Buddhist Practice In The Time Of The Coronavirus

Khentrul Rinpoche shares a message to students and Buddhist practitioners around the world to help them think about and understand what does it mean to practice dharma in the time of the coronavirus.

Transcript

Hello all Sangha members in the world, Followers of the Buddha Shakyamuni, Especially Kala Chakra Sangha members. So this time may many people find a difficult time, But as we are practitioner we have to think very deeply and we have to see many aspects of the life and many aspects of this situation. So if we don't do that, What is our practice for? What is our Dharma for? So if we cannot do that then we are not Dharma practitioner and we are just ordinary people. And all our Dharma practices are just for hobbies, Becomes a hobby. So nothing to do with improvement of the spiritual abilities. So it is Dharma is how to deal with difficulties. Know very well more than normal people, More than everyday people. That is meant to be. So this is also a very good chance to test oneself. What kind of practitioner we are. So that's why it is quite special this situation. So this gives us a chance to look inward and examine oneself and test oneself. So what kind of practitioner I am. So this is a good time to think of that. So then we have to look at what is ordinary and what is more practitioner. So ordinary person means when we hear these viruses and this oscillation, This business knocking down, Everything makes anxious, Makes anxiety, Increases depression. And everything as normal and usual. If that case we are just ordinary person. We are not practitioner. So there is a saying in Tibetan world. So when you are warm with the sun and your stomach is full, Then you think you are very good practitioner. But when this situation and crisis come over you, Then you realize you are very ordinary. So Tibet is of course cold and sometimes maybe hungry as a harsh life. So that's what they say. So maybe nobody is hungry today. Nobody is cold freezing today. But when these situations come and then people have a lot of anxiety and so forth. So that's why we have to test ourselves. We examine ourselves. Who I am. What kind of practitioner I am. Until now I claim practice Dharma and having bodhicitta and so forth. What is really are, Where is really we are. That is very good chance to reflect. So this situation force us to reflect on ourselves. So this is first thing we have to think about. And then second, Then we have to think about even you realize I am not really practitioner. I am nothing really special at all. But still how can I deal with this problem. So to look at that level we have to think about is this virus is really bad. Is really is the problem for the world. Or this is really problem for me individually. Me and my family is individually bad or this is bad for the world. So firstly we don't really know 100 percent this is really bad for the world people. Bad for the world. Secondly of course we don't really know exactly how bad for the individuals. But if we have some assumptions and we have some superficial way of look at in even that case maybe a little bit bad for the world. For the economic everything is bad for in general for the world. Maybe but for individuals this definitely less much much less chance to be bad. So first step we have to realize that. So what does mean I that means for the world we look at superficial way or this effect in many things. So the business economic everything going to be bad going to be probably going to die many people you know is that case. But for individuals why less why is less why because firstly this is remind us the impermanent of the death you know. The certain of the death and the uncertainty of the time of the death you know force us to realize that. But the same time is good because there is millions conditions of the death every day. But we usually we don't think about that. We don't realize that and we don't think about that. Sometimes even we intellectually know that but still we don't have a habit to think about that. But this time this virus is only one condition of the death gives us a chance to reflect how death is scary and when death comes is there any things help you. Whole world you work very hard from birth to death all of them any meaning all of them any helpful nothing zero and only helps if you have special view point to special attitude of the Dharma. That's only help you nothing else you have to realize that. So that means so this is not too bad because so many things we don't realize before we don't think about this and we have a bad thing bad habit to think very superficial way. And we are anxious in silly ways. So this is a force us to realize oh this is not really cause. So only one condition of the death added for million we becomes very very anxiety increase. And we have this is teach us why you don't usually think of this in permanent time of the day and why you don't think about the certainty death. Why you don't prepare your date and journey continue rebirth everything and you only stack a very superficial things and take over your life. So given us that reflection now. So this is really important. Okay. So that's the first set of everybody should think about this even you don't believe Dharma you don't believe religion you don't believe spiritual anything. But this is so obvious. So anybody worth to think about this. Okay. This is one thing the second thing then usually people always really like Dharma really like high Dharma really really like my high. I am really really like Vajrayana. So people think like that. So now it's time to reflect in ourselves is is am I really my high. Am I really high practitioner. Am I really have a body cheater. Am I qualified to practice Vajrayana. Am I qualified to practice highest yoga Vajrayana Mahamudra. So far so this is a time. But first if we try to check. Am I ordinary or I am Hinayana practitioner. So if I am ordinary then this makes you sad makes you worry makes you you know increase anxiety depression