‘All beings have been my mothers – the roots of compassion’.
During the first weekend in August, in the elegant setting of Dhagpo Kagyu Ling’s Institut surrounded by the beautiful wooded hills of the Dordogne area of France, Lama Jampa gave a public teaching entitled ‘All beings have been my mothers – the roots of compassion’. Sixty eight people attended, including monastic sangha from Dhagpo and lay sangha mostly from France and the UK. Over the course of two days, Lama Jampa clarified in detail the importance of understanding that ‘all beings are actually our family’ and how this can lead us to develop a profound loving kindness and compassion for others. Patiently and systematically, he set out the background to this interconnectedness with others: through explaining the logic of rebirth; through examining the fact that the number of beings is limitless and looking at our interconnection with others. He also taught meditation practices to develop this loving kindness and compassion. Many times, Lama Jampa emphasised the importance of developing the view that all beings are our mothers if we wish to develop bodhicitta and thereby enter properly into the Mahayana.
As Lama Jampa said when bringing the teaching to a close,
“I hope this teaching will inspire others to enter the mahayana, or if they have entered the mahayana, to redouble their efforts. It is truly wonderful that we can accomplish the benefit of others and ourselves. Every way there is a wonderful result if we practise the mahayana. This is summed up in a line by Karma Thinley Rinpoche ‘Bodhicitta is eternal joy’.”
Lama Jampa’s next teachings will last for two weeks from Sunday 18 August at the Dechen European Retreat Centre of Sakya Changlochen Ling.