Last week, we began discussing the advice of Atisha, the great Indian yogi. We talked about how Atisha advised us to follow our Guru, emphasizing that knowledge alone is not enough—we must put the teachings into practice. We also discussed being mindful of the company we keep, limiting worldly activities because there is no end to them, and cultivating contentment. Let’s continue that discussion.
Next, Atisha advises us to avoid haughtiness, arrogance, conceit, and pride. Instead, he encourages us to remain peaceful and humble. In our fast-paced world, we are often taught to take pride in our achievements. While there is nothing inherently wrong with recognizing our accomplishments, Atisha cautions us because pride can easily develop into arrogance, and arrogance often leads to non-virtuous actions.
He further advises us to be cautious even with activities that are considered meritorious. This is a point that often generates pushback. However, when we look deeper, we see that these activities can sometimes result in awards, recognition, and praise. If we become attached to these outcomes, they can foster pride and eventually arrogance.
Atisha also advises us to avoid becoming attached to profit and respect. The moment we begin chasing profit, we often feel compelled to maximize it, which can lead to compromises. It also tends to accumulate wealth, and as we discussed last week, without contentment, the pursuit of wealth becomes a never-ending rat race. The same applies to respect. We seek the respect of others, and then we become so concerned with maintaining it that our ego grows, hindering our Dharma practice.
He then reminds us that when we leave this body, we leave everything behind—our friends, possessions, wealth, and status. Therefore, he urges us not to become overly attached to anything or anyone. This is perhaps one of the most difficult pieces of advice to implement. We cling to this life as though it will never end and as though it is the only life we have. Yet, when we reflect on the cycle of existence, we recognize that we have taken countless lives since beginningless time. Our future lives may continue for a very long time, so we should focus on accumulating the riches we can carry forward: positive karma.
Atisha encourages us to have compassion for those who are struggling and never to humiliate them. Often, it is easy to ignore people who possess less prestige, wealth, or influence than we do. Yet even ignoring someone can be a form of humiliation. I remember a saying from my childhood: “Nana vagar no nathio, nane Nathalal.” Loosely translated, it means that a person struggling to make ends meet receives little respect. Yet if that same person suddenly wins the lottery, everyone immediately has time and attention for them.
He continues by advising us not to harbor hatred toward our enemies or attachment toward our friends. Instead, we should cultivate equanimity toward everyone we encounter and extend compassion to all. Likewise, he advises us not to be jealous of others’ good qualities. Rather than feeling envy, we should rejoice in their virtues. For example, if someone has a stronger meditation practice than we do, we should be happy for them and seek to learn from their example.
Atisha encourages us to highlight the good qualities of others while refraining from boasting about our own. In the same spirit, he advises us not to focus on the faults of others but instead to examine our own shortcomings and work diligently to eliminate them.
Next, he encourages us to minimize meaningless activities because they distract us from spiritual practice and personal growth.
He then turns to the subject of karma. Atisha teaches that our suffering arises from causes we ourselves have created through past karma, and therefore we should not blame others for our difficulties. Likewise, when our desires are not fulfilled, he advises us to understand that this too may be the result of past karma and to maintain a positive and balanced mind.
Since we cannot control or tame the minds of others, he says there is little point in trying. Instead, we should focus our efforts on taming our own minds. He also reminds us that worldly enjoyments ultimately provide little lasting satisfaction. Rather than spending our resources pursuing temporary pleasures, we should sincerely practice generosity.
Because hatred exists everywhere, Atisha advises us to cultivate patience and remain free from anger. By doing so, we avoid creating negative karma and lay the foundation for happiness in future lives.
Finally, he urges us to eliminate laziness from our lives. It is the laziness of neglecting spiritual practice that keeps us trapped in samsara. If we wish to attain liberation from the cycle of birth, aging, death, and rebirth, we must apply great effort to our practice. We should cultivate concentration, develop wisdom, abandon wrong views, and realize the ultimate truth of emptiness.
Atisha concludes by once again urging us to listen carefully to our spiritual teacher—our Guru—and to practice sincerely. He encourages us to take these teachings to heart and begin making the necessary changes without delay.
So there it is: a brief summary of Atisha’s final teachings in Tibet. I hope much of this resonates with you. When we reflect on these instructions, we realize that most of them are things we already know at some level. The challenge is not understanding them—it is putting them into practice consistently and sincerely.