Maria Shriver Taking Buddhist Class, Learning To Deal With Her Demons

[WisdomBeing]

It is great to see Maria Shriver taking up Tibetan Buddhism as a way to deal with the challenges in her life. It just shows that no matter how prominent your secular lineage, no matter how wealthy you are, pain is universal and happens without discrimination. Buddhism is one of the most effective methods to face our challenges, find out what is the extremely deep sources of our pain and how to remove it. As more and more people from all walks of life find that Buddhism is an excellent way to deal with life's problems, they will wish to look deeper into this philosophy.

I hope that as Maria Shriver is interested in Tibetan Buddhism, she may also be interested in Dharma Protectors and will come to know Dorje Shugden, who will remove the obstacles to her practice.

Maria Shriver Taking Buddhist Class, Learning To Deal With Her Demons
Posted on Apr 11, 2013 @ 11:27AM | By Rick Egusquiza
http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2013/04/maria-shriver-buddhist-classes-deal-with-demons/

Maria Shriver is taking a spiritual path of enlightenment to deal with her painful past, RadarOnline.com has learned exclusively. The 57-year-old journalist and former First Lady of California recently attended the class “Feeding Your Demons” based on Tibetan practices, a source reveals to Radar.

The Emmy-winning niece of President John F. Kennedy – America’s first Catholic commander in chief – sat front row center for the intense five-hour course and was one of 100 students attending. Esteemed author and international teacher Lama Tsultrim Allione was the instructor for it at InsightLA in Santa Monica on April 10.

“Maria may have stood out in the capacity crowd, but she was definitely serious about the lesson,” a source at the event told Radar. “She took her shoes off like the rest of the students and settled in.

“The seminar was about how to get rid of bad emotions, phobias, or painful pasts. A really awkward moment occurred when the teacher was discussing a student whose husband divorced her and left her for another women who then became suicidal. While the teacher was NOT referring to Maria, some stared at her – it was very uncomfortable.”

Maria, who wore a summer dress and a shawl, which she put on her head at times, listened intently with the other students. The 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. course, with a two-and-half hour lunch break, is part of a four-level-training program.

Classes at InsightLA have sliding scale fees. The minimum is $20 but they ask those who can afford it to pay more with core members shelling out anywhere from $500 to $1000. Maria sat in a reserved front row seat, which is where the high donors usually sit.

During the break, Maria chatted with students and impressed everyone with her interest in going deeper with the spiritual teachings, says the source.

“Maria came into the class chatting intently on a cell phone and looking fatigued and very stressed out – she was far from being at peace,” adds the source. “But by the time the break came she was like a new person. Maria fit right in – by the end of the day she was smiling and telling other student how much she got out of the class.”

[dsiluvu]

I hope that as Maria Shriver is interested in Tibetan Buddhism, she may also be interested in Dharma Protectors and will come to know Dorje Shugden, who will remove the obstacles to her practice.

Perhaps she should get the illustrated story of Dorje Shugden I would what her take would be on it and how she would view the whole Dorje Shugden issue.

Never the less it is great to hear about celebrities taking up Buddhism classes to help them in their lives. From their example they they inspire many on to Dharma. Just like Tina Turner and how Buddhism helped her pull through her life and gave her strength to walk away from her abusive husband. Buddhist practice actually helped her think different, thinking correctly, changing the negatives in to the positives.
Just take a look at her wonderful interview here... I love it, she's soooo inspiring!

Tina Turner - Talks about Buddhism & Spirituality and even Chants - Speak Easy Part Three	Small | Large

It would definitely be awesome if one day we hear of a celebrity practicing Dorje Shugden and helped them in their moment of need

[Ensapa]

If i am not mistaken, "feeding your demons" is a term that Tsultrim Allione uses to describe Chod as she describes a the practice: 

In 2008 Lama Tsultrim Allione's book Feeding Your Demons was published, an approach based on the Chöd lineage of Machig Labdrön that Allione has practiced since 1973. Allione opens chapter five of the book by quoting Carl Jung as saying "One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light but by making the darkness conscious."[1] Mark Epstein has described her work as "a book that Carl Jung could only have dreamed of writing."[2] Allione claims that "The process of feeding our demons is a method for bringing our shadow into consciousness and accessing the treasures it holds rather than repressing it."[3]

By the way, she is considered as an incarnation of Machig Lapdron.

