s world, we tend to think we always need to do something. We are constantly busy, feeling our work is never done, and fearing we might miss out on something.

On the last day, Acharya Lama Tenpa Galtsen pointed out that in Mahāmudrā, relaxation is considered essential for looking at and realizing the nature of mind. The Ninth Karmapa, Wangchuk Dorje, illustrates the meaning of relaxation with the mental ease we feel once our work is complete. 

Based on this example from the Ocean of Definitive Meaning, Lama Tenpa offered practical advice: 

Instead of thinking “What is next?” we should cultivate the habit of saying: “This job is done. I will dedicate the merit.” 

By doing so, we will start to feel at ease and look at the mind that cannot be looked at. This is something to remember: “Again and again, look at the nature of mind. Rest, and relax. That’s the practice.” 

With warm appreciation to Nalandabodhi Asia & OHM for inviting Lama Tenpa, our Hong Kong sangha at Milarepa’s Yak Horn, and everyone for joining, this weekend concluded with a sense of joy and ease. 

For now, this job is done. May it benefit all.

Read more about Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen and Nalandabodhi Hong Kong.