INSIDE THIS MIND ~ GARCHEN RINPOCHE

“We suffer without a choice. We do not want to suffer and we try everything to be happy but the suffering happens regardless of our wishes and we cannot do anything about it.

Why ? Because we have already created the causes for suffering in the past. Where are these causes of suffering ? They are in our minds right now, in the self centered mind and the negative emotions that result from this mental state.

If you really think about it, you come to understand that you are responsible for your own suffering and that there is no one else to blame. Understanding this, you will be able to tolerate difficulties and to avoid more suffering in the future. If you want to be happy you need to know the causes of happiness. The Buddha said: I can show you the path of liberation, but liberation depends upon yourself.

Whether you are Buddhist or not, whether you practice a religion or not, you have a mind, temporarily and all causes of happiness and suffering are in this mind.

The only cause of happiness is love and the only cause of suffering is attachment to the ego (the continuing need to satisfy the self). If you understand this, you understand the work of Karma, cause and effect, perfectly. All suffering without exception comes from the desire for one's own personal happiness.”

Garchen Rinpoche was born in 1936 in eastern Tibet. Recognized at seven as a reincarnation of a lama, at 22 he was imprisoned by the Chinese during the Cultural Revolution for 20 years, during which, in a forced labor camp, he practiced in secret under the direction of his master, whom he met in prison. It is said he achieved enlightenment during his imprisonment. After his release in 1979, he rebuilt several monasteries in Tibet and schools for children; now he teaches to more than 10 000 followers worldwide.