All Things Rest on the Point of Intention

To be able to understand every single word of every single Dharma teaching we receive would be wonderful, but we should not hold ourselves hostage to that ambition. The most important thing when listening to teachings, especially teachings like these, is your intention for doing so.

In fact, the amount of benefit that you reap or accrue in listening to the songs [of Barway Dorje] depends more on your intention then it does on your understanding of the literal meaning of each line of the song. As it is said, “All things rest on the point of intention.” So if you find yourself unable to understand part of a song, or the main body of a song, don’t worry too much about it. Simply regard it as a source or vehicle for receiving the blessing of the Dharma.

[From a teaching on The Songs of Barway Dorje, Part 10, given by Bardor Tulku Rinpoche at KPL in June 2017. Translated by Lama Yeshe Gyamtso.]