Taking Mahayana Ordination Monday 15 May 2023

Buddhism, Education, ethics, Health, Medicine, meditation, Philosophy, Wisdom

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Donate to Emptiness Mind and support this meaningful and effective Buddhist service. We provide a forum and teaching service for Buddhist dharma study and practice for people of all ages. You can tune in and enjoy deep and relevant Mahayana Buddhist discussion, and learn how to apply Buddhist dharma antidotes to delusions in the mind and heart. Learn to fully purify your three doors of body, speech and mind and train in the small, medium and great scope stages of the path to Buddhahood.

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Learn how to keep pure morality and watch as Emptiness Mind and Vanessa Anne Walsh journey through the daily practice of the Mahayana Ordination and keeping the Eight Mahayana Fast Day Vows – Monday 15 May, 2023.


Copyright © Vanessa Anne Walsh 2023

Dependant Arising is Empty of Inherent Existence

art, Buddhism, Culture, Education, ethics, Happiness, Health, Love and Compassion, Media, Medicine, meditation, Philosophy, Wisdom

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Donate to Emptiness Mind and support this meaningful and effective Buddhist service. We provide a forum and teaching service for Buddhist dharma study and practice for people of all ages. You can tune in and enjoy deep and relevant Mahayana Buddhist discussion, and learn how to apply Buddhist dharma antidotes to delusions in the mind and heart. Learn to fully purify your three doors of body, speech and mind and train in the small, medium and great scope stages of the path to Buddhahood.

Donations can be made to Vanessa Anne Walsh COMMONWEALTH BANK BSB; 062948 ACCOUNT NUMBER; 27641400

Watch the reading by Vanessa Anne Walsh of page two forward of the Introduction to Tsong Khapa’s Speech of Gold in the Essence of True Eloquence.
Sportsbet says it’s easy – but Emptiness Mind doesn’t know how!

Copyright © Vanessa Anne Walsh 2023

Emptiness Mind Reciting the Names of Noble Manjushri. 1. The Request

art, Buddhism, Education, ethics, Happiness, Health, Love and Compassion, Medicine, Philosophy, Wisdom

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Donate to Emptiness Mind and support this meaningful and effective Buddhist service. We provide a forum and teaching service for Buddhist dharma study and practice for people of all ages. You can tune in and enjoy deep and relevant Mahayana Buddhist discussion, and learn how to apply Buddhist dharma antidotes to delusions in the mind and heart. Learn to fully purify your three doors of body, speech and mind and train in the small, medium and great scope stages of the path to Buddhahood.

Donations can be made to Vanessa Anne Walsh COMMONWEALTH BANK BSB; 062948 ACCOUNT NUMBER; 27641400

Emptiness Mind Reciting the Names of Noble Manjushri (verses one through to nine)
Emptiness Mind Reciting the Names of Noble Manjushri (verses ten, eleven and twelve) repeated three times
Emptiness Mind Reciting the Names of Noble Manjushri (verses 13 – 16) repeated three times
Emptiness Mind Reciting the Names of Noble Manjushri (verses ten to sixteen)
Emptiness Mind Reciting the Names of Noble Manjushri. 1. The Request
Sportsbet- it’s easy! Hrumpf whaty whaty.

Hard Yakka – Emptiness Mind’s Recitation of the Names of Noble Manjushri (Verses seven, eight and nine)

Buddhism, Education, ethics, Health, Love and Compassion, Medicine, meditation, Philosophy, Wisdom

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Please help support this Mahayana Buddhist Blog.

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Donate to Emptiness Mind and support this meaningful and effective Buddhist service. We provide a forum and teaching service for Buddhist dharma study and practice for people of all ages. You can tune in and enjoy deep and relevant Mahayana Buddhist discussion, and learn how to apply Buddhist dharma antidotes to delusions in the mind and heart. Learn to fully purify your three doors of body, speech and mind and train in the small, medium and great scope stages of the path to Buddhahood.

Donations can be made to Vanessa Anne Walsh

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Fearing the sufferings of samsara (cyclic existence), turn to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha all of the time and Take Refuge and Generate Bodhicitta
Emptiness Mind Offering the Outer and Inner Mandala

Apply good effort at authentic, safe, reliable and valid Buddhist Dharma Study. Be far-sighted and motivate your actions towards creating the causes for Buddhahood.
Verses seven, eight and nine of Emptiness Mind’s Recitation of the Names of Noble Manjushri (repeated three times)
Emptiness Mind reciting the verses of Dedication
Sportsbet- it’s easy! We are checking!

