Lansing Area Mindfulness Community

11/21/2025

7-9 PM 26 WED 2025
3015 S MLK BLVD, Lansing, MI

Dear Sangha:

As this next Wednesday evening is Thanksgiving Eve, we will be gathering to enjoy the Plum Village Ceremony of the 5 Earth Touchings (+ the Optional 6th Touching) to express our gratitude to:
1) Generations of ancestors in our blood families;
2) Generations of ancestors in our spiritual families;
3) Our land and the ancestors who made it available;
4) Gratitude and compassion to those we love;
5) Reconciliation to those who have made us suffer; and
6) Connecting with our original Spiritual Tradition (if we have separated from one tradition to become affiliated with another).

https://plumvillage.org/key-practice-texts/the-five-earth-touchings/

A few members have already spoken to me about helping to read the Touchings. Please let me know if you have a preference for which one you would like to read and Thank You for your help! I will read the 6th Touching regardless ...

It is suggested that we all use the honorific of bowing or prostrating during the reading of each Earth Touching. You may offer whichever form you are capable of: a simply bow with hands joined at heart level in the form of a lotus bud, or, a ½ or full prostration on the floor.

*The prostration is described as: "...From standing, with the signal of the bell, "... gently lower yourself to the ground so that all four limbs and your forehead are resting comfortably on the floor. While touching the Earth, turn your palms face up, showing your openness to the Three Jewels - the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha". This position will be held until the reading of the Touching has been completed, approximately 3 minutes.

While bowing or prostrating, it is also suggested that we take 3 conscious breaths - the inbreath helps us take in the strength and stability of the Earth and the outbreath can relax our feelings of anger, hatred, fear, inadequacy and grief. The bell will signal us to stand again.

By the way, I want to mention that one can join in this practice without knowing exactly what one's feelings are toward any part of the Earth Touchings - try them, be aware of what comes up, and later contemplate a process of working on transformation if there is suffering in the areas being mentioned, i.e., re-reading or practicing any or all of the Touchings on your own. *I will have paper copies of the main 5 Earth Touchings to take home following the ceremony.

We expect that our evening will be somewhat abbreviated time-wise as we will leave the meeting quietly when the ceremony is completed. We will begin the evening with abbreviated periods of our usual walking and sitting meditations. There will be no group discussion following the ceremony. ( We might consider doing some discussion/sharing the following week but I have not checked to see if we are scheduled for something else.)

Be well everyone. Hope to see you next Wednesday. What a lovely opportunity to express gratitude and consider areas of reconciiation!

Metta, Susan

This is the full text guiding the practice of Five Earth Touchings that we use at our practice centers and sanghas in the Plum Village Tradition. Practicing the Five Earth Touchings gives us an…

11/19/2025

11/16/2025

7-9 PM Wednesday 19 NOV 2025
3015 S MLK BLVD, Lansing MI

“If you die before you die, when you die, you will not die.”
~ Greek inscription, St. Paul’s Monastery, Mount Athos

“Remember the clear light, pure clear white light from which everything in the universe comes, and to which everything in the universe returns — the original nature of your true mind. This is the natural, unmanifest state of the universe. Let go into the clear light. Trust and merge with it.
It is your true nature. It is home.”
~ The Tibetan Book of the Dead
Dear Sangha,

If you are going to Chicago next week, you probably don’t need to prepare very much. But if you are traveling to a faraway and unfamiliar place — somewhere where you don’t know anyone— you might feel a bit anxious or even scared. It is wise to prepare for such a journey. Those preparations can lessen anxiety and help you enjoy the trip more fully.

Death and dying are similar. They are journeys we can prepare for well in advance, so that when the big day comes, we can meet the experience with less fear and more confidence, peace, and even a sense of excitement.

