The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 1

This is a guidebook to becoming the kind of authentic leader this world needs.122

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The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 2

a common sentiment among young people on the verge of entering the “real world.” Very few of them had it all figured out, which is a scary state, yet full of possibility.173

Answer 2

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 3

they didn’t let their job define who they are. The idea they had stumbled onto is that in searching for happiness, it was not so much a question of what they did as why they did it. Knowing your intention is key in all things.192

Answer 3

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 4

When it comes to figuring out a career path, knowing your intention may be the most basic and most helpful step on the journey that links your work with your spiritual path.198

Answer 4

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 5

This book is organized around the three yanas, a Sanskrit word that can be translated as “vehicle.”201

Answer 5

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 6

These three vehicles are the means to transport us from our confusion to awakening.203

Answer 6

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 7

the Hinayana path is based in working with your own mind and heart in order to build a foundation to apply mindfulness and compassion in every aspect of your life.214

Answer 7

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 8

Vajrayana, which is based in the view that our work and our role in society are all part of our spiritual journey.222

Answer 8

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 9

On this path, we no longer view the world in terms of what is for us versus what is against us; every joy and disappointment in our work becomes fodder for our path of awakening.223

Answer 9

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 10

idea of internal exploration is the beginning of the Buddhist path.260

Answer 10

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 11

Before we go into the office and work with others in a way that is of benefit, we first have to know ourselves well. Once we know ourselves well, we can be true to who we are. The first step is to know our intention—both large intentions, like knowing why we are engaging in our line of work, and smaller ones, such as knowing what we want to accomplish on a given day. This is the foundation of our path. This is the heart of the journey. Knowing our own intention, the why behind the what, is an important first step.260

Answer 11

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 12

That is the purpose of meditation practice: to become more present and aware of every aspect of our life.292

Answer 12

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 13

Meditation practice helps us slow down and be present enough to recognize the small joys295

Answer 13

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 14

meditation practice is the way to develop a stable and flexible mind.298

Answer 14

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 15

The more present we are, the less stressed-out we will be, and the more we can perform admirably, with a strong mind as our support.311

Answer 15

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 16

The idea is to not go into your meditation practice with your mind at sixty miles per hour but ideally to relax321

Answer 16

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 17

Meditation is not about forcing yourself to do or achieve anything; it’s about relaxing into the present moment.360

Answer 17

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 18

You don’t need to alter your breathing in any way; just bring your mind to it. This is what is known as mindfulness, the simple act of bringing yourself fully, one-pointedly, to what you are doing.364

Answer 18

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 19

COME BACK, OVER AND OVER AGAIN368

Answer 19

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 20

if we can train in coming back to the breath, over and over again, what we are really doing is training in being present with this very moment.385

Answer 20

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 21

in Shambhala. This notion is a 180-degree turn from the Catholic notion of original sin. It’s the view that we are not inherently bad at all; underneath our layers of confusion, pain, and aggression, we’re actually basically good. The idea of basic goodness is that at your core you are innately wise. You are innately kind. You are innately capable. That’s your birthright. That is who you are.399

Answer 21

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 22

The notion of basic goodness is that we all are capable, if we can bring ourselves to act from the point of view of our basic goodness. We have everything we need and can offer ourselves as we are. As one wise friend once told me, “You’re worth what you think you’re worth.” So you should probably start recognizing that you are worth a great deal.411

Answer 22

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 23

Basic goodness is that stillness we experience after a meditation session. It is that sense of calm that we tap into when we are not caught up in the storm of our swirling emotional upheavals and wild fantasies. It is always available to us, if we are able to become present enough to see it.414

Answer 23

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 24

Wayne Dyer has said, “Change the way you look at things, and the things you look at change.”416

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The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 25

THE DING MEDITATION One thing I like to do is set a timer to go off once an hour. I set a reminder on my phone, and after sixty minutes it goes ding! No matter what I am working on, I am reminded to raise my gaze, connect with my posture, and meditate for a minute.436

Answer 25

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 26

THE RED DOT MEDITATION- I take red circular sticker dots (you can find them at any stationery store) and post them around my house. When I walked by one and noticed it, I would think of it as a tiny STOP sign and pause, connect with my body, pay attention to my breath for a few moments, then move on.443

Answer 26

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 27

perhaps a better question for the thoughtful young person today: “Who do you want to be when you grow up?”502

Answer 27

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 28

Sanskrit word mandala is “circle.” It is a diagram often used in Buddhism to depict the abode of a deity or a microcosm of the universe. A mandala can be viewed in some respect as a sort of organizational chart, with a circle at its center and several concentric circles around it.505

Answer 28

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 29

In the traditional mandala representing what is known as the Wheel of Life, at the center there are representations of three poisonous emotions that keep us stuck in suffering—passion, aggression, and ignorance.508

Answer 29

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 30

the next concentric circle there is a symbolic representation of karma. The third circle illustrates the six realms of existence.510

Answer 30

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 31

The outermost circle depicts how we create a solid sense of self, or ego511

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The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 32

When the Buddha began teaching, he laid out what is known as the Noble Eightfold Path. This path is made up of eight elements that he encouraged his disciples to follow in order to find freedom from suffering and in so doing to develop wisdom, ethical conduct, and meditative discipline. One of the three elements of ethical conduct in this path (along with right speech and right action) is right livelihood—that is, making your living in a way that doesn’t create harm.538

Answer 32

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 33

five specific aspects to right livelihood: 1. You can’t deal in living beings; this includes activities like prostitution, slavery, or raising animals for slaughter. 2. You can’t make money selling weapons. 3. You can’t make money selling poison. 4. You can’t make money selling intoxicants. 5. You can’t make money selling meat.543

Answer 33

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 34

your job is not your life. If you think your life is your job, you should be concerned. Your life is what you make of it and what qualities you want to cultivate during your time here on earth.566

Answer 34

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 35

If you can shift your view so that your work is spirituality, then you can bring your meditation practice off the cushion and live your hours at work with meaning and purpose.608

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The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 36

Thus far we have looked at two ways of engaging our work as part of our spiritual journey. The first is contacting our own innate abilities, our basic goodness, through the practice of meditation. The second is becoming inquisitive with ourselves, so that we can determine who we want to be as we live our lives and engage our livelihoods in a way we feel good about.609

Answer 36

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 37

If you want to avoid causing harm, you must learn to wield your speech as a weapon for good.622

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The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 38

People get sloppy with communication and as a result cause harm.636

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The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 39

The basic precepts were that monastics should not take life, not take what is not offered, not engage in sexual misconduct, not engage in mindless speech, and not ingest intoxicants.640

Answer 39

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 40

One aspect of the mindless speech precept is that one should not engage in false speech. This includes lies, gossip and slander, harsh words, and even idle speech, the sort of talking you do just because there is an awkward silence or you feel uncomfortable. One translation of the precept reads: Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful speech, I vow to cultivate right speech.

