Atisha, an Indian yogi, went to Tibet to teach Buddhism at the invitation of the Tibetan king. After spending several years there, he decided to return to India. At the request of the Tibetan people, he gave one final teaching before leaving. This teaching became one of the most important spiritual instructions ever given, offering profound insights on how to live a meaningful and fulfilling life.
Over the next few weeks, let’s explore what Atisha taught and see how we can apply some of his wisdom in our daily lives.
He began by advising that until we achieve enlightenment, reliance on our spiritual guide is extremely important. A spiritual guide is your Guru. Following the advice and instructions of your Guru is one of the most important things we can do on the path to liberation and enlightenment.
I remember growing up, my grandma used to tell us, “Do what the Guru says, not what he does.” For the longest time, I never fully understood what she meant. Over time, however, I realized that it is important to follow the Guru’s advice because a genuine Guru has your best interests at heart. They guide you based on what you need, not necessarily what you want to hear. Because of this, a Guru may give different advice to different disciples depending on their level of spiritual development.
Next, Atisha taught that we cannot become enlightened through understanding alone; we must practice. Although most of us know the right thing to do much of the time, knowledge by itself is not enough. We must put that knowledge into action. Only through consistent practice can we progress toward enlightenment.
He then advised that we should avoid places that disturb our minds and remain where our virtue increases. I believe this is one of the most important teachings, but also one of the most difficult to implement because of our habits, friendships, relationships, and other attachments.
Growing up, we often heard the saying, “Sangh evo Rangh,” which means, “You become like the company you keep.” It is therefore very important to spend time with people who support and advance our spiritual growth rather than those who pull us away from it.
There is a famous Tibetan story about two men from a small village. One was scholarly and practiced spirituality every day. The other was simply drifting through life. One day, both decided to leave their village. The scholarly man went to Lhasa, a large city, while the other went to a monastery.
Fast forward twelve months. The scholarly man had become a drunkard, while the man who had been drifting through life had become a monk. What happened?
The man who went to Lhasa found work at a hotel. To earn extra tips, he would fetch alcohol for the guests. Over time, he began tasting it with them and eventually lost his way. The man who went to the monastery spent his days observing the monks and gradually followed in their footsteps.
The power of our surroundings is undeniable. We must choose carefully who we spend our time with. We should avoid friends who increase our delusions and cultivate friendships with those who help us grow spiritually.
The next piece of advice Atisha gave was that since worldly activities never come to an end, we should limit the amount of time we spend on them.
We have all heard people say things like, “I’ll focus on my spiritual practice after I retire,” or “once the kids are out of the house,” or after some other future milestone. But we all know there is no end to worldly responsibilities. The reasons change, and the goalposts keep moving.
There is no better time than now. If we are considering deepening our spiritual practice, we should begin today rather than waiting for some future event that merely serves as a delay rather than a genuine plan.
Next, Atisha said that friends, possessions, and objects of desire provide no more satisfaction than drinking seawater; therefore, we should practice contentment.
This is one of the most important teachings he gave and one that we discuss often. As we know, drinking salty water does not satisfy thirst. In fact, it makes us even thirstier. Similarly, the pursuit of more material wealth only creates the desire for even more. There is never a final destination.
Think about how many people we know who once said they would be satisfied if they earned or acquired a certain amount. They eventually achieved many times that amount, yet still found no lasting satisfaction. They simply wanted more.
As I have said before, unless you are Elon Musk, there is always someone with more money than you. Unless you are the President of the United States, there is always someone with more power than you.
We must therefore learn to recognize what is enough and devote more of our time and energy to what is truly meaningful: pursuing liberation and enlightenment.
We will stop here for today, as there is a lot to reflect upon. I encourage you to think about Atisha’s advice and identify one or two insights that you can begin implementing immediately. Real progress comes not from understanding alone, but from putting wisdom into practice.