Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche - Spontaneous Creativity: Meditations for Manifesting Your Positive Qualities

Also by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

Awakening the Luminous Mind*

Awakening the Sacred Body*

Healing with Form, Energy, and Light

Tibetan Sound Healing

The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep

The True Source of Healing*

Wonders of the Natural Mind

*Available from Hay House

Please visit:

Hay House USA: www.hayhouse.com
Hay House Australia: www.hayhouse.com.au
Hay House UK: www.hayhouse.co.uk
Hay House India: www.hayhouse.co.in

Copyright 2018 by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

Published in the United States by: Hay House, Inc.: www.hayhouse.com Published in Australia by: Hay House Australia Pty. Ltd.: www.hayhouse.com.au Published in the United Kingdom by: Hay House UK, Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.uk Published in India by: Hay House Publishers India: www.hayhouse.co.in

Cover design: Kathleen Lynch Interior design: Nick C. Welch

Indexer: Joan Shapiro

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise be copied for public or private useother than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviewswithout prior written permission of the publisher.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4019-5489-5
E-book ISBN: 978-1-4019-5451-2

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

1st edition, July 2018

Printed in the United States of America

A Note on the Calligraphy

The calligraphy at the start of each chapter in Spontaneous Creativity was created by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. Each represents a fundamental principle explored in the book and is an expression of Rinpoches joy in fully engaging these teachings with his body, speech, and mind.

For additional support in your practice, all the meditations in Spontaneous Creativity are available as free audio recordings. To access these recordings, please visit www.hayhouse.com/download and enter the Product ID 4895 and the Download Code audio. If you have any trouble accessing the meditation audio, please contact Hay House Customer Care by phoneUS (800) 654-5126 or INTL CC+(760) 431-7695or visit www.hayhouse.com/contact.

Contents

LHUNDRUPThe spontaneously perfected enlightened qualities and their effortless expression

We are all creative. The kind of creativity I am talking about in Spontaneous Creativity is not just a quality possessed by the artist or a gifted few. It is a capacity we all possess, a flow of energy that arises naturally from within, enlivening every aspect of our experience. Creativity is the sacred fire that ignites positive change for ourselves, for others, and for the world. Our very nature is creative, and humankind has evolved because of this.

But it seems to be a condition of human nature, and certainly of our times, that when anything goes wrong, we disconnect from our creative nature and look around for someone or something to blame. It could be our parents, our community, our leaders, even humanity at large, but we hold forces outside ourselves responsible for messing up our lives. We may not be doing this consciously, but often we behave as if someone else is in control, making our decisions for us. We waste precious time and energy focused on othersblaming them, complaining and gossiping about them, and criticizing those who do not share our views. Instead, we need to turn our precious attention to the creative source within and take charge of our own lives.

The practices I offer in Spontaneous Creativity are from the dzogchen tradition of Bn Buddhism. Dzogchen is Tibetan for great perfection. Perfection in this sense is not a state to which we aspire but the essential completeness we already are. The perspective of dzogchen is boundless, meaning there are no fundamental conditions or limits defining our essential nature. When we are not caught up in our pain, doubt, or fear, we can open creatively to what each moment of life has to offer and to the treasure that we have to offer life. Freed of our limitations and agendas, we become more flexible, more productive, more aware.

I have studied and practiced dzogchen since I was a young monk in India many years ago. Although the origins of these teachings lie in the ancient wisdom schools of Zhang Zhung and Tibet, their essence is like pure water. It is timeless and universal, not the province of any religion or culture. Open and inclusive, the teachings are as relevant today as they were centuries ago. Drawing on these teachings, the guided meditations and practices in Spontaneous Creativity are designed to help you activate your ability to meet the challenges you face and express your positive qualities in creative ways.

, Connecting to the Source, introduces you to your creative nature and reveals how to connect to the inner refuge, the sacred source of all positive qualities, such as love and joy.

, Getting to Know Your True Self, describes the medicine of the inner refuge and offers methods for accessing it through the three doors of body, speech, and mind.

, A Journey from Openness to Manifestation, maps out a five-stage path to realizing your full potential through awakening the creative powers of openness, awareness, inspiration, ripening, and manifesting. The creative potential at each stage is explored, along with practical methods for dissolving any obstacles you may encounter.

In rushen art, expression of pain becomes a path to healing, while tgel art expresses the positive qualities that spontaneously arise.

, Enlightened Service and Leadership, moves beyond individual creative expression to the culmination of spiritual practice: service as a sacred path. You discover ways to apply your creative energy and innate skills for the benefit of family, workplace, community, and the wider world, expressing your natural wisdom and compassion as a caregiver and an enlightened leader.

Each of us is part of a larger family, connected to all of life in its myriad forms. If we want to go beyond simply repeating our human history, we need to do more than point out the mistakes of our ancestors. We need to embrace our personal and collective challenges with openness and courage and move forward with fresh inspiration. In this way, we will be able to receive the blessings of those who have come before us and ensure the well-being of generations to come.

My deepest wish is for you to receive great benefit from these teachings as you explore them, take them to heart, and allow them to come alive in your life.