Afternoon sky at Kechara Forest Retreat after the rain

For those who seek true spirituality,

The reason we find a teacher or spiritual mentor, join a dharma centre or study dharma is solely to incorporate the methods of Lord Buddha’s teachings into our mind streams. We do so by applying the dharma and the results gained will definitely benefit ourselves and everyone we meet. We all have room to become better than what we are now. This is not to say we are bad, but quite the opposite. On a more vast level, we all have the potential to become a fully enlightened Buddha just like the historical Lord Shakyamuni and Tsongkapa.

Our goals within a dharma centre should not be to obtain financial benefits, borrow money from members, get more business contacts, find a romantic partner, a place that listens to our excuses for failure, to seek unending attention, to endure our endless tantrums, or to find praise. A dharma centre is not a place to seek miraculous solutions to problems you created through ignorance or attachments from wrong behavior. You cannot commit all types of harmful actions and when the results hit the roof, sprint to the dharma centre and ask for instant remedies and if you don’t get it, you are upset. There are remedies, but they take time. You have to understand karma, your habituations, why your actions bring certain results, study the dharma and apply the solutions taught by Buddha. If you don’t want to make consistent effort and hence your problems are not solved, you don’t blame the teacher, sangha, members or the centre itself. You created the problems and holding an envelope containing a small monetary donation (*angpow) presented to the centre, you want all the time, effort, solutions and instant results in the world be given to you now? Not logical. It’s not about how much you donate or don’t donate at all. But sometimes the expectations are not real. You have to take responsibility, learn the dharma and apply the solutions consistently and in time you will see things get better. There will be relief. Sometimes the problems become ‘instantly better’ because due to hearing dharma, you change your perspective towards it. Don’t hold everything fast and hard. Allow space for change because nothing is permanent and set in stone for most. Drinking hot tea in the middle of a blistering dessert may not quench your thirst, but if you are in freezing Antarctica a hot drink would be very welcomed. The hot drink in this analogy is not what causes the displeasure but our emotional environments. Our problems may not be problems when we look at it through the wisdom of a dharma perspective. Don’t look for solutions only your way. There are other ways so be open. After all if you are omniscient, then you wouldn’t have problems would you? Since you and I are not all-knowing, be open for other solutions. Important is to apply the solutions long-term, be it change of view, restraining from negative habits, study of dharma, sadhanas, retreats, offerings, practices, mantras, etc. Be open. Think long-term because whatever you do in the dharma can be not only solutions for immediate problems, but for other problems that have not arisen yet but you have sown the seeds for in the distant past already.

If you meet a teacher or a senior student who offers you genuine solutions and you don’t apply fully, it’s like taking medication halfway and then stopping but blaming the doctor or medicine that you are not well. If you want to get well, you don’t need to debate, delete, add, modify, start, stop the methods that have been compassionately given to you to heal by your teacher or senior students. If you knew better in the first place, you wouldn’t be seeking help. This is not to sound arrogant, but if you are seeking spiritual solutions, your teacher or senior students would know more than you simply because they have studied and experienced it much longer. Of course you have to gain trust in the teacher and senior student through observation, before applying into deeper practices prior to full commitment long-term. But once you commit, you should go all the way like anything in life. Look for reasons to succeed and not fail. Initial recommendations like prayer, meditations, mantras, visualizations, studying the Lam Rim, refraining from negative habituations, overcoming fear and selfish attitudes, pujas, refuge teachings are not something you need to test or observe. They are time-tested and deemed effective by hundreds of masters in the last 2,500 years of Buddhism. There are methods you can trust immediately, for example meditation on compassion, making offerings to the Three Jewels, reciting blessed mantras and so on. In fact many. You do not need to question everything from starting point. You can google and read plenty of information online from hundreds of sources to prepare yourself. You should do your homework prior, during and after. Do not leave others to clean up your problems you created. Since you don’t give control over your life (no one should) to others prior to dharma, you have to take responsibility and apply spiritual methods with consistency, to gain control over the problems you seek solutions to. You are the solution, not anyone else. You are only learning the method from others, but you have to apply the methods over time. Over time is the secret formula here.

