The Benefits of Experiencing Hardship
Rinpoche gave the following advice to a student staying in London who wrote saying it was very hard and could she leave.
My very dear Karen,
Thank you very much for your kind letter. I am very sorry it took so long for me to reply.
I understand that you feel it is hard in London. A hard life is very good for learning, it is a teaching, it shows the nature of suffering. Look at it that way, as a teaching, to give you inspiration, liberate you, and free you from samsara. Seeing sentient beings’ sufferings and from that developing compassion leads to bodhicitta and the Mahayana path, which eliminates all the gross and subtle defilements and causes you to achieve enlightenment. Then you can enlighten all sentient beings. These benefits come when you experience hardships or a hard life. So, if you can, think like this.
My suggestion is to try to continue to study for one more year, approximately. You could move to a different house, but it still may be hard.
Please continue with guru devotion and live your life with bodhicitta, by developing your meditation on the perfect human rebirth, renouncing this life, and meditation on emptiness.
With much love and prayers...