Chasing?
In our short lives we have trusted in so much that turned out to be short term results, no results, sad results or results that are disappointing. Top of the list are the chasing of money, paying off commitments, dragging ourselves to hell and back for relationships that end nowhere, fantasizing materialism brings happiness, hiding behind raising children, or just lazing around accomplishing nothing. Since we have been chasing them and they brought us nowhere, why do we keep chasing or making them our priorities even till now?? There are literally hundreds of examples around us that chasing after those mirage-like ends bring no results, so why do we do it? Because we are used to it. Because we like to knock our heads against the wall harder and longer? Because we are afraid to know the truth? It’s time to chase after something THAT HAS REAL TANGIBLE LONG LASTING RESULTS. Chase after the Buddha, chase after especially Dharma and Sangha. Do Dharma work. Do Dharma practice. Chase after Dharma with the fervent urgency as you did chasing meaningless ends your whole life. Since we need to trust something in our short lives, why not trust the Dharma and chase after Dharma now so you don’t greet death empty handed as so many already did and you almost did. It’s time to chase after and pursue all the way something that has tangible, lasting and genuine results already. That is Dharma. Get real results now!!
Tsem Rinpoche
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Do Dharma work. Do Dharma practice. Chase after Dharma…..well said by Rinpoche. Life is meaningless when we only chase for money, fame only at the of life nothing is left for us. What remains is just memories when we are gone. As we grew older , it’s time to chase after something that can last long till our last breathe. Learning, practicing Dharma is the best choice. Since learning and practicing dharma have my life change, benefiting other makes my wonderful.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing with folded hands. Rinpoche had showed me the way and so as many more others.
If we look at what we have today and what we used to have, many of the items are no longer there or going to be worn out. These things bring us some kind of happiness but the happiness is only for a short moment. It is so true that what we have been chasing after, don’t bring us good results.
If we believe in karma and rebirth, we will know this is not our only life, we have many more lives ahead of us. As long as we don’t see the nature of reality, we will continue to take rebirth in the six realms. If life as a human being is a suffering, life in the three lower realms is even more miserable.
While we can, we should do something and focus to do things that will bring benefits to us in our future lives. We are not sure if we will have the good fortune to take rebirth as a human being again and practice Dharma again. Hence, when we have the Dharma, cherish and practise it.
Life is short, nothing is permanent. Those were the days, I was once living in a nut shell, chasing after material things and workaholic to pay bills and to make ends meet. As I grow older I understand much better, all these is not permanent in life. All my life I struggled to stretch my mind to the breaking point, until I joined Kechara Soup Kitchen. From there I came to know Kechara, learning, practicing and doing Dharma from Tsem Rinpoche blog and friends that have changed my life. Creating a great thought to give a meaningful life to benefit others.
Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing . I will keep in mind…..Do Dharma work. Do Dharma practice. Chase after Dharma.
We were brought up in certain norms where we are used to what we know, following what others are doing and having wrong views these are what we supposed to do in order to become successful as define by the society. Whatever we gain physically or emotionally eventually it will be gone, nothing stays forever. All these bring endless sufferings.
Deep down in our heart, we know we are not born to just pay bills and die someday. We are given a life where we should make used of it to benefit others. Learn the Dharma, do the Dharma work and practice the Dharma. Our mind transform, our actions will be virtues for the sake of sentient beings. The tangible results from practicing dharma would be the ultimate happiness and securities, liberating us from samsara and achieve enlightenment.
In life, many of us chase after things including myself. We chase after things to either make us happy or disappointed. We chase after material things and when we get what we wanted we are not satisfied and keep on chasing and chasing.
It’s never ending. What can all the money in the world to us when our body no longer listen to us. When we’re sick and can’t enjoy all the things we’ve been chasing for. We can’t take our wealth with us or our belongings.
Now’s the time to chase after something that has real tangible results. Chase after the Dharma, Sangha and Buddha. How true.
This is real genuine results and this is what we can take with us ~ The Dharma.
Thank you Rinpoche for the sharing.
Jill Yam
The meaningless affairs that we are blindly chasing after which we think are the priorities in life which end up to be nothing. I have to admit that I have spent my whole time sitting and lazing around doing literally nothing that benefits no one including myself. What frustrates me the most is the battle within myself, one side is encouraging to get up and do something, the other side is trying to pull me back down from doing something. And the latter side always win the battle. For sure, this is something that has always been in me and sometimes the former side win but most of the time the latter side win. However, as Rinpoche advise and find the right circle of people to surround ourselves in to get good and inspiring influences. What need to say more but to just do it and do it until succeed. Thank you Rinpoche for your words.