Everyone in the world within dharma and without dharma have their problems, habituations, karmas, results, fears, anger, bitterness and regrets. So what? Don’t be in a dharma centre and judge others and not look at yourself. You didn’t join the dharma centre to change the members but to enlighten yourself. You should be the light and not always look for the light. After all, no one can hold your hands 24 hours a day for years unending. No one should. When senior students or your teacher have spoken to you about a problem and offered a solution, be grateful by applying the solutions and give good news. Don’t always fail over and over again, and wanting constant sympathies and a easy way out. Then when you have ‘run out’ of sympathetic ears because of your broken record complaints and failed promises due to laziness, don’t run or blame. Don’t avoid a place because you are ashamed. Opinions about you can change and you should make it change in front of everyone. Be a phoenix. Rise from the embers. Remember, no one but you created the problems. No one can further aggravate your problems unless you did not train your mind. Are there people in dharma centres that do not practice and are perhaps not ideal examples of Buddhism? Of course there are. Are there people who enter surgery and not recover? Of course there are. The point? There are people in dharma centres who are good examples too and there are many who are recovering after surgery. Focus on them till you are more practiced to see ‘errant’ people as objects of compassion and inspiration and not disdain. Yes, inspiration. They are the results of their karma unheeded. You have a chance to do something. So do it. You yourself should improve to give an example to uplift those ‘errant’ people who struggle instead of abandoning them altogether mentally at least. In other words, see them as inspiration to make it and not use them as excuses to fail again. You are born alone and after death journey alone. In between get used to achieving alone.

If you have offended a friend, student or disappointed your teacher, apologize, swallow the false pride and DON’T DO IT AGAIN. Simple. If you keep doing it and keep apologizing, it defeats the power of apologies. Apologies are not emotional words to buy more time to fool people so you can keep harming. Apologies are that you understand your faults and you are truly sorry, and you will amend immediately. Or at least show consistent progress. Doesn’t your teacher and friends deserve that from you? Doesn’t your teacher deserve you to keep your promises and have integrity? After all, if your teacher doesn’t have integrity and keeps apologizing, how would you feel? How would anyone feel when someone always breaks their promises because they just don’t want to effect a change and still want the benefits of respect, love and admiration? Don’t run from dharma, your teacher and friends because they are really your last stop. Once you get on the runaway train, it’s hard to come back. Karma is very strong and virulent. Before the train fully takes off and gains momentum, take up your practice and this time do it with integrity. Integrity makes you happy and content. It makes others smile at you. Try it and you won’t regret.

For some students a teacher has spent very little time on or given ‘very little’. Yet they still improve, do their practice and show positive results. They do more, hold responsible positions in the centre and even bring dharma to many others. They become better and better. Some students receive higher teachings, love, advice, jokes, travel, direct phone contact, monetary assistance, gifts, subsidies, housing, loans, assistance and food for their pets, opportunities, sponsorships, salary, car, divinations, phones, laptops, time and much teachings and still complain the same complaints as when they first joined. Why? They still choose to think negatively or quit or threaten with emotional blackmails. How come? Each student must think for themselves. Again, why? Are you with your teacher for the wrong reasons? If so, make the reasons correct right now. Improve. Your teacher loves you and has opened a dharma centre for you and the benefit of many. You should join forces with your teacher to make the dharma centre a powerful institution to relieve the sufferings of others. The dharma centre is not perfect, but nothing is. Your girlfriends, boyfriends, spouses, parents, relatives, friends, peers have perhaps given you much more heartaches with no solutions in the past and you still stick with them. Don’t be patient with just samsara but loyal to your teacher too. So why not stick to your guru, dharma friends and centre? Of course you should. It’s very blessed to meet a teacher who cares and imparts dharma. It’s equally important for the teacher to meet genuine students who apply effort and gain results. When a caring teacher combines forces with sincere result-oriented students, the rest is history! They will climb higher and higher destinations together and bring tremendous benefit to others. They will bring dharma to vast amounts of people. Just like Lord Buddha and his first five disciples in Sarnath or Tsongkapa with his 8 main close students.

When you blame, begrudge and seek vengeance against your teacher, dharma centre or fellow students, it shows that you have degenerated. Why? Wherever you go, you will meet the same circumstances. “But it shouldn’t be like that in dharma,” you may counter and you are right. But people in dharma are not tenth level Bodhisattvas! They are just like you and me, and maybe even worse prior to dharma. Change your mind, remain silent and transform. There were things I found should be changed or ‘wrong’ in Gaden Monastery when I first joined in 1987. But I found many things right also as time went on. I saw the illustrious masters Gaden Monastery in South India produced and realized the system in Gaden is not perfect but still very good. So I focused on the good points of Gaden Monastery and have grown to respect it very much. Enough that I don’t have to always find fault. There will be fault everywhere. Your karma invites fault. You live in a faulty realm. Your future lives will be surrounded by many problems and faults, and it will not end till you end it with the full awakening of Buddha-hood as Tsongkapa did. Buddha Shakyamuni started an incredible inner revolution and revelation. We are not permanently fixed in suffering, there is a way out. Start the inner revolution now. The revelation is that there is a way out and it’s inside of you. Start the ‘war’ on anger, bitterness, depression, selfishness within oneself now by applying Buddha’s teachings and gaining hope from the doctrine of cause and effect (karma). If you start the inner war, outer wars in your life will decrease. You will find peace.

