When we get more then we will do more?
We always pray for long life. When we get longer life, then we have more samsaric activities to engage in.
We always pray for more money. When we get it, we have more things to buy, more places to visit, more dinners to go, more acquisitions to obtain.
We always pray for health. When healthy, we spend more time for sports, dancing, travelling, entertainment and self-enjoyment.
We pray for spiritual guidance. Yet we live so near a Guru and avoid him and his students.
We always pray for our enemies to disappear. When the problems are resolved and the enemies are at peace with us, we make more enemies.
We always want to change partners. When we do, we want to change again.
We always pray for peace of mind. Yet we let self deception rule our day.
We pray for more time to do dharma. But with the time we have now although short, we still don’t do the best we can with what we have.
We pray to find a teacher. When we do, we don’t like what he says and leave.
We pray to find a Dharma centre. When we do, we don’t have time for the centre.
We pray to find a companion. Once we do, we don’t have time for dharma activities.
We pray for friendship. When we find it, we are insincere with our friends.
We pray for getting the highest initiations. When we do, we find the commitments too hard.
We pray for forgiveness. When we receive it, we blunder again due to not eradicating harmful habits.
We pray for second chances. When we get it, we want a third, then a fourth, then a fifth chance.
We pray for an easy life with freedom. Yet when we get it, we trap ourselves in more commitments that are unnecessary.
We want to change. But when solutions are hard, we avoid.
We pray for happiness. Yet when it’s given to us, we want more and become unhappy.
We want control. Yet when given responsibilities, we don’t take it.
We pray for praise. Yet we do our work sloppily and damage others.
We pray for respect. Yet when we have a chance we cut corners and lose integrity.
We pray for world peace. Yet we don’t create peace with those around us.
We pray for loyalty. Yet we run when we see tough situations among our friends or remain silent when they need us.
We pray to work in the Dharma. When we join our centre, we find excuses for leaving early.
We pray to have more spirituality in our lives. When we meet our teacher and dharma friends, we want them to do all the work for us.
We pray our kids grow up and we are free to pursue Dharma. When our kids are grown up, then we are too old we say.
We pray to get out of a difficult relationship so we have time for spirituality. When we do separate amicably, we just look for another relationship immediately.
We pray our guru will give us direction as to what to do. When advice is given, we are selective or conveniently ignore and ask again what we can do.
We pray to get a good human body with all the freedom and endowments. When we have it now, we find very little time for dharma.
We pray for discipline. When given guidelines, we flounder and run.
We pray for help. When we receive help, it’s not good enough and has to be our way.
We pray to see a Buddha. But our actions brings us closer to the ‘devil’.
We pray for auspicious dreams. But our days are filled with greed, selfishness and ego-filled hopes.
We pray for support. When we are ok again, we forget the people who helped us.
We pray for dharma activity. When we have dharma work, it doesn’t make us look good so we prefer to do our own work instead.
We pray for success. When we receive help, we become lazy and don’t wish to work hard.
We pray for everything to be wonderful, spiritual, easy, pleasant and successful. Yet our actions are filled with the opposites.
We wish to be blessed by the Divine. Yet we act like demons.
We want protection. Yet we gravitate toward the vices.
We pray for acceptance. But we only work for ourselves.
We pray for youth. Only to use it away for ourselves and our empty gains.
We pray for a better job. It just takes us away from Dharma further.
Tsem Rinpoche
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All the statements are so true, many of us who only want things for own pleasure and for their own benefits. When things happen not as they want , they will blame it on others. There are people who use the weakness of others for their own pleasure. There is so much selfishness that surrounds the planet we have. Always beneficial to a person as well as compassion and need to become giving, kind , showing how much we care. Through benefiting others more than ourselves to achieve mind transformation, and to live a meaningful life truly brings us happiness and a peace of mind.
Practicing the teachings of the Buddha will definitely enable us to benefit others.
Thank you Rinpoche for this teachings.
It is very paradoxical that everything we pray for now in the end turn against us in the long run. This is the best example how our deluded mind plays tricks on us because of our ignorance. There is no other way to real happiness except gaining compassion and wisdom as charted by Buddha 2,500 years ago. Thank you Rinpoche for this sharing.
We wish for it and we just eventually forgot about the main purpose why we are doing it for the first place…we are always praying and chasing and we are just missing the main point. As we are distracted by many of the self manifested commitments. Yes, in this reality we need to pay this and that, but we shouldn’t be pulled back by that. We have to be balanced with what we do, not going over the board of chasing pavements. Thank you Rinpoche for this teaching.
Gosh… no wonder Kuan Yin is always facing away from us lol. How self-absorb we are, really everything we pray for is for ourselves to be more and more in samsara. No wonder we are still suffering, still in pain, constant turmoil and always in conflict with ourselves whenever we want to do something good and some times we don’t even have enough merits to continue to do Dharma because the whole motivation that was set from the very beginning was tainted by the 8 worldly concerns and self-centered motives. Now I understand why Rinpoche always ask us to do dedications always after we have finished any Dharma activities and work daily because when we don’t all our efforts is wasted and becomes just like an ordinary samsaric work and job where we collect no merits. Merits is so important to help us sustain being in Dharma and to progress in out spiritual path. Thank you Rinpoche for being a mirror in to our minds.
Most of the time we avoid to make decision, we don’t want to choose because we know that there will be lost and gain everytime when we choose something. We couldn’t bear the consequences from our choice. We know clearly in our heart no pain no gain, but we want the gain, not the pain. This is nearly impossible. We still avoiding, thats why we are in pain and dilemma.
The same thing goes to what Rinpoche wrote. Even though we pray so hard not to lose something when we get something, we still lose it anyway. Maybe we should accept the fact that losing not necessarily a bad thing, but if we don’t wish to ‘lose’ anything at all, then we will gain nothing at all. We can lose something to get something bigger and better, then why we are scared to lost it? Like what Rinpoche always said, when at the time of death, we are going to lose everything anyway.
And Rinpoche told us before, if we are doing Dharma work, and we have less time to spend on pleasure, fun, it is not sacrifice. We say sacrifice when something we ‘give up’ is good. Pleasure or entertainment are not really good as they can’t help us when the time of death comes. Don’t ever think that doing Dharma work is sacrifice.
Cut the chase and tell it as it is. This is exactly the reason why we’re trapped in our endless cycle of self-destruction, and we think we’re doing ok. Next time someone asks me “How are you?”, I should not say “ok” because clearly I am not.
Dear Rinpoche you are so right and you can see the lives in samsara so well. We are trap in samsara and whenever we are in trouble or have problems we pray for help. Once the problem is solved or the trouble lifted very soon we find ourself in another problem or trouble again.
I think every time we have a problem and we pray for help but we are not sincere in wanting to solve the problem and actually wanting to escape from the problem, punishment or responsibility.
