No Place For Pride in the Study of Dharma

"We need to think about how these texts we are holding in our hands came about. At the time of Atisha and Marpa, people were prepared to give up everything for the Dharma and the lama, including their lives. The Dharma and lamas were that precious to them. This we need to be aware of and keep very close to our hearts as we embark on our studies. We ourselves need to have this attitude of devotion.

We are living in a time when the lamas say ‘thank you’ to the students for attending the teaching or making offerings. The students are spoiled and become arrogant. No one treasures the Dharma and lamas anymore. How can this lead to any good result?

Just as the success of a businessman is judged by the amount wealth he’s managed to accrue, not by how long he’s been trading; likewise whether someone can be considered a good Buddhist or Dharma practitioner is judged by how much understanding of Dharma they have, not by how long it’s been since they took refuge.

So ask yourself, ‘I have been a Buddhist for 15 years now, what texts I have received teachings for? How much real understanding of Dharma do I have?’ How much faith and belief do I have now?’ If you don’t have any of these, what’s the point of ‘being a Buddhist’ all these years, especially if it has just made you more critical, doubtful and difficult?

In the study of Dharma, it is taught that we should consider ourselves to be as a patient, the lama as a doctor, and the Dharma as medicine. Just as a sick person would be receptive to any possible cures for the illness, and be very grateful to the doctor who made them better, we need to recognise how we are sick with desire, anger and the other mental afflictions, and therefore, and see how much we need the remedy, the Dharma, and the doctor the lama. There is no place for pride in the study of Dharma.

The biggest danger for your Dharma path is to become arrogant and react negatively to the lama's instruction, whatever form that may take. This is because when the lama sees your negative reaction, the lama will stop pointing out what you need to work on and you will never know what your problems are and therefore lose opportunity to make progress; just as the patient who is unwilling to listen to the doctor will not get better.

When you listen to Dharma teachings, it is important to feel, ‘The lama is talking to me directly about my anger, desire and confusion, my problems and afflictions.’ Dharma study is different from normal intellectual studies, it’s not about anything else other than you and your mind. Everything is talking about your mind. The Dharma was taught for remedying sentient being’s afflictions and suffering and nothing else.

It is my hope that your time and effort is not wasted, and that you don’t just listen to what is said here but keep it in mind and put it into practice."

Drupon Rinpoche teaching on ‘The Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment’ by Atisha at Thrangu Hong Kong Centre, 18 November 2016