YOU ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE…make the right one.
You may be bigger, stronger, and more faster now….but there’s this thing called karma and impermanence.
All situations will end one day. Nothing is permanent. Hence you may be strong and powerful today, but at a later date it might be the reversed. Never take refuge in power or having the ability to take advantage, hurt or damage another. Situations may change, but karma is unfailing and constantly recording and waiting for the right chance to STRIKE back at you. Karma will always strike back at you. Karma explains so much for example the disparity in the world. Also the disparity in your own inner world…your mind.
You always have a choice…you always can pick the right choice. As Dr Martin Luther King says, “The time is always right to do what is right.”
When you find your habits hard to change, then do extensive death meditation continuously on a long stable basis as it describes in the Lam Rim by Pabongka Rinpoche. Then you WILL see a change in your mind. It will come. Meanwhile take confidence, focus, concentrate, make offerings and pray deeply to Tsongkapa……to make the circumstances fruition.
Tsem Rinpoche
++++++++++
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We all have heard the saying ‘what goes around comes around’, We need to be very conscious about our deeds because Karma hits you back at the most unexpected times.
Good intentions and Good deeds results in Good Karma and wrongful intentions and wrongful deeds results in bad Karma.
Those actions or karma get carried forward at the time of death with us on our memory. They are a list/record of everything we have done in our past life. Therefore, our mind, actions and words are very powerful weapon in our life, that should be mindful whenever we are using them.
Thanks you for the good sharing.
https://bit.ly/3oqGIqD
Situation may change but Karma is constantly recording and waiting for the right chance to strike back.We should think about others when we make our decisions
The decision we take should not inconvenient the people around us especially our family and friends.Thank you very much for this meaningful article and teaching.
Life is short, and impermanent , it is up to us to make it meaningful, Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated at times. Each person has the right to make decisions and have choices about how they live their life. Always keep the right perspective. Once we make a decision, don’t look back, make it work. We are the creative force of our life, and through our own decisions rather than our conditions. The choices we make have a major impact on the life we live. Make the right choices. Learn from the past. The most important thing is to enjoy our life – to be happy , compassionate, kind, helpful- it’s all that matters. Fill our days with meaning—to live our life the way we choose. All life is an experiment. The more experiments we make the better it is. Our life changes the moment we make a decision. Learning Dharma , practice and make changes , do no harm and not creating karma.
Thank you Rinpoche for this teachings.
Your motivation and action will retermine karma or merit. Is better we already aware off what we choose to do with good motivation. In that way, we are less change to collect karma effect our future life.
Life is short and impermanance. Real challange is when dealth coming. We able to face it and less suffer of consequences. Change our negative habitual and stubborn mind when we know is wrong. Take the respondbility and not blame others and situation. We are the root cause for karma to remand.
It’s common to hear people saying, they are so & so & that are how they act once borned, they will hang a quote next to their lips & ready to use anytime when they face challenges from others toward their behaviour. They will say, “I’m borned like this, what are you expecting me to do? I can’t change it.”
Many time, many stubborn people change when they are confronting death. For instance, people who are suffering from cancer with high risk of dying from it. He or she will do whatever to save his or her life. Etc., change diet, change ways of react, terminate many life threatening behaviour. Why? Why such people can change when they realize they have not much time left? It’s that they can’t change or they refuse to change?
Changing is difficult especially we are so used to such a way of living but it’s not impossible.
I like the phrase never take refuge in power or having the ability to take advantage. In fact one should take refuge in Dharma so that the actions or choice being made are Dharma based and will then be of no repercussions if not lesser. Choices made without thinking of karma are the worse thing to do with our own lives. It opens more negative karma till we are no longer to even have the karma to make good choices anymore.
From the moment we were born, we made choices, every single day. There’s no right or wrong choice, it is because every choices we made, we need to be prepared to face the consequences. Even one day everybody pointed that the choice we made are wrong, we ourselves must be able to face the consequences. The choices we made is very depending on our attachment and our karma. Thus, making so called “right” or “wrong” choice, we must be able to face it. There’s nobody help us to face the consequences we created, we create our own karma.
