When the post about the value of this text, Repelling all Troubles, was published back in October 2022 not everyone reading this post would have seen it.
When, later, James gave a commentary – a teaching on this ……some of you may have heard that… but others weren’t able to be there…or didn’t know about it.
Some who did have the luck to listen to the teaching live, may not be aware of the commentary which James gave a bit later on….and this is key for engaging effectively with the text.
Without this we may be merely reading, then repeating it like parrots.
Hearing a text like this can be a bit like being given a beautiful variegated lemon, which has yellow skin with green stripes.
Whilst we might appreciate the aesthetic beauty of the lemon and the generosity of the gift … unless we know something about this kind of lemon… it’s qualities and uses… we may just stick it in the fridge and use the ones we’re used to instead… or put it in the fruit-bowl or on a shelf where it will slowly moulder away.
This lemon with yellow skin with green stripes is a kind of Eureka lemon with pink flesh, perfect for making pink lemonade…but to do this, as with fully connecting with the text, we firstly have to squeeze the lemon!
If we approach it like a child might when being invited to squeeze the lemon…there’ll be a bit of a connection, the lemon will get warmer and maybe a bit softer, but no juice will come from it.
An adult might say ‘Ah we’ll need to use the lemon-squeezer to get the juice out… but first we have to cut the lemon in half, so I’ll help you with that bit. Good, now we have to push down and twist it onto this lemon-squeezer.’
The child pushes down but not much juice comes … but the adult applies more torsion and pressure and lots of juice comes out …and then a bit more as the skins are squeezed together by hand.
When the child tastes the neat juice it thinks ‘Yuk, I won’t bother doing that again! ‘…but then when the juice is sugared to taste and diluted think’s ‘Ok, I get it now…I see why we bothered, it’s delicious…’
The text, inviting equanimity on the basis of wisdom, is short but includes the Introductory prayers, Refuge and bodhicitta, the Seven branch prayer, the ‘Prayer of Aspiration for Happiness in the World’, the ‘Four Immeasurables’, and the Heart Sutra.
James’ commentary covers a vast amount of ground, so he is unpacking the meaning at speed…
yet though still condensed it is precise and clear and literally elucidates – brings light to it.
So as we engage with it as a vital adjunct to the text, the essential understanding of the non-duality of emptiness and form… and the orientation and efficacy of the text becomes clear.
With this we can extract the juice and use it beneficially… in our life and for all life.
James ends by hoping that we will practice the text …and enjoy practising the text! with a big smile!
I hope that bringing the different modes of accessing the text and commentary together here will make this easier to do.
Here’s a link to the Practice text – Repelling all troubles
Here’s the link to the video of the teaching Commentary on text – Repelling all troubles– zoom video
Here’s a link to the Transcription of the zoom commentary – Repelling all troubles by Paula Arinibar…revised and enlarged by James Low
Here’s the link to the original audio of Commentary on text – Repelling all Troubles I created this on the fly then edited it… but it was done quickly, and a better version is below.
Here’s the link to the Improved audio of Commentary on text – Repelling all troubles… the content is the same but I have made it easier to follow…by improving the sound and the spacing and rescuing some unclear words.
