Learning Dharma is not the same as studying in schools and universities, which are done with worldly thoughts, expecting temporal comforts. The objectives of studying Dharma are not the same. The objectives of our Dharma study should be higher, and if they are not, we are simply wasting time. Our knowledge will only work in a positive way in dependence on our own minds. If we try to gain knowledge in a positive way, the effect will be positive. If not, the result will only be suffering. The serious Dharma practitioner appreciates the great importance of generating positive action.

The subjects that we study during our Dharma education are hard to understand, taking years, so we must not become discouraged and give everything up if the results do not come immediately. Understanding comes slowly, as we continue our meditation, practice, and study. It is also important to remember that the difficulty is caused by our ignorance, and not by the subject matter. If we abandon the subject matter of our Dharma study and practice, we waste our human life with its potential for great realisations.

This teaching is given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
Courtesy of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

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