What must it be like for the Lama?

[Positive Change]

And this is because our mothers also work out of/from compassion... even when "angry" they do it for our good or benefit. Of course there are exceptions to the rule (I cringe to think of it!) but on a whole a mother has that innate instinct to benefit her child.

Dear PA,
I think there is no exceptions when it comes to mothers.
It may be a very demanding journey for someone who had to endure a "mean" mother to discover the infinite compassion she actually displayed while carrying her baby and everything else... But it is a necessary journey.
There is nobody who can be exempted from contemplating on the compassionate nature of his/her mother.
Nobody one can say to: "oh, it's ok, in your case your mother was essentially evil, no hope anyway, maybe mediate on the true compassion of your pet-dog instead".
If we love the whole universe of all sentient beings, ALL, but justify one exception, we have failed to develop compassion to the most important being of them all.
That's what I think.

Dear HR,

I used the term "exceptions to the rule" merely to illustrate that not all mothers act out of compassion for their child. It is not meant to use the mother as an excuse or scapegoat for the child's own shortcomings, failures or thinking the child has been dealt bad cards in life. It is to basically say mothers are not exempt from acting out of selfishness, anger, etc.

However, it is most likely than not, that mothers DO want the best for their child/children as having to actually "endure" and eventually enjoy the euphoria of having a child does make most mothers act out of compassion for their child... but not always! That was what I meant to say!.

In the case of the Lama... this act of compassion is CONSTANT and FAIR and knows no boundaries given our karma to receive the Lama's kindness of course. I mean, after all, if we keep accumulating negative karma, we wont even have the privilege let alone the good fortune to receive blessings from the Lama. Not because the Lama is not compassionate or wanting to help... we have not created the causes for it. Everything in our lives (positive or negative) have and will be created by us and not one else.

[hope rainbow]

Dear HR,
I used the term "exceptions to the rule" merely to illustrate that not all mothers act out of compassion for their child. It is not meant to use the mother as an excuse or scapegoat for the child's own shortcomings, failures or thinking the child has been dealt bad cards in life. It is to basically say mothers are not exempt from acting out of selfishness, anger, etc.
However, it is most likely than not, that mothers DO want the best for their child/children as having to actually "endure" and eventually enjoy the euphoria of having a child does make most mothers act out of compassion for their child... but not always! That was what I meant to say!.

It is interesting as I very recently met someone who told me that this meditation on "every being having been my mother before" would not work for him as his mother was really mean and not compassionate.
I told him that he was very lucky to have such a difficult object of meditation, contemplation and compassion, for if he can over-ride his perception of his mother, he would make tremendous progress on his spiritual journey. Maybe that was the real compassionate gift of his mother to him.
He was a bit skeptical to my comment at first, but then it got him thinking.... hehehe...

[Positive Change]

Dear HR,
I used the term "exceptions to the rule" merely to illustrate that not all mothers act out of compassion for their child. It is not meant to use the mother as an excuse or scapegoat for the child's own shortcomings, failures or thinking the child has been dealt bad cards in life. It is to basically say mothers are not exempt from acting out of selfishness, anger, etc.
However, it is most likely than not, that mothers DO want the best for their child/children as having to actually "endure" and eventually enjoy the euphoria of having a child does make most mothers act out of compassion for their child... but not always! That was what I meant to say!.

It is interesting as I very recently met someone who told me that this meditation on "every being having been my mother before" would not work for him as his mother was really mean and not compassionate.
I told him that he was very lucky to have such a difficult object of meditation, contemplation and compassion, for if he can over-ride his perception of his mother, he would make tremendous progress on his spiritual journey. Maybe that was the real compassionate gift of his mother to him.
He was a bit skeptical to my comment at first, but then it got him thinking.... hehehe...

HR.... this is precisely the reasoning we all give ourselves at some point in our lives. Some more often than most! The fact that others are to blame for our shortcomings or downfalls. Whilst they may be in part a contributing factor in the equation, the sum of the problem is actually ours and ours alone. We created the conditions for such matters to arise within ourselves and others.

I believe this to be true because, if kindness, goodness and all other "good" factors are conditional to exterior circumstances, there would not be any good in this samsaric existence! Great minds, great prophets, great sages, great people all fought the tide to get to where they are... they never blamed anyone but themselves. In fact, these "greats" were often challenged way beyond our own perceptions to be where they are. Such is life... do we go against the current to succeed or do we take the "easy" route and just go with the current and when we reach that waterfall we say... "oh oh!"

[hope rainbow]

Such is life... do we go against the current to succeed or do we take the "easy" route and just go with the current and when we reach that waterfall we say... "oh oh!"

LOL,
I like the way you imaged this.
Very real!

[Positive Change]

Such is life... do we go against the current to succeed or do we take the "easy" route and just go with the current and when we reach that waterfall we say... "oh oh!"

LOL,
I like the way you imaged this.
Very real!

I imagined this analogy purely because it is so real to me... If we go with the current, they are times when its smooth and we just float along and enjoy the ride, at times it gets a little rough and we need to "navigate" with our oars and such.... and at times the "rapids" are so strong we either capsize or we fight to stay afloat... but after all the ups and downs, it only leads to ONE result... the waterFALL and then its OH OH.

Hence we dont we just try to go against the current for as hard as possible, sometimes slipping and getting carried by the current but always fighting AGAINST it to try to reach the safety of the banks... At least then, we are guaranteed some "salvation" and our efforts would not be in vain....

