Where To Begin?

One of the essential tools in the study of Buddha-Dharma is what is known as 'the three wisdom tools' - listening and hearing, contemplation and reflection, and meditation and action. And these tools are as essential for dharma study as they are for any study. 

To learn anything, you need to start by hearing the theory while making a genuine effort to listen attentively. After that, you take time to reflect and check your understanding, ask questions, and seek clarification on anything unclear. 

Drawing from your own life experiences, you contemplate what you have learned and evaluate whether it's true or false. You must use your intellect, a healthy sense of skepticism, and your innate wisdom to examine new knowledge carefully and diligently.

The scriptures describe it as a goldsmith testing gold. Just as a goldsmith would test gold by burning, cutting, and rubbing it to determine its purity, so should students examine the Buddha’s teachings (or any other teachings for that matter). They should scrutinize the teachings carefully and thoroughly, applying them in their lives and observing their effects, rather than accepting them based on mere tradition, authority, or blind faith.

Gradually, through such inquiry, you might gain an understanding that will move from your head to your heart, transforming intellectual knowledge into insight. If that happens, you need to meditate on your insights repeatedly until, with time, it reflect in your actions and responses to things and events. Thus, you gain control over your mind and become the person you want to be.

In all our endeavors to expand our knowledge and adopt new understandings, we first must anchor ourselves in the knowledge and realizations of those who have come before us. Learning from genuine teachers and lineage holders is of utmost importance. This will ensure that we are on the right path.

For accurate and practical instructions for your meditation training, I'm delighted to share links to websites  presenting teachers, communities, and organizations focusing on meditation and contemplation. You can find videos and audio of talks, teachings, and guided reflections, as well as guided meditations and sitting instructions led by exceptional masters and contemporary teachers.

All of these are available for us due to the hard work of many Dharma associations and organizations like `Rigpa`, Khyentse Foundation,` `Shambhala`, `The Middle Way Initiative` and more. And through the great kindness of many Dharma teachers and Lamas like Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, Elizabeth Mattis Namgye, Ringo Tulku Rinpoche and Mingyur Rinpoche and many more who generously shared their knowledge and wisdom, experience, and blessings, online.

I will never be able to repay the kindness of my teachers, chief among them Sogyal Rinpoche and the spiritual home of `Rigpa` he manifested for the benefit of so many. I owe my teachers everything. They gave me the most precious gift of my life: a chance for freedom.
I hope their knowledge and inspiration will support you in your journey.