Prison
Those who really want the dharma to grow within themselves and to grow for others should never fear hard work, timing, difficulties, struggles, disappointments because it is for a good cause. Working for Dharma is not a prison or work, but it is purely spiritual practice. It is purely collection of merit and purification. Actually not doing dharma work is the real prison.
~Tsem Rinpoche
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Thank You Rinpoche for this inspiring sharing. Very true doing dharma work is indeed a wonderful work. By the end of day, even though I do feel tired but it is worth it. Dharma encompasses all things. Nor matter what kind of dharma work, we should understands its dharma we are working for, nothing is hard. Dharma have weaves into my life, improves my life. It gives me space to realize that things are going to work out as they are meant to. There are struggles, but following dharma make my life flow better than it ever has. It have change my life for the better.
I think it is normal to feel doing Dharma work is a prison because Dharma is the opposite of Samsara. We are so conditioned to the rules in Samsara that when we start the Dharma practice, we find it very hard. We suddenly realise we cannot behave or think the same way as before, we have to transform according to the Buddha’s teachings.
We feel Dharma is a prison because we don’t truly believe in karma and reincarnation and we are not afraid of death. If we truly believe in karma and reincarnation, we will then do the right thing now and transform our mind. It is our conscious mind that takes rebirth, we cannot bring along whatever external material things we have accumulated in this life. Therefore, it will be wise to cultivate the right values according to Buddha than following the Samsaric rules.
When we practice Dharma, we will feel like a prison in the beginning. But once we have totally accepted karma and reincarnation things become easier and we are more motivated in focusing out. Eventually, the feeling of trapping in a prison becomes the feeling of freedom.
Thank you Rinpoche for such wise words, the prison is made up by ourselves and we should break free from it. Fearlessness of breaking free of our own wall/prison. Going Dharma all the way request lots of courage and fearlessness.
Agree agree agree! I have been doing dharma work for the past 5 years, and it has to be the best work that I have ever done in my life. Going to bed exhausted, but knowing that whatever I have done for that day can have a teeny tiny effect on making the world a better place is enough to put me to sleep with a smile and a firm wish to continue doing the same tomorrow. Thank you Rinpoche for the opportunity.
Working for dharma was a very nice thought and act at the beginning but after awhile we started to have expectation, we wanted to be praised how hard working we are, we wanted to be recognized how much we had pledged, we only want to do what we like, we only want to work with the people that we like and so on.. we became selective. We lost our good motivation that we had when we first came in to dharma. We had to constantly check our attitude and ask ourselves why are we here. We walk out of the prison but we bring along our old attitude.
PS OMG how did you do the spanish translation? I’m so impressed!!!!!
Someone else on facebook did it and I just copied it…thanks. TR
Sometimes I get so drowned in samsara that I forget to practice dharma. It is when we are up to our necks in samsara is when we choose to practice dharma. However if you just practice dharma, you will not fall into samsara (hehe that rhymed unintentionally).
Thank You Rinpoche for this Dharma sharing, it is very true. Doing Dharma work it really free and save us from the trap in samsara, doing dharma, understand dharma and practicing dharma allow us to understand further about the way of life, the cause and effect of the samsara world.
I have learnt that by working for dharma, i have come to realisation of my behaviour/attitude and thoughts, and also look into other people perspective mind and behaviour. I have learnt to be tolerance, patient and endure situation and overcome the situation. It is all in my mind, the source of stress, unhappiness, anxiety, negative thoughts, anger. I have to be less emotion about circumstances, seek for help and clarification. If you have good motivation and intention, sincere, the work will fall in place and help will come. By working for dharma, it is a real hand on experience of spiritual practice and everyone will have a different level practice. I am blessed and always be grateful to have the opportunity to work for dharma whenever I can. Thank you, Rinpoche.
Thank you Rinpoche, very true.
This Quote come in right time. When i working with other volunteers, i met with a lots of “weird” personalities. Different mindset, different attitudes, different objectives. And, things get really really ugly sometimes when doing the “job”. It’s really making me very frust! And thus wanna quick fast. And even promise myself this is the last events, no more!
But, think over it, I am working for Dhamma. Thus, i told myself stay and please don’t leave anymore. At least i try my very little efford to help around while i still can. And maybe i am the problem creator not them. Who knows?
Everything other than Dharma takes us away from liberation. Things in life tend to consume all our time, attention, passion, and energy and leave us poor in spirit and exhausted. Dharma gives us proper perspective and that immediately frees our minds to what we ought to be doing with our life. The correct perspective puts us on the right side of the “prison bars”.
If samsara is the prison, then doing Dharma work is like the opportunity to gain some reprieve that can gain you “early release”! Good deal!