It is taught that for meditators, the moment of dying offers “a most precious opportunity.” As Mingyur Rinpoche writes in the book: “[T]he organic degeneration of the dying body offers an unparalleled opportunity for recognizing the true mind…. When all these cycles of body and mind stop functioning, all that’s left is awareness itself — the unconditioned open space of pure knowing…. This is the same aspect of mind that is revealed whenever we notice a gap in the conditioned mind, when the clouds of confusion part and allow an experience of non-conceptual awareness…. This happens naturally to everyone. It’s as certain as death itself…. But without training, we cannot recognize the clear light of luminous emptiness.” (p. 205)

In the final section of his book, Rinpoche describes in detail his near-death experience and offers specific guidance for preparing for death and dying. He also recounts what he discovered as his physical body and senses gradually dissolved.

So what kinds of preparation can we make for this special journey? Below is an incomplete summary of some teachings from Mingyur Rinpoche and from Tim Olmstead, a student of Rinpoche’s father. (Do not hold them too tightly. These are just for your reference J )
1) Our regular meditation practice
Our regular practice is tremendously helpful for death and dying in a myriad of ways. Any formal or informal practice we do on mindfulness, love and compassion, or looking directly into the nature of experience have a lot of benefits!
2) Training to recognize openness of the mind
Gradually learn to notice the small openings or “gaps” between the seemingly continuous chatter of the conceptual mind. Become familiar with open awareness. And when possible, receive pointing-out instructions from a realized teacher to recognize the true nature of mind.

Rinpoche describes many moments in daily life when this natural openness can appear: sneezing, yawning, stretching, sudden shocks, encountering modern art that defies conceptual grasping, moments of great beauty, after exercise, hiking, looking down from a high place, experiences of awe, and so on. We can train in these moments to be with the mind and be familiar with the openness of the mind, which may be quite short. It is also said that during moments of deep devotion or compassion, the veil between the chattering mind and openness becomes very thin.
3) Learning about the dying process and the bardo teachings
As Rinpoche says, “If I had trained in meditation without the addition of bardo teachings, I might become confused at the end” (p. 217). He touches on the six bardos throughout the book. We can talk about these more on Wednesday.

There are many books on the bardos. Here is one example: Preparing to Die: Practical Advice and Spiritual Wisdom from the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition https://www.amazon.com/Preparing-Die-Practical-Spiritual-Tradition/dp/1559394080

We can also become familiar with the dissolution of the five elements — earth, water, fire, air, and space.
Venerable Anālayo and other teachers offer guided meditations on this process.
4) Practicing death and dying now
There are many great ways to do this in different traditions, e.g., the five remembrances. There is a nice four-step practice Mingyur Rinpoche teaches that one can do each night before going to sleep and also at the moment of dying:

a. Letting go and offering
Offer all belongings and attachments – roles, achievements, wealth, possessions, books, loved ones etc. A skillful approach is to offer something you are very attached to into the care of the Buddha and enlightened beings.

b. Dedication
Dedicate all the virtue and goodness of your life to your family, friends, and all beings.

c. Aspiration
Set a clear direction, such as “May this dying experience be meaningful. May it help me progress on the path.” If you practice bodhicitta — the aspiration to awaken for the benefit of all beings — this is a powerful moment to recall it.

It is taught that the quality of the mind in the final moment — whatever is present in the mind — is what we carry into the dying process. Conditioning the mind in this way, orienting toward kindness, love and compassion is very helpful.

d. Prayer
Bring to mind the images of refuge you turn to in practice or daily life — the Buddha, a Bodhisattva, Jesus, other noble beings, or even warm light. Pray: “Please guide and protect me. Help me move through this process with clarity, compassion, and minimal suffering or obstacles” or whatever words that work for you. Then rest in open awareness.
In the book, Rinpoche also describes the different opportunities for liberation or for a favorable rebirth that arise throughout the dying process. He sometimes presents these as Plan A, B, C, and D. We can discuss these on Wednesday.