If we are sincere of wanting to stop the problem I think we should cut pf the kharma that create the problem by doing dharma work.
Thank you very much Rinpoche today I learn something.
The quote in the picture really hits me. wow.
We never get lasting satisfaction in samsara. After we have what we pray for, we still want more and more. Dukkha is always following our desire intimately, it never ends. So whatever we ask/pray for our own good, at the end it will go wrong anyway. In one of Rinpoche’s book-“Compassion Conquers All”, Rinpoche says “when we do any kind of Dharma activities, it should be free from the eight worldly concerns”. I like this post very much because it reminds me to always check if I get my motivation right behind my prayer and my Dharma practice, so that I won’t fall into “an ego trap”.
There is a famous saying from the Buddha: “Contentment is the greatest wealth”
What Rinpoche had highlighted here is so true. It is like a checklist for us to tick off those which we are guilty of and to be grateful about. This is like a wake up call to let us know how much we’ve been taking things forgranted everytime we get them easily
I would like to take this opportunity to compliment Datuk May. Datuk has always strived to have more, whenever she achieves more, Datuk has always chose to share with others. I am not saying Datuk does not enjoy nice things, she does. But Datuk has always kept aside some to help others. Thank you Datuk for your generousity that has helped so many with our spiritual journey.
I’ve learnt that everything in our lives is impermanence regardless good or bad. With these, I won’t pray for anything good in my life as I know it won’t last and everything happens in our present lives based on our past karma. I know I can break though this by doing a lot of merits and good deeds. Therefore, I only pray for others’ good health and long lives as I know Lord Buddha will be always by their side to provide the necessary protection and blessings. For me, I just pray myself to be more patient, calmer, wiser and stronger to continue walking the path to reach enlightenment at the end.
A teaching on stark truths that I am guilty of. I am the creator for all my actions, negative and positive. I got to cut down more on my habitual negative thoughts and actions and do more positive ones day by day.
Must re-read again and again. I will add this into the next quiz session for my Kechara Paradise colleagues for it would benefit them greatly as it has for me.
Dear Rinpoche,
Is not about more or less, as long as our mind still thinking abt our self but not others, the problem will always come back to us. Hence, we must always remind ourselves the eight worldly concerned & practise it as part of our way of life & start thinking about others more. When the mind is ready & in peace, all the hard work & obstacles in life will not matter because we know that it is about others.
It is all so true… I’ve read it several times.
Everything we do somehow never satisfy us… or rather we don’t feel contented and appreciate what we have, be it spiritually or worldly.
It is rather common in worldly sense, but scary when it comes to spirituality. Not appreciating teachings we receive, not practising the teachings by taking for granted, chasing for more Dharma knowledge but not contemplating on it to develop wisdom… is all really scary… Spiritual materialism is scary. It is very easy to feel ‘holy’ than to actually be one.
Many of us often trap ourselves in these type of self deceptions… trapped in our own ignorance and lack of mindfulness. I feel really lucky to have a Guru that educates and cares for me and all my Dharma friends… and I’m also really sorry but grateful that Rinpoche had to do all these single handedly.
Thank you for giving so much. Thank you for giving more than the Dharma, for giving meaning in this life which would otherwise be empty.
Last night rinpoche gave us a teaching on dharma work to the liasons council and Ladrang staff on choosing a harder road compared to an easier road always in our work we do. Never choose an easy way out as that will not bring any benefit to us.
A lot of us wants success but do not want hardship and still we pray for it expecting the “GODs” to give. Rinpoche has mentioned that if we could put a recorder behind a Buddha statue and we hear prayers of the worshippers, it is always what we want BUT after we leave, we do not put any effort in the prayers or the wish.
Ok, I was of the culprit but after knowing the dharma and working so closely with Rinpoche. I realised that if you do not put all your effort in what you want and pray for, you will not get it even if the Buddha is next to you everyday.
We never satisfy with what we have and always asking for more. But, when we get it, we either ignore it not appreciating or destroyed it. Making more and more excuses to get us look good, feel good, false sense of clinging to the “good”, without realizing that when death arrive- all gone, everything is too late. I feel lucky in the sense having a Guru that always pin point our thought that conflicting in us,brought dharma to us and nurtured us. May dharma grow in me fast and deep. May Lama Tsongkhapa bless H.E Tsem Rinpoche lives long and spread the Dharma to the ten direction quickly and aggressively.
I read, contemplated, laughed, cried, at this post. I laughed because its so true as I am a victim of many of those points and Rinpoche again as always tapped into the crevises of our minds. I cried because despite knowing that we constantly contradict ourselves, we fall back into the same cycle. Me included. We are such a confusing lot. Its time to wake up and smell the coffee before its too late!
The irony of the human needs and wants makes me laugh. I laugh because the other reaction will be to cry at the painful truth of the games we play in our minds creating so much “confusion” and delusion. There was once when I was talking to a friend and she was telling how she prays to clear all her obstacles and then she prays for a relationship. Oh my Buddha I just burst out laughing and said, ” why bother la, both your wishes contradict each other” I explained to her more as she looked baffled at my insensitive humor. She found it ironical and also laughed. Then later quietly in my head I figured out why Setrap looks so “pissed off” (with respect to Setrap)? Come on wouldn’t you be if people came wishing for all these confusing wishes? Setrap sure is an enlightened Buddha with compassion to be listening to all our deluded wishes… So confusing, poor Setrap.
When I was twenty years old, I prayed for my personal freedom very badly. I thought the definition of freedom is free from law or rule. When I grown older I found out actually not. The real freedom which I found out was inner happy. When I feel relax, happy, more released from inner, that I realized that is real freedom.
My thought of freedom only limited by my own perception. Now, I found out freedom actually from your heart. While you feel happy and relax that means freedom already plant into your mind.
After I read Rinpoche’s post, what Rinpoche had highlighted was so powerful. Thank you.
When we contemplate these sayings they are always so true. We hoodwink ourselves and we always end up being the losers. Hence if we are sincere in our goals, we need to remain steadfast and focus in our actions and plans.