I decided to share the above because I was inspired by this note from Frederick Law. I have not had much interactions with him or know him very well. Yet what advice I have given him he has carried out and updated. I do not have any direct contact with him and not even by email, yet he progresses. He respects the commitments given to him, the gentle regulations in Kechara and shows gratitude to senior dharma students who nurture him. His message really makes me happy. The water offerings is one of the main preliminary practices to be done in preparation for higher teachings. Frederick works a full-time job in Pharmaceuticals and his free time is spent doing his practices, volunteering in Kechara, studying the dharma. This really makes me happy because again, this is why I opened Kechara and went through the thousands of obstacles and setbacks I have had to endure for Kechara for over a decade now. The difficulties I endured melts away when I read messages from students like Frederick.

Frederick, I miss students like you too. I thank you for your commitment, devotion, sincerity, hard work and sincere practice of dharma. Truth be told, I have endured very difficult people and situations in the past for Kechara and prior centres, but people who practice like you give me hope and a reward I was not seeking. I do not seek reward nor am I complaining. But it has never been a bed of roses for me at all from day one. Why do I continue? Because I made a commitment and promise to my guru and myself . Reading about others who endured so much but never gave up inspires me greatly and I want to be like them. I don’t want to be a failure because I love myself the right way. I want to love others the right way by providing an institution that helps relieve sufferings – Kechara. Make our vision of Kechara come true with diligence, compassion, study and effort.

Frederick, please continue your practice. Volunteer. Learn up more, and start holding positions of responsibility in Kechara after your retreats. After a few months rest, do a Tsongkapa retreat of 5,000-10,000 at a go over your weekends. Accumulate up to 100,000 of Tsongkapa’s Migtsema mantra combined with Gaden Hlagyema over many weekends over time. Go to my blog and learn up on Tsongkapa’s practice as I have several teachings on it please prior and during retreats. Master Tsongkapa’s practice and history. Learn from senior students how to do Tsongkapa retreats and where. Continue your respect of senior students especially those that nurtured you as they are very kind. They patiently gave you dharma knowledge because they patiently learned from their teacher by being patient for years too. Bring dharma to others tirelessly and skillfully. Respect other religions. Build Kechara into an institution of great benefit that brings benefits to society. Develop compassion and wage war on your inner habits that bring you down. We all have to. That is the essence of why we practice. To become better and better to serve others. By serving others we truly find happiness. Attend the pujas. Eat well and rest. I am very happy about your water offering retreat and you set an example to many others that working a full-time job out of dharma and still doing dharma practice is fully possible. No excuses please. Even after you finish your 100,000 water offering retreat, you should continue to do water offerings on the basic amounts (8 or more daily) until enlightenment. Do teach and encourage others to do this retreat. Share about it on blog chat and social medias.

Water offering retreat has great benefits as described by His Holiness the 13th Dalai Lama in a book called Bodhisattva Warrior (English) and explained in detail by His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche to all of us when he was in Los Angeles. Your practice and sincerity makes me miss Kechara. If there are sincere students who genuinely show results and not talk big with empty promises and endless apologies to buy time, then like bees to honey, I shall flock there too. Yes I will.

Think carefully and ask yourself; Are you in the dharma centre (Kechara or any centre) to get benefits for yourself only and success? Or are you in the dharma centre to help it to grow so it benefits others? Or both? Think what you really want and if it’s so. Whatever it is, you have to put in the efforts either way to fulfill your wishes. You have to put aside your smaller mental encumbrances to fulfill the bigger picture of which you will be included automatically.

With folded hands, I thank you for practicing in order to benefit all beings. I thank you Frederick, the many Kecharians who are doing the same and all dharma students around the world. I thank all those who spread peace and bring benefit to others.

