Advice from Me to
Myself
Vajrasattva, sole
deity, Master,
You sit on a full-moon
lotus-cushion of white light
In the hundred-petalled
full bloom of youth.
Think of me, Vajrasattva,
You who remain
unmoved within the manifest display
That is Mahamudra,
pure bliss-emptiness.
Listen up, old bad-karma
Patrul,
You dweller-in-distraction.
For ages now you've
been
Beguiled, entranced,
and fooled by appearances.
Are you aware of that?
Are you?
Right this very instant,
when you're
Under the spell of
mistaken perception
You've got to watch
out.
Don't let yourself
get carried away by this fake and empty life.
Your mind is spinning
around
About carrying out
a lot of useless projects:
It's a waste! Give
it up!
Thinking about the
hundred plans you want to accomplish,
With never enough
time to finish them,
Just weighs down your
mind.
You're completely
distracted
By all these projects,
which never come to an end,
But keep spreading
out more, like ripples in water.
Don't be a fool: for
once, just sit tight.
Listening to the teachings
you've already heard hundreds of teachings,
But when you haven't
grasped the meaning of even one teaching,
What's the point of
more listening?
Reflecting on the teachings
even though you've listened,
If the teachings aren't
coming to mind when needed,
What's the point of
more reflection? None.
Meditating according
to the teachings
If your meditation
practice still isn't curing
The obscuring states
of mindforget about it!
You've added up just
how many mantras you've done
But you aren't accomplishing
the kyerim visualizatiion.
You may get the forms
of deities nice and clear
But you're not putting
an end to subject and object.
You may tame what
appear to be evil spirits and ghosts,
But you're not training
the stream of your own mind.
Your four fine sessions
of sadhana practice,
So meticulously arranged
Forget about them.
When you're in a good
mood,
Your practice seems
to have lots of clarity
But you just can't
relax into it.
When you're depressed,
Your practice is stable
enough
But there's no brilliance
to it.
As for awareness,
You try to force yourself
into a rigpa-like state,
As if stabbing a stake
into a target!
When those yogic positions
and gazes keep your mind stable
Only by keeping mind
tethered
Forget about them!
Giving high-sounding
lectures
Doesn't do your mind-stream
any good.
The path of analytical
reasoning is precise and acute
But it's just more
delusion, good for nothing goat-shit.
The oral instructions
are very profound
But not if you don't
put them into practice.
Reading over and over
those dharma texts
That just occupy your
mind and make your eyes sore
Forget about it!
You beat your little
damaru drum ting, ting
And your audience
thinks it's charming to hear.
You're reciting words
about offering up your body,
But you still haven't
stopped holding it dear.
You're making your
little cymbals go cling, cling
Without keeping the
ultimate purpose in mind.
All this dharma-practice
equipment
That seems so attractive
Forget about it!
Right now, those students
are all studying so very hard,
But in the end, they
can't keep it up.
Today, they seem to
get the idea,
But later on, there's
not a trace left.
Even if one of them
manages to learn a little,
He rarely applies
his "learning" to his own conduct.
Those elegant dharma
disciplines
Forget about them!
This year, he really
cares about you,
Next year, it's not
like that.
At first, he seems
modest,
Then he grows exalted
and pompous.
The more you nurture
and cherish him,
The more distant he
grows.
These dear friends
Who show such smiling
faces to begin with
Forget about them!
Her smile seems so
full of joy
But who knows if that's
really the case?
One time, it's pure
pleasure,
Then it's nine months
of mental pain.
It might be fine for
a month,
But sooner or later,
there's trouble.
People teasing; your
mind embroiled
Your lady-friend
Forget about her!
These endless rounds
of conversation
Are just attachment
and aversion
It's just more goat-shit,
good for nothing at all.
At the time it seems
marvellously entertaining,
But really, you're
just spreading around stories about other people's mistakes.
Your audience seems
to be listening politely,
But then they grow
embarrassed for you.
Useless talk that just
make you thirsty
Forget about it!
Giving teachings on
meditation texts
Without yourself having
Gained actual experience
through practice,
Is like reciting a
dance-manual out loud
And thinking that's
the same as actually dancing.
People may be listening
to you with devotion,
But it just isn't
the real thing.
Sooner or later, when
your own actions
Contradict the teachings,
you'll feel ashamed.
Just mouthing the words,
Giving dharma explanations
that sound so eloquent
Forget about it!
When you don't have
a text, you long for it;
Then when you've finally
gotten it, you hardly look at it.
The number of pages
seems few enough,
But it's a bit hard
to find time to copy them all.
Even if you copied
down all the dharma texts on earth,
You wouldn't be satisfied.
Copying down texts
is a waste of time
(Unless you get paid)
So forget about it!
Today, they're happy
as clams
Tomorrow, they're
furious.
With all their black
moods and white moods,
People are never satisfied.
Or even if they're
nice enough,
They may not come
through when you really need them,
Disappointing you
even more.
All this politeness,
keeping up a
Courteous demeanor
Forget about it!
Worldly and religious
work
Is the province of
gentlemen.
Patrul, old boy
that's not for you.
Haven't you noticed
what always happens?
An old bull, once
you've gone to the trouble of borrowing him for his services,
Seems to have absolutely
no desire left in him at all
(Except to go back
to sleep).
Be like that desireless.
Just sleep, eat, piss,
shit.
There's nothing else
in life that has to be done.
Don't get involved
with other things:
They're not the point.
Keep a low profile,
Sleep.
In the triple universe
When you're lower
than your company
You should take the
low seat.
Should you happen to
be the superior one,
Don't get arrogant.
There's no absolute
need to have close friends;
You're better off
just keeping to yourself.
When you're without
any worldly or religious obligations,
Don't keep on longing
to acquire some!
If you let go of everything
Everything, everything
That's the real point!
This advice should be put into practice.
Even though you don't know how to practice, just let go of everything that's what I really want to say. Even though you aren't able to succeed in your dharma practice. don't get angry.
May it be virtuous.
Many questions about the text were clarified according to the extremely kind explanations of the Chogyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, during his stay in New York City, and according to the detailed explanations of Khenpo, Rigdzin Dorje of the Nyingmapa Shedra, Bansbari, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Thanks to Matthieu Ricard of Shechen Tennyi Dargyeling, and to Anne Burchardi of the Marpa institute of Translation for their advice toward trying to make this translation faithful to both the letter and spirit of the original Tibetan.
All errors and misunderstandings are those of the translator. May this poem, despite all shortcomings of its translation, serve to benefit beings.
Sarva Mangalam.