I think most of the time, people tend to chase after materialism because it is something that is the norm… everyone does it, everyone encourages it… so it’s not a foreign path to take. Although we now know the truth, we being humans (haha…) always want the easy way out of things. What’s the easy way out? To tread the path that’s most traveled… and in this case, samsara. After all, there’s definitely more beings in samsara than Tushita lol!
But then if we sit down and think deeply… and be totally honest with ourselves… taking the path of the Dharma is not anymore difficult than taking the samsaric path… In fact, most of the time, the things we chase in samsara is the ones that gives us the most difficult time. Just like what Rinpoche has mentioned, that people chase all the wrong things in life like money, relationships, fame etc… they may seem like something that will bring us ‘happiness’ because we were BROUGHT UP TO THINK IT WILL… but if it was true happiness, then all the billionaires and famous individuals will be happy. Obviously that’s not the case… take for example Anna Nicole Smith, Micheal Jackson etc… don’t seem like happy people to me.
The most important thing is that we must embrace the truth that we discover and be strong and face the facts of our existence. I read a very interesting comment the other day, it says something like “Acknowledging suffering, is the bravest thing you can do in life”. I thought it was very Dharmic… after all, the first thing that the Buddha taught was about Suffering…
How very apt… We do spend our entire lives chasing after something… whether it is a job, a relationship, a friend, a dream holiday, some time off, etc… why not chase for something that actually last?
Make so much sense yet we delude ourselves everyday either by saying there is always tomorrow or that I do not believe which in actual fact it that I “choose” not to believe. Therein lies the problem… procrastination the root of all our misery!
“It’s time to chase after something THAT HAS REAL TANGIBLE LONG LASTING RESULTS. Chase after the Buddha, chase after especially Dharma and Sangha.” I can understand what this means now.
Yes let’s admit it… we are all chasing in this cyclic existence of ours. Unaware, foolish and ignorant, it is like chasing our own tails. A thirst we can never quench because we drink from salt water of our self self deluded desires. And all that dramas we create for an aimless goal. What is the point when none of it can be taken with me at the time of death? Aren’t we tired of chasing for the “I”? Well I am.
Thank you Rinpoche for reminder us . Only chasing Dharma and practice Dharma can remove our sufferings and bring more and more happiness to us. I always keep in my mind that ” Nothing Is Permanent” , chasing for materialism only can fulfill temporary happiness , we will suffer again once dissatisfied.
The thought of lazing around and accomplishing nothing is very deceiving. Sometimes we would think that this is not chasing, and we think that chasing over something is stupid, so we don’t chase. But in the other way round, we are actually chasing all the pleasures that cause us to keep lazing around and do nothing. Why it is chasing? Because we are attached to it. We fee safe to do that, and that is our comfort zone that stop us from doing more, or even just do something different. We stuck ourselves at nowhere, don’t even say do more with our lives.
One of the most difficult things for people to follow the buddha is that they cannot give up all the things. For example, it’s difficult for people to give up the money, and the power. Of course, having money and power are important to the people. However, they cannot take money and power after their death. So, they should learn how to “give and share”. Using the power and donating money to help all the people who need help.
We chase partly because we don’t believe that everything is impermanent. We search for the replacements of something falsely believing that we finally got it. But the “IT” escapes our grasping again and again and again for eternity.
Do not mistaken the finger for the moon.
_/\_
Many of us, including myself certainly has chased many thing, most of it disappears the moment we have it, if not sooner then later. Not one thing lasts. So, to keep the happiness or contentment level up, we continue to chase. We then become addicted to the things we are chasing after and the chase becomes more aggressive.
What Rinpoche explains is so true. The nature of the things we chase after is so fleeting, never lasting yet, we continued to pursue it all our lives. We are so blinded by the truth which has always been so clear and blantant.
Why not chase for something that lasts from now on..?
We thought to be happy is to chase after a good job, a good partner, a good house, a good car. Little did we know they are false happiness. Because if they are real happiness, why do we have to keep chasing? When does it end? It is tiring to chase after something that is never ending. However, Lord Buddha saw this also and he started his journey to seek for the answer and he found it! We are so fortunate to meet his teachings and have Rinpoche who is our teacher to guide us how to walk on the path to enlightenment.
The Buddha had everything before he renounced, all the pleasures, power and influence was at the tip of his fingers. Then he had the four visions , a person dead, ill, aged and a renunciate. Now I wonder if there is any correlation to the four noble truths, I may have to ponder some more.
