How to go from suffering to happiness according to Tenzin Wangyal

Tenzin Wangyal is a lama of tradition good buddhist. Born in 1961 in India, after his parents had to leave Tibet due to Chinese occupation, he has studied with various teachers and obtained the title of Geshe, equivalent to doctor of philosophy. He has also been recognized as the reincarnation of some great teacher in the past.

In 1991 he obtained a scholarship to go to the North American university and in 1922 he founded the Ligmincha Institute in Charlottesville (Virginia).

Es author of several magnificent books, some translated into Spanish by the publisher Pax de México: The wonders of natural people; The yoga of dreams and sleep; Healing with form, energy and light; The pure essence of the mind; Heal with sounds ...

He is used to teaching courses and retreats in many countries. Taking advantage of his stay in Barcelona to teach about the "Recovery of the soul" we talked with him on various topics. There is in his person a rare balance between fidelity to the Eastern tradition and adaptation to the Western mentality.

Clouds in the sky.

- There is a magic word: 'happiness'. We all ultimately want to be happy. But why is it so difficult to get it and does it last for such a short time?

- Mainly because we are conditioned by certain mental patterns that are repeated. They are thoughts and emotions that cause a kind of addiction. We are so busy with them that we find neither rest nor happiness. It is as if you cannot see the sky because one cloud after another prevents you. And if you can see that sky for a moment, soon another cloud comes and covers it again.

- Uncertainty is gaining ground today in all areas. We know the external causes. But what would be the internal causes?

- Humanity is looking for a great answer, to find happiness and peace. But he looks for it in the external changes that technology fosters. That is not true inner happiness. Let's hope that humanity realizes that mistake and there is a change in values, and that it is not too late.

How does Karma work?

- Is there, then, a Karma not only individual but collective?

- That's how it is. There are collective behaviors that have certain consequences. For example, it is said that the media only give negative news, images of violence, etc. It is even said that "good news is not news." It may be like that, but it is also true that people are attracted to bad news, other people's misfortunes, as if they felt more alive that way. That identification with the negative is sad.

- "Karma" is a word that is used often, what is its real meaning?

- Literally, Karma means "action", but in a broader sense it refers to the law of cause and effect. Any action taken physically, verbally or mentally becomes a seed that will bear consequent fruit when the circumstances are right. Thus, positive actions have positive effects and lead to happiness; negative actions have negative effects and lead to unhappiness. Karma does not mean that our life is predestined, but that all present conditions arise from our past actions.

Start with yourself.

- In his teachings there is talk of recovering the "soul". Is it a process that is both personal and collective?

It is about reconnecting with the source of life, with the forces that are within us and also in nature outside. They are practices that promote physical and mental balance. When we work on the individual level, little by little there is an influence on the collective. But you have to start with yourself first, it is the most urgent thing.

- Affirms that there is often a disconnect between the head and the heart. Why?

- The mind, the thoughts and emotions on which the ego feeds, is the main cause of unhappiness. But the mind can also be a cause of happiness. It is like gold, with which a beautiful statue or a pistol can be made. Practices like meditation they serve to see the essence of the mind, not its ordinary manifestations. Discovering the nature of the mind is a deep recognition of who we are. It is like a pond of calm waters. If you don't move that water, it stays crystal clear. But if you shake it, it turns cloudy. We forget that strength is in stillness, not in movement. If we connect with inner silence, we become more peaceful and also stronger and more creative.

- What would be your advice to life for anyone who may not know anything about Buddhism or other forms of spirituality?

- My main advice would be the following: at any time in your life, especially when you are faced with tests that seem to go beyond your capacity, remember that you can trust your true self, your essence. There is a refuge where you can find peace, but it is not outside you, but inside you.

The 3 doors.

- Could you elaborate more on this?

- There are 3 "doors" in us: the body, speech and mind. They can all create pain and that is what causes us suffering. But it happens this way because we do not use them to enter, but to leave, to lose ourselves, to disconnect.

When you encounter difficulties, close your eyes for a moment, draw your attention inward. Feel the stillness of your body. There is then the possibility of finding unlimited space within yourself. We can call it «mother», «the essence», «the divine»,… It does not matter: it is there, and when you discover it it is like when a child is lost and suddenly finds its mother. Like someone who has lost himself and found himself again. It's a homecoming. At that moment, any problem is solved if you trust fully, if you rest in that space where you find inner freedom. It is a place with infinite possibilities.

- Why is silence important?

- The 2nd «door» is the word, the speech. We have many thoughts, which are like voices vibrating in our head and telling us what to do. But, unless those voices are silenced, you cannot feel true connection with yourself and listen to the inner silence. We usually hear the noise of thoughts, argue or negotiate with them. Our attention is on those voices that prevent us from feeling the silence. But we can learn to listen and hear the silence. When you discover it, you feel peace, creativity. You can then hear inner voices of wisdom.

A good tip for that would be: don't trust your thoughts, trust your silence. Studies have been done on how to make better decisions: speaking and commenting thoroughly or remaining open to intuition. The bottom line is that intuitions are ultimately more effective. In silence there are more messages than in the voices of thought. But you have to learn to listen to your own silence.

Open to space.

- What, then, is the true mind?

- We say that the third door is the mind. But for Buddhism, the mind is in the heart, not as a material organ but as a center of consciousness. According to physicists, the universe is practically empty space. Also in our heart there is unlimited space. Paying attention to the heart you can discover that space that is the source that gives birth to everything.

Therefore, the medicine I recommend consists of 3 remedies: the white pill of stillness, the red of silence and the blue of spaciousness. When you take these 3 pills you find what we call "inner refuge", you feel protected and guided, and you find solutions. And this works for anyone, because that space is not Buddhist but universal.

- We are all looking for love. We want to give it and receive it. What do you think in this regard?

- In that interior space that we have talked about, we also find love. It is not about "I love you" love, based on selfish desire or fear. It is an unlimited, absolute love, in which there is no hatred. It is like the open sky that loves clouds and allows them to live in its bosom. Clouds appear and disappear without affecting its essence. Space does not appropriate what is in it. In the same way, that interior space is the greatest processor or purifier of negative thoughts and conflicting emotions that we can have.

- Death is perhaps the main fear. What would be a correct attitude towards her?

- There is nothing wrong with death. It is something normal, like birth. If we look at it without prejudice, it would be like taking a nap. It is not a negative or a failure. Buddhists believe that after 49 days you are born again. You are the same, but you become a precious baby. It is a natural process, but it is human to feel fear. The solution is once again connecting with the immutable being or space, with the essence that does not die. It is only a bodily process but you are not merely something physical. There is no identity, you feel more free and fearless. When you really experience that, the relationship with death also changes: you know that you are not going to die.

DANIEL BONET. Simultaneous translation: Belén Giner. Magazine Body Mind.