Answer 40

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 41

Knowing that words can create happiness or suffering, I will do my best to not lie, to not gossip or slander, to not use harsh or idle speech, and to not say things that bring about division or hatred. I aspire to always speak the truth.642

Answer 41

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 42

The effects of practicing mindful speech are twofold. The first effect is that you cause less harm when you open your mouth. The second effect is that you refrain from unnecessary speech, which leads to more opportunities to deeply listen to others.652

Answer 42

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 43

Unfortunately, you cannot change the behavior of others; the only person you can change is yourself. In that sense, the first step in working with difficult people is to make sure you yourself are not acting like a difficult person. The act of listening is a solid safeguard against that.657

Answer 43

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 44

in the midst of a difficult conversation, you should open yourself up by only asking questions. Refrain from trying to fix anything or solve the other person’s issues. Just let their words wash over you like a wave, occasionally asking for clarification or more information. Doing so allows the other person to feel respected and heard. After listening deeply you may feel that you ought to offer your own two cents, but try to avoid doing so before you can see the situation clearly and understand the other person’s point of view.660

Answer 44

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 45

a bodhisattva is someone who bravely engages the world from the point of view of being supremely open and awake to whatever comes their way. Bodhisattvas manifest their basic goodness in a confident manner and are thus very successful when it comes to navigating through life.675

Answer 45

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 46

If you aim to engage in a difficult conversation, the first step, Shantideva informs us, is to speak from your heart. Address the topic at hand in a clear and precise manner, without letting your emotions get in the way. If you can do that with gentleness, then the individuals you are working with may be able to truly hear your statement, regardless of whatever preconceived notions they may have.686

Answer 46

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 47

Mistakes along the path are helpful. They are opportunities to reflect on the qualities that we long to cultivate, and to remember that it is only through practice that we create perfection.708

Answer 47

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 48

“Making one hundred different mistakes is progressive. Making one hundred of the same mistake is regressive.”716

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The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 49

One of the most skillful things I have learned from him is that when you sit down with someone, you can treat them as the most important person in your life for those few moments.728

Answer 49

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 50

When someone comes to you with an issue, they often believe it is the most important thing on your agenda as well as theirs.745

Answer 50

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 51

Often it is not the best-trained or most highly educated people who succeed; it’s the people who are present enough in a situation to do what simply needs to be done.758

Answer 51

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 52

simple can understand complicated but complicated cannot understand simple.760

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The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 53

if you can slow down and be present enough, you can simplify even the most convoluted situation. However, if you walk into a complicated situation with a complicated mind, it may turn out that you continue to perpetuate trouble.761

Answer 53

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 54

Simple here is the opposite of dumb; it is being present enough to see the brilliance available in any situation.765

Answer 54

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 55

In the traditional Buddhist point of view, it is said that we habitually see our world through three different lenses: passion, aggression, and ignorance. Passion may manifest in a variety of ways: as greed, jealousy, lust, or longing. Anger may come forth as hatred, frustration, or impatience. Ignorance may show up as bias, avoidance, or fear.767

Answer 55

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 56

Most of us end up sinking our teeth into the story lines that come with these emotions, constantly thinking about what happened or what we can do in the future to prevent our feelings of upset. In other words, we are not present enough to feel our emotions fully and instead get hooked by them, attached to them, and that causes us suffering.777

Answer 56

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 57

Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche seems to agree here, as he once said, “When you’re in the middle of a situation, you automatically pick up on what is needed. It’s not a question of how to do it—you just do it.”791

Answer 57

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 58

The Buddhist view is not that we should just act on whatever whim or fancy catches our spirit; instead, when faced with a difficult scenario, we should come back to the present moment, right now, and then act from a place of mindfulness. Just doing something, and doing it properly, comes from slowing down rather than speeding up.795

Answer 58

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 59

The Shambhala Principle, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche writes, “Every moment has its energy; either it will ride us, or we can ride it.”799

Answer 59

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 60

When a major upset occurs, people either try to solve the problem immediately, try to blame someone for it, or try to run from it. These are those three basic responses at work again:806

Answer 60

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 61

we get hooked by the desire to eliminate the problem, we use aggression to place blame, or we try to ignore it.807

Answer 61

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 62

The hardest thing I have learned in approaching difficult situations is that sometimes the best thing to do is nothing at all. Sometimes we need to create space around difficulty in order for solutions to arise.

Answer 62

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 63

When we take a step back from a problem, that simple mind that arises can unravel the complicated situation. The more space we create for ourselves and others, the more clearly we are able to see a situation.809

Answer 63

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 64

The Hinayana is a path of not creating harm and trying to become familiar with yourself as you explore your world.851

Answer 64

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 65

Of the two witnesses, hold the principal one. This slogan highlights the notion that at the core of who we are, we are worthy. We are capable. As a result of developing confidence in our own basic goodness, we have deep trust in ourselves.

Answer 65

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 66

When tricky situations arise, there can be multiple points of view as to what has happened or what should happen. That is what Atisha means when he points out that there are two witnesses—there is other people’s view of you and your actions and your own view of yourself. Of those two points of view, the principal one is your own insight.

Answer 66

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 67

Meditation practice is a practice in getting to know yourself very well. No one has spent more time with you than you. You are your own best adviser. Because you know yourself well, you ought to respect your own insight and listen to it. Trust your intuition, and lead from that perspective.868

Answer 67

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 68

Don’t ponder others. When we obsess over other people’s actions or affairs, we are not bettering anyone.876

Answer 68

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 69

This means that you should not take delight in other people’s misfortunes or waste your time fantasizing about what may or may not be happening with them. Obsessing over other people’s business perpetuates inner gossip, ruining your mindfulness.881

Answer 69

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 70

Don’t bring things to a painful point.890

Answer 70

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 71

How often have you wanted to get in the last word or tried to alleviate your discomfort by forcing an issue beyond what another person felt able to discuss?891

Answer 71

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 72

Another way we bring things to a painful point is by running away from topics that scare us.894

Answer 72

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 73

Unfortunately, when we hide from our problems, they tend to get bigger.898

Answer 73

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 74

Instead of avoiding discomfort, you can lean into your life and tackle difficult topics straightforwardly and mindfully.900

Answer 74

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 75

This is not to say that you should never give space to difficult topics, as was discussed in the previous chapter. Sometimes the most skillful thing to do is give a tricky situation a lot of space and let it resolve itself.902

Answer 75

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 76

Don’t be swayed by external circumstances.905

Answer 76

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 77

if you train to be present and spacious only when things are good, you will feel that way only when things are good. When things are difficult, you will not be able to experience the qualities you are trying to cultivate.908

Answer 77

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 78

Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche has also commented on this slogan, saying, “Although your external circumstances may vary, your practice should not be dependent on that.”910

Answer 78

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 79

Don’t expect applause. The reason we try to bring our meditation practice and our livelihood together is not to attain great fame but because it is a way to live our life with meaning.913

Answer 79

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 80

Pema Chödrön has commented on this slogan, saying, “We can thank others, but we should give up all hope of getting thanked back. Simply keep the door open without expectations.”917

Answer 80

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 81

This basic experience of opening up beyond just thinking about me and my problems is the basis of the Mahayana, or greater vehicle.948

Answer 81

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 82

transcends working just for your own benefit; it is based in taking others’ happiness as the source of your own. It is a path of stepping beyond yourself and being completely available to the world, living your life in a way that is not only meaningful to you but serves others as well. The first step on that path is discovering how you suffer and learning to be empathetic when others suffer in the same ways.949

