©2025 The Ringu Tulku Archive
Ringu Tulku Rinpoche
Teachings on Bodhicharyavatara
Session 32
Chapter 6: Patience
Stanzas 100-103
In the next verses, 100-103, we are asked to look more deeply at our responses when people intentionally or unintentionally do or say something that obstructs us from acquiring the worldly objects we chase after – wealth, fame, honour. It even asks us to consider being grateful to those people for showing us this is where the source of our suffering lies: that our suffering is within our own emotional response to feeling deprived of these worldly things.
The text goes further, to say that these people who stir us to anger and hatred are our teachers, as these are the times when practising Patience is most important, in fact this is the true practice of Dharma and the time to generate compassion and practise kindness.
We might say that there are times when anger is appropriate, like when our attempts to practice Dharma and do good deeds are obstructed. But as the Buddha has said, the true Dharma practice is Patience. So should I not abide by this?
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Dear Rinpoche, thank you for this inspiring commentary. I hope it’s ok to ask a question not directly related to these stanzas. I have been thinking a lot about unconditional love as a mother, if all is well, has for her child. Could you talk about how unconditional love might relate to Shantideva’s teachings? I feel it must relate but I’m not sure how. Thank you.
Rinpoche
I have asked before if you could speak about how patience is seen and meditated by a mind of a hinayana, mahayana and mahamudra individuals and how such minds look upon each other? This question gets new light if we consider vers 102; patience as the supreme austerity. Can other paramitas be in such case meditated as austere practices, except wisdom probably? If you would limit your answer to the mind, living out body and speech?
I am aware that this may seem theoretical so turn it out to joke, in your lovely way, please.
Hi Andrzej, as there is now some delay between Rinpoche’s recording the answers and the answer video posted here, the video with Rinpoche’s answer to your original question will be posted towards the end of May.
Dear Rinpoche, I wonder if your comments on stanza 102 might encapsulate why many non-Tibetans have been globally inspired by witnessing refugee Tibetans’ (such as His Holiness 14th Dalai Lama’s) subsequent response to the invasion and occupation of Tibet, by the Chinese Communist Party? Instead of reacting with self-righteous anger and indignation, fuelled by a sense of injustice, and leading to a chronic desire for retribution and revenge; the decision to respond with Patience, seems to have avoided an unnecessary second wound? Should our greatest fear always be losing our Bodhicitta?