The Gradual Path Blog
Broken Beyond Repair or Already Free? bali borobudur emptiness geshe tenzin zopa hope java pilgrimage stupa Nov 02, 2023

Humanity is on the brink of a third world war, and the Arab-Israeli conflict is but one of many complex global challenges we all face. Given the horrific devastation and loss of life, I ask myself the obvious question: are we broken beyond repair?

It’s an existential question that emerged...

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Right View of Reality | Step 30 of Awakening in 30 Steps emptiness gradual awakening gradual path right view ultimate reality Aug 15, 2021

Congratulations! You made it to the summit of the gradual path.

The correct view of reality sees the conventional reality of people, places, things, and experiences, as inseparable from their ultimate reality, the lack of inherent existence. Emptiness is form, form is emptiness. Which means we...

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The Perfection of Wisdom | Step 29 of Awakening in 30 Steps emptiness gradual awakening gradual path lam rim paramitas perfections wisdom Aug 14, 2021

Definition of emptiness - The lack of inherent existence of the subject, object, and interaction.

The “lack” implies something we thought was there is not. Self-existence or independent existence is not there. And yet...things still arise, appear, and feel good or bad.

There is a...

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Contemplate the Benefits of Altruism | Step 21 of Awakening in 30 Steps compassion dukkha emptiness gradual awakening gradual path lam rim Aug 06, 2021

Overcome the negativity bias and conduct an inventory of all the success stories and expressions of human triumph.

Just as all social suffering has its origin in self-grasping in each of us, so too all examples of social flourishing have their roots in love and compassion.

Here’s the good...

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Karma and Emptiness Are Your Greatest Friends emptiness find true refuge karma purification shame Mar 04, 2021
The following is a lightly edited excerpt from Find True Refuge.

How many of you feel like you're a terrible sinner? How many of you went through all the hell realms in the Yangsi [Rinpoche] book and all the negative karmas and all the things that can befall you and felt like you were a...

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Finding a Qualified Dharma Teacher compassion dharma emptiness ethics find true refuge four noble truths geshe tenzin zopa guru lam rim michael roach scandal shadow trauma wisdom Feb 04, 2021

I think it actually requires much more maturity to be able to stay in the hot pocket of understanding the virtue of this institution and how the lama arrangement works and the qualities of seeking a master that's truly qualified and also recognizing all the malarkey and all the nuance and...

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Curriculum of Compassion bodhichitta compassion emptiness guide to the bodhisattva's way of life pandemic shantideva Jul 28, 2020

What are the main building blocks of Buddhahood? There is both the body and the mind of the Buddha. The mind of the Buddha is the mind that realizes complete and utter interdependence or emptiness and the body of the Buddha is of a compassionate, sensitive, capable, skillful agent of change or...

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Quantum Activism in Challenging Times | Free Event dr. amit goswami emptiness free nondualism quantum Jul 03, 2020

For millennia the contemplative traditions of India and Tibet have taught that the ultimate nature of reality is empty of inherent existence, and thus insists on social engagement based on love and compassion. This paradox is known as nonduality and understood correctly avoids the extremes of...

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Visualization bob thurman emotions emptiness impermanence meditation memory perception quantum reality selflessness trauma visualization Jul 03, 2020

Visualization is a powerful meditation technique that many people give up on because they think it's too hard and that they can't do it. In fact, we're visualizing all the time. Dr. Miles Neale explains in this clip from Return with Elixir.


You'll get people who say 'I can't visualize' or...

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What Does it Mean to Take Refuge? brain buddha dharma emptiness kobe bryant openess plastic refuge sangha tsongkhapa Feb 15, 2020

Excerpt from Class 3 of Find True Refuge

I actually want to put this under the point of what does it mean to take refuge. Now that you have the causes, what are the two causes? Fear and confidence.

Then what are the three objects? The reliances. You rely on the Buddha as the epitome, as the...

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