It was actually a good sign
Some people you can talk until the cows come home and hundreds of hours, they just revert back to how they were short while later…. Some people are with one logical clear talk, they just transform. Some even go on to counseling and helping others. It reflects who we are. It reflects clearly how badly we want something or just go on looking for excuses to not make it.
Again, this statement from the gracious attained nun below is so appropriate.. and remember don’t glamorize how you cannot let go of attachments because it will not serve you at all ever.
Tsem Rinpoche
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The underlying motivation to go beyond samsara is very rare, even for people who go to Dharma centers.
There are many people who learn to meditate and so forth, but with the underlying motive that they hope to make themselves feel better.
And if it ends up making them feel worse, instead of realizing that this may be a good sign, they think there is something wrong with Dharma.
We are always looking to make ourselves comfortable in the prison house. We might think that if we get the cell wall painted a pretty shade of pale green, and put in a few pictures, it won’t be a prison any more.
~Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo
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I realized that the right way to practice dharma is with the good attitude, right virtue and good motivation to benefit others. And most importantly is with total transformation of the mind. I truly hope to be able to continuously practice the dharma by becoming more committed and to be able to help others by doing dharma work. Thank you Rinpoche and blog team for this meaningful sharing?????
The inner battle is interesting because for many people, who are NOT dealing with the battle, will have many observations, which could be a form of projection or expectation since we are not that person. When we notice someone going through an inner battle, perhaps support or encouragement is a good positive reinforcement for the person to solider on. Some people may think otherwise for they might prefer to use wrathful method. For me, to each his own – different people has their own way of dealing with inner battle. The opinion of other people, if not conveyed skilfully, might create opposite effect. Therefore it is better to try not to worsen the matter by labelling others as arrogance or anything is that trivialising.
Thank you, Rinpoche, for this profound sharing.
Thank you Rinpoche for the sharing and teaching on practicing dharma which makes me contemplate and think deeper. Practicing dharma is beyond just going for retreat, chanting mantra, reading dharma books etc. I need to realize that the right way to practice dharma is with the good attitude, right virtue and good motivation to benefit others. And most importantly is with total transformation of the mind. I truly hope to be able to continuously practice the dharma by becoming more committed and to be able to help others.
Humbly with folded hands,
Celeste
Dearest Rinpoche,
As I was reading this, 2 thoughts came to mind:
1. The internal battle is the correct process
When conflict or difficulties arise, due to habituation, we always find fault in others, see the flaws in others but never of ourselves. But as we learn dharma, we will learn that actually our own projection and expectation of others is the cause of suffering. Hence there is no “other people” to blame, but to look within our mind, to change the way we think.
2. The motivation in doing dharma work
My initial motivation a year ago was just to collect brownie points for a better life and perhaps next life. But as I learn more, knowledge like the “4 noble truth” really strikes me that there is no point of having a good this life or next, because at the end of the day, I will be trapped here in samsara and suffering will repeat. Even though we can create positive imprint in this lifetime, but there is no guarantee as there are so many temptations and our mind is flicker.
Thank You very much Rinpoche for the teaching. Without the teaching, I will not have the knowledge to know what is the correct path. Thank you so much.
with folded palms,
Stella
Thanks Rinpoche for sharing this. Many people facing problem when they started learning Dharma, no matter is external or internal, but if we can go through it till the battle end and did not give up, then we will get a big improvement in term of transforming our mind. I hope the people who are hesitating if they should start Dharma work and the poeple are thinking to give up Dharma work can watch this video and think about it.
Yes Rinpoche, I think most of us are already quite used to the way we think and live in Samsara that to change to Dharma become a challenge and most will give up practising it in the end. We should acknowledge and realise that this life is very very short and is difficult to gain just like what was written in the Lamrin. Then we will start appreciate Dharma and slowly practise it why gaining realisation one step at a time. Thank you Rinpoche.
