O Protector, you renounced the kingdom of a universal monarch,
Casting it aside as if it were nothing more than poisoned food,
And, all alone, you departed for the quiet of the forest,
There to accomplish single-pointed meditation—thus we’ve heard.
Therefore, these delightful mountain solitudes,
Are like the family estate to the supreme guide’s heirs,
And, as the best of protectors himself has said,
To rely on solitude is indeed the pinnacle of joys!
Forests, hermitages and isolated dwelling places—
These are the outer solitude of the Victor’s heirs.
Avoiding selfishness and faint-hearted fears—
This is the bodhisattvas’ internal isolation.
Keeping, therefore, to outer forms of solitude,
Tame the inner afflictions through tranquillity and insight,
And aspire to the supreme conduct of Samantabhadra—
Possessing such good fortune one is truly the Buddhas’ heir.
From: Advice for Alan Dongak, by Patrul Rinpoche
http://www.lotsawahouse.org/tibetan-masters/patrul-rinpoche/advice-alak-dongak This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
Translated by Adam Pearcey, 2014. Originally published on adamspearcey.com.