Answer 82

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 83

trapped in a constant cycle of suffering, known as samsara. Samsara is a Sanskrit term that describes the continuous flow of the pain of our existence from birth until death and into birth again.954

Answer 83

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 84

We seek pleasure and want to avoid pain. We yearn for praise and abhor blame. We fantasize about fame but fear disgrace. We desire gain and are terrified of loss. In the Buddhist canon, these four contrasting pairs are referred to as the eight worldly dharmas.965

Answer 84

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 85

“When you give in to these eight, you will walk around like a zombie.” “A zombie,” I thought. “That’s interesting; you’re just aimlessly wandering through life.” “A zombie,” he said. “You know, an undead person who eats brains!”969

Answer 85

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 86

The more you meditate, though, the more likely you are to notice the way your mind slips into these eight worldly dharmas, and the more likely you are to come back to the present moment.975

Answer 86

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 87

At this point in your spiritual journey, you begin to comprehend that this whole meditation thing is not just about you. It’s about helping others so that they aren’t so hooked by their own pain and drama.983

Answer 87

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 88

When you see how others suffer, just like you, your heart goes out to them. This is the blossoming of bodhicitta.987

Answer 88

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 89

Bodhicitta is a Sanskrit term. Bodhi has the same meaning as in bodhisattva: “open” or “awake.” Citta can be translated as “heart” or “mind.” There is not a lot of difference between the heart and the mind in the Sanskrit. Putting these two terms together, you can think of bodhicitta as that experience of opening your heart, or being awake enough to allow your heart to be available to any experience, good or bad.990

Answer 89

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 90

A being who practices the path of bodhicitta is referred to as a bodhisattva. As mentioned before, a bodhisattva is a brave individual who continuously offers this sense of openness in order to be more fully connected to their world and to benefit others in the process.997

Answer 90

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 91

this is the practice of the bodhisattva—opening your heart fully to everyone, the people you love and the people who annoy the heck out of you. When you are able to do that, you grow as a human being and create positive change in the world.1001

Answer 91

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 92

Opening our heart in this unconditional, vulnerable way actually makes us stronger.1003

Answer 92

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 93

“The starting point of relative bodhicitta practice is realizing that others could actually be more important than ourselves.”21005

Answer 93

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 94

In that sense, opening your heart to others is the best kind of double-edged sword. You are cutting through your own stuck mind-set, moving beyond just thinking of yourself. At the same time, you are cutting through others’ difficulties and being helpful in a way that brings everyone contentment.1016

Answer 94

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 95

We are inspired by leaders who make themselves available. In his book Integrity, Dr. Henry Cloud wrote, “The tension between vulnerability and strength in leaders cannot be lost.”1037

Answer 95

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 96

I am a firm believer that cynicism can be overcome by the power of an awake heart and that uncomfortable conversations can be softened through bodhicitta. I believe that whatever life throws at us, we can meet it with vulnerability and strength simultaneously, if we dare to tread on the bodhisattva’s path.1041

Answer 96

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 97

Virtue, or gewa in Tibetan, is about listening to and leading from your bodhicitta. You can align yourself with your open heart and let that be your moral compass.1056

Answer 97

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 98

We are strengthening our resolve to offer an open heart, which shows off our potential, deepens our faith in our goodness,1060

Answer 98

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Question 99

Virtue, in this sense, is about tuning in fully to your open heart and acting in a way that is in accordance with whatever your inner voice is telling you.1061

Answer 99

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 100

One aspect of discernment is learning what company you want to keep.1070

Answer 100

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 101

It is through being present and open that we begin to notice whom we want to spend our time with and our energy on. We begin to discern how we can live a life of virtue,1072

Answer 101

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 102

According to Ngulchu Thogme, if you are spending time with someone and your negative qualities start to wane while your positive qualities blossom, then you have found someone worth spending time with. Doing so is virtuous activity.1076

Answer 102

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 103

It is important that in the company we keep and the actions we perform, we hold the view that we are working for the happiness of others as well as ourselves.1108

Answer 103

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 104

it is often those who work tirelessly, consistently, but slowly who accomplish the most—not the people who were the most frantic in their endeavors or the best at multitasking.1121

Answer 104

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 105

When it comes to living a virtuous life and still accomplishing a great deal at work, slow and steady wins the race.1138

Answer 105

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 106

equanimity means taking a larger view, rising above these petty distinctions, and recognizing that at our core we are all the same. We all possess basic goodness, and we all are striving to be happy.1186

Answer 106

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 107

The Buddha taught extensively about the six paramitas, specifically how they can serve as tools that we can use in cultivating bodhicitta so that we too can move beyond our constant suffering and arrive at the shore of awake.

Answer 107

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 108

The six paramitas are: 1. dana (generosity) 2. shila (discipline) 3. kshanti (patience) 4. virya (exertion) 5. samadhi (meditative concentration) 6. prajna (wisdom)1203

Answer 108

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 109

generosity, he points out that there are three traditional ways to practice generosity. GIVING MATERIAL ITEMS We can give away material possessions.1220

Answer 109

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 110

GIVING THE GIFT OF DHARMA There are two aspects to the generosity of giving dharma. The first is that we should give up improper actions—those that we know are harmful to ourselves and others.1242

Answer 110

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 111

The second form of offering the dharma is to offer your experience of it.1247

Answer 111

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Question 112

you can share your experience of how meditation has affected your life and offer your authentic presence in a way that inspires people to try mindfulness out for themselves.1249

Answer 112

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Question 113

Usually this means showing rather than telling.1251

Answer 113

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Question 114

three primary ways we can practice discipline. THE DISCIPLINE OF REFRAINING FROM NEGATIVE ACTIONS1259

Answer 114

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 115

The way we learn about our negative actions is twofold: we meditate and become familiar with our mind, and then we pay attention to our conduct so that if we do make a mistake, we quickly learn from it and vow not to repeat it.1265

Answer 115

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 116

THE DISCIPLINE OF GATHERING POSITIVE ACTIONS Another way to practice discipline is to carry out more positive actions. The more you meditate, the more you turn the tide against the habitual way you have lived your life.1267

Answer 116

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 117

Practicing discipline in this way means that you are immediately moving beyond thinking about only yourself and instead opening your heart to others.1275

Answer 117

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 118

THE DISCIPLINE OF WORKING FOR THE BENEFIT OF SENTIENT BEINGS The final form of discipline is based in equanimity. It is the idea that when we refrain from negative actions and cultivate positive ones, we apply the discipline of doing it for everyone. This means that sometimes we must practice a gut-wrenching form of discipline: doing things for people we simply don’t like.1277

Answer 118

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 119

Dudjom Rinpoche has said, “The point of patience is to train so that our altruistic attitude is immovable and irrepressible in the face of those who hurt us with their ingratitude and so forth.”3 Patience is not something that is based in just waiting until you get to do what you want to do, with those people you want to do things with. It is based in relating fully with a situation, even if it annoys the hell out of you.1294

Answer 119

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 120

Chinese proverb that says, “Slander cannot destroy an honest man. . . . when the flood recedes the rock is there.” Patience in this sense is simply remaining present when someone is a jerk. When someone wrongs you, you do not need to correct them or lash out at them.1303