Dear Rinpoche,
It is true that most of us think samsara can be better if we can change situations around but never ourselves.
Most people also think that just learning Dharma will “assist” us to improve our lives much better.
By learning Dharma, without putting Dharma in practice will not guide us out of samsara unless we have the our mind transformed totally.
The path of Buddhism needs to be learned, practiced and most importantly motivation to tranform.
Thank you Rinpoche
with folded hands
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for sharing another wonderful teaching. It applies very well to those of us who are embarking on more Dharma work. It really opens our mind and eyes to expect such views can happen and we have our mind power to stop it.
Again, at the end of the day, if we set our motivation right in doing Dharma work is that to benefit others, we can overcome this challenge of “making samsara a little bit better”
With folded hands,
Lum Kok Luen
The challenge of coming out of samsaric pleasure differs from person to person. However the challenge will be less as we practice more Dharma work. Dharma work takes lots of time , it takes away the “hours” that could be spent on samsaric pleasures. At the end of the day after doing Dharma work the satisfaction would be that Dharma Work has benefit a lot more people then Samsaric pleasure that could only benefit ourselves. Having said that however we have to remind ourselves that when we do Dharma work it is to benefit others and not ourselves else it would not be different from samsaric pleasure, it would be “Samsaric Dharma pleasure” . We have to set the right motivation when doing Dharma work for that is when true Dharma comes in.
Thank you Rinpoche for the sharing. I think I haven’t had much wisdom or knowledge to comment or share, but I know I am experiencing internal battles at this moment. I hope to win the battle and excel. Thank you.
“We might think that if we get the cell wall painted a pretty shade of pale green, and put in a few pictures, it won’t be a prison any more.” I love especially this part of the quote by Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo.
It was actually a good sign.. these few words never arise to many, including myself if one starts to feel bad or worse about themselves after doing something meritorious or start practicing Dharma. Never thought the battle in us was actually a good sign. “A good sign that your wisdom, clarity mind is arising.”
Practicing Dharma shouldn’t be only for us to be more comfortable in samsara or to make us feel a bit better in our situation… Practicing Dharma should make us transform to be a better person and for us to be truly liberated. When we found out so many things that we once believed will give us everlasting happiness, is actually not the way, we start panicking and questioning and having doubts. Dharma is never wrong, the Buddhist teachings will never be wrong. It’s not the Dharma that’s wrong, it’s us that’s not facing the truth, the true reality. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this precious teaching and reminding us again and again the true meaning in practicing Dharma.
Dear Rinpoche, Thank you for the teachings. Sometimes the negative feeling do creep up and I wondered why. At least now I know why and what we can do to counteract it when we are doing dharma work. My kind bros and sisters in Ediv have also advised me sometimes when we encounter lots obstacles to dharma work we can also recite the Kawang 7x. What Tenzin Palmo has said is true in terms of making life a little bearable in samsara. Is like we are still attached to samsara and still wana enjoy it and think by doing some effort it is enough. But it is not. May lord Manjusri awaken my mind to the realisation that we should get out of samsara and not be fooled much longer. But inner realisation takes time. may our practice and bleesings of the guru eventually gives us this inner realisation.
Extremely simple yet profound , how many goes beyond samsara ? Most only want better conditions this life , really an internal battle .It will take a lot of practise & realisations to leave the PRISON.
Thank you Rinpoche for this teaching
What Rinpoche said is so true, the reason why we dont like the dharma or view the dharma is not good can be due to our ignorance, delusions, laziness or just not wanting to give up our comfort to do more. It reflects our weaknesses of not wanting to give up our pleasure and perceived happiness of samsara, eventhough we know all these are just temporary ‘happiness’. Thank you Rinpoche for the teaching, making us contemplate and push ourselves to transform and to do more to get out of samsara.
