the Four Thoughts

An excerpt from a teaching on Compassion by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

You may ask, “Why do I have to think about suffering? Why is it that the Buddha talks about suffering and nobody else does? Why is it that today’s New Age thinkers are saying, ‘I want to be me. I want to be free,’ and the Buddha is still talking about suffering after thousands and thousands of years?” It is because the Buddha has a teaching that is very logical and very real.

If we want to exit a room, but there is a chair between us and the door, we have a number of choices. We can say that the chair is not there. We can pretend that the chair is not an obstacle to our passing through the room and that it’s not important. Or we can notice that the chair is there and get on with our journey by walking around it. That is the essence of the Buddha’s teaching. The Buddha doesn’t stop at saying, “There is suffering.” The Buddha follows that by saying, “There is a way out of suffering.” And that’s the ticket. You cannot motivate yourself to follow the path out of suffering until you generate the commitment through the realization of suffering. You can’t make yourself walk around the chair to get to the door until you face the fact that the chair is blocking your way. You have to look at the chair.

It isn’t only about walking around a chair so that you can get to the other side of the room, so that you can get out the door. There’s more to it than that. You must understand that your commitment is two-fold. In order to become the deepened practitioner that you must be, to really sink your teeth into the Buddhadharma, you must have compassion for others that is so strong and so extraordinary it will nourish you even when you are dry.

From a series of tweets by @jalpalyul on December 2, 2010

Homage to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas! Gathering all virtue and merit from the three times, this I offer in a beautifully arranged Mandala; a splendid array of jewels, nectar, medicines, and song. Please allow me to speak in such a way as to bring benefit to all beings!

This precious human rebirth is extremely difficult to obtain. Whoever is born, must die, and all things are impermanent. If one is determined in virtuous Dharma, this is the cause for becoming Buddha – awake! When negativity is produced, it will cause endless wandering in the six realms of samsara.

Grasping, needy, lusting spirits will wander in the realm of hungry ghosts. Hate and anger cause a hellish rebirth and great suffering from heat, cold, violence, etc. Humans suffer from old age sickness and death. Those who love war and pride themselves in power, and bullying will wander in the realm of jealous gods. They suffer endless warring! Devas also suffer continually from pride and so forth. How sad!

These produce the states of non-freedom. Birth in these aforementioned realms, or with incorrect view, in a dark aeon; or in an incapacitated state, these are the essence of non-freedom! These are some faults of cyclic existence.

Birth in a land where Dharma is taught correctly and with all faculties complete, without reversed karma, with correct view and with great faith in the Three Precious Jewels, these are the endowments,which I possess.

Birth during the presence of the Buddha, and the Buddha’s teaching (Dharma), the presence of the doctrine, and pure followers, and in the presence of those who lovingly care for others from their hearts, these are the circumstantial endowments.

If one’s moral discipline is broken, even with these precious endowments, and material wealth as well, one will fall to lower realms. This is why it is so essential to use one’s life to create merit, as well as good qualities, and the purification of the five senses and perception (skandas). We must try to take this opportunity to be sure we may remain stable on the path and produce good result.

I am 61 and for me the urgency or this life is quite evident! May I and my students practice well and purely and be reborn in the realms of accomplishment! May we benefit all beings equally and always respect the Dharma just as it is.

Why All the Focus on Suffering?