Beru Khyentse Chötyi Wangpo Rinpoche - the third incarnation and manifestation of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, the current Palpung Beru Khyentse, or Drongszar Khyentse Chötyi Wangpo, was born in 1947 (on the fifteenth day of the sixth lunar month) in central Tibet, 25 km west of Lhasa, the Nyethang in the countryside. In 1955, His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, foretold through clairvoyance that the child would be the true incarnation and consciousness emanation of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo. In the case of this bodhisattva, the circumstances leading to the manifestation of the dharma activities are as follows: The primary reasons for the manifestation of the dharma activities of Jamyang Khyentse Chötyi Wangpo, the third incarnation, were the merits of the supplications, pure faith and samaya vows of two special and close disciples of the Karmapa. Due to his incomparably perfect faith and pure samaya, and his courage in religious and political matters, one of the four chief ministers of the famous Nanchen royal family of Behu was born in the Drongszár family. Both Drongsár Behu Drakpa Namgyal and his younger brother Drongsár Behu Namkha Dorje asked His Holiness the Gyalwa Karmapa to send a high-ranking Kagyü lama capable of guiding innocent beings and leading the dharma seat of the newly built monastery. The Karmapa was happy and willing to accept their request and put on paper a letter of recognition containing all the details necessary to find the incarnation. The letter stated that the child would be found as follows: “In the snowy land of Central Tibet, straight to the west, at a fast pace two days' walk from Curpu. The father's name is Nga Gi Wang Chuk Drowwen - Lord of Speech, protector of beings. The mother's name is Arja Tara Csötyidron. The child born in the year of the Fire Dog was born into a noble spiritual family and manifested special signs. He is undoubtedly the incarnation of Khyentse Wangpo.” The recognition letter contained these exact words.  

Literally, ‘rimé’ means a ‘non-sectarian’ or ‘non-biased’ view. While some people may think this is related to the idea of all systems being equal, it is actually focused on recognizing the value and benefit of multiple points-of-view.

One way to understand this is to consider how we use medicine. There are many medicines and each has the capacity to cure specific types of sicknesses. We do not normally mix our medicines. Instead, we recognize the specific needs of each patient and choose the right medicines for helping them overcome their problems.

In the same way, developing a Rimé philosophy means knowing how each system works, what are its defining characteristics, what are its strengths and how can it be used to alleviate dissatisfaction. While we may have a personally favorite view, a favorite practice or a favorite system, there is no contradiction. We can hold a non-sectarian view while recognizing that specific practices and teachings are especially suited for our needs. While these techniques are used across Buddhist schools, there is also significant diversity. A basic classification of meditation techniques is samatha (calming the mind) and vipassana (gaining insight). In the Theravada tradition, emphasizing vipassana, these are seen as opposing techniques,while Mahayana Buddhism stresses the interplay between samatha and vipassana. In both traditions, breath meditation is a central practice.  

Train your mind and break free from all of the suffering and delusion 

When feeling overwhelmed by anxiety or stress, it can be hard to ground yourself or focus on a task. Although stress and anxiety are normal—and biologically necessary responses in certain situations—experiencing them on a regular basis can pose a risk to your health.

Meditation, though, can help. Read on to learn more about what meditation is and what health benefits it can provide.

Meditation is a mind-body practice in which your attention is focused on being mindful of the present, your breath and your mind to promote awareness, cultivate wellbeing and reduce stress and anxiety. It comes in many forms and can be practiced almost anywhere, so long as you can be aware of your body and surroundings. Types of meditation vary throughout each person’s practice and can include breathing-based meditation, mindfulness practices, nature-based visualization, mantra and spiritual meditation. Meditation can be practiced alone, in a group or with a coach or therapist.

“There is no right or wrong way to do meditation. Any activity can be meditative if we’re fully present,” says Sarah Meyer Tapia, a meditation coach, associate director of Health & Human Performance and head of Wellness Education at Stanford University. “Meditation is to be present and know what we are doing, while we are doing it.”

