Given at the Nam Chö Lineage Empowerment Cycle

By His Holiness Penor Rinpoche (1932 – 2009)

June 17, 2002   Norbu Sam Pel Ling   Austin, Texas

Translated by Sangye Khandro  

Recorded and Transcribed by Joan Klein – Dallas, Texas

Because we dwell in the three realms, our passions are aroused.
You must practice dharma in order to achieve fully enlightened Buddhahood.
There is no point to practice dharma for this life alone.

If one’s intention is to gain wealth, fame, pleasure and praise, one will take lower rebirth.
Fully enlightened buddhahood will occur only if one practices properly.
If mixed with worldly concerns, this will lead to lower rebirth.

We have such a strong sense of “I” (self-cherishing), and no true qualities.
If we have one small quality we puff up with pride. The reason we’ve been wandering
in samsara for countless lifetimes until now, is because in our former lives we mixed
dharma with worldly concerns. Dharma is mixed with poisonous pride.

Be humble, hammering on the head of pride.
We should be so humble and sincere that we are
like a wild yak who has lost his horn.

It’s easy to see the faults in other people. That is our main tendency.
We should be able to see our own faults.

Instead we’re always ignoring them. “I’m not like that.”
We take our own faults and place them on an external object.
If we want to practice dharma, we have to cease seeing the faults of others,
and only look at your own mind.

Think to yourself, “what qualities of the mind of the Buddha do I possess?”
Of the hundreds of thousands of qualities of the Buddha,
we probably don’t have a shred of bodhicitta,
not even the subtlest true compassion and loving kindness toward others.

That is why we wander in the three realms of existence.
As long as there is a belief in a true self, no qualities develop.
If in the name of dharma you want to accomplish worldly happiness,
this is the biggest obstacle to enlightenment.

There is no real external enemy. The true enemy is inner self-fixation.
These maras are within our own mind.
Constantly check up on your own mind and motivation.

Whenever negative concepts well up in your mind, immediately apply the antidote to
tame them. When you’ve decided to accomplish dharma, it is time to start taming
your mind. Allowing your mind’s kleshas to well up while receiving empowerments,
is completely counter to what is happening.

You should:
1. receive the empowerments and transmissions, realizing the teachings are being given
to the best of the teacher’s ability and;
2. take responsibility as the student to practice the teachings being given.

You Westerners [often] don’t take these teachings to mind and bring them into your mind
stream. So I must be direct when I tell you, you don’t take it into your heart and mind.

I’m not a great lama or a great scholar,
but I’m trying to be frank and direct with you about what I know.

If you wish to attain enlightenment, put the Dharma in your mind and practice it.

© Copyright 2002 His Holiness Penor Rinpoche. All Rights Reserved.