everything. That is absolutely ordinary. But if you have a little bit of a way of thinking at least or this is impermanence. This is nothing special. This is part of the life you know and then I have faith on Buddha Dharma and three jewels definitely help me help me you know definitely I have much more chance to not effect by this virus because I have the faith to. Three jewels if you think like that way that is you are a Dharma practitioner very basic Dharma practitioner but you still are a special more special than ordinary. So think of that. So this strategy is you want to protect by a three jewels and you have faith you have connection with the three jewels. That's why you much save than others. Okay. This is qualified to you are petitioner part is you are still lower petitioner because you're looking for protection. You're looking for protection or only yourself. And then if you realize if you are a little bit higher than this then what do you do. It is not about you have more worry for the world because you have a body you have compassion you have compassion for for for all sentient beings. That's why your worry is more than anybody else for the world. And so then you have anxiety and depression is much more because you have compassion is not that don't think that way. This is a wrong way of thinking. It's not that what is make you special is you have to realize King and lunch. King and lunch. King and lunch. King and lunch. It means those who will Dharma petitioner and little bit higher than my petition. My mind is this bad conditions normal ordinary people's realization of bad condition for you becomes a path for others enemy is and wrong place is not the path to reach is not the path you adopt. The path for you is become a path. This is the you are showing you are real practitioner. So what does it make like that. Quite easy. Think about if this viruses and this crosses not happened. You are normal, Typical life up and down. Most of time not really happy. And nothing's change. Years and years. Nothing change. These typical one. But these these viruses. These suggestions this locking down for us force to transform. Force to change. Force to look in and vote. Force to looking deeper. So. So think about that. So before I have no time because so many things to do. So I always I have no time to practice Dharma. I have no time to study. But now force you have time force you have practice because you have no job. You can't do work. And you can't waste time with chatting with people and spending and play game with people. Working hard. Everything you have no time now. So this is a force you time to practice Dharma. To practice Dharma means you just sit in a cushion. You know try to do some breathing breathing out. Or you try to meditate. It's not only that. But it's a force you looking inward. Looking more deeper the life. Looking for more much more conditions millions conditions the data of all the time with us. Not only coronavirus. You realize that. But then why people is so crazy about this coronavirus right now whole world. Because the only because the focus are shift. Focus shift. That's the only reason. You know otherwise we could become crazy whole life like this now. Because if we focus all the death conditions millions of death conditions we have every day. If we focus that we either become crazy or we have become either excellent practitioner. Never waste one minute. And always have good attitude. Incredible strength in the mind. Incredible love compassion and wisdom in the mind. We could become like this. But unfortunately usually our focus not there. Our focus are superficial things. But today this virus shift your focus only on the virus. So everybody shift focus this. So that's why most of the percentage the crazy situation today is mostly is just we shift focus because of that. There is some excuses because of this virus. OK. And but the most important what. If anybody can make this opportunity can make this you know a path. Can make this force you a good approach for deeper meaning of the life. And force you more knowledge more study more mindfulness you know. Even you are really sad you are really anxious or anything. But this you see as transformation the process of transformation and good. If you think that the worst the worst scenario. Even you going to die this time. This still is for forcing you force you prepare the death. Prepare you know prepare already. You so many years on your life you didn't prepare. But this time you prepare you. Can you take like that. Can you study Dharma more deeper and completely you engage it on that. And can you study all the part of process everything. So you are completely focused on that completely engage you on that. Can you do that. If you do that that's fantastic. Even you didn't die this time. You prepared everything you die but you didn't die in the future even better. Even better. Even better. But at least you going to die this time. Still fantastic. Still fantastic. Fantastic of the death. Because this let me prepare. Let me prepare. OK. And also if you got this virus. But you didn't die. That also gives you a lot of experience. You know how we react to things. And what is reality. You know in the future we learn a lot. So there is so many things. If you are wise enough. If you are intelligent enough. There is millions of things you can think of this as really good opportunity. Really good qualities for us. Especially individually. OK. So think of that. Of course the majority of the world yes they don't think that way. They definitely. Consider as classes but for individually. Especially as you are Sangha member. As you are you know practitioner. And then you should think. Firstly I'm so fortunate to be practitioner. Secondly I'm even more fortunate to have this situation to you know to force me. Focus on the Dharma. You should think like that. And you should act like this. OK. So this we all should do this. I'm not just saying you should do it. I don't have to do. I'm not saying this. We all should do