Motivation for Translating Dharma

Motivation for Translating Dharma

Date of Advice:
March 2016
Date Posted:
June 2018

A student wrote to Rinpoche about an offer of work as a translator at an FPMT Dharma center. The student wished to accept the job and to continue studying while earning income from this work.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Milarepa Center, Vermont, for a retreat, 2010. Photo: Jim Hagan.

My most dear, most kind, most precious wish-fulfilling one,
If they asked, do it. Just pray for success to Medicine Buddha, to your gurus and to Tara. You are most welcome to continue to help the FPMT organization.

That should be your main aim, as long as there is a way to do it, even if the work is not within FPMT but is outside. Sometimes that happens, things can change, so that’s still okay.

As long as you are translating Dharma it is opening the wisdom eye for sentient beings. This is the most important thing in life—to free [all sentient beings] from the oceans of samsaric sufferings and bring them to peerless happiness, buddhahood. Not just to free them from the lower realms.

With much love and prayers ...