Q&A with Lama Lena - April 2023

Come and receive teachings and answers to your questions!
This is a Public Teaching

Time 11AM Pacific Daylight Time

More live translations may be announced. If you see a link here that means there will be translation during the teaching. If there is no link that means the translation will be done for the video.

[smilesforeverybodylol]

00:02:30 I often get songs stuck in my head, and I feel that it interferes with my Dzogchen practice and tawa. Any suggestions for how to get it to stop?
00:03:09 What is Trekchö?
00:05:15 Can someone who does not know the dharma experience rigpa and not recognize it?
00:05:53 Often during sleep I go to REM as soon as I lay down, is that something to be concerned about?
00:12:08 Did you already have alot of experience with meditation from other traditions when you found dzogchen and if so what made you stick with dzogchen?
00:14:25 How to go beyond the idea of the “supreme value” of being in contemplation? This idea creates tension and becomes a heavy obstacle.
00:19:52 Dorje Purba questions and how to know you have the right practice
00:27:05 Question about receiving wang
00:34:05: How do I know if Im there yet?
00:37:10 Dealing with long covid
00:41:37 How to choose your own yidam?
00:48:46 Would it be offensive to make a soft plush toy of the Buddha and have it play mantras electronically if it's okay what mantras should should I use?
00:50:02 How can we use our yidam's mantra to protect others from violence and work on the underlying causes of violence and extremism?
00:52:08 How to work with fears that quickly and suddenly manifest in the body such as muscle spasms or trouble breathing? the related question is can you talk about a practice that would help with acute or emergent health concerns alongside the appropriate practical action.
00:55:25 Can experiencing an emotion very strongly lead it to collapse and experience rigpa or gewa?
00:56:55 Choosing the right occupation.
00:59:02 When resting in a natural state my surroundings sometimes appear as a hologram is this a (...). Is Buddhism a religion or philosophy?
01:00:52 Regarding dam tsig, would it be acceptable to record my sadhanas and listen to them when I'm having a fatigue crash?
01:03:09 What are the tantric precepts? What sort of an attitude a tantric practitioner should have?
01:11:36 When I do Vajrakilaya, it works but the effect later is too strong because of heavy anxiety/ depression. Should I do Vajrasattva first to remove negativity and then Vajrakilaya or intertwined.
01:15:45 Once the nature of mind is pointed out, what is it that matures in the practice? If we recognize what doesn’t change, what changes as we keep practicing?
01:16:44 If thoughts feelings and emotions are and aren't how should I engage with something that according to me is unfair but maybe not to others?
01:19:16 I've heard teachers say that semen is the nirmanakaya manifestation of bodhicitta, and therefore you shouldnt ejaculate if you want to become enlightened in this lifetime. Can you say more about this?
01:24:33 Talking about stripping emotions naked and how is that done
01:34:00 Can you say a few words about the teachings and their connection to our extraterrestrial siblings
01:37:20 What to do with things like rejection or loneliness?
01:38:58 How to avoid creating Bad Karma when we are stressed or angry and how do we clean our Karma after a bad day?
(more about emotion here)
01:40:52 What is pay (seed syllable)?
01:43:26 What should I do if I am married to a Catholic person and have frequent problems due to the different points of view, my wife has a hard time knowing we can't get married in the church.
01:44:19 How can I distinguish a state of open awareness from a state without thoughts?
01:45:46 Do you know of teachers in the western tradition who teach non-duality or do such lines exist only in Buddhism and bon?
01:48:45 What to do with saffron water Land Spirit offering?

[garypuckettmuse]

"All thoughts are an extreme". Lama Lena always delivers something so fresh! Stay fresh friends!

[r.ferreira]

1:29:14 working with thoughts and emotions

[panithera]

Great, great advice not to use electric light in the evenings but go to bed early. As a child I clearly perceived that electric light was discomforting and counterproductive.

[BrokenSofa]

Always tune in to the QnAs, but this one felt especially informative. Thank you all :)

[Ndefinitely]

Cpuld you teach us the Opening Dedication Prayers you always do?

[freeterraterracognita]

Lama Lena Rinpoché tchenno 🕉☸️🙏🙏🌻💐🌷🌾🌺❤💚🧡🌎

[dunner]

I'm commenting twice it's so bad. She really cheapened her talk with that divisive and unproven Bolshevik political theory. Whether true or not does not matter. Real decadent.