Ven Tenzin Lektsok – a young, American monk who has been studying at Sera Je for the past few years wrote in an article in Mandala magazine that the monks there practice Dharma 24/7 as though they’re in a house that is on fire. Death can come at any time. Re-birth in the hell realms is a heart beat away. No one wants to hear this message, though, right?

Through the Dharma, we can make our lives meaningful beginning with our formal meditation time and then carrying on through the post-meditation periods, even sleeping.

Chronic physical pain drew me to the Dharma years ago, but then my “at home” practice began to wane when my physical discomfort eased up somewhat. When things are going well in life I believe that some people become complacent, and they hold the wrong conception that no harm will come their way.

Just watching the way in which Ven Tenzin Lhamo and Her Eminence Khandro Rinpoche interacted with the hundreds of volunteers with kindness and respect was a teaching in and of itself. They patiently overcame many obstacles and last minute changes that are typical of staging such a complex event.

Unfortunately, I missed most of the afternoon session, however, I did make it to Ven Khandro Rinpoche’s talk. She was asked to speak specifically about Action.

She encouraged us to be mindful at all times of how our actions affect others, to always treat others with kindness, to make an effort to speak less, to focus and not be distracted by worldly affairs, and to make our actions meaningful.

Our meditation practice and view of ourselves and phenomenon are expressed in our actions. All three — meditation-view-action are interdependent. Developing love and compassion for others is something we can each gradually achieve.

For years I took great pleasure in travelling to hear Dharma, reading, contemplating and discussing Dharma. But it was always easy to find an excuse not to sit. I lacked the proper objects, or lacked the proper space, or lacked the proper time, and so on.

Then early this year, during a discussion on the apparent fragility of life, it seemed as if the teachings I’d heard on the suffering nature of Samsara, the preciousness of this human rebirth and the functioning of Karma had slow-baked into the strong desire to have a daily practice.

I’m pretty sure that feeling the urgency of the situation is the motivating fuel for daily practice–if the urgency is felt in relation to a worldly crisis, then the urgency will cease when the worldly crisis ceases; if the urgency is felt in relation to taking rebirth in Samsara, the urgency will not cease until taking rebirth in Samsara ceases.

So while I now have some (difficult to obtain!) motivation to practice, I hope that through this course led by Venerable Tendrol I can make my practice meaningful.