Thank you Rinpoche for the great explanation about the battle within ourselves. If I happen to come across this battle in the future,I will surely tell myself that it is a good sign and I need to fight through it and do more dharma _/\_
The battle of weird feelings arises due to lack of knowledge of dharma and all that it encompasses. In the beginning, everything seemed not quite right as we do not have enough information to make an informed decision. I am glad I stayed on for more. Not only did it cleared up a lot of my doubts and insecurity, being unsure of my thoughts and actions, I now feel that it helped keep me more balanced in viewing every day happenings.
Things appeared weird because I was used to a certain way of thinking and working things out. Then I had to work in a different way, to be more mindful, to be more involved, that there is more than 1 ways to doings things.
Thank you, Rinpoche, for pointing out that all that battle is nothing more than my changing perception.
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche says in one of his teachings(Not for Happiness: A Guide to the So-Called Preliminary Practices), that to practice Dharma is not for ‘fun’, meaning: people often expect only good feeling when practicing Dharma, but we will also often encounter the so-called bad feelings but all the bad feelings we have when practicing Dharma is actually a good sign, a sign that Dharma has penetrated into your heart! As Dharma is the truth and the practice of Dharma is to let you know the truth. The truth is not always a sweet one but we if we want ourselves to improve, we would still hold on and persist on our practice no matter how. So don’t always expect Dharma practice is like a sweet vacation and just run when ‘bad feelings’ come.
So this matches what Tsem Rinpoche said here. The battles, the struggles are good sign because the Dharma practice challenge our habits, our ways of perceiving things, our views, our belief and so on. Because of the battles, we have the chances to win. If there is no battle at all, we don’t even really start to change/transform, aren’t we? So when the battle start, we shouldn’t run away or blaming the Guru who teaches you how to counter your own problem just because the Guru tells you how, it doesn’t mean the Guru put you into the ‘trouble’ at all! The Guru is kind enough to tell you how, gives you all that you need to win the battle. The Guru is surely the one who dearly wishes you to gain victory. What is the point the Guru put you into a trouble? Think what he/she can get from you out of this? To blame the Guru is very illogical.
Thank you Tsem Rinpoche for the video teachings. It is a blessing to have someone(the Guru) who tirelessly to tell us the truth that we always try to avoid.
This is so true. It is a good sign indeed. The motive of learning the dharma should not be because of the feel good factor. We should learn it with the right and clear motive. Always ask and remind ourselves our motive of learning or doing dharma and transform our minds.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thanks for this post. It made me reflect how true it is that most people(am guilty as well) do Dharma to make their sufferings bearable, to cope or make their lives better in samsara better. What most people do not realise is that true happiness and the ultimate goal is to get out of samsara. I now aspire not to just cope in samsara but to achieve the ultimate. I hope that with Rinpoche’s blessings, I will be able to.
The battle is indeed a good sign, as the reason why we are still ordinary and not enlightened and spreading the dharma/doing bodhisattva like kind of works is because we have been conditioned and influenced and habituated for countless lifetimes. Since we have taken the drug of samsara, when we start to thaw out by applying dharma, it is not going to be a comfortable experience. But as Rinpoche said the battle is an indication a change is happening from one’s habitual norms, and that now we have to battle and win it.
I recall one of Rinpoche’s famous quote better to do dharma unhappily then do no dharma happily 🙂
在这个世界上，除了我们的父母以外，就只有关心我们的人，会用比较强硬的态度来对待我们。但是，现在的人，只喜欢听好听的话，所以往往都会陷入不知觉得陷阱，到头来大多数的人都不能回头了。
所以，只有关心你的人才会苦口婆心的劝你，甚至还对你大呼小叫，其实他们是紧张你，关心你，就好像仁波切一样，当有事情要发生在学生的身上时，他都会对他特别的严厉，甚至有时还会让对方感觉到无所适从，但是只要你对仁波切有绝对的信心，一般上你都会避开一些灾难。
所以，不要用已知的智慧去探索未知，毕竟自己的智慧有限，有时听听身边人的劝说，也未尝不是坏事。。
Thank you for this very insightful teaching Rinpoche. I agree we can’t be studying the dharma to make ourselves feel good as the main motive, we should transform our mind to be better. I remember that Rinpoche would always teach us to not always pray for yourself, should always pray for others, friends, family, even strangers or victims in disasters that are in need, never make it about ourselves.