这篇文章，应该让很多人觉得汗颜，当然我也不除外。人类的欲望，要求好像只会随着年龄的增长，而不断的增加，甚至已远远超越人类所需要的。或许，你拿张纸，只是写出你身边所看到的事物，希望根据你的要求而有所改变，我想那么应该连厕所纸和饮用水都有得嫌弃。而我也常犯以上的错误观念。
甚至有些人连父母都埋怨，为什么别人的父母比较好，比较有钱。这是人类的本性吗？所有的事物，事情都是为自己的。即使遇到不顺心的，也会要求别人跟从自己的意愿进行。总之，自己方便，自己爽就好，甚至为自私寻找种种堂皇的借口。有时，即使没有在行动上表现出来，但呈一时口舌之快，这或许也构成自私之罪吧。比如：当别人说出我们的弱点，但我们往往不能接受这‘真相’，而反击，这只不过放映自私的一面。
学佛的心，对我来说最简单却也最难的就是必须时刻的提醒自己的所做所为，时时检查自己的动机，想法等。曾经看过一个小故事： 有人向佛陀请求着‘我要快乐’，佛陀说只要你拿掉‘我’（自我）；然后再除去‘要’（欲望），那么剩下的就是‘快乐’。
谢谢仁波切常不厌倦的为我们解释，指出，指正我们的缺点。谢谢您。祈愿您长寿，长转法轮，所有心愿都顺利的达成。合十_/|\_
Everything Rinpoche had described here shows me who i am, it is like a mirror reflecting the gross ego, ignorant, selfishness, anger of myself. It is like a syringe penetrating into the skin, and it hurts to say, its true
So many time i have been praying for more and more, and i pray for the sake of benefiting myself, and never had think for others. So true that when we get something, we want more of other thing, and when we acquired one thing, we tend to forget the others, or the things that we had before that had been there with us all this while, and we are not appreciative of it.
And when pray to get the other thing we cheat our self that, the things i am praying for will be my saviour, it will make me happy. But alas, it is not what it turn out to be, the ‘Happiness’ that we think we pray for, becomes suffering at the end.
This will be the recipe for me to fine tune myself, take it as a guide and works towards of changing myself, and not praying for suffering, but praying to liberate the suffering of others, and praying that others also realize this as well.
Thank You Rinpoche for these wonderful teaching again.
Our countless habituations accumulated since beginningless time had shaped our present personality which is full of ignorance, attachment and aversion. When we encounter animate or inanimate objects – experience, people, things, environment and so on, our mind has the tendency to go towards the objects that we like. We stayed away from objects that we dislike. For neutral objects we are indifferent. These reactions are so spontaneous and natural for us. We are constantly and moment to moment deceived by our ignorant mind. We are definitely familiar with the excellent examples listed in this posting.
Why are we still trapped by our ignorance, attachment and aversion even though we had begun to practise Dharma? The fundamental reason I think is because we are not practising Dharma sincerely and purely. We take Dharma for granted. When we encounter challenges and obstacles along the spiritual path we give up too easily. We surrender to our past habituations.
Hence we seriously need to ask ourselves why we want to practise Dharma? What are our spiritual goals? How are we to accomplish the spiritual goals in the best possible manner? Transformation of our mind comes only after we have clearly understood the why, what and how of our spiritual practice.
All the statements are so true, we are always so selfish, we only think about ourselves. When bad things happen, we blame it on other people, it is always not our faults.
Whatever we pray for or wish for, we have to always check our motivation. Be alert and aware, we will be able to achieve mind transformation, be of benefit to others and to live a purposeful life.
Thank you, Rinpoche. This is very true how i always think. On the economy side, due to environment and technologically advance, we never satisfy what we are having now and yet we always looking for more and more. After we have it, we never cherish and take it preciously. It is all because of greed and taking things for granted and never satisfy with what i have – everything must have excuses.
I’m glad that i have met Rinpoche and receive Dharma which tell me the truth and it reflects how selfish and greedy we are. It also remind me of by judging how much the effort we put in and how much you get in return.
If we want it, then we pray for it. Yet we don’t follow up our actions, and our promises to the buddha we are praying to. I am guilty of it, we are all guilty of it. But I am going to be honest with myself and say that if I prayed for it, but didn’t perform, then didn’t I really want it that bad in the first place. If I wanted it so bad, then I wouldn’t have failed and let samsara trap me even further. I feel the post is based on wanting to change, but in the end not changing. So what is the point of wanting to change in the first place. Change and don’t look back.
In addition I feel the post is trying to give us a wake up call that just praying is not enough. Actions must be taken. Wanting is not enough, we have to follow through, we must not rebound.
It is also a wake up call as getting more isn’t always the best thing for us. Why ask for more, think it will bring us happiness, think it will help us, but in the end all it does is suck us deeper into samsara.
For me the quotes are excellent individually, and can be applied to all aspects of life.
Thankyou Rinpoche for taking the time for this teaching.
Ironically in life, we always look for “more”. Even when coming to a dharma center, we also keep looking for “more”. Naturally. We want more in life, thats for sure. But we usually see things in a wrong view. We concentrate on “more” but forgot about the “less”, perhaps that is a reason why we called them “the less fortunate”.
It is sad that how the contradictory works in our mind. We need reminder from the “less” to find contentment in ourselves. We need the “less” to remind us of our “more. But when we are with people with more, we feel “less” and hence the disappointment, insecurities, poor me, I can’t and gave in to our very own lousy self. What more is more?
A lot always said, “I am contented with what I have”. But never give. If never give, we are still indulge in our self, selfishly. “Do more for the less” should be how we remind ourselves daily to not just focusing on ourselves and do more for others instead.
WOW! Talk about a big fat mirror right in front of my face!!! In reflection, I have indeed been conditional in my life in some way or another. Often waiting or expecting something before I put the effort in. Perhaps not always but it certainly has happened!
What has that gotten me thus far? Absolutely nothing! Unless one counts, pain, sadness, disappointment, anger and frustration as something to be proud of.
I need to start sowing my own seeds and wait for it to fruition and not just hang around waiting for someone else’s fruit to ripen and hopefully pluck without them noticing!
Sometimes I feel I am just stuck in a reality I myself do not even feel like I belong. I tell myself something but I do the opposite. I have deluded myself to a point where I do not even believe myself.. what more other’s perception of me!
I do not think I am unkind, I do not think I am evil, I do not think I am heartless… but in knowing I am not but yet I find solace in being conditional, I am no better than a person who’s intentions are less than good because the results are exactly the same!
I do not want to be that person. And the time is NOW!
To add… it really is NOT about ME anymore… And I believe that is the key! To CARE enough to change…
How funny we always contradicting ourselves. We always ask for something and think that we will make good use of it when our wishes is granted.
This is really how we function since young, we ask things for ourselves but using “others” as a cover. We makes our lies so perfectly covered.
Money, easy life, good food, good companion and etc. is what we all looking for. We are setting trap for ourselves and we are getting nearer and nearer to the trap when we got what we want.
We can have whatever we wish for, but can we control our mind do not get control when our wish is fulfil?
Thanks for sharing this Rinpoche, I’m guilty most of them above, but I will not stay there, I will move on and with this as my guidelines along my future days.
Over the years I have heard people repeatedly tell Rinpoche, “When I get rich, I will donate” or “When I make money, I will do dharma”. As Rinpoche always says, the problem is that there is never a RIGHT time. There is never the PERFECT time to do more.
