If Our Mind is Always Going Crazy, We Cannot Keep the Dharma Correctly*
Morning, 1.1.2022
I hope everyone is doing physically and mentally well. It’s almost one month since the beginning of the Winter Teachings here. (no sound) And also a lot of people listening to teachings through internet here, too. (no sound) The number of the Sangha here is also increasing, even though there’s some strict situation [difficult] for the sangha to get large [gathering]. But the people here are very respectful and very [much] believe in the Buddha Dharma. So the lay people here try their best to support the Dharma and the activities of the Dharma and the development of the Sangha and the Sangha’s knowledge, practice and everything. Therefore, we are doing okay. The covid situation everywhere is pretty bad. I see a lot of people [affected] every day. Recently, [for one day] like 500,000 people get the disease in the US. But, because we are protected by the Three Jewels, by the blessing of Buddha, by the blessing of Lamasang, so everyone is [good]. Not only that, but a lot of people in Tibet actually [are] in this [protected] situation [too]. Of course, there’s something to do with the system in the country to protect us from getting this covid-19. Also, there are many prophesies about the Covid problem. That said if you practice such deity, such yidam, like Vajrapani and etc., that will benefit people, that will protect the people from getting this disease.
Everyone who are connected to our lineage are trying to practice Vajrapani. And I think that’s very good protection. Even though people may get this covid-19, but they will be protected by the deity and will not get very seriously sick, will not lose their life. So, blessing of the Buddha and power of the practice is very [great]. We have seen, not only believe. So it is very good idea, and very important to practice the Vajrapani, and [the practices] like the Guru Rinpoche and the daily practice that one has been doing. Any of this Dharma practice is very protecting, very powerful. So, I think it is very important for you to continue the practice for oneself. That is one thing that I want to mention.
Of course, we can see on the Zoom. If you have any questions about your Dharma practice and anything that you need to ask for the Dharma, I am willing to serve you in the future. Because this method Zoom, I think, is very convenient and very beneficial for people. Even though we will have some new [amendments] in the country that make it [difficult], but there is always a way. We can do this legally, so I think it is very beneficial, and simple, convenient thing for you and for me. For me to teach you or for you to ask questions, to know more about the Dharma. Therefore, as I said, I will serve you. I will do the job, be on the Zoom for you, guys.
And then at the same time we should be simple. People shouldn’t argue for many things. People should be more peaceful, and more quiet when come to Dharma, come to place like this. [People should have] more understanding, and more cooperate with others. That is very important. Because when people argue, criticize each other on the Zoom or through the Internet, that will be very bad thing, that will be something that is not nice to see. Especially, the people who are not Buddhist will say: “Oh, the Buddhist people are always fighting, always arguing, always have different ideas, always not harmony.” So, people should understand, and should cooperate nicely – for the cooperation, for the connection, for the things that you want to achieve. I want to mention [this] because I have seen recently different groups always fighting, always have bad ideas and bad attitude toward each other. That is very bad. Therefore, I hope people [will] change for the better, for Buddha Dharma, for oneself, for one’s own Dharma practice. That is also something I want to say today.
I said earlier, we have class teaching at 1:00 pm here. So today I don’t have much time. If you have questions, you can write it down, and then you can send the list of the questions ahead. Then I will prepare the answers for your questions. Just one hour ago I met a Chinese group in China, and they sent the list of questions about Dharma ahead and then today I saw more than few hundred people. They questioned me about what they need to know, and I answered. I finished it and then I assigned here. That is very good thing, I really appreciate the technology.
So, we can do good things, we can benefit each other through this technology, which is very good. But the main thing is you should watch your mind, watch your motivation, watch your conduct, which is very important. Only then we can keep the Dharma efficiently. Otherwise, if our mind is always going crazy, we cannot keep the Dharma correctly. The Dharma will probably be something that distracts us. So, we shouldn’t use Dharma that way. Dharma is like nectar that can heal us, that can treat us, that can really lead us to the peaceful path, to the Buddha mind and wisdom. So today it is ok.
I said we are good. And also, I understand everyone is thinking about us here. Thinking, considering about the activities here, and the activities left by Lamasang. And we are doing good. So, I am very thankful, and I very much appreciate your kindness, your consideration, your generosity, everything. And then of course, people have been supporting the project – the repair of the stupa. And I also want to say thank you very much. And that is very beneficial. And the stupa is still being repaired. Originally, we planned to finish everything this year, but the conditions of the weather and many other factors, we are not able to finish the stupa, but that will be finished by next year. It has been very good work and it’s beautiful. I hope everyone will have a chance to come again to the monastery to visit us, to practice with us, to see what we have done things here by your own eyes. I want to say again thank you for everyone – everyone who supports us, from the US, from Canada, and everywhere – thank you so much. I hope everyone is doing good. I hope everyone will be helped by the Dharma. I will see you again on Zoom.
The end of talk
Transcript by Lotsawa (Hiếu Thiện)
Link MP3: https://lienhoaquang.com/q_b4s1feg
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* The title is created by the translator for the reader’s convenience.