Life is about making choices, accept it, cherished it. Whether it is good or bad choices we make, we have to take it because we are the decision maker, not our parents, siblings or friends. When things fall back, we should blame ourselves at the first place of our mistakes, silliness not others. In my opinion, I think it was a good scenario for us to realized and understand our mistakes and make a change. Life is also about growing up. ?
We are guilty of always not wanting to make the right choice even knowing that it is the right one by justifying that we find it hard to choose. I think it is because most of the time we are too lazy and we procrastinate, and we do not want to get out of our comfort zone to put in the effort. Also it could be we are selfish and only care about our own fleeting happiness.
Everyday, we have make many choices. Along the way, our attachment and emotion will affected our choices, and therefore these always leads us to more suffering instead of happiness and freedom. Buddha taught us to cultivate our wisdom in order we can make a choice towards enlightenment. Find out more at https://www.tsemrinpoche.com.
We make good and bad choices all the time throughout our lives. Since we have learn and have the Dharma knowledge, I think before we make certain choices, we can always contemplate and think it over before we finalized our decision. The outcome from our action of our choices are impermanent. Hence whether it is good or bad, we must try not too get too attached to it as the end of the day we will suffer in a way or another.
We are making choices every day every moment, from something very simple like what to eat and what to wear to something very important like who to married, sometimes even life and death. Rinpoche always teach us, whenever we make choices, always pick the one that benefiting others. If we can’t at least pick the choice that benefiting more people instead of less or at least do not harm anyone.
Many years ago, Rinpoche asked me a question, if Kechara House is on fire, many people is trapped inside included my children, I need to make a choice, to save my children or other people in Kechara House. Without second thought, i said i will save my children. For whatever reason, I thought for myself first, because they are my children, as a mother I must protect my children first but then i let other die, how selfish.
Choices we make everyday not only affect ourselves but also people around us. Similarly, choices that others made will affect us directly and indirectly too. For example, If Rinpoche didn’t made His choice to run away from home and joined Dharma, Rinpoche would not met his guru, hence he would not became a monk, If not because Rinpoche needed to raised funds to build monastery in India, He would not come to Malaysia to teach and ended up with us in Malaysia now. All these because, Rinpoche made his choice to benefit others instead of himself. That motivation of benefiting us, hence Kechara is formed, millions of people after reading Rinpoche’s blog and transformed themselves and their lives become better.
In Kechara, many young and old people made their choice to serve the Dharma. They chose to follow Rinpoche’s foot step, to benefit others instead of proceeding their career to benefit just themselves. They inspired me want to be just like them. Death is near…. no time to think too much and plan.
The scary thing about karma is how it hits us when we least expect it. Moreover, we keep creating more negative karma everyday through our body, speech and mind which multiply extensively. Therefore, we must constantly check change our negative habits and keep reminding ourselves the consequences in order to push our mind to transform. Our choices in life may not be perfect all the time but that doesn’t mean that we don’t mindfully try to make it perfect.
Learn more about death meditation here https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/kechara-13-depts/last-night-i-spoke-about-death-meditation-in-more-detail.html?nomobile
We are constantly making choices and without being completely aware of doing so. Once we realise then we can be very alert and attentive to the moment of now. As choices made in the present moment of now affect our next moment.
The interesting thing to note is when you are aware of your making choices every minute of the day, you also realise how often you can change your mind as you go along.
Realising the changes in our choices will empower us to make changes to our stubbornness and live freely with the changes that are constantly prevailing around us due to the impermanence of things.
A rather short post but has a whole lot of profound Dharma in it.
1) Karma like a boomerang will come right back at us, be it good or bad.
2) We ALWAYS have a choice. And we can always choose the right one.
3) Death meditation is a great antidote for our stubborn habits.
4) We should take refuge and have faith in Lama Tsongkhapa as his practice will help transform our minds and change for the better.
Thank you for this beneficial post, Rinpoche.
Nothing in this world is permanent. What you are today may not be what you are tomorrow. Therefore we must not cling on to anything as it will lead to disappointment when all is gone. Then we’ll be upset and be unhappy. This is what we put ourselves into.
