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44 EASTERN HORIZON | FACE TO FACE

Ven. Amy: Study is a significant part of Dharma
Lojong
practice—especially in the Gelugpa tradition. It
helps us understand the nature of the mind and our
capacity to attain enlightenment. It gives us tools to Practice for
transform negative mental states and strengthens
our meditation practice. Ideally, it’s good to find a
Well-Being and
balance between study, meditation, and service.

Benny: What must we cultivate to ensure our
actions are wholesome and don’t harm other Happiness
sentient beings—or the environment?
By Don Handrick

Ven. Amy: General mindfulness and awareness
are key. These help us live ethically and align our Don Handrick has been
actions with compassion and wisdom. a registered teacher
for the Foundation for
Benny: Anxiety and stress are common problems the Preservation of the
for young adults at work. How can meditation or Mahayana Tradition
mindfulness help?
(FPMT) since 2005.
From 2006 to 2020, he
Ven. Amy: Mindfulness helps people stay with the
served as the resident
discomfort of life—rather than trying to escape it
teacher at Thubten Norbu Ling Center in Santa Fe,
through distractions that often don’t bring lasting
NM, USA. Afterward, he became a full-time touring
peace. As we become more comfortable with
teacher, sharing the Dharma with centers and
discomfort, it transforms into something we can
investigate and learn from. study groups across North America and around
the world, both in person and online. Don has
Meditation allows us to analyze where the received teachings from many esteemed lamas in
discomfort comes from and make realistic the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, and he attended
adjustments. Also, take regular “tech holidays”— the FPMT’s Masters Program of Buddhist Studies
turn off phones, tablets, and social media, and spend in Sūtra and Tantra from 1998 to 2004, taught by
time meditating or being in nature. This can greatly Geshe Jampa Gyatso. He successfully completed all
reduce stress and anxiety.
five subjects of this program in 2004, receiving an
FPMT final certificate with high honors. In 2015,
Benny: Which Buddhist practices do you
personally find most effective in living a happy he had the honor of being selected to lead the
and peaceful life? renowned November Course, a one-month teaching
and meditation retreat held annually at Kopan
Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Ven. Amy: There are so many! Developing bodhicitta
and understanding emptiness are incredibly helpful.
In this issue Benny Liow interviewed Don about
Additionally, tonglen (giving and taking meditation),
lojong (mind training practices), and finding a what brought him to Tibetan Buddhism and how
qualified, highly realized teacher for guidance have lojong practice and tonglen can transform our
been enormously beneficial for me. EH minds.