The Greatest Merit and the Gravest Misdeed (Part II)

Some teachers are surrounded by people who relate very well to one another. They do not compete; they think wholeheartedly of beings. In such an environment, beneficial activity can unfold naturally. If a community is consumed by internal maneuvering, the teacher may become weary over time, and the work of benefiting others will be affected.

Every teacher has different activities. If the surrounding students oppose one another sharply and live as if in fire and water, it is uncomfortable for others to see and harmful for the teacher as well. Even if one says outwardly that one is supporting the teacher, work will not go well if the mind is filled with strong attachment and anger.

For the teacher's activity of teaching Dharma and benefiting beings, students need to share one heart and one intention. When there is no selfish agenda, and the wish is simply to benefit beings and support the teacher, the work can naturally come to completion.

Vajra companions are described in several scopes. In the broadest sense, all beings are companions. More specifically, those who have entered Buddhism are distant vajra companions; those who have entered Vajrayana are close vajra companions; and those accepted by the same teacher or initiated in the same mandala are intimate vajra companions.

To slander or harm such companions is to violate a Vajrayana commitment. Today many people receive Vajrayana teachings from the same teacher. If jealousy, anger, and competition lead them into slander, quarrels, or fighting, the commitment is broken. This is sometimes called internal vajra conflict, and its harm is very serious.

For this reason, may all vajra companions live harmoniously. Truly supporting a lineage is not only a matter of outer work; it is also the protection of commitment, respect, and a clean heart within relationships.

When disciples of one teacher practice Dharma while fighting with one another, they obstruct the teacher's activity and may even affect the teacher's life. The text recounts a teacher of pure discipline and great blessing whose two students fought intensely for a long time. The teacher reconciled them more than once, yet the conflict returned. Although they were eventually reconciled again, the harm of broken commitment was said to have left the teacher's hand shaking from then on.

Such examples remind us that discord among companions is not a small matter. It harms the people involved and the shared work they are meant to support. Practitioners need patience and wisdom in relationships. When difficulty appears or a few unpleasant words are heard, the response should not be immediate emotional retaliation.

The heart of Dharma is study, reflection, and practice. The teacher repeatedly emphasized studying texts and video teachings such as The Two Systems, Letter to a Friend, The Words of My Perfect Teacher, The Way of the Bodhisattva, Liberating Light, and The Great Compassion Dharma Collection again and again.

In practice, one should keep up the preliminary practices, the Avalokiteshvara mantra, and the Confession to the Thirty-Five Buddhas every day. The preliminary practices, or ngondro, especially need to be practiced repeatedly.

If these practices of study, reflection, and meditation continue over the long term, faith, renunciation, and compassion will gradually increase, and many aspects of life will become steadier. Therefore the key points of practice must be held clearly.