Copyright © Vanessa Anne Walsh 2023

Emptiness Mind’s Recitation of the Names of Noble Manjushri Abiding in the Ten Paramitas (verses four, five and six)

Buddhism, Education, Health, Medicine, meditation, Philosophy, Wisdom

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Donate to Emptiness Mind and support this meaningful and effective Buddhist service. We provide a forum and teaching service for Buddhist dharma study and practice for people of all ages. You can tune in and enjoy deep and relevant Mahayana Buddhist discussion, and learn how to apply Buddhist dharma antidotes to delusions in the mind and heart. Learn to fully purify your three doors of body, speech and mind and train in the small, medium and great scope stages of the path to Buddhahood.


Donations can be made to Vanessa Anne Walsh

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Verses four, five and six of The Recitation of the Names of Noble Manjushri
Sportsbet- it’s easy! Is it?

Copyright © Vanessa Anne Walsh 2023

Understanding the best way to get to Buddhahood

Buddhism, Education, Happiness, Health, Love and Compassion, Medicine, News, Wisdom
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Sentient beings are afflicted with the three poisonous delusions: anger/hatred, attachment/desire/lust, and ignorance/the false view of the transitory collection. At the moment I am working with a great team of virtuous beings to cut off the core of anger.

We as a nation, let alone a world, do not want or need to go to war. It is time to consider and motivate our actions of body, speech and mind towards traversing the path to the cessation of suffering. We need to achieve the cessation of suffering to attain freedom from suffering and to develop a proper understanding of the word of the Lord Buddha, his method and wisdom and to support the Sangha as they strive to defeat and to conquer the causes of samsara; the cycle of suffering.

Yesterday we had a very successful day of cessating a part of that core anger. We as a people need to go beyond the cycle of suffering to higher rebirth, liberation from throwing karma and ultimately to the fully purified and fully perfected state of enlightenment. Enlightenment is the fully transcendent and all knowing state of Buddhahood. To achieve Buddhahood and to completely cessate the primary and secondary delusions from the mind, is to achieve the meaning of life.

Copyright © Vanessa Anne Walsh 2023

No, being Buddhist does not make you a martian

Buddhism, Education, Happiness, Health, Medicine, News, Wisdom


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Oceané drove her little red hatchback along the scenic beach road to the walking track a few suburbs away. A warm and still autumn day, the bay blue a mirror of the luminous sky. The external environment calm, was in direct contrast with the intense feelings of desperation and frustration Oceané felt deep within her heart.  Oceané did her best to control the anxiety frustrating her peace. Her thoughts brooded over a recent conversation she had with Noah, when he related to her Alfred’s plans for her future.  

Noah revealed to Oceané that Alfred had confronted Noah when he was in Melbourne on a short visit from interstate to see what his views on Oceané’s work and career choices were. When Noah made it clear to Alfred he felt Oceané’s work at Shambhala was beneficial and worthwhile, Alfred could do nothing to contain his anger, and threatened to bring an end to Noah and Oceané’s relationship if Noah refused to stop Oceané from working at Shambhala. He also attempted to force Noah to see that Oceané cease her relationship and friendship with Rinpoche. 

As Noah conveyed to Oceané what had transpired, Noah remained calm and relaxed, but Oceané was more worried than ever at the unexpected hostility being directed towards her just because of her involvement with Buddhism, Rinpoche and her quest for inner peace and enlightenment.  

Oceané’s expression darkened as she wandered confused, trying to establish how her work at Shambhala, which involved constant giving and generating goodwill towards people in need, could be so despised by people who she had always grown up believing had a good heart.  As her veil of ignorance was removed, a hitherto unknown side to her mother and stepfather became clearer, smashing into painful pieces her innocence. Oceané now viewed a stepfather, full of greed, seemingly motivated by selfish concerns unmasked, supported by a mother who showed no resistance to acting as a weapon against Oceané in her fight for spiritual freedom and independence. 

She still couldn’t quite believe that her quest for true freedom, for enlightenment and peace would stir up so much angst and hatred from her family, but in her heart she could not see how this hostility could continue for very long. Surely, Oceané thought to herself, they would come to see the sense in my decision making and realise there is nothing to fear. In the meantime, I must persevere and prove to them the true value of the spiritual path. To Oceané, the only way forward was to place an unwavering faith in the faultless guidance she received from Rinpoche by putting into practice the advice and commitments of the Buddhist teachings.

