Lama Zopa Rinpoche
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Practicing Dharma is subduing our mind<br />
This samsara we are trapped in comes from our mind, but so does nirvana. The problems<br />
we have to face, the happiness we can experience, every day, every hour, every minute, all<br />
come from the mind. Therefore, meditation, Dharma practice, the inner science, is so<br />
important to help our mind. That is what the Buddha said:<br />
Do not commit any nonvirtuous actions,<br />
Perform only perfect virtuous actions,<br />
Subdue your mind thoroughly—<br />
This is the teaching of the Buddha.<br />
That is why the practice of Buddhadharma is taking care of our own mind, subduing our<br />
own mind. Unless we eliminate the confusion within the mind that is the source of all<br />
suffering we will forever remain in the prison of samsara, the prison of suffering. We have<br />
been there for beginningless lifetimes and if we don’t do something about it we will never<br />
get out.<br />
Therefore, practicing Buddhadharma is subduing our mind. Taking care of our mind leads to<br />
every possible happiness: all the happiness of our day-to-day life, all our future lives’<br />
happiness, the ultimate happiness of liberation from samsara and, finally, peerless happiness,<br />
sang-gyä, the omniscient mind.<br />
Practicing Dharma means developing a positive mind, a healthy mind, which leads to a<br />
healthy body and a healthy life. Nowadays even psychologists and doctors commonly agree<br />
that a healthy body and a healthy lifestyle depend on a healthy mind. Taking care of our<br />
mind means not letting ourselves suffer. From beginningless rebirths until now we have<br />
suffered, but we no longer let ourselves suffer. Instead, freeing ourselves from confusion, we<br />
allow ourselves to have every kind of happiness, right up to enlightenment, the state of the<br />
omniscient mind. Meditating means that. Practicing Dharma means that. To have a positive,<br />
healthy mind we have to understand how it all depends on taking care of the mind.<br />
Even when we tell a friend “Take care of yourself” we should have that meaning in mind.<br />
We have great freedom. Everything is in our hands. Our enlightenment, the state of<br />
omniscient mind, sang-gyä, is in our hands. Ultimate happiness, liberation from samsara, is in<br />
our hands. And our day-to-day life’s happiness is in our hands.<br />
Whether we want problems or not is up to how we think. If we think in a positive way, we’ll<br />
have happiness; if we think in a negative way, we’ll have problems. It’s like that. It’s all in our<br />
hands. What we do with our life is in our hands.<br />
We have incredible freedom. Please recognize and enjoy this. Enjoying our life in this way,<br />
having a healthy mind and a healthy life, is practicing Dharma.<br />
The inner education of patience and compassion<br />
I mentioned how the very essence of education is compassion. Education is not just learning<br />
new things. I saw a story on TV about a couple who for the last six or seven years have been<br />
been studying a small pod of whales. They are still studying them. All day long they take their<br />
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