My very dear, most kind, most precious, wish-fulfilling one,
I am very happy to receive your letter asking for lifetime practice. I am so sorry it took so long to reply.

Yes, I understand that after the Vajrasattva retreat all these problems arose, but this is a good sign. Having done Vajrasattva and so forth, it is a sign that you have purified past heavy negative karma collected from beginningless rebirths. So now it is purified. This is a sign that the heavy negative karma which otherwise would be the cause of rebirth in the hell realms or the lower realms for an incredible length of time, for eons and eons, is now purified.

This means in future lives you will be free from the lower realms and your life will be like the sun shining, so that is what helps plants grow and gives people and animals enjoyment, etc. You will be able to achieve the happiness of future lives and the ultimate happiness, which is not in the nature of suffering. You will be able to achieve liberation from samsara and peerless happiness, enlightenment. So your future will be like the sun shining.

Kadampa Geshe Kharag Gomchung said:

By experiencing this small suffering now,
It finishes our past negative karma,
And there will be happiness arising in the future.
Therefore, rejoice in the suffering.

Therefore, it is positive sign and beneficial to experience the difficulties now. You can feel happy that these problems happened; it is a good sign. So that is the advantage and a sign that the karma to be reborn in the lower realms and experience many eons of heavy suffering is purified.  By experiencing some difficulties in this life, that’s a sign, and it’s instead of that great suffering later. So it’s a quick way to be free from samsara and a quick way to achieve enlightenment. Therefore rejoice; it is a totally positive sign.

Especially feeling more compassion for others, even when these problems happen; having more compassion for others, that is the best sign. It shows that you have purified [your past negative karma] and this is what helps you develop your mind.

… One practice to do every day is the daily motivation, The Method to Transform a Suffering Life into Happiness (Including Enlightenment), which also has the blessing of the speech and daily mantras.

It is very important to meditate on the lamrim every day. This is very important. You can also recite one lamrim prayer every day. Read it slowly, going over the meaning. Lamrim is what you need to actualize, no matter how long it takes. Please put your effort there.

You should do the lamrim meditations during your guru yoga practice, for example, Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga. Stop before the guru absorbs into you 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. If you miss it sometimes, that’s OK, but then just continue. There is no question of how much time you take; it is up to you, whatever fits [in your daily life].

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

Please try to meditate on the lamrim based on guru yoga and on this basis, you will get 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, and to liberate numberless sentient beings and enlighten them. That’s the real project, the real goal of our life.

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

Don’t worry so much about finishing or not finishing. Just do it continuously; that is the most important thing, to practice as best you can.

What makes your life most meaningful is meditation on the lamrim, and living your life with bodhicitta motivation. This is the best.

With much love and prayers ...