Meditation tends to be something we feel we have to make time for, she adds, and instead, recommends taking as little or as much time as your mental energy allows to pivot away from distractions.

If a meditation practice feels out of reach, Meyer Tapia suggests asking yourself when and where you feel peace, comfort, joy, clarity, creativity or focus. For some, this might be while taking a shower, going for a walk or playing with their pet.

“When we think of all the outcomes of meditation that we’re looking for, look for where that exists already in your life, because almost all of us have some window somewhere,” she says.

Mediation can improve your quality of life thanks to its many psychological and physical benefits. Here are 10 science-backed benefits of mediation:

Mindfulness-based interventions, such as meditation, have been shown to improve mental health, specifically in the area of stress, according to a study in the Clinical Psychology Review. When faced with a difficult or stressful moment, our bodies create cortisol, the steroid hormone responsible for regulating stress and our natural fight-or-flight response, among many other functions. Chronic stress can cause sustained and elevated levels of cortisol, which can lead to other negative effects on your health, including cardiovascular and immune systems and gut health. Meditation, which focuses on calming the mind and regulating emotion, can help to reduce chronic stress in the body and lower the risk of its side effects.

Mediation can help counter the effects of anxiety—often noted as overwhelming feelings of fear, worry and tension—by slowing down racing thoughts and regulating breathing, which calms the nervous system. Physical symptoms of anxiety can include sweating, dizziness or a rapid heart rate, caused by overthinking past or future outcomes. People with anxiety who regularly practiced meditation over the course of three years saw positive, long-term impacts on their mental health, according to a study in General Hospital Psychiatry

Meditation can also help reduce the symptoms of depression through mindfulness and emotional regulation. One study observing individuals on a three-month-long yoga and meditation retreat found that participants showed significant improvements in depression after the retreat, as well as enhanced stress resilience and wellbeing.

Hypertension—also known as high blood pressure—is estimated to affect one billion people worldwide and about half the people in the U.S. Meditation has been noted to potentially provide promising results in decreasing high blood pressure, especially when paired with healthy lifestyle habits like a balanced diet and exercise. However, while evidence has been found to support the use of meditation for lowering blood pressure, additional research is needed to see the specific impacts across varying types of meditation.

Meditation has also been found to be an effective behavioral treatment for various conditions associated with a weakened immune system. Consistent meditation has been shown to reduce the body’s stress response, resulting in less inflammation and decreased risk of conditions such as chronic pain, fatigue and heart disease.

While meditation is best known to help ease stress and anxiety, it can also improve your brain structure. When you practice meditation, your brain is able to produce more gray matter, researchers found in one study. Gray matter is crucial for healthy brain cognition, as it protects the hippocampus, the part of our brain connected to memory. It’s also crucial for basic human functions, including our ability to control movement and emotions. The same study found that meditating for 30 minutes a day for eight weeks can increase how much gray matter your body produces.

When practiced over time, meditation has the ability to change how you emotionally react to situations. Elements of meditation, which generally include mindfulness and controlled breathing, can lead to less impulsive reactions. This means instead of reacting from a heightened emotional state such as anger or panic, people who practice regular meditation may gain the ability to more successfully regulate their mood.

Meditation increases self-awareness by creating a habit of focusing on the present, allowing you to notice your thoughts as they come up, says Meyer-Tapia. Research shows that practicing meditation can help develop self-awareness, as well as improve impulse control and a person’s relationship with themselves and others.

Meditation’s ability to increase a sense of calm, presence and reduced stress can help people with substance use disorders manage triggers or even avoid relapse. Meditation has also been shown to encourage a maintenance in abstinence for those suffering from substance use disorder, and curb inclinations or cravings for a substance as a way to deal with other mental health outcomes like anxiety or stress.

Research suggests meditation can improve a person’s ability to sleep and quality of sleep. “When most of us are struggling to sleep, it’s because our minds are ruminating over the day, or worrying about tomorrow,” says Meyer Tapia. While further research is needed to confirm the effectiveness of meditation as a long-term sleep aid, its effects have been shown to help with insomnia, as well as day-time sleep related issues, such as fatigue.