A Lama Marut Video Podcast

There's A Problem Here

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:02:50 -0600

The first step to fixing a problem is recognizing that we have one. Here Lama Marut lovingly but unflinchingly addresses this fact through a treatment of the cause and effect nature of the Four Arya Truths.

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Be a Rebel WITH a Cause

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:20:05 -0600

Many times finding one's personal spiritual path means to move away from certain ways of thinking or being, and that's a good start. But in some cases this tendency can lead to a path which has no clear destination. Here Lama Marut makes it very clear where a spiritual path should be leading us, and though we may think we've heard it before, if we're not there yet, it's good to be reminded, especially by such a generous and wise guide.

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Guru Problems

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 09:13:16 -0600

Perhaps the first cessation in a spiritual life is the cessation of NOT being able to see teachers. So we start with one nominal "Guru"and we TRY hard to see them as perfect. But when we do we will definitely meet with challenges. Not because of their karma but because of our own. This is one of the best functions of the Guru, to help us recognize (re-cognize) our own Divinity by trying to see it in another being, despite any evidence to the contrary. Here Lama Marut gives us some personal advice on what to be on the lookout for.

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Comments On Retreat

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:34:32 -0600

There is so much to say about the vital practice of retreat. But the best advice is sometimes the simple practical advice of an experienced master. Listen to Lama Marut wisely set the tone for the students at this year's Summer Retreat.

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Buddhist Christian Dialogue: Unity in Difference

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 21:00:32 -0600

We will begin occasionally posting material from a wonderful conversation between Lama Marut and Reverend Brian Baker. This is a fantastic dialogue between two great modern masters of relaying ancient wisdom for present day happiness. Stay tuned.

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Lam Rim Intro 12: Meditation on the first steps

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 10:15:54 -0500

Lama Marut takes us through a short meditation on the beginnings of the path to happiness.

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Lam Rim Intro 11: Refuge in Karma and Buddha Nature

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:46:32 -0500

The fear of a consequences of our bad actions and the faith that there is something which can help us, drive us to seek refuge in things. But often we seek our refuge in the wrong things. Here Lama Marut describes two ways of thinking about something you can take refuge in which will not let you down.

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Lam Rim Intro 10: Refuge and the Anti-Whining Law

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 14:16:34 -0500

We love cause and effect as a system when it seems to be working in our favor, but as soon as we experience something negative we sometimes tend to loose our faith in cause and effect. But as Lama Marut says in this talk, there's no need to whine about what you are experiencing. Just put the causes into play to change your order. You can take refuge in the fact that cause and effect is working, and then set about doing what is required to change your life for the better.

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Lam Rim Intro 09: Karma Dissected

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:26:25 -0500

If you want to make things better, you have to understand how and why they are working the way they are. This leads us to the often misunderstood concept of Karma. More than good luck or some kind of spiritual accounting. Karma describes an underlying exchange between how we see the world and how we see ourselves thinking and speaking and acting in the world we see. Here Lama Marut deftly drills down into Karma and gives us a peek.

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Lam Rim Intro 08: Three Problems of the Mind

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 10:27:49 -0500

This episode of our series is a powerful exposition of how our minds are almost always currently wired in exactly the wrong way. Lama Marut brings insight to the way we mess ourselves up, but also, in a very honest and wisely compassionate moment, he explains to one plaintive student that even if his life has been a Karmic disaster up until now, this path is defined by the understanding that there is always a chance to turn things around. All it takes is some joyful effort.

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Lam Rim Intro 07: Watch What You Say

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:06:50 -0500

Nothing goes for naught. Being mindful of the way you speak, and the intention behind it is a vital part of beginning to manage the thoughts which motivate that speech, and the karma which motivates those thoughts. Here Lama Marut is delving deeply into the portion of the Lam Rim which focuses on getting ourselves prepared to move further along the path to awakening.

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Lam Rim Intro 06: Stealing, Lying, and Sex, Oh My.

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 10:06:19 -0500

In this world we are always committing actions which will have consequences. Because these "consequences" become our reality, it is vital then to know which actions we should be careful about and which we should strive to avoid entirely. This is a key part of the steps on the path. Lama Marut likes to call it "What to give up, and what to take up".

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Lam Rim Intro 05: Karma and what no killing means

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 11:43:08 -0500

We live in a broken realm where we have the Karma to constantly be harming others, and that's not good for us because the results of our karma are definite. But we can strive to do less harm. Perhaps we can even perfect that practice. Here Lama Marut will clear up some of the understandings surrounding these issues.

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Lam Rim Intro 04: Death Awareness

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 13:22:32 -0500

As the man said, "Nobody gets out alive". To get really serious about a spiritual life there's no escaping an examination of what happens when the experience of this life is over, and how you are both preparing for that, and making the most of the time you have.

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Lam Rim Intro 03: Leisure and Fortune

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 22:43:29 -0500

Just the fact that you are reading these words, almost guarantees that you are living a life of blessing far beyond what most humans who ever lived could have imagined. Understanding that deeply is the beginning of getting serious about a spiritual life.

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Lam Rim Intro 02: The Teacher, Fast Track to Bliss

Sun, 31 Jul 2011 21:56:04 -0500

How can you learn anything except from a teacher? Your teacher is responsible for everything you now know, or hope to know. But who and where is your teacher? That is a question best left to someone like Lama Marut to explain.

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Lam Rim Intro 01: Mapquest to Bliss

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:48:32 -0500

The Lam Rim is an extremely powerful method for understanding and embodying the teachings of Buddhism. It's an "A-Z" guide to enlightenment. This is the first of a 12 part series which will introduce the major concepts of this amazing teaching.

