Be Your Own Therapist

At the Vagabond Temple, sometimes we show videos of influential spiritual teachers, to compliment our Yoga, meditation and talks.

In this video, the Tibetan Buddhist nun Robina Courtin, in her typically straight-forward and clear style, teaches us how to handle our thoughts and emotions.

From the Buddhist point of view, we may receive much teaching, but ultimately the responsibility lies with ourselves.

“You yourself must strive. The Buddhas only point the way.” The Buddha (Maggavagga, 276)
In the end it is up to us if we decide to use the teachings or not. What a good teacher does is help the person find the answer within themselves. With effort, awareness and a willingness to change and let go of what no longer serves us, we can overcome many emotional difficulties.

Try dedicating just one day to investigate your own mind: see how many of your thoughts are actually helpful – you may find most of them are not beneficial at all. Through the process of investigation, you may learn how to prevent unhelpful thoughts, or even experience periods of time when there is no thinking at all!

Robina teaches us how to remain positive, even in the most difficult of circumstances, by turning inwards and taking control of our minds. This video should be extremely interesting to anybody wishing to learn to overcome such toxic mental states as anger, anxiety, and depression, or simply to anybody seeking a greater sense of control over their thoughts:

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