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Advice for Patrons of the Dharma“[…] All of you patrons, pay attention and listen. Our life slips away, mired in distraction. It is impermanent, patrons, and all will end in death. When you die, all your gathered wealth will be left behind, So don’t accumulate pointless misdeeds, patrons. The sublime Dharma alone will help you in the next life, So apply the sacred Dharma immediately, patrons! The ultimate refuge is the undeceiving Three Jewels, So make offering, praises, and supplications, patrons! By assisting worldly gods, you will do a lot of harm, So don’t perform useless blood sacrifices, patrons! The living Buddha is one’s own guru, So always do whatever pleases them, patrons! The living vīras and ḍākinīs [deities] are your kith and kin [family], So love and care for your friends and family, patrons! The destined deity of Tibet is Avalokiteśvara, So pray to him constantly, patrons! The friends to be protected are the sentient beings of the six classes, So protect them with loving kindness and compassion, patrons! The enemies to subdue are the five poisons, So subdue them with whatever remedy you can, patrons! The root cause of hell is the act of killing, So never, ever kill, patrons! The main reason for killing is the wish for meat, So give up the harmful sustenance of flesh and blood, patrons! Families are impermanent, like meetings in the market place, So don’t hold meaningless grudges, patrons! Whether they be pleasant or not, we need our neighbors, So don’t be hostile to your neighbors, patrons! […]If you are good-hearted, whatever you do will become Dharma, So cultivate a good heart, patrons! The cause for exhausting merit is harmful thoughts, So don’t hold on to harmful thoughts, patrons! You can’t trust people of these degenerate times, So place your trust in the Dharma, patrons! If you want advice, then look to Buddha’s words, For they clearly teach about good and bad, patrons! Don’t place your hopes in people, but supplicate the deities, And all your aims will be met in accord with the Dharma! […]”Advice for Könchok Tenzin “Moreover, if you don’t develop renunciation, The root of your Dharma practice will be rotten. In case you don’t know what renunciation is, It means longing for freedom from saṃsāra [cycle of death and rebirth]. […] Relying on spiritual friends Who are well-versed in the practices of the two traditions, And on elders who’ve been through both suffering and joy, And on those who are honest, learned, and outstanding, You should act with care and precision. […]”
