To accomplish perfection
Devotion to the Buddha and Three Jewels is accomplished through useful activity towards society, that is responsible, consistent and completed. This devotion facilitates the perfection of the individual. Otherwise work towards the perfection will not be accomplished. ~Tsem Rinpoche
(Explanation: Devotion is faith, trust, understanding that arises from study and observation. Perhaps from a guru. Useful activity towards society can be alleviating the physical hunger, abuse or sickness to name a few or higher forms of assistance such as spirituality, granting teachings or dharma work. When we engage in this devotion, we have to overcome our fears, indulgences and attachments to accomplish our work for society. Society needs us more than we need our neurosis. In the process of overcoming our inner issues, we get closer and closer to perfection {enlightenment, attainments, God, peace et al} of ourselves as individuals. How else can we progress? How else can we reach perfection unless we remove the emotions that occupy the space where perfection should be except by service to others? Any other practice is only in namesake but not reality. Therefore by not only contemplating philosophically, escaping or procrastinating back and forth with time eroding inner debates, we will not achieve without immediate active passionate engagement of service to others, but we remain the same. Maybe backtracking even. Therefore by working towards the betterment of society in whatever capacity, we overcome our personal inner issues in the process and the issues become purified and gone. Hence leaving perfection in it’s place. Two cannot occupy the space of one. Must do dharma work which is work towards society. Must focus on the outside and not inside. Tsem Rinpoche)
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Thank you Rinpoche for the teachings.We are fortunate to have Rinpoche to guide us all the way.Devotion is definitely necessary for success.
To do more dharma work , to benefit as many people, animals, sentient beings in order we can get closer to perfection of oneself.
Thanks Rinpoche for the guidance.
Perfection means enlightenment? Never thought of I can be perfect. Didn’t know that perfection is always inside all of us. We are blinded with our attachments, our greed, our selfishness and fears. We forgot about what is real inside of us. Perfection is never easy. It is not going to happen in the next day. It is gonna take us lots of effort and time to open up ourselves layer by layer to look for the perfection that has lost for long long time.
My very very kind guru that full of wisdom, skilfully uses many ways to engage us in Dharma work, to make us serve others, encourages to do things that we have no interest, worse still things that you do not know and never done before. To make us come out from our comfort zone and serve others, doing things that benefit others, for the interest of others and slowly we are working towards perfection. No matter how many times we failed, gave up, how ridiculers we think it was but Rinpoche never ever give up on anyone of us. He’s always there to help us to accomplish this mission of life.
Thank you Rinpoche for reconnected with us in this life. May we over come everything and accomplish perfection just like Rinpoche.
Perfection means enlightenment? Never thought of I can be perfect. Didn’t know that perfection is always inside all of us. We are blinded with our attachments, our greed, our selfishness and fears. We forgot about what is real inside of us. Perfection is never easy. It is not going to happen in the next day. It is gonna take us lots of effort and time to open up ourselves layer by layer to look for the perfection that has lost for long long time.
My very very kind guru that full of wisdom, skilfully uses many ways to engage us in Dharma work, to make us serve others, encourages to do things that we have no interest, worse still things that you do not know and never done before. To make us come out from our comfort zone and serve others, doing things that benefit others, for the interest of others and slowly we are working towards perfection. No matter how many times we failed, gave up, how ridiculers we think it was but Rinpoche never ever give up on anyone of us. He’s always there to help us to accomplish this mission of life.
Thank you Rinpoche for reconnected with us in this life. May Rinpoche’s wishes come true, and one day we will over come everything and accomplish perfection just like Rinpoche.
The ultimate goal practising dharma is to focus out to benefiting and helping others. It will help us less focusing of our “self” which has creating our self cherishing or self indulgence mind to lead our to suffering. Every thing and work we do must have correct motivation,it will overcome our own comfort zone,attachment and fear. At the end we will overcoming our inner issues, we get closer and closer to perfection of ourselves as individuals as what rinpoche has mention above in the article.
I remember there is once that I heard about Dharma work, “It’s not as easy as people think”. But what I think is the motivation is the most essential element of doing Dharma works. It’s to benefit other people? Or it’s just benefiting oneself who is doing the “Dharma work”?
