| If you learn Dharma and you are very lazy, you | | | | benefit others without a motive - benefit others with |
| know - you move lazily and you have this kind of dull | | | | a motive but at least, benefit them. We should have |
| way about you or you're always dropping things or | | | | that wish, we should generate and increase good |
| always unaware, then people will look at you and | | | | habits. Habits of our mind such as irresponsibility or |
| think "Oh, if I do dharma, then will I be like that". | | | | laziness or hiding from the truth or hiding our ego- |
| Why would people think that? Because you have | | | | those are habits everybody has. But when we're in |
| used dharma as your label - I take refuge, I'm a | | | | dharma, those qualities of our mind should decrease |
| Buddhist. So if you use that label, you have to | | | | If our bad habits decrease that means: |
| behave according to that label. Similarly, if your body | | | | A) We have become a true Buddhist, and therefore |
| is very rough, you always show rough actions, slam, | | | | we do not need to fear death and our next life. The |
| break things then people will think "oh, dharma is like | | | | only way not to have fear of death and next life is |
| that, people who are spiritual are like that. Why do I | | | | to become a true Buddhist. True Buddhists control |
| need to practice? They're worse than me, worse". | | | | their minds and transform their minds after 1 year. |
| So when your friends have trouble, your friends have | | | | Then we will have no fear of death and next life, |
| difficulties, your friends need you, your family, your | | | | none. That's the whole point of taking refuge. It is to |
| loved ones need you, you cannot help them because | | | | save you from the 3 lower realms. |
| they won't listen to your advice. Why? They've lost | | | | B) The people we love and the people we meet and |
| their respect for you. Why? Because they have | | | | the people who know us will be equally affected and |
| observed your body and your speech and your mind | | | | will go, "Oh, they have transformed like that. Dharma |
| and they are not impressed. | | | | is good, I will practice." Even if they don't practice |
| Once you take refuge in dharma and you learn the | | | | they will support. So, even when we transform our |
| dharma for more than 1 year - you should see a | | | | minds, we'll have people's emotional support and love |
| transformation in your mind. What kind of | | | | and care and patience. Why? Because our minds |
| transformation? Increase in tolerance, increase in | | | | have transformed and people close to us will notice. |
| patience, increase in the wish to help others. If not to | | | | |