Obstacles in Retreat

Obstacles in Retreat

Date Posted:
November 2009

Rinpoche sent the following advice to a nun in retreat, who was having obstacles.

My very dear oe,
Thank you for your kind letters and messages. I am sorry it took so long to reply. I have checked and there are some practices that you need to do:

These are strong purification practices and it is important to do all of them with a bodhicitta motivation.

It is very important that your whole retreat is based on lamrim meditation—this is the most important thing. Please read and meditate on the lamrim mindfully, not rushing, and relating it to your own life, to yourself.

If you can, read the Essence of Nectar and Essence of Refined Gold lamrim books a little each day and keep reading them, plus other lamrim texts. Carry on like this until you have stable realizations.

Please try to do everything with bodhicitta, the thought of benefiting all sentient beings, the thought to free all sentient beings from all sufferings and obscurations and bring them to enlightenment.

With much love and prayers,

Lama Zopa