Into the Heart of Life

Books by and about Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

Reflections on a Mountain Lake: Teachings on Practical Buddhism

Three Teachings

Cave in the Snow: Tenzin Palmo’s Quest for Enlightenment
by Vicki Mackenzie

I
nto the
H
eart of
L
ife

Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

Snow Lion Publications

Ithaca, New York

Snow Lion Publications

P.O. Box 6483

Ithaca, New York 14851 USA

607-273-8519

www.snowlionpub.com

Copyright © 2011 Tenzin Palmo

The text of “Eight Verses of Mind Training” that appears in this work was translated by Ruth Sonam and published in
Eight Verses for Training the Mind
by Geshe Sonam Rinchen, translated and edited by Ruth Sonam (Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications, 2001). Reprinted by permission.

All rights reserved. No portion of this work may be reproduced by any means without written permission from the publisher.

Printed in the USA on acid-free recycled paper.

ISBN 978-1-55939-374-4

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Tenzin Palmo, Jetsunma, 1943-

Into the Heart of Life / Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo.

pages cm

ISBN-13: 978-1-55939-374-4 (alk. paper)

ISBN-10: 1-55939-374-2 (alk. paper)

1. Religious life—Buddhism. 2. Buddhism—Doctrines. I. Title.

BQ4302.T46 2011

294.3'4—dc22

2010052671

Contents

Foreword by H. H. the Gyalwang Drukpa

Preface

1. Impermanence

2. Karma, or Cause and Effect

3. Creating Happiness

4. The Eight Worldly Concerns

5. Renunciation

6. The Six Perfections

7. Lojong and Bodhichitta

8. Faith and Devotion

9. Practicing the Good Heart

Acknowledgments

Dedication

In devotion to Khamtrul Dongyu Nyima and Khamtrul Shedrup Nyima, who are the Heart of my life.

15th January 2011

Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo is an accomplished spiritual practitioner and teacher who is able to touch the hearts of many through her teaching and her presence. Even though Into the Heart of Life is only a very small collection of the many teachings she has given over the years, it contains the basic principles of how to put Buddha Dharma into practical use.

Buddhist philosophy is sometimes complex and difficult to understand, especially difficult to implement in daily life without clear understanding. Jetsunma has made Buddhist philosophy very easy to comprehend and to be put into practice. For example, she explains impermanence as being “not just of philosophical interest. It’s very personal. Until we accept and deeply understand in our very being that things change from moment to moment, and never stop even for one instant, only then can we let go.” In a simple language, Jetsunma makes everyone understand both impermanence and renunciation.

Throughout the different chapters, she uses practical examples and her own experiences to illustrate the practicality of Buddha Dharma and the need to practise the Dharma with genuine understanding. I am truly amazed at her ability to express complicated philosophical theories in simple words. This is an ability many cannot match, including myself.

The book is well-structured for beginners who are genuinely interested in being happy as well as for advanced practitioners who need to be reminded of the path to happiness.

I want to congratulate Jetsunma for being able to share her understanding of Dharma in daily life and I am certain this book will benefit many. This is a book for everyone who needs and wants to know the path to genuine happiness.

Preface

Initially it was very difficult to know how to begin raising interest and funds for a nunnery. I am not an incarnate Rinpoche or even a Tibetan. In addition, I have a female body within a patriarchal tradition. Since I could not bestow empowerments or blessings, what might I offer that could be useful? So I began to deliver Dharma talks, sharing the experience of spiritual practice with audiences made up predominantly of lay people with families, jobs, and a regular social life. This is very different from the times when Dharma was mainly delivered to monastic gatherings.

As I travel around the world, my concern has always been, How can the Dharma be of help to people in everyday life? How can the Dharma be used to lighten our lives and give meaning to our existence? Personally I feel that the world has never had more need of the teachings of the Buddha, overcome as we are with greed, aggression, and emphasis on self-fulfillment—our age-old companions the three poisons.

This book comprises some of the talks that I have delivered over the years to audiences in the East and West who are united in the common challenge to make something meaningful of their lives within the society they inhabit. This is not a book about esoteric practices or advanced methods of meditation. The contents of this book deal with ordinary practitioners concerned with translating Dharma instructions into an ongoing life experience.

An important aspect of the Dharma deals with the transformation of our ordinary minds and attitudes in a highly positive way that will bring benefit not only to ourselves but to all those who have contact with us. The basic problem facing us is how to change a mind filled with negative thoughts and emotions—greed, anger, anxiety, envy, and so on—into a peaceful and more friendly mind that is a pleasure for everyone (including ourselves) to live with. This book sets out in a simple manner some pointers to help ordinary practitioners make use of the Dharma to lead more meaningful lives.

Our mind with its incessant stream of thoughts, memories, opinions, hopes, and fears is our constant companion, from which we cannot escape even in dreams. So it makes sense to cultivate a worthy travel companion for our journey.