Ask the geshe at your center to recite:
- Zungdu: To be recited twice. [This is a collection of dharani from the Kangyur.]
- The Dharani of Glorious Vajra Claws (Dorje Dermo): twice.
Dedicate for your partner and for the benefit of all sentient beings.
A student wrote that their partner was under legal investigation and asked Rinpoche for advice.
Ask the geshe at your center to recite:
Dedicate for your partner and for the benefit of all sentient beings.
A student wrote to Rinpoche about someone who was involved in a court case and was trying to achieve a peaceful resolution. If the legal action were unsuccessful, it could result in a prison sentence and a large financial loss. This reply was typed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche and is lightly edited for publication.
Yes, I will pray. Please tell them yes.
So they need to think that this situation is teaching us about past karma; what kind of karma was created to cause these difficulties. It teaches us to always be very careful in our life. Every day, every hour, every minute, every second, we have to be careful of karma.
Our way of living life has to be with the good heart, not harming others and especially having a good heart, benefiting others. If any action is done with bodhicitta, then we always create skies of merits, even more than skies of merits, also good karma. That’s why the kind, compassionate Buddha taught us to live our life with this, always.
By hearing, reflecting and meditating we can actualize this, not only to free ourselves from the oceans of suffering, samsara, but to achieve full enlightenment, buddhahood, for every living being.
Please tell them this exactly.
They should also do the general protector prayers and tea offerings (that we do at the centers) five times. This can be done at the center, so they can come to pray together. Explain to everyone to pray very strongly.
They should recite the Verses for the Eight Noble Auspicious Ones 155 times. The text should be read and it can be shared with the whole family to read.
They should pray very, very strongly to Hayagriva every day. They should totally rely on Hayagriva and recite the mantra of Hayagriva. They can take the lung from the geshe there. They can recite the mantra many times. When they are sitting and walking, they can recite it during all those times.
Also, they should have a picture of Hayagriva, if possible framed and covered with a nice cloth. When they pray, they can open the picture to see the deity, otherwise they should keep it covered. They don’t have to advertise to people.
Tell them I will pray also.
This advice was given to a student who had been involved in a lawsuit and lost a lot of money. The student had decided not to appeal, although they could win.
To not sue back is the best, because it is not easy to sue with a positive motivation. Usually the motivation is negative, attachment and/or anger, then you create negative karma again and in the future for five hundred lifetimes you will be sued again. If you leave it to negative karma and attachment, then it just goes on and on, and you will never be free from samsara.
General people in the world don’t know Dharma and karma, so they don’t understand this; they don’t think in this way. We should sue only if it’s really important and done with a good heart, bodhicitta, and not for ourselves but for the public or for many people, thousands or millions of people.
To sue someone is exactly like suing yourself. Harming and helping others is harming and helping yourself. You should always have that thought. Now I am giving the teachings on taking refuge, which started a few days ago. Within that will come the advice to not harm others.
Also, litigation wastes money, whether you believe Dharma or not. Instead, the money spent on suing someone could be given to so many people—those who are now dying, sick or homeless. As well, there are so many children in the world who no one takes care of, especially now with the virus situation in the world.
So, use that money for the happiness of others. With each dollar you can benefit sentient beings and cause happiness for them. To get money is not easy; it is accumulated with much hard work and by causing harm to others. Many rich people get money from killing so many animals—not all rich people, of course, but some. This is so sad. Then they cannot enjoy the money.
A bodhisattva’s practice is to regard others as oneself, so not harming and only helping others. Remember the kindness of others. Have the thought to remember their kindness, to achieve enlightenment for them, to stop harming others and instead to help and benefit them.
A student wrote that the tenant in their rental house refused to leave and was suing them. They said the tenant was lying about their actions.
Rinpoche checked and said:
You need to have the mantra that encompasses the Prajnaparamita recited sixty times. [See The Mantra Encompassing the Essence of Kangyur.]
Recite the Arya Sanghata Sutra thirteen times. You and your partner can do some recitations, and the majority can be done by the Sangha in Rinpoche’s house.
Rinpoche is also doing prayers.
A student wrote that there was an obstacle relating to their job and they may also be facing a lawsuit soon. Rinpoche advised these practices to dispel the obstacles.
Yes, it looks like something heavy, a heavy obstacle.
You should recite the Padmasambhava prayer Sampa Nyur Drupma, The Prayer that Swiftly Fulfills All Wishes. Do this at least four times a day, completely relying on Padmasambhava. You need to have complete reliance on Padmasambhava to destroy the obstacles.
Also, the prayer promised by Tara [The Mantra Promised by Arya Mother Liberator Herself] needs to be recited three times each by Rinpoche’s attendants. They will do this immediately.
Your friends need to recite the Golden Light Sutra, the short one, three times in total.
A student wrote to Rinpoche for advice about a legal case, as well as financial and relationship difficulties.
My very dear one,
I am sorry for the many eons of delay in replying to your email.
I checked about your situation and I will recite the Mantra Promised by Tara four times, for you and your partner. I will also recite the Sutra of Burning Wheel for your partner. It is a powerful prayer to pacify obstacles.
Your partner should recite the Heart Sutra, the Lion-Faced Dakini practice and the Most Secret Hayagriva mantra, as many as possible. Your partner should also recite Padmasambhava mantras, as many as possible, and it’s very good if you display Padmasambhava’s picture or thangka.
Recite the Tea Offering to the Eight Classes (degyä), the worldly protectors, seven times.
With much love and prayers ...