Offering Service

My most dear, most kind, most precious, wish-granting jewel, wish granting one,

Thank you very, very much for your kind letter explaining your dedication, that you came back from England and that you really want to offer service to the Mongolian people and to the sentient beings and the teachings of Buddha, and of course to the founder of the organization, Lama Yeshe, my guru, and also to me, Mickey Mouse, the sloth human being, the sloth animal, the slowest one that goes very, very slowly on the tree, so slow. I’m an extremely lazy person in the world, the slowest, famous, lazy, sloth human being.

Anyway, thank you for explaining so clearly, for showing interest and really truthfully explaining. I was very, very, very happy, particularly about the news regarding the ninth 100 Million Mani Retreat. I had great hopes for the mani retreat and I was there at the beginning, for the first mani retreat.

It’s really amazing that people became familiar with Lama Chöpa practice in the morning, the lamrim practice, the [best] practice in the lifetime. You know that’s what causes us to achieve enlightenment in a brief lifetime of degenerate time.

This is the practice that Milarepa did, and he was able to achieve enlightenment in a brief lifetime of degenerate time. Also, Gyalwa Ensapa, and there are many others who achieved enlightenment in a brief lifetime, within some number of years. If that becomes a common practice and people become familiar with it, that’s so good. And when they’re reciting the Chenrezig mantra, it’s so worthwhile.

I’m not going to go through all the details, but it’s incredible, the easiest mantra to recite, and especially with bodhicitta, we collect merits, good karma, merits more than skies. It’s the greatest, greatest purification of our negative karmas collected from beginningless rebirths. Wow, wow, wow.

We need to generate compassion, particularly for all the sentient beings, and that causes us to achieve enlightenment quicker, quicker. It’s unbelievable, unbelievable; it’s so good. That helps particularly the Mongolian people; it helps so many people purify their negative karma, not only collected in this life, but collected from beginningless rebirths. Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.

And it really, really helps when we die, so we don’t have to be reborn in the lower realms; some are never reborn the lower realms. It is a quick way to achieve enlightenment—wow, wow, wow—especially if it is done with bodhicitta. Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. That’s really helping the world.

Of course, if we recite the mantra with bodhicitta, it helps all the six-realm beings—every hell being, every hungry ghost, every animal, every human being, every sura being, every asura being, every intermediate state being. It helps everybody and purifies our negative karma, and helps to complete the two types of merit: the merit of wisdom and the merit of virtue, and to achieve enlightenment. Wow, wow.

Particularly in this world, it helps to pacify war, famine, disease and disharmony, and the killing, fighting. All this is pacified, really. Also the dangers of earth—earthquakes, landslides, or water [problems], like drought, not having enough water, so no crops grow, then people die, or too much water, too much rain, which washes away the things in the house and the people. This has happened in many countries, especially in America recently.

Also fires, for example, in America there are wildfires. There are three places that have fire, the government can’t stop it and it takes many months to control the fire. It’s so hard to stop it and all the animals who are numberless, numberless, numberless, numberless, are killed. Wow, wow, wow. Sometimes human beings are also killed or harmed. If the fire is announced to the people, then they have a chance to escape, however people also die. Even the firefighters die when they are trying to help. There is so much harm in the world.

Or there’s wind—wow, wow, wow, wow—so many typhoons, tornadoes, cyclones happened in the world, and also they happen in America, in Taiwan and in other places, like China.

This [mantra] really helps against all of that. It really heals; it is very good, so good, particularly if we generate compassion. If those who recite this mantra generate compassion for sentient beings, there will be less harm to the sentient beings. That’s so good.

Then the virus and all the many problems came as a result of harming other sentient beings, killing or harming other sentient beings. The world people—those who haven’t met Dharma, who don’t know Dharma—don’t know where the disease came from. They really don’t know the main cause; they can only judge from the outside, but so far nobody knows. I mean the people in the world—it’s not that nobody knows, that Buddha doesn’t know or that bodhisattvas don’t know, it’s not like that. Those who have clairvoyance can tell; even if they’re not bodhisattvas, those who have clairvoyance [know the main cause.]

People in the world, even if they have a very high scientific degree from Cambridge or one of the many famous universities, or they have so much education, as long as they don’t know Dharma and they don’t know karma, then they don’t know that it came from the mind, from the negative thought and from harming others.

How many years it will take or even how many eons it will take for the people in the world to know [the cause of our problems], I’m not sure. So it’s like that. Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. It’s so difficult to know that all our happiness came from the mind and all our sufferings came from the mind. People don’t think that; they think everything came from outside. We think we’re perfect and everything came from outside.

So people think that the world should be square or the world should be round, that the world should be all kinds of shapes. I’m just giving an example, but our problems are still [coming from the mind.] Even if we go to the moon—nowadays many people who have money can go to the moon—so even if we go to the moon, we still have the problems in the mind. We’re not free from attachment, anger and ignorance by going to the moon. We’re not free from attachment and anger by going under the ocean. Physically we change, but the mind has not changed.

