GURU RINPOCHE WARNING LETTER ON KARMAorThe State of the World Today by Theodoor Richard

 

GURU RINPOCHE WARNING LETTER ON KARMAorThe State of the World TodaybyTheodoor Richard

Guru Rinpoche, or Padmasambhava, was a Buddhist Saint who lived at the end of thefirst milennium. He was born in India, but traveled to Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet, where hespent many years to introduce Tantric Buddhism to the people of Tibet. He did so uponthe invitation of the Dharma King Trisong Deutsen, who wanted to re-establishBuddhism as Tibet's national spiritual heirdom.Guru Rinpoche was a great Tantric master. By many, mostly the Tibetan Buddhistschools of the Nyingma and Kagyu, he is considered to personalize the secondemanation on this Earth of the Buddha of our time, Buddha Shakyamuni.Many masters in Buddhism of our modern days, consider the teachings of GuruRinpoche 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 mostlywith bad circumstances, sickness and wars.From his kindness and compassionate heart, Guru Rinpoche decided to send a WarningLetter in his Earthly lifetime, to the people of Tibet to explain very clearly to them, thelaws of Karma, or the workings of cause and effect. This especially, with respect to theeffects 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 isgetting scarcer and scarcer, I feel it is very good to attempt a modest translation of thisletter and publish it here for you to read and contemplate.It reads as follows:

 

OM AH PADMASAMBHAVAThis 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 asoffering.Monks are not reciting the Sutras, but indulging in singing, dancing andentertainment; while not doing accumulation of merit, nor practicing generosity,they seek money from all directions. Not wearing the monks' robes, they changeinto casual clothes. Nuns break their vows and do not uphold discipline, without shame; they lie andonly pretend to keep up the discipline. Not accumulating merit, they seek onlyouter 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.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 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 theoccurrence of floodings and disasters of the land can no longer be prevented.If people disturb the local deities by violently digging out water from hiddensources, 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 alot 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 deeplyremember 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 mindto me, Padmasambhava and after the demons are born into Tiber in the Tiger year,remember to chant my 12 syllable mantra day and night.In the year of Iron Dragon, floodings and earthquakes will trouble human lives, asdemons 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 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;