He probably realized all the fun and pleasures he had were transitory and impermanent and cannot really solve our issues with death and decay. Hence he embarked in the search of the TRUTH. Boy did he find out about the secrets to the universe! By not chasing for happiness he got the greatest happiness of all.
Dear Rinpoche
Thank you for reminding us chasing something that is meaningless not worth it.
I’ll put that in mind always.
追逐时间，是因为我们不够时间了！灾难与死亡，不知何时会到临，因为我们不够功德去持续，将来我们的去处，趁着这一世，我们要做更多，更好累计更多的功德。
We have been brought up in a society where academic and career successes are vital. What we have studied very hard for, worked out way up the career ladder, built a home, etc. For the majority, this is what our future is. If we make it, we will be rich and happy. If we fail, we will be depressed. For a start, it is good to complement our life with Dharma knowledge. I believe the Dharma does transform our mind and make us happier and at peace with ourselves. If we give an opportunity to people and educate them on Dharma, it is a matter of time they will embrace the teachings and find new meaning in their lives.
We are always chasing for something either something to fulfill our desire or our need to be satisfied. Most of the time, when we achieve or get what we wanted, we quickly feel bored and again begin to chase for another thing. This goes on and on and on and never ends. This is our life. Are we really happy with this kind of life? When we die, there’s nothing we can bring with us, not our wealth or belongings. All the hard work that was used to chase our desires are gone to waste.
The best thing to chase for is something that will last. And that thing is Dharma. Dharma brings long term happiness because the focus is on other people. When other people are happy, we are happy because we know that we played a part in their happiness. When we do Dharma, we we create merits for ourselves and prepare of our next life. It may sound ridiculous, but if we understand Dharma, it is what we want. That’s is why we have to learn more to understand more. The only thing we have with us for long term is out mind stream. It will continuously follow us. Therefore, we should continue to nurture our minds so that it becomes strong.
Dear Rinpoche, Thanks again for the short yet profound sharing. Could not agree more. Attachment and chasing over material wealth is no fun.The thrill in the process of acquiring/chasing something is temporary and would wear off after a short while. What follows after thta will be suffering,attachements and fear of losing the possessions. Chasing for Buddha and Dharma will instead replenish the inner spiritual thirst and brings lasting happiness
for the mind and soul. Having said that, then we need to work on major self improvement one step at a time :D. Thanks again.
We might die quite soon. I think I will live six or at much nine months since now, so would be intelligent to have commitment. Tomorrow might be to late.
人就是容易陷入困境：亲密关系，工作事业，高压力的生活里。不妨想一想内心正渴望的是什么？
当人死了什么都带不走，只有佛法才可以带走 那就是佛法的（印记）
Thank you Rinpoche .I deeply appreciate your rminder and care for us .I will keep in my mind always.
Chasing Money, relationship and fantasizing materialism.. Till the time of Death coming, is that still important in our life?? Nope, Nope and Nope.
What is important in our life?? Dharma, Guru and positive Karma. And that is Yes, that should we chase in our entire life. Not just this life, we should chase it life after lifetime.
Thanks to Rinpoche for the wonderful teachings.
Best Regards : Erickksiow
Thank you Rinpoche for this kind reminder of impermanence. After contemplate on this post. It really make sense that we are chasing for something that has no ending. But its really sad that now days people only care for short term results. Most of my friends will just chase for personal attachment like money, relationship, status etc. Even after they get what they wanted, they still complain on not enough and hope for more. GREED is what now most people had in their mind on this degenerate times. They don’t even believe on karma and reincarnation.
Thank you Rinpoche for always reminding us of all the meaningless thing that we are chasing. May all of us end the suffering and don’t waste away our short life time.
We set a goal for ourselves, when we achieved it, we set another goal but all these goal lead us to where? Not many people think about it.
I read a Student and Teacher conversation on the net:
Student : why should I go to College and get a Diploma?
Teacher : So that you can study in University and get a Degree
Student : Why?
Teacher : so that you can a higher pay job
Student : Why?
Teacher : So that you can pay off your College study loan.
We chase for everything but all of them in the end betray us.
This is so truth what rinpoche has share with us. We are always chasing something that have no result. we think what we chasing can bring us happiness. But actually will bring more suffering and sad result.
If we want more tangible result, chasing Dharma and spiritual development is more beneficial for our future life.
This is totally true and meaningful…
Nowadays all the people just keep chasing what they want only, but in the end they get nothing and keep suffering in their life time.
