Masectomy

I received and read your letter and did quite a lot of checking for your situation. It seems there are things from the side of meditation that can be done that can help your situation, but these things will take time. Therefore, I feel it is better in the immediate future to go ahead with the operation. Alongside that, what you can start to do immediately is: Medicine Buddha puja daily for the next week.

For evening practice, as ongoing, do some malas of Vajrasattva, with strong repentance.

Also, do prostrations to the Thirty-five Buddhas. Remember to have strong repentance not only for negative actions in this life but also past lives.

Then, always meditate on the lamrim, particularly on impermanence. Think life is like a dream. In the seven-point thought transformation teaching, in the section on emptiness, it says: Look at all phenomena as a dream, examine the nature of the mind that is unborn, even the remedy is free in nature, place the mind in the essence of the path, this is the basis of all. This is important to contemplate, as well in the break time (when you are not doing formal meditation). Be like an illusory person.

If you look at the different aspects of this section of the teachings, the first relates to the object of mind, the second relates to the mind that holds the object, the third relates to the person, him or herself. These three aspects you relate to as empty. The last aspect is when you see yourself as illusory in the break time.

So, this is the way to meditate on emptiness. In the break time, relate to yourself as an illusory person, while you are eating, walking, sleeping, working, when you go the bathroom, washing, shopping, dancing – if you dance. Even when you have the operation, think of yourself as illusory. When I say person – it means the “I.” Person and “I” is the same.

So, this is some advice that will help to make your life most meaningful. I will pray, also I have asked the Sangha in my house to dedicate many animal liberations for you and also the making of long-life tsa-tsas.

Please make your life most meaningful with the thought of bodhicitta and emptiness – this will take you towards enlightenment.

I heard you have been helping the center, offering service. I want to thank you very much for this.

With much love and prayers,

Lama Zopa

PS: Longer term, I think it is important to do Black Garuda practice and nyung näs – but we can leave that for a little while and check again after some time.