Answer 120

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 121

If you can smile in the face of uncertainty, you are well trained.1316

Answer 121

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 122

PATIENCE IN ASPIRING TO A TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF REALITY The final form of patience is based on aspiring to view life as it is. This reinforces the idea of being as present with as much of your life as possible.1317

Answer 122

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 123

The fourth paramita is exertion, which encompasses both applying yourself on behalf of others and rousing yourself to think about more than just your own particular situation. Dudjom Rinpoche presents three aspects of exertion.1323

Answer 123

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 124

ARMOR-LIKE EXERTION We should wear our exertion all the time, constantly remaining vigilant in seeking out opportunities to be of benefit to others.1325

Answer 124

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 125

EXERTION IN APPLICATION Moving beyond thinking about just me doesn’t always feel comfortable, so we have to persevere in exerting ourselves to do it. Often we are lost in our own emotional upheavals. When you notice that you are starting to cling tightly to your own comfort, valuing it above the comfort of others, drop the story line of whatever neurotic mess is swirling in your brain and return to the underlying emotion. Acknowledge that emotion, sit with it, but try to cut through the story line around it. When you have returned to some semblance of calm, take one more step to move beyond thinking solely about yourself. Do one good thing for a coworker and see how that changes your attitude. More often than not, the quickest way to stop feeling lost in your own head is to exert yourself on behalf of another.1332

Answer 125

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 126

We can embrace the path of offering ourselves for others as a means to our own happiness. We can put our personal concerns aside to work for something bigger,1341

Answer 126

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 127

When you exert yourself in this manner, you make others feel good because they are experiencing relief. You feel good because you are living a life that is having an impact on other people. That is true exertion, the type that benefits both ourselves and everyone we encounter.1343

Answer 127

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 128

It may be best to cut down on multitasking and develop a feeling of well-being by bringing yourself entirely to whatever is right in front of you.1358

Answer 128

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Question 129

The most excellent quality that concentration can give rise to is a sense of awake.1361

Answer 129

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Question 130

CONCENTRATION THAT BENEFITS SENTIENT BEINGS When you have developed a level of meditative stability, you can be of maximum benefit to everyone you encounter. If you are truly present with people, they begin to feel respected and encouraged. If you bring yourself fully to a project or task, it gets accomplished in a seamless and efficient manner.1365

Answer 130

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 131

Prajna is often translated from Sanskrit as “wisdom.” It is, more specifically, the wisdom to get what the heck is going on in a situation so that you can do something appropriate in that moment. It is not an accumulation of knowledge, or acting in a slow-moving, semicontemplative manner. It is an instant type of wisdom. It is the skill to recognize what needs to be done and to do it.1371

Answer 131

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 132

There are three main ways to let this form of intelligence guide your activity.1375

Answer 132

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 133

THE WISDOM OF LISTENING Listening is a lost art in our society. There is great wisdom in taking the time to hear someone out and give yourself the space to understand what they are trying to communicate.1376

Answer 133

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 134

The more you listen, the more you will eventually be able to express yourself clearly to others.1382

Answer 134

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Question 135

THE WISDOM OF REFLECTING/CONTEMPLATING After deeply listening to a variety of opinions, you should chew on them. See what truth sits with you and what does not. Reflect on what has been offered to you. There is an element of patience in this process1384

Answer 135

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 136

THE WISDOM OF MEDITATING Finally, allow your contemplations to sink in as an act of meditation. The discursive thoughts that came up will naturally dissipate. What truths have come to you will remain. Sitting with the reality of the situation, you develop certainty in those facts. You can realize those truths in your life and work. Then you are prepared to act.1389

Answer 136

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 137

Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche wrote, “When our attitude is open, we can have fun with what the world presents.”41397

Answer 137

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 138

From a Buddhist point of view, karma is the law of cause and effect, which plays out over multiple lifetimes.1416

Answer 138

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 139

Think of the alaya consciousness as a giant warehouse. It is white and pristine. This is representative of our basic state. This giant warehouse exists to house your virtuous and unvirtuous actions, known respectively in Tibetan as gewa and migewa. If you engage in positive actions, such as helping a coworker out of a jam, then it is like walking into the alaya warehouse with rose water on your feet. This sort of activity creates the cause for a future rebirth in which you can enjoy your life and be of benefit to others. If you screw your coworker over, though, it is like walking into the warehouse with muddy shoes on. Your negative actions will be imprinted on your alaya consciousness like mud on a white carpet.

Answer 139

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 140

Your alaya, which is basically clear and neutral, gets imprinted with your virtuous and unvirtuous activity. It holds the imprints of positive and negative actions that will, in some way, give rise to results in this or another lifetime. This is different from the one-to-one correlation that is often assumed in discussions about karma, so it is worth considering our own experience to try to determine what this karmic warehouse means for us.1420

Answer 140

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 141

The Buddha said that we have to test the truth of his teachings. He encouraged us to check whether anything he taught meshes with our own experience.1429

Answer 141

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Question 142

In Turning the Mind into an Ally, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche writes, “If we plant peaches, we’re always going to get peaches. If we plant pears, we’re always going to get pears.”1 This is perhaps the simplest and clearest description of karma I have ever read. Whatever seeds you plant in your own mind will bear fruit appropriately.1443

Answer 142

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 143

According to the Buddhist canon, there are six realms of existence, although you might not have any memory of actual lifetimes spent in some of them. It may be helpful to think of them as psychological states, which is how they are often introduced.1449

Answer 143

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 144

THE HELL REALM It is said that even one moment of anger can be like immersing your body in a swamp and running muddy into your alaya warehouse and rolling around; you are dooming yourself to the hell realm. The hell realms are said to be places of various kinds of torment. There1453

Answer 144

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 145

The point here is that when you experience anger, you don’t have to act on it and give in to perpetuating negative actions. You can feel the hot and the cold, the poking and prodding, without lashing out and creating harm for yourself and others. Experiencing these strong emotional states but not giving in to them is how we sow the seeds of virtue.1462

Answer 145

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 146

The hungry-ghost realm is based in jealousy and stinginess. It is said that when you are born into this realm, you take on the form of a hungry ghost, a being who suffers from extreme hunger and thirst. Hungry ghosts are said to have mouths the size of a needle’s eye and stomachs the size of mountains. Their necks are so thin that they cannot pass any food down to the stomach, so while the hungry ghost is starving, it cannot eat and is lost in a state of yearning for an entire lifetime.1466

Answer 146

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 147

the idea of yearning is probably not far from your experience. We constantly long to fulfill our physical desires but are never satisfied with what we get. If a hungry ghost does manage to get food down its throat, it is only reminded of what it has been missing, and its desire for more increases exponentially.1470

Answer 147

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 148

When you engage in this mentality, you are lost in desire and do not experience joy. By cutting through stinginess and craving, you can experience your life more fully and are planting the seeds for more positive things to occur in your life (or lifetimes).1474

Answer 148

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Question 149

it is said that the animal realm is not a good one to be born into because of animals’ limited intelligence. They are unable to meditate and become familiar with their own mind, and thus are constantly yanked around by instinctual urges. They suffer from bewilderment and have no hope of distinguishing between virtue and nonvirtue.1486