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Meditation on Challenges of Spiritual Life

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:47:21 -0500

If you've been practicing for any period of time you know that challenges arise. But with the right understanding we see that these are generally not inhibitions to our practice so much as vital objects of our practice itself. Here Lama Marut gives us a wonderful meditation on this experience.

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Find a teacher and hang on tight

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 23:24:52 -0500

The relationship between teacher and student is potentially the most transformative experience of one's life. But that doesn't mean it's going to be easy.

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Reconciling Your Religious Heritage

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 13:21:37 -0500

Even for those facing disillusionment with the spiritual tradition they grew up with, there is still room to look at it in a new light, to find the essential truths which made it valuable enough to be passed down to you in the first place.

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Escaping Death, A true Budhist POV

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 09:21:15 -0500

As ancient teachings such as Buddhism adapt to the modern world some interpretations tend to soften their more radical assertions, such as the elimination of ALL types of suffering. But here Lama Marut argues that to do so misses the true power these teachings have to offer us.

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Why Fit In? Accept What Comes With Bodhichita.

Wed, 25 May 2011 15:43:49 -0500

In this short and to the point podcast from a great Q&A session, Lama Marut uses his wit and wisdom to clarify what is required to really practice Bodhicitta

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Where are good and bad coming from?

Thu, 12 May 2011 21:47:47 -0500

If good and bad were self existent, we'd all see them the same way. But we don't. How is that possible? Here Lama Marut will begin to unravel how that is happening.

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The Highest Form of Love

Sat, 23 Apr 2011 23:29:09 -0500

Lama Marut explains how the many different expressions of love which we we experience are actually rooted in love for the Divine.

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If it's not deep seated it wont last

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 22:06:25 -0500

Good intentions will only get us so far. In the face of repeated challenges, we need a deep understanding of how things are working and why we should be careful about our intentional actions. Here Lama Marut discusses the value and importance of a deep understanding of the Dharma to make it work for us in the real world.

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Virtues 4: Ultimate Devotion

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 02:34:33 -0500

In this final installment of the four part posting on Buddhist Virtues, Lama Marut sums it all up with an explanation of the highest practice of devotion.

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Virtues 3: Remove doubt, Show devotion, Practice perfection

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 11:09:44 -0600

More of Lama Marut's exposition of Buddhist Virtues. This is the third of four parts.

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Virtues 2: Compassion and Right World View

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 10:21:16 -0600

Here Lama Marut continues his very clear and fresh explanation of Buddhist Virtues. This is the second of four parts.

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Virtues 1: Dont harm, Dont lie, Keep pure

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 15:52:32 -0600

Here Lama Marut gives a very clear and fresh explanation of Buddhist Virtues which will we share with you in four parts. This is Part 1.

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Giving up the wacky self to discover a Divine self Part 2

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 15:17:17 -0600

One of the most primary sources of our discontent is our flawed sense of self. But what if we could redefine that sense closer to perfection? Lama Marut discusses rediscovering the divine within ourselves in the second half of a two part podcast.

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Giving up the wacky self to discover a Divine self Part 1

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 22:15:36 -0600

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Where is YOUR Lama?

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 11:00:45 -0600

The beginning of the path is finding a teacher. But who IS your teacher. WHERE is your teacher? Here Lama Marut gives us a lesson in one way to find our teacher, by looking at the people closest to us.

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Who REALLY Makes You Unhappy?

Sun, 02 Jan 2011 02:18:00 -0600

If we analyze the true source of our unhappiness we will find that the point of origin is much closer than we tend to suspect. Which is good news, because with wisdom we can actually do something about it.

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The Most Sacred Truth

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 03:41:55 -0600

In characteristic style, Lama Marut distills the complexity and mystery of life down to one simple truth. At once so simple, yet at the same time not so easy.

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Here are the Rules Pt 2

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 20:35:12 -0600

In Part two of this three part podcast Lama Marut takes us deeper into the "simple" rules for living a good life. Simple, but not necessarily easy. Thankfully we have an excellent teacher to guide us through.

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Here are the Rules Pt 1

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 14:58:46 -0600

In the first of a three part podcast trifecta, Lama Marut goes over the rules to live by if you want a happy life.

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A Thanksgiving Meditation

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 23:11:05 -0600

In this very special extended podcast Lama Marut takes us through a beautiful meditation on giving thanks. Great for ANY season.

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The Graceful Teacher

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 17:01:54 -0500

Lama Marut often says that your teacher is "The cypher to the sacred, for you". Here he beautifully explains why that is so. And why it is so important.

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Working Towards Larger Goals

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 08:23:49 -0500

It's not that we don't know how to work hard. Mostly though the things we are working towards will not bring us lasting happiness. Here Lama Marut tells us how to realign our daily efforts with a larger goal in mind.

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Dealing With Demons

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 09:13:27 -0500

Often misunderstood, Lama Marut here explains the parts of ourselves which persistently keep us from being happy.

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Why Be Good?

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 09:11:44 -0500

It's a good question. What is the basis for maintaining your morality? Lama Marut discusses the very reasons why it is in your self interest to do so.

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The Bodhicitta Juggernaut

Tue, 28 Sep 2010 16:58:05 -0500

Lama Marut explains how "Bodhicitta" can be used to create nearly unstoppable spiritual momentum.

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The Snowball Effect of Happiness

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 02:42:39 -0500

Lama Marut discusses the way our actions create a momentum based on our choices. If we choose wisely, our spiritual momentum can lead us towards happiness.

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True Happiness

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:33:49 -0500

We seek happiness but all too often we seek it in exactly the wrong places. Here Lama Marut discusses the true nature of lasting happiness.