Why don’t we keep chasing for something more meaningful while we are still alive and get real result that we chasing for Dharma.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this post and I really appreciate it.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this post. Rinpoche is always so profound and skillful when teaching us about certain issues. This paragraph might be short but it has so much meaning behind it. Makes me think and reflect on what has been written.
In our short lives, the only thing that is certain is death. When we are to leave this world, what else can we bring with us except for our bad/good karma?
I’ve learnt to be greedy. Greedy for Dharma and greedy for good merits/karma.
Thank you, Rinpoche, for gently reminding us that nothing is permanent in this live or future lives.
Much care,Jess
亲爱的仁波切，
字里行间，看见了您的循循善诱，您的用心良苦，我们的执迷不悔。对，就是执迷不悔。同样要付出时间、精力，与其耗费在根本不可能带给我们任何实质或正面结果的东西，不如就投资在修行之上。
相信金钱万能，爱情万岁，不如相信佛菩萨能赐予你真正的自由、真正的解脱，而且，这份寄托/信仰真的能带来结果；是那种有付出绝对就有收获的努力。
追求带来真正和永恒幸福快乐的佛法，义无反顾地，独排众议，违反社会一般意愿地去追求这个目标，是值得的。我们不都在追求快乐吗？这该是人生的终极目标。
谢谢仁波切的教诲，感谢遇见了仁波切……
合十
华盈
Its true, in our life we have been chasing for many things and it bring no result but we still not realize and stop chasing it.. How ignorant we are..
i will share this with my friend as it will benefit them and might realize something and stop chasing for materials which they thought it only way to bring them happiness.
I do not think when we were young, we really wanted to chase after money, relationship, fame, children and material gain. If this was the case, then most of us would not have been rebellious during our teenage time.
Perhaps to some of us, our value system is set to follow the majority as we don’t want to look weird to others. Hence we do what most people think is right and we spend our whole lives following others footstep.
From reluctance to acceptance,and later turned into habituation. It is always easier to live with less struggle and strife.
I am grateful to have found the Dharma. Although due to ignorance and deep-rooted habituation, it seems not an easy path to walk on. However, somewhere deep down in my heart, there is always a voice telling me that this is the ultimate right path and I should carry on.
“Since we need to trust something in our short lives, why not trust the Dharma and chase after Dharma now…”
Before I knew dharma, the daily mundane activities of today’s world was my refuge. Chasing after money, career, properties, relationships..you name it. Everyone chases them. Forever it was never enough. Once we gotten and maintain them it will come to a point like so what next. Are we to go through all these till we reach our death bed? So mundane, boring and wasting of time.
Nothing was meaningful in actions before meeting dharma and understanding of dharma. The least best thing we can do, is to learn, practise and share with others for there are many who does not understand what is spiritual practice and actual life is all about.
Thank you Rinpoche who always care for others tirelessly.
It is with Dharma that even our “short term” goals can be turned into something that has real tangible long lasting results. Through our Dharma practice even at work and at the Dharma environment we can with strong Guru Devotion practice Dharma and chase the long lasting results. Our motivation needs to be right. As our Guru always say, Dharma is 24/7 and not the one hour that we spend doing Puja.
Even full timers need to be reminded that Dharma is 24/7. Also, it is while facing obstacles that the real Dharma is practice.
Just like the dog going round and round chasing its tail and if/when he gets it, he finds he has to let it go – he cannot hold on to it forever. Like that, we must realise that we should kick our wrong habits and chase after Dharma.
Having the rare opportunity to listen to dharma teaching, reading dharma books, learning dharma and applying it in my daily life has made me more happy and less angry at myself and at others. I am very fortunate to be able to do dharma through experiences I learn daily in Kechara. This is just one of the many benefits of dharma.
This is all due to the kindness and compassion of my lama, His Eminence Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, without whom I will not be where I am now.
With deepest gratitude and humility.
Thank you Rinpoche for this post.
I would like to share my personal experience with the faulty expectations we put in a career, reputation or “name”.
I had two dreams as a child, and at 10 years old I picked one that I have focused on ever since. I wanted to be an architect.
I have chased after what I shaped to be my dream, my worldly dream, the “architect”, I chased after it with an intense energy, studying already very young about it, reading, drawing, observing, then after university, I worked for 3 consecutive employers for about 10 years like a disciple for his Guru, then I went on my own, building up networks, reputation, skills, experience, I developed the talking skills that I did not have, I surmounted my shiness, I hired, rented an office, renovated, invested. I put nights, week-ends, holidays in this dream.
I wanted to be an architect.
And never did I think that I had sacrificed anything…
I still think I had it easy, but that is only because it did not feel like effort at all.
