18) In brief, disciples, wherever you live,
Always remember and never forget
All the advice I have given you;
We will meet again in joy. That is my heart advice.
This verse says to practice Dharma well, and I will soon return from India. This verse is here because I wrote this Heartfelt Advice of Dharma Nectar just before a trip to India. I prayed that afterwards I will return as soon as possible, and that we will be able to resume spending our lives together in the study, contemplation, and meditation of Dharma. In brief, all of you who place your hopes in me, who have faith and devotion, who have connection with me in this good work, wherever you live, and whether I am with you or not, always practice Dharma as well as you can.
The object of my always insistently urging you to practice Dharma is because you want happiness and don’t want suffering. I explain it with the wish for you to attain perfect happiness. If you want perfect happiness, it must be happiness in the mind. If you wish to attain happiness in the mind you must definitely transform your mind. The most extensive and profound methods for transforming the mind is found in the Buddhist scriptures. If you can hear, contemplate, and meditate on Dharma, even if you don’t believe in future lives, it is like a weapon to be able to face and protect yourself amidst the many difficulties and frightening sufferings of life. Even if you just want to be happy in this life, the teachings of the Mahayana are the real medicine for the mental problems of living beings. Many people have problems these days: trouble sleeping, depression, loneliness of old age, etc. People take so many medicines for such maladies. Holy Dharma is the supreme medicine for mental suffering, completely indispensable. In any case, what I say is out of pure altruism for you. There may certainly be mistakes in what I say. But, if it helps your mind, you should make it your own.
As it is said,
Master and disciple, inseparably together,
May their lives be immutable, firm and strong
May hearing, contemplation and meditation be uninterrupted,
May all be auspicious for happiness and increase of Dharma.
Here we pray that the lama and disciples never be separated from the profound path of holy Dharma and be on a path that leads from bliss to bliss. This, also, I give as heart advice of great importance.
Excerpt from ” A Door of Entrance to the Heart Advice Called A Ship Sailing to Liberation. A Commentary to the Heartfelt Advice of Dharma Nectar” Written by Khenpo Karten Rinpoche, originally published in January of 2019. Text is available in Tibetan and English on the Teachings page.