When I read Tenzin Palmo’s analogy of how people practise and view Dharma… the wise words of a highly attained master I once met with a group on pilgrimage to Kathmandu comes to mind… The highly attained Lama said to a room of 30 plus… “most of us are not practising Dharma!” Yup we were dumb founded when we heard that. Then he continues… “we are kids playing and the teacher lures us with sweets and candies to make us climb up the hill. We think we are practising Dharma but we’re actually not. We have not the slightest idea what is really practicing Dharma. But don’t be discourage, continue and trust the teacher, on day we will really practice the Dharma”.
I think this is somewhat similar to what Tenzin Palmo is saying… when you look around us, when I look at myself, there is so much attachment and resistance that still needs to be thrown out and transformed. It’s true how are we any different from those who are outside, in samsara, if we look at Dharma as another “feel good” ego trip for our selfish happiness? And when that concept of happiness is not matched, found or felt, we say the Dharma did us no good and we call it quits? That’s just like being in another samsaric office job, not happy, quit and leave. And it’s a common habit to tell the world we left cos that place, those people we’re not “good to me” which is the wrong kind of attitude because everything was a choice made by our own self.
I guess there is always some kind of truth behind old wise sayings that “nothing good ever comes easily” and if it is something really really good, the more obstacles if you notice and challenges we will face. How we over come it is really depends on our attitude.
Make the dharma the centre of your life…it is not necessary to change your actions, just change the attitude behind your actions. ~ Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo
it is true .Dear Rinpoche thank you for sharing this teaching with us.
This is very true indeed, some people learn Dharma for the sake of benefiting others but some learn it just for the sake of themselves, so they are able to feel more ‘better’. When people do not get their motivations right, then all the practises they have been practising for years will be gone. So it is very important to always check ourselves, to make sure that our motivations are right.
This is such a profound teaching. We are always looking for others to inspire us, so when is it that we will transform our negative habits into positive habits and in return, we inspire others?? Its true that we always make up excuses. Samsara is a vicious cycle and it goes on and on and on, lifetimes after lifetimes. We must not hide in our comfort zones but push ourselves to transform and dont wait for others to do it. And when we face difficulties, we have to face it and not run away from it. We can and we must transform. Thank you Rinpoche for the teaching.
I am *not saying this. Apology :missed out a word there.
Attachments undoubtedly have become a part and parcel of a human’s life. Ever since civilization began, men have started to develop feelings of greed and have cravings for certain elements. The most prevailing examples would be the K-pop culture. People just go crazy about the beautiful and handsome young Korean pop stars. I am saying this because I despise K-pop. In fact, I was ONCE a K-pop fan too. Yes, once. Until I realize indulging myself in this aspect doesn’t do me any good. Now, I rather read a chapter on Lamrim to just strengthen my beliefs on Dharma and practice liberation according to the scriptures by Lama Tsongkapa. So, thank you Rinpoche for giving me such opportunity to be closer to Dharma.
We should follow What Rinpoche mention in the video, do more Dharma works, practice Dharma to get rid all the obstacles and ego
Contrary to secular beliefs, what might be good in ordinary life is not good when we’re on the spiritual path. Here as described by Jetsunma, it is evident that what we need in our spiritual life is different from what the Samsari world has to offer. Be humble in our undertakings, and if Dharma is at the forefront of your minds, show it in our actions!