In my profession, I made it to a point that many would only dream about, at one point I was paid hundred of thousands of Dollars just to conceptualize a luxury project, I was flown in first class, I was booked in the best hotel any where I went, taken to the best restaurants. And I was about to make it big as a few projects were under construction….
Then everything collapsed, all my projects got cancelled, some half way built, and I found myself with expenses only and a bridge to cross of which I did not know the length.
I think now that this happened thanks to my merit!
Indeed, if my ascension had not been stopped, what kind of mind would I now have?
Would that be a mind fit to receive Dharma? I doubt it.
Would that be a mind fit to train in humility? I doubt it.
Would I have the time to volunteer, go for puja and follow classes? I doubt it.
Would I think that I need a Guru? I doubt it.
Sometimes catastrophes are a blesssing.
In this case, I believe it was.
My port-folio is filled with amazing projects that did not get to be built eventually, and for a while I thought: “if only I had had the opportunity to complete this or this project I would now be famous”, and I would think that just as if “I would now be happy.”
And I must admit, I got a bit bitter about it. Especially seeing a couple of my pears, with which I shared parts of my journey and that “made it” and became “famous” and succesful.
The reality is this: these pears are NOT happy, they went further than me and they are still NOT happy? They tell me how much of a struggle it is to keep things together, office, reputation, projects, finances, family… They keep inventing new “escapes”, looking for satisfaction in holidays, relationships, luxury lifestyles or even more recognition… One of them is so unhappy that even though he made it very far up, he still has to put other people down in order to feel some sense of worth (which does not last of course).
So if they are NOT happy by having achieved what I saw as a reason for ME to be satisfied, then what makes me think that it would be any different if I “make it”?
I can’t say that I have a realization of what I am saying, but I do have an intellectual logical understanding about it, about how I must not create an incorrect expectations towards worldly pursuits.
Today, I am working hard at putting back things together and re-build my finances and a company that can allow me again to perform at a large scale.
So I am working hard at this “architect” projection of mine, again, but I do not have the silly expectation anymore that this will bring me peace of mind and happiness.
No, it can only bring me maybe some money, and surely more problems to deal with.
But above all, it can give me a platform again to participate to the project of my Guru.
It can create a platform from which I can finance my Dharma journey and other people’s Dharma journey.
It can prove to my pears that we can “make it” and have a Dharma journey at the same time!
It can be a platform for me to step up in my Dharma practice.
The platform could be like a step that I leave behind, or it could be one that I take along if it is useful, it does not matter.
For I know that the peace of mind is not in the “step”, it is in what the step goes towards.
I have a long journey ahead.
And I wish I can put even more effort in my Dharma journey than in my “architect” journey.
This time, the result will not disapppoint.
And after all it was my other child dream too.
I have worked 30 years at one of my child’s dream, being an architect, with karma and merit on my side, may I be able to put another 30 years into Dharma now. Then I’ll have no regret.
I wish we all have this aspiration.
Life is so short, fragile and unpredictable.
We though we could live happily after for 100 years, but next moment we could lying down inside the coffin and say goodbye to whatever we though is important and most attached to.
The only solution to this is practice the dharma and let go of our attachment. Otherwise, we will become the white little mouse, always running inside the circle and have never ending problems.
Thank you Rinpoche. Thoughts similar to this went thru my mind when I first met Rinpoche and listened to the book club talk “Love Without Agenda”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOhDRX4v7A8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HasMXYZZ6A0
I realised that I had been doing just that my whole life, in the quest for a good lifestyle, great experiences, etc etc etc. I had it all and yet it all amounted to nothing. Rinpoche you made me see that clearly and I thank you for it. I will be in Dharma all my life, till I die and I pray to meet you next life to continue my journey with you.
This is very true, since many years already, people has been chasing for many things but it brings unhappiness, and in thought, if I drop out this unhappiness and go for other things in new place, I will get what I want, but after awhile when everything is back to the shit farm, then avoidance in action again.
After so many years, we have already forgotten the past experience, and when the same problem comes again, it is a brand new problem to us and we will then go sought for new chance / hope, but after many years of chasing and working, we are actually running on the same ground, we get no where but our mind has became more and more close up or more and more negative…
Rinpoche just shared this with some of us @ an audience: that whether we’re doing things in or out of Dharma, whether we’re engaging in spiritual practice / work or we’re engaging in work and activity on the “outside”, we will still face hassles, stress, problems, difficulties.
Putting up with all this crap on the outside eventually leads to nothing – we gain nothing from it. But while in spiritual practice and Dharma, we do gain something while we’re going through the difficulties, and the motivating factor for actually engaging in the actions in the first place is a much higher one, for the benefit and help of many, many others.