So the mind didn’t get renunciation—how samsara is in the nature of suffering—or bodhicitta or emptiness. We haven’t realized the ultimate nature of I and all the phenomena, So we suffer, no matter where we are physically.

There are three realms for all the samsara beings. We are in the desire realm, having desire for the sense objects, form, sound, smell, taste, and tangible objects.

Then there’s the form realm, where the samsaric gods abide. They don’t have the suffering of pain. The beings in the desire realm have the suffering of pain, but in the form realm they don’t have the suffering of pain. [This realm is achieved] through meditation, through shamatha, through stabilized concentration. There are four levels, so anyway, through that, they achieve the form realm, and within that there are sixty or seventy categories.

But the desire realm has the suffering of change. There is peace, but it changes, it doesn’t last. The desire realm has the suffering of change and pervasive compounding suffering, so those two sufferings. From pervasive compounding suffering comes the suffering of pain and the suffering of change. All the samsaric pleasure, which is the suffering of change, comes from that. So the desire realm has all three, but the form realm doesn’t have the first type of suffering; it just has the last two sufferings. 

The formless realm doesn’t have two of the sufferings, but it has the last one, the third type of suffering, pervasive compounding suffering. It doesn’t have the first two sufferings, but those formless realm beings don’t have the freedom to be there forever, no. Their karma to be there finishes. In the deva realm, they have unbelievable sense pleasure, like the desire realm, unbelievable sense pleasure. Lama khyen, Lama khyen. It’s incredible, unbelievable, unbelievable.

So, it’s like people in the world, who have the best sense pleasure, everything is the best. So it’s like that. They live with unbelievable, unbelievable sense pleasure. Everything is the best that can be found in the world, but this finishes their past good karma by enjoying the resultant happiness. By enjoying that, they are only finishing the past good karma, the result of past good. Therefore, they don’t create any good karma; they only finish it by enjoying the result. Therefore, when they die they will be reborn in the lower realms.

Similarly in the formless realm, no matter how long they live, no matter how unbelievably long the length of their life, there’s no opportunity to collect merit, they don’t have the freedom to collect merit. No way. They are only enjoying the result.

The formless realm beings only have the third type of suffering, pervasive compounding suffering, so they are totally under the control of delusion and karma, the cause of suffering, and their mind is contaminated by the seed of disturbing thoughts. Because the seed is there, it is not removed, then delusion arises and suffering arises again. When this karma is finished, then they are reborn in the lower realms. Even if we’re born in the form realm or the formless realm, for example, not only as a human being but even in the deva realm, it’s unbelievable.

[When the karma is finished] it’s like falling down into a large pot, and inside is liquid iron, it’s most unbelievable hot. Can you imagine? Lava goes through; normally our fire doesn’t melt rock, but lava comes and melts the rocks. The lava is so hot, you see, it’s like that, it is the hottest.

So, those devas who have unbelievable pleasure all the time, those form and formless realm beings, even though they’re there, it’s like they are standing on the tip of the pot with liquid burning iron in it. It’s like standing on the tip or the edge of the large pot. For them it’s like that. At any time they can fall into the pot, into the liquid iron, which is extremely hot.

We can fall down inside any time; we’re standing on the top, at the edge. So it’s like that. [Our life is] very temporary and we can fall down at any time or any moment. That includes ourselves, not only those other beings. It’s the same for us if we are born as a human being, having the body of a happy transmigratory being.

That’s why we need to practice Dharma. The only way to save ourselves is by practicing Dharma, so we don’t fall down. To protect ourselves and also to protect numberless sentient beings, it is only through Dharma. The simplest, easiest way to do this is by practicing the lamrim, which shows the whole path to enlightenment. It’s simplified, and it is the essence or heart of all the teachings of the Buddha.

When we practice lamrim, we’re practicing the essence of all the Dharma, so it touches all the Dharma, sutra and tantra. Lamrim is most unbelievable, most unbelievable, unbelievable.

We can’t imagine how fortunate we are, that we met Dharma this time. We can’t imagine, we can’t imagine, and especially having met the lamrim, having the opportunity to have lamrim teachings, to learn, to practice and to actualize the Dharma.

Therefore, we need to practice Dharma day and night, all the time, right away, because we could fall down [into the hell realm] anytime. Death comes anytime and then we could be born in the lower realms, the hell realm, anytime. We could fall into the pot of liquid iron, like that.

Therefore everything you are doing—working for the center, Ganden Do Ngag Shedrub Ling—now you can see how important it is for yourself and for others. Can you imagine how urgent it is, how your help is needed. Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. It’s more important than food, more important than money; it is the most important thing in the life. Wow, wow, wow.

Thinking that way purifies our negative karma collected from beginningless rebirths, and then we collect the wisdom and merit—the transcendental wisdom of merit and fortune, method and wisdom, by thinking of emptiness, ultimate reality.