Answer 149

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Question 150

The human realm is said to be the best possible birth, because we have the ability to work with our mind and become a better person. This is the sole realm in which we can seek awakening.1491

Answer 150

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 151

At the same time, the human realm is marked by its own pains. We suffer from the pains of birth, aging, sickness, and death.1494

Answer 151

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Question 152

It is said that it is more likely for that tortoise to poke through the hole of the yoke floating somewhere on the ocean than it is for someone to obtain a precious human birth. Thus, it is a rare and precious opportunity.1501

Answer 152

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 153

The jealous-god realm is said to be inhabited by demigods. They live long lives that are wasted in jealousy of gods who have more than they do. As a result, they constantly try to wage war against the higher gods but are easily defeated. A rough equivalent of this jealous-god scenario may play out when your colleagues are promoted ahead of you.1508

Answer 153

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Question 154

it is better to learn to sit with your jealousy and let it pass like a cloud moving across the sky instead of engaging in unvirtuous activity.1513

Answer 154

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Question 155

The sixth realm is the god realm. Gods are not eternal in the Buddhist tradition, but they do have an extended lifetime of many years. This is the reward for having engaged in virtue and accumulated a large amount of positive karma. For the majority of their lifetime the gods are youthful and healthy.1515

Answer 155

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Question 156

If they suffer during this portion of their lives, it is from pride in how good they have it.1518

Answer 156

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Question 157

Since we cannot avoid impermanence, we must realize that things change and we will suffer this form of loss. Knowing that things change is part of our path; it allows us to appreciate them more. We loosen our attachment when we realize the nature of impermanence, and we are then more likely to be generous and engage in other virtuous activity.1528

Answer 157

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 158

The six realms are based in the same three root emotions, aggression, passion, and ignorance, discussed earlier.

Answer 158

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 159

We become lost in the hell realm when we fall victim to anger and aggression. We wander in the hungry-ghost realm when we are stingy and passionately desirous of things we cannot have. We meander in the animal realm when we are lost in ignorance.

Answer 159

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 160

The human realm is marked by the desire for pleasure and the desire to avoid pain.

Answer 160

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Question 161

The jealous-god realm is based in aggression, specifically the aggression of acting out against beings that we perceive as having more than we do.

Answer 161

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Question 162

The god realm is a place of ignorance, where we do not realize the nature of change.1531

Answer 162

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Question 163

The more you examine yourself, the more you will see how you wander into these various realms through the simplest of actions.1538

Answer 163

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Question 164

This being has been my mother. I give thanks for their kindness. They have shown you great care and support in the past.1568

Answer 164

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Question 165

A recent study developed by the Career Advisory Board showed that one of the most important factors for the millennial generation when looking for a job was that they felt the work they are doing is meaningful. The notion of doing something meaningful outranked “high pay” and “sense of accomplishment.”11588

Answer 165

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 166

Regardless of the story line, the point of our meditation practice is to recognize the underlying emotions and, before getting caught up in them, to see them as impermanent. You can see the story lines as something other than what is currently going on in your present experience. From there you can return to the breath. This is our practice on and off the meditation cushion.1618

Answer 166

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 167

An angry protester demanding peace seems paradoxical. To quote the comedian George Carlin, “Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity.”1631

Answer 167

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 168

STEP 1: CUTTING THROUGH FIXED VIEWS- By continuously coming back to the present, we are learning to free ourselves from fixed points of view.1670

Answer 168

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Question 169

STEP 2: RAISING YOUR G- As you get to know your mind, you see where you get hooked by fixed emotions, but they no longer get their hooks into you like they used to. You come to recognize when you stray into one of the six realms. Then you start to recognize people around you similarly lost in the fog of their own emotional states. As you are freed from just listening to and expounding upon your own fixed views, you become more available to notice the emotional turmoil of those around you.1673

Answer 169

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Question 170

In his article “Innovation Starts with Empathy,” Dev Patnaik points out that the quickest and most effective way for a company to prosper is for its leaders to develop empathy for the world around them.1682

Answer 170

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 171

the more we can empathize with coworkers, clients, and even superiors, the better we will be able to understand them. Having understood them and seen them for who they are, we will be able to figure out how best to engage in compassionate activity and create change based on what needs to happen, as opposed to our ideas about what needs to happen.1695

Answer 171

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Question 172

STEP 3: COMPASSIONATE ACTIVITY- I believe we are a generation that wants to create positive change, but we have not yet woken up to our potential to do so.1723

Answer 172

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Question 173

If you can move beyond thinking only about yourself and open up to an empathetic point of view, then you will be able to come home from work and feel good about the life you are living.1742

Answer 173

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Question 174

The following five slogans seem particularly relevant to keeping an open heart at work.1745

Answer 174

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Question 175

When the world is filled with evil, transform all mishaps into the path of bodhi.1746

Answer 175

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Question 176

He is saying that it is easy to keep an open heart when we are surrounded by puppies and loving friends and family. When we are confronted with bona fide evil, particularly in the workplace, it is difficult to maintain a sense of bodhi.1748

Answer 176

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Question 177

When in the belly of the beast, you can create tremendous positive change simply by taking whatever comes up at work as an opportunity to exhibit the power of an open heart.1754

Answer 177

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Question 178

That cave is an evil-filled workplace. The flashlight is your bodhicitta. The beauty of bodhicitta is that you never will run out of batteries; it is always available.1758

Answer 178

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Question 179

Whatever you meet unexpectedly, join with meditation.1760

Answer 179

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Question 180

When you bring together unexpected events and meditation, it similarly creates a complete scenario.1766

Answer 180

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Question 181

when you are thrown a curveball in life, you are immediately offered two doors that you can walk through. Both open into your warehouse consciousness. One door is marked MEDITATION AND VIRTUOUS ACTIVITY and the other PASSION AGGRESSION IGNORANCE DANGER KEEP OUT. Perhaps it is all those capital letters, but we often miss the meditation door and run straight toward this doorway of habitual patterns.1770

Answer 181

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Question 182

Don’t act with a twist. Short and sweet, this lojong slogan encourages you to be straightforward in all your workplace interactions as well as your meditation practice.1778

Answer 182

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Question 183

you should exercise compassion and empathy because it will help everyone. If you benefit from the interaction (and likely you will), that’s great, but that is not the point. The point is to help this world through all of your interactions.1782

Answer 183

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Question 184

Change your attitude, but remain natural.1785

Answer 184

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Question 185

If we want to experience the joy and lightness that comes from bodhicitta, we need to change our attitude. That means instead of hoarding our kindness and compassion, we must offer it at all times, to all beings. We are included in “all beings,” so we don’t need to stop being kind or compassionate to ourselves. The shift in view is from “I’m going to make samsara work for me” to “I’m going to work for all beings.”1791

Answer 185

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 186

The second half of this slogan points out the way we should approach this transition in attitude—we should remain natural. There is a sense of relaxation in this statement. We should not get hyped up about trying to embrace all beings1794

Answer 186

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Question 187

Be grateful to everyone.1797

Answer 187

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Question 188

Steve Carell’s coworkers wanted to become better people simply because he would not complain.1811