In psychology, we studied phenomena called risk aversion and loss aversion. Studies show that when people get more, they usually DON’T do what they say they want to, because they are afraid of losing the ‘more’. For example, people say, “When I earn this and this amount, I will drop out of work to do my Masters.” But when they finally get to earning that amount, they start to have second thoughts: “Give up my high salary? Or do my Masters?”
Rinpoche is talking about the same thing. People pretend they will do more when they get more, but in reality it is just an excuse to procrastinate from doing what is right. It is their way of assuaging their conscience from doing what they KNOW is the right thing to do…basically “make up an excuse that sounds good so I don’t feel so bad about myself”.
To me this is contradictory to the Dharma because it’s entirely selfish – “so *I* don’t feel so bad about *myself*”. Dharma is about helping OTHERS so the instant you start to make an excuse, and use self-pity as an excuse, it is already non-Dharma behaviour.
Thank you Rinpoche, these phrases are so true. It is like a mirror in front of me.
What really strikes me is “We pray for everything to be wonderful, spiritual, easy, pleasant and successful. Yet our actions are filled with the opposites.” I always want more, always want things to turn out to be the way that i want it to be but am i really working towards it?
The following are very true to me previously: “We pray our kids grow up and we are free to pursue Dharma.” and “We always pray for more money. When we get it, we have more things to buy, more places to visit, more dinners to go, more acquisitions to obtain.”.
Thou i have improve a bit from who i am previously, but i still have a lot of faults. I am working hard to be a better person and do more.
Now, I am so fortunate to have you as my Guru to guide me and i really need to do more, give more and keep reflecting on these phrases to remind myself.
The truth never fails to reveal who we are inside of us. This is highly insightful guide for those who would want to see the naked truth of our motivation. It doesn’t require anybody to judge us except for our own conscience. It only hurts and we squirm because it is the truth. I squirm at some instances because I realize that it reveals the contradiction inside of me. I realize time is ticking…
All the above is so true and applies to everyone in every way. We always contradict ourselves over what we wish or want. And it is always on our terms and conditions. Hence, we always falls back on our selected pleasures and comfort zones.
I would continue to read this over and over again to remind myself for not engaging them.
佛菩萨不用水洗去众生的罪业，也不用手治疗众生的痛苦，无法把自己觉悟的道理移植於他人的心灵，只能把实相显示出来，带领他们获得自由。分享 ~ [ 菩提道次第广论 ]
这个就是仁波切一直教导弟子的方式。仁波切就像佛菩萨一样慈悲的给我们诊断，冶疗，开药方。。这就像跟我们去看医生采取的治疗方法一模一样。首先，仁波切会诊断出我们众生之所以会因为各种问题而苦，其次，也找出了造成这些苦恼的原因，最后，就会给我们开了治疗的方法。
为什么我们会不开心？为什么我们会不快乐？为什么我们会不满足?
全部的问题和事实都在仁波切的这一遍开示里面。。。我其实已经占了大部分！
奇怪的是，虽然我们有时明白令人快乐或愤怒的真正原因其实取决於我们的心，但是我们还是会做出不理性不明智的行为？所以，我们就会在快乐与不快乐或满足与不满足之间游走。焦虑的心真的会一直到死去的那一天，如影随形。。。
All the paradox statements in this post illustrate the way I live my life. The new statement that comes to my mind is “We are plugged on and Tuned out”. Unaware of how I completely destroy my chances of true happiness and peace, I keep looking for something better and forget to appreciate what I have.
I believe that wanting more is not just about being greedy, but whether I have the right motivation. Being greedy is not wrong but being greedy for self is. Being greedy in order to use what I pray for to benefit others is when I will achieve the best prize of taking a better Karma to my next rebirth.
A positive karma is the only precious “thing” to have whether dead or alive.
Words of wisdom……
How many of these I have fallen into? I think all of them at one point in my life.
Samsara is such a vicious cycle, it just never ends as long as what we pray for is for a selfish reason.
Lessening the self cherishing mind is the first step to go, this can be achieved by engaging in any dharma work, nomatter how big or small it is, just do it!
We are always self contradictory –
We want happiness and dislike suffering but we don’t know how to create the right causes.
We are easily distracted from true happiness by temporary gratification like moths attracted to the fire.
“When I pray for happiness and it’s given to me, I want more and become unhappy”. This sums up in a nutshell the nature of my perpetual unhappiness and discontentment with my mundane pursuits of this life. I know i’m flitting from one thing to another and to another in search of a lasting happiness and I think my prayers are answered whenever i get one object of my pursuit. But that happiness lasts only for an instant. Then, i’m off chasing some other pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
My wants and my cravings are limitless and hence I will never be truly happy because I cannot get all that I want. But then, I ask myself, what is this happiness I’m chasing? Is this happiness? Getting all my mundane wishes fulfilled? Is this what I should be praying for, the things of this life that are so ephemeral?
Last Wednesday night, Rinpoche said(when you visited KH) as you pointed to Lama Tsongkapa’s statue: “Pray to Je Tsongkapa for Full Enlightenment; don’t just pray for the things of this life”. Your words were a powerful reminder of what actually is true lasting happiness, a happiness that will not never ever go away, and that is Full Enlightenment – total freedom from suffering.
That’s why, Rinpoche, you work so tirelessly to bring the Dharma to us, to instill the Dharma in us.You want us to have this ultimate lasting happiness. And we keep ‘pushing you off’ and ‘resisting you and your patient and tireless efforts that are born of great love and compassion for us. I’m sorry Rinpoche for not helping you help myself. I have such a stubborn mind, mired in thick deeply habituated delusions,negativities and obscurations.
Thank you Rinpoche for the profound post..
Its so true.. I never get enough in whatever i have and always wish to have more and never treasure in what i having now…. until lost it..
i never stay in present and make it the best, but just keep wishing for the better to come..How silly to just take easy way out, without put any effort into works but expect the good result.
When we realize, understand and act towards this then there will be no regret.
Whatever we pray, it just for our convenient and our benefit. When we achieve what we want we just self-indulge. We always find easy way out. We forgot the real purpose of life. This is who we are. This is a true mirror of ourself.
When we achieve what we pray for we should take good advantage to benefit others. This is how we should show our gratitude and continuously pray and gain merits by helping others.
That’s I’m still praying for everyday. It is so normal that when I got my prayers fulfilled, time is good, condition is comfortable, I changed my mind and twisted what I promised to do and I do it another way. Still thinking it’s ok as long as I’m HAPPY with it. Am I a nice person?
I never end wanting for more or or a better one. I didn’t realized that it is actually a trap for myself. The greed is so deep planted inside me. When my spiritual practice has no result. I blame nobody because but my laziness to change and come out from the comfort zone.
