Yeshe’s Letter to The Sangha
How wonderful that we are all here together in this amazing time of change! And how wonderful we can use the energy of this time to connect with each other and proclaim the Dharma. I have been speaking to many students and teachers who are home alone who are delighted about having this time to be on retreat. But I would like to talk to you about your own experience and the need for everyone to begin to teach meditation and the Dharma as you personally know it. Not from any particular organizational point of view or even from a Buddhist point of view. But from your own experience as you have seen the world up to now and your relationship to it.
In this very critical time when people are suffering and there is much discussion about racism and division and prejudice, all of which we know does exist but actually does not, so it’s time to talk about enlightened mind. And how that functions and how that is found through the discipline of meditation.
Every person on the planet can become enlightened. Everyone has the seed of enlightenment. And meditation can germinate that seed. And you can sprinkle a little fertilizer and water on that seed by your interaction with others, which is called teaching.
So any one of you who has a few years of meditative experience, please consider sharing it with others. The method of your teaching and how you present it is entirely up to you. You are on your own. And there is no insurance policy.
We all have been given a lot of teachings from wonderful masters over the years and now it is our time to become responsible for passing on those teachings to others. In effect, spreading sanity into a world of chaos. Forget about your personal doubts as to your own ability. It’s too late.
There’s a wonderful story from the Castanada books where Don Juan has Carlos Castanada jump off a cliff. And Carlos for the next three books goes around asking people “Did I really jump off the cliff?” So now everybody has the chance to leap! into the space of unconditional Dharmic activity, where no concept of good/bad, happy/sad exists.
As far as the lineage teachers and all the Victorious Ones, they are easily accessible to help you — if you ask. This is the Year of the Great Cicadas and they will be out singing OM VAJRA GURU PADME SIDDHI HUM. That is all you need — that sound.
Teach meditation to the confused.
Feed the hungry.
Clothe the naked.
Give shelter to the homeless.
Now is the time of Action. Go beyond hesitation. You don’t have to be a great teacher. Just open up your mouth and speak. And if you make a fool of yourself, that’s great as well. Because you can always restart and laugh at your own idiocy.
All beings on the Earth need you now. So you are all empowered as of this moment, to go out and teach, in whatever capacity you wish.
My love to you all!
Lots of good luck on your alone path.
May you meet with great and small adventures.
—Yeshe Tungpa
Saxtons River
June 2, 2020
Colophon: After awakening from a dream of the mirrors inside the mind that impart brilliant clear light, and many thoughts about how happy our teachers are to enjoy their time in retreat and not hear from us for a while, I transcribed this letter from Yeshe Tungpa. Sarwa Mangalam! —Sangye Drolma