“As long as space endures, as long as sentient beings remain, until then, may I too remain and dispel the miseries of the world.”~Maha Pandita Shantideva, 8th Century

You are in my prayers and in my heart Frederick, I thank you for contributing that others may obtain the dharma.

Tsem Rinpoche

*angpow is a Chinese term for making a donation which is traditionally in a red envelope offered to the teacher to create affinity. It is a usual custom and it can be any amount.

Frederick offering serkym

Dear Rinpoche,

I am Frederick Law, hope Rinpoche is in good health. I really miss Rinpoche presence here in Malaysia, especially the Dharma teaching Rinpoche gave in Kechara House Gompa. I really wish Rinpoche will come home to Malaysia very soon.

I would like to take this opportunity also to update Rinpoche on my Water Offering Retreat which Rinpoche advice me to do.

Currently I had done 100,000 bowl of water offering, currently doing the extra 10%, and still have 1157 bowl of water offering left to complete total of 110,000 bowl of water offering.

I usually will do my retreat after i came back home from work, and after freshen up and had my dinner i will start my water offering retreat.

Although sometimes I feel tired from my work, but i still focus to never stop my water offering retreat. This indirectly had cultivated a self-discipline to myself to continuously do the water offering retreat without fail.

I would never thought this water offering retreat discipline had became just like part of my Sadhana too.

I really thank you and appreciate Rinpoche giving me this opportunity to do this water offering retreat, which through this practice not only i am making 110,000 bowl of water offering to Buddha Shakyamuni and all the Buddhas and Bodhisatva, but at the same time through this it help my mind to be clear and calm after each session, most importantly is the self-discipline that i have cultivated through it and applied to my daily life too. Thank You once again Rinpoche.

I am targeting to complete my water offering retreat by end of April 2014. I will update Rinpoche once i have completed 110,000 bowl of offering.

I wish to dedicate this water offering retreat to Rinpoche Good health and Long Life, and may Rinpoche stay long with us to continue to turn the dharma wheel, and May Kechara Forest Retreat become an icon of Peace to the world and many sentient being benefit from Rinpoche Vision.

Thank you.

with love, Frederick Law



克切拉禅修林雨后的下午一景

给那些找寻灵修之道的人们：

我们找寻一位上师或灵修导师，加入一个道场或研修佛法的理由纯粹是为将佛陀教诲中的方法，吸收并融入我们的心中。要达到心与法合一，我们一定得透过实践佛法教诲才能做到，而从中所获的成果，必然将利益我们自身，以及我们所遇见的每一个人。每个人都有比这一刻的自己更加好的进步空间，然而这并不表示我们是不好的，我们反而拥有恰恰相反的特质——在更广的层面上，我们每个人都有证得圆满证悟、成佛的潜能，就好比历史上的人物，如佛陀释迦牟尼及宗喀巴大师。

若我们加入某个道场，我们不应该是为获钱财上的利益、跟道场的同修借钱、为生意“搭门路”、找个情人、找个会聆听我们为自己失败所找的借口的地方、找个能给自己无止境关心的地方、找个能承受我们无底洞般的恶劣情绪的地方，或找个能得到赞美的地方为由，而加入某个道场。佛教道场不是个让你找寻奇迹般的解决方法的地方，因为你所面对的种种问题，都源自你错误行为中的无明或执念。你不能做尽坏事、大难临头了，才急急赶到某个道场，求个马上解决难题的“万灵丹” ，而你在求不得的时候又感到气恼。我并不是说你面对的种种问题没有解决方法，但真要解决问题总会需要一点时间吧！你必须理解业力的运作，了解你的习性，你更必须知道为何自己的一些行为会带来某一些结果。在理解这一切之后，你必须研读佛法并依法实践佛陀所传授的“方法”。如果你不愿意持之以恒地付出努力，那么如果问题依然不得解决，你责怪的对象不应该是道场中的上师，不应该是僧伽众，更不应该是道场中的成员或是道场本身。你制造了那么多的问题，手中却只拿着一小封的红包给道场做供养，然后你期待拥有这个世界上的所有时间、成就、解决方法及即刻的成果？这并不符合逻辑。其实关键也不在于你捐多少钱或者一分钱也没捐，而是在于我们有时候的期待并不符合现实。你必须承担起责任，学习佛法并持续地实践教诲所给予你的方法。过了一段时间后，你会看到事情有好转，你能松一口气。有的时候，你在听了佛法开示后便改变看待问题的方法，于是问题马上有了转机。不要将每件事都那么用力、牢牢地抓着不放。正是因为万法无常，所以我们要记得给事情留下改变的空间，因为大多数时候，没有什么是不会改变的。给大家打一个类比：在酷热的沙漠中喝一杯热茶或许不能帮助你解渴，但是如果你身在寒冷的南极洲，一杯热饮却会是你所期待的。这个类比中的热饮，不是导致我们不快乐的原因，而导致我们不快乐的原因，是我们“情绪所处的环境”。如果我们透过佛法的智慧来看待你所谓的问题，你的问题也许并不是什么问题。不要执着只用你的方式去寻找出路，事实上还有很多其他的方式，所以一定把心打开来。说到底，如果你真是无所不知，那你就不会面对问题了不是吗？既然你我都非无所不知的圣者，那我们就要打开心，接受各种解决方法。更重要的是要长时以行动实践所找到的解决方法，不管那个解决方法是改变看法，还是控制自己的负面习惯，抑或研读佛法、进行日常修持、进行闭关、做供养、修持或持咒等。对于解决方法，我们要敞开胸怀，目光要放远，因为你的修行不只能替你解决眼前的问题，也能解决那些还未发生，但你已在老早前“种下祸根”的问题。