I dont know about you but a Buddhist course that costs 2000 bucks is a lot of money when Dorje Shugden can do the same thing for almost free as Dorje Shugden teachers do not charge so much for teachings or even give it out for free. If only, right? Oh well.

[WisdomBeing]

Dear Ensapa,

I'm not crazy about charges for religious classes but I do understand why some organisations have to charge. Sometimes religious organisations' only income comes from sponsorship. And if there isn't enough sponsorship, the organisations have to cover their expenses somehow. In the UK, it's not uncommon to have to pay for classes and the fees go towards the rental or upkeep of centres, and if there are full time admin staff etc, the fees also help to offset expenses. Yes i am glad to hear that Dorje Shugden masters are giving free teachings etc but I am sure they can only do so with a huge amount of sponsorship - after all, their travel from Tibet or India to Europe or US and the accommodation during their travels cannot be cheap! And if they have translators etc, there are additional costs. Sorry, it's just the practical side of me which sees that people should value the teachings and if they can afford it, they should support it.

The article didn't say that the class cost $2000. In fact, i quote, "Classes at InsightLA have sliding scale fees. The minimum is $20 but they ask those who can afford it to pay more with core members shelling out anywhere from $500 to $1000." So those who cannot afford it, can still receive the same teachings at a minimum donation but those who can afford it are encouraged to pay more - and so they should! After all, the teachings are priceless.

[Ensapa]

Dear Ensapa,

I'm not crazy about charges for religious classes but I do understand why some organisations have to charge. Sometimes religious organisations' only income comes from sponsorship. And if there isn't enough sponsorship, the organisations have to cover their expenses somehow. In the UK, it's not uncommon to have to pay for classes and the fees go towards the rental or upkeep of centres, and if there are full time admin staff etc, the fees also help to offset expenses. Yes i am glad to hear that Dorje Shugden masters are giving free teachings etc but I am sure they can only do so with a huge amount of sponsorship - after all, their travel from Tibet or India to Europe or US and the accommodation during their travels cannot be cheap! And if they have translators etc, there are additional costs. Sorry, it's just the practical side of me which sees that people should value the teachings and if they can afford it, they should support it.

The article didn't say that the class cost $2000. In fact, i quote, "Classes at InsightLA have sliding scale fees. The minimum is $20 but they ask those who can afford it to pay more with core members shelling out anywhere from $500 to $1000." So those who cannot afford it, can still receive the same teachings at a minimum donation but those who can afford it are encouraged to pay more - and so they should! After all, the teachings are priceless.

I agree with your point too as here in the west where I am at, Dharma centers do need money to survive as nobody can depend entirely on sponsors all the time. But my point is actually that she could have gotten her issues sorted out if she met Dorje Shugden because he will guide her to the help that she needs to overcome what she needs to overcome in her life. And to me, that is very important for anyone who has 'issues' - it could be visiting the right doctor, the right friend or even the right Lama that will help this person heal.

[Ensapa]

Oh it seems that it was Rob Lowe who told Maria Shriver to turn to Buddhism:

Hitting A Lowe Point? It Was Rob Lowe Who Advised Maria Shriver To Turn To Buddhism
Posted on Apr 12, 2013 @ 4:11AM | By Jon Boon

   
Maria Shriver was inspired to take a Buddhism class by close pal Rob Lowe, RadarOnline.com exclusively reports.

The former Brat Pack actor turned to Buddhism in his adult years after years of alcohol abuse and thanks the practices for helping him stay sober for more than 20 years.

And it was the Parks and Recreation star who suggested that the former First Lady of California should try it for herself to “ease her mind.”

“Maria carries the weight of the world on her shoulders, she’s constantly worrying about things,” a source confirmed.

“She is very close with Rob and his wife Sheryl, and they often dine with each other in their homes in Santa Barbara.