We always have a choice. It is up to us to choose whether we want to be happy or unhappy. And karma is unavoidable. But if we do more dharma we may be able to accumulate merits to purify our negative karma.
This means we do have a choice in whatever we want to do. It’s up to us.
Thank you Rinpoche for the above teaching.
Jill Yam
Life can be very fragile .We don’t know what will happen to us tomorrow. Everything is impermanent and we shouldn’t self grasping on any things which can trigger our emotion.Beside that, karma theory must be apply to our daily life in order for us to do more good things with good motivation.Practice dharma and benefits others is the only way out .
Thanks Rinpoche confer teachings to us and we can practice it in our daily life.
With folded hands
Jason
Thanks for the meaningful teachings….i will always remember it.
Yes we always have a choice.it is up to us to choose what we want and which where to go……what is right and what is wrong…NOTHING is permanent.
Thanks Rinpoche
Dear Rinpoche ,
The message that I learnt from this short post is that nothing is permanent while karma is all pervasive and unavoidable. We always have a choice to make the right choice.
I always heard from my friends, ” I dont have a choice but to … “. In my opinion, we always have a choice. It depends on how willing are we to left go of our ego, attachments, and comfort zone. We keep giving ourselves reasons and excuses to feed our ego and desire which will grow bigger and bigger. We will only suffer and become a bitter person.
Humbly,
Chris
Not having enough time is what I find most of us always complain about, and that applies to myself too of course. One of the things we can never fight against is time, it exists yet has no beginning nor end.
As I’m growing older, I am starting to realise how impermanent and fragile life is but people do not seem to realise the fact until when it’s too late. Therefore having a Guru or dharma is very potent, the Guru teaches the dharma and helps us to get on track with our individual spiritual paths so that we can be liberated from samsara.
“The time is always right to do what is right.” ~ Martin Luther King.
This is so true. When we can recognize that it is always the right time we will stop procrastinating and start to make immediate and instant decisions. Both good karma and bad karma will catch us. Both good times and bad times will end. It doesn’t mean we simply go with the flow of time because within the realm of samsara the law of impermanence does not allow for us to remain in the same state.
Good karma will exhaust, so will bad karma. The present will become the past, the future will become the present. We will inevitably create more karma. So the choice is yours whether to create good karma or bad karma. It is always the right time to make the right choice.
I remember very clearly this statement from the Harry Potter movie that goes something like this: A man is not defined from what or where he comes from but by the choices he makes. There is so much wisdom around us, it is our choice as to whether we want to listen, reflect and apply.
We can ascend to the highest peaks of existence, and the next moment we could descend into the deepest darkest oceans of the world. Nothing remains constant, we could be strong one moment and weak the next due to ripening causes and conditions, when causes and conditions are no longer there, our strength can just fade just like that.
Thank you Rinpoche for teaching us again and again, that is very true karma will come back to us everything we have now is impermanent nothing is permanent down to our own life so do what is right now is important do not give up the practice continue to improve our mind because we will not know when death come to us.
Humility is good guideline for us on the choices we make. When we treat everyone with respect and decency regardless of their status, background and nett worth, we are creating the cause for us to receive similar treatment in the future. That’s karma.
I had acted arrogantly with a lady when I was doing business in Shanghai. Some time later, perhaps even a few years…this lady became successful and I needed a favor from her. It was not only embarrassing but I also lost a business opportunity. I learnt my lesson.
I hope this post by Rinpoche will bring valuable lessons to the readers so that they do not have to personally be “bitten” by their karma from making the wrong choice.
It is true to what Rinpoche has written. We have a choice for everything. There are no situations that force us to behave in certain way. It is always a choice that we make. To be successful or not is a choice. Not something that is given to us.
A circular example will be when we choose to be someone that is good or even successful, we work towards that goal with hard work. Only when we want and know that we want to do it, we will be able to do so. Even though we may need to make great efforts for it, we will still work towards that.
Through that, it shows that we are able to do the same for spirituality as well. It is only a choice if we want or not. If we do so, we will be able to improve ourselves. Thus, there is no actual reason for us to not be able to change ourselves. The only reason that we are not able to do so will only be because we are unwilling to change and also step out of our comfort zones.