Answer 188

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Question 189

complaining doesn’t help anyone; it only furthers negativity. Instead of complaining, you should seek out solutions to whatever problems ail you. Plus, if all beings are actually practice opportunities, we shouldn’t complain about them. We should be grateful for their existence!1813

Answer 189

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 190

“If someone hurts you, you should be thankful to them for giving you the opportunity to practice.”21816

Answer 190

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Question 191

EMPTINESS + COMPASSION = POSITIVE CHANGE1819

Answer 191

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Question 192

Emptiness is not based on the relative notion of fullness. It is a return to the teachings on prajna. The paramitas1824

Answer 192

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Question 193

They too are constantly changing, fluid beings. Emptiness, then, means that the world and all of us, its inhabitants, are not what we think they are. We are all actually ever-changing1832

Answer 193

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 194

In her book The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, Bronnie Ware describes the five biggest regrets of the patients she encountered during her years as a caregiver.3 Surprisingly, the first one was “I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”

Answer 194

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 195

When you practice the principles introduced thus far, you will live a life true to yourself. You can overcome other people’s expectations and bravely engage in a lifetime journey of being aligned with your own moral compass, your awake heart.

Answer 195

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Question 196

By living in accord with the practices of mindfulness and compassion, you have a much better shot at creating change that is meaningful, without forcing or changing major aspects of who you are. You don’t have to work so hard at this idea; you can just let your bodhicitta naturally transform your environment. After all, the second biggest regret on that list was “I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.”1839

Answer 196

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Question 197

The difference between a pebble and a mountain lies in whom you ask to move it. —Marcus Buckingham1852

Answer 197

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Question 198

If we want to do all the various things we aspire to do, we must play to our strengths while relying on others.1864

Answer 198

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Question 199

A fundamental principle of leadership is that we need to engage others, work with their skill sets, and encourage the people with whom we collaborate.1869

Answer 199

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Question 200

The Six Ways of Ruling are based in the idea that we are all already the king.1879

Answer 200

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Question 201

The Six Ways of Ruling are about being benevolent, true, genuine, fearless, artful, and rejoicing.1888

Answer 201

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Question 202

each of us has the ability to lead others, once we develop a sense of confidence in our innate wisdom. That confidence is where the sense of regality comes from. Furthermore, the Six Ways of Ruling teach that you can be successful at leadership positions when you act primarily on behalf of others. Putting others’ happiness before your own is a surefire way to earn the trust of your coworkers and creates fluid communication among everyone.1889

Answer 202

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Question 203

There is a fine line between being selfish—when your motivation is to do anything possible to make sure you come out on top—and taking care of yourself so you can be of assistance to others.1905

Answer 203

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Question 204

You can spot good leaders because they are able to simultaneously take care of themselves while taking care of others.1909

Answer 204

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Question 205

a leader can simultaneously hold a long-term vision and act in a way that accomplishes what needs to happen right now.1919

Answer 205

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Question 206

Marcus Buckingham, the best-selling author and founder of the leadership development platform Stand Out, once said, “If you want to understand leadership, you have to understand it through the impact a leader has on followers. The word leadership explodes into meaninglessness if you don’t think about it from that perspective. What a leader does for followers is turn anxiety into confidence.”1927

Answer 206

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Question 207

the best way to judge a leader is by analyzing the people whom he or she leads.1933

Answer 207

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Question 208

THE BENEVOLENT LEADER The Oxford English Dictionary defines benevolent as “well-meaning and kindly.” In the context of the Six Ways of Ruling, however, benevolence means more than just meaning well; it is actively engaging kindness so that the lives of the people you are leading are changed for the better.1939

Answer 208

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Question 209

One aspect of being accommodating is recognizing that people suffer.1946

Answer 209

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Question 210

You are taking a holistic look at your work situation rather than focusing on deadlines alone.1951

Answer 210

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Question 211

GENTLENESS AND HUMOR- velvet hammer in mind. The hammer is a tool that accomplishes what needs to get done. Yet the velvet makes it soft, gentle, and thus people are more likely to respect it.1962

Answer 211

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Question 212

Often when you offer space to someone, their aggression naturally fizzles. You are not pouring fuel on the fire of their anger, and without it, the heat of aggression gradually fades out.1983

Answer 212

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Question 213

how silly it was for me to be angry at this abusive person. His words only carried the weight I allow them to carry.1994

Answer 213

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Question 214

place.”2 Instead of meeting someone on the battlefield of aggression, you can meet them in the spacious playground of shared innate wisdom.2001

Answer 214

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Question 215

In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock. —Thomas Jefferson2009

Answer 215

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Question 216

“If you are telling the truth, then you can speak gently, and your words will have power.”12016

Answer 216

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Question 217

When we talk about being true in the Shambhala context, we should be clear that the term does not refer to insisting on the truth of a particular opinion or idea. True, in this context, means being true to the view of basic goodness.2022

Answer 217

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Question 218

Really being true, then, simply means being in tune with your core wisdom.2024

Answer 218

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Question 219

you are basically good, and others are basically good,2025

Answer 219

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Question 220

if you want to lead others, you need to let go of the notion that you can do everything at once. You need to focus, bringing yourself fully to whatever task is at hand2036

Answer 220

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Question 221

AN UNWAVERING PRESENCE- She was constantly true to her conviction in her goodness, as well as the goodness of the demanding person she was encountering.2052

Answer 221

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Question 222

True is not puffing up your ego to think you’re the best or better than anyone. It is confidence that everyone possesses basic goodness and that therefore you will be able to resolve whatever issue arises.2058

Answer 222

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Question 223

When you are true to yourself in this way, you spontaneously act with integrity. There is something about you that comes across as completely sane. That mountain-like steadiness is apparent to everyone, and they see that you will not flinch at the light breeze of other people’s neuroses. There is something so reliable about that; people grow to trust you as a result.2060

Answer 223

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Question 224

There is a sense of ease in working with people when we are true.2071

Answer 224

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Question 225

charismatic behavior can be broken down into three basic elements: presence, power, and warmth.2077

Answer 225

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Question 226

When you are true, there is no them that we need to conquer or subjugate; there is only us.2092

Answer 226

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Question 227

When you devote yourself to being true, you are connecting with the most intimate part of who you are and putting it on display.2099

Answer 227

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Question 228

Genuine in this sense is not just being clear and direct. It involves pointing out the exact nature of things.2109

Answer 228

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Question 229

Genuine is based in knowing what is in your mind and heart, which is true, and not being afraid of it. We can genuinely be who we are.2112

Answer 229

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 230

When you are genuine, you are able to discern what needs to happen in any given moment, based on the wisdom of your own understanding.2117

Answer 230

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 231

In some sense, genuine is merely pointing out the reality of any given moment. It is highlighting your own wisdom and creating a map for others to discover their own.2123

Answer 231

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 232

When you are genuine, you are offering other people the opportunity to meet you in that state of mind. You are opening the door to the reality of what is going on, which is not always pretty.2150

Answer 232

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 233

if you are lost in your own sense of the way things should be, and not realizing the way they are, then you are merely displaying your ideas and opinions, which is not necessarily genuine either. In this case, you may mean well, but you yourself are engaging in bullshit.2154

Answer 233

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 234

You know how it feels when you are not genuine. Often, it feels like you are living half a life. You are more prone to distraction, and you aren’t truly happy.2162

Answer 234

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 235

“Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.”2167

Answer 235

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 236

encouraged us to give up our genuineness. One aspect of this teaching points to the idea that being genuine actually has nothing to do with us. Being genuine is not about being smarter than others or having the best plan or the most important insights. It is that we are able to see a clear course of action and point to it. Pointing out the logic behind a situation is always about benefiting others.

