Calming the Mind in Turbulent Times: a teaching by Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen, Part One
August 17, 2025
Listening to Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen’s teaching reminded us how easily our own mind becomes restless and reactive in today’s fast-paced, uncertain world. We often find ourselves carried away by constant news, technology, and responsibilities; believing we must keep up, yet rarely pausing to notice how unsettled our own heart has become. Lama’s words gently revealed that peace is not found by controlling the outer world but by learning to steady the inner one.
The idea that our world has enough intelligence and resources but not enough kindness struck us deeply. It made us reflect on how often we prioritize being efficient, correct, or productive over being gentle, patient, or kind. Lama reminded us that cultivating peace within ourselves is not a personal luxury, it is a contribution to world peace. A peaceful person becomes a quiet refuge for others.
We were also moved by the distinction between the relative and ultimate aspects of the mind. Our everyday mind often feels easily disturbed, seeking comfort and validation, yet beneath that restlessness lies something stable and pure. This teaching helped us recognize that our true work is to train the relative mind, to discipline it through awareness and compassion, so it can gradually reflect the peace of the ultimate mind that has always been there.
Lama’s example of transforming attitude resonated strongly. There are times when we dwell on problems, replaying negativity as if it were a song stuck on repeat. His analogy of replacing negative songs with positive ones gave us a new way to understand mind training. It is not about denying difficulty but about consciously choosing which melody we allow our mind to sing.
We realized that much of our suffering comes not from external events but from our own resistance and judgment. When we let go of harsh self-criticism and look at life with humor and appreciation, our hearts soften. Lama’s reminder that even small shifts in attitude can transform one’s life inspired us to take responsibility for our inner state, moment by moment.
Moving forward, we wish to practice seeing the “half full” side of each situation: to replace fear with trust, complaint with gratitude, and agitation with calmness. We understand now that true peace is not something we will find after we fix everything around us, rather it is something that grows when we learn to rest within the changing conditions of life.
This teaching was both humbling and hopeful. It reminded us that even in turbulent times, peace is always possible, beginning with the discipline of our own mind and the warmth of our own heart.
Patricia, Tommy, and Tom
Members of Nalandabodhi York
動盪時代裡的靜定心：阿闍黎喇嘛滇巴嘉晨教導（第一部分）
2025年8月17日
聆聽喇嘛滇巴嘉晨的教導，讓我們再次體會到，在當今節奏快速、充滿不確定性的時代，我們的心是多麼容易變得浮躁與反應過度。我們常常被不斷湧現的新聞、科技與責任牽著走，以為自己必須隨時跟上，卻很少停下來留意：自己的內心其實已變得多麼不安與疲憊。喇嘛的話語溫柔地提醒我們：真正的平靜並不是靠控制外在世界得來，而是透過調伏自己的內心而生起。
當喇嘛提到「這個世界擁有足夠的智慧與資源，卻缺乏善意」時，這句話深深觸動了我們。它讓我們反思，在生活中，我們多麼常重視效率、正確與成就，卻忽略了溫柔、耐心與慈心的重要。喇嘛提醒我們，培養內心的平靜並非是個人的奢侈，而是對世界和平的貢獻。因為一顆平靜的心，就是他人可依止的安穩之處。
喇嘛所闡述的「心的相對面與究竟面」也令我們深受啟發。日常的心常常不安、容易被動搖，追求安慰與肯定；然而在那層不安之下 ，始終存在著穩定而純淨的本質。這項教導讓我們明白，修行的真 正功課在於訓練這顆「相對心」。以覺察與慈悲來調伏與淨化，使它逐漸映照出「究竟心」的平和與清淨。
喇嘛舉例說明如何轉化心態，令我們印象深刻。有時我們陷在問題之中，不斷重播負面的念頭，就像一首反覆播放的悲傷歌曲。他比喻說，心的訓練就像更換音樂；並非否認困難，而是有意識地選擇讓心唱出更正向、更柔和的旋律。
我們也因此體會到，許多痛苦其實不是來自外境，而是來自我們內心的抗拒與評判。當我們放下嚴厲的自我批判，以幽默與感恩的心看待生活時，心自然會變得柔軟。喇嘛提醒我們，即使是態度上的微小改變，也能徹底轉化人生，激勵我們學習在每一刻為自己的心負責。
展望未來，我們希望練習看到每個情境「半滿的杯子」；以信任取代恐懼，以感恩取代抱怨，以平靜取代焦躁。我們明白，真正的和平並不是在外在一切都圓滿之後才會出現，而是在學會安住於變動的生命之中時，自然而然生長出來。
這場教導既令人謙卑，也帶來希望。它提醒我們，即使身處動盪的時代，平靜依然可能；它始於訓練自心的紀律，也源自內心那份溫暖與慈悲。