如果你有幸遇见给予你指引的上师或资深的同修，而你又不照着指示完全地实践某个方法，这样的情况就有如服一半的药后便停止服药，然后将久病不愈的状况归咎在医生或药物上。如果你想痊愈，你就无需针对上师或资深同修出于慈悲所给予的劝告进行辩论，或是否定它、或自行添加或更改什么，又或者半途而废地没跟着劝告而做。如果当初你知道有哪些更好的办法，估计你也不会寻求帮忙了不是吗？我这不是嚣张，但事实是，如果你寻求的是灵修管道的出路，你的上师和师兄师姐们会懂得比你多，这纯粹是因为他们的学习和经验比你多很多。当然你必须在投入更深入的修持及长期的完整修持前，透过观察，培养对上师和师兄师姐们的信任。然而一旦你决定投入了，你就应该像做生命中的其他事情那样全情投入，从一而终。无论我们做什么，我们都要以成功为目标，而不是以失败为目标。给初学者的建议如祈愿、禅修、持咒、观想、研读《菩提道次第》、戒掉坏习惯、克服自己的恐惧及自私的态度、进行法会或皈依三宝的法教这等等的建议并不需要测试或观察。这些修行方法的效果经已获得佛教2,500年历史中成百上千位高僧大德的肯定，并且也已经经过时间的考验。 对于一些方法，你能在当下就对它生起信心了，比如禅修慈悲、给三宝做供养及持咒等修行方法。事实上还有更多的方法呢！在一开始的时候你并不需要对每件事都抱有质疑的心态。你可以上“谷歌”（Google）搜查及查阅多种来源的大量资料以做好自我准备。无论是在修法前、修法的过程中或修法后，我们都应该“做好功课”，别让他人来替你收拾你自己造成的残局。既然你在学佛前没有把自己生命的主控权交到别人的手中（没有人应该这样做），那么现在你也就必须担起责任，持续地实践修行的方法，以掌握你需要出路的那个问题。你就是问题的症结和解药，没有第二个人了。虽然你是向其他人学习解决问题的方法，但随着时间的发展，你还是必须把那些方法化为行动。这其中的秘诀便是“随着时间的发展”。

