Happiness cannot be found
Through great effort and willpower,
But is already present,
In open relaxation
And letting go.
Don’t strain yourself;
“There is nothing to do nor undo.
Whatever momentarily arises
In the body mind
Has no real importance at all,
Has little reality whatsoever,
Why identify with, and become
Attached to it,
Passing judgment upon it
And ourselves.
Far better to simply
Let the entire game happen on its own,
Springing up and falling
Back like waves –
Without changing or
Manipulating anything –
And notice how everything
Vanishes and
Reappears, magically, again and again,
Time without end.
Only our searching for happiness
Prevents us from seeing it.
It’s like a vivid rainbow which you
Pursue without every catching,
Or a dog chasing its own tail.
Although peace and happiness do not exist
As an actual thing or place,
It is always available
And accompanies you every instant.
Don’t believe in the reality
Of good and bad experiences;
They are like today’s
Ephemeral weather,
Like rainbows in the sky.
Wanting to grasp the ungraspable,
You exhaust yourself in vain.
As soon as you open and relax this
Tight fist of grasping,
Infinite space is there –open, inviting
And comfortable.
Make use of this spaciousness, this
Freedom and natural ease.
Don’t search any further.
Don’t go into the tangled jungle
Looking for the great
Awakened elephant
Who is already resting quietly at home
In front of your own hearth.
Nothing to do or undo,
Nothing to force,
Nothing to want
And nothing missing –
Emaho! Marvelous!
Everything happens by itself.
~ Ven. Lama Gendun Rinpoche
Karma Tarchine Lundroup Buddhist Monastery, Biollet, France.
