Reading books useful only when you are really using that to meditate

Reading books, learning, or hearing different teachings are good. But they’re useful only when you apply, when you are really using that to meditate. If you don’t use that way, you don’t use what you have learned, what do you have heard, what do you have read, then they’re not really useful, because that kind of knowledge is not very useful in samsara. If you don’t use that on the path, then of course, I think you should study something else to really make you successful in Samsara, in the world, in the society, which is not Dharma, not to the teachings of Dharma. The teachings of Dharma only can give you how to eliminate attachment and negative emotions. But then that doesn’t mean you are very useful in samsara. Because, for us to be in samsara, I think, we need more desire to have this and to do that, and to be aggressive, because you have to [fight] against this and that to protect oneself. This is how it works in samsara. But in the Dharma world, Dharma society is different. We do not fight against anything except try to eliminate to one’s own karma.

 Hungkar Dorje Rinpoche, “GURU YOGA: The Source Of Power In Speech and The Purification”