Khenpo Choga Rinpoche on Training the Mind: How Daily Practice Creates Lasting Inner Stability

In the hustle and bustle of the modern world, it’s often difficult to find real rest, mentally or physically. The conveniences and distractions of modern life—social media engagement, work emails demanding attention, the malaise-inducing hum of the 24-hour news cycle—are often detrimental to people’s emotional well-being, and contribute to the stress and strain that so many professionals live with on a daily basis. For this reason, among others, many people across the world have begun turning to earlier sources of wisdom and practices like mediation in their search for mental stability and inner peace.

For those seeking that inner stability, His Holiness Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche is ready and eager to teach. Khenpo Choga Rinpoche is a Buddhist spiritual leader, teacher, and scholar who has dedicated his life to spreading authentic Tibetan Buddhist wisdom to international audiences. He is a Professor of the Dzogchen Shri Singha University, Spiritual Leader of Dzogchen Shri Singha International, Founder of the Dzogchen Shri Singha Dharma Centers, and more, and has a teaching style known for its detail, lucidity, and humor. He carries an unbroken three-thousand year wisdom tradition into the world through workshops, retreats, and teaching courses, and has taught students of all walks of life. 

For students dealing with the varied strains of modern life, His Holiness offers a path to happiness and peace. Through meditative teachings and mindfulness, Khenpo Choga Rinpoche teaches students how to train their mind and build their foundation for persistent mental and emotional stability. Consistent and intentional daily practice is the key, and starting from a foundation of peace-abiding meditation is critical, as it is the basis for all future efforts. It is through these tools that Khenpo Choga Rinpoche guides his students toward happiness. 

“As I am a lineage holder in this modern age, I see this Dzogchen Lineage is needed more than ever,” says His Holiness. “Look at this world—so much confusion, so much anxiety, so much misunderstanding about what happiness really is. If you sincerely wish to understand your own mind, I am here to help.”

The Foundation of Stability

The first, and the most foundational, of Khenpo Choga Rinpoche’s teachings and practices is shamatha meditation, also known as peace-abiding meditation. It’s ideal to meditate for 48 minutes, but a daily meditation practice of 6 to 24 minutes will be effective. Again, consistency over time is more important than the duration of any one day’s session. The purpose of shamatha meditation is to experience the mind as it is, observing thoughts and feelings reflexively, and over time learning to calm them and find tranquility. 

“Then pay homage to Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and recognize all beings as Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha,” instructs His Holiness. “This is very important. It is not just a ritual. It is training your mind to see the sacred nature of all beings. When you truly see all beings as Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, your whole relationship with the world transforms.”

The actual process of meditation is twofold, requiring the seven-point posture physically and the internal meditation instructions mentally. For the former, sit cross-legged with hands in the lap or on the knees. Keep the back straight, with wide shoulders to open the heart center. Lower the chin, let the mouth open slightly with the tongue resting on its roof, and let the eyes linger a short distance past the tip of the nose. For practitioners with unique physical needs or limitations, modifications are fine so long as the back and spine are straight, and the body is comfortable. 

After that point, meditation starts by becoming aware of the flow of breath, inhalation and exhalation. When thoughts inevitably wander, return to the breath, tracking its movements and dissipation. The next step is slowing down the process and allowing awareness to mix into the open space, and adding a natural pause between inhalation and exhalation. Maintain awareness and begin the chant, om when inhaling, ah while holding, and hung on exhalation. Continue the process with awareness, let go of thoughts as they come, and focus on the breath. 

The core of His Holiness’ teachings are not vague assertions, but an actionable set of structured daily practices that people can integrate into their lives. Regardless of the specific practice or exercise, there is one truth that should be kept well in mind: consistency matters more than duration. Setting aside a reasonable amount of time every day for these exercises, and following through on that commitment, is more valuable than spending hours meditating at random times throughout the week. The foundation of stability is consistency and intentionality. 

Self-Examination Without Self-Judgment

Khenpo Choga Rinpoche’s mindfulness teachings are aimed at guiding others toward happiness and enlightenment, which naturally requires some introspection and self-assessment. However, in his experience, most people go about self-examination in the wrong way, which sabotages their journey and winds up contributing to their stress instead of resolving it. When the goal is to recognize mistakes, acknowledge them, and let go, it does no good to get caught up in a cycle of guilt or rumination. Confess, purify yourself, and let it all go.

“You must not cling to bad things,” says His Holiness. “Especially you must let go of guilt and regret and forgive yourself, so your self feels pure, free, clear, and luminous. These are the qualities of your Buddha nature. Self-examination should bring you closer to your true nature, not further from it.”

Turning the Entire Day Into Practice

His Holiness highly recommends approaching the time-honored traditions and ancient practice with intentionality, and that’s best done by integrating them into your daily planning. By infusing practice into the entire day, the lessons and experiences found therein are better absorbed and not left forgotten by the day’s end. After morning meditations, Khenpo Choga Rinpoche recommends using different Buddhist principles several times throughout the day. Whether that’s taking refuge in Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha; arousing bodhicitta; or reciting a deity’s mantra and practicing their sadhana, taking the time to practice throughout the day is important and valuable. 

“Before building a house, you need a blueprint,” he says. “Before starting the whole day, you need to take time to think. If you just destroy good things and then try to repair, it takes a very long time. Teach yourself in the morning. Throughout the day, educate yourself. If you forget to educate yourself, your thinking becomes wild.”

It’s equally important to look back on the achievements and practice of the day, and celebrate them. Dedicate the merit and rejoice in the good things done, because those good things are worthy of it. When all of that is done, it’s important to rest and get enough sleep—in His Holiness’ experience, modern people are too prone to thinking of sleep as a waste of time. It’s not; the body and mind need rest, so it’s good practice to end the day with peaceful sleep and wake joyfully for the next one. Such things bring clarity and stability.

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