Mon, 03 Aug 2009
Luther Comes Through
Luther has published his notes from the talk Khenchen Konchog Gyaltsen gave on the guru yoga sadhana he composed. Here, for comparison, are my notes, which are not nearly as complete as his.
We are fortunate to have the opportunity to come together and share dharma knowledge. This is something very precious. Many people have come from a distance to be here. You came here from seeing the benefits of the dharma, how it helps us and others, and eventually leads to enlightenment. The reason why people are so busy is that they are seeking happiness, peace, and freedom from suffering. We practice dharma for the same reason. This tradition stated with Shakyamuni Buddha 2500 years ago. And before Shakyamuni became enlightened, he started practicing countless eons ago. After Shakyamuni, his followers took his teaching to many countries in Asia, walking day and night. This can be seen in the life of Marpa. To go to India these days we make a lot of preparations and travel by plane and car. But none of these were available to Marpa. Marpa traveled to Tibet not only for himself, but also for all beings. Nowadays getting the teaching is so much easier. And the teachings are spreading because there is a need. They lead to wisdom and an insight into mind. Mind is so complex and hidden. But the mind rules the whole world. According to Buddhist cosmology, at the beginning of this eon wind arose from empty space, then water from wind, then earth from water. Similarly the mind arises from emptiness. So zero is the most important number. All the afflictions arise from empty mind and when emptiness is seen they are cut through.
All the causes of peace and happiness are permitted and the causes of suffering are prohibited. You should investigate and see how things work, and then follow this path. When you understand this clearly you will feel you have no choice, as when you must cook a meal when you are hungry. If you don't need happiness and peace then there is no need to practice. But to have the cause of happiness is important. So that is how we study and practice the teaching. This is not because it's spiritual. or because we're interested, this is the reality of the situation. Sometimes we have a wrong understanding. We need to have a mind for the path and put the mind in the right place, because when it's in the wrong place it leads to suffering. So mind is powerful for good or bad. This is something we can understand, not just believe. Impermanence is how phenomena are. not just what we believe. It starts with a philosophical understanding, but then a practical understanding must be born out of it. Normally we think that everything except me is impermanent. But we should see everything is impermanent, including me. Then there will be peace and happiness. So there are so many things to learn.
There are several qualities that describe reality. It is uncompounded, without beginning or cause. It does not abide anywhere. It is everywhere and nowhere. And when thoughts dissolve, the mind goes nowhere. When you realize mind, that is everything. To realize mind is to see that it is uncompounded. And when you see the nature of mind, all the qualities are spontaneously established. Mind does not depend on conditions.
Buddha perfected the three qualities of wisdom, compassion, and ability. The perfection of wisdom is knowing everything as it is and knowing the qualities of everything. Buddha has an indomitable compassion to sentient beings. Because of that, he teaches. The Uttaratantra Shastra has the analogy of a poor family camping on the empty ground, suffering. A miner knows there is gold under the ground and tells them they can dig it up. So Buddha has the ability to purify all the delusions. So Buddha has wisdom, compassion, and ability. In that we take refuge. Buddha is not a person, Buddha is the dharmakaya. The word dharma has several meanings. Every phenomenon that exists is called dharma. Dharma is also the path to enlightenment. It is also the object of the mind. So "dharma" means everything that exists and "kaya" means the quality of this, that is the dharmakaya. From this arises the form body the rupakaya. This arises from Buddha's compassion and ability. So we take refuge in this. We also have these same qualities, but we have not seen them.
Next comes dharma, the truth of cessation and the truth of the path. Cessation is beyond our conceptual thought. I'm sure you have heard of mahamudra or dzogchen. It's like that, non-dual beyond perception or conceptual thought. Cessation is not just the cessation of suffering. It is not just mere emptiness. Within emptiness all wisdom and compassion displays. The more you understand emptiness, the more compassion arises. So that is the truth of cessation. Dharma study purifies all the afflictions. That is the path that dispels confusion and purifies afflictions. First we read and understand the dharma. Then we must put what we read into practice. Since dharma is the mode of abiding of all phenomena, we can understand it. Some people think the dharma is so hard. It seems hard because our habitual tendencies are so hard to break through. Dharma is the way to become a better human being, with a clearer mind and more peace. Renunciation does not mean we give up the cause of happiness, it means giving up the cause of suffering. So that is what the dharma is, purification, dispelling, and the antidote for the defilements. If we apply it, dharma is the antidote for every affliction. So that is how we take refuge in the dharma.
