Mindrolling – Raghu Markus – Ep. 407 – The Essence of Love & Compassion w/ Mingyur Rinpoche & Krishna Das

Tibetan Master, Mingyur Rinpoche returns with Raghu and Krishna Das to illuminate how we can move from fear and self-hatred to the love and compassion of our innate Buddha Nature.

Born in 1975, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche is a much-loved and accomplished Tibetan Buddhist meditation teacher. From a young age, he was drawn to a life of contemplation. In addition to extensive training in the meditative and philosophical traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, Rinpoche has maintained a lifelong interest in Western science and psychology. Rinpoche currently teaches throughout the world, with centers on four continents. His candid and often humorous accounts of his own personal difficulties have endeared him to Buddhist and non-Buddhist students alike. Learn more about Rinpoche and find his worldwide teaching schedule at tergar.org.

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From Monastery to World // Original Sin vs Buddha Nature

Welcoming back, Tibetan Master, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche to Mindrolling, alongside longtime friend and fellow BHNN podcaster, Krishna Das; Raghu invites Mingyur to catch us up on his life since their last conversation—elucidating the nuances of navigating both the monastery and the world, seamlessly flipping roles from student to teacher. From here, they compare the Western idea of ‘original sin’ versus the Eastern dharma discovery of ‘Buddha Nature,’ focusing on how they relate to “me” and “mine.”

“Remind everybody that we all have wonderful nature. It doesn’t matter who you are, it doesn’t matter what kind of cultural background, spiritual background, female, male, different color—it doesn’t matter. It’s really important to remind ourselves that we have this wonderful nature.” – Mingyur Rinpoche

For more Mingyur Rinpoche with Krishna Das and Raghu Markus, tune into Ep. 289 of Mindrolling

Buddha Nature Blockers (17:00)

Prompted by Raghu, Mingyur outlines five “Buddha Nature Blockers,” or obscurations to realization of Buddha Nature.

1. Putting Self Down: Limited thinking about our capacity, when we actually have full potential.
2. Putting Others Down: Saying others don’t have good nature.
3. Self-Clinging: Narrow-minded, tight “me” thinking.
4. Creating and Exaggerating Stories of Aversion and Clinging
5. Denial of One’s Innate Buddha Nature

“These look like these blocks, but the essence of these blocks is wisdom, it is love and compassion, it is awareness. So, in a way, there’s no obstacle or no block for Buddha Nature.” – Mingyur Rinpoche

Mingyur Rinpoche explores the neuroscience of meditation & joy of the present moment, on Ep. 82 of the BHNN Guest Podcast

Basic Innate Goodness: Love, Compassion, Happiness (30:00)

In sharing personal stories to relay how to overcome strong burning emotions like anger, the conversation turns to our innate basic goodness and how all of our afflictive emotions are just looking to quell suffering and find happiness – so at their root, lays love and compassion.

“Part of that is the basic motivation for other people, loving kindness for other people to be well, to be happy. That compassion arises from that desire.” – Raghu Markus

Mingyur Rinpoche leads guided meditations & thought experiments on open awareness, on Ep. 83 of the BHNN Guest Podcast

Singularity & Self-Clinging // Death & Being Born (54:00)

Asked by Raghu, Mingyur shares his concept of “singularity” in relation to our self-clinging. Expressing how we create a ‘singular’ identity and self-image around all of the connected interdependent processes that make up our thoughts, emotions, and body, Mingyur uncovers our experience as impermanence, emptiness, awareness, compassion, and love beyond concept.

“We are dying everyday. Everyday is new, everyday is changing. Right now, the old one is gone. So actually, we think the real death is the end of the life, but actually, death is the beginning of new life. Death is being born. There’s no such thing as ultimate death.” – Mingyur Rinpoche