Endorsement of a Book by Kyabje Chöden Rinpoche
Lama Zopa Rinpoche gave this commendation of a new book by His Eminence Chöden Rinpoche and praised his qualities.
Kyabje Chöden Rinpoche was kinder to me than all the three times’ buddhas. His teachings are not just words but come from a learned mind and from experience. So [the book] is really showing the path, not just intellectual words. There will be a great effect even just to read it, and especially to practice, because you get the essence of Rinpoche’s own experience. It shows the unmistaken path, giving you incredible guidance. So when you practice, there will be fewer obstacles for your enlightenment.
On the basis of this, it is easy to realize bodhicitta, to develop the lamrim, in particular the generation stage and completion stage. It helps with every aspect of the path up to full enlightenment. But of course, people in Western countries may think only of calm abiding, not of renunciation and bodhicitta. That is not wise. Then you only want some kind of peaceful, happy mind, but that is not the real motivation for life.
We should have a general understanding of the whole lamrim, and why we need calm abiding. Calm abiding is essential to benefit and not harm numberless sentient beings, and to bring them to enlightenment.