■ Host: A student went to a spiritual teacher and said, ‘My life is a disaster. My health is failing. I am constantly on diet. It is horrible.’
‘It will pass as a matter of fact,’ said the teacher.
A week later, the student came back to his teacher and said, ‘My life is so amazing. I feel so peaceful. It is so alive. It is wonderful.’
And what did the teacher say? ‘It will pass.’
This emphasizes the impermanence of everything around us.
The key is to keep a steady mind to cruise smoothly, and that attitude would also help us be happier and healthier.
So, let us get philosophical today.
Today, we have [Venerable Khen Rinpoche Kalsang Nyima], Chief Abbot and Director of Nalanda Institute at Rumtek Monastery in Gangtok, and Umdze Öser, a chant master, who is in charge of part of the monastery.
How does mind training with meditation help cultivate a happy mind?
How does chanting help?
How can ‘busy bees’ meditate?
Can youths benefit from meditation?
How does a spiritual practice help cope with daily stresses?
To find the answers, no, I am not going to sit recording. Let us watch the interview.
■ Host: I see so many mental and physical issues rising lately. When patients come to me, they are struggling. I feel that it is so hard for them to live their life to the fullest. How do you think meditation would help?
■ Khen Rinpoche: Meditation helps the patients a lot. It is because most suffering comes from the mind.
For example, someone only feels sick with the body. He or she does not know what the sickness is about. So, he or she goes to check the body in a hospital. Then a doctor says he or she has got cancer.
Actually, this health problem is not so big. But when these people get the information of ‘you have got cancer,’ their health situation suddenly becomes very poor. It is because their mind becomes worried and scared too much, making them even crazier.
So, at that time, they try to ask many people. Many people asked me what they could do. I said, ‘It will be okay. Do not worry. Worry cannot help you.’
Then they asked what they could do and I said, ‘You will focus on meditation and visualization of Buddha’s blessings.’
Afterward, some people focus on meditation and visualization of Buddha’s blessings, which cleanse worries and help the mind to become relaxed.
If the mind is relaxed, then it is very easy for people to [get] recover[ed].
So, for that, you need to control your mind or get your mind to become relaxed and peaceful with meditation. That helps your health a lot.
◆ Subtitle: Most suffering does not come from the external reality but our reaction to it. Meditation helps [us] respond to a situation rather than reacting to it.
The mind stays relaxed. The treatment becomes more effective when the body and mind are relaxed rather than stressed.◆
■ Khen Rinpoche: The mind is like a king. Speech and body are like servants. But many people do not focus on their minds. They only focus on their body and speech.
But if you can focus on the mind, then you can change it with meditation.
Your mind and wind channels have a very strong connection.
For example, when someone talks about some bad things to you, your face suddenly changes.
Why?
It is because the anger in your mind changes the wind and all the blood circulations in your body.
Similarly, if your mind can relax with meditation, the wind [in your body] becomes very smooth, and your blood circulation changes, too. So, meditation is very powerful.
Also, your life has a very good chance of changing with problems. If one does not have any problems, one would not care [about one’s own life] at all.
■ Host: So, when you have meditated enough over time, you would not be affected by the external reality or situation. You will just stay happy within [yourself]. Is that the case?
■ Umze: Yes. That is what he meant.
■ Host: Right. Right.
So, for that, do we have to meditate as many hours as you guys [monks] do? Or do we have to meditate at the top of a mountain or cave? How long do people need to meditate? You know this is an era of quick fixes. What would you like to say about that for most people?
■ Khen Rinpoche: Yes, right now in the 21st Century, everyone is busy. It is the modern time and so people do not have time to go to the mountains. They do not have enough time.
But for example, when you wake up in the morning, it will help you a lot if you can think about the positive side. You can think ‘I am so lucky because I have not died yet.’
Then if you take a shower in the morning and believe in Buddha or god, you can visualize Buddha or god blessing you in the form of Dharma nectar that pours into your shower, cleansing your bad karma. It will also help you a lot.
After that, when you eat breakfast or lunch, first you can think that many people in the world cannot get [any] food. Some Africans also cannot get [any] clean water. But you are very lucky to be able to eat breakfast. This is very useful to you, too.
