The following is an excerpt from a teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo called “Antidoting the Mantra of Samsara”
When we practice prostrations we are applying the antidote to pride. Well, you think to yourself, if that’s what we’re doing, I’ll just stop being proud! And how long do you think that’s going to work because you know what you’ve already done? You’ve already said I could figure out how to do this better than the Buddha did! You don’t think there’s a little pride in that? Hm? Hm? I do. There’s pride in that already. Instead of being oriented towards engaging in non-virtuous activity and creating non-virtuous habitual tendency and continuing our delusions, instead we should make prostrations. And how do we make prostrations? We say, “I take refuge in the Buddha, in the Dharma and in the Sangha.” The Three Precious Jewels—the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. Now why is it necessary to do that 100,000 times and to bend our bodies when we do that? Because inside ourselves we are constantly saying “I take refuge in what-I-want, what-I’m-gonna-get, and what-I’ll-have-in-the-future. I take refuge in you-love-me, you-take-care-of-me, you-give-me-stuff.” We are constantly taking refuge in stereo, TV, CD player. We are taking refuge in chocolate. What else? What do you like? Cake? Ice cream! I mean, these are the ways that we think! We don’t realize that, but when you go for something, what do you go for? You go for something else! You don’t go for the Buddha, the Dharma or the Sangha. You go for ice cream! You go for a new car! You go for anything but the Buddha the Dharma and the Sangha!
Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Norbu Lhamo. All rights reserved