Thank you for reading this long listy message! This Wednesday, we will continue studying Rinpoche’s book, focusing on Chapters 24–Epilogue (pp. 188–253). Read whatever you can; no worries if you don’t have time. You are also welcome to bring practices that you do on death and dying, any teachings that resonate with you from the book or any questions you may have.

With much gratitude,

Baolian

--
May we be filled with loving kindness
May we be safe from inner and outer harm
May we be healthy in our body and mind
May we find peace and freedom

Born to flourish series
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLphAG0_XlPIENjUohuGkd9DrVHcJc6jie

Discover How Buddhist Wisdom and Neuroscience Can Help You Thrive in a Fast-Paced WorldWorld-renowned meditation teacher Mingyur Rinpoche, neuroscientist Dr....

11/02/2025

7-9 PM, 05 NOV 2025

Dear Sangha,

Thank you for a very rich discussion last week! This coming Wednesday we’ll continue to discuss the book, focusing on chapters 12-17, pp. 97-147. In these chapters, Rinpoche describes his continued journey from Varanasi and the Ganges to Kushinagar, where the Buddha entered Parinirvana. He offers key teachings on emptiness and the illusory nature of reality, and introduces reflections on impermanence and death, sleep/dream meditation, and loving kindness and compassion meditation. Read what you can and no worries if you don’t have time to read. I look forward to our discussion.

Cassin has kindly arranged for Sangha to watch the documentary based on Rinpoche’s retreat at The Fledge in the afternoon of Sunday November 23rd. Please mark your calendar. Details to follow. Thanks so much Cassin!
Here is a trailer of the documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8LTothBKqE

In my own practice, one of the most powerful teachings Rinpoche offers is on loving kindness and compassion. Just like awareness is with us 24/7, love and compassion are also with us all the time. It’s part of our innate nature, what he calls basic goodness. Rinpoche teaches that every movement we make -- every breath, every eye blink, every small movement of adjusting the body posture, every action, every emotion, every thought -- is to get a bit more comfort and happiness and to be away from discomfort and suffering.

This innate motivation to be happy is love, and this innate motivation to be away from suffering is compassion. (Here is a short video of Rinpoche introduces the view of basic goodness and compassion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz1clZcf-8E)

Yet, as Shantideva said in The Way of the Bodhisattva:

All beings wish to be free from suffering,
yet they run straight toward suffering itself.
They wish for happiness, yet in their ignorance
they destroy it as though it were an enemy.

Rinpoche often uses an image similar to the one below to illustrate that even though there is a lot of projected hatred, confusion, and suffering in the world due to ignorance, on the deeper level, what motivates all actions, words, and emotions in this troubled yet amazing world we live is love and compassion - the light that shines in each of our heart.

image.png

In practice, we do not need to create love and compassion because we already have it. But we need to recognize it and connect with it, beginning with ourselves and then extend to people we love, neutral people, challenging people and all beings.

Wisdom and compassion are like two wings of the bird of liberation. We can not fly without either one. Practices of love and compassion are key to our path. They soften our hearts and open our minds. As the Third Karmapa said, "In the moment of love, the empty essence dawns nakedly."

With gratitude,

Baolian

Just like awareness is inherent within our basic goodness, Mingyur Rinpoche explains that love and compassion are also always present. Nevertheless, we exper...

11/02/2025

Finn Harvor

10/31/2025

In the newly published book Reincarnation, Thich Nhat Hanh reveals that what we call “rebirth” is already happening through our thoughts, words, and actions in each moment of life:

"This body has been there for a long time, for millions of years. It is the continuation of many generations. It has never died."

Edited with commentary by Brother Phap Luu and illustrated by Jeanne Fries, this luminous book is the first in the new Zen Doors series—a collection that opens fresh pathways into Thay’s teachings, making the most-widely known, yet often misunderstood, Buddhist concepts accessible for modern life.

Available now at https://www.parallax.org/product/reincarnation/ and your local bookstore.

