Student and Teacher

Together on the Path

During the recent Summer Retreat at Serenity Ridge, His Holiness Lungtok Dawa Dhargyal Rinpoche, the 34th Menri Trizin Rinpoche, taught during the afternoons with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche translating. Here His Holiness responds to a question about how the nature of mind can be of benefit to others.

Student: How does the nature of mind benefit others, especially those whom we don't know?

His Holiness: When you are abiding in the meditation and leaving everything as it is, there are no particular negative emotions, negative thoughts or negative ideas. Then by not having negative ideas, negative thoughts, negative emotions, you are helping other people a lot.

As we explained in the meditation of bodhicitta, first one needs to gain stability and realization in order to help others. So when we are entering into the practice we are saying, I want to gain stability and realization in order to help others. But you have to gain first in order to help others. You cannot not gain anything and go to help others because you have no tools, knowledge, experience.

The basis of the great vehicle is the ability to bring others in. The intention is to do something about other people. It is not about yourself. So that intention is a big deal.

Either you are abiding in the nature of mind or you are cultivating compassion. In the end the intention should be that we are doing this for others.