And what is in my mind is, for instance, before introducing a product to help others, it should help us beforehand, then, only we thought of “Oh! By using this product, it solve my problem. It’s will be good if more people can get this product!”
Thus, by transferring the same concept on to Dharma work, I think it’s as simple as going all out with pure and good motivation, for example, to spread the teaching of Buddha to more people, as it would benefit more people because we who are practicing Buddhism have been benefiting since practicing it.
How much you suffer is how selfish you are.
this explains very well on how we should focus out to reduce our suffering, when we only focus on ourselves, our thinking will be very small and when things doesn’t goes our way, we suffered as we need to change ourselves to adapt to the new changes, but when we focus out, it will be different, because it doesn’t operate from our selfish mind, we are working to the benefit of others, so even when there are changes from the outside, we can easily adapt to it and continue to the work, as it doesn’t bother me whether am I gaining or losing, because it never operate from ‘I’.
One thing about focus out is to deal with our comfort zone. Without a higher motivation that is to benefits others, we will keep struggling when we focus out. However the more we focus out , the lesser struggling we have, it needs time. This is due to focus out has to deal with lots of kind, compassion, patient and etc which is indirectly a training to us to become a better person.
My experience in doing counselling works few years ago that when I listened to how peoples suffered, I started to realise that my problem is not really a problem hence my suffering is lessen. And along the way, I overcome my inner issue. Therefore by helping others we become better and happy.
And I want to accomplish the mind that as what Rinpoche mentioned “In the process of overcoming our inner issues, we get closer and closer to perfection {enlightenment, attainments, God, peace et al} of ourselves as individuals”.
When I come across the word perfection, it always remind me of Tenzin Palmo. In her video “Cave In The Snow” she spoke about how she has been seeking perfection. Her quest, her spiritual journey started with seeking the answer to perfection. I could never really grasp why perfection? Why seek perfection and how is that going to help with anything?
We often hear people talked about seeking enlightenment, inner peace, spiritual awakening, etc. And it has always intrigued me that Tenzin Palmo was seeking perfection.
I think Rinpoche offered a glimpse to this answer. Reason I said a glimpse is because I do not fully understand everything Rinpoche is trying to say here. The perfection of oneself as an individual is enlightenment. I guess if we see our spiritual quest as perfection, then we acknowledge Buddha to be perfect, our Guru to be the embodiment of perfection. And perhaps by focusing on that perfection (hence not finding flaws), this will propel our own journey to get closer to perfection.
Thank you Rinpoche for always reminding us to overcome our fears, indulgences and attachments, at my level I still have long way to go to overcome all those negative qualities inside me and I’ll do my best to overcome it.
Thank you Rinpoche for always guiding us.
Eric kksiow
Rinpoche always teaches and encourages us to do dharma work. One of the ways to do dharma is to benefit as many people, animals, sentient beings as possible. And not just to benefit oneself, one’s family and loved ones. Rinpoche teaches to cut one’s self cherishing mind, and one way is to work for others. Also Rinpoche adds, when we work to benefit others there should not be any expectation of any return. Else we are not doing dharma to benefit others but for the Eight Worldly Concerns.
Hope for happiness and fear of suffering,
Hope for fame and fear of insignificance,
Hope for praise and fear of blame,
Hope for gain and fear of loss.
Nagarjuna
This short teaching summarizes the way to achieve perfection of life, which a lot of people has this questions deep down inside their heart.
No matter how many material things we have, how excellence our career is, how complete is our family life, there’s still something deep down inside that we are not completely happy. Our happiness is so fragile that it will collapse over night when something changes. But change is a nature that even Buddha can’t stop.
Through focusing out to help others in the society, we fill up the missing pieces and empower ourself and others too.
I feel fortunate that we have Buddha and Three Jewels that we can devote to for perfection.
By focusing out it enable us to detached from our ‘I’ which is the cause of every single problem we have. It may not be easy but we should go along this direction. I believe when we focus out we will start to see things wider and we may even realise actually the problem that we created is much smaller. By looking at others problem it can be a self-reflection and we will eventually learn our problem may not be what we thought or we may learn not to do the same as others.