When I look around, I already have everything I prayed for. I just need to transform before it is too late before everything being taken away. You know what? I may or may not have tomorrow to regret and remorse.
People with no money always think the rich man are happy, they chase after wealth thinking its the answer to everything. When they have wealth, happiness doesnt come along! and they wander why… The answer lies within us.
True happiness comes from within, no money can buy happiness.
Dear Rinpoche,
Everything mentioned above are so true. We pray for everything yet only do things at our own conveniece.
As for me, the karma arising from the attitude of “couldn’t care less” has finally caught up with me. I always think that it would be ok if I don’t harm others. And helping people at my convenience used to make me feel good about myself. I didn’t think deep enough. I didn’t realise that even if I don’t push myself to care more, the karma from the attitude itself can gradually accumulated and become a blockage to my mind. I become colder and colder.
To counter this, I need to really push myself very hard and be alert all the time as the habituation is just so deep-rooted.
Thank you Rinpoche for always teaching us through various methods. Waking us up step by step from our ignorance.
With folded hands,
Lanse
This is the most raw and direct description of the state of our minds.. in total confusion, going no where but in circles! Very sad but so true. So much time is wasted in so called pursuits of happiness. Time and opportunities are wasted because of our contradictory actions, thus destroying any potential to have happiness.
This blog post by Rinpoche reveals the secrets to fulfill our wishes in plain language. Dharma cannot be wrong in bringing others and myself happiness. This blog post is tremendous help to reflect back if our minds are not happy and our wishes not fulfilled!
Rinpoche really knows what’s going on in our minds. You have just made me realized how contradicting we are at times. What a laughing joke!!! On one hand we seek for liberation from samsara, to be free from sufferings for good yet on the other hand, we are still urge to stay within samsara to continue enjoying the pleasures of it. Our prayers may seems to be for higher purposes however within our own deep subtle consciousness our motivations is actually not pure, not selfless. We want something. We want something for ourselves. We want it all to satisfy our needs and how we want it to be, how it should be presented to us, our ways, my way. And the very fact that we still want something can’t bring us out of samsara as it will only make us stay longer within samsara because of our motivation, we have agendas. And most importantly, what I feel is that we didn’t keep our commitments, our promises after we get what we want in-relation to our initial prayers. We forgot our initial intent and wishes. We have forgotten the kindness of the Three Jewels or those who have helped us before. Such ungratefulness. It may sounds harsh but we could have psychologically ‘used’ others for our own needs and hidden agendas. It’s pretty difficult to say that we are not and it’s hard to face ourselves, to face myself. Guess I would need to step up my awareness, providing a ‘check and balance’ within my own mind. And when the prayers actualises, I would need to fulfil the promises I made earlier on, keeping the integrity and commitments intact. I brace myself to face this teaching, keeping my mind ‘open’ instead of ‘closing’ and avoiding avoidance. Only then improvements and changes will arise within my mind.
Rinpoche, this teaching goes right deep and penetrate into my most subtle consciousness. Am feeling very uncomfortable now and am struggling with my huge EGO. Like what Rinpoche has said “We want to change. But when solutions are hard, we avoid” I would need to keep ‘pushing’ myself to open, to change, to accept, stop denying, stop hiding, stop going against the Truth. Am not self-condemning or being too hard but just coming to terms with myself what really need to be ‘fixed’ I appreciate Your care and concerns as this is one of the most beneficial teachings by far You have given us. Thank You.
这是非常正确。也是我们每个人都面对的事实。
怎样才能快乐呢？？怎样才能满足呢？这是世上每个人都会问的一个问题。
其实答案就在仁波切的这遍开示里面。仁波切把真真实实人性现实的本质再次告诉我们。
为什么人总会觉得不满足？不开心？原因其实就是我们的(执著)和(无明)。
因为这就是我们的生活写照。。。也是我个人的生活写照！人类也因此对这些事情习以为常了。
我们一直贪恋物质层面的事物，贪恋着精神层面的执著。但奇怪的是，虽然我们明白快乐或愤怒的真正原因其实取决於我们自己的心，但我们却还是做出不理性不明智的行为呢？
天啊！我们的一生也会在快与不快乐之间游走，直到老死为止。。。
Recently a friend of mine was admitted to Hospital Emergency ward. While he was lying on the bed with unbrearable pain, he though he would have died on that day, and his rock solid never breakdown body suddenly became so fragile, and he start making prayers and chanting to the Buddha…
2 days later the pain has subsided, doctor said he needs good rest and watch his diet. This friend of mine said the Buddhas has given him the 2nd chance to live, and he is going to make full use of it, to serve the dharma, without waiting any more longer.
We always though there is another tomorrow, and we always waiting for 2nd chance, there is always next time, there is always wait and see how, there is always someone there to help us…there is always lots of excuses to fool ourself
What if we are the one inside the emergency room, and tomorrow never comes? What if we regretted its too late now because we waited too long? What if …if we stop lying to ourself and face the reality?
We need to do what is necessary now, and don’t have any regrets when we look back to our life before we closed our eyes for the last time
Yes we want more and more but we don’t appreciate what we already have. And especially if we got it served on the platter. It helps us create ungratefulness and take things for granted. what we think is pleasurable or good could be bad for us in the long run!
Thank you Rinpoche for this blog post,
It is like a mirror… this is exactly how my deluded mind works…
AND IT IS SCARY, for it is full of contradiction and self-inflicted obstacles.
It is a like if I was strangling myself with my own hands thinking that this will be good for me…
How to snap out of it is also scary, I must admit, but the result is NOT scary! I must focus on the result if I want to engage in the right thoughts and actions now, this is what I learn from Rinpoche’s post.
Thank you Rinpoche for these extremely wonderful and beautiful teachings. The revealations of all these teachings are so true and profound, that only a Devine being like you could see through all these deceptions, which have remained so deeply ingrained inside our true self without ourselves being awared of their harmfulness, or perhaps due to our own ego of self-deception. Many a times when Rinpoche pointed out such follies of our own harmful negative ways, we could have had the realization but after a time, we always let our self-deception have the way. But if we value Karma more than ourselves, then we should be geniune practicioners to be loyal Kecharians to work extremely harder and be the best one can at it in order to make it!
Thank you for pointing out all the above said. They are very true.
