Gyalsey_Laglen_v2_24092014_e-book

not take care of things or destroy them; but it refers to our attachment, thinking
they will remain forever. Nothing does, whether it is friendship or the hatred and
anger felt for an enemy. According to that anger, you and that enemy can never be
friends. But this, like everything else, is also impermanent. He may be an enemy
this year, a friend the next or maybe I will be a friend with him this year, bad with
him the next. Who knows Anything can happen.
Even after a couple has lived harmoniously together for 40 or 50 years, never
arguing or speaking a cross word, which is good, but in the end they would still
die. The same is true for wealth and possessions, collected with a lot of effort
and energy. These too are left behind and not necessarily at the end of one’s life.
Maybe something will happen, our things will be burned or stolen or the bank
will collapse or whatever. You may have accomplished great things by collecting
all this wealth and all these things, but it may not be there tomorrow or in a
few years. If you are lucky, maybe you can keep it for many years but in the end
you still have to say goodbye. Though I think it is good to have wealth, good
relationship with friends, couples, parent and child and so forth, there is no way
to keep them forever.
This is also true of your body. It is one of the things we are most attached to;
but we must leave it as well. No matter how much you love your wealth, parents
or friends, you love your body more. Without it, you cannot survive - but it too
is left behind. The body is like a guest house and you, the human mind, are only a
guest. When you die, you have no choice: the guest room cannot go with you. For
this reason we should be decent. The way we treat friends, enemies, accumulated
wealth, your body, yourself, your possessions and everything is not really decent.
It is because we are too attached, blindly attached. It is better not to be that way.
It does not mean that you should not have friends or good relationships with
your parents. It does not mean that you should not value your life or value your
health. Taking care of your health, taking medicine and exercise, all these are very
important. And wealth is also important; otherwise you cannot survive in this
world. But it is much more recommendable, in terms of how you treat them or
utilise them, try to be decent. So, it says “tshe di löe tang” – tshe di means “this
life”, löe “the mind” and tang “release”.
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