Ceasing as Director

My most dear, most kind, most precious, wish-fulfilling one,

Thank you for your email, I am very sorry for the long delay. It seems correct what you did, stopping being director. So that is completely OK.

That you are able to study is extremely fortunate. I received so many teachings like rainfall on sutra and tantra, but I didn't get to really study. I only speak two or three words, just like that, and only a little bit that I know I speak about. You are so much more fortunate—you are studying the Masters Program and have finished the Basic Program, therefore you are so, so fortunate.

Yes, if the mind is not occupied by study, the mind may find problems. Why? Because the basic motivation is the self-cherishing thought, ignorance, which is the root of suffering. The truly existent I appears and we hold on to that, while there is nothing that truly exists. Basically, not at all. So yes, I agree it’s a good idea to let the mind be occupied with Dharma subjects.

As you know, motivation is so important. This is what transforms the life from a suffering life to happiness, including Dharma, if the motivation is renunciation of this life, renunciation of samsara, and not only that, but renunciation of the self-cherishing thought, ignorance, the root of samsara.

So that’s just talking about sutra and then there is tantra, where the mind becomes exalted, pure. The mind creates enlightenment. With tantric practice your life goes so quickly toward enlightenment. It is a quick way to achieve enlightenment, but it must be on the basis of renunciation, bodhicitta and right view, and then the root is guru devotion.

The main thing is to actualize the lamrim and to have lamrim realizations. This is the main thing all the time, when you study and during the rest of your day, to live with bodhicitta as much as possible, to live your life for others. This is the essence.

With much love and prayers

Thank you for your letter. I understand you have tried very, very, very, very, very hard. I appreciate very much all your help with the center for such a long time.

This work is very, very important. Giving people the opportunity to meet Dharma and to practice Dharma—this is so important, so helpful, so beneficial, you can’t imagine, or maybe you can. It’s important to understand how beneficial your work and the work of others there at the center is, and how important it is. Amazing, amazing, amazing!

Please rejoice in all that you and others have done. It’s so worthwhile.

With love and prayer ...

My very dear one,
How are you? I wrote the first part of this letter on the postcards, but it is very long so I am having the rest typed.

It has happened before that there is discomfort for the director when the time comes to change. The center has become very important to the director, like a child.

There are many reasons why it’s necessary to change the director. Sometimes the director resigns due to personal reasons, and sometimes the director is changed because of too much disharmony. Or it can be because of too much pressure, too much to handle, or the director is burnt out and can't take the responsibility any more.

At the beginning of the term as director there is the good heart and guru devotion, but due to many pressures and responsibilities, sometimes there is degeneration of that. After some time the mind of guru devotion degenerates and the mind becomes very different, with no compassion or affection or kindness or a warm heart. Then the director’s actions are negative and miserly, and due to this many other people become negative or unhappy because they are not able to keep up with Dharma.

But this depends on the person’s attitude. In some cases when directors are changed they feel liberated. They feel at rest, very happy, so it is all up to that person’s attitude.

You may be aware of your own situation, but that can still be just one view. It’s your view with your own mind, and not the positive mind, but the negative mind. Your view with a positive mind—patience, compassion, bodhicitta, a loving mind—would not see problems.

For example, when there is desire, there is pain and dissatisfaction with the object, however, when the mind is transformed into renunciation, there is contentment in the next minute. When there is a detached mind, there is no sign of pain, there is no problem with the object and that object doesn't become a problem.

Similarly, when there is anger in the mind, the object becomes negative and bad, and we dislike it. But the next minute, when the mind is transformed into patience, that object becomes the kindest person in our life. This transformed mind takes responsibility for the object, for helping that person instead of harming them or taking revenge.

In short, without Dharma the way we deal with things with the emotional mind is to kill each other or commit suicide. We are creating the same karma again and again, and we will experience the same problems again and again for hundreds of thousands of lifetimes to come.

This is completely foolish. That is why in Buddhism the understanding and practice of karma is the most essential and most important thing. This is the basis of happiness in this life and future lives, and is the cause of our liberation from samsara and enlightenment.

With much love and prayers ...

My dear one,
I think it is very important for you to understand how we all appreciate what you have done over the past nine years for the FPMT—all the contacts you have made, the teachings, all the hardship and difficulties you have gone through trying to serve the teachings of Buddha, Lama Yeshe and me, and helping to revive Buddhism. We really appreciate all your efforts.

Now I think it is better for you to leave, especially for your health. Due to recent events, your health could get worse because your mind is unhappy. Please try to think in a positive way and REJOICE in what you have done! It is worth rejoicing … really! We all should rejoice.

I think it is good for you to continue to do some practice. Have a relaxed retreat for a little while.

Much love and prayer...

My very dear one,
Thank you very much for the great service you have been doing. This organization is to benefit not only human beings and sentient beings in this world, but also sentient beings equaling the limitless sky, who are obscured and suffering.

This is the best method: providing service for the teachings of the Buddhadharma, the complete and stainless path to enlightenment—the peerless happiness.

What greater life there is than this? Please continue.

With much love and prayers...

My most dear one,
Thank you very much for your many years of service, and your dedicated heart. I remember you when I went to Australia for the first time and I was doing retreat in Sydney. I was doing Cittamani Tara retreat, and Roger was my cook, and first thing in the morning he made salt tea that had many bubbles in it. I didn’t say anything until the end of the retreat and then I said that the tea was a little salty. Roger cooked rice and beans every day. Every day it was the same lunch, but I didn’t see any problem with that. Now it may be different. The next door neighbor made noise at 4am, I think they were going on holiday. I think I was having a good time at that time.

I remember that you came for a short time from time to time, just outside; maybe you were shopping, I’m not sure, maybe you were just hanging around. I also remember you in Sydney helping Roger at the university where I was giving a talk. You were carrying loud speakers and arranging things. Anyway, I appreciate very much your kind service and good heart for so many years, especially all your good heart.

Yes, definitely I have the intention to develop the Dharma center and I want to come and lead retreat and things like that, even if a new director comes. Of course, I still need your help at the center. As long as you are there, as long as time permits, I definitely want to see you, to be like the legs and hands and limbs of Milarepa, part of Milarepa’s body.

Don’t worry about whatever happened in the past, even recently. I guess there is some karma from the past between you and the other person. So, just think like that.

I don’t have anyone in particular in mind who can be director. There is one nun, but I haven’t asked her yet if she will do it. I am happy to receive whatever other names you have so that I can check.

With much love and prayers, you are always in my prayers. Thank you very much and I hope your two daughters are well...