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Ultimate Reality, Part 2

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:17:28 -0500

We are deceived by reality because we think it exists in ways that it simply cannot exist. In part two of this teaching Lama Marut explains how this keeps us suffering, and how to break out of this incorrect way of looking at our reality.

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Ultimate Reality, Part 1

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 17:09:36 -0500

We are deceived by reality because we think it exists in ways that it simply cannot exist. In part one of this teaching Lama Marut explains how this keeps us suffering, and how to break out of this incorrect way of looking at our reality.

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Don't wait to get started

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:21:51 -0500

Sometimes we are too occupied with the busy-ness of our life to think about the meaning of our life. In this podcast Lama Marut challenges us to escape the mindless parts of our life that are keeping us unhappy

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Constituting the Guru

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 23:49:16 -0500

Here Lama Marut explains where the guru in your life will actually come from, and what it will take to begin to see them.

This videocast is taken from a retreat teaching given in Lake Tahoe in 2008.

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Making Your Life Miraculous

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:57:24 -0500

Lama Marut explains how and why to try to see the miraculous in your daily life.

This videocast is taken from a retreat teaching given in Lake Tahoe in 2008.

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Be a Rebel, Be a Yogi

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 23:06:52 -0500

Lama Marut explains how the practice of real yoga is counter-culture and goes against the grain of ignorance, selfishness and unhappiness.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given Mahasukha Los Angeles, in April 2010.

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Don’t Waste Your Suffering

Mon, 17 May 2010 22:52:43 -0500

Lama Marut describes how recognizing your own suffering is essential for generating compassion for other people’s suffering.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given in Reno, January 2009.

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Relax into Reality

Thu, 06 May 2010 11:38:42 -0500

Lama Marut brings to light how accepting change relieves you of the unrealistic expectations of life and exercises your only option for happiness.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given Mahasukha Los Angeles, in April 2010.

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Religion: Armed and Dangerous

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 00:05:32 -0500

Lama Marut explains how the best way to live a peaceful life is to make your spirituality armed and dangerous to your unhappiness.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given in Lake Tahoe, 2008.

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Overcome jealousy and envy

Sat, 20 Mar 2010 19:39:13 -0500

Lama Marut relates how feeling joy for other people’s happiness and compassion for their unhappiness transforms envious and jealous tendencies.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given in Lake Tahoe, 2009.

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Acts of Compassion

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:27:03 -0600

Lama Marut lists several simple ways you can act with compassion towards others such as not repaying criticisms and happily living a spiritual practice for the benefit of all.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given in Los Angeles, 2007.

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Advice On How To Die Well

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 17:40:31 -0600

Lama Marut reveals how to prepare yourself and others for death with compassion, forgiveness and generosity.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given in Essex, Massachusetts February 2009.

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Noblesse Oblige: The Cause of The Good Life

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:15:24 -0600

Lama Marut explains how those of us who believe we're leading a good life must help others because our past generosity is the exact cause of the life we enjoy today.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given in Essex, Massachusetts February 2009.

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Equalizing Self and Others

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 18:36:31 -0600

Lama Marut teaches one of the great classics of the “lojong” tradition, instructions on how to “develop the good heart.” Breaking down our selfishness begins with the recognition that everyone’s claim to happiness is equal, and yours is not somehow privileged.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given in Essex, Massachusetts February 2009.

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Overcoming Obstacles to Happiness

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:30:54 -0600

We need to work hard for our spiritual goals but we are hindered by our laziness – in the form either of indolence or excessive business – our attraction to bad things, and our low self esteem.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given in Los Angeles, November 26, 2007.

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Changing the Past

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:08:48 -0600

The only past that exists is a part of our present mind, and that can certainly be changed. To live a happier present, we must change our idea of the past by practicing the virtue of forgiveness.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given in June, 2009, at the Three Jewels in Tucson, Arizona.

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Compassion for Those Who Harm

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:58:47 -0600

Lama Marut here explains why the proper, human response to people who hurt you is not anger or the desire for vengeance but rather compassion.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given in June 2009 at the Three Jewels in Tucson, Arizona.

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Practicing Forgiveness and Patience

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:21:21 -0600

In order to achieve perfect patience – the opposite of anger -- and forgiveness, we have to practice these virtues in little ways all day long. And since praise and fame can be major distractions, could we say that those who defame us are really protecting us?

This videocast is taken from a teaching given in June, 2009, at the Three Jewels in Tucson, Arizona.

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How Happy Are You?

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:39:30 -0500

Your relative happiness is the real gauge of spiritual progress. The first steps to perfect happiness are to recognize the unhappiness we presently live with and have become inured to. And when we begin to see the results of even a little practice, we get some faith and are willing to work hard for our spiritual goals.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given in February 2009, in Vancouver Canada.

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Contentment is Being Happy, Here and Now

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 22:51:45 -0500

For most of us most of the time, things are actually alright. So why aren’t we content with the present? Instead, we are spending an inordinate amount of time worrying about the imaginary future or cultivating resentment about a past which is done and over.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given in February 2009, at Woodman's in Massachusetts.

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The Happiness Revolution

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:59:31 -0500

Which part of you doesn’t want to be happy? Lama Marut here reviews the forces – internal and external – that are keeping us from true happiness.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given in June, 2009, at the Three Jewels in Tucson, Arizona.

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Ignorance: Public Enemy #1

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 23:28:49 -0500

Ignorance is the root of all our mental afflictions, leading us to believe that other people can make us either unhappy or happy. Lama Marut here encourages us to take back the power over our own happiness and to realize that it is never in our real self-interest to be anything other than happy.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given in Cape Ann, Massachusetts in n August of 2008.

