Listen Abushri!

LISTEN, ABUSHRI”

by Dza Patrul Rinpoche (1808-1887)

Translated by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche

You who enjoy the union of bliss and emptiness

Seated motionless on the lunar disc

Above a beautiful hundred petalled flower

Radiant with white light,

I pay homage to you the Divine Guru, Vajrasattva.

Listen, Abushri

You miserable, daydreaming fool,

You remember how delusions

Confused you in the past?

Watch out for delusions in the present,

And don’t lead a hypocritical life.

Stop unnecessary speculations.

You’ve made hundreds of plans

Which never came off

And only led to disappointment.

Unfinished acts are like

The overlapping action of the waves.

Stay alone and stop

Making your own head spin.

You’ve studied hundreds of philosophies

Without grasping any of them.

What’s the point of further study?

You’ve studied without remembering

Anything when you needed it.

What’s the point of contemplation?

Forget about your “meditation”!

It doesn’t seem to be

The Cure for conflicting emotions.

You may have recited the set number of mantras

But you still haven’t mastered the concrete visualisations.

You may have mastered the concrete visualisations

But you still haven’t loosened the grip of duality.

You may have subdued apparent evils

But you still haven’t tamed your ego.

Forget your set periods of meditation

And following an obsessive schedule.

High and clear but not letting go,

Low and steady but lacking clarity,

Penetrating insight but only stabbing

That’s your meditation!

Forget the stare of concentration

And the tethered mind.

Lectures sound interesting

But they don’t help your mind.

The logical mind seems sharp

But it’s really the seed of confusion.

Oral instruction sounds very profound

But it doesn’t help if it isn’t practised.

Forget about browsing through books

Which causes distraction and eyestrain.

You bang your antique prayer-drum,

But, just for the novelty of playing (with) it.

You offer up your body,

But in fact you’re still attached to it.

You play clear sounding cymbals

But your mind is heavy and dull.

Forget about these tricks,

Attractive though they are.

Your disciples seem to be studying

But they never follow through;

One day there’s a glimmer of understanding,

But the next day it has gone.

They learn one thing out of a hundred

But they don’t retain even that.

Forget these apparently fervent disciples!

One’s closest friend is full of love

Today and indifferent tomorrow.

He is humble one minute and proud the next.

The more one loves him the more distant he becomes.

Forget the dear friend who smiles

Because the friendship is still a novelty!

Your girlfriend puts on a smiling face

But who knows what she really feels?

For one night of pleasure it’s nine months of heartache.

You can spend a month trying to bed her and still not succeed.

It’s really not worth all the scandal and gossip,

So forget about her.

Never-ending chatter stirs up likes and dislikes.

It may be amusing, and enjoyable

But it’s merely imitating the faults of others.

The listeners seem receptive

But they may be critical at heart.

It only gives you a dry throat

So forget about idle talk!

Preaching without first-hand experience

Of the subject is like dancing on books.

The audience way seem willing to listen

But they’re not really interested at all.

If you do not practise what you preach

You’ll be ashamed of it sooner or later,

So forget about hollow rhetoric!

When you haven’t any books

You feel the need for them;

When you have them you don’t.

It’s only a few pages

But to copy them is endless.

All the books in the world

Would give you no satisfaction,

So forget about copying –

Unless you get a fee for it!

One day you’re relaxed,

The next you are tense.

You will never be happy

If you’re swayed by people’s moods.

Sometimes they are pleasant

But maybe not when you need them

And you might be disappointed.

So forget about politeness and flattery!

Political and religious activities

Are only for gentlemen.

That’s not for you, my dear boy.

Remember the example of an old cow:

She’s content to sleep in a barn.

You have to eat, sleep and shit –

That’s unavoidable – anything

Beyond that is none of your business.

Do what you have to do

And keep yourself to yourself.

You’re as low as the lowest

So you ought to be humble.

There’s a whole hierarchy above you

So stop being proud.

You shouldn’t have too many close associates

Because differences would surely arise.

Since you’re not involved

In religious and political activities

Don’t make demands on yourself.

Give up everything, that’s the point!

This Teaching is given by Yogi Trime Lodrö from his own experience to his dear friend Abushri. Do practise it, although there is nothing to practise. Give up everything – that’s the whole point. Don’t get angry with yourself even if you can’t practise the Dharma.

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