Compassion

Roar Against Suffering

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From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

I do not understand cruelty, such as the murder of wonderful loving pets simply because no effort is put into adoption. It drives me nuts! Even people who have “anipals” and know what they truly are often care only about their own. I understand it is a learning curve to care for all beings. But the complacency is a sickness. Complacency is a death sentence for those weaker than us. It is a display of self cherishing.

We simply cannot put others before ourselves. I see it in my own Sangha. An innate selfishness that is evidently very difficult to overcome. We tend to use Dharma activity to boost our self-cherishing to a set of rules that start with “I can’t. Love to help but can’t” the great excuse. Anyone can convince themselves that they “can’t” because it is inconvenient to care for others. As Buddhists we have our armfuls of books, texts, big words we memorize, an intellectual materialistic grasping. But what is in the heart is what is truly important. We spout Buddhism and its exotic phrases. But the heart is as cold as ice. No Bodhicitta, concern for others, no love; we sit on our cushions and pretend we are great enlightened beings. But what kindness do we ever show suffering beings?

“I can’t” – our great gift to the world. This is the heart of what must change as it comes to the west. We don’t need regurgitated words! My parrot does that! What is needed is Dharma taken to the streets to bring benefit in this life. This moment. This opportunity. This is all ordinary reality, yes. But this is where beings are hungry! Beaten and abused! Alone with no hope! Lost in addiction! Cold and homeless… How can we do the intellectual ivory tower thing when so many sentient beings have Nothing? Simple, we ignore them, watch sitcoms and reality TV and forget. Live in our heads while we let our hearts and compassion to wither away until we die. I say, since we are here, and not someplace else, here is where we must help.

There are two main kinds of kindness; ordinary, of the world, which can be contrived from ordinary things. This is a necessity, to heal pain such as feeding and clothing the poor. Then we must practice deeply in Dharma so that we may teach them to help their own suffering. The difference is like giving a loaf of bread to a hungry person. Good, thank you. The more ultimate second view is to teach how to grow grain and how to make bread. Both are necessary – ordinary and extraordinary kindness.

We spend way too much time in our heads hanging out with talk and no time paying forward the kindness we ourselves may have known. We could all decide now to make the planet and her people better, stronger and freer of suffering. If we can stop puffing up our egos long enough, it is possible to live a life of service and joy. All beings, whether human or animal or any life-form, deserve our respect, our concern, our help and our love.

So open the door of the heart and let the fountain flow. ROAR AGAINST SUFFERING! What do we wait for? To be reborn with a better deal? This is the moment! These are the lives we must bring benefit to! Start NOW! There is no other time but the present moment of manifestation! Jump in! We need you.

Copyright ©  Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo.  All rights reserved

Cultivating Awareness

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From a series of Tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

Did you know that there is a fundamental difference between Vajrayana Buddhism and other faiths? All faiths improve our life, our minds and hearts, and give us structure and aspiration, hope. Buddhism has all that in common. The difference is that Vajrayana Buddhism does not recognize self-nature to be inherently real. In relative view we perceive self as solid through the five senses which also are empty, yet are themselves perceived as real and solid. The entire reason we compile our lives as seemingly solid is that once we fall prey to the concept of duality – self and other – both of which are dream-like, we simply cannot see the great expanse of truth.

Conceiving self and other as real sets us up to react to what is perceived as outside this supposed “self.” We always react with hope, fear, or indifference. Like I hope you will love me. I fear you will abandon me. I hope there is food and money. And fear it will not be enough. I hope you will not harm me – I fear you will. Indifference is involved when both views have been applied and neither does. I hope there is something coming from you but I see nothing will – therefore I am indifferent to you. In fact most people and things that do not excite our hope or fear usually are not even on our radar. Our five gross senses are meant to recognize what seems to be “other” and to measure and assess that. So you see – this whole perceptual event occurs instantly, before we even realize it has. So our entire awareness is based on that, meant to perform in a certain way. That is the only means to sense at that level.

In meditation we close out the gross senses and give rise to those awarenesses which are far more subtle and intuitive – quite gossamer, in fact. Much more spacious and formless themselves, this subtle awareness is what is needed to fully recognize the primordial ground of being, and the spacious empty luminosity that is our true face, the same taste as Buddhahood.

