Silence, sports & having a purpose in life
Tulku Lobsang in conversation with Christoph Bründl
For years there has been a warm friendship between Tulku Lobsang, the Buddhist master, and Christoph Bründl. They met up during a lecture event in Tirol in September 2019. We simply jotted down what they said.
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People
... starting the day
Every morning you wake up as a new person, are reborn. It also means you get a new chance. That's why it is important to renew yourself, to remain as long as possible in a state of silence and awareness. Yesterday is the past, today has not really begun yet. You are simply here in the present, without distractions. That is a good moment to think. I don't mean to ask questions but rather to find answers. Simpy be yourself, grateful and happy. Then the day can begin in a powerful way.
... sports
I practice tsa lung every morning, exercise that combine special techniques of holding the breath with physical movements and visualizations. When I do so I move wind energy through my body through to the very deepest spots. When the wind flows, so does the spirit. I walk and run because it is of great importance for the physical body and our mental well-being. It reduces stress and produces a calm spirit. Try not to speak so that your breath can stay in rhythm. Relax and you feel your body. You sense how you leave your intellect, your thoughts. The body is the best vehicle for separating yourself from them. Initially, both are as one, but after an hour when the body has reached its destination the mind still lags behind.
... inner reflection and finding balance
When you are in the nature of the spirit, you are one with yourself. Then you are at peace. Living your true self does not mean wanting to be someone else or running away from yourself. That is why people seek out nature. Without distractions they get closer to themselves, feel totally natural. People say: "I'm so happy to be in nature." But nature does not exist in order to make us happy. Nature merely shows us who we are. And that makes us happy. Finding ourselves. When you are centred you do not lose sight of the bigger picture. When you are centred you do everything properly. When you get stuck in trivialities you lose your sense of peace. Whatever happens - relax and accept what is. You must not control everything.
... thinking
Your own thoughts never stop except when you sleep. Thoughts come and go, you can't simply interrupt them but you can decide whether you pay attention to them or not. It is not a matter of whether you think too much, but whether you think the right thoughts. It is a matter of what and how you think. In order to have good thoughts you need a relaxed frame of mind. Good thoughts only come from a quiet and calm spirit.
... expectations and the end of the day
You do things as well as you can. Don't expect more than you can give. If you go on expecting more from yourself it will kill you. We live in a world that is not perfect. A better world is possible but it will not be a perfect one. If you strive for a perfect world then you are on the wrong planet. So relax. You do your best and if everything goes wrong, stay calm. Just be yourself, do not be afraid of mistakes, then something good is possible. You decide how this day ends. In what state you would like to be when you sleep or dream. We call it the variable mental factor. The way you prepare yourself mentally for the night influences your night's rest. If you send out good thoughts the entire energy of the night goes in this direction. And naturally conversely the same is true of negative thoughts. Sleep takes on a completely different development if your motivation is negative. Which is why it is so important to end the day in the right state of awareness, in gratitude, love and sympathy.
... being happy
What we think we need is not what makes us happy. Even if we think that material things make us happy in truth we would like love, peace or joy. Everything else only helps rarely. The western world in particular has everything available in excess. That mitght be good but it is not enough. As such, true happiness depends on our state of mind, it is not something that you can find outside yourself. It is not a question of how much you have or what you know. Happiness is a conscious decision. If you opt for it you will always find a way of being happy. Happiness might not need any special reason. You can create the occasion yourself but do not wait until you find one. There is always something to be happy about, for example your breakfast.
... the purpose of life and love
Life has no purpose. The best way to be unhappy is to ask about the purpose of life. You won't find it, because you are the purpose of life. Purpose means that you are one with yourself or may still discover yourself. Many people think they have to look for the purpose of life and merely move further and further away from it. Life is the question. And you are the answer. You are the purpose of life, life is simply a path. Love is knwoledge, love is wisdom. Where love is there are no problems. Love is not the medicine, but the healing. Without love there is no solution. Love means giving. It is not giving in the material sense, but is spiritual giving. If you are willing to give your heart opens up. You connect to your true nature. And when you are connected to your true nature you are at peace, in a state of bliss and joy.
Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche
Tulku Lobsang Rinpoche is a high precious Buddhist master who sees himself as a messenger of the Tibetan Buddhist culture and its traditions. For many years Tulku Lobsang has traveled the world in order to share his knowledge of medicine, Buddhism and astrology. He is the spiritual lead of Nangten Menlang International, a non-profit organization headquartered in Vienna, which aims to promote Tibetan medicine and Buddhist philosophy.
