Tulku Thondup author and teacher, was born in East Tibet and studied at the famed Dodrupchen Monastery. In 1958 he settled in India, where he taught at Indian universties for many years. He came to the United States in 1980 as a visiting scholar at Harvard University. For the past two decades he lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, engaging in translation and writing on Tibetan Budhism, particularly the Nyingma teachings, under the auspices of the Buddhayana Foundation. Among his books are The Healing Power of Mind, which has been published in seventeen languages, and Boundless Healing, in twelve languages.
Foreword by Daniel Goleman xi
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction 1
PART ONE: THE HEALING PATH
1. FOUNDATIONS OF HEALING 11
The Benefits of Healing 12
Anyone Can Benefit 13
Meditation, Mind, and Body 14
Tibetan Medicine's Approach to Spiritual Healing 16
Why We Are Suffering 17
We Are All Buddha 19
The Path of Healing 22
2. THE HEALING POWER OF MIND 23
Mind Is the Main Factor 25
How to Live in the World 26
What Is Important for Human Life? 28
Setting Out on the Healing Path 32
3. GETTING STARTED 36
Choosing a Place 36
Choosing a Time 38
Posture 39
Relaxation 40
Creating Mental Space 40
Breathing 43
Visualization 44
Concentration 45
Opening 47
Merging in Oneness 47
Mindfulness 48
Enlightened Attitude 50
4. DEVELOPING CONFIDENCE 52
Looking at Your Progress 54
Magnifying Even Simple Progress 55
Pure Perception 56
Consistence and Endeavor 61
Balance 63
Feeling 66
Seeing or Feeling with Your Whole Body and Mind 66
The Power of Secrecy 67
Knowing Our Strengths and Weaknesses 67
5. HOW TO DEAL WITH PROBLEMS 69
Avoidance 69
Recognition and Acceptance 70
Finding the Source 72
Releasing Problems through Feeling 73
Facing Problems Calmly 75
Seeing Problems as Positive 75
Seeing the Openness of Your Problems 80
Dealing with Fear 81
Releasing Strong Fears 83
6. HOW TO DEAL WITH PHYSICAL AILMENTS 85
7. HEALING ENERGIES 93
The Source of Power 93
Light as the Means of Healing 95
Visualizing Light 97
Awakening Healing Energy 98
Healing Light and Energy in Daily Life 100
PART TWO: THE HEALING EXERCISES
8. HEALING MEDITATIONS 105
Introduction 105
Clearing Energy Blocks 108
1. Releasing the Shackles of Tension 108
2. Restoring the Energy of Peace and Joy 109
3. Nursing the Flower of Positive Energy 110
Healing Our Emotions 110
1. Letting Go of the Dark Cloud of Sadness 110
2. Illuminating the Darkness of Sadness 111
3. Drying the Tears of Sorrow 112
4. Clearing the Mirage of Fear 113
5. Clearing the Underbrush of Worries 114
6. Breaking the Self-Protective Shell of Sensitivity 114
7. Pacifying the Self-Criticizing Attitude 115
8. Focusing Scattered Mind 116
9. Grounding Floating Energies 116
10. Soothing Negative Memories 117
11. Cutting the Bonds of Unpleasant Relationships 117
12. Relating to Others in the Light of Healing and Love 118
13. Purifying Wrathful Dreams 119
14. Soothing Neurotic Symptoms 119
15. Extinguishing the Flame of Emotional Afflictions 121
16. Purifying Desires and Emotional Poisons 121
17. Releasing Troubles with Your Breathing 122
Healing through Sound 123
1. Soothing through the Sound of Openness 123
2. Healing through Blessed Sound 125
3. Purifying Our Emotions Silently 126
9. HEALING PHYSICAL DISHARMONY 128
Light That Heals Physical Ailments 129
Water That Heals Physical Ailments 131
Fire, Air, and Earth for Healing 132
Healing with the Help of Others 132
Healing Awareness of Physical and Energy Movements 136
10. HEALING WITH NATURE'S ENERGY 139
Earth 140
Water 141
Fire 141
Air 142
Space 143
Trees 143
11. DAILY LIVING AS HEALING 145
Awakening 147
Receiving Blessings 148
Washing and Cleaning 148
Breathing 149
Drinking and Eating 149
Walking 150
Sitting and Standing 151
Working 151
Looking 152
Talking 153
Sleep 153
Dreams as a Means to Awakening 154
A Simple Practice 155
Three Important Points to Focus On 156
PART THREE: BUDDHIST MEDITATIONS: THE PATH TO OPENNESS
12. THE MEDITATIONS OF TRANQUILLITY AND INSIGHT 159
Tranquillity Meditation 161
Insight Meditation 162
13. THE HEALING MEDITATION OF DEVOTION
Invoking the Majestic Image of Padmasambbava 168
Calling upon the Strength and Compassion of Padmasambbava 170
Meditating in Openness 172
14. AWAKENING THE INFINITE INNER ENERGIES OF
HEALING 174
15. THE HEALING MEDITATION OF COMPASSION 178
Invoking the Buddha of Compassion to Open Our Hearts 182
Appendix: Scriptural Sources for this Book 187
Glossary 197
Bibliography: Works Cited with Key to Abbreviations 203
