An Excerpt from Change of Heart: The Bodhisattva Training of Chagdud Tulku by Lama Shenpen Drolma

Lama Shenpen Drolma has compiled and edited this collection of teachings from Chagdud Tulku, a Tibetan meditation master. Here is an excerpt on the spiritual practice of being present.

"There is nothing wrong with having a nice home and a kind husband. To cut your attachment, you don't have to leave your husband or burn your house down. But you do need to abandon your assumption that things will continue as they are, as if they were solid and long lasting. A child chasing a rainbow, thinking it something substantial, is sure she can catch it. But no matter how much she tries, she never will.

Cutting attachment requires knowing that everything — your husband, the house, everything — is impermanent. Whatever you experience, never forget that it will change. That's the way of the world. This understanding will enable you to appreciate what you have, to enjoy it while it lasts. When you lose something, you won't be taken by surprise, because you won't have assumed it could never be lost. People leave, houses deteriorate, and everyone dies. As long as you understand impermanence, these things won't break you.”