Then when you go to the office from your home, maybe someone needs one hour by train and some travel by bus or car, you can just meditate during the trip.
Or you know about car driving. Some cities may have so much traffic. During the traffic time, [some] people [get angry and] say, ‘Wow! Wow!’ or something like that. You know that destroys a lot of your peace (Host: a lot of stress). If at that time, you think, ‘Oh! Maybe I can mediate like one minute now.’ Just relax and mediate.
When you arrive at your office, you need to use the computer. But after working for 10 minutes, you can take a one-minute break. You just close your eyes a little bit and meditate. This helps your eyes and then your mind gets relaxed.
So, there are many, many chances for meditation.
■ Umze: There are many ways.
■ Khen Rinpoche: Yes, there are many ways.
■ Host: That is good to know that you do not have to sit in one place for 30 minutes.
■ Khen Rinpoche: No.
Then, sometimes if you have time to go to a garden or an outdoor place, you can just walk with meditation. Concentrate and be mindful. You can do this as well.
■ Host: That is also meditation.
■ Khen Rinpoche: I also sometimes try to meditate in a swimming pool.
You know, Buddhism has many methods, and [we] need to prostrate. So, before I start [swimming], I visualize that all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are above me in the space. My father [is on my right-hand side] and mother [is on my left-hand side], and all living beings are there prostrating to Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha together with me on that day.
Then I swim like doing big prostrations. So, we can meditate while swimming, too.
So, there are many, many ways.
■ Host: Okay. So, I think that [meditation in daily life] is doable.
■ Khen Rinpoche: Yes.
◆ Subtitle: Meditation tips for busy people
Practice mindfulness in daily activities. Whenever you have a chance – focus on the breath for a minute or two. Take frequent breaks throughout the day and sit in silence for a minute or so. Practice gratitude.◆
■ Host: I have one question for you.
■ Umze: [Is that] For me?
■ Host: Yes, haha..
I saw [some] little monks down there chanting.
■ Umze: Yes.
■ Host: How do you think chanting helps? Especially you know, my daughter is here – for the youths. They have so many distractions. You know that so much is now on the social media. How does chanting help?
■ Umze: Actually, what I mean is when we do the prayers and chanting, the melody is very important to make you concentrate.
Because, for example, when we listen to a very nice and smooth piece of music, the mind can become relaxed. That brings some kind of inner peace.
Similarly, you know that when you chant many people think you should understand what you are saying. That is important. So, when you focus on that while chanting, it helps. It is also a kind of meditation. So, it helps. It is like listening to a nice piece of music.
When somebody chants in a good voice, and then when you chant [together] or you listen to the mantras, reciting, or whatever words they are saying, you understand the meaning. Even though you may not understand the meaning, but still you know the melody. You listen to the melody. That brings inner peace to you and makes your mind focused. It is also a kind of meditation.
It is very good [for us] to learn to chant, or maybe, you know, recite some mantras.
There are lots of possible ways.
◆ Subtitle: Chanting: A form of meditation [that] helps inner peace. It helps to know the meaning of the mantra while chanting [one can even visualize it], but it is okay even if you do not understand the meaning. [It] helps keep the mind focused.◆
■ Khen Rinpoche: Ancient India had many great masters who always chanted [what we] called dohas.
This chanting is very, very important. You know, it brings lots of blessings. It can make your mind peaceful, calm, and relaxed.
Also, if you know that many dohas talk about the meaning of peace and relaxation, etc., it becomes very important for you to think about the meaning [of those dohas].
If you do not understand the meaning of dohas, then just listen to the Indian songs. Most Indians always listen to Indian songs when they work.
■ Host: Yes.
■ Khen Rinpoche: When you take a taxi, it always plays Indian songs, making our minds so peaceful, relaxed, and happy. It is so important.
Especially, chanting with visualization can make this happen too.
For example, in Vajrayana Buddhism, you first visualize the temple as a pure land. Then, you also need to visualize all monks as Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. After that, you invite many Buddhas and Bodhisattvas to be there [in the temple/pure land] and make the offerings when you chant. The chanting brings so many visualizations that dissolve into you eventually as well. It is amazing.