One must meditate to dispel the illusions of separateness and solidity. And we enhance the more subtle (and true) view that is the essence of true discernment and the precious awakening called enlightenment. It takes time! As we begin to awaken we develop compassion as we are not separate and no different on the relative level as all sentient beings struggle to be happy, while being unaware of their true nature.

I am asked- if we are empty of self nature, then who gave birth? Had that heart attack? Who says “ouch” when pinched? And what is it that reincarnates?

In Buddhism we see no self. What happens is rebirth. Buddha said we are cycling through death and re-birth and suffering because of desire. So true! Not a separate entity, but the thread of desire and other habitual tendencies rise up as our mindstream and continue on. We, then, with the five (made for this) senses believing in separation consciousness then measure, contrive and support it. Then once again we believe that we and all phenomena are all entirely solid and real. It is sort of real in that we react. Ouch! Yet not real in that there is no pinch no pincher, no pinchee, no hand, no no-hand, no pain, no no-pain, no self, no sorrow and no one to gain from self cherishing. And all of this is dream-like and without substance; no here, no there, no hate, no love, no one to hate or love. Yet our nature is love itself, BODHICITTA!

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo.  All rights reserved

How Will You Live Your Life?

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From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo (@jalpalyul), December 22, 2010

I am always so disappointed when I see a long time practitioner who toots his own version of accomplishment when clearly there is none, or puts him/her self up on a throne that they do not belong on. It is not the ego that is recognized and enthroned, it is Wisdom and compassion that are meant to be properly enthroned; and it is to benefit the Dharma and the people. Not to puff up bloated egos. That happens naturally in samsara. One practices to pacify the ego, not to enhance it. If you must waste time and merit pumping it up then you are lost, utterly lost and must turn right around and go back to preliminary stage and purify. Of course if the ego is too bloated that will not happen.

Many would rather take it to their grave than work the path truly. That is not Dharma, that’s false pride. False pride is a mind and heart killer. One cannot think clearly about one’s path or history, can only stroke and fondle that sick ego. It hurts when other people do not agree, and must get into 1) self pity and whining, or 2) aggression to put the disagreed person down. Or make them look bad, even if it requires lying, hating, violence, et al.  – whatever it takes to avoid any and all responsibility for one’s character. That is the coward’s way. It shows weakness, not intellectual strength.

Truth and virtue are arranged like a platter of cookies. Pick some! The red sugar cookie? The green? Take what you like and go home and gobble them down. Have you been to a feast? No, you have been to a party where you and only you are the entertainment and the joke! Those of us who practice Dharma deeply and with great respect and love can spot you in a New York minute. And grieve. Those that practice to be big, tough and cool, to get adulation will never have it. Like planning a funeral party rather than finishing and accomplishing every prerequisite for death and being ready and completely unafraid. To be prepared for death is honorable and dignified. That is vajra pride! Also one should practice both the yidam and Phow’a extensively. Anything else is foolish and shows one’s ignorance and lack of accomplishment. To spend the last times bragging about qualities one does not have is a waste of perfectly good life.

Did you love? Did you give, rather than steal? Did you change for the better? Is the world better for your life? Or are you a user? Are you the wizard behind the curtain being mighty and ridiculous? Or are you a human being- loving, being loved, giving hope and healing to others? We talk, us baby boomers, as though our environment is the trouble. Not. We were born to the trouble, it is our Karma. To ignore that is to be a fool in a world cursed by and filled to the brim with fools. If you want to be stand up and real; give, love, heal, turn around and start again.

At any time, if there is five minutes left in life, love, gather virtue and care- not just your circle of family and friends that agree with you, but all sentient beings, every one. We will all die, be sick, suffer… Be a brave and pure beacon… show us how it’s done. We need that.

We do not need your scorn or your judgment! There is plenty of that from ordinary sentient beings.

©  Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo

How Does One Learn to Forgive?

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From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo (@jalpalyul), December 17, 2010

How does one learn to forgive and do it with grace? It isn’t for cowards.  Forgiveness is hard work. Some folks are seemingly incapable, but I think the issue is they are afraid to try. It takes character, courage and an understanding of one’s own emotions. One must dig deep within and find strength, maybe the kind you never knew you had.

First, one must examine the “condition” of the “enemy” to see why they act as they do. Perhaps there has been disappointment, jealousy, or rage in the present moment and from the past. One’s “enemy” is likely acting out their suffering. Often they project that on you, but allow yourself to let that go. One should only accept the person’s actions against oneself as justified if it is actually so.

