A Practitioner’s Constant Occupation

We should think constantly about where we are placing our efforts each day, and what good comes from it. Then we should think about what changes we might need to make.

The dharma teachings given in the texts and oral instructions are there to help us change ourselves; this is the way we should think about it. The texts talk about the path of liberation and omniscience, but the point is that a normal sentient being must become a buddha or an arhat. This happens through changing and improving oneself; we will not one day, all of a sudden, become buddha without us having made any effort to change. All the past buddhas, arhats, adepts attained their results through a gradual process. We too, being followers of such exceptional beings, must give careful thought to how we need to change and what we have been able to change in ourself so far.

If you find that you are not changing and do not know what you need to work on, that is a sign of unsuccessful study. If over the course of a week you have not changed, it would be difficult to say that you are likely to change in the second week. If in the third week you still have not changed the chances of changing are becoming slimmer and slimmer.

So let us say that you are not changing, well at least you should understand what it is that needs to be changed. If you are not giving that any thought, then it begs the question, ‘What exactly are you learning?’

These are questions we each need to put to ourself.

An excerpt from Drupon Khen Rinpoche’s final day teaching on The Seven Commitments from Kongtrul Rinpoche’s Heart-Nectar Advice, given to the shedra students at Namo Buddha. 8th July 2018.