Selections from the Writings of Chatral Sangye Dorje Rinpoche (vegetarian), Part 2 of 2 – Words of Advice

Today, we present to you an excerpt from the writings of Chatral Sangye Dorje Rinpoche, “Words of Advice.” “Listen well, my dear disciples who are gathered here, For all those whose hearts have not been spoiled, consider this: The chances of finding a human existence are one in a hundred. Now that you have found one, if you fail to practice the sublime Dharma, How could you possibly expect to find such an opportunity again? This is why it is crucial that you take advantage of your situation. Conceiving of your body as a servant or a thing to ferry you about, Do not allow it to rest in idleness for even a single moment; Use it well, spurring on your entire body, speech and mind to virtue. You might spend your whole life pursuing only food and clothing, With great effort and without regard for suffering or harmful deeds, But when you die you cannot take even a single thing with you – consider this well. The clothing and alms needed to keep you alive are all you need. You might dine on the finest meal of delicious meat and alcohol, But it all turns into something impure the very next morning, And there is nothing more to it all than that. So be content with life-sustaining provisions and simple clothes, And be a loser when it comes to food, clothing and conversation. If you do not reflect on death and impermanence, There will be no way to practice Dharma purely, Practice will remain an aspiration, one that is constantly postponed, And you may feel regret the day that death comes, but by then it will be too late!”