Oceané stopped walking, out of breath after a long climb up the undulating cliff top. She sat on a lone bench perched high above the calm bay below. Looking forward towards the distant skyline of Shambala, she felt invigorated and strengthened by her walk, pausing in silence to take in the panoramic vista that lay before her. Focusing on her breath, she began to still her mind from the constant thoughts and concerns which, earlier in the day she felt would overwhelm her. Taking refuge, she prayed silently before heading back towards the car and to a future far less certain than Oceané could possibly imagine.  Taking one step at a time, she meditated on the breath doing her best to remain present in the moment, making her mind become one with her breath to bring calm into a world that was presenting her with a relentless stream of obstacles she was unprepared to deal with. 

Copyright © Vanessa Anne Walsh 2023

Taking Refuge and Generating Bodhicitta – A Captain’s Logbook Thursday 2 March 2023

Buddhism, Education, Health, Medicine, News, Wisdom
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Taking Refuge and Generating Bodhicitta with Vanessa Anne Walsh

It’s Thursday 2 March, 2023. Summer has flown by and now, as Australia edges into a peaceful Autumn, I sit enjoying a delicious cup of Tibetan tea.

Following in the heroic footsteps of Lord Shakyamuni Buddha, at one time we heard that Lord Buddha would begin the day with some walking and breathing meditation. It’s nearly 5 am, and I have just completed a 1.275km walk, for twenty minutes. That was 83 calories burned and I rejoice in the good conditions I enjoy, walking on a wonderful NordicTrack treadmill.

Round two, and it’s another 1.323kms walked in twenty minutes with 85 calories burned. That feels good.

Generating immeasurable love, immeasurable compassion, immeasurable joy and immeasurable equanimity (3x).

Round three, that’s another twenty minutes, 1.323kms walked, and 85 calories burned. All together that’s nearly twelve rounds of walking and breathing meditation around an oval, but here on a treadmill. Much safer at this time of day, to stay inside and walk where it’s safe.

Now I’m already to prepare a delicious breakfast of two poached eggs on toasted ciabatta bread with butter, baby spinach and feta cheese. Yum!

Copyright © Vanessa Anne Walsh 2023

Why choose Buddhism over Anglicanism?

Buddhism, Culture, Education, ethics, Health, Philosophy, Wisdom

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Offering to support authentic buddhist dharma practice

We hope you like the blog and can offer some support for good buddhist advice and genuine dharma practice.

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Vanessa went to school training as a private school student in Anglicanism, in Melbourne, Australia. Vanessa studied the Bible when she was just young, memorizing verses to read at recital. We received religious instruction and in many ways, Her Royal Highness, Queen Elisabeth is a very good teacher and guide.

Vanessa used to win gold in the recital and when Vanessa was about eight years of age, and the junior private school she attended asked her to read at Saint Pauls Cathedral in Melbourne for the end of year Christmas prayer and blessing. The Head Mistress praised me and said Vanessa did very well.

Vanessa felt very privileged to attend a private Anglican School. Vanessa used to sit quietly at lunch however, aghast at the bitchiness of other students. Vanessa’s father, Graeme, worked in the poorer suburbs of Melbourne to the north, delivering medicine to the newly settled Australian immigrant community. In Toorak, no-one really appreciated how a Brighton boy, who topped his years in medicine at Melbourne University, could suffer or maybe even bear doing that job. What snobs and narrow minded atheists humans can be.

Sadly, as my father worked a seven day week, over the years the stress became too much. In Vanessa’s later years she realised it was because her family, so keen on the worldly viewpoint, and even atheism, never dedicated time for rest and relaxation in a meditative understanding of the Lord or his word.

As a senior school student, Vanessa was to prepare for a career as either a doctor or lawyer. It was just expected of us to achieve those sort of results, having realised our parents worked hard to give us a good start in life. Appearances, however, are deceptive, and many wealthy families that Vanessa knew in the 1980’s, were in the throws of experiencing the demolition of getting blown apart by acrimonious argument and bitter divorce. Vanessa used to wonder what role did God play in all of this? What was the cause of so much unhappiness, suffering, uncertainty and upheaval?

