Endless Compassion Without Burnout - Session 2b

Venerable Robina Courtin continues teaching about the Buddhist approach to developing compassion.

WHY ENDLESS COMPASSION?

Sometimes it feels like the world’s problems are demanding so much of our attention that our compassion reserves will run dry. How can we develop strong, resilient compassion that allows us to help others? Venerable Robina says: “You don't harm others even slightly if you love, have compassion, generosity, forgiveness - it's not possible. It’s the delusions that cause us pain and cause us to harm others. So when we deeply understand that, it’s like we’ve got compassion for ourselves. That’s what qualifies us to have compassion for others - and that doesn’t just mean the victims, it means the people who do the harm. This is a really tough level of compassion but we can not have it until we know ourselves, until we know what causes us pain.”

Course notes: https://bit.ly/EndlessCompassionNotes

Sunny Jacob’s book: https://bit.ly/StolenTime_SunnyJacobs

Namgyalma mantra to put on your car, to bless all the beings as you drive: https://shop.fpmt.org/Namgyalma-Mantra-Car-Sticker-PDF_p_3294.html

His Holiness Dalai Lama Avalokiteshvara Initiation, May 2020:

Day 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUWH3PIjZQ8

Day 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti-L1BdhLw4

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Q: If the Miami building was to fall, is it the karma of the people or the karma of the building? (0:49)

Q: Is all the negativity in our minds the result of karma? (3:39)

Q: If reincarnation is the only way we exist, why is there more of everything now? (9:06)

Q: What is the antidote to attachment? [to being approved of] (12:09)

Q: Still grieving, what to do? (16:14)

Q: Is reframing our karmic appearances practicing Emptiness, and does practicing Emptiness help us realise Emptiness.. So, is realising Emptiness a process? Can we cultivate Emptiness in the same way we cultivate compassion? (17:25)

Q: I have lost everything I have loved in my life and I have lost my health. Can I find peace or a happy place in this horrible time in my life, if yes how? (22:06)

Q: What is initiation? (26:59)

On taking Refuge (33:44)

Refuge commitments and vows (47:04)

Q: if you kill a mosquito after taking a vow, is it worse than if you haven’t taken the vow? (57:37)

Q: I had to kill the rats in our roof as they were running rampant, destroying stuff. Can we do Vajrasattva practice to repent and also renew my vow again? (1:02:34)

Q: After today we just retake the vows every morning 1st thing open our eyes? (1:04:13)

Q: So many insects get squished when we drive a car. If we know animals die when we drive a car should we not drive a car? (1:04:49)

Q: I would like to take the empowerment. However I am wondering how to reconcile the past faith in God. I am wondering if I can still have the faith in saints and God as well as taking Buddha as my empowerment? (1:11:00)

Q: Is there a line between killing due to dislike/disgust as opposed to killing for the wellbeing of other beings? For example, I recently had a flea infestation in my apartment. I’m allergic to flea bites and it was causing my foster cat a lot of distress. I chose not to flea bomb due to toxins that would affect the cat however I used diatomaceous earth which is non-toxic for myself and the cat however kills fleas by dehydration. In this situation what is the best course of action? (1:17:18)