The sangha is all the great bodhisattvas of the eighth bhumi or above. The ordinary sangha is not the object of refuge. That is, unless you have a brave mind. So the sangha is the high bodhisattvas, close to the Buddhas' level. In the ultimate refuge, the Buddha, dharma, and sangha are one in the Buddha. Sometimes I am asked if the Buddhas are inside or outside. Until we are enlightened, Buddha is on the outside. But when we are fully enlightened, we become our own refuge. So we take refuge in the Three Jewels until we become enlightened ourselves.
Sentient beings are victims of their mental afflictions and projections. My suffering is created by my delusion. That is the reality of samsara. It's important to recall this again and again and use the dharma to purify it. Sometimes people commit suicide out of confusion. They feel there's no help, no space. We should regard these people with great compassion. Usually we have compassion for those who are suffering and not for those who are causing it. But because all is interconnected, both are involved in suffering. We need to use our wisdom to see this. We generate the mind for enlightenment so that all beings can be freed from samsara. So this is the establishment of bodhicitta.
Next we visualize Jigten Sumgon, who is Vajradhara himself. He sits on a lion throne representing the ten strengths, four fearlessnesses, and eighteen unmixed dharmas. We should know these exactly so we can cultivate the causes of them. If you practice the ten non-virtues, that will not benefit you. If you practice the ten virtues, they will. As an enlightened being, he knows how karma materializes. He knows the six elements and eighteen dhatus. Buddha can explain all these without mistake. Buddha can see the inclinations and needs of all sentient beings. He knows the faculties and capacities of sentient beings, what they need to hear and how they need to hear it. Buddha knows every path that sentient beings may take. Buddha is the greatest scientist, because everything is clear to him. He knows the pure and afflicted mental states, the different levels of samadhi. He recalls where he dwelt in countless previous lives. He knows when beings will die and where they will be reborn. So these nine strengths constitute the Buddha's omniscience. The tenth is the strength of knowing the exhaustion9n of afflictions in himself and others.
Buddha has the four fearlessnesses. A Buddha has no fear of proclaiming that he has discarded all that needs discarding and that he possesses all good qualities. Once there was a famous doctor. Buddha asked him what medicine could be made from each plant and rock. There were a few the doctor did not know and Buddha explained them to him. Buddha has no fear to proclaim to others what needs to be adopted and discarded.
He has the eighteen unmixed qualities. He is without confusion physically, verbally, or mentally. He is not noisy. He is not forgetful. He never loses the meditative state. He does not distinguish between what he likes and dislikes. He does not fail to note the distinctness of things in this equanimity. His motivation, perseverance, mindfulness, samadhi, prajna, and liberation do not degenerate. Every action is preceded by wisdom and followed through by wisdom. He sees the past, present, and future with a wisdom which is unattached and unobstructed. Sitting on a lion seat means he has these qualities. He has the 32 major and 80 minor marks of the form of a Buddha. These are described in the Abhismayalamkara. His activities reach to all sentient beings in the form of radiant light. The earth is the basis for all sentient beings, but has no thought of benefiting beings. In the same way the Buddhas benefit all beings without effort. The earth cannot fulfil the needs of one greedy person. So we need to appreciate this.
So we visualize Lord Jigten Sumgon in front of us and think how he embodies all the enlightened qualities. He radiates light in all directions as we recite the mantra. Then we recite a short prayer describing his qualities and light rays dissolve into all four places, purifying the four obscurations. These are white light dissolving into the forehead purifying obscurations of body, red light dissolving into the throat, purifying obscurations of speech, blue light into the heart purifying all our delusions, and yellow light dissolving into the navel purifying the combined obscurations of body, speech, and mind. Then he dissolves into white light and dissolves into our head. Our minds are unified and we meditate in mahamudra.
So this meditation can be done in five minutes or we can spend several hours on it. This practice will help you if you do it daily. I'm sure you've heard of the prayer, Calling the Lama from Afar. Jigten Sumgon said he is present when everyone calls on him. If you practice this, Jigten Sumgon will be more than a statue. We finish the practice with a dedication prayer.
Q: What is the biggest thing that holds us back from practice?
A: Attachment. When Milarepa was meditating in the mountains a deer ran up and sat by him, by the power of his compassion. The dog that was chasing him also sat down by him. He sang a song saying through hope and fear you wander through samsara. Hope is attachment and fear is aggression.
Q: When we meditate on Jigten Sumgon, he is in front of us? Are we in our ordinary form?
A: Yes, he is in front of you. You can visualize yourself in the form of any deity you have the empowerment for.