Anyway, we go to enlightenment closer, closer, every day, with renunciation and with bodhicitta, especially with compassion for the sentient beings, with devotion to the guru-buddha, Dharma and Sangha, [and with realization of] emptiness. This is without counting tantric practice, which is the quick way to achieve enlightenment. Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.

Thank you very much, thank you very much, thank you very much. By expressing these words I think the present that you get is a wish-granting jewel. Not just one, but filling the sky, and not just gold or diamonds but wish-granting jewels.

So you take the wish-granting jewels from the ocean, and you clean them in three ways, then you put them on the banner on the fifteenth [of the Tibetan lunar calendar] and then you pray. Then any temporary needs for this life are materialized in the next second. That comes from your good karma, from the unbelievable merit, but the condition is that wish-granting jewel.

So it’s like that, your own effort, your dedication for the sentient beings, for the teachings of Buddha and for the center. Thank you very much, for [offering service to] the FPMT.

Thank you very, very much. I hope to see you soon.

With much love and prayers ...

My very dear one,
You and others who were helping [the center] gained merit like the sky! You were practicing, meditating and teaching. The essence is karma, what brings happiness and what brings suffering. To remind others of that is great.

The other thing is compassion, benefiting all the sentient beings who want happiness and do not want suffering. This is the cause of merit, like the sky. If teachings on emptiness happened, then that is the very root of happiness for yourself and others.

It is very understandable [that the center closed]. Everyone is getting old, so you have to think of your own preparation for death. That is also for the benefit of sentient beings.

So thank you billions and billions, to you and all your friends who helped [the center]. Thanks for all your help to others.

Rinpoche said he will check later for pujas or practices, but for now, think that what is happening with your spine etc., has to be purification from having offered service to the Amitabha Buddha in the garden, from your offerings to the Buddha.

The past karma that would have been the cause of rebirth in the hell realms or the lower realms is being purified, as you are experiencing the pain and difficulties now. That negative karma is being purified, so you can be very happy.

My dear one,
Please enjoy your life. There is nothing better to do in life than what you are doing now, which is serving sentient beings and the teachings of the Buddha through guru yoga practice. What else is there to enjoy more in this life—you being a monk and doing these services, taking these responsibilities.

Much love and prayer ...

Most dear one,
This is such good news, because the FPMT’s only purpose for existing is to help others, regardless of caste, etc. Giving the path to enlightenment is our sole reason for existing.

Teaching Dharma is even more important than building statues, if there is interest and they understand. The purpose of a statue is to purify the minds of sentient beings, so they can ripen to be able to listen to the Dharma.

It's very important for you to keep the connection, and to give them books so that their wisdom can become deeper. 

We can help them; we can teach Dharma to that community. There are some monks, one who is at Sera Je Monastery, and others. We also have many books, if they can read English, or we can have them translated. We can help set up a program of study that is suited to them.

With love and prayers ...

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

Thank you very much for your kind email, I was very happy to receive it.

In regard to your request about which deity you have the strongest connection with, the purpose of practicing Highest Yoga Tantra is to achieve enlightenment as quickly as possible in order to liberate sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric sufferings and bring them to enlightenment in the shortest possible time. When your mind is ready, take the initiations when available and train your mind in the practice of the generation stage.

The reason to take Highest Yoga Tantra initiations and do the practice is that this is the quickest way to achieve enlightenment in this life for yourself, and then to be able to free the numberless sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric suffering and bring them to enlightenment the quickest.

According to my observation the deities that you have strongest connection with are Guhyasamaja, Kalachakra and Chenrezig Gyalwa Gyatso. Whichever one you have strongest feeling toward is your main deity, but you can take both initiations and do both retreats if you want. You can choose one to be oneness with day and night to quickly achieve enlightenment, to enlighten sentient beings, to free the numberless sentient beings from the numberless oceans of samsaric sufferings and to bring them to buddhahood

Because of your Dharma connection, you worked in the office, so this means you worked for me, also for His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Yeshe. Therefore your work for the last ten years, whatever you have done has been the greatest purification and it becomes the greatest, biggest way to collect the most extensive merits. That is such a quick way to achieve enlightenment. You should know this and rejoice in every second.

It is said in the Essence of Ksitigarbha Sutra:

Working for guru is to achieve enlightenment.

I am sorry I don’t remember the quotation completely clearly, but this is essence.

Then as Sakya Pandita said:

The merit you collect by making charity of your limbs for a thousand eons, giving away your head, legs and so forth, and even dedicating that merit to sentient beings, can all be achieved in one second by the guru’s path.

Sakya Pandita also said:

As fire burns wood and turns it into ashes in one second, like that if the glorified guru is pleased, the negative karmas are burned in one second.

Thank you very much. Thank you for the practice you have done and are doing. Please remember what makes your life most meaningful is meditation on the lamrim, and living your life with bodhicitta motivation. This is the best.

With much love and prayers ...