Dear Rinpoche,
I just watched my dog chasing after his own tail , round and round and round and this was almost immediately after reading your teaching . It is exactly what we have been doing all our lives , chasing after our own tails that get us to nowhere ! We should instead harness and focus our time and energy in persusing the inner peace that the Dharma offers us . Thank you Rinpoche for the reminder .
( i think my mumu Toby was trying to tell me something when he did his little whirling around over his tail dance )
Chasing materialism is what we have been taught since young and it become a norm practice in our live.
Knowing Dharma really blow my mind to learn and understand what we have been chasing all this while is not something that we can secure forever and later I found out that actually I don’t achieve anything in this Samsara world. Material wealth is impermanent and when it’s gone we will be disappointed and more negative drama will happen. Not worth it at all.
Thanks for Rinpoche teaching and make us realize that Dharma is what we should greed of and chase all the time. Dharma benefit us all live time, benefit our loved ones and people around us too.
Every human being wants happiness and not suffering. It is clear that we humans who live on this earth face the task of making a happy life for ourselves. But, it is important to discover what will bring about the greatest “degree of happiness” and how to achieve such happiness. As H.H. The Dalai Lama has once mentioned that there are two main categories for every kind of happiness and sufferings: i.e. Mental and Physical. Of the two, it is the mind that exerts the greatest influence on most of us; whereas, our Physical condition is said to play a secondary role. If our body is contented, we virtually ignore it. In this mundane deluded world of today, our Rinpoche has sumed up what all we humans would do, is to go about habitually doing all our lives – i.e. chasing after those “Mirage-like” ends, which bring no results. It is sucidial to “knock our heads against the wall, harder and longer”, as Rinpoche said. If we are of the realisation, we should stop, and instead chase after Dharma. We must pursue all the way till we attain the tangible, lasting and geniune results utimately through to enlightenment.
Yes Rinpoche and with the transformation we may even take things along the way. Not all is bad but chasing after things and clinging to strong only create further suffering… thanks for your nice site, I enjoy it!
Because we do not have lots of money, we feel life is suffering, and we think that with lots of money, our life would be happier. And we never stop for chasing money because we always feel is not enough. So life going on the same everyday. Until we take our last breath, then only we realized that we can’t bring all this along with us,is too late to know…..
“Trust the Dharma and chase after Dharma now so you don’t greet death empty handed.” Yes, this is the way to follow.
Yes, the chase is on….since the day we were born, cry to be fed, when hungry….then smile happily when are full, want to get this toy, that toy, and we get older, we join our parents in the chasing game too, and then our children joins us and the cycle goes on …..like Rinpoche said we hit our head harder and longer at the wall! .and yes, I have achieved my goals when I was working as a financial consultant…I was happy when I finally achieved it for consecutively three years….are able to get the stuff i want and enjoyment, holidays I have always thought would bring me happiness, but then i realize it was so shortcoming, tiring, and meaningless, and chasing after goals, and goals.. Do I want to go to this path to achieve such material goals in my this short life? I have ask myself this question many times? As Rinpoche tmentioned in one of his YouTube teachings, Rinpoche says that we will go thru the same stress, obstacles, and etc in the secular world, but If work for the dharma to benefit others, the results will be not be same, but it is tangible long lasting.
Thank you, Rinpoche for this teachings and gentle reminder always, I promise that no matter how difficult or any challenges that I face when doing dharma work, i will not give up. Please knock my head If I do, can?
Yes Rinpoche i want to chase after Dharma, do Dharma work and do Dharma practice now in this short life time and don’t want to greet death empty handed as i almost did.
We all have been chasing for materialistic items and have never even regarded dharma to be something chaseable. After realizing the truth from rinpoche, all our materialistic will be nullified when we die, the picture of chasing dharma becomes so obvious as that’s is the only thing we can bring along with us after our death and also the best thing we can give our loved ones when we are alive.
Thank you, Rinpoche, for these gems of Dharma wisdom. Yes, owing to our deluded minds and our negative habituations, we have spent our entire life or most of it, chasing after the things of this life that bring only momentary happiness. In the end, we are still not happy or contented at all.
So, why don’t we change our focus to chasing after the Buddha , the Dharma and the Sangha, or more specifically the Dharma. It is only the Dharma, our Dharma work and Dharma practice that will bring us the happiness we so desperately want and cannot get through chasing worldly things and relationships.At death, nothing matters but the Dharma.
