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by Maeve O’Sullivan
The temperature may have dropped at the start of the weekend, but the sun was shining outside and inside The Red Hall in Lismore, Co. Waterford, as we gathered for two days of teachings with Lama Tsering Paldron of Bodhicharya Portugal on the 17th and 18th October. This wasn’t Tsering’s first visit to Ireland: she has given teachings here before: in Dublin (pre-lockdown), Glendalough (post-lockdown) and Lismore this time last year.
The topic of the teachings was ‘The Four Thoughts that Turn our Minds’. These are contemplations which can help motivate people who would like to find or continue their way into meditation. On Saturday we looked at the first two contemplations: ‘Precious Human Body’ and ‘Impermanence’, and on Sunday we looked at ‘Karma’ and ‘Samsara’. Tsering conveyed her vast expertise, while managing to make it fresh, clear and relatable in her perfectly fluent English. What a gift for us lucky attendees!
A few points struck me that I think are worth repeating:
- Precious Human Body: we are very fortunate to have this, along with other causes and conditions which enable us to be able to study Buddhism. These can include where and when we were born, our level of education, and ease of access to Buddhist teachings. For all of this, she said, we should have much gratitude but we also need to shoulder some responsibility, for instance: how can we set an example and help others?
- Impermanence: All of us are familiar with and will have experienced the more obvious signs of impermanence, for example when we lose a job, a home, a relationship or a loved one. These experiences can give us an opportunity to reflect on the constantly changing nature of our life. Sometimes change can also be positive, however! We also spent some time hearing Tsering’s insights into the more subtle aspects of impermanence, and discussing them: for example how a minuscule moment of pure insight during meditation can progress into a thought, a syllable, a word and then into a scene or story.
- Karma: This is always a tricky topic, but Tsering managed to make it accessible in her own unique way, pointing out that the word karma means action. In the Buddhist context, karma offers hope, because we have the power to change it by acting differently! She explained the part that is played by causes and conditions, likening causes to seeds, and conditions to soil / sun / water.
- Samsara: As human beings, we are often caught in a vicious cycle of perpetual dissatisfaction. We can also experience a range of mental states, including anger, pride and ignorance which can be the cause of suffering. Through meditation practice, these can be recognised and worked on, with the possibility of reducing our unhappiness.
Ani Paldron organised the whole weekend with efficiency and warmth, as always, and she also led meditation sessions in between Tsering’s teachings, along with a short White Tara puja on Sunday morning. The plan is for this valuable weekend retreat to run again in Lismore in late 2027.
