Dharma and Worldly Activities

My very dear Chloe,
Thank you very much for your kind letter, I am very, very sorry it took such a long time to reply, perhaps you heard I got a stroke and so forth.

I want to say in regards to your question, it is very good to do anything that helps other people, but if it harms people, then do not do it. If it helps others, then it can go with Buddhism. If it harms, then it doesn’t go with Buddhism.

So don’t worry at all. If it helps by telling people about their past or future, then tell the person, but it has to be at the right time. If it will harm someone to tell them, then you don’t need to tell them, even if you know.

Yes, many people may have a future bad rebirth, but to tell them something about that can be very inspiring, so that the person can put effort in practice, morality etc, so they can have a good rebirth and don’t have to be reborn in the lower realms. Just telling them they will have a bad rebirth without telling them that they can change the karma, would just worry the other person, unless the other person really wants to be reborn in a lower realm, as a spider, butterfly or snake. Of course, sometimes people like to be reborn in the lower realms due to ignorance, and also some people, like bodhisattvas, want to be reborn in the lower realms in order to benefit sentient beings. They can take different births in the lower realms to benefit others, so that’s different.

So you can tell others about those things that you see, as long as it is very true, otherwise maybe it’s better not to tell, as they might get the wrong answer.

Also you can use examples of their current life—why it is like this; this is due to past life karma created etc. So then it’s OK to show, like that, but the main thing is to use it so people can benefit, so they can practice more, do purification etc.

Please make your life most meaningful with the thought of bodhicitta.

With much love and prayers...

There is karma created if we have a mantra tattooed on our body and we don’t treat it with respect—if we go into the toilet, get it dirty, sleep on it, etc. It is better to get a tattoo of meaningful verses in English that people can read. This may have more impact and there isn't the negative karma of not treating the tattoo with respect.

It is best to avoid having mantras or holy images on T-shirts because we lie down on them, wear them into the toilet, wash them with dirty underwear and do not regard the image as a representation of the Buddha.

Usually logos are OK, if they are lotus, jewels and dragons, etc, and not necessarily Dharma, but if, for example, the center logo contains a vajra, that is considered a tantric implement and a holy object.

If we treat the T-shirt with respect and don't lie down or wash it with other clothes, it’s OK to have a holy image on the T-shirt. This applies to the word “Buddha” as well, and it means we have to regard the T-shirt as holy Buddha. Even the signature of Lama must be treated with respect.

Dharma quotes are OK, as they make us think about Dharma (for example, the “Live with Compassion...” T-shirts). The slogan “Visualize Peace” is a passive statement—we should have more proactive statements that we want to make happen.

We can use slogans that make people think about Dharma, but there is no need to have holy images on our clothing, as the karma of disrespecting them can happen very easily and there is no need to create any more unnecessary heavy karma for ourselves. Also, we can have images of non-religious things, for example, a lotus, a smiley face etc.

There is quite a lot of difference between T-shirts and Dharma material. With Dharma material, such as posters and advertisements, it’s OK to have holy images on them as their purpose is to advertise and attract people to the teachings. Also, the material is usually in a high place, and it’s not in the toilet or on the floor. Most people who see Dharma material know how to treat it, or we can add a note at the back that explains how to correctly dispose of the material. Of course, not everyone is going to do this.

It would be amazing if there could be buddhas on the top of the small toy train, like Tara statues or tsa-tsas.

Also, you could put Dharma messages on the side of the train, similar to the stickers on my car, so that anyone who comes into the restaurant sees the messages. If people are depressed and their life is full of problems, and they see the messages, maybe it will help them. That is the best meditation and best philosophy. If people think this way, then it stops problems and their life is saved. They are saved from killing themselves if they are suicidal, or saved from problems in their life, relationship problems. They will have more happiness in their life—at work, with others and with their family.

It is such a great opportunity and so easy to do. You could also put Universal Education messages on the train.

No, this would not be appropriate, because you are standing on it, even though the board is between you and the mantra. It would be like putting it on the bottom of your shoes. Even though there is a board between your feet and the mantra (even if it’s at the other end), it’s not appropriate.

It would be better to drag it behind the surfboard. Or you could carve the mantra on a big board the size of a table, tie a rope around it, and drag it behind a boat through the ocean. This would be very good and also could be fun and enjoyable. The board should have wings on its edges so it floats on top of the water, with the mantra touching the water and blessing it in this way.

Please write the following below the Medicine Buddha statue in Hindi:

Sign for Well
This well water is mixed with holy water from Mount Kailash, so it has the continual blessing of the water from Mount Kailash. It purifies all beings, people, and animals—anyone who drinks water from this well. It is very blessed water. This is the holy water of the enlightened deity Vajrayogini. The benefit of drinking this water is that when you die you will be reborn in the deity’s pure land, where you will be liberated from all suffering and will achieve enlightenment.

Before you take water from the well, you should offer it as a bath to the Medicine Buddha. In this way, you purify negative karma and defilements, and create vast amounts of merit and causes of happiness and success. After you have offered it to the Medicine Buddha, think the water came from Buddha and put it back in the well. Then take water for yourself, your family, and others.

As the water comes from the Buddha’s holy body, drinking and washing with this water purifies the mind of the negative karma of body, speech, and mind, which is the cause of all problems, now and in the future. It also becomes powerful healing for sickness. The most important thing is, the more faith you have in the power of the water, then the more powerful it is for healing and purification, and for survival.

It is good that anyone who drinks this water practices the good heart, to not harm others, whether human beings or animals, and to be kind to others every day. Please enjoy.

Rinpoche also made the following comments:

Also, the water over which I chanted mantras, many thousands of OM MANI PADME HUMs, was put in the well, so that means there is a continuum of blessing, so I guess it can be used. By blessing the water with mantras for healing and blessing the water source, even if there is no water from Mount Kailash, it can purify negative karma and be healing.

It would be good to have a Maitreya Buddha statue at the well for the villagers. We could put a sign: “Sponsored by Maitreya Project.” Later we can also put a Mitukpa statue there to make the nagas happy. If they get disturbed the water will dry up. The main cause for the water being there is that the people have the good karma to have the conditions to be able to drink. Also, there is a puja for the nagas when the water runs dry. People can receive blessings by washing and drinking the water from the well.

According to my observations, the best statue for the well itself was Medicine Buddha. This is also easier for people to relate to.

I recited Buddha’s auspicious prayer for healing, for all to recover from sicknesses and for all who come to drink never to be reborn in the lower realms, to find faith in the Triple Gem, and achieve enlightenment. What’s important is to have a happy mind and not give harm in this world to any living being.

This is an auspicious prayer to eliminate any negativity and for healing. I made a request to Medicine Buddha and we all made prayers that anyone who drinks the water is immediately purified of all negative karma, is never reborn in the lower realms, is free from all sicknesses and spirit harm, finds faith in Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, develops loving kindness, compassion and bodhicitta, stops giving harm to all living beings and only practices kindness, bringing peace and happiness, and for everyone in this world to become like Chenrezig.