Advice to Americans

Khentrul Rinpoche, the abbot of a monastery in eastern Tibet, is touring the United States and offering advice to Americans about weathering the financial crisis.

According to Paul Beebe of the Salt Lake City Tribune, the Rinpoche told his audience at Ja Na Ling Sangha of Utah that America's current doubts and confusion are rooted in our expectation that the world should conform to our expectations. He also said that Americans should understand that everything is impermanent, including prosperity. True happiness comes from within, not from without.

The economic crisis, he continued, makes the teachings more timely than ever. The financial crisis is an opportunity for Americans to become less attached to wealth and cultivate inner happiness. "We have a tendency to take for granted we are human. How rare this is," he said. "We [should] appreciate our human lives and [not] waste it on frivolous pursuits."