6.5 mins read.
Here is a quick article to share something that has been helping me of late and that might help you if you’re anything like me. Coincidentally, sitting in one of my favorite cafés, enjoying a coffee as big as my head, and eavesdropping as usual, I just heard:
Which is what I wanted to talk about. Geshe Kelsang often says:
Everybody has freedom.
Well, on one level, we really don’t because we are bound and trapped by our delusions and karma. But on the other hand everyone needs to follow their own wishes and has to follow their own karma, and meditating on this has been helping me to stop feeling discouraged that I can’t help more people.
Yeah, you heard that right. There are always some people who “get” us and listen to our wise words of counsel or follow our fantastic example, and there are others who just don’t and won’t. And all power to them. Why should they.
Always rely upon a happy mind alone
In general, I love that Lojong commitment to “Always rely upon a happy mind alone” because it alerts me to when a delusion is brewing, even when it is masquerading as love or superior intention. How do I know? Because I stop feeling so relaxed. I personally prefer to feel super relaxed day and night, so I have learned to tell when tension is beginning to simmer.
Disappointment only comes from attachment, in this case attachment to them doing what I think they should be doing because it would be good for them. I can’t give any examples, I’m afraid, because that would be too obvious. You know who you are! (Kidding, you have no idea.)
Okay, one example, just to embarrass them. I was thinking about how much my mom and dad would benefit from meditation practice. This is not a new thought — I have had it on and off for almost 40 years. Truth is, however, they are just perfect already. Sure, they could maybe do with more refuge, like everyone else, who couldn’t. But I decided quite awhile ago to just let them be, mentally speaking, and just appreciate them and everyone else unconditionally. As always, I also handed them over into the care of Buddha Tara, reciting Tara’s mantra as a request to all 21 Taras to keep them safe and well.
(Quick seguey: This is not least because Geshe-la once told me that my parents have a strong connection with Buddha Tara. This happened to be on the same occasion that he suggested I stopped preaching Dharma to my parents and just have “normal conversations”. Funny thing is, I hadn’t told him I was preaching, not at all, so I was a bit taken aback when he brought it up. I was preaching, though. I was 18 at the time. I had found Dharma and I was preaching to everyone. Lol.
In any event, during a Skype conversation that I had with these same parents about an hour ago (discussing amongst other things how there is no point people watching the stock market right now amidst all these coronavirus fears unless they want their minds to go up and down as quickly as the Dow), my 84-year-old dad volunteered out of the blue: “I have been saying that mantra “OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA”. He does it at the end of his Pilates class when they all sit “sort of cross legged” for a few minutes.
Nuff said.
Abandon all hope for results
It never works to push. Not externally, obviously, as nothing is more off-putting than feeling judged or found wanting under the guise of someone being interested in your spiritual development. But just as importantly internally, tying our hopes into people
This is where I love contemplating Geshe-la’s phrase “Everybody has freedom.” When I meditate on that, I lose all desire to fix outcomes. Instead I just want to be here for people if they need or want me and to offer what help I can while “abandoning all hope for results” as it says in Lojong. Everyone has their own karma and everyone sees a different world – I sometimes think we are all just going around looking in a mirror. As a friend Doug said to me the other day, “We are all doing the best we can based on what we know.”
Like I said, sometimes people “get you”, and see what you are trying to show them. Other times they don’t. But it doesn’t matter. They have their own freedom. They have their own path and journey. What I can control is my own mind. That’s it. I can practice all the stages of Sutra and Tantra instead of trying to fix this dream from the outside in.
Also, I doubtless disappoint people all the time in my failure to “get” them. Sorry!
Fat Panda
Why do I have expectations of certain people and not the vast majority of others? That is just grasping at me and mine, nothing to do with pure love. As one
Patient acceptance
If you find you have attachment to the people close to you (“me and mine”) responding in certain ways to your efforts, disappointed when they won’t or can’t, my suggestion is to try and let go of the grasping and let the chips fall as they may. Everyone has freedom. It is ok. This is a practice of patience, of welcoming wholeheartedly whatever arises without wishing it were otherwise. We can use every appearance, no matter how seemingly disappointing, as a motivation to increase our wisdom and attain enlightenment. This is hugely more relaxing, for a start, and I would argue that we need to be relaxed before we can fully generate all the other positive states of mind.
Over the decades, a lot of people have found Kadampa Buddhism and gotten really close to Geshe Kelsang and then, for whatever reason, gone away. I’ve had a chance to observe him sometimes when this has happened, and he has never seemed too bothered. He knows that everyone has freedom. I think he has a far more long-term view and confidence in his disciples and others, always relating to the future Buddha within. He just carries on offering Buddhism to whoever wants it, to whoever gets it, but with equal no-strings-attached love and respect for everyone. “Try, don’t worry” is one of his sayings. His relaxed and always light-hearted example is incredibly helpful to me.