Vanessa thought to herself, pondering and contemplating, should Vanessa commit to the vows of an Anglican, whilst many wealthly families were experiencing so much hatred, anger, unhappiness and failure? Vanessa looked at Lord Jesus, up there on the cross, being crucified, taking on the suffering of others, and subduing the poor and the wretched, and asked, what is wrong with life, with my life, so fragile and uncertain?

Vanessa was taken on a pilgrimage through Sri Lanka when she was thirteen years of age, visiting several big Buddhas and a cutting grown large into a tree, from the original Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya, India. Maybe this left some sort of blessing or impression, because Vanessa thought, God isn’t really answering her questions concerning suffering and it’s cause. Vanessa determined to become a Buddha for the sake of all living beings, to solve life’s biggest questions and work out the path to cessate  the ignorance of a self, which is most surely the cause to all sin, negativity, delusion and non-virtue. Vanessa thought, only by achieving enlightenment, can one really solve, and cessate suffering and its cause. Vanessa thought, I need to tread and traverse the path to the cessation of suffering and purify my delusions and negative karma and to accomplish the perfection of virtue in order to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. That, to transcend suffering, the suffering of suffering, the suffering of change and all pervasive suffering; that, is a meaningful goal and the meaning of life, and that is how I want to work to overcome the misery of the human condition and all six suffering realms.

Contemplative

The saddest reality in my life is I did not know at the age of sixteen how to find a teacher in Buddhism, that is safe, reliable, valid and wise Guru. As I was living in Melbourne, Australia, Queen Elisabeth taught the Melbourne Girls Grammar School students British history, not the history of Asia, and in my early years, I was not fortunate enough to hear of Buddhim or the culture of Tibet. I basically knew nothing of Tibet, or the horrid invasion by the Chinese communists of this peaceful land, that occurred due to corruption in the Buddhist culture.  As horrid as the Chinese communists are and of course how shocking the genocide, we didn’t hear of His Holiness, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet, Tenzin Gyatso, until I endured a long seven and suffering years from the age of 17 to 23 years of age. Such was the non-virtue in the culture and of course due to my poor karma.

Twenty seven years on and many stories later, I have no regrets having made my decision to accomplish Buddhahood and find a safe, reliable and valid qualified and authentic spiritual guide. This guiding and teaching by the power of good example, His Holiness and his retinue do very well. I love Queen Elisabeth also. We are all spiritual practitioners with some good to offer. I oppose sectarianism and wrong view. It would be nice to accomplish a better understanding of what proper religious practice can achieve for oneself and one’s life.

That is what I am here to promote and teach.

Copyright © Vanessa Anne Walsh 2019

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Learning how to master the ten perfections – the small, medium and great scope stages of the path to Buddhahood. That is the meaning of life.

Request for new pillows

Buddhism, Culture, Education, ethics, Happiness, Health, Philosophy, Wisdom

Vanessa has been meditating on the emptiness of a self now and the bodhicitta motivation for over twenty years. For the past twenty years, this meditation has been conducted in silent retreat. Vanessa is in need of some new pillows for her residence. So we are sending out a request to the public for funding. Vanessa always recommends using a firm pillow, to give proper support to the neck, head and back.

Giving to support authentic dharma practice creates great merit. By thinking, may I too overcome the causes to samsara, cyclic existence, may this act of giving and love serve to create the cause for my own release from the miserable cycle of suffering. You can begin by taking refuge and generating bodhicitta, reciting the following prayer three times.

I go for refuge until I’m enlightened to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha

From the virtuous merit I create from the practice of giving and other perfections

May I attain the state of a Buddha for the sake of all sentient beings.

To conquer the three poisonous states of mind of attachment, hatred and the ignorance of a self of persons and of phenomena, you need to train in the three scopes of the path to Buddhahood. Obviously training in the six perfections is best, setting the bodhi mind as the motivation for aspiring to and engaging in the path to Buddhahood. Vanessa works long hours, and does quite a bit of community service. Please support this dharma project by clicking on the PayPal link below.

Request for new pillows

Give kindly and generously to this dharma project. All help is greatly appreciated. Create merit today and support authentic Buddhist dharma practice.

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To complete, dedicate the merit by reciting:

May I quickly become Lord Buddha and lead each and every sentient being to his enlightened realm because of these merits

May the precious bodhi mind not yet born arise and grow

May that born have no decline, but increase for evermore.