The Value of Trust

An Edited Excerpt From Oral Teachings Given by Geshe Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, December 2009

I know many of you have been on a spiritual journey for a long time, and many are just entering into one. It is clear that there are many different ways we can take this journey, and at times it can be easy, at others difficult. But whatever form your journey takes, if there’s some sense of trust there, some sense of “It’s there and I’m going to stick with it and continue,” then I think there is a light there. That aspect of trust in our spiritual journey is something we all need.

If we want to learn, nourish ourselves and grow, we need to be aware that there is this treasure here in the teachings and that we have access to it. It is such a richness in our midst, with benefits not just for this lifetime but also for many lifetimes to come. From time to time it’s good to really recognize the value of these teachings. That feeling that you can access the teachings wherever you are in the world is so comforting, it makes life very rich. With so much changing in the world and so many things happening within our lives, we can see clearly that there is something very, very valuable in what we are being given access to. In my personal experience, whenever I connect to the truth of this richness, I can’t help thinking what an enormous gift it is. We have to make it a continual practice to remember this richness and not get lost in the little problems of life.

At times, the daily challenges that arise can make us feel disconnected from our journey and our meditation practice. This can be true even when it is simply peace of mind that we seek from our practice. But as long as you trust that there is a support there, that there is always an antidote to suffering, then no matter how difficult things are, engaging in practice can bring an immediate, positive shift. Your circumstances do not necessarily change, but rather you change. You see?  It’s not always a question of things changing around you.

Sometimes things are difficult and may continue to be difficult — for example, you could have an extended illness — but if you change, then you find that things are not so hard. That is the victory of self-realization. You do not necessarily avoid problems, but you are able to go beyond them. You do not necessarily avoid human suffering and conflict, but you are able to go beyond them. You do not avoid sickness, but you are able to go beyond sickness. You do not avoid death, but you are able to go beyond death.

These powerful spiritual practices give us the power and strength to do that. Sometimes of course you are able to change the situation, but other times you are not, and instead you go beyond it. Trusting in that ability is very, very important.