Never Enjoy Blessings to the Fullest

Rinpoche first discoursed in January, 1992
Senior Cheng in France repeated it on behalf of Rinpoche on 28th October, 2001 (after about nine years)
Uploaded to the Website on 15th September, 2014 (and then after about thirteen years again)
Introduction
	•	What does ‘Never enjoy blessings to the fullest and never ever say words to the last’ mean?  It is because only when everything is in the state of ‘not endless’ that it will be ‘endless’ and this is regarded as the most blessed situation. If blessings are enjoyed to the fullest, it will be followed by a decline. Thus, one has to cherish blessings, nurture blessings as well as ‘accumulate’ blessings. More importantly, it is to ‘cultivate’ the land of blessings.
	•	Let’s take fresh flowers as an example. Are the flowers offering on the altar table at shrine colourful and beautiful?  Blooming flowers are of course gorgeous. They are bursting resplendently at the moment (as they have bloomed to the fullest) but they will soon wilt followed by the gradual withering and falling of the flower petals one after the other. Hence, when flowers are in buds or at new-blown, they are not only the prettiest, but also more enduring. Therefore, an ancient great scholar had ever said, “Flowers that are not fully bloomed and The Moon that is not yet full (both circumstances make one in eager anticipation for something good to happen in the near future).” When flowers are blooming, it implies that they are about to wilt. When it is the full moon, The Moon is the roundest but it wanes in a twinkle.
Content
	•	The same happens to practitioners in their cultivation. When one thinks that one is not practising very well, it is in fact the best and the most beautiful situation since one has not yet reached the acme of perfection. As there is an end, its fate will be finite too. This results in an attribution to Nirvana (which means an absolute extinction). Thus, there is no room for complacency but to consult and study frequently from the others.
	•	A papaya tree grows luxuriantly, however, it neither blossoms nor yields fruits, what can be done?  Someone has told me a trick, it is to nail two iron nails on the top of the papaya tree and it is guaranteed that the tree will bloom and bear fruits immediately. This simple method is genuinely such magical.
		If it is comprehended from the scientific approach, as the vascular bundles of the papaya tree is damaged, the nutrients cannot be re-transported to its roots to let the papaya tree has enough nutrients to blossom and yield fruits. However, judging this from another point of view, when a living thing is attacked by foreign objects, it becomes aware that it is in danger and its life is being threatened. As a result, it speeds up its reproductive concept and can wait no longer to bloom and bear fruits. ‘Practising Cultivation’ is similar, when one is in adverse circumstances, encounters distress or even be persecuted by a malignant star (usually refers to a person who brings disasters), all these may not necessarily be bad to cultivation practice. As one suffers from external irritant such as experiencing impermanent personally, one will realize the terrifying as well as woe of disputes (right and wrong) in the world. One’s determination for renunciation of the Three Realms is thus motivated and inspired. This thereupon introduces one into deeper cultivation practice in which liberation is finally achieved.
	•	In order to be pollinated to a farther distance, seeds of cotton have wadding to facilitate this. Yet, the cotton wadding is too light that it makes the seed drift aimlessly in the air forever. Actually, the same happens with the vanity of mankind. As one pursues vanity, one’s intention to seek connections in high places makes one resembles the light wadding cottonseeds that whirls involuntarily under the karmic wind in the secular world. When one believes that one is going to achieve one’s anticipated target (desire), an unexpected sudden change appears in a flash which consequently causes everything to be declared destroyed or failed. Just like the cottonseeds being blown to some other places, one finds it extremely difficult to reach a situation that one is satisfied with. (Desires never cease, they are even considered to be vast and limitless. Similarly, greed, hatred, delusion, ignorance and pride in human are ceaseless).
	•	Some people are unwilling to accept their poverty, their unpleasant looks, their talents being buried and unappreciated, their failure to fall in love, their failure in doing everything and their loneliness etc. The dissatisfaction induces the intention to seek connections in high places, like the wadding cottonseeds, which results in drifting aimlessly under the karmic wind and barrier wave in the whirlpool of life. By the time when one feels desolate and painful with this sense of drifting, one will naturally hope to take root. Nevertheless, vanity is also like cottonseed that is surrounded by wadding in which it is eventually made to continue to drift in the air involuntarily. Sometimes it does drift to a good place, yet it is unable to take root.