Dharma work focusses on others and it’s a great practice for us train to put others before us and our problem which we perceive will eventually overcome.
“Must focus on the outside and not inside.”
This is a very useful quote that I need to remind myself always.
Every time we keep focusing on me, me, me, we become more selfish and unhappy. Perhaps we can also start by helping in small ways if we find that it is too overwhelming. We can start with animals, maybe feeding them, helping the abused animals. Or even as simple as buying food for some random poor people.
It may not be a lot, but in time, we will be doing it naturally and the rest will fall in place. And with these actions, we are also helping ourselves to progress spiritually to be kinder and overcome our inner issues one by one.
Devotion to Buddha and Three Jewels means devotion to perfection as Buddha and Three Jewels represent the perfection. By the devotion to Buddha we must learn from Buddha by His teachings and His contribution towards the society at that time. Buddha had shown us the way by His actions and numerous teachings on how to achieve enlightenment. So by following a Guru who teaches the way of Dharma from Buddha, we can achieve enlightenment.
感谢仁波切给于我们這清晰且意義的教學分享。激勵我们在日常生活中的一種好形式，就一定能造福更多有情！
With service to others we can develop the qualities in us like the Buddhas of the past. What better way to accomplish the goal of reaching the highest peak of existence as a full enlightened than serving society?
Based on my own personal experience focusing out onto others and not on myself brings me calmness and peace. My problems and obstacles may not be solved quickly, but my mind accepts that. My mind is not focused on the problem and hence the pain is lessen.
As Rinpoche mentioned above “In the process of overcoming our inner issues, we get closer and closer to perfection {enlightenment, attainments, God, peace et al} of ourselves as individuals”. Yes, I would very much like to accomplish this perfection of the mind. Thank you Rinpoche for the guidance.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for the wonderful words.
As explained, devotion is faith, trust and understanding through study and observation from the guru [perhaps]. Rinpoche has always been selfless, constantly giving without asking. When you do this, you inspire me to do more for society as well. Rinpoche always say monetary help is the lowest form of help, and we should always do more with our actions. Therefore, even if we are not financially strong, we can still help and provide for the society, the community and the animals.
I hope I can achieve more and get closer to perfection as I progress.
Thank you, Rinpoche.
This is the reason why Rinpoche encourages us to get involved with the works in Kechara because everything we do in Kechara is about the betterment of the society. By focusing on the outside, our problems become smaller and insignificance. Eventually, they are gone! If you do not believe it, Kechara provide the platform for us to experience that, we welcome you to join us!
As said in this blog, “Devotion to the Buddha and the three Jewels is accomplish through useful activity toward society” which is abscribed to be resposible, consistent and complete, and, the best practice to do! This will also provide its antidote to our self-cherishing mind, the root-thoughts to all our human problems, which is always about me, me and me – The self-existent. Such excercise will substitute others for self. It is said self-cherishing is the cause of all miseries and disasstisfaction, but holding all other beings dearer than oneself is the foundation of all realisation and perfection.May I be blessed to be able to change any self-cherishing attitude into a concern for all others! Om mani padme hung.
I’m truly agree when engaging such devotion, a lot of inner obstacles need to overcome, during the process, the delusion and emotions will keep telling us to give up the commitment..we really need to generate a lot of merits to let us to carry on our commitment. A little bit a little bit improvement by daily , definitely it we lead us to correct path.
Excellent words! All the best!
Delford T. Louis
Dear Rinpoche,
This is a very impactful teaching, all of us are born not 100% perfect, whether it is physically and mentally, but yes through Devotion to the 3 Jewels, and the Guru, and follow strongly the advice and teaching given, and lower our self ego that keep us avoiding and truth and accepting that we have to serve other, rather the being serve, which create even more selfishness within us, and always become me, me, me.
By focusing out it enables us to be broaden our horizon and look at the suffering of others and focusing on the poor me. But this, to many is the most difficult part for one to accept, because of the way we had live our live focusing on ourselves rather than others, it become like a dreaded disease.