this. We all should be together. We all. With me. Please be with me. And we all do this. OK. Especially if you are consider you are. Bodhisattva path. You are in Bodhisattva path. If you consider you are Mahayana practitioner. You try to practice Bodhisattva. So what it means Bodhisattva. Bodhisattva means you don't care. What is the world. What is the suffering. You don't care. I mean you don't care means you don't care how they are bad. You already know how they are bad. But Bodhisattva means go beyond that. So your mind and your aspiration is go far beyond how bad is the world. You know. Do you know that. So that means what it means that is not what it means. Oh. Oh. Sentient beings are so suffering. This Corona virus. So I'm so sad for. Oh I can't take anymore. It's that's not what it is. OK. Bodhisattva means you know the warrior mind. You know how they are bad. But your inspiration and everything your strength and your enthusiasm. Your determination go far far go beyond this how bad of the world. How bad of this virus. How bad of this crisis financial crisis. Everything you know. So that is Bodhisattva. So please try that. Especially if you think I'm not just Bodhisattva practice person. I practice Bodhisattva with Vajrayana path. In that case Vajrayana means your best of the practice. Best of the fact everything you practice based on. Not only just Bodhisattva Bodhisattva means you want to overcome all these problems. You want you you you take responsibility of the overcome of the everybody's or sentient beings. You know or come means there is something overcome. But Vajrayana practice means based on there is no need to overcome already is a perfect. What that means or anything is bad is illusion. If they have anything is perfect is the truth. Anything perfect means the absolute truth. Anything is not perfect is illusion. So you not drawing an illusion. You your focus are shift on the purity. Your focus are shift on perfection. You know so means that really simple way. Oh you know Vajrayana practice or I do this. I do this mantra. I have to do this many mantra. You know it's not that way. So that is very very narrow minded way narrow strategy. But the essence is you know. So you focus the purity. You focus on perfection. This is Vajrayana. Especially if you are fortunate enough practitioner of Kala Chakra. This is the best the best. Why why is the best. You know everybody talk about bodhicitta. Everybody talk about purity. You know this is the pure of the world. You know the enlightened world. Everything is deities and mandala. So this is all tantrayana talking. So why Kala Chakra is special. I tell you. Yes everybody talk about bodhicitta. But who has more details and more focus. Again the focus shift. Kala Chakra focus is shift from anywhere else to the warrior nature. So that's why Kala Chakra went to Shambhala and developed in the Shambhala. And transformed a Shambhala. So the Shambhala becomes more than any other pure land. So the Shambhala's mission is transform this world. Why because Kala Chakra nature of the Kala Chakra practice. Kala Chakra means. Kala Chakra means Kala Chakra you are go beyond three realms. Yet you appears as three realms. So that's emphasize the purity is so elegantly. So elegantly. That's why Kala Chakra practice is the most special transformation. Because Kala Chakra tantra fully emphasize how you transform this world. And Shambhala warriors take this path as reality. Take this mission and took responsibility. So what we have a little Kala Chakra introduce in our life. Maybe a little bit stages very early stages. But this is linked and this is connected with a Shambhala warriors. Do you know what Shambhala warriors mission? What Shambhala's mission? How to transform our world? Free from extremes. Do you know free from extremes? Some people misinterpreted in very narrow way. But if you look more broad view, More deeper view, Then is free from two extremes. What is the extreme? One is the extreme of material world or materialism people. One extreme is fundamentalist, Very narrow, Incredible, Narrow-striping religious view. Free from these two extremes. Do you know that? If we free from these two extremes, Then we cannot have chance any problems at all in this world. So maybe this coronaviruses and this talking blaming each other is maybe start the Shambhala mission already. So what does mean that? You know there is a lot of arguments. This coronaviruses who made or American say Chinese made this, Chinese say American made this and this you know arguments. What does shows? Exactly pointing that Shambhala warriors going to overcome. Whoever made this disease purposely, If it's possible, So then is definitely one of the destroyer. One of the Shambhala missions destroy. Okay. So if not somebody purposely made it, And naturally transforming, Process of transformation. Okay. So in that case, Then what is the real solution? Only Kalachakra. Only Kalachakra. The ultimate solution is the Kalachakra and who carry in this power? The Shambhala warriors. The Shambhala mission is only the ultimate answer. So we are so fortunate especially practicing Kalachakra path. Even you are earlier stages, Even you have a little realization or no realization. You only have some faith and devotion. You know, It's still we are the most fortunate people on this earth. Why? Because we are the transformer. You know, So chef focus that chef focus on that not small minded pity or too difficult, This hard, This difficult. No, There is no difficult. The only difficult you didn't chef your focus. Only that difficult. But if you chef your focus, Then is perfect. So please, To focus with the excellent path of the Kalachakra, The excellent, You know, The mission of the Shambhala. And be warrior. Okay. Be heroes and heroines. Okay. Don't chef pity mind, Keep in your mind. Are you with me? I'm with you guys. Okay. We do that.

Reviews

Amazing, thank you!

Amazing! Thank you for sharing your Wisdom!

Yes, let’s do this 🙏🏼

Puts things in perspective.

Great advice. Thankyou 🙏