Dipa Ma: The Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master

by Amy Schmidt

Clinging to what is dear brings sorrow, Clinging to what is dear brings fear. To one who is entirely free from endearment, There is no sorrow or fear.

The last time I saw Dipa Ma before she died, she told me that I should sit for two days. She didn’t mean a two-day retreat but one sitting two days long! I had to laugh; it seemed completely impossible. But with uncompromising compassion, she simply said to me, “Don’t be lazy.”

First stage The first stage is to love yourself, to be a best friend to yourself. Begin by extending lovingkindness to yourself. You can use the following words and mental images to guide you in generating and directing your feelings of lovingkindness. Let me be free of enemies. Let me be free of dangers. Let me be free of mental anxieties. Let me pass my time with good body and happy mind. “Enemies” means both outward enemies and also being an enemy to yourself. Enemies can exist in the realm of our feelings, from the slightest irritation to the full force of hatred and ill will toward self or others. While saying these phrases silently, hold an image of yourself steadily and clearly. If you can’t visualize yourself, try to remember how you look in the mirror.

Whatever I have acquired, the strength, the lovingkindness, I extend to you so that you have faith, so that you are in peace. By the grace of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, May everything be good to you, May you be happy, May you be protected from harm, And may you progress in your meditation. I will always be with you.