What Makes Life Meaningful

What Makes Life Meaningful

Date of Advice:
February 1998
Date Posted:
November 2022

This poem about working to benefit others was written by Lama Zopa Rinpoche and transcribed by Ven. Roger Kunsang. The poem has been lightly edited for publication.

There’s nothing else that makes our life the best, 
most meaningful and beneficial for others— 
which, by the way, makes it beneficial for ourselves— 
except working for others. 

There’s nothing better than taking responsibility
for others’ happiness and peace.

This is not the happiness that ordinary people speak of. 
That happiness is very limited and
if analyzed with wisdom, 
turns out to be only suffering. 

Instead, here we’re talking of ultimate happiness— 
liberation from samsara and especially enlightenment. 
The main goal to be achieved is this.

The happiest thing we can do in life is serving others, 
dedicating our life to others. 
Even after we achieve enlightenment, 
serving others is still the only thing to do. 

Numberless buddhas collected merits for so many eons, 
following the path to enlightenment. 
then after all that, having achieved enlightenment,
they continue to work for others. 

You can see, you can see 
how the numberless buddhas have worked 
for eons, eons, eons, 
in order to benefit others. 

Therefore, let us get together in unity
and work for others 
in unity, in harmony.

Enjoy our life in this unmistaken way
and there will be no regret,
only cause for rejoicing
both now and in the future, 
at the deathtime and even in future lives.