这个世界上的每个人，不管是学佛的，还是不是学佛的，他们都有各自的问题、习性、业果、所必需面对的结局、恐惧、愤怒、苦涩和悔恨。那表示什么呢？那就表示：我们不应该因为自己身在道场中就去审判其他人也不回头检视自己。你进入某个道场不是为纠正同修们，而是为自己的了脱生死而修行。我们总得成为能给他人指引的那道光，而非一直都在找寻光源。毕竟这个世界上没有任何一个人能无止境的常年一天24小时的看着你护着你。没有人应该这样。每当师兄师姐们或你的上师跟你倾谈你所面对的问题，并且也给了你解决方法，你要以实际行动实践他们给你的劝告，给他们捎来好消息以表达你对他们的感激之心。不要一次接一次的允许自己失败，然后期待人们不断的给予同情，希望能走捷径。但是你知道吗，由于你过份抱怨及因怠惰而违背所许下的承诺，你会将别人投以的同情给“耗尽”。这个时候你不能放弃，更不要怨恨他人。不要因为羞惭而避开某个地方。别人对你的看法是可以被改变的，于是你更应该站在众人面前证明你的转变，做个浴火重生的凤凰，从余火中展翅高飞。记住，是你给自己制造了那些问题，其他人是没办法让你的问题变得更严重的，除非你没修好自己的心。如果你问我：在佛法道场中，有没有那些不是真心修行，更不是佛教典范的人呢？当然有。那我反问：有没有人在进行手术后仍然没能从病中康复？当然也有。我要表达什么？即便情况是如此，佛法道场中依然有很多正面的例子，也有很多人在经过手术后就痊愈了。我们要将修行的关注点放在这些人身上，专心地修行直到自己达致能将偏离正道的人看成是修习慈悲及给予我们启示的对象，而非用鄙视的目光来看待那些偏离正道的人的境界。是的，将那些人看成一种启示。不知不觉中，那些偏离正道的人是他们自己业果的显现。然而你不一样，你拥有做出改变的机会，所以请你把握好机会做出改变。你应该提升自己，给那些偏离正道的人做榜样。与其冷漠地将苦苦挣扎的他们置之不理，你不如至少在精神上给予鼓励，好让他们振作起来。换句话说，你要将他们看成是一种启示，让自己真正做到改变，并且不再以他们作为自己再一次失败的借口。你独自一人出生到这个世界上，你离世的时候也将会是孤独一人。在生死之间我们要学会独自完成一些事。

如果你触怒了某个朋友或是让你的上师失望了，你得道歉，放下那无谓的自尊并且下定决心不再重犯同一个错误。就是这么简单。如果你继续犯错，一直道歉，这样会大大削弱了道歉的力量。道歉的话语不是让你愚弄他人、继续伤害他人的牵动人心的字句。你道歉是因为你清楚自己的过失，并且真心觉得对不起，然后你会马上将错误纠正过来，或者至少展现持续的改进。难道你的上师和朋友们不值得你这样充满诚意的对待吗？难道你的上师不值得你对他坚守承诺，为他做个有诚信的人吗？你想想看，倘若你的上师毫无诚信，并且一而再，再而三地道歉，你会怎么想呢？如果有一个人不断地违背所许下的承诺，原因是他们不想做出任何改变，却仍然想要得到备受尊重、关爱和欣赏的好处，人们会怎么想呢？不要逃避佛法的教诲、上师及同修，因为他们是你真正的最后依靠。一旦你离开就很难再回头了。这样做的业果将会是非常有力，也将会是充满烈性的。在逃避和离开的念头升起及变得强烈前，请坚持你的修持，这一次就好好地兑现修行的承诺。遵守承诺这个美德将让你感到快乐和满足，它也会使别人爱戴你。你尝试这么做，我肯定你不会后悔。对有的弟子，上师虽然只花了一点时间培养他们，或只给了一丁点的东西，但是这些弟子依然会不断地进步，持续地修持并交出正面的成绩。这些弟子日渐付出得越多，他们在道场中担起责任，甚至帮助弘扬佛法，他们越变越好。有的弟子则接受更高深的法门，更多的关爱、劝告，跟上师有说有笑、朝圣，跟上师有直接的电话联系，获得上师金钱上的帮助、礼物、机会、赞助、薪金、汽车、手机、笔记电脑、时间及大量的教诲，但是他们仍然抱怨着跟自己刚踏入佛门时一模一样的怨言。为什么会这样？这一点每个弟子都要反思。再一次强调，为什么会这样？你是否出于不正确的理由跟随一位上师？如果真是这样，现在就调整发心，改善自己。你的上师是如此地关爱你——他为了你及众人的利益而创办了一个佛法道场。你理应与你的上师一同携手将道场变成一个实力非凡的团体、一个能帮助他人解除痛苦的地方。这个佛法道场并不完美，但没有什么是完美无暇的。过去你的伴侣、父母、亲戚、朋友及同辈或许曾带给你更多无可救药的心痛，但是你仍然不放弃他们。不要只是懂得在世俗的事物上忍耐，你也要对自己的上师始终忠诚如一。因此，为什么不留在上师的身边，不留在同修们之间和道场中呢？你理应要这么做，因为能遇见一个对弟子关怀备至及给弟子传授佛法的上师绝对是一种福气。而上师遇见真诚修行、用实际行动付出努力并获得成绩的弟子也相等的重要。当一个对弟子关怀备至的上师，碰上真诚又努力的弟子，如此般的美妙，不言而喻！上师与弟子们会一起一直往上爬，并且爬到更高的目的地，他们会给众人带来无以计数的利益。除此，他们也会将佛法带入很多人的心中——就像佛陀及他首五位弟子在印度鹿野苑那样，又或者像宗喀巴大师及其八大弟子那样。