We need to always make choices that will be able to improve ourselves, not choices that will cause us to degenerate. With will power and consistency, it is definite that we will be able to make that impact and change within ourselves that will shine.
I totally agree with what Rinpoche has written. What do you think will happen if we made the wrong move? For an example: You hurt a kid you dislike thinking that he is small, weak and he will never be able to beat you but one day, the kid you bullied will grow up to be strong while you grow older and weaker. And what happens then? The kid might hurt you back and you will get injured badly like bone fracture or maybe even death because your body cannot take the damages anymore. Do you think it is worth it? I don’t think so. Another example: What if you act the exact opposite of everything I wrote on the above? You treat and care for the kid nicely, the kid then grows up to be a wonderful person and he will also do the same to you. DO you think that is a lot worth it? So it is always better to make the choice where nobody will get hurt and everyone will be happy in the end of the day.
The conclusion is: If you want people treat you nicely, you have to start treating other people nicely first. Most people will find it suspicious at first because of your sudden change thinking that you might want something from them but slowly other people will realize that you are actually being sincere then people start treating you back the same way.
Fully aware of “Nothing is permanent”. Whatever we are having now, it does not mean will be the same for tomorrow. We all have the choice to choose for everything.
Many people would say it is good to be strong in terms of wealth, status and etc etc. But at the end of the day, we will face the same ～death. Nothing we can keep except our mind. Therefore, we should follow the advice from our guru and Tsongkhapa’s teaching as clearly described in Lam Rim by Pabongka Rinpoche. With that, we will see the change of our mind before it is too late.
Thank you Rinpoche keep reminding us ～ NOTHING is permanent. We should CHOOSE the right way for ourselves not only this life but future life.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you once again for another short and meaningful teaching. Karma is something that I always think of constantly. Unfortunately, I still make very bad mistakes. However, I can say with confidence that I am improving as a person. All because I was exposed and came in touch with teachings like these when I was younger.
For that, I am extremely grateful towards you for making Kechara and the teachings exist, as well as my grandmother, Datuk May Phng, for introducing me to Kechara. 🙂
Your humble student,
Keng Hwa.
It is clear that we all have a choice. It is what we choose. When dealing with people, between “right” and “wrong”, choose kindness. When undecided in decisions, choose the one that benefits everyone.
It sounds simpler in words than by action. But I’ll do my best.
Thank You Rinpoche for this timely reminder.
Humbly with folded palms,
Stella
Impermanence has always pushed me harder to stay on course in Dharma practice and do what is supposed to do before I miss out the opportunity. From my understanding, we do have choice not to pick up any negativity in our mind that derails us from our spiritual path that can lead us to higher attainments and self liberation from outer and inner suffering. Remembering death is the start of every Dharma practice to ensure our motivation is pure and able to benefit others. Thank you Rinpoche for giving us advice continuously and motivate us to do better in Dharma.
Knowing that nothing is permanent, we grow old day by day, month by month and year by year.
Thank you Rinpoche for this short and concise reminder. It really reminds us to be very mindful and always strive to create causes of happiness, lessen suffering for all sentient beings.
This is certainly the right path to action upon.
Humbly yours,
Lum Kok Luen
Knowing that nothing is permanent, knowing that our bodies grow old and our faculties grow weaker, with each passing day, month and year, we should always act mindfully.Knowing karma,we should choose to create causes for happiness and avoid creating causes for misery and suffering.
The dharma teaches us how to do this.
Yet from the Lamrim, we are told how we often let our lives go by swiftly in a whirl of distractions:
“Perhaps twenty years of being unaware of practice,
Perhaps twenty years of “Going to , going to” practice;
Perhaps another ten years of “Never did, never did” practice;
That’s the story of an empty and wasted human life”.
Choice in hand
Privilege we thinks
Getting back at other is in mind
forgetting that the law of cause and effect
Silly us still grasping onto the privilege we presumed
Not realizing it’s never a privilege but suffering.
We acted out of our perspective
Never justifying what this “privilege” truly is
Suffering arises when “privilege” seemed gone
Grumpy and angry why is it turned out the opposite way.