That’s some quick thoughts on the subject. Over to you for any comments.
28 Comments
I can’t stop thinking about how without attachment I would never feel disappointed (many things disappoint me, so you’ve given me a great incentive…thank you 🙏🏻😄). At the moment, I’m focussed on purification (lots of Vajrasattva mantras) to help me with my emptiness meditations. All I kept thinking as I read your article was: but you don’t know who the “not getting it” people really are (if like me you are not yet a higher being 😉). The other lovely thought is that they are Buddhas guiding us & helping us remove faults from our own mind. I keep telling myself that only by removing my obstructions will I be able to understand what’s really appearing to my mind. My hope is that eventually instead of me feeling upset with my appearances, that I will have wisdom & compassion in their place. So far…Vajrasattva is very calming/ pacifies my delusions & emptiness meditation is very soothing (helps keep me in touch with reality). Anyway…I’ve rambled…hopefully virtuous ramblings…but lovely, helpful, thought-provoking article. Thank you 🙏🏻 Luna xxx
Great message and like others have said, very timely in this case here. Love that it comes down to one simple word – Freedom
Hi thank you so much for an insightful heart touching article. I can really relate to this. For me over the years I’ve struggled to bring the teachings into my heart in my own experience. Part of my reaction to a lot of effort and not the results I would of liked is to look to other spiritual teachers and books. I sometimes feel that letting go of following the tradition whilst looking for a spiritual teaching that resonates with my heart is where my karma is trying to take me. However I am cautious that this could be delusion and just aversion when the spiritual path gets a bit more challenging. I’m unsure whether or not this experience is due to me following this tradition ( out of fear) even though it doesn’t fully resonate with my heart, or because this is an obstacle to be moved through to bring me closer to feeling a true connection with Geshela?
Any advice on this would be very very appreciated. Thanks Luna!!
I think you should do what works for you.
Dear Luna,
Most of time, I really do like your posts and everything. But, do you feel like you have the Truth ?
How do you mean? Are you thinking of something specific? I feel like I have some truth, by no means all yet, still working on it with the help of the Buddhas!
I love this. You will know I “got it” when I am a relaxed noodle 😘
>
😆😍
Thank you for another lovely article Luna 😊
I had a Dharma teacher some time ago and when some people stopped coming to classes I would ask her why did she think they’d stopped coming and she said in her Yorkshire accent ’they’re done’.I think what she meant was that the Dharma they had received was enough for them at that point in time.
Yes, thanks for sharing 🙂 We need a kind of patience.
Once again you hit the nail right on the head! This is timely and timeless advice that if I can only remember will be the cause for much happiness. And soooo much more peaceful minds. Carolyn South Yorkshire.
I’m really glad it’s helpful! x
Thank you for this article. So relatable to my every day life. You totally inspire me .
With love from Durban ⛱🕉
Thank you! I love Durban 😍
That baby sure looks like Kadam Morten!
Hmm, don’t see that myself lol.
Thank you soo much for this valuable article Luna. I been contemplating these exact sentiments. I think I’m bossy about expecting people to get me….as you said …most times they do not. From now on i will just try but let others have freedom with their choices.
Thank you for all your Dharma.
Nice summary! Thank you. xxx
Inspiring, Luna, but in too much pain to write why just now. peace
I hope you feel better soon. Private message me if you like. xxx
Ah so timely! Thank you. A friend just passed and there was no time to explain Buddhism. I held firm to thoughts of our Buddha seeds being stronger than our delusions and prayed for us all. It’s also reassuring to see qualities of love and care in others. I find it harder to rise above my grief /delusions and believe in the pure land, but I’m trying in hope that it will help others too.
Our Buddha nature is indestructible. Our delusions are utterly destructible because they are based on a mistaken way of seeing things. Prayers for your friend, may he go straight to the heart of the Buddhas. And I am sorry for your loss.
Fabulous article. I relate to it all.
Best Regards, Larry Price Viking Representatives Metro N.Y. and Surrounding Areas 631-682-4899 vikingreps.com ________________________________
Thank you!
Thank you! I have been teaching my parents and siblings for over a year now and I have so much grasping at them changing. I instead could just rejoice that they even take the time out from their busy lives to even listen, and if they don’t change the slightest or stop listening at some point, they have freedom!!
yes! That’s it.
Thank you – I really need to hear this just now – thanks so much for all your inspiring blog posts ♥️
So glad it’s helpful.