Every thought has an emotional aspect. We usually remember only dramatic emotions, but it goes way beyond that. We are habituated in both subtle and dramatic emotions. They block positive thoughts and make it difficult to recover from losses, difficult to forgive others or ourselves. Rinpoche teaches that this is why we need a rescue plan we can easily remember and use when emotions arise. Rinpoche encourages us to begin our rescue plan by being kind to ourselves. Also, because emotions are an important part of our lives that we will always have, we must get to know our emotional mind: Who are we? What is our experience? We cannot skillfully work with our emotions until we are familiar with our emotional patterns. During morning practice sessions at this retreat, participants were provided with contemplation questions designed to help develop familiarity with emotional mind. Contemplating these questions immediately before listening to Rinpoche's teachings on Mindful Gap, Clear Seeing, and Letting Go provides a powerful opportunity to recognize habitual emotional patterns and generate an effective plan for working with them. These questions are included in this DVD set together with a helpful chart summarizing the approaches to working with emotions that Rinpoche teaches in Emotional Rescue.
This teaching is based on Rinpoche�s book, Emotional Rescue: How to Work with Your Emotions to Transform Hurt and Confusion into Energy That Empowers You. This book can be purchased at most bookstores and online book outlets. Four talks by Rinpoche plus an interview of Rinpoche on the subject of the writing of Emotional Rescue by David Kaczynski. David's brother, Ted Kaczynski was convicted as the Unabomber. David's recent book, Every Last Tie (Duke Univ. Press, 2016), is a moving memoir of his family's experience that demonstrates the possibility and benefit of relating to mental illness and violence with an open heart. Emotional Rescue, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, 5 DVDs, 7 hours, $60.00
The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche is acknowledged as one of the foremost scholars of his generation in the Nyingma and Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Fluent in English and well-versed in Western culture, Rinpooche has worked to develop and adapt traditional Tibetan education curriculums for Western audiences. Nitartha Institute (www.nitharthainstitute.org), where Rinpoche is the main teacher, provides a focused Buddhist studies program. Rinpoche is a visiting professor of buddhist philosopy at Naropa University, Boulder, Colorado. In 1997, Rinpoche founded Nalanabodhi to preserve the genuine lineage of the Nyingma and Kagyu Schools of Tibetan Buddhism. There are Nalandabodhi centers in North America and Europe, and curriculum materials are available to people worldwide.
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