GURU RINPOCHE WARNING LETTER ON KARMA or The State of the World Today
by Theodoor Richard
Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, was a Buddhist Saint who lived at the end of the first milennium. He was born in India, but traveled to Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet, where he spent many years to introduce Tantric Tantric Buddhism to the people of Tibet. He did so upon the invitation of the Dharma King Trisong Deutsen, who wanted to re-establish Buddhism as Tibet's national spiritual heirdom. Guru Rinpoche was a great Tantric master. By many, mostly the Tibetan Buddhist schools of the Nyingma and Kagyu, he is considered to personalize the second emanation on this Earth of the Buddha of our time, Buddha Shakyamuni. Many masters in Buddhism of our modern days, consider the teachings of Guru Rinpoche of the highest order and importance especially for the times that we live in, when the Dharma of the truth of our reality, is difficult to find and people live mostly with bad circumstances, sickness and wars. From his kindness and compassionate heart, Guru Rinpoche decided to send a Warning Letter in his Earthly lifetime, to the people of Tibet to explain very clearly to them, the laws of Karma, or the workings of cause and effect. This especially, especially, with respect to the effects of negative behaviour that people very commonly engaged in then, and still do. As the times of this world are seemingly getting harder and harder and good advice is getting scarcer and scarcer, I feel it is very good to attempt a modest translation of this letter and publish it here for you to read and contemplate. It reads as follows:
OM AH PADMASAMBHAVA This is the World Prediction Warning Letter, Sent from the South West Land of Losar: By the power of the blessings of all the Buddhas, we can have this temporarily peaceful time today. But those who are supposed to be our spiritual leaders, travel all around and cheat sentient beings. They please people with flatteries, just to get their money and resources; while they are collecting personal possessions, they do not give Dharma as offering. Monks are not reciting the Sutras, but indulging in singing, dancing and entertainment; while not doing accumulation of merit, mer it, nor practicing generosity, they seek money from all directions. Not wearing the monks' robes, they change into casual clothes. Nuns break their vows and do not uphold discipline, without shame; they lie and only pretend to keep up the discipline. Not accumulating merit, they seek only outer beauty. Women talk divisively to break happy marriages. Rebelling against their parents, the daughters chase them out off their homes. They cause brothers to have fights and make mistakes without regrets. Close relatives violate the sexual morality and engage in unclean behaviour. behaviour. While doing all non-virtuous things, people lead demons into their bodies; They borrow power from gods or demons to do gambling. Addicted to smoking, people invite the demons or gods into the smoke. Indulging in drinking alcohol, they force the guardian gods out off the door. Because of all this, demons are flourishing in Tibet Tibet in the Earth Tiger year; Everywhere, demonic forces, obstacles and disasters will appear. The teaching of the Dharma is reaching the time of decline and will whither; Buddha statues, Sutras and Dharma instruments will be sold in the marketplace. All this bad behaviour will create suffering and will cause many sicknesses to
arise. Precious treasures inherited from long ago are traded off and sold. The power of the blessings from the Buddha will gradually reduce, so that the occurrence of floodings and disasters of the land can no longer be prevented. If people disturb the local deities by violently digging out water from hidden sources, the lands will be pestered by hailstorms and thunder storms will wreak disaster. If people will cut down forests, they will bring forth years of starvation. People will become hungry beggars, as they rob and steal others all around. If people surrender themselves to gambling, they will lose all their good luck. And by smoking into addiction, people will chase the Dharma Protectors away. By drinking too much alcohol, people will shorten their lifespan and will incur a lot of suffering from illnesses. This I Padmasambhava, reveal to the sentient beings of the degeneration times, sothat in these present times of short and temporary joys, people can deeply remember that Karma and the laws of cause and effect, are connected. Do not forget do do your daily spiritual practice and do all virtuous things. If ghosts and demons approach you with their harmful intent, pray with one mind to me, Padmasambhava and after the demons are born into Tiber Tiber in the Tiger year, year, remember to chant my 12 syllable mantra day and night. In the year of Iron Ir on Dragon, floodings and earthquakes will trouble human lives, as demons will enter the waters. In the year of the Iron Snake, demons will enter the winds, causing thunderstorms, hail and frosts. All this will hurt sentient beings and cause difficulties, sufferings and obstacles. The Water Water Goat year will bring epidemics. People who drink and eat too much, will die from brain strokes; People who indulge in gambling, will die from stomach problems; People who tell lies and engage in divisive talk, will die from throat sickness; People who smoke too much, will die from lung sickness;
People who eat eggs and garlic, will suffer from fr om nightmares and die from them; People who hunt and kill animals, will die from liver and bowel sickness. In short, people who create all kinds of negative Karma, will bring onto them the various related sufferings and sicknesses. Then, in the Wood Chicken year, Buddhism will go down to the point of almost disappearing; ghosts and demons will easily inflict harms. In the Earth Ox year, wars will arise all over the world; a lot of people will die because of all this warfare. Be aware that all the above mentioned samsaric occurrences cannot be perceived very clearly. So, if you wish to transform this difficult world into a pure land, you should at all times remember to pray to me, Padmasambhava, and to recite my 12 syllable mantra day and night. However, However, if you do not believe in all the said Karma occurrences and the principle of cause and effect, then you must listen fir st to the teaching of Padmasambhava. Do not suffer negative Karma and engage in generosity; Make a strong wish to abandon lies and non-virtuous actions. This writing I send to you people and you must believe it to be true. tr ue. If anybody practices these writings, this troubled world of wars and epidemics will be exhausted and you can calmly live in a world of happiness and bliss. And if anybody takes this letter, copies it and recites it only once, all disasters, sicknesses and wars will be extinguished and he or she will make a pure land appear, appear, which is the Oddiyana land of the Heart Teaching Teaching of Padmasambhava. Merely by listening to this teaching, you will gain the power to banish all ghosts and demons of obstacles and your lifespan and merit will both increase. If you wear this letter on your body, body, your power of speech and good luck will both increase and ghosts and demons cannot harm you. If you put this letter inside your y our home, all troubles or disharmonies caused by the four elements and your enemies will all disappear.; disappear.; then you will create a pure
world where demonic forces and ghosts cannot remain. If only one household will cherish and practice the teaching of this letter, the entire neighbourhood will benefit. If one town or county will cherish and practice the teachings of this letter, the whole nation will benefit. If someone will cherish and practice the teaching of this letter, he or she will not be separated from Padmasambhava. Padmasambhava, will reside over the crown of his or her head in protection, until Maitreya Buddha will be born. If you spread this letter to ten people, you will always overcome your demons in this lifetime and in the future, you y ou will be reborn in Padmasambhava's pure land on the Copper Coloured Mountain. If on the other hand, you have negative thoughts or ideas about this letter, this lifetime you will suffer from disasters, sickness and wars and next lifetime, you will be reborn in the deepest of hells to continue your sufferings. OGYEN PADMASAMBHAVA sent this Letter in the Year of Tiger on 6 June, 10 th day, from the South West land of Losar to Tibet.
The teachings by Guru Rinpoche then, seem as true as ever. So I ask of you, if you feel this letter is in any way touching on the truth of our world today, today, to please forward this letter to as many people as you know. Also, please recite Guru Rinpoche's mantra as much as you can. His mantra goes as follows: OM AH HUNG VAJRA VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG HU NG And then do not forget to dedicate any merit you y ou may create by doing all this, to the benefit of all sentient beings. May it be virtuous!
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