Silly us has forgotten and never realized that
It’s never a privilege at first place but is just an impermanent
Karmic wind blows.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing what is hiding behind these choices we have. Namtse!
This is very true. We all have choices that we have to make daily, no matter big or small. It is something that we will not be able to escape from. Do we want to make that choice that would benefit us and not the rest of the community or if we want to choose something that will be good for the rest of the community it is all our choice and ours only.
There is no one in the world that can make the choice for us. It is true that they can advice us, but the ultimate decision lies with us.
Hence, we should make decisions thinking about what would the decision affect in the long run instead of what is going to happen now.
I totally agree with this, we always have to make choices, but what matters is, is it a good choice or a bad one? We always choose the choice we think is ‘good’ to us, but deep down inside we know that it’s not right, ours minds are just not that strong or in another word: selfish, to not to think about the consequences. We should think about the others when we make our decisions, think twice, make sure the choices we make will not inconvenient the people around us, especially our parents and friends..
Thank You for sharing Rinpoche.
Impermanence teaches me my happy will gone at the next moment, all the pleasures I have at this moment will gone tomorrow and the good things I own now will fade away one day. All these remind me all the time. And I always forget about all the sadness I have at this moment will gone too at the next day or moment, all the bad things I’m encounter will just fade away very soon.
Soon after I realize this, I think that life is FUN and we should always remember how impermanence works. The FUN part about life is we are actually in control. We can determine our mood and mind. And we are actually the creator for the things that we encounter. By being kind to others, our life would be easier because we have an opened heart. By being generous, our life would be much simple and we don’t create unwanted sufferings for ourselves. Even when I’m no longer stronger or faster, I’m still the person I feel comfortable with. 🙂
I agree with Tsem Rinpoche. We do have the choice to make our own decision. Karma will always follow you like your shadow and you can never escape it unless you reach enlightenment. So please always choose the right path never choose the wrong ones or karma will hit back to you. Thank you for reading
Yes there is such a thing called ‘impermanence’ we may not always be strong and they will always not be so weak. Do unto others as how you want it done for you.
Thank you always Rinpoche for your guidance on the path of right action!
It is said that a choice is the root of a goal. It must be made with understanding, knowledge, awareness and wisdom. Instead of just believing in something, people should use their mind to try to discover their own true nature. Belief based on understanding is fine, once you realised or are clear about something, belief follows through automatically. Faith alone never stops problems, especially, if your faith is based on a misconception. It can easily be destroyed by what others say. It is therefore to be conscious in your everyday life. As long as you follow the path of right understanding and right action to the best of your ability, the result will be immediate, and simultaneous with actions. The human brain must be balanced with a good heart, so said the Dalai Lama. As long as we act in the right presence of mind with as much of understanding as we possibly can, we certainly can achieve everlasting peace in no time at all and thus making the right choice.
I love this post. We always have a choice, but more often than not, we choose badly – based on the three poisons of Anger, Attachment and Ignorance and the 8 worldly concerns – to want praise and avoid criticism, to want material things and avoid material loss, to want a good reputation and avoid a bad reputation and to want pleasure and avoid pain. I know that every suffering I have comes from these.
I remember Rinpoche saying that if we truly realised karma and what it means, we would not live the lives we are living today. We would live very differently – based on the true teachings of Dharma. Thank you Rinpoche for consistently and compassionately guiding your errant flock and never giving up on helping us make the right choices.
Often we do not see that we indeed have choices. And when we do, often, we do not have the wisdom to make the “right” choices. The samsaric world is such that we make serious and terrible choices daily without even knowing it, and we carry on as if we are all going to be ok. Karma which grabs everyone is so difficult to grasp in return. It is therefore crucial to always be mindful of a passage in the above post:
” The root of practice is to rely
Correctly upon a spiritual master,
And to guard one’s teachings
As carefully as one does one’s eyes…”
What an absoulte waste if we do not. In the end when death comes knocking, can we say, we never met the Dharma, or we never had the opportunity to gain wisdom of the Lamrin. Can we say we didn’t have the good fortune to meet a compassionate Guru to learn from and rely on?
