A Thought
Buddhist Temple on Mt Popa, Burma
Making refined, long and eloquent speeches about why something cannot be done, or why it isn’t done on time, or why it has not been done can only serve to bring you lower in the eyes of others. Is that a feeling you would like?
When others do not look at you favorably, then you have to use stories to divert. Maybe tactics to take their attention away from what you were suppose to do. It can become chronic and you begin to lie. When you lie, then you begin to dig your personal/spiritual/reputational grave. Why go the the grave when you are alive? It is possible to be alive but inside you are dead or others are dead to you. Come to life. Be ‘born again’….How? Stop lying now..make an effort and you will stop lying… Face up to your wasted time. Stop diverting immediately.
It’s better to be a loser at first BUT HONEST still meanwhile you work toward small successes then aim for higher successes. All opinions and situations are impermanent. We can change them with EFFORT. The key word is effort. Make others and yourself worth the EFFORT. MAKE OTHERS WORTH THE EFFORT. Don’t burden others by not winning.
You may feel disillusioned with others, but others may feel the same with you. Since you are one and they are many, change yourself one step at a time. Face up. Make an effort. Aim for successes. It takes more effort to be a loser, it takes less to be a winner. Just try it for a change to change…
Tsem Rinpoche
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Reading this profound teachings has us ponder deeply . There are often practical as well as moral reasons for being honest. The aspect that builds trustworthy and reliable relationships has everything to do with honesty. If we are honest with our friends and certain relationships, we are proving to them that we can be trusted. Honesty is the foundation for trust in a relationship, and trust is necessary for a relationship to function and thrive. When we are always honest with someone, it tells them that they can trust us and the things we say. It helps them know they can believe our promises and commitments. All things are difficult before they are easy. Never give up , do our very best nor matter how difficult the tasks is. If a task is once begun, never leave it till it’s done. There are some things we learn best in calm, and some in storm.
Love what Rinpoche had said…. We can change them with EFFORT. The key word is effort. Make others and yourself worth the EFFORT. MAKE OTHERS WORTH THE EFFORT. Don’t burden others by not winning.
Thank you Rinpoche for this profound teachings.
Found this article at divine timing, I need guidance.
Often people are not honest with themselves, the one they lie the most are themselves. This is how the grave was built, part of us are dying. It takes courage to face up, but it’s the right thing to do. We can only be honest to others while we honest to ourselves first, be authentic.
“Change yourself one step at a time. Face up. Make an effort.”
Thank you for the reminder, Rinpoche.
Yes Rinpoche, “why go the the grave when you are alive?” Why we want to create such circumstances for ourselves and feel bad about it? If we understand no pain no gain, then why I am still lazy and not be better by becoming less lazy?
This chronic problem is not complicated to handle, what we need is face up and make effort to change. We are not doing this to please anyone, we are doing this to save ourselves from the grave, to let us feel comfortable with ourselves.
The bitterness doesn’t arises from the works, it arises from our laziness and irresponsible.
Nice 1!
The thing about lying is…
if it succeed… then we’ve deceived someone
if it fails… then we’ve lost someone’s trust and confidence.
Either result, is negative.
I guess lying is like an autoimmune disease for the spiritual… It feels like it’s preserving us from ‘danger’ but it’s actually harming us.
When I looked at the serene beauty of this temple on top of the mountain, the first thought that came to mind is “How did those Sangha monks built that temple without machinery in those days?”
How I wish I can visit it and do retreats there .. so peaceful
It must have required a lot of time, effort, brilliant minds and skill to be able to build that beautiful temple. How were they motivated to built it? Did they encounter obstacles? Did they give up along the way? Did they have doubts?
Perhaps these questions mirrors my own thoughts also. My conclusion is they have the right motivation and conviction to do what they did so that the dharma can inspire us to do more now and in future. It has inspired me at least.