Namchak Community Blog

We at Namchak are feeling the anger, grief, and frustration that so many of us are feeling at this time in response to the killings of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor. We are also feeling determined to understand what our individual and collective work is to do—and clarify how we begin to put that work into action....

Do you ever wonder how your practice can help you become more altruistic? Altruism and compassion are even more important during these uncertain times. Altruism at its core is giving selflessly to others with no thought of benefit for yourself. One way to cultivate this habit of mind is through mind training, or Lojong.Lojong is a practice said...

Have you been finding it difficult to get to a state of relaxation where you feel like you can actually meditate? If you need some extra help calming your mind before you practice, check out this short teaching about Tara by Khen Rinpoche. He provides an overview of how Tibetans traditionally prayed to Tara in times of fear and danger. He shares...

As we look forward to our cities and states slowly reopening, we may be asking ourselves: How do we move forward from here with presence and awareness? We asked Lama Tsomo for some advice and have summarized it below. We hope you find it helpful. Personal, community, world integration Our new reality is going to cause us to adjust yet again to a...

Greetings from Missoula, MT friends! We are currently in Phase 1 of reopening our beautiful state. While that may be cause for celebration for some, it is also cause for increased anxiety in others. I think I am somewhere in-between and unsure how to feel about it all. I am using this collection of teachings from Namchak Khen Rinpoche to design...

As the quarantine days continue to pass, I’m finding it more and more difficult to answer the question, “How are you doing?” When I take stock of my life, I have a job, food, shelter, security, health, and people I can at least call. Yet some days are just plain hard, and I struggle to allow myself to say, “I’m having a hard time.” I feel guilt...

This is the third installment of a Q&A series with Lama Tsomo about how to stay grounded during these trying times. Many people are finding themselves in close quarters with others, whether family or roommates. It can be a struggle to stay calm when we aren’t used to being together all the time and everything feels more frustrating. Do you...

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...