Listening is a relative and friend who remains loyal
even when we are impoverished.
When
we experience severe misfortune and great suffering there is very little
that our friends and relatives can do. At such times only the spiritual
advice that we have received will come to our aid. Remember the example
of Yeshe O, who was able to confront death with equanimity by relying
upon the good advice and encouragement he had received from his Spiritual
Guides. If we listen to or read many Dharma instructions we too can
transform the difficulties we experience into the spiritual path and
use them to increase our wisdom. Our
problems are opportunities to observe and contemplate the law of actions
and their effects, the law of karma. They are opportunities to contemplate
suffering and its causes, and to practice patience and joyful perseverance. At such times, if we apply the Dharma that we have heard
and read we shall find that it is a true friend enabling us to maintain
our practice uninterruptedly and with joy.
Our
friends and relatives are of no help when we experience great suffering.
Sometimes they even abandon us in our greatest need. While Lama Kachen
Yeshe Gyaltsan was practising meditation in his cave, he was as poor
as Milarepa. One day he was travelling to Tashi Lhunpo Monastery and
on his way he saw one of his uncles. His uncle noticing how impoverished
his nephew seemed to be, pretended not to know him. Later, Lama Kachen
Yeshe Gyaltsan was promoted to the position of tutor to the eighth Dalai
Lama. Thinking that his nephew must now be very wealthy this uncle went
to visit him and declared 'Hello, nephew, I am your uncle."
Once,
a man who was at first very poor and without friends or relatives became
rich by engaging in business. People began to visit him, pretending
to be his friends or claiming to be his relatives. One day this man
invited all his new friends and relatives to dinner. In the middle of
the table he placed a huge sack containing all the money he had accumulated.
When his guests arrived he made solemn prostrations to the sack and
recited these words of praise: 'O Lord Money, through your great kindness
I now have many friends and relatives when previously I had none. Therefore,
I make prostrations to you.'
Ordinary
friends and relatives can change their feelings and attitudes towards
us largely depending upon whether or not we possess wealth and good
fortune, but our friend of listening to Dharma will not let us down.
It comes to our aid when we are prosperous and it comes to out aid when
we are poor. It is the only friend that will endure death with us and
support us in all our future lives until we attain enlightenment.
In
one Sutra, Buddha says:
- By
listening you will develop strong faith in Dharma.
- By
listening your mind will be attracted to Dharma and you will experience
powerful results.
- By
listening your wisdom will increase and your confusion will be eliminated.
To
hear just these three lines Prince Chandra offered a thousand gold coins.
In the past, those who were intent upon spiritual paths considered receiving
instructions so precious that even a gift of their own flesh was not
too dear a price to pay.
In
a dream, the first Panchen Lama once heard Je Tsongkhapa say:
"If
you wish to benefit yourself and others you should not be satisfied
with what you have learnt. You should take as your example those Bodhisattvas
on the third spiritual ground who are still not satisfied that they
have heard enough."
We
need to listen to and read Dharma instructions many times. Our listening
and reading are not complete until we have gained all the realizations
of the stages of the path to enlightenment.
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