Have You Had Your Glimpse Today?
April 11th, 2008 categories: Glimpse of the Day
We live in a hectic world at a troubled time. Sometimes it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with situations that seem beyond our control. Often times all we need is a little perspective to regain our equilibrium and I know of a special resource that gives me a glimpse of that much needed perspective on a daily basis.
I have studied Tibetan Buddhism for almost twelve years and one of things I love most about it is the pure logic that the teachings employ. It is a practice that is experiencial rather than to be taken on faith. Whether one is Buddhist or Christian or Muslim or Jewish or any other religion, logic is a common thread that runs through all human beings. Our similarities will always outnumber our differences. Truly, we are all basically the same; we all want to be happy and we all want to avoid suffering. That being the case, the next time you look at someone and recognize how they are different from you, look deeper at how they are the same as you; in fact, look at them as if they were just another ‘you’. Imagine how your empathy for others will grow if you see them as another ‘you’ or even a part of you.
Each day, I get an email with my “Glimpse of the Day” which are daily excerpts from the book entitled “Glimpse After Glimpse; Daily Reflections on Living and Dying” written by Sogyal Rinpoche. Soygal Rinpoche was born in Tibet and educated by some of the greatest Buddhist masters of this century. He travels the world giving a broad range of teachings based on his book “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying”, a book that has influenced my life greatly. Even though I own the book “Glimpse After Glimpse”, I find getting my email reminder so much easier to follow on a daily basis. I suppose my habit of turning to the computer first thing daily is stronger than my habit of reflecting on the nature of my mind. I’ll bet I’m not alone.
Below is a short teaching by Sogyal Rinpoche entitled
The Essence of Buddhism: The entire teaching of the Buddha can be summed up in just three lines.
If you would like to receive your “Glimpse of the Day”, email Glimpse of the Day at glimpse@rigpaus.org and for more information on Sogyal Rinpoche and Tibetan Buddhism, please visit Rigpa.org.