■ Host: That is wonderful!
Isha, Sanjay, do you guys have any questions?
■ Sanjay: I have one question.
■ Khen Rinpoche: Okay.
■ Sanjay: I am an engineer by profession, and every day things can get pretty stressful at work because we have to meet deadlines and deliverables.
Sometimes, things do not happen as planned.
So, how does a spiritual practice that is infused with meditation help cope with these daily stresses? Is it because it leads to a more successful outcome on our end eventually, which you mentioned?
■ Khen Rinpoche: We need to work on many things. We have so many plans. We need to contact many different people. Some people are good. Some people are bad. Sometimes, work is successful. Sometimes, things cannot work out and there are so many problems. This is normal. This is normal.
For example, when someone makes a small problem for you, if your mind follows the bad emotion at that time, it will be very hard for you.
It is because you think this person is bad. You cannot work on this. [That] you cannot do this. [You wonder] why such a thing happened? This brings so much suffering and so many difficulties [for yourself].
So, if at that moment, you can try to think that it will be okay. It is important to try to relax your mind first.
Secondly, if your mind can become relaxed, you would be able to talk nicely to other people. And if you can explain [things] nicely to others, there can be many good ways [to interact with others].
If another person becomes emotional and you get angry, too, a lot of problems will happen.
Therefore, it is very important [for us] to try to relax the mind and be at peace.
Another point is that when some problems happen and if your mind is angry, you would make many mistakes. It is because you [may] say things that should not be discussed.
Sometimes, if you cannot control [your mind], please go into your room and close the door. Do not say anything and do not do anything at that moment.
It is very important to try to calm your mind down.
◆ Subtitle: Before confronting someone, make sure your mind is relaxed. If not, remove yourself from the situation [and] come back when you are more relaxed.◆
■ Khen Rinpoche: After that, you can try to talk nicely to other people. This is very important.
One point is that what you plan may not become 100% successful. Do not hope that [your plans] can be totally successful.
Sometimes, things can become successful. Sometimes, things cannot become successful. It is normal.
◆ Subtitle: Things may not go your way 100% of the time, and that is okay – do not be too attached! ◆
■ Khen Rinpoche: If you have too high hopes, it brings you lots of suffering. So, do not hope too much.
Yes, you will try your best to do your work. But do not hope too high.
◆ Subtitle: Do good things and good things will happen to you◆
■ Khen Rinpoche: If you have enough good karma or something similar, [things] can become successful. Of course, it is good. But if sometimes problems happen, you will think more positively.
For example, someone has a car accident, and the car and everything gets destroyed.
You will think that it is okay [because, although this accident happened], you are still alive. You are lucky. If you can think like that, it helps you a lot.
If you think that your car is so expensive or something else, it can bring more suffering to you.
So, thinking more about the positive side is very, very important.
■ Sanjay: Anyway. Thank you.
■ Host: Isha, do you have any questions that the youths today face? Maybe on some concerns and challenges?
■ Isha: Oh, yes. How does meditation help when you feel like having many negative emotions? You feel your mind is very negative, very down, upset, or insecure. How do you help with any of that?
■ Khen Rinpoche: Using my experience as an example: I now plan to buy some land to build the lower school for Karma Shri Nalanda Institute for Higher Buddhist Studies. We talked to the landowners. Today, they said something. [But] the following day, they changed [their mind].
Some people talked about something else, too. So many bad things and problems happened. I felt [so] down and lost so much energy.
Then I thought, ‘Oh, why did I start doing this project? Why am I doing this project? (Host: Why I am doing this?) It is so difficult. I cannot do anything.’
So, I felt like I was nearly dead.
But then I suddenly thought, ’Wow! This [project] gives me a very good chance for mind training. Why do I have to think like that [negatively]? Do not think like that [negatively]. I can do it. I can do it. Why do I [have to] think like that?’
That helped me a lot. Suddenly my mind changed. This is very important.
Another point is when your mind follows the negative side, it brings you so much bad energy. That would nearly kill you.
The most important of all is that you do not think too much about what is happening externally. You need to keep your inner mind positive. Your mind needs to be in peace to be able to relax. It is very important.
