My most dear, most kind, most precious, wish-fulfilling one,
How are you? Thank you very much for the letter and the information. It is very good, whichever language you use, the English or French translation. And Geshe Sopa’s [text] is excellent, as it will expand your wisdom and compassion, not to expand the words but to actualize their meaning.

I am very happy. For the mistakes that happened, you confessed them. That makes you unbelievably free and is the way to achieve liberation and enlightenment.

First read the whole lamrim three times, with study. The things you don’t know or understand, write them down, then ask a geshe or Sangha member who has good knowledge. 

Study the text three times from the beginning to the end and each time you will learn new things. It is said that if we read the Lamrim Chenmo nine times, then nine times we will learn new things.

For four months, meditate on following the virtuous friend correctly by following the outlines. For one week meditate on the benefits, then one week on the shortcomings, and continue like this for the four basic outlines. Circle over these for the four months.

Then for four months, meditate on renunciation, following the lower and middle capable beings’ paths: renouncing this life, looking at the defects of samsara and of future lives. 

Then spend four months on bodhicitta, followed by four months meditating on emptiness.

Do like that five times, the whole thing.

After that, train in perfectly following the virtuous friend effortlessly (before it was effortful) until you have a stable realization, until you see numberless past, present and future buddhas are the guru and all their actions are pure, especially seeing mistaken actions appearing as every single buddha’s actions. Meditate until you have stable realizations.

If you can, doing the same days, before bodhicitta, we need renunciation, the path of the lower capable being, no matter how many months or years it takes. Then the path of the middle capable being and then the graduated path of the higher capable being, bodhicitta, of which there are two techniques. Use whichever one is more effective for you.

Then emptiness, which should be done from now. Do some meditation on emptiness every day, reciting the Heart Sutra or quotations relating to emptiness. Something like that.

First thing in the morning follow the morning motivation, which transforms the mind into Dharma and into bodhicitta. Then blessing the speech.

Then you can do Lama Chöpa. You don’t need to chant, just recite the prayer and do the meditations. If not, do Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga. [Find links to practice materials in the FPMT Catalogue.]

In the evening, at the end of the protector prayers, do the King of Prayers, then it’s so easy to be reborn in the pure land, because you are doing it for all sentient beings, even the ants and mosquitoes that non-Buddhists kill or boil in hot water and eat, like frogs and lobsters.

One thing, whichever your deity is, by reciting the whole path to enlightenment prayer, you leave that positive imprint on your mind.

Every day, morning or evening, do prostrations to the Thirty-five Buddhas, then Vajrasattva, one (or so) malas or at least twenty-one times, at least with the four opponent powers, making it a perfect confession.

Each month, do self-initiation. There are elaborate, middle and short versions. I am not sure if you have it in English. I doubt it. There is a short version in English. Many Sangha have it and it’s done in Lama Chöpa. My Guru Trijang Rinpoche wrote it. The four initiations are the common one, whereas I’m talking about the uncommon one, not in the prayer.

The other thing, if you have done retreat with fire puja, you can do self-initiation. Then twice each month, on the tsog days, you can do any of the initiations. Those who can, can do the short or the middle one. That makes your life most practical, useful and beneficial, and it is easy to be free of samsara and liberated.

I want to express my billion, million, trillion thanks for building the center. I didn’t get to thank you before. You got to do that by the grace of the Three Rare Sublime Ones. You got help from them for you, one person. And you dedicated your life to the Sangha, so now they can enjoy with one thousand buddhas.

What you did helps many Sangha, even though I didn’t get to contact you much. And it is for all sentient beings.

That’s all!

Thank you very much.

With love and prayers ...