肺腑之言！ 有谁会听进去？ 针针刺到肉 ， 才会反醒吗？
常常都把自己看得太重要， 疏忽了身边每个！ 伤害了别人也没发现！
好听的叫欲望， 不好听的 贪心，自私 ！
常常 Rinpoche 教导我们 Harmony, Kindness , Teamwork , Peace ! 如果我们听进去，那又多好？
贪图金钱， 关系， 名利， 胜利 ！ 这是自私的行为！也不是， 佛法的精髓！
难道我们做祈祷， 可以让我们长寿吗？ 如果我们不好好照顾身体？
要计划成功， 祈祷可以？ 我们坐以待毙， 会有结果吗？
祈祷， 是让我们驱除障碍！让事情更加顺利！
我很贪心， 但是我把贪心使用在学习佛法！我现在很快乐，日子每天过，我很充实！
我爱 Rinpoche 我学习他的语言， 而不是把这当成是一种障碍！ 转化与改变才是我们的修行！
thank you
可见我们对佛菩萨的祈愿、祷告都不是真正的为了众生。或许当下我们的心情感受是真的希望其他人的好，也希望他们的痛苦减少，但是当需要用行动来表示时，我们却做了相反的动作。
这是一张很棒的表单，教我们如何检查我们的动机、发心。到底我们是不是真诚的。这表单还可以继续添加，模式是一样的，我们说一套做一套。
在一般世俗的生活，当然我们可以继续这样生活下去，觉得：“我得到了，想怎么样就怎么样，有错吗？这是我的生活”
可是这种“说一套、做一套”的习惯，会让我们身边的人失望，我们也失去他们的信任。
‘We pray for an easy life with freedom. Yet when we get it, we trap ourselves in more commitments that are unnecessary.’
Hit right at the point! Everyone seeks for a easy life but yet day after day we get ourselves into more problems/frustrations. We work so hard to make money, find partners, etc but at the end of the day, do we really feel happy?
Exactly like the wheel of life, we go round and round and still end up at the same position after all. There is no escape if we continue to do so. The more worldly materials we seek, the lower we go!
With this in mind, our only wish should be to seek the Dharma..making full use of our time to do Dharma work to gain merits for us to have the wisdom to understand that SAMSARA IS HELL and we want out! Then whatever Dharma ‘work’ we do, will definitely be EASY because we know it is the only way out..
Indeed! Some of us juz can‘t stop demanding, tats the greedy inside us. Knowing the meaning n value of our lives; knowing the causes tats gonna coz obstacles, r the things tat we should clearly keep in mind
肺腑之言！ 有谁会听进去？ 针针刺到肉 ， 才会反醒吗？
常常都把自己看得太重要， 疏忽了身边每个！ 伤害了别人也没发现！
好听的叫欲望， 不好听的 贪心，自私 ！
常常 Ｒｉｎｐｏｃｈｅ 教导我们 Ｈａｒｍｏｎｙ ， Ｐｅａｃｅ， Ｋｉｎｄｎｅｓｓ ， Ｔｅａｍｗｏｒｋ ！ 如果我们听进去，那又多好？
贪图金钱， 关系， 名利， 胜利 ！ 这是自私的行为！也不是， 佛法的精髓！
难道我们做祈祷， 可以让我们长寿吗？ 如果我们不好好照顾身体？
要计划成功， 祈祷可以？ 我们坐以待毙， 会有结果吗？
祈祷， 是让我们驱除障碍！让事情更加顺利！
我很贪心， 但是我把贪心使用在学习佛法！我现在很快乐，日子每天过，我很充实！
我爱 Ｒｉｎｐｏｃｈｅ 我学习他的语言， 而不是把这当成是一种障碍！ 转化与改变才是我们的修行！
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you so much for your great patience to teach us.This teaching sums up everything which I am guilty of. I concluded it is due to my selfishness and greed and always not being contend with all I already have. May I have your permission to print many copies of this and put on notice board to remind myself and everyone? Now I will focus and be mindful of others more.It is not complicating and yet so difficult to carry out because of my selfish mind.
I am ever so guilty of what Rinpoche has outlined above. We become more greedy when things we pray for are fulfilled.
“We pray for everything to be wonderful, spiritual, easy, pleasant and successful. Yet our actions are filled with the opposites.”
Life is full of contradictions? Because we contradict ourselves.
上师善意的提醒犹如当头棒喝，令我感到羞耻及内疚。
其实拥有了好的环境和需求后往往就把自己处在“安乐窝”里，我会加强对佛法的知识，信念，转化心识那么就不会受到外来因素的影响。
不再把重点集中在自己，把握住现在有的善因，善用佛法知识去利益身边的人，那就不会沉迷在娑婆世界中。
了解到无常，因为拥有的再多还是会失去的，惟有感恩及珍惜当下才是最重要。
感谢仁波切的善言！
Example
like we always say that we want this and that , but when we got it , we always forgot , during that time why , why want it !
have we think of it ?
Rinpoche speak very true, most of people are pray for thier self n they are unhappy when they get it from their prayer because they want more and more and i m one of them in the past, i m more n more happy now because i do more n more dharma work.
人的贪念是无限，永远都不满足，直道死也不会快乐。
我们祈求一切是美好的，但是我们的行动与内心都充满矛盾。
在修行的路上，佛法能帮助我们，就是减少贪念，自私，学会感恩，珍惜。要感恩他人为我们所付出的一颗心，人生会有多少次机会，认我们去珍惜现在拥有的。当我们失去时就遗憾终生……
Thank you Rinpoche for pointing out the irony of our wanting more. I guess, when we “pray” our motivation is mostly based on our own vanity and greed. And so the results will reflect just that.
When our motivations and intentions are right; based on the noble eightfold path and infused with the 6 paramitas, our prayers will reflect that too.
So it is important that we sincerely know what we are actually praying for and not merely regurgitate beautiful words but what’s in our heart is purely selfish. And to change our results, we have to change our motivations, intentions and actions.
Doing the same thing again and again but expecting different results tantamount to insanity.
Thank You Rinpoche for reminding us yet again of our habits and characters. I shudder to think where it will lead us to. As you have said many times; we will only bring karma with us when we die. Nothing else matters.
We need to mean what we say and do what we promised. And do the best without worrying about face and ego. Otherwise, our self cherishing is going to make us even more unhappy eventually, which is what we originally intend to avoid. How ironic!
This is very true, Rinpoche. Out of selfishness and greediness we pray for this pray for that..just for ourselves. A taker does not appreciate, does not want to give back, stay in own comfort zone just to get away from doing more but they want more from others.
We always make empty promises when we want something. When we get the things we want, we conveniently forget those who helped and the promise is expired, we do not keep the promise anymore once we get what we pray for. Then we became greedy, we want more, making the so-called promise is so easy.
Making empty promises is just to look good, avoid the problem temporarily (and we thought it could actually solve the problem) and we expect things come in our way eventually. We manipulate people’s mind, be sneaky and do not listen to kind advice from others, just to get away from scolding and covering for your mistakes,or even your ego trip.
There’s this true giver called Dharma. Dharma never want anything in return when he fulfills your never ending greed that arises from selfishness, but when all you give back to Dharma is nothing, you wouldn’t get a slap from Dharma, because Dharma is meant to be helping you. But be BEWARE of Karma because Karma is Dharma’s best friend….
