Day Three - Accomplishment

As soon as he could walk, Zopa was always trying to run away. He was a little Nepalese boy living in the Solu Khumbu valley, and drove his mother nuts. Finally, when he was around four years old, she decided to let him run away... So off he marched, up a hill and through a confusing labyrinth of pathways till he arrived at the hermitage cave of a famous deceased Lama. To the astonished onlookers, who had followed his intrepid pilgrimage up the hill, he sat down, crossed his legs  and solemnly announced "I am the Lawudo Lama." Now the Lawudo Lama was a locally recognized Yogi who had passed away at precisely the time Zopa was conceived. Before he died, everyone considered him a bit of tramp. He was wild looking man who spent more than 13 years in solitary confinement in the mountains, living off berries and the kindness of strangers. However, when he died rainbows and other miraculous events occurred, convincing the local people that in fact: they had been living in the presence of an enlightened Master. Before he passed away, the Lawudo Lama apologized that he could not accomplish much for the benefit of others in this life, but that his years in solitary meditation had prepared him for his next life. He promised to return, and work tirelessly in that life for benefit of others. Interestingly, he also promised he would go to the West. He spent all these years to wake up to who he was, to his true self. This is a goal that many members of my 30 Day challenge have been sharing in our FaceBook group. In Buddhist terms, the true self is realization of the non-existent self: emptying all identity and ego till all that is left is the action: There is teaching, but no teacher. Action. That is the theme of my 30 day challenge today… Today's Mission – Considering the Accomplishments for Your True Self

Lama Zopa Rinpoche proved good on the Lawudo Lama's promise – his life is full of the most extraordinary accomplishments. I once heard from his dedicated attendant Ven Roger - an ex-biker with the tattoos to prove it – that Zopa Rinpoche rarely slept, he simply was not human. He would work on his projects, teach at night, return at 10pm or later and attend to the business of FPMT – the largest Tibetan Buddhist organization in the West – then finally at 3am or so he would sit down in his mediation box where Ven Roger would still find him sitting in the morning, as they began another day. I am proud to say that Lama Zopa Rinpoche has graced BodyChance in Japan with his presence –he once visited and taught in our studio. The man is living accomplishment and that is my message to you all today. True self works for others. Doing what? Lama Zopa Rinpoche, for example, is building the Maitreya stature in India. This project will revitalize the economy of the region. It is only one of a multitude of projects that Rinpoche oversees. This is real life, concrete accomplishment. So your LMS can grow to include this – let it include concrete accomplishment, along with the description of the "true Self" vehicle for achieving that accomplishment. Being true is universal, but specifically how do you intend to accomplish this? One of my mentors used to say: one way to transform your Self and grow is to set up a grand goal: for example, make a million dollars through empowering others. To that I say yes; or I could go into the mountains and meditate. I consider them both in the same vein… This leads into Step Two on Niche's which I start tomorrow – whose lives will be affected by your work? How will you leave your world a better place than you found it? You mission (should you wish to accept it) is to work on some numbers, some concrete proposals, of what you would like to accomplish this month, this year, for your entire life? Adopt a time scale that sits comfortably with you, and share that on FaceBook. Or put another way – what will True Self do in this life to benefit (your Self) and others?