But when something happens, many people just follow the negative side and think they cannot continue to do what they are doing. They think that is a big problem. They ask why things happen like that. They follow the negative side. That way of thinking kills them.
Actually, what is happening externally is not so important. If at that moment you can think that your problems will be okay because your job and [your] problems are very small compared with many great people who worked very hard, then you could ask yourself why you have to think like that [negatively].
Let me share a very good experience with you. Maybe it is a little bit longer. But it does not matter. Is it okay?
Once I went to Hong Kong. One day a lady came.
She said she wanted to kill herself. Why?
It was because she married two times but both of her husbands passed away.
■ Host: Oh dear.
■ Khen Rinpoche: At that time, she lost her job and could not sleep. She got asthma. She said she wanted to die.
Sometimes, she could [only] sleep little. At that time, she dreamt of two of her husbands saying she suffered so much and asking her not to continue to live like that because it was not meaningful.
So, she said she wanted to die because she could not get a job and sleep. She was not happy at all, etc. She said something like that.
Then I said, ‘Yes, you do have problems. But I think there is no need for you to die because you also have many good things. But you do not know about them. You do not see them. You cannot recognize how lucky you are.’
She asked what she had. She said she had not got anything.
I said, ‘You do have.’ I asked her to check – that when we were born in this world, our home. If it is true that some places always snow for months during winters and are very cold. [And if it is true that] some places are a desert without any trees, rain, or water?
But she was born on a very nice island in Hong Kong. She was so lucky.
She said, ‘Yes’.
And also, for example, in India, many people do not have any houses. Some of them stay in the train stations and bus stations. They stay outdoors.
But she had a house. She was so lucky.
She said, ‘Oh yes.’
In Africa, most people cannot get food and clean water. So, she had food and water. During summer, she also had air conditioning. She was so lucky.
She said, ‘Okay’.
For example, we had situations where every family member passed away in an earthquake or a tsunami in Tibet, China, or Japan at that time. Other families had lost half of their members. But Hong Kong never got any earthquakes. She was so lucky.
She said, ‘Yes.’
I said, ‘Many Hong Kong women cannot get a husband because the majority of the Hong Kong population are women.’ But she could get a husband two times and enjoyed that. She was so lucky. She could not stay with her two husbands for her whole life. (But still) she was lucky.
Yes, having asthma is a big problem. But many Hong Kong people get cancer. Asthma is better than cancer. Yeah. She was so lucky.
Then I explained meditation to her and how she could mediate. Then we did a small puja at her home.
She came back laughing a week after.
She said, ‘Yes, master, I now recognize how lucky I am. I do not have any problems [anymore]. I am so lucky.’
She changed totally (Host: changed the perspective.) because her mind had changed.
Previously, she only thought about the negative side. She just changed her mind to think about the positive side, and then everything changed.
[Her] two husbands never come back. She has not got any jobs.
But because [her] mind had changed, everything became alright.
After that, [when] many young Hong Kong girls, who broke up with their boyfriends etc., wanted to commit suicide, she would explain (Host: she helps them.) her experience to them.
Once, five girls followed her, and she gave teachings to them. (Host: So, she counseled them now.) Thus, it is so important to change the mind.
(Host: Yeah, the situation did not change. But her mind got..) So, the mind is so important.
But many people, especially the younger generation, now always think about the negative side and complain about others.
■ Host: These are wonderful tips.
■ Khen Rinpoche: Yeah. Do you understand? Okay.
◆ Subtitle: Tips for the youth
When challenges come, consider that a good opportunity for mind training. Tell yourself you can do this. [Your] mind suddenly changes when you think like that. Outside, whatever happens, our mind can stay calm and positive with the practice of meditation, count your blessings, and just say it is okay.◆
The above teaching is taken from a video teaching called, ‘Can Meditation Really Change Your Life?’ (now renamed as ‘Exploring Meditation and Chanting with the Monks at Rumtek Monastery) that our Venerable Khen Rinpoche Kalsang Nyima shared in a few ‘Wake Up with Dharma HK’ WhatsApp groups on 16 June 2022. You can watch this original video by browsing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObPRJDqi2RE