Dear Rinpoche,
Rinpoche teaching’s are always separable from the subject— Our Selfishness… Example, Rinpoche previous post: ” Do you want to know why you make mistakes?” http://blog.tsemtulku.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/inspiration-worthy-words/do-you-want-to-know-why-you-make-mistakes.html
Rinpoche loves everyone, every of us. And we have to grow, but if we have all this attitude, it wont happen. Rinpoche teachings are always
so true and wake us up! Thank you Rinpoche xxx
These simple truths that we know but so often forget and never learn… and I/we do it all over again. Such is the cyclic existance of our lives yet we ask WHY? When things turn bad. Our ignorant mind, we ourselves deceive ourselves daily from freedom and happiness which we long for but look for in all the wrong places. Most often we look for solutions externally and not internally. And even when we pray, we pray seeking for someone else, the Buddha, Jesus, God etc. to please help “us” wanting another person to solve the problems we ourselves created… but yet we say we want happiness.
Everything that Rinpoche said is so true.It is so profound. Everything we do, wish and prayer for is all for ourselves. This reflects back to our self cherishing mind.
“We pray our guru will give us direction as to what to do. When advice is given, we are selective or conveniently ignore and ask again what we can do.”
We are so fortunate and blessed to have Rinpoche here with us to guide us yet we never follow Rinpoche’s advice. We are stubborn, we are selective and we cant find the time to follow it due to laziness. We do not put in the effort yet expect transformation/miracles to happen.
Thank you, Rinpoche, for reminding us how our selfish mind work. I will print it out and read it again and again.
Dear Rinpoche, yes all these are true. We are so selective, the ignorance us even think that the repercussion of our action could be ‘selective’ as well. We want only the good one, but this is not the truth at all. Therefore we suffer a lot. We throw our black face to our Guru, our parents, partner, friends etc. When we are in suffering, we ask the Buddha, we ask the God, why im the one to go through all this. But when we are happy, why don’t we ask the Buddha or God why i have to go through this?
I’ll bear this in mind always. When we get more then we will do more?
I would say, when we get more, then we’ll ask for more.
The statement that rinpoche talked about is very very true. When we engaged in dharma work we need to be very very honest, genuine, sincere and compassion in order to benefit others. We must also not using PAST TENSE as “I WILL ” when given a task just do it without excuses and reasoning. Our guru is so kind to remind us again and again everyday but we especially myself always has the procrastinate habit. Don buy time that we know that time is so short. Be involved!!!!
This is extremely true in everyone of us. You know all our secrets and all these happens it makes me hate myself even more. I pray for time to do my daily prayers but then I got home feeling a lazy since i have so much time let me watch TV for a while then it carried on till morning. Then I hate myself for mismanaging my time. All you said, I am guilt of those. I pray for people to come help me with my wish to start something and then I ended not following through, It is all my fault. =Now I will be more aware of everything and everyone.
Dear Rinpoche,
All these are so true, they hit me right on my face. It’s so true for me that we want to change, but when solutions are hard, I avoid. I pray for forgiveness. When I receive it, I blunder again due to not eradicating harmful habits…I pray for everything to be wonderful, spiritual, easy, pleasant and successful. Yet my actions are filled with the opposites.
I will keep reading these to remind me again and again.
Thank you,
Wah Ying
Thank you for this precious teachings.
It’s so true that the more we pray, the more sufferings we get, the sufferings arise because of our prayers contain wrong motivation, selfish,laziness, greed, no gratitude, insincere.etc.
If I still continue to pray for myself, only get more and more unnecessary problems, real dharma definitely no easy way and is not about what you like or do not like, what I capable or not capable anymore.
Thank you Rinpoche, this list clearly slaps us on the face on how we are so contradictory with our prayers and actual actions. We still do the things we have been habitually/comfortably doing and fool ourselves into thinking we are holy with all the praying and eye-rolling-up-to-the-sky because we are still attached to samsara’s deceptive pleasures… but want to look good. We are not being honest with ourselves and the Guru. Our prayers are empty promises. Our actions remain as our true motives. I’m guilty of it! I will remember this post whenever I am tempted to let my evil twin win.
I used to wish for a lot of stuff in my life but it never came true or I don’t realized it when became true. So I don’t wish for anything even worst I have no expectation of myself and others. Then one day I was watching a show that gave a very good reason of having expectation of myself. I couldn’t remember the reasoning given, but wishing and having expectation is good in some way. Living to help others is definitely a good reason to have expectation of yourself and others. 🙂
Thank you Rinpoche for giving instruction of checking my mind when I have a strong wish for something.
From these examples, Rinpoche has shown us how inconsistent an insincere our practice can be. This is a reminder to me to focus on what is important, that is dharma, and not be distracted by the worldly aspects of life.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for outlining the truth in everyone of us. The happiness that we were looking for is a self deceiving truth. It is deeply embedded in our conscious mind and most of the people actually working hard to pursue the so called happiness but in fact due to wrong view and habituations it leads to eventual unhappiness.
We would realise that we knew many of the outlined facts above but we just kept ignoring it. This is another reminder to our selfish mind that only working for others will be eternal happiness and not towards oneself.
Great power comes from great responsibility.
This is an excellent list to contemplate on how contradictory our human nature is. I find several which hit close to home, the following two in particular:
We pray for everything to be wonderful, spiritual, easy, pleasant and successful. Yet our actions are filled with the opposites.
We pray for happiness. Yet when it’s given to us, we want more and become unhappy.
We would like to think we are Dharma aspirants yet our actions often contradict our wishes. When we wake up and smell the coffee and realise how self-deceptive we are, then we can align our wishes and actions in order to create positive results.
Dear Rinpoche,
It weird how we act opposite of what we wish to achieve. I like this one best “We always pray for our enemies to disappear. When the problems are resolved and the enemies are at peace with us, we make more enemies”. When we have 20 problems and do not solve the root cause of it, then even when the 20 problems are taken away or disappear, new problems will appear anyway.
Where could I find leather enough
To cover all the earth?
With merely the leather of my shoes
It is as if the entire earth were covered.
– Shantideva
Thank you for sharing profound teachings with us in “simple” and easy to digest form that we understand.
LIKE BILLY CRYSTL WOULD SAY ” WHAT YOU GOING TO DO”
But Its good we have you to remind us to do better, because we all do have it in us to do better. Even if we never reach as high as you do.
I love these contradictory truths because they really show us for who we are, what we do and how we operate. I think what’s more important, which is what Rinpoche always points out to us, is not what we wish for, but what we use it for. The things themselves are not inherently good or bad – the “better job”, the “auspicious dreams”, the “world peace” – but our motivations for them and what we end up doing when we get them is what becomes bad and what ruins us.
Then we start making new prayers and new wishes again and off we go chasing our tails.