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Learning to be a Spiritual Warrior

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:45:12 -0500

Lama Marut here discusses several of the qualities of a spiritual warrior – learning to live an ethical life so as to change your conception of the kind of person you are, and developing patience in the face of provocation.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given at the Mahasukha Center in Los Angeles in December of 2008.

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Meditation and Wisdom

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:34:51 -0500

Learning how to meditate and developing wisdom about how the world is really working are, according to the Buddhist texts, altruistic and compassionate activities. If you want to change the world you have to understand that the only way to do it is to change yourself into a more selfless person.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given at the Mahasukha Center in Los Angeles in December of 2008.

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Relax into the Insecurity

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 01:36:19 -0500

Real renunciation means giving up suffering and its causes. We can start by not continually putting our eggs in the wrong baskets and, realizing there is no certainty in secular things, relaxing about change itself.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given at The Waldorf School, Los Angeles, in December of 2007.

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Wake Up and Turn it Off

Tue, 26 May 2009 15:45:37 -0500

Lama Marut here urges us to stop being diverted (through watching television, for example, over four hours a day on average) and remember our real purpose and mission.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given at the annual Windhover retreat in Rockport, Massachusetts, in August of 2008.

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What Goes Around, Comes Around

Mon, 18 May 2009 10:36:14 -0500

Why do things happen the way they do to us? Lama Marut here goes through specific correlations between karmic cause and effect and the general principles behind them, and then urges us to learn to take responsibility for everything that occurs in our lives.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given The Waldorf School, Los Angeles, in December of 2007.

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The Chain of Pain

Tue, 12 May 2009 01:31:21 -0500

Lama Marut reviews the cause and effect “chain of pain.” It starts with the ignorant seeds we carry into this life from previous lives which then ripen and forces us to think of things ignorantly and react to them ignorantly – which causes us to create the causes for more suffering. We break the cycle through cultivating wisdom about where likeable and dislikeable things in our lives really come from.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given at the Mahasukha Center in Los Angeles in December 2008.

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Learn to Float

Sun, 03 May 2009 21:56:03 -0500

Lama Marut here advises us to “relax into the insecurity” of life. Everything is changing and impermanent, and a little bit of wisdom about this goes a long way in aid of a happier life.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given at the annual Windhover retreat in Rockport, Massachusetts, in August of 2007.

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Working Hard for True Happiness

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:10:04 -0500

Lama Marut here advises us to work at least as hard for our spiritual goals as we do for our professional advancement, money, or relationships. He reviews the three obstacles that stand in our way: laziness, attraction to bad things, and low self-esteem.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given in Los Angeles in November of 2007.

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Karmic Correlations

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:16:09 -0500

Lama Marut here reviews the various kinds of karmic consequences of our actions, providing specific correlations between causes and effects.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given at The Waldorf School, Los Angeles, in December of 2007.

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CD’s and the 1st Arya Truth

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 22:08:16 -0500

The Buddha’s very first teaching is that life is suffering. When we are in the midst of a disaster, we know this. But it’s in between disasters that we have to remember that every good thing we obtain – ranging from our new CD or pair of shoes to our youth and health and every relationship -- we will lose. Truth happiness has to be found within, not in the ever-changing things outside of ourselves.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given at the annual Windhover retreat in Rockport, Massachusetts, in August of 2008.

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The Truth is Paradoxical

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 03:17:59 -0500

A religious practitioner must have a high degree of tolerance for cognitive dissonance, for the truth often seems to us (ignorant ones) as paradoxical.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given in Los Angeles, in November 2007.

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Working Hard (Happily) for Your Spiritual Goals

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 22:21:40 -0500

One of the biggest obstacles to a spiritual life is laziness. Lama Marut here relays advice on how to overcome the inertia that keeps us from working hard, and with “joyful effort,” for our spiritual goals.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given at the Mahasukha Center in Los Angeles, December of 2008.

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Eliminating An Irritating Person

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:49:00 -0500

Lama Marut reviews the three steps of breaking the cycle of responding with irritation to an irritating person.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given in Rockport, Massachusetts, in August of 2008.

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A Daily Practice

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:14:57 -0500

What are the components of a good daily practice? Lama Marut reviews the basics, including meditation every morning, checking your morality all day long, doing something for others, and daily study of a sacred text.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given at the annual Windhover retreat in Rockport, Massachusetts, August of 2008.

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Re-Identity Yourself

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 22:04:50 -0500

A very important spiritual practice is to simply re-identify ourselves – as a kind, compassionate, happy person instead of a suffering schmuck. Additionally, when we encounter others we have a choice between two unconfirmable assumptions. The other person can be interpreted as ordinary or an extraordinary being trying to help you. Since we can’t confirm either choice, which one would be more useful?

This videocast is taken from a teaching given at the annual Windhover retreat in Rockport, Massachusetts, August of 2007.

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Three Problems of the Starbuck Cup

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 22:34:50 -0600

Lama Marut talks about how to be a good student by avoiding three typical problems: thinking you have nothing to learn, improper motivation, and having the teaching go in one ear and out the other.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given at the annual Windhover retreat in Rockport, Massachusetts, August of 2008.

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Practicing for Showtime

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:20:55 -0600

All our life is practice for death. At death we will lose everything, so practicing for it is a matter of detaching from the things and people we can’t keep.

This videocast is taken from from the annual Windhover retreat in Rockport, Massachusetts, in August of 2007.

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Learning to Be a Spiritual Warrior

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:23:44 -0600

Stop playing footsies with samsara! Practice the bodhisattva’s way of life instead. Be a “saint in training” and train yourself in the perfection of giving -- especially in the form of the gift of love, protection from fear, and the gift of the dharma – and learn to live rationally instead of instinctually

This videocast is taken from a teaching given at the Mahasukha Center in Los Angeles in December of 2008.

