Part 4 - Why we should think about the Dharma

Here is the reason why the person who has attained freedom and favor should think only of the Dharma.

Therefore, having heard the Dharma from holy beings,
To establish what is proper,^[1] abide within the Dharma.
Cultivate what is Dharmic. Put an end to what is not.
By accomplishing Dharma, we will abide within the Dharma.

That is the authentic instruction. It is difficult to meet with a spiritual friend. To hear the Dharma and be able to practice it is difficult. Always to work hard at it is very difficult. When the Buddha was expounding the Exposition of Vinaya (Vinaya vibangha : A’dul ba rnam par a’byed pa) at Vaishali, this was among the beneficial instructions given:

O monks, consider the beings of the lower realms. After going there, a material human form is very difficult to obtain. Consider teachers with wrong views. Meeting a genuine spiritual friend is very difficult. Consider those who have broken their discipline, and how they have damaged discipline and liberation. By dwelling in the goodness of renunciation, Dharma, which alone is good, will be practiced. Therefore, joyfully dwelling in forests or monasteries, go beyond this life.