In a short but powerful teaching, Geshe Michael Roach explains how our thoughts and abilities arise from seeds planted in the mind — and how we can deliberately plant the right seeds to transform our lives. Whether it’s learning a new language or mastering a musical instrument, the secret lies in the consistent habit of helping others.
Your Thoughts Come from Mental Seeds
According to Geshe Michael, even your own thoughts are the result of seeds you’ve planted in the past. These mental seeds open up and create your current capacity — what you can think, what you can learn, and what you can do.
That means your mind isn’t fixed. You can increase its power. You can become someone who learns foreign languages with ease or picks up an upright bass and plays like you’ve been doing it your whole life. All of this is possible — if you know how to plant the right seeds.
The Key: Make Helping Others a Way of Life
So, how do you plant these seeds? The answer is simple but profound: you must offer to others what you want for yourself. If you want to become smarter, help someone else with their learning. If you want to be more confident, support others in building their confidence.
But here’s the catch — doing it once is not enough. As Geshe Michael says, “It’s like throwing a watermelon seed on concrete.” It won’t grow unless you consistently plant it in fertile ground and water it with regular actions. This has to become part of your daily lifestyle — helping others every day, from the heart.
“What you want, you must offer to others regularly — or it won’t work.”
Geshe Michael Roach
This teaching challenges us to shift our focus outward. To make meaningful change in our own lives, we must make generosity and service to others part of our identity.
