Namchak Community Blog

This is the second installment of a Q&A series with Lama Tsomo about how to navigate these trying times. We hope you find it helpful! Many people may float between feeling great hope or great despair. What is your response to both of those states? In Buddhism, we’re told not to fall into hope or fear. With either one, we’re setting ourselves...

As we navigate the new world of COVID-19, most of us are looking for guidance and some tools to gain comfort. Staying informed about the virus is important, but it’s also important that we stay connected to each other and our practices. We’ve been asking Lama Tsomo lots of questions. This article is the first in a series of question-and-answer...

Whenever I am suffering from anything, whether heartbreak, sickness, or stress from the disease, one of my go-to practices is Tonglen— sending and receiving compassion. I find this practice to be of great importance during this time of physical distancing and heightened anxiety. The practice itself supports us in awakening our heart-minds and...

Given the active Coronavirus developments and school closures, along with the many unknowns for the months ahead, we have decided to postpone the Compassion in Action Fellowship until the 2021 - 2022 academic year. We are deeply grateful to all who have applied, nominated, and shared the Fellowship opportunity with others. The response to our new...

I was planning on celebrating my one-year Namchak employment anniversary with my co-workers and Namchak Khen Rinpoche in New York City. I was excited to see people I met at my first retreat a year ago and to connect with new friends. But a microscopic virus threw a giant and alarming wrench in my—and probably most of your—plans. As you may...

Did you know that Tibetan Buddhism has many different deities? The deities represent different aspects or elements that you may try to channel while meditating. Think of them as aspirational figures with capacities that you are growing, like compassion for yourself and those around you. During meditation you can gaze upon the visuals of the...

I hope this message finds you well during these times of uncertainty and rapidly changing conditions. We are sending love and compassion to all those affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19)—in both big and small ways. While monitoring the situation carefully, we ultimately feel that moving all upcoming retreats to livestream only is best for the...

Did you know that Tibetan Buddhism has many different deities? The deities represent different aspects or elements that you are trying to channel while meditating. Think of them as having aspects you’re trying to aspire to, like compassion for yourself and those around you. During meditation you can gaze upon the visuals of the deities to remind...

Each of the Four Immeasurables has a near and far enemy. We’ll be focusing on Loving Kindness in this piece. Think of a far enemy as a complete opposite in this context. The far enemy or complete opposite of Loving Kindness is ill will or hatred towards another being. That’s usually pretty evident and easy to identify, so we won’t spend a lot of...