It’s so true…life is all about constantly chasing after this and that which satisfy just for the moment… thus, the constant need to chase. Dharma helped me to consider other options :
1. stop chasing and discover inner peace
2. a new meaning to chasing after dharma… the new meaning of chasing is not because i need to because dharma provide temporary fix but rather chase after dharma because every day which passes is a day closer to death for me.
Rinpoche, thank you for knocking some sense into my hard head all thees years…
Our priority now is to chase after dharma and not the things we have to leave behind at the time of death.
Another good reminder to contemplate daily. Thank you, Rinpoche
Dear Rinpoche,
How true! Unfortunately, in most of the world, children are brought up to CHASE the wrong things! Very few educational institutions provide religious classes. Dharma is almost a side interest or hobby when children are taught to go to schools, get good results, get a good job (= Just Over Broke), get married, have children.. and the same circle will start all over again with their children. How meaningless! just like dogs chasing their own tails!
Hence we must plant dharma seeds into the minds of our young generations so that they start on the ‘right’ footing and make dharma their way of lives!
“Since we have been chasing them and they brought us nowhere…” I choose to chase for dharma and greedy for dharma, this path definitely leading me to happiness and peace.
Thank you Rinpoche for shaing this precious post.
Dear Rinpoche:
Yes, I fully agreed with your sharing and teaching. However for instance my personal situation, I couldn’t just let go my business. As it is my commitment to about 100 people that working with me. My promise to pay their salary on time, to make sure they have sufficient income for decent living for themselves and their families. I cannot be selfish and just close shop like that. I don’t want to see anyone who may suffer or in difficulty to look for job and money just because of my selfishness. Honestly I always feel tough and heavy to carry this group of people with me but with dharma, it makes me stronger and positive as my motivation of doing business now is not purely for money, chasing after big house and car. Now I want to provide at least decent living for employees and their families, give them good benefits and welfare. I don’t want to see them end up sleeping on the street. If possible I also hope to contribute both physically and in monetary form to the growth of dharma whenever I can and afford.
Thank you very much.
With love,
VP
“Top of the list are the chasing of money, paying off commitments, dragging ourselves to hell and back for relationships that end nowhere, fantasizing materialism brings happiness, hiding behind raising children, or just lazing around accomplishing nothing.”
WOW! It was exactly what I did before Dharma! I always think back and feel so stupid for doing things I shouldn’t have done! I am FOREVER grateful for Rinpoche being here in Malaysia! How fortunate are we!
Better put on my running shoes now and run all my lives for the 3 Jewels.
Dharma is where we find the answer of life, why we are here?? It assist us to see things from the top of samsara, samsara is a path for human to create awareness with suffering and happiness. Nothing is permanent in money,relationship, happiness from material,neither children. When we create the cause to cling with one of the causes and try to make it “permanent” in our life, defintely we will beaten up with all the causes, because they all are not permanent elements.
Hence we have to create awareness in us and those around with Dharma teaching, the more we plant the seed, the more conciousness in oneself, so that everyone realise the four noble truths and eightfold path.
Dear Rinpoche, what you have said above is exactly my situation of me raising children and chasing after money to pay the $$$ i owe to the bank. I promise myself to do dharma work and then I realised I had my loan to service sell off my vehicle and I am a free. I realised that I am luck to have met the dharma and specially a Guru. I really have no time left as it is running out by the seconds by the minutes and each day I read the Guru devotion and contemplate on it and each time I read the prayers I am dying to give up everything for dharma but am stuck with having to clear my outstanding. Then I will commit fully. In fact I love to be sangha one day.
Dear rinpoche,
Thank you rinpoche, Deeply appreciate your reminder and kindness care for us. I will always keep your teaching in my mind.
Thank you
Having met Dharma and if we understood the impermanent and transient nature of our life, everything that everyone does in samsara becomes totally meaningless. The only meaningful things to do in samsara are: to accumulate merit, purify our karma and transform our minds to the best of our abilities.
Majority of the people in the World now do not have the good fortune to meet Dharma to realize the truths about life, hence they are still chasing after their dreams, or whatever goals they have in their life. It is completely pointless and meaningless to chase after samsaric pursuits because everything (our possessions, wealth, success, fame, loved ones, relatives, friends, and etc.) cannot be taken along with us upon our death in this life. Our future lives are far more important than the present life. We have the opportunities now to change the happiness of our future lives.
Hence as Buddhists, we have the responsibility to educate the majority of the people in the World about Dharma so that everyone will know about the truths of life. Only Dharma can help all sentient beings from ignorantly wandering in the samsara over and over again, life after life.
