Be Careful of Karma
A student wrote to Rinpoche about someone who was involved in a court case and was trying to achieve a peaceful resolution. If the legal action were unsuccessful, it could result in a prison sentence and a large financial loss. This reply was typed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche and is lightly edited for publication.
Yes, I will pray. Please tell them yes.
So they need to think that this situation is teaching us about past karma; what kind of karma was created to cause these difficulties. It teaches us to always be very careful in our life. Every day, every hour, every minute, every second, we have to be careful of karma.
Our way of living life has to be with the good heart, not harming others and especially having a good heart, benefiting others. If any action is done with bodhicitta, then we always create skies of merits, even more than skies of merits, also good karma. That’s why the kind, compassionate Buddha taught us to live our life with this, always.
By hearing, reflecting and meditating we can actualize this, not only to free ourselves from the oceans of suffering, samsara, but to achieve full enlightenment, buddhahood, for every living being.
Please tell them this exactly.
They should also do the general protector prayers and tea offerings (that we do at the centers) five times. This can be done at the center, so they can come to pray together. Explain to everyone to pray very strongly.
They should recite the Verses for the Eight Noble Auspicious Ones 155 times. The text should be read and it can be shared with the whole family to read.
They should pray very, very strongly to Hayagriva every day. They should totally rely on Hayagriva and recite the mantra of Hayagriva. They can take the lung from the geshe there. They can recite the mantra many times. When they are sitting and walking, they can recite it during all those times.
Also, they should have a picture of Hayagriva, if possible framed and covered with a nice cloth. When they pray, they can open the picture to see the deity, otherwise they should keep it covered. They don’t have to advertise to people.
Tell them I will pray also.