Thanks Rinpoche for explain on Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo’s quotes above, Rinpoche make us to contemplate what and how we are doing now and what and how we are going to do for the next…
May we can conquer Maras through Guru Samaya and practice to continuously serve Dharma and help Guru to fulfill his wishes…
Yes, this is very true and a very natural beginning for most of us, however this thinking is out of ignorance of what Dharma practice is really about. With practice and wisdom, we hope that the benefits that are seen will motivate us to look beyond Samsara.
This is a good sign indeed Rinpoche. Very strong message in the sign which i hope many people come here and see. I am having a very good time here in KFR Rinpoche. I hope that many people visit KFR soon.
some people also don´t want to learn dharma because they think everything is fine as long as they don´t know about the bad truth. That´s why some think Dharma makes them feel bad. It´s like with those two pills in Matrix. Dzongkar Khyentse Rinpoche acually compared Samsara to Matrix.
i have no doubt that the Dharma is 100% correct and if we follow the Dharma, as taught by our qualified teacher, we will gain Enlightenment, as the Buddha has told us. I like Rinpoche’s explanation here that the battle is within – it always is… i mean if we go to the gym but our body aches because we are working out intensely, it is not the fault of the personal trainer (who we have hired because he has a good reputation and many success stories and is very fit himself), nor is it the fault of the gym. Or if we go to the gym, hire the trainer but don’t do the exercises and wonder why our body is not fit. It’s not the trainer’s fault nor the gym, but ourselves because we didn’t follow the exercise plan! 🙂 So it is not logical to blame the Guru or the Dharma centre because we picked the Guru and Dharma centre ourselves also.
I agree that the battle within is all about our delusions. The following story is a fact of life: Once a very old king went to see an old hermit who lived in a bird’s nest in the top of a tree, “What is the most important Buddhist teaching?” The hermit answered, “Do no evil, do only good. Purify your heart.” The king had expected to hear a very long explanation. He protested, “But even a five-year old child can understand that!” “Yes,” replied the wise sage, “but even an 80-year-old man cannot do it.”
If it was easy, everyone would be enlightened! But i guess that’s why they call it dharma practice.
Re the prison of samsara analogy, yes i do agree that most people want to feel better. To feel at peace. To feel happiness. But again, because of our delusions, we look for the wrong objectives. I am constantly reminded of what Rinpoche has said before – it is better to do dharma and be unhappy than to not do dharma and be happy. I’ve always thought happiness is overrated anyway.
当我们对佛法的任何活动感觉到不舒服时，或是有内心挣扎时，不要放弃，那是我们的智慧开始觉醒。
仁波切利用“艾滋病”的例子解说我们在娑婆世界问题。
我们去了“艾滋病”盛行的国家，和许多的人发生关系，我们不明白病症的传播，我们不明白病症的严重性（就如我们对于这世俗世界宣扬的物质生活和讯息），身边会有许多人支持你，他们或许不明白艾滋的严重性或他们已是病者，要你一同感染病毒，因为他们生气自己被传染所以要所有人和他们一样。（说明了我们的世界的通病，无知及怨恨）
当有人站起来告诉你不要再和任何人发生关系，你觉得他们旨在控制你，威胁你，你觉得讨厌，其实他们是为了保护你，也保护身边的人。可是我们却看不见他们的好，反而和外边“无知和愤怒的人”一同数落抨击要帮助你的人。
这是一篇必看的文章和视频。
Shelly tai on 10 Aug 2013 at 9:05pm
Dear Rinpoche thank you for sharing this teaching with us. I think is very true a lot of us still think samsara not that bad , I think it is because of our ignorant that’s why we think like that. I hope in a very near fixture we can uproot this ignorant mind and leave samsara .
This is so true, most people like Dharma and learn Dharma from philosophical perspective, but not with the motivation of getting out of samsara.
However, as we practice Buddhism more seriously, putting Dharma in practice, our motivation will change. With enough merits and purification of karmas, I think we will eventually walk the sangha path, seeking for REAL LIBERATION.