“During those dinners, Rob, who is a very spiritual person, would often talk about his Buddhist beliefs and how he credits it to helping him overcome his demons, including his past alcoholism.

“Maria hasn’t got any addictions, but she has had a rough few years in her life. Rob suggested she should look at Buddhist methods to help ease her mind of her concerns,” the source added.

As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Shriver is taking a spiritual path of enlightenment to deal with her painful past.

She recently attended the class “Feeding Your Demons” based on Tibet practices and sat front row center for the intense five-hour course and was one of 100 students attending. Esteemed author and international teacher Lama Tsultrim Allione was the instructor for it at InsightLA in Santa Monica on April 10.

Maria may have stood out in the capacity crowd, but she was definitely serious about the lesson,” a source at the event told Radar. “She took her shoes off like the rest of the students and settled in.

“The seminar was about how to get rid of bad emotions, phobias, or painful pasts. A really awkward moment occurred when the teacher was discussing a student whose husband divorced her and left her for another women who then became suicidal. While the teacher was NOT referring to Maria, some stared at her – it was very uncomfortable.”

http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2013/04/rob-lowe-maria-shriver-advised-buddhism/

[brian]

Dear Ensapa,

I'm not crazy about charges for religious classes but I do understand why some organisations have to charge. Sometimes religious organisations' only income comes from sponsorship. And if there isn't enough sponsorship, the organisations have to cover their expenses somehow. In the UK, it's not uncommon to have to pay for classes and the fees go towards the rental or upkeep of centres, and if there are full time admin staff etc, the fees also help to offset expenses. Yes i am glad to hear that Dorje Shugden masters are giving free teachings etc but I am sure they can only do so with a huge amount of sponsorship - after all, their travel from Tibet or India to Europe or US and the accommodation during their travels cannot be cheap! And if they have translators etc, there are additional costs. Sorry, it's just the practical side of me which sees that people should value the teachings and if they can afford it, they should support it.

The article didn't say that the class cost $2000. In fact, i quote, "Classes at InsightLA have sliding scale fees. The minimum is $20 but they ask those who can afford it to pay more with core members shelling out anywhere from $500 to $1000." So those who cannot afford it, can still receive the same teachings at a minimum donation but those who can afford it are encouraged to pay more - and so they should! After all, the teachings are priceless.

I agree with your point too as here in the west where I am at, Dharma centers do need money to survive as nobody can depend entirely on sponsors all the time. But my point is actually that she could have gotten her issues sorted out if she met Dorje Shugden because he will guide her to the help that she needs to overcome what she needs to overcome in her life. And to me, that is very important for anyone who has 'issues' - it could be visiting the right doctor, the right friend or even the right Lama that will help this person heal.

I agree fully that one center should be able to sustain themselves and not to become a burden to their Lama Rinpoche. The students devotees should come up with ways on how to make their own center self sustain and set a new trend in Buddhism to be independent and not only depending on sponsors alone. In this modern degenerated era, the task of maintaining and spreading the teachings of Lord Buddha will be even harder. So let us support our Dharma centers to make it beneficial to the public.

[Ensapa]

I agree fully that one center should be able to sustain themselves and not to become a burden to their Lama Rinpoche. The students devotees should come up with ways on how to make their own center self sustain and set a new trend in Buddhism to be independent and not only depending on sponsors alone. In this modern degenerated era, the task of maintaining and spreading the teachings of Lord Buddha will be even harder. So let us support our Dharma centers to make it beneficial to the public.

Dharma centers should always be self sufficient from the start because the Lama will not be around forever. While the Lama is alive there must be a proper system set up to ensure that once the Lama enters clear light, the organization can sustain itself properly. Sometimes organizations can sell items or give motivational workshops to draw in the income but they must be careful to not sell off the Dharma as merchandize or deceive people with courses that claims to be Dharma but is actually something that people can easily figure out from self help books and has nothing to do with Buddhism but just a feel good talk. There are many 'buddhist centers' like that from where i live.

