Enlightened Compassion:
Medicine for the New Millennium

by Madalyn Smith and Margaret LaFrance

Can 2,500-year-old teachings from the Far East provide solutions to the challenges we face now in our daily lives? We would answer, "yes!" We can assert this with confidence because we have had the extraordinary good fortune to have met, received teachings from, and practiced meditation under the kind guidance of Tibetan Buddhist Lama and Dzogchen Master, The Venerable Shyalpa Rinpoche, whose center is located in the Berkshires.

It seems that as human beings, we are all looking for happiness and health, and trying to avoid suffering and pain. We are caught in this cycle of searching for something we think will help. We might try going to the movies, having a beer, or calling a friend. We might decide we need counseling, or we might try some kind of meditation to make our mind peaceful and relaxed. But at some point we find ourselves uneasy again. No matter what we do, we cannot seem to find complete and lasting contentment.

There is nothing intrinsically "wrong" with any of our activities. Rather, we are not infusing our activities with the medicine of compassion. In our tradition, there are three steps for transforming ordinary activities into compassionate activities, which will bring a sense of joyfulness in everything we do.

First, we generate selfless motivation. Without this, our activity will be like planting a burnt seed-you might get a small plant, but it won't bear fruit. Even reading this article can potentially be the cause of more ignorance and confusion, or the cause of more wisdom and understanding. Therefore, we ask you to take 15 second right now to generate compassionate motivation. In these next 15 seconds, wish to yourself from the bottom of your heart, "May all sentient beings who are suffering be liberated from their suffering, and may they all enjoy happiness and peace in their life. And furthermore, may my very reading of this article be the cause for myself and all beings to attain complete and lasting happiness."

Now that you have generated compassionate intention, the second step in making our actions truly compassionate is to relate to any activity or situation in a direct, open, and nonjudgmental way. To cultivate this, we practice certain meditations and contemplate particular points such as the preciousness of our human life. We are delighted to share with you here a portion of a teaching by The Ven. Shyalpa Rinpoche on the preciousness of human life, and we ask you to relate with these words directly by keeping an open mind, free of judgment.

"When you think about the preciousness of human life, you will clearly notice that just being able to look at somebody's face alone is a great practice. Just looking at somebody's face. But if you do not realize that you are capable, or able to look at this person's face, in a sense you are [already] not clearly looking at that person's face. In other words, you are not necessarily looking. You may possibly be blind. If you are blind, you cannot see things clearly. If you are blind outside, you will be blind inside. Here the meaning of blindness is somebody who is not capable of appreciating the quality of whatever is going on. Lack of appreciation of quality is known as blind.

Realizing the preciousness of human life alone can almost lead you to realization. At least it can lead you to the doorway of realization. If you look at somebody and you can see that person's face clearly, without obscurations, it is clear that you will be able to appreciate your being alive and that person's life. Then you wouldn't find anything to disagree about. . . . Whenever there is a contradiction of views, and whenever there are disputes and disagreements with people, it is a sign of not being able to appreciate the preciousness of human life. The realization of the preciousness of human life will free you from having to prove that your point of view is greater than others. Seeing the preciousness of human life is such a great joy that you wouldn't have any time whatsoever to take anything as more important than enjoying and seeing the preciousness of your human life. . . . When you see the preciousness of human life, you wouldn't have a hard time being compassionate. Whenever you are not compassionate you lack in appreciation of your human life. Whenever you realize the preciousness of human life, it would not be hard for you to love and be kind to all beings. Whenever you are unable to love and be kind to all sentient beings, you must realize you are failing in appreciating your precious human life. . . . [When] we are not capable of appreciating the preciousness of our human life, we tend to think we must try to be content by doing something else. . . ."

There are countless ways to contemplate this one point, but for the point to become profoundly meaningful and alive in each one of us personally, we must meditate creatively on it again and again, as much as we can throughout the day.

The third step to complete the transformation of ordinary activity into compassionate action is selflessly dedicating to all beings whatever positive energy has been generated by our activity. By sharing in the most profound way the fruit of our compassionate activities, we give the medicine of compassion the complete power to work in our lives and the lives of others. So now we invite you to recite this prayer of dedication, visualizing that all beings everywhere are receiving whatever they need to be happy.

In the world in general and in this nation,
May not even the names of disease, famine, war, and suffering be heard.
May virtuous qualities, merit, and prosperity greatly increase,
And may continuous good fortune and sublime well-being perfectly arise.

In our tradition, there are innumerable profound methods used to liberate us from the cause of suffering, to help us rediscover our inner healing wisdom and compassionate heart, and to enable us to live our lives fully, fearlessly, and lovingly. A genuine, realized teacher will give meditation instruction and personal guidance that is perfectly suited for each student according to his or her personality, predilections, and life situation. The Ven. Shyalpa Rinpoche is such a genuine lineage master, and if you have the interest and would like to explore further, we warmly invite you to join us at retreats the Rinpoche is leading in the Berkshires on May 13-14 and June 17-18, and for the Medicine Buddha Empowerment in New York City on May 18.

The Ven. Shyalpa Rinpoche received all the pith instructions and tantric teachings from the four major Tibetan Buddhist lineages, and considered His Holiness Chatral Rinpoche, the greatest living Dzogchen master, as his root teacher. The Rinpoche is known for his kindness and skill in working with others and for engaging students in spirited dialogue to help them experience directly the transformative power of Awakened Mind. The Rinpoche is the founder of Rangrig Yeshe Center, and among the Rinpoche's many compassionate activities are the Tibetan Refugee Children's Fund and the Shyalpa Monastic Retreat Center Project in Kathmandu, Nepal. Madalyn Smith, a clinical social worker in private practice, and Margaret LaFrance, U.S. Coordinator of the Shyalpa Monastic Retreat Center Project, are senior students of The Ven. Shyalpa Rinpoche. For further information, contact: Rangrig Yeshe Center, PO Box 1167, Stockbridge, MA 10262. Tel: 413/528-9932; Fax: 413/528-5272; e-mail: mhlafrance@earthlink.net, www.tibetan-buddhist.org.

---

Home Page || Feature Articles || Calendar || Directory || Inner View
Rates || Reviews || Who We Are || Whole Health Expo