	•	What is vanity?  It is an illusory honour which is unavailable. According to The Vajra Prajna Paramita Sutra, “All things contrived are like dream, illusion, bubble and shadow… ” Vanity is also something unreal and imaginary.
Conclusion
	•	If it is not the ambitious desire to pollinate to the furthest place, cottonseeds will not be surrounded by marvellous creation that excels nature --- the buoyant wadding. Then, most of them would not have experienced the forever drifting in the air which ends up with a gloomy chance to take root. Even when some can successfully be landed, it is still uncertain whether the soil there is fertile or not so that they can intake good nutrients to grow sustainably.
	•	Practitioners may sometimes have the mentality of ‘visiting different worshipping places’ by joining this sect for a while and then go to another sect to learn from them for some time ,… . Consulting and learning in different sects is of course something good to do. However, if it is done under the drive of vanity to seek connections in high places , for example, going to this sect to take a look when one is told that it is a good sect. When there is ‘jetso (benefit)’in another sect, one then will go there to get some advantages. Busying with all these until one is exhausted before one realizes that one has already missed a golden opportunity. The chance of studying under an enlightened Guru as well as the timing and lucky chance of learning Buddhist Principles and Tantric Dharma are all missed. It is precisely shown in the saying, ‘Growing up in happiness, one often fails to appreciate the happy life one is enjoying (it means the same as ‘Take it for granted’)’. It is only when the opportunity is ever missed that you will understand the therein logic of ‘People who are suffering from pain know the suffering’.
	•	Don’t behave like the wadding cottonseeds that are constantly floating everywhere, resulting in the incapability of genuinely practising cultivation in an earnest manner. One should search for a dependable Guru and learn Buddhism under him. Moreover, one should have a steadfast loyalty in one’s Guru whom one chooses to depend on as well as attach to.
	•	Rinpoche seldom prays for special blessings for so-and-so individual (At the very beginning, Rinpoche might have ever looked for/prayed for blessings for his disciples hoping that once the difficulties in their daily lives have been solved, he/she could gradually be guided to learn Buddhism.), solely hopes that his/her karma can be eliminated. Hence, Pray for Blessing Ceremony is only done as a matter of expedience to meet and guide practitioners indirectly. Looking forward to seeing one that will go deep into learning Buddhism and having one’s karma eliminated as soon as possible, it is hoped that one can be in favourable circumstances to cultivate oneself according to Buddhist doctrines at ease.
	•	Never enjoy Blessings to the fullest. Even though you are fortunate enough to have the blessings and protection from the lucky star in this present life such that you own famous car, live in luxurious house and enjoy sophisticated life, they are all ‘limited’ blessed rewards from the material world. In case if the blessings are squandered wantonly and money is spent like dirt (extravagantly), they will soon be exhausted and when one’s blessings are fully enjoyed, one will certainly be on the wane.
		On the contrary, even if you are poor and suffer from a predicament in this present life, you have no material benefits, neither famous car nor luxurious house; this does not deserve the name to be indifferent. Though living a simple and frugal life, there is Dharma Joy in your innermost being. Indeed, you have already possessed a priceless treasure in your mind －‘Buddha Dharma’.
	•	Practitioners should not practice cultivation for the reason that one cannot bear to part with enjoying blessings. Never enjoy Blessings to the fullest as when blessings are fully enjoyed, one will have no more blessings. One should know that when everything is exerted to its full extent, ‘the destiny’ will undoubtedly be used up in advance(that is if you enjoy all blessed rewards/things you get at once, the blessed rewards will be used up earlier). Please always keep in mind that one has to cultivate blessings as well as accumulate virtue so that both of them can act as sambhara (merits: the performance of good actions/deeds gives rise to merits) for cultivation at one’s old age or future life!