[WisdomBeing]

The article didn't say that the class cost $2000. In fact, i quote, "Classes at InsightLA have sliding scale fees. The minimum is $20 but they ask those who can afford it to pay more with core members shelling out anywhere from $500 to $1000." So those who cannot afford it, can still receive the same teachings at a minimum donation but those who can afford it are encouraged to pay more - and so they should! After all, the teachings are priceless.

I agree with your point too as here in the west where I am at, Dharma centers do need money to survive as nobody can depend entirely on sponsors all the time. But my point is actually that she could have gotten her issues sorted out if she met Dorje Shugden because he will guide her to the help that she needs to overcome what she needs to overcome in her life. And to me, that is very important for anyone who has 'issues' - it could be visiting the right doctor, the right friend or even the right Lama that will help this person heal.

Of course I also believe that Dorje Shugden practice would help her as would Lama Tsongkhapa's practice and the Dharma teachings. However, i think it is very dangerous when people think that this would be the 'free' way to receive benefits. I know many people who think they don't need to go to a Dharma centre or have a teacher because they do the practice themselves and they read a lot of books. Some even go from centre to centre, looking for peace in each one but not settling down to a single place. As i understand it, supporting Dharma centres will create the merits to understand the Dharma and Dharma practice.

Dorje Shugden's practice, however efficacious, will still need merits to expedite the results, thus practitioners will need to learn Dharma and how to accumulate merits and purify their negative karma. There are of course ways to accumulate merits for those who genuinely cannot afford sponsorship of Dharma centres, Sangha or Dharma statues/texts etc, but i believe it is necessary to learn Dharma in order to gain knowledge on how to expedite our spiritual journey.

[Big Uncle]

Well, it really depends on which part of the world you are in. I am in Asia and most Dharma Centers are supported by very kind sponsors. In Asia, there's a strong cultural belief in supporting the Sangha and the temple. People would openly and sometimes lavishly sponsor the building of temples and centers along with the publication of Dharma books and teachings. Therefore, Dharma books and teachings are traditionally given free so people gain imprints from reading the books and learning the Dharma.

However in the West, the situation is different I believe. I heard that there is no culture of sponsoring monks and temple. In order for centers and temples and so forth to sustain, a culture of charging for teachings was developed. This what I think occurred in the West through observation. So, there's no easier or better, it is just adapting to the culture of the land.

[Ensapa]

Of course I also believe that Dorje Shugden practice would help her as would Lama Tsongkhapa's practice and the Dharma teachings. However, i think it is very dangerous when people think that this would be the 'free' way to receive benefits. I know many people who think they don't need to go to a Dharma centre or have a teacher because they do the practice themselves and they read a lot of books. Some even go from centre to centre, looking for peace in each one but not settling down to a single place. As i understand it, supporting Dharma centres will create the merits to understand the Dharma and Dharma practice.

Dorje Shugden's practice, however efficacious, will still need merits to expedite the results, thus practitioners will need to learn Dharma and how to accumulate merits and purify their negative karma. There are of course ways to accumulate merits for those who genuinely cannot afford sponsorship of Dharma centres, Sangha or Dharma statues/texts etc, but i believe it is necessary to learn Dharma in order to gain knowledge on how to expedite our spiritual journey.

But if you come to think of it, these workshops dosent really help with the process of accumulating merit. It's just a one time seminar thing. I have attended a few of these seminars before and its basically you listening to the speaker presenting the Dharma and talking, and just for that...so what happens after the workshop ends depends on how much you manage to absorb during the workshop...if you didint pay attention or didint focus, everything's wasted just like that.

But then again, it would be cool to have a Dorje Shugden workshop and everyone learns the basics on how to do his sadhanas and so on. That would be super!

[Ensapa]

Well, it really depends on which part of the world you are in. I am in Asia and most Dharma Centers are supported by very kind sponsors. In Asia, there's a strong cultural belief in supporting the Sangha and the temple. People would openly and sometimes lavishly sponsor the building of temples and centers along with the publication of Dharma books and teachings. Therefore, Dharma books and teachings are traditionally given free so people gain imprints from reading the books and learning the Dharma.

