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24 EASTERN HORIZON | TEACHINGS

and absolute bodhicitta, the enlightened mind.] motivation again and again. That way, we can get back
I did commentaries and tried to explain the teachings. on track.
These were then put together into a book. The
commentaries condensed the teachings and made it Of late, there is much emphasis on urgency of
easy to understand and made it practical too. practice for Dharma practitioners. For example,
Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche (the incarnation of
In this book, you mentioned that Dhamma Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche) emphasized in a teaching
practitioners can lose sight of their goal of in Singapore in late 2018 on the need for practice,
transformation of the mind. This happens when to be better human beings, to use our time and our
they get involved in many different kinds of precious human life meaningfully. Is the urgency of
practices and also fuel self-importance competing practice on the decline?
for power and fame in setting up and serving
Buddhist centers. Is such form of spiritual I don’t think it is on the decline. I would say it is more
materialism one of the greatest challenges to challenging for practice.
Dharma and Dharma practitioners today? What is
your advice to these practitioners? The world is becoming smaller, not shrinking physically

but connected with technologically advanced equipment
Checking our motivation again and again is very like the smart phone and social media platforms and
important. channels like We Chat, Facebook etc.

Everybody starts a religious practice, or a business, or We are connected everywhere. We have more power
whatever endeavors with the notion that they will be (in our hands). This makes it more challenging in
happier if they can achieve whatever they set out to do. commitment to Dharma practice. If one goes to Tibet, it
Nobody thinks that it can bring suffering. will be boring if one doesn’t perform one’s practice as
This is the same with dharma practice. We think that there is nothing to do. But here, one has to fight (with
through dharma practice, we can gain some happiness distractions) to practice. Isn’t this so? Distractions
and ultimately, enlightenment. Sometimes, (unaware) are just too much. Therefore, I would say it’s more
we get into spiritual materialism. So, I think the best challenging.
thing is to check our intention, again and again.
Any final advice for Buddhists in Malaysia on

[Editor’s Note: Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche in his book how best they should study and practice the
Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism (Shambhala, Buddha Dharma so that they can experience the
2002) referred to spiritual materialism as “a distorted, true blessings of the Buddha’s teachings in their
ego-centered version of spirituality” in which we can everyday life?
“deceive ourselves into thinking we are developing
spiritually when instead we are strengthening our Like I have mentioned earlier, Buddha Dharma practice
egocentricity through spiritual techniques”.] is not only for temporary gain or success. The real and
genuine practice is to attain enlightenment.
I mentioned in the (Great Medicine) book that Dilgo
Khyentse Rinpoche will talk about motivation again Of course, there are some rituals to help us on the path
and again before he goes into the main teaching. For of Dharma practice. And yes, one can be drawn towards
example, if the main teaching is like five minutes, he temporary gain like success, but do not get side-
will delve on motivation for five minutes. That really tracked from the main purpose of practice for ultimate
tells us that we have to check why we started in the first Buddhahood. That, we have to remind ourselves, again
place and what is our motivation. We have to check our and again. EH