Yet, through Spirituality and Dharma, we are not only able to change ourselves but also through continuos effort in studying, practicing and applying the Dharma that we had, we are able to rectify our faults, weakness and getting closer to perfection. Most importantly one should not run away from problems and obstacles and we must face it and solve it. When knowledge of Dharma combine with Dharma Work, it is the perfect concoction for us to reach the perfection, and hence benefit the society as we benefit from Dharma and we focus on improving and helping others to reach the same.
Thank You Rinpoche for this teaching.
Love and care,
Frederick Law
Thank you for sharing this wonderful quote, Rinpoche. Devotion is definitely necessary for success. If you take refuge in things, there are definite results. If you take refuge in money, you become rich and unhappy. If you take refuge in the 3 jewels, you become rich in mind and happy.
I would like to share here an advice given by the Head Pastor to us today. She observed that those who continued dharma work and stayed on was due to effort put in by the individual who learn more about dharma (attend classes) and do puja regularly. These methods stabilizes our mind.
In order to accomplish perfection, it will definitely take more than 1 day, 1 year or even more than 1 eon to achieve the result. As long as we start with the 1st foot step, and decide to continue to walk that road, we can achieve that “perfection” or “result”.
Rinpoche always quote an example of an Olympic athlete runner who trains hard to be a Gold medalist winner. The athlete need to put in effort and spend hours working to train hard to win and it takes years to be in the Olympics. It all started from 1 small step forward and never give up.
Thank you Rinpoche for this inspiring blog that comes at the perfect time as always!
Thank You for the article Rinpoche, devotion definitely is a very important element. Especially Guru devotion, never break a promise in between!
This is such a strong and meaningful teaching. I believe that this is a good form of motivation for people in their everyday lives. It surely can benefit people and make them better and more successful. Thank you for sharing this with us Rinpoche.
Thank you Rinpoche,
Doing dharma work by helping others to help us closer to perfection. Engaged in dharma or society
Work helps us focus on others instead of ourselves. Observing others during the work helps me understand some of the dharma teachings and aware of my bad habituation. Although it is so difficult to change the habituation, I hope I have the perseverance to do it.
Dear PB, don’t hope, just keep it up as you know it will be good for you. Anything good requires effort and consistency. I wish you luck and blessings of Lord Tsongkapa. Tsem Rinpoche
Thank you Rinpoche, my guru.
Dear Rinpoche,
This is inspirational & i will see it as my spiritual guideline. It is meaningful as it not only invoke thoughts but actions as well.
Hi Rinpoche. I am planning to become a part time volunteer in KP, I attends the volunteer class on monday night currently, but that is something blocking me to step forward, i know this my inner self problem..i am dilemma but I am fully willing to follow your guide..please bless me to overcome my struggle and get to know more dharma and become a better one.
Hello Denise Kuek, nice to hear your plans and I do hope you would eventually do so and I would probably see you in the outlets or in Kechara House/KFR one of these days. It would make your practice more meaningful and you would learn a lot of Dharma along the way as well. The knowledge you acquire would be very helpful towards helping your family members and loved ones when they need you.
Thanks David, hope that I can do it
Dear Denise,
Everything is empty. Our emotions are empty. For us to feel the same reaction, we have to have the same environment inside us and outside of ourselves sometimes too. If the environment is different, then the reaction is different. So create new environments inside of ourselves and then it will be fine. It takes time. One step at a time. And don’t perceive ‘negative’ situation as the end to something we just started. Keep going at it and the results will emerge. 🙂
Doing Tsongkapa practice (Gaden Hlagyema) daily very strongly and migtseyma will be very beneficial long term for our mind/emotions/blockages and fears. You can meet or Skype David Lai to share your questions and I have much teachings/resources on this blog regarding Tsongkapa practice.
I send you my warmest and purest good wishes. I will offer a pure herbal stick of incense to the Buddhas right now just for you with prayers.
Tsem Rinpoche
Hi Rinpoche, hope everything goes well with you. Just knowing that you replied to my comment from Pee Bee Chong, thanks her. My problem is solving smoothly now, thank you and Setrap for guiding me, I feel so joyful now, it is indescribable, i know u know that, lol..i hope more people know you and your dharma work and then they transform themselves to be a happier one. Thank you Rinpoche