This website is mainly intended for Dharma practitioners who have taken refuge and bodhisattva vows, have received both general and Vajrayana teachings. If you are new to buddhism, you are still welcome to read on – just keep this in mind:
If it makes sense to you, please put it into practice!
If not, please forget it …
The Dalai Lama
What is written here, is for personal use and not for others.
dharmaflex.space? (now dharmaview.space)
Well, it may sound quirky, but denotes that authentic dharma practice makes your mind kind, flexible and spacious. Also easy to remember, and the domain name happened to be available.
Dharma practice has two main points –
to make your mind kind and flexible.Absolute bodhicitta is an open, space-like mind,
that gives room for others to be the way they are.
It’s a mindset totally free from biased, judgmental attitudes.
You, I, we, and they …
In the posts here at dharmaflex.space, there will be a varying use of you, we, I and sometimes they. This is because I’m mainly speaking to myself – again and again repeatedly, and then the you-form is sometimes more efficient. But unfortunately, I do not always listen, not even to myself.
So, it is not that I am pointing a finger at you, or criticizing others. But dharma advice are tools and reminders, to check and scrutinize our own thoughts and minds.
Dharma is for personal use only, not to be used to judge others – that would be dharma in reverse.
Here I shall say nothing that has not been said before,
And in the art of prosody I have no skill.
I therefore have no thought that this might be of benefit to others;
I wrote it only to habituate my mind.
My faith will thus be strengthened for a little while,That I might grow accustomed to this virtuous way.
But others who now chance upon my words
May profit also, equal to myself in fortune.— Shantideva
Pushing buttons
These days, most web-sites like news, blogs, facebook, twitter etc., have share and like buttons. But on dharmaflex.space there are no such buttons. Instead, if what you read made sense, why not make a firm commitment? Say for instance to yourself:
This makes sense to me, and I like to train my mind and put it into practice.
You may call it the mental commitment-button, and I like here, translates to a firm: I will. And when you forget, just remind yourself and repeat, again and again. That’s why mindfulness often is called remindfulness.
There is also no share button here, because dharma is supposed to be for personal use only, and the best way to share it with the world, is to put it into practice and tame your own mind.
Do not hurt others,
Be kind to others,
And tame your own mind.
This is the teaching of the awakened ones.— The Buddha
But if someone pushes your buttons, you can view it as a golden opportunity to tame and train your mind in patience and kindness – just don’t push other peoples buttons … 😉
Questions and comments
Also, questions and comment you may post on this site, will not show up like you are used to, but will be held back for review.
Only very short, concise questions, relevant to you and how you can put this into practice, might show up with a direct reply. Everything will be read though, and at some point in time be answered, either on the answers-page, or in future posts.
If you have questions about your personal meditation practice, it would be better to discuss those directly with your own lama or meditation instructor.
Why this blog?
For many years now, I have been requested to teach and to write on the Dharma, both by my teachers, and also by members of Karma Tashi Ling in Norway, and Mindrolling Lotus Garden in Virginia.
In 1982, ven. late Kalu Rinpoche told me to start teaching when coming out of the three year retreat. Four years ago, ven. Jetsun Khandro Rinpoche, told me to start writing about the three vows, in light of the View. But I have been hesitant to publish anything so far.
I have probably been through most of the mistakes one can get into as a dharma practitioner, so I have some experience in what not to do. And luckily I have been very fortunate to meet many great buddhist masters, and have received teachings and direct personal advice from them. So, having applied those profound instructions, taming my mind to some degree, I have gained a little bit experience, and may be able to share some advice.
When receiving a lot of Dharma teaching and reading a lot of random Dharma books, it is very easy to get a lost in words, and “not see the forest for the trees”. I will therefore try my best here to condense and clarify the most essential points of view, meditation and conduct.
You have heard it all before, and having no skill in writing, I will mainly write to recollect and clarify my mind. But hopefully this may also be of benefit to others – readers of this dharma blog. Also, any good advice you might find here at dharmaflex.space, comes from my perfect teachers – mistakes and platitudes are my own.
Oslo, November 5, 2015
Roar Vestre
Warning!
This web-site contains spoilers!
Content may be hazardous to your ego clinging –
You may risk reduction in laziness, desires, and irritations!
If you do not want to change the way you are, stop reading now!
😉