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Creator Gods in the Making

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 10:59:15 -0600

Because all things, without exception, are empty of self-nature, the world around us exists only as a projection. In this videocast, Lama Marut proves that things can’t exist “out there” at all. Because things are coming from us and not at us, we must be very careful about our karma, for it is karma that forces us to project the world we do.

This videocast is taken from the annual Windhover retreat in Rockport, Massachusetts, in August of 2008.

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Happiness is Freedom

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 23:05:39 -0600

We are enchained by our things, our possessions, our plans. Freedom comes from living happily in the present and letting go of the attachments that are causing us to suffer – especially our present sense of who we think we are.

This videocast is taken from the annual Windhover retreat in Rockport, Massachusetts, in August of 2007.

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Slouching Towards Happiness

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 20:51:38 -0600

When religions talk about the need for "renunciation," what's meant is
renouncing pain and suffering. Religion should be fun, and should lead to the "funnest." Lama Marut here argues that good spiritual practitioners "slouching toward happiness." And higher levels of happiness require lower ones, beginning with contentment.

This videocast is taken from the annual Windhover retreat in Rockport, Massachusetts, in August of 2008.

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Filtering the World Through Our Subjective Apparatus

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:13:26 -0600

The appearance of things as if they existed apart from our perception of them is an illusion. Wisdom begins with honesty. We must admit that we are not and cannot be objective. Everything is filtered through our subjective perceptual apparatus, which in turn functions as it does because of our karma. By learning to treat others better, we change ourselves and therefore the world (as it exists for us) will also change.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given at the Mahasukha Center, Los Angeles, in December of 2008.

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Abortion, Euthanasia, and the Impossibility of Living Without Killing

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:54:22 -0600

While the Buddhist text state that both abortion and euthanasia involve negative karma, the intention is critical. If one truly believes that a foetus is not a living being, for example, the karma of abortion is less serious than otherwise. Lama Marut here addresses some of the more difficult moral dilemmas of the modern age.

This videocast is taken from the annual Windhover retreat in Rockport, Massachusetts, in August of 2008.

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

The Specialists in Happiness

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 02:01:34 -0600

The authentic, time-tested spiritual traditions are the only real specialists in happiness. If you’re not getting happier practicing your spiritual life, you’re not doing it right.

This videocast is taken from the annual Windhover retreat in Rockport, Massachusetts, in August of 2008.

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

The Road to Bliss

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:07:59 -0600

Consumer capitalism will not bring the happiness we are seeking in it. It is only the spiritual traditions that are teaching the true road to bliss: learning to live a life of compassion and altruism toward others. But in order to get to the goal, we must travel to the path step by step.

This videocast is taken from classes taught in Rockport, Massachusetts, in the summer of 2008 as part of an annual retreat at the Windhover Center for the Performing Arts.

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Be Happy, Be Grateful

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:32:27 -0600

Lama Marut advises us here to cultivate gratitude in order to live a happier life. If we just pay attention a bit, we’ll see how much others are doing for us all the time. And feeling grateful is a very potent method for combating low self-esteem.

This videocast is taken from classes taught in Rockport, Massachusetts, in January, 2008.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

To subscribe to Lama Marut’s audio podcasts please go to: http://aci-la.org/mg-podcasts.html

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Eliminating an Irritating Person

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:20:24 -0600

We can get rid of the irritating people in our lives. In this videocast, Lama Marut goes through the three steps for doing so: run away, just take it without retaliation, and finally, feel nothing but love and feel compassion for the (formally) irritating person.

This videocast is taken from classes taught in Rockport, Massachusetts, in January, 2008.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Your Real Enemies

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 21:24:52 -0500

Your real enemies are not external. They are the “mental afflictions,” and disturbing your peace of mind is their very nature. In this videocast Lama Marut talks about the top three mental afflictions – ignorance, ignorant liking, and ignorant disliking.

This videocast is taken from classes taught in Rockport, Massachusetts, in the summer of 2008 as part of an annual retreat at the Windhover Center for the Performing Arts.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

To subscribe to Lama Marut’s audio podcasts please go to: http://aci-la.org/mg-podcasts.html

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

“The Big ‘False Causality’”

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:47:51 -0500

While we embrace causality as the explanation for why things happen, the causality we believe in is false. The principal way we mistake false causality for the true causes of things is thinking that the way we achieve our own happiness is worrying about ourselves instead of turning attention to the needs of others.

This videocast is taken from classes taught in Rockport, Massachusetts, in the summer of 2007 as part of an annual retreat at the Windhover Center for the Performing Arts.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Things Exist Only When They Are Known

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:27:25 -0500

The great Buddhist philosophy Arya Nagarjuna proved that things aren’t “out there” waiting to be discovered. Things exist when they are known – and not until. And, conversely, we don’t exist until and unless we interact with the world. Subjects and objects exist only interdependently, which is one thing that’s meant by saying that things are “empty.”

This videocast is taken from classes taught in Los Angeles in the spring of 2008.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

The Emptiness of the Cup, Part Two

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:33:31 -0500

Objects in the world have to be projections of wholes on the basis of parts. But that process of projection can’t exist the way it seems to either – we would never finish projecting even one cup. Projections themselves are projections! Wisdom starts with the sense that “something’s fishy here,” for ignorance depends on a false sense of certainty that things exist the way they seem.

This videocast is taken from classes taught in Los Angeles in the spring of 2008.

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

The Emptiness of the Cup, Part One

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 09:04:26 -0500

The world can be divided into subjects, objects, and the relationship between them. None of them has any self-existence; they are all empty. If objects like a cup existed the way they seemed to, they would be “out there,” on their own, with some kind of self-nature. If the cups existed like this, it would have to be singular or plural, one or many. If it were one thing, how could we see parts in the cup? And if it were many things, how could it be one cup? The cup actually can’t be “out there” at all!