Thank you Rinpoche, not only for the post, but for always being here to teach us and care for us.
We always have a choice but the problem is we want both choices ! In the Lamrim there is the story of the learned monk who wishes to attain nirvana and also keep his mistress !
The Chinese have a similar saying for such a situation-wishing to step on two boats at one time. I see it more like having one leg on one boat and the other leg on another. The sum effect is that we have to struggle with the push and pull of indecision and going no where.
Rinpoche has a choice when he was young. Both choices are also good. One to stay in LA and be a model or an actor work and make money to help the Monastery. The other choice to be a monk in Gaden India and teach to benefit sentient beings. By being a model or actor his career will end one day with aging. As a Sangha you will benefit more people by teaching Dharma and fund raising through the students and also help them through Dharma to transform and purify their bad karma instead of increasing them. Most importantly a good Sangha like Tsem Rinpoche will be very beneficial to people like what he is doing today aspiring to reach his goal to build KWPC to benefit a lot of people.
Choices we make
Day to day
Without much care or realization
Of what it leaves behind
A trail of destruction
Of the Body, Mind and Spirit
Of the Self
And onto others
Choices we make
To serve a mind
That cherishes self
Above all else
Sparing nothing
In its path
Regrets will greet us
When death comes to meet us
All will be too late and lost
Due to the choices we make
Without care
Without thought
Without love
Only pain remains
Horrors will grip
Our next birth
For we will land
In realms beyond our control
From beginning to end
Everything stems
From the choices we make
Choose to be your own saviour or your failure.
Dear Rinpoche Thank you for your message. It is truly a wake up call. Life really is fleeting. May I always be mindful of the laws of karma and live according to the Dharma. May I learn to be of benefit to all sentient beings. You are my inspiration
Dear Keng Tan,
What a great post!! Thank you so much for sharing.
Tsem Tulku
I remembered this story I read a few year’s ago:
Once upon a time a haggard old man lay
Exhausted by the road in a wilderness.
A haughty youth appeared
And this is the conversation that followed.
‘Old Man, sitting, walking or working
You are unlike anyone I have seen.
What is it that so afflicts you?’
To this the old man replied,
‘O youth, who flies in the pride
Of having strong flesh and blood,
Listen to me, for many years ago
I was even stronger than you.
‘In running I could outrun a horse,
And when I wanted to trap
I caught even the wild yak of the north.
I was as light on my feet
As the birds of the air,
And my face as handsome as that of a god.
‘I wore magnificent clothing,
Adorned myself with jewels,
Ate the finest delicacies
And rode the most swift of horses.
‘There was no sport I did not play
No pleasure I did not know.
I gave not a single thought to death
Or the advent of old age.
The noise of the friends
And relatives who surround me
Constantly held my attention
And turned my face from everything else.
‘But the stealthy suffering of age
Slowly pressed in upon me.
At first I did not notice it,
And when I did it was too late.
Now when I look in the mirror
I am repelled by what I see.
‘When one receives tantric initiation
The initiation waters first touch one’s head
And then descend through the body.
Death comes in a similar fashion:
The crown of ones head turn white
And then the symptoms descend.
‘My hair is white as a seashell.
I did not wash out the color.
The Lord of Death has spat on me
And the frost of his spittle covers my head.
‘The many lines and wrinkles on my face
Are not folds in the baby fat of youth.
They are time measurements sketched
By the hand of the Keeper of Time.
‘This constant squinting of my eyes
Is not caused by smoke.
My powers of vision have diminished
And I must squint in order to see.
‘When I lean forward like this
And cup my ear in order to listen,
It is not that I expect you to
Whisper me a secret message.
But to all sounds seem remote
And I must strain in order to hear.
‘Droplets fall unexpectedly from my nose.
This is the ice of my youth
Being melted by the sun of old age,
Not pearls falling from a necklace.
‘My teeth have fallen out.
This is not part of a cycle
Heralding the growth of new teeth;
The meals of this life have been eaten,
And the cutlery therefore put away.
‘I do not continually drool because
I want o anoint the earth with water.
Rather, all that I once enjoyed
Now only disgusts me,
And my spittle drops of its own accord.
