Guru Yoga Meditation
Khenchen Konchog Rinpoche composed a brief guru yoga meditation on the founder of the Drikung Kagyu Lineage, Jigten Sumgon. These are my notes from his talk. I have put the English text of this meditation at the end of my notes.
Everyone has the goal to be happy and free of suffering. But almost no one knows that freedom from suffering comes from liberation from samsara. Although our friends and parents are kind, they are not aware of this vicious cycle of samsara. We can not escape from this day or night. And this continues from life to life. To escape this we need to train our mind, which is very complex. Although we cannot see it or measure it, it is there. Nothing functions independently. Everything needs its causes and conditions to function. Our life is so fragile. When the temperature is too high or low we cannot exist. Buddhism analyzes our body and mind as the five skandhas and the four elements. Fire is hot, water is cool, earth is heavy and air is light. So we are the fragile result of interdependence.
Emptiness in a dualistic sense means that something is not here, but is somewhere else. We need to realize the non-dualistic emptiness. But we cannot ignore the relative. That would be an artificial emptiness. Everything outside is the product of the mind directly or indirectly.
Appreciate every moment, because we have this precious human life. It is precious because we have the opportunity to reveal Buddha nature. Rejoice and appreciate yourself. If I am sick I am clearing my bad karma. Everyone, even animals have the defilements. Buddha said "I cannot wash your defilements with water, or take away your suffering with my hands. What I can do is to give my teaching to you."
Q: Can you recommend a practice now that we are at war?
A: Just loving kindness, compassion, and bodhicitta. They are the essence of all the teachings. When something big happens we get serious. But suffering is happening all the time. So make yourself an authentic dharma practitioner with the desire to help others. Practice the three baskets of sutra, vinaya, and abhidharma.
Guru means teacher. It means one who has more knowledge and wisdom. Wisdom through experience. Literally it means heavy. The highest guru is the Buddha. Yoga in Tibetan is naljor. Nal means not artificial, what is as it is. You mind now is now confined by confusion. Nal is the unconfined expanse of space. Sometimes it is called ordinary mind. We need to bring this mind onto the path. You are already in dharmakaya, but do not realize it. When you purify all the delusions, that is fruition. So first we need to reflect on the suffering of all sentient beings. And remind yourself that everything is impermanent. Karma is causality.
Every action has its result. Only Buddha's wisdom understands it. First visualize Vajradhara and recite the refuge prayer. Vajradhara's body is the sangha, his speech is the dharma, and his mind is the Buddha. I take refuge to establish all beings in the non-abiding state, which is the state of Buddhahood.
Then visualize Jigten Sumgon in front of you. Jugten Sumgon sits on a lotus seat with sun disk and moon disk. The lotus symbolizes purity of the body, the sun symbolizes purity of of the mind, and the moon the coolness of enlightened mind. He has all the qualities of the Buddha.
He know the difference between positive and negative actions. If you point a poisonous seed you will get a poisonous plant. The four fearlessness are the knowledge of abandoning all the defilements and the knowledge of all phenomena. The 18 unmixed dharmas are those that only Buddha has. The Nirmanakaya has the 32 major and 80 minor marks of the Buddha. Buddha said when you are in danger, you can visualize me, if you take me as your teacher.
Countless eons go there was a universal king with 1001 sons. Then he meditated and became enlightened and taught his sons, who achieved different states of enlightenment. They are the Buddhas of this kalpa. Jigten Sumgon said I was that monarch. Gampopa is the reincarnation of the bodhisattva called Moonlight who promised to carry on the teachings of the Samadhiraja sutra. Buddha said at that time I will also come to preserve the teaching. Tantra and guru yoga are powerful practices because in a short time you can transform your mind.
Then the visualization of Jigten Sumgon radiates white, red, and blue from forehead, throat, and heart light to purify the obscurations of body, speech and mind, and gold light from the navel to purify the subtle obscurations. This is the word empowerment. Then Jigten Sumgon's form dissolves into your crown and you relax in the natural state. If you practice this you have every opportunity to achieve enlightenment. You can practice this as you fall asleep and at the point of death.
Meditation Text
Vajradhara Lama Embodiment of the Three Jewels
I take refuge in you and will until I attain enlightenment;
Sentient beings victims of confused-projection suffering,
I generate the mindset for enlightenment In order to establish you in the non-abiding state.
(recite three times)
Lord Vajradhara Jigten Sumgon sits on a seat of the ten strengths,
Four fearlessnesses and eighteen unmixed dharmas,
With the radiating light of the major and minor marks of love, compassion and bodhicitta; and
Non-conceptual enlightened activities reaching all migrators equally.
OM AH RATNA SHRI SARWA SIDDHI HUNG
(accumulate many recitations)
You are the buddhas Nagakulapradipa and Dipankara of the past,
Maitreya of the future, and Shakyamuni of the present;
The reincarnation of Nagarjuna; the peerless Ratna Shri —
Lord Jigten Sumgon, I supplicate to you.
(recite three or more times)
Lights rays emanate from the lama's body, speech, and mind and dissolve into my four places,
Thereby purifying the four obscurations, bestowing the four empowerments, and planting the seeds of the four kayas;
The lama then dissolves into myself;
My mind is now natural luminosity-emptiness.
rest in the mind-as-it-is
Through both the innate virtue and the virtue accumulated in the three times by all in samsara and nirvana,
May I and all sentient beings filling space, none left out,
Realize the co-emergent ultimate reality and
Attain the final state of non-abidance in existence or peace.