Answer 236

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 237

When you are genuine, you make things easier for others. This is actually very simple. You are in tune with who you are, and thus are not lost in your own neurotic garbage.2172

Answer 237

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 238

Mantra is a Sanskrit word that can be translated as “to protect the mind.”2185

Answer 238

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 239

When someone recites a mantra, they are engaging in a meditation practice that cuts through harmful habitual patterns and focuses their attention on a more noble aspiration, thus protecting their mind from negativity and fortifying it with virtue.2185

Answer 239

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 240

choose the phrase that makes the most sense to you as an antidote to whatever emotional disturbance you’re currently experiencing. If you notice that you are lost in your own melodrama, you could recite the phrase Come back to the present, or if you are on your way to meet someone you have a hard time with, you could recite kindness as a reminder to treat them gently and with consideration. As you count your repetitions, reflect on the meaning of the word or phrase, coming back to that just as you come back to the breath during shamatha practice. Whenever you engage in this practice, take a moment at the end of your recitation to raise your gaze and rest with whatever feeling has arisen.2210

Answer 240

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 241

The Six Ways of Ruling are divided into two broad categories: just and powerful. The first three principles—benevolent, true, and genuine—are about manifesting in a way that feels just when working with others. The next three qualities fall under the heading of powerful. All six embody the Mahayana aspiration of helping all beings we encounter.2223

Answer 241

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 242

It does not matter how much wealth you accumulate or how many titles you hold; true power comes from working for the welfare of others.2227

Answer 242

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 243

Fearlessness is not about ignoring fear or running away from it—quite the opposite. Fearlessness is about looking at our fear, learning it well, and seeing our way through it. We must become familiar with our fear if we want to experience fearlessness.2238

Answer 243

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 244

Fearlessness is based in the idea that in order to truly deal with your phobias, you need to confront them with an open heart and mind. Eventually, through repetition, meditation, and possibly even therapy, you can work through them.2250

Answer 244

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 245

Fear is powered by story lines, and fearlessness is powered by innate goodness.2254

Answer 245

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 246

When those fears come up, the instruction is to label them thinking and return our attention to our breathing.2258

Answer 246

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 247

We end up feeling more liberated, knowing that our fear is not as solid and real as it initially appeared.2272

Answer 247

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 248

As you become familiar with fear, you discover that you hold the ability to let it wash over you and walk through its fog into the brilliant and clear space of fearlessness. The story lines that are associated with fear will continue to come up in your life, but you always have the choice not to get hooked by them and instead reside in your fearless state, your own basic goodness.2277

Answer 248

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 249

Sakyong wrote in Ruling Your World, “Fear is a state of mind. Fearlessness is our nature.”2282

Answer 249

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 250

It is much better to rest in our nature than to engage a state of mind that only causes us suffering.2283

Answer 250

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 251

One way fear manifests at work is through extreme hesitancy. When you are disconnected from your own basic goodness, you have cut yourself off from your inner voice. You cannot make decisions based on the principle of being true to your wisdom, because you are too fearful to trust that it even exists. One way fearlessness manifests at work is through freedom from hesitancy. If you can move beyond uncertainty in your basic goodness, then you can move beyond hesitation in making whatever decisions need to be made.

Answer 251

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 252

When you face tough decisions, there will only be yes and no. There are not a lot of maybes when you are fearless, because you are genuine and thus you see the logic behind why things need to happen. Having determined the logical way forward, you know you ought to act decisively, and you feel the impetus to follow through on that logic. That is fearlessness at work.

Answer 252

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 253

Furthermore, if you act indecisively, you are only inspiring others to question your decision-making ability. This is not to say that you should lead from a sense of false confidence and just proclaim decisions for the sake of getting things done. That would only delay the questioning of your decision-making ability. Instead, if you are connected to the first three of the Six Ways of Ruling, you can lead from a place of confidence in your goodness, in what is good for others, and in the logical path forward. You will inspire confidence in others through this form of leadership, as opposed to waffling on whether your decisions are the right ones and inspiring doubt. This is the methodical aspect of fearlessness: you are efficient in your work and others appreciate your bold decisions.2284

Answer 253

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 254

Pema Chödrön once said, “A warrior accepts that we can never know what will happen to us next.”2302

Answer 254

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 255

Fearlessness in the face of uncertainty is a powerful weapon for good.2304

Answer 255

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 256

In order to overcome the hold that fear has on us, we need to confront it fully. Doing so, we end up kinder, more compassionate, and more open to helping others through their fear.2321

Answer 256

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 257

Fear will always arise in new forms as we go about our lives. To embrace it when it arises not as obstacle but as journey is a brilliant learning experience.2323

Answer 257

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 258

I’m not the smartest fellow in the world, but I can sure pick smart colleagues. —Franklin D. Roosevelt2327

Answer 258

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 259

Artfulness is the fifth of the Six Ways of Ruling. It is the ability to flow with your life, as opposed to measuring it out in exact terms. It is seeing what needs to happen and making it happen, utilizing the skill sets at your disposal. When you are successful at being artful, everything looks effortless.2341

Answer 259

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 260

In order to truly be artful, you have to manifest a genuine presence. If you practice the first three ways of ruling discussed thus far, then you are already in touch with and acting from your own goodness. You are already presenting your most authentic self. As a result, people will be drawn to you.2344

Answer 260

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 261

Skill sets can be easily taught; things like presence and communication are harder to train someone in.2359

Answer 261

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 262

arranging your kingdom.2364

Answer 262

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 263

Tina Fey made the point, “In most cases being a good boss means hiring talented people and then getting out of their way.”2372

Answer 263

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 264

Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche once said that an artful leader cares about all of the details of people’s lives, from the type of clothing they wear to how they advance professionally.2378

Answer 264

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 265

If you want your work to flow seamlessly, you need to know when to act and when to give space to a situation.2383

Answer 265

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 266

An artful leader is one who gives others the space to discover their own wisdom.2387

Answer 266

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 267

Another aspect of artfulness is knowing when not to act at all.2393

Answer 267

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 268

be our best selves when we actually listen to others and take their opinions into account. The more space you give other people to discover their wisdom—even if that messes with your preconceived notions of what ought to be happening—the more they will come to trust and respect you.2397

Answer 268

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 269

A skillful leader sees the unique qualities in others and places them in positions that allow them to shine and feel empowered, while bettering the situation at hand.2423

Answer 269

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 270

it is foolish that we waste so much time complaining about what we do not have instead of rejoicing in our good fortune.2440

Answer 270

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 271

This ability to rejoice in the midst of great pressure is one of the things that make the Sakyong an incredible leader.2486

