Everything Depends on Our State of Mind

The way it works is that when we have a poor mind, wherever we go, we will never find a place that is peaceful and problem free. We need to have a good mind ourselves. When that is the case, wherever we go will be trouble free and peaceful. Otherwise, everywhere we go there will be problems, we will get upset. We need to transform this mind.

We have to come to recognize that any problems we are experiencing are only problems based on what we have inside ourselves. There are no problems or difficulties outside, only inside. Until we change the inside, the outside won't change. When there are no problems inside, the outside will be experienced as a pure realm.

If we focus more and more on the positive then that is what we'll see; if we focus more and more on the negative then that is more and more of what we'll see. It is up to us to work hard at changing the inside. Changing the inside leads to happiness and ease, if we have skilful methods.

This is an excerpt from a teaching session of Drupon Rinpoche's to some western students that took place in Sekar Retreat, Nepal. April 2013