Think of the Happiness of Others

Think of the Happiness of Others

Date Posted:
November 2010

In this letter to a new student, Rinpoche advises offering service and working for the happiness of others.

My dear one,
Thank you very much for your kind letter. I accept your request to be your guru – so, we will try our best.

When you go back to Holland, it's very good that you want to offer service. You could inquire at a center in Emst, and offer some service there. Otherwise, you can look for some service to offer the in the city.

If you are still working in Africa for money (as you mentioned), then instead of thinking that you are working for money, and for one’s own happiness, it is very important to think that you are working for the happiness of others. That way, whatever you do becomes service to others. This way it becomes not only Dharma, but the purest Dharma, virtue, because it is unstained by the self-cherishing thought, also it becomes the cause for enlightenment, which means also the cause to enlighten all sentient beings.

Have the same attitude with everything you do, such as washing, sleeping, eating. Do them with the thought of benefiting sentient beings, which means freeing sentient beings from suffering and bringing them to full enlightenment. Therefore, you need to achieve enlightenment. Think whatever action you do, you do it with the motivation to benefit others.

In your heart, think of the happiness of other sentient beings. I am extremely sorry that it took me so long to reply, and I'm not even sure when I got your letter, it could have been a long time ago.

With much love and prayer...