[dsiluvu]

Yes,  ALL Lamas are here to teach us the dharma and imagine how much problems we created for them over and over again due to our ignorance, ego and attachments?  They returned life after life just teach us more, and we are so stuck with our own views and habituation.  The Lama has to use all different methods to get the teaching to us.. which actually takes up a lot of energy and don't forget even if they are enlightenment, they are in human form...  just like us.   Sometimes in order to teach us something, they have to manifest flaws and lower down to our standard...  They are not superman, if they are they would have taught us how to fly.  So we must not abuse the fact that just because they are highly attained, they must have the compassion of enduring our bad qualities.  In fact, we are only creating a cause of our lama becoming more distant to us.

I think Barzin you have hit the nail to head on this one! Agree. One thing for sure, the best gift anyone could give back to the Lama is one's transformation. Like what DD said the Lama is...

Just waiting for the day we turn a new leaf and write a direction in our lives. One that gives up on the poisons of this existence.

So when do we stop taking and start giving? When do we really change and turn in to that new leaf? When instead of asking the Buddhas to please bless, please help and please give... when do we really give back?

So what do can we do when our strong bad habituations keep rising up before us, how do we stop it and challenge it especially when one is down already? Knowing the answers and all the theories we read in Dharma books and actualising it is really different and to do that take great amount of will power especially to make it consistent. So how do we make it consistent when our minds jump up and down like monkeys? How do we quickly overcome our inner obstacles?

Do we engage in a puja? Just continue with our practise or do we engage in a retreat? Do purification practices???

Hopefully not too late and before the opportunity is lost.
 

[Positive Change]

Yes,  ALL Lamas are here to teach us the dharma and imagine how much problems we created for them over and over again due to our ignorance, ego and attachments?  They returned life after life just teach us more, and we are so stuck with our own views and habituation.  The Lama has to use all different methods to get the teaching to us.. which actually takes up a lot of energy and don't forget even if they are enlightenment, they are in human form...  just like us.   Sometimes in order to teach us something, they have to manifest flaws and lower down to our standard...  They are not superman, if they are they would have taught us how to fly.  So we must not abuse the fact that just because they are highly attained, they must have the compassion of enduring our bad qualities.  In fact, we are only creating a cause of our lama becoming more distant to us.

I think Barzin you have hit the nail to head on this one! Agree. One thing for sure, the best gift anyone could give back to the Lama is one's transformation. Like what DD said the Lama is...

Just waiting for the day we turn a new leaf and write a direction in our lives. One that gives up on the poisons of this existence.

So when do we stop taking and start giving? When do we really change and turn in to that new leaf? When instead of asking the Buddhas to please bless, please help and please give... when do we really give back?

So what do can we do when our strong bad habituations keep rising up before us, how do we stop it and challenge it especially when one is down already? Knowing the answers and all the theories we read in Dharma books and actualising it is really different and to do that take great amount of will power especially to make it consistent. So how do we make it consistent when our minds jump up and down like monkeys? How do we quickly overcome our inner obstacles?

Do we engage in a puja? Just continue with our practise or do we engage in a retreat? Do purification practices???

Hopefully not too late and before the opportunity is lost.
 

Wonderful thread! When DO we give back? At least when do we actually act upon or take heed our Lama's advice. Anything and everything done by our Lama is to benefit us. How can it not as they are enlightened and compasionate beings. If the Lama's actions seem otherwise, we should look deeper inside ourselves and we will find the true culprit to the misconception... albeit very well hidden behind years if not lifetimes of habituations.

[Rihanna]

I think it is world's most difficult job! I would think that it is easier to run a country than to be a Lama. As a President of a country, his pledge to his fellow country men is to make sure the country is peaceful, progresses and level of poverty is kept at its minimum level. His perks and rewards are bountiful then.

As for a Lama, he not only has to do all of the above, but has to device personalised spiritual plans for each individual while working around each individual's karma that is ever changing, inundated with ridiculous requests as though a Lama is a magician, and worse still, when the Lama tells a student out of great compassion the Truth and not taken well because Truth always hurt, there could potentially be back lashes.

And the perks a Lama gets is if and when the student transforms. Nothing in it at all for the Lama. So everyone who is reading this, do you still want to be a Lama??

[apprenticehealer]

I fully agree with Rihana that the Lama's job is the "world's most difficult job!'

Most Lamas are highly Evolved and Enlightened Beings, who come back lifetime after lifetime as our spiritual teachers and guides ; to listen to all our tiresome 'problems ', advise us (and do we listen ?), to teach us, to set us on the right path, to correct our flaws , to transform our minds, care and love us. Not just a few of us, but to everyone who seeks the Lama's help.

The Lama is the personification of Compassion, Living Kindness and Wisdom, and all he ever wants from us is to practice the Dharma and achieve attainments that we eventually be Enlightened. He has sacrificed everything in the material world and his own comfort for us, he even takes upon himself our sicknesses and negative karma so we may be safe .

He is patient and he never gives up on us. He has to come up with with different ways to handle different difficult students. He coaxes, persuades, screams, shouts - just to get us to 'wake up' from our own delusions. He has to  plan specific tasks to individuals to bring out our fullest potential ( yes he recognises what we are individually capable of , even if we don't know ourselves ), holds our hands , shows us step by step how to achieve these assignments.

He gives away to deserving causes, all the donations he receives. He ensures that we do not go hungry, sick, cold or homeless. He ensures that we benefit from the Dharma and most importantly, he ensures that we have good rebirths when we die.

His unconditional love for us goes beyond any other love one can receive or expect - not even from our own parents. It is not duty that the Lama does all this for us - it is out of pure Compassion !

I cannot possibly imagine what it is like for the Lama, what he goes through for us and does for us, is just the tip of the iceberg.