Sometimes we blame ourselves for another’s hurtful behavior. That is not helpful, so some “inner work” must be done. That is the scary part. To look within with self-honesty is hard. Examine the motivation. Do we forgive to get something back? Do we hope the “enemy” will change? Some people simply do not have the skill or the will to do so. One should consider that it’s the right thing to do. It grants freedom to the angry one and to the “enemy.”  The “enemy” is now free to do as they wish. Hate will never overcome compassion; nothing is as strong as Bodhicitta- Love.

One has nothing to fear from the generous act of forgiveness! It is quite healing, and it sure does build character.  Like I said, it is hard work. And then one is free from the awful burden of neurotic circular thinking. When one has that issue, one simply cannot let go. It becomes an ugly illness that affects one’s whole life. With rage running the show, then comes obsessive behavior. One literally can think of nothing else. The stress of being that way will destroy one’s health due to hormones and chemistry completely out of control. And then the rest of one’s life is conditioned by that. At that point maybe medical help is needed, or the wisdom of a friend with clarity to talk to, counseling, or perhaps a retreat where one can examine those sick feelings. There are books that may help, and there is help online. Today there are many ways. One excellent method is to meditate and pray for help and contemplate the situation.

Usually an “enemy” is just looking for power and feels powerless. Or they are trying to be happy and simply do not know how to be happy. They are lost and need our compassion, as they cannot help themselves at all.

One may even need to study aberrant behavior to understand the activity of the foe. Any effort needed is so useful, as forgiveness is liberating, and healing. One can walk away a new and far better person – stronger, kinder, happier, and at peace. The freedom to let it go! Get on with your life, rather than your “enemy.” When that is accomplished, the enemy is an enemy no more. And just look at the gift you have given yourself!  Liberation from a trap that hurts so much, and eventually kills. You don’t want a hard, selfish heart. It will turn out you will suffer.

I would like to recommend as a start that you follow @RCInstitute on twitter; Ruthless Compassion Institute. Please read Dr. Marcia’s blog for some good advice and help. I admire her.  She is a very wise and lovely person. There is so much help; one has no excuse for remaining ill, and helpless. Go for it! It is love, Dharma!

©  Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo

Why Do People Lie?

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Why do people lie, and what is the result? People lie because they are insecure, and their intention is at best to buoy themselves up or to pull others down. Often they feel they are unsuccessful, or haven’t had enough love, praise, etc. They feel the only way to break through is to break others down. In the end no one wins, least of all the liar. The liar gets the bad karma, the victim just gets hurt. What’s the point? There is no use.

Once a liar starts the lie, there is small chance that they will be able to turn it around. When one’s life, then becomes a web of lies it will occur not only now in this life, but the habit remains until it is purified. The work will remain to do until it is complete. Lies are wrong speech, meant to do harm and benefit only oneself. A liar can never be trusted until they purify.

Of course the bottom line is intention and compassion. If one lies continually there is no compassion. The intention is to harm others and distort or destroy truth. Lies can be debilitating. One develops a habit they cannot break and it eventually destroys them, ruins life after life and all wholesome happiness. A liar does not have Bodhicitta. They cannot attain enlightenment until the very habit is cleaned up.

The saddest thing about lying is that one eventually believes their own con, and then lifelong confusion results, a broken personality that lives in their own glass house, locked in a sea of relentless sickness. The more they lie the sicker they get. All to boost ego!!!

The jail house of their own making is all-pervasive. There is no love, no freedom, no comfort or happiness because the liar has only lied. That terrible weight will be theirs to bear alone. But there are no winners. That is because a seed rotten to the core cannot grow good fruit. And because we are all one in nature, everyone gets hurt. What a ridiculous way to live this short life. How senseless to live in one’s own lies. Like a baby condemned to live in its filthy diaper, no hope for change, and the pain never ends. So unnecessary when we have such great capacity! I choose love, life, a wholesome mind, pure speech, forgiveness and peace! And I wish you all the same.

Liars lie – let it go!

©Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo

Roar of the Dakini

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It is not for ordinary sentient beings to alter Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism. It has been in this country, USA, only a short while. To decry the gifts of our great founding Lamas, Tulkus, also called Nirmanakaya Buddhas, these are jewels to gradually assimilate and practice, not to destroy with arrogance and pride. We may end up seeing some things differently here. But it should be gently and with loving concern.

