Advice to Myself

Advice to Myself

by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö

Kyeho! O Wonder!

Simply to hear your name tears the cycle of conditioned existence apart,
Merely to think of you brings the greatest of good fortune,
My sole, ever-lasting refuge, glorious supreme lama—
May we remain inseparable, as you dwell joyously in the blossom of my heart!

Listen, Lodrö, you who are so smart and sensible!

Right now, you might consider yourself young,
But, with a wicked mind intent upon your own wellbeing,
The daylight of your life will soon succumb to shadows.

Although you’ve met many authentic masters,
And received a few teachings on sūtra and tantra,
Your character remains as tough and rigid as stone,
Yet still you think you’re improving—how gullible you must be!

Whilst well-aware of the boundaries of the three vows,
With self-destructive, self-defeating thoughts and deeds,
You strive to bring about the sufferings of the hells!

Careless one! Put your hands to your heart and think:
These plans for the future, based upon a denial of death,
Undermine the real purpose of this and future lives,
And the enemy, Yama, will only catch you in his noose—think hard!

When you’re caught in the passage from this life,
There’ll be no way to bear the pain and the sorrow,
And all will be an unending river of tears—
Bring this to mind and your heart will surely falter.

Now, with these freedoms and advantages, you have a support for practice—a unique opportunity!
Rather than squander such an invaluable moment,
Why not strive to accomplish the goal of lasting happiness? Consider!

The bloom of a handsome youthful body withers with age.
Despite your wishes, you’ll experience the pain of disease,
And, with a final rasping cough, you’ll pass away. 
Even now, the time for this draws near.
Son, Lodrö, think about it well!

The blazing iron balls of undeserved offerings
Will sever the life-force of liberation—reflect upon it!
When molten bronze is running down your throat,
Will you savour its taste? Consider it now!

Though immature, you pretend to work for others’ good;
It’s like the blind leading the blind—
Why not just stop fooling yourself and everybody else?

Simply to remember your father is sufficient, the king of all practices.
When praying to the noble lama with intense devotion,
You, son, find all your concerns transformed into Dharma—
O lama, only father of mine, guide me along the path!

Precious teacher, possessor of the wisdoms and kāyas,
To look upon you now would fill me with such joy!
Yet with my impure perception and my wicked karma,
I have no chance to meet you, dear father lama!

When this son of yours has purified his perceptions, 
He’ll discover the lama of unaltered rigpa-awareness,
And from that experience, there’ll be no separation—
Bringing this to mind, what joy! What bliss there is! 

O lama, healer of your son’s ills, remain!

For however long I have left to live, 
May I be devoted to the Dharma from the very core of my being,
And may whatever I do, say or think,
Be directed only to beings’ good,
Never entangled in selfish desires!

May I set out upon the path to liberation,
And, mounting the steed of bodhicitta,
May I lead all beings to happiness!

Chökyi Lodrö made this aspiration at Chötri Thang, in front of Mount Senge Yangbe on the plain of Burdom in Lhogyü.

| Translated by Gyurme Avertin, 2011.

Bibliography

Tibetan Edition

'Jam dbyangs chos kyi blo gros. "rang la gros su 'debs pa/" in gsung 'bum/_'jam dbyangs chos kyi blo gros/ (dbu med/). TBRC W21813. 8 vols. Gangtok: Dzongsar Khyentse Labrang, 1981–1985. http://tbrc.org/link?RID=W21813 Vol. 2: 309–311

_____ . "rang la gros su 'debs pa/" in ’Jam dbyangs chos kyi blo gros kyi gsung ’bum. 12 vols. Bir: Khyentse Labrang, 2012. W1KG12986 Vol. 8: 300–302

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