Ringu Tulku Rinpoche
Teachings on Bodhicharyavatara
Session 35
Chapter 6: Patience
Stanzas 104-108
Stanzas 104-108 delve more deeply into examining the causes and conditions that affect how a person who I consider an enemy and an obstruction to my practice of patience, can actually be the object of my practise for developing patience. For example, for me to practise generosity, there must be someone in need, someone to provide the right condition for that act of giving. Similarly with Patience, if there is no hindrance, where is the opportunity to develop Patience? Not only that, but I should offer or dedicate the fruits of my progress on the path to enlightenment first to those objects of my practice, because I could not have developed or progressed on the path without their intervention. They are a cause for my spiritual development.
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Thank you dear Rinpoche, also for helpful answers to our questions. To try to do and or act as you explain, helps me to see and feel good sides of people and situations. Yes, I can relate to stanzas 104 and new to me, even 108: to give profit to those who sort of tease, quarrel, harm and cause me to practise patience. Get even more fun out of it…(although in more serious, life-threatening situations it’s rather sad) But this is not happening to me. Not to see too much conspiracy around oneself, is also one of the challenges, isn’t it? I mean if some unexplained negative things happen around us,oneself, one could consider, people create trouble purposely, to tease or harm. But one cannot be sure, so I try not to see it:) and just stay kind with the supects (maybe they are not even there?) . Very best wishes, from Holland, marlou ps now in White Tara online retreat with Lerab Ling.
Dear Rinpoche, Should we be extremely discreet regarding our gratitude for the potential for us to develop patience, in response to others’ mischief and obstacle making: to avoid unintentionally encouraging perpetuation of such misconduct towards future “victims” (who might lack our access to Shantideva’s skilful tools of transformation), or to provide an excuse for misconduct to continue without moderation (with the associated karmic consequences for any individual habitually seeking to do harm)? Thank you, Conrad