‘My unclear conversation
Is not a dialect learned
In some cold, foreign land.
Once I indulged in meaningless talk without end,
And my tongue is now worn out.
‘This ugly face that you see
Is not a monkey’s mask that I wear.
It is just that my mask of youth-
Mine only on loan for a short while-
Has now been taken back, and
Only the ugly bones of death remain.
‘This constant wobbling of my head
Is not a sign of my disapproval.
The lord of Death has struck me with his club
And ever since then my brain is unsteady.
‘This manner of walking that you see,
My eyes cast down at the road,
Is not in order to find
A needle that has been lost.
The jewels of my youth have fallen to earth,
And I walk in a daze,
Barely able to remember my own name.
‘The way I rise on all four limbs
Is not a playful imitation of an animal’s ways.
My legs will no longer support me,
So I must use both arms and legs to move.
‘The way I drop down when I sit is not
Intended as a display of bad manners.
The threads of my happiness have been broken
And the cords of my youth have been cut.
Hence I can no longer move with grace.
‘When I walk I stagger,
Not as a way to show off
And pretend I am a big man,
But because the burden of age
Rides heavily upon me
And I cannot walk properly.
‘This constant shaking of my hands
Is not because I itch for jewels.
The eye of death is upon me, waiting
To steal life’s gem from my hands
And I tremble in apprehension.
‘The restricted diet that I follow
Is not so fixed because I am a miser.
My digestive powers have diminished and I fear to die of overeating.
‘The light clothing that I wear
Is not planned for a fancy dress party.
My physical strength has so diminished
That even clothing is a burden to me.
‘The way I breath so heavily
Is not because I am reciting prayers
For the benefit of other.
It is a sign that soon the breath
Of my life will melt into the sky.
‘My extraordinary manner of behavior
Is not an inspired artistic expression;
I am held by the demon Death
And I have no power to move as I wish.
‘I continually forget what I am doing
Not in order to demonstrate
That I have no respect for endeavor,
But because my brain is worn out, and
My memory and intelligence have grown dim.
‘There is no need to laugh at me,
For all receive their share of old age.
Within the span of a few years, the first
Messengers of death will come to you too.
‘My words have not yet impressed you,
But soon this same condition will befall you.
These days’ people do not live for long,
And you have no guarantee
To see as many years as have I.
Even if you reach me in years,
There is no assurance that you will have
Even the powers of body speech and mind
Demonstrated by this feeble man before you.’
The youth was repelled
And Cried out in disgust:
‘O miserable creature
Despised by men and harassed by dogs
Your body is ugly and spent
I would rather choose to die now than
To remain alive in your condition.’
The old man smiled.
‘You want to be young forever
And you do not wish to become old.
You say you prefer death to old age,
But when the time of your death draws near
You will discover that it is not so easy
To face death willingly and with confidence.
‘If one never harms the gentle,
Always guards one’s precepts
And follows the threefold application
Of study, concentration and meditation,
Perhaps it would be easy to die happily.
‘But my mind did not for a moment
Give thought to spiritual values.
Even though my body is grown old,
I now cherish every day as an opportunity
To train in the principles of Dharma,
And I do not wish to die so soon.’
When the old man had spoken thus
The attitude of the youth was transformed.
‘Yes, aged one, it is true.
What I have seen with my eyes
And what I have heard with my ears
Indeed confirm what you have said.
Your words have moved me deeply.
The sufferings of age are indeed great.
You are old and have gained much experience,
So tell me truly, is there no method
By which one can overcome this terror?’
The old man smiled once more.
‘Yes, there are such methods,
And these are not particularly difficult.
Everything that is born must die
And not many live even to old age.
To live and not to die would require
The fabulous elixir of immortality,
And that seems rather difficult to acquire.
‘All great beings of the past have died:
Buddha’s, bodhisattvas, saints and kings alike.
The righteous as well as the evil,
All must one-day face death.
How can you be any different?
‘However, if one practices the spiritual path
The mind abides in joy, regardless of ones age.
Then when death falls one is like a child
Gleefully returning to his home.
Even Buddha did not speak of
A more profound method than this.
