Working at the Dharma Center

The resident teacher is a very learned geshe, and among the most experienced in astrology of all the monks from the three great monasteries in south India. More and more nuns are coming to the center, which has become a very good place to study.

I was suggesting that it would be good to start a four-year program, like the one the geshe already started in the Taiwan center. It would be good too if Geshe-la himself went over the program.

This method is good for Western people psychologically, because they have a limited number of years to study. That is easier for Western people, because it is not forever. They will have more courage. The idea is to give them a very clear goal, and for the course not to be too difficult. There would be examinations after each year, and that makes sure people really study. This means they have to memorize and learn, and understand what they have learned, so the exams are to help them. At the end, they would get a certificate from the organization.

The main thing is for them to become qualified teachers, able to offer courses and teach Dharma to people. Besides this, it also helps them in their own lives. It helps them very much in practicing Dharma, as there is less ignorance and more wisdom, which makes practicing Dharma much easier. Then by more correct practice, more correct realizations come.

One issue you raised was that people don't come regularly to the center, but only from time to time. In the West, there are a lot of obstacles in people’s lives. There are family obligations, and people have to work very hard to take care of their family, or even just themselves, because the lifestyle is very expensive here compared to other countries.

Not only that, but they also have a lot of distractions. Life is full of external desire objects, and there is also a lot of desire in the mind, which makes many excuses. So it is not easy for them to come to the teachings at the centers. It is easy to have a stronger interest in other things, like in desire objects, things having to do with the pleasures of this life and not so much with the happiness of future lives or even liberation and enlightenment. Also, after working long hours all day, they are tired when they come back home. So, people have many excuses.

There are so many obstacles in life, so many distractions from Dharma practice or even just from listening. Without question, the practice to focus on and the thing to actualize in the West is to deal with the objects of desire. There are so many advertisements. Even when you close your eyes, there is so much desire in the mind. Then when you open them, there is so much desire advertised, in the most effective way possible.

Therefore, even if just six people come, or even if just three people are able to come to the center to receive teachings, that is really amazing. That is incredible. It is unbelievable. They are very brave. They are defying the delusions, not following them. That is following Dharma.

The reason they come is either for their own happiness beyond this life or the happiness of this life. But which of these two reasons is to benefit others? This is not in every one’s case, but it can be generally said.

In any case, however small the amount of people who come to the center, we should rejoice. It is just amazing that sentient beings come to listen to the Dharma! This is something more precious than anything else in life. Even without practicing at all in this life, just listening plants the seed for enlightenment, so there is no question that it liberates from samsara and brings the happiness of this life, future lives, and enlightenment.

There is a need for organizations in order to be able to help others, to be able to help more sentient beings. As an individual we can't do much. We need to be organized. The hippie attitude, from the 1960s or 1970s—to live in the mountains or on a farm and be free to do what you want—would, of course, reject organizations, rules, and formal discipline. Of course, rules that don't benefit the mind and which harm others are good to be rejected. It is wise to reject organizations that are harmful to the minds of oneself and others. But the statement that individual people can create their own religion needs to be analyzed. If the religion has no meaning or is harmful, then it is wise to reject it.

The purpose of Dharma center organizations is for you and your friends to learn more, to deepen your understanding, to help each other, to inspire each other, and, most importantly, to develop realizations of the path to enlightenment. Then you can overcome the sufferings of samsara by ceasing the cause: delusion, by practicing together the Buddha's teachings, especially the three principle aspects of the path to enlightenment: renunciation, bodhicitta, and correct view.

You can achieve enlightenment by ceasing the subtle defilements when you practice the Mahayana path. By practicing the Mahayana path you achieve both freedom from samsara and full enlightenment. If you are looking for the best, longest-lasting, highest quality happiness, then look for enlightenment—especially to benefit others.

Another thing—and this is extremely important—as a group, you can educate other beings. You can teach them Dharma, introduce the path, and also introduce them to the idea that there is more than happiness just in this life. There is happiness in future lives, in all coming future lives, as well as the ultimate happiness—freedom from samsara and fullest enlightenment.