10/22/2025

7-9 PM WEDNESDAY 22 OCT 2025
3015 S MLK BLVD LANSING MI

“[T]he end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.” ~ T. S. Eliot

Dear sangha,

This coming Wednesday (Oct 22) we are starting our five-week series on Mingyur Rinpoche’s book In Love with the World: A Monk’s Journey Through the Bardos of Living and Dying. For the first week, we will discuss chapters 1-7, pp. 1-60. Read what you can and no worries if you don’t have time to read. I hope the discussion is accessible and rich for everyone.

In the Pali Canon, the Buddha used a metaphor of a blind turtle surfacing through a flouting piece of wood to illustrate how rare and precious it is to be born as a human and to encounter the dharma. Mingyur Rinpoche comes from the practice lineages, Mahamudra and Dzogchen, the “crown jewels” of Tibetan Buddhism. Rinpoche is a direct lineage holder of these unbroken, precious lineages, upheld and transmitted through many centuries of masters such as Tilopa, Naropa, Milarepa, and the Karmapa. These masters dedicated their whole life to practices that work with the mind and many went through unthinkable challenges. How lucky we are to be able to receive profound teachings from these beautiful lineages in the comfort of our living rooms. May we read Rinpoche’s book with a deep sense of appreciation and homage to all the lineage masters.

Here is more background information about Mingyur Rinpoche if you are interested: https://tergar.org/yongey-mingyur-rinpoche

In this book, Rinpoche used the first few weeks of his wandering retreat as a story thread to present profound pith instructions to work with the mind from these two lineages. He also wove in stories/teachings from his teachers, including his father, and his students, all to show us how to practice these instructions in real life. Oftentimes we see our own confusion and suffering and we see great enlightened masters who are deeply compassionate, joyful, and free. Yet, we do not know how they worked with their minds and how we can get there. In this book, Rinpoche compassionately and generously presented an intimate view into his own mind and the step-by-step processes of working with the mind through various challenging circumstances. This is very rare.

The reason why Mahamudra is so precious is because even modern human beings like ourselves, with demanding lives and ample distractions, can follow these simple, profound instructions during meditation and work with our mind in daily life to achieve direct realization of our true nature.

Rinpoche’s main teachings center on helping us understand, experience, and gain confidence of our true nature through step-by-step practice. We all have awareness, yet when we do not connect with or recognize it, we grasp onto things that are inherently not solid and suffer. The practice of meditation (and all preliminary practices) aims to gradually clear away obscurations that cover our true nature, just like mud covering the diamond nature of our mind.

In Tibetan language, meditation is gom - to be familiar with. To be familiar with and maintain our awareness is the essence of the practice. Resting in awareness, we see reality as it is, which is wisdom. Here is a short video of Rinpoche explaining meditation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWaqudhwrL0

In reading the book, I invite you to pay attention to:

1) How does Rinpoche introduce to us who we truly are and more important who we are not (or what is our true nature and what are obscurations)?
2) How did Rinpoche work with his mind, turn every challenge he encountered into the path as opportunities for practice, for deepening recognition of awareness and seeing reality as it is?
3) Rinpoche described challenges related to comfort, safety, roles, layers of identities and challenging emotions. What challenges are you working with in your current practice? What insights do you gain from these teachings to help your practice?

No worries if you do not have much time to read. If you do have time to read, feel free to also bring teachings that resonate with you and questions you may have.

Thanks everyone! Look forward to our discussion,

Baolian

--
May we be filled with loving kindness
May we be safe from inner and outer harm
May we be healthy in our body and mind
May we find peace and freedom

Born to flourish series
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLphAG0_XlPIENjUohuGkd9DrVHcJc6jie

Discover How Buddhist Wisdom and Neuroscience Can Help You Thrive in a Fast-Paced WorldWorld-renowned meditation teacher Mingyur Rinpoche, neuroscientist Dr....

10/22/2025

Welcome to a 7-week in-depth online learning journey to nurture insight, compassion, community, and mindful action in service of the Earth.