如果我们怪罪、妒忌，甚至想向上师、道场和同修进行报复，这表示你的修行衰败了。为什么？因为不管你到哪里去，你都会碰见相同的情况。“但在佛法道场里面不应该发生让我难受的事啊！”你或许会这样反驳。其实你也没说错什么，但是，道场里的人都不是十地菩萨啊！道场里的人就如你我，有的人或许在学佛前，品性甚至还要差呢！你该做的是什么呢？你应该改变你的想法，默默地转变自己。我在1987年刚加入甘丹寺的时候，我也发现寺院中有很多事物需要被改正或是“出错”了。但随着时间久了，我也发现很多正面的事物。我看见甘丹寺杰出的高僧大德们制定并实现了寺院的系统，虽然系统不是完美的，但还算是非常好的。于是我把注意力放在甘丹寺正面的那些特点，并对寺院生起巨大的敬重心。对寺院的无比敬重足以让我停止经常挑出寺院中所谓的“不足”。我理解无论是什么地方，总会有错失。你的业力招来错失。你就存活在不完美的世界里，你的来世将被各种问题和错失围绕着，而这些问题和错失将无止境地缠绕你，直到你像宗喀巴大师那样达致圆满证悟为止，你方能跟它们做个了结。佛陀释迦牟尼开启了非凡的心灵改革并给了世人惊天的启示：我们并不会恒久地受困于痛苦之中，解脱之道是有的。因此，现在就开始这个心灵的改革吧！佛陀给予世人的惊天启示是什么？那便是解脱之道是存在的，而且还近在咫尺，就在你心中。透过实践佛陀的教诲——因果（Karma）的教义，并从教义中获得希望，来跟自己心中的愤怒、苦涩、忧郁和自私“开战”。一旦你开始跟自己心中的愤怒、苦涩、忧郁和自私“开战”，外在的“烽火”自然就会渐渐熄灭。于是，你就能找到平静。

我决定跟大家分享上面的那些话，主要是因为我受到劳康凯（Frederick Law）写给我的信件所启发。我跟他之间没有太多的互动，对他的认识也不深，但他将我给他的建议都做足，并向我报告进展。我跟他没有直接的联络，甚至连他的电邮地址也没有，但他在修行上仍然有所进步。他重视和尊重我给他的指示及克切拉佛教中心的软性规则，同时也展现出他对培养他的师兄师姐们的感恩之心。他写给我的信件让我觉得开心。水供是几个前行修持中的其中一项，修行人若有意思接受更高阶的修持法，前行修持就是一种必修。劳康凯全职在制药业工作，他把工作后剩余的时间都腾出来进行修持、在克切拉佛教中心充当志工及研读佛法。这让我非常高兴，因为这正是我创办克切拉佛教团体的原因，更是我十多年以来为克切拉佛教团体忍耐无数障碍及阻扰的动力和原因。当我看到像是劳康凯这样的弟子的信件时，所有我过去所经历的苦难也就变得甜美。

劳康凯，我也挂念像你这样的弟子。我感谢你遵守承诺，也感谢你的依止心、诚意、努力及认真修行。说实话，过去我在克切拉佛教团体未创办时为克切拉容忍了不少非常难以相处之人，也忍受非常难受的经历。然而，像你这样认真修行的弟子却给了我不曾期待的希望和回报。我并没有期望回报，更不是在抱怨。然而从第一天开始直到今天，我的经历不曾是舒服惬意的。那我为什么还继续呢？因为我对我的上师和自己许下承诺。每当我读到世界上其他人历经了那么多苦痛但他们仍然没放弃的事迹，那些人、那些事迹，都深深启发我，也鼓励我跟随他们的步伐。我不想成为一个失败的人，因为我用对的方式爱护自己。我想透过给人们提供一个能帮助他们缓解痛苦的地方——克切拉佛教团体，用正确、实在的方式去爱护他人。我们要以孜孜不倦的精神、慈悲、认真学习佛法的态度及努力，来实现克切拉的愿景。

