Conciliation and Atonement

Conciliation and Atonement

If there is any way I have harmed myself, either knowingly or unknowingly, through action of body, speech, or mind,
I ask forgiveness.

If there is any way I have suffered harm by reason of anything I have thought, or said, or done,

I forgive myself.

If there is any way I have harmed another, either on purpose or by accident,by reason of anything I have thought, or said, or done,
I ask forgiveness.

If there is any way another has harmed me, either knowingly or unknowingly, through action of body, speech, or mind,
I forgive them.


(source)

a simple prayer

(I'm reading Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche's Living Fully, (p 25), and it has the following prayer in it I wanted to share:)

May I act with pure motivation.
May I part from selfish ways.
May I bring Joy and happiness to others.
May I free them from pain and sorrow.
May I have a big and open heart
That encompasses the whole world.




[end]




He's from the Dzogchen tradition.  I can't find much about him that is not from his website, so don't know much more than reading the book and watching the video.




Here's a video of him:





He reports he sees himself more as a westerner than a Tibetan.  He says, "what we need here is the essence of Tibetan Buddhism."  Which implies that he can take away the cultural aspects of Tibetan Buddhism.


"The essence of the book is to be natural."


The project of building a a western buddhism continues, so fascinating to me.  What is cultural, was is the essence? What are the cultural and devotional expressions that we will develop in American, and in the TBC?