by Deb Di Meo
I was very fortunate to discover Tibetan Buddhism about 10 years ago. There is always something new to learn, and there are such a wide variety of teachings that I can always find something useful for my current situation.
A comforting and fundamental teaching of Tibetan Buddhism is that we are not our thoughts. An image to demonstrate this would be of the ocean, with the surface representing our gross mind of thoughts and emotions, and the deep calm depths of the sea representing our true nature. Sometimes there are huge waves on the surface representing those times of turbulence and chaos, but at other times the surface is calm, with barely a ripple. Although the circumstances of our life are constantly changing there is an innate deep calmness that we can access if we can just calm our mind. Thankfully, meditation techniques help us to do that.
The dharma has also taught me that most of us are not seeing the world clearly because we constantly project our preconceptions, fears, likes and dislikes and a myriad of other delusions. Fortunately, Tibetan Buddhism has provided a psychological toolbox of techniques to help clear these delusions step by step. I have found that by practising some of these techniques, life has become easier to navigate. I have become generally calmer than I was 10 years ago and have developed the ability to stand back and observe how my mind reacts to situations, without necessarily verbalising or acting on these reactions.
For me, the teachings provide comfort, wisdom, and inspiration to transform my mind which ultimately transforms the lens through which I see the world.