Some people suggest we should destroy all Tulkus. And, naturally the woman who doesn’t play patriarchy goes first. If we have just ordinary people teaching, even from texts, is like the blind leading the blind. One can see easily that these folks have no profound wisdom, being so rude, hurtful and stuffed with pride. If sincere people follow ordinary people with no particular good qualities they will end up the same as them. These ordinary people claim supreme Enlightenment just because they believe it in a deluded way. If these people lead Vajrayana it is finished. They have no wisdom, do not know the pith instructions, and cannot give empowerment from a stainless source. Then we have nothing but a Tibetan flavored new age composite. Completely worthless. Some westerners don’t even do sadhana, or bother with empowerment. They just make up their own. Like a coloring book and crayons. Draw Superman and you can be him! No, really! Write it with the purple crayon so you can be on the purple ray!! Write “I AM THE SHYT! I am a Guru!” Then hand it in to your actual teacher and she/he may write “very creative!” Yet it is not correct.

Maybe someday there will be realization, when the pride is overcome, the arrogance, and maybe when the Bodhicitta is developed. No, it does not appear naturally without effort. You can’t do a little dance and Viola’ there it is. One must practice every day! Effort is essential. Intention must also be pure. Not to destroy, but to heal. I know of someone who says he/she has practiced for 30yrs and feels they don’t need any more but when you see them you know different. You see the hate, whining, selfishness and self absorption right away. No kindness. If we accept this as American Tibetan (?) Buddhism it is Kaliyuga for sure. The end. I have practiced and studied with great Masters for 30yrs also, and still do because of the intention to benefit beings, to dedicate the merit, and because I have faith and the wish to see all beings free of suffering. Until the bloated ego is pacified it is not truly possible to liberate and benefit beings. I am properly recognized, properly enthroned, and fully capable of teaching and helping sentient beings. But western wannabees crucify me every day. They will not stop this woman. And I will continue to keep my Lineage, and all Nyingmapa, the ancient ones sacred. I will protect my own and all beings.

And, yes this is the work if a woman! I will not crumble. And I am terribly sad for those who cannot see that wisdom. Yes, I am woman, watch me roar!!! Deal with it or not – your choice.

OM MANI PEDME HUNG! OM BENZAR SATO HUNG!

©Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo

Warrior of Compassion

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To hate is irresponsible. Not only does it taint one’s own mind, but harms all others who touch it. It is unethical, as it poisons our world. I resent hate on twitter, not just the idiotic stuff thrown at me, but in general too. I have great hopes for twitter to exchange info and bring the world closer together, like a world community. Tweeters often offer love and support to each other, care.

Other types only want to rabble-rouse and stir up the war consciousness in everyone. Mostly failures in life, they feel better when they make their victims hurt. My sense is that they do not understand people who build their lives with skill and care. Their hatred of other’s success is due to feelings of inadequacy driving them. Not understanding the mechanics of a wholesome life, peaceful life, they hate those that do. And blame others for their difficulties. Actually, it is their own attitude and reaction that harms them. I say it over and over. Your Karma and mind are yours alone!

Therefore it must be oneself that manages and minds one’s own non virtue. Oddly enough, these are just the people who project their hate onto others. Example: a person commits a crime and goes to jail. Then commits more crime while on parole and blames the person who caught him red-handed. A narcissistic criminal with sociopath mindset will blame the person who caught them. Never seeing that the problem was the crime itself, and therefore their own chosen lifestyle. The bible tells us that to live by the sword is to die by the sword. True.

Buddhists call it karma, cause and effect. The same principle, I think in that we must take responsibility for the harm we cause others. If the criminal ends up being punished (say-like-Prison) that isn’t harming. If the criminal does the crime, that is the result. And they have created the cause. Though a deluded person may think they are right they still have committed a crime. And beings are harmed.

The amazing thing about Buddha Dharma is that there is always a way to confess, purify, and “go right” according to the methods of the eight-fold path. Correcting course and following what the Buddha taught, similar to 10 commandments, there is a body of material in ethics according to the Buddhist traditions. And since it is the bones of the body of Dharma it prevails through all its forms. In truth it is the ethical, warm-hearted and generous heart that provides the happiness, joy and stability on the path. Through meditation as well, we find peace and sweet relief!

