Offering the Caring Anthem

We at the Nyingma Institute, dedicated to the Buddhist path of healing the causes of suffering and generating a positive momentum of body, speech and mind offer these words from Tarthang Tulku’s Caring book for all of us, inter-connected and all equally precious:

Caring’s Anthem

Caring knows every place—but caring knows no position.

Caring is not afraid to get its hands dirty, working in the sun.

Caring loves methods, and the joy of broader knowledge.

Caring does not rule or discriminate.

If there is caring, nobody will have to go lower;

nobody will ever get bullied or beaten up.

Caring is wisdom; wise caring prevents problems.

Caring can take care of impatience.

Caring can prevent not-knowing;

This sublime knowing could be knowable because I try

and do not give up.

This is the heart of my caring: what I know, I practice.

I am not ready to give up.

My caring is continuity, wisdom and compassion.

Caring continues, on behalf of body and mind.

Time is precious: I need to take care, constantly.

Caring with consistency is not a concept. Embody it! I will, too.

To promote caring, we need to listen. We need to listen

to what the problem is.

We need to look at why there is trouble:

Trees are falling down. Garbage is not picked up. People

are yelling and screaming, people are in pain.

This is the heart of my caring: what I know, I practice.

I am not ready to give up.

Look: look around. Listen to them, for they are your friends.

Investigate the motivations.

Ask: What are they looking for, what do they want to say?

What is the position they take? What are the claims staked,

and what the consequences?

What is ignorance doing here; what is missing?

And we, when we look at them: what are we missing?

What misinterpretation, what tortured self wastes away in chains?

When we feel sympathy, sorrow, we are beginning to invite caring.

We can be like hunters, searching: what is the problem?

Someone does not know why they are unhappy.

You track it down: it’s because of lack of care,

because of ignorance.

They lost their hearts, their heads, and they don’t even know.

There’s work to do, but we’ll get them back.

This is the heart of my caring: what I know, I practice.

I am not ready to give up.