The Gradual Path Blog
Lam Rim on the Road: A Visit to Doi Suthep geshe tenzin zopa lam rim on the road rachen nunnery samsara tsum valley wat phra that doi suthep Jan 16, 2022

Riding alone in the back of a songthaew, a pick-up truck taxi, feelings of red hot anger match the vehicle’s color. Righteous indignation flares in my mind; how dare the driver rip me off! Shame burns right alongside; it’s my own fault for getting in – I could have continued to...

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Renunciation | Step 14 of Awakening in 30 Steps bodhichitta four mind turnings renunciation right view samsara Jul 27, 2021

Renunciation: Evolutionary Self-Care.

Congratulations on making it to the first milestone on our journey of awakening!

The gradual path is comprised of a series of reflections that step-by-step lead us to three major milestone or realizations:

1) Renunciation, the determination to be free.

2)...

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The Defects of Samsara | Step 13 of Awakening in 30 Steps death eight worldly winds lam rim rebirth samsara six types of suffering Jul 27, 2021

The Defects of Compulsive Life Inspire Disinterest.

It’s not that life is suffering, it’s that the compulsive, mindless, unconscious life called samsara is suffering. In order to prompt our waking up from the long sleep we are asked to take a sobering inventory of just how...

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The Four Foundations of Mindfulness addiction awareness dukkha four noble truths karma master your becoming mindfulness samsara three marks of existence Feb 07, 2021

In the first foundation of mindfulness the benefit or the hallmark is achievement of stability and vividness or pliancy. In the second, you have response flexibility. In the third, you have meta cognitive awareness and in the fourth, you have what we're calling meta cognitive insight. You can...

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The Two Causes of Refuge confidence faith fear infinite life lam rim rebirth refuge samsara Oct 10, 2020

Think about the worldly refuges first. The worldly things that we take as our refuge, as our sources of comfort, our sources of guidance. 

The iPhone... food... the doctor... Netflix... friends and family... fishing... leisure activities...

How well a source are they for the ultimate or...

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