Conversely when the me me – me mantra is in the driver seat, and the ego is immensely puffed up there is never any satisfaction or lasting happiness. The body then reflects the qualities of mind, and all is lost.

If you want to fight a war, the only one worth fighting is the insightful one against one’s own poisons. In the way the Buddhas see, it is not even truly possible to fight an external enemy. The enemy is war, our own soldiers are our own root poisons. And the true enemy is within, our own egos, and habitual tendencies. Therefore fight your own war, pacify hatred greed and ignorance, enjoy the happiness it brings, and live to bring benefit to the world!

© Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

Loving Kindness and Adversity

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From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo, known as @JALpalyul on Twitter:

My dear, much Beloved Tweethearts I haven’t been on much today. Follow Friday! But I’ve been quite exhausted and feeling low. Nothing happening in my reality to upset me, except the continuous stream of lying and hate that has come to me for years now. By those who readily admit they are bird dogging me, and digging through my underwear drawer for something “wrong” with me. When they can’t find anything wrong they just make it up!

So I find myself deeply sad and emotionally exhausted. I have no fight in me. They are amused but still beat a nearly dead horse and laugh.

I pray they will find their way spiritually and ethically, and stop wasting time. They both have heart disease and just do not understand karma, cause and effect. They cannot see through the hate long enough to know that in trying to destroy me and KPC they are actually destroying themselves.

I wish as a mother I could comfort them. Hold them and speak of truth, love, living and dying in a noble way. Wish I could heal them as only LOVE and TRUTH can do.

But the walls are up; I cannot get in to help. I can pray for them and I do – every day.

I have thousands of followers on twitter and on my Altar blog. They in truth have very few. But I cannot be satisfied until I see their pain end. I think of them with a sorrow so deep I cannot explain.

If a pure display of love is squelched it is beyond tragic as the world needs love!

I wish I could help them; however my experience is that if I show my gentle side I get knifed in the back by these two – over and over.

I didn’t sign up for Crucifixion in this life. Another faith, that.

I pray for the day they just stop. Maybe try to help people? Animal rescue? Volunteering to help others? Comfort those in hospice? Tutor a child? There are many ways to help. Then there is no time to beat people up. One can live a helpful and productive life. Not end up in jail with a felony record. A waste of life when there is Dharma available.

There is no time to waste! We are taught in the four thoughts that turn the mind: It is like going to a continent of precious jewels and coming back empty handed.

That is the most tragic thing of all; to waste this precious human rebirth, with all its endowments on gathering trash.

So for these people I pray:

OM MANI PEDME HUNG!

OM AH HUNG BENZAR GURU PEDMA SIDDHI HUNG!

OM BENZAR SATO HUNG!

May this heal all enemies to Dharma and bring joy to all!

How Far Will You Go?

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From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo (@jalpalyul) on November 11, 2010

In my experience anything can be used to propagate the Dharma – TV, radio, magazines, books, Internet blogs and Twitter. Ways to introduce Dharma are as plentiful as leaves on a tree. It depends on view, of course. The one with dirty glasses will never see well. The one who has dirty ears will not hear as well. The one who is ignorant will not accomplish well. The one with an oversized ego will not assimilate well and will lose their way due to pride and arrogance. Grasping will ensure there is nothing in the bank. The next life will be worse.

How can one’s mind not matter?  If it is view, relative mind will not be stable. If there is poverty of respect and love for all beings there is no result in Dharma.

You can tell a great deal by seeing someone’s past. A criminal always remains dangerous. A blow-hard tends to blow! No kindness there.

Buddhism is like a wedding cake, many levels. First level is purification of gross karma, the mindstream. Second level is intellectual and scholarly pursuit.  The top level is realization, awakening, result, and accomplishment.  The Bodhisattva or awakening being – this cannot be attained without Bodhicitta, and view of emptiness.

One may take exception, thinking they are unique and special, and have no ethics.  Buddhism is a philosophy of ethics. We build on ethics.  Personally I feel without ethics and compassion there is no realization. I myself practice self-honesty every day. I wish to face all poisons!  I feel that if one is unwilling to purify the poisons, and the karma of body, speech and mind, do not become Buddhist! We are change! And you must grow!

I wish you a life of joy, health and wealth!  I wish you a life of goals attained!  May you have long life and love!  Get it now as you accomplish method!  For all sentient beings.