I’m going to read these again… tick off how many of them I’m guilty of.
Thank you Rinpoche. This is the fact that happens to most of us in current life. To break away from attachment and worldly activities, we need to grab every opportunity to do more Dharma work.
Everything Rinpoche said here is so true.. I am guilty for all these selfish wishes…
We wish and pray for conditioned things that we thought will bring us happiness but when we have them, we want more. And we give excuses and conditions before we promise to do more… but we never really do more for others… we are selective and choose only to do the things that convenient to us, we never want to push ourselves to do more…
we deceived ourselves saying that when we found a Guru, we’ll do more but even after we found a real Guru who cares for us, we still selfish…
Dharma Protector, pray, please knock my head so that I wake up from all my deluded attachment; please continue to wipe away stubborn dusts from my heart, help me see clearer and do more for others.
An excellent “get real” text about changing suffering and also unsatisfactory nature of our afflicted mind… the truth of suffering in a very good and modern way. I believe just Tsem Rinpoche could get such high level of creativity and sensibility to teach in this way. Thank you very much Rinpoche! Please have a long life and always teach the Dharma.
What Rinpoche said here is very true we always want more and more and never be contented of what we have and everything we pray for are for ourselves, this can never bring true happiness to us. I must let go and do more by practicing the 8 verses of mind transformation to benefit others.
Dear Rinpoche,
This post pinpoints exactly (right to the tee) how the human mind operates. There is no difference on how we operate on a worldly level, or a spiritual level. With everything, there is a tradeoff. I will only do this if this is convenient to me. I will only seek for something if I achieve this. I will do this when I get this. Ultimately, we only live selfishly, for ourselves. Nevermind them, what’s important is that I am okay – that is our attitude, that is our mentality.
More often than not, we are our own biggest deceivers. We want so many things, but we want them to come easy for us, at our convenience. We don’t want to work hard for anything, we just want things to come to us, spoon fed to us, so that we can have it easy, we don’t have to push ourselves, we don’t have to get out of our boxed up comfort zones. Why do we always put conditions and limitations for the things we want, I also don’t know. Habituations of laziness, selfishness, I would say. We want all the best things in life to come to us, but when it’s there for us to take, we don’t want to grab it, we only expect things to magically fall on our laps.
Its like how when we have a new car, but after awhile, we get bored of the car, then we want another better car, and another one and another one. That’s how we go about living our lives. We want want and want more, and when we have it, we don’t appreciate it. We don’t know how to appreciate what we have now and thus, we let our wanting more, our desires, our non-satisfaction to dictate the course of our lives. We take, and we don’t give. We want, and we don’t work for it. We wish, and when we get it, it doesn’t match our expectations. We are always looking for something more, but what we don’t realise is that what we, or I anyways, have now is the best that we can have at this moment in time. So cherish everything that we have now. Nothing comes easy in life.
Btw, what hit me the most from the statements was this: “We pray for second chances. When we get it, we want a third, then a fourth, then a fifth chance. ” – it’s so true, it shows how much we take things for granted, and not learn, to improve ourselves.
I will print this post out, and paste it on my work desk. Thank you Rinpoche, for this profound teaching.
Love,
Carmen.
Thanks Rinpoche. This made me realised that I was always thinking that I was praying for happiness, but in fact I was praying for suffering. I was praying for more power so that I can prevent my weak mind from growing stronger. I was praying for more money by selling my conscience away. I was always taking without giving. I cannot imagine what I am now if I have not meet the Dharma. I still have so much to learn but I want to do my part in spreading the Dharma.
Very true words and they describe us very well. And yet, even as we see ourselves in those words, in the very next minute we lose awareness that we are engaging deeply in the very same pattern. The human condition in Samsara is that we are so ingrained in actions that totally drain us and yet leave us wanting and unhappy. And we keep doing it.
Dharma teaches us the truth and show us the folly of our ways. But even with knowledge, often we feel powerless to break out of this self destructive vicious cycle and there we cheat ourselves. With negative karma, we can even reject good teachings and rebel against it.
It takes a very kind Guru to come up with different ways to help us get hooked onto dharma instead.
Without Rinpoche’s teachings I would have gone on this and many lifetimes doing senseless and damaging things without even realizing that I am getting it all wrong.
There is so much in this post that really shows us that self cherishing is so deceptive and all the self deceptions and mindgames we play on ourselves. All the conditions that we put for Dharma but even they are met we do not practice Dharma. I will read this again and again until my wishes for the 8 worldly concerns wanes. It is a wonderful tool to get rid of all the excuses we have to not do Dharma.
Thanks Rinpoche for telling us such a truth.
When we get more, the “more” didn’t help us to be a better person, but the other way round that make us more attached to our secular needs. So the “more” didn’t give us more in our life but drag us down to the samsara or and let us continue the be like this or worst from life to life. The sufferings will never end.
The prayer to have “more” should be on how much it benefits others or how much it benefits us to benefit others; something that encourages positive changes for not only ourselves, but others.
Everything that Rinpoche talked about is so true and profound. Most of us are guilty I guess. We are always looking for excuses, way out, better life, more money or acquisitions, financial freedom, better wife or husband etc etc. The list never ends. After getting it all, we want more and more. I know I’m guilty as hell but, if we can identify our weaknesses we can always try to transform wherever possible. I am still in the midst of searching. Is Dharma and rituals sufficient? Am I on the right path with what I am doing now? Only time and Rinpoche can tell. Just doing what I think is right without hurting people and without lots of excuses, not expecting anything in return and be contended with what I have for now. Would like to learn more though.
Thank you Rinpoche for the reminder.
人的欲望是无限的，无论他在什么样的位置,都不会感到满足的。
秦始皇征服了天下，但是却又去追求长生不老，直至死亡也是有遗憾的。
我们学佛的道路上，其中的辅助方法之一，就是减少欲望，懂得感恩，懂得珍惜，才会使心识渐入空明。懂得珍惜，是心性转化的开始。
“We always pray for more money. When we get it, we have more things to buy, more places to visit, more dinners to go, more acquisitions to obtain.”
This is so true for me. Thank you Rinpoche for this great reminder again for me not to chase after material things and be happy with what I have. When our motivation is right, then whatever we wish for will be benefitting others and maybe our wish will come true.
The teachings are so true and so profound. If we could only spend more time and energy helping , benefitting and be of service to all sentient beings instead of keep asking more and more for ourselves, this world will be a much better place for EVERYONE!!!
This is so true. Everything I pray for is for the benefit of myself & an easy way out. If I sincerely want to do Dharma work, I will need to “tune” my mind to put others before me, and in Dharma there is no shortcut. If I wish to hv mind transformation and receive higher teachings then I need to put in the hardwork.
What is so true to me is that I always pray for freedom yet I get myself into unnecessary commitments.