Joyous effort review
Venerable Thubten Samten 
Gomchen Lamrim 
Dec 22, 2017 The text turns to training the mind on the stages of the path of advanced level practitioners. Part of a series of teachings on the Gomchen Lamrim by Gomchen Ngawang Drakpa. Visit Gomchen Lamrim Study Guide for a full list of contemplation points for the series.
- What is joyous effort?
- The advantages of practicing it and disadvantages of not
- Two aspects of joyous perseverance
- Removing the obstacles to joyous effort
- The four supports of aspiration, firmness, joy and rest
Gomchen Lamrim 118: Joyous Effort Review (download)
Contemplation points
- What are some of the advantages of practicing joyous perseverance/effort?
- What worldly activities have you done that were infused with joyous effort-what difficulties did you overcome with a joyful determined mind?
- What dharma activities have you done that were infused with joyous effort-what difficulties did you overcome with a joyful determined mind?
- How do we kick this joyous perseverance into gear?
- What are the obstacles to joyous perseverance in your own life? Be specific.
- Which of the three types of laziness get in the way of cultivating joyous perseverance for you: procrastination, being distracted by temporary happiness, or self-contempt? What antidotes do you apply?
- Which of the three steps in the meditation on death (death is definite, the time of death is indefinite, and at the time of death nothing helps but Dharma practice) inspire you to push through procrastination. Explain why that particular one gets you motivated?
- How do you work with discouragement about attaining the goal of full awakening?
- Consider examples of joyous perseverance that you have seen in others that inspire you. What does this do for your mind?
Venerable Thubten Samten
Venerable Samten met Venerable Chodron in 1996 when the future Venerable Chonyi took the future Ven. Samten to a Dharma talk at Dharma Friendship Foundation. The talk on the kindness of others and the way it was presented is deeply etched in her mind. Four Cloud Mountain retreats with Ven. Chodron, eight months in India and Nepal studying the Dharma, one month of offering service at Sravasti Abbey, and a two month retreat at Sravasti Abbey in 2008, fueled the fire to ordain. This took place August 26, 2010 (see photos). This was followed by full ordination in Taiwan in March, 2012 (see photos), becoming Sravasti Abbey's sixth bhikshuni. Right after finishing a Bachelor of Music degree, Ven. Samten moved to Edmonton to pursue training as a corporeal mime artist. Five years later, a return to university to obtain Bachelor of Education degree opened the door to teaching for the Edmonton Public School board as a music teacher. Concurrently, Ven. Samten became a founding member and performer with Kita No Taiko, Alberta's first Japanese drum group. Ven. Samten is responsible for thanking donors who make offerings online; assisting Venerable Tarpa with developing and facilitating the SAFE online learning courses; assisting with the forest thinning project; tracking down knapweed; maintaining the Abbey database and answering email questions; and photographing the amazing moments that are constantly happening at the Abbey.