我请劳康凯继续他的修持，继续充当志工，从中学习更多，在完成闭关后开始在克切拉的道场担起一些职位和责任。完成这个闭关再歇息几个月后，你可以一次过在周末内，完成持诵5,000至10,000遍《缘悲经》的宗喀巴大师闭关。然后逐渐在多个周末进行闭关，累积100,000遍的《缘悲经》持诵，再配合《宗喀巴大师上师瑜伽法》的修持。在闭关前及闭关的时候到我的博客进一步了解宗喀巴大师的法门，我的博客上有好几个相关的开示，其中就包括了宗喀巴大师的修持和历史。除此之外，你也可以向师兄师姐们学习如何进行宗喀巴大师的闭关及了解合适的闭关地点。你得继续保持对师兄师姐们的尊重，尤其那些培育你的师兄师姐们，他们可是非常的热心。他们能耐心地给予你佛法知识，全因为过去他们曾耐心地花上多年的时间，耐心地跟他们的上师学习佛法。你要不言倦、善巧地将佛法带给其他人。要懂得尊重其他的宗教。让克切拉成为一个给社会带来无限益处的造福团体。培养你的慈悲心，跟拖慢你修行的坏习惯“开战”。每个人都得这么做。这是我们为何要修行的精髓：改善自己变得越来越好，为的就是利益他人。在服务他人的过程中，我们找到真正的快乐。你要出席道场的法会。进食要摄取足够的营养，要有充分的休息。我为你所做的水供闭关感到非常的高兴，因为你给很多人树立了榜样：在道场外头拥有一份全职工作可以丝毫不影响佛法的修持。另外还有一点：即使你在完成了总数100,000的水供闭关后，每一天你也应该继续在佛坛上供基本数量的水供（8碗或更多），你得这么做，直到你证悟为止。你也别忘了要指导和鼓励其他人进行这个闭关，并且在博客的聊天室及社交媒体的平台上跟大家做分享。

第13世嘉瓦仁波切曾在其《Bodhisattva Warrior》一书中提及水供闭关有巨大的利益。而至尊宋仁波切也曾在美国洛杉矶向我们详细地解说水供闭关的好处。你的修持和诚意让我想念克切拉了。如果弟子们都诚意十足地展现修行成果，不说大话、不开空头支票，也不毫无止境地光道歉来拖延时间，那么好比“哪里有蜜蜂，哪里就有蜂蜜一样”，我将“蜂拥而至”。是的，我会这么做。

我双手合十，谢谢你为利益众生而修行。我感谢劳康凯、许多认真修行的克切拉人，以及世界各地的所有佛门弟子。我向所有宣导和平及利益他人的人们致谢。

“乃至虚空世界尽，及无罪垢无逼恼， 此中愿我恒安住，尽除一切众生苦。”——寂天菩萨

劳康凯，你在我的祈祷中，也在我的心中。我谢谢你为他人有机会听闻佛法做出贡献。

詹杜固仁波切



劳康凯做金酒供养

敬爱的仁波切：

我是劳康凯，祝愿仁波切身体健康。我真的非常想念仁波切在马来西亚的日子，尤其是仁波切在克切拉佛教中心大殿给开示的那些时刻。我真心希望仁波切会尽早回到马来西亚。

我也想借此机会向仁波切报告我的水供闭关的进度。这个闭关是仁波切吩咐我做的。

截至目前我已经完成了100,000碗的水供。现在我正完成额外的百分之十的水供数量，目前距离完成总数110,000碗水供还少1,157碗。

大多时候我会在下班回到家，洗刷及吃过晚饭后才开始闭关。

虽然有的时候因工作的缘故而感到十分疲惫，但是我仍然保持专注，确保自己的闭关不出现间断。这间接地培养了我的自律，而自律促使我持续不断地进行闭关。

我从没想过进行这一个水供闭关所需要的纪律已经成为我日常仪轨修持的一部分。

我衷心感谢仁波切，也感激仁波切给予我进行这个闭关的机会。因为透过这个闭关，我不仅给佛陀释迦牟尼、所有佛菩萨及菩提萨垛供养110,000碗水供，同时我的心也在每一段闭关环节后变得清明、平静。更重要的是，我从中培养了自律，更把自律应用在我的日常生活当中。我再一次感谢仁波切。

我计划在2014年4月下旬完成闭关。一旦我完成了110,000碗的水供，我将再一次告知仁波切。

我希望将我这次闭关的功德回向予仁波切的健康和长寿。祈愿仁波切长久住世，与我们同在并常转法轮。我也祈愿克切拉禅修林能成为这个世界的和平代表，希望无数的众生能从仁波切的愿景中受益。

劳康凯 敬上



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