© Jetsunma Ahkön Lhamo

Want a Taste?

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Excerpt from a teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo from the Vow of Love series

From the first day that I began teaching until the last day that I ever have the opportunity to teach, I will invariably speak of compassion. If compassion were ice cream, by the time you finish with me you will have tasted every flavor at least 475 times. So, now we will talk about another flavor of compassion.

Previously, we have discussed why compassion is necessary. Then we spoke about how to begin to apply that compassion. We talked about various ways in which one could be motivated by compassion, as well as thoughts that you might have found moving or encouraging and that were geared to deepen and soften your mind. These are very important. One of the greatest, most precious jewels that you will hopefully attain in traveling the Buddhist path, or any spiritual path, is to have your mind softened and deepened.

There is an expression in one of our prayers, that one’s mind becomes ‘hard as horn.’ The minute I first read that particular phrase, it touched me deeply. Every time I have thought about it, it has meant more and more to me. One’s mind becomes hard as horn because of the discrimination, the conceptualization that is involved with the idea of ego, because of the pride and arrogance that arise from our belief in self-nature as being inherently real. We have established in our minds all of the clothing, the dogma, the discrimination of this idea of self as being real. These things become rigid in our minds, and our minds are no longer gentle.

The moment you decide in some subconscious way you have an ego, that you are a self, you have to start gathering the constructs of self-identity around you. You have to determine where self ends and other begins. In order to do that your mind has to be filled with conceptualization. In order to be a self you have to survive as a self.  In order to maintain this conceptualization that makes survival possible, your mind has to become rigid. So if I say to you that your mind is rigid, you shouldn’t think I have insulted you. I am talking about a condition all sentient beings have, and it is a condition that is the cause of a great deal of suffering.

When I say that all sentient beings are suffering, I don’t wish it to be a real downer for you. That is not the point. Realizing all sentient beings are suffering is meant to soften your mind, because to realize all sentient beings are suffering, you have to be willing to examine phenomena and to examine yourself in a deep way, in a way that you don’t normally do. Therefore, you have to challenge your concepts. Why is that? Because naturally, and without any teaching or any encouragement, you will try to convince yourself that you are happy.

You may do this in much the same way that a person who is hungry and unable to eat will do something to take his mind off his hunger. Let’s say its 10 o’clock. You’re on the job, you’re famished, and you know you can’t get off for lunch until 12 o’clock. You are going to try to think of something else. You’re going to try to keep your mind busy, or try not to focus on your hunger. In much the same way, if you are suffering and you don’t have the technology to remove from your mind the causes of this suffering, you are going to try to convince yourself that you are okay. You are going to put a band-aid on it, and in order for you to do so, your mind has to become more hardened.

It is useful to really look around at sentient beings and see they are suffering. It is also useful to look at yourself. This is not meant to make you depressed or sad. It is meant to give you what it takes to go to the next step, which is to try to determine for yourself the way to remove the causes of suffering.

Even though there are times when hunger is not comfortable, when you would rather not think about it, there are also times when hunger is useful in that it keeps you alive. In the same way, while it may be uncomfortable for you to think that all sentient beings are suffering, it is actually quite useful for you to realize that. It is this realization that will give you the foundation and the ability to turn your mind in such a way that you have to seek out the causes of suffering, and how you can remove them from your mind.

It is not useful in any long-term way to try to convince yourself, by putting a band-aid on an ulcer, that everything is okay, because you still have to face the same things that you’ve always had to face. Nothing has changed. You still have to face old age, sickness and death. Neither does it help you to be helpful to other sentient beings. Look at the animal realm. Go to India and see how the oxen are beaten and tied up in order to be worked. They are worked all of their lives. That is suffering. Look at all the different ways that other creatures suffer just out of ignorance, because they have no way to help themselves.

Once you have determined suffering does exist, there is no need to dwell on it in a morbid way. Rather, you should think, “This is how it is. Now I have to realize that there is, in fact, a cure, there is a way to deal with this.” It is not useful to dwell on suffering without also accepting the antidote. In other words, if you just think about hunger all the time, and you don’t eat, that is stupid. When hunger is no longer useful to you, it is simply suffering. You should use your awareness of suffering to prod you to seek and practice the antidote to suffering. Use your awareness; it is your tool.

© Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

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