Answer 271

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 272

“Celebration is an attitude.” Celebration is not empty sake bottles or happy-hour Budweisers. It is an attitude of appreciating our life as it is. That is the example the Sakyong sets: if we are able to be aware of the present moment, celebration comes naturally.2507

Answer 272

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 273

Rejoicing is a direct outcome of combining the previous five methods of leadership. When you are benevolent to others, are true to your own goodness, can genuinely point out the logic in a given situation, are fearless in presenting that goodness and logic, and are artful in your execution, a great deal can be accomplished. When that happens, it’s only natural to party.2510

Answer 273

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 274

the Buddhist path involves examining your natural state, without taking too much stock in the confusion that swirls around that.2531

Answer 274

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 275

our basic goodness is always available to us.2540

Answer 275

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 276

When we have developed prajna and see reality as it actually is, as opposed to how we might want it to be, we spontaneously know how to act in a way that is skillful and helpful.2551

Answer 276

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 277

In today’s world, engaging in the process of slowing down and discovering that you aren’t, in fact, basically struggling and pitiful but are instead good and worthy is countercultural.2562

Answer 277

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 278

If we long to be our most authentic self, then we need to overcome this obstacle and develop true confidence in our own goodness and our unique abilities.2568

Answer 278

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 279

One aspect of developing confidence in your basic nature is realizing that you are not your obstacles.2570

Answer 279

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 280

A core belief in the Buddhist tradition is anatman, a Sanskrit term that translates as “not-self.” It is the idea that you are not the set, solid being that you think you are. You are a fluid, constantly evolving and changing person who can play a variety of roles and embody a variety of qualities over time. You are not a permanent expression of the labels you put on yourself but more of a fluid entity that shifts in accordance with what comes up in your life.2591

Answer 280

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 281

How we respond to obstacles is what actually defines us.2600

Answer 281

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 282

we can look to all of the imperfect aspects of our life as opportunities to learn more about ourselves and our world.2603

Answer 282

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 283

You are not this heavy, solid thing but a vast conglomeration of knowledge and experience that is ever-changing. Similarly, when you face an obstacle, you should think of it in the same impermanent, fluid way.2606

Answer 283

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 284

Everything is workable. If you have confidence in the fact that you are basically good—that this is the deepest reality about who you are—then every situation you encounter becomes an opportunity to be of benefit to yourself and others. Every situation gives you a chance to develop faith in your own abilities.2617

Answer 284

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 285

The more you align yourself with the present moment, the more you will be able to practice upaya, the skillful or expedient means that spontaneously arise when you are grounded in seeing the reality of a situation. When you do that you can act from the standpoint of your basic goodness, allowing your obstacle to serve as a jumping-off point for further continuity of your basic state of awake.2622

Answer 285

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 286

a dakini might manifest as a meditational deity upon whom we can focus to inspire qualities within us or as a wrathful protector of the teachings.2643

Answer 286

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 287

achieved awakening by taking on humble work, committing fully to it, and making it a part of his spiritual practice.2660

Answer 287

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 288

he pinpointed the aspects of himself that he needed to work on, and chipped away at his negative habitual patterns2674

Answer 288

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 289

we need to consider our livelihood from the perspective of how it can help us to hammer away at our neurosis, instead of encourage it.2700

Answer 289

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 290

The third moral of the story of Tilopa, from my personal point of view, is that we may be surprised by the effect this level of commitment has on others.2707

Answer 290

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 291

The author and Tibetan Buddhist teacher Ken McLeod has translated these six words as follows: Don’t recall. Don’t imagine. Don’t think. Don’t examine. Don’t control. Rest. He has also provided a slightly longer translation as an aid in understanding this very short text: Let go of what has passed. Let go of what may come. Let go of what is happening now. Don’t try to figure anything out. Don’t try to make anything happen. Relax, right now, and rest.2726

Answer 291

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 292

Dwelling in what has already passed is like living in a cinema. You may get some sort of satisfaction from the experience, but eventually the lights come up and you return to a reality that differs from the one you had been enjoying.2744

Answer 292

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 293

Don’t feel that you need to intellectualize anything. Instead of getting lost in his own head, your friend could drop the idea that he has to figure out exactly what is going on.2761

Answer 293

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 294

We should just relax and rest with right now. We should just be available to the present moment, as it is.2770

Answer 294

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 295

In the Buddhist context, giving up means that you are surrendering everything that is holding you back from experiencing reality in a direct and pure manner.2780

Answer 295

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 296

The strongest and most efficient leaders I know are the ones who are artful enough to drop their own sense of what needs to happen and empower other people to make things run smoothly.2787

Answer 296

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 297

A true guru is an individual who has fully let go of their ego, embraced a set of teachings, and embodies those teachings in a real and living manner.2802

Answer 297

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 298

Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche has pointed out that when we hit the roadblock of boredom on the meditation cushion, we should not look to other factors to make us less bored. If you are sitting there with your own mind, then it is only you that is boring. Finding a more experienced teacher is not going to make your mind more fascinating.2813

Answer 298

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 299

That means that every life situation is already sacred and wonderful. Obstacles are not obstacles; with the right perspective, they are already workable situations. In this sense, we aren’t transmuting anything other than our point of view.2872

Answer 299

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 300

There is a common practice used in improvisational comedy troupes that may prove helpful in learning how to surrender into life’s situations. It is known as the “yes and” rule.2881

Answer 300

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 301

In fact, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche has said that the aim of Shambhala Buddhist training is to “become a real person who can help others.”12898

Answer 301

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 302

When you start contemplating the Vajrayana path, you may think that something radical will change within you. That’s not really the case; you are simply becoming more you. The idea of basic goodness is that more you is exactly what this world needs. When you are your most authentic self, you can serve the world in a powerful way.2902

Answer 302

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 303

wangthang, which can be directly translated as “field of power.”2907

Answer 303

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 304

When you exhibit wangthang, this authentic presence, people are magnetized to you.2912

Answer 304

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 305

he tells us to step away from thoughts of the future, thoughts of the past, and even busying our mind or trying to control this present moment, and to just rest. That is the same advice that Atisha is offering here. Rest your mind.3011

Answer 305

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 306

absolute teachings of the Mahayana are about developing the realization that you and others—and all phenomena as well—are empty of an absolute self, or ego.3024

Answer 306

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 307

We are constantly looking at our life as full of snakes, when really they are just ropes lying everywhere.3032

Answer 307

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 308

The Mahayana path is based in giving up our time, energy, money—really everything we have—in order to benefit others. This letting-go process destroys me-based thinking. You realize that you can offer yourself fully to your work and your world without losing anything. When you engage the bodhisattva path, you only gain.3044

Answer 308

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 309

as we continue on our journey, we realize that so much of how we achieve these goals is based in just being present to this very moment.3056

Answer 309

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 310

don’t focus on results, focus on the process.3064

Answer 310

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 311

we should train wholeheartedly. We need to be single-minded in bringing our full and most authentic self to every moment of our life.3067

Answer 311

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler

Question 312

if you remember to live a life based in an experience of basic goodness, things flow naturally.3087

Answer 312

The Buddha Walks into the Office by Lodro Rinzler