‘This is my innermost advice to you;
It is from my heart, not just my mouth:
Your fate is in your own hands
And you must follow your deeper instincts.’
To this the youth replied,
‘Indeed, you are correct. But before
Devoting myself to the intensive practice,
There are matters I should clear up,
Such as the needs of my family,
As well as my house and property.
When these have been accomplished
I shall return and speak with you again.’
The old man grunted,
‘Your attitude is empty of reason.
Previously I also lived with the thought
To engage in practice soon.
Work is like a man’s beard:
No matter how much you cut it,
The cutting never ends;
The beard just grows out stronger.
For me, years passed like this
But the work never reached an end.
Procrastination is merely self-deception.
‘If your idea is to procrastinate forever
You will have no hope of spiritual accomplishment
And our conversation has been in vain.
You should just return to your home
And leave this old man to meditate in peace.’
The youth cried out in shock,
‘Old man, do not be so harsh with me.
It would be insane of me to simply
Abandon everything I have undertaken!’
To this the old man replied,
‘Yes, you can say this to me.
But the Lord of Death who dwells in the south
Does not consider the state of ones plans.
You should speak with him.
When he comes to call on you,
He will not ask if you are young or old,
High or low, rich or poor, ready or not.
‘All are forced to go alone,
Leaving behind their unfinished works.
The thread of life suddenly is broken
Like a rope snapping under a heavy load.
‘There is no time for plan making.
To die without spiritual knowledge
Is to die in pathetic helplessness.
At that time one’s attitude will change
Toward the importance of ephemeral works.
‘Would it not be more useful
To change the mind now
While time for training remains?
But useful advice is rare in this world
And those who follow it even rarer.’
At this the youth was overcome with emotion
And prostrated to the old man, saying,
‘Not the highest guru on the most ornate throne
Nor any of the greatest scholars or yogis
Has ever been given me a more profound teaching.
Old man, you are a true spiritual friend
And I will follow your advice.
Please speak to me further on this matter.’
The old man answered,
‘I have lived on this earth for many years
And thus have seen much of life.
Nothing is more difficult to understand
Than the principles of the spiritual path,
The way producing higher being, liberation
And omniscient enlightenment.
‘It is not easy to cultivate an experience
Of the truth taught by the enlightened ones
And even more difficult to do so in old age.
Youth is the time to learn and
To become familiar with the teachings.
Then as one grows old with the passing years,
It is easy to dwell within practice.
‘If one really understands
Even a single point of the teachings,
All activities are accordingly benefited.
There is no need to intellectualize;
When spiritual experience has been generated,
All actions of body, speech and mind
Take on a spiritual perspective.
‘The root of practice is to rely
Correctly upon a spiritual master,
And to guard one’s teachings
As carefully as one does one’s eye’s.
‘Turn your back on worldly works
And engage in study, contemplation and meditation
Upon all the beneficial essence teachings
Of Buddha, and of Lama Tsongkhapa, his regent in Tibet.
‘By applying oneself in this way
While establishing as a background
The methods for collecting merit
And purifying the mind of negative traits,
Illumination falls into one’s very hand.
Then, my son, you will know joy
And all your aspirations will be fulfilled.’
The conversation proceeded in this way
And the two became spiritual friends.
They dwell together in the forest
Free from the eight worldly concerns,
Fully absorbed in the practice of meditation.
Thus is complete my story of the old man
And the youth, who met in the forest one day,
And the record of the conversation that ensued.
I have written it out to inspire
Myself and others in the practice of Dharma.
I, the author Konchok Tenpai Dronme,
Am not particularly experienced in life
But I thought that if for posterity’s sake
This conversation were to be written down,
Some benefits may arise in the hearts of mankind.
Thank you for the Inspiration
Self Motivating and Self Generating
Alone most of the time
Sometimes lacks the lustre of your Altars
The Altar of Inspiring and Motivational Words!
Across Time and Space
The Dharma like Tara
Is Lightening Fast
For Those of Us
Lost In Samsara
Showing The Light
Guiding Us Safely to Blissful Shores!
I’ll keep in Mind
What you’ve said.