Tag / Dharma

by Nate DeMontigny

When Things “Fell” Apart

Eight years ago I officially signed off from Precious Metal. It was bittersweet to put it lightly. I didn’t really want to walk away, I was really enjoying what the online sangha at the time was building. The universe had its own plan though and I walked away.

Here I am after nearly a decade and the landscape of the online sangha has changed dramatically. I can’t seem to find many of my old pals, but that’s ok; it’s all impermanent right? I’m about to get wordy so those that have hung on and want to play catch up here it goes; I will try to be as brief as possible. Continue reading →

by Nate DeMontigny

Upside Down Ladybug

Today, after walking out of a customer’s home, I got in my van and was prepared to leave. There, on the windshield, was a ladybug (not squashed, it had landed there while I was parked, and was still alive). Yeah, big deal right? Well this was no ordinary ladybug, this one was there to remind me of a quote I’ve been pondering alot lately. And that quote is…

“Never think that you will be able to settle your life down by practicing the Dharma. The Dharma is not therapy. In fact, it is just the opposite. The purpose of the Dharma is to really stir up your life. It is meant to turn your life upside down. If that is what you asked for, why complain? If it is not turning your life upside down, on the other hand, the Dharma is not working. That kind of Dharma is just another one of these New Age methods; the Dharma should really disturb you.”
– Dzonsar Khyentse Rinpoche, from “Entrance to the Great Perfection”

I’m not superstitious, but today being Friday the 13th (woooo) I saw it as an “omen” of sorts. In the way that, I should constantly be reminding myself that this whole Dharma thing is not some fluffy cloud, not some beautiful path lined with scented flowers.

Continue reading →

by Nate DeMontigny

Thailand’s three gems losing their gleam?

From UPI Asia

Thailand’s highest Buddhist organization, the Supreme Sangha, is one of the three jewels described in Buddhism. The three – the Lord Buddha himself, the Dharma doctrine, and the Sangha clergy – are the three pillars that practicing Buddhists found their faith upon.

That is, they used to.

Today, as Buddha warned over 2,000 years ago, “enemies” of Buddhism are creeping in from the inside.

Loss of direction is hardly a new issue to those of any faith around the world, and Buddhism is no different. Many adherents of basic Buddhism branch off, in practice and principle, to either found their own sect or to follow an already established one that does not adhere to original Buddhist teachings.

Click to read more of this article