To a Benefactor

To a Benefactor

Date Posted:
April 2008

Rinpoche gave the following advice to a kind benefactor and student.

My most dear precious Kim,
Good morning. How are you? I thought to send this short happy message to you, like official work, ha ha. Roger explained to me what you have said, that you want to do whatever I say, and support me, by wanting to accomplish projects like the Maitreya project. It relieved my heart and relaxed me. Space and happiness came into my heart. I have a purpose, to try and live in this world.

With big love and prayers,
Zopa

PS: Hospitals and schools are very needed, but these are just for this life’s happiness and that is very short compared to all future lives, while you are in samsara. Without Dharma there is no end to suffering, there is no end to rebirth, death, sickness, and all the problems. All of this is mentioned in the Buddha’s texts and in the existing teachings of the great lamas. The teachings of the Buddha and the great lamas depend on the existence of holy objects of the Buddha. Building holy objects, as well as preserving scriptures that are used to learn and to purify negative karma, creates merit. Even just seeing holy objects creates positive imprints and creates the cause for enlightenment.

The Buddha has explained in the sutra called the Mudra Developing Devotion how unbelievable merit is collected by sentient beings just by merely seeing holy objects. It also purifies so many obscurations and plants the seed of enlightenment, which eventually brings one to enlightenment. Also, by building holy objects, so many people get jobs and are able to feed their family, educate their children, send them to school, etc. So much social service can happen, and this is the best social service, with this kind of project. It offers the best kind of social service for this life and spiritual benefits for future lives, both. Ha ha ha hah!