When I think back, I reflect on what I was doing: wasn’t this what it meant for me to go away: to wander and practice? My body was wandering, my mind was wandering, I felt the world, my mind and myself empty; I was really wandering.

Yes, many disturbing thoughts and emotions arise while meditating. However, that is not the key issue here, what is more important is the point of view you adopt about it. How do you want to see those negative, disturbing and strong thoughts when you practice meditation?

When I was practising at Mabunyongtso Lake, near Gang Rinpoche (Mount Kailāsh in the Himalayan range), I learned from the locals that most of today’s Tibetan Buddhist masters lived in the Kham region of Tibet. I therefore decided to continue my wandering journey through the Kham region in search of my root guru.

We have been practising Shine together over the past few weeks and have been getting into the different ways of doing this practice. Some of you are more comfortable meditating on a particular object with your eyes open, and some of you are more comfortable observing the breath with your eyes closed.

I would like to share these words with you, mainly because many students have recently told me about the various difficulties they have encountered on a daily basis. These difficulties are mostly related to finance and business affairs.

Before choosing a practice method, it is important to find out what exactly practice is. Once you understand what practice means, then finding a training method is easy. Then you will naturally understand which method is right for you.

That night, alone in the dark room, I felt scared and sad. I missed my mother terribly. I huddled in the corner, reflecting hard upon my karma, which had caused me so many obstructions on my pilgrimage to Mount Kailash.

Born in Nepal, I grew up fortunate to hear many great buddhist masters teaching from Tibet. It is a mysterious place for me and the pull to go to Tibet has always been strong. I had prayed so many times in the monastery when I was young hoping that one day I would be able to make a pilgrimage to Tibet and find my Root Guru.

Question: I often get sick. Does it have anything to do with my killing and eating living poultry? If I repentant, will I be well again?

Chogyal Rinpoche: If we went to a place to visit someone, the doorkeeper would question us: “Who are you? Where are you from? Where are you going? “The three seemingly simple questions are the ultimate questions in the history of philosophy in the world. Yet to answer “Who am I” is not an easy task.