This videocast is taken from classes taught in Los Angeles in the spring of 2008.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Overcoming the Blockage of Pride

Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:50:22 -0500

One of the most powerful motivations to overcome our pride and take ourselves to a spiritual teacher is when we have a personal disaster, when it becomes clear that life is indeed suffering and that we actually need help. There is no refuge or protection from the realities of life other than a spiritual life, and this usually becomes clear only when the rug is pulled out from underneath us.

This videocast is taken from a Diamond Mountain University course taught in Tucson, Arizona, in the spring of 2008.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Waking Up To Reality

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:45:55 -0500

Most modern people aren’t actually interested in what is real; we’re too busy with our entertainment and games. We’re addicted to our own unhappiness and ignorance and resist the very things that would overthrow them. To counter these tendencies we must train our minds and use our reasoning. If we do so, we will realize that everything is changeable and real happiness is potentially in our grasp.

This videocast is taken from classes taught in Los Angeles in the spring of 2008.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Recognizing Suffering in Order to Be Happy

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:16:35 -0500

Our experience of the world is only an interpretation, but why do I interpret the world the way I do? Interpretations are forced upon us by karma, by how we’ve treated others in the past, and because we have been selfish instead of compassionate we continue to suffer. Recognizing the suffering in our own lives is the precondition for compassion for others, but generally we are ignoring the truth of suffering and therefore can’t even begin a serious quest for the alternative.

This videocast is taken from classes taught in Los Angeles in the spring of 2008.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Is There Anything Good About Suffering?

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:02:34 -0500

Are there any advantages to suffering? All experiences – bad and good – that have happened to us in the past were necessary to makes us the people we are now. We can begin to have a healthier attitude toward past and present suffering by cultivating acceptance, patience, and compassion for others.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given at the Bodhi Tree Bookstore, Los Angeles, in December of 2007.

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Resuscitating the God We Have Killed

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 13:50:34 -0500

We are living in a radically secular time and place, where nothing is special. Within a world where nothing is sacred, we must rediscover the possibility of the miraculous, especially in the form of our teachers. But we can only see what we have the goodness to see. A spiritual practice includes creating the karma that allows us to see that the sacred is potentially all around us all the time.

This videocast is taken from a Diamond Mountain University course taught in Tucson, Arizona, in the spring of 2008.

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Pride in Intelligence

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:40:26 -0500

While our intellect is a great gift, we must be careful to avoid pride in our intelligence which, like our money or good looks, we will inevitably lose sooner or later. Pride blocks us from learning in general, and in our spiritual life it is one of the worst of the mental afflictions and prevents us from making any progress.

This videocast is taken from a Diamond Mountain University course taught in Tucson, Arizona, in the spring of 2008.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Freedom from Karma

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:24:26 -0500

Can we ever be freed from karma? In Eastern texts, “freedom” often means freedom from the illusion of a concrete entity we call “ourselves.” Karma is stored in our present conceptualisation of ourselves. If we could learn how to change our understanding of ourselves, we could completely change our whole karmic record. But we have to create the karma to have the possibility to totally recreate our karma!

This videocast is taken from a course taught for Diamond Mountain University in Tucson, Arizona, in the fall of 2007.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

To subscribe to Lama Marut’s audio podcasts please go to: http://aci-la.org/mg-podcasts.html

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Disturbing Your Worldview

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:33:50 -0500

Does cigarette smoking cause lung cancer? Does exercise bring health and longevity? Does medicine cure disease? In this videocast, Lama Marut points out that a cause is something that brings about its effect all the time, for everyone. The real causes of things are karmic – how we have treated others in the past.

This videocast is taken from a series of teachings given at Rockport, Massachusetts, in August, 2007.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

What if God was One of Us

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:33:36 -0500

There are enlightened beings all around us, trying to help us. But the way they help us is to teach us how to help ourselves. And so one of the most obvious manifestations of the divine in our lives is in the form of our teachers who are doing the work of the Buddhas. The enlightened ones can also come as our husband or wife, boyfriend or girlfriend, or our children. Do we really know who the people close to us really are?

This videocast is taken from a series of teachings given at Rockport, Massachussets, in January, 2008.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

To subscribe to Lama Marut’s audio podcasts please go to: http://aci-la.org/mg-podcasts.html

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Committing Karmic Suicide

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 23:30:34 -0500

When we don’t have enough karma to get what we want without depriving others, we should commit “karmic suicide.” Instead of pushing the karmic envelope, let it ride; let others go first or have what you wanted. Sacrificing what you want creates the karma to have an abundance of it in the future.

This videocast is taken from a course taught for Diamond Mountain University in Tucson, Arizona, in the fall of 2007.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

To subscribe to Lama Marut’s audio podcasts please go to: http://aci-la.org/mg-podcasts.html

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Being in the World But Not of It

Sun, 08 Jun 2008 14:33:23 -0500

The Bhagavad Gita teaches us how to act properly in a messy, imperfect world. First and foremost, we must understand the real principles of causality – which is one element of what the Gita calls “karma yoga.” Everything is in the nexus of causality and change. There are no “things” in the world. Everything is just movement or process; everything is coming from karma.

This videocast is taken from a course taught for Diamond Mountain University in Tucson, Arizona, in the fall of 2007.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

To subscribe to Lama Marut’s audio podcasts please go to: http://aci-la.org/mg-podcasts.html

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Selfless Action

Mon, 26 May 2008 00:59:10 -0500

Karma yoga in the Bhagavad Gita means, among other things, “selfless action” – learning how to act in the world without creating negative karmic consequences or repercussions. How do we do this? Primarily through selfless action – compassion action in the service of others. Taking the self-interest out of action defuses negative karmic fruits.

