From: kuenselonline.com
Sogyal Rinpoche 17 May, 2010 - Work hard now to live a better life tomorrow or live all you can today for the future is uncertain, would be the usual dilemma that consciously or unconsciously runs in every Bhutanese mind.
But the Buddhist teaching tends to favour the former.
Drawing on the Buddha’s 2,500-year-old wisdom, which still holds water at a time when people are blinkered by their short-term benefits at the cost of their long-term goals, Sogyal Rinpoche reminded more than 1,000 Thimphu residents during his last day of teaching at Nazhoen Pelri hall in Thimphu yesterday: “Don’t sacrifice your long-term happiness for short-term pleasure.”
The subject emerged from the rinpoche’s talk on ‘the mind’.
Sogyal rinpoche offered guidance on how people could inculcate these principles into their daily lives, through what he said was, giving a taste of the Buddha’s wisdom.
Emerging from the mind, two of the components most undesirable, rinpoche said, were fear and anxiety, both of which came from people’s inability to tame their minds.
“If you know how to work with your mind, the world is a beautiful one, which otherwise makes your mind itself the worst enemy,” he said.
The mind, he urged, should be tamed, transformed and conquered as it was the root cause of everything else.
“It is the creator of happiness, of suffering, of samsara, of nirvana,” he said.
The profound and authentic teachings on the modern mind touched the minds of many a devotee.
One of the devotees, Pema Y Rinzin said it boosted his confidence to practise the mind, taking refuge in guru yoga and Bhoddichitta (compassionate mind).
“I am sad that the session came to an abrupt end but I deeply look forward to attending the one next year to learn more on impermanence of thinking,” he said.
Sogyal rinpoche clarified queries surfacing from many curious minds among the devotees, who with the true interest submitted with regard to Buddhist teachings, the Buddha and Buddhism.
Tashi Gyelmo said the two-day teaching made her feel calm, compassionate and truly blessed.
Tears welled up in the eyes of most devotees and some let it out down their cheeks on hearing rinpoche’s gentle and soothing voice during the luung (aural transmission) for refuge in the Guru, Bodhichitta, bearing Guru Rinpoche in the mind while praying, praying to Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig) and Tara.
People, who enthusiastically attended the teaching, said they were eagerly awaiting the next session with the rinpoche.
Sogyal rinpoche reminded the devotees to recite the mantra: “May you be well, may you be happy” throughout their lives.
The teaching concluded following rinpoche’s prayer for ultimate happiness for Bhutan. “I thank you all for your genuine appreciation.”
By Yangchen Choden Rinzin
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