Meditate on the Lamrim Every Day

Meditate on the Lamrim Every Day

Date Posted:
November 2009

A student wrote to Rinpoche and asked which practices to do for the rest of his life.

My very dear one,
Thank you very much for your kind letter. I was very happy to receive it and read your news. Please find attached my advice for your practice, what you should focus on your whole life.

It is very important to meditate every day on the lamrim; this is very important. Also, recite one lamrim prayer every day, read it slowly, going over the meaning (such as the Foundation of all Good Qualities, the Three Principles of the Path, etc). The lamrim is what you need to actualize, no matter how long it takes. Please put your effort there. Probably you are doing Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga every day. If so, this is excellent, if not, then now you can start. This is when you can stop and do the lamrim meditation, before the guru absorbs into you. You stop and meditate on whatever section of the lamrim you are up to.

One meditation that you must try to do every day is on guru devotion. Sometimes, if you miss it, it's OK, but then just continue. There is no question of time; it is up to you to see what fits.

Continue with whatever lamrim topic you are on, doing the meditation every day, going through the subjects slowly. Whatever meditation you did in the morning, then continue with that mind during the day. That way your mind is in the lamrim all day.

Please try to meditate on the lamrim, based on guru yoga, like this, and on this basis you achieve all the realizations and the most success in your life. It is important to try to achieve all the realizations, in order to actualize enlightenment. This is in order to liberate numberless sentient beings and enlighten them. That’s the real project, the real goal of one’s life.

Please practice as much as you can. Life is not long, the nature of this life is impermanent, and death can happen at any time. This is the foundation of the Buddha’s teachings, and this was the last advice Buddha gave, before showing the aspect of passing away.

What makes your life most meaningful is meditation on the lamrim, then to live your life with a bodhicitta motivation. This is the best.

With much love and prayers...