This videocast is taken from a course taught for Diamond Mountain University in Tucson, Arizona, in the fall of 2007.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

To subscribe to Lama Marut’s audio podcasts please go to: http://aci-la.org/mg-podcasts.html

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Enlightened Self-Interest

Sun, 18 May 2008 01:09:32 -0500

Doing something for others – preferably anonymously – everyday is one of the secrets of happiness. Helping others is actually the best thing we can do for ourselves. Altruistic behavioir is the cause of our own happiness and is therefore in our “enlightened” self-interest.

This videocast is taken from a series of teachings given at Rockport, Massachusetts, in January, 2007.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

To subscribe to Lama Marut’s audio podcasts please go to: http://aci-la.org/mg-podcasts.html

Visit Lama Marut's Blog at: http://www.lamamarut.org

For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Smackdown With Anger

Sun, 11 May 2008 00:20:19 -0500

It is possible to eradicate anger entirely. But it’s not easy. We need to have a “smackdown with anger” to overcome it. Lama Marut here tells us how to do this in three steps: 1) at first, you’ll need to just “run away,” that is, get yourself out of the situation if you can’t restrain yourself from retaliating; 2) when you get stronger and are ready, when the provocation starts you just take it without responding to anger with anger; 3) after practicing for a long time, instead of getting angry when someone is angry with you, you love them and feel compassion towards them.

This videocast is taken from a public talk given at the Bodhi Tree Bookstore in Los Angeles in December of 2007.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

To subscribe to Lama Marut’s audio podcasts please go to: http://aci-la.org/mg-podcasts.html

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

The Ten Commandments of Karma Yoga

Sun, 04 May 2008 18:30:37 -0500

At the very foundation of what the Bhagavad Gita calls “karma yoga” is understanding the grossest level of karmic management: don’t kill, don’t steal, don’t commit adultery, etc. We must become masters of morality; we can’t practice more advanced forms of a spiritual life until we are firmly grounded in the basics. We must “yogify our karma”: restrain ourselves from hurting other beings and cleanse the bad karma we have already committed.

This videocast is taken from a course taught for Diamond Mountain University in Tucson, Arizona, in the fall of 2007.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

To subscribe to Lama Marut’s audio podcasts please go to: http://aci-la.org/mg-podcasts.html

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Our Infinite Potential

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 22:33:18 -0500

Because things are “empty” of self-nature, both the perception of ourselves and that of the world around us are infinitely perfectible. Our sense of ourselves (that little inner voice we are forced to listen to) and of the world around us are both filtered through our subjectivity. What’s crucial is to learn what causes us to interpret our reality the way we do so that we can change it for the better.

This videocast is taken from a series of teachings given at Rockport, Massachusetts, in January, 2007.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

To subscribe to Lama Marut’s audio podcasts please go to: http://aci-la.org/mg-podcasts.html

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Finding Your Teacher

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:13:13 -0500

What qualities should you look for in a spiritual teacher? Lama Marut reviews the list: You should have a strong attraction to them and they should be happy (since that’s what you want them to teach you!). They should be ethical, good at meditation, and intellectually know the nature of reality. Their spiritual qualities should exceed yours, they should be happily working hard to teach you, and they should know the spiritual texts that they are teaching. They should have a deep realization of ultimate reality, be a master instructor, teach because they love you, and not get discouraged and give up on you.

This videocast is taken from a Diamond Mountain University course on the Bhagavad Gita taught in Tucson, Arizona, in the winter of 2008.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

To subscribe to Lama Marut’s audio podcasts please go to: http://aci-la.org/mg-podcasts.html

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

What Forgiving Is and Isn’t

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 21:56:41 -0500

We cannot be happy while carrying grudges and resentments about what others have done to us in the past. We must forgive them – unilaterally and pre-emptively. In order to do this, we have to understand what forgiveness is and isn’t. It isn’t just forgetting, it isn’t about whether the offender deserves it or has apologized, it isn’t an act of weakness or capitulation, and it isn’t for their sake. Forgiveness is for us; it is in our own self-interest, for without it we’ll never be happy.

This videocast is taken from a public talk given at the Bodhi Tree Bookstore in Los Angeles in December of 2007.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

To subscribe to Lama Marut’s audio podcasts please go to: http://aci-la.org/mg-podcasts.html

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Reaching Ecstasy

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 01:53:55 -0500

Many people in the Western world seem to have forgotten that true goal of every spiritual tradition is the highest happiness – bliss or ecstasy. Every authentic spiritual path leads to this goal, and on the way to that goal the practitioner should be getting happier and happier. Non-spiritual paths like consumer capitalism do not bring happiness, and the proof of that is that we all got everything the materialistic worldview promised. Instead of happiness, our prosperity just brought more depression.

This videocast is taken from a series of teachings given at Rockport, Massachusetts, in January of 2008.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

To subscribe to Lama Marut’s audio podcasts please go to: http://aci-la.org/mg-podcasts.html

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Is It a Pen or a Chew Toy?

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:51:17 -0500

Reality can be divided into how things appear and how things really are. Things exist “deceptively” in that they appear differently from how they really are. It seems that things are “out there,” independently and objectively. But actually they are “empty.” Things do exist, but only as projections coming from us due to how we’ve treated others in the past. Humans see a cylinder as pen while a dog might see it as a chew toy due to different karma. Because things are ultimately empty of self-nature, everything is perfectible.

This videocast is taken from a course taught for Diamond Mountain University in Tucson, Arizona, in the fall of 2007.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

To subscribe to Lama Marut’s audio podcasts please go to: http://aci-la.org/mg-podcasts.html

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

What is the Real ‘Secret’?

