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Advice book

Clairvoyance and Managing Conflict

Clairvoyance

Date Posted:

Rinpoche made the following comments about developing clairvoyance, with regards to detecting destructive intentions.

I think the United States and other countries need to develop clairvoyance, and the power of seeing beyond what ordinary people know, which is very limited, so that they can use it for their protection. However, even if the clairvoyance is highly developed, it is still not always possible to protect against destructive, dangerous situations. But without clairvoyance, the mind’s power is not able to see beyond what ordinary people see. Without that clear mind, that higher power of the mind, people can cheat and harm one in different ways, like in the case of September 11. The terrorists had been studying and practicing for a number of years, and finally they did the act, which was their aim. Everything had been disguised. So, if you were able to read their minds, you could know their ideas and plans. It is difficult to rely on external protection. The most important thing is the power of the mind to be able to see how people are planning to harm the world, like terrorists.

Managing Conflict

Date Posted:

Rinpoche related a conversation he had on education in managing conflict.

There was a conference on conflict in the family and school, which about two hundred people attended, including government officials and psychologists. The three people who visited me who had attended the conference were an ex-monk and two psychologists. When I asked them how it went, they didn’t seem very satisfied with the solutions that people came up with. I asked them what their suggestion was for a fundamental method for addressing such conflict. One of the psychologists answered: respecting others and understanding others’ minds and needs. I agreed with her. The answer to overcoming conflict is respecting others, making others happy, and being able to communicate with them.

Buddhism has the same idea. We need to achieve clairvoyance in order to read others’ minds, to understand their karma and all their characteristics. I said this is how Buddha guides sentient beings. He liberates sentient beings from suffering and its causes and brings them to enlightenment by knowing sentient beings’ minds exactly, by being able to read every single karma, and by knowing every single method and how each helps to bring beings from one happiness to another, up to enlightenment. This was the essence of our conversation.

I did mention that it would be very good and helpful to invite spiritual people to such conferences, who are working for peace in the world. That kind of person has a lot to offer. For example, they could invite His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who has compassion and wisdom, as well as other people in religious positions. These people could offer very good ideas and solutions to such problems.