My dearest Robert,
I am extremely happy to receive your kind letter. Thank you very, very much. I enjoyed it so much. I am very happy that you are finally working for FPMT and for me; that you are serving the teachings of the Buddha, in order to free sentient beings from the oceans of samsaric suffering and its cause—karma and delusion, the afflictive emotions —and to bring them to full enlightenment. That is so perfect.

You are asking about the center. Without Dharma, not one sentient being can be liberated totally from the root of samsara—the ignorance holding the I and everything as truly existent when it is not, it is totally empty of that. We need Dharma for all the delusions and afflictive emotions, and for action or karma. Dharma is the only way we can achieve ultimate happiness, the cessation of all the suffering and its causes, and especially, bring other sentient beings to full enlightenment.

There is nothing external that can do this—not even wish-granting jewels, which can only give external possessions and comfort. We are working so that sentient beings can meet the Dharma and practice, then achieve full enlightenment.

This is incredible, it gives us a lot of satisfaction and makes the life so meaningful, so beneficial for all sentient beings—for every insect we see outside; for every fly and every worm; for every snake that eats mice, frogs and so forth, and is eaten by eagles or garudas; for every person we meet or see on the road, in the restaurant, the hospital, everywhere; and even for the hell beings, hungry ghosts, suras and asuras, and so forth.

Billion of thanks and prayers...