At Kagyu Samye Dzong in Glasgow Rinpoche was asked to talk about Avoiding the Pitfalls of Spiritual Materialism.

Photo thanks to Dr Conrad Harvey.

A SUMMARY
by Maggy Jones

Gampopa said you can practise dharma as work or for transformation. If you practice for work, maybe using it to gain fame or position, then it can be more harmful than helpful. Dharma is supposed to develop our better qualities, and to help people to have feelings of compassion and joy for everyone. If you feel it is not doing this then you are doing something wrong. From Buddha’s teaching we learn that the main causes of suffering are the kleshas *. If our dharma practice reduces the strength of these then we are doing the right thing. But if our practice increases these kleshas, then something is wrong.

The opposite of the kleshas is compassion and wisdom. Compassion is for others, jealousy, pride, is I WANT, appreciate ME. Ego is destructive. The opposite of ignorance is wisdom – knowing how things really are, the causes and conditions. Story of the arrogant Geshe and Milarepa. Story of Atisha and over-enthusiastic student. You can never tell who is a good dharma student. Your own negative emotions are your practice; the tool is mindfulness.

*  Kleshas: Anger, pride, jealousy, desire/attachment (one), ignorance.

For more information, visit: http://www.ksdglasgow.org.uk/