Dear friends near and far

How have you all been? Happy and healthy, I hope. Today is again Guru Rinpoche Day, but a special one. It was during the 10th of this lunar month back in the 8th century when Guru Rinpoche first arrived into Tibet. The great Indian Buddhist master Shantarakshita suggested to King Trisong Detsen to invite Padmasambhava, the Lotus-Born Guru, in order to subdue the local hostile negative forces and to consecrate the great monastery of Samye, forever planting the unshakable seed of the sacred Buddhadharma in Tibet. Trisong Detsen, the 38th King and the second of the Three Dharma Kings of Tibet, was pivotal in introducing Buddhism to Tibet and hence a great king.

Below, Milarepa, a simple 11th century yogi states that there is simply no king like him. In a beautiful musical score titled Faith, which a friend of mine gave me, I first heard these words, as Sogyal Rinpoche recites the life and liberation of this extraordinary great yogi so eloquently that tears of devotion naturally pour forth.

It goes like this:

Milarepa said: “I am a king, yet no king like me has such wealth.”

Milarepa, as you know, was Tibet’s great saint, yogi and poet,
Who inspired millions of people.
He spent years of retreat in the humblest conditions,
Wearing just a lounge cloth and eating nettles:
So much that his body became emaciated and became almost green!

Yet, he says, “I am a king and yet no king like me has such wealth.
I have the seven attributes that lead to enlightenment.
I have the eightfold noble path. This is my wealth.

“My treasure house is filled with these riches:
I have the sky above as my castle,
I have the ground below as my state,
I am the happiest king in the world.”
This is what Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche used to say.

Once you have this view,
All the delusory perception of samsara may arise in your mind like the sky.
When the rainbow appears in front of it
You are not particularly flattered.
And when the clouds appear, when the dark clouds appear,
You are not particularly disappointed either.
There is a deep sense of contentment.

And you chuckle from inside,
As you see the façade of samsara and nirvana.

This view will keep you constantly amused,
Like a little smile bubbling away all the time,
Enjoy yourself, this self,
And you’ll be happy. I wish you that.
My deepest wish is that you discover for yourself
This great treasure,
And that you keep bubbling, bubbling, bubbling, bubbling and become contagious!

The lines above by Rinpoche are simple yet profound in their meaning. For those of you who need to refresh your memory on the seven attributes and the eight noble paths, here’s a brief overview:

The Seven Attributes (Qualities):

Faith, discipline, generosity, learning, a sense of moral shame, a sense of ethical conscience, and intelligence.

The Noble Eightfold Path leading to the cessation of suffering:

Right view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration.

Enjoy and have a wonderful day!

Sarva Mangalam,

KPR-Signature

Phakchok Rinpoche