Time waits for no one. Start chasing after the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha immediately!
I am very much in agreement with Tat Ming. I was once the ‘majority’ and I thought by chasing after money, I will be out of rat race but little do I know, it never ends. Having to know Buddhist way of life is great but having the perseverance to continue is even more important. There will be times where samsaric pleasure is just irresistible. It doesn’t need to be in money term, for instance having few ‘extra good’ unnecessary meals or taking few ‘extra long naps’ on a cozy bed (my own examples). Thus, I will always remind myself over and over again the shortness of life the its urgency to chase after the Dharma. I am still having my samsaric pleasures but hopefully it will be less.
Most of us think that is what life is – getting an education, a good job that pays well, find a partner, start a family….and the circle goes on and on. When we take our last breath, all these will not matter a single bit.
Only through dharma we learn of the true essence of this precious human potentiality that can take us to a level beyond what we can perceive now.
Thank you Rinpoche for your kind and tireless constant reminders.
Yes, due to our ignorance we always chase after the things that will eventually give us pain and suffering… chase after Dharma is the only way to happiness yet we must examine carefully the Dharma we intend to practice…
“The good or bad in all your future lives
Comes from the holy Dharma,
Yet you treat that Dharma like a dog eats food:
You worship whatever comes along
Without first checking whether it is good or evil.”
by Master Sakya Pandita
Lamrim is a safe bet and Rinpoche’s teaching is the safest bet of course.
Thank you Rinpoche for this post.
Thank you Rinpoche for the reminder. I have to constantly remind myself not to chase after things which are not attainable. Am trying real hard to chase after Buddha and Dharma constantly trying to gather more knowledge and information to improve myself and move on to the next level. With what little time left I have I hope I am on the right path.
It’s so true. Chasing for materialism and relationships is draining and endless. Many of my friends look haggard, making the best of the situation they are in and “look happy”, go for endless holidays to de-stress, and so on. They are trying very hard to be happy and experience the inner peace. But somehow, most of them just pretend that they are happy.
I am sadden by what I see because they don’t know how else to get out it. They are just groping in the dark and leading one another in the dark.
The more we send the message out that dharma is a method out of the dark, the more hope we will give others. And this hope is not just wishful thinking, but very achievable.
This is so true, chasing for money, relationship, status, etc will just get us round and round. At the time of death, we just cannot bring anything with us except for our past karma. Only our Dharma practices now will help us at that time.
Thank you Rinpoche for giving us guidance and chance to do Dharma work.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for the reminder. May i learn and practice Dharma well in this life. May my parents, relatives and friends, even people who do not like me will know and practice dharma.
Thank you Rinpoche, i will always remind myself chasing after dharma should be my priority.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for pointing out the truth. Chasing the Dharma is certainly better than chasing non-Dharma. The one brings lasting happiness, the other only suffering.
Dear Rinpoche, this sums up what many of us are doing, would have been doing if not for Rinpoche, and are still doing despite meeting the Dharma… chasing after things which we thought brings us lasting happiness but is actually as tangible as a mirage in a desert. Whenever we think we are getting closer to getting such happiness, it disappears or goes further or somewhere else, and we keep on looking chasing after it.
I feel so helpless when I see my friends going into and out of relationships, stressing about being single, being depressed because of their partners, fighting for money and power, or taking up hobbies after hobbies because they do not know how else to fill their time… and in the process they keep complaining about what they don’t have when they have so much! I was like that, and still like that in certain situations, but lesser now thanks to Rinpoche’s Dharma.
The least I can do for them is to share Rinpoche’s blog posts with them (and hope they take it personally to heart), and also to live by what Rinpoche teach us so I walk the talk and show results. Thank you Rinpoche for tirelessly making your teachings so readily available and easy to share with everyone.
Thank you Rinpoche for always reminding me that all the worldly things that I am chasing after will only bring me short term happiness and more sufferings. I am very lucky to be doing dharma work now and will not waste away any of my short time left.
Dear Rinpoche,
In our habituated deluded minds we always look for short term ‘happiness’. Immediate gratification that ultimately proved unsatisfactory. Chasing after Dharma and it’s result on the other hand proved very satisfying because we can see the short term results already and logically we can deduce that it has very long term results as well. Results that last beyond this life. I am confident of the Dharma.
Thank you for bringing us the Dharma and constantly pushing us to do Dharma to benefit others and ourselves.
Thank you Rinpoche for the motivation you have given to us.
Thank you Rinpoche. I deeply appreciate your reminder and care for us. I will keep in my mind always.