So, to help many people you need organizations. As a group, it's easy to help many others in many ways. Even for teaching Dharma, you need organizations. You need a place, facilities, and funds for many things, including teachers, to be able to help others. You need a director, a cook, a bookkeeper, an accountant—so many things to be able to do it efficiently. As you want to do more to benefit others more extensively, there is social service. Of course, the best social service is giving Dharma, which removes the root of others' sufferings.

So, that's the purpose, that is why we need organizations.

Dear ones,
For protection you need the White Umbrella Tibetan text (this is mantra, prayers, and benefits). I will send it to you. Along with this is the mantra for protection from fire—the Mantra Heart of Vairochana.

Regarding the White Umbrella Tibetan text, this should be printed and pasted onto big billboards at the four corners of the retreat land, also in retreatants’ own retreat houses and boundaries. It should at least be in the four directions (or monastery, city, and town, area).

The mantras and texts that are to be posted around the land should be blessed. If there is a very good practitioner or a high lama, then ask him or her to bless them to make them more powerful. Otherwise you can bless them yourselves, or ask one of the retreatants.

Method for Blessing

Refuge:
In your mind, make a strong request to Guru, Buddha, and Sangha to absorb into the texts. Make a strong request and think they all absorb into the texts. Recite the mantra of dependent arising 21 times. It is important to have strong faith in this method and protection.

By having White Umbrella mantra, one is unable to be harmed by contagious disease or from the elements, such as water, fire, wind, and earth. It provides protection from wars, enemies, and people wanting to harm.

Each person at the retreat land should take it in turns to recite White Umbrella prayer. Each person does it for a week and rotates like that, so it is always being recited by someone on the land. There is great benefit for the retreat land and also for the individual.

The Mantra Heart of Vairochana just needs to be displayed around, in people’s houses, also at the four corners of the land.

My most precious brothers and sisters,
In order to be able find and buy a retreat center, please recite the Sanghata Sutra 108 times and the Golden Light Sutra once.

You can also organize a special day where you offer drinks, food, snacks, English food, mashed potato…just joking!

You can see in the world that so many people get an education, then wealth, power, and so forth, and then they use it to harm others, harm the world, and harm themselves. What you are doing is the opposite, bringing joy, freedom, happiness, peace, now and also in the future, forever, to so many sentient beings, not just for yourself, your family, England, the rest of the world, but for all sentient beings.

This is the total opposite to what most people do in the world. Your aim is not only for temporary peace and happiness, your main aim is for ultimate peace and happiness, total liberation from the suffering of samsara, great liberation, peerless happiness, and full enlightenment.

So, therefore, develop compassion and wisdom and enjoy, be happy! Thank you very much.

With much love and prayer from the Mickey Mouse from the Himalayan Mountain who is currently at Osel Ling.

Also, zillions of thanks to Geshe-la, and billions of thanks to all the rest – the director, education manager, house manager, bookshop manager, cook, book-keeper, Geshe-la’s attendant, all the students, and everyone who comes to serve and practice.

People come to the Dharma center for purification, to achieve liberation and enlightenment, so such an easy way to help them is to have a sutra playing so they can hear it as they are resting or working.

You can play the Sanghata Sutra or other sutras. Hearing the sutras can purify not only the ten non-virtuous actions, but also the five extremely heinous non-virtues and prevent rebirth in the lower realms.

It is very good to have a sutra recited by a holy being (such as the recording of Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche reciting the Sanghata Sutra) so that there is a stronger effect from the blessing of their speech. Or you can have the sutra recited by someone whose voice is enchanting, and who flies like to listen to.

My very dear fortunate ones, whose hearts are opened for liberation and to bring others, who are countless, to liberation and full enlightenment.

I am very happy to hear that the group is stable, continuing to learn the path to enlightenment and practice.

Please continue to learn from the geshe as much as possible while he is there. Later, you will rejoice so much. Even after you have achieved enlightenment and after you have enlightened all suffering beings, still you will enjoy the Dharma. Even at that time, there is nothing in life better than meditating on and practicing the lamrim. This is the best life, because it is not suffering, and you attain everything from this. You can give all happiness to all suffering beings.

With much love and prayers for all you to have meaningful lives ...