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 07:26:06 -0500

The real secret to obtaining true happiness is not just wanting it. We have to create the causes for it. Being happy is not a trivial goal. It is the precondition to being able to be compassionate toward others. And the only way to be happy is to worry about someone else’s happiness, and not obsess all the time about our own selfish desires.

This videocast is taken from a public talk at the Bodhi Tree Bookstore in Los Angeles in December of 2007.

Write to us at: podcast@aci-la.org

To subscribe to Lama Marut’s audio podcasts please go to: http://aci-la.org/mg-podcasts.html

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For complete audio teachings, please go to: http://www.aci-la.org

Taking Advantage of Your Miraculous Life

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 05:24:06 -0600

We are living miraculous lives, but what are we doing with them? We are mostly taking them for granted instead of taking full advantage of our amazing opportunity. We have are living the lives that millions of traditional practitioners have prayed for, and should not just sleep walk through it.

This videocast is taken from a series of teachings given at Rockport, Massachusetts, in January, 2007.

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To subscribe to Lama Marut’s audio podcasts please go to: http://aci-la.org/mg-podcasts.html

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Mon, 31 Dec 2007 21:48:45 -0600

The Bhagavad Gita is linked to the early texts of the Indian Mahayana Buddhist traditions by its emphasis on the three “yogas” of devotion, compassionate action, wisdom, and devotion or bhakti. In Buddhism, the pan-Indian devotional movement found expression not only in the notion also found in Hinduism that the divine is imminent, familiar, and appears all around us, but also in the figure of the bodhisattva whose compassion for other beings is so overwhelming that he or she would do practically anything to get enlightened in order to help them. “Karma yoga” in the Gita means selfless action, action done without regard to “what’s in it for me,” reverberating with the Buddhist emphasis on compassion and loving-kindness. And the “yoga of wisdom” teaches us that there is a reality beyond that of mere appearances, a concept found in many, if not all, of the world’s religions.

For Lama Marut’s audio podcasts please go to:
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For other teachings, please go to:
http://www.aci-la.org

and

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The Three Spiritual Practices

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 20:10:43 -0600

In the Bhagavad Gita, one of the classic texts in the history of religions, Lord Krishna teaches us three different but interrelated spiritual practices: the discipline of one’s actions (karma yoga), of wisdom (jnyana yoga), and of devotion (bhakti yoga). In this brief introduction to the text, Lama Marut reviews what each of these “yogas” entail and how we can begin to develop them in our own lives.

This videocast is taken from a Diamond Mountain University course on the Bhagavad Gita taught in Tucson, Arizona, in the fall of 2007.

For Lama Marut’s audio podcasts please go to:

http://aci-la.org/mg-podcasts.html

For other teachings, please go to:

http://www.aci-la.org

and

http://www.lamamarut.org

Obstacles to Working Hard for Happiness

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 02:04:19 -0600

Why aren’t we doing the things in life we know are the most important? What’s preventing us from developing the “joyful effort” we need to progress in our spiritual lives? The main obstacle to working hard, happily, for real and lasting happiness is laziness. Laziness can mean “just not feeling like it” – always procrastinating and putting off what we know we should do. But laziness can also involve keeping so busy with unimportant things that we don’t have the time and energy to dedicate to our spiritual lives. We must learn to “get unbusy” with things that don’t really matter in order to joyfully work hard for the things that do.

This videocast is taken from a Tibetan Heart Yoga Teacher Training course held in Tucson, Arizona, in September of 2007.

For Lama Marut’s audio podcasts please go to:

http://aci-la.org/mg-podcasts.html

For other teachings, please go to:

http://www.aci-la.org

and

http://www.lamamarut.org

Running With Scissors

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 04:29:37 -0600

We can’t achieve the happiness we all are seeking if we continue to create the causes for suffering. We have to let go of the scissors with which we are cutting ourselves; we have to renounce the idea that our happiness (or unhappiness) comes from any place other than ourselves. No one can make us happy, and no one can make us unhappy. Our problems derive from our true and only enemies, the three main “mental afflictions” of desire, aversion and the ignorance that underlies them.

This videocast is taken from a Tibetan Heart Yoga Teacher Training course held in Tucson, Arizona, in September of 2007.

For Lama Marut’s audio podcasts please go to:

http://aci-la.org/mg-podcasts.html

For other teachings, please go to:

http://www.aci-la.org

and

http://www.lamamarut.org

Learning to be Happy, Part 2

Sun, 19 Aug 2007 08:27:50 -0500

“Problems” do not objectively exist. They are just interpretations of events. In order to be happy we have to learn how to concentrate on the many good things in life, realize that happiness can not come from outside of us but only from within, and learn to live contentedly in the present.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given at a public talk in Los Angeles, California, on December 11, 2006.

For Lama Marut’s audio podcasts please go to:

http://aci-la.org/mg-podcasts.html

For other teachings, please go to:

http://www.aci-la.org

and

http://www.lamamarut.org

Learning to be Happy, Part 1

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 15:38:03 -0500

In this inaugural videocast, Lama Marut points out that our deepest desire, the only motivator of everything we do, is to be happy. But we often mistake true happiness for something ephemeral and superficial. True happiness cannot be found in money, relationships, professional advancement, or vacations to exotic places. It must be found within and must be cultivated through an authentic spiritual practice.

This videocast is taken from a teaching given at a public talk in Los Angeles, California, on December 11, 2006.

For Lama Marut’s audio podcast please go to:

http://aci-la.org/mg-podcasts.html

For other teachings, please go to:

http://www.aci-la.org

and

http://www.lamamarut.org