However in the West, the situation is different I believe. I heard that there is no culture of sponsoring monks and temple. In order for centers and temples and so forth to sustain, a culture of charging for teachings was developed. This what I think occurred in the West through observation. So, there's no easier or better, it is just adapting to the culture of the land.

Yes here in the west, there isnt a culture of people supporting Dharma institutions because most of us grew up in Christian culture and many of us are in Dharma because it's an alternative to Christianity. Most of us in the west want something that Christianity isnt. In Christianity, there is the tradition of giving a certain percentage of your earnings to the church to support it, and many neo Buddhists in the west expect to not do so when they're Buddhists to 'escape' from this responsibility. hence, its not easy to find sponsors here in the west.

[vajratruth]

It is great to see Maria Shriver taking up Tibetan Buddhism as a way to deal with the challenges in her life. It just shows that no matter how prominent your secular lineage, no matter how wealthy you are, pain is universal and happens without discrimination. Buddhism is one of the most effective methods to face our challenges, find out what is the extremely deep sources of our pain and how to remove it. As more and more people from all walks of life find that Buddhism is an excellent way to deal with life's problems, they will wish to look deeper into this philosophy.

That's very true Wisdom Being. No one is spared from suffering and that is the first Noble Truth that the Buddha taught. Someone like Maria Shriver who appears to be sitting quite comfortably at the upper echelons of society is not spared either and that itself is proof that money, success and fame cannot provide immunity against afflictive emotions. How wonderful that Buddhism is so readily available that someone in the West can now easily receive training based on the Buddha's teachings without having to necessarily regard themselves as Buddhist. If Maria Shriver were to persevere with her training and personally witness the healing benefits from it, she would be a great ambassador for the practice.

To learn the Dharma, one need not have to swear an oath to anyone or any god, belong to a society, be baptized or renounce another religion. The only requirement is to make ourselves available for the wisdom and logic of the Dharma to permeate into the mind and it is easy to understand why Buddhism is one of the fastest growing religions in the world. I hope that Maria Shriver's new spiritual path will eventually lead her to Dorje Shugden. She would no doubt be able to gain so much from the practice and in turn be a great ambassador to the Protector.

[Ensapa]

That's very true Wisdom Being. No one is spared from suffering and that is the first Noble Truth that the Buddha taught. Someone like Maria Shriver who appears to be sitting quite comfortably at the upper echelons of society is not spared either and that itself is proof that money, success and fame cannot provide immunity against afflictive emotions. How wonderful that Buddhism is so readily available that someone in the West can now easily receive training based on the Buddha's teachings without having to necessarily regard themselves as Buddhist. If Maria Shriver were to persevere with her training and personally witness the healing benefits from it, she would be a great ambassador for the practice.

To learn the Dharma, one need not have to swear an oath to anyone or any god, belong to a society, be baptized or renounce another religion. The only requirement is to make ourselves available for the wisdom and logic of the Dharma to permeate into the mind and it is easy to understand why Buddhism is one of the fastest growing religions in the world. I hope that Maria Shriver's new spiritual path will eventually lead her to Dorje Shugden. She would no doubt be able to gain so much from the practice and in turn be a great ambassador to the Protector.

the thing is this: although there are many such teachers here in the west, it is not necessary that the people of the west will get the necessary Dharma and training that will help them. Most people see Buddhism as an escape from Christianity and that Buddhism is just a way to have a peaceful life as opposed to it as something that can bring them greater happiness. This is the reason why so many zen centers are popular here: its because its more of a relaxation thing and a getaway from stressful office work thing.  But i do hope that one day Buddhism will be more than just that.

[dondrup]

It’s Maria Shriver’s good fortunes that her close friend Rob Lowe had introduced her to Buddhism.  Many Americans have benefited from practising Buddhism since Buddhism had taken roots in the United States.  Celebrities like Richard Gere, Tina Turner and others had also embraced Buddhism because Buddhist practices had helped them to deal with their life problems. 

It is not easy for Maria to forget her painful past.  If she really practised the methods as taught by Lama Tsultrim Allione, she will be able to accept and deal with her situation.